Oh my God! If Kieran was dealing with Neo…and the last time I’d been near Neo, he’d been attempting to kidnap Izzy…did that mean the one package he thought Kieran would be so pleased about was an Amethyst? Suddenly, my throat was beyond dry; it was totally parched. Why would Kieran want an Amethyst if he had me? Maybe I was jumping to conclusions. But no…he’d told Aria to put them in separate rooms. What besides people would he want in separate rooms? Animals maybe? No. That didn’t make sense; if he wanted animal Essence he’d go claim it himself. Innocents? No, he could easily capture them anytime. Guardians?
Tripping over the last step, I cursed my high heels and Kieran too. If what I thought was true, I’d have more than just Ava Rose to worry about. One way or another, I’d get to the bottom of this and figure something out. I wouldn’t allow Kieran to hold anyone captive, especially not Amethysts or Guardians. Who knew what he might be planning. Torture? Experimentation for stealing Essence? Whatever it was, it was sure to be heinous. And in the end, he’d kill them.
As I sat down at the table, I frowned at the Piña Colada and grabbed the glass of ice water. I chugged nearly three quarters of it down before realizing my strange behavior might give me away. Nonchalantly, I set the glass down again. But for once, Kieran wasn’t paying any attention to me; he was scanning the dance floor below, so I followed his gaze. When he caught sight of Aiden, he waved and motioned him up.
“Lexi, I have some things to take care of. You stay here with Aiden and if you have to use the bathroom, he’ll take you. Got it?”
“Sure do,” I said. He looked at me funny, and I realized I was being uncharacteristically agreeable, so I grumbled, “But it’s not like I need his help, you know.”
After exchanging a few words with Aiden, he hurried down the stairs. I had a hard time keeping track of him because of all the people and the flashing lights. I was so intent on Kieran, I hardly noticed Aiden, but I felt a rush of air as he plopped down in the chair next to me.
“You want to give me a hit of your Essence?” he asked, his tone that of someone who knew he was breaking all the rules but didn’t care.
I twisted in my chair, glared at him, and said snidely, “You want me to report you to Kieran?” He called me a couple nasty names and then picked up Kieran’s beer and took a swig. About then, the waitress with the tight blue dress arrived and greeted him by name. He invited her to sit down, and even though she kept insisting she couldn’t while she was working, she did it anyways. I shook my head. Obviously, his jaw-dropping good looks were worth the risk of losing her job. Sad. Silly, shallow girls exasperated me.
But right now, I didn’t care about her or him. They leaned in close and started talking, so I turned my attention back to the horde of compressed, gyrating bodies below. If nothing else, I hoped to get a glimpse of Neo. As luck would have it, I spotted Kieran at a small table for two several feet off the dance floor. His back was to me, but as if sensing my stare, he whipped his head around. Quickly, I averted my gaze in the opposite direction. I moved my head and tapped the rail to the rhythm of the beat, pretending to be engaged in the music. I counted to ten and glanced back his way. As luck would have it, for once, a guy with jet black hair and skin paler than the moon sat down across from Kieran.
I had to assume this was the infamous Neo. Two of the most evil Ray-pacs I’d ever encountered and there they were sitting across from each other – surely discussing their dirty business. Too bad there was nothing I could do to stop them. Squinting, I tried to make out Neo’s facial features, but with the flashing lights and people continuously walking by their table, that was impossible. But with skin so light and hair so dark, I thought I’d probably be able to pick him out of a packed football stadium if I had to. Someday, if I lived through this ordeal, tracking Neo would be the next order of business. Whether that was for the Bellingham Circle to take on or someone else, I would make this issue a priority at the next Senior Council Meeting. Being a member had definite advantages.
For now, though, I needed to keep my eyes on Kieran…as well as Aria, Aiden, Zola, and Rafe, and now apparently three more: Storm, Milo, and Rose. Having downed my water, I emptied a couple pieces of ice into my mouth and chewed on them. How many other Ray-pacs did Kieran have lurking in the shadows for me to worry about?
Another fifteen minutes elapsed before Neo got up and left and Kieran returned to my table. After a short exchange with Aiden, Kieran sent him on his way and sat back down. He was extraordinarily chatty and energetic, which clued me in that his business dealings with Neo had been successful. My stress level quadrupled. Much to my chagrin, it wasn’t long before Kieran had us back out on the dance floor where he kept us dancing for another couple of hours. It was a horrible night. And while I didn’t learn much more, I did hear Aria informing him that his packages had been safely delivered and deposited into their own rooms. After much deliberation, I came to the conclusion that these rooms were probably located in Kieran’s other building.
Dangerous times were fast approaching; I was going to have to take some risks and find out who was being imprisoned and whether or not I could free them. But one haunting question kept repeating itself over and over in my brain. If he was holding an Amethyst hostage, what was he going to do with her or him? I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer. I just knew it was time to take advantage of that broken camera on the ninth floor. I needed to sneak out tonight, climb down the scaffolding, and find a way into the other building. And I needed to do it without getting caught.
By the time we finally left Club Blaze, I feigned exhaustion in hopes Kieran would allow me to go straight to bed when we arrived back at his place. Luckily, that worked. For once, he actually seemed just as anxious to be rid of me as I was to be rid of him. We were probably both antsy to get to the same place. He’d want to inspect his packages before going to bed. Good news – with him out of the main building, I’d have at least one less thing to worry about when sneaking out. Bad news – I’d have to be extra careful if and when I managed to follow him.
Knowing I had a long night ahead of me, I wondered if I was embarking on a suicide mission. I decided it didn’t matter. Crazy or not, I needed to find out what was going on in that other building.
CHAPTER 17 – THE PACKAGES
Swinging and jumping from balcony to balcony on the outside of a twelve story building turned out to be much easier than anticipated. Of course, I had to stop glancing at the pavement below, ignore the fear clawing at my insides, and stop psyching myself out. I didn’t know if Essence could heal a spattered body, and I had no intentions of finding out. A combination of precision and athleticism was necessary to pull off this little stunt. After climbing over the ninth floor metal railing, I hung from the bottom rail, swinging back and forth until I had enough momentum to jump onto the balcony below.
Memories of elementary school flashed in my mind. My friends and I would swing from the playground bars, laughing and daring each other to try different stunts when the playground duty wasn’t watching. At the time I’d thought those moves were dangerous, but they were nothing compared to this crazy business. Having picked up enough speed, I jutted out my feet and released. Gliding over the rail, I landed roughly and toppled over. Hurriedly, I pulled my body together and scrunched into the corner. The camera’s only blind spot was directly below it; that’s why I needed to stay low in a crouched position upon landing and do it successfully eight times in a row. Scanning the balcony, I caught my breath. I hadn’t spotted any motion detectors in my earlier inspections and hoped that was truly the case, but I wouldn’t put anything past Kieran.
I brushed my hands against my legs after making my final drop to the ground. Inhaling through my nose, I welcomed the fresh scent of recently watered grounds. I could even hear sprinklers somewhere close by. Freedom at last, I thought as I exhaled. Except not really, because I wasn’t going any further than next door.
Sticking close to the brick walls, I decided to do a perimeter walk of the condo bui
lding first. I was in no mood for surprises. Silently, I made my way around all four sides. I had to duck behind bushes and backtrack a couple times to avoid being seen by two guys on patrol. After watching them for a few minutes, I memorized their routines, including the amount of time it took them to complete a full circle around the building. Even though I detected links, they were very, very faint. It was strange; I couldn’t tell if they were way off or if there was some kind of interference. At least none of the patrolling guards were Ray-pacs. I looked up at the clear sky and thanked my lucky stars that my link was undetectable. That one little ability allowed me to sneak around without worrying about any Ray-pacs perceiving my presence.
Making my way across the grounds to the other building required a little more stealth. I dodged between construction equipment, which I’d noticed hadn’t moved since the day I’d arrived. I also crawled through the shrubbery in order to avoid being seen. But I was soon cursing under my breath when I felt moisture from the damp earth seeping through my jeans. Unfortunately for me, this bed had already been doused by the sprinkler system. At least I’d had the sense to change out of the dress. Lying on soggy bark underneath a small tree, I ignored the droplets of water plopping onto my head as I scoped out another set of guards. I counted four in all – also linkless. I found it strange there wasn’t any light coming from inside the building, until I realized all the windows were completely boarded up.
The moon, almost full, seemed to flood the landscape with light. Since there was never a moment when one side of the building was left unguarded, I wasn’t sure how I was going to sneak by the guards unseen. Getting inside the building was going to be even more difficult. The chance of any door being unlocked was highly unlikely, and because of the heavy patrols, it would be near impossible to test the ones I did find. Frustrated, I waited, watching from the shadows while considering my options.
Just when I was about to make a rash decision and run for it, James came trekking across the sidewalk, calling out orders to the guard nearest him. They exchanged a couple words, and then the guy hurried away toward the condo building. My heart sped up. I hoped they weren’t on to me. I didn’t think they were. James was too calm. He walked up to the building, took something out of his pocket, and glanced over each shoulder. Then he took the thing in his hand, which I realized was his key access card, and slid it into a slot next to the door.
Realizing this was my chance, I jumped to my feet. I looked both ways, making sure the coast was clear, and then I flew out of the bushes and sprinted toward the door. I made it there just in time. Slipping inside before the door latched, I narrowly avoided getting my hand crushed. Even luckier I suppose, was the fact that James hadn’t pulled the heavy door shut behind him. I would have expected such carelessness from Vincent, but not from James. He was usually Mr. Meticulous. Apparently, he had more pressing matters jumbling his mind. I just hoped those matters didn’t pertain to me escaping the condo.
Peering down the long corridor, I caught sight of James nearing the other end. I froze in place and tried to mold myself into the wall – as if that would do any good if he turned around. Fortunately, he was traveling at a fast pace, definitely on a mission. Standing there, I waited breathlessly and studied my surroundings, which were nothing more than a long corridor with several doors. In fact, it looked more like I’d entered a basement rather than the main floor of the building. Slab grey cement under foot and unfinished, rough concrete walls told me this place hadn’t gotten very far in the renovation process. Then again, if Kieran meant this building for other purposes, like Ray-pac business, maybe this was how he intended to leave it. Might fit his needs better, and the thick walls would certainly soundproof whatever activities he carried out in here. Deep chills accompanied my morbid thoughts.
Hardly daring to breathe, I remained perfectly still. When James rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, the tension eased out of my taut muscles. Thank goodness he hadn’t turned around or I would have been toast. Even though the lighting was dim, it would have been impossible not to notice me in the otherwise bare hallway. I glanced up and shook my head. This was an electrician’s worst nightmare. Wires, cords, and sporadic light bulb fixtures hung in tangles from the open ceiling. Surprised but delighted, I didn’t spot any cameras and decided it was safe to continue.
When I’d entered the building, the Ray-pac links I’d sensed only faintly before, had immediately become much stronger. I figured that meant they were gathered somewhere inside. Probably admiring Kieran’s purchases. At least I hoped that was all they were doing. Just the idea of that many Ray-pacs assembled in one place kicked my adrenaline up a notch; I knew it was time to be on high alert, especially since I was probably heading straight for them.
Easing away from the wall and down the passage, I noticed all the doors along the way were closed and bolted. I decided my best bet was to follow James. Running at a rate much faster than he could ever go, I reached the end of the corridor and peeked around the corner just in time to see him disappearing into another passage. Only when I came to it, I found it was actually a set of stairs leading down. Waiting until I no longer heard his footsteps, I tip-toed down the stairs. This is stupid. This is stupid. This is stupid, I kept telling myself over and over again as I continued forward as if on autopilot.
I plugged my nose as a damp, musky odor infiltrated my senses. This was not a good time to start sneezing. Due to the fact that only a lone, dangling light bulb lit this passageway, it was much darker. Occasionally the bulb blinked on and off like a dim strobe light, adding an eerie effect to the already unsettling staircase. It looked like a scene straight out of one of those paranormal horror movies Ben always made Ally and I watch with him.
After going down one flight of stairs, I came to a locked door. No matter how much I prodded and pulled, I couldn’t budge the handle, not even with my extra strength. So much for expanded abilities. Noticing the card reader, I pulled my own key card from my pocket and shoved it in the slot. As expected, it didn’t work. My only option was to continue down the dank stairwell. Just when I’d descended another fifty feet underground and was thinking the steps might never end, they did. But this time I stepped into a well-lit, completely finished, narrow hallway.
Taking a couple tentative steps, I noticed there were rooms on both sides of me, one right after another. Each one had a huge steel door with a single small window, the size of a porthole. Stepping up to one, I gazed inside. The chamber was strangely similar to that of a jail cell – not that I’d ever been thrown in the slammer, but I’d toured Alcatraz once. It was uncanny how similar this room set-up was to the ones I’d seen on that notorious island – with a toilet, a small sink, a chair, and a mattress low to the floor. Except the mattress didn’t sit on a typical bedframe. Instead it rested on some kind of iron framing with huge posts extending well above the bed. A series of straps were attached to the center of the bed. Chains and shackle-like devices hung from all four corners of the iron posts. Except the chain links were immense, at least ten times larger and more solid than those on any dog chain I’d ever seen.
Another strange element of the room was the shiny metallic material that comprised the walls, ceiling, and floor. Something strong…and fireproof…and unbreakable? Lead? Pressing my nose against the thick glass, I stared at the shackles. The entire room was designed so a Guardian wouldn’t be able to escape. Gasping, I lost my footing and fell away from the window. Suddenly feeling extremely cold, I shivered and rubbed my arms. This was an underground Alcatraz made especially for Guardians. And probably Amethysts, too.
Disgusted, I finally collected my wits and continued on, peeking inside each of the windows as I progressed down the bright, sterile hallway. All the rooms were identical in size and appearance. The walls between them were thick, maybe a couple feet of concrete or something even stronger. I’d already examined the first six rooms, all of which were empty, so I almost didn’t bother with the last two. But something compelled me to look
inside. After all, Kieran had to be keeping his packages somewhere, and I’d hate to take a shortcut and miss something…or someone.
I was totally unprepared when I looked in the last room on the left and saw someone actually chained to the bed. I couldn’t see his face clearly because it appeared his head was also strapped down, but I was certain it was a guy because of his short black hair. He was struggling, jerking his arms and legs, but there wasn’t much slack, and his movement was limited. I could easily read the frustration in his body language. I could almost taste his rage and feel his fear. Furious myself, I cursed Kieran. Not only had he caged someone like a wild animal, but he’d buckled them down, too. In that instant, I felt a familiar tug – one that indicated the guy on the bed was probably linked.
Oh crap! Kieran really did have a Guardian locked up. I supposed there was always a possibility the guy was a Ray-pac, but I highly doubted it. What reason would Kieran have for locking up his own kind? A more pressing question was why was his link so faint? Of course, if the concrete walls really were lined with lead, identifying a link would be nearly impossible. At least I thought Jason and Max had once said something about lead impeding the detection of links but not the actual bond between two linked people. If that was true, I was probably only sensing this guy’s link through the compressed layers of glass in the small window.
I tried pounding on the door, but it was so thick, I don’t think the guy even heard the sound on the other side. It came across as a faint, dull thud on my own side, too. I even tried kicking the handle and entering my key card, but neither of those methods worked either.
Abruptly, I remembered Kieran had obtained more than one package. Alarmed, I bolted over to the last room. My chin hit the floor, and I choked on my own breath when I gazed through the window and saw, of all people, Dakota.
Dentelle #3 Guardian series Page 30
