by R. D. Brady
His eyes opened and he emitted a low growl. Laney looked into his eyes. You have nothing to fear. We won’t harm you. We’re friends.
She could feel the animal’s distrust. Images of the abuse he and his littermates suffered flew through her mind.
Laney was sickened by it. I’m sorry. We won’t let them hurt you again. You are safe.
She reached in a hand and hesitated for only a moment before sliding it over the animal’s head. It’s all right.
He went still and then began to relax, closing his eyes with a sigh. That’s right, sleep. Soon we’ll have you in your new home.
Laney went around to the other cages, going through the same calming process with each of them. She felt the eyes of the Chandler operatives on her as she moved from cage to cage, turning the distrustful cats into peaceful kittens.
In the last cage lay the smallest of the cats. It was a gorgeous female cub, pure white with blue eyes. It’s all right. You’re safe now. Laney reached in and laid her hand on the cub’s back. The cub began to purr before turning to lick Laney’s hand with her little sandpaper tongue.
Laney laughed, running her hand through the cub’s pelt. “Cleo’s going to love you.”
Fear surged in her when she realized Cleo might not even meet this little one. She cleared her throat and stood.
What am I going to do with all you guys? A zoo was out of the question, as was a nature reserve. At least, until they knew exactly what these cats were capable of.
She heard a car approaching, and turned. An SUV pulled up, and Rolly stepped out. Laney blanched. His shirt and pants were covered in dried blood and bullet holes. Dear God.
She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. “Are you all right?”
He nodded into her shoulder even as a shudder ran through him. Then he pulled back and stared down at Laney, his eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“No time for that now. Now we just focus on getting them back, okay?”
“What do you want me to do?”
“The plane will be here in about ten minutes. We’re heading out, but I’d like you to head back to Baltimore with the cats. I’m leaving some operatives with you, and your transport will be here in about an hour.”
“You’re trying to keep me away from the action.”
Laney looked at the holes in his shirt and the blood that had dried there. Her voice was soft. “Yeah, but I think you’ve been through enough already tonight.”
Rolly looked away, blinking back the tears in his eyes. “Lou’s my best friend. After everything that happened with my sister and my family, I thought I was on my own and that I would always be on my own. Then I met Lou in that stupid van. And suddenly I wasn’t alone anymore.”
Laney’s heart broke for him. “I know, Rolly. And we’ll get her back.”
Again a shudder ran through him. “You can’t say that for sure.”
“No, I can’t,” she agreed, softly.
Danny had exited the SUV and now walked toward them. There was a small black and brown dog in his arms.
“Who’s this?” Laney asked.
Rolly reached for the dog. As he did, Laney got her first look at the dog’s face. She sucked in a breath.
Rolly pulled the dog to his chest. “This is Princess. Henry has to know somebody who can help her. I’m keeping her.” He glared at Laney, but Laney could see the tremor in him. He was close to losing it.
“Of course,” Laney said. “After I talk to Danny, I’ll introduce you guys and Princess to the cats. Okay?”
“I’m going to let her stretch her legs.” Rolly headed for the side of the road.
“Is he going to be okay?” Danny asked quietly.
“Eventually,” Laney said, watching Rolly for a moment before turning back to Danny. “Are you okay?”
Danny wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Laney put her hand on his shoulder. “Danny?”
He looked back at her, his chin trembling. “I—I shot someone.”
Time seemed to stop. Shock and sadness robbed Laney of words.
Danny rushed on as his body began to shake. “I had to. They had Rolly and they were going after Lou. I didn’t—”
Laney pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay, Danny. You did the right thing. It’s okay.”
Danny sobbed into her shoulder. Laney took a shuddering breath, her own tears rolling down her cheeks.
At the side of the road, Rolly lost his battle with his fears and crumpled to the ground, his arms wrapped around Princess.
Laney had never wanted any of this craziness to touch them. Danny and Rolly would never be the same after tonight.
Her gaze shifted to Jen, who was leaning against Jordan. None of us will.
CHAPTER 91
The Chandler plane landed on the abandoned highway and took off again less than ten minutes later. Even though they were back in the air quickly, Laney could feel the gulf that stretched between them and the other plane. There’s no time to waste.
She took a breath and, unbuckling her seat belt, faced the cabin. “Okay. We’ll never overtake them, so we need to figure out where they’re heading so we can have a response group waiting. We can contact any operatives we have in the area as well as local police. I suggest we start by identifying all the possible Mu references along the West Coast.”
“None of the other sites were Mu related,” Jake said.
“Yes, but this sacrifice is different. It’s the last one. The site will have to be special. It has to be some place that is important and, more critically, isolated. They’re going to be moving at least a dozen cats and”—she stumbled over the word—“Lou. That will take time. We can get there. We just need to plan ahead.”
Jen nodded. “I’ll start doing the research. I’ll call your uncle and Henry. See what they might have.”
Laney handed out assignments to everyone else on board. If someone didn’t have a background that would help with the search, Laney put them on phone duty to coordinate with the police and airports.
Then, for the next hour, all Laney did was look up possible locations. Every few minutes she’d check the screen where Danny was tracking the position of Lou’s plane—and based on its position, she would eliminate one or more possible landing sites.
Eventually they were down to just one more possible place for the plane to land on their current heading. After that, they’d be out over the Pacific.
In disbelief, Laney watched them sail right by the final airfield. No one said a word.
“Laney, they’re starting to head south,” Danny said quietly.
“South?” Laney looked at the screen and realized Danny was right. And like that, she knew where they were going. The place that had inspired their calling cards. “Easter Island. They have to be heading there.”
Danny shook his head. “They won’t make it.”
“Why not?” Jake asked.
“It’s four thousand miles away.”
“They’ll have to stop to refuel,” Laney said, her excitement growing. Which gives us a chance.
“Find out where they’ll stop,” Jen said.
“If they keep on their current course,” Danny said, “there’s really only one option: Hawaii.”
“Jake,” Laney said.
He already had his phone out and was dialing. “I’m on it.”
Laney clasped her hands together. Jake would contact law enforcement on the islands and give them a heads-up. Some of the tension drained from her chest. “Okay. This is good. We might not get there in time, but the Hawaiian police will be able to handle it.” We’ve got this.
CHAPTER 92
The priestess leaned back in the tub, enjoying the warmth seeping into her bones. She had taken a day of pleasure—massage, facial, aromatherapy. It had been delightful. And this was the last step: a soothing bath. She slid farther down in the tub, careful to keep her hair, which was piled on top of her head, from getting wet.
Her home was much grander t
han the rest of the homes on the island. She’d had it built two years after she’d been made priestess. It was larger and more sumptuous, full of neutral colors that showed her off to her best advantage.
She closed her eyes with a sigh. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
She was just drifting off to sleep when noise from the other room disturbed her. She looked up from her bath with a frown. A muffled yelp came from the other room, followed by an angry tone she knew belonged to Vanessa.
A soft knock sounded at her door.
“Priestess?” Vanessa called. “There is a matter of importance you need to see to.”
The priestess sighed and drummed her hands on the sides of her tub. This had better be good. She stepped out of the water, dried off, and pulled on her robe, tying the belt with a yank. She strode toward the double doors and pulled them open. “What is it?”
Vanessa stood straight, her gaze on the priestess. Next to her, Amil, the priestess’s attendant, cowered. There was a red mark across his cheek.
Vanessa bowed. “You have received a message from lotus blossom.”
The priestess narrowed her eyes. “When?”
“Three hours ago,” Vanessa said.
The priestess whirled on Amil. “What? Why was I not contacted about this?”
“You—you said you did not wish to be disturbed.”
The priestess narrowed her eyes. “You idiot. You are dismissed.”
“Y-yes, priestess.” Amil backed out of the room, and his hasty footsteps could be heard echoing down the hall.
“Have you read the message?” the priestess asked.
“Yes. The Chandler Group contacted the Big Island ahead of the Katzes’ plane arriving there. They were attempting to have the local police meet the plane.”
“Meet the plane? How did they know where it was landing?”
“I do not know. I would guess they are tracking it somehow.”
The priestess turned away and cast her gaze out through the balcony doors. But she was not focused on the stunning garden that had been created for her. Vanessa was right: they were most likely tracking the plane. But how? The conventional way, or did they also have unconventional methods they could tap into?
After all, the ring bearer was involved. Anything was on the table.
“Contact Maura. Let her know she’s being tracked. And then find out what the ring bearer knows.”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “I do not think she will just tell me.”
“Perhaps. But she does seem to trust Aaliyah. Have her call. Make sure she knows we are trying to help the ring bearer in her hour of need and that the best way for us to do that is to know everything the ring bearer knows.”
CHAPTER 93
“They’re landing,” Danny’s voice called through the cabin.
Laney’s head jerked up from her computer screen and her heart began to race. “Where?”
“The Big Island. Um, looks like it’s a private airport.”
“Jake?”
“Already on it,” he said, his phone to his ear as he walked to the back of the plane. “Lieutenant, this is Jake Rogan with the Chandler Group.”
Laney tuned out the rest of the conversation. “Danny, how far away is the police station from the airfield?”
“Maybe twenty minutes. I sent a text to Jordan.” Jordan was up in the cockpit with Jen.
“Good job.” It would be close. But if the police moved quickly, they could get there.
Jake’s angry voice cut through the cabin. “A court order? Are you kidding? This is a federal investigation—”
Jake went silent and looked like he was trying hard not to bite off his tongue.
“Fine. I’ll get you your damn court order,” he growled before ending the call. He quickly redialed.
“Jake?” Laney asked.
“Chief won’t move a finger without a court order. He claims he doesn’t know us and therefore can’t verify we are, in fact, federal agents.”
“Well that’s—”
“He’s stalling, Laney. They must have paid him off. I’ll contact the local FBI field office. Have them visit the chief. Matt,” he said into the phone. “I need you to get a court order over to an asshole police chief on the Big Island.”
Jen came back from the cockpit. “Did Jake reach the police?”
Laney nodded. “But they’re not cooperating.”
“What? Why?”
“Jake thinks the chief might have been bought off.”
“But that means—” Her voice cut off.
Laney nodded. “We’re not going to stop them in Hawaii.”
CHAPTER 94
The Illyushin had been retrofitted for this particular job. Seven crates and one stretcher had been placed in the back of the plane, chained to the floor. All the seats in the front of the plane had been removed except for one row, with four seats on either side. Nothing about it was comfortable, and the constant droning was torture.
Maura leaned over to Derek. “I’m going to sit up with the pilots for a while.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. They were the only two back here. Abe, Hank, and Tyler were supposed to be here too, but they were probably dead now. The other six members of their team were on the other plane.
Maura unstrapped herself and walked carefully to the cockpit. The cats in the back of the plane looked up at her, and a few hissed. Hiss all you like.
Her eyes fell on the girl. She’d been strapped to a stretcher, a drip in her arm as a precaution. Her wounds had healed, although it had taken about two hours; Derek thought maybe the sedation had slowed her abilities. Maura curled her lip in distaste, then opened the door to the cockpit.
One of the pilots smiled back at her. “I’m surprised you lasted back there as long as you did. Take a seat.”
Maura pulled down a jump seat and sat. The pilot poured her a coffee from a thermos. She took it gratefully. After the first few sips, she sighed. So much better. “Are we on schedule?”
The pilot nodded. “We’ll actually be in a little ahead of schedule. We’ll be landing in a few minutes.”
“Any word from the rest of the group?”
“Everything’s set up. They’re just waiting for us.”
“Good.” Balancing her mug on her lap, she pulled out her phone and frowned. She had a new text:
They are tracking you.
She read it again, her anger and fear growing. Nothing could stop the ceremony tonight.
“Everything all right?” the pilot asked.
“We’re being tracked. Is there anything on the plane that could allow them to do that?”
“No. Even if they had our call sign, they wouldn’t be able to track us.” He paused. “Maybe there’s something in the cargo, something transmitting a signal?”
“Do you have anything that could find it?”
The pilot nodded toward a cabinet. “In there.”
Maura opened the cabinet and pulled out a wand like those used at security checkpoints. She handed the pilot the mug. “I’ll be right back.”
Exiting the cockpit, she nudged Derek’s foot with her own.
He opened his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re being tracked.”
Derek’s eyebrows rose. He unbuckled and followed her.
Maura examined the animals in the cages. None of the cats had a collar or tags of any kind. It was possible one had a subcutaneous tag, but she ran the wand over them, and it didn’t beep.
She walked over to where the two unexpected guests lay. This larger cat didn’t have a collar or a tag either. Obviously she was an older version of the cats from the lab, and her wounds had healed. So in way, it had been advantageous that the animal had been there. Without her, they never would have realized these cats healed the same way the Fallen did. Which meant they would need to be killed the same way the Fallen were.
She ran her wand over this beast too, but again it was quiet.
“Which leaves the girl.” The
girl lay on a stretcher next to the cat. She was slim and muscular, and wore fitted jeans, a black top, and sneakers. On her wrist was a large silver watch. “The watch,” Maura said immediately.
Derek pulled it off her and frowned. “What should I do with it? Should I smash it?”
“No. I have a much better idea.”
CHAPTER 95
The plane was taking a long time to refuel. Jen and Laney stared at the little dot on Danny’s computer screen. It hadn’t moved in thirty minutes.
“Maybe they’re switching cargo to another plane,” Jen said.
Ten minutes later, the little dot still hadn’t moved.
Jake stormed up from the back of the plane. “They’re gone.”
“What?” Laney pointed to the screen. “No, the plane’s still there.”
“The agents and police arrived just in time to see them take off.”
“The tracker?” Jen asked.
“One of the agents found Danny’s watch in the middle of the hangar.”
“So we don’t know where they went?” Danny asked.
“The agents managed to reach out to some other towers and pilots. They confirm it’s heading west out over the Pacific.”
Jen frowned. “West? But Easter Island is south.”
“Which means they’re not going to Easter Island,” Jake said quietly.
“So where are they going?” Danny asked.
Steeling herself, Laney stood, not giving doubt or fear an opening. “Nothing’s changed. We just a need a list of landing locations west of Hawaii. We can cross-reference them with any Mu sites. Let’s get back to work.”
She met everyone’s gaze and got their nods before they turned to their own research. Then Laney re-took her seat and hoped no one noticed the tremor in her hand.
The Chandler jet arrived on Maui twenty minutes later. Jake had arranged for a smaller, faster jet to meet them there. Laney, Jordan, and Jen lost no time transferring to the new jet, and Jordan had them up in the air only a few minutes later. Jake and the rest of the team would follow as soon as the Chandler jet was gassed up.
