by Sydney Addae
Thomas and the others continued several blocks before entering a garage and parked on the third level across the street from Owen’s place. When they arrived, there were no cars out front or in the back of the lab. However, there were several heat signatures inside the building.
“Who’s inside?” Thomas asked Max who remained hidden in an air vent.
“Six, make that five men. One of them is dead. I think they’re enhanced humans.”
“Go human deep,” Thomas said to them all. “You can share this with Matteo,” he told Lizzie.
Thomas watched the heat signatures move around and leave that area. Out the corner of his eye, he saw the bartender from the other night walk toward the entrance.
“What’s she doing here?” Thomas murmured as she spoke into an intercom and jerkily held up an identification to the scanner.
Her erratic movements concerned him and he did a quick scan. “Pull back, Max. Leave right now,” Thomas said as he started his vehicle. “Everybody, move out.”
Max scrabbled from the roof and jumped. Once on the ground he increased his size and took off running toward them. He had just reached Thomas’ vehicle when the laboratory exploded. Debris flew in every direction. Thomas pressed the brakes and ducked as something large flew past the car. Once it landed behind him with a thump, he hit the accelerator and drove out of the garage.
“Park along the road,” Thomas told the others once learning everyone was safe and unharmed. He got out of his vehicle and jogged closer to see if anyone survived. He knew better than most how difficult they were to kill.
Ablaze, a body ran outside, stood with their hands outstretched, fell to its knees and continued to burn despite the water thrown on him. What happened?
Within moments, the fire department arrived and tried to put out the flame but was unsuccessful. The most they could do was keep it from spreading. Abnormal heat arose from the flames.
“Matteo says someone had an elemental gift for fire which is why it cannot be stopped but will eventually burn out,” Lizzie said.
“Is it common?” Thomas asked.
“No, it’s very rare. He doesn’t know anyone with it and is surprised to see all this,” Lizzie said.
“Ask him if everyone died who was in the building?” Thomas asked.
“The fire won’t stop until everything targeted is consumed,” Lizzie said a few moments later. “That includes the person with the talent.”
“Thanks.” Thomas looked at Max. “You okay?”
Max nodded. “One of the men sensed me. He had just started to take off the vent panel when someone came in. I had been halfway near the exit when you said to leave. Do you know who it was?”
“The bartender from the club the other night,” Thomas said.
“I got the feeling they were waiting for someone,” Max said looking around. “Another thing, as I was leaving, I felt a surge of energy fill the room. They started yelling.” Max frowned. “A female yelled too, can’t be sure what she said, though.”
That surprised Thomas.
“I didn’t get more than that. Seconds later, I was outside getting away from there,” Max said. “Someone took care of destroying that lab, when do you want to check out the second one?”
Thomas stared at the blaze a moment longer. Turning he headed toward his vehicle. “We need to research that one and come up with a plan. For now, we go to the house and think it through.”
Max nodded and walked toward Tip. Noah and Mia got the message and returned to their vehicles. Lizzie and Matteo rode with Pearl and Damali. The four of them re-entered their car and drove off. Unsettled by Max’s report, Thomas pulled out, drove around the corner and returned to watch the fire burn. The roof fell with a loud swoosh.
He scanned the crowd searching for what? Something about the timing of the fire was off. Had it been staged? Would they find remains in the ashes? He snorted. That place had been used to operate on humans for months, they had no shortage of bodies to leave behind. To have picked up on Thomas and Max’s linked conversation, the enhanced human had to be an audio or have skills along that line. He would check into that. What was the bartender doing here? Did she work with or for the Olympians? The other night she had followed Mia and Noah to the area. Did she leave a surprise for his team? “Scan the house before going inside,” he told everyone.
“Doing that now,” Mia said.
“I’ll be in soon, need to clear my head,” Thomas told them.
“See you when you get here,” Noah said.
Thomas leaned back in his seat and stared at the building. Several enhanced humans watched with large smiles. A couple of full-bloods stood on the sidelines, no doubt sharing information with Alpha Barticus or his beta. Gawking humans took videos with their cell phones made up most of the crowd often ignoring the instructions of the firefighters to stay behind the yellow tape.
He closed his eyes and listened intently to the chatter. It took time to eliminate some and amplify others.
“Did she really do it?” a female said.
Assuming she engaged in idle gossip, Thomas was moving to the next person when he heard.
“I saw her go in,” the male whispered.
“When?” the female challenged.
“Just before the fire. They were in there, waiting. I can’t believe she did it.”
“If she did, she did it for us. We need to find the others and leave before they send someone else to round us up,” she said. Fear resonated in her voice as she looked around. The two, a short male and female walked away toward the corner without looking back. Tempted to follow and ask questions, Thomas remained still and continued listening.
Almost an hour passed, the crowd had thinned and the fire continued burning, although not as high as before. A dark car pulled up across the street from the lab. A man leaned out his window and spoke to the policeman.
“What happened here?”
“The building caught fire.” The officer looked at the man as if he was daft.
“I see that. It’s still burning, why can’t they put it out?” He pointed to the firefighters.
“There’s some kind of chemical that keeps it going, seems to be dying down. You’ll need to move your car, you’re blocking traffic.”
“Thank you, Officer.” The car pulled off and drove around the block. It parked and a pale man stepped out. He stood around six feet, barrel chest, hooded green eyes, springy red hair, wide nose, and wore a close-cropped beard. Thomas inhaled and waited. Where had he seen that man before?
Hermes.
Thomas' eyes flew open. This man had been in Hermes memories. Gil Schmidt, the leader of the Olympians. Not for fieldwork, that was Zeus. Schmidt was the Administrator, an active military officer who was also enhanced. Thomas altered his appearance to a much smaller male and continued watching.
Several minutes later, Schmidt looked around and then looked up. He slid back into his vehicle and drove toward the same parking garage Thomas had been an hour before. He watched Schmidt drive to the top and move out of sight.
Sometime later, Schmidt left the garage with two dark SUV’s driving behind him. “Looks like we’re going to have a party.” Thomas waited until the fire smoldered and listened to the firefighters discuss what they found.
“Six bodies incinerated. Never seen anything like it.”
“Will they be able to make identifications?” someone asked.
“Don’t know. Not much left. It’s like they were cremated internally, never seen anything like it,” the person said again.
Thomas didn’t believe in coincidences and didn’t trust the fact the bodies couldn’t be identified. It was too pat. Too easy. Someone was trying to cover their tracks and went through a lot of trouble to disappear.
THOMAS ENTERED THE main room and tossed his keys on the table. Everyone, except Noah and Mia, sat around watching television. They watched him closely as he pulled out a chair and sat at the long dining table.
“I don’t like i
t,” he said after a few moments. Damali turned off the television and they moved to join him. “The timing. It’s as if she waited until we returned and was in position and then went inside to start the fire. That’s another thing. The fire incinerated everything like a crematorium. How’s that possible with everyone standing outside? It was hot but not that hot.”
“What do you think went down?” Tip asked.
“I’m not exactly sure but more than what we saw and know,” Thomas repeated the conversation he overheard between the enhanced humans. He snorted. “That could’ve been staged too. To throw anyone off who was watching. We know better than to talk, even whisper in public.”
“Yes, but most enhanced humans in this area have either lost the ability to link with others and speak that way or never had it,” Matteo stood behind Lizzie’s chair. “May I join you?”
“Yes, have a seat,” Thomas said.
Matteo sat next to Lizzie as Noah and Mia arrived to take the last two chairs.
“So, you don’t think this could’ve been a trick to throw someone off track?” Thomas looked at Matteo.
“I don’t know. I will say no one left that building beneath the ground. I checked before we left. If they escaped it was through a route we could see,” Matteo said.
“There was no basement or tunnel in that building?” Thomas asked to be clear.
“None that I could determine. We can return and I will check to be sure but I didn’t sense any subterranean activity before or after the explosion,” Matteo said.
No one spoke for a few moments.
“Thank you, that makes me feel less paranoid. Did you know the female? She introduced herself as Serenity,” Thomas asked.
Matteo frowned. “I knew a Serenity. She was Owen’s woman before they messed him up. They had been together decades and separated when he sold her out.”
“Sold her? What do you mean?” Lizzie asked.
“To receive more of the crystal, he shared names, locations, abilities... everything he knew about enhanced humans. He wasn’t himself,” Matteo said.
“You said he was addicted to Kirlethanium, how does that happen?” Tip asked.
Matteo’s brows furrowed. “Used with certain elements it could be used for good, healing, an extension of life force or if used with other elements or chemicals it’ll produce a short-term high with boosts of energy that allows a person to perform supernatural tasks. Unfortunately, that path takes a toll on the brain and nervous system, eroding it. Worst, as I said it’s short-term, when it fades, the person is in a stupor, unable to think logically for a while and vulnerable against attack.”
“Is that what we saw on the streets? Is that drug the reason they were falling and lying on the ground? Did they use enhanced humans in the experiments?” Max asked.
“Possibly,” Thomas said rethinking a few things. If someone had rounded up enhanced humans and performed more tests, Serenity’s initial reaction to Mia and Noah made sense.
“Nasty drug,” Damali said.
“Only when misused. It has saved my life for decades and others,” Matteo said. “One must have respect for the elements and not abuse them.”
“Truth. Jeri said the same thing,” Mia said.
Matteo looked around. “Jeri?”
Mia offered a small smile. “Yes. When we moved to our home in the desert, Jeri had this amazing relationship with the earth, similar to yours. Not only did he find water below ground for us, but he also fixed it in a way we always had a few hot springs with perfect temperatures. He also created an underground greenhouse that grew fresh vegetables and some types of fruit. He was always talking about respecting water, fire, air, and the earth. Jeri was truly gifted.”
“Yes, he was,” Damali said.
“He’s no longer with you?” Matteo asked Lizzie.
“No. He’s been gone a long time,” Lizzie said.
“Sounds as if he had a great ability,” Matteo said as he squeezed Lizzie’s hand.
“What was her ability? Serenity?” Thomas glanced at Noah before looking at Matteo.
“I don’t know. I met her once in passing a long time ago. Generally, we don’t do as you all have. We live lonely, solitary lives. It’s easier to hide that way,” Matteo said.
“Is it possible she and Owen were linked? Maybe he reached out to her before he died, apologized, explained things to her the same as he did with you?” Noah asked.
“Most likely. As I said they were together for decades, perhaps from their time in the castle,” Matteo said.
“Learning what he shared, losing him that way, it might have set her off on a suicide mission,” Damali said.
“I can see that,” Mia said as she took Noah’s hand.
“Do you know who Owen gave or sold the information about enhanced humans to? Was it an organization? A specific man?”
“Before his death, he apologized for sharing my information and warned me to be careful of them. I don’t think it’s one person, more like a group of men with money and influence,” Matteo said.
“More Olympians are in town,” Thomas told the team. “I don’t like coincidences or their timing.”
“Hermes is missing, that’s a good reason to show up,” Mia said. “It’s possible they heard him but couldn’t link up or connect. Or maybe they did and were able to communicate with him.”
“Good point,” Thomas said.
“With their names, we can find them in their dreams and memories,” Noah said. “We can get some answers.”
Thomas looked at Lizzie who sat quietly with Matteo. “When Mia met Noah, she brought him to the compound for all of us to meet and talk. It worked out. We don’t know what you want, Matteo, other than Lizzie. We love her and want her happy no matter what. Have the two of you decided what you’re going to do?” If Lizzie was staying in Italy with Matteo, there was no need for the two of them to be included in this planning strategy.
Lizzie looked at Matteo as he took her hand. “Matteo understands I’m not ready to leave our team, not now anyway.” She took a deep breath and met his gaze. “We talked and he’s planning to move to the States once his family is settled.” Lizzie looked at each person. “Go ahead, question him, make sure you’re comfortable with him being on the team.”
“You want to join us? How will that work when you prefer being alone?” Pearl asked.
“For me it’s simple. I go where she goes. Since she does not want to remain here and wants me to live in her new home...” Matteo shrugged. “That’s what I’ll do. We’ll visit from time to time but I’m not locked to any location. Lizzie is my heart and I will be with her.”
Pearl smiled and gave him a thumbs up. “Good answer.”
Lizzie grinned.
“We have an Alpha of sorts, Thomas. We are all linked to him and answer to him out of necessity but mostly respect. He has a measure of all our gifts, are you willing to submit to his authority?” Max asked.
“I would like to have a personal conversation with Thomas before I answer that question,” Matteo said.
“Will we get discounts at your hotel for vacations?” Damali asked with a grin.
“Yes of course and I will teach you to make my special meals,” Matteo said with a slight grin.
“See, that right there is a man who knows how to hook a woman. Cook for her, that’s how it’s done, Matteo,” Mia said standing and reaching across the table to bump Lizzie’s fist.
The others laughed.
Noah grabbed Mia’s hand and pulled her back into her seat. “Former military, I’m not a product of the Liege. I died on the battlefield and was given a shot that restarted my heart and transformed me into what I am. When I met Mia, I was drowning with little direction. The military was searching for me to either destroy me or force me to work for them.” He looked at Mia. She leaned into him. “I love this woman more than life and would’ve gone through fire to be with her. She had a family she wouldn’t leave behind. When I met the others they took me in, gave me a home an
d accepted me.” He paused. “It’s a serious commitment, one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. But I can honestly say I’ve never regretted it. We’re about to take this war up another level and could use someone with your talents.”
“Thank you for sharing your story with me,” Matteo said meeting Noah’s gaze. “There are a few things I need clarity on first, that’s all.”
Noah nodded.
“The second lab. It’s located outside the city and easier to defend. Did you pull up any information on it?” Thomas asked Max and Tip.
“Yes. Everything is queued in the planning room.” Tip and the others stood.
“Matteo, please join us, we’ll need your opinion,” Thomas said as they left the dining room and headed toward the basement.
They had just settled and watched the footage of the laboratory when Matteo stood. “I must return to my home. There are men searching the area, the blockades are not holding.” He looked at Thomas. “I don’t understand how they’re able to penetrate the barriers.”
“First, be sure that’s what’s really happening and not an illusion.” Thomas’ gaze flicked to Lizzie. “They can trick your family into panicking and showing themselves. Second, even if these men have accessed your lands they won’t find anything. The hotel is closed and your family has left for vacations. I’ve experienced your barriers, they’re strong. Tell your family to remain where they are until they see headlights.”
“Si. Good thinking.” Matteo took a deep breath and moments later he sank into the chair. “It’s as you say, they have not penetrated the barriers and are searching in the area but not on the grounds,” Matteo said minutes later.
Lizzie leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“They’re searching for Hermes and the three soldiers. I’m not surprised they tracked him to his last transmission,” Thomas said. “If they’re out there now, who’s in the lab?”
