by Trudi Jaye
Seth nods absently, and I wonder if he disagrees. But at the next service station, he pulls in, makes a call on his phone, and then throws it into the dumpster out the back.
I watch him do all of this under hooded eyes. “Why are you helping me?” I ask as we drive along the freeway.
He glances at me. “I’m doing my duty. I was assigned to keep you safe and that’s what I’m going to do.”
“I don’t think your supervisors actually want you to do that anymore,” I say, crossing my arms.
“Doesn’t matter. That’s what they assigned me.” He watches the road intently, but I see his knuckles whiten on the steering wheel.
Warmth spreads through my belly. I could probably do this alone if I had to, but Seth is as good as vowing he’ll stay by my side and help. I don’t know whether to cry or to laugh. The laughing will be hysterical, and the crying might scare Seth. So I just smile tightly and turn to stare out the window.
We’re okay for now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
We’re almost to the outskirts of New York when I think to ask. “What did your supervisor say to you when you told him you’d run with the body?”
Seth grins. “He told me to get my butt back to the National Park. He was yelling.”
“Did you say you weren’t going to?”
“Nah. Let them think I’m contrite and heading back to them. It gives us more time.” He’s tapping one finger on the steering wheel in time to the music that’s playing on the radio.
“What are we actually going to do, Seth?” I’ve had time to consider our situation, and I don’t think we’re doing the right thing any more. It feels like we’re landing ourselves in the middle of a hornet’s nest.
“We have to believe that your father doesn’t want to hurt you. It’s the only thing we can be sure of in this.”
I nod, although I’m not positive on that point. “So we’re still going to try and get to my dad?”
“Sure.”
“They’ll be on high alert.”
“I was thinking about that. The Earthbound know where we’re going, but would they tell the SIG? I’m not so sure. They’d want an edge over them, so they can get you back. We might be able to use that to our advantage. At the moment, as far as the majority of the SIG knows, I was guarding a minor asset who happened to die on my watch. Not a great look, but certainly nothing major.”
“My father knows the full story, doesn’t he?”
“But he’s not in on every single decision, is he? He stays away from the higher-ups. He’s the best agent we’ve got, but he’s not renowned for playing well with others.”
“So you think the SIG doesn’t know I might be a dragon?” It’s the first time I’ve said the words aloud and believed them. I feel the fluttering of something inside my belly, like a new awareness has taken over my body and it’s assimilating to it.
He nods. “That’s right. I think your father has kept it hidden all these years. So well hidden, it almost got you killed.”
“If that’s true, then how do we get into SIG headquarters and see my father?”
“We need to lure him out. Send him a coded message that only he will understand. If nothing else, Vincent will have SIG headquarters under surveillance. We’re not going to get in easily.”
“And for the coded message, you want me to think of something only my dad would know about me?” I bite my lip and stare out the windscreen.
Seth glances my way. “Would that be possible? Does he know you that well?”
It stings to hear him say it, but he’s right. I can’t think of anything that will alert my father and not everyone else. Jeff was more my father than Agent Damien Walker. I shake my head, keeping my gaze fixed out the window.
Seth clears his throat awkwardly. “I had this encounter with him at the academy. Just before I was assigned to you. He asked me a couple of questions about the... trouble I got into there.”
“What happened?”
Scenery whips past the window. Seth is silent for such a long time, I think he’s not going to answer. I can’t imagine what he could have done that was so bad.
“There was someone being bullied,” he says softly. “I didn’t like it, so I took measures to ensure it didn’t happen again.”
“What kind of measures?”
“I’m pretty good with computers... I hacked into his bank accounts and took all his money, gave it away to charity. I did a few things to his SIG records, so he looked like he had a couple of black marks against him. Messed with his driver’s license, gave him a few parking tickets. That kind of thing.”
My eyes widened. “I wouldn’t have picked you for a hacker.”
“I’m not really. But I was just so mad.”
“And what happened?”
“I made it clear that things like that would continue to happen if he kept bullying my friend.”
“Did he stop?”
Seth sighed. “In a way. My friend left the SIG academy, said he wasn’t cut out for it. The bully turned me in to the SIG watchdogs.”
“How did you not get thrown out too?”
“I don’t know. At least, I didn’t know for a long time. Now I think it might have been your father’s influence. He’s on the watchdog committee.”
“So he vouched for you?”
“At the time, while I was in front of the tribunal, he was actually the harshest of them all. A real tough nut, wanted me to be thrown out. But a couple of days later, he was a different man. Kind of friendly. I was shocked, because he really had ripped me a new one in the tribunal hearing. Looking back, I realize he was playing a part.”
“What makes you so sure?” I say, a little tartly. It’s all supposition. And I can’t help feeling a little jealous. He’s damn well had more interaction with my father than I have. It’s not fair.
“He said something to me. It was really cryptic at the time, but now it makes more sense.”
“What did he say?”
“Don’t let her fly away, without knowing how to get to the nest.”
I scrunch up my face. “And what the hell does that mean?”
“If you’re a dragon, you’re going to go through some kind of massive change when you turn twenty. And according to that book Jeff left us, the dragons usually did that at a nest of some kind.”
“And how am I going to find this nest?” I say, sarcasm hard in my voice.
Seth shrugs. “I don’t have that part figured out. That’s why we’re going to see your dad.”
“And you think we should mention a nest to him?”
“It’s just an idea. But it’s a conversation that I think was about you, and only he and I will know about.”
It’s a good idea. I just wish there was some cute little conversation that I’d had with my father that we could use instead.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“Do you even know this kid?” I ask, crouching behind a bush in Central Park.
“Of course. He’s run errands for me before.”
“Do you trust him?”
“Not particularly. That’s why I made sure to tip him really well and promise him money when he gets back. Nothing like more money to motivate.”
“It’s been more than forty-five minutes since you sent the message.”
“I know. Just calm down. Maybe he didn’t find your father straight away.”
“What if he’s not there?”
“He’s there. There’s a big meeting of the cadet academy faculty.”
“He’s not faculty.”
“He always goes, don’t worry.”
I shift my position, trying to ease the cramp in my legs. If I’m a sodding dragon, surely I shouldn’t have to suffer things like cramp and pins and needles?
“There he is,” whispers Seth triumphantly.
An older man is walking slowly down the exact path we told him to, his gaze fixed ahead of him, like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He’s wearing a suit, but it’s a relaxed loo
k, his tie loosened, his jacket undone. He’s got a bit of silver in his hair, but he looks fit and healthy. One hand is in his trouser pocket, and he’s wearing dark glasses against the glare of the sun.
“What do we do now?” I whisper back.
“I approach him with the news that you’re not dead after all.”
“I’m coming too.” I make to stand, but Seth puts one hand on my arm. “I think you should stay here. Wait until I’ve confirmed it’s okay.”
“It’s fine. He’s my dad.” I hesitate. “Probably.”
Seth shakes his head. “You never know. He could have been compromised. When I put my hand in my left pocket, you know it’s safe to come out. But not before then.” He glares down at me, like he knows I’m planning to ignore his precautions. “Promise me, Mei. Just do it my way, this time?”
I shrug, but can’t look away from the intensity in his eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ll wait for your signal.”
He smiles and pats me on the shoulder.
Then he’s gone, heading off at a crouching run to the other side of the wooded copse we’ve been hiding in for the last forty-five minutes.
I watch as Seth approaches my father. I find it hard to attach any significance to this man in front of me, SIG agent Damien Walker. He’s covered in the spell web, but it’s muted, like he’s got something covering it. Vincent said he was hiding the fact that he was supernatural, so I guess that’s why. I narrow my eyes, trying to see him better. There should be some kind of connection, shouldn’t there? Maybe a recognition deep in my gut that he was part of my creation?
But there’s nothing. He could be anyone. Just some old guy walking in the park at lunchtime.
Agent Walker stares at Seth as he approaches. He shakes his hand, placing his other hand on Seth’s shoulder.
They continue walking along the path and Seth talks to him for a few minutes. My father listens intently, before putting one hand out to stop Seth in his tracks. He asks Seth something, and Seth shakes his head. I try to read their lips, to figure out what’s happening.
I’m concentrating so hard on what’s happening out on the path in front of me, I don’t notice anything else until rough hands grab me from behind, locking my arms, and placing handcuffs around my wrists. I twist and turn, but whoever is behind me is strong.
“Eagle One, we have her. I repeat. We have the target.” He’s speaking into a headset, his voice low, but authoritative. I turn and see my father and Seth surrounded by SIG agents as well. My first thought is that he’s been followed, and I feel immediate regret that I’ve brought him into my mess. But then I see him step away from Seth, who is handcuffed and held by four brawny agents.
He’s part of it.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Before I can make another move, or at least try, a black canvas bag is shoved over my head, and my legs are tied together tight with zip wire. I’m hefted over my attacker’s shoulder, and I wonder how he’s going to carry a body out of Central Park without anyone noticing. Then I’m dumped into the back of some kind of trash can, and my question is answered.
It smells bad, and there’s something soft and mushy under my thigh that I try not to think about. It’s a relief when I’m transferred into the back of a vehicle, although this is short-lived, because now I’m worried about where they’re taking me.
Us. They took Seth as well, even though he’s an agent.
My hope is they’re going to take me back to SIG headquarters. At least there’s some sense of official procedure with SIG. It might be a covert agency, but surely they wouldn’t let an innocent person be murdered?
It’s all I have to hold on to.
I’m alone in the back of the car. I can’t see anything or move more than a couple of inches. I don’t bother sitting up, and when the car goes on an angle into what feels like an underground garage, my breathing gets messed up, and I focus on not hyperventilating inside the black material sack.
The car stops and the same rough hands drag me out of the backseat, holding my arm tight. Someone cuts the ties at my legs, and I hear other doors slamming around me. “Seth?” I say.
“I’m here, Mei.” Seth grunts as if someone has hit him, and I keep quiet. I reach out along the spell web. At least if I can find Seth’s patchy section of the grid, I’ll be able to breathe easier. But there’s nothing there. Literally nothing. It’s like the extreme silence of noise-cancelling headphones, when you’re used to having people yelling all around you. I try not to give in to the panic that’s crawling inside me, but I feel like I’m going to collapse in on myself without the support of the spell web.
Luckily for me, the hands on my arm don’t let go, and when the rest of the group moves, they pull me forward. I hear the ding of an elevator, and then I’m led into the confined space. I feel bodies close to mine, the heat reaching out to me. I shiver, despite the warmth.
It seems like forever before the elevator stops and the doors open.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask as we walk along a hallway. The only way I can tell is from the way our footsteps seem to echo around us.
No one answers, but I hear the breathing of several other people. I try to isolate the sounds, to confirm numbers. Si would be proud. There’s a heavy breather, someone with either a large nose, or maybe a broken nose. Then a shifty breather who isn’t breathing regularly, and a sniffer who’s driving me bonkers with his runny nose. There are more, but I’m proud of myself for managing to isolate even those three. Plus, it’s distracted me for a few minutes.
We continue down the hallway. A door opens and I’m shoved inside. No one follows me and the door closes. I stand uncertainly for a moment before lifting my handcuffed arms to my head. The canvas bag is tied on with rope, and I awkwardly start to pull it undone. My fingers are clumsy, and I can’t make them work properly. It takes me forever, but eventually I drag off the head covering and suck in fresh air.
Once I can breathe normally again, I look around. The room itself is strange. It has some form of metal cladding on all the walls, floor and ceiling. There is no handle on this side of the door, and there are no windows, just a chair and a bed to one side. I frown when I realize they mean for me to stay here long enough to need a bed. How long are they planning to keep me here?
The next thing I notice is the camera in the top corner recording everything I’m doing.
I touch the metal wall, expecting it to be cold, but it’s warm and lets off a faint buzzing vibration. It seeps into my hands and I pull away. I can’t sense anything outside this room, not even my strongest element, water. I pace the room, six steps by six steps, trying to figure out a way to escape, but there are no bolts to loosen, no vents to undo, not even a gust of air to indicate they’re giving me enough oxygen to breathe.
Visions of Vincent’s men throwing me into the water tank and the furnace make my legs wobble and I sit down onto the bed. Are they going to start testing me here, too? I’m not convinced I’m not a dragon anymore, so perhaps there’s a chance I’d survive whatever they throw at me.
But perhaps I won’t. I still don’t feel like a dragon. I definitely don’t look like one.
There’s nothing else to do but wait. Someone will have to come and get me eventually.
I’ve been avoiding thinking about him, but now I can’t help it. My father did this. He helped the SIG capture me and lock me up here. What does it mean? Is he doing it because he thinks it’s in my best interests? Or because he’s not really my father? I lie back on the bed, looking up at the metal ceiling, and let my thoughts run across my consciousness, trying to sort through them. Who can I trust? Why would they lock me up here? I don’t know the answers to those questions, and it’s driving me nuts. I slam my fist into the bed beside me, then look around the room again and try to find something that will help.
My gaze locks on the camera in the corner and its red blinking light. It occurs to me that I might be able to get them to come to me sooner rather than later. Waiting just seems like a wast
e of everyone’s time.
Walking over to the camera, I jump up and manage to knock it a little with both hands. It moves back into position. I leap up again and hit it, this time with more force.
It moves back again.
The third time, I wrap my handcuffs around the back of the camera where it’s attached to the wall, and I’m dangling there, pulling on it, when the door opens. This time I can see my burly guard.
“Hey. Stop that,” he says, his voice almost a growl.
He pulls on me, and the extra force rips the camera off its hinges. We both fall to the floor and end up lying in a heap on the metal ground, his arms still tight around my middle.
“The other girl didn’t cause trouble,” the guard mutters. “You’re obviously the dumb one.”
I elbow him in the ribs and stamp on his shins. If I’m the dumb one, I may as well be really stupid.
He growls and I can tell he’s in pain, but before he can retaliate, another figure appears in the doorway. “MacKenzie, if you can’t control one small woman, you’ll be reassigned.”
My father.
The guard lets go of my middle and I roll away. He drags himself to his feet and grudgingly reaches down with one arm and helps me to my feet as well. “She destroyed the camera, sir.”
It’s only as I’m standing next to him rubbing my wrists that I realize what he said.
What other girl?
“I can see that, MacKenzie,” my father is saying. “She’s due in room seven for questioning now, anyway. Bring her.” His face is bland, unconcerned, like it’s nothing special that he’s helped the SIG to lock me up and throw away the key.
The guard pulls me toward the door, his hands digging into my arms. My father is waiting outside the door, but I don’t look at him again. This is all his fault.
