I took deep breaths to try to calm myself before starting a more thorough search. One of the teams from behind the barn came to join us, bringing gloves and evidence bags. The other team joined the search of outbuildings. We took swabs from the bloodied room and bagged them. The cleanup crew would do a better job, but we wanted as much information at our fingertips as we could get. I didn't want to wait around for details.
Searching the cages more carefully, we found them all empty. Logan pointed out a few to be hauled to the truck. We searched one room and found a few scraps of newspaper, which we dumped into evidence bags.
Logan went to search another room and I went to help Vincent.
The room was filled with loose hay and a rusted-out tractor stood to one side.
“I can try to make your search easier,” I said as I entered the room. My power had come easily earlier in the day and I was willing to take the risk now that the building was clear.
“Are you sure you want to try?”
“I need the practice.”
“Well, your search would probably be more thorough than mine.” Vincent had hay in his hair and clothes.
The Path opened as easily as it had earlier. It sent a small thrill through me to feel my power working the way it should. Stronger perhaps, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It didn't take long for the despair of the barn to settle in around me. Miserable blues and anguished blacks wrapped themselves around everything. They seemed to reach out to me, wanting to be acknowledged. I took a steadying breath and gently pushed this aside. I was looking for something fresher, a Path made by a living creature that was still here.
At first, the darkness stubbornly refused to be dislodged, but with soft nudges, it receded enough for me really to study the Path. It didn't take long to pick up the traces of something small hidden in a corner of the room.
I pointed, “Over there. Small. Could be a survivor.”
Vincent headed directly to where I sent him. Our coms had gone silent. Everyone was waiting to hear more about the possible survivor.
I was so wrapped up in the living readings of the Path that I almost overlooked the inanimate. There were heavy remnants of bad intentions that hung around the object.
“Vincent, wait!”
He didn't listen.
Nothing that dark around an object could lead to anything good. It was a trap and we were falling for it. Vincent reached down. Stupidly, I lunged forward.
“Out of the barn!” I yelled.
The words had barely left my mouth when Vincent lifted a small creature off the ground, but overlooked what it had been standing on. Still deep in the Path, I reached out to the dark energy surrounding us and formed a tight ball of energy around the object on the ground just as it exploded.
Chapter 19
Vincent was knocked back, but somehow he remained standing. The bomb strained underneath my hold, trying to find a way out.
Vincent ran toward me with something small in the crook of his elbow. “Everyone out of the barn!”
“We're clear,” Logan said through the coms.
My grip on the bomb wavered and I looked around wildly. Sweat started to build from the exertion of holding back the explosion. There was only one thing in the room that might be strong enough to survive the blast.
“Behind the tractor!” I yelled.
Vincent grabbed my hand and hauled me behind the tractor. The moment I lost sight of the bomb, my tenuous hold fell away and the explosion ignited the room.
Tightness built in my chest and I looked at our surroundings. A hole had been blown in the side of the barn, which I could only just make out over the flames that engulfed the remains of the room.
Logan's frantic voice came over the coms. “Cassie!”
I wasn't sure what to say. Exhaustion weighed me down from the attempts to hold off the blast. The heat of the flames was pressing in on us. Our exits were blocked by fire.
“Cassie!” Logan yelled again.
“We're here, Logan,” Vincent said in an even voice.
“Get out here!” Logan yelled.
Vincent gripped my hand. The creature he held in his arms shifted. There was fire everywhere I looked.
I couldn't lose Vincent, and we couldn’t lose the small survivor he held.
“We’re surrounded by fire,” Vincent said in a steady voice through the coms. He looked at me and I could see distress in his eyes. “There's a way out, Cass, but it won't be pleasant.”
I knew he was talking about walking between the worlds.
“That’s not an option.” Logan’s voice sounded fierce.
Smoke started to fill the area. I coughed and Vincent squeezed my hand. Trying to make my overwrought mind work, I looked around, trying to think of another way out.
“It’s okay,” I said trying to push back the fatigue. What worked for the bomb might work with flames. “There's more than one way out. Do you have a good hold of our survivor?”
“I’ve got him,” Vincent said.
“Trust me and stay close.” Still clutching Vincent’s hand, I plunged into the fire, heading straight for the barn door.
The trick worked a second time. Who knew that a monster picking me up and grinding me into a cliff face would save my life later? Twice today, I was able to mimic the creature’s trick by manipulating the Path. Twice it had saved our lives. The bubble of energy surrounding us dropped the moment we were out of the fire. Using one arm, Vincent had to half hold me up as we exited the smoke filled barn. In the other, he still cradled our survivor. The Path fell away. I wasn't strong enough to hold it open anymore.
Agents ran up as we moved away from the fire.
Logan grabbed the bundle from Vincent. Vincent didn't protest. He did seem surprised however, that another agent clapped him on the back before grabbing my arm. The agent let me lean heavily on him, helping me to the back of the truck where Logan stood. It felt like all energy had been wrung from me. At the back of the truck, the doors were opened. I sat to one side, out of the way, and leaned to support myself.
As stoic professionals, the other agents finished searching the other buildings. I could sense the unsettled feelings twisting through the area.
Now that all were accounted for, we started assessing the damage. Logan had a first aid kit opened and was checking over the survivor.
A pixie stared up at us. He was about a foot tall with a head that looked too large for its frame. Iridescent wings sparkled in the light, but didn’t move. Skin sluggishly tried to camouflage itself against Logan. The pixies protuberant eyes were wide, but he didn't try to run away.
“It's going to be okay,” Logan said. “You're safe now.”
No movement came from the pixie. The last time I had an encounter with pixies they tied my shoelaces and hair into knots, dumped honey on me, and tied me to a tree. Despondence was not in their nature. One of his wings appeared battered, but he was alive.
“You,” I pointed at one of the other agents, “make sure the doctor is on his way.” He nodded and relayed the message. He gave a thumbs up and continued to relay details as the all clear came from the final outlying building.
Logan called someone else over and told them to take care of the pixie.
“I'll take him from here,” the agent said. “We can continue first aid treatment.”
“He has a broken wing,” I said as Logan passed the bundle over, “and he isn't responding.”
“Could be hearing damage,” the man said. “We'll check it while waiting for the doctor.”
Logan turned his eye on me, assessing damage, and I turned mine on Vincent. He had cuts, bruises, and a nasty looking burn on one arm, which was being wrapped by someone. Once the man was finished, he looked me over, nodded to Logan, and then went to help with the pixie.
“What happened in there?” asked Logan.
I turned off my coms unit and turned to Logan who did the same.
“It was a trap,” Vincent said. “Cassie pointed out the pixie. He wa
s alone. I thought he was trying to hide at first, but he wasn't camouflaging himself. I didn't notice that he was sitting on a bomb. The moment I lifted him up, the explosion went off.”
Logan lowered his voice. “There's no way you could have survived a bomb explosion. Last I heard, Walkers aren't immortal, and I sure as hell know that Readers aren't.”
Vincent looked at me. I slumped down further into the back of the truck.
“Remember that thing that attacked me at the Sanctuary when I was there with Rider? It threw me up and ground me into the rocks using its power. It was the first thing that came to mind. I tried it and it worked.”
“That got us out too,” Vincent said.
Logan looked at me with an unreadable expression. “Have you told anyone at the office about your power changing?”
I shook my head and stifled a yawn.
“I think it will be better for everyone if we leave this out of the reports. At least for now.”
I was too worn out to disagree. Besides, if Logan thought it would be better, I'd follow his lead.
“Someone knew we were coming. The heat signatures were here this morning,” Logan said.
“They cleared out fast,” I added.
“They didn't want us to find anything,” Vincent said. “We wouldn't have if that pixie had moved.”
“They probably thought we'd find the survivor sooner,” Logan said. “Pick up the survivor, trigger the bomb.”
“Possible,” Vincent said. “They could have expected the pixie to jump off as soon as they left.”
“Brave pixie,” Logan said.
“Your grandmother is something else,” Vincent said. “Things would have been a lot worse if not for her and a lot better if I had listened to you.”
We looked at the barn. Flames covered half and smoke billowed through the air. It looked like it wasn't going to last much longer.
“We lost a lot of evidence in there,” I said.
“We all got out,” Logan said, “and that's the most important thing. What's our next move?”
“It's obvious that someone knew we were coming,” Vincent said.
“It's also obvious they are keeping the Lost alive,” I added. My thoughts turned to the room streaked with blood and a tremor ran though me. “Maybe not under the best of circumstances, but alive.”
“They couldn't have moved everyone too far. There are a lot of missing to account for. If the plan was to expose the Lost to the world, they would have done so by now,” Logan said.
“Why would these people be gathering them together?” I asked. “If they're trying to sell them, why would they have so many together? Wouldn't they sell them off as they picked them up?”
“We can guess they aren't studying them,” Vincent said, “unless you all found some medical equipment?” Logan and I shook our heads. “The people that did this aren't trying to help them in any way. People treat animals better than the Lost were treated here.”
Logan balled his hands into fists and nodded. “What do you do with animals you are trying to break?” Logan asked.
“These aren't animals, though,” I said.
“What do you try to do to humans you are trying to break, then?” Logan's temper flared and the Path heated up around me to match the air of the burning barn.
I didn't want to answer, but Vincent spoke up. “They are breaking them to control them before selling to the highest bidder.”
I pressed my hands against my stomach. I didn't respond for fear that I would lose my breakfast. I could feel the storm of the Path around Logan, as he took a few steps away and pulled out his cell phone. I could hear him talking to Jonathan, making sure everything was okay at home.
“Call everyone you can think of and tell them to be on alert,” Vincent said.
I started making calls, starting with Gran. Gran agreed to call Morgan, and I contacted Rider and Travis before contacting every other Lost that I had a number for.
A call came in. Without even looking at the caller ID, I answered.
“What the hell is going on out there? Your team was supposed to report back to me as soon as you finished wrapping up there.”
Vincent raised his eyebrows. Even several feet away he could make out Barry's ranting.
“We're wrapping up now,” I replied, trying to keep my voice even.
“Then why are half the Lost in the state calling and asking for protection or wanting to move back to The Farm?” Barry's voice could grind stones. Unfortunately, I was the stone. “I want to see you three in my office before this day is over.” Barry hung up.
It felt good for the three of us to be referred to as a team, but the thought was fleeting. Most of the agents were slowing down as the adrenaline high wore off.
“Should we have waited to contact the Lost?” I asked.
“If we don't do what we can for the people we're protecting, we shouldn't be doing this job,” Vincent replied.
Sounded like a good philosophy, but I didn't think I’d mention it to Barry.
The doctor arrived. He took one look at the Pixie and left with emergency sirens blaring.
The cleanup crew was close behind, along with a civilian fire truck. Most agents kept their distance as the fire crew put out the fire. Logan, Vincent and I, went over the items we had recovered, making sure everything was tagged. As the sun started to dip, we closed up our truck and headed toward the office.
“They cleared out because they had been warned,” I said. “It's like what you said earlier, Vincent. They knew we were coming.”
“That bothers me,” Logan said. “No one outside AIR could have known.”
“And the information was precise enough that we could have suffered casualties,” Vincent said.
“Someone at AIR caused this damage?” I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that type of betrayal. “Did they want us dead, too?”
“I think it's both,” Logan's voice could eclipse the sun. He took a deep breath. “We already know someone wants Cassie dead, but Hank hasn't been able to find any traces of that.”
“It could be any number of people at the office,” I said. “Who arranged this, I mean, not who wants me dead. I don't know anyone who would want me dead.”
“Vincent did at one point,” Logan said, not taking his eyes off the road. “You survived where most people would have died.”
“I thought we were past blaming Vincent,” I said.
“Logan's not wrong,” Vincent said. “I can take it for granted that I'm not guilty, but you two can't afford to do that.”
This conversation was not going where I intended it to go.
“Don’t go jumping ahead,” Logan said. “I said at one point. I’ve watched Vincent pretty closely the past week. I think he’s in the clear.”
“But there are other possibilities,” I said, trying to push past the idea of Vincent being wrapped up in this mess. “Who else could arrange this?”
“Pretty much anyone with computer access,” said Logan.
“Possibly, but they would have been working fast. The place hadn’t been abandoned long,” Vincent said.
“The Paths weren’t that old,” I agreed.
“So, either we were told to investigate and they left in a hurry, or they cleared out and then we were told to investigate. Someone probably planted the bomb while we were on the way, although it could have happened before we left.”
“That leaves most of AIR as suspects,” I said. “Anyone could have overheard Barry or Kyrian discussing today's operation. Or maybe even overheard Hank report about the hot spots detected by radar.”
“Leaves a lot of people,” Logan said, “even ourselves.”
“Barry and Kyrian weren't shy about their discussion the other day,” Vincent said. “They kept it quiet but didn't go behind closed doors. As busy as the office is, I wonder if they've had other conversations that could be overheard?”
We pulled up the gates and used our card key to get through. Silently, we made our w
ay to the office building and straight into Barry's office. As we went across the main control room floor, I took a closer look at everyone there. Who could have overheard the conversation? Who could have set this up?
Barry was alone in his office. As he talked, his face grew dark and his voice rose. In the end, his face was red and he was nearly out of breath. He made it clear that everything must go through him in the future. Not someone else in the office, but him. I managed to look properly chastised. Vincent's face was blank. Logan was rocking back and forth on his feet humming softly. I knew that Logan wouldn't have done anything different.
After being dismissed, Vincent went up to the doctor to get his arm re-wrapped. I wanted to go with him, but I wasn't sure if it was because he was my partner, or because I was starting to feel something more. It had been an intense afternoon, but I still remember the crushing feeling I had when I thought I would lose him.
That only brought more confusion. In the end, I stayed downstairs.
The day had been a long one. The items in the truck weren't going to log themselves, so after a large helping of coffee, I started schlepping everything into the office. I took careful notes, cataloging each thing. Vincent helped and even Logan poked around the contents. By the time I was done, the office was dark and only a few people sat at desks.
We had narrowed down our suspect list to AIR agents. I took note again of each person around the room. The list of suspects might be narrowed, but it was still a substantial list.
The house was dark when we returned home. Logan ghosted around the side of the house, headed for home.
Vincent and I headed straight for the stairs. The smell of smoke hung around us, and I was desperate for a shower and my bed.
On the landing, Vincent grabbed my hand before I could open my door.
“Cass, wait,” he said, “I made a mistake today.”
My heart skidded and I was suddenly more awake than I had been a moment ago.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
AIR Series Box Set Page 25
