by E. A. Copen
“Always so many questions.” Reed smiled. “But I do owe you an explanation, don’t I?” He was quiet a moment before he took another wheezing breath. “To really answer that, I suppose I should start at the beginning with the Sicarii.”
I shifted my weight, getting comfortable. “Ed says they were dissidents in Ancient Rome protesting the Roman occupation of Judea.”
“That was only a small group of a much larger machine. Our history goes back further, much further.” Reed closed his eyes again and said, “Since the beginning of time, the Sicarii have influenced the balance of power all over the world. From the fall of Rome to the collapse of the Soviet Union to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the Sicarii have been involved in all of it in one form or another. Whenever and wherever the Sicarii form a presence, bad things happen. The balance of power shifts. The world changes.”
I frowned. “I’m not sure I understand. Who are they? What are they?”
“We’ve had many names over the years. To some, we were gods. We were the heroes of myth, the immortal men who both guided and shielded the world, molding and bending progress to our will. True immortals.”
Gideon Reed didn’t look like an immortal. He bled like any other man. He slept and ate and lived just like any other human would. Then again, I’d seen a wendigo rip out one of his organs, and Reed had seemed no worse for wear afterward. He’d gotten up from injuries that would have killed normal men, but that didn’t make him immortal.
“You have doubts.”
I met Reed’s eyes and sighed. “I might be a BSI officer who’s seen some weird things over the years, but asking me to believe in immortal beings is a stretch. Especially considering right now. You look like you’re on death’s door.”
Reed spread his lip into a smile-like grimace. “Immortal is a poor word. It’s a failure of language. We can die. Cut off our heads, force us to lose enough blood quickly enough, and we are as mortal as the next man. But we do not age or decay. We heal faster, move faster, become stronger. Most of us live among humans undetected for twenty, thirty years before we disappear and get new identities from the Sicarii. A select few are chosen each generation to be a part of the ruling council. That’s the group that decides the fate of the world.”
He shifted one hand to his chest and fixed his eyes on the ceiling. “During the Revelation, I served along with Hector and several others. We guided the creation of BSI. I did my best to put safeguards in place to prevent what’s happening now. It was never supposed to be like this. Everything changed. They saw it as their opportunity to control the other supernaturals, the one wildcard that we had never been able to fully influence. They just wanted more power.” His hand formed a fist. “When I saw the others weren’t going to listen, I left. I chose to disappear. I ran like a coward instead of fighting for what I knew was right.”
I reached out and gripped Reed’s hand. “Is Doctor Han one of these...immortals too?”
He shook his head. “No, he’s something else. But he knows about us. Of that, I’m sure. Judah—” He squeezed my hand. “—something is wrong. The ruling group of Sicarii has been in power too long, longer than they should be. Hector shouldn’t be here. When I found out he was, I went to confront him.
“He lured me into the compound, where I learned he was manufacturing rem from plants bought from the fae. This rem became a key ingredient in research being conducted by Han, who had a blank check from the government—at the Sicarii’s urging—to synthesize a formula that would give normal humans supernatural powers. BSI has been testing this for years, Judah. Their goal is to develop agents for the field who are capable of unprecedented destruction. Disposable super-soldiers, humans able to stand against legions of werewolves, vampires, fae, and magick practitioners.”
“Holy hell,” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper. “What the hell do they need an army of antisupernatural soldiers for?”
Reed met my eyes, his gaze level. “You know what for, Judah.”
“Extermination.”
I turned my head to regard Istaqua standing in the doorway, his arms crossed.
He took a step into the room. “Why do you think they’ve corralled so many of us into the reservation? There’s talks of opening more and making residency mandatory. Once every supernatural has been herded into a reservation, how much do you think it will take for them to turn their guns on us?”
“People won’t let that happen,” I said, shaking my head. “There are too many agents inside BSI who are practitioners like me that would stand against it.”
“Agents that are to be replaced with the super-soldiers they are developing.” Reed hissed and clutched his side. “The research has to be shut down. Han, Hector, all of them must be stopped. Those videos, they were sent to me from another source. They were supposed to be delivered to Marcus Kelley as proof of Han’s involvement. You must get them to him.”
That explained a lot, but not everything. I still needed answers.
“None of that explains why you’ve been attacking everyone and why you’re suddenly back to your old self inside this circle.” I gestured to the circle of ash.
“It’s Hector’s doing. He is gifted with psychomancy. He cast a powerful spell over me, Judah. I’ve got no control over my actions if I leave this circle. If not for the Kings apprehending me and bringing me here, I would be back in the hands of BSI, spirited away to be executed.” He winced again. “Of course, that came at a price. They had to severely injure me to get me here, and well, inside this circle, I don’t seem to be healing at my normal rate.”
The pieces were coming together. Hector must have spelled Reed to get him out of the way. Reed would be the one person who could put everything together and bring in Marcus to shut everything down. If Han was fired from Fitz, he’d lose access to all his research, and as a controlling investor, Marcus could shut down the whole project. The Sicarii would be set back a long way. They’d be dealt a huge blow, but not defeated. It might buy us time to shut them down completely, though.
Am I crazy? If what Reed is saying is true, these Sicarii are immortal. They’ve been around for thousands of years and have more knowledge, strength, and power than I can ever hope to have. I’m just one federal agent living in a small town. What can I do against that?
I looked back at Istaqua. The Kings must have felt the same at one time, but they didn’t just stand by and do nothing. That’s why they were moving people out of BSI reach to safety. They didn’t have to save the world; they just had to save one person at a time.
That’s all I have to do, take down one of them at a time.
I turned back to Reed. “If we shut down the rem production, will it make any difference at all?”
Reed thought a moment and then nodded. “But you need to get those videos to Marcus, too. Hector probably isn’t the only one producing rem, but shutting him and his operation down will make it harder for Han to get it, especially once he’s removed from the Fitz team.”
I stood and moved to go, but Reed grabbed my arm, forcing me to turn back.
“Hector is smart,” Reed said. “His followers are likely all addicted to the rem. He’s used it and his psychomancy to bring them all under his control. They’ll defend him and the facility with their lives.”
“What about Mara?”
Reed licked his lips. “If she’s there, she’s likely under his control to some degree. The night we were at the barn, it was to be her initiation into the group. With everything going on, they may have postponed that. If you hurry, you may be able to stop him from solidifying his influence over her.”
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. There was just one more thing I needed to ask Reed, and I wasn’t sure how to say it. Honesty is probably best. I’ve never been one to dance around it, so I might as well just come out and say it.
“There’s just one more thing I need to ask you, and I’m going to need an honest answer.”
When I opened my eyes, Reed had wrinkle
d his forehead looking at me. “I’ll do my best.”
“The sword you carry, is it known as the sword of light?”
The room was quiet for a long time, the only sounds Gideon Reed’s rough breathing.
He answered in a voice barely above a whisper. “Who told you that?”
“Seamus.”
“That sword must not fall into his hands, Judah. It must be protected. You have no idea what he can do with something that powerful.”
“I have an idea,” I mumbled. “I know it would be bad.”
“Don’t worry,” Istaqua chimed in. “Even Finvarra couldn’t pass through this circle, priest. You’re safe for now. This business with the sword can be settled at a later date. You have bigger problems.”
“Thank you.” I nodded to Reed. “You stay inside this circle and get better. I’m going to go stop all of this.”
“Be careful,” Reed called after me as I walked to the door. “Don’t underestimate Hector’s power. He overcame me with ease. I know of no way to defend against his psychomancy, Judah. He is powerful, and one of the Sicarii. If you kill him, you will draw their attention, and that is not a good thing.”
I stopped in the doorway next to Istaqua and turned back, a smile on my face. “Come on, Reed. This is me you’re talking to. When have I ever not been careful?”
Istaqua’s hand came down on my shoulder. “We’ve got her back. Don’t you worry, priest.”
I slid by Istaqua and made my way back out to the front room, where the rest of the Kings waited in silence. Sal looked up from his place at the kitchen counter and put down the beer in his hands. The room smelled of barbeque, and there was a spread of food on the bar where Chanter used to keep his medicines and car keys. Someone else sat in Chanter’s chair, someone I didn’t know, and someone who didn’t deserve it. I caught the whiff of cigarette smoke in the air.
My broken arm ached, and my head felt heavy. The light was suddenly too much, and it made my temper flare. I shifted my arm and growled, “What the hell are you guys looking at?” When no one answered, I spun on my heel and stormed back to Chanter’s bedroom, slamming the door shut so I could finally get some peace.
But peace wasn’t what I found.
On the other side of the door, I sank to the floor, fighting tears. It was stupid, how upset I’d gotten over so many little things. It felt wrong, seeing the place without Chanter. Even after so long, I still expected to see him every time I rounded a corner, every time I smelled smoke or heard deep laughter. I still felt like I had failed him somehow, like there was more I needed to say. Even though I’d gotten more of a goodbye than most, it never felt like enough.
A gentle rap sounded on the door. “Judah?” came Sal’s muffled voice.
I stared at the door and debated telling him to go away, but that would change nothing. It was selfish of me to want to keep all of Chanter’s memory to myself.
He opened the door when I moved away from it and quickly closed it behind him, cocking his head to the side. “What is it?”
“Everything and nothing.” I choked on a sob and pushed tears away with my palm. “It’s just… Chanter would know what to do. He always knew. Not having him here to ask, it’s been so hard. And seeing Istaqua sit in his chair, seeing anyone there… I just miss him, Sal. I miss everyone.”
Sal stepped forward to wrap his arms around me, careful not to squeeze the broken arm. “I know. Trust me, I know.”
“Did he know? About all of this?”
Sal kissed the top of my head and then shook his head. “I don’t know how much he knew.”
“This isn’t just some monster, Sal. This is the government. This is BSI. This is my boss, the people who know everything about me, things even you don’t know.” I raised my head and fought the tightness in my throat. “How am I supposed to fight that? Shutting things down here will have consequences. This isn’t going to end when Marcus fires Han. This goes all the way to the top of the government. How do we stop that?”
Sal squeezed me tighter. It made my arm ache even more, but I didn’t care. I wouldn’t have traded that hug for anything in the world. “You don’t do it by yourself, that’s how. You’ve got friends, allies. I know it’s hard for you to trust us because we’ve been on the wrong side of the law, but Marcus, Istaqua, the Kings, and others… We’re fighting a war against that already.”
“But how am I supposed to fight for what I know is right without endangering Hunter? If I quit, BSI will come for me.”
“Then don’t quit.” Sal leaned back to look at me. “You keep doing your job, Judah, and doing the best that you can.”
I swallowed. “And what about when orders come down from above? Eventually, they’ll figure me out. I might have to run.”
“We’ll worry about that as it comes.” Sal nodded. “Today, we shut down Hector’s operation and get Han out of the way. Then, we worry about tomorrow.”
I sniffled and wiped the rest of the tears from my face. Somehow, talking to Sal always made me feel better. “Sal, there can’t be a we this time. I might have a way to defend myself against the spell that hit Reed, but I can’t extend that to other people. If one of you werewolves gets hit by it, that could be even more disastrous. We can’t risk that.”
Sal’s face hardened. “Well, I’m not letting you go in alone.”
I looked down at my hands. The skin was red and splotchy. My face probably was, too. It’d be a while before I could go out and face people without looking like a mess. “Espinoza,” I mumbled. “I can bring Espinoza. He works for the local cops, so he’s not connected to BSI, and he’s got some low-level psychomancy of his own. He might be able to protect himself. Yeah, if anyone can, he can.”
“What about you? What are you going to do to keep him out of your head?”
“It’s not going to be easy.” I shrugged. “But I can do it. I was trained in the academy to keep things out. If it works on demons and ghosts, it should work on Hector too.”
Sal didn’t look convinced, so I leaned forward and kissed him. “Don’t worry so much, Sal. This is my job. This is what I do. I wouldn’t have gotten this far if I wasn’t at least a little good at it.”
He offered a weak smile in response. “Fine, but one of us drives you out there so I know you got that far safely.”
I grinned back. “Deal.”
Chapter Twenty
When Sal said he would let me call in whoever I wanted for back up, I don’t think he thought I’d call Ed. He didn’t seem pleased when I got off the phone, asking Ed to drive out to Chanter’s and pick me up, but he didn’t voice an objection either.
I leaned against the counter, staring at the lock screen of the burner cell phone, wondering if I should bother to call Espinoza in. Hector wasn’t likely to go that easily. He’d probably resist any arrest, but that was the only way we were going to get any real answers. If BSI figured out that the jig was up, they’d silence him. Permanently. Hector’s only chance of survival was to place himself in police custody. We’d wind up protecting that asshole. Believe me when I say I wished it wasn’t that way, but that was the only way I could see going forward.
I dialed Espinoza’s number and raised the phone to my ear. He answered on the third ring. “Espinoza.”
“Hey, Espinoza. It’s Agent Black.”
“Judah, how are you? I heard you got pretty busted up.”
My eye twitched at the memory of Abe snapping my arm. “It takes more than a broken arm to keep me down. Listen, I need a favor, and it might be a dangerous one. I can’t even tell you everything.”
“This is one of those need-to-know basis things, huh?”
“Pretty much. You’re just going to have to trust me because you’re not going to like what we’re about to do.”
I gave him the short version, leaving out most of the evidence that incriminated BSI, the government, and the Sicarii. I also didn’t tell him I knew where Reed was or about the Kings’ involvement. Which, I suppose, means I didn’t tel
l him anything other than that we needed to place Hector in protective custody.
He sighed. “I’m going to trust you have a good reason for that, Judah. You know how slimy that guy is.”
“Yeah, but the only way I get done what I need done is to make sure he survives, and we don’t have enough evidence yet to arrest him. I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you more, but the more you know, the more danger you could be in.”
“I’m a big boy,” Espinoza purred. “I can take care of myself. But I’ll trust you. I’m your back-up. You tell me where you need me, and I’m there.”
I glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I can meet you down the road from the compound in say, an hour?”
Espinoza agreed and I hung up just as loud, feminine laughter belted out from the other side of the room. I turned my head. There hadn’t been any women in the main part of the house when I first arrived. Maybe one of them had come in while I was in the back and I’d missed it.
She stood with her back to the wall, peering over Bran’s shoulder while Bran played cards with Sal, nursing a beer. Dark makeup and a punk-rocker look set her apart from the other girls that hung around the Kings. She wore her hair in an elegantly feathered mohawk, the sides of her head shaved. She was also the only woman I’d ever seen wearing a leather vest with a Kings patch, though the one on her chest said property of above the Kings label.
Figuring she’d be better conversation than the guys, I wandered over closer to the table to watch the poker game. When I got to the table, two guys threw their cards down and bowed out of the hand, leaving Sal and Bran to win a pot made of a handful of tens and fives plus some quarters. I put a hand on Sal’s shoulder to let him know I was there.
“It’s all over now,” Sal said and pushed a few more quarters into the middle. “My good luck charm just got here.”
I frowned and leaned in to look at his cards. “I don’t know. Good luck can only do so much for a hand like that.”