Nothing made sense. None of the security videos showed anyone but Rebecca entering the archives for the past year and a half. The recorded key swipes were hers, as well. It was as if the missing documents had evaporated into thin air. After three days of going over things with her, I didn’t know if we were ever going to find what had happened to the papers. Even worse, I couldn’t talk to anyone else about it because I was helping in secret. Scott probably would have had a heart attack if he knew what I was doing.
Staring across the table at my old friend, I frowned, taking a sip of my coffee. He hadn’t left his room much in the two weeks we’d been here, and then suddenly asked if I would like to have breakfast with him in the mansion’s café, as if he had no reason other than wanting to see me.
I took a moment to study him, worried something might be wrong. The clothes he’d been given matched his style, the blue and yellow striped polo shirt neatly pressed and crisp across his chest. He appeared better than the last time I’d seen him. The circles under his eyes were almost gone and he was acting happier, like nothing was amiss. If I knew Scott like I thought I did, though, that was a sure sign that something was up.
“How are you feeling?” I asked him cautiously, watching as he smiled and twiddled his thumbs together without a care.
“Much better,” he answered warmly. “All that rest did me good.” He lifted the cup to his lips, taking a long drink of the tea inside.
Leaning forward, I lowered my voice, resting my folded arms on the table. “And the other stuff?”
He shook his head, ever so slightly, and winked. “What have you been up to?”
He sounded like he was asking about the weather. The message was clear, though. He didn’t want to talk about the research he’d been doing.
Trying not to roll my eyes in frustration, I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I go on walks in the park every now and then. Stare at the stuff in my room. That’s about it.”
“That reminds me!” He was instantly excited and insistent, standing up. “There’s an artifact in my room I think you’d find very interesting. Would you like to come see it?”
“Okay,” I said slowly, not understanding why he was going through such a charade for me.
“Mister Williams! How pleasant to see ya outta your room. Lucy was starting to get worried.” The thick, Australian accent stopped Scott in his tracks, his attention abruptly diverted to the man who had spoken.
Peering back, I frowned, not recognizing him. He was tall and lean, bald, and wearing a suit— a member of The Order. Something about him screamed secrets and disaster.
“Mister Smith. How nice to see you, again.” Scott sounded like it was anything but nice.
“A lucky coincidence,” Smith agreed, his voice somewhat strained. “I’m afraid I’m leaving, though. Have a plane to catch. Some mates of mine are gettin’ together this weekend and I have it in my mind to join them.”
“Eric, this is Peter Smith,” Scott said, staring down the man. “I met him during my last visit. He is second in command.” His voice held a hidden note of sourness, which I suddenly realized the reason for.
Peter Smith had been the one who decided to use Scott for bait with the Black Knights. He had also been incredibly rude the last time they’d met, which was a sure way to get on Scott’s bad side.
“Nice to meet you,” I replied, trying to diffuse some of the tension.
“You as well.” Smith fidgeted some, glancing at the watch on his wrist, and then shrugged. “You’ll excuse me. Not much time left.”
“Take care,” Scott said warmly. “We were leaving anyway.” He stood, motioning for me to come along.
Rising, I hesitated, caught between the two of them, and then cleared my throat, moving to Scott’s side.
Smith, battling with what to say, made a very noncommittal noise, and then left, rushing from the place as if it were on fire.
“What’s his deal?” I watched the man hurry out, feeling like I had missed some important part of the conversation.
“I haven’t a clue, Eric. Let’s go up to my room. You really should see this artifact.”
We made small talk as we wound our way back to our apartments, smiling at the other guests who were here for yet another wedding. When we were finally behind Scott’s closed door, I released a deep breath, reclining against the wall.
“What’s going on?”
He raised a finger to his lips, turning the television on and the volume up almost all the way. Then, he started the floor fan beside his bed and opened the window, the street sounds from outside joining the noise.
Pausing a moment, he steadied himself and then motioned for me to join him in the middle of the room. When he spoke, he was so quiet that I had to lean in to hear him.
“They’re listening to us,” he whispered, his tone panicked. “I found a bug in the computer. They’ve been watching everything I’ve investigated. They know we’re searching for Pandora’s Box, too.”
Caught off guard, I leaned away, looking at him with wide eyes. “Have you found anything?” I muttered.
He shook his head. “I’m too afraid to search anything specific. It’s like one big rat’s nest. The only thing I’ve pinned down for sure is that Professor Stevens is one of these Black Knights. I knew that before I came here.”
He went to the desk, retrieving a picture of a man and handing it to me. “That’s him. I printed it off because I knew they already know I’m aware of his background.”
Confused, I stared at the photograph. “This is the history professor, Stevens you said?”
“Yes, why?”
Glancing at him, I paused, still not sure of everything. “This is one of Kevin’s teachers. They’ve been doing online video classes for like a year. He was one of Kevin’s letters of recommendation for NYU.”
The color drained from Scott’s face in less than five seconds. “You’re sure? You have to be sure, Eric.”
“I’m positive,” I insisted. “I used to listen in and watch the videos with Kev. Are you sure that he’s a Black Knight?”
Scott nodded furiously, all but ripping the picture from me. “Have you heard from Kevin lately?”
“No.” I almost laughed. “They haven’t let us call anyone, you know that.”
Panic and anxiety rolled off him. “You need to get hold of him. Now. He could be in danger! I thought he would be safe because he’d gone, but . . . Stevens could’ve been waiting to get him until he left. They could think he knows something! He did that work on The Pit, as well. We need to warn him he’s not safe!”
I’d never seen Scott completely out of sorts before. He was so upset by this news, he acted like he was losing his mind.
“I’ll call him right now.” Trying to calm him down, I grabbed his shoulders. “Okay? He’s fine. You’ll see.”
“Don’t call him from a phone in here,” he breathed, eyes wide. “Get outside. Do it there.”
I nodded. “You wait here. I’ll come right here and tell you what he says, sound good?”
Scott licked his lips. Then, he nodded once. “Go. Go!”
His nerves transferred to me as I left, practically running down the hall. I didn’t know what I was going to do if my brother had been hurt because I was too careless to suggest he join us here. I’d thought him safe. He was in New York, away from The Pit and the mess it had brought us.
As soon as I left the mansion, I was immediately aware of the man following me. He’d been standing on the street, and was now casually moving along the sidewalk behind me, making no effort to conceal the fact that he was tailing me. I didn’t really care—I’d been told if I wanted to leave, I’d need an escort. However, making the call before he realized what I was doing was going to be trickier.
I didn’t have a cell phone and pay phones were a thing of the past. Maybe if I went into a store . . .
There was a coffee shop on this block. Making up my mind, I halfway jogged there, asking the girl behind the counter if I c
ould use her phone. She rolled her eyes and sighed, but handed me the receiver anyway.
“What are you doing?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Rebecca’s voice. Spinning around, I stared at her in surprise.
“Jesus,” I muttered. “You scared me half to death.”
“Why did you run off?” There was accusation in her tone.
“I need to use the phone,” I replied, holding the handset up. Before she could respond, I quickly punched in Kevin’s number. It started ringing and I held my breath.
“Eric, you can’t do that.” Rebecca reached for the wireless handset.
Catching her fingers in mine, I squeezed slightly. “It’s important,” I whispered. “I promise.”
The ringing stopped on the other end of the phone before she could answer.
“Hello?” Kevin’s voice crackled through the speakers and I felt a wave of relief.
“Kevin! It’s me, Er.” Grinning, I gave Rebecca a look of relief. “I was calling to see how things were going.”
“Eric?” He sounded surprised, maybe even a little mad.
“Yeah?”
“Dude, where are you?”
Surprised by how upset he sounded, I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re not at home, so where the frick are you?” His voice rang through the receiver clearly, but I still felt like I wasn’t understanding.
“How do you know I’m not home? I could’ve borrowed someone else’s phone.”
“Er, stop messing around! Where did you go? They’ve been searching everywhere for Scott and you.”
“Who has?”
Rebecca was watching me with confusion as well, her hand still trapped in mine.
“Never mind,” Kevin said quickly, clearing his throat. “Listen man, where are you? I’ve been worried.”
“I’m in D.C.”
Silence met my ears from the other side.
“Kevin?”
His words were rushed as he spoke, his voice so low I almost couldn’t even hear him. The more he said, the icier my body got, not wanting to believe the logic of what he was saying.
“You need to get out of there right now, Er. The Black Knights are coming for you. We’ve been planning it for months. The wedding at the mansion—it’s a set up. One of the gifts is a bomb. They’re going to blow that building up and take any Templars that live through it with them. Get Scott and run. Right now, Er! Hang up the phone and run!”
Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the world, the patrons of the coffee shop screaming as the sound roared through the small diner, shaking everything. A percussion wave flashed, shattering windows and glasses, knocking everyone to the floor. The phone flew from my hand, Kevin’s voice disappearing with it. For a moment, I stopped to appreciate the irony that an actual detonation had occurred during the exact moment that my life as I knew it blew apart.
Rebecca’s face filled my sight, her long hair tickling my face. “Eric?” She was shouting, shaking me. “Eric, can you hear me?”
Nodding, I let her help me sit, my attention focusing on what was going on around us. People were shouting and crying, getting to their feet and running from the building, while others on the street fled the scene as well. I could smell smoke and blood, seeing some of the second leaking from a cut on Rebecca’s forehead.
“You’re hurt,” I said thickly, reaching up and wiping the gore from her face.
“Better than dead,” she replied roughly, pulling me to my feet. “We need to go.”
My brain was moving slower than normal. “Scott,” I finally said. “Scott was still inside. We need to go get him!”
She paused, glaring at me in both annoyance and fear, and then nodded, taking my hand. “Let’s go.”
We stumbled onto the street, the sound of sirens filling the lane. As I peered to where the manor had been, it was clear at least half of it was missing, and the other half was burning. People were running in and out of the chaos, pulling others from the wreckage, crying for help, and generally acting the way anyone would in the face of such an attack.
As I watched the carnage, I felt my steps slowing until I had stopped in the middle of the road. I was a stone in a riverbed of chaos, refusing to move against the unstoppable torrent of terrified people flowing around me. Rebecca tugged my hand, yelling something, but I couldn’t hear her over the roaring in my ears. Abandoning her attempts, she faced me, placing her palms on my cheeks. Silent, she wiped a stray strand of my hair out of the way, concern filling her eyes. The world seemed to slow, the aftermath of everything fading into the background as we stared at each other.
“Kevin knew,” I said slowly, clinging to her like she was a life raft and I was drowning. “He knew. He said there was a bomb and I needed to run.” I watched her as I fought to take another breath through my shock. “He was working with them. With the Black Knights. Kevin helped plan this attack. He knew what they were going to do. My brother.” The words seemed to disintegrate as they fell from my mouth, lost in the noise and terror surrounding us. “He’s one of the bad guys.”
Rebecca nodded, frowning as she continued to watch me. “I know you’re confused and scared.” She spoke softly. “I am, too. But Scott may still be alive and need our help. We have to keep moving.” Her hands pressed against my cheeks, the only thing I could feel besides the overwhelming disbelief at my brother’s actions.
Behind her, I saw a black shape moving through the smoke, the face of the person covered. They seemed to inch toward us, maneuvering around the debris and civilians as if they weren’t even there. Something metallic flashed in their hands, the handle of a gun peeking out from their waistband.
Eyes widening, I felt my breath stop, everything that had been in turmoil inside me screeching to a sudden halt.
They’re going to take any Templars that live with them.
Kevin’s words zipped to the front of my mind, and I instantly knew Rebecca was in danger. Somehow, the attackers knew who she was and they were coming for her.
Focusing on her, I swallowed the lump in my throat, wrapping her fingers in my own. Leaning in, I gripped her tightly, pulling her body close to make it seem like I was simply embracing her.
My lips grazed her ear and I spoke quickly. “They’re taking survivors. I see one of them now, heading this way. When I give the signal, we need to run.”
She froze, her grip strengthening, and gave the smallest of nods, pressing along me as if she needed support.
Watching the man who stealthily made his way toward us, I tried to guess how long it would take him to reach this end of the panic. There was a large group of people blocking his way, several of the coffee shop patrons having flooded into the street.
A large man stepped in my line of sight, blocking the masked man for a split second.
“Now,” I urged, running away from the scene, pulling Rebecca behind me.
Several people shouted in alarm or anger as we shoved by them, darting across the path. Unable to help myself, I glanced over my shoulder, feeling a streak of fear as I caught sight of the man giving chase.
“This way!” Rebecca tugged on me, altering our course down a side alley. She seemed to know where she was going, slipping around corners, leading us into darkened crooks and through holes in fences.
Still, I could hear the footsteps of the Black Knight behind us, his grunts as he vaulted over trashcans and climbed any barricade we tried to throw in his way.
Bursting onto a busy sidewalk, we practically bowled over a mother and her child, the father shouting as we barreled down the sidewalk.
Spotting a subway entrance across the road, I yanked her in that direction, running into traffic without looking. A yellow taxi skidded to a halt, almost running into us, its horn blaring, but I didn’t bother to apologize. Instead, I set my sights on the tunnel opening, dragging Rebecca along, practically falling the length of the stairs as we descended underground.
“Eric, the train!” she y
elled, pointing to the light that was rapidly approaching the station.
Frantic, I tried to think of another way out, knowing the masked man would appear at any moment, only steps behind us. There was only one option I could see, and it was the most dangerous one of all.
Glancing her way, I nodded, hoping she was anticipating what I was about to do. Her face was conflicted, but she squeezed my fingers all the same.
We jumped.
It was farther to the rails than I’d anticipated, my knees giving out as I hit the ground, and I rolled, the screams of the bystanders echoing off the tiled walls. Somehow, I managed to keep hold of Rebecca, though, the two of us pulling each other up.
Behind us, the subway blared its horn, the bright light blinding as it barreled toward us.
Running, my chest on fire from the effort it took to keep breathing at such a pace, I searched for any type of opening in the wall.
And I found it.
Dragging Rebecca to the right, I pulled her into the small enclave just as the train roared past us, the force of it jarring me against the cement. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her head to my chest, and closed my eyes, waiting for the locomotive to finish passing.
“I’m fine, I promise.” Rebecca grinned weakly as I studied the cut on her forehead, wiping away the dried blood as carefully as I could with a wet washrag.
“The motel clerk thought you were dying when we walked into the lobby,” I muttered, frowning as I pinched the two sides of the wound together. “You might need stitches, actually.”
She brushed my hand away, sitting on the queen-sized bed. “It’s nothing. It doesn’t even hurt. Besides, someone from The Order will be here to get us by tomorrow. If it’s still as bad as you think it is, they’ll take care of it. Until then, I’ll put a bandage on it.”
Shaking my head, I sat beside her, clutching the stained cloth like it was my only lifeline. I wanted to argue with her, but, in truth, I was too exhausted to do anything else. Running through the subway tunnels and escaping through a service entrance would’ve been enough to knock anyone out. But, we’d walked clear across D.C. it seemed, not stopping until we reached this budget motel. For whatever reason, Rebecca decided this place would be safe.
Stolen Away : A Time Travel Romance (The Swept Away Saga Book 4) Page 5
