The Order of Brigid's Cross - The Wild Hunt (Book 1): The Wild Hunt

by Terri Reid

  “Besides?” she prompted.

  He let a small smile play on his lips. “The rest of the group would be upset and might even feel sorry for me,” he said. “But when you found out I knew beforehand, I figured you’d get really mad.”

  “Aye, I would have been,” she admitted with a quick nod.

  He reached his hand out and placed it on her arm. “And I didn’t want you to think I’d abandoned you.”

  She tried to shake it off, but he held it there firmly. “I’m not a child to be coddled,” she said.

  “No, you’re not,” he agreed firmly. “But you are my partner, and partners share information.”

  “Then share,” she said. “How do you think you’re going to defeat the Elk King?”

  Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath, involuntarily tightening the grip he had on her shoulder. When he opened his eyes, they were bleak with uncertainty. “I really have no idea,” he said. “All I know is that I don’t have a choice.”

  Em sighed slowly and nodded. “Well, at least you’re not trying to fight him off with a dammed stick.”

  Sean smiled for a moment, but then, as another idea came to him, his smile disappeared. “No matter what, you can’t come to the rescue this time,” he insisted, his voice low. “If you step in to help me, it will give the rest of the Hunt the sign to become involved. Everyone in the stadium and for God knows how many miles around would be destroyed. I have to do this one on my own.”

  “I can’t stand back and watch you die,” she whispered back vehemently.

  “My choice, Em,” he replied. “You need to let me honor my choice.”

  She looked like she was going to argue for a moment, but finally shook her head, stepped back and held her sword up. “Then we better practice,” she said. “Because you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

  Three hours later, Sean placed his sword down and picked up a towel to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. He leaned back against the gym wall and looked at Em with amazement. “You don’t even look winded,” he said.

  “I just don’t show it as much as you,” she replied, leaning back against the wall next to him, her breathing slightly quickened. “But you gave me as good a fight as I’ve had in a long time. You’ll do, Sean O’Reilly, you’ll do.”

  He turned and looked over at her. “Thank you,” he said. “I finally feel like I might have a chance tomorrow.” He stopped and looked down at his watch. “I mean today.”

  Pushing himself away from the wall, he bent over, picked up his sword and nodded to Em. “I have one more stop, and then I’m going to get some sleep.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” she replied.

  He nodded. “See you then.”

  Letting himself out of the gym, he closed the door behind him and jogged down the stairs to the first floor. He paused as he passed the lab at the end of the hall and saw Ian bent over his computer. “Get some sleep,” he called into the room. “I’m going to need you tomorrow.”

  Ian turned around and met his eyes. “Getting you out of faery is not going to be an easy task,” he said. “But it’s not impossible either. So, tomorrow your main goal is to not die.”

  Sean grinned and nodded. “That’s been my main goal for most of my life,” he replied.

  “Good,” Ian said, turning back to his computer. “Keep up the good work.”

  Chapter Sixty-three

  Maria Perez tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator to take her to Pete’s penthouse apartment. She’d worked with Pete long enough to have seen his reaction to almost every kind of situation. But tonight, when he had called, his voice held a totally different tone. Pete O’Bryan sounded frightened.

  The door finally slid open, and she stepped into his apartment. “Hey, Pete, I’m here,” Maria called.

  “Back here, in the office,” Pete called back.

  She hurried down the hall and waited in the doorway while Pete finished a call. “Yes, General, thank you very much,” Pete said. “Of course, I will personally be responsible for its safety. Yes, I will have my associate, Maria Perez, at your office by 0700 tomorrow morning. Once again, thank you, sir.”

  He jotted a few notes down, hung up the phone and turned his chair to face Maria.

  “So, am I taking a trip?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah, sorry, I would have asked—”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m good,” she interrupted. “Besides, I can tell by your expression that this is important.”

  “Life or death,” he replied. “Sean O’Reilly.”

  “The guy that saved your life?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “Where am I going?”

  Exhaling slowly, he nodded at her with a slight smile. “Thank you, I really appreciate this,” he said, and then he turned his chair back to his table and picked up a notepad. “Okay, my jet is waiting for you at Midway. It should be gassed up and have a flight plan scheduled by now. You’ll fly into Dulles, and then I’ll have a car waiting for you.”

  “And where will I be going?” she asked, trying to be patient.

  “Oh, yeah, sorry,” he said. “You’ll be going to the Pentagon to meet with four-star General Abernathy. He’ll have a package for you.”

  “A package?” she asked.

  “Yeah, and you’re going to need help to get it into the car and then back on the plane,” he said. “It will probably weigh over 100 pounds.”

  She looked down at her petite body and then looked back at Pete. “And you choose me for this assignment because?”

  “Because I trust you,” he said simply. “And I know that no matter what, you’ll get the job done.”

  “Thank you, Pete,” she replied. “Where do you want it delivered once I get back in town?”

  “It’s got to be at Soldier Field by seven o’clock tomorrow night,” he said. “I’m really hoping that you’re back here by midday, but even if the pilot has to land on Lake Shore Drive, I need that package at Soldier Field.”

  She nodded. “You got it,” she said. “Anything else?”

  “No, but thank you,” he said. “I owe you one.”

  Smiling, she nodded. “And I’ll remember you said that.”

  Chapter Sixty-four

  Sean pulled his cruiser up to the curb on Lower Wacker Drive and put the vehicle in park. Hettie was standing behind her filled shopping cart. The gorgeous Mab was nowhere to be seen. When she saw him, she pushed the cart towards the curb to meet him.

  He got out of the car, went around to the passenger side and leaned against the hood, his long legs extended in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest. “I just wanted to be sure everything was set for tomorrow,” he said emotionlessly.

  “Oh, Sean O’Reilly, are you mad at Hettie now?” she asked, her eyes wide with sorrow.

  He sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m just tired of games,” he said. “So, is everything set up?”

  She nodded. “Aye, it’s all set up for tomorrow at nine o’clock at the Soldier Field,” she answered, her head bowed.

  “And once the fight is over, they go away and never come back again, right?” he asked.

  “Aye, once you win, your city is safe,” she said. “But if you lose…”

  “I won’t lose,” he said, stopping her.

  She shot a sideways glance at him, and her eyes twinkled with curiosity. “And what did you do with your last day on this earth? Did you find a hospitable tavern and a welcoming wench or two and celebrate your upcoming battle?”

  “No, I didn’t,” he said. “I had dinner with my parents and, in my own way, said goodbye.”

  Lifting her head, she placed her claw-like hands on her narrow hips and glared at him. “Do you not know what adventures are ahead of you, Sean?” she asked. “The faery world is all you could wish for: fine food and drink, wonderful landscapes, hunting, dancing, celebrating and womanizing. Sean, it’s like going to heaven. You’ll have everything y
ou’ve ever wanted.”

  “No, Hettie,” he said. “It’s everything you ever wanted, not me.”

  “Then tell me, Sean me lad, what do you want?” she argued.

  He looked up at the concrete ceiling above him for a moment, and then finally brought his eyes back to the wizened, old woman before him. “I want my family and friends,” he said. “I want to laugh with them, argue with them and share their joys and their sorrows. I want to work hard and be proud of the things I’ve done, and, I suppose, I want my parents to be proud of me. I want to find love.” He stopped when it looked like she would interrupt and shook his head. “Not lust, love. I want to find the right person who wants to be with me forever and loves me in spite of my weaknesses.”

  Hettie shook her head. “I don’t understand you,” she replied. “You can have wealth, power, immortality, and fulfill all your desires, yet you act as if leaving this place will cause you sorrow.”

  “Leaving this place will break my heart, Hettie,” he admitted. “And I know it will break the hearts of those who love me. I can’t find any joy in the treasures you offer. They’re just hollow imitations of the real things I’ll be leaving behind.”

  “Then why are you doing this?” she asked, clearly confused. “Why would you risk so much?”

  “Because it has to be done and I’m the one who has to do it,” he said. “I can’t stand back and watch innocents die.”

  “But you’re an innocent,” she argued. “Why sacrifice yourself for people you don’t even know?”

  “Because I’m an officer of the law, Hettie,” he said slowly. “And that’s what I took an oath to do.”

  “I’d give anything to go back and see my homeland,” Hettie said with wistfulness in her voice. “I’d give anything to dance in the grand ballrooms and feast in the great dining halls. The air is so sparkling it’s like breathing champagne. The colors around you are so vivid they hurt your eyes, and the music, ah, Sean, the music is so sweet it would likely break your heart.”

  “Well, Hettie, I wish you could take my place,” he said with a sad smile as he stood up and took her hand. He placed a light kiss on the wrinkled, age-spotted skin and then smiled at her. “Thank you for helping me,” he said. “It was an honor to know you.”

  She stared at him, confusion in her eyes. “You are such an odd man, Sean O’Reilly,” she replied.

  He nodded. “I’ve been told that before,” he said, walking around to the other side of the car. He started to open the door, then paused and looked at her over the roof of the cruiser. “I have a good friend. His name is Peter O’Boyle, and he’s a good man. He’ll be coming by and bringing you your tea after tonight.”

  “I thank you, Sean O’Reilly,” she replied. “It seems that I owe you another boon.”

  “No, you owe me nothing,” he said. “Be safe, Hettie.”

  He climbed into the car and drove away. Hettie watched him until he turned off the street. “Aye, Sean O’Reilly, it seems that I still owe you a boon.”

  Chapter Sixty-five

  “Dammit Pete. Not even the Bears show up three hours before a game,” Sean complained as they pulled up in front of Soldier Field the next evening.

  “Yeah, well they don’t need the kind of last minute practice you do,” Pete replied, grabbing his chair and pulling it out of the back of his car. “Now stop complaining and help me break into the stadium.”

  “Break in?” Sean asked. “I thought you knew a guy.”

  “I thought you knew a guy,” Pete replied as he lifted himself from the driver’s seat into his chair.

  Sean looked over the roof of the car towards the stadium and saw Marcus coming towards them from the shadows of the entranceway. “I do know a guy,” Sean said. “And I’m sure he’s got the keys to let us in.”

  Sean pulled his sword out of the back seat, came around the car and walked alongside Pete as they approached Marcus.

  “Hey, dude, is this for real?” Marcus asked. “This ain’t no sting or nothing like that?”

  Sean shook his head. “No, this is for real,” he replied. “We’ve got some pretty bad characters coming to the stadium tonight, and I don’t want anyone to get close and get hurt.”

  “Me and my homies, we got you,” he said, and then he paused for a moment. “But, like, if it’s down with you, we’d like to watch.”

  “So, you’ve never seen a real, live ass-whooping before?” Pete asked.

  Marcus smiled. “Whose ass is gonna be whipped?”

  “I’m hoping it’s the other guy,” Sean replied, adjusting the sword’s case over his shoulder. “But if it looks like it’s me, I want you and your homies to get out of the stadium as quickly as possible.”

  “Yeah, man, okay,” Marcus said. “So do you want me to bring you where the girl is?”

  “Girl? What girl?” Sean asked.

  “She’s a real looker. She’s a nice piece of…”

  “She’s my associate Maria,” Pete interrupted. “And she’s one of the toughest and smartest lawyers in Chicago. So I wouldn’t mess with her if I were you.”

  Marcus shrugged. “Hey, no problem,” he said. “It’s just, you know, if she was interested.”

  Pete nodded. “I’ll let you know.”

  Soldier Field looked like an ancient Greek stadium standing on the shores of Lake Michigan. Giant, Doric columns rose above the entrance, creating an imposing façade that Sean hoped would intimidate the creatures of the Hunt. They weren’t in the forests of faery anymore; they were in a stadium where Bears devoured lesser creatures.

  Marcus led them to a maintenance entrance at the ground level. After three discreet knocks, the door was opened, and the three of them slipped into the stadium. “The girl, Maria, she told me you wanted to set up at the north end zone,” Marcus said.

  Pete grinned. “Yeah, that’s the Bears’ end zone,” he said. “We’re defending our turf, too. That’s perfect.”

  They walked down the underground passageway, came up through the locker rooms, and finally climbed the ramp that led onto the field.

  “This was my ultimate dream,” Pete said softly so only Sean could hear him as he rolled up the ramp in his chair. “Quarterback for the Chicago Bears. Running up the ramp, having the fans screaming for me.”

  “You were good enough,” Sean said. “I’d have screamed for you.”

  Pete chuckled. “Thanks,” he said. “And tonight I’ll be sure to scream for you.”

  “Yeah, well hopefully I won’t be screaming myself,” Sean said.

  They reached the top of the ramp and saw that Maria was standing at the edge of the field with a large case next to her. “I got you a present,” Pete said.

  “And I didn’t get you anything,” Sean replied as they got closer to Maria.

  “That’s okay,” Pete said. “You can owe me.”

  Before Sean could answer, Maria walked over to them. “Hey, boss, I got your package, and the General said to say hi.”

  “The General?” Sean asked.

  Pete rolled over to the case, flipped open the locks and pushed open the top of the case to expose a mechanical device.

  “What the hell is this?” Sean asked, coming over and looking into the case.

  “An exoskeleton,” Pete said. “I did a little patent work for the company that created this for the military, so I’ve been following its design for a couple of years. It’s created to fit around a soldier’s body in order to enhance their strength.”

  Sean leaned over and pulled the device from the case. It was made of metal that was surprisingly light and was shaped to match the major joints and bends in a human body.

  “You need to step back into it,” Pete said. “It lies against your back and the back of your arms and legs.”

  Maria came over and helped Sean strap into the device. Then she turned on the power. “At this point, the battery doesn’t last very long,” she explained. “You have about thirty minutes of power.”

  Sean lifted up his arm
, and with a responding whir of gears, the mechanical skeleton followed his actions. He stepped forward, and the skeleton mirrored his movements. “Okay, other than making me look really cool, what is this thing going to do for me?” he asked.

  “It amplifies your strength about ten times,” Pete said. “So when you punch the Elk King, he’s really going to feel it.”

  Sean tried a couple of boxing moves and nodded approvingly. “Yeah, this is nice,” he said. “This is real nice.”

  Chapter Sixty-six

  “This is crazy,” Em said as she watched Sean walk across the field with the exoskeleton on. Pete and Ian were next to him, shouting encouragement and testing his moves. “He can’t use his sword, and that machine will slow him down.”

  “It’s to give him strength, Em,” Gillian said, standing next to Em near the edge of the field. “Ian thinks it’s a great idea.”

  “He’s a man, and it’s a toy,” Em muttered with contempt. “Of course he thinks it’s great. But he hasn’t practiced with Sean, and I have. He’ll do better if he trusts his instincts and works with his sword.”

  Sean punched the four by four piece of wood that Ian and Pete held between them. The wood shattered and broke into two pieces. “This is awesome,” Sean said. “It’s like breaking a piece of styrofoam, it’s so easy.”

  “Aye, the only disadvantage is that you’re not as agile as you would be without it,” Ian remarked.

  “What? I can run in this thing, faster and longer than I ever had,” Sean argued.

  “Right, but it takes a while to get up to speed. It’s not a device for sprinting or making quick, defensive moves,” Ian replied. “You’re not going to sneak up on anyone using it or dash quickly out of reach.”

  Sean nodded as he flexed his arms and the machine responded. “You’re right,” he admitted. “And I don’t know which to be more concerned about, the Elk King’s strength or his speed.”

  “Both,” Pete said. “And when you feel the usefulness of the skeleton is done, just press the release button to step out of it. It’s a tool, nothing more.”