Worth Your While

by Connie Suttle

  "Shotgun under the coat," Kent breathed.

  "Yep," Jerry agreed. I couldn't see faces clearly, but it was only moments later that both ran out the door, the man not bothering to hide the shotgun in his hand. The image shifted to another camera shot, which showed them getting into a car about a block away. I could tell the man was wounded in the right shoulder by that time; blood had finally soaked through the tan coat he wore. He didn't have an easy time opening the car door or getting the shotgun inside it, either. Once inside, he slumped into the seat as the car pulled out of the parking spot and almost hit a delivery service van.

  The image cut one last time—to the dashcam on the delivery truck.

  There was a very good image of a tag number on that footage. Cliff's throat rumbled at that point. He moved away, jerked out his phone and was talking to someone about tracing the tag in seconds.

  "I need to get to Atlanta," he said after ending the call. I recognized the light in Cliff's eyes, now—he'd found his prey.

  Cliff, Kent, Parke, Jerry, Yosuke and I were back at the house in Temperance Acres; we were still entitled to it as the lease wouldn't run out for five more months. We had an ID on the woman who owned the car; Lilith Sloane.

  As for the man, Atlanta PD was still attempting to identify him. "Her husband's in prison," Parke announced as new information came to his laptop. We sat in the kitchen, waiting for updates while Cliff paced like a caged wolf and I sat watching him, feeling helpless.

  He wanted to go to the crime scene, but everyone advised him against it, since others could be watching for him. We didn't need a bigger target painted on his back, or the backs of his friends listed in an old address book.

  Do you need us? Rob sent.

  Not now—we're holed up in the house, waiting for more information. We have ID on the woman; her name is Lilith Sloane. Apparently her husband is in prison right now, so we have no idea whether that's connected or not.

  What's her husband's name?

  Hold on, I had to walk behind Parke to look at the email he'd gotten. Doyle Hicks, I said. Looks like she didn't take his name.

  Are they looking at his criminal connections?

  Probably, but I'll ask. Looks like he's in jail for aggravated assault, attempted murder, and rape—for eighteen more years of a twenty-year sentence.

  What a nice guy, Rob's sarcasm came through clearly. I can't believe that woman is still married to him. That's grounds for divorce, right there.

  Not if she believes he's innocent. Some people are that gullible, I reminded him.

  But what does all that have to do with Cliff? This makes no sense. He has no connection to that case or any of those people.

  We're missing something here, I agreed. It's a nagging feeling that this is all—wonky. I hope it isn't the reason the ice demons are coming back this way.

  I figure they logged onto Demonnet and got pulled back after Parke's post was handed to Shakkor Agdah.

  That makes more sense than these people coming after Cliff.

  "They've been arrested," Cliff crowed aloud, interrupting my silent conversation with Rob.

  Looks like the culprits just got arrested. I'll get back with you when we know more, I told the Earth sprite.

  I turned toward Parke and Cliff, who were glued to Parke's laptop screen. I moved over to stand with Cliff; we watched a live feed as the man was being loaded into an ambulance, while the woman was handcuffed and shoved into a police cruiser.

  "Any news on Doctor Chalmers?" I bumped Cliff's shoulder with mine.

  "In surgery, last I heard," he said softly. "Too bad I can't hand out werewolf justice on this one." His hands clenched and unclenched as we watched the ambulance drive away first, followed by the police car carrying Lilith Sloane.

  "Man's name is Jinx Hicks—Doyle Hicks' brother," Parke read the information aloud as it appeared on his screen. "That makes some sort of sense, but still no idea why they'd come after Cliff."

  Parke's phone rang, then. He answered quickly. "You're saying Jinx Hicks is connected to Norville Pittman?"

  Cliff and I exchanged a glance. Norville Pittman—the man who'd tossed bombs on the lawn and precipitated our move from Atlanta to Gulf Tides. Hicks may have been looking for revenge for his friend's death, but why was he tossing bombs on the lawn in the first place?

  "You think Pittman was in cahoots with Shakkor Agdah?" Cliff asked.

  "I think they wouldn't have bothered with a human if they'd known where we were," Parke said. "Cliff, do you want to go to the hospital?"

  "When he's out of surgery. I don't want a mob of press waiting to ask questions of anybody who shows up."

  "We don't need your name associated with this, if we can help it," I agreed. "Shakkor Agdah will be aiming for you, and they can cause more harm than that human idiot ever could. Parke, is there any way you can be present when those two are questioned?" I asked.

  "Why?" He turned his head to look at me.

  "Because you'll know whether they're telling the truth or not. It's still daylight and we can't get a vamp in there for compulsion. You're the next logical choice."

  "I can't force them to answer questions like a vamp can. We need to wait." His answer didn't make me feel better about the situation—I had a sudden sense of urgency about this whole mess, and I couldn't explain it.

  "I can transport you back to Gulf Tides," Yosuke offered. "Cliff, I can bring you back to see your friend from there, just as easily. Like Cassie, I have an unsettled feeling about this. We should go now if Parke is unwilling to be present at the questioning."

  "Fine." Parke shut his laptop and stood. "I'm ready whenever you are."

  In seconds, we were back in Parke's office at the Gulf Tides estate. We didn't get the news that the Temperance Acres house exploded behind us until nearly an hour later.

  Cliff

  "The bombs were laid around the perimeter; when the police learned that Jinx Hicks had a direct connection to Norville Pittman, and that Hicks had been seen around the house by a neighbor, they went to check on it. The moment they forced the door open, everything he'd set out went off. One officer is dead, two others wounded," Parke sighed. His elbows were planted on the desk, with both hands now covering his face.

  "So we avoided being blown up because we were transported directly inside the house?"

  "Yes." Parke dropped his hands. He looked haggard, as I suppose I did. This had been a decidedly bad day, and it wasn't over yet.

  We'd waited all afternoon and evening for more information, and Parke had only received this much in the last ten minutes. "We've been brought up to speed," Trey and Grim walked into the office, although Trey was the only one who spoke.

  "Do you know what those two are saying? We don't have any information on the questioning," Parke said.

  "They've lawyered up, which is no surprise, and both have been advised to say nothing. Jinx Hicks is still groggy after the surgery to remove the bullet in his shoulder; Lilith Sloane has refused to speak from the beginning. The only information they have as yet is Hick's connection to Pittman, and we all know the results of the intended search of the house in Atlanta."

  "Yeah. We know that, all right."

  "I also have a report that the truck belonging to Gorham was found by a fisherman in a wooded area between Birmingham and Atlanta. At least three vehicles were reported stolen in the same area close to that time. The Kings, Gorham and Franks could be in any or all of them."

  "Fuck me," Parke moaned and leaned back in his chair.

  "We have trouble," Kent walked in and shut the door. "I just heard from the guys at my station. They say there's information all over the Internet that says the gun stolen from Cliff's house was used in the Atlanta shooting, and that Cliff and Doctor Chalmers knew one another. They don't have any idea who leaked that information, but it's out there and impossible to shut down. Cliff's name is now officially tied to those two, and there's no way to know how that will play out."

  "I need to get out
of here," I snapped while fur stood straight out on my forearms. I was about to go fully-furred and needed a place to run.

  "Parke," Cassie opened the door, almost hitting me in the nose. She took one look at me, grabbed my hand and we were both teleported elsewhere.

  Cassie

  I didn't know where else to take him that would be familiar and make it easy to find him at the same time, so I took Cliff to his acreage outside Tuscaloosa. I didn't set him down anywhere near the burned-down house, but instead put him in the ravine where I'd turned the first time.

  His clothes were flung away and he was wolf in seconds, before charging out of the ravine and running toward the nearest stand of trees. After gathering his clothing and folding it to avoid wrinkles, I sat down to wait for him.

  Cassie? Where are you? Rob sent.

  In Cliff's ravine. He's ah—out running off his anger and frustration, I replied.

  Understandable. We'll be there in a few.

  All right.

  In moments, all four sprites and Will arrived.

  The sprites sat around me while Will wandered up the ravine.

  "You can see so many more stars out here," I looked up into the clear, summer sky overhead. "When I was little, I always thought the night sky looked like a luminous, blue bowl overhead with twinkling lights and glitter set in it."

  "The universe is indeed magical—when you see it from this far away," Ebb agreed. "Perhaps there is someone near one of those stars in the distance, with their own set of troubles, who've stopped to study us and the beauty around us for a few minutes."

  "No human thing is of serious importance. Plato said that," Rob breathed as he studied the sky beside me.

  "Unless you're in the middle of it, fighting for human survival and the survival of all species on the planet," Zephyr said gently. "If Shakkor Agdah succeeds, all will die and the planet will be overrun by their race. Then they will fight themselves for dominance and survival. It is their way."

  "It's a stupid way," Ebb offered. "You don't mow down the garden that feeds you."

  "High five," I held up a hand. Ebb had to reach around Rob, but we slapped hands and chuckled.

  Cassie? Parke was calling.

  Is something wrong?

  No—Trey says Doctor Chalmers is out of surgery and the doctors are optimistic about his recovery.

  Thank goodness. Cliff's wolf is out running. I'll let him know when he comes back.

  Trey wants Yosuke to take him to Atlanta in the middle of the night to ask Lilith Sloane questions. Yosuke can get us into her cell and put up a shield while he places compulsion. We need to find out what's going on, and Trey's supervisor has given permission. Mostly, he wants to know if those two are aligned with Black Myth.

  I want to know that, too. Are you going with Trey?

  Yes.

  Be careful and listen to Yosuke if he says things aren't right.

  I will.

  What about Jinx Hicks?

  We may check in at the hospital, depending on what we find out from the woman.

  All right. Call if you need me. I think I may have this teleportation thing almost worked out.

  I used to say traveling by sprite was the fastest way. That's no longer true, is it?

  Not by a long shot.

  If I'm not here when you get back, I'll let you know what we find out when we return.

  Thanks, Parke.

  "What's up?" Rob asked after Parke and I finished our silent conversation.

  "He and Trey are going to Atlanta later to question Lilith Sloane. Trey got permission from Director Logan, because they want to know if Shakkor Agdah is involved in this, too."

  "What about Hicks?"

  "He said they may go to the hospital afterward, depending on what the Sloane woman tells them."

  "Cliff wants to rip that man's limbs off," Rob snorted. "Followed by his head."

  "I don't blame him," I said. "An innocent woman is dead, and Doctor Chalmers' life is still hanging in the balance. I feel responsible for this, you know. If I hadn't needed help—well." I shifted uncomfortably.

  "This is not your fault." Will had returned just as Rob opened his mouth to say something similar.

  "Will, don't even try," I held up a hand. "My friend Binita and my favorite law professor died because of me. Other people died because of me in the Christmas War."

  "The Christmas War would have happened, with or without you," Blaze said. "Ross Diablo wanted the Chancellor's seat and was willing to do whatever it took to get it. Had you not been there, he would now be in charge and in league with Shakkor Agdah. Admit that much, at least."

  "Every war has casualties, Princess," Rob said gently. "You did not start this war; it has been going on for a very long time. All we can do is stand strong and endeavor to put Shakkor Agdah back in their place, if not outright destroy them. Do not put additional burdens on yourself; instead, take these deaths as a cause to bring their killers down."

  "Rob is correct," Will said. "This war has been going on for a very long time. Longer, even, than they've been on this planet."

  "What?" I stared at Will's dim figure nearby. "Say that again," I demanded.

  "Princess Cassandra King, I tell you now that there were six Earths in this cluster. We stand upon Earth IV. V and VI were destroyed when Shakkor Agdah attempted their takeover on each of those planets. What I am about to tell you is something that until now was only known to the wizards."

  "What's that?" I barely got the words out, my voice trembled so badly.

  "There is an energy bridge connecting each of those six planets. In the case of V and IV, the protective pyramids have been buried to limit Shakkor Agdah's power, after VI fell. Of all those worlds, VI had the most talented and the most powerful beings. Shakkor Agdah is descended from some of them.

  "When they destroyed VI, they located the bridge to V because they'd killed everything else, including the plants and animals. My kind planted four pyramids on V to keep it from suffering the same fate as VI. Still, Shakkor Agdah eventually located and destroyed the pyramids, then destroyed V before crossing the bridge to IV. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

  "You say VI had the most powerful and talented beings?" I asked.

  "Yes. As the numbers go down, so does the power and talent. We cannot allow Shakkor Agdah to reach III. It has very little talent, and will be destroyed quickly, just as II and I will be, if we fail to stop them."

  There was information he was holding back, but I didn't ask what it was. Something in me said everything else he'd said was true, which made things so much worse, and so much more urgent. We were the last hope to destroy Black Myth. If we failed, all would die, just as Zephyr said.

  "Fuck." I buried my face in my hands. "We really, really, need to find these assholes."

  Cliff as the wolf trotted in, grabbed his clothes in his teeth and trotted away. I guess he was ready to go back, now. Five minutes later, he was back and dressed.

  "Parke says Doctor Chalmers is out of surgery, and they're hoping for a full recovery," I said.

  "Good. Thank you. Is that true—what you said?" He rounded on Will.

  "It's true," Will said. "You may as well know what Yosuke and I have known all along. If another wizard wakes, well, you'll know the end of this world is upon us."

  "We've always heard that a third or fourth wizard means the actual apocalypse," Blaze stood and dusted off his slacks. "It's why the sprites acted during the plague and have set aside differences now. Kings and Queens are equally concerned."

  Rob stood and offered me a hand. I took it and rose, with the others following suit. "Are you ready to go back, Cliff, or is there anything else you need to do, here?" I asked him.

  "I'm good for now, but if possible, I'd like to see Doc tomorrow if he's awake."

  "Somebody will take you," I agreed. "It's the least we can do."

  "Let's go, then," Will said and transported us to the estate.

  Parke

  Right after Cass
ie and I finished our mindspoken conversation, Trey and I were given permission to question the Sloane woman by Atlanta PD. Trey's boss had pulled a lot of strings to do this for us. Yosuke transported us immediately to the jail where she was being held; her arraignment was scheduled in the morning.

  "Trey," a man stood and offered his hand to the vampire when we were led into an office at the Atlanta facility.

  "Lou, I didn't expect to find you here," Trey shook his hand.

  "Georgia Bureau for two years." Lou, who had to be in his fifties, grinned at Trey. "Got too old to go running after you guys, so I'm here, now."

  "Their gain, then," Trey said. "Lou, this is Parke Worth, from Seattle."

  "I've heard of your father, I think," Lou offered me his hand.

  "Dad died a couple years ago. I took over his business."

  "In every way?" Lou asked, a thoughtful expression on his face.

  "In every way," Trey confirmed.

  "Should I bow?" Lou asked Trey.

  "No," I held up a hand. "But you're welcome to sit with us while we question the Sloane woman."

  "Thank you—I'd prefer to be included. This mess makes no sense, and we can't get anything out of her."

  "I think we should hurry," Yosuke said, stepping from the shadows and startling Lou. Until then, he'd kept himself shielded at Trey's request.

  "Let me grab ID badges and a couple of guards," Lou said. We followed him out the door and down a hallway.

  Dalton King

  Lilith Sloane's lawyer was dead—we'd seen to that after we questioned him. Neither of us had any idea why Vaalenn wanted this woman taken, except she'd targeted Cliff Young, who'd escaped Ruudann in the past. He was a willing disciple of the Chancellor, and therefore an enemy of Vaalenn's.

  I had misgivings about this assignment, but the rune on my shoulder burned every time I felt like arguing, so Morton and I went to get the woman out of jail and take her to Vaalenn.

  Gorham and Franks had the easy job—they were sent to the hospital where Hicks was being treated. It was a hell of a lot easier to get in and out there than it would be in an Atlanta jail.