by R. D. Brady
“I’ve got it.” Jake gently moved Jen to the side and applied a pressure bandage.
“Why isn’t she healing?” Jake asked.
“She took the Omni,” Jen said quietly.
“What?” Jake asked.
Jen kept her gaze on Laney, not liking how pale she was, even for her. “Cain told us that this would happen. Laney needed to use her blood to activate the capstone. That’s why we brought the supplies.”
“Will it work?” Jake asked, eyeing Laney, who looked way too lifeless.
Jen shook her head. “I don’t know.”
A screeching sounded from the top of the Great Pyramid. Jen gasped as it was followed by a giant thud, the capstone locking into place. Her gaze shot to the top of the Pyramid, finally complete after all these millennia.
Time’s up.
Yoni walked behind Jen, wrapping his arms around her. “We’re here, Jen.”
She nodded, staring up at the capstone as a low hum filled the air which felt electrified. The hairs on her arms rose. Then some of her long hair started to drift upward. A blue transparent light began to cover the capstone, working its way from the base to the top. It moved quickly. Within a minute, the entire pyramid was encased in a pale blue light. The Pyramid began to hum louder.
Jen swallowed hard as fear raced through her. A burst of light thirty feet wide shot from the apex of the Pyramid into the sky. She could feel the static electricity in the air building up and up. Her ears clogged, needing to pop, but they wouldn’t.
Pressure pushed against Jen’s head. She placed her hands on either side, feeling like her brain was being crushed. In a burst of bright light, the blue exploded outward, slamming like a wave into Jen, Yoni, Jake, and Laney and throwing them all into the air.
Chapter 88
Rome, Italy
Moretti stared at the TV screen. The reports were all about the battle in Egypt yesterday. For hours, they had recounted the opening skirmishes, and then of course, the explosion of blue light that burst from the Great Pyramid and raced across the entire globe. It looked like a giant blue tidal wave spreading to every corner of the Earth.
But this morning, the reports were focused on the effect of that wave. The fighting had stopped immediately. The blue wave had slammed into everyone near the Pyramid with the force of a hurricane wind. Equipment had been lost. Everyone immediately retreated to their sides, trying to figure out what happened. And then it became clear: the enhanced had lost their abilities. No one knew if it was temporary or permanent, but all abilities seemed to have disappeared.
And who was being hailed as the hero who ushered in this new era of equality? Delaney McPhearson.
On the muted set, the news channel was once again playing the footage of Delaney McPhearson plunging from the Great Pyramid, her body lifeless. There were no reports on her condition. Another Fallen had grabbed her before she hit the ground, and then there had been that blast, the one everyone assumed had done something to remove the powers.
Moretti’s hands went still as the blue light overcame the Pyramid and then burst outward. Where was Michael? He had heard reports of a fight between Michael and McPhearson, but it had not been recorded. Or if it had, it had not yet been released. She couldn’t have beaten him. It was not possible. And yet she had made it to the top of the Pyramid. And Michael had not been seen since.
Moretti shook himself from his thoughts. He grabbed his planner, shoving it into his briefcase. He was heading to his family’s home at Lake Como. He needed a little time away while things settled down. He’d been trying to reach the other members of the High Council all morning with no luck. They had no doubt gone quiet too.
Not that anyone knew of their connection, but still, his inability to reach them made him uneasy. The door to his office opened behind him. He didn’t turn around. “Evan, I need you to get my bags from the bedroom.”
“I’m afraid Evan is a little busy helping with something else at the moment.”
Moretti whirled around, surprise and fear flashing through him at the person standing there. He bowed his head. “Your Holiness. This is a surprise. You honor me by this visit.”
Pope Innocent stepped farther into the room, no smile on his face. “I assume you’ve been watching the events unfold in Egypt?”
“Of-of course. I believe the whole world is watching.”
“Indeed. Many of our flock have been worried that it was the beginning of the end of times.”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Did you know, John, that the third secret of Fatima, the one released to the public, was not the correct translation?”
“Uh, yes, Your Holiness. I am aware of that.”
The Pope nodded. “The real translation warned of a wicked council that would change the Church.”
Moretti could not tell where the Pope was going with this line of thought, so he kept silent, his head bowed.
“You are part of that council.”
Moretti’s head snapped up. “What?”
“You are part of the wicked council that will lead to the downfall of the Church if left unfettered.”
“No, Your Holiness. My only aim has been to protect the Church, to protect the Papacy. Everything I have done has been with that goal in mind.”
“You called Michael into service.”
“What? Why would you say such a thing?”
The Pope glared at him. “I had a very interesting evening last night with Father Ezekiel. He has had much to say and much to show me. Do you deny it?”
Moretti’s mind whirled, looking for the right angle, the right words to use to get the Pope to understand. “No. But I did it for the Church, to defeat the antichrist. She could not be allowed to—”
“To what, John? What was she attempting to do that you found so threatening? She was trying to save people. She was trying to stop the world from going to war. And she risked everything, including her own life, to do so.”
“But, but, that is not God’s plan!”
“Who are you to think you know God’s plan? Who are you to act in His name?” The Pope shook his head, no anger on his face, only disappointment. “The antichrist was created to keep people on the path. It is not set in stone that there will ever be one. You looked for something, someone, to justify your claims to greatness. You wanted to be the one they turned to in their time of need.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? The antichrist believes he is doing what is right up until the moment he is recognized for who he is. Delaney McPhearson defied the world to save it. You sat back and unleashed God’s soldier to stop her. She risked everything to protect people, sacrificing those she loved, sacrificing herself. You risked nothing. You sat back, waiting for the glory. Tell me, John, who in this story would be cast as the villain?”
“But, but . . .”
The Pope straightened his shoulders. “You will be charged with crimes against humanity.” Two Swiss Guards walked into the office.
Moretti scrambled around the desk. “No, no. You have to listen to me. She is the antichrist. I was defending the Church. I did what needed to be done.”
The Pope shook his head. “No, John. You did what you wanted. You went searching for glory, and you did not care about the millions who would suffer.”
“You can’t do this. You don’t have the authority.”
“No, but we will turn you over to the authorities at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. They will judge you.”
One of the guards reached him and pulled his arm behind his back, snapping a cuff over his wrist. “I don’t regret what I did. History will vindicate me. And removing McPhearson from the world will be my greatest legacy.”
The Pope stopped, looking over his shoulder at Moretti. “McPhearson is not dead. She survived, John. Although she lost many, and I have no doubt she will blame herself for that. Her conscience, though, is clear. Yours may never be.”
John’s mouth fell open as the Pope disappeare
d out the doorway. One of the guards yanked on his arm, pulling him forward.
No, no. This can’t be happening. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
He struggled against the strong grip holding him. “McPhearson is the one who should be in cuffs. She’s the antichrist!”
The guards’ only reaction was to tighten their grip on him as they dragged him down the hall.
Chapter 89
Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
The soft beeping of the heart monitor woke Laney. She blinked, not recognizing where she was. It was a hospital room, she knew that much. A TV was on, but muted. She stared at the images displayed on the screen. The images shifted from location to location, scene to scene: people celebrating in the street, troops heading for a plane, a shot of children crying, an image of some sort of tactical force kicking down a door in a warehouse. Laney couldn’t figure out what was happening.
“Ah, good, you’re awake.”
She turned her head, just now realizing she wasn’t alone. Her skin tightened at the move, and she knew she had a world-class sunburn.
Nancy Harrigan, the United States Secretary of State, unfolded herself from the chair next to the bed.
“Where—” Her raspy voice cut off, her mouth was so dry. Her tongue felt like sandpaper.
Nancy moved to the table next to her bed and poured her a glass of water. She held the straw to Laney’s mouth. Laney drank, nodding when she was done and then leaning back against the pillows, that little effort seeming like it was the equivalent of running a marathon.
“I’m guessing you were asking where you are?”
Laney nodded.
“You are at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti.”
Laney glanced down at her wrists to check for cuffs and then at the door, spying a guard.
Nancy didn’t miss the action. “He is there for your protection. You are not under arrest.”
She tried to speak but had to swallow a few times to get enough moisture to form words. “How long?”
“It’s been three days. They had to pump you full of blood. Your friends saved your life by getting that blood to you as quickly as they did.”
Everything that happened at the plateau came back to her: the battle, the losses, Henry, Drake. No, not Drake. Michael. She pushed away the image of Michael and focused on the image of the capstone rising from the Pyramid. “Did it work?”
Nancy nodded with a smile. “Yes. From what we can tell, everyone with enhanced abilities no longer has them.”
“War?” she asked.
“Averted, for now. All countries have gone back to their corners. They’re not sure if this is permanent or a temporary suspension of abilities.” She paused. “It is permanent, isn’t it?”
Laney nodded.
“Good. Then I am cautiously optimistic that we will not see a replay of the past few months. The President is calling for a NATO meeting next week followed by a G20 meeting next month to see how we all move forward.”
Laney was glad the world was in a better place, but right now she wanted to know about her friends. She wanted to ask more questions. But her eyelids were already closing. She struggled to try and stay awake but gave up quickly, the effort to keep her eyes open more than she could manage at the moment.
She felt the covers being pulled up to her chin. “That’s good. Sleep, Delaney. If anyone has earned it, you have. I’m having you transferred back to the States. I will be accompanying you along with my handpicked guards. And your friend Jake. He has refused to leave without you. He’s sleeping in the room next door. You’ll be safe. So sleep.”
Laney didn’t want to sleep. She wanted to find out what had happened to everyone. She wanted to tell Jen she was so sorry that she hadn’t been able to save Henry. But her body had other ideas.
And before she could even think to form more questions, she was already drifting back into the dark.
Chapter 90
Baltimore, Maryland
Laney barely remembered the flight back to the States. She remembered seeing Jake next to her on the plane, his presence steady and strong. But then the next thing she remembered was being wheeled into Johns Hopkins. She was taken to a private room, and she slept the entire first day she was there. When she woke, she knew there was someone in the chair next to her. She rolled over, expecting to see Jake, but it wasn’t.
“Hey,” Jen said softly.
Laney didn’t say anything for a few moments, just studied her friend. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore no makeup, which made the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes stand out more. So much had changed for both her and Jen since they’d first met. But what hadn’t changed was how much she loved her. Jen was her sister.
And right now, her sister was hurting. She looked pale, fragile. And fragile was not a word Laney had ever associated with Jen.
Laney fumbled for the bed controls to raise the back so she could sit up. Jen stood and picked the control up, pressing the button. She placed the control where Laney could reach it easily before kissing Laney’s cheek and then leaning her forehead into Laney’s. Neither spoke as tears trailed down both their cheeks. Finally, Jen stepped back, wiping her cheeks and grabbing the box of tissues from the side table. She handed Laney some before grabbing some for herself.
Jen pushed the chair closer to the bed and sat down.
“Is the baby okay?”
“She’s good.”
“What happened after the capstone rose?”
“You don’t remember?”
Laney shook her head. Jen explained about the blue light and the power burst.
Laney gasped. “You’re sure the baby’s okay?”
“We’ve been checked out. And besides, I landed on Yoni.”
A laugh burst out of Laney at the image, and Jen gave her a watery smile in response.
“Did it work? Are your powers gone?”
Jen nodded. “It’s taken some getting used to. I feel so . . . normal.” She paused. “We almost lost you.”
“I thought I was gone.” Grief stabbed through her. “I’m sorry about Henry. If I had killed Michael sooner—”
Jen grabbed her hand. “Hey, hey, don’t do that. Jake told me everything. Laney, you did everything you could. If that had been Henry, if he had suddenly changed into someone else, I don’t know if I ever would have been able to do it. Henry, he died a hero. His little girl will know that. She’ll know her uncles did too.”
Disbelief shook through Laney. “Her uncles?”
Jen nodded. “Jordan and Mike. They both died in Egypt.”
Laney’s mind flashed on the twins. Neither had abilities, but both had been Navy SEALs and both had helped her throughout the craziness of her life these last few years. Their loss, it was unimaginable. And the Witt family was so close that this would be world-shattering. “How many did we lose?”
“For the entire battle, the death toll stands at four hundred and seventy-eight. From the Chandler Group, fifty-four.”
Laney closed her eyes. My God.
“I’m glad you woke up today, because there’s something I need to tell you.” Jen looked away. “I’m going to stay with my parents for a little while. They’re struggling, and I need to just get away from everything.”
Laney nodded. She understood wanting to get away.
Jen wiped at the fresh tears breaking over her lashes. “And Henry left me everything. I don’t know what he was thinking. I don’t want all that.”
“No, but maybe one day your daughter will.”
“Maybe.” Jen took a deep breath. “I’m taking Danny with me. He’s just . . . I think it might do him some good to get away as well.”
“Yeah, I get that. What about everyone else?”
“Yoni’s helping get everyone settled back in. The government’s given everyone immunity, so he moved everyone back to the estate.”
“Dom?”
“He’s settling in. Lou and Rolly, they’re staying with him. Gina also moved onto th
e estate to keep an eye on him.”
“That’s good.”
They fell silent. Laney couldn’t think of anything to say, even though the space between them was filled with so much. Finally, Jen stood. “Move over.”
“What?”
Jen lowered the bed rail. “Scoot.”
Laney inched over, and Jen heaved herself up on the bed, kicking off her shoes before sliding under the blanket. She wrapped her arms around Laney. “I’m sorry about Drake too.”
Laney couldn’t say anything. Her throat was too tight. So she just leaned her head on Jen’s shoulder.
“I liked who you were around him. He could always make you smile, even when everything was falling apart. And let’s be honest, it was always falling apart.”
Laney let out a watery laugh.
“Drake was real, Laney. Whatever switch went off, whatever change happened, the Drake you knew, the Drake you loved, he was real. He wasn’t the one who killed—” Jen’s words choked off. “He wasn’t the one who did those things in Egypt. Your Drake, you can mourn him. You should. He loved you through lifetimes.”
Jen’s words broke down the dam that had been holding back Laney’s grief. She sobbed, her whole body shaking with the power of her grief. Jen held her, her tears mingling with Laney’s as they shared the loss of the loves of their lives.
Chapter 91
The scenes replayed in Jake’s head yet again. Drake, the cold look in his eyes; Henry, the light disappearing from his. Laney plunging off the side of the Pyramid and there being absolutely nothing he could do to help. Laney lying in the hospital bed, her skin almost as white as the sheets.
“Jake, we’re home,” Yoni said quietly.
Jake looked up, surprised to see they were on Sharecroppers Lane. He didn’t remember the drive back from the hospital. He’d flown with Laney and the Secretary of State back from Egypt. Laney was now resting at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He’d stayed with her for a full day, but she had stubbornly refused to wake up. He had kept himself busy, distracted by arranging for everyone to be returned home. But an hour ago Jen had arrived and chased him out. She said Patrick and Cain were on their way and Jake should go home and get some sleep.
