Smoke Dance

by Samantha Cayto

  Alex continued. “We are sure Bran will leave tonight. Given the amount of attention on the organization and the congressman no longer being a path to power, he’ll move on.”

  “Once the media has left, of course,” Val added. “He’ll want privacy and darkness, scurrying away like the cockroach he is. He has to make choices when he leaves, as to direction.”

  “Won’t he simply go to the Pike?” Duncan asked. “He might not want to come to Boston, given you’re here, but westbound sends him to New York. There are lots of path he can pick from there.”

  Val shook his head. “If he goes in the opposite direction, he can take back roads north. We can’t predict what he’s thinking. We have to assume he has a Plan B already, although why we give him that much credit, I’ll never know.”

  “He got this far,” Anderson said. “He found someone who had a decent chance of getting him within a few feet from the nuclear codes. Seems to me you all have been underestimating Dracul’s kids.”

  “He is quite correct.”

  They all turned toward the doorway in unison. It would have been comical, if not for the tragic look on Dafydd’s face. He entered the room clutching Ric’s hand. He looked paler than usual, and Will could only imagine how hard all of this was for the poor man. Having been forced to kill one son… The idea that he was likely going to have to watch the other be destroyed must be agony. No matter how miserable his existence had been with Dracul, Dafydd had carried those sons inside him. Will understood how that felt, the bond that formed even when the pregnancy had been forced. Dafydd was too sensitive a person to feel nothing.

  Alex stood. “Dafydd,” he said, with the kindest tone Will have ever heard his captain use, “you are welcome here, of course, but nothing we are discussing will please you.”

  “I know.” Dafydd went to an empty seat and perched on the edge. Ric stood behind him, their hands remaining clasped. “I want to help. You saved my life, after all”—he glanced at Ric and flashed a smile—“even if I didn’t appreciate it at the time. I want to help,” he repeated.

  Alex inclined his head and sat again. “What can you tell us?”

  Dafydd licked his lips. “Bran is clever, far more than Dracul could appreciate. Unlike Cadoc, who was impulsive and pleasure-driven, Bran is patient. He plans far in advance. I imagine that he set this whole thing in motion years ago. When he leaves tonight, he won’t be running away from anything but toward something. He’ll have a place to hold-up and regroup. Stop him now or you’ll be right back to this situation in a few months.”

  Will leaned forward. “We’re hoping Annika can persuade him to—”

  “No,” Dafydd interrupted. “It won’t work. I’m sorry. I know you’re probably counting on her bringing everyone back into the hive. That assumes a certain sanity, I suppose, for lack of a better word. I used to think Dracul was merely evil and that his sons inherited that from him. Now, having spent time with Idris, I believe the twins’ behavior was learned.”

  “I agree,” Harry responded. He smiled. “Idris will be a fine young man because he’s being raised by good parents.”

  “You are kind to say so,” Dafydd said with another smile at Ric. “I wouldn’t have agreed with you not so long ago, as you know. But I have given it a lot of thought. There was nothing I could do to stop the twins from being what they became.

  “And observing all of you and having found out a lot from Harry, I can see how much you are driven by your biology. I can well believe that your Queen’s presence is sufficient to bring Petru to heel. And it may work with Dracul, as well. His biology may demand it of him. I can’t see it happening with Bran, though. Although Annika clearly holds sway with Merlin, he is still young and malleable. Bran is neither of those things.”

  He fell silent for a moment then looked directly at Will, for some reason, as he continued. “He’s part me, after all, and Annika has no effect on me. She is a sweet child, who frankly makes me nervous, because she is so obviously different from a human girl. How could she possibly compel Bran to change his learned behavior?”

  “We hope,” Will started to stay, then stopped when Dafydd shook his head.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to upset anyone, but I want you to know two things. One is that you must cover all possibilities when you go after him.” He stood and headed for the door, Ric keeping a tight grip on him. The Welshman appeared fragile, yet determined.

  “And the other thing?” Alex asked.

  Dafydd paused. “You’ll have to kill him. I know that for a certainty, and as of this moment, he’s dead, as far as I’m concerned. Whatever happens, please don’t tell me the how and the why or the where. Those details don’t matter to me. Two of my sons are gone. I must concentrate on the one I can save. My future.”

  Ric embraced him and they walked out of the room as one.

  “Oh my God,” Damien whispered. He grabbed Will and, leaning over the arm of his chair, he pressed his face into Will’s shoulder. “That poor man.” Will had filled the boy in on much of their story, although he’d omitted many of the horrible details.

  Will ran his fingers through Damien’s hair. He’d been spending so much time with Elliot that he hadn’t been grooming with much care. As he’d once predicted, it was silky soft without all that styling gel. “He’s given up because he has to for his own mental well-being. We’re not convinced Bran can’t be turned.”

  He addressed the room at large. “We need eyes in the sky. I’ll take the chopper out there and keep track of Bran’s movements. We have enough people to block both ways out, so that’s the plan, right?”

  “It is,” Val agreed. He projected a schematic on the screen at the far end. “Alex and I will take the bikes and cover the way to the Pike. Emil and Logan will be in the Escalade, waiting in the woods to block him from behind.”

  Duncan took up the debriefing. “MacLerie and I will take the other direction, with Anderson and Harry as back-up.”

  Will grimaced. “I’ll radio everyone as soon as I see what direction he’s going in. If we’re lucky, he’ll assume my chopper is only the media.”

  Damien’s fingers tightened on his arm. “How will you know for sure it’s him when he leaves?”

  “The same way I kept tabs on him at the compound when you were there, with heat-vision goggles. The body temperature of a hybrid is different than that of a human.”

  “Except you’ll be busy flying. You need a wingman.”

  Will realized what the boy was saying. “No. I’ll be fine.”

  “He’s not wrong,” Val said.

  “No!” Will repeated. “I’ll manage. You’ve done enough, baby.” He inwardly cringed at the endearment. He wasn’t that sure of his position with the human.

  “With Elliot heading back to Pennsylvania to live with his cousin, I’m not needed here anymore. I want to help.” When Will opened his mouth, Damien jumped in. “I’ll be safe up there with you.” He looked at him with such trust and certainty that it robbed Will of his breath for a moment.

  “Nowhere is perfectly safe. Bran could shoot at the helicopter.”

  “You’ll make sure he doesn’t touch us. I’m not a child, Will. And I’m tougher than I look.”

  Alex clapped his hands once. “Well, that settles that. You should get going, Will. Dusk is on its way.”

  Will stood, pulling Damien up with him. He gave in to the urge he’d had for a while and kissed him—nothing long, no tongue, just a show of his affection. To his delight, Damien not only didn’t pull away, he repeated the gesture the moment Will ended it.

  “We’ll be fine,” Damien said. “I trust you and you need to learn that I can handle myself. I will not be a burden to you. And I want to be a part of bringing this fucker down.”

  Will cupped his chin. “You have no idea how ugly this can get. We are monsters.”

  Damien smacked him on the arm. “Don’t say that! Maybe he is, but you aren’t. No one in this room is.”

  Will was incredulous
. “You should hate me.”

  “Well, too bad because, like I’ve said, I love you.”

  Chapter Ten

  Will was always happiest in the air. There was no doubt about that. And having his new love sitting beside him as he raced above the trees was an unexpected and delightful bonus. He kept stealing glances to make sure Damien was okay. He appeared to be not only fine, but excited about their adventure. Val had shown him how to use the goggles. He’d used them already to get a sense of how they’d work while looking down from the air. So, he was ready once they arrived at the camp.

  There was no more media now that the congressman had been arrested and his wife had gone into seclusion. The camp was all but deserted, its unhappy inhabitants having apparently fled.

  As Will circled the compound, Damien peered down. “There are still some of the humans left,” he said over the mic. “Poor bastards might not have a place to go. We should do something to help kids like that. People like Father Ted—the priest this asshole’s brother killed, according to Emil—knew how at-risk these kids are. They need more than food, though. Do you think I could talk Alex into contributing to a new foundation or something to set up an anti-conversion camp?”

  Will grinned. “I’m sure he would, but I’m happy to give you whatever amount you need, baby.”

  Damien chuckled. “I bet it would take a million dollars or more. I’d have to ask Emil to help me run the numbers.”

  “No problem. I can swing that.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Damien, I have something like a hundred million dollars. I’ve got it covered.”

  Shoving the goggles up his head, Damien spun in Will’s direction. “The fuck you do!”

  “We’ve been on this planet a very long time.”

  “Holy fuck.” Shaking his head, Damien returned to his observation.

  Will made a slow tour of the compound.

  “There!” Damien pointed. “He’s getting in a car.” Will turned his bird to follow Damien’s direction. “He’s going through the gates and heading toward the Pike.”

  “Then we’ve got him.” Will wasn’t worried about not being noticed by Bran now. He dropped down as low as he dared and followed.

  Will could see for himself. Bran had left in a non-descript black sedan. He called it in over the radio to the others. “He’s all yours, Captain.”

  From his perch in the sky, he saw the take-down unfold. Emil and Logan let him get ahead by about a quarter of a mile before pulling out from their hiding spot and tailing him. Will trailed behind them. He knew they were locked and loaded, and from what he’d seen of the former marine, she wouldn’t hesitate to take out Bran. Part of him wanted it to end like that. Part of him hoped Dafydd was wrong about his son and that Annika would change him into an asset instead of an enemy.

  Beside him, Damien peered at the road without the benefit of the goggles. He didn’t need them now. He looked pretty chill, considering what was happening. Over the roar of the chopper blades, he could hear the boy’s heartbeat, only slightly faster than normal. Maybe Damien was better suited to this sort of thing than he was. His own body practically vibrated with tension, reminding him that he was a reluctant warrior, at best.

  Because there was only one way that led to the Mass Pike, Emil didn’t have to worry about sticking too close to the asshole. So, neither did Will. They’d gone only a couple miles before they reached the point where the ambush had been set up in a wooded area with no houses nearby. Around a bend, the road straightened. He could see not only Bran’s vehicle but way ahead of it. Two motorcycles, the biggest available, idled across the road, blocking the way. Dark figures with impenetrable visors down over their helmets sat astride them—Alex and Val.

  Seconds later, Bran slammed on his brakes and tried to back up while also turning around. Emil also braked and jerking his Escalade, planted it perpendicular to Bran’s car. Now that the fight was on, Will became calm and focused. The fucker was trapped. And just in case he thought he could get out and flee into the woods—which was exactly what he tried to do—Will lowered his chopper more and started circling the area, sending the trees into a frenzy of movement. Bran shielded his eyes from the whipping wind and looked up. The moment of distraction was all the others needed as they came running from behind their vehicles. Alex and Val drove their bikes to bracket him while Emil and Logan pointed their guns. The rest came screeching up from behind.

  Bran looked wildly from side-to-side, ready to run through any hole. Finding none, he did the only sensible thing he could. He stopped and put up his hands. Will pulled away to reduce the wind and give the others room. Bran put up no fight as MacLerie shoved him to the ground, stripped him of his weapons and hogtied him for the journey back to the club.

  “Woot!” Damien pumped his fist. “We got the fucker.” He grinned like a madman at Will. “Can we go home now?”

  Home. Will’s heart swelled with the simplicity of the concept, that he and Damien shared a home. Will should have felt both relief and happiness. And yet, instead, a sense of dread sat heavily in his gut.

  * * * *

  “I’m going to state for the record one more time that I really don’t think your being here is a good idea.”

  Damien squeezed Will’s hand. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to add to your stress. But it’s important to me that I be a part of this. Bran did a lot of harm, and I need to see this through or frankly I’m going to have this scary fucker’s face haunting my dreams. Nightmares,” he amended. “Definitely nightmares.”

  He let go of Will’s hand, reluctantly. “Don’t worry about me. Concentrate on Annika. I’ll be fine. I’ll stand way back behind the wall of alien bodies.”

  Will’s troubled eyes met his. “Please do. He may be disarmed and chained, but he’s still dangerous.”

  “You worry too much, Father Willem,” Annika said from his other side. “Damien and I will both be perfectly safe.”

  Will blew out a breath. “Right.”

  “You doubt this?” she continued. “Then you doubt yourself and the others. I do not. Nothing and no one will harm me with my hive standing guard.”

  Will closed his eyes briefly. “You humble me, and I will not fail you.”

  “Certainly not,” Annika affirmed in a refined tone that, as usual, reminded him of some character straight out of Dickens. Or maybe Jane Austen, given that Annika was decked out in a floor-length dress with a narrow skirt that shimmered in pale blue and was trimmed with lace, a narrow ribbon tied under her breasts.

  Wait, what? When had that happened? Puberty had come to town like a cyclone, apparently while he’d been playing spy at the conversion camp. It had to be part of her alien nature, and seeing her sudden maturity was more startling to him than Will’s fangs had been. At least images of vampires were something he was used to, even if it was all fantasy. Seeing a child that he’d a mere two weeks ago made smiley-face pancakes for showing the first real signs of womanhood unnerved him. A fierce protective instinct stole over him, more powerful than what he’d felt when he’d found Elliot lying in his own blood.

  I would die for her. I would kill for her. Glancing at the alien men around him, he understood, really and truly understood, some of what they must be feeling.

  Damien made good on his promise, too, not wanting to be a distraction from Will’s central duty. He dropped back from his side as they entered a room at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement. He’d always been curious about what secrets lay here. He couldn’t believe he’d once joked about someone being kept chained, and yet that was exactly the situation. Of course, there were now two. Despite his reassurance to Will, Damien’s palms were sweating. So far, he hadn’t seen much of Will’s alien nature—or that of the other men. Sure, they were heavily armed and totally bad-ass, but nothing some humans might fit right in to. He had a feeling, though, that what he was about to witness would be otherworldly.

  He entered the room next to Emil. He trusted the chef to t
he same degree as he did Will. Emil had saved his life, while Will had given him a wonderful future. His eyes popped at the array of weaponry they passed on their way to what had been described as cells. His first thought was that there was no way it was legal to keep this kind of stuff. Then he mentally rolled his eyes, as if these aliens had ever worried about human law, unless it suited their purpose. To think that for a thousand years, they’d been waging a war within their own kind. The information made him want to rethink everything he’d learned about recent human history.

  Not that this was a time for reflection or a meltdown, for that matter, which he realized he was in danger of having, because this was too freaking much. Except he wasn’t going to do that to Will after kicking up a fuss about participating. He was going to stand next to Emil and try to look like part of Annika’s Pretorian Guard. At the far end of the room were three doors with small, square reinforced windows showing bright lights through two of them. A face appeared in one, startling Damien.

  “It’s okay,” Emil said in a low voice. “He’s been effectively neutered. He only wants a look at Annika.”

  “That’s creepy.”

  “No, it’s not sexual. She’s our Queen, our touchstone, you know.”

  Then the man at the window was forgotten as Val opened the second door and stood aside. Everyone was quiet, ranging around the room in a semi-circle, except for Alex, who stepped forward to address its occupant. It was the man Damien knew as Bran, although that seemed overly familiar when he really thought of him as ‘that fucker’. He rose from his built-in bed, wearing only his pants. He’d been stripped of everything else. Will had mentioned that he would have been naked but for Annika coming to meet him. He didn’t like the idea of his young daughter seeing the guy completely unclothed. That made sense to Damien. So did the fact that a metal ring was around the guy’s neck, tethering him to the wall.