Eternal Flame

by Lauren DeStefano

Page 11

 

  “How’d the fire start at Night Watch?” Tony asked, and that fast, the cop’s eyes were back on her.

  Jana shrugged. “You tell me, princess. ”

  His eyes narrowed, just a fraction. “You’re a wanted woman. How about I just go and throw you in a cage until it’s time to haul you back to New Orleans?”

  “Tony,” Zane’s voice snarled, “you’re not—”

  She yanked on the cuffs. “You really going to throw us both in jail?”

  Tony put his hands on the table and leaned toward her. “I know what you are. ”

  “Bored?”

  “Dammit, Jana!” Zane’s hand slapped on the table, making it shudder. “Just let him—”

  “You’re an Ignitor. ” Tony pressed closer. “You like the fire, don’t you? You like to see those flames dance and destroy. ”

  She didn’t speak. Beside her, Zane seemed to be all but vibrating with tension.

  “Zane was going to turn you in at Night Watch, wasn’t he?” The cop’s dark stare held hers. She could see the faintest flecks of gold around his pupils. “That’s why you’re cuffed. He was forcing you to come with him. ”

  She stared back at Tony and didn’t speak. Her hands flattened on the table.

  “That made you angry, didn’t it? You couldn’t get him to let you go, and it pissed you off. And when Ignitors get pissed”-a brief pause—“things have a way of exploding. ”

  “She didn’t do it,” Zane gritted out. “Trust me on this, okay?”

  “I would. ” Tony’s gaze slanted to Zane. “But I can’t be sure if your brain’s talking, or your dick. ” Her nails scraped over the tabletop.

  “You left with her last night. ” Tony exhaled. “You stayed with her, all night. While you were cuffed, I’m sure the two of you were playing … nicely. ”

  “I was fucking drugged! I was out of my head, I don’t know—” Zane broke off and rolled his shoulders, as if he were shaking off the memory.

  “Drugged?” Tony blinked. “You were—”

  “You found my car, right?” Zane’s lips tightened. “Some assholes hit us. Slammed into my ‘Vette. They fired at us and caught me twice with some kind of drug. ”

  “Who were the ‘assholes'?”

  Jana shrugged. “Why don’t you go ask your cop? You know, the one who was so eager to shoot Zane and take me into custody?” She bared her teeth in a hard smile. “I’ll give you ten-to-one odds that he knows exactly who they are. ”

  Tony glared back at her, but after a few moments, he eased away and turned on his heel, marching for the door.

  “Tony?” Zane called.

  “I’m going to find Harris,” he said and yanked open the door. “He’s the cop who pulled you over. ” The one who’d tried to kill Zane.

  “Yeah, you go find that little bastard,” Zane said, and she heard the underlying threat in his voice. Find him and let me have him.

  Jana didn’t take a full breath until Tony left the room. When the door clicked closed behind him, the tension eased from her shoulders. Well, some of the tension eased.

  Her gaze darted to the mirrored wall on the left side. Was she still being watched?

  “Tony won’t let anyone view us. He won’t run the risk of them finding out what you are. ”

  Jana glanced at him.

  Zane ran a tired hand down his face, streaking the ash. “What we are. ”

  “You sure about that?” She didn’t have enhanced senses. She’d never know if someone was there.

  Zane tossed a glance at the mirror. “I’m sure. ”

  Okay. That was something. “We’ve got to get out of here. ” Her palms were slick with sweat.

  One brow climbed. “Baby, we’re not going anywhere. ” He caught the edge of her chair and hauled her closer. “Three hunters are dead. Dead. The Night Watch Agency was torched, torched right before-what a damn coincidence-you were scheduled to be turned in. ”

  She swallowed. Time to gamble. “We know it wasn’t a coincidence. ” She risked a quick glance at the mirror. If someone was there, she was slitting her own throat. ”We need to get out of here. ” A heated whisper.

  Zane shook his head. “You tell me what’s happening. Tell me who targeted Night Watch, my people. ”

  She’d already warned him to walk away. He should have listened but, apparently, the demon didn’t listen well. “If you know, you’re dead. ” They wouldn’t let him live. Demons were expendable to them.

  “No, baby. ” His fingers brushed over her cheek. “When I know, they’re dead. ” Soft menace underscored the words.

  The wooden chair was so hard beneath her. “Get me out of here, and I’ll tell you everything. ”

  “Tell me, and we’ll work on getting out. ” His fingers curled under her chin and tilted her head back. “Was it those men in the semi?”

  Those men had been humans. They wouldn’t have been able to handle an explosion that big. “No … probably someone else in the unit. ”

  “The unit?”

  Her smile felt sad on her lips. “You don’t really think you’re the only hunter out there, do you?” A hard, brittle laugh. “While you’re hunting your prey, who do you think is hunting you?”

  His brows climbed. “Those jerks were humans. Humans can’t—”

  “Some humans are very good at hunting. ” Especially if they forced someone else to do the grunt work. “Some humans don’t think demons and vampires and shifters deserve to live in this world. They think monsters should be put down, by any means necessary. ” She’d been that means before.

  “That right? And these … hunters … why do they want you?”

  She had to glance at the mirror. What if someone was watching? “Why do you think?”

  “Because you’re their weapon of choice?” Disgust. “All they have to do is aim and you fire?”

  She wouldn’t flinch. “I’ve been trying to get away from them for over a year. Why do you think I burned down that compound in New Orleans? They’d been holding me there. ”

  So many days stuck in that damn cell. Trapped.

  Tony thought he’d lock her up again? Oh, hell, no. No one would lock her up.

  “Bullshit. You could have burned your way out any time—”

  “I have to see in order to burn. ” He knew that. “They kept me blindfolded or locked in a pitch-black cell. ” Hell wasn’t always hot and bright. Sometimes it was dark … and so quiet. “The first time they slipped, the first time the blindfold came off …”

  She could still hear the screams. Jana licked her lips. “Their mistake. I got out. ” She’d made sure she brought that building down behind her.

  “But now they want you back. ”

  “Looks like it. ” They were wasting time. One cop was already on their payroll. Where there was one, there were always half a dozen more. They’d be at the station soon. Maybe posing as cops. Maybe dressed like lawyers. But they’d be there to take her.

  And what would happen to Zane?

  “Give me a name. ”

  Her lips parted. Footsteps thudded outside the door. Tony was coming back.

  Zane’s eyes stayed locked on her. “Tell me who’s after you. Tell me. “

  “They said-they said they were members of Project Perseus. ” Perseus. The guy from Greek mythology who’d fought the monsters.

  But some monsters didn’t need to die.

  “Did you work with them? Did you kill for them?”

  Jana took a breath. The right side of your mouth kicks up when you lie. “Yes. ”

  His eyes narrowed.

  “If I stay here, they will come for me, and they’ll kill anyone in their path. ” No telling how many cops they already had on their payroll. “They’re framing me, forcing me against the wall. ”

  “And what-you want me to bust you out of jail? Baby, that’s just—”

  “A jail wo
n’t hold me. ” Simple. “I can burn my way out, and I will. ” Because she wouldn’t wait on them to come and get her.

  “No, you won’t. ” He blew out a breath. “Not when there’s another way. ”

  Hope began to stir in her chest. “You’ll help me?” His jaw clenched.

  “Zane?”

  The interrogation room door swung open. “We’ve got a problem. ” Tony marched inside, shaking his head. “Officer Harris seems to be missing from the hospital. He’s not answering his cell, and no one knows where the hell he is. ”

  “We have to get out,” Jana said. Didn’t he see what was happening? Another Ignitor … or a damn powerful demon … had set the fire at Night Watch. It was only a matter of time until they came for her.

  A setup. The team after her must have bugged the phone lines at Night Watch. They’d known she was coming. They’d started that fire for her.

  Why? So that the cops would haul her to the station? Of course, the cops on scene would pick her as suspect number one. With her history, there was no way they wouldn’t have hauled her in for questioning.

  Those bastards knew that.

  Zane’s fingers tapped on the tabletop. “I need to be on the streets, Tony. ”

  “You can be. She can’t. ” He exhaled. “This case is shit. We both know the woman gets off on the fire, are you sure—”

  “You don’t know what gets her off. ” Zane’s voice. Cold and hard.

  “You know better than to let the case get personal. ” Tony stalked around the table and grabbed Zane’s arm. He hauled Zane to his feet, grabbing for the cuffs. “Let’s find a way out of these damned things and you can get on the streets. You can find Harris for me—”

  He never finished his sentence. Zane’s fist plowed into Tony’s jaw, and the cop went down. Hard.

  Jana jumped to her feet. ”What are you doing?” She’d thought the cop was his friend.

  Zane pulled her forward as he rolled Tony onto his back. “I’m making sure we get out before the bastards after you get to us. ”

  He’d attacked a cop. Not a very “good” guy thing to do.

  Zane glanced back at her. “They herded you to the station. They’re going to be sending someone for you. Maybe Feds, maybe someone pretending to be Feds, but they’ll have paperwork, all nice and neat, saying they can take you into custody. ” He paused. “They’ll take you, and no one will see you again. ”

  No, he was wrong. They’d take her … and they’d use her. The price for her life would be death for others.

  “Come on, we need to get the hell out of here. ” He frowned down at the cop. “Sorry, Tony. ”

  Sorry? Sorry? “What’s going to happen to him?”

  “He’ll get to deny helping us escape. He’ll have the bruise to prove he was hit. He’ll be clear…. ” Zane hurried away from the table, pulling her with him. “And, in a few minutes, so will we. ”

  His fingers curled around the doorknob.

  She grabbed his shoulder. “This place will be crawling with cops! We won’t be able to just walk out, we can’t—”

  “Tony sent ‘em away. ”

  “Why would he—”

  “Look, baby, trust me on this, okay? Tony knows the deal around here. When he found out Harris was missing, he knew what was going down. Hell, why do you think he came close enough for me to hit?”

  The cop had wanted them to escape? Since when did a cop want someone to break out?

  “Not like it’s the first time we played this game. …” Zane inched open the door and gave a nod. “All right, we’re gonna have to move quickly. Don’t fight me. Whatever I do, just go with it, okay?”

  She would have gone with just about anything right then. She nodded her head in agreement and then realized he couldn’t see the move. “Let’s get out of here. ”

  “On three…”

  He began to softly whisper the count, and when he got to three, they ran into the hall, darting fast in a series of twists and turns. The place looked deserted, but she could hear voices, phones. She kept her head down and followed Zane, moving as quickly as she could.

  Five more feet, and they were at a door with a red exit sign. Go, go. Footsteps tapped behind them.

  Zane shoved open the door and yanked her across the threshold. The door shut with a clang behind them.

  Jana’s head was pressed against Zane’s chest. She could hear the fierce pounding of his heart, racing so fast.

  “Stay behind me,” he murmured, and then he pulled back. They eased down two flights of stairs, going deeper into the bowels of the precinct.

  Minutes later, they came out in the garage. Squad cars were scattered around, waiting.

  Time to steal another ride?

  “Don’t even think about it,” Zane said. “The second we vanish in one of those, every cop in the area will be after us. ”

  “Then what are we going to do?” Someone would be raising the alarm any minute, she knew it, she knew—

  “See that door? It leads to the alley. Come on, move that sweet ass, baby. ”

  She hauled ass.

  A hard push from Zane, and the door flew open. They stumbled outside. She looked to the left, to the right, and—

  “Damn, hoss, it took you long enough,” a deep voice rumbled and Jana froze. “I was starting to think I’d have to come in and haul your sorry hide out. ”