by Amy Vansant
“Ah’m always ready.”
The glint in Con’s eye made him look more like a predatory cat than a man.
Anne slapped Con on the shoulder. “Dial it back a notch, will you?”
Con sniffed, winked at Catriona, and took his place in the driver’s seat.
Anne glanced at Catriona. “Men. It doesn’t matter what species or variation they are. They’re all about six years old.”
Broch grunted, unhappy to be lumped with Con. Catriona smiled at him and he melted.
Anne motioned to the SUV and moved around to take her place in the passenger seat while Broch and Catriona clambered into the back.
“Where are we going?” asked Catriona.
Anne twisted to talk while Con pulled out of the garage.
“Fiona’s being held in a house on the edge of West Hollywood. Rune and another man have been spotted entering and leaving.
“We’re goan tae rescue her?” asked Broch.
Anne nodded. “Hopefully. That’s the plan.”
“How do we know she isn’t just living there with them?” asked Catriona.
“We don’t. If she’s partnered with them, that’ll be plan B. But our scout said she rarely leaves the main living room, as if she can’t. When she does, she’s always got Rune with her.”
Catriona grunted and pulled her phone from her pocket to stare at it.
“Whit are ye doin’?” asked Broch.
“Sean said not to do anything dangerous without telling him, but I don’t want him trying to join us. You know he will.”
Broch imagined Sean’s panic at hearing their plans.
“Aye.”
“And I don’t want him to worry until we’re back...” She tapped on her phone and then slipped it back into her pocket. “Maybe I’ll just hold off.”
“Anne, is this dangerous?” asked Broch.
Anne nodded her head from side to side. “It could be. I’ll be honest, I was hoping to have the day to start your training.”
“Is there anything you can tell us now?” asked Catriona.
Anne grimaced. “We don’t really know the extent of their powers. We don’t know much about the man with Rune other than his name, Joseph Almas. But with Con and me both here, it should be more of a learning experience for you than anything. We should be able to handle the dirty work. I want you to see what we’re up against, but stay back.”
Broch looked at Catriona and she placed a hand on his knee.
“Just a training exercise,” she said.
He nodded, but he could feel his nerves jangling. Not for his own safety, but for Catriona’s.
To lose her now would be too much for him to bear.
***
They pulled to the curb on a residential street and Con cut the engine. Broch admired the man’s driving skills. The Irishman had remembered to flip on his turn signal at every intersection, something with which Broch struggled.
He still didn’t like him much, though.
Seems lik’ a troublemaker.
Anne pointed. “It’s the sixth house down; the yellow one. Con and I are going to knock on the door. They don’t know us. We’ll pretend we’re lost, looking for a friend’s house. You two find a spot across the street behind those cars there. Once we’re in, if you want to move in to see better ,you can, but be careful. Either way, we’ll let you know when it’s done.”
“When what’s done, exactly?” asked Catriona.
“We’re running with the assumption Joseph is an infected Kairos as well. We’re going to reboot him and Rune and extract Fiona.”
Catriona pressed her lips tightly and nodded slowly. “Okay.”
Anne frowned. “I know they’re family—”
Catriona was quick to shake her head. “I barely know them. What I do know of them, what memories I have, aren’t good.”
“Rune murdered her once,” added Broch, making a gun with his hand and pantomiming a shot. “Fiona stabbed me.”
“Nice family,” muttered Anne.
Whoops. Mebbe she doesnae want everyone tae ken that.
“And I thought my Da was rough,” mumbled Con. He looked at Anne and circled his finger in the air. “Let’s go, Red. Ah’ve got things to do.”
Anne looked at him, seeming exasperated. “Drinking whiskey by the pool isn’t things to do.”
“‘Tis in my book.” Con flashed Broch and Catriona a grin and with another trademark wink rolled out of the truck.
Catriona looked at Anne. “He seems...fun.”
Anne sighed. “Tons.”
Broch and Catriona exited the vehicle and met Anne outside.
The latter tapped Broch on the bicep, but locked her eyes on Catriona to say, “I’ll try and give you a sign when we have them. Maybe we can hold off syphoning them until we can test if you’re capable. This could be a great opportunity to explore your powers.”
Her gaze had locked on Catriona’s and Cat nodded. With that, Broch understood this training exercise was about his wife’s powers and not his own.
Mah wife.
He felt a wee trill of happiness dance up his spine.
Anne clapped her hands together. “Alright. Let’s go.”
Anne and Con walked briskly across the street as Catriona and Broch slipped into the backyard of the nearest house and moved yard-to-yard, closing in on the yellow house.
When they were directly across from Rune’s hideaway, they crept along the side of the bungalow, watching as Anne and Con approached the door.
“This is crazy,” said Catriona, squeezing Broch’s arm.
He squeezed back. “It’ll be fine. They ken whit they’re doin’.”
“Do they? How do we know?”
“We don’t but...ah dinnae ken whyfur they would lie.”
“To lure us to Rune?”
Broch turned. “Ah hadn’t thought o’ that.”
Catriona’s eyes grew wide. “Now you look concerned? I thought you were positive she’s telling the truth? I thought your Spidey-sense said she was one of the good guys.”
“Ah dinnae ken what Spidey-sense means—”
“It’s the thing you have that lets you sense danger. You said you could feel she was safe.”
Broch checked himself. Aye. Ah ken ah felt it right. He set his jaw and nodded to Catriona so she could see how sure he was.
“Aye. Ah did. Ah dae.”
She stared at him.
“Bit, ah mean, ah dinnae ken...” He found his words failing him.
Am ah positive?
He felt sure they were safe with Anne and Con, but…
“Mebbe ah kin sense trouble, bit they hae the power tae hide it?”
“Oh come on.” Catriona dropped her forehead onto his shoulder and then lifted her chin again, looking concerned. “Oh no.”
“Whit?”
“I just remember you were in love with Fiona when she first showed up.”
He gasped, horrified. “Nae ah wisn’t! Ah ken she was ye.”
“Yeah, but you were wrong. That’s the point. You didn’t sense she was evil.”
“Mebbe she’s nae. Mebbe she’s juist an actress. She did stab Rune.”
“True.” Catriona sighed and motioned toward Anne and Con. “They’re knocking.”
He saw Con raise his hand to the door and a loud boom! echoed across the street.
The door of the yellow house exploded into splinters.
Con flew through the air as if he’d leapt backwards from the yellow house’s tiny porch, landing on his back on the path he and Anne had traversed a moment before. Anne, already standing to the side, spun against the steps’ metal railing, her arms raised to protect her head.
Broch jerked Catriona against him, covering her head as he watched Anne’s fists explode with orange light.
“Let’s go, we have to go help!” said Catriona struggling to rise to her feet as he held her down.
“He’s git a musket,” said Broch, doing his best to keep himself between her and the
street.
Another shot rang out and Anne pushed through the door. Con remained still on the ground outside.
“We have to get Con out of there.”
She’s richt.
“Stay here.”
“Like hell.”
Unable to stop Catriona from following him, Broch did his best to stay in front of her as they scurried across the street toward Con. Broch slowed as he saw the pool of dark red blood on Con’s chest. The blast had struck him squarely in the ribs. If he wasn’t already dead, he would be soon.
“Cat, wait—”
They’d nearly reached Anne’s fallen partner when Con’s form flickered. His flesh disappeared, replaced by crackling maroon energy that reminded Broch of Luther’s demonstration at Anne’s house the day before.
A moment later, the Irishman was back in his more familiar form, struggling to rise to his feet. He turned as they approached, his fist raised, eyes wild.
Broch threw out his arms.
“Easy. We’re here tae help.”
“Are you okay?” asked Catriona.
Con blinked, his fist still poised in the air, and then seemed to shake off his shock. “Annie?”
Both Broch and Catriona pointed to the house. “Inside.”
Without another word, Con spun and shot into the house, his body blurry with speed.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The man Anne recognized from photos as Joseph Almos fell back from the door, fumbling with his shotgun, as she kicked her way into the house. He raised the weapon again but Anne was on him by then, knocking it aside before he could fire another blast. The gun clattered to the ground and slid out of reach.
Teeth gritted, Joseph spun away and grabbed a katana from what Anne realized was an entire wall of weapons. He tore the hooks that held the sword from the drywall as he jerked it free and waggled it at her from the opposite side of a sheet-covered sofa.
“Get back.”
Anne manifested her own swords and Joseph’s eyes flashed white, his eyes locking on the glow radiating from her fists.
I don’t need these.
She absorbed the light back into her hands. No sense wasting the energy it took to engage her most powerful weapons. She could already tell Joseph wasn’t like the experienced, powerful Perfidians she’d battled before.
Piece of cake.
“Look. We’re here to help,” she said, which was true, though she didn’t imagine he would see it that way.
Joseph spat a laugh, spittle flying from his lips. He swung at her with the sword, but she was too far away to even flinch.
Anne sensed an energy behind her and turned in time to see Con appear at the doorway.
“Find Rune,” she said.
“It was this bastard who shot me,” he said, gesturing at Joseph.
“I’ve got him. Go find Rune and Fiona.”
Con growled and stabbed his finger at Joseph. “Fine. But I’ve got somethin’ for you, Boyo.” He shifted into his energy form and ran straight through Joseph, who stiffened and screamed out as if he’d been electrocuted. He dropped his katana before collapsing to the ground.
Anne sighed. She’d been looking forward to a little sparring.
She walked around the sofa and straddled the thick little man where he lay shaking on the ground. Lowering to one knee, she placed one hand on his neck and one on the bit of bare arm protruding from beneath his strange black weapons vest.
“Time for you to start over.” His eyes bulged wide, but beyond his tremors, he seemed unable to move.
This was the perfect situation. She would half-syphon him to be sure he was weak and then have Catriona and Broch join her. It would be the perfect opportunity for them to see if Catriona could syphon—
Anne’s thoughts cut short.
Hold on.
I don’t feel anything.
Joseph’s energy wasn’t feeding into her. The rush of power she usually felt during the syphoning process hadn’t come.
I can’t syphon him.
She frowned, trying to think of another way to accomplish what she needed to do.
I guess I’ll tie him up. Maybe Con, with his mixture of Sentinel and Angeli power could syphon him, or even Catriona or Broch—worst-case scenario, they’d have an Angelus swing by and give it a shot. There had to be a way…
She looked down at Joseph to find his eyes more focused. He was looking at her.
Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her left side. He’d recovered from Con’s disruption and pulled a small throwing knife from his vest to plunge it into her side.
Stupid. She’d gotten cocky and let her guard down.
She tried to disrupt his energy with her own to knock him out, a trick she’d used countless of other times against ill-behaved humans, but again, her powers, so carefully provided by the Angeli to help her defeat their fallen, failed her.
Anne pushed herself away. Usually, if she was wounded in battle, she’d use the energy of her enemy to quickly heal. But Joseph provided no power. She’d still heal faster than the average human, but at the rate she was losing blood, it wouldn’t be fast enough to beat Joseph’s next attack. The fireplug was already back on his feet and had produced a large Buck knife from a holster on his side.
He leered at her. “Chica, I’m going to carve you into—”
Something clattered at the door and Anne looked over to see Broch burst into the room with Catriona close behind. She didn’t have to say a word. The two assessed her situation and Broch ran forward to catch Joseph’s hand in mid-air as he lunged to stab at her.
Joseph grabbed for another knife with his free hand but Broch soon had that wrist in his grasp as well. Though he fought like a bull, Broch’s size was too much for the smaller man. Joseph roared with frustration as Broch pinned him to the floor with his knee.
Catriona ran to Anne’s side.
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine.” She could tell by the way Catriona was staring at her wound it didn’t look like she’d be fine. “I just need some time. Try and syphon him while Broch has him down.”
Catriona slapped her hand to her chest. “Me?”
Anne nodded and pressed harder on the hole in her side. The pain of the pressure stole her breath.
“I couldn’t do it,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m not the right frequency, I guess. Just try. Touch bare flesh and imagine his life flowing into you.” Catriona was about to move toward Broch when Anne reached out and grabbed her arm. “If it doesn’t work go find Con. He can knock him out.”
The world around her seemed to spin off its axis, then she closed her eyes.
Don’t lose consciousness. Don’t lose consciousness. She couldn’t leave these two new soldiers alone with Joseph. While it looked as if Broch had him under control, they didn’t know—
Suddenly, Broch roared with what sounded like pain, snapping Anne from her thoughts and helping her to refocus. He released Joseph, falling back, nearly crashing into Catriona.
“What is it?” Anne asked, trying to use the commotion to help her focus.
“Pain,” said the Highlander, looking bewildered. “It’s like he wis ripping the flesh fae me.”
Anne swallowed. Joseph was syphoning Broch. The urgency of regaining her strength returned.
I can’t lose these kids. Not on the first job.
Anne struggled to find her feet, but Joseph beat her to it. He lunged for the large knife he’d lost as Broch stood and ran at him, slamming him against the far wall. Broch struck him, hard in the face and Joseph’s hands flailed. Broch hit him again and again.
Anne looked at Catriona. “Now! Try and syphon him while Broch has him.”
Catriona flew toward the grappling men. She grabbed Joseph’s free arm, the one trying to find Broch’s flesh to syphon, and wrestled it as if it were an angry whipping python.
“What do I do?” she screamed.
“Concentrate,” said Anne, standing with the help of the sof
a beside her. “Imagine pulling everything he has into you. Drain him like a battery. Concentrate on his power and pull it towards you.”
She saw Catriona grimace and squeeze her eyes shut.
“Nothing’s happening.”
Anne took a step forward and stumbled, grabbing Catriona’s arm to catch herself.
Joseph stopped thrashing. Anne felt energy enter her body.
Am I syphoning Catriona?
She was about to let go when Joseph screamed.
No. It’s Joseph’s energy but how—
Catriona jumped and released her grip. “What’s happening?”
Joseph’s energy stopped flowing into Anne. She had her suspicions confirmed.
She and Catriona together could syphon him.
“Don’t let go,” she barked in her most commanding voice.
Catriona appeared dubious but listened. She grabbed Joseph’s bare arm and Anne felt energy flowing into her once again. Joseph wailed as they drained him and Catriona turned her face away, grimacing. Broch struggled to hold the smaller man against the wall as he lunged repeatedly in his attempts to break free, his eyes wild with panic. The Highlander refused to let go, even as Anne heard him grunt with pain as Joseph pulled energy from him to replace his own.
Soon, Joseph’s flesh turned the familiar gray of a dying Perfidian. His attempts to escape slowed. Broch stopped gritting his teeth against the pain. Finally, Joseph’s features collapsed and he disappeared into a shower of maroon light.
“That’s a new color,” mumbled Anne, stepping back. She ran her hand across her side to find the knife wound gone, her flesh smooth again.
Con appeared from the back of the house.
“Nice timing,” muttered Anne.
Con was panting. “I found Fiona. She’s out back. Rune’s gone. Couldn’t find him. Did I miss anything?”
Catriona sat on the edge of the sofa, her eyes wide, breathing heavily.
“Are ye okay?” asked Broch, moving to her.
She looked at him. “Are you kidding?”
They all stared at her as she made eye contact with each of them in turn.
“I feel amazing.”
