by R. D. Brady
She sighed. “I think they’re a little late for that. So what is their great plan?”
“A coalition has been formed, composed of twenty different countries. They are discussing how to handle Elisabeta and the Fallen problem. You have been forbidden from engaging in any aggressive action against Elisabeta, although you are allowed to defend yourself.”
Laney couldn’t keep the derision from her voice. “Oh, I’m allowed to defend myself. How nice.”
“The coalition is looking at multiple ways to handle her and they want you to be a consultant.”
“A consultant? Are you kidding?”
“No.”
“Do they at least understand the threat she poses?”
“I don’t think so. They still think she’s a human with dangerous ties and inclinations. They do not seem to grasp the supernatural aspect of her abilities and those who are under her command. They’re viewing her like a terrorist, but she is so much more than that.” He paused. “Will you stay out of it? Will you consult with them?”
Laney looked away. “For now. I need to regroup, figure out how to attack her and where. They can provide me that information. But you know as well as I do they won’t be able to defeat her. She’ll run right through anyone they send to take her down, any plan they create. And even if they want me out of the game, Elisabeta won’t let that happen. She wants to defeat me. That’s what all this has been about—weakening me before she strikes.”
“Did it work?”
Laney hesitated before answering. Had it worked? Was she weaker now that so many had been killed, so many had been hurt? She rolled the questions over in her mind before shaking her head.
“I won’t deny how much this has hurt. But she overplayed her hand. She hurt me too much. She reinforced that there is no line she will not cross. Which means that I need to make sure there is no line I won’t cross to defeat her.”
“Even if people will get hurt?”
“Elisabeta made it clear that people will get hurt no matter what I do. Stopping her is the only way to keep that from happening. So even if people get hurt, that’s what I need to do. Yesterday was one battle, and we lost. But the war, that we’re going to win.”
Chapter 45
Matt had gone to speak with his government contacts. Laney now sat next to Patrick’s bed, his hand clasped in hers. He’d fallen asleep about an hour ago, so Laney moved and slept in the bed next to him while Cain sat next to him through the night. She managed to talk Cain into taking a nap in the room next door. He was healing well, but he was too pale for Laney’s liking. She promised to wake him if anything changed. The doctor had said Patrick was in the clear. His life was no longer at risk.
Mike had taken Max and Cleo to the bomb shelter early in the night. Nyssa was also there, along with Sascha and the teenagers. From her phone call with Sascha, Laney knew they were all struggling with Zach’s death. But Nyssa and Dov were at least a distraction for them.
Laney tried to push all of that away while she sat with her uncle, but her fears of what Elisabeta was up to wouldn’t leave her. Fadil had some photos of the skulls from the site, but they didn’t capture all of the carvings. And the carvings themselves would take time to translate. Time Laney did not think they had. Besides, in her gut, she knew it had to do with Elisabeta’s quest for immortality. A wave of exhaustion rolled over her. She stifled a yawn, trying to keep her eyes open. Her sleep last night hadn’t exactly been restful. Her mind had turned over every detail of the last day, trying to figure out how she could have prevented the attacks. A completely useless exercise that only served to make sure that after a night of lying down, she was still tired.
“You should get some more sleep, too,” Drake said quietly from where he was stretched out on the other empty bed in the room.
She didn’t take her eyes from her uncle. “In a little bit.”
Drake sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Laney, sleep when you can. These attacks, they are not the end of Samyaza’s moves. You need to find rest where you can, because the war is coming.”
All the damage Samyaza had caused flew through her mind. “No, the war is here.”
Heavy footsteps pounded down the hall, causing Laney to turn toward the door with a frown. Drake stood up, crossing the room quickly to stand in the doorway.
“I believe we have company.” He stepped back from the doorway and stood behind Laney’s chair.
A man in a dark green uniform appeared in the doorway. Behind him were another four men who took position outside the room. “Dr. Delaney McPhearson?”
Dread rolled through Laney. Had they reissued the protective custody order? Because she was not going through that again. She stood, her voice taking on a hard edge. “Yes?”
“I am Captain Jerome Fielding with the United States Marine Corps.”
Laney nodded. “What can I do for you, Captain?”
“The External Threats Task Force has been convened, and I have been sent to retrieve you.”
Thanks for the heads-up, Matt. The External Threats Task Force had been Moses Seward’s operation, which didn’t exactly inspire trust in the government’s motivation for resurrecting it. She raised an eyebrow, nodding to the other soldiers in the hall. “Is this a voluntary request from the task force for my presence?”
“As long as you agree, then yes.”
Laney grit her teeth.
“Laney.” Her uncle’s voice was soft behind her.
Laney turned quickly. “Uncle, I’m sorry we woke you.”
“It wasn’t you. It was the sound of military boots.”
Captain Fielding stepped to the side so he could view her uncle. He saluted. “Corporal Delaney. The Marine Corps wishes you a quick recovery.”
Her uncle slowly raised his hand to his forehead, returning the salute. “Thank you, Captain. You should go, Laney.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“There’s nothing you can do for me. And I would feel better knowing that whatever the government is planning, you are a part of it.”
“I don’t think I’m going to truly be part of anything.”
“Well, they’ll change their minds about that pretty quick after they see what Samyaza can really do.”
Laney searched his face. “Are you sure?”
He squeezed her hand. “I’m sure. Go on.”
Laney turned back to the captain. “All right, Captain. I guess voluntary it is.”
Drake stepped away from the bed. “And I will be going as well.”
The captain shook his head. “No. My instructions are just for—”
Drake took a step forward. “I’m afraid that’s not negotiable. I am Dr. McPhearson’s personal bodyguard.”
The captain frowned at Drake. “Wait, aren’t you Drake? I saw your show in Las Vegas last year with my wife.”
Drake smiled, showing all his teeth. “It’s always nice to meet a fan.”
The captain turned to Laney, skepticism etched into his face. “You have a magician for a bodyguard?”
“Illusionist, actually,” Drake said.
Laney tried to bite back her smile at the disbelief on the captain’s face. “Yes. Where I go, he goes. I’m afraid that is non-negotiable, if, that is, we wish to keep this voluntary.”
The captain’s gaze shifted between the two of them. “I’ll need to call this in.”
Drake waved him toward the door. “By all means. Take your time. I’m sure there’s no pressing international incident we need to see about.”
With a hard glare at Drake, Fielding stepped from the room.
Laney rolled her eyes. “Really?”
“What? You don’t want me to come?”
“I’m just suggesting maybe you could be a little less—”
“Disrespectful,” Patrick muttered.
“Snarky,” Laney finished.
Drake grinned at her. “But where’s the fun in that?”
“Not everything’s fun, Drake.”
He took her hand, bringing it to his lips. “But you see, that’s my job, to bring more fun to your life.”
Fielding stepped back into the room. “All right, the illusionist has been cleared to join you. But he will not be allowed in the briefing.”
“Well, I suppose we will see about that when we arrive.” Drake headed for the door. “Why don’t we give these two a minute to say goodbye, hm?” He strode through the doorway, not waiting for Fielding’s response.
Staring after Drake with a look of annoyance, Fielding turned back to Laney. “I’ll be right outside.” Once again he nodded at her uncle. “Corporal.”
Patrick returned the acknowledgement. “Captain.”
Laney waited until the captain had stepped outside before turning to Patrick. She had to admit, showing respect to her uncle did win him a few points . . . but only a few. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Laney, do not rush back on my account. You stay and do what you need to do. They need you at this moment more than I do.”
Guilt flowed through her at his words.
He reached out for her hand. “Hey, hey none of that.”
“I should have been there. I never should have left you guys.”
He raised an eyebrow. “With only an archangel, a genetically altered leopard, and a dozen heavily armed guards to protect us? Yes, it was an absolute dereliction of duty on your part.”
“Don’t joke. You got hurt, and—”
“I am well aware of that. Laney, you take on too much. You are not responsible for everyone who gets hurt, for everyone who gets killed. You cannot protect the world. You are only one person. And you do more than any one person would be able to. You cannot be in multiple places at once. And we all signed up for this fight. We knew what we were getting into.”
“Even Zach?”
Sorrow flashed across her uncle’s face. “Zach maybe more than most.”
“How can you say that?”
“He was a Fallen, Laney. At one point in his history, he chose to come to this planet, to live among mortals. And in each lifetime, he made a choice of what to do with the abilities he brought with him. This lifetime, he chose to save his friends and those he cared about. Don’t take that away from him.”
Laney nodded, her throat tight. “He was just so young.”
“He was. And there will be more young people hurt, killed, if Samyaza gets her way. You cannot stop all the damage she is going to do, but you can limit it. And right now, the best way for you to do that is to work with the government. So go, help them. Make them see what she is capable of.”
She knew he was right. She knew she needed to go. But she wanted more than anything to stay. She hated leaving her uncle when he was like this.
“I’ll be with him.” Cain stepped into the room. “I will not leave his side. And Henry has guards here as well. As soon as the doctors clear him, we’ll move him to Dom’s. Henry said it should be within the hour.”
“Who knew having a friend with a bomb shelter was going to come in so handy?”
Cain squeezed her shoulder. “We have this, Laney. Now go do what you need to do.”
Laney reached up and grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. Then she reached down and kissed her uncle on the forehead. “If you need anything—”
“I will call Henry first.”
Laney reared back. “Henry?”
“He’s a billionaire, honey. I’m not sure you even know where your bank card is. Besides, you always call him right after I request something from you.”
Laney laughed, realizing he was right. “Fine, make a girl feel useless.”
Her uncle patted her hand. “Never useless, only poor.”
Laney choked out a laugh. “Well, that makes me feel better.”
Patrick smiled. “Good. Now go give them hell.”
Chapter 46
Washington, D.C.
Captain Fielding led the way across a tiled foyer imprinted with the seal of the United States. Laney and Drake had been driven from John Hopkins to the outskirts of D.C. She had expected them to be in some underground bunker somewhere, but they were led into an office building that looked almost identical to the other dozen or so she had seen since they’d turned into the business park.
One of the soldiers who’d accompanied them punched the button for the elevator. Laney noted it was heading down. Drake leaned in. “Ah, so now we head to the dungeon lair.”
Laney rolled her eyes. One of the soldiers glared at Drake. None of them had been happy when Drake had said he was coming along. Well, none except Laney.
They all stepped in.
“So, where are we all heading? Some secret alien base?” Drake asked.
Laney struggled not to groan.
Drake had been needling the soldiers ever since they’d gotten in the car back at the hospital. So far he’d asked them who’d really shot JFK, if they’d seen the Twilight movies, if they felt the military provided them enough medical coverage, their favorite color, their views on the healing power of crystals, and the list went on. Laney thought it showed amazing restraint on their part that they hadn’t shot him.
In fact, they hadn’t spoken to him at all. And apparently they saw no reason to change that approach now. The doors slid open twelve floors later, leading to a long hallway with uninspired brown tile. The seal of the United States was displayed on the wall directly in front of them. The words “honor, integrity, and respect” written below it.
“Subtle,” Drake murmured in her ear.
“Mr. Drake, you will have to wait here.” Fielding nodded to a conference room to their right.
“Lovely. Bureaucracy chic,” Drake drawled. “And where will my lovely companion be?”
“Down the hall.”
“It’s fine, Drake,” Laney said before he could argue.
“I know it is, because if anyone lifts a finger against you, you will break said finger.” Drake smiled, meeting each of the men’s gazes. “And then I will break their necks.”
Laney rolled her eyes. “You will not.”
All humor dropped from Drake’s face. “Oh, but if they hurt you or try to restrain you, I will.”
One of the soldiers took a step back.
Oh, for God’s sake. “Right. Great. Well, see you in a little bit.” Laney turned down the hall.
“Have a nice meeting, dear,” Drake called after her.
Laney just shook her head, not turning around.
Fielding leaned toward her. “Is he serious?”
“Not usually.”
Fielding straightened. “I thought so.”
“But he is serious about protecting me. But I’m sure we won’t have to test that resolve, right?”
Fielding glanced at her but said nothing, which did nothing to tamp down the nervousness racing through her.
Two metal doors stood at the end of the hall with a heavily armed guard on either side. The guards nodded at Fielding and pulled the doors open.
Here we go.
Chapter 47
Baltimore, Maryland
Henry had an entire medical suite set up for Patrick at the bomb shelter. Jen had been moved in down the hall as well. Patrick fell asleep as soon as they got him settled in, and now Cain was looking for something to do. He didn’t feel like wandering around the bomb shelter with all the new faces and his decidedly usual eyes. Nyssa was taking a nap with Dov, which left Cain feeling out of sorts.
He looked at the stack of Patrick’s mail that someone had brought in. It had piled up from when they were in Pennsylvania. Cain still had millions hidden in bank accounts across the globe. He figured he could at least take care of some of Patrick’s bills while he recuperated. It would at least make him feel like he was helping. Patrick would object, of course, but by then the bills would be paid and there’d be little he could do about it.
Cain spent the next hour going through Patrick’s correspondence, only opening obvious bills, throwing out a ton of junk mail,
which he decided must account for fifty percent of all the landfills. He finally made it to the bottom of the pile and spotted a large yellow mailing envelope. He frowned, picking it up. It was heavy. The return address was Rome, Italy.
“What are you doing?” Patrick asked.
“Ah, you’re awake. I was just going through some of your correspondence, throwing out junk mail and the like.” He stood up, moving quickly to the bed before Patrick could ask about the bills. “This was in there as well. It’s pretty heavy. Do you know anyone in Rome?”
“Just Sean.”
It took Cain a moment to catch the reference. Father Sean Kirkpatrick, Patrick’s priest friend, although Cain wasn’t sure the title “friend” should still apply. “Did he mention that he’d be sending you something?”
Patrick shook his head with a wince. Cain leaned forward. “Are you all right? Should I get the nurse?”
Patrick waved his concern away. “I’m fine, just a little pain, and no, I’m not expecting anything from Sean. In fact, I think he’s back in the States. Why don’t you open it?”
“All right.” Cain slid the envelope open and pulled out a large stack of paper bound together by two rubber bands. He flipped through it, frowning.
“What is it?”
Cain removed the rubber bands and handed the stack to Patrick. “It looks like copies of an old book.”
Patrick flipped through. “I don’t recognize any of this. Is there a note?”
Cain checked the envelope before shaking his head. “No. That’s all there was.” He flipped the envelope over before handing it to Patrick. “It was sent from this address in Rome.”
“I don’t recognize that either.” Patrick flipped through the later pages with a gasp. “Look.”
