by R. D. Brady
“How?” Drake spread his arms wide. “There’s not even a drain in here.”
Laney looked around and realized he was right. And of course, Samyaza would have made sure getting rid of the blood would be difficult. “There must be a way.”
“We could take the blood with us,” Drake said.
“With us? Why would we do that?”
Drake’s eyes were intense. “So you could take it. So you could be immortal.”
Laney backed up. “Immortal? I don’t want to be immortal.”
“I am.”
Laney saw the longing in Drake’s eyes. But the idea of it, not just ingesting blood, but of living forever… No. She didn’t want that.
“Drake, even if I could, this is the blood of two terrified children. No one should use this. This is evil.”
Drake shrugged. “It was just a thought.”
Laney shoved the idea from her mind. She had never considered immortality, not since she’d had that conversation with Victoria at her home in Maine. After that, immortality had lost its appeal, real or imagined.
She looked at Cleo. “It was the blood. It made you think they were down here, didn’t it? Can you lead us to the other place?”
Yes.
Laney turned to the lab equipment. There had to be something they could use. “Hold on.” She headed to the door, then stopped with her hand on the handle. She glanced at Cleo. Is there anyone outside?
No.
Laney opened the door and looked both ways before crossing to the door across the hall. It was a supply closet, just like she’d hoped. She scanned the shelves and grabbed two bottles of bleach and a bucket. This should do nicely.
Back across the hall, Drake helped her pour all the blood into the bucket. Then Laney poured in the bleach. “Well, that should do it. There’s a drain in the closet across the hall.”
“I’ve got it.” Drake picked up the bucket and left the room.
Laney peered into the hall. No one had come down the stairs, which seemed odd. But she was thankful.
Drake emerged from the closet.
“Good?”
“Someone’s chance at immortality is official down the drain.”
Laney groaned. “That was really bad.”
“What?” he replied indignantly. “That was a good one.”
Shaking her head, Laney turned to Cleo. Find Victoria.
Cleo padded down the hall to a second staircase. Laney knew there were no Fallen nearby, but the lack of people was surprising. Well, small blessing, I guess, she thought as they headed up the stairs.
Cleo waited as Drake opened the door. And then she let out a roar. Drake blurred in front of the two of them as the gun blast sounded.
CHAPTER 104
The blast was deafening, and Drake fell forward as the bullet punched through his chest and came out the other side.
“Drake!”
Cleo charged the gunman and clamped her powerful jaws around his forearm. He dropped the gun with a scream. Laney ran forward as three more men appeared behind the first gunman. “Release!” she yelled at Cleo.
Cleo let the man go, and Laney grabbed him by the lapels and propelled him back toward the other three, using him as a shield. She plowed him right into the man in the middle, slammed a sidekick into the man on her left, then sent another sidekick into the man on the right. She twisted the shoulders of her shield into the man on her left and shoved. The men dropped in a heap.
The man on her right started to bring his gun hand up. Laney clamped a hand on his wrist and kicked him in the groin, then elbowed him in the face. She twisted his gun hand and slammed her forearm into his elbow, breaking it. He screamed, and the gun dropped to the floor.
She back-kicked the man coming up behind her, followed by a round kick to the knee.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the last man get to his feet. She wrapped her hand around the second man’s neck and twirled him in front of her just as the third man pulled the trigger. Three bullets slammed into her new shield. Cleo roared and leaped on the gunman, slamming him into the floor. Her jaws ripped into the man’s ribs.
Laney tossed her man to the side, reached up, and broke the man’s neck. She looked down at the man Cleo stood on. He was either out cold or dead. “Good job, girl.”
“You two are quite a team,” Drake said from behind her.
Laney rushed over. “Are you all right?”
“Almost completely healed. Although, I will admit that hurt.”
“We need to move. They know we’re here. Cleo?”
She turned to the stairs and slunk up them. Her heart pounding, Laney hurried behind her, Drake bringing up the rear.
Cleo paused on the steps. Danger.
The word floated across Laney’s mind a split second before Cleo charged up the stairs and leapt out of view. A woman’s scream cut off abruptly. Laney tore up the stairs and rounded a corner at the top. Cleo stood there, looked up at Laney, her eyes shining. A woman in fatigues lay on the ground at Cleo’s feet, a gun in her hand.
“Guess that was the ‘nanny,’” Laney said.
“Don’t think she was only a nanny,” Drake murmured.
Cleo stepped away from the woman, nudged open the nearest door, and disappeared inside.
“I’ll stay out here,” Drake said.
Laney paused only a second before stepping into the dark room.
CHAPTER 105
It took Laney’s eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness—or at least that’s what she told herself as she stood, unmoving, just inside the door. She knew the gunshots had probably been heard and she should be moving quickly, but she needed a moment to prepare herself.
There were two cribs against the far wall. Cleo sat in front of one of them. Mother of all. Then Cleo walked past Laney and out of the room. Outside.
Laney barely registered her thoughts, she was so focused on the cribs. Mother of all—Victoria’s here. A cavalcade of memories of her mother rolled through her mind, ending with her last memory. “Every time, I think I can’t love you more. And then I do.”
Laney blinked back tears, swallowing down all the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Later—deal with it later. Get her to safety now.
On trembling legs, she moved forward.
A small girl with red hair lay in the crib, sleeping. She had a small bandage on her right arm. Laney gently ran a hand over her hair. “Hi, Mom,” she whispered.
The girl didn’t stir.
She looked in the other crib and saw a girl who could be the twin of Victoria. “Hey there.” Laney reached down and touched the girl’s cheek. She didn’t stir either. Frowning, Laney reached down and picked the girl up. Her head fell back limply, and Laney quickly supported it, realizing what was wrong. They drugged them. Those bastards.
“Drake.”
He slipped into the room. “The house is quiet. How are they?”
“They’ve been drugged. Can you grab, uh, Victoria?”
Drake’s eyebrows rose, but he reached into the other crib and picked up the girl.
Light flickered across the room. Laney whirled, cradling the child to her chest, as a TV in the corner came to life.
Elisabeta looked coldly at them from the screen. “Hello, ring bearer.”
CHAPTER 106
On screen, Elisabeta raised a hand, and a red dot appeared on each of the girls. “Not sure if your power works through electronics, but I wouldn’t try it. If you command me to do anything, I will put a bullet through these girls.”
“You wouldn’t hurt them.” Laney clasped the girl tightly to her chest. Cleo, find the shooters.
Elisabeta smiled sweetly. “Hurt them, yes. Kill them, no. They’ll survive a bullet or two. And besides, I don’t need their brains functioning. Only their hearts—to pump that beautiful blood through their bodies.”
“How heartless can you be? You stole all those children, dragged them from their families—”
Elisabeta laughed. “Families? Who cares about a
few mortal families? Do you know what I stand to gain?”
“All at the cost of children’s lives,” Laney said.
“Please, I’m going to attain immortality. Nothing will stop me. Certainly not you.”
“You made sure of that, didn’t you? Trumping up those charges? Forcing me to go into hiding, leaving you to do whatever you wanted?”
“You made it too easy, my dear. Always rushing into danger, helping whatever feckless fools had endangered their own lives.”
“And you twisted it all, made me look like the villain.”
“What can I say? Humans are sheep, easily led. They were looking for a villain. I just pointed them to you.”
“And away from yourself.”
“Well, I certainly couldn’t become a pariah. That wouldn’t quite fit in with my plans, would it? I have to admit, I am a little disappointed. You got here a little faster than I had planned. I was hoping I’d be able to greet you personally.”
“That is a shame. I was hoping we could ‘chat’ as well.”
The lights on the girls winked out.
Dead.
Elisabeta frowned, then sighed. “I see your stupid cat has been busy.”
“So we’ll be leaving now,” Drake said.
Elisabeta laughed. “I don’t think so. Look out the window.”
Laney stepped toward it. The tingles ran over her.
Drake shot out his hand, holding her back. “No.” He handed Laney the other child before moving to the window himself and peering out.
“How gallant,” Elisabeta purred.
“Drake?” Laney asked.
His jaw set, he turned to her. “At least twelve. I sense another ten around the back.”
“And that doesn’t include the humans, or, as I like to call them, cannon fodder,” Elisabeta said.
Laney felt her fear escalate. Drake walked over and took one of the girls.
Elisabeta sighed. “Such a dilemma. You could save yourselves, fight your way out. But you’ll never be able to do that while holding those children. Best you just leave them behind and be on your way.
“And Delaney, before you get any grand heroic ideas about saving those two precious children, you should know my people have been ordered to kill you. I’m done playing. But don’t worry—no weapons. I want to make sure your death lasts.” Elisabeta paused. “Unless of course, you get through my men. Then the humans have been ordered to open fire.”
Laney pulled her gun, aimed it at the TV, and pulled the trigger. The bullet went right through the spot where Elisabeta’s face had been. If only that had been real…
She turned to Drake, who raised an eyebrow. “That was a little dramatic.”
“Well, sometimes drama is called for. Let’s go.” Laney adjusted the girl in her arms and headed for the door. Cleo, can you get back in?
Coming.
“Where’s Cleo?”
“Still outside. She’s going to try to get back—”
A yell went up from the side of the house, followed by a scream and the sound of a window breaking. Drake pushed Laney against the wall, his body tense.
Laney felt her heart rate spike. Cleo?
Inside.
She put a hand on Drake’s chest. “It’s okay. It’s Cleo.”
Anyone else inside?
No.
“No one else is inside. I wonder what they’re waiting for,” Laney mumbled.
“I think they’re waiting for us.”
Laney took a breath. “Well, let’s not disappoint them.”
CHAPTER 107
As Drake and Laney made their way down the stairs, the tingles ran over Laney’s skin. Drake had been right. There were dozens of them.
Drake looked over at her, one of the girls in his arms. “They’re coming.”
“A lot of them. Let’s go.”
Laney examined both girls. Neither moved, but their breathing seemed all right. Still, she knew Elisabeta was right: they’d never be able to fight their way out while holding the girls. Especially not if I’m their focus.
Cleo prowled ahead of them, the hair on her back standing straight up. Outside.
Laney moved silently to the door, the girl still held tightly to her chest. She peered through the transom glass. At least two dozen people stood along the drive, all of them Fallen. And she could feel still more of them somewhere out of sight.
She swallowed and looked up at Drake. “We’re surrounded.”
A man stepped forward from among the Fallen—Hakeem. “Come on out, ring bearer,” he yelled.
Drake cursed. “Apparently I didn’t plunge that knife in hard enough.”
“Yup.” Laney shifted the girl in her arms and ran a hand through her hair. The girl looked up at her sleepily, and for a moment Laney s breath caught as Victoria’s eyes looked into hers.
Laney felt tears push against the back of her eyes as she laid a trembling kiss on the girl’s forehead. “You don’t deserve any of this.”
Victoria had done so much, for all of them. For all of humanity. And now Samyaza was trying to rip her years of peace from her as well.
Laney looked at the girl held in Drake’s arms. She was just a poor innocent who had nothing to do with any of this. And yet here she was in mortal danger.
“What do you want to do?” Drake asked, his eyes intense.
And in that moment, Laney knew he would do whatever she asked. He would sacrifice himself, without hesitation, to save her. And the lifetimes slipped away. “Jake will be arriving at the shore. You need to get them to safety.”
“You mean we do.”
Laney shook her head. “No. You get them to safety. I’ll keep these guys busy.”
And for a moment, it wasn’t Laney and Drake, but Helen and Achilles. And she was sending Achilles away with Clytemnestra and Morcant.
Then Achilles died.
Laney swallowed down the fear and the anguish. Not this time. He would not die this time. She would not allow it.
“Get them to safety. You’re faster. You can get them there. I can’t. Cleo and I will distract them. When you hear us move, you go out the back.”
Drake shook his head. His voice was a fierce whisper. “I am not leaving you.”
Laney looked once more at the two girls before looking back at him. “They come first. And you are their best chance of getting out of this alive. Cleo and I can keep them busy while you run. It’s the only chance they have.”
Drake’s jaw clenched, and he stared at a spot above Laney’s head. She was afraid he wouldn’t do it. That he would insist on staying with her. “You don’t know what you’re asking me to do,” he said.
“Yes I do,” she said softly, feeling Achilles’s death all over again. She would give anything to prevent that.
Drake grabbed her and pulled her close. “Do not die. Do you hear me? You are not allowed to die.”
She stared into his face and couldn’t think of a single thing to say. So instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. His lips pressed down on hers, and her whole body felt alive. She clung to him, her life, Helen’s life, crashing over her. Achilles.
With regret, she pushed him away and leaned her forehead into his, feeling breathless. “Go. You need to go.”
He stared into her eyes, looking like he wanted to say more. But he took the girl from her arms.
Laney nodded back down the hall. “Go out the back. They can’t sense you. As soon as you hear the commotion up front, you run. Jake will be on the beach.”
Drake gave her an abrupt nod but stayed where he was.
“Go. Keep them safe,” she said quietly.
Drake gave her one last look and disappeared down the hall.
Taking a deep breath, Laney looked down at Cleo. “You ready, girl?”
Cleo let out a roar in response. The hair on the back of her neck was standing straight up.
Shoving all of her fear aside and pulling up all of her anger, Laney opened the door and stepped outs
ide, with Cleo by her side.
Hakeem snarled from thirty feet away. “Where’s your boy toy?”
Laney shrugged. “You know men, so fickle. Now get—”
Music blared from speakers, drowning her out. Metallica’s “Hit the Lights” played through the night. Hakeem grinned, and Laney’s heart sank. She wouldn’t be able to command them. But that wasn’t her only trick.
She touched Cleo’s back. I love you, Cleo.
Lightning crashed, piercing Fallen after Fallen. Then Laney yanked the gun from the back of her belt and fired at the closest Fallen.
Hakeem let out a yell and charged—along with every other Fallen she could see.
CHAPTER 108
The lightning could be seen clearly from the opposite shore. Jake and Jordan looked at each other for only a moment before picking up the Zodiac and running for the water. They dropped the boat in, did a quick weapon check, and they were on their way, along with two other men. The rest of the men would stay on the shore, weapons trained on the far island. They’d provide cover fire if necessary.
“Looks like Laney’s in the thick of it,” Jordan said.
Jake just nodded. He could picture Laney in the middle of a fight, protecting the two children. She would lay down her life for them. He knew that without a doubt. He just prayed it didn’t come to that.
He also feared they wouldn’t arrive in time. That Laney wouldn’t succeed. And that he would have to face Mary Jane and tell her that her child was dead. Jake had done some difficult things in his life. He’d broken the news of the death of a loved one to family before. But never about a child. And never to a family who’d already been through so much.
He pictured Mary Jane crumpling to the ground, her children joining her. And then he realized he’d have to have the same conversation with Patrick if things went badly. Please don’t let it come to that.
Jake scanned the coast as Jordan steered them toward the open beach. Muzzle flashes appeared on the shore. Jake put his weapon to his shoulder and returned fire as Jordan set them on a zigzag course. Then Jake’s men opened fire from the opposite shore, and soon the gunfire on the beach ahead of them stopped. Whoever had been there was now gone or dead.
