by Ford, Lizzy
Nathan flung himself into one of the bucket seats in back, followed closely by Maggy. She slammed the door closed.
“Go, Randy,” she directed. “Lights off until we hit the highway.”
“Got it.”
Nathan twisted to check on the first gen. The girl was huddled in a ball on the bench seat. He touched her, using his energy to assess her. She was healthy and dozing.
“Whatever they gave her is strong,” he said. “What is she doing there?”
“We think she freaked out after her guide got killed,” Maggy said. “The center is one of the regional safe spots. It’s run by a tenth gen and his son, a fifth gen. They keep a stock of moonstones around, so it’s possible her guide told her to come here before he was murdered.”
“Her room was full of it,” Nathan said, recalling the moonstones he’d seen when Amira opened the door to her room. “If these guys are gens, why not just ask them to send her home with us?”
“Because no one can know about her or where she goes. Pedro said this much,” Maggy replied. “She got caught up in the law before she admitted herself. We think she was trying to hide in the nuthouse so she didn’t have to go to court.”
“Smart. Court is way too visible, if a fallen guardian is targeting her.”
“Exactly.”
Nathan was quiet, thinking. Something else was going on. He didn’t know what, but he knew Maggy wasn’t telling him the full story.
“Nate.” The first gen’s voice made him look back. She stretched out a hand to him, her blue eyes swimming with emotions in the dim light of the van’s dashboard.
“Right here, babe.” He took her hand instinctively, accustomed to the often fragile first gens. They were almost like children, and he was the older brother charged with taking care of them. He leaned down to the bag he’d brought with him and withdrew a snow globe.
Handing it to her, he saw her timid smile. She took the sparkle-filled ball and shook it, settling back onto the seat.
“You are the most abrasive guide in the corps, and angels love you. How do you do that?” Maggy grumbled.
“The same reason you were always in a hurry to take your clothes off for me,” he replied, amused. “I’ve got that animal magnetism. Angels see someone they can trust, and women see someone they want to fuck.”
“You smoke, drink, never follow the rules and refuse to commit to anyone. There is nothing about you remotely redeemable,” she snapped.
“Which is why I’m the first one someone in trouble calls and the only guide every angel in existence trusts. Oh, and I’m sure you’ll still be interested in some no-strings-attached naked reiki tonight,” he replied, unfazed.
Maggy was pissed. Her aura went red, and she climbed into the passenger seat, away from him.
Nathan smiled. He rested his head back, tired after the travel and long day. His thoughts went to the woman in the elevator, and he was startled that the memory of her spicy scent and shapely body stirred his blood. Her body had devoured his energy in a sign she was unbalanced spiritually.
She wasn’t his to fix, though. Whoever her guide was, he was slacking.
He was truly tired, if he got a hard on about some stranger whose face he hadn’t even seen when he had a beauty like Maggy nearby. Maggy tried to play hard-to-get, but she always folded. Before dawn, Nathan would be sated and sleeping naked next to her in bed.
Like old times.
Randy drove them back towards Washington DC, where they reached a townhouse in the suburb of Clarendon, Virginia, a few hours before dawn. Nathan got out of the car and waited, offering a hand to the drowsy first gen.
Amira sighed, her pupils still dilated in a sign she was under the influence of drugs. She clutched the snow globe in one hand and a small dice pouch in the other. When she saw him looking at it, she shoved it quickly into her pocket.
“Secrets?” he asked.
She shook her head and hurried away, following Randy into the house.
“Might be a good thing she’s drugged up,” Nathan observed.
“How can one, sweet little first gen be at the middle of this?” Maggy voiced his puzzlement out loud. “And why won’t Pedro tell us anything?”
“You know Pedro. There’s no telling what he’s thinking at any given time,” Nathan said. He trailed Amira into the house, his eyes on her.
She was nervous, peering into each room they passed as if something was tracking her. It was a dead giveaway that there was at least one person who knew what was going on.
“Full bar,” Nathan said in approval as they reached the second level. “Stocked?”
“Of course,” Maggy answered.
Nathan crossed to it. He caught Amira’s eye and signaled for her to sit on the couch in the adjacent living room. She did so while Randy put on a pot of coffee and Maggy peeled off the weapons and long-sleeved shirt to reveal a snug t-shirt beneath.
His gaze swept over her lithe, slender frame in appreciation. Maggy was always good in bed, even if they often butted heads outside the bedroom.
Nathan poured himself a double shot of scotch on the rocks then took his drink into the living room. Amira and Maggy sat on the couch, while he chose the chair directly across from both.
“All right, girls. Let’s talk,” he said calmly. “Who wants to tell me her secret first?”
The two women exchanged a look. Amira clenched her snow globe harder while Maggy sighed and loosened her ponytail to shake her hair loose.
“Amira, why is a fallen guardian chasing you?” Nathan asked. He sipped his drink, refusing to look away from her.
She hesitated. “Because I know where a gateway to Hell is. He wants to find it.”
Nathan lowered his drink, not expecting the frank response or the severity of her claim.
“I don’t know how he found me,” Amira’s unguarded voice was laced with distress and sorrow. “Scott told me to hide, that Shadowman can’t find me, no matter what. And then they killed him.”
“Shadowman. The fallen guardian’s name?”
She nodded.
“Do you know the name of his human host?”
She shook her head.
“I might know that,” Maggy said, pulling out a piece of folded paper from her pocket. “I tore this out before we left.” She read through it. “Of the twelve visitors who came to the center yesterday, only one came to see Amira.” She held out the visitor log to Nathan.
He stretched forward to take it and set his drink on the coffee table.
“Michael Harrison, Esquire,” he read. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this Michael came by, and suddenly Shadowman knows where she is.”
Amira was staring at the floor, distraught.
“It’s got his address and everything,” Nathan observed. “I think we need to pay him a visit.”
“Okay, but we’re not just walking in there, if Shadowman is around. He’ll know us on sight,” Maggy objected. “Let’s put together some sort of plan, Nate. I know you work solo, but this is important.”
“I understand,” he said. “I’m not opposed to working on teams when necessary. You know I can handle a demon, though, which makes me think you’re withholding information, too.”
“Yeah, well, we’re not the only ones who might be interested in Mike,” Maggy said.
“They killed Scott, Nathan,” Amira said out of the blue, meeting his gaze again.
Maggy looked at her fast enough that Nathan sensed this was one of the secrets.
He leaned forward. “Who?”
“Other guides.” Amira’s eyes watered. First gens didn’t deal with violence and death well. He assessed she’d seen Scott’s death.
“He wasn’t killed by demons?” Nathan’s eyebrows shot up.
“No,” Maggy said softly. “We thought at first it was that Satanist cult up in Maryland. They’ve got this insanely effective second gen named Eddy who can carve a pumpkin in two seconds blindfolded.”
Nathan listened, aware that i
t was very rare for a second gen to lose his faith so completely that he chose to commit evil against the very humans he’d been protecting two generations before. It was yet another omen that whatever was happening, it was much greater than just one fallen guardian.
“But she’s right. It was guides.” Maggy paused, troubled. “There’s a vigilante group called the Greater Good Group, or 3G. They’re made up of guides and some first through fifth gen incarnated angels. Their agenda appears to be to take a more aggressive stance fighting evil or perceived evil among humans. Pedro refuses to talk to me about them, but I don’t think they’re affiliated with the Other Side anymore.”
“I can see that,” Nathan said thoughtfully. “When I first started, there was a time when I thought that the angels were too respectful of free will. Why wait for someone to choose evil, if you know that’s what’s in their hearts? Why not just fix that now?”
“Yeah. I still feel that way sometimes.”
“I do, too. I think, to an extent, we have to be proactive. But I understand now that Pedro and the angels want people to learn for themselves. Life is like sex. It’s about the journey not the destination.”
“I will agree with you there.” Maggy smiled. “I guess what bothers me is that I find the 3G reasoning a little too appealing sometimes, especially when Pedro is being … Pedro.”
“There’s a purpose behind that,” Nathan said. “I will never support a cause that kills other guides. We’re chosen. Our duty is sacred. There’s no excuse for anyone to kill Amira’s guide, especially if they knew that Shadowman was after her.”
“I know. I agree.”
“Which leaves me wondering why they did it. They had to know this was the first time in history that a guide killed another.”
“Well, since Cain and Abel.”
“True. First time in recent history.”
Amira was watching him speak. He eyed her.
She flushed.
“You know why, don’t you?” he asked her. “C’mon, babe. Tell Nate what you’re hiding.”
Amira shook her head then promptly closed her eyes, effectively blocking him off completely from communicating with her.
Nathan laughed, surprised. “I like her.”
Maggy shook her head.
“What’s the plan, Mags?” he asked, picking up his drink and leaning back. “I’m sure you have one. Stopping 3G and Shadowman from chasing Amira? Tracking down Shadowman’s human host? What’s first?”
“Don’t forget Eddy and the satanic cult that’s been tracking my every movement. I’m not sure who or what they’re after,” she added. “You sound like you plan on sticking around. Don’t you work alone?”
“Yeah. But I also help those who need it. Right now, you and Amira need me. I don’t fail and I don’t leave beautiful women hanging,” he replied with a small smile.
He wasn’t expecting to see the tears in Maggy’s eyes. She ducked her head.
“Must be the AC,” she mumbled, wiping her eyes. She held her head in her hands, shoulders sagging in exhaustion.
Nathan sensed her desperation and empathized with her. She’d been alone juggling all this, calling him in only when she’d reached the point where she was overwhelmed. For a woman who had deftly handled everything that ever crossed her path, Maggy was near rock bottom.
He leaned forward to tap Amira’s knee and get her attention.
“Go upstairs,” he said, indicating the stairwell. “Pick a room and get some rest.”
She appeared relieved and rose, treading quietly up the steps.
Nathan waited until she was gone then stretched forward and rested a hand on Maggy’s arm, squeezing.
“I promised you some no-strings-attached naked reiki. We’ll figure out what to do next in the morning,” he said, standing.
Maggy gave a strangled laugh. “I’ve forgotten what the journey feels like.”
“I’ll remind you a few times,” he replied. “C’mon.” He held out his hand.
She took it, and he pulled her up then gave a light push towards the stairs, eyes sweeping over her body. She needed the release and comfort of being curled up naked in his arms, if not the sleep of someone who hadn’t rested in days. He really didn’t mind sacrificing himself to make her feel better.
They had all day Tuesday to plan.
Chapter Nine
Wednesday morning, the second day after being attacked, Kaylee stared at the sling in her front seat. She was late, but she doubted anyone was expecting her. A message from Mike yesterday morning on her voicemail told her to come back in a few days, so she had time to heal and rest.
It was the least he could do after abandoning her, she recalled darkly.
What Mike didn’t know: the wound disappeared Tuesday morning, which was why she hadn’t picked up her phone. She’d been staring at herself in the mirror, unable to believe the small scars were all that was left.
Would anyone know better if she didn’t wear her sling? Would they suspect her of being … weird?
Kaylee sighed. Shadowman had clung to her since the incident on Monday at the mental health center, like a hot blanket she couldn’t kick off. She drummed her hands on the steering wheel for a moment then decided not to wear the sling. By now, everyone knew she’d been stabbed, but they wouldn’t know how bad it was. She’d shrug it off and throw herself into her work.
She got out of her car and went into the building managed by Mike’s law firm. The receptionist smiled, waving her over. Assuming she wanted to chat about the nightmare Monday, Kaylee prepped a canned response and approached.
“Mike’s late today. Tanya dropped this off for him.” The receptionist handed Kaylee a folder. “She wants one of you to call her as soon as you can.”
“Thanks, Linda.” Kaylee took it and left swiftly, before she was asked about her wound. She made her way down the hallway to her office, a small closet adjacent to Mike’s, and tossed the file on her desk.
Looking around, she frowned. Walking into the building made her whole world feel heavy and depressing. Why was she in this line of work again?
Because my father wanted me to follow in his footsteps. It was the stupidest reasoning in the world, and yet, she still did it. She was afraid of disappointing him and even more afraid to push back and tell him no. Everyone on the entire planet respected and admired her father, and she felt the weight of the world’s expectations alongside his on her back.
She pulled off her jacket and picked up the phone to call Tanya, the firm’s public relations specialist.
“Tanya West.”
“Hi Tanya, this is Kaylee. I hear you’re looking for me or Mike?”
“Kaylee! Does he have you working after everything that happened?”
Kaylee sat down, recalling why calling Tanya first thing in the morning was never a good thing. The woman was a drama queen.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Kaylee said.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yep. Good as new.”
“Hmm. Mike made it sound liked you were on life support or something.”
“Nowhere near that bad,” Kaylee assured her. “How can I help you?”
“Two things. I drafted a press release about your incident. If you want to review it this morning, I can publish it this afternoon,” Tanya replied. “The second is more information I found from my media sources about the case Mike’s been working on. Most of this won’t be released, and it was hard to get this much. If he has any questions, I can try to get more answers, but it won’t be easy.”
Kaylee glanced at the file. “I’ll let him know.”
“Where do you want your story placed?”
“Nowhere.”
“Mike’s orders.” Tanya laughed. “I assume he’ll find a way to make it into the news with a statement about the event.”
Kaylee tapped her fist against her forehead, frustrated. Mike was good at using people and incidents to build his reputation. She had done her best to lay low since meeting
him, not wanting to give him an excuse to use her, too.
“Bury it as far back as you can in the print edition,” she said. “Really. It wasn’t bad. Just bizarre.”
“It’s a great story!”
“Yeah. Let me get the review done so you can run it,” Kaylee said, hoping to encourage Tanya to leave her alone this morning.
“I’ll be here!”
Kaylee hung up. She eyed the folder and grudgingly opened it. The press release was clipped to one side, but it was the image on the top of a pile of articles that caught her attention.
The girl that stabbed her.
Patient Abducted From Rosewood Center.
Kaylee sat up, surprised. She read the article quickly, stunned to realize that Amira disappeared Monday night. No mention of Kaylee’s incident Monday afternoon was in the short article. She flipped to the second.
… Amira Santiago, age nineteen. Known as patient forty one, she was admitted …
Forty one. Kaylee sat back.
Shit. The strange encounter in the elevator happened. Her memory was hazy enough for her to convince herself it was a dream when Evan woke her on the couch.
Heart fluttering, Kaylee realized she had been there when the girl was abducted. Not only that, but she’d had a run in with one of the abductors! He’d been tall and muscular though not in a bulky way. His hands had been so hot, his ultra-low voice soft like velvet.
Monday was going down in her book as the strangest night of her life! She knew Mike was going to interview Dr. Rosewood about Amira, who had witnessed a homicide in a court case where Mike was hired as a defense attorney. He’d been going to try to discredit the witness who was living in a mental health facility.
What were the chances that the witness was kidnapped after Mike talked to Dr. Rosewood?
Kaylee rose and opened the door that separated her office from Mike’s. When he was there, the door was open so she’d be sure to hear him order her around. She went to his desk. It was spotless and contained only his laptop. Disappointed, she checked her phone, where she kept his calendar.
He was slated for a meeting this morning at the courthouse.
“Let me guess. You went straight there and left me trying to juggle your morning appointments,” she muttered. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
