by JL Terra
And if he died in the process? So what.
In fact, that might not be a bad idea.
Ben lifted the gun, pointed it at his chin. “Kill her, and I pull the trigger.”
Eyes narrowed. For a second, fire seemed to blaze there. Ben felt the heat in his chest. His finger twitched.
“No way,” he said. “You can try, but if you think you’re going to override my will, you’re kidding yourself. I’ll do it.” He stared the thing down. “I’m guessing growing a new head is considerably more difficult than an eye.”
Though in that case his brain had been damaged along with it. How many shots could he get off before his brain shut down and he quit squeezing the trigger? He needed a semi-automatic. Something that would put more than one bullet in his head before neurons quit firing and he dropped the gun because he was already dead.
The thing studied him.
“I’ll do it.”
“I know,” it said.
The fire banked, beat back by the chill in its words. How could it be both the heat and the cold? Or was Ben the heat? It felt like an oven had been built in his chest. Was the lookalike cold to the touch? Perhaps it stole the chill from him, and its presence was the heat that remained.
Ben could recall the moment it had been put there. That thing had put its fingers in Ben’s chest. It had hurt more than recovering from Elaine’s lucky shot.
“Come after her. Touch her. Do anything to her, or any of them, and I will make sure it’s the last breath I ever take.”
Daire would cut off Ben’s head if he asked. He doubted he could come back from that.
He might be alive still, despite what he’d suffered. But if he had the will, Ben figured he could find a way to end his life. If that was what it took to keep Taya and Mei safe.
The lookalike stepped back. A retreat, but by no means a victory.
“What are you?”
The voice was no less cold than before when it said, “I am Golem.”
Chapter 33
Shenandoah National Park, VA. Saturday, 00:07hrs EDT
Ben stood at the edge of the gravel parking lot and watched Daire get loaded into the ambulance. Mei glanced back at him before she got in. Ben nodded. She climbed up.
He needed to find Taya.
“Whoa. Not so fast.” Grant grabbed his arm. “Somewhere you need to be?”
“Yes, actually—”
“It can wait.”
He stared at his brother, who had shown up ten minutes ago. Grant had no idea what happened, just that Daire was hurt and Mei looked like she’d seen a ghost. Taya was who knew where. Ben had found them after the golem left him speechless in the middle of the park and just walked away.
I am Golem.
He didn’t know what to think. How to be. The fact he had a name for the thing didn’t help. He needed more information, because that thing had looked like him and not like a mythical creature made of mud by a Rabbi centuries ago. He knew parts of the story.
Created to defend the Jewish people.
Charlota had called it in a time of great crisis, and it had come to her. But if the golem had been summoned to save the Jews, then it’d been ineffective. It hadn’t changed the tide of war.
Perhaps it hadn’t been able to. Captured by the Germans, rediscovered in that research facility. Ben had memories of it, but he trusted what he’d seen. What he’d lived himself. Not some other person in some other life whom he didn’t know was real or not.
This is what he knew: shot, it had bled mud. Survived. Ben had felt the ache of the shots in himself. He needed to sit down and think on it more, not waste time being subjected to his brother’s power trip, throwing his weight around and demanding answers.
Grant lifted his chin. “You look like you want to take a swing at me.”
“Just make this fast.”
“I’m sure Daire will be fine, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“You don’t even know what happened,” Ben said. “Daire is probably dead by now.” He shivered. Took a step.
His knees nearly buckled.
“You’re not okay.” Grant reached out, probably to steady him. The swing of his arms made Ben react. Before he could spin his brother and twist his arm behind his back, Ben moved away. Saw a fallen tree and settled on it. He scrubbed his hands down his face. Everything was in place—his eye had completely grown back. Why he needed to reassure himself of that, who knew? But there was no trace of an exit wound in the back of his head. Ben rubbed the mark on his chest.
What was wrong with him? It had to be the golem. That, or Ben was having the first reaction to adrenaline he’d ever had. He didn’t like it one bit.
Grant stood over him. Shook his head, his eyes dark. “I’m sorry, you’ve had a rough night.”
“Sorry for what?”
“I don’t think I’m going to help.”
“Just spit it out.” Ben looked around for Taya. She’d come down the trail with Mei, helping Daire. By the time he showed up, she was gone. Had she waited for the ambulance, or just taken off the second Mei and Daire reached the vehicles? Where did you go? He felt like his sanity had splintered into pieces. Grant’s stare wasn’t helping. He wanted Taya here to anchor him.
“One of them called me.”
Ben looked up.
“One of the people who took you. At least, I think.”
“And told you who they were?”
Grant shook his head. “Claimed he was a director for the CIA. Eastern Europe. He showed me pictures of you, in London. In France. He—”
“I don’t care what he said. What did he want?”
Grant frowned. “You. Off the streets, contained.”
Ben glanced around, like those people were going to walk out of the trees and capture him all over again. Could he live through another round of their “torture?” He shivered again. “What do you want?”
He’d surprised his brother. “You think I want you abducted again?”
Ben shrugged. “I’m dangerous. They were right about that much. I am a threat to every single one of them.” He probably should have killed Elaine as well, but he’d been busy repairing the damage she’d done. Lucky shot. She’d run off, and he’d had higher priorities than hunting her down and silencing her.
Ben forced a breath out between his teeth. Was this going to be his life now?
The golem’s will to destroy life would invade Ben until he became a mindless killing machine. He couldn’t let it hurt the people he cared about. Nor did he want to be infected by Roger’s dictates all over again. Ben wanted to throw up. Rage some. Maybe shoot something.
Grant’s voice was hollow. “Maybe you should come with me.” He paused. “At least until we figure out who these people are and deal with them.”
Beyond his brother, someone moved. A split second, then gone. Ben surveyed the parking lot. The trees. Was the golem out there still, or had Taya shown her position?
Ben gritted his teeth. Mei was a target. Daire had been hurt. Taya had probably destroyed her career—or at the least, set it back. Ben’s team was fractured. By confining himself somewhere, the world would be safe. Doing so might convince some that the threat was over, but it would hardly put a stop to any of this. Too many opposing forces were in play, and Ben didn’t know where they fit.
Whether they were kings or pawns.
The most powerful piece in chess was the pawn. Overlooked, undervalued. They crafted the terrain of the battle field. Could evolve through promotion and become pivotal in victory. Yet, the pawn could be just as easily sacrificed in order to achieve the same end.
Who commanded the board in this game? Not Roger—Karl. Not anymore. The second man, from the night he’d met Roger in the woods?
Cloud cover obscured the stars. If there was some benevolent being up there, He had allowed a man hundreds of years ago to create something. God hadn’t helped. The Rabbi had created the golem to do what God had not. Now it was loose, destruction walking around w
ith no master and only one thing on its mind: death.
Ben stood. His legs shook, but he locked his knees. Apparently he did have a physical limit. Or the golem had pushed himself too far, and Ben paid the toll. “Do you plan to take me in yourself?”
“I don’t want to fight with you.”
“Either I give up and go peacefully, let you—and whoever that is hiding in the trees—detain me. Or I fight you, and you lose.”
“You don’t think I could win?”
Ben stared at him. Again, he saw movement. This time at the tree line. “You know what I can do. Whether you were okay with it or not is your deal. But Grant, I’m not some animal you can cage because you think I’m too dangerous.” He paused. “I didn’t think you were actually afraid of me.”
That was it. Maybe Grant had been afraid of him since Ben had gone missing as a teen and came back…different. Not talking about his missing time hadn’t been the right thing. Despite what his parents had told them, it had done nothing but breed mistrust between Ben and his brothers. Made him the one that wasn’t welcome. Someone to fear.
Had he become that because it was what they expected, or had that been his path all along?
Ben might have something evil inside him, but he wasn’t the monster. The golem did evil things, but acted at the whim of whoever controlled him. Charlota. Roger. Ben had to find out how to get the power back from whoever was controlling it now. Roger was dead, which should have freed the creature from his grip. Right? He wanted to sever the connection with the golem and him now. And yet, it was also worth considering becoming the master. If the connection wasn’t poisoning him somehow. The veins were spreading.
Ben didn’t have time to think on it right now. If they got him in custody, he would have plenty of time to mull it over.
“You lock me up and my team becomes sitting ducks. You. Your girls. Mom.” Ben faced his brother down. Grant had to see the truth. He had to. “All of you are left unprotected. Those people who took me have the power to find us all, and they already caught me once.” Which would not be repeated. He would see them coming next time, it was just that now they weren’t his only problem. “You think I’m going to take myself out of play so you can feel better?”
“It’s the right thing to do, Ben.” Jeff, his CIA contact, emerged from behind a car. Eight more men came out from cover. Protective vests. Ball caps with no letters. No badges. Rifles. Hired guns led by a CIA agent Ben might have actually called a friend.
Ben shot him a look.
Jeff had his weapon out but wasn’t aiming at Ben—yet. Still loose, unsure how messy this would get.
Ben said, “All this fuss for little ‘ole me?”
“Come in, Ben.” Jeff’s tone didn’t invite argument. “We’ll figure this out.”
“Does that tone work with your daughters?” Ben paused a second. “Scratch that. If it did, they wouldn’t be wrecking your car and getting pregnant.”
“I don’t have any kids, Ben.”
He’d been played. Ben shifted his gaze to his brother. “You brought one of them here?”
“What? Jeff isn’t one of them, he’s on our side.” Grant’s tone turned pleading. “We just want to figure this out, okay?”
His brother couldn’t be serious. “They’ve dragged you into their net, Grant. You aren’t even putting up a fight. You brought them right to me.”
Ben wasn’t going to go down again. Not without dishing out some serious pain. He would take a few hits. They might even slow him down, but it wouldn’t beat the surprise they’d have to work past when they shot him, and he didn’t die.
It was a shame Grant had to be here to witness it. Ben would rather have kept the truth of who he was—what he’d become—a secret. He’d rather his family never found out.
Grant’s shoulders jerked. Twisted. “What—”
“So Jeff, how long have you been a plant in the CIA?” Ben asked. “Or did they turn you?”
Jeff had been working for someone else behind the scenes.
“I’m guessing you’re the reason we went after Tiller. That empty flash drive. A wild goose chase, just to get close to me. I’m kind of flattered.” He paused. “So, you drew me into your net. Captured me. Guess you didn’t figure I’d escape the house.”
The muscle in Jeff’s jaw twitched.
“It’s gutsy, using my brother to get at me.”
“Come quietly,” Jeff said. “He’s waiting for you.”
Grant gasped.
A slender hand pulled Ben’s gun from the holster on his belt. She was small enough Ben couldn’t see her behind his brother, but he knew who it was. Even before she said, “No one move. Weapons down or Grant Mason dies.”
Ben sighed. This wasn’t the way. “Taya.”
She pulled Grant’s body around. Placed him between her and the weapons now pointed in her direction, so Ben could see her. “No. You’re going to leave, and Grant is going to stay alive.”
“Taya Zhao.” Jeff’s face washed with realization.
“On occasion, that is my name.” Strength infused her tone.
“Let him go.” Ben wanted to move to her, but she glanced over and then shifted his brother again.
“Not happening,” she said. “Go, Ben.”
“Taya.” Now Grant was getting in on it. “Threatening me isn’t going to get you what you want.”
“I guess I’ll have to kill you then.” Like it would be no big deal. “Because Ben isn’t going with any of you. Not when we don’t know where even your loyalties lie.”
“They’re feds,” Grant pleaded. “And Jeff is CIA.”
“I don’t have long enough to call Remy and ascertain the truth of that.” She held his gun pointed just under Grant’s right ear. “So we’re going to do this the quick and easy way.”
A quick and easy way that would destroy her already ruined career. Didn’t she care that everything she’d worked for her entire adult life would be over? Ben wasn’t worth the fallout this was going to cause. But she’d already jumped in. The most he could do was minimize it.
“Taya, listen to me.” Ben took a half step toward him.
“You’re supposed to be leaving.”
“I’m not going to do that unless you let Grant go.”
“He’s my insurance.”
“He doesn’t know what’s going on.” Ben didn’t want to consider his brother was the pawn who may get sacrificed. Ben might never be the king, but that didn’t minimize the fact he and his family were squarely in the middle of this.
“That’s the only reason I didn’t kill him yet.”
“I’m not going to let you do that.”
Taya shot him a look.
Okay, so she was bluffing. “This isn’t the way.”
“Don’t tell me this isn’t the way, okay? I’ve been making my own decisions for years, and I’ve done pretty well without you, thank you.”
“So you’re going to force me to yield?”
“Everyone has to stand down sometimes.”
Ben sighed. The feds were getting itchy, shifting stances. Weapons ready to fire on this unknown woman threatening a man they considered one of their own. Ben had never lived in that world but knew it was close-knit. Cops protected each other. It was no different with feds, even though they enjoyed antagonizing each other over turf wars. Threats from outside were met with a unified front.
“Stand down,” he said. “And trust me.”
Her teeth flashed in the dark. She grunted in frustration, then shoved Grant forward. “Fine. I yield.” But there was something in her tone.
“Taya Zhao, you’re coming with us as well.” Jeff strode toward her. “The CIA wants to speak with you.”
Ben could see it coming. “No—”
When he got within reach, she launched herself at the CIA agent. He didn’t know whether to complain, or thank her. Taya was willing to use everything she had to garner him freedom.
Taya caught Jeff on the shoulder with the butt of her
gun. He flipped her. Three guns were pointed inches from her face. Taya exhaled, her back to the ground. If it cost his life, he would fight for her freedom just as she was doing for his. But that time wasn’t now. He wouldn’t waste the gift she’d just given him.
Taya had gone to war for him. Just as they had done for each other so many times over the years. The problem they had was that the more they went to war, the harder it was to come home.
She glanced at him and mouthed, “Go.” Then she batted away two of the guns with palm strikes from her good arm. Stole a third weapon. Bone cracked. The fed landed on his butt and howled, clutched his knee.
Grant glanced over. “Don’t… Ben!”
Ben slipped away.
Chapter 34
Charlottesville, VA. Saturday, 20:47hrs EDT
Ben watched the hallway through the tiny window. Voices echoed up the concrete stairwell behind him. Beyond the door, hospital personnel in scrubs flitted like bees on flowers. In the midst of it all, Mei stood completely still. She hadn’t sat for hours.
He lifted his hand to push the door open.
Black veins wrapped his hand like thin, poisoned fingers.
The golem wanted her dead. Would that heat rise in him, the way it had with those two men on the highway? If it did, then Mei would die by his hand.
Ben stepped back.
He couldn’t do that to her. To his family. To his team.
Taya had given herself to the CIA in exchange for his freedom. His mom was still in the hospital, miles from here. The team was scattered. His office had been compromised. A group with knowledge of what he was lay in wait, likely looking for another opportunity to take him out.
Taya had stayed with him, even knowing they would come at her. Without knowing it, she had shown him what he had been missing all these years. What she’d had with Mei. What his brothers had with their families. What Shadrach and Remy had—at least in part. What Daire had with his niece, when he could get away to visit her.
