York waited. “Alarm?”
Rhane pointed up. “Not on the second floor.”
York followed the finger and spotted a small window in the darkness. “Do you want me to climb up and check things out? I doubt I’ll be able to disable any alarms to let you in.”
Rhane smirked and placed his hands on the building’s linoleum sidings. “Follow my lead.”
York watched and waited, holding his breath as Rhane scaled up the side of the building. If Rhane had overestimated his abilities, an awkward plunge to the pavement would soon follow. The fall wouldn’t kill him but might slow him down for a few days and leave a bad bruise on his ego. York lingered until Rhane was halfway to the window. Then he started up the wall. Moving at a much quicker pace, he reached the top only seconds after Rhane.
The window was unlocked. Rhane slid it open, slipping through easily with a smile. It felt good to be back. He checked himself. Well, you’re not back yet.
York’s head popped into the opening. His face was plastered with an excited grin. “That was wicked!”
Shaking his head, Rhane offered a hand to help haul the bigger man inside. He only had a second to worry if his massive shoulders would fit. Then York’s body abruptly stopped moving forward at chest level. Besides his head, only an arm and part of one shoulder had made it through.
York looked at Rhane with disgust. “Did you think about this?”
Frowning, Rhane put a finger to his lips. “These cameras have audio.” He examined the wedge made between the small window and York’s body. “This is going to hurt.”
With one hand clamped firmly across York’s mouth, Rhane dragged him forward. An anguished moan wheezed from between York’s lips, preceded by an alarming popping sound and followed by the grating of skin against metal and wood. Rhane eased him to the floor but did not relax his hold until the murder left York’s eyes.
“OUCH,” he whispered savagely and used several other colorful expressions when Rhane released him.
Rhane waited a moment before moving forward, giving York time to gather composure. Then he led the way across the room, keeping close to the walls to stay within the cameras’ most probable blind spots. He reached the stairwell and looked over his shoulder to make sure York was still with him. The big guy was pissed. But he was keeping up, supporting the shoulder as he moved.
The stairs went to the first floor, a sizeable room filled with cubicles and assorted office furniture. Rhane scanned until he found the desk that smelled the most like Kalista. He made a motion for York to follow.
The surface of her desk was organized but overwhelmed with folders, charts, and binders. Rhane opened a drawer and was rewarded with even more stuff. Meeting York’s eye, he shook his head once.
York nodded in agreement. “You need Rion for this.”
Rhane turned his attention to the desktop computer. A blinking power light belied the dormant monitor. He tapped the mouse. Seconds later, the screen hummed to life and a photo of Kali and a tall, blond kid wallpapered the background. Someone had captured a candid moment on film as they laughed in mid-kiss. Rhane’s left eye twitched. He swept over the icons and found a folder labeled “4394” conveniently saved to the desktop. Double clicking, he opened the file.
York spoke for them both. “This is serious doo doo.”
Rhane punched a few keys and waited while the computer worked. “There’s another level.”
“I’m right behind you, fearless leader.”
Chapter 34
Rhane closed the screens and manually returned the computer to a low power state. They took the stairs to the basement and were greeted with the building’s most highly secured level. A latticework of infrared lasers barred every route, lacing through the entire room of artifacts, protecting them from anyone who desired to relieve the company of their worth.
Rhane started forward. “Watch your step.”
“Wait.” York grabbed his arm. “Can you see them?”
“Yeah,” Rhane said, and shrugged the hand off.
Avoiding the laser grid required the combined skills of a gymnast and a contortionist. But their superhuman agility conquered the obstacle with little difficulty. At the far corner of the basement, Rhane halted. A deeper sense told him that he had reached The Siren’s Heart. He also knew Kalista had stood in the exact same spot only a short time before. What happened to her after she saw the statue, he could only guess. But it had ended with him, at the mansion.
Rhane studied three cameras positioned above and around the exhibit. More than likely, using the dial to illuminate what was inside would activate them if not an alarm itself. Unfortunately, the opaque screen guaranteed the artifact could not be viewed otherwise.
York stood quietly behind Rhane. Maneuvering through the lasers had exacerbated the pain in his dislocated shoulder. But it didn’t diminish his sense of humor. “Too bad I left my x-ray vision in the other suitcase.”
Rhane let his fingers hover above the knob. Just past the exterior calm was a whirlwind of regret and anger. His own failings had carried them to this point.
Twisting the dial slightly to the right, he brought the light to a faint glow and instantly recognized the split figurine that was separate but entwined as one. One body was made of pure and ageless ivory and the other from flawless onyx. The opposites united into a tornado of color unmatched by any artist’s brush, and ended in the pitch of darkness.
Rhane reached underneath his jacket, releasing the Desert Eagle from its shoulder harness. The gun dangled at his side as he made a decision.
“I’m pretty sure the glass is bullet proof,” York offered.
“Not to this it isn’t.” Rhane raised the weapon. “Get ready.” He fired three shots in rapid succession. A framework of spider webs appeared with the impact of each bullet, spreading across the glass like cracking ice. The display collapsed upon itself, and Rhane reached inside to retrieve the statue. As soon as his fingers touched it, he realized something was very different.
“What’s that smell?” York asked.
Rhane couldn’t reply. So familiar…the smell stirred something. A memory? Perhaps a vision? He let out a startled gasp as foreign energy took hold of his mind.
Suddenly, a full moon loomed above his head like a beacon, breathing light across dark waters. No…it was a sea of sand. Rhane reached down and gathered a handful, letting the silken grains drizzle from between his fingers. The wind whisked them away, returning the dust to the sandy shores of the desert. The smell of monkshood and heather filled his nostrils.
Then a monster rose out of the sands. Humans surrounded the ugly beast, worshiping it. Howling creatures emerged from the night to join them. They circled the humans hungrily, four-legged shadows in the night. The creatures began to absorb the humans. The monster smiled, and looked up at Rhane with red eyes full of hatred.
Pain shot through his skull like a hot knife. He blinked against the agony. When his eyes opened again, the pain was gone.
But now…they are surrounded! Kalista…she’s in danger. There’s no escape. The monster is coming. It runs across the desert sands, fueled by ravenous hunger. A horde of its minions follow in eager pursuit.
Pain sliced through Rhane’s mind again.
He can’t see anything. The tunnels! Here, a voice speaks to him. There is blood on the walls. It smells like his blood. Rhane shudders. Blue symbols appear in the old language. He can’t read them. Here, it whispers again. The doors open. York is screaming. Rhane looks at him, unable to understand. York’s lips are moving. GET INSIDE. Pain. In his head. Gets worse. He can’t move. RHANE. GET INSIDE. Something is shaking him. His head snaps back and forth, threatening to roll off his shoulders. York’s face is less than an inch from his. He looks very worried.
Rhane let go.
He left the dark sands behind and was met with a shockwave of activity bursting its way through the fog that clouded his mind. All around him, lasers flashe
d like seizure inducing strobe lights. Sirens wailed in the near distance. It was more than enough to overload his senses.
He heard York speaking to him in a terse whisper. “Rhane, buddy, whatever this is, you gotta snap out of it. In less than a minute cops are going to be crawling all over this place.” Rhane didn’t respond, so York shook him.
Rhane winced. That part was real.
“You’re bleeding.”
He followed York’s wide-eyed gaze, bringing one hand to the side of his head. His fingers came away wet and sticky with blood.
“Are you hurt?”
He didn’t understand what had happened. The events he’d seen had taken place somewhere very far away, but he had been there. The smell and feel of everything had been as real as the heavy statue he held. Yet, he and York were in the basement of Mack Ventures. And he was almost sure they’d never left. Rhane looked down at his hands. The Siren’s Heart. Only it wasn’t.
York shook him again. “We have to go now.”
Rhane shoved away, staggering backward with the effort. His head felt wrong. “That’s not helping.”
“I need you to be here,” York said through clenched teeth.
Sirens wailed again. They were just outside. Rhane looked at York. “Let’s move.” The statue slipped from hands. York caught it before it hit the floor. “Leave it,” Rhane ordered.
York stared at Rhane like he was out of his mind. “This is what we came for.”
“No it isn’t. Leave it,” he repeated.
They plunged into the grid. With the alarm already triggered, there was no need to avoid the lasers. They reached the stairwell in seconds. York got there first and took the stairs in several leaps. Rhane followed closely. They darted across the second level and to their original point of entry. Rhane slid out the small window, bracing himself against the building in case York needed help. But the dislocated shoulder made York’s escape much easier and didn’t slow him as they descended the wall.
Two unmarked police cars sped down the alley between the buildings, passing right below them. They jumped halfway down and hit the ground with jarring force. Two more squad cars streaked past as they ducked into the cover of a dumpster. After a moment, they trotted across the street to the pickup.
York was reaching for the passenger door when Rhane grabbed him. Taking a hold of the injured arm, he twisted the big man around to force him backward in one smooth arc of motion. York’s shoulder slammed against the truck and there was a muffled pop as the joint repositioned properly, ball into socket. Grimacing, he hoarsely swore his thanks and climbed into the cab.
Rhane drove out of the lot at normal speed, even coming to a complete stop before entering the highway. When they had traveled some distance away from the police, he switched on the headlights. The vision, real or not, left a sense of urgency pulsing through his blood.
York kept an eye on their six. There wasn’t a tail. Facing forward, he raised his right arm to test the shoulder. He winced. The pain was there but not as bad as before. “Are you going to tell me what just happened?” He’d been trying not to think of how Rhane had completely lost it down in the basement.
There was no easy way to say it. So, Rhane let the hammer drop. “I don’t know what the American team in Great Khingan were looking for. But they found Gabriel. They’ve released that monster.”
“Worst case scenario,” York muttered.
Chapter 35
The ringing telephone awoke Kali from a troubled sleep. Instead of being pursued by a beast and the horseman, in this dream, she had been the huntress. She was surrounded by grey light, stalking someone or something in a thick forest. The driving hunger she felt lingered even as she sat up and groggily checked the bedside clock. It was four a.m.
Kali pounded her head back into the pillow with a groan. A call at such an ungodly hour could only mean someone was dead or dying. Lisa would be better qualified to handle it. Seven rings later, her adoptive mom hadn’t answered and the machine hadn’t taken over. It wasn’t going to stop.
She was wide awake now. All hopes of returning to sleep were dashed. Dragging her body from the bed, she stumbled out into the hall and down the stairs. On the twentieth ring, she snatched the phone from its cradle and considering pitching the entire thing through the kitchen window. Barely winning the struggle against the slew of swear words that came to mind, she held the receiver and waited.
The voice on the other end was too faint to recognize. “Kali, is that you?”
Not trusting herself to respond in a manner that would respect Lisa’s house rules, Kali said nothing. She glanced at the microwave clock. Four zero eight. Whoever it was had about three seconds to give her a compelling reason to not hang up.
“Hello?” The voice got stronger. “This is Wesley. I need to speak with Kalista.” He sounded very tense.
Instant worry broke through her sleep-deprived crankiness. Wes had been on edge a lot lately. It was especially odd for someone so usually laid back and unaffected by the crap around him. She briefly fought a yawn before surrendering to it.
“Kali, say something. Don’t just hold the phone.”
“Wes, what is this?” She let another pointed yawn escape. “It’s four in the morning. I am asleep. I have school in a few hours.”
“It’s good to hear your voice. I was worried.”
“I’m sorry for scaring everyone. But couldn’t you have waited till, I dunno, eight o’clock to call? Getting me out of bed like this is cruel and unusual punishment.”
“Kalista, this isn’t a joke,” he said sharply.
“OK. What’s going on with you?” There was a long pause. For a moment she wondered if he was still on the line.
He finally answered. “Someone broke into Mack Ventures last night. They were after The Siren’s Heart.”
Oh wow. She hadn’t been expecting that. “Was it stolen?”
“No.” Wes sighed. “The structure containing it was destroyed. But the statue was left behind.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. The basement is the most highly secured area in the building. Someone went through a whole lot of trouble to not steal something. And what does this have to do with me? I brought the file back. You don’t think I had anything to do with this, do you?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I’m going back to bed. Goodbye.”
“Kali, don’t hang up!”
“What?”
“I called because Mr. Richards is worried. He’s moved up the meeting with the buyer. It’s going to take place this Saturday instead of next week.”
“That’s in two days.”
“I know. Your plane is scheduled to leave in three hours. Get a bag packed. I’ll be there by five.”
“Are you insane? My parents aren’t going to let me go anywhere after the stunt I just pulled. I haven’t received official word yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m grounded until graduation.”
“Get a bag packed, and be ready when I get there. I’ll deal with your parents.” The phone produced a hard click as the connection ended abruptly.
As she went upstairs, Kali wondered how much confidence to put in Wes’s assurance that he could convince Lisa to let her go on this trip. She grabbed the purple and black paisley printed duffel from the top shelf of her closet. Tossing the bag on the bed, she began throwing clothes inside.
For the next forty-five minutes, she zipped around like a madwoman. The original trip would have been an extended weekend, but with the earlier date Kali didn’t know how long to pack for. She had no idea of what sort of climate to expect either. The location of the meeting had yet to be disclosed.
A chorus of chirping sounded from outside her bedroom window. Kali looked up. Stew and Pat, not usually awake until dawn, were perched on the window sill. She went over to the window and slid the pane glass upward. “Hello, fellas.”
The finches chirped.
“I’ll be going on a trip soon. You t
wo may have to fend for yourselves for a bit.” She gathered a double heaping of wild bird seed and dumped it into a pile outside the window. “That should hold you for a few days, as long as you don’t tell the whole neighborhood.”
The birds chattered exuberantly. Landing on top of the buffet, they began feasting eagerly. Kali chuckled. “Better slow down.” Much calmer, she was smiling when she left the window to finish the task of packing.
Three minutes before five, two hard knocks landed on the front door. Kali hurried downstairs. As always, Wes was right on time.
He came inside and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. The gesture was probably meant to make up for being so cross earlier. “Good morning.”
She accepted the unspoken apology, greeting him with a warm hello.
“Where are they?” he asked, referring to her parents.
“Greg is in D.C taking a big time corporation to trial. His plane flew out late last night, technically this morning. And Lisa is in bed.”
Wes started up the stairs. “Which bedroom is hers?”
“Whoa. Second door on the left. And that is totally your funeral.”
Less than ten minutes later, both Wes and Lisa stood in the kitchen. The latter was trying unsuccessfully to hide a worried expression. She hugged Kali tightly. “I love you. Please be safe.”
What did you say to her? She mouthed to Wes over Lisa’s shoulder. Of course, he didn’t answer. But he did glance at his watch.
“Wesley has promised to take good care of you.” Lisa patted Kali’s hair. “You’re going to end up with that Davidson Founder Internship, aren’t you?”
Kali smiled. “I hope so.” She made a mental note to drag the details of this unbelievable negotiation out of Wes later.
Lisa continued to fuss. Meanwhile, Wes quietly gathered the luggage and loaded it into the back of his SUV. Then it was time to go. Lisa recited a last minute checklist of everything commonly forgotten from suitcases. Kali nodded, only halfway paying attention. Lisa’s concession still had her dumbfounded. When Wes pulled on his seat belt and started the engine, Kali interrupted her. “I think I’ve got everything. Thank you, Lisa.”
“Of course.” She gathered Kali in her arms.
“Are you sure about this?”