“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve got work to do,” Xander said as he shrugged into his jacket.
“Right.” Kagan walked to the living room and pulled his own coat back on then turned to Mira. “You’ll be okay here alone?”
She nodded, her focus trained on the dishes in the sink, refusing to meet his gaze.
“Mira, I left a list of information we need on the amulet,” Xander said and smiled. He waved and departed, followed closely by Chago.
Kagan gripped Mira’s waist once more and spun her to face him. He captured her lips in a searing kiss full of passion and wanting. By the time he lifted his head, she was breathless and bewildered. His fingertips traced her heated cheek. “You’re adorable when you blush. Until later, carissima. Keep the door locked and a phone handy.”
• • •
The black sedan drove for an eternity. Dawn came and went.
Argus watched out the window as the vehicle turned on to a winding drive that led to a glass and steel building tucked in the midst of a wooded preserve. The driver pulled up to the entrance and parked. Argus stuffed the folder inside his coat before his door opened to let him out. The driver’s fear registered as a palpable force. Argus fed on the man’s discomfort like the sugar his body craved.
Mallory rushed to the guarded front doors and through the security checkpoint inside. The guards ran a quick wand over the outside of Mallory’s impeccable designer suit and granted him access before approaching Argus. They instructed to hold his arms out to the sides and Argus tapped an impatient foot while the guard ran the device over his stout form. A loud beep sounded, and two additional men stepped up to flank him. Fuckin’ cock knockers. Argus sent an annoyed glare in his contact’s direction while he remained stationary, his arms spread wide like an Armani-tailored scarecrow. Mallory smirked and finished a call on his cell phone.
“He’s with me. I’ll vouch for him.” Mallory waved off the guards and pulled Argus forward by the lapel of his coat. “We don’t have time for this horseshit.”
They raced to a set of steel elevators, and Mallory punched in a code. The doors opened to a plush, mirrored interior. “Get on!”
Propelled forward by Mallory’s less-than-friendly shove, Argus stumbled into the compartment. Mallory entered and pushed a button. The car rocketed upward with alarming speed. Argus plastered himself to the wall, feeling the blood drain from his face.
“Jesus, it’s a frigging elevator, not the guillotine.” Mallory’s mouth turned down and his lip curled. “Don’t be such a pussy.”
The movement jolted to a stop and Argus sagged. His claws itched to rip into the cocky son of a bitch across from him and annihilate the sunglasses-wearing mofo. So what if he got a little motion sickness? He was a fucking Son of El, goddammit! His position demanded respect. Mallory bustled from the contraption once they arrived, leaving Argus to trail behind with a sneer. Smart move, asswipe.
He stepped off the elevator, and his feet sank deep into the plush carpet, his gaze snagging on the opulent crystal chandeliers and expensive artwork. Pictures of company executives with celebrities and political bigwigs lined the hall. Whatever Tolbert International was involved in, they sure as hell made a shitload of money.
Argus caught up to Mallory and stayed close as they weaved their way through a maze of mahogany-paneled corridors to a corner office. His compatriot still had on those damn sunglasses. A sliver of icy dread pricked his gut, but he shrugged off the unwanted emotion with a twitch of his neck. What the fuck did he care about Mallory’s wardrobe? Hell, Argus didn’t give a shit if the guy dressed in high heels and pink leather panties as long as he got his promised reward.
Mallory knocked twice then opened a thick wooden door with a gleaming metal plaque bearing the title “Director.” Argus stepped into the dark, silent office and waited. A single overhead, recessed light shone down on an imposing figure behind the desk, obscuring the figure’s face in shadows. The only discernible glint was from yet another pair of reflective glasses, once more replaying Argus’s every move like a broken VCR. For fuck’s sake, did every person around here wear those goddamn Top Gun rejects? After a pregnant pause, the Director rose and moved to stand beside Mallory.
Argus had to crane his neck to see the bastard towering above him. The Director extended a firm, chalk-white hand. “Welcome to Tolbert International, Argus. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Chapter 16
She’d been working six hours straight.
Mira sat back and rubbed her eyes, then uncurled her numb legs from beneath her and stood to wriggle her tingling feet. After rolling her neck and shoulders, she grabbed a soda from the fridge. The sites Xander had given her were not exactly public domain, but boy, had she discovered a lot about the amulet. She scooped the tiny talisman off the table and dangled it before her. Hard to believe the ancient thing was powerful enough to shift history.
A vibration began in her fingertips and raced up her arm. The symbol of Mars glowed from the center of the amulet, the blood red ruby at its base glittering in the late afternoon light. Her mark flared, and a sudden shock of power ripped through her. She sucked in a breath.
The door opened, and she slammed the talisman down. Xander and Chago entered, and her cheeks heated as guilt flooded her system. The jolt still buzzed within her, begging her to grab the amulet and run. The relic was glowing. Merda!
The Seal answered Antares’ call, sending rippling waves of pain burning through her shoulder. Mira gritted her teeth. Fucking hell!
Chago gave her an oblivious wave and Xander smiled in greeting. She stepped away and prayed for the temptation to subside. Mira retreated into the kitchen and the agony lessened.
“What did you find out?” Xander asked, shrugging out of his coat.
Mira took a deep breath and smiled, glad for the distraction.
“Quite a bit.” She waved him over to the computer and pointed out several websites. “I also found reports stating its power culminates during specific astrological alignments.”
“Such as?” Xander meandered to the kitchen.
“According to the ancient texts, it’s most effective when Mars is in the first degree of Capricorn and rising in the east, while Saturn is culminating near the mid-heaven.” Xander regarded her like she’d lapsed into Chinese. She rolled her eyes. “Or, in layman’s terms, the day after tomorrow.”
“Guess we know why Argus wanted this so bad.” He picked up the amulet and stuffed it in his pocket. “I’ll drop this off with Divinity when I check in tonight.”
Mira stared at him. Remnants of the vibration still zinged in her blood. Kagan had been affected too. She’d seen it in his face. Xander had been holding the trinket for two days, yet he seemed totally unaffected. “How come its power doesn’t affect you?”
“Don’t know.” Xander shrugged and turned away. “Divinity says I’m special.”
Special? She wanted to push further, but a bright flash interrupted her questioning. Kagan strode across the room and grabbed the remote from Chago’s hand, shooting him a Dirty Harry stare when he protested. “There’s a hell of a storm headed this way. Have you seen the weather reports?”
He clicked over to the local news and caught the end of the forecast.
Chago punched the sofa next to him. “Shit! Nine to twelve inches tonight and gale-force winds. I hate winter.”
Xander glanced over at Mira, and she sent him a confused frown. He shrugged and offered a bare-bones explanation. “Chago had a bad experience in the Pyrenees.”
“We could always head to the Bahamas.” Kagan glanced from Xander to Mira, his expression full of eager expectancy. “Flash back after it’s over. Argus can wait a day or two longer.”
“Nope.” Xander opened a soda and downed half the contents. “We stay put.”
Mira checked the cabinets. Chicago blizzards were notorious for causing a panic. “Do we have enough supplies if we get snowed in?”
“Scion are never snowed in,” Kagan
said, walking to the fridge. “We can always flash.”
She turned to answer him. His gaze lingered on her lips, reigniting her arousal. Mira managed to utter, “Oh, yeah.”
“What did you find out about Tolbert?” Xander straddled a chair at the table.
“Same shit, different day. On paper they’re fantastic. In reality, they’re still a bunch of lying, bastardi sporchi.” Kagan took a long drink of water and settled in across from Xander. “Their headquarters is about four hours from here, smack dab in the middle of a nature preserve. Probably the most heavily guarded animals on the face of the Earth.”
Xander stared into the living room. “Hey, Chay, where’s the notepad we found at McClaine’s house?”
Chago pulled a small pad of sticky notes from his pocket and tossed it to Xander.
Mira eyed the tiny yellow pad. The scrawled handwriting was the same as she remembered from her transfer paperwork years earlier. She could still picture his fat fingers gripping the ballpoint to scribble his signature across the dotted line, across her life. Fucking McClaine.
Concern for Zoe still hovered at the forefront of Mira’s mind. She pulled out her phone and double-checked. No word. If that bastard demon touched Zoe, Mira swore she’d kill him, after a few rounds of torture and maiming.
She glanced up to find Kagan frowning in her direction. She forced a pseudo-smile for his benefit and rose to grab a couple of waters from the fridge. She returned and handed him one. He took both bottles from her and cracked them open. Kagan handed hers back accompanied by a wink and a mischievous grin before turning his attention to the topic at hand.
“This means you’ve located Argus, si?” Kagan asked, his tone tinged with relief.
“His hideout. He wasn’t there,” Chago said, straddling a seat. “Why would he get involved with Tolbert? The demons hate the Nephilim as much as we do.”
Xander scanned the scrawled writing on the paper. “Mira, can you locate their headquarters?”
“Done.” She walked to the computer and tapped a few keys. The printer whirred to life and pages spewed out. Mira liked to keep busy. Busy kept her mind from worrying about Zoe, among other things. She looked up to find Kagan watching her. A desperate craving for his touch, his comfort, flourished deep in her chest. Down, girl. Not now. A few minutes and a big sigh later, Mira returned to the table and handed Xander the information.
“Thanks.” Xander read the address. “Looks like we’ve got more urban exploration in our future.”
“Fabulous.” Chago’s tone was sarcastic perfection. “Do I need hiking boots?”
“You will tomorrow.” Xander tossed back the rest of his soda and clicked off the TV. “And a snowsuit.”
Chago crushed his empty can and scowled. “If we get what they’re predicting, I’m going to need a fucking John Deere just to open the damn door. Have I mentioned how much I hate winter?”
• • •
Less than twelve hours later, Mira glanced at the digital clock above the stove while sipping her morning coffee. Four-thirty was not a reasonable time for anyone to be out and about. “Remind me again why we have to do this pre-dawn?”
“To stay under the radar.” Xander pulled on yet another layer of clothing. “Get in early, less chance of detection. You need more layers, Mira.”
She glanced out the windows, now glazed with snow and ice. “I’ve already got on three. Anymore and I won’t be able to use my arms.”
“Santo Cristo, it’s nasty out there!” Chago blustered through the door and shook off the snow collected on his shoulders and head. He unwrapped the scarf from around his face. “Can’t see anything, even right in front of you. You sure you want to venture out in this, Xan?”
Xander gave him a curt nod in response. “No choice. This alignment happens tomorrow. Whatever Argus has planned will go down then too.” He finished layering up and grabbed a cup of coffee. “Crunch time.”
“Jeez, I’m vacuum-sealed,” Mira complained as she returned to the kitchen with her fourth layer in place. She attempted to sit in her chair and failed. With a defeated sigh, she opted for a less-than-graceful slide into the seat. Chago chuckled and waddled to the sofa. He teetered into position before the couch and backed up, scowling when his heavily bundled limbs denied him the required flexibility to bend. After several failed tries, he tipped into a half-reclined position reminiscent of a swinger at a singles bar, his legs sprawled and his arms flung wide. Mira snickered. “Nice pose, mummy man.”
Xander gave an exasperated sigh and pulled out the schematics of the Tolbert compound. “I think our best bet would be to enter through here.”
She glanced over to where he pointed—a large area of wilderness beside the main building complex. “Aren’t there dangerous animals in the woods?”
“Nothing as dangerous as us.”
A grunt issued from the living room. They turned to find Chago slipping off the smooth leather sofa, his stiff limbs rendering him incapable of stopping his inevitable descent. Xander rushed over and jerked him up before he hit the floor. “Quit fucking around and get over here. We’ve got a plan to formulate.”
Mira couldn’t contain her fit of giggles. Chago formed an obscene finger gesture behind Xander’s back then toddled over to the table. When his infuriated gaze snapped to hers, she dissolved into laughter again. “I know. You hate winter.”
Chago shot her one more heated glare before focusing his attention on the maps. “Where’s the head honcho’s office?”
Xander pointed to a corner of the main building. “It’ll be the most heavily guarded. I say we enter here.” He indicated an area by the service bay on the opposite side of the complex.
Chago picked up another blueprint of the maintenance areas and traced a route from their entrance point to the office. “Si, it’s doable.”
“Now all we need is K, and we can get this party started.” Xander grabbed his phone off the counter, checked the time and hit speed dial. “Where the hell is he? It’s not like him to be late.”
After several failed attempts to reach Kagan at his apartment, Xander forged ahead. Mira was hesitant. Something was wrong. Her mark itched in response to the unseen threat, but dammit, Xander was right. They had no choice. The alignment was coming whether they were prepared or not.
“Don’t worry.” Xander gave her a reassuring smile. “I left the coordinates with Kagan so he can meet us there.”
“Fine. You’re right. We need to go.” Mira latched her arms around Xander’s neck and the trio flashed from Wyck’s toasty abode deep into the fierce December blizzard.
• • •
Kagan squinted at the clock on his nightstand, punched the snooze button then yawned and stretched before throwing his legs over the side of the mattress. He stood to peer through the window beside him. Thick snow blanketed the ground. Ice crystals shimmered on the glass and bitter winds shrieked. One white Christmas coming up.
He turned to make his way to the bathroom when a glint of metal caught his eye. Muscles tensed, he assumed an attack stance and peered into the inky darkness. “Who’s there?”
“Very good, Scion.” The shadowy figure of a man approached with measured steps.
The greenish light from the digital alarm clock reflected off his intruder’s mirrored glasses. The uninvited guest stopped several feet away and clasped his hands behind his back.
“What the hell do you want, half-breed?” Kagan itched to dispatch this bastard and warn the others. “How did you get in here?”
“So many questions, Scion.” His trespasser smirked, a key dangling from his leather-covered fingers. “Your landlord was a most agreeable gent. Especially after I twisted his . . . neck.”
Kagan kept his gaze locked on the invader as he inched his hand toward the dagger stashed beneath his pillow.
“The man served his purpose.” The guy tilted his head as if he’d heard something outside the door. “He was expendable. Everyone is, you know.”
“State your
business, half-breed, and get the hell out.”
The man smiled blandly and gave the briefest of nods toward the corner. There was another? Merda! He was off his game and knew why. Mira. Kagan rushed for his weapon. Too late.
He spun, winced when a needle jabbed deep into the side of his neck. Cold raced through his bloodstream, and his muscles locked. Kagan managed to land a hard blow to the second assailant’s torso and relished the sound of crunching bone and his attacker’s pained groan before his own knees buckled. He fell forward to the floor, paralyzed. The first assailant approached, toeing Kagan’s cheek with a booted foot to turn his face upward. Si. These figlio di puttana had just signed their death certificates. The man leaned down, his hot, rancid breath sweeping over Kagan face in a shroud of malodorous funk. Vaffanculo!
The stronzo sneered beneath the armor of his shades. “You’ll be coming with us now, Scion.”
• • •
Wyck flashed into his apartment before dawn, earlier than expected, trying to outrun the blizzard. As bad as the snow was in Chicago, it was ten times worse in Colorado. He’d had a hell of a time getting the little barista home by conventional methods prior to his return. He flipped on the light in the kitchen and caught sight of the note taped to the fridge. Exactly where he’d left his own note two days before.
He scanned the message and pulled his phone out to call Xander. No service. Bloody hell! He clicked on the computer and the Tolbert International website popped up, showing the location of their headquarters. No signal? No wonder. The gang was stranded in freaking nowhere.
Wyck walked to the closet and pulled on several more layers of warmth before returning to the kitchen. He guzzled down the remaining orange juice and gnawed his way through a couple of stale energy bars. Chago was right. He needed to hit the grocery more often.
Seven Seals, Books 1 & 2 Page 19
