by Donna Grant
“I’m coming back to you. There’s nothing that will keep me from you. Not even death.”
“I’m not strong enough to do this on my own. I need you here.”
His hands ran up her arms to cup her face. His bright blue eyes held hers as he gazed at her. “That’s where you’re wrong. You don’t need anyone. You’re the strongest person I know. And that’s what’s going to win us the day.”
Eden wanted to believe him, but she could feel her heart thundering in her chest, ice running in her veins. There was so much she wanted to say to him. She wanted to thank him for rescuing her and showing her the truth. She wanted to tell him how much joy he’d brought into her life despite the danger they were in. And she wanted to tell him that she loved him. But it all stuck in her throat when he pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was scorching, igniting the desire with in her. It was so intense that for a moment, it blanketed the fear. All too soon, the kiss was over.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Maks whispered.
Then he was opening the heavy door. Just before he walked through it, he paused and looked at her. “I love you.”
She blinked, her heart skipping a beat as the words registered. Eden rushed to the door, even as it was closing. “I love you, too,” she said as it slid shut. She slammed her hands against the concrete and then rested her head upon it.
Had he heard her? She couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t matter. She was going to tell him when he returned. For now, she had work to do. Eden took a deep breath and straightened. Then she turned and walked to the table to retrieve the phone. She dialed the number and put the phone on speaker as she grabbed her pack and began to unpack everything that was in it.
“Maks?” asked a female voice when the line connected.
“Um…it’s Eden.”
“About time I got to talk to you. I’m Callie.”
Eden smiled at the phone. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Callie.”
“We’re going to need to get a drink when all this is over.”
“More than one,” Callie said with a laugh.
“Is everything all right with y’all?”
Eden heard the Texas twang and grinned. “So far. We’re in an old Nazi bunker Maks found. Unfortunately, the Saints are in part of it, as well.”
“It’ll be a great defense though,” came a deep voice. “I’m Wyatt Loughman, Eden.”
Callie chimed in and said, “I’m his better half.”
The two shared a laugh before Wyatt said, “Where’s Maks?”
“He went to retrieve some guns that he’d stored nearby. At least that’s what he told me. I’m not happy he left.”
“It’s never easy being left behind,” Callie said.
Wyatt asked, “Did Maks say he was coming back?”
“Yep. Just as soon as he got the guns.”
“Then he’ll be back,” Wyatt told her. “We got the files you uploaded. That’s quite a lot of information.”
Eden opened the laptop as she pulled out an old chair and wiped the dust from it. “It certainly is. What neither of you knows yet is that Maks identified the Elders. You’ll find five names in the documents. I took a photo of my wall, and they’re there, as well. Maks knows all five of the people. They’ve been a part of his life in one way or another.”
“Shit,” Wyatt mumbled.
“I can’t imagine he took that well,” Callie said.
Eden swallowed, thinking about how devastated—and angry—Maks had been. “No. He didn’t take it well at all.”
“What’s the plan now?” Wyatt asked.
Eden glanced at the closed door, hoping that Maks would return any second. “We decided to come here so I could do a last bit of research. Then we want to send out everything, well…everywhere.”
“I can help with that,” Callie chimed in.
“I was hoping you’d say that. Now, we know the Saints are going to shut us down as soon as it goes out. However, if we can get it to all the news stations around the world, it’ll at least be seen.”
Wyatt asked, “If they’re going to take it down, what’s the point? There has to be a better way.”
“Not really,” Callie said. “If we’re lucky, people will start asking questions.”
Eden smiled. “And that’s the next part. We know the Saints will pull the information down and say that some hackers got in and wanted to cause a stir. Which we are. But the real thing is getting this intel out to the right people. And the right people now are the conspiracy theorists.”
“Oh, that’s brilliant,” Callie said with a laugh.
Wyatt chuckled. “Damn. That’s smart. If the conspiracy theorists get a hold of this, they won’t let it go.”
“That’s what we’re hoping for. Now, it probably won’t end the Saints immediately, but if enough people start to question and dig, they can’t kill thousands at once.” The minute the words were out of Eden’s mouth, she thought of the virus. “Except that’s what they’re doing. I didn’t think about that. I just feel like everyone else should know what we do.”
“You can’t make people believe what they don’t want to believe,” Wyatt told her.
Callie snorted. “Maybe not, but if the information keeps getting out there, then people will start taking notice.”
Eden frowned at the words. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Callie said, drawing out the word. “You and Maks came up with a great plan. I’d like to add to it.”
“I’m all ears,” Eden said.
“We keep hacking into the news outlets. We go big first, all over the world. When that gets pulled, we then target major cities on different continents, rotating but continuing to toss out the information.”
“All the while, we’ll also give it to the conspiracy theorists, who will also run with it,” Eden said with a smile. “I like the way you think.”
Wyatt made a sound. “Two peas in a pod. God help us when you two get together.”
“Oh, it’s happening, hot stuff. Prepare yourself,” Callie warned him.
Eden smiled, liking the two of them immensely. “Thank you for your help.”
“Anytime,” Callie replied.
“Eden, has Maks said how the two of you are going to get out of Romania?” Wyatt asked.
She knew he wasn’t asking because of the virus, but in regard to the Saints. “I’ve not asked him.”
“Maks always has a plan,” Callie said.
Wyatt was silent for a beat. “He always does. Listen, Eden, we’re going to do whatever we can to help the two of you. It’s not going to be easy since we have an ocean between us. All I ask is that you keep us informed. Send texts when you can to update us. This won’t be our first time getting friends out of Europe and back home. If we did it once, we can do it again.”
“I’m grateful. Truly. Have there been any updates on the virus? Any vaccine news?”
“None,” Callie said angrily. “I know the Saints have it.”
Eden perked up at that news, thinking of the Saints in the bunker. “Do you think they all do?”
37
The two bags of guns, ammunition, and grenades were weighty, but that didn’t slow Maks down. He picked his way carefully along the river’s edge. Close enough to hear the water, but far enough away that no one would see him if they were on a boat.
He was nearly to the bunker when he heard a motor. It wasn’t going slowly as others did. Instead, it seemed to be moving fast. Maks paused and squatted down in the brush to look out over the water. It didn’t take long for the vessel to appear. It was big and sleek and expensive. And it parked right in front of the bunker.
No doubt someone high up in the Saints had arrived. Had they come to gloat at how well the virus was spreading throughout the world? Or had the Saints found something in the bunker? The latter option surely wouldn’t bring someone in the middle of the night.
Maks couldn’t make out who was getting off the boat. He counted six armed me
n with the newcomer, not including the driver. They quickly disappeared inside the bunker. Maks didn’t care what they were doing right now. The fact that a senior member of the Saints was there only made him eager to unleash the intel on the world so he could start taking out the organization.
He straightened and hurried to the bunker. Once he reached his entrance, he squatted once more and listened to see if anyone was near. Then he opened the door wide enough for him to get in and shut the door behind him. Maks wanted to run to Eden, but the sound of the guns and ammo jangling might be heard. He had to settle for walking quickly.
Finally, he reached the hidden entrance. He set down one of the bags and was straightening when the sound of a lighter filled the silence, followed a second later by the flare of fire as someone lit a cigarette. Maks jerked his head in the direction, his free hand having already palmed the gun at his waist.
“There were great things in store for you, Maks. If only you would’ve stayed on the path I chose.”
He frowned, recognizing the voice. But he couldn’t place it. Maks stared into the darkness where the end of the cigarette glowed red. The man drew in a deep breath, burning through the tobacco and causing red light to fill his face. Maks found himself staring into the dark eyes of none other than Jeffery Sumners.
Jeffery blew smoke out of his mouth. “You know, don’t you?”
“I know it all.”
“Not all of it, dear boy. There are a great many things you don’t know. You would have, though. I chose you a long time ago to take my position with the other Elders after I died.”
Maks jerked his head back, utterly revolted. “Why would you ever think I’d want any part of the Saints?”
“You have a killer instinct. You’re able to do what must be done for the greater good.”
Fury ripped through Maks. “You think this virus you unleashed is for the greater good?”
“Absolutely,” Jeff said and held the cigarette away from his face. “Do you know why the Spartans were so dominant? They didn’t allow the weak, diseased, or lame to live. Look at animals in the wild. Only the strong survive. That’s how it’s supposed to be. Instead, it’s the sick and lame who dictate our lives. Government spending keeps those unwilling to work fed. They pay medical bills for people who shouldn’t be alive. Billions of dollars are spent every year for drugs and surgeries because people don’t want to do the right thing and lose weight themselves. They want a quick, easy fix to everything. We, as a species, are lazy. We’ve become weak. It’s time for the strong to take control.”
Maks couldn’t believe the filth pouring from Jeff’s mouth. “You honestly believe you’re doing good.”
“I know I am. The world is overpopulated. Countries are polluting our air, the rivers and oceans. We’re raping the Earth without a thought to the future. All in the name of sustaining our numbers. The Earth simply can’t handle that. There are too many people. Since your friends stopped Ragnarök, this was our other option. Though, to be fair, we’d planned to release both of them almost simultaneously anyway.” He took another puff from the cigarette and exhaled. “The Earth has been screaming at us for decades that we’re hurting her. Why should everyone have to die simply because others don’t listen? That’s why the Saints were formed a thousand years ago. It’s why we stepped up and did what no one else could.”
“Thousands have died. Innocents!” Maks yelled.
The sound of Maks’ voice through the door alerted Eden. She paused in her typing, trying to listen. He would never have yelled if everything was going right. He was talking now. And there was someone else there. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn’t make out what was being said. Since Maks hadn’t come into the room, then whoever was out there with him wasn’t friendly.
Eden sent a quick text to Callie, letting them know what was going on. Then she went back to her research. Things were coming in quickly. She couldn’t believe the Saints had found them already. She’d only been online for ten minutes, but in that little bit of time, she had uncovered quite a bit.
She was linked to the server Callie had set up, so Callie could see exactly what she was uncovering. All the while, Callie was hacking into the news outlets around the globe. As soon as Eden hit send, everything she and Maks had found would go viral.
“And more will die,” Jeff said calmly.
Maks tightened his hand on the gun. He wanted to lift it and fire, ending Jeff’s life. But if he was here, then the rest of the Saints knew Maks’ location. They didn’t, however, know where Eden was. He was going to do whatever was necessary to ensure it remained that way.
“If my grandfather had really known who you were, he never would’ve befriended you.”
Jeff chuckled and dropped the cigarette to the ground where he stepped on it, grinding it out. “Your grandfather knew. He was in the Saints, as well. Not nearly as high up as I am, but he did his part.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t care if you do or don’t. The truth is that your grandfather thought the Saints were exactly what the world needed.” A flick of a switch made light suddenly flood the corridor.
Maks didn’t look away from Jeff’s face. In all his years, he’d never hated anyone as much as he did Jeff right in this instant. He wanted to hurt the man, to cause him so much pain that he screamed for death.
Jeff shrugged and leaned a shoulder against the wall. “You look just like your grandfather. You have the same mentality. He should’ve climbed higher in the Saints than he did. He would’ve done nicely as an Elder.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Your father didn’t have it in him, though,” Jeff continued as if he didn’t hear Maks. “We all knew that. He was too…weak. He wouldn’t have joined us, and then we would’ve had to kill him. I made the choice to not tell him about the Saints. But I remained friendly with the family in the hopes that one of his children would join us. Then you came along.”
Maks raised the gun and pointed it at Jeff’s face. “You have no right to make decisions for the rest of humanity.”
“Look around, son. There is nothing but lies out there. People are so sick of hearing them that they don’t even pay attention to anything anymore. They vote someone into office simply because they can talk to a crowd. That kind of gift is great, but it doesn’t always make for a good leader. The proof of that has shown up many times in the past. When it’s apparent that people can’t vote properly, we do it for them. When they can’t get a good candidate to run for office, we produce one for them.”
“You have an answer for everything.”
“The truth hurts.”
“Is that all you have to say with a gun pointed at your face?”
Jeff smiled, unfazed. “Kill me. It won’t stop what’s out there now.”
Maks twisted his lips. “You said the truth hurts. You couldn’t be more right. You and every Elder of the Saints is about to be outed to the world. Your organization will come under fire. Everything you’ve built will be destroyed.”
“You aren’t the first to threaten such things. It hasn’t happened before. It won’t now. There isn’t anything you have that could do that.”
For the first time since seeing Jeff, Maks smiled. “Actually, I do. All the time you thought I was working for you, I’ve been undercover stealing intel and gathering information. I didn’t realize how much I had until I sorted through it. I have proof that ties you and the other four Elders to several murders.”
Jeff’s dark eyes held approval as he nodded. “See? I told you that you had what it took to be an Elder.”
Eden finished the last of her search and put it in a document. Then she hit send. All she could hope for now was that people actually paid attention and didn’t dismiss it. There was a lot of information, but with Callie’s help, the two of them had put it together in such a way that it made sense.
“It’s going,” Callie said through the speaker.
Eden couldn’t believe Callie h
ad actually hacked all the news sources. Even now, Eden held her breath. Maks was still on the other side of the door, speaking with someone. Was he buying her time to get everything out?
“Holy shit,” Callie said in a soft voice. “It’s out there, Eden. All of it. On all the news channels in the US. Oh, now Europe. And Asia.”
Eden dropped her head into her hands, tears welling in her eyes. They had done it. They had given the world the information on the Saints. She prayed it was enough to bring down the organization. So many people had lost their lives because of the Saints. It was time that stopped.
She wiped at her eyes and lifted her head. “What about the conspiracy theorists? Can you tell if they’re picking it up?”
“They certainly are,” Callie said with a laugh.
“Eden?” Wyatt asked. “Is Maks still talking with someone?”
Eden glanced at the door, unease rippling through her. “Yes.”
“Stay there. Don’t go out. Maks has a plan. Trust him,” Wyatt told her.
As if Eden had any other choice.
“It’s time for the people of this world to make their own choices, be they right or wrong. It’s time their votes counted. And if that means the end of Earth, then that’s what will happen. But there are hundreds of people out there working to right what’s been done to the planet. They could pull it off.”
Jeff lifted one shoulder, his long, camel-colored coat moving with him. “Maybe they will. Neither I nor any of the other Saints want to chance that, though. We’re going to ensure that the Earth continues. Do you honestly think this is the first time we’ve done population control? Where do you think the Black Plague came from? The Spanish Flu, and all the others? They don’t just happen, my boy. They’re created and unleashed. Same with wars. Some we let get out of hand, some we contain.”
“You make me sick. You’re playing God, and no one should have that right.”
