by D. Laine
I gaped at the curtain of hair now obscuring her face. The light from the dream had followed me? Shit. That couldn’t be good.
Actually, I knew it wasn’t good. I knew if Thea hadn’t woken me, I would be a Watcher by now. So much for my theory that I had to give them permission. Or maybe that was what I had done by reaching into the light?
Who the fuck knew?
I got lucky. I knew that much.
I also recognized the signs of a meltdown occurring in front of me. Thea’s shoulders shook from the force of the emotion that gripped her. Wetness dripped from her chin onto the mattress, yet she didn’t make a sound.
I pushed aside the hair that covered her face, and my stomach lurched into my throat. She cried so hard she couldn’t breathe to make a noise.
I pulled her into my arms immediately, and I heard her take a gasping breath. I didn’t know what words to say. Honestly, I didn’t think there were any. At the risk of sounding conceited, I assumed my mere presence was enough. Words would only be empty promises that I could not keep.
After a few moments, her shoulders began to relax and I heard her first sniffle.
“You didn’t get any snot on my shirt, did you?”
Thea snorted, tipping her face up to show me the ghost of a smile on her lips. “Maybe a little bit.”
I shrugged. Not like it mattered.
“I thought you were gone.” She looked away to rub her eyes with her palms. “I slapped you like three times, trying to wake you up.”
I put my fingers to my cheek. “It feels like it.”
A short laugh slipped out of her. It sounded so much better than her cries.
I smoothed her hair with a hand. “I’m here now.”
I wanted to say more, but I couldn’t. No more promises I couldn’t keep. I was here now, but I didn’t know how much longer I would stay.
FOR THE FIRST time in too long, I felt good. Rested. Not exhausted. According to Thea, I had slept for a solid two hours before she was forced to wake me. I hoped that extra rest was enough to resist the Watchers. I hoped it gave me enough time to find Lucifer’s vessel.
I didn’t know if I was strong enough to take him down without the Watchers’ help, and that was where my hope started to wane. His vessel would be difficult. He would have protection. Lots of it.
But first, I had to find out who it was. As far as I knew, there was only one man who could help me with that.
Because I had actually slept during my break, I started my patrol a few minutes late. Too late to swing by the hospital to check in on Calvin. Considering it was technically the middle of the night, I doubted he was awake. It made more sense to swing by after my shift.
My patrol route took me by the hospital every three to four minutes. I got to see it all. Front and back entrances. The windows. The soft glow of a lantern left to burn inside overnight. The shadowy figure currently opening the front door.
I stopped and pressed my back against the wall of the building behind me before they realized they had been spotted. It was too dark to see the visitor’s face, but I clearly saw them slip inside and pull the door shut behind them.
After a quick glance at my surroundings to make sure I was otherwise alone, I sprinted toward the opposite side of the hospital. The back door opened up steps from Jake’s room, and that was where I went in. Peeling back the partition that made up half of his room, I confirmed that no shadowy guests lurked where they didn’t belong.
Jake lay exactly where I last saw him a few hours ago. Robbie had scooted her cot next to his, and lay snuggled up against him. Her head lifted when she saw me. I lunged forward to cover her mouth with my hand. I brought a finger to my lips, signaling her to be quiet. I waited for her to nod before I slowly withdrew my hand.
Together, we listened to the sounds of metal clinking against metal coming from another room inside the building. Robbie glanced at me and lifted a brow as if to ask, “What is going on?”
I shook my head as my ears picked up the sound of rustling fabric. A few more clinks followed, then a moment of thick silence. I didn’t dare breath. Finally, a voice drifted from the other side of the building.
“Easy, my friend. You’ve been injured. No sudden movements.”
Anderson. But I couldn’t be sure who he spoke to. It could be anyone. But I had one suspicion.
Whoever it was groaned something undecipherable, and Robbie mouthed, “Calvin?”
I nodded. Though I wasn’t positive, my gut told me that was who Anderson was visiting.
“It seems someone did not want you to make it to our gate,” Anderson continued. His choice of words led me closer to the partition, where I strained to pick up everything he said. Because I could have sworn he said that like he knew exactly who that someone was.
And if he knew that, then Anderson was not who I thought he was. I considered what Sadie had told me about the people who had taken her and the other Preppers; surely a guy as easygoing as Anderson couldn’t have been behind something like that.
Right?
“Don’t worry,” Anderson soothed quietly. “Most of the flesh eaters were destroyed. The others have fled. Lucifer has been quiet since, but I need to know. I fear we are running out of time. Have you had any luck finding your nephew?”
Robbie’s eyes were as big and round as mine when I turned to see if she had caught that.
Anderson knew the truth. Dots connected to fill in missing pieces of the picture. At the center: Dugway Proving Grounds.
My hands fisted at my sides as the images that haunted my memories scrolled through my head. The blood. The smoke. The smell of gasoline and the sound of Sadie’s screams fading in the distance. The gloved hand holding the weapon that killed my parents.
I was sure now. Dugway had been behind my parents’ murders. Dugway had taken Sadie. Dugway had been behind it all.
I had trusted them, but as much as I wanted revenge, now was not the time.
Calvin had a blood relation—a nephew who was Lucifer’s vessel. Though I couldn’t hear Calvin’s whispered response to Anderson’s question, I suspected he didn’t know where the vessel was hiding.
“We will send a group out tomorrow to continue our search,” Anderson eventually said. “One of the lone Watchers has been taken care of. The special weapons have been sent to the north to assist our allies in fighting them there, but we have seen no indication of the remaining Watchers in this area. My hope is that they are closing in on Lucifer’s vessel. Once he is taken care of, we will deal with them. How are the other members of your group? Does anyone need a booster?”
My heart pounded so hard I doubted I would have heard Calvin even if he managed to raise his voice above a whisper. As it was, I had to rely on hearing only Anderson’s side of the conversation.
“I have some with me now,” Anderson said with a hint of amusement. “I assumed that was the reason for your trip.”
Robbie and I listened to the sounds of paper tearing and glass clinking together. I imagined vials of demon blood glancing off each other. I looked at Robbie, and she gave me a terse nod of confirmation. So the Preppers got booster shots. Good to know.
But what was Calvin getting? Watcher DNA to counteract Lucifer’s blood flowing through his veins? How exactly would Anderson have access to that?
“All done,” Anderson announced after a moment. “You can take these back to the camp with you. Your group will need to be strong for what’s coming. Make sure they are prepared to defend the gate.”
A faint whisper answered, but I couldn’t make out the words.
“Good.” The scraping of a chair sliding across the floor suggested that this conversation was coming to an end. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. I’ll give you this to help you sleep. Get some more rest. I’m afraid we’re all going to need it soon.”
My eyes never left Robbie’s as we listened to the sound of Anderson’s footsteps thumping across the floor. I scarcely breathed until I was positive he hadn’t turned in our directi
on. The door opened and shut with a quiet squeak. Then silence.
To confirm Anderson was gone, I crept toward the partition and peeled one side of it back to peer into the waiting room. It was empty.
Glancing back at Robbie, I said, “I’ll be right back.”
Anderson had mentioned giving something to Calvin to help him sleep, but I hoped to catch him awake first. I had so many questions, but first, where was his nephew? I only needed a good guess. I just needed something to work with, somewhere to start looking.
I heard Calvin’s heavy breaths before I made it halfway. Pulling back his partition, I saw his eyes shut tight and lips parted slightly. Shadows danced across his battered and bloody face, making recognition difficult. I stepped closer, if only to see him better. Again, I confirmed the man lying there was Calvin. And again, he was unconscious. More answers would have to wait.
24
DYLAN
The streets were deserted that evening, when I made the walk back to the hospital. Unlike the others currently heading to their posts, I was not freshly rested. The relief I had enjoyed earlier was long gone. I felt more tired than ever, and the repercussions were catching up to me, worse than before.
My gait was sluggish, and I suspected I resembled a drunk. My fingers were numb, and at times I felt like an octopus put in charge of controlling half a dozen arms with a mind of their own. Hell, I couldn’t even trust my eyes anymore.
I saw things that weren’t there. And missed things that were there.
Like doors. Fortunately for me, Robbie caught that one.
She held it open for me as I slipped inside the building. A lantern burned in the waiting room, casting enough light for me to distinguish the partition spread across the room. I gave her a nod before angling to the right—toward Calvin. With any lucky, he would be awake. Or easy to rouse.
He made no noise when I slid back the partition. Nor did he move as I approached his cot. I found his shoulder hidden in the shadows and gave it a shake. When he didn’t stir, I tried again, harder. Still nothing.
I stepped closer to the cot to try a different tactic. My boots landed in something wet and slippery on the floor. Whatever it was dripped from the underside of Calvin’s cot with a soft plop. Seconds later, another drip. Then another.
The sound echoed through the otherwise silent room. Silent because I had stopped breathing. Aside from my hand fumbling to locate the flashlight stuffed somewhere in the cargo pocket of my pants, I didn’t move. I stared at the motionless shadow sprawled on the cot in front of me.
I found the light and clicked it on. At the same time, Robbie slid the partition open behind me. She gasped, barely stifling a scream.
“Is he—” She stepped closer, eyes wide and fixed on Calvin. “Is he dead?”
Staring at the two-inch deep gash in his throat, I thought the answer was obvious.
He had been murdered.
And I stood in a puddle of his blood.
ROBBIE HADN’T HEARD A THING. Calvin could have been murdered any time after Doc left at nightfall. That left a four-hour window of time in which anyone could have done it.
But it wouldn’t have been just anyone. Only one person had motive.
Calvin had known who Lucifer’s vessel was. But he hadn’t known where Lucifer’s vessel was hiding. That could only mean . . .
Holy fucking shit. He was here. Lucifer’s vessel was here.
I could now feel his presence like a suffocating heaviness in the air. My pulse hammered fast and thread, like a chipmunk in the presence of a lion.
My instincts warred with my thoughts, and something flickered inside of me. Something unknown, but strangely familiar at the same time. I had another instinct—one that connected me to the Watchers—and it was harder to fight. Their presence enveloped me. Their song called to me.
Seconds turned into minutes, and my skin crawled with pent-up adrenaline. I paced the alley behind the hospital, unable to stand still.
“Dylan!” Robbie grabbed my coat, forcing me to an abrupt stop. “What are you going to do?”
I stared at the wall above her head. “I don’t know.”
“We shouldn’t be here. Not now, but we can’t leave Jake.”
“No. We’re not leaving Jake.”
“They’re going to pin his murder on us,” she said. “We’re the newbies here. We’re going to be the prime suspects.”
I glanced up at the sky. We had about four more hours of night, before Doc came in for his morning rounds. Four hours until someone discovered Calvin’s body. There was too much blood. We couldn’t move him and clean up the mess. Not without someone seeing us. Not without incriminating ourselves.
Who was I kidding? Robbie was right. His murder would be pinned on us regardless.
But that was the least of our concerns.
Lucifer’s vessel was near. Very near.
We needed to find a way to end him before we all went down for murder. Unless . . .
I turned to Robbie when an idea hit me. Not a great idea. But it just might work.
“Tell them it was me,” I told her.
She blinked. “What?”
“Tell them you saw me come in last night,” I coached. “We didn’t speak, so I didn’t know you were awake. You didn’t know what I was doing, but you didn’t question me. Just tell them that, and that will cast the blame on me, and me alone. The rest of you will be alright.”
“But why—”
“I’m going after Lucifer.”
I turned on my heels, and she reached for me.
“No. You can’t—”
“He did this.” I jabbed a finger at the building behind her. “He’s here. Or he’s already gone, but he isn’t far. I can feel him. I’m either going after him, or I’m going to bait him to come after me. One way or another, this ends tonight.”
Robbie’s mouth snapped shut. We didn’t know each other well. Or maybe we knew each other better than I thought. Because she seemed to understand what I was saying without me having to say it. She lunged forward to wrap her arms around me. Just as quickly as she did that, she let me go. With a resigned nod, she backed away and walked through the door that would lead her back to Jake.
I watched as it shut behind her, and felt a sense of satisfaction. Jake would be fine. Robbie would make him a good partner. She had some big shoes to fill, but I was confident she would make me proud.
I walked back to the apartment in a daze. Sadie and Ewing were gone—on patrol. It was probably best that I didn’t see my sister, because leaving Thea would be hard enough.
She lay curled up on her corner of the mattress we shared. Her soft, even breaths hinted that she was sleeping peacefully. I would not wake her. Not for this.
I could only hope that she would understand. Perhaps not right away, but someday.
I glanced at the window behind her, feeling an intense pull. Maria’s voice filled my head like a whisper in my ear. It couldn’t have been her, but it sounded real.
I knew what I needed to do.
I was the only one in position to stop Lucifer. If the gate was opened, it would be too late. For Thea. For Sadie. For Jake to have his second chance at life.
I gazed down at Thea one last time. I kissed her gently on the forehead so as not to disturb her. She didn’t stir when I stood to leave.
I walked down the stairs, through the maze of fabric strung from the ceiling in the laundromat, and out onto the sidewalk, sensing the eyes of the Watchers on me with every step. They had hunted me, and now they waited for me as if they already knew I was coming.
With one final glance at the stars in the sky above me, I walked into the night.
25
THEA
Something felt off. From the moment I woke, I sensed it. An unseen weight pressed down my shoulders, and uncertainty clouded my head. Even the air tasted funny, sort of like lightning-scorched ozone.
Across the room, Ewing burrowed into the other mattress. His eyes met mine briefly, and h
e gave me a terse nod. Considering the faint light seeping through the window, I concluded that he had just ended his shift on patrol.
That explained where Dylan was. But not Sadie, since she was supposed to be on patrol with Ewing. The seed of unease grew.
“Everything okay out there?” I asked, unable to shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
“Back to being as boring as usual.”
I nodded, feeling silly and paranoid, and reminded myself that things could have been worse. Much worse. I could have been burying my brother today. Instead, he would wake a little over a day from now better than new.
“Where’s Sadie?”
Ewing sighed heavily, like my questions irritated him. For the first time, I understood why Dylan didn’t like him. “She went to the hospital to visit Robbie. She should be back soon.”
That sounded like a good way to spend my time this morning. Better than hanging around in this depressing apartment with an anti-social Ewing. While I was there, I would ask Doc to clear me for patrols. I felt much better, stronger. I needed to do something besides wait around for Lucifer to drop into our laps.
I stood and began the process of adorning myself in weapons. Something deadly went just about everywhere it could fit: in pockets, waistbands, boots, and slung over shoulders. It had become as routine as brushing my hair in the morning used to be. Now my long mane got pulled up in a hair tie, and I was ready to go. After I brushed my teeth, because they felt particularly fuzzy this morning.
I helped myself to my daily ration of water, and stood at the sink in the other room, rinsing and spitting until my teeth felt silky clean and my mouth tasted minty fresh.
Seconds later, footsteps pounded the stairs. My heart lurched into my throat, and I knew I should have paid more attention to my instincts earlier. Something was wrong, and I had wasted precious minutes grooming.
Sadie burst through the door, her panicked gaze collided with mine, and my throat squeezed. I didn’t realize I had moved until I gripped her shoulders in my hands. I had only one thought on my mind.
