by Liz de Jager
I give him the side-eye. He looks so genuinely out of sorts, when I know he really loves all the sneaking around and subterfuge.
‘You look hot when you’re dressed like a special ops operative,’ I tell him, derailing his grump with obvious flattery.
‘I can’t deny that I look good in black,’ he admits, but elbows me in the side, ‘and flirting with me won’t get you out of my bad books, Blackhart.’
‘Shut up, Garrett. Pay attention to the stake-out.’
I peer back out at the warehouses below us.
‘Nothing is happening. No one is coming. We’ve been set up.’
‘We don’t know that.’
‘Pensa could have double-crossed us. He could have told Merrick we got to him.’
‘No,’ I say, certain of this one thing above all else. ‘He wouldn’t have done that. His wife and son are now safe. Strachan came through on that, so he will keep his word. Pensa hates Merrick almost as much as he hates Zane.’
There’s a crackle from my headset and I hear Dante’s voice in my ear: ‘Can you guys just stop talking? You’re making it hard to concentrate. And if you can’t shut up, stop talking over comms.’
Aiden and I share a long-suffering look. Dante really does enjoy the whole covert operations thing far too much for someone who’s probably had a week’s worth of training with the Spooks.
‘He’s bossy,’ I mutter. ‘Thinks he runs us.’
‘I know,’ Aiden replies. ‘It’s kinda hot.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Yes. He gets all focused and determined. And bossy.’ Aiden’s eyes are a bit dreamy. ‘And he smells great.’
‘You know I can still hear you both,’ Dante’s voice crackles in the earpiece and I have to hide a grin when Aiden lets out a soft meep of surprise.
‘It’s the truth, though,’ Aiden manfully insists, and a girl has to admire his honesty in the face of being caught blatantly talking about his crush.
‘You’re both distracted. You need to focus. Someone’s coming.’ Dante’s trying his best not to let his amusement show, but there’s a hint in his voice that makes Aiden swoon against me like the diva he is.
But someone is coming and I don’t even need to enhance my sight all that much to see them. Antone and Dante are already in the building and two guys are walking towards the warehouse.
‘They’re human and they’re armed,’ I tell both boys using my headset, mostly for Dante’s benefit. ‘Guns, for sure.’
‘How can you tell?’ he queries immediately. ‘Weapons drawn?’
‘Their jackets. They’re too bulky to just be padded. Also, the guy on the right, the taller of the two, keeps touching inside his coat. There’s probably an underarm holster on his right side … so that makes him a leftie.’
‘Okay, let’s get ready.’ Aiden’s smile is all teeth and savage intent. ‘Am I wolf or human tonight?’
‘Let’s start you off human and then, if things go south with them and they make a run for it, you go wolf,’ I suggest.
‘Okay.’ He rolls off the building and flips elegantly mid-air so that he lands in a low crouch. I follow suit, but less dramatically. No mid-air flips, just straight down, my magic cushioning my landing so I don’t break my ankles.
We ghost across the open tarmac towards the building, where Antone’s waiting to meet his contacts, with Dante as back-up.
All of this is very reminiscent of a few weeks ago, when Strach and I trapped Lady Morika and her little crew of deviant faeries as they were setting up a new deal to supply the Frontier with Glow. That was the first time Aiden and I met Marko too. Only this time I didn’t have Strach or any of his Fae special-ops guys with me. It’s only me, Aiden and Dante – with the goblin Antone Pensa as bait.
The guys are both in their late thirties; one is clearly the eldest and a smoker. Aiden and I are behind some broken wooden pallets and we should be near-invisible in the shadows to the rear of the warehouse.
Dante’s a casual dark shadow near Antone’s shoulder. Nothing about his presence should alarm these guys and it would be stranger still if Antone didn’t have anyone with him as the deal went down. The two humans stop a few paces away from Antone and they greet one another amicably enough. They shake hands and chat for a few minutes.
Antone makes no attempt to introduce Dante and although the humans take note of him, they don’t mention him either. But it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t make an impression. The blond younger guy keeps shooting looks at him but, perhaps because Dante doesn’t seem intimidating, they soon lose interest.
The younger guy’s stepped forward, opening his backpack. Dante says something to him and they exchange smiles, standing slightly to the side as Antone inspects the contents.
Satisfied, Antone then removes a flat velvet jewellery box from the inside of his jacket and passes it over as payment.
I hold my breath. We’ve hidden a small tracker in there, cunningly disguised by Pensa’s workmanship and skilful use of glamour.
The older guy pops the lid open and even from my hiding spot I can see the gleam of jewels light up his face. He gives a happy grunt before slipping the velvet box into a jacket pocket. Dante takes the backpack from the blond, using the opportunity to shake hands with his new friend. The guy leans in close to say something and Dante’s soft laugh makes the hair at the back of my neck stand up. I tighten my magic shields around me, because even at this distance I can feel the low thrum of Dante bringing his magic into play.
While Antone’s chatting to the older guy, his friend and Dante and are standing far too close. The guy looks a little dazed by Dante, who’s not doing anything overt but seems really present and somehow more vibrant than he was a few minutes ago.
Aiden’s hand rests heavily on my shoulder and I nod because I know what’s coming next. I’ve practised this with Dante endlessly the past twenty-four hours. It’s the same move Jamie’s drilled into me along with all my other lessons. The tricks of legerdemain, or pick-pocketing, are simple. They’re about distraction, self-assurance and speed.
I’m tense as I watch the younger guy duck his head and grin at something Dante says. It’s killing me watching this but Dante’s so good that I hardly see the move myself. But Aiden sees, his eyes sharp.
‘He’s got his wallet,’ Aiden sighs in my ear. ‘We’re good.’
Dante makes a show of looking at his watch and the meeting draws to a close. There’s a round of goodbyes and the humans stroll from the warehouse. Aiden slips away to make sure they’re leaving and I wait until I hear a car start before exiting my hide-out.
Antone gives me a small tight smile as I walk closer.
‘That was remarkably easy,’ he says. ‘Maybe there is something to having a siren on your side in meetings like this.’
Dante rolls his eyes. ‘I hardly did anything. That guy was projecting his loneliness so much that an unconscious person would have felt it.’
‘Ah, but you distracted him enough to get his wallet,’ I point out with a grin as I wiggle my fingers. ‘Show me.’
He passes the wallet to me, handling it with care. I flick it open using my nail to prevent any of my own fingerprints transferring onto the leather. Name. Address. Cash. Credit cards. Nice bit of a trail right here, which is handy, along with the dealer’s fingerprints. I hand it back to Dante. Should the tracker fail us, we’ll have an address to follow up on too.
‘Now what?’ Antone asks.
‘Now we’ve bought a whole bag of Glow that won’t hit the market and we’ve put a tracker on those two.’ I try not to look too pleased. ‘Sadly, you’re down some gems …’
‘It is nothing. My family is safe and in a secure location. I leave to join them this weekend and I have you to thank.’ He shakes our hands in turn. ‘Thank you, for everything. You have risked yourselves for me. I could have betrayed you and yet you never wavered. I am a generous man, Blackhart. Any time you need the help of the Pensa family, for generations to come, it is yours.’
I nod, bowled over by the intensity of these words, knowing how big a deal it is for a Fae to pledge his loyalty to the Blackharts in this way. I drop his hand and give him a hug, hoping that for once I’ve done something right.
Chapter Twenty
The boys leave the warehouse in the Cayenne and I follow in the Audi. We opted for two cars in case we needed the extra wheels. My mind’s wrapped up with the Jericho Gang and how drug cartels work and I know just the person to call. I ask the car to dial me through to Leo’s number.
‘Kit? Why are you calling me? Are you guys okay? Is someone bleeding?’
I start laughing. ‘Leo, seriously. Can’t a girl just ring a boy and chat to him for five minutes?’
There’s a pause on the line before Leo replies, ‘Is this a trick question?’ His voice drops and he sounds worried. ‘Is Aiden okay?’
‘We’re all okay, I swear, Leo. I just need to talk to someone about the Jericho Gang.’
‘Hell. You don’t beat around the bush, do you? No easing into it. Even Aide’s better at this than you are. Okay, I’ve pulled over. Now, let’s talk.’
‘Is it okay to speak?’ I have no idea how criminal Leo’s life is and in my mind there are wire-taps all over his house and on his phone. I have too many American police shows to thank for these images.
‘Yes. I had the phone and car checked before I came out. I’m on my way to the gym, so we’re okay.’
My jaw hangs open for a few seconds, wondering if he’s joking – or not. ‘Uh, okay. So, what can you tell us about these guys? I mean, Kyle checked them out a while ago but, you know, I’d rather hear from someone who knows rather than just someone who can use the internet.’
There’s a small silence on the phone before he speaks again.
‘The Jericho Gang …’ The way he says the words is the same way I’ve had some Fae say my name: with distaste and a hint of fear. ‘… They are not the kind of guys you want to go up against by yourself. They’re not sane, most of the time. Their boss is this nut-job called Caleb Jericho. The guy worked his way up from runner to bullyboy to a captain in one of the smaller gangs – one that runs drugs and guns in Northern Ireland. Then, when he became the boss of that, he turned his attention to the Midlands. He runs his business like he ran his soldiers, back during the Troubles. His word is law and he only takes on the most hardcore and proven guys as members. I overheard my dad describing Caleb to a friend once. Caleb suspected someone close to him of being a police informant. But instead of looking into it, Caleb brought this guy in for questioning. He questioned him by torturing his family. He never touched the guy. By the time the guy’s parents and wife were cut to pieces, the guy confessed that he had been working with the cops. It didn’t matter if it was true or not. And that put the fear of God into everyone in the Jericho Gang. Caleb prides himself on not being a violent man, but when he does mete it out, it’s pretty much a given that there’s death and gore.’
‘I think I’m going to be sick,’ I mutter, wiping a hand over my face as I wait for traffic lights to change. ‘Why haven’t we heard more about this guy?’
‘He’s never drawn attention to himself or his operation, and his men know better than to get caught in cop raids.’ Leo’s voice is quiet. ‘This guy is bad news, Kit. I think you need to go to the cops with this. Get your uncle Jamie to ring some of his buddies.’
‘Surely the cops know about him already. Why haven’t they done anything?’
‘It’s a case of them watching and waiting for him to slip up somehow to give them a reason to go in hard and fast and take his operation down. None of Caleb’s men have ever been to jail, Kit. Not one of them.’
‘He has good lawyers?’
‘He does, but no. Those under suspicion die. They never make it to court or to jail, so they never get the chance to turn on him.’
‘The guy sounds charming. A really stellar employer.’
‘He is, actually. He runs legitimate businesses and all his employees have private health insurance and other benefits.’
‘And the businesses are covers for his illegal operations?’
‘No, some are actually what they say they are.’ Leo sighs and sounds frustrated. ‘Kit, I really think you’re in over your head on this one. This isn’t what you guys do. Getting involved with Caleb Jericho, even if it means stopping this Glow crap … dude, it’s not worth it.’
I stare at the road in front, focusing on what Leo’s just told me. The Jericho Gang sounds terrifying and dealing with the Fae hasn’t necessarily prepared me for real-world gang crime. It makes me want to crawl into bed and pull the duvet over my head. But I can’t. There are too many lives at stake – not just human lives but Fae lives too.
‘I’ll speak to my uncle Andrew,’ I tell him. ‘Aide can speak to his dad. We’ll figure something out.’
‘Yeah? You’re not going to run off and try to be Hawaii Five-O?’
‘We don’t have surfboards, Leo.’
‘Oh yeah, dammit.’ There’s a pause, then: ‘We should move to Hawaii.’
‘Leo, listen. I owe you big time for this. Thanks for talking to me about these guys. When I get home I’ll speak to Andrew and Jamie, let them decide how they want to handle this.’
‘Good, and be careful, okay? You’re my favourite magic human.’
‘Good. You’re my favourite hipster. Enjoy the gym.’
I hang up, knowing that we have our jobs cut out for us on this. But we’ve made a tiny bit of progress and, now we know more about the Jericho Gang, we can make a plan.
Chapter Twenty-One
I am not even surprised when I wake up in a dream. Thorn looks up when I push my way through the overhanging ivy. He’s sitting in a ruined once-grand room, within the arc of an empty stone window-frame. The room has no roof, apart from a last few sturdy beams. Opulent red flowers cling to them, scenting the balmy night air with something sweet and cloying.
‘Kit.’ He jumps off the windowsill and moves towards me. ‘You’re here. I didn’t think I’d be able to reach you.’
He sounds as if he’s just dialled my number, and it makes me want to laugh. It’s strange being here, seeing him again in this in-between place where we’ve spent so much time in the past. He must sense my hesitation because he peers at me in concern.
‘Kit?’
‘What are we doing here, Thorn? I thought we were done with these weird meetings out here. You gave me the mirror so you could reach me through that.’
‘Ah.’ His smile falters. ‘I thought we could speak, without the mirror’s interference. I’ve tried getting in touch that way, but something feels wrong. The magic that powers the mirror feels stretched thin. I’d rather not risk having the mirror shatter.’ His eyes search my face and I see concern there. ‘Would you rather sleep and have me leave?’
‘No.’ The distance between us is less than a pace but he’s never felt further away. What is wrong with me? I should be pleased to see him. Instead I feel annoyed at being brought here, without any warning. ‘Thorn, this is getting weird. It is weird.’ I try not to notice the strong lines of his jaw or how his lashes sweep against his cheeks when he looks down and away from me. He now looks guarded, and a frown appears when he looks back at me.
‘I am sorry. I shouldn’t have presumed you’d want this.’ He makes as if to move away and I’m the one to close the gap, reaching for his hand. ‘It isn’t fair, bringing you all the way here, but I can’t deny that it is good to see you, Blackhart. I have missed you.’
‘I have missed you too. And this place.’ I try to smile and it must soothe him a little because I get a smile in return.
‘It is beautiful here.’ He gestures and I look out of the empty window across the forest. Heavy black clouds scuttle across the heavens, but it feels warm here. ‘Come, there’s enough space for us both.’
I follow him wordlessly and climb onto the wide window ledge so I can look down. We’re high up, higher than I remember being in the past
. I stand and stare down at the abandoned city far below us, and at the massive forest that stretches from horizon to horizon and wonder at the mysteries it holds. I let him tug me down onto the ledge and we sit there, our knees touching. His smile is hesitant, and the way the ambient light catches his eyes as he looks at me makes me feel a little breathless.
‘Are you angry with me?’
‘I’m just tired, that’s all.’ But I don’t pull back when he cups a hand to my face, a thumb gently tracing the curve of my cheek. ‘We’ve been busy lately and my family’s having some issues with how the wolves are running the Glow investigation.’ I try not to nestle into the warmth of his palm but I do close my eyes for a few seconds because it feels so good having him touch me. ‘And I’ve been worried about you.’ I swallow with difficulty, twisting my fingers together on my lap. ‘When we heard nothing. No messengers came, nothing. Worse, I thought you’d been captured and hurt. And I couldn’t send you a message directly, because we weren’t supposed to be in touch, so I had no way of knowing. None of the messages I tried to send Crow worked. None of the acorns were taken, none of the little spelled boats worked.’ I sigh. ‘But there was something, an awareness. I could feel you somehow – and I couldn’t talk to anyone about it because it made me sound crazy. It was this inner certainty that you were out there – somehow.’
He’s quiet for so long I worry that I’ve made myself sound unhinged. But then he hunches his shoulders almost defensively. ‘For days after the attack, when we last saw each other, I was not myself. You can’t imagine the shock I felt when I found I’d finally and for the first time shifted to my dragon shape. It took me a long time to find myself once more. And when I finally returned to the tower, I had to pretend that I’d been camping with the foresters, learning about the Dark Forest. Odalis had me watched for days. Nothing I did escaped her scrutiny and only after two weeks of this, did she marginally relent. But by then I was so exhausted from pretending that everything was normal, I had no energy or thought left for anything but keeping up the charade. I knew you were safe. Crow sent word, and the relief I felt was immense. I didn’t care that I was being watched and I threw myself into my studies and practices – willing Odalis to leave me alone. She finally did and all I could think of was reaching out to you.’ He leans closer and his eyes are intense as he stares into mine. ‘I am so sorry I made you worry. You must know how dear I hold you. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake. The last thing I think about when I fall asleep at night.’
