by I. T. Lucas
She shrugged. “He might. Perhaps he will want to check me out and come to take a closer look. That’s all I really need. I don’t have to get inside.”
As Magnus parked near the gate, Vivian stepped out of the car and walked over to the intercom.
“How can I help you?” a male voice answered.
“Hi, my name is Viv Dubronski. My husband and I are looking for a property to buy in the area, and we were wondering if you could kindly let us take a look at your landscaping. We are looking for ideas.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Dubronski, but the owner is not here, and I can’t allow anyone on the property without his permission.”
“Can you perhaps call him and ask? We don’t mind coming back later if he insists on being here while we take a look at the grounds. We could schedule an appointment.”
“Again, my apologies, but the owner is out of the country, and I don’t know when he is coming back.”
It sounded like a lie even through the intercom.
“That’s a shame.” Vivian affected a disappointed tone. “I really wanted to see the grounds. From the street, they look so well maintained. Can I leave you my business card? If by any chance you talk to the owner, and he agrees, could you give me a call?”
It was a smart move. If the guard came out to take the card, it would suffice.
“Of course. You can drop it in the mailbox.”
“Thank you.”
Vivian reached into her purse and pulled out one of the fake cards they’d had printed for this purpose. After dropping it in the mailbox, she opened the door and got back in the car.
“I told you so,” Magnus said once he pulled out into the street.
“Go slow,” Vivian said. “I have a feeling someone is going to follow us.”
Her intuition was spot on.
There weren’t many cars on the road, so it was easy to spot their tail. The guy wasn’t even trying to be overly discreet.
“How did you know?”
“Women’s intuition. The longer I talked to the security guard, the more stressed he sounded. I figured he would send someone to check us out.”
“I’m going to find a restaurant, we are going to order, and then I’m going to sneak out and corner the guy. I bet that he will be sitting in his car outside and waiting for us to leave so he can follow us home.”
“That’s not a good idea. What if the tail is an immortal too? I should be the one to check him out.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Why? I think I handled the security guard pretty well.”
“You did. But this is different. What possible excuse can you give for approaching him?”
“I’ll think of something.”
Stubborn woman.
“Let’s go into the restaurant first and see what he does. He might just drive away. If he doesn’t, I’ll call Kian for instructions.”
Kian was most likely going to tell them not to engage. But since the order would come from the boss, Vivian couldn’t get mad at Magnus for not allowing her to check out the guy trailing them.
20
Kian
“Don’t engage him,” Kian said once Magnus was done telling him about the tail he and Vivian had picked up. “When Kri comes back from New York this Saturday, I’ll send her over with a couple of guardians.”
“I can do it,” he heard Vivian in the background. “He is right here, parked in front of the restaurant. I’ll walk over, knock on his window, and ask him for directions to somewhere. If he is what we think he is, I can probably sense it, and we will have our answer right away. Why wait?”
“It’s too dangerous. This is not a job for an untrained civilian,” Kian told Magnus.
Before, when he had dangled her and Ella as bait for Lokan, he’d had no other choice. Lokan had thought to set a trap for Ella, and Kian had used that to trap him instead. He hadn’t liked having to resort to putting civilians at risk, and Lokan had nearly succeeded in abducting both mother and daughter.
Once was enough. Kian was not going to risk either of the women again.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell her, but she won’t listen to me.”
“How can it be dangerous?” Vivian asked. “We are in the middle of a busy street. What is he going to do, kill me for asking him a question? Drag me into his car and drive away? You guys are being ridiculous. After what Ella and I did in Washington, this is really nothing.”
Kian didn’t like that Magnus and Vivian were discussing this in a restaurant where they could be overheard. Magnus knew to be careful, but Vivian might blurt something about immortals.
As it was, they were probably attracting attention they shouldn’t.
“The difference is that back then we didn’t have a choice, and it was the only way to get Lokan. This time we have other options. Besides, this is not an argument we should be having while you are in a restaurant. People can overhear you.”
Thankfully, Vivian had listened this time and kept quiet, but Kian could only imagine the daggers she was shooting from her eyes at Magnus.
Perhaps it would be better if he talked to her directly.
He didn’t know her well, and whether she was the impetuous type or not. She might decide to approach the guy despite his instructions.
It wasn’t like Vivian feared retribution for disobeying his command.
First of all, she wasn’t a Guardian and had no obligation to obey. Secondly, she knew he would never retaliate after what she and her daughter had done for the clan. It had been courageous of them both to offer themselves as bait to capture Lokan, and it had nearly ended in a disaster. He owed them, the clan owed them, and Vivian knew that.
“Give the phone to Vivian. I want to explain it to her directly.”
Magnus released a relieved breath. “Thank you. Here she is.”
“I got it the first time.” Vivian sounded miffed. “I’ll keep quiet.”
“I want to explain, so you don’t think I’m being unreasonable. When you buzzed that intercom, your face was caught on camera, so they know what you look like. Right now, they are just being cautious, and they sent someone to follow you around to check who you are and what you are up to. As long as you keep behaving according to your cover story, they will let it go. But if you approach the man tailing you, you will confirm their suspicions that you are not who you claim to be and that you are investigating them. It’s crucial that they remain unaware of that. Kalugal might take his men and run, and we will lose the only thread we have.”
Hopefully, that was enough to deter any ideas she might have had for playing detective.
“I understand. So, what are we supposed to do?”
“Keep acting like a rich couple on vacation, looking to buy a property in the area. You’ve done enough snooping around the mansion for today. Later on, you can go to a bar or a nightclub in the area and snoop there. Keep doing the same tomorrow and the day after. If our guy has about a hundred men with him, your chances of bumping into one of them are good. It’s a small town.”
“Got it. Do you need to talk to Magnus again?”
“He heard me. Just stay alert. As soon as either of you senses an immortal, Magnus needs to get away fast.”
“I understand. So basically, we are staying until Kri comes to replace us?”
“You can come home anytime you want. But for now, I need Magnus in charge of the operation.”
“I will probably have to head back Sunday. Parker is staying with Ella, but without me there to supervise him, I’m sure he is not spending enough time studying.”
That reminded Kian that Vivian was with Magnus not only because she wanted to be with her mate, but because she was doing them a favor, and he needed to thank her for it.
“It’s up to you, Vivian. And thank you for helping. Without you, Magnus’s cover story wouldn’t have been as good.”
“I’m always glad to help out in any way I can. The clan has done a lot for my family and me.”
End
ing the call, Kian was proud of himself. He’d been patient, he’d explained, and he’d even remembered to thank Vivian.
Syssi would be happy with his progress.
21
Yamanu
Yamanu glanced at his watch. It was seven in the evening, and so far, he had been abstaining for thirty-six hours. It should have been easy, what was a day and a half compared to six and a half centuries?
And yet, it was the hardest stretch he’d ever experienced. Even the first week of his banishment to the uninhabited island hadn’t been that bad, and at the time, he had thought that it was the worst part of his punishment.
He’d soon realized that loneliness was much harder to endure than the lack of sex, but it had taken him a couple of weeks on that godforsaken place to reach that conclusion.
The difference was, of course, Mey.
Previously, he had stayed away from temptation, and it hadn’t been too difficult to do with the potion’s numbing effect. But now temptation was right there with him. Not only was he hungry for Mey twenty-four-seven, but he also had to suffer through her merciless taunting that was meant to recharge his batteries.
Was it enough, though?
It felt like it was. He was practically buzzing with it, not to mention that walking was uncomfortable with a third wooden leg stuck in his pants.
Mey was in for one hell of a workout when he returned home from his experiment tonight. This time, he was sure that his energy stores were so full that they could power a mass shroud with enough left over to give his mate the ride of her life.
With a smirk, he pulled into a parking spot next to William’s van, got out, and opened the sliding passenger door. “Are we ready to roll?”
William lifted his head to the sky. “It’s not dark enough yet. Let’s wait for another half an hour.”
Anandur waved his hand. “Hop in. We can all wait together.”
As soon as the guy had heard about the fireworks, he’d volunteered to help. The problem was that Anandur hadn’t bought the same explanation as readily as William had. Anandur had been suspicious of Yamanu’s sexual inactivity for a long time, and the guy wasn’t stupid despite trying hard to convince everyone that he was.
The need to test his ability right after Mey had entered his life would clue Anandur in. Except, the guy was a mensch, as Eva liked to say, and he hadn’t said a thing.
So far.
“Where am I supposed to sit?” Yamanu asked as he eyed the cluttered interior.
The back of the van was full of equipment, and the floor space in between was taken by the boxes of fireworks. William had gone overboard with that. The amount he had in there was enough to replicate the Fourth of July celebrations.
“There is a rolling stool under the desk.” William pointed.
“We should park the van in the back of the mall,” Anandur said. “If the shroud fails, someone is going to call the police, and we will need to be close to our escape car.”
Yamanu chuckled. “This van can barely move. We will have to thrall the police.”
“I can do one, maybe two.” Anandur scratched his head. “How about you, William? Are you any good at thralling?”
“I haven’t thralled anyone in a while. So I might be out of practice.”
“That’s a problem. If our boy expends all of his energy on the shroud, he will have nothing left to thrall the policemen with.”
Yamanu stifled a groan. It seemed that he had been right about Anandur figuring out his secret.
“The shroud is going to work. I feel supercharged.”
Anandur eyed him from under his bushy red brows. “What did you do to recharge, have a huge fight with Mey?”
The explanation he’d given William and Anandur was that his love for Mey affected his ability, so Anandur’s question was in line with that. Perhaps the guy actually believed it.
“Something like that. But just in case I’m wrong and my shroud falters, let’s drive to the other side.
They parked next to the loading dock of a large supermarket that had moved to another location and now stood empty.
As William and Anandur unloaded the boxes of fireworks, Yamanu started shrouding them right away. It would do them no good to get caught before they had a chance to set them alight.
Not many cars were parked in the back, and so far, no one had stopped to ask what they were doing, so the shroud was working.
Once everything was set up, Anandur clapped William on the back. “I’m going to the front parking lot to watch people’s reactions. Give me five minutes to get in position.”
Nodding, Yamanu closed his eyes and concentrated.
It was vital that he didn’t cover the entire shopping center, just the sky above it, and not all sounds, but only the loud ones from the rockets as they shot to the sky and then exploded.
“Five minutes are up,” William said. “Anandur should be in position.”
Yamanu nodded.
Focusing his power into a tight spot inside his belly, he spread his arms and let it explode out of him.
This was the signal William had been waiting for.
As the rockets started shooting up one after the other, their explosions were so loud they were deafening. With his eyes closed, Yamanu couldn’t see the display, but by the happy sounds that William was making it was a sight to behold.
Yamanu had no concept of time while he was focusing on shrouding, but so far, he hadn’t felt like he was about to run out of juice. The power just kept pouring out of him in waves.
Except, it might have been all in his mind.
The way it worked, he had to imagine it happening and keep it up until he either ran out of energy or someone told him that it was okay to stop.
A hand landed on his shoulder, and he heard Anandur tell him it was over, but it took him several long moments to suck back the waves of energy emanating from him and open his eyes.
“Did it work?” he asked.
“Beautifully. No one even lifted their heads to the sky. It was like nothing at all was happening.”
The relief was so profound that Yamanu’s knees buckled, and he had to sit down on one of the boxes. Or maybe it was the exhaustion.
Anandur crouched in front of him. “Are you okay, buddy? Do you need anything to drink? Orange juice, beer, water?”
“I’m fine. I just need a moment.”
“Take as long as you need. Shrouding a massive event like this must have completely drained you. I’ll get you some orange juice.”
“Thanks.”
He should be drained, but he wasn’t. The current was no longer sizzling manically inside him. Instead, it was buzzing pleasantly, reminding him that his work for the day wasn’t done. The most fun part was still ahead of him.
Mey deserved a big-time reward.
Sending him out of the house with a raging hard-on hadn’t been pleasant, but it had been effective.
He should thank the Fates for letting him keep both his powers and Mey. It was more than he had ever expected.
Thank you. He lifted his face to the sky. I’m forever in your debt. Whatever you require of me, I will do and not question why.
“Here you go.” Anandur handed him the orange juice.
“Where is William?”
“Inside the van, organizing the space. We will give you a ride back to your car.”
“Thanks.”
Anandur scratched his head. “Maybe it’s a good idea to stop by the supermarket and buy your lady flowers and chocolates. If you had a fight before leaving the house, you shouldn’t go back without ammunition.”
“That’s a great suggestion. Let’s do that.”
Not because he had to placate Mey, but because today’s successful test results called for a celebration. A bottle or two of champagne were in order, the best chocolates he could find, and a flower bouquet that was tall enough to reach the ceiling.
22
Kian
“So here is what I’ve found out about Aunt Ele
anor.” Turner pulled a yellow pad out of his briefcase.
Kian put down the two beers he’d taken out of the fridge on the conference table and sat down. “I’m listening.”
“The name on her driver's license is Marisol Ortega, but she might be using another alias because there was very little under that name. She doesn’t have a physical address, only a PO box in a shared office space in Harrisonburg, Virginia, not West Virginia.”
“Is that significant?” Kian asked.
“Possibly. On the face of things, it looks like she is getting her mail in one place and lives in another. Her driver's license is from West Virginia, and our hackers didn’t find another match with her face, so this is the one she is using for driving. Except, she doesn’t have a car registered in her name either. I assume that she lives in a government facility and uses a government vehicle to get around. She doesn’t have a credit card or a bank account in that name either. Roni checked.”
“Why rent a box in another state, though? Do you think she is running from someone?”
“She might be, but then her fake identity should be enough to protect her. I guess that she has a reason to be in Harrisonburg often enough to justify it. It’s the closest urban center to the Quiet Zone. All the rest are little towns where everyone knows everyone.”
“If the facility is somewhere in the Quiet Zone, then the Harrisonburg mailbox makes sense. Although I’m sure that she can get mail where she lives too. They must have a delivery system.”
“She might wish to keep her private correspondence at least semi-private. If she rented the box using the alias they gave her, it’s not exactly a secret.”
Kian wrapped his hand around the cold beer bottle. “Is that standard? I mean the no address, no car, no bank account, no credit cards? She is basically a ghost?’
“It’s not uncommon for undercover agents, but it’s a lot of security for someone who is not involved in that kind of work.”
