"Um, hello, Mrs. White."
"What's your status?" said Ellen. "Are you still with the others? Has anyone been seriously injured?"
"Slow down," said Morgan. "Is . . . is your first name Ellen?"
"Of course it is," she said. "I assume the others are listening in? And I assume you know about the destruction of HQ. All of you are in grave danger. I need you to tell me where you are."
"Make it so she can hear us," Lucy said to Piper, who pushed a button and nodded.
"Ellen," Lucy began.
"Lucy, dear, it's so good to hear your voice."
"Cut the crap," Lucy snapped. "We assume that everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie, so you better give us something that will help us trust you."
"Lucy, I cannot help you unless you all come in."
Lucy ignored that. "You can start by explaining why you wiped mine and Morgan's memories in 1988. You guys took my life from me and blamed it all on Marcus."
"Lucy, myself and the others didn't know the extent of the memory modification that Cynthia had performed."
"You're saying it was all Cynthia," Lucy said, doubtfully. "Well, where is she? Put the bitch on the phone."
Wyatt was trying not to laugh. Lucy was definitely on a roll.
"Lucy, all of you, I have things I need to tell you. Things you need to know, but not over the phone. We need to meet in person."
"Yeah, right." Wyatt snorted.
Ellen said, "I can meet you at the Mojave facility. Morgan knows where that is."
"Where's Cynthia?" Lucy asked again.
"I can't say more unless we meet."
"We'll call you back," said Morgan, gesturing to Piper to kill the connection.
"Wait—" Ellen started to say, but was cut off.
After a moment Morgan said, "Obviously you're all on a first-name basis with my boss."
"She's a member of the Society's ruling council," said Lucy.
"And a very powerful mage," I added. "She can open a portal all by herself."
"How did she explain her creepy silver eyes?" Wyatt asked Morgan. "I mean, when you met with her to talk spy stuff?"
"She has odd-colored blue eyes, but there's nothing creepy about them."
"That's a glamour spell, dude. Very basic magic," said Wyatt. "Trust me, when you see her real eyes, you'll get the heebie-jeebies."
"Um," said Elyse, holding up a hand. "We’re not actually going to some murder spot in the desert to meet her, are we?"
"No way,” I said.
"No," agreed Morgan. "Especially to the Mojave facility. It's a small underground city, a fortified bunker."
"And you can bet it's warded," said Lucy.
"I would like to meet her face to face," said Morgan. "And show her the robot arm, so we can gauge her reaction. Find out if she's just a Society stooge or one of the really bad guys?"
"We would need a place where we could control the situation," said Lucy.
Elyse said, "I've got a really bad idea."
"Those are my favorite kind," said Morgan.
"The shifter compound.”
"Ooh," said Wyatt. "That's devious."
Lucy didn't look convinced. "Do you really think the shifters would let a Society council member step one foot on their territory?"
Elyse flashed a smile at me. "If the Ollphiest asked them, they just might."
"I'm not staying here this time," said Piper. "Not while you all run off to maybe get killed. I'm coming."
"Tell the boys to gas up the jet, we're heading north," I said.
We didn't have the option of traveling light. Piper wouldn’t leave until we agreed to bring her portable computer setup, which was packed in five large metal Pelican cases.
"You can't be serious," I said.
Piper stared at me, hand on hip. "Do you want to continue to be able to make untraceable phone calls and access information that requires heavy computing power?"
"Yeah."
"Then shut up and grab a case."
Piper had been holding out on us. She opened the garage to reveal a travel van, the perfect size for our large group and the computer cases.
'What's this?" said Wyatt. "You had a van this whole time and made me origami myself into the back of the SUV?"
"I only use Big Bertha in emergencies and when I need to move equipment," said Piper.
Wyatt's eyes bugged out from his head. "Seriously? Hunting d-bag blood-mages doesn't count as an emergency?"
"Hey Wyatt, can't you just zap the cases from the house to the driveway?" I asked.
"Oh, are they too heavy for your massive shifter muscles?"
Maddie hooked the kid's arm. "Stop being a baby and help me with the last two cases."
I laughed when Wyatt shook a scolding finger at all of us, but let Maddie lead him away. After we had all of Piper's electronics loaded, Morgan added the duffel with his arsenal and we were off.
The trip north was quicker, but we still had a chance to catch up on some much-needed sleep during the flight. Piper had two Jeeps waiting for us when we landed, and we transferred all the gear and began the drive to the compound. Elyse called ahead so they wouldn't be surprised when we showed up at the gates.
"My parents and the Cranes will meet us," she said. "I told them that you have a request and that it's a big ask, but it will help us immensely if they agree."
When we reached the compound Elyse's parents and the Cranes where waiting in one of the off-road golf carts. When we stepped out of the Jeeps to greet them, Piper hung back. At first I thought she was just being polite, but then Roxanne Crane spotted Piper over the tops of our heads and froze in mid-handshake with Morgan.
"Piper?" said Roxanne.
"Hi, Roxy."
I looked back at Piper, standing there looking very unsure of herself.
"I thought you were dead?" said Roxanne.
Everybody was now watching the exchange like a tennis match, our heads swiveling back and forth.
"Surprise," said Piper, softly.
Roxanne ran past us to Piper and pulled her into a tight embrace. Both women were crying and clinging to one another like long-lost sisters.
Piper found her voice and said, "Hi, Danny."
Daniel Crane smiled and walked over to his wife and Piper, enveloping them both in a hug. I looked at Elyse and she shrugged, as much in the dark as the rest of us.
Daniel finally broke away and said, "Come, we have cabins ready for all of you."
We followed the Cranes and the Kellys up the gravel road and into the compound's center hub. It looked like all the shifters had come out to greet us. Shelby, the pilot who flew us down, waved at me and smiled when I waved back.
"What's going on?" asked Morgan.
"Orson made a big impression the last time we were here," said Elyse. "And just a reminder, everybody who lives here has super-hearing, so assume everything you say is being listened to."
"Right, ears everywhere. Got it," said Morgan.
We stopped behind the Kelly’s cart. Mr. Kelly waved us out.
"Everyone's been informed that you've come asking for help," Mr. Kelly said. "We figured you might as well speak your mind now, it'll save time."
Our small group looked at one another—the unspoken question, who should do the talking?
"It needs to be you," Elyse said to me.
The other six nodded.
Great. I was not a fan of public speaking.
I stepped onto the bumper of one of the Jeeps so those at the back of the crowd could see me. Start with a joke, that was one of the rules of speaking, right?
"Can everyone hear me?" I said with a smile.
Only Wyatt laughed.
I was on a roll.
"First, thank you for coming out and listening to what we have to say. I can't believe it's only been three days since we were here, it feels a lot longer." I looked down at Elyse who smiled encouragingly. "
“While hunting Marcus, the blood-mage, my friends and I have uncov
ered more information about the conspiracy we told you about. I know you've all heard about the attack on the Society, and some of you may have mixed feelings about that, and that's okay. Here's what you need to know. There's a group that has figured out how to combine magic and technology. That's what brought down the Society building in LA. This group is separate from the Cabal and as far as we know doesn’t have a name. But what we do know is that they want to sell their new magic technology to the highest bidder. They want to out the magic world, out you and your families."
The crowd started grumbling at this news. Magic-users and shifters had long-standing disagreements, but the one thing they were united on was keeping the magic world a secret—there were billions of regular people versus only a few million magic folk, and if there was ever an open conflict between the two groups, it could end in genocide.
I went on, "We have been in touch with a member of the ruling council. As you can imagine there is a lot of confusion right now, and we're not sure who in the Society we can trust. The only thing we are sure of is all of you."
That earned me some smiles and nods of agreement. Okay, now it was time to ask for their help. I crossed my fingers and my toes.
"We would like permission to invite that council member here to the compound."
A disagreeable murmur ran through the crowd, and people started to point. I had no idea if that was a good or bad sign.
"I know, this is asking a lot. I understand there is no precedent. But this is the only place my friends and I feel safe meeting her. But, you need to seriously consider the possible ramifications. If we tell her where we are, and if we've misjudged her, she could attack the compound."
Angry cries of "let her try" and "we'll tear their throats out" rang out from the throng.
I held up my hands until they quieted down. "I appreciate the sentiment. But Elyse Kelly has explained to me that if the worst were to happen and the Society sent a force here to try and take us, it would basically amount to a declaration of war. So everyone needs to think really hard about if risking centuries of peace is worth it."
"We're with you, Ollphiest!" someone cried out.
"Yeah!"
"Always!"
Someone began to chant, "Ollphiest! Ollphiest! Ollphiest!" The crowd picked it up, and soon everyone was chanting. It was surreal.
The beast within me stirred.
Do you feel the adulation, boy? They belong to you now.
It's not like that. I just need their help with this one thing.
He laughed at me.
I did my best to tune him out, which was hard when he was booming around my head. I didn't know what else to do, so I waved and stepped down to stand next to Elyse and the others.
"I guess that's a yes," said Lucy.
The crowd pushed forward. It seemed they all wanted to shake my hand at the same time. It quickly became a mob scene and I lost sight of my friends as the tide of people carried them away. I stood with my back braced against the Jeep. I smiled and shook every hand that was thrust at me and accepted every pat on the shoulder and kiss to the cheek that was offered. When I waved at the last person as they walked away, I spotted Elyse leaning against a tree. I walked over to her.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"That is the single weirdest thing that has ever happened to me, including that night at my house when you shifted in front of me for the first time.”
"Come on, we've got everything set up in Piper's cabin."
I smiled when I walked into Piper's temporary living room. All the metal cases were open and wired together. She even had a mini-satellite dish pointed out the window.
"What's this?" I said, reaching for the small array.
"Don't touch that," said Piper. "It's a burst transmitter and it's already aligned, so keep your hands to yourself."
"So," said Wyatt. "How does it feel to be the Lady Gaga of the shifter world?"
"Shut up," I said.
"Dude, they love you," he continued. "You could ask for like, I don't know, tributes or something."
"Wyatt, ears everywhere," Elyse reminded the kid.
"Are we ready?" I asked.
"Yes, we're just waiting on you," said Lucy.
"Well, let's do it."
Piper had outdone herself this time. Not content with a mere phone call, she'd set up a video FaceTime, Skype thing. The connection was also completely untraceable, just in case our conversation with Ellen didn't go as planned. Piper hit the call button and within moments Ellen's face appeared on our screen. To keep things organized, it was decided that Morgan, Lucy and myself would be the only ones on camera. The others settled around the room to listen.
"I'm not going to lie," said Ellen. “A video call is very impressive."
"We are willing to meet," said Lucy. "But not in Mojave."
"Okay, where would you like to meet instead?"
"First, there are some ground rules," I said. "You come by yourself, and no portals or anything like that."
"That's acceptable," she said.
"Really? Just like that?" said Lucy.
"It is imperative that we speak in person. If this is the only way, then I'm willing to follow the rules. I do have one question, were you in Mexico recently? We're getting some strange reports from down there."
"Yes," said Morgan. "We'll send you some coordinates of a villa in Baja, where you'll find a bunch of dead bad guys."
"I see," said Ellen.
Morgan added, "We also recovered some very interesting tech while we were there. The kind of stuff you've assured me multiple times doesn’t exist."
Ellen sounded very concerned when she asked, "What exactly did you find?"
"We'll discuss that when we see you in person."
"Alright. Where am I going?" she asked.
"Do you know where the shifter compound in the Sierras is located?" I asked.
Ellen couldn't stop the surprise from registering on her face.
"You went to the shifters," said Ellen. "That was a brilliant move. I'm surprised you were able to sway them to your side, what with the death of Katherine Kelly."
Nobody made a peep. Keeping Ellen and the Society in the dark about Mrs. Kelly and everything else was part of the plan. We would spring the information on her when she arrived and watch her reaction closely.
"There's a ton of things we need to catch you up on," I said. "Do you know how to get to the compound or not?"
"Yes, but are they willing to have me visit?"
"Yeah, we worked out an accommodation," I said. "But you understand what happens if you try and end run us? It will be really bad for everyone."
"Yes, it would be. I can be there this evening at 6:00 p.m., is that acceptable?"
The three of us looked at one another and checked with the others on the couch, seeing thumbs-up all around.
"We'll be waiting at the main gate," said Lucy.
Morgan nodded to Piper and she cut the feed.
Lucy leaned back in her chair. "What do you think, Morgan? You've spent a few years interfacing with her, could you get a read on what she's thinking?"
"She's definitely worried about the tech we found, but other than that I'm not sure. I've spent the past few hours mentally reviewing all of our interactions, trying to remember if there were any obvious clues to her real identity, and nothing stands out. She's a pro."
"But, do you think she'll come alone?" I asked.
"I think so, but Division has the authority and autonomy to order drone strikes."
"Say what?" said Wyatt.
"Yeah," nodded Morgan. "If nothing has gone boom by 6:00 then I guess we'll know that she's going to show up."
"You could shield us from a drone strike, right?" Wyatt asked Maddie.
"It sounds like we may get to find out," Maddie said lightly.
"I need to let the Cranes and my parents know the details," said Elyse.
I stood up. "I'll walk with you. The rest of you, relax, things are going as planned.�
��
I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt. My Ollphiest senses were twitching, and I wasn't sure if it was a warning or my inner-psycho still basking in the crowd chanting our name.
Chapter Twenty-One
At 6:00 p.m. sharp Ellen walked up to the gate. I'm not sure how she managed it. I hadn't heard a car and I didn't feel the distortion a portal would cause in the magic field.
"Does she just pop up like that all the time?" Morgan asked.
"Yep," said Lucy.
It was just the three of us. Wyatt was blinking around the mountain making sure she had come alone. Maddie, Piper, the Cranes, Elyse and her parents were keeping out of sight, but ready to rumble should Ellen try and spring a trap.
"Just you three?" Ellen asked cheerily.
"The others are around," I said.
Morgan was openly staring at Ellen.
"What is it, Morgan?" she asked.
"Your eyes," he responded. "They really are creepy."
I tried real hard not to laugh.
Ellen said, "I would have thought that you would be used to creepy, after spending the last three days with your new friends."
"Point taken," said Morgan.
The comm spell switched on and Wyatt's voice came through crystal-clear. "There are two cars of Society-looking people parked down at the base of the mountain. I don't think they're a threat, they're just hanging out, waiting."
"My dad says they're probably her security detail," Elyse added over the comm. "They did just suffer a massive attack, so it makes sense they wouldn't let her go wandering off by herself."
Ellen stopped in front of the gate. "Are we going to speak through the fence or are you going to invite me in?"
"I'm still thinking about it," said Lucy. "Where's Cynthia?"
Ellen's lips turned down in a barely-there frown. "That's one of the things I want to talk to you about."
"I'm going to open the gate," I said to Lucy.
I leaned into the guard shack and pressed a button. The gate swung silently open. I gestured for Ellen to enter the small building, which was usually manned by a couple of burly shifters. The compound didn't really need guards, since everyone could shift into large, lethal animals, but it was nice to have a real live person explain to any lost travelers or hikers that the area was private property. It wasn't the most spacious room, but it was large enough to seat all four of us comfortably.
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