When I finally got home later that night, I was two hours late. I was grounded before I closed the front door behind me. I told my dad, “Fine. I’m going to bed.”
I could see the anger and frustration all over his face. “You keep bucking me like this and you’ll be confined to your room.”
I stopped halfway up the stairs. “Only for a few more months, Dad,” I replied. “Once I turn eighteen, I’m gone. You want to smother me into hating you? You’re doing a bang-up job.” I knew I had hurt him by how he flinched and looked away. But I was so mad! I was pissed that he was acting like an overbearing psycho father. I needed his support, not iron bars.
“Airel, I’m trying to keep you—you know what, never mind. Just go.”
“Fine.” I turned and ran up the stairs, holding the tears inside until my door closed. My life was supposed to be getting back to normal, not becoming a living hell.
***
ELLIE WAS GLAD THAT Airel convinced her parents to let her stay with them. The truth was that Airel was the kind of girl who could use a friend who was unafraid to speak with wisdom when she needed to hear it most.
And there was another reason Ellie wanted to stay close by.
She could intuit that Airel’s father, John, was not what he claimed to be. It wasn’t the average travelling salesman who could pull international diplomatic levers like that. She suspected something from the little she had seen in South Africa, but after doing her own digging, she was convinced that John had something to hide.
But what?
That was the question. It was about 1:30 a.m., and when the phone rang, Ellie woke instantly but lay in bed waiting. She could hear John’s voice down the hall. She faded into the air, moving out of her room toward his office.
John sat in a high-backed chair, fiddling with a paperclip as he talked on the phone.
“Who’s this?” He paused, twisting the paperclip between his fingers.
Ellie could see the recognition on his face. It wasn’t a good thing.
He sighed. “Oh.”
She could feel his foreboding—this was not a friend on the other end.
“When and where?” He paused to listen.
“Okay,” John said to the empty space. He placed the phone back in its cradle and opened his laptop.
Ellie moved around behind him and watched as he signed into his accounts, making sure she memorized his password in case she needed it later. Looks like we’re going on a little trip. Where to this time, John? I hope it’s somewhere tropical. I could use a little base tan.
And then John spoke again, this time to nobody. “I wonder if I’ll be home for Christmas this year.” He paused. “Something tells me no.”
CHAPTER XVII
In the northeastern mountains of Turkey—Present Day
WHEN KREIOS AWOKE THE next day, he knew something was going to change forever. The winds were different. Not better or worse—just different. They brought with them the scent of something terrible. It was death, a thing Kreios knew how to wear when El allowed it.
Yes, everything would change today.
He made ready and soon sat on the ground before the hut of the man with the mark. An hour passed. He heard a stir inside, so he sat up a little straighter.
The man poked his head out from the flap of his front door. He did not visibly react to Kreios’s presence. Maybe strange men had appeared to him before. The man’s eyes were different from any Kreios had ever seen. They were all white, and the tiny pupils were not couched in irises, making them appear like pebbles pierced by deep blackness at the center. “Who are you?” the farmer asked.
“You know who I am, Cain.”
The farmer emerged from his house and stood erect before the visitor. “You know that name?”
Kreios stood, easily doubling him for mass and size, standing at least two heads taller than Cain. “I do.”
“Then you can only be the Angel of El.” Cain bowed his head before Kreios. “What can I give to the Messenger of God?”
“Cain, the end draws close. The time has come for the father of murder under the sun to fulfill both his days and his call. El has a purpose for the mark you bear that you have not foreseen, though you have seen many years indeed.”
Cain seemed pleased. He smiled and bowed again. “Only say the word, and I shall do what you command.”
Kreios gestured to him. “Come with me to the nearest of the thin places—I seek to go where only you can take me.”
Cain backed up a step and shook his head. “No. I will never go there, not ever again unless it is in death.” Fear flooded his face, and Kreios began to glow. His tattoos burned bright and Cain quivered.
“You will take me now or you shall suffer for another thousand years, Cain. I am the taker of lives, and I shall forget you were ever born unless you do as I command.”
Still Cain refused.
Kreios shrugged. “Very well. May you live long and be full of years. When I return to you in a thousand years, you will run to me with outstretched arms and beg me to allow you to do your duty.” Turning, Kreios began to walk away. He was not surprised, though, when Cain called after him.
“Please, wait. Angel of El, I will go. Only swear to me that you will end my life once I take you to that place of torment.”
Kreios stopped. He nodded without turning. “You will have rest from this life, this I swear.”
Cain hobbled up to Kreios’s side and they walked together into the forest. At the edge of the meadow, they disappeared.
***
Boise, Idaho—Present Day
AFTER A TOUGH DAY at school—one of those days that feel like nothing goes right and there’s no explanation why—I went home, did my homework, streamed a couple of shows, and went to bed, falling asleep instantly.
I dreamed I was walking along a dusty trail. There were hoofprints and primitive wheel tracks in the powdery earth, and above me the sky looked unsettled, angry—rain was coming. I looked ahead and saw three black birds circling high, riding the updrafts.
As it usually happens in dreams, I didn’t have to travel long to arrive. I was suddenly there, standing at the place where the birds were circling. I looked down.
I stood over a corpse.
The three black birds continued to circle overhead. I looked out to the horizon and saw pinpricks of black in the washed-out sky, standing out against snarling gray-black clouds, flying toward me. More vultures were gathering.
A part of me wanted to run, leave the body alone, but I wanted to see who it was. More birds swarmed and now they were diving low, trying to get me to leave their meal alone. I leaned down and rolled the body over so I could see its face.
It was me.
I screamed and sat up, finding myself at home in my own bed. It was dark out—the middle of the night, according to the clock on the nightstand. These nightmares were coming on stronger lately, more often too, and I felt it was She letting me know that something was coming.
“But what?” I asked the air. She didn’t respond, as was her normal way. Our minds were almost one now, her voice almost my own. I liked having her for my sixth sense, but I needed some answers, not more riddles in the dark. I was sick of those. First it had been Kreios, and now She. When would my oppressions end?
I got up and started down the stairs to get a warm glass of milk, making sure not to wake Ellie, who was staying in Kim’s old room. I was at the bottom of the stairs when I heard the phone ring. I could hear Dad talking in his office and I reached out to try to hear what he was saying. There was nothing, so I crept closer to the door and eavesdropped.
“Okay,” he said. He sounded sad, as if whatever the news was, it was bad. I could see his back and part of his desk through the small space between the office door and the jamb. He opened his laptop, and in a moment had an email message up on the screen. I could make out an itinerary for airline tickets. At the top of the screen, I saw the CIA logo.
My body tensed. Some things started to fal
l into place in my head—others made no sense at all. What is my dad doing, getting airline tickets from the CIA?
***
Have you ever kissed in the rain?
Who is this?
It would be a shame never to kiss in the rain. This is Dirk.
How did you get my number?
I have my ways.
And I have a boyfriend.
So you keep telling me. Why didn’t you go to my gig? It was packed. I searched the crowd for you and had to leave disappointed.
You will live a life of constant disappointment if you keep chasing things you can’t have.
I don’t want to possess you—I only want to be your friend.
You want more than that.
I’m not texting you for an argument. Anyway, never mind what I want. I’ll respect your decision to stay with your boy toy. Sometimes I get carried away.
Is that an apology?
Will it matter if it is?
I won’t hate you as much.
Yeah, it’s an apology.
Forgiven. Now don’t text me anymore.
I know, I know, you have a boyfriend.
I put my phone on silent and sat on the edge of my bed. Dirk was refusing to take the hint, yet I was still allowing him to engage me. Why did I text him back? I could have told him to get lost, but I didn’t. And I didn’t know why.
Michael was friendly with other girls, but he didn’t flirt with them. He was polite and kind to everyone—it was that simple. I knew how he felt about me too, even if things had been crazy stressful for both of us lately.
My phone vibrated. There was another text from Dirk.
Sleep well, Airel.
I didn’t know if he was trying to be annoying or charming.
Ellie told me she went out with him last week—said it was part of “establishing her cover”. She even went to one of his shows. She said he was really talented. “He sings with the voice of an angel,” she said, “and I should know.”
I told her she could have him.
If I’d learned anything from being pursued by another man, it was that I really loved Michael. Dirk only helped me to realize Michael and I belonged together. He was my soul mate, if there was such a thing. I deeply hoped there was because I didn’t want to live in a world where there wasn’t. I didn’t want to live in the kind of world where there wasn’t any room for hopeless romantics. If anything, Dirk was pushing me toward Michael. The extra pressure wasn’t going to change anything. Not for me.
CHAPTER I
Washington, D.C.—Present Day
ELLIE WORE DARK, OVERSIZED sunglasses and a hooded coat to hide her blue hair. She was a little pissed off that John had forced her to go all the way to D.C. instead of somewhere cool. But this was the price of the truth, and she would have the truth.
John walked toward a table for two, low light, back of the house. Ellie faded into nothing and moved in close enough to ensure she wouldn’t miss anything. The longer she stayed invisible, the harder it was to get back together, and the more it hurt. Nothing was free, not even her gift.
A man at the table who appeared to be FBI, CIA or just a run-of-the-mill spook motioned for John to sit. He sat and both men sized one another up, then John ordered an espresso.
He seemed to relax a little after that. Ellie wondered how many meetings like this he’d had in his lifetime. “What do I call you?” he asked, his voice low.
“My op handle is PILLBOX, if you must call me anything other than ‘sir’.”
John swallowed. “Got it.”
“I’ll get down to business, John, because I know if I were in your position, I’d appreciate the courtesy. I’m working for an individual who will go by the name MAGICIAN, at least for now. This individual requires that you procure an item for them.”
“I gather there’s no brochure?”
“Don’t get smart. It’s real simple. You can either bring the item in, or we can turn the dogs loose on you and your family. You racked up quite a bit of debt over there in Cape Town when you decided to cowboy up.”
John clenched his fists under the table, but his voice was steady. “I could have handled things differently, you know,”
“Yeah, you could have, John. But it wasn’t working out in your favor. Besides, where would it have landed you?”
John sighed. “Tell me what you want.”
“MAGICIAN wants you to bring back a little trinket. It’s a precious stone. Looks like a ruby. We tracked it from South Africa to Zurich, where it changed hands. One of our guys tells us that its new handler took it on to the UK, that it’s in or around Glasgow now.”
“And where do I come in?”
PILLBOX dug around in his overcoat and produced an itinerary, sliding it forward on the table. “You fly out tomorrow morning.”
John looked at the travel documents and pulled out boarding passes for a series of flights that went from Dulles to JFK to Heathrow to Edinburgh. He was already checked all the way through. The name on the tickets was Morgan Hale, U.S. diplomat, so customs wouldn’t be an issue.
Ellie was impressed—these guys didn’t mess around.
PILLBOX answered John’s questioning glance by producing a folio that contained several thousand British pound notes in small denominations, and a passport that matched the tickets. “Don’t worry. You look like a Hale, comma, Morgan. Hire a car in Edinburgh and drive. It’s only about forty miles.”
“Who’s the mark?” John asked.
Ellie wondered if the mission was an assassination. John’s not into that kind of work, is he?
PILLBOX tapped the folio, prompting John to shuffle through the papers. At the back was a thin dossier with the photo of a woman. As he stared at the black-and-white image, he asked, “Rules of engagement?”
“Improvise. Zero collateral—if possible. The mark keeps the item on her person at all times. Retrieve it however you can and return stateside. Hitch a ride with the waiting U.S. Air Force bird at RAF Lakenheath. They’re expecting one VIP Morgan Hale within the next 24-48 hours. That C-37 will be standing by, and you can drive right onto the ramp with these credentials. The usual drill, really, John. Morgan. Further questions?”
“So I’ve become a jewel thief now?”
PILLBOX shrugged. “If you want to look at it like that. Really, what you are is a kept man. After you become a jewel thief, you can stop being both of those. Just as long as MAGICIAN gets what he/she wants.”
“What’s the attraction?”
Ellie knew the Bloodstone when she saw it. Now she was sure John was somehow involved in at least some of what had been going on with Airel. Maybe not intentionally, but he’s far deeper than she knows. I wonder if he’s for us or against us. Her thoughts turned dark as she wondered about the implications. If John’s connected with the Brotherhood…
“I’ll say it like this, John,” PILLBOX said. “You have lots of experience running guns. We thought you’d be perfect for this job.”
“So it’s a weapon of some kind?”
“I never said any such thing.” PILLBOX tapped his wristwatch. “Better get to work, John. That Air Force return ticket’s only good for another couple of days.” He stood and adjusted his overcoat. “Best of luck. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
John sat at the table and watched the man walk out the front door into the December cold.
He said nothing. He sat and stared, looking lost.
Ellie wondered what he was thinking and decided to risk it. If she was the only immortal within range, tapping into his thoughts wouldn’t give too much away. The implications of this meeting had too many possibilities. It was worth the risk. She concentrated and listened.
“How did I get here?” John thought. “Didn’t I used to be something more than a freakin’ cog in the machine? John’s thoughts came at Ellie in flashes of images—glimpses of royalty and majesty from some other time and place. The words PILLBOX and MAGICIAN rolled over and over the landscape of memories in his
head, and Ellie could hear them echo back to her. John thought, “It’s time I get out of this business, focus on my family. Once this debt is paid, I’m out.”
He looked at the dossier again. Eve Crawford. What do I need to know about you, Eve? Will I be forced to kill you? Will I be able to? And what about that stone? Tell me, Eve, he thought, why is that little trinket so very important to everybody?
CHAPTER II
Boise, Idaho—Present Day
“YOU EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS?” Ellie was being annoying—her cheerful nature made me want to choke her sometimes. “Tomorrow is the big day. Have I told you how much I love it?”
“Yeah,” I said, mustering boatloads of sarcasm. “Is it ever going to be great! Dad’s off doing whatever he does that’s more important than his family, Michael and I finally make it to our first Christmas together and we don’t even get to see each other, and Kreios is gone, dead, who knows. And my mom is being an overprotective sadist.”
“Wow, Miss Bucket Full of Sunshine.” Ellie lay on the couch, playing with her phone.
“Well, why should I be happy?” I was sitting in Dad’s overstuffed chair with my laptop, researching climbing gear. Dirk was practically stalking me now. He was not only in Mr. Dorsey’s math class, but he also got lumped in with me in a junior elective course for physical fitness. We both hated it, so that was one thing we had in common. It was some stupid new presidential initiative for fighting youth obesity or something, which meant we had to earn more credits doing something active. There weren’t many options that were attractive to me, so I chose the one I thought would at least be a little fun—winter sports. In this case, the class had a heavy emphasis on climbing, and it was fun because we got to go to a climbing gym to learn the fundamentals, like being on belay and rappelling.
Naturally, Dirk chose climbing too. Big surprise.
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