by R. D. Brady
They stepped out of the alleyway created by the packed sand.
“All right, let’s get out to the airport,” Henry said. “I’ll feel better when we’re—”
The sound of a rifle cut through the morning air. Jake yanked Laney back to the path, where she was hidden by the sand.
Laney slammed onto her back. She quickly rolled to her side. “Jake, we need—”
The words died in her throat.
Jake stared at her, but his eyes saw nothing. A bullet hole pierced his forehead.
Fear, stronger than any she’d ever felt, raced through her, chasing out any sense of purpose. She grabbed his shoulders while a part of her mind screamed that it was too late.
“Jake? Jake!”
CHAPTER 58
Patrick pushed Victoria to the ground as the shot rang out. Henry pulled them both back into the relative safety of the pathway. Bullets continued to chip away at the sand that kept them from the shooter’s view.
Laney’s scream shook Patrick to his core. He got to his knees, staying low. Six feet away, Laney was crouched low over Jake, shaking him, trying to get him to respond.
Not Jake. Dear God, not Jake.
Patrick crawled over to her, his heart hammering in his chest. The bullet hole in Jake’s forehead told the whole story. He was gone.
Patrick’s breath left him and he struggled to get it back.
“Jake!” Laney yelled, over and over again.
Patrick wrapped his arms around her from behind.
She looked over her shoulder at him, her mouth moving, but no words coming out now. She shook like she was freezing, and tears streamed down her face.
Patrick felt the hole in his chest threaten to swallow him whole. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
Laney tried to push him off, but he held on. She collapsed, sobbing into his arms, her heart breaking. Patrick’s own heart felt like it was going to break for her.
Next to him, Victoria grabbed Henry’s arm. “Get her out of here.”
“No.” Laney threw Patrick off with a strength that shocked him. She sat in front of Jake’s body, her arms out. “I won’t leave him.”
Patrick looked over to Henry for help, but Henry looked like he was in shock. His mouth gaped, his eyes fixed on Laney and Jake.
Patrick yelled. “Henry!”
Henry finally pulled his eyes from Jake to focus on Patrick.
Patrick gripped the tall man’s arms. “Laney. You need to get her out of here. Get her to the plane and take off.”
“But the rest of you—” Henry began to argue.
Victoria cut her son off. “Don’t matter. She matters. Get her out of here.”
Henry’s eyes cleared. He gave an abrupt nod, grabbing Laney by the shoulders. “Laney. We have to go.”
She shoved at him. “I’m not leaving him.”
“He’s gone, Laney,” Henry said. “We have to go.”
“No!” she screamed, shoving Henry away again.
Bullets continued to chip away at their cover.
“Get her out of here, Henry,” Patrick yelled, leaning against the packed sand, trying to find a shot, but there was nothing. The shooter, or shooters, were too far away. And every time he popped his head out, he had to yank it back.
“Sorry, Laney,” Henry said as he grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder and sprinting away.
Patrick could feel his jaw drop as he watched the trail of dust race after them.
Victoria grabbed Patrick’s arm. “Hurry. There isn’t much time.”
CHAPTER 59
Henry ran with Laney over his shoulder, the image of Jake a constant in the back of his mind. While he struggled to figure out where to go, part of his mind rebelled against what had just happened. Denied that he had just lost the man he loved like a brother.
The sand made it difficult to run fast. And Saqqara didn’t offer much by way of cover. There was the Djoser pyramid and the smaller Userkaf pyramid; besides that, there were just a few scattered sand dunes. Hiding spots were in short supply.
Henry sprinted through the dusty ground, at times slowed by the sand to almost human speed. Images of Jake clouded his mind, but he shoved them out. He needed to focus on getting himself and Laney to safety.
The gunshots died away, and Henry knew that whoever had been shooting at them at the entrance had realized that their quarry had left. But why shoot now? They hadn’t shot at Laney in Hershey. What changed?
The ring. Laney had found the ring. Before, they hadn’t been sure that she was the ring bearer. They had been waiting for proof. And her discovery of the ring provided that proof, confirmed her identity. And marked her for death.
The sound of engines behind him told him that he’d been spotted. Henry tried to increase his pace, but the sandy terrain was making that difficult. He glanced back. Two cars gave chase on the road parallel to him, and one blur trailed behind the cars but was catching up fast. A Fallen or a nephilim.
Henry swore silently, struggling to come up with a plan. He knew the City of the Dead was filled with ancient tombs and edifices. If he headed there, he could probably lose the cars, but not the man.
He veered left. There was no choice. Out in the open, he and Laney were sitting ducks. Henry sprinted toward Djoser’s pyramid. The cars had to stop, the barricades keeping them out. He heard the slam of doors as men joined the footrace. He prayed they were mere mortals.
Laney hit him on the back. “Put me down.”
“Laney, we have to—”
She cut him off. “I know. I have a plan.”
CHAPTER 60
Laney crouched in the entrance of the Djoser pyramid, hidden by the shadows. She was still shaking, but she forced herself to not picture Jake.
Not now, not now, she thought over and over again as his image tried to worm its way in.
Henry had all but tossed her at the entryway as they’d turned the corner of the pyramid, hidden from their pursuers’ view. She’d rolled, and her shoulder still stung from the impact.
Henry leapt up the side.
The blur was ten feet away.
Laney prayed he hadn’t noticed Henry’s throw.
The blur came closer, and then, without slowing, it leapt to the first level of the pyramid.
Laney slid out, using the side of the entry for cover. She fired round after round at the blurry pursuer.
The blur turned into a man. He crashed to the first level and rolled off, onto the ground below.
Laney stalked forward, peppering his torso with bullets, taking aim at the heart.
Henry jumped down next to her, grabbing her hand. “They’re coming.”
Laney looked past the Fallen and, sure enough, another seven men were sprinting toward them, all running at normal speed. Thank God for that.
Laney and Henry ran in the opposite direction. But once out of the pyramid’s enclosure, it was all but impossible to maintain any speed. They were running on sand.
Henry turned around and grabbed Laney, once again throwing her over his shoulder. But even with his abilities, the sand was a struggle. He jumped over a sand dune, landing hard on the other side. His feet started to slide and Laney was thrown.
Laney tucked as she flew, rolling down to the bottom of the dune. She sat up, spitting out sand, feeling it in her clothes, hair, mouth.
Henry grabbed her hand. “We have to—”
A man flew over the sand dune, landing twenty feet away from them. The same Fallen who’d run them down.
Laney crab-walked backward before scrambling to her feet. Apparently she hadn’t killed him—only slowed him down. And not much at that.
Yells from the top of the sand dune grabbed her attention. The seven men who’d been chasing them were now lined up. All of them with weapons pointed at Laney and Henry.
“Henry, get out of here,” Laney ordered, but her voice shook. The image of Jake that she’d been struggling to keep out of her mind came back with the force of a train, nearly dropping her
to her knees. She’d lost Jake, and now she was about to lose Henry, too.
Henry looked down into Laney’s face. “I’m not leaving you, Laney.”
Fear shot through her, setting her shaking. She grabbed Henry’s hand. “Don’t do this. Run. You can escape. Run,” she begged.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a better protector.”
“No!” Laney tried to step around him, to block him from the shooters. He wouldn’t let her. “Henry, please go.”
Her heart felt like it was going to split in two. She couldn’t lose him, too. She knew she would never survive losing both of them.
A barrage of bullets thundered from above. Henry pushed Laney to the ground, covering her with his body, hugging her to himself.
Laney screamed, her whole body starting to shake. “No! No! No!”
Finally, the sounds died away. Laney’s heart pounded, her voice disappeared. No, not Henry, too. Please, not Henry, too.
She stayed still, knowing that if she didn’t move, didn’t speak, she wouldn’t have to know. It seemed like forever, but she knew it was only a few seconds.
Finally, Laney whispered: “Henry?”
“I’m okay.”
Relief washed over her; if she’d been standing, she would have collapsed. She wanted to burst into tears and throw up at the same time. She struggled to calm her breathing. He’s alive. He’s alive.
Henry rolled off her and helped her sit up. Laney looked to the top of the sand dune.
The seven men that had been there had been replaced by five different men, all dressed in black. And instead of pointing their weapons at Laney and Henry, they had them directed at the seven men they’d just shot.
The Fallen was also down. Another man in black advanced on him. He had the dark complexion and hair of an Egyptian.
Laney was about to yell out a warning, when the Fallen sprang up from the ground. The man in black was ready for him. He emptied five shots into the man’s chest, all at the heart.
The Fallen fell back. The man in black emptied the rest of his bullets into him.
Satisfied the Fallen was well and truly dead, the man in black turned to Laney and Henry. “Dr. McPhearson? Mr. Chandler? I’m Mustafa Massri. Agent Clark contacted us and said you might be in need of assistance.”
Henry stepped in front of Laney. “And who do you work for?”
Mustafa bowed. “The Egyptian division of the SIA. We’ll take you safely to your plane. If you’ll follow me.”
Laney looked at the Fallen and the seven dead men on the dune. The other men in black hadn’t pointed their weapons at either Henry or her. They seemed completely focused on the men they’d shot. And obviously they knew about the Fallen.
Laney wasn’t sure she trusted Mustafa or the SIA, but then, once again, they didn’t have much of a choice.
Henry looked down at her. “Laney?”
She nodded at Mustafa. “Lead the way.”
CHAPTER 61
Henry sat in the back seat of the Land Rover. Mustafa sat in the front passenger seat while another man in black, who hadn’t been introduced, drove. Two other Range Rovers, one ahead and one behind, accompanied them as well.
Laney sat next to Henry. Henry knew adrenaline had kept her going at Saqqara, but now it had begun to fade. And the loss of Jake was hitting her, coupled with the close call of both of them nearly losing their lives.
She stared out the window, not saying anything, her face expressionless. But she held Henry’s hand in a death grip. Henry knew his hand in hers was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.
Mustafa turned around in his seat. “I’m sorry we were so late. We received word only thirty minutes ago. It’s a miracle we were able to reach you at all.”
“We appreciate the assist,” Henry said.
Mustafa nodded, his deep eyes conveying his sincerity as they passed over Laney before settling back on Henry. “And I’m sorry for the loss of your colleague. I hear he was an incredible man.”
A shudder ran through Laney. Henry gripped her hand harder. He saw the lights of the airfield up ahead. He squeezed her hand, silently telling her to hold on, that they were almost there.
“Thank you. He was—” Henry swallowed as a wave of grief hit him. When he spoke, his voice shook. “He was family.”
Mustafa nodded. “I understand.”
Henry looked at the plane up ahead. They were getting close, but it seemed to be taking forever. Henry knew he was close to losing it. To distract himself, he asked, “How exactly did Clark know we were in trouble?”
Mustafa shrugged. “That I do not know. You will have to ask him. And if you manage to get some answers from him, well, I hear miracles do happen.”
Henry turned his head, clenching his teeth. Oh, he’d get answers. He didn’t doubt that for a minute. If Clark knew about the attack, there was something he hadn’t shared with them. Something that could, perhaps, have saved Jake.
The Range Rover pulled up to the Gulfstream. It was already running. Henry had called Claude as soon as they’d gotten in the SUV. He’d also texted Patrick, who had told him to go on without them. That he and Victoria would see to Jake.
What Patrick had meant was that they’d see to Jake’s body.
Henry struggled to hold in his grief. He needed to be strong for Laney now.
The Range Rover pulled through the gates of the airport and drove onto the tarmac, coming to a stop next to his mother’s jet. As soon as they stopped, Henry opened his door, coming around the other side to open Laney’s.
Mustafa beat him to it. The agent gently helped her from her seat. “As salaam alaikum, Dr. McPhearson,” he whispered.
Peace be upon you. In Arabic, it was a standard greeting, almost the equivalent of a “hi.” But as Mustafa said it to Laney, Henry had the feeling that the sentiment was deeper. It was more of a wish. Mustafa was recognizing the loss Laney had suffered,
Henry took Laney from his arms. “Thank you again, Mustafa.”
“I believe the thanks is mine. You and Dr. McPhearson are our hope. If you ever need us, we’ll be there.”
Mustafa bowed once more, then got back into the car and drove to the entrance of the airport, stopping next to the other two Range Rovers. Henry knew that Mustafa and the other agents would wait to make sure no one prevented the jet from taking off.
As soon as Mustafa’s car drove off, Laney sagged against Henry, all the fight going out of her. Grief-stricken eyes turned up to him. “He’s dead, Henry. Jake’s dead.”
As her breaths turned to sobs, Henry lifted her up and carried her gently into the plane. Laney’s cries tore through him.
Jake’s dead. Henry’s eyes filled with tears, and he had trouble maneuvering up the steps. Henry was now Laney’s only protector.
As he entered the cabin of the plane, Henry promised that no one would be allowed to get to her. No one.
A fierce need to keep her safe settled in the pit of his stomach. But he knew that without Jake, the fight was going to be that much harder.
His mother had been right: a triangle was strong. Now that they were only two points, how could they possibly win?
CHAPTER 62
The flight home from Egypt took close to twelve hours. Laney spent the first three sobbing. Henry felt helpless, not having a clue how to help her. Then she’d fallen into an exhausted sleep, only awakening as they landed.
The plane wheeled to a stop. Henry took off his seat belt. He glanced down at Laney, but she hadn’t moved. “Laney? We’re back.”
She looked at him with vacant eyes. Slowly she reached down and undid her belt. She couldn’t seem to focus.
Henry reached down and helped her stand. She didn’t protest, just leaned against him. The pilot had already opened the plane’s door and pushed out the steps. Henry helped Laney to the door.
At the bottom of the steps, Jen, Rocky, and Kati stood. They all looked devastated. But when they saw Laney, they were a flurry of m
ovement. They rushed up the steps. Henry stepped back, letting them take her.
Laney looked at her three friends. “He’s gone.”
Kati ran a hand over Laney’s hair. “We know, sweetheart. We know.”
The women took Laney’s arms, cooing soft phrases as they bundled her down the steps and into the waiting Town Car. Once she was settled in the back seat, with Kati and Rocky for support, Jen walked back to Henry.
She placed her hand on his cheek. “Henry?”
He looked at her and felt the loss crash down on him again.
Jen wrapped her arms around him.
Henry cried, feeling the pain of Jake’s death, the emptiness that had taken up residence in his chest.
They stayed like that for a few minutes before Henry pulled away. He wiped his eyes. “You should take care of Laney. She’s going to need you.”
Jen wiped a tear from his cheek. “We will. But I’m here if you need me, too.”
Henry nodded.
Jen leaned up, placing a soft kiss on his lips.
It wasn’t a kiss of passion, but of love, support, and maybe the promise of something more some day.
Then she walked back to the car, climbing into the driver’s seat.
Henry watched them drive away. The hole in his chest ached and he leaned against the bulkhead.
How can Jake be gone? How am I going to tell Danny? Oh God. I have to tell Tom, too.
He pictured Jake’s foster brother. They’d just re-connected after years apart.
He crushed his hand in his fist. God damn it. This isn’t fair. It’s not right. Those bastards are going to pay.
Henry walked down the steps to his own car.
Kevin Chang, his security chief, got out of the driver’s side. Jake had hired everyone on security. In fact, he’d served with most of them.
Kevin’s face was blank, but Henry read the grief in his eyes. “What do you need me to do, Henry?”
Henry paused, but he knew. He’d known all along what was coming next. “Call everyone. I need every operative we have.”
