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Her hand was clenched on the table; Alex covered it with his own.
“Okay. Got it,” said Kara after a pause. Then she frowned, and her chair legs slowly came down to touch the floor. “Wait a minute – what are you two doing down here, anyway? How did you find us?”
“Willow had a dream that we should come here,” said Alex. “She’s psychic; she knew something was going to happen in the Zócalo. ”
Kara didn’t move. “Psychic,” she said finally, and Alex knew exactly what she was thinking: psychic skills were an angelic trait.
“Yes, I’ve always been psychic,” said Willow. “Even before I knew. . . ” She shrugged her slender shoulders, looking tired suddenly. “Even before I knew,” she finished.
Alex circled her palm with his thumb. “Are you going to answer some of our questions now?” he said to Kara. “If the interrogation’s over with, that is. ”
Kara rolled her eyes at the word “interrogation”. She pushed her chair back and got up. “All right, let’s just get settled first. You guys hungry? Liz likes to cook; we’ve got some leftover spaghetti I could heat up. ”
“Yeah, starving,” said Alex. He let go of Willow’s hand and scraped his palm across his face; his cheek gave a throb where Sam had punched him. It felt as if he’d been awake for days.
“Liz?” asked Willow.
“The one with dark hair,” Kara reminded her, opening the fridge and taking out a covered casserole dish.
“Oh yeah, her. The one whose life Willow saved,” said Alex pointedly, and took a dark enjoyment in the startled look on Kara’s face. “Man, Kara, that group of yours needs some serious training,” he went on. “What did you even have them out on a hunt for? Are you trying to get rid of them or something?”
Kara rested her hands on the counter; closing her eyes, she hung her head for a second, shaking it. “Okay. I’ve got to hear all about this, and I don’t like the sound of it one little bit. . . but let me answer your questions first, and then we’ll get to it. ”
She slid the casserole dish into a microwave and punched a few buttons; a low humming noise started. “So, the first thing you should know is – this place isn’t mine, it was Juan’s originally. He bought it for us to use. ”
“Juan? Is he alive too?” Alex sat up straight, heart thumping. Juan Escobido had been one of the best AKs at the camp – he’d often been the team lead on hunts, especially after the accident that had cost Cully his leg. If he was still alive, it was some of the best news Alex had heard in months.
“No,” said Kara heavily, leaning against the counter. The fluorescent light cast the exotic lines of her face into sharp relief. “He was the one who brought us all down here; that white van in the drive is his. But he was killed the day after we finished fixing this place up. He didn’t even have a chance to start training the team. ”
Alex went still. He could feel Willow’s eyes on him, gentle with sympathy.
Kara’s voice turned rough. “And the way it happened was just – stupid. The two of us had gone out to get some supplies, and we forgot to scan. An angel linked minds with Juan to feed, and he managed to break away enough to try and shoot it. . . but then it tore his life force away. ”
Alex didn’t speak. “I called an ambulance, but I already knew he was gone,” Kara went on. “And you know the worst part? I had to pretend I didn’t even know him, that he was just some man I’d found collapsed on the sidewalk. Thankfully, I managed to get his gun, and he never carried ID. . . ” She trailed off. “I got the angel,” she added after a moment. “But it was sort of too late by then. ”
Unfortunately, Alex could picture it all too well; Jake’s death had happened because he himself had forgotten to scan. God, it was so easy to do sometimes – so stupidly, criminally easy. Willow touched his arm, and he knew she was aware of what he was thinking.
“So how did he get you all down here?” he asked finally.
The microwave went off; Kara took the spaghetti out and started piling portions onto plates. “Well, when Project Angel first got taken over, the angels started getting rid of all the AKs and angel spotters – you probably already know that. They sent one of their lackeys out after us; I guess none of them wanted to get near us themselves. And when it came to Juan’s turn – well, let’s just say that now there’s one less lackey in the world. ”
“Good,” said Alex shortly. Willow sat without speaking, listening intently.
Kara handed them both a plate; opened a drawer and fished out forks and spoons. Putting them on the table with a soft clatter, she sat down again. “Afterwards, Juan searched the guy’s car and found his phone – and there was a document on it that had the names and contact numbers of everyone who hadn’t been killed yet. Me and those five in there. ” She nodded towards the rest of the house. “We were all next on the list. Juan managed to get to us first, and brought us all down here. ”
“Why Mexico City?” asked Alex. He wasn’t that hungry any more, but knew he should eat; he took a bite of spaghetti. “Juan wasn’t from here, was he? I thought he was from Durango. ”
Kara nodded, tapping the table. “He was – we’re here because of an email that Juan found on the phone. Alex, something big is going to be happening here soon. And we have to be here for it – we have to be ready. ”
Willow shot Alex a quick look. “What’s happening?” she asked Kara. Her tone was full of dread; he knew she was thinking of her dream.
“I’d better start from the beginning,” said Kara. “Juan didn’t keep the phone after he got the information from it, but he wrote the email down – wait, I’ll show you. ” She got up and left the room, her tall, slim form moving almost silently.
As Willow turned to him, her face creased with concern. “Your poor cheek,” she murmured, stroking it gently. “Does it really hurt?”
“It’s okay,” said Alex, his mind half on what Kara had been saying. “I just wish I’d punched him back when I had the chance. ” Then he glanced at Willow, taking in her face. “Are you all right, though? Being here?”
He wouldn’t really call the slight curving of her lips a smile. “I’m fine,” she said.
Alex fell silent, not knowing what to say. He knew how hard this must be for her – coming into a strange situation where all anyone saw was her half-angel self, and no one trusted her as far as they could throw her. When she was probably the most trustworthy person on the planet. “Listen, they’ll get used to you, if we stay,” he said. “Kara’s a really good person; she just—”
“I know,” she broke in. “Alex, it’s all right. I can’t expect them to just. . . take it in their stride, I guess. ”
She was so beautiful, sitting there in his faded plaid shirt. He slid his hand around the back of her neck and leaned forward, kissing her. Her lips were warm and soft; he felt her tension melt as she responded.
They both sensed rather than heard Kara standing there. Alex drew back, not taking his eyes from Willow’s. He smiled at her again; her own smile looked a little more relaxed this time.