Tori quickly shook off the mnemonic feelings. This new body of hers seemed to be able to recall not just memories, but how those memories felt. Wow. She set the picture back where it had been, but avoided looking at it. She needed to focus.
On top of the dresser she found a closely matching fine wood modern jewelry box. Opening the box lid expanded hidden drawers laden with many things she’d only seen in the windows of stores at the mall. Her hand went to her mouth as she suddenly smiled widely with guffawed astonishment.
Diamond earrings; fine gold bracelets, several rings and a couple of fine diamond watches.
“This is not costume, is it, Monica?” she breathed to herself while lifting a large center-diamond necklace from one of the box’s drawers. She had no idea what something like this would cost or even where she would wear such a thing. Tori shook her head now, replacing the fine piece into the drawer.
Her walk-in closet was also small but now it too was filled with new clothes; even the old wire shelving had been replaced with new dark wood shelves and even matching wooden hangers. The whole closet looked like a Macy’s or Nordstrom the way it had been filled with fine and casual clothes. A faint scent of cedar hung lightly in the air.
But something different caught her eye about the back of the new closet. Beyond the tri-fold mirrors that formed the back of the small room, she noticed thick metal doors had been hidden, artfully concealed behind the mirrored glass. She wasn’t sure anyone else would notice the secret door, but she did. Was it a safe behind the glass? It took her a few minutes to figure out how to open the biometric lock—but once it recognized her, the mirrored panels slipped silently open, revealing a built-in floor to ceiling safe. Once again Tori’s hand went to her mouth, her eyes newly wide. She felt momentarily dizzy as she took a step back from the dark-gray soft-felted interior beyond the glass. Lining the bottom of the small vault along the floor of each door were double rows of heavy to light looking assault rifles. Above the long weapons were other medium to small arms of various calibers. Rows and rows of boxed ammo lined the bottom shelves of the center of the vault.
Tori lifted one of the smaller pieces from its impression in the vault door. The Texas girl pulled back the action to check the chamber. It was empty; and there was no magazine in the gun. She put the weapon back into its place and looked around the other shelves.
The one thing besides the arms that immediately caught her eye were several stacks of bills, neatly bundled. She didn’t know how much money had been stacked, but the bills were new and not consecutively numbered. A small assortment of passports also caught her eye, most of them U.S., each one with her photo, and each one with a different name.
“Jesus, Monica.” Tori flipped through the documents. “What the hell are you getting me into?”
She finished flipping through a Chinese passport that looked already well used, with various stamps and visa’s stapled to the inside. Not able to read a word of it, she set it back with the others. She shook her head touching the part of the framed glass that silently closed the doors.
She now flopped onto the fluffy white down comforter of her new bed. She felt queasy inside. Monica was obviously trying to turn her into some kind of spy—working for the President no less.
“God—” she shook her head, feeling nervous now. She’d been through a lot in the past two weeks. She sat up on to her elbows. What she really needed was a hot bath. Tori lifted herself from the bed and headed into her newly decorated master bath.
* * * * *
Roberts approached his former Special Forces buddies who’d gathered around another of the team as he held an iPad. Their yacht only gently moved on the mostly calm night a little more than a mile from shore. Although middle-aged now, the still very muscular men had gathered around a telescope mounted to the deck with real-time auto adjusting motion servos that kept the instrument precisely fixed and auto-focused on the tall fortieth-floor windows. All of them now watched her on the tablet.
A soft whistle floated from the lips of one of the men watching her changing. “Fuck. Me.”
“So that’s a goddess, huh?” one of them quipped, trying to keep his mind focused on the mission instead of her breasts.
“God—I think I’m changing religions.”
“That ass is unreal.” Another breathed.
“Oh, it’s real alright.” Roberts assured watching her completely undressed and looking for something to sleep in.
“I think she needs to be gang fucked.”
“Yea, good luck with that.” Roberts glared at her pulling on a t-shirt now. “Just remember, she’s not the target—just the bait.”
10
T aking aim, Tori squeezed the trigger gently, rapidly. Clad in amber-colored wrap-around shooting glasses and ear protection, the 12-round magazine emptied quickly within seconds. Like the pistol was fully automatic. With a click of one finger, the empty magazine dropped into her other hand as she instantly reloaded and emptied the second magazine even faster. She dropped the second magazine into her hand, then set both weapon and empty onto the shelf in front of her.
“You missed,” Monica smiled.
“Like hell.” Both goddesses could see the heart-shaped pattern Tori had neatly arranged into the center of the target at the very back of the indoor public range. It was late. They were the only two shooting.
“Show off.”
“We’re closing in five minutes, ladies.” Someone poked their head into the range area. He was curious that it was just two girls with obvious semi-autos. He was sure someone was setting off a fully-automatic. It happened now and again with the men late at night sometimes—not these ladies.
“Did I pass?” Tori asked, packing up her weapons.
“Yes. I think more than passed.” Monica nodded.
“What’s next?”
Both now exited the range and then the gun store attached to it.
“The President would like to meet you.”
“Really?”
“You work for him now, Tori. He likes to meet the people he’s commanding.”
“When?”
“I’ll need to arrange it. He has a tight schedule. It’s not easy to break into it, even for a five-minute meeting.”
“I’m sure.”
Both walked to their cars parked beside each other in the mostly empty parking lot.
“What about my security clearance?”
“Only the President issues those in our case. I’ve given him my recommendation. Once he’s given me the all-clear, you and I will take a little trip to Langley and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” Monica opened the door of her car. “Better brace yourself, Tori. It’s a very long history.”
Tori watched her pull away and drive into the night. She smiled shaking her head.
Now in her own shiny red Mustang sitting at a stoplight, Tori was suddenly startled by the appearance of a hunky guy dropping into her passenger seat.
“Miss me?” Liam asked.
“OH!” His sudden appearance startled her. “Oh—my God. LIAM!”
Both leaned over the center console, their arms embracing while kissing like teens. But the sound of car horn behind them broke up their kiss. Tori quickly accelerated through the green light.
“I love the way you kiss,” he smiled his compliment.
“Yea, we’re not done—believe me.”
“Is that a new confidence I’m feeling?”
“You made me a goddess, Liam.”
“You were already a goddess. All I did was awaken you.”
“Where have you been? It’s been almost two months.”
“I needed to be careful. I think you’re being followed.”
“I am?” Tori quickly checked her mirrors. There was no one behind her on the mostly empty late-night street.
“Not here and now; but I’m pretty sure you’re being watched—your complex, I mean.”
“Who would be watching me?”
“Probably the police.”<
br />
“Liam, I have some news for you—I work for the police.”
“Oh, Tori, don’t tell me that—please.” Pain was filling his face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Were you trying to trap me?”
“I wasn’t. The police were.”
“I thought you said you work for them?”
“A guy I thought was Tampa PD, a detective named Roberts, hired me to help find you. I didn’t know who you were. Or even what a ‘god’ was.”
Liam nodded. “I see. How did this Roberts guy find you?”
Tori stared at him for long moments while also watching the road. “I’m not sure.”
“I’ll tell you exactly how they found you—another goddess, or demigoddess, someone who works for the feds.”
“Monica?”
“Who is she?”
“A demigoddess. She’s been training me.”
“Training you? To do what?”
“Liam, I don’t just work for the police, I work for the President now.”
“Holy shit!” he turned in his seat.
“Are you okay?”
“TORI!?”
“What—?”
“You’re working for that murderous dirt bag? Do you know how many of us he’s killed?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The President! He’s hunting us down—he’s been killing the gods!”
“No he’s not! Monica works for him.”
“And Monica’s not a newblood, a goddess—is she!”
“I told you, she’s a demigoddess.”
“Oh, my God, Tori. I can’t believe you’re getting involved in this. They’re going to kill you. You have to know that!”
“They’re training me to be dangerous. So they can just turn around and kill me. Right. That doesn’t make any sense.”
Liam scowled. She had a point. It didn’t make sense. Unless the murderous bastard was into upgrading his hit squad to halfbloods and newbloods now. In which case Tori had no idea what she was getting herself into.
“You’re angry at me; I can feel it,” she looked into his eyes, disappointment had written itself all over his face.
“I’m—” Liam cooled his jets. “Not angry. Frustrated, I guess. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to warn you. These people are evil, Tori.”
“So are bank robbers—” the words fired on automatic from her mouth.
He frowned deeply, a huge lump formed in his throat. Liam nodded. And then he was gone.
Tori’s eyes flashed wide. “Liam! LIAM!” she called out. She couldn’t feel him anymore. She reached out with her feelings, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found. “I’M SORRY!” she called out again. Her own eyes began to mist now. Pulling up to another red light she rested her forehead on the steering wheel. When the light turned green, wet lines had streaked her cheeks. “Liam—I’m sorry …”
10
W here are you going now?” Louis asked sitting in the same truck stop diner.
“Away. As far away from here and her as inhumanly possible.”
“May as well move in across the street then.”
Liam’s gaze narrowed. “And why would I do that? Have you not been listing to a word I’ve been saying. She works for them now, Louis!”
“Is that your latest excuse for why you keep runnin’.”
“It’s not an excuse. We’re all running.”
“Not all of us. A lot of us are pretty happy where we are.”
“Did you not hear me? She’s working for the goddamned feds—the fucking murderous bastard himself no less!”
“Do you love her?”
“What do you mean, ‘do I love her’? Hell, I don’t even know her.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m attracted to her, yes; that’s not a secret.”
“You still didn’t answer my question.”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“I’m the only empath in this place at the moment, Louis.”
“Doesn’t take an empath to see when a young man’s in love.”
“Jesus,” he scowled at the old man, “I’ve known her for the sum total of maybe five hours.”
“Not. You’ve been keeping your eye on this young lady for months now. I've sat right here listening to you drone on for hours talking about her, how beautiful she is.”
“So?”
“You watch her. Day in and day out. You know what she likes. What her favorite meals are. What she watches on TV.”
Liam fumed with a sigh.
“You’re not angry Liam; you’re scared.”
“Damn right I am. And for good reason.”
“Love and fear. Two of the most powerful emotions there are. And you’re caught right in the middle of both.” Louis’ face smiled widely behind his seasoned wrinkles.
“I came here to say good-bye.” Liam grimaced.
He lifted his coffee cup to his lips. “See if the unit next door is for sale. Probably got the same view.”
11
T he cozy beach house had seen better days, but it had been recently remodeled with a handful of more modern updates. The heavily treed and foliaged property gave the home’s deck a modicum of privacy from the other houses squeezed tightly together along Gulf Boulevard.
Still early and barely awake, Monica left her kitchen and moved out onto the morning deck with a fresh cup of heavily vanilla creamed French roast to watch the morning surf.
“Do you always hang out on your deck in your underwear?”
Her danger senses were suddenly tingling. Why hadn’t they warned her earlier?! It was like he’d just come out of nowhere. Leaving her mug on the railing, she turned around slowly to see him leaning against the outdoor wall of her house, his large arms folded. He’d dressed in short khaki shorts that accented his thighs and thin waist, and a black muscle shirt that failed to hide any of the ridges of his upper body.
“Mr. Sinclair.”
“Hello Monica.” He didn’t look happy.
She didn’t dare try to read his feelings. She kept her empathy to herself. If he tried to read hers, there wouldn’t be anything she could do to stop him. She felt a little exposed now, vulnerable, with him looking at her barely dressed as she was.
“What can I do for you?”
“Let’s dispense with the formalities, shall we?”
He pushed away from the wall taking a few steps closer to her until he was just outside of her personal space. She wished she could step back and away from him, but she was already against the railing of her deck.
“You want to talk about Tori.”
“Oh, you’re perceptive. Did they teach you that in Fed School?”
Monica swallowed. “Tori told me about your conversation the other night.”
“I’m sure she did. You’re her little mentor, her little confidant now.”
“It’s not what you’re thinking—”
“And what should I be thinking—?”
She felt his feelings invading hers. She tried with everything she was worth to keep him out, but it was futile.
“I’m her friend,” she winced, feeling him now moving all over inside her mind and feelings. “We were just—talking. I didn’t even bring it up.” Jesus his feelings were bright!
“It’s your little confidence game. Luring her into working for the Seven. Pretending she’s doing good because she’s an agent of the President,” he mocked.
Monica shook her head, trying to push him out, feeling him diving deeper into her feelings while she was powerless to do anything about it. Dammit! He was just overpowering.
“Please—stop,” she winced, her face contorting a little with pain.
“Why?” he glared, pushing deeper into her.
“It hurts. You’re blinding me—”
She was a little surprised when he backed off. He’d not withdrawn from her feelings, but he’d ceased going deeper than he already had.
/> “Be glad if that’s all I do to you.”
The she felt his brightness suddenly leave her feelings, causing her to draw a quick breath. She could still feel his presence all around her. If she tried anything, he’d instantly feel it, including if she didn’t tell him exactly what he wanted to know.
“Why are you involving Tori in all of this?”
“She’s a goddess now. We need all the allies we can get.”
“Allies—” Liam scoffed. “In case you hadn’t noticed, Monica, the Seven are killing us left and right these days. And you’re helping them.”
“Not true, Liam.” She stared at him.
It was odd he felt no subterfuge from her at all.
“Come again?”
“I’m not helping the Seven.”
“But you just said you work for the President.”
“I do work the President.”
“But you’re killing awakened—”
“No. We’re saving them.”
“I cannot believe what I’m hearing. You set a trap for me, using Tori as bait.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“To recruit you.”
“You’re either an exceptional liar or one helluva double agent.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Why me? You’ve been following me for nearly five years. Trying to kill me.”
“And I could have had you put away in the first six months you were in Denver.”
“Bullshit.”
“Am I lying?”
He frowned at her. She was telling the truth; at least as far as she saw it.
“I let you go.”
“Sure you did,” he scoffed.
“Did I just lie?”
“No.” He pursed his lips. “Alright. Why—?”
“Because you were excellent plausible cover. An ongoing investigation; consistently funded by the Administration; always on the trail of a cocky newblood.”
“Cocky?” he gave her an incredulous look.
“Yes—cocky. Not to mention stupid.”
“Now hold on—”
Siren (Awakened Chronicles Book 1) Page 5
