Recruit

by R. D. Brady

  "That her?" Juan asked.

  Jen nodded, her eyes on the screen. Charlotte weaved toward the door of the store like she was on the bow of a ship in a storm. The clock read 10:28.

  A blur slashed across the screen. All of sudden, Charlotte was on the ground, convulsing.

  Jen felt cold.

  Juan frowned and started fidgeting with dials. "Something must be wrong with the tape."

  Jen shook her head, dread spreading through her. There was nothing wrong with the video.

  "Shit," she murmured.

  CHAPTER 24

  Lou walked through her high school feeling like she was in a daze. How could Charlotte be dead? She vacillated between thinking it had all been a horrible dream and reality crushing her with the reminder that she was now truly alone in the world.

  She'd told Jen she wanted to come in for the AP study session. And there was one during second period, but Lou didn't have any idea what the teacher had said during it. In fact, Mrs. Ingram stopped her after class. "Everything all right?"

  Mrs. Ingram's hazel eyes peered at Lou from behind her glasses.

  Lou shouldered her backpack, staring past her, not able to meet the concern in her teacher's eyes. "I'm okay."

  Mrs. Ingram looked like she wanted to say more but students from her next class walked in the door. Mrs. Ingram glanced over her shoulder. Lou used the distraction to slip past her.

  And that had been it for her classes that day. Lou wasn't up to sitting in a class pretending everything was normal - because it wasn't. Everything was so far from normal it was laughable.

  She walked up to the music room that she'd been trying to get to when she'd run into Brick and Ann Marie. Was that just two days ago?

  Lou hopped up on the windowsill and stared out the window. Weariness pulled at her. She leaned her head against the glass. She was too tired to even cry. "Why Charlotte? Why?" she whispered.

  At some point she must have fallen asleep because the buzzing of her phone woke her. She glanced at it through heavy eyelids. It was from Jen:Be there in ten minutes.

  Lou let her head drop back against the wall, looking at students milling outside in the sunshine. It was wrong. It should be cloudy, raining, maybe even some lightning strikes. Sunshine just made it seem like Charlotte was gone and it didn't matter.

  Her mind numb, Lou stared outside for a few more minutes. Finally, she shook herself from her stupor. Sliding off the windowsill, she made her way out of the classroom and through the halls to the front door.

  Barely feeling the electrical signal, Lou pushed through the doors and saw Jen standing by the car right out front. A few guys near Jen were trying to get her attention. Jen ignored them.

  One kid, egged on by his friends walked up to Jen. Oh this should be good, Lou thought. She felt the small smile creep onto her face despite the cloud that seemed to have enveloped her.

  "Hey baby. You lookin' good. You'd look even better in my bed."

  Jen glanced at him and then away, her expression unchanged.

  Undaunted he stepped forward, grabbing his crotch. "I think you need a man who-"

  Jen pulled back her jacket to reveal her badge. "Go away."

  He paused then smirked. "I think-"

  Jen stared at him. "Now."

  He looked at her for a moment before wisely turning and heading back to his friends.

  Jen opened the door for Lou. "You okay?"

  Lou nodded. She hopped in the car and snapped on her seat belt as Jen got into the driver's side.

  Jen glanced over at Lou but Lou looked away. Jen pulled into traffic without a word. Lou watched the world rush by.

  A few minutes later, Lou realized they weren't heading for the hotel. She looked over at Jen. "Where are we going?"

  "Just up here," Jen said.

  Jen made a right and drove through the gates of the Cloverfield cemetery. She headed down the main path before turning down one of the many lanes that branched throughout the cemetery.

  Lou looked around in surprise. She knew this place. It was where her Grandma and Mom were buried. Jen pulled over and turned off the engine.

  They were both silent for a moment, just looking at the rows and rows of tombstones. Lou recognized the giant angel that sat on the edge of a tombstone three down from her Grandma. They hadn't been able to afford a tombstone that big for either her Mom or Grandma. But Lou had liked to think that the angel was looking out for them as well.

  Now as she stared at it, she wasn't sure what to think. Was that one of the good angels or the bad ones? Or was there really any difference? Were they all just bad? Was she bad?

  Lou felt the weight in her chest and the burn of tears in the back of her eyes. She turned to Jen. "What are we doing here?"

  Jen nodded toward one of the rows. "There's a plot available near your Mom and Grandmother. I arranged to have Charlotte buried there."

  Lou glanced over at her in shock. She hadn't even thought about where to bury Charlotte. "Thank you."

  Jen nodded.

  Lou looked away, taking a shaky breath. "Do they know who did this to her?"

  Jen hesitated. "Yes. Sort of."

  Lou's head swiveled back. "What do you mean sort of?"

  Jen sighed. "It was a Fallen. But I didn't get a look at him."

  Lou sat back. "A -" Her mind whirled. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes, unfortunately I am."

  Lou stared at Jen and then through the windshield at the hovering angel. A Fallen killed Charlotte. The numbness that had settled over her began to burn off as her anger grew. They'd done it. Just like Jen had warned.

  "I think it's best if we just get you out of town," Jen said. "I can have you-"

  "Wait a minute. What are you talking about?"

  "Lou, it's not safe for you. They'll make contact, probably sometime in the next few weeks. They'll wait until you feel really alone and try to recruit you. You need to be long gone."

  Lou shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

  "Lou-"

  "They killed Charlotte!" The rage and powerlessness Lou felt came boiling out. "They killed her like she was nothing. They don't get to get away with that."

  Jen grabbed her hand. "I will get the people that did this. I promise you that. But we need to get you to safety. I can catch them without you."

  "How? If I leave, they leave too." An idea began to form in Lou's mind.

  "I'll figure something out," Jen said.

  "They're doing this to other people. If we don't stop them, other kids like me are going to lose their families as well."

  "I know." Jen's words were heavy with understanding. "But that's not your fight."

  Lou's eyes cut to Jen. "Yes. It is. And you can use me. Let them recruit me and then you come in with the cavalry."

  Jen stared at her for a moment. "Do you have any idea how reckless that is? How dangerous? I won't risk you like that."

  Lou looked at Jen, feeling all the loss she had suffered in the last five years. And she was not willing to let anyone else experience the same pain. "It's not your choice. I'm going to find whoever killed Charlotte, with or without your help."

  CHAPTER 25

  Maddox walked down the long hallway of the hotel, making note of the exits and windows. Jen had picked the top floor and had rented out all the rooms surrounding hers and below hers. That was good.

  Jen's brother Jordan had called Maddox and let him know what Lou wanted to do. And he knew Jen was against it. He reached the end of the hall and knocked on the door.

  Jen pulled it open with a start. "Maddox? What are you doing here?"

  Maddox smiled, noticing the gun behind Jen's back. "Nice to see you too, Jen."

  Jen laughed stepping out of the way to let him in, placing the gun in her holster. "Sorry. Come on in. And then tell me what the hell you're doing here."

  Maddox stepped in, looking around. "Where's the little angel?"

  Jen rolled her eyes. "She's taking a shower. Wait. Who's with Kati and Ma
x?"

  "They're with Laney and Jake. They're safe."

  "What? I thought we agreed to keep them out of this."

  Maddox nodded. "We did and they are. Henry told them what was going on when they got back. He convinced them to let you two handle it."

  Jen took a seat over on the couch. "Okay good. Now, why are you here?"

  Maddox sat down across from her, his long legs stretched out in front of him. "Well, I hear your new friend is being a little stubborn and wants to go undercover."

  Jen blew out a breath. "Who told you?"

  "Jordan."

  Jen shook her head. "What was he thinking?"

  "He was thinking this might be a way to help kids like Lou."

  Jen looked away. "Yeah, that's her argument as well."

  "Well, if you want my two cents-"

  Jen crossed her arms. "I don't."

  "- I think it's a good idea."

  Jen grit her teeth. "Maddox, she's fifteen years old and just lost her sister. I'm not throwing her into that viper's pit."

  Maddox put up his hands. "Hey, I'm not suggesting we leave her there. But she could lead us to them."

  "You can't be serious. She's just a kid."

  "I'm not saying we send her in as is. We train her. Wait for them to make their move. When they do, we swoop in, grab her, and all the rest."

  Jen gave him a long look. "You and I both know it's never that simple."

  "No, but it is our current best shot of catching these guys. They're going to keep doing this - going after kids, killing their families to isolate them. Lou can help us end all of that."

  Lou stepped into the room in jeans and a t-shirt, her hair wet. "I'm in."

  "I thought you were in the shower," Jen said before throwing an annoyed glance at Maddox.

  He shrugged.

  Lou nodded at Maddox. "I was. But then I felt that tingle that told me we had a guest. I wanted to make sure they were friendly."

  Jen glared at Maddox before turning to Lou. "Lou, we don't know when or even if these guys will contact you. You'd have to go into foster care. You could be there for months, maybe even years. This is a long shot."

  Maddox glanced at Jen but said nothing. Jen knew they would come for Lou. There'd be no other reason to take out her sister. But he also knew Jen wanted to protect the girl and Maddox couldn't blame her for that.

  Lou moved over to them, her arms crossed. "But it's a shot. Without this, it's going to be really hard to find the guys who killed-." She stumbled over the word. Taking a breath, she continued, "- who killed Charlotte. I need to do something."

  Even Maddox could see the grief in the girl's eyes. Part of him screamed that this was wrong. This girl was grieving.

  But he also knew that if the positions were reversed, he'd want the same thing. He looked at Jen and realized she'd come to the same conclusion.

  Jen stared at Lou, forcing the girl to meet her gaze. "On one condition: You train. And if these guys get in touch with you and I don't think you're ready, then I pull the plug."

  "Absolutely." Lou smiled, hesitated, and then threw her arms around Jen. "Thanks Jen."

  Jen paused for only a moment before returning the hug. And Maddox heard her thoughts as clearly as if she had said them out loud.

  Please don't make me regret this.

  CHAPTER 26

  Henry walked down the hall of the hotel, Danny and Moxy next to him. He knocked at Jen's door.

  It was opened a few seconds later by Maddox. "Hey there, boss."

  Henry smiled. "Hey Maddox."

  Henry walked in and Danny followed. Maddox resumed his seat on the couch, next to Jordan who gave Henry a distracted wave. Both men were focused on the ballgame on the screen.

  Over by the window, Jen sat next to Lou at the dining table. Henry was surprised at how small Lou was. From the way Jen and Maddox had been speaking, he'd expected her to be more intimidating.

  Moxy trotted over to Jen, who reached down and rubbed her back. "Hey there Moxy."

  Moxy wagged her tail happily before turning to Lou. Lou smiled. "So what is she, a spy dog?"

  Jen laughed. "No, just a normal one. This is Moxy."

  Lou knelt down. "Who's a good girl?"

  Moxy wagged her tail, licking Lou's face. Lou's laugh rang through the room.

  A look of concern crossed across Jen's face and if he hadn't been watching her so intently Henry probably would have missed it.

  Jen walked over to Danny and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you."

  Danny hugged her back. "You too."

  Jen tugged on his arm. "Come meet Lou."

  Danny followed behind her.

  "Lou this is Danny," Jen said.

  Lou stood up and smiled. "Hi. Jen's told me a lot about you."

  "Um, yeah. Nice to meet you." Danny looked down but then almost immediately looked back up and caught Lou's gaze. "I'm sorry about your sister."

  Lou's smile dimmed. "Thanks."

  Henry stepped forward. "I'm sorry too, Lou. I'm Henry."

  Lou's eyes grew bigger as she looked up to his face. "Wow." Her face grew red. "I mean, nice to meet you."

  Henry shook her hand. "Jen's told us a lot about you as well."

  Lou glanced over at Jen. "Has she told you how much she doesn't want me to do this?"

  "Yes," Henry said. "Are you sure you want to?"

  Lou nodded, her face tight. "They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this."

  Henry watched her for a moment and saw the fear but also the resolve. Brave kid.

  Danny put the briefcase he carried on the table and snapped it open. He pulled out a small needle shaped object with a small bulge at the end. "Um, I guess we should get started."

  Lou leaned forward. "What's that?"

  "It's a tracker," Danny said. "We'll insert it in your shoe."

  Lou's eyes grew big as she looked from the tracker to Danny. "Cool. Did you design it?"

  Danny nodded.

  "You're like super smart, right?"

  Danny blushed. "Um, sort of."

  Lou grinned. "Totally cool."

  Danny blushed brighter. Henry tried to hide his grin. He couldn't remember ever seeing Danny interact with a girl his own age.

  Jordan walked over and whacked Danny on the shoulder. "Smart? He's smarter than everyone in this room combined."

  Lou grinned looking at Maddox who hadn't moved from the couch. "Well, Maddox doesn't really add much to the intelligent quotient."

  "True," Jordan agreed.

  "You know I can hear you two," Maddox said without turning.

  Jordan and Lou looked at each other and then back at Maddox. "We know."

  Henry smiled. Jen had mentioned that Jordan and Lou had taken to each other like ducks to water.

  "Okay, well, if we're done with the comedy routine," Jen said and Henry could see the tension in her shoulders.

  Lou took her seat and held out her hand.

  Danny put the tracker in it.

  "It's really small. What's the range on it?" Lou asked.

  "Fifty miles," Danny said.

  "Fifty miles?" Lou swallowed, looking at Jen and then back at Danny. "Um, what happens if you guys don't realize I've been grabbed? Could I go out of range?"

  Jen opened her mouth to speak but Maddox cut her off, walking over. "Yes. It's possible - very possible. You'll have a tail at your school, but there are no guarantees. So you need to really think if you want to continue this. You don't need to do this."

  "Wait, if I have a tail won't they sense them?" Lou asked.

  "Not when I'm your tail," Jordan said.

  Lou looked between Jen and Jordan. "Are you another special nephilim, like Laney?"

  Henry shook his head. "No. They won't sense him because he's not a nephilim. He's a Navy SEAL."

  "Wow." Lou looked up at Jen. "You guys are like a totally badass family."

  Maddox nodded. "Jordan's good but it doesn't change the fact that there are no guarantees."

 
Jen nodded. "And you can't fool yourself into thinking there are."

  Lou took a deep breath. Holding out her hand, she handed the tracker back to Danny. "They killed Charlotte. I'm in."

  CHAPTER 27

  Two Days Later

  Lou turned her head on the pillow. The house was quiet. She was pretty sure everyone was asleep.

  It was her first night in her foster home. Jen and Jordan had turned her into Children's and Families yesterday after Charlotte's funeral. Lou swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath.

  It had been a nice funeral. Jen, Maddox and Jordan had been there. Henry and Danny had even stayed in town to attend. Lou hadn't told anyone at school and none of Charlotte's friends had shown up. But it had been better that way. Henry had even rented the back room of a really fancy Irish pub for a meal afterwards.

  But then it had been time to go. She'd spent last night in juvie hall before they'd found a place for her. Lou shuddered. She never wanted to go back there again.

  Her foster parents - the Tuttles - weren't bad but their son made her skin crawl. He was twenty-two and built like a truck - a dump truck. That sick feeling crept over her again thinking about his eyes on her at dinner.

  Banishing the image, she pictured Jen pulling her aside before they walked into Children's and Families. Jen's eyes had stared straight into Lou's. "You don't have to do this. We can be in Baltimore in a few hours."

  Lou had looked at her and felt gratitude. Someone actually cared. And Lou wanted to say yes, let's go.

  But then she pictured all the other kids like her who didn't have a Jen in their corner. And here she was.

  Lou glanced at the clock on the side table. 1:30 a.m. She'd gone to bed at 10:00 but hadn't been able to sleep.

  Her cell buzzed. Lou snatched it from under the pillow, reading the text message from Maddox:Jump out the window and meet me at the end of the block.

  Lou stared at it for a moment in disbelief, before typing a reply. I'm on the third floor.

  Maddox'sreply was quick in coming:I know. Jump out the window and meet me at the end of the block. Don't forget to roll when you hit the ground. Training begins now.