The Recluse

by D A Rice

  …

  Detective Jackson’s phone beeped three times, then three longer beeps, and then three short beeps again. He glanced at Montoya, who was driving like a madwoman, leading the convoy they had behind them. “The Recluse,” was all he said.

  She nodded, taking a sharp right turn, “he’s telling us to hurry, I’m guessing?”

  Jackson’s eyes narrowed as Montoya honked impatiently, sirens blaring. “SOS, but at least we know he’s alive,” he said thoughtfully, his anxiety cooling. They needed to pick it up though, Montoya was right. Something big was happening and they needed to be prepared for everything they could be. It was part of what had taken them so long; with`the debrief of the team, then the loading up. He glanced behind him; their team was big enough to surround and infiltrate the biggest building in New York. It needed to be for a takedown like this.

  They could be anywhere in that warehouse. Jackson wasn’t going to risk anyone getting away.

  Montoya cocked her head curiously as she coasted into a massive parking area in the warehouse district, her eyes narrowing. “Jackson...“ she paused as she typed in the car’s computer, confirming something. The detective smirked as Montoya spoke again. “I know you called air support, but that wouldn’t have included jets from the Coast Guard, would it?”

  Jackson looked down at his phone again, “apparently, he wanted to make sure we really knew he was alive.” His eyebrow raised in amusement, as a dancing spider played across his phone, jets circling it like a target. Montoya grinned, then she twirled her hand out the window, signaling to the convoy before slamming her foot down hard on the gas pedal.

  …

  Eli’s head fell back in exhaustion as his body gave out on him, his arms dropping into his lap. At least he had gotten his message out. It’d been relatively easy for him to get into Damion’s phone, no doubt a gift in and of itself from the other hacker. Eli could see, from the access Damion had given him, just how talented he was. It made Eli smile before he had accessed the program he’d created and ordered an airstrike. He knew his timing would be close, but it would all depend on Damion in the end. He was the one who would give the final order.

  Damion had had a choice to make. Eli hadn’t known which path the other hacker would take, but Eli had no doubt this was the right one. His eyes opened as he studied the wall before him with its hidden door. He was worried for Rei, but part of him believed she was more protected than either of them knew. She had supernatural bodyguards, and he would trust them to do what he couldn’t.

  The sounds of a jet making a low flyover made him grin. Oh good, he thought, they’ll be here sooner than I anticipated. He knew what was coming next, but he couldn’t help the small doubts that rose up within him. He found himself saying a small prayer that his timing was on point.

  And he waited, too weak to do much else. The bit of programming he’d sent out on Damion’s phone was the last thing he’d been able to manage. Now he needed to rest if he was going to be of any help later, and they would need all the help they could get.

  Eli smiled, won’t Fenris be surprised when everything falls apart around him.

  …

  Rei halted as she pushed open the door from the basement and into the main part of the building. Her phone buzzed and she jumped, before pulling it out to glance at the message there. She’d avoided looking at the torture chamber of the lower levels. Those rooms were definitely more like labs and prison chambers than anything else one would expect in a building like this. She didn’t want to think about all that happened there. Knowing what’d happened to Eli was enough.

  The message had nearly given her a heart attack as she stood just behind a door that exited the stairwell she was in. She’d taken the elevator back down, retracing the steps she remembered taking with Damion. She furrowed her brows as she read what Eli had sent her: pass go and collect 200 dollars. Below the text was a green button that said GO. She had no idea what to make of it, but she guessed it had something to do with whatever Eli was doing on Damion’s phone.

  She left the message, as it didn’t disappear, and crept into what looked like the main living area of the safe house. She had come to realize that the warehouse itself was divided between the space where work was done, and where Arachnid had the living quarters set up for the safehouse itself. It was all well-hidden within these crumbling walls.

  Glancing around, she halted again, this time in fear. The Wolf met her gaze, sitting calmly in an abused-looking armchair in the middle of the room, “wish to share with the class, Anna Rei?” She could hear the clear amusement in his voice. The chair he sat in was a black settee, torn and ripped in places. The Wolf lounged in it like a king. Rei straightened before seeing Damion underneath him, curled into a ball, facing away from her. The Wolf rested his feet on top of him.

  She could see blood soaking her friend’s side and the concrete floor below him. Their were chains wrapped tightly around his wrists behind his back. So tight, in fact, that they were clearly chafing him. Her jaw clenched as she met the Wolf’s eyes through his macabre mask. It was the same twisted wolf from her nightmares, but this time, she wasn’t afraid. The Wolf cocked his head, leaning forward over his knees. His legs shifted off of his captive as his gaze turned thoughtful. “You should be afraid,” he whispered darkly, answering her unspoken thoughts.

  Rei narrowed her eyes, “let him go.”

  The Wolf leaned back, his arm settling over the back of his chair, “no.”

  Her chest tightened as she fought the fear within her, she pushed it back, “yes.”

  He tilted his head, “and what will you give me, Rei, if I do? You can’t get something for nothing.” Her eyes began to burn and she felt a spike of panic. The Wolf chuckled in front of her, his eyes knowing, “you can’t control them, the demons, and you can’t control me. Are you quite sure this isn’t just one of your nightmares?” he taunted.

  Eli’s words came back to her, remember who you are. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in. He’d told her how to fight the Wolf, he’d showed her in her dreams what to do. She reached with her heart, then she was being slammed against the concrete wall. Her eyes snapped open as her hands came up to meet the Wolf’s around her neck as his grip tightened.

  “I don’t think so,” he whispered, voice dangerous, “none of that. Not if you want poor Damion to live.” He tilted his head the other way, his gaze sliding to her friend on the cold floor. The whole room was cold, and the temperature only continued to drop with the Wolf’s calm temper.

  She cringed as he pushed against her windpipe. “I will have you, Rei. With or without your venomous companion.”

  Movement caused her to glance behind the Wolf where she saw Damion struggling to get onto his stomach. He met her gaze, his own emerald eyes narrowing. Fenris shifted, but before he could glance back, she tapped his hands. He loosened his grip and she let out a wheezing breath.

  “I would do anything to save my friend,” she got out, coughing as she tried to breathe again. The Wolf watched her, a predator assessing his prey. Rei refused to meet his gaze. She could feel the burning again, but this time she would heed Eli’s warning. She would not hold back. “I would give up anything for him to be free. For him to find the forgiveness I offer.” She glanced at Damion here and his eyes widened fractionally as her hand slid into her pocket. She could tell from the look on his face that he’d seen her eyes begin to glow.

  Fenris snatched her wrist, but he was too late. Rei finally met his gaze and he flinched, releasing her instantly before backing away. Rei dropped the phone to the floor, smiling, “but my soul is already spoken for. My heart is already taken,” then she let her light out, filling the room with it.

  25

  “There!” Jackson pointed, his eyes wide as Montoya swerved to stop in front of a multi-level warehouse building. The detective could see an unnatural white light shining in the windows a couple floors up, and it was only getting brighter. Jackson’s phone buzzed and he glanced down
at the message: I would cover my eyes, if I were you. -R

  Jackson scrambled for the radio, “cover your eyes!” He pulled Montoya down, shielding her. He could only imagine the scramble of the guys behind them. The light burst out of the windows as if someone had turned on the sun in the next moment.

  Montoya met his gaze again, “I’m gonna guess we found the right place?” she almost shouted and Jackson winced, glancing up before going right back down.

  “I’m going to guess that as well, agent,” he confirmed.

  His radio crackled, “Jackson, what’s with the light show?” came a voice.

  “I dunno, advise waiting,” Jackson replied, huddling down as he pulled the handheld to himself. One hand still clutched protectively around Montoya.

  “Ten-four,” came the reply, “resuming radio silence.” Jackson cringed and glanced at Montoya again, who was grinning slightly. He cocked an eyebrow at her in a silent question.

  She shrugged, “I’ve had a lot of weird things happen in my life, but this case just keeps taking the cake.”

  Jackson laughed, ruffling her hair, “I feel you, kid.”

  …

  Damion turned his head away just in time as light exploded around and out of Rei. He’d seen the phone drop out of her hand and he’d seen the program Eli’d left them when the phone landed face up. Damion had no doubts about what that big green GO was, and even less that it was a gift from B3oW0lf, himself. He took a deep breath and began to move, wiggling with his bound hands and legs, then wincing with the pain that followed. His hands were bleeding, as was his side, it was making him physically weak but he had a promise to keep. The light brightened around them until Damion could no longer see the Wolf. However, Damion could hear him scramble to get away from his friend and he could hear the other man hissing in pain, growling low in his throat.

  Good, thought Damion, Fenris deserved that. He wiggled another few inches, feeling with his hands for the phone. He knew it was around there somewhere. Finally, he grasped it and grinned before setting it back down near his feet where he could easily pick it up again. Now for the tricky part, he thought.

  Damion jerked his body around, hitting a wall at an odd angle. The safehouse had the room where they’d put Rei, and this open area, with a crappy table, a crappy chair, and food supplies they could grab and go. It was a last-resort hiding place for them, but it was also where they hid things. Fenris’s lab in the basement was one of those things. He must’ve had the rest cleared out well before Eli had been brought here.

  The crack that followed as Damion intentionally hit the concrete behind him made him breathless, as his shoulder dislocated from its socket. His eyes clinched closed with the pain. He wasn’t sure how much more his body could take. All he knew was that if Eli could take the Wolf’s torture and still have enough presence of mind to find them an escape route, Damion had enough to use it.

  He slid his back up the wall as the light surrounding them began to dim, bracing his arms against the broken concrete behind him. He was running out of time. Damion felt with his hands, ignoring the pain as he pulled them up behind him until he found the metal wire he had seen earlier, sticking out from it. Hooking his chained hands on the metal, he pulled, leaning forward and then down, as he maneuvered his hands up and over his head. He took a moment to breathe before unhooking his arms, standing up from a crouched position, and swinging his arms down in front of him.

  Using the last of his strength, he gently lowered himself back down the the floor, sitting with his legs crossed. He glanced at the message on the phone in his hands and grinned.

  …

  Rei’s eyes bled the light out as the angels around her spread their wings wide, preparing for a fight. Demons hissed and jumped as the beings of light streaked around and through them, bursting them apart as they went. The Wolf fell to his knees as the light rescinded. He growled at her, “this isn’t over.” The safehouse materialized around them, and Rei could feel the burn lift from her eyes. Weariness took over and she collapsed, sliding down the cold concrete wall behind her. She could feel the Wolf grin, “I bet you can’t do that again.”

  “She doesn’t have to,” came a voice from in front of her. Rei’s eyes snapped back open. Damion. She had almost forgotten about him. He had her phone in his hands, a grin on his face. How had he gotten up, gotten his hands in front of him? Then she saw the bruising on his shoulder through his ripped shirt, and she understood what he’d done. She cringed as he met her gaze, determination settling there. “You did good, Rei,” she smiled at his tone, his endearment, the soft look in his eyes.

  The Wolf stood slowly, his eyes wary, “and what are you up to, little spider?”

  Damion’ head tilted, meeting the Wolf’s gaze as his mask melted away like smoke. The hacker grinned, “me? Nothing.” He waved Rei’s phone, “but this? This is a gift from an old friend.”

  The Wolf stilled as Damion glanced down at the device in his hands. “I guess it’s true what they say,” Damion was chuckling low now, and the Wolf’s eyes narrowed in fury as Damion met them once again. “You should never scare a brown recluse out of its hiding spot.”

  Never taking his eyes from Fenris, Damion pressed the green button that said GO.

  …

  The light faded and Jackson was standing in front of the building with Montoya, signaling to his team. He held his gun at the ready as law enforcement moved around him. That was when they heard it. A low, humming noise. Jackson’s eyes widened as they met Montoya’s, “please tell me we had this area evacuated.”

  “Unnecessary, this place has been vacated for years,” she was looking behind them, her eyes narrowed in confusion, “what is that sound?” Jackson recognized it as the sound of an Air Force bomber making a pass over. He wasn’t just a veteran on the NYPD after all. There was only one reason for a jet to be flying that low.

  Jackson signaled his team again and they moved to break down the door with a ram. “Time to go. That’s what that sound is,” Jackson said, moving quickly behind his team as they worked. Montoya nodded and they crept towards the entrance as the rest of the team backed away, rushing to set up a new perimeter. They needed to be a safe distance away, and stat. Jackson wasn’t going to risk his whole team being in the building when that airstrike came. “Just you and me, kid. I think our hacker just called in the cavalry.”

  Montoya’s eyes widened, “the jets. They’re flying incredibly low to not have a purpose, aren’t they?” Jackson didn’t answer, just moved inside the building with his gun raised. He was determined to be out of there by the time the bombs hit, and determined to leave no one behind.

  …

  Rei moved. She didn’t know what Eli’s hack would do, but the fear it gave her pulled her from her fatigue. Whatever was about to happen to this place, she didn’t want to be here for it. She pulled Damion up, and he winced. The Wolf was watching the ceiling, unmoving.

  The door burst open, making Rei jump, almost dropping the grip she had on Damion. He moaned softly and she apologized. When she glanced towards the door, she saw who’d just come in. It was the detective. She relaxed before realizing how much danger they were all in, “Jackson! You guys need to go! Get out of here!”

  Montoya followed on the detective’s heels, both of their guns trained on the Wolf, who was standing eerily still. “We’re not leaving without you,” she said, voice low.

  Damion’s head lolled, he was close to unconsciousness, but he managed a small sound, “Nikki.”

  Rei glanced around in a panic, “Nicole!” she shouted.

  The Wolf laughed and both law enforcement personnel tensed in front of him, preparing to fire as he moved his head languidly toward her, “she can’t hear you.” He almost sung, voice unnervingly soft.

  Rei’s eyes narrowed as she took a step towards the man. Jackson sidestepped with her, his voice low in warning, “Rei…”

  “We need to go, Rei, as in yesterday,” Montoya added, her eyes never leaving the Wolf, who m
et her measured gaze with his own.

  “Are you afraid of death, agent?” The Wolf asked, his voice darkly amused. Montoya flinched, and he smirked. “Oh all the memories I could play with in there.” He took a step towards her and she wavered, her gun shaking as Rei sensed his focus on her increase. Jackson stepped forward, his brow furrowing. He couldn’t’ve known what was going on, but he could clearly see the effect it was having on Montoya.

  “Get out of her head, Wolf; no one is afraid of you here,” came a voice from the back of the building and Rei started. Eli leaned against the wall there, he looked exhausted and his veins looked strained, as if they had blown out a long time ago. He’d made it back into the building without anyone noticing, and next to him, holding out her hands as if to steady him, stood Nikki, looking terrified.

  The Wolf straightened, turning his focus to Eli with an eyebrow raised. He looked impressed. “Well done, Ezekiel! How did you do it?” he sounded genuinely curious.

  Rei shifted on her feet, “I don’t mean to interrupt, but why do I get the feeling that if we don’t move soon, we’re all about to die?” She could hear the sound of high-pitched whistling and the low hum of what sounded like a jet. If she was right, neither of those sounds were comforting.

  The Wolf shifted his eyes to the ceiling again and smirked, “it would seem so, wouldn’t it?” He cocked his head, his gaze finding Rei next. Montoya was visibly shaking behind him, but her eyes were determined and her gun was steady again as she recovered from the Wolf’s intrusion. Jackson was holding out his hand to her, in support or restraint, Rei couldn’t tell, “well, at least we will all die together. One big happy family.” The Wolf supplied in amusement.

  And then the darkness was pulling in all around him again, shifting and moving, pulling the mask into place over his face again. Montoya’s jaw dropped before her gun did, then Eli was yelling. “Go! Go! Go! Out the front door! NOW!” Rei didn’t think; she pulled Damion up and into her before she ran.