The Belial Library (The Belial Series)

by R. D. Brady

  Laney looked down at the clouds. Was the idea of Enoch returning time and time again really so crazy? Wasn’t that the essence of reincarnation? The soul returning to human form, and reliving life over and over again?

  Now that she was thinking about Enoch as living multiple lives, the similarity to others became clear. The most obvious was the tale of the prophet Elijah. As in the case of Enoch, Elijah had the gift of prophesy. He also was alleged to lived an incredibly long time, and been taken up to heaven before he died. In the Bible, Elijah and Enoch were proposed as two different individuals. Was it possible that they were actually the same man?

  Laney knew that a number of religions believed in reincarnation. Buddhism, Gnostic Christianity, and Jainism all did. But was it really reincarnation that Victoria was referring to? Or was it rebirth, like the Buddhists believed? In reincarnation, the individual in essence retained their identity from one life to the next. In rebirth, one’s previous life determined the conditions of one’s current life.

  Laney rubbed her eyes. She was in no shape to parse out the intricacies of Eastern religious beliefs right now. The best she could hope to achieve was probably sleep.

  She closed her eyes. The next couple of days were probably going to be brutal.

  As she drifted off, though, she wondered idly what she’d done in her past lives to result in having multiple life-threatening situations placed at her doorstep in this lifetime. Or maybe she was the reincarnation of someone. She knew that support for reincarnation often came from studies of young children who remembered their past lives in detail. Maybe she’d just forgotten who she used to be.

  Turning towards the window, she pulled her blanket up to her chin. Probably for the best. This life is tough enough without the baggage from my former lives chasing me around.

  CHAPTER 80

  Las Vegas, NV

  The flight to Vegas was short and, happily, uneventful. Buses took them from the airport to the Wynn. Victoria had arranged for them to have two full floors of the hotel. She’d also had crates of weapons and gear waiting for them. They had enough firepower for a small war. Victoria had been telling the truth about one thing, at least. Her resources were extensive.

  Laney dumped her bags on the king bed in the suite she was sharing with Jake. He was still at the airfield making arrangements.

  She made her way back into the large living room. Off of it was a full kitchen and dining area, all done in dark woods against a plush white carpet. In fact, all the living room furniture was sleek and white. She walked to the wall of glass that overlooked the Strip. The neon of Vegas shined back at her.

  The doorbell rang. Laney glanced over her shoulder in surprise. Almost everyone in the group had keys to this suite. It was going to be command central. She crossed the long suite to the door.

  Glancing through the peephole, she let out a little whoop of happiness. Flinging the door open, she crushed Jen in a giant hug, pulling her into the room. “What are you doing here?”

  Jen unfolded herself from Laney with a grin. “My brothers were a little concerned for my safety when they heard about Henry’s abduction, especially after we had a little chat.”

  Laney led her over to the couch. “How'd that go?”

  “Surprisingly well. Jordan knew about the superhumans because of Montana and he’d told Mike about them. They paused after I told them and I thought for sure that was it. But then Mike gave me a hug and asked me how come he’d had to do all the heavy lifting when I moved into my apartment two years ago.”

  “And Jordan?”

  “He claimed it was unfair not to reveal my abilities prior to our basketball games. Demands a handicap the next time we play. And he wants to know if he can tell Yoni, to get him off his back.”

  Laney laughed. “I’ve seen Yoni needle him. He might have a case.”

  Jen grinned, but Laney could see the relief. “It doesn’t make a difference to them. All this time I’ve been worried and it doesn’t make a difference.”

  Laney gave her another hug. “Your brothers are good men. You’re one lucky woman.”

  “Don’t I know it.”

  “Speaking of the Witt boys, where are they?”

  As if on cue, the door swung open. Jordan and Mike stepped in, Yoni following behind. “So I told my wife, a Sig Sauer 9 millimeter’s a perfectly appropriate anniversary gift. I even got it in pink. She said it was unromantic. What do you think?”

  “I think you owe the woman flowers,” Mike replied.

  “A lifetime supply,” Jordan added.

  Yoni grunted and looked at Laney. “What do you think? Isn't a Sig a good anniversary gift?”

  Laney smiled. Only Yoni would think of handguns as romantic. “Maybe flowers, jewelry, and a pink handgun.”

  Yoni grimaced. “Not you too.”

  Laney and Jen followed the men to the large dining room table next to the open kitchen. Yoni pulled up the plans to the warehouse on his tablet. He began explaining the security features of the warehouse to the Witts. They were planning on going in in just under two hours.

  Laney had already reviewed the details. She headed to the kitchen to get some water. She’d just pulled a bottle out of the fridge when the suite door opened again and Jake walked in. Spying her, he changed directions to join her.

  “Did everybody arrive?” Laney asked.

  Jake nodded. “Yup. We should be good. And before you ask, you can't go. It's way too dangerous.”

  "I can hold my own.”

  “I know that. But you’re not trained for this. These guys have been working together for years. They have their moves down.”

  Laney looked at him, hearing the words he was trying not to say. “And I’ll just be in the way.” She paused. “Is that the only reason?”

  “No.” Jake lowered his voice. “I know you can defend yourself, but the idea of putting you in harm's way or letting you anywhere near Hugo, it kills me. Let me protect you, just this once, okay?”

  She could see the guilt that still weighed him down from the last time she’d confronted Hugo. She couldn’t do that to him again. She sighed. “Just this once. But when you get back, we're going to have a long chat about the strides women have made since the 1950s."

  He grinned. "Absolutely."

  The smile faded from Laney's face. "Just get him back, Jake."

  He traced her cheek with his finger. “I will.”

  She held his hand to her face. “You better.”

  “And when this is all over?” Jake asked her, his eyes intense. She stared at him a moment, knowing what he was asking.

  She glanced over at the group. They weren’t paying them any attention. She leaned up and touched her lips to his.

  Jake wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into the kitchen out of view. The kiss quickly turned wild. Her hands ran up his chest and wound themselves around his neck. He crushed her to him. Laney wanted it to go on forever. What had she been thinking, saying she needed a break from this?

  Reality returning, she pulled away but stayed pressed up against his chest, her heart pounding. “And when this is all over, we give ourselves a real shot.”

  CHAPTER 81

  The warehouse was located seven miles beyond the Vegas Strip, which put it smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Desert surrounded it for miles. Jake had his group in desert camos, helping them blend into the landscape. There were fifteen in his group, another fifteen at the back of the warehouse, and ten at the one other entrance. He was taking no chances with Henry’s safety.

  Jake stood next to his Jeep, surveying the warehouse. The white building was large - two stories high – and Jake knew the inside was largely open space except for a small reception area up front and an office at the back. A helicopter sat in the parking lot next to it.

  "We're really using these?" Yoni asked, holding up the Taser.

  Jake lowered his binoculars. Each member had been assigned Tasers along with their regular weapons. "Yeah. We’re not sure this is where
the Ecuador loot was brought. It could be just a regular warehouse. If that’s true, it’s staffed by a bunch of regular guys. They may not have any clue what's going on. This may not even be the right place. I'm not killing a bunch of innocents."

  "If they were innocent, they wouldn't be anywhere near this place," Yoni grumbled.

  Jake glanced over at him. "Maybe. But we go in with caution, just in case." He tapped the mic at his throat. "Jordan? You and Mike contain the security guards at the front in thirty seconds. And everybody remember, the priority is Henry."

  "And us?" Yoni asked.

  Jake grinned. "We'll have the rest of the teams hold here while we check to make sure we have the right place."

  The twins’ SUV sped towards the gate. Jake and Yoni hopped in their own Jeep. Jake put it in gear. He sped across the empty parking lot, slamming to a stop three feet from the front door. He and Yoni leaped out of the car and sprinted for the front door. No gunfire rang out, no one tried to stop them.

  Yoni opened the door, his gun sweeping inside, while Jake entered. There was a door at the back, four walls, one desk and a couple of chairs for people to wait in. The floor was covered in a navy blue commercial carpet, the walls held serviceable portraits and a sign encouraging people to ask about their monthly storage rate. Easy listening music drifted softly through the area.

  Behind the desk, sat a young brunette, her eyes as big as saucers, seemingly rooted to her chair. Yoni moved to the back of the room, listening at the door.

  Jake gestured for her to keep her hands up. "What's your name?"

  "Um, Susie. Susie Mackelson."

  "Okay, Susie, we need to know about a shipment."

  "Okay," she said her voice trembling. She lowered her hands to the desk. "Um, what name-" A bullet punched through her chest.

  "Yoni! What the hell?" Jake yelled. Jake reached over to feel for a pulse, although from the amount of blood sprayed across the monitor, he knew it was useless.

  Yoni walked up to the desk, pulling out the Beretta that had been taped underneath the desk. "Little Susie here was reaching for this."

  The door at the end of the hall flung open and armed commandos rushed through, firing unceasingly as they did. Yoni and Jake flipped the desk, to use it for cover. The computer, papers, and Susie crashed to the ground in front of it.

  Jake barked into his mic. "All teams move in."

  Yoni grinned. "Told you we had the right place."

  CHAPTER 82

  Laney walked out of her suite and down the hall. She was going crazy with nothing to do. She pulled out her key card and let herself into the second suite. “Danny?”

  Danny was just coming out of the kitchen, a sandwich in his hand.

  Laney smiled. “Good. You’re eating. You haven’t eaten enough the last couple of days.”

  “She insisted.” He hooked a thumb at Jen, who followed behind him with a sandwich of her own.

  Jen shrugged. “He’s way too skinny. Besides, the way he’s using up brainpower, we probably should be feeding him intravenously.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s been a lot to do,” Danny muttered into his sandwich.

  “At least for you,” Laney grumbled. “I’ve been less than useless.”

  Jen put an arm around Laney. “You’re never useless. We just don’t happen to be commandos. Right now, we’re more like, um…”

  “If you say cheerleaders, I swear I’ll hit you.”

  Jen snorted. “I was going to say psychological support.”

  Laney flounced down on the couch. “Sounds like a cheerleader to me.”

  “Well, I’m sure Jake would appreciate you in a cheerleading costume.”

  Laney could feel her cheeks growing warm. She quickly glanced at Danny, who was studiously avoiding her gaze. She glared at Jen and mouthed, Really?

  Jen smiled. “Sorry.”

  Laney shook her head, but found herself smiling. "How long do you think it’ll take them?"

  "A couple of hours, at least,” Jen said. “They'll search the whole space for Henry, even opening any crates they find. It won't be quick."

  "Great. Meanwhile, we'll do what? Play ‘Go Fish’?” Laney's phone beeped, letting her know she had a new text. She looked at the screen. The number was blocked. She opened it and gasped.

  Henry's face was splashed across the small screen. His mouth was open, in the middle of a scream.

  "Laney?" Jen asked.

  A tremble in her hand, she turned the screen towards Jen.

  Jen inhaled sharply. "Who sent that?"

  "No idea." Laney stood and headed across the room. "Danny?"

  He glanced up. "Yeah?"

  "Can you trace the origin of a text message, even if the number’s blocked?"

  "Sure." He held out his hand for the phone.

  She hesitated. "Could you just look up my phone log?"

  He stopped and stared at her. "Yeah, but you have your phone right there. Why don't you just . . ." His words cut off. "It’s Henry, isn't it?"

  "Yes. He’s alive in the shot, but he's hurt.”

  He nodded, but Laney noticed the shake in his hand.

  She handed him the phone.

  Danny's breath hitched. He turned away from her. "Give me a few minutes."

  She squeezed his shoulder, then took a seat next to him. Jen leaned against the wall behind Danny. No one said a word. The only sound was Danny tapping away at his computer.

  It was only five minutes later, but it seemed a lifetime before Danny spoke. "I've got the signal. The message came from another cellphone. It keeps fading in and out. It’s still in the area. But there seems to be something blocking it.”

  Laney glanced at the brochures the hotel had left on the table. Grand Canyon tours, magic shows, all-you-can-eat buffets. “Danny? Could it be caused by a canyon?”

  He looked at her. “Depends on the canyon, but yeah, it could block the signal.”

  “Is there a way for you to lock it down?” Jen asked.

  Danny paused before answering. “If we follow the signal, I can probably give you a better idea of the phone’s location.”

  Laney smiled. Finally, something to do. They'd track the signal, get a location, and if it proved to be anything, let the rest of the group know. "All right. Show me how to track the signal."

  Danny looked up, his jaw set, his eyes stubborn. "No."

  Laney raised an eyebrow. "No? What do you mean 'no'?"

  "I'm going with you."

  "Like hell you are."

  "Like hell I'm not." The words were strong, but there was a slight tremble to his voice.

  Laney knew she should be pissed. But honestly, part of her was happy that he was standing up for something. He'd spent almost the entire time she’d known him keeping to the sidelines, not making any waves. It was nice to see him with a little gumption.

  Of course, she would have preferred it if he’d picked something else to be stubborn about, like maybe his bedtime.

  Laney gentled her tone. "Danny, I know you want to help. And you have. But it's simply too dangerous for you to go with us."

  "Really? Then how come you’re going? I thought Jake said to stay here until they get back."

  "Yeah, well, I'm an adult and I get to make decisions for myself," she countered.

  "Yeah, well, according to the United States government, I'm an adult too."

  Laney glared at him, then looked over at Jen, who was trying unsuccessfully to hold back her smile.

  Jen shrugged her shoulders. "I'll go see about the supplies for our trip."

  Laney watched Jen walk out of the room. Thanks for nothing, Jen. She turned back to Danny to try again. "Look, Danny, if anything happened to you, Henry would be inconsolable. For his sake, you need to stay here."

  Danny looked at his feet, his shoulders slumping. Thank goodness. She was getting through. He looked up, his gaze steady. "I'm going."

  Or not.

  Danny cut her off before she could speak again. "I won't tell you h
ow to follow the signal. I've already encoded it in my tablet. You'll never be able to break it. I'm going."

  Laney couldn't believe what she was hearing. Where the hell had this come from? Frustration and fear boiled up inside her. "Why are you being so difficult about this?" she yelled.

  "Because it's Henry," Danny yelled back, his voice breaking. He swatted at the tears that rolled down his cheeks. "It's Henry," he repeated, his voice sounded smaller and younger. "And I need to get him back."

  Laney's heart crumbled. He'd been so brave through all of this. But he was just a scared little boy who missed his Dad. And the reality was, he'd do a better job of tracking the signal than either she or Jen ever could. Damn it.

  She sighed and stared at the ceiling. What the hell was she supposed to do here? She blew out a breath. "Okay, Danny. You can come."

  She put up her hand as the grin broke across his face. "But whatever I, or Jen, tell you to do, you do. No arguments."

  He nodded.

  "I mean it," she warned again. "I tell you to jump, run, hide, whatever. You don't hesitate, you just do it."

  He wrapped his arms around her. "I will. I promise. You won't regret it."

  Wrapping her own arms around him, she pulled him tight, resting her chin on the top of his head. I hope you're right.

  CHAPTER 83

  The glass behind Jake and Yoni shattered as Jake's men laser-sighted each of the security guards.

  "Clear,” came the calls over his earpiece.

  Jake knew two other teams of his men had already entered by the warehouse’s other entryways. He and Yoni jumped up, their weapons pulled into their shoulders. They stepped over each of the downed men, careful to kick their weapons away, heading for the door that led to the warehouse space.

  Jake glanced in. The warehouse was massive. Crates upon crates lined the area. Jake motioned for Yoni to take a team to the left, while he took a team to the right. Mike and Jordan led their team down the middle. “Keep your shots sparing. We don’t want Henry hurt in the crossfire.”