by R. D. Brady
CHAPTER 99
Laney tried to move faster. The rope burned through her hands.
“Laney! Let go!” Jake yelled from below her.
She darted a glance at him twenty-five feet below. He stood there, unmoving, his gaze fixed on her. Rocks smashed to the ground around him. But he waited. For her.
She let go.
Gravity dragged her to earth. A scream escaped her lips. She slammed into Jake’s chest, his arms pulling her to him. He rolled her towards the base of the cliff, into a crevice just large enough to hold the two of them. Rocks crashed to the ground behind Jake’s back. Laney was crushed to his chest. She watched as the light quickly disappeared. The sound of the rocks piling up came through with thunderous crashes.
It seemed forever, but finally, everything went silent.
Laney’s head was ringing and her back was jammed into the rock face. Her body was pushed as close to Jake as she could get. She wanted to look up into his face, but she couldn’t move enough to do even that. “Jake? Are you all right?”
His arms gave her a brief squeeze. “I’m okay. You?”
She gave a short laugh, followed by a few tears. “Oh sure. You know, this is just another Tuesday for me.”
He rested his chin on top of her head. “That would be funny, if it weren’t so close to the truth.”
“I can’t believe you stayed. You should have run.”
Jake let out a sigh. “Don’t you get it yet, Laney? You’re it for me. Wherever, you go, I go. And if that means under a waterfall of rocks, then so be it.”
Tears slipped their way down her cheeks and she leaned against him. “I love you, Jake.”
She could hear the smile. “About damn time you realized it. I love you, too.” He paused. “You know, if not for the life-threatening danger and the claustrophobia setting in, this would be a really romantic moment.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “I think you and I need to take our romance where we can find it.”
“Laney! Jake!” The yell came from outside the pile.
“We’re here,” Jake yelled back.
“Have you out in a bit,” Henry yelled back. The sound of rocks being pulled away from the pile could be heard.
Jake squeezed her tight. “Ready for reality?”
She snuggled in closer. “Actually, I’m kind of good where I am.”
CHAPTER 100
It had taken Henry and the rest of them an hour to extract Laney and Jake from beneath the rockslide. By then, the police and feds had shown up wanting to know what the hell was going on.
The local police had been about to drag them down to the police station, when some feds showed up, badged the local cops and sent them on their way. Laney wasn’t sure what that had been all about but, honestly, she couldn’t work up the energy to care right now. She’d worry about the feds tomorrow.
After a hot shower and change of clothes, Laney still felt like road kill. She pulled three plates out of the cabinet in the suite’s kitchen. She gave a little grunt of pain as she placed them on the counter.
“You all right?” Jake pulled three beers from the fridge.
“Except for the bruises on my back, my front, down my legs and arms, I feel great.”
Jake laughed, pulling her gently into his arms. “How about I run you a nice hot bath to work out some of those bruises?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “That sounds perfect. And it would be even more perfect if I had some company in that bath.” She leaned up to kiss him.
He grimaced as he leaned down.
She laughed. “Your neck?”
“Yeah.”
She leaned into his chest. “Man, we’re a mess.”
He kissed her forehead before letting her go. “That we are.”
Jake handed her a bottle of beer, beads of condensation ringing it.
Laney took a long, cool, drink. Sighing, she leaned back against the cabinets. “Oh, that’s good.”
Jake tipped his bottle towards her. “To quiet times.”
She clinked her bottle to his. “To quiet times.”
The door to one of the bedrooms opened and Henry stepped out. He’d showered and changed, looking like his old self in jeans and an oxford shirt.
Jake opened the third bottle, holding it out to him. Henry crossed the room and joined them. Taking the bottle, he sat down on one of the island’s stools.
“How’s Danny?” Laney asked.
“Asleep.”
“He worked non-stop since you were taken,” Jake said.
“I hate that he went through that,” Henry said.
“It all worked out in the end,” Laney said. “And I think maybe it helped him grow a little. He stood up to me when I tried to make him stay behind.”
“He did?”
Laney smiled. “I couldn’t believe it, either. It was kind of nice to see.”
Henry nodded, taking a drink, his eyes distracted.
Laney glanced over at Jake. They’d discussed how they were going to ask Henry about what had happened. They didn’t want to push him, but if they were going to help him, they were going to have to get him to open up to them. They would just have to find a way to ease into it.
“Were you able to read the books?” Jake asked.
Laney glared at him. So much for easing in.
Henry’s head jerked up. “How’d you know that’s what they wanted?”
They’d decided on the way back from the canyon that they wouldn’t keep Victoria’s visit a secret. They didn’t know if Victoria was planning on telling him. But they both agreed their loyalty was to Henry. They were going to tell him everything. Now that the moment had arrived, however, Laney couldn’t think of a good way to start.
She took a deep breath, opting for Jake’s directness. “Your mother told us.”
Henry looked like he’d been slapped. “My mother? What are you talking about?”
“She came to see us after you were taken. She said she was worried, and she seemed to be.”
Henry nodded, rolling his bottle in his hand. “I’m just, I’m surprised. No, shocked, actually. What did she tell you?”
“That the world thought she died twenty years ago. That she had to stay dead.”
“I love my mother,” Henry said simply. “I always have. But I don’t understand why she does the things that she does.” He looked at Jake. “I’m sorry I lied to you. But when she disappeared, I felt in many ways like she had died.”
Silence descended before Henry spoke again. “What does that have to do with my being taken?”
“She told us about your father. She explained where your abilities come from.”
Henry looked up, a trace of fear on his face. “And?”
“You’re a nephilim,” Jake said.
Henry was quiet for moment. “What do you guys think about that?”
Jake shrugged. “Well, after Montana we were pretty sure something was up. We just didn’t know what.”
Henry let out a breath. “There’s more. Sebastian and Hugo, they said …” He shook his head. “I don’t know, maybe they were lying. They said my father…” His voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.
“…was Enoch.” Laney said gently.
Henry looked up, shock on his face. “Enoch?”
Now it was Laney’s turn to feel like she’d been hit. “You didn’t know? Oh God, Henry. I’m so sorry. I thought—”
Henry took Laney’s hand. “It’s okay, Laney. No one told me. But I had some time to think with everything going on and he was one of the possibilities. Did my mother tell you that?”
“Yes,” Jake said.
Henry sighed. “Since I was a kid, I’ve known I was different. The night my dad died, he warned my Mom not to let anyone know who I am.”
Laney squeezed his hand. “He wanted to keep you safe. Apparently being a child of Enoch comes with some special abilities.”
“But Enoch?” Henry said. “My Dad was just my Dad. And Enoch
? He lived thousands of years ago. How’s any of this possible?”
Laney debated how much to tell him. Henry probably wasn’t up for a whole history lesson. “Apparently Enoch has lived many times. One of those times was as James Chandler.”
Henry stilled, his eyes moving between Laney and Jake. “Enoch was a scribe.”
Laney nodded. “And your father.”
Henry’s face went blank.
Jake grasped his shoulder. “Henry, you okay?”
Henry looked over at him, giving himself a shake. “Yeah, actually, I’m,” he paused. “I think I’m good. I mean, if the choices are between being a Fallen or the offspring of a Fallen or the offspring of an actual angel, I’d say I made out pretty well.”
Laney smiled. “Did you have any clue?”
“Since I was around twelve I knew about my abilities. But about my Dad?” He shook his head. “No, not really. The only thing that was different about him was how incredibly talented he was at languages. I guess now I know why.”
Laney watched him, waiting for a stronger reaction. He seemed to be taking this all too well. But then again, he’d had a lifetime of knowing he was different. Maybe answers were what he needed, even if the answers were surreal.
Henry downed his beer and put it on the island. He stood. “Would you two mind keeping an eye on Danny? I think I’m going to take a little walk, maybe a drive.”
Laney nodded. “Of course.”
“You want some company?” Jake asked.
Henry shook his head. “No. I think . . . I think I need to just think some things through on my own.”
Laney walked around the island and hugged Henry tight. “You know where we are if you need us.
Henry wrapped his arms around her. “I know.”
Laney and Jake watched Henry walk out of the suite. Jake slipped his arms around Laney’s waist.
She leaned back into him. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”
“Actually, I think he’ll be better than okay. Now he knows who he is. And he has people around him who know and care about him. I think he just needs a little time to sort through all of it, not to mention what happened over the last few days.”
Laney nodded. “And when he’s ready, we’ll be here to help.”
CHAPTER 101
Henry walked down the hall, his head aching but not with pain. With knowledge. How come she’d never told him? How come she didn’t warn him?
He punched the button for the elevator. It arrived almost immediately. He stepped in, ignoring the obviously inebriated young couple next to him. At the casino floor, the couple stumbled out the doors, heading for the slot machines straight ahead.
Henry turned towards the back of the hotel. He walked out one of the back exits, away from the Strip. Darkness had fallen and Henry stepped into it. He liked the dark, liked feeling hidden. Since he’d started to grow at age twelve, he’d always felt conspicuous. At night, though, he could blend into the shadows. Go unnoticed.
Up ahead, a couple moved towards their car, holding hands. The man unlocked the door for the woman, a light kiss on her lips before she took her seat. Jen’s face slipped into Henry’s mind. He thought of finding her, telling her what he’d found out.
He shook his head, crossing the street. She’d just found out about herself. That was enough of a burden. She didn’t need any more on her shoulders.
Henry walked quickly, his long legs eating up the distance. He felt cast adrift, alone. Laney and Jake were there for him, but they weren’t who he needed right now. He knew who he needed. Sometimes only one person would do.
He turned a corner, walking over to the fountain in front of a new condominium complex. It rose thirty feet in the air. Two winged angels about to take off into the air. He stopped next to it, feeling the spray in his face.
The son of an angel. And not just any angel, one of the favored angels. Was that really who he was?
His shoulders slumped. This walk wasn’t helping. Walking wasn’t going to ease the ache. Images from the last few days flashed through his mind. He pictured Hugo’s knife plunging into his side, over and over again. He pictured the book they’d brought him. His father was the author. And he’d died to keep the Sons from using the stone as a weapon. His father seemed to have a habit of laying down his life for others.
Unsteady, he sat on the edge of the fountain. He’d always wanted answers to why he had abilities. But now that he had the answers, he wasn’t sure he wanted them. His father was one of the most powerful angels. How did someone live up to that?
Pushing off of the fountain, he turned back to the hotel. He should be there if Danny woke. Re-tracing his steps, he walked back to the hotel, feeling weighed down. He was just so damn tired.
Henry reached the elevator bank and the doors popped open before he even hit the button. This time, he was alone. He hit the button for his floor and closed his eyes as it rose, letting out a breath. Back to real life.
The elevator dinged and he opened his eyes, stepping out of the doors. They slid closed behind him. Lost in his thoughts, it took him a moment to realize he was in the wrong place. He wasn’t in the hallway leading to his suite. He was in the foyer of one of the penthouse apartments.
He shouldn’t have been able to get in here without a key.
His heart gave a little leap. He walked quickly into the main living room, hope crashing through him.
She stood at the windows and turned at his entrance. The lights from the Strip reflected off her the white in her hair. She opened up her arms and he rushed over to her. He towered over her by almost two full feet, but it made no matter. He held her tight and her arms wrapped around his waist.
She rubbed his back. “It’s all right, Henry. You’re safe.”
He let go of the fear, the terror, and let himself feel like a kid. “Mom.”
CHAPTER 102
Two Days Later
Laney stood outside the warehouse in Vegas. The front windows had been boarded back up. The feds had left the day before. They’d been surprisingly understanding.
She supposed it was the goodwill they had created for the United States on the world stage. The recovery of an Ecuadorian national treasure was a political coup for the United States and the Chandler group had allowed the U.S. government to take credit for its recovery.
But the U.S. government was not being given control of the treasure. That honor belonged to someone else.
Laney stared down the road. “Where are they?”
Jake took her hand, leaning down to kiss the bridge of her nose. “They’ll be here any minute. Just relax.”
She leaned into him with a sigh. “I know. I’m just not good at waiting.”
“So I’ve noticed,” he mumbled.
She pulled away, playfully whacking his arm. “Are you suggesting I have flaws?”
He smiled down at her. “Would you like a list?”
She laughed.
Jake gestured down the road. “Here they come.”
A black Hummer barreled down the road, raising a small sandstorm behind it. The driver slammed on the brakes, swinging the SUV to a stop only a few feet from them.
Laney waved her hand in front of her face to dispel the dust. “Whose idea was it to let Yoni drive?”
Jake moved forward to open the back door. “I’m pretty sure it was his.” Before he reached it, the door swung open and a little pixie in brown pigtails and a bright pink dress burst out.
Laney opened her arms. Elena flew into them. “Laney!”
Laney hugged her tight, pulling her off the ground. “Oh, I have missed you.”
Jen walked out of the warehouse behind the two of them. “Hey, any of those hugs for me?”
Elena squealed again and ran for Jen.
Laney’s Uncle Patrick stepped out of the Hummer, his face pale.
Laney took his arm. “You okay?”
Patrick glared at Yoni as he leaped from the driver’s seat. “I am never getting a car with that man again.�
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Laney tried not to smile. “Of course, Uncle.”
Her uncle gave her a look, meaning she hadn’t fooled him a bit with her words. He offered his hand to Nana, who stepped out of the SUV with the grace of a queen.
“It was like being on a roller coaster. Or at least, what I imagine a roller coaster would be like.” She hugged Laney. “I knew you would find it.”
Laney smiled. “I had a little help. I’m glad you’re here.”
Nana took Laney’s hand. “We have some important decisions to make.”
CHAPTER 103
Washington, D.C.
A week later, Laney was in a conference room, a floor down from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s Baird Auditorium. The violence in Ecuador had become worldwide news. Speculation and rumors were running rampant about what had been hidden in Ecuador. The Ecuadorian government had moved troops in to keep treasure seekers from running unchecked across Shuar land.
After much debate and back and forth, Nana had decided on a course of action with some help from Laney and the gang. The Chandler Group would build a repository for the Crespi Collection in the original location of the treasure. The Ecuadorian government would help with security, but the final call on all access would rest with the Shuar tribe.
Until the building was complete, though, the collection was to be housed at the Smithsonian, under constant guard. No one was admitted without permission from Nana. So far, no one had been granted permission, but Nana was beginning to consider allowing some scholars in to examine the finds.
Today, they were making the official announcement to the world press about the discovery. Nana would be there, but she didn’t want to make the official announcement.
Laney had been shocked when Henry offered to do it. Henry had never been photographed, never let himself be seen by the press. But he knew his gravitas would add weight to the importance of the issue as well as highlight how secure the treasure was going to be. The Chandler Group’s reputation would keep many would-be treasure thieves at bay.
