Victoria let out a long breath. “Deploy the troops. But wait an hour. Let them sweat a bit before we swoop into their rescue.”
“Specters and mortals?” Sturgeon asked.
Victoria grinned. “Yes. Clark and Tiptry will no doubt enjoy a little bit of fresh air and action. They’ve been rather inactive since their deaths.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Sturgeon bowed low and left the room.
Victoria turned to the wall, where a large mirror showed her reflection. Her two guards stood silently behind her. “What do you think, boys? Can Genevieve really find a way to stand on her own two feet?”
Neither guard answered.
Victoria groaned. “What good are you both? Muscles you’ve got in abundance, but where’s the fun?”
Red Hook, Brooklyn, USA
Jennie took a steadying breath. “This day is just getting suckier and suckier.”
Baxter nodded, both fixing their gaze on the chopper as it lowered to land in the open courtyard by the warehouse. “It’s got to be done.”
Jennie chuckled. “That should be my next tattoo.”
The helicopter landed. The doors opened, and the shit-eating grin of Agent Lionus met them. “Ah, there she is. My humble piece of eye candy. Glad to see you’re finally free of Zhao’s clutches.”
He strode over until he was just a few feet away and looked Jennie up and down, eyes lingering without shame on her breasts and ass. “You’re still as good as you’ve ever looked.”
Jennie raised an eyebrow. “Funny, I thought with a promotion you might have at least found a level of professionalism that was suitable. But it seems that a kick in the nuts has done little to simmer your shit down and turn you into a decent human being.”
“Enough foreplay.” Lionus smirked. “We’ve got shit going wild and we need to move. I suggest we divide and conquer. Daggro has given me orders to split our present reserve of troops—which includes you guys—and make a decision as to who goes where.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Lucky Jennie, you can ride shotgun with me. There’s only one seat so you’ll have to sit on my lap, I’m afraid.”
Jennie didn’t rise to the bait. She did, however, agree in part with his statement. “Nice try, but here’s how the grown-ups are going to handle this. I’m going to commandeer your chopper. You are going to join your men in another. We need to spread our resources over the affected cities, then feedback on what the hell is going on out there. Once we know what’s happening, we can look for any common threads and work together to lock down the faces behind all of this.”
“Don’t you mean the face?” Baxter asked, confused. “Unless Zhao sprouted another head and you didn’t tell us.”
Jennie shook her head. “I think we’re looking at a hydra here, not a dragon.”
Somewhere back in Washington, a specter named Bruno’s ears were burning.
Lionus scoffed, interrupting again. “What makes you think I’m surrendering my chopper to you? Do you know who I—”
Jennie had had enough. She grabbed Lionus around the throat and squeezed tightly. His voice was pinched into silence.
A gasp came from the other agents as Jennie raised him two inches off the floor.
Lionus forgot all his training. He grabbed Jennie’s wrists and kicked his legs, struggling helplessly.
Jennie stared at Lionus over the top of her glasses, her brow furrowed. “I’m afraid you’ve got no choice in the matter. I need faster transport, and you’ve got enough spare spaces on the chopper to accommodate you all.” She swept an arm to indicate the city and the agents and specters gathered around, watching in stunned silence. “This whole damn thing is bigger than you, kid. Swing your dick another time, because we’ve got to move. Unless you want the blood of more civilians on your hands, you need to pipe down and get the fuck over yourself. Got it?”
She waited expectantly. Lionus’ face went red.
Jennie repeated. “Got it?”
Lionus managed a choked, “Yes.”
Jennie let go, and he crumpled to the ground. He picked himself up and adjusted his collar, his face like thunder. He snapped his fingers and summoned the other agents to another helicopter, mumbling, “Wait until Daggro hears this shit,” as he went.
Jennie breezed toward the chopper and knocked on the pilot’s door.
The pilot opened his door a mere inch, fear on his face. “I’m afraid I’m not authorized to fly this anywhere other than SIA-assigned business.”
Jennie gave a curt nod. “I understand. However, I’m going to present you with two alternative options. Number one, I drag you out onto the tarmac and fly the damn thing myself. Or, number two, you accept a healthy sum of cash to compensate you for your burdens and fly me like an air taxi to where I need to go.”
The pilot thought about this. He leaned conspiratorially out the door and whispered. “I never really liked that kid, anyway.”
Jennie grinned. “Do you have a bird of your own?”
“I do. Back in Baltimore. A beautiful Airbus HI35. Near mint condition.” He smiled.
“Great,” Jennie commented with a grin. “Let’s go to your place and grab it. Don’t want to piss off the SIA any more than we need to.”
The pilot looked relieved. Baxter raised an eyebrow.
“What?” she bellowed as the propellers kicked into gear. “Believe it or not, I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here to get the job done.”
Baxter waved a hand. “You misunderstand my confusion. I’m not saying you’re wanting to cause trouble, I’m questioning the premise of you being able to pilot a helicopter.”
Jennie laughed. “Oh, Bax. Haven’t you learned anything about me by now?”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Washington DC, USA
For as long as he could remember, Kurt Rogers had dreamed of gracing the rooms of the White House.
It was the pinnacle of what he viewed as success, the ultimate realization of his dream of serving his country. The White House was where all the major decision veins of the country ran toward America’s beating heart. Anyone who had permission to enter the hallowed halls of the White House had reached an unmatched level of political and personal access.
That feeling of elation hadn’t lasted for long after he’d completed the paperwork that allowed him to be by the President’s side without risking national security.
Rogers was beyond tired. Every day was a whirlwind of state meetings and project briefings. In the aftermath of the showdown in Virginia, the President had taken to Rogers like a blind man to a retriever. Rogers had barely left his side. He had been assigned personal quarters in which to sleep, and was at the President’s beck and call twenty-four/seven while the SIA pushed its expansion and metamorphosed into a fully-fledged arm of the federal government without him to steer the ship.
He had been let into all the secrets by proxy. Area 51 was a conspiracy theorist’s wet dream. They had evidence of aliens and their technology, although they weren’t currently holding any aliens that were living. He was present for discussions pertaining to the economic status of the country, and others on managing international relations with third-world countries whose global status’ as dictatorships were only the surface story. Running the country was a goddamn headache, and if he felt tired, he wondered how the hell the President coped with it all.
And then the bombs went off.
His cell went wild, but there was no time to answer. His day had been packed full of business meetings and engagements, but his schedule went out of the window when the President summoned him into the Oval Office and sat him in front of the desk.
Four officials stood solemnly behind him. They may as well have been statues for all that they moved and said.
The President exuded a cool calm, though Rogers wasn’t sure how he managed it. His silver hair was neatly parted, and his suit pristine. “Things have escalated.”
Was that a statement or a question?
Rogers went with the latter. “Ye
s, sir. I’ve just heard the news.”
The President hardly blinked. “What is your agency doing to fix this mess? Is it spectrally-related?”
Rogers thought back to the message he’d received from Daggro that morning. Apparently, she already had agents in the field looking into a New York criminal who had been thought to be defeated and returned. It seemed highly unlikely that these attacks weren’t somehow connected, but they had to find the correlation before acting.
“That’s still to be determined,” Rogers replied. “Though I highly suspect that it is. The SIA already has units deployed in New York. My stand-in has ordered them to the scene and they’ll be arriving shortly. She is mobilizing the entire agency as we speak and sending units to each attack site.”
The President examined Rogers coolly for a few moments, then gave a gentle nod. “Do you have this handled?”
There was a question. Did Rogers have this handled? He’d already had to fight for every scrap of federal funding that he could get to expand the SIA’s department, but that wasn’t the main issue. The real problem was that the rate of growth hadn’t been accompanied by the same growth in the agency’s leadership structure. They needed leaders at the helm who understood the enemy. The bulk of their new agents had only recently been introduced to the spectral world. How could they battle an enemy they were unprepared for, especially when a growth like this suddenly occurred?
Yet, Rogers knew that wasn’t what the President was asking. “Yes. This attack will consume my full attention until we’ve caught the culprits and can send them rotting into a jail cell.”
The President looks at him once more with those studious eyes. Rogers felt vulnerable under that glare, exposed, as though the President could see every thought going on behind his eyes.
At last, the President nodded. “Very well. Screw a lid on this situation. I’m going to have a tough time calming the nation. How do you let your people know that not only are you battling terrorists from foreign lands, you’re also fighting an invisible enemy?” He turned to address one of his officials. “Make sure Rogers has everything he needs to stay on top of this. Rogers, I’m giving you whatever funding you need. This is serious. Don’t let your country down.”
Rogers thanked the President and exited the office. He paused for a moment outside the door and took a deep breath. His phone was still receiving new alerts when he took it out. Somehow he had to filter through them all to digest all available information.
As Rogers processed his messages, one thought remained in the back of his mind. One person who had been in this game longer than anyone, who might in some way become their saving grace.
Come on, Jennie. We need you now more than ever.
He stood by a window and watched as a helicopter soared overhead, wondering who was inside and where they might be heading.
* * *
The journey was much faster than expected, and as Jennie flew further from New York, the constantly pervading feeling that Zhao was in her head began to fade.
He’s still in New York. That much is clear.
But is he? How can you trust your own thoughts after what happened before?
Baltimore unfolded before her, a place she hadn’t visited since her expedition to flush out Brendan Koa and get to the bottom of the situation with the Shadows. It looked different from up high, more like a toy town than the thriving city it was.
The pilot, Ashton Langton, flew them over the city center toward an affluent area just outside of the city. Houses with lush lawns and gated fences were patchworked below them as they came in to land on a large round H.
The Airbus HI35 was a thousand times more comfortable than the SIA’s chopper. Ashton promised to return the chopper when their mission was complete but was glad to be riding his own as they headed onward and over Washington.
The city fell away behind them, and soon enough, they arrived in Richmond. Jennie directed Ashton to the manor, which could easily be viewed from afar. They landed softly on the back lawn as three poltergeists sped around the corner and started hurling tin cans and other objects at the chopper.
“Stop! It’s us,” Jennie called as she opened the door.
The poltergeists looked on in horror, upset to see they’d attacked their savior.
“We’re so sorry!” Don McFarlene clapped his cheeks with his hands, his face stretching into a warped mask. “We didn’t know it was you!”
Jennie laughed. “It’s okay, you’re just doing your job. Great work, by the way.
Jerry McFarlene gave a keen thumbs-up, and Graham sped toward them to pick the cans up from where they littered the lawn.
“Jennie!” Tanya’s voice came from the back door as she sprinted toward them.
“What about us?” Baxter complained. “It’s always Jennie, never Baxter, or Carolyn, or Feng Mian.”
Tanya smirked. “You know I missed you too, buddy.” Sandra shared her power with Tanya so that the woman could grab Baxter in a headlock.
Baxter played along, allowing her to rub her knuckles on the top of his head.
“Okay, okay.” He laughed. “Enough of that.”
Jennie smiled at them both. “Tell me what’s going on, Tanya. We don’t have a lot of time right now.”
Tanya’s face became serious. “I’m going to have to show you. This isn’t really a thing I can just explain.”
“Why?” Baxter asked.
Lupe appeared at the doorway. “Because we don’t know.”
Tanya nodded. “There’s something fishy going on down at the quarry, and we don’t have the numbers or knowledge to do anything about it. We need to go in there and investigate, but we’re just three mortals and a specter.”
Jennie counted in her head and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean four mortals and a specter?”
Tanya laughed. “I forgot about Hendrick!”
Lupe smirked. “You’re great at forgetting people.”
“What does that mean?” Jennie asked.
Tanya sighed. “Nothing.”
“I wasn’t even talking about Hendrick,” Jennie continued. “Where’s Jiao?”
Tanya glanced over her shoulder. “Oh. I don’t know. Must be inside the manor somewhere. She’s been with us all day, maybe she’s tired.”
“Perhaps.” Jennie turned to the others. “Okay, here’s the deal. We’re going to be working with the SIA, and I don’t want any arguments. I haven’t got time to massage people’s egos or worry about any kind of political bullshit. These guys need numbers, and that’s what we’re going to give them. You got that?”
The others nodded. Jennie had brought along everyone from her team except Jack and Ruby, who had been ordered to return to the SIA by Agent Lionus.
Jennie hesitated before her announcement, making it clear that she didn’t want to do what she was about to do. “Ula, Triton, Roman, you’re to stay here and help these guys. Feng Mian. You, too.”
Carolyn’s eyes widened. “Wait! No. Not Feng Mian. He’s been like a father to…”
“He’s not dying.” Jennie met Carolyn’s stare. “You two are just getting separated for a short while, okay? They don’t know what they’re going to meet down there, and Feng Mian’s abilities aren’t only unique, but they’ve gotten us out of a hell of a lot of scrapes. Feng Mian, you got any comment on that?”
Feng Mian shook his head. “Happy to serve.”
The conduits stepped away from the chopper and closer to Jennie. “Are you sure about this?” Ula asked. “Won’t you need us with you?”
Jennie showed the trace of a smile. “We’ve got a fresh injection of help coming. You know as well as I do that this is all about priorities, and I’m needed back with the others. Once everything is settled down, we’ll be back. Just keep in constant contact and let us know what’s going on.”
She turned her attention toward Roman. “Roman. I know you’re not one for words, and you’re a great follower, but I’m putting you in charge of this operation, do you understand
?”
Roman’s face hardened. He stood up a little straighter. “I do.”
“You lead this pack, and you make sure that no one gets hurt. I’m putting my full trust in you, and I believe that you can make this happen. You got that?”
Something flickered behind Roman’s dark eyes. The faintest hint of emotion. He saluted. “It is an absolute honor and privilege. I will not let you down.”
Jennie smiled. “I know you won’t.
She turned on the lawn and looked up at the manor. “Maybe someday we’ll really be able to turn this into a base of operations. But for now, we’re going to have to say goodbye. Sorry this has been a brief visit, Spirit Mother.”
Tanya grinned at the mention of her former title. “Don’t mention it, Rogue. Thank you for swinging by. We can take it from here.”
Jennie knelt toward Sandra and paused. She tilted her head toward Tanya. “There is just one more thing…”
Tanya’s face fell. “No.”
Jennie held Sandra’s shoulders in her hands and looked into her innocent, spectral face. “I need you, pal. You’re my Wi-Fi booster, and I need you to help me hunt a bad guy.”
Tanya went to her knees and clutched Sandra.
Jennie bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Tanya. It’s only for a short while, and you have a whole cohort of people to back you up now. An even trade. One Sandra, for a bunch of these thugs.” She turned to Ula. “Sorry.”
Ula waved a hand as if to say, “Don’t worry about it.”
It took some convincing, but after Sandra disconnected from Tanya, Tanya couldn’t argue anymore. Sandra slipped out of her hands, and before Tanya knew where she was, she appeared by the helicopter.
Jennie rose and took Tanya’s shoulders in her hands instead. “I’ll look after her. I promise. We honestly need her right now, and she’ll do more good with me than she will with you.”
Tanya’s lip wobbled. “You don’t know that.”
Jennie smiled and tilted her head. “Really?”
Reluctantly, Tanya laughed. She jumped into Jennie’s arms and hugged her. “Bring her back in one piece, please, yeah?”
Agents, Agreements and Aggravations: In Her Paranormal Majesty’s Secret Service™ Book Three Page 28
