Terregon (Book Two of The Red Diamond Saga)

by Jennifer Janne

  “I just want to use the bathroom.” Conner lied, hoping the young girl would let him slip by.

  “No.” Cori said casually. “You want to escape.” She glanced at the door that was open into the hallway. “I am supposed to keep you here, until he comes back.”

  “He who?” Conner asked, though he could guess.

  “My father.” She replied without hesitation.

  “Your father?” Conner asked with confusion. If she was identical to Corinne, only one man could be her father.

  “Mmhm, Simeon.” She said casually as she continued to swing her feet. “Have you met him?”

  Conner stared heavily at the girl, he knew exactly who she was referring to, though he would never dare to call him by his first name.

  “Did he ask you to do anything else Cori?” Conner inquired nervously. He knew that she was a powder keg of energy and what she chose to do with it could mean his demise.

  “Not yet.” Cori replied coolly. Then she imitated the smile that Simeon had shown her. Conner found it very unsettling. He sat placidly on the bed and waited.

  30

  As Daniel and Stanley became accustomed to their new environment, Daniel could not help but be impressed by how well Stanley was handling himself. He seemed to be a natural when it came to fitting in with criminals. Together they were given the assignment to assist in standing guard during one of the family member's wedding festivities.

  Marshall's daughter Alana was getting married, and he was concerned about her safety considering the climate of the neighborhood. Daniel and Stanley became her personal entourage. As undercover assignments went it was one of the most unique experiences Daniel had ever had.

  They had to tag along while Alana tried on her wedding dress, which she insisted that she model for them. When the young woman emerged from the dressing room in the off-white satin gown, Daniel had to imagine Corinne wearing it. Alana demanded a few alterations to the dress in a less than courteous manner and then she was off again to peruse the options at the shoe store.

  “This is so dangerous.” Stanley muttered to Daniel when they were left alone for a moment while Alana ducked into the ladies room.

  “Shh.” Daniel said sharply. He did not want Stanley to become too comfortable, though he had to admit he had seen more danger at a playground than he was seeing following the spoiled bride to be around. Stanley nodded as he blushed over his mistake. As they left the shoe store, Daniel noticed a man wearing the traditional colors of the Snakes standing across the street near a small cafe.

  He did not make a move toward them, but he watched them closely as they walked down the sidewalk toward the next shop. Daniel tipped his head toward the man to alert Stanley but he kept his presence to himself. There was no reason to scare Alana if there was only one man.

  When she stopped to buy a coffee, Daniel noticed that the man he had been watching began to cross the street.

  “Move.” He said sharply to Stanley and then grabbed Alana around the waist. He tugged her down a narrow alley while she squealed in protest.

  “Let me go you oaf!” She insisted as she spilled her coffee on her best blouse.

  “Quiet.” He said sternly. Lightly he placed his fingers to her lips to emphasize his request.

  “Stay with her.” He barked at Stanley, then drew his weapon. He held it down low by the outside of his thigh as he stepped back out of the alley.

  On the busy street there was no sign of the man he had originally seen. However, a moment later, a man wearing the same colors exited one shop. Another, wearing the identical shades, stepped out of a parked car on the street.

  Two more exited the coffee shop where Alana had just been buying her coffee. The first man he saw stepped out from around the corner beside the alley were Alana and Stanley were hidden.

  As all five began to merge on him Daniel knew this would be a true test of his fighting skills. None of the men had displayed a weapon as of yet, but he knew that they would.

  “I don't want any trouble.” Daniel began, though he still held his weapon at his side.

  The man beside him laughed as his fellow gang members closed in around Daniel. “Well too bad, because we do.”

  He poked his finger into Daniel's shoulder lightly as if a bully rather than a violent criminal.

  “Don't look so scared, we just want to deliver a message.” One of the men, who seemed to garnish the respect of the others said in a mild tone. “We just want to congratulate the family on the upcoming nuptials.” He held out a cloth bag to Daniel. “Please give this to Marshall Malita with our regards.” He grinned wickedly as Daniel accepted the bag. Then he glanced over his shoulder and into the alley.

  “Just where the trash belongs.” He muttered and shook his head dismissively.

  Daniel narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man. He dropped the bag to the ground and holstered his weapon.

  “Do you have a death wish, insulting Alana Malita?” He asked sternly with the proper amount of attitude. None of the members of the Malita family could allow such an insult to slip by.

  “Oh you want to play tough man?” The muscular younger man questioned. He drew the hem of his shirt up to reveal the butt of a gun tucked into his pants.

  “Tough men use their fists.” Daniel said and without thought to what would occur next, he punched the man square in the nose. As he fell, Daniel snagged the weapon out of his waist band, and now he had a gun in each hand.

  He ducked and spun to the side knowing that he had four guns trained on him. As he stood, he shot a bullet from each gun. Each bullet lodged into a different man's kneecap, and two men were down, leaving two standing.

  A bullet grazed by Daniel's shoulder as he dove to the ground, and in the process swept his legs to the side, knocking the feet out from under the third man, who unintentionally collided with the fourth. As the last man fell, Daniel had one gun trained on him and the other trained on the first man he had punched. No member of a gang would show such a level of disloyalty as to allow a higher member to be shot to death with his own weapon.

  “Back off.” Daniel growled as the men looked to their superior for instruction.

  “Tell them to back off.” Daniel said as he played his fingertip against the trigger of the gun which was aimed directly at the man's forehead. The other gun was sweeping back and forth between the men on the ground. From behind him he heard the distinct sound of a safety being released.

  “Back off!” Stanley shouted in his best mafia-quality voice. His heart was pounding as he had witnessed the entire event and was absolutely blown away by Daniel's expertise.

  “Alright, alright.” The man on the ground gave in. “Just, back off guys.”

  His men obeyed reluctantly. None liked to be the loser in a fight.

  When the man stood up from the ground, Daniel tucked his gun into the holster at his side, demonstrating that he now owned the criminal who had insulted Alana. When his hand was free he picked up the cloth sack and flung it back in the faces of the men who were starting to back away.

  “Marshall Malita better not ever see what is in that bag, or I swear to you, I will be delivering pieces of each of you to your families.” His growl was so authentic that it gave Stanley pause. He had heard stories about how at one point Daniel was considered to have turned while working undercover, although later that was disproven.

  Still, he played the role of a thug so well it made Stanley wonder if it was still a possibility. The men took off down the street, taking the sack with them. Daniel was sure there was something inside that would have incited an active war between the two groups, and he was hoping that he would have the chance to get out of the middle of the mess before it became an all out blood bath.

  When he turned to look at Stanley who was tucking away his weapon, Daniel did not hesitate to thrust his forearm against the man's throat and shove him back against the wall of the alley just beside Alana who was gazing on with wide fear-filled eyes.

  “If I tell y
ou to stay with Alana, you stay with her.” He hissed, his blue eyes probing Stanley as if he might actually hurt the man worse than simply cutting off his oxygen.

  Stanley nodded, and tried to get a breath.

  “She is the priority.” He added forcefully. Stanley had made a stupid mistake by coming to Daniel's aid and leaving Alana alone and vulnerable in the alley. If she told her father of it, Stanley could be beaten or worse because of his negligence, at least this way if Stanley’s actions were revealed, Daniel could claim he had already handled it.

  Daniel released Stanley as his lips began to turn blue. The man slid down the wall of the alley, sucking down air. Daniel could see the rage and betrayal in his gaze as he looked up at him, but Stanley had no idea what he had just been saved from. Daniel could not just make it look real, it had to actually be real.

  Alana was sniffling as she clutched her purse close to her.

  “Why can't they just let me be happy?” She whined and pouted immaturely.

  Daniel thought about pointing out that it was because he father had likely slaughtered a brother or son or two of their crew and so therefore they felt the need to settle the score. The thing no one in the crime culture seemed to ever understand was that it would never be even. He had prevented a war today, but he knew there would be more battles coming, and if they did not get out before it all let loose, he and Stanley would be directly in the line of fire.

  “Let's get you home.” Daniel said firmly as he grasped Alana's elbow and steered her out of the alley.

  “Um, I spilled my coffee.” Alana said meekly. “Do you think we could get some more?”

  Daniel rolled his eyes and exhaled heavily. A near-death experience was not enough to keep this girl from getting what she wanted.

  “Fine.” He said roughly. “Tom, get it for her.” He barked at Stanley. Stanley was just getting to his feet and still glowering at Daniel, but without argument he went to buy the coffee. As Daniel was leading Alana toward the car she pointed to his shoulder.

  “Oh, gross, please don't bleed in my car.” She said, scrunching up her nose as she pulled a tissue out of her purse and offered it to him. She did not ask if he was okay, or offer any gratitude for the fact that he had been injured in the act of defending her honor.

  She hated the sight, smell, and presence of blood. In truth she often suspected she might be adopted because she was not a fan of violence either. However as a Malita, she had no choice as to what her life would involve. Even her marriage was practically arranged, though she was satisfied with her father's selection. He had plenty of cash and was handsome enough to make cute babies.

  Daniel glanced down at his shoulder to see that blood was spreading beneath the sleeve of his shirt. He frowned, and ignoring the offer of the tissue, he tore off the other sleeve of his shirt to wrap it around the wound.

  “It's just a scratch.” He muttered once he had patched himself up, and he climbed into the car beside her. Stanley handed Alana her coffee and slid into the driver's seat. As they drove away he stole a glance at Daniel who was staring hard out the side window. With his ruffled hair, his torn and bloodied shirt, he looked as if he belonged more to the streets than he ever would the law.

  31

  Corinne, Aaron, and Lisa were thoroughly tested. Although Corinne did not reveal the full force of her abilities it was still measured through the tools that the scientists used. They were on the cutting edge of technology and could measure the amount of energy that Corinne emanated and translate it into a solid number that described her psychokinetic level.

  Lisa also did her best not to show her full abilities, however they were measured in the same manner and through several tests on wounded animals that left

  Lisa drained and irritated. She knew the animals had been wounded by the technicians in the first place, and would be dissected to inspect the effects of her healing. It all seemed like a waste to her. Aaron on the other hand was more than happy to show off his strength. First by boisterously crushing whatever solid item they brought him, from wood, to stone, to metal, and then by throwing furniture and other large objects around the room.

  He winked at Lisa when the lab assistants realized he was aiming at them and went running from the room. Lisa was not amused, as she felt his antics could put Stanley and Daniel at risk. Aaron was put off by her lack of humor. He was doing his best to distract himself from the truth of their situation, and she was not helping his denial.

  “Do you think that they're okay?” She asked Corinne with concern.

  Corinne bit into her bottom lip to keep from chastising Aaron, who she knew was feeling once again like a caged animal.

  “Daniel has been in some really tough situations.” She said confidently as she recalled seeing him act as a gang member before. Although she did not like to recall the way he had struck a woman, it did reassure her now to think that he at least had experience being around dangerous men, in fact, being a dangerous man himself. “He will make sure that Stanley is safe.”

  “I'm sure he will.” Mr. Reynolds' voice called from the doorway as he began to enter the room. Aaron threw a desk he had been hoisting up into the air to prevent the lab technicians from coming back. It tumbled across the room and slammed into pieces against the wall just beside Mr. Reynolds.

  “Aaron!” Corinne growled, then held her breath as she waited to see how Mr. Reynolds would react.

  “Perfect, just perfect!” He cried as if he was genuinely pleased.

  “That's just what I want you to do.” He paused a moment and swept his gaze over all three of them before adding, “For the cameras.”

  “Cameras?” Corinne asked with dread forming inside of her.

  “Yes.” Mr. Reynolds said as he closed the door behind him. “I have called a press conference for tomorrow afternoon. I would like the three of you to demonstrate what enhancement can do to the human body.”

  Aaron smirked as he hung back from the others and studied Mr. Reynolds searching for a vulnerable point.

  “You expect us to believe you are going to expose us?” He asked skeptically. His entire life had been about secrecy and being separate from the world.

  “No not expose.” Mr. Reynolds corrected him. “I am going to advertise you.” He grinned as he pulled a small pamphlet out of his pocket and held it up for them to see.

  “Evoluphra, it is the newest drug to hit the market. It will enhance your mind, your body, the way you experience life. Evolve to the next level of reality.” He smiled after his pitch. “What do you think?”

  Corinne stared at the man as if he had two heads. “You can't be serious.” She said flatly.

  “Can't I?” He asked as he quirked a brow. “What's so wrong with everyone having a little taste, or did you think you should be the only few that get to be special?”

  Lisa shook her head as she considered the ramifications of what he was about to do. “But it's not safe, the enhancement drug has horrible side effects, especially if used on someone who was not biologically engineered to withstand it.”

  Mr. Reynolds leaned closer to Lisa. “Oh don't worry little one, I am not about to give out the real thing. Not yet, at least. No what we will be selling is a very diluted version that will basically give the average person a serious buzz and a super human complex.” He chuckled quietly. “But once they see you three in action they will believe that they are buying superhero in a bottle.” He pointed to the fine print on the pamphlet. “Results may vary, of course.” His laughter became more boisterous as he turned and strode out of the room.

  “Until tomorrow, my treasures.” When the door closed behind him, they heard a mechanical hiss. The room was locked up tightly, and in case Aaron got any ideas in his head, it was formed of the strongest reinforced steel.

  “What should we do?” Lisa asked as she sank down into a chair and Aaron slammed his fist into the wall.

  “By tomorrow afternoon either the whole world will know who we are and what we can do, or Daniel, Stanley
, and Cori will only be memories.” She sighed as she sat down beside Lisa. “There's nothing we can do. Now we wait.”

  Aaron simmered at that idea. His muscles ached to be able to fight and his mind raced with possible solutions to their problem. None of them worked out without loss of life however, and he knew that for Corinne and Lisa that was not an option. As he sulked in the corner of the room, he clenched his hands into fists. He was never going to be very good at being patient.

  32

  In the pristine environment of Alana's apartment Daniel had the honor of watching her take a nap. He sat back on the couch, while Stanley took a seat across from him. The two avoided looking directly at each other.

  Daniel could see the bruise forming around the base of Stanley's neck and he knew that it had to still hurt. Perhaps he had made it a little too real. There was no room for apologies, as this was the life they were currently living.

  When there was a knock on the door Daniel stood and went to answer it. With his weapon drawn he peered through the peep hole in the door. Marshall Malita and two armed men were outside the door. Daniel holstered his weapon, but kept his hand on the butt of his gun as he opened the door.

  “Afternoon.” Marshall said politely as he stepped inside his daughter's apartment with the two men following close behind him.

  “Alana is sleeping.” Daniel offered, his tone respectful. He closed and locked the door behind the men. “Oh, I imagine she must be worn out.” Marshall stated mildly as he sat down across from Stanley. Stanley kept his eyes trained to the floor.

  “Well, we had a bit of incident.” Daniel said honestly, he knew better than to lie.

  “I heard.” Marshall replied as he kept his gaze trained on Stanley. Look up, Daniel tried to order him mentally. He knew that Stanley not directly greeting Marshall would be offensive.

  “Tom got the worst of it,” Daniel said mildly as he dropped down beside Stanley and pretended to accidentally elbow him. Stanley looked up and forced himself to meet Marshall's eyes.