The Omega Effect (Van Helsing Organization Book 3)

by Noree Cosper

  Please don’t let him try to bring her back after all that happened with Adrian.

  Anderson swung the gun in my direction. The white of his eyes was visible around his entire iris and his chest rose in quick pants. The man was out of his depth and didn’t know who the enemy was. I paused and raised my arms, spreading my fingers wide to show I wasn’t a threat.

  “Stay where you are.” Anderson glanced at Tres. “Sir, I need you to back away from the victim.”

  “I’m a doctor,” Tres said.

  “Fine.” Anderson’s lips pressed together, and he let out a sigh as his gun turned back to Irae. “Step away.”

  Irae took a few steps back with a maniac grin on her face. Her look turned my stomach. I swallowed hard and took a few cautious steps to Tres’s side. Anderson kept his gun trained on Irae and he spoke into the small radio on his chest.

  “This is Anderson, I need back-up at the Queen’s Court Mall,” he said. “We have a Code 10-34Q. Ambulance is needed on site.”

  Tres raised his tear-filled eyes to me and my heart tightened, though I’d already knew what he’d discovered.

  “She’s gone,” he said.

  I rested my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  He glared up at Irae. “Why?”

  “She was a sinner,” Irae said. “There was no redemption for her.”

  The mall security had finally arrived. Five of them surrounded us, huffing from their haste to reach the incident. Anderson moved closer with his gun still pointed at Irae. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he stared at her with wide eyes, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  “Do you need medical attention?” he asked.

  “You mean this?” She waved her flaming hands at him with that creepy smile of hers.

  The surrounding guards muttered and cursed amongst themselves, raising their Tasers at her.

  With a flick of her wrists, the fire dissipated. Anderson did a double take and the gun in his hand began to shake.

  “One move and I will shoot you,” he said.

  With a laugh, she raised her hands to her head and dropped to her knees. “I think this is the position I’m supposed to be in?”

  Anderson moved closer, taking out his handcuffs from his belt. He cuffed them around Irae and hauled her to her feet. He gave us a glance.

  “You need to stay here for questioning on what the hell is going on,” he said.

  I glanced at Tres and back to him. “This isn’t the best time. You’re not going to get much out of him. I really need to get him back to the hospital. He’s not even supposed to be out.”

  Anderson’s gaze traveled to Tres. “Fine. He can leave, but you stay.”

  I gritted my teeth. This detective wasn’t going to let things go. I doubted he was ready to know the truth about the world he lived in with all the things that hid in the dark.

  “All right,” I said. “I need to get him to his brother.”

  Anderson nodded at one of the security guards. “Go with her and make sure she comes back.”

  The security guard gulped and nodded, stepping up beside Tres and me. Great. Like I needed an armed escort. Anderson pushed Irae and she stumbled forward, humming a hymn as she walked. The security guards filed out behind them, through the mall. What few onlookers were left murmured to themselves from a safe distance.

  I helped Tres to his feet. “Let’s get you to Adrian.”

  He nodded and trudged out of the mall with me. Adrian was waiting for us in a green Jeep parked at the curb at the double glass doors. He took one look at Tres and his lips pressed into a thin line, but he made no sharp quips. I helped Tres in the back where he lay down, curling into a ball. He stared at the back of the driver’s seat with a blank stare, like he wasn’t seeing anything. With a sigh and a glance at my escort, I turned to Adrian.

  “I need to stay here and answer some questions.” I said. “Were you able to track Aaron, at least?”

  Adrian shook his head. “Things went crazy before I could get to him.”

  My shoulders slumped, and I slammed the passenger door. We had too many losses and not enough wins. At least Irae was in jail, for however long Sariel would let her stay there.

  My mind tumbled through what I was going to tell Anderson as I followed the security guard back inside the mall. We didn’t go back to the second floor. Instead, we marched down the long hall through a department store and out to another parking lot. Multiple police cars and a fire truck were parked with their red and blue lights flashing. Anderson stood next to one of the police cars speaking with two uniformed officers. Irae sat in the back of the car with her head bent as if in prayer.

  Anderson turned from the two police officers he’d been talking to and walked in my direction. He took a pad and paper.

  “Tell me what you know,” he said.

  I gave a bitter laugh. “Where do you want me to start?”

  His eyes narrowed. “How do you know our suspect?”

  I let out a long breath. “I met Irae in an abandoned building. She looked like she’d been attacked.”

  “What were you doing in the building?”

  “Investigating,” I said. “I had a case.”

  “What was this case?”

  “I was trying to track down a man named Faust.”

  Anderson raised an eyebrow at the name. Perhaps he was more well-read than I thought. “Why?”

  “It’s confidential,” I said. “I believe Mr. Harker told you what you would need to learn about our cases.”

  “Back to this Irae,” he said. “How well do you know her?”

  “Not very,” I said. “We allowed her to stay with us for a few days as we tried to track down more information on her.”

  “Really? That seems odd for a detective agency.”

  I shrugged. “She left before the building collapsed.”

  “And what were you doing here?”

  “I came to get Tres,” I said. “He left the hospital before he should have because his girlfriend called him.”

  “And that would be the deceased?”

  I nodded. “Delilah Mitchell.”

  “And what were they discussing?” he asked.

  I crossed my arms and chewed the inside of my cheek. “I really didn’t get to hear much. I think Delilah was trying to get Tres to leave with them.”

  “Did you know they knew each other?”

  I shrugged. “I guess so.”

  Anderson rubbed the bridge of his nose. “And how exactly did Irae attack Delilah?”

  “I was already leaving with Tres, so I didn’t see a lot. You probably saw more than I did.”

  His jaw tightened, and he stepped closer in a threatening way. “A girl has been burnt to death! Tell me the truth. How were her hands burning? How did she just flick the fire out?”

  I swallowed. “I have no logical explanation for what happened. Some sort of chemical on her hands?”

  “You’re lying!”

  Anderson’s voice echoed loud enough that the surrounding police looked our direction. The two closest frowned. One stepped forward.

  “Detective,” he said. “Maybe you should take a break.”

  Anderson shot me a wild-eyed glance. He was close to losing it. I raised my chin. I’d face demons; I wouldn’t be intimidated by a police detective. Anderson stepped towards me and stopped, taking a deep breath.

  “We should continue this tomorrow at the station,” he said. “I’ll have my answers. Don’t make me come find you.”

  I crossed my arms. “Fine. Now can someone give me a ride home as I seem to have lost mine?”

  Fifteen minutes later, I sat in the back of a police car with one of the uniformed officers driving me to my apartment. I rubbed my temples. We’d gotten no closer to trapping the nephilim, except that Irae was in prison. We still had no clue how to stop Sariel. And now I had a detective on my back who was possibly unhinged from his first brush with the supernatural.

  And I used to
think demons were hell.

  Chapter 28

  I couldn’t sleep once I arrived back at my apartment. After an hour of tossing and turning, my mind had remained active and sleep became more elusive. Instead, I’d decided to research through the few books I owned on how to exorcise an angel.

  I flipped through the tome in my lap. It was about the length of my forearm and as thick as both my arms together. The brown cover had worn and faded to tan in several parts, and the title had long since vanished. I knew what it was though.

  The book was an early treatise on John Dee’s work from a former student of his in the 17th century. John Dee had been the foremost authority on angels and their relevance to the occult at the time. The Church had been another expert, but getting them to divulge any secrets to non-clergy was like the torture they performed on heretics.

  Somewhere, in Dee’s work, there had to be some sort of information on banishing an angel from possessing its host. Some incantation, or sigil. So, far, the only banishment mentioned was that of releasing a summoned angel. In that respect, angel summoning was a lot like demon summoning, which made sense as both came from the Eclipse, though in different parts. It didn’t help with banishing a possessing angel though.

  I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning back into the cushion of the armchair. Aaron and Irae had alluded to the fact Sariel planned on wiping out the entire city. How, I still wasn’t sure. Something to do with weather with Aaron’s power? Where did Viktor’s telekinesis fit in and why did they want Tres?

  Was this even the right idea? Sariel was an Archangel from heaven who battled demons and devils for the souls of humanity. I’d spent my life fighting the minions of Hell, and now I’d be fighting something I should stand with. This dragged me one step closer to falling into Naamah’s hands.

  Still, the death of nearly nine million people didn’t sit well with me. Sariel had to be stopped. I picked up my phone and typed out a message to Marge.

  Have your contacts found anything on Sariel?

  After a few minutes, her reply came. Nope. Not him, but it looks like the demons are freaking out. My guy Coker says a lot have gone underground.

  Is that where you’ve been? Hunting demons?

  So?

  We could really use your help.

  I need some time to think.

  About what?

  The angel broke my contract.

  You’re thinking of joining him?

  No! After a few minutes the word was followed by another text. Just not sure if this is my fight.

  I understand where you are coming from. Think on this: He’s planning on taking out all of New York. That includes kids who have nothing to do with demons. I know how you feel about kids.

  She didn’t respond. I sighed and set down the phone. Marge had a thing about kids getting hurt. It stemmed from the abuse she’d had to endure from her father as a child. That abuse had been the reason Marge’s mother had made a contract for Marge’s soul. I hoped she’d think about my words and remember this was all our fight.

  In the meantime, I had to continue my search for a way to stop Sariel. Somewhere in my books, there must be some clue. My library wasn’t as impressive as Esais’s at the office. I had never stayed in one location long enough to keep extensive collection. But it was enough to fill two bookshelves, and all were considered antiques. However, their knowledge was far more valuable to me than their price.

  “Looking for a way to remove me?” Esais’s voice spoke from near the door to my balcony.

  I started and turned in my seat, my hand going to a dagger resting on one of the armrests. He stepped forward into the light. His glasses were gone, but one lock of his cinnamon-colored hair flopped over his forehead. He gave me his boyish grin, but it was like it was a mask that didn’t quite fit him.

  “Unless you plan on leaving Esais, like tonight,” I said.

  He laughed with Esais’s voice, but there was no mirth in it. “My time is not yet up. I still have four days.”

  I gripped the knife tighter and rose to my feet, letting the book fall to the side of the chair. “Why have you come?”

  His gaze rested on my dagger for a moment. “I have a proposition for you.”

  “First you take Viktor, then you try to get your minions to convince Tres,” I said. “It’s my turn now.”

  “Minions?” he chuckled. “The nephilim choose to serve me.”

  “But they are still expendable to you. Irae is in jail.”

  He sighed. “She is short tempered. Perhaps some time in prison will calm her down.”

  “You don’t seem concerned about losing her for your plan.”

  “She has served her purpose. In a few days, her imprisonment will not matter.”

  I stiffened. “What do you mean by that?”

  He gave me a sympathetic look. “You have been a great warrior for the past few centuries, despite what Lust had bound. You could have been much more. You were meant to be.”

  I crossed my arms. “Are you offering to give that to me if I join you? It’s not happening.”

  He chuckled. “No. I am offering you a chance for peace. For you to rest. Let another take up your duties. It pains me to see the curse that binds you and my sibling.”

  It felt as if my stomach dropped. “Sibling?”

  “Did you think it was a random spirit that gifted you?”

  “You know who it is?”

  His lips lifted in a patronizing smile. “You were named Gabriella.”

  Gabriel.

  I chill crept off my spine and I could almost hear the rattle of chains scraping together. It had to be my imagination. I’d never heard anything in the Eclipse. Was what he said true? How could my spirit have been bound so easily though?

  I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “So, you want to kill me.”

  “It will give you peace and free my sibling to choose another warrior in our mission.”

  “Just what is your mission?” I asked. “Destroying this city?”

  “This is only a small battle,” he said. “It must happen to make sure our enemy does not gain ground.”

  “Who is this enemy?”

  “Does this mean you refuse my offer?”

  “I’m not ready for peace. I will get Allegra on my own.”

  A look of sadness crossed his face. “I expected you to say that.”

  “Who is this enemy we are supposed to fight?”

  “That is not for you to know. At least in your current condition.”

  I chewed the inside of my lip. “But is has to do with demons, or at least Brimstone, which comes from demon blood. But most of the city isn’t affected.”

  “It cannot be allowed to escape,” Sariel said. “If you were whole, you would understand this.”

  “I agree it is dangerous, but not at the expense of the lives of an entire city.”

  “Would you rather it be at the expense of the world?”

  I swallowed. “We stopped the distribution. We killed Cambione.”

  “He was just a pawn.”

  “Then I will find Faust and kill him as well. He’s the one who knows the formula.”

  Sariel laughed. “Faust is not the master of this, but I agree he should be eliminated. However, he is not easy to eliminate.”

  “Is he still in the city?” I asked.

  Sariel stared down at me. “It is no longer your concern. If you do not wish to accept my offer of peace, then you should take the remaining Van Helsing brothers and leave the city.”

  I swallowed. “I can’t do that.”

  “Do not interfere with my duty, Gabriella.” Sariel took a step to the shadows. “If you do, the choice will no longer be yours.”

  A ruffling of feather filled the air, and he disappeared, leaving me with a multitude of churning thoughts about my fall from grace.

  Chapter 29

  Once again, the buzzing of my phone woke me. This time I had not dreamed, at least one that I could remember. I always counted those nig
hts as blessings. I groaned and grabbed my phone. Another text from an unknown number, but different from the last.

  Penthouse of the Surrey. Soon.

  A chill crept up my spine, despite the blankets that covered me. That had been the same room we’d trailed Cambione to. Where I had killed the lamia.

  I dialed Adrian’s number and rested the phone against my ear as I flung the covers off me. He picked up after the second ring.

  “You’re actually calling me this time,” he said.

  “Yeah, I don’t sleep with your earbud in,” I said. “I got another text from a number I don’t know. Think you can trace it?”

  “Of course,” he said.

  I read off the number and walked to the dresser, then yanked out a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. I tossed them on the bed. My stomach rumbled. Had I even eaten yesterday? After dressing, I grabbed an apple from the small bowl on my kitchen counter and bit into it. The sweet juice filled my mouth.

  “It looks like it’s from a disposable phone,” Adrian said. “I’m not able to trace the owner.”

  “So, whoever it is, they’re trying to stay anonymous. Suspicious,” I said.

  “What did the text say.”

  “Gave me the penthouse of the Surrey Hotel. Same one as Cambione.”

  “So, they might be blackmailing you or something is happening there.”

  “Or they want to catch me in a trap,” I said.

  “The last text led you to the nephilim and Delilah and their meeting with Tres,” Adrian said. “This might be worth checking out.”

  “All right, but I’m not going alone. Where are the others?”

  “Jonah and Lucy are with Tres. He’s still broken up about Delilah. Why, I don’t know.”

  “Despite what she did, he still cared for her,” I said. “And she didn’t deserve to die like that.”

  “Perhaps,” Adrian said. “I have not heard from Marge since she left the hospital.”

  “That’s not good,” I said. “I will try to call her.”

  I got no answer from Marge’s phone. With a sigh, I texted Adrian to meet me at the hotel and headed into my bedroom to prepare for whatever was there. I took a set of daggers and two Kali sticks as well as a few holy water grenades Adrian had made. I was prepared for demons, but I had no idea what to do against the nephilim.