“Get word to Ramirez that I plan to take over the next round of interrogation with the prisoner. I’ll give him the details later. Relay all communications to my office.”
“Is that all, sir?”
“Yes.” Gio released the com unit’s button and walked to his office. Not only did he have to think of how to appear like he was interrogating the woman without hurting her, but he also needed a plan to get her out of the building and stash her somewhere until it was safe to let her go free. If he could clear those hurdles, he had someone he’d met at university who owed him a favor and would keep watch over Millie Ward until she understood the necessity of living under a new identity. Even if it took some convincing, a few verbal threats were better than torture any day of the week.
Then there was the problem of Kiarra. If he wanted to continue his research on the pediatrics facilities and the experiments being conducted inside the AMT compounds, as well as keep his access to the AMT database, he needed to please his father. James Sinclair wouldn’t tolerate failure.
It was a good thing Gio enjoyed a challenge, because scheming all of that wasn’t going to be easy.
Something was wrong.
Kiarra paced the room and resisted looking out the window for the fifteenth time. She’d made it to the safe house nearly an hour ago, but Jaxton had yet to arrive.
Leaving him behind had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. She knew her fire had started to dissipate the instant she ran, leaving Jaxton with nothing but the weapons strapped over his chest to defend himself. She’d seen Jaxton in action before and knew he wouldn’t give up easily, but he’d still been outnumbered. That may not have been a problem, but Kiarra had a feeling that the three people near the van had also been carrying tranquilizer guns. All they needed to do was injure or stun Jaxton and fill him full of drugs, and he’d be done for.
But even if she knew where to find him, she could barely stand on her own two feet. The adrenaline that had kept her going was slowly fading and exhaustion was setting in. She and Jaxton hadn’t spent much time sleeping before the visitors had arrived, and creating a wall of fire had sapped the last of her energy. Right now anyone could attack, and she wouldn’t be able to defend herself.
So much for finally being useful.
She eyed the phone again and wondered if it was safe to use. She trusted Jaxton, but Kiarra had no idea what waited for her on the other side of the phone number he’d made her memorize. Would they make her leave him behind? As the minutes ticked by, she was running out of options. The longer she waited, the more she might be putting Jaxton in danger. Maybe the person on the other end could help. Leery as she was, it was worth a try.
After dialing the number, the phone rang twice in quick succession between pauses. She was just wondering if that was a British thing when a woman answered, “Hello.”
The voice was unfamiliar, but she trusted Jaxton enough to answer, “Um, hi. I was told to call this number if I needed help.”
“A strange American female calling me for help. You must be Kiarra,” the woman said in barely understandable English. “Whatever has happened, someone is already on the way to help you.”
“H-how did you know I needed help?”
Amusement tinged the woman’s voice. “I have my sources.”
Kiarra didn’t like how vague the woman was being. Jaxton’s safety was too important to her to not know what was going on. She wanted to know the details, because if it didn’t include helping Jaxton, Kiarra would find a way to help him on her own.
This was another test for Kiarra, another way to sever ties with her past inside the AMT, another chance to prove how strong she could be. She took a deep breath, imagined she was talking to Jaxton, and said, “What do you know and what do you plan to do about it?”
The line went silent and Kiarra feared she’d gone too far. If she’d just cost Jaxton the help he needed, she’d never forgive herself. But then the woman chuckled and said, “After all this time, I should’ve known better than to doubt Neena’s words.”
“You know Neena?”
“Aye, better than most.”
She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. “So, what’s the plan?”
Kiarra swore she heard a buzzing sound on the other end of the line before the woman said, “Someone should knock on your door in a few minutes and that person will give you the details.”
“But—”
“Sorry, darlin’, that’s all I can tell you for now. Gotta jet.”
The line went dead and Kiarra stared at the phone. She was starting to hate the word “wait” with a passion.
To stay awake, Kiarra started pacing again. If no one showed up at the door, the only option she had left was to contact Neena, which could end up being no help at all. The next time this happened, she’d make sure she was better prepared.
The next time. Kiarra stilled. Yes, she wanted there to be a next time. The thought of leaving Jaxton in a few months was no longer an option. She needed to keep his stubborn ass in check.
Someone knocked on the door and Kiarra’s eyes widened. As much as she wanted to hope, she wasn’t stupid, so she walked to the door and looked out the peephole. It wasn’t Jaxton, but she knew the face.
Stunned, she opened the door and said, “Neena.”
Neena walked in, dressed all in black except for a dark blue scarf tied over her hair. Kiarra closed the door, and Neena placed a hand on her back and steered her toward the bed. Kiarra frowned. “Why didn’t the woman on the phone just tell me it was you?”
Neena grinned. “Because Aislinn spoils me and knows how I like to surprise people.”
Kiarra vaguely remembered the name. “Aislinn, as in the other DEFEND co-leader?”
“That’s the one.” Neena sat down on the bed, patting the space next to her. “Now, do you want to hear my plan or not?”
“We don’t have time for niceties. Just tell me what we’re going to do to help Jaxton.”
“My, my, someone’s starting to sound just like their trainer.” Neena tilted her head to the side, studying her. “But by now, I think he’s more than a trainer to you. Am I right?”
Kiarra kept her face impassive. She finally understood Jaxton’s impatience with this woman. “Either help me or get out. I don’t have time for this.”
Neena winked at her. “There’s the Fire Talent leader I’ve been waiting for.” She patted the bed beside her again. “If you truly want to help Jaxton, then you need to take a nap.”
Kiarra blinked. She hadn’t seen that coming. “Talent or not, I don’t have super dream powers like you, so how is that supposed to help him?”
Neena raised an eyebrow. “Questioning me again, Kiarra? Tsk, tsk. You should know by now not to do that.”
“Someone has to.”
Neena laughed. “I like you more and more Kiarra Melini.” She reached into one of her pants pockets and pulled out something wrapped in a cloth. “But if you aren’t going to obey me willingly, there are other ways to make it happen.”
Kiarra stepped back, unsettled by the gleam in Neena’s eye. Wasn’t Neena supposed to be on her side? Whatever was going on, bluffing was all she had left. She straightened her shoulders and said, “My elemental fire is back. Don’t make me use it against you.”
Neena rose and took a step toward her. “Fairly convincing threat, my dear, but we both know that you’ll burn out if you call on your elemental fire right now, especially without your Conduit.”
What the hell is a conduit? Kiarra eased toward the small desk and chair behind her, ready to use them as weapons if it came down to it. Neena was right about her being close to burnout, but even if her gun were tucked into the end table by the bed, she would still fight with whatever she could find. Jaxton would expect it of her.
Neena sighed and lifted the cloth-covered bundle, still concealing whatever lay beneath. “Let’s hope you learn your lesson after this. I really do abhor punishing my own people, especially th
e clever ones.”
Neena’s words confused her, but without any other options, Kiarra grabbed the chair behind her and swung it around. But before she could make contact, Neena tackled her to the floor until Kiarra was facedown, with her hands wrenched behind her back. She bucked, trying to get free, but then she felt a prick on her hip before Neena said, “You’ll thank me later, my dear. Have a nice sleep.”
You’ll thank me later. Those were the same words Jaxton had said earlier.
Her consciousness started to slip as whatever had been in that syringe started to take effect. Her last thoughts were that Neena had betrayed her and that the man she’d finally learned to trust might die because of it.
James Sinclair walked into the meeting room and went to the head of the large rectangular table. His bodyguards were right behind him, and once he sat down, they took protective positions on either side of his chair.
A quick glance at the people sitting at the table confirmed that Geoffrey Winter had kept up his end of the bargain. The Feiru liaisons from France, Greece, and Spain sat in front of him.
Etienne Mercier, the liaison from France, spoke up first. “Why are we here, Sinclair?”
In a way, Sinclair had always respected Mercier’s work ethic; he was one of the few Sinclair could never blackmail. “You three represent countries with the highest number of Feiru rebels in Europe, and the biggest rebel group of them all, DEFEND, is gaining power.”
Gisela Cruz, the liaison from Spain, said, “Yes, yes, this is nothing new. They try to find ways to free the first-borns, but they are harmless and without much power. We’re keeping a close watch on them.”
Mercier added, “But Sinclair wouldn’t bring up DEFEND unless he knew something.”
Sinclair smiled. “Gold star for the frog.” He leaned back in his chair. “Now, let’s cut through the bullshit. DEFEND is developing some illegal weaponry and once it has been tried and tested, they plan to use it to support their cause.”
Hector Mitsotakis, the Greek liaison, jumped in. “Impossible. I have someone deep undercover, and this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
Sinclair eyed the Greek. “Are you willing to risk another uprising in Greece? You have enough trouble with financial problems, and adding violence to the mix would only make things worse.” When the Greek said nothing, Sinclair continued, “The Feiru High Council can’t act until a majority consensus can be reached amongst the human governments and the Feiru local councils. That is a long way from happening, and as you’re all familiar with the glacial pace of bureaucracy, I’m taking initiative, working outside the red tape, and giving you three a heads-up. You’re in a better position to direct your own liaison offices and find the concrete evidence we need to convince the others of the threat.”
“What’s in it for you?” Mercier asked.
Sinclair knew Mercier would be the only challenge in the room. Cruz and Mitsotakis would scurry home and hunt for DEFEND attacks and weapons caches, hoping to be the first to gain recognition and a possible promotion. Mercier, on the other hand, would take his time, fine-combing information and analyzing Sinclair’s leads. The frog was one of those rare people who didn’t seek out fame or fortune, rarely doing anything for his own gain.
Mercier was a gamble, but Sinclair couldn’t leak information to Greece and Spain without including France, which was the European country with the greatest number of rebels outside the UK and Ireland. Sinclair only hoped his staged attacks and abandoned weapons labs were convincing enough to lead them back to DEFEND. Fear was necessary to help along the next stages of his propaganda campaign.
Sinclair focused on Mercier. “We’re all members of the EU, and if one of your countries falls, it will bring down the UK with it. I have no desire to see my investments crumble while various governments bicker over who is to blame and what should be done.”
A beat of silence before Mercier said, “I’ll take the information if there are no strings attached. Otherwise, I’ll rely on my own resources.”
Clever lad. “I’m not trying to trade favors.”
Mercier raised an eyebrow. “That’s a first.”
Sinclair ignored the needling. “But if you do find information that could be helpful to other Feiru liaison offices, I only hope that you’ll pass it on.”
Mercier continued to stare at him, but Sinclair didn’t fret. He knew when to speak and when to keep quiet.
Mercier finally nodded. “Fine. Deliver the information to my office and I’ll see what I can find out.”
The other two murmured similar sentiments before Sinclair stood up. “You’ll have it within the day, and I’ll make sure to update you with new information as it comes across my desk.”
As he left the room, his two bodyguards walking on either side of him, he noted the frown on Mercier’s face and the paleness of the other two. Cruz and Mitsotakis would leak the information to other countries in the EU, maybe even to America, within the day. Both of them wanted to take point on this issue, but that would only happen to the person who had the most information. Sinclair had no doubt the pair would fuck up, as they had with every other tip they’d received in the past. He didn’t care what those two did; he was anxious to see what Mercier would discover.
Sinclair’s staged attacks were just an excuse to find real disturbances. If enough first-borns were freely using their elemental abilities, Sinclair could finally threaten to leak that information to the human press. With the threat of human hysteria and pandemonium hanging over their heads, Sinclair would be able to bring the remaining high councilors to his side on the first-born issue.
If Sinclair’s gamble paid off, Etienne Mercier—one of the least self-serving people he knew—would be responsible for the permanent downfall of the Feiru first-borns. That thought made him smile.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Go to the address printed below by 8 p.m. A woman dressed in Feiru traditional garb will greet you at the door.
Kiarra looked up from the slip of paper to make sure she hadn’t missed her stop. It was already a little after 7:20pm and she couldn’t afford to backtrack if she got lost.
The alarm clock had gone off around 3 p.m., blaring heavy metal and scaring Kiarra out of her mind. A quick check around the room had revealed that she was alone, but when she saw Neena’s dark blue scarf thrown across the chair at the desk, Neena’s betrayal had come rushing back.
But then she’d remembered about the clue on North Berwick Law and would’ve bolted out the door if not for the large sign taped over the peephole that read: The clue is on the table, under my scarf.
Sure enough, the slip of paper had been tucked inside an envelope, along with a few other sheets of paper.
Kiarra looked out the window of the double-decker bus one more time, but the slow crawl of traffic told her that she had a while to go before she reached her destination. Kiarra pulled out the papers Neena had left her and reread part of what had convinced her to go through with this wild goose chase:
If I hadn’t drugged you, both Jaxton and his sister would be dead right now. Neither one of us wants that, not that I expect you to believe me. I’ve included the clue from North Berwick Law with this note. Follow my instructions if you wish to save all three of them. If you try to rebel, and ignore my instructions, then not only will they all die, but your greatest fear about the first-borns will come true. Is that a chance you’re willing to take?
Ultimately, no, it wasn’t.
Neena’s note had also mentioned saving three, not two, people. While she was learning to never presume anything about Neena, Kiarra liked to believe the third person she referred to was her brother Giovanni.
She still had reservations about what she was doing, but after Darius had mysteriously called the safe house at 3:15 p.m., Kiarra had found herself with no other choice but to follow Neena’s instructions. The call had been short and to the point, but Darius had wanted her to trust Neena, assuring Kiarra that he would be in Edinburgh soon to help get Jaxton ba
ck.
It’ll make it easier to trust the others later on. Jaxton had been right; without her trust in him, she never would’ve gone out on a limb with anyone else. She did not trust Neena, but Darius had been nothing but kind to her and would never wish Jaxton harm. So, through a strange web of logic, she was now tentatively trusting a woman who’d drugged her unconscious, hoping it would be enough to save the man who now mattered most to her.
Still, if Neena’s actions caused Jaxton’s death, Kiarra would not cooperate with DEFEND, supposed Talent or not. Revenge was not her style, but she refused to work with a person so careless with other people’s lives.
At the thought of never seeing Jaxton again, Kiarra felt a tightness in her chest that she couldn’t define. She’d only known him a little less than two weeks, but apart from her parents, no one had understood Kiarra’s need to be pushed. Yet Jaxton had. Without him, she never would’ve had the nerve to try and save someone else’s life.
Dead or alive, she would find Jaxton. She owed him that much.
Kiarra tested her abilities and confirmed that they were nearly at full strength. At least as full as they could be without Jaxton’s touch. She still didn’t understand how or why he amplified her powers.
Her thoughts were heading down that path again, but she couldn’t afford to think about the way he’d made her feel, either emotionally or physically. She needed a clear head for this meeting.
She unfolded the second sheet of paper that Neena had put inside the envelope with the clue. It was a photocopied page of a journal, which had seemed irrelevant at the time, but it might be the distraction she needed to clear her head. Neena had penned a sentence in purple ink at the top of the page and it read: Thoughts and doubts from one fire user to another.
Kiarra continued on to the handwritten journal entry:
March 29, 1918 – Yucatan, Mexico
Another day has passed, but the others have yet to arrive. I know that we are isolated from the world here, but I wonder if something has happened to them. Even making allowances for war on the Continent, they should have arrived here two weeks ago.
Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats) Page 21
