Agent Greely led them to an expansive front room filled with enough expensive, yet comfortable looking, seats for everyone and a dozen more.
Bart flopped down, then waited until the rest of them sat before turning back to Greely. “One, where’s this food? Two, start talking my lad, there is something more serious than what we were already dealing with going on, and that isn’t making me happy.”
“Ten years and you haven’t changed a bit.” Greely shook his head. “They’ll bring in the food, just easier to eat in here. What did they tell you at the airport?”
“They recommended a nice little hotel near the airport while they sorted out how our plane vanished off all of their sensors over the middle of the ocean. Our people called me and sent us here.”
Aisling forced herself to stay awake as they talked. The sofa was a bit too comfortable and leaning back was an invitation to give into the fatigue. She’d wanted to get back into the action, next time she’d be more careful what she wished for.
“At the exact moment that your plane vanished off the sensors, another piece of a building dropped out of the sky. In the middle of the Atlantic.” Greely held up a pad with a diagram. It showed an image of their plane, and superimposed directly over it was a much larger picture of a piece of building.
Bart, Reece, and Jones all leaned forward at that. None of them said anything as the horror of what would have happened hit them.
Aisling held back from speaking, then looked to her brothers. That Harlie, and more importantly, Caradoc, said nothing as well said she’d made the right choice. Letting other people, even high-ranking Area 42 people, know that a mysterious necklace, one that might be a ghau pendant of ancient times, could have pulled the entire plane out of this reality and thusly avoided a fatal impact, would need working up to. Still, her heart was pounding at their near miss. At least she wasn’t sleepy anymore.
“We should have slammed into it. I couldn’t have moved the plane away in time.” Bart’s voice was sober with an edge of fear as he stared at the image. “I didn’t even see it on my radar.”
Neither Reece nor Jones said anything, but both watched Harlie. They might not know what happened, but they both had an idea where the saving came from. They were partially right.
“Watch.” Greely attached the screen to a big screen TV and pressed a few buttons. The image transferred and a vid clip played. “Here’s where we picked up the building.” A dark mass appeared on the screen. Their plane was there as well. “It wasn’t on top of you, but you’re right, you would have been going too fast to avoid it.” He played the short vid a few more times, then shut it off. “Our bosses want to know what in the hell happened?”
Harlie frowned, but stayed silent. Since he was the only one of them who possibly understood what had happened, Aisling wasn’t going to say anything. He’d already told Reece, Jones, and Bart about pushing the spelled trio into another reality for a bit. From the way he kept looking at the screen, even when the image was frozen, it looked like he was wondering if he pushed more than just the three of them out. It was scary enough that he might have pushed them out of reality for a bit within the spell bubble. That he might have caused that to extend around the entire plane and not been aware of it was terrifying.
Caradoc sat on the same sofa as Harlie and twisted around to stare at his brother. The word “Well?” was projected so hard, Aisling could almost hear it.
“Something did happen up there, even though you were unaware of the building debris.” Greely sat back and nodded after watching all of them.
Harlie got to his feet and started pacing nervously. “There are things I can’t say, not yet. Speculation, if wrong, would be worse than staying silent right now. But I can say we did have an external reality situation during the flight. One that might have reached past my spell shield. But it might explain the plane vanishing off the radar as well as us missing the building.”
Reece, Jones, and Bart said nothing about Aisling’s necklace. That was a relief. Aisling trusted them, but the more they were involved with Area 42, the harder it would be to keep it secret.
“If we could find out what happened it might save others as more of these events occur.” Greely leaned forward.
“Has anyone checked to get an estimate of how much mass of the building is left?” Caradoc asked. “I know that the ones that went in the water would be estimates, but how much are we still waiting for? And have there been any incidents outside of L.A. or London? Beyond the two known water landings.”
Greely watched Harlie continue to pace for a few moments, then turned to Caradoc. “If we presume that the entire mass of that building went through the veil and is now coming back, then there has been less than fifteen percent seen so far.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Aisling leaned forward. “You said veil. The rest of Area 42 doesn’t seem to officially like that word.”
“We don’t either. Officially.” Greely gave a grimace. “The idea that the veil has become flexible enough to pull something that massive in and is now spitting out pieces, apparently randomly, is horrifying. I’m almost as old as Harlie. I grew up being told stories about the other side of the veil. If the things they left behind are truly able to come through, and they are as dangerous as the myths say, we will lose. I don’t think there’s another veil we can escape through this time.”
“And so, to avoid mass hysteria, even among their own agents, they just won’t use the word? I didn’t think Area 42 agents were that delicate.” Caradoc glanced around the room.
“I think the higher ups have more information on all of these events than they are letting on, and they’re freaking out is coming from that.” Reece had been sitting back, but he’d been watching everyone. “If the horror that the fey fled from is coming through the veil, everyone needs to be prepared. Avoiding the word doesn’t change the threat.”
Bart’s phone cut in before anyone else could add anything. He saw the number and got up. “I’ll take this upstairs.” With a nod he left the room.
“What say we bring out some food? Nothing can be resolved right now, and we still have a lot to talk about.” Greely was cheerful as he went to the kitchen, but his eyes seemed to darken when he glanced at Harlie.
Jones went to help Greely and Reece moved over to the sofa Aisling was on. “How are you feeling?” He kept his voice low.
“I’m fine, just tired. Do you know Greely or the other two agents?” It was great that Bart knew Greely, but even in her fatigued state something felt off. Of course, it could be from the whole fake Area 42 medics trying to kidnap or kill her. Bound to make a person suspicious.
“Only by name. Greely is old school, like he said, he’s almost as old as Harlie, and has been in Area 42 since it was formed three hundred years ago. He being the one to meet us kinda makes me think things are far worse than we thought. Even after that cheerful conversation we just had. He is admitting that the veil breaking down is a possibility and not trying to deny it.”
Aisling watched him as he watched the others in the kitchen. “But? There is a but hanging there.”
He turned back to her. “But, I think we’ve all been too complacent that Area 42 was unassailable. That smacked us all hard. Outside of the people on that plane we just came in on, I don’t know who can be trusted.”
“Agreed.” Caradoc dropped down on the other side of her. “And something is setting off Harlie. He used to go into these trance states when he was living in his cave in Nepal when something serious got him thinking. He could stay in them for weeks.” He looked up to where Harlie had stopped pacing but seemed to be in a quiet argument with himself. “We can’t afford for him to fall into one of those right now. No one else has his understanding of the veil.”
Aisling leaned backwards. “Harlie? Can you come over here?”
At first he didn’t acknowledge her, then with a forced shake of his head blinked. “Yes?”
“Can you come here?” As she spoke, Reece left
the spot next to her and went back to his chair. “I’d just feel better if you were with us.”
Harlie came over and sat next to her. “Is there anything wrong?”
“Lots of things are wrong. But we need you to stay with us.”
“I was just looking for answers. Sometimes the only way to find them is to go inside.”
Aisling took his hands. “You can’t do that right now. We need you to figure everything out here.”
The blank look in his dark eyes indicated he was drifting back in wherever he went in his trances.
“Harlie? I need you to help me. No one else understands the pendant.” Aisling shook his hands.
He shook his head and his eyes focused. “Oh yes, that is essential. Must not lose that.” He smiled. “Is there food?”
“It’s coming.” She smiled and released his hands. She figured he was speaking more of not losing the thought of the necklace and what it could mean, not actually losing the necklace. Aisling still wasn’t sure if it was helping them or hurting them, but until they figured it out or got it off, she wanted Harlie close by.
Bart came stomping back into the room. If the saying of smoke coming out of his ears was real, he would have two massive plumes coming out. “This is becoming an exercise in stupidity.”
Before he could expand, Jones and Greely came out with trays filled with tea and sandwiches. Bart didn’t expand on his statement but kept his glare aimed at Greely.
That wasn’t a good sign. He knew Greely and supposedly liked him. But something in that call had gotten him rethinking that. Not enough to attack him, so he probably wasn’t someone other than who he said he was. However, something had changed for the worse.
“How long do we have to stay here? I think I need to get to Noth quickly.” Harlie ate like a starving man. Most likely when he’d lived in his cave, he mindlessly ate when he finally ran out of steam.
“That’s a good question.” Bart folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Greely. “I’ve been told that you’ll be leading the team to Noth, but you want to wait?” Even though he’d requested the food, he noticeably left it untouched.
Greely didn’t look comfortable. “I’m not certain that rushing in is the best idea. The initial crisis is over, we need to proceed with caution.”
Bart started laughing, but it wasn’t a friendly laugh. “What did they do to you? You were one of the go-getters, stayed in the field because of the action, long after you could have moved up and stayed in an office. What changed?”
Greely looked down. “I’m feeling old, Bart. Just old. Someone wants this case kept quiet, not sure who, but they are high enough in the organization to apply pressure. I do what they say, they let me get out.”
Bart had just picked up his sandwich but dropped it back to the plate. “Out? As in completely out? I ask again, what in the hell happened to you?”
“There are too many changes coming about. At least in the London branch. More things we’re supposed to ignore. I am tired. Seriously. Settling in to a nice cottage in the Cotswolds and spending my days puttering around my garden sounds wonderful.”
Aisling didn’t know Greely, and she’d only just met Bart, but he was easy to read. He was concerned and pissed in equal measure. However, he wasn’t going to force his friend to divulge his issues—not yet anyway. He also wasn’t going to let things sit there.
“You’re wrong. We need to get there even sooner if higher ups are saying we need to ignore it. And you know it as well as I do. I’ll stay here if I have to, but this team is leaving in the morning for Noth, with or without you and those other two. I assume they are assigned to Noth as well?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Harlie cut into the strained atmosphere. “Talk as you must. But we need to get there tonight.”
Reece and Jones had been silent. They were used to having autonomy but in an official capacity, both Bart and Greely outranked them. Reece nodded to Harlie. “I’m with him, although, unlike him, I don’t feel it like he does. But I believe we need to get to Noth soon.”
Aisling noticed that Reece had tension lines across his forehead and had rubbed his temples twice. And so did Harlie. Reece couldn’t admit to being a precog, but he was reacting to whatever Harlie was on some level. That alone was enough to make Aisling want to run for the van immediately.
Bart nodded toward Harlie. “We have an expert in the obscure and odd things about the veil. He says we go now. I never ignore my experts.”
Greely pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t pass this up, Bart. I need out.”
“At the possible risk to more people? The more we know about how and why these things are happening, the quicker we can stop it. You’d risk lives for retirement?” Jones was almost snarling in his response. He usually kept his emotions out of things, but obviously Greely’s actions pushed him over the edge.
“I—” Greely’s response was cut off as a low-level rumble went through the mansion. Not enough to knock them off their seats, but enough to knock a few photos off the wall.
“If we were in L.A., I’d say that was a 4.3, maybe 4.4 quake, nearby. As far as I know, London isn’t prone to earthquakes,” Caradoc said.
One of the two agents from the garage stuck his head in. “Everyone okay?”
Greely looked around, then nodded. “Yes. Check the neighborhood, that couldn’t have been far away.” He was far less upset than he should be. Since London really didn’t have earthquakes, the only answers were an explosion or possibly another gift from beyond the veil. Or something he hadn’t told them.
Bart got to his feet and the rest of them did as well. “You know what that was?”
Greely ran his fingers through his short hair and swore to himself. “Possibly. Another thing we’re supposed to ignore, delay, deny. There have been things coming up out of the ground for the past two weeks. Horrific creatures who die once they come out of the ground.”
“In London? And no one has noticed?” Aisling knew the British could stay calm under pressure, but that was pushing it.
“They haven’t been in London—yet. They started just outside of Bath, then kept creeping closer. We’ve gotten to the locations before any locals saw the monsters, and no one had been injured. Judging by what I’ve read and what we felt, this incursion was nearby.”
Bart started stomping and swearing so fast that individual words couldn’t be determined. “You kept this from us? Who in New York knows? I’m going to remind you that I am now internal affairs and that means everywhere.” He wasn’t threatening Greely, but he was getting in his airspace.
“Toril Kjai knows. He’s been working with the big guns. We were told to listen to him.”
If Bart’s face got any redder, he was going to pop. Gnomes had a reputation for being cranky and difficult—he was feeding the stereotype right now. “I’ll take care of Toril Kjai myself when I get back. Let me make two calls, then we’re finding whatever just came out of the ground. If it’s nearby, you’re going to send me reports on everything, and this group is leaving for Noth.” He started to add more but instead shook his head and stomped back upstairs.
“I will say my head feels better now.” Harlie rubbed his temples. “A bit uncomfortable for a bit there with that pressure. I would like to know what’s coming up out of the ground, but I feel it is even more urgent we get to Noth.”
Greely was busy doing something on his pad, so Aisling looked over to Reece. The tension lines on his face were gone and he gave a small nod. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t the building pieces that were causing Harlie and Reece to have reactions—or at least not only the sections of building. As far as she knew there were no fey, here or on the other side of the veil, who lived underground.
“I’m just going to go look around outside.” Harlie got up but even moving quickly couldn’t get to the door before Greely called him out.
“Please don’t. I need all of you to stay out of sight as long as possible. There are too many things going on.” He might have h
ad more to say, but his phone cut him off. “What?” Greely had dark skin, but right now it was drifting down to the pale range. “How? Damn it, call for back up. I’ll bring these people too.” He looked around just as Bart came back from his own calls. “The hole is a few blocks over. A giant mansion was swallowed and some weird things are crawling out. And they aren’t dying.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Damn it, and you don’t have enough people close by to handle it.” Bart marched through, grabbed the keys for the van, and kept going to the door to the garage. “Ya coming, or what?”
Harlie was already near the door, but the rest quickly followed. Greely brought up the rear.
Reece gave up his front seat to Greely so he could direct them and squished in with Jones and Caradoc. There was probably a little more room with Aisling and Harlie but she appreciated his keeping physical distance at the moment.
The house was three blocks down the street, and impossible to miss. It collapsed in on itself as the ground underneath it vanished. Pieces stuck up wildly but there wasn’t a crowd around as she would have expected. Just the two agents working with Greely and two security guards.
Aisling shook her head as they got closer. “How come there are no lookie loos? I know L.A. is very different than London, but this is noticeable.”
“A massively detailed spell shield.” Bart moved the van forward slowly. “You see everything because you’re involved through me and Greely. But anyone else wouldn’t see the hole or the collapsed house, would be convinced that the rumble was only a passing truck, and would have an overwhelming urge to stay in their homes. Wastegirdle is a clauthin mage. He can’t keep this level of spell up for long, so I’m assuming more of Area 42 is coming in.” He parked the van and they all got out. Greely might not have been happy about their involvement, or his own for that matter, but he took charge once he stepped out of the van. He marched to the other two agents and moved the housing area guards out a bit further.
An Uncommon Truth of Dying (Broken Veil Book 2) Page 20
