Lethal Engagement

by Teyla Branton

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about!” Their voices were louder, so they were either near the door or the heat of their argument was increasing.

  “You have to tell her,” Cort said, his voice lower now but firm.

  Keene’s response was so low that I didn’t hear.

  Her. Who was this “her?” I couldn’t imagine Keene being able to hide anything from Ava and Erin for long, and Stella was Ava’s closest confidant. So who could it be?

  Me? My stomach dropped.

  “Hello? Hello?” said a voice in my ear. “Mari, can you hear me?”

  “Where are you?” I asked Jace.

  “In the garden.”

  The office door knob began to turn. I shifted.

  JACE WAS OUT IN THE mid-April sunshine. The top of his white blond hair reflected the light, while the lower half lay dark and wet along the edges of his face and the back of his neck. He held a sword in one hand, so I knew he’d been practicing. Despite all our guns and advanced tech, often with the Emporium it came down to swordplay and who was faster. Jace was our youngest Unbounded Renegade, having Changed at twenty-eight, and was talented in combat. His quickness rivaled Ritter’s.

  When he spied me, he pulled the phone away from his ear, pocketing it in his black sweatpants. “What’s up?”

  My mind churned, trying to figure out what I’d heard, what Keene was hiding. I couldn’t imagine that it was anything regarding the Emporium, but he had served them nearly his entire life, and Cort had sounded worried about the battle. I felt sick not knowing. And sicker that I’d shifted away before demanding to be told. That was more like the old, mortal me. Not me after my Change.

  Jace sheathed his sword and put his arms around me. “Mari, did something happen? You’re so pale.” He held me closer than I felt comfortable with, especially given how much he always flirted. Unlike the gray eyes of his siblings, Chris and Erin, Jace’s were blue, with faint white patterns that made him seem perpetually alert.

  I returned Jace’s hug and forced a smile. “Just came to tell you that I’m engaged.”

  “What?” With an exaggerated gesture, he put a fatalistic hand to his heart.

  “Yep. To none other than the president’s son.”

  “Patrick?”

  “That’s right.” He listened as I gave a rundown of the op. “I’m sure Ritter will brief us in more detail on the plane tonight. He’s with Ava now.” I stepped back from his tightened grasp. “First—and please try to contain your thrill—I have to go clothes shopping, and apparently you’re coming along.”

  He laughed. “Good, I could use a package of socks. No time to do laundry.”

  “Sorry, we’re not going to Costco.” Jace was a huge fan of one-stop shopping, and the retailer was where he bought everything except his weapons. Anything to save time that he could then spend on training, ops, or bugging me.

  “Well, let’s get it over with then.” Jace gave me a wink. “It’s warm enough that afterward we can stop for ice cream.”

  BY THE TIME WE FINISHED a visit to the hair salon for my new auburn look, and took care of my wardrobe, spending more money in a single day than I’d spent on clothes in all of my thirty-one years, I was more than ready for ice cream. Following Jace’s directions, Erin drove us to a new place called Unbounded Café, which boasted one hundred and fifty flavors.

  “I drove by this place last month when they first opened,” Jace said. “I’ve been wanting to check it out ever since.”

  “Guess they needed the Unbounded angle to open an ice cream shop in the winter,” Erin said dryly, arching a brow at the six employees. They dressed in dark clothing, wore long leather coats, despite the warm day, and carried realistic swords in sheaths on their backs.

  “Like some kind of cult,” I whispered, fighting a sensation of unease. “Anyway, we don’t look like that, do we?” Jace was dressed in a dark button-down shirt, but his slacks were lighter gray and he wasn’t wearing a coat. Erin was actually wearing a flowing green dress, while I wore a slim navy blue dress I’d borrowed from Stella. Not a sword in sight.

  “Well, we do dress that way on ops,” Jace said. “They must have copied it from the Emporium agents the government recovered in Morocco. At least they don’t have assault rifles.” He sounded almost disappointed.

  The café was full of people even on a late Wednesday afternoon, and some of the patrons also dressed in dark clothing, though, unlike the employees, I couldn’t see any swords among them.

  “Well on this next op,” I told Jace, “I’m wearing five hundred dollar suits and dresses. And only one is black.”

  “Five hundred was the cheapest,” Erin reminded me. “Good thing we got the jeans for only two.”

  Jace let out a disgusted sigh. “Only? Man, you know how many pairs I could have bought at Costco for that?”

  The employees and patrons followed our progress into the shop to the back of the short line. Being Unbounded not only meant we had the very best genes our lineage could offer, but we also radiated the confidence and vitality that came with the Change. Mortals translated this into beauty. At first, the constant gazes gravitating my way had been unnerving, but now they only amused me.

  “No Unbounded here.” Erin’s sensing gift allowed her to recognize our kind instantly. Knowing none were present, I found myself relaxing before realizing that being in the shop had made me tense.

  The staff was surprisingly fast, and we arrived at the front of the line in less than five minutes. I ordered Endless Strawberry, Jace had Boundless Blueberry, and Erin had Unbounded Preferred Pistachio. Other flavors included Cherry Change, Triple Combat Chocolate, Regenerative Raspberry, Immortal Mudpie, and Absorbed Apple, which I thought was rather gross. Unbounded could absorb the nutrients they needed to exist from the air and other substances, but I wouldn’t want to eat anything someone else had already absorbed.

  “No one ever asked me what kind of pistachio I prefer,” Jace muttered. Erin bumped him with her shoulder as she handed a credit card to the brown-haired man behind the register.

  With the receipt, the cashier gave her a flyer. Erin glanced at the paper before passing it to me. “A meeting to learn more about Unbounded?” she asked, her eyes ever-so-slightly losing focus, which I guessed meant she was looking at his thoughts.

  “The end is coming,” he said. “But the Unbounded can’t be killed, you know. They can save all of us.”

  “I thought Hunters are claiming that cutting Unbounded apart kills them,” Erin said.

  The man snorted. “Hunters are liars. Sent to destroy our faith. You can’t believe anything they say.”

  “I see.” Erin turned away, her face blank. Jace tried not to snicker.

  “Hope to see you at the meeting,” the cashier called after us. “We’ll explain everything.”

  When we were out of earshot, I waved the flyer. “They even have a prayer session.”

  “So, not a cult but a religion?” Jace asked, his mouth twitching.

  Erin gave him a flat stare. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  I sighed. “Well, the guy’s right about the end coming. It’ll be the end of everything we know if the Emporium have their way.” We’d been heading to an empty table, but I suddenly wanted to be far away from here. The idea of people praying to us was utterly insane. “Look, let’s get out of here. We can eat this on the way back to the Fortress.”

  “Okay,” Jace said, taking a bite of ice cream, “but I have to say, this stuff is really good.”

  We changed direction at the same time a commotion began at the shop’s entrance. Five burly men dressed in jeans and long-sleeved flannel shirts had come inside and spread out, blocking the door. Two wore cowboy hats and boots, while the other three sported baseball caps and tennis shoes. The shirts and the hats bore the Hunter insignia of a man with a rifle.

  Jace signaled me to cover the group on one side, while he took the other. Erin stayed in the middle. We were still some distance away, and the
line of people were between us and the Hunters. Jace sized up our competition, the grin on his face predatory.

  Talk first, Jace. Erin’s warning came into my mind. I hadn’t dropped my shield but despite my efforts, Erin could still break through. She had assured me that my shield would withstand an Emporium mental attack, but her ultimate goal was for me to keep her out, even in an emergency such as this. I dropped the shield completely now, sure that Jace already had. His combat instincts would have reminded him that Erin was our only way of silent communication.

  No weapons had been drawn, but that didn’t mean they weren’t carrying. I was almost sure they were, and probably big guns with more rounds than permitted by restrictive California gun laws. Concealed weapons permits were obtainable in rural areas, and lawful everywhere, but most people in the city didn’t carry. Fortunately, today, the bad guys weren’t the only ones carrying. Not that we’d need guns to settle this. I much preferred the knife I’d already released from the sheath under the long sleeve of my borrowed dress.

  “What’s going on?” The brown-haired cashier came from behind the counter. “If you want to be served, please get in line. No reason to block the door.”

  “Oh yeah? We’ll block it if we want, monster-lover,” said the largest of the Hunters, who stood a foot taller than his companions and the cashier. He was one of those wearing a cowboy hat, but it was new like his boots, and I bet for him it was a costume purchased only because he’d joined the Hunters.

  “Please.” The cashier twisted his hands together, swallowing noisily. “We don’t want trouble. I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Just like I did your Hunter friends who visited us last week.”

  The man and his friends chuckled. “Well, you can ask all you want,” mocked the second man wearing a cowboy hat. He had a twang in his voice that said his worn hat and dull boots might be the real thing. The other Hunters nodded vigorously, joining in on the laughter.

  “You see,” said New Hat, “we come to teach you a lesson. We’re from the same stock as those Unbounded monsters you worship. They tortured our fathers for not having that devil gene. We know the truth about their plans, and for the past sixty years we’ve been huntin’ them. Before any of you even knew they existed, we kept you safe. They ain’t gods. They’re devils. And if you don’t have the good sense to understand that, we’re going to beat it into you.”

  The weapons came out.

  New Hat had a knife in his large hand, but the other four men pulled out guns, each covering a separate direction. A murmur of fear rippled through the two dozen or so people in the shop. With two steps, New Hat grabbed the cashier and placed him in a headlock, knife to his cheek.

  “Nobody move,” twanged Worn Hat. “We ain’t gonna hurt you. Leastwise not too much.” Again his companions seemed to think that was the best joke they’d ever heard.

  One of the others reached over and pulled the sword from the cashier’s back sheath. “It’s not even real. It’s metal, but not sharp. Not like the real ones Unbounded use to cut people up.” No twangy accent or poor English. This was probably some local college kid.

  Erin’s gaze fixed on the big Hunter, and he suddenly barked, “Put away your cell phones. Now. Everyone. Don’t even think about taking pictures or calling the police.”

  “Do what he says!” yelled College Boy, waving his gun.

  Little too late for this precaution, since several minutes had already passed, and I suspected this was Erin’s way of making sure whatever we did next wasn’t recorded. She could suggest thoughts and release them inside people’s heads, and sometimes it worked.

  “So, you worship Unbounded, huh?” New Hat taunted the cashier. “Where are they now? You think they’re going to come down in a beam of light and save your sorry ass?”

  “They’ll rid the earth of scum like you!” retorted the cashier.

  I had to hand it to him. He had a lot of courage, and even if his faith didn’t make sense to me, he was right about our ultimate goals.

  “I thought you might say that.” New Hat shifted and pressed his knife into the cashier’s belly. The man’s screams were accompanied by those of several patrons. Wetness appeared on the cashier’s black shirt.

  I plopped my ice cream on a table and stepped around the woman in front of me, who took the opportunity to flee to the back of the shop. More patrons followed, pressing themselves against the wall. I didn’t see any cell phones among the terrified faces. I stopped moving about five feet from the two Hunters on the left wearing baseball hats. The young men held their guns nervously, and I hoped they didn’t shoot someone on accident. Or on purpose.

  “You can’t be a real Unbounded,” New Hat told the cashier. “I’ve never seen one squeal like a stuck pig, even when we cut them apart. They scream and curse, yes, but no squealing.”

  Worn Hat pulled a small chain saw from a bag over his shoulder. “Folks, you have nothing to fear. We’re just going to show you how to get rid of an Unbounded devil. Don’t worry. It doesn’t really hurt. They don’t feel like we do, though, as my friend said, he may holler a bit. Ladies, you might want to cover your ears.” He took a small video camera from the bag and tossed it to College Boy.

  A sinking feeling entered my gut. These men had come here to make a statement. They didn’t care that the cashier was only pretending to be Unbounded. They were going to hurt him. Apparently they were willing to go to jail for their cause.

  Erin eased closer to me. Mari, the big guy’s yours. I’ll take the two on the left. Jace has the two on the right. When I begin the distraction, shift.

  I let the point of my knife slide further into my palm, the metal feeling cool and inviting in the crowded shop. Anticipation rolled through me.

  Erin took another step and reached her hands toward the chain saw. “Oh, let me! I want a chance at the monster. All I did was buy ice cream and he tried to seduce me into his cult. Wants me to bear his Unbounded child!” She waved her hands energetically as she spoke, her green dress fluttering around her, showing a lot of leg. The patrons gawked in fascination at the violence in her face and voice, while the Hunters checked out her legs.

  With her distraction, I shifted, reappearing behind the big Hunter, the door to the ice cream shop at my back. He laughed suddenly, finding Erin’s behavior amusing. Maybe he was even contemplating taking her up on the offer. I stepped close, one arm wrapping around him, slipping the knife up under his right ribs. The metal gobbled at his flesh and beckoned for more. Not today.

  He gasped, struggling for breath. Which only caused more pain and more struggling. He was lucky. A few more inches and I could have hit something more vital, but Hunters were mortal, after all, and despite my hatred of them, killing this man wasn’t going to solve our problems with his group or with the Emporium. Besides, my fellow Renegades kept reminding me that Hunters were part of the humanity we were trying to save.

  “He’s having a heart attack!” I screamed, replacing my knife in my sheath and pushing him down to the floor.

  Erin and Jace were already taking the guns from the remaining Hunters. Erin moved as fast as Jace, so I knew she was channeling his ability. Jace couldn’t resist a few punches that sent his Hunters sprawling, their eyes rolling up in their heads. Erin produced a couple of long plastic twist ties to restrain hers.

  Abandoning the Hunter, I knelt next to the fallen cashier, lifting his black T-shirt to peek at his wound. It was bleeding but not deep. “You’ll be okay,” I told him.

  He pulled me down to whisper in my ear. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?”

  So not going to answer that one. “Do you have a surveillance camera?”

  “Yes.”

  “Erin,” I began.

  She was already kneeling next to me. “Where does the camera feed to? Is there a password?”

  “The office,” said the cashier. “I can’t tell you the password . . . unless . . . Please, are you—?”

  “Shh.” Erin placed a hand against his lips as
a picture of the office appeared in my thoughts. Password is Unbounded. Meet us in the car afterward.

  I jumped to my feet and began pushing my way through the crowd that had converged as patrons and employees craned their necks to see what was happening. As soon as I was past them and sure no one was paying attention to me, I shifted to the location Erin had shown me.

  My last glimpse was of Jace using the phone behind the counter.

  PART OF OUR RENEGADE TRAINING was in electronics because we often had to cover our footsteps when Stella wasn’t around. On the office computer, I easily found the file connected to the camera in the ice cream shop. I stopped the feed, selected the file, and connected to an online corruption virus Stella had created. In minutes, it was finished.

  Sirens were already wailing in the distance, which meant it was time to go. With a tissue from the desk, I wiped down the computer keys I’d touched, just in case. Then, taking a piece of chocolate from a dish, I popped it into my mouth, chose the coordinates of Erin’s Jeep, and shifted.

  Erin and Jace were there, but Erin was on the phone. “It’s Ritter,” Jace informed me. “He knew something was up.”

  I wasn’t surprised. Ritter and Erin had developed a connection that sometimes happened to sensing Unbounded and their mates. The connection intensified when there was trouble to one or the other of them.

  “I bet she just loves that,” I said, slipping into the back seat next to one of the outfits I’d purchased, still covered in plastic. We’d sent the rest ahead to the plane packed in tissue and boxes, but this one I planned to change into before we landed in DC.

  Jace snorted. “She likes it like a hole in the head.” He passed me an ice cream cone. “I got a few more before we left.”

  “That’s good. I left mine on a table back there.”

  “By the way, nice knife work on that Hunter.”

  “Collapsed lung,” I said. “Could be life-threatening.”

  “Doubt it. Unfortunately, they got to him in plenty of time.”