04 Last (42 page)

“What?” Reaper asked.

Beatrice refocused as Han continued his story.

“You must remember that I told you we were forced to work on a biological weapon – a virus – while we were imprisoned,” Han said. “This virus was designed to withstand extreme temperatures and to outlast a week’s worth of environmental factors before working in the way it was intended.”

“You think this explosion was nothing more than a means of spreading his virus?” Daniel asked.

“I think that it is something you should consider,” Han clarified. “I do not know what Marcus intended for this explosion, beyond fear and chaos.”

“Speaking of that…” Reaper said. “We should go get Alex.”

“And Serenity and Eli?” I questioned lightly.

Reaper shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Do you think you could get some samples for us?” Beatrice asked Daniel. “We would like to know if our suspicions are correct.”

“Yeah…” Daniel agreed.

Beatrice pulled two small glass cylinders out of her pocket. Inside of each, there was a cotton swab. Daniel didn’t need her to explain what to do. He took the cylinders and tucked them in to his pocket. I held out my hands to the others. Reaper had a warning.

“I don’t think we should land smack dab in the middle of the station,” Reaper said.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked.

He touched my hand and showed me a location. It was a back alley a block away from Grand Central. I pulled the image in to my head and focused on the place. River and Moira kept their places as Margaret, Jackson, Spider, Reaper and Daniel grabbed whatever part of my hand they could find. Han and Beatrice looked on, their worry clouding their expressions. It was worry that the evil they had created had finally been let loose on the world. I understood some of their guilt.

Without wasting anymore time, I pulled the others to the location Reaper had shared with me. It was a relief to know that he and the others had survived, but I could not stop the logic of my brain. None of this would have happened if it were not for me. Marcus was doing this because of me. He had attacked the ship, had attacked us in New York and ultimately blown up a train station because I had refused to be captured by him. Though I knew I could not help his choices anymore than I could help anyone else’s, it was tied to me. Everything was tied to me. I had to be the one to stop it – no one else had the power. The guilt, while not entirely healthy, brought a purpose. I knew what I had to do. I finally felt as if I had the tools to face Marcus.

The trick would be getting to Marcus before he hurt anyone else.

Chapter 16

Despite appearing a block from the explosion, it was not difficult to pinpoint the chaos. I didn’t even need super-hearing to hear the shouts, sirens and people questioning what had happened. The panic filled the streets, causing uneasy mutterings among the byways of the city that never slept. The dark of the night was lit up with a dozen spotlights and lights from emergency vehicles.

We moved out of the alley and down the streets, toward the chaos. The police had barricaded the roads near the station, to keep bystanders from being caught up in the madness of the confusion. People called out to the cops, wanting to know what had happened. News crews were out in full force, as they reported on the bombing. As we approached the barricade, I heard one reporter begin his broadcast.

“Reports coming out of the station are sketchy, but witnesses report fire coming from one of the subway systems. We have reports of eleven dead and twenty-three injured so far. This is only one in a number of explosions in the world today. China, India, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, Brazil and France have reported similar explosions in various public transportation hubs. Reports are unclear if this is work of a terrorist organization. No one has stepped forward and claimed responsibility yet. Police are still trying to sort the injured and the dead here at Grand Central…”

He went on, his words trying to explain the chaos to people who could never understand, unless they had lived through something similar. The news that other countries had been attacked was startling. It was proof that Marcus was not just after his hometown. He had a bigger picture in mind.

Daniel caught my eye. I could tell he was similarly worried about what the attacks meant. He shelved his worry and gestured us to follow him. We moved around the perimeter of the barricade, searching for a good place to get inside without anyone noticing us. The majority of the cops were dealing with the press and the people screaming questions, trying to find out if their loved ones had been inside. We moved to the side of the building that was less guarded and found a parking garage. We slipped inside before the two cops guarding it even knew we were there. We hurried to the stairs. I could not help but wonder if the virus was a reality we had to face, if Alex had been exposed to it. She was not strictly a Watcher. Her immune system wasn’t like ours. I didn’t know what kind of effect it would have on her. Would it be deadly?

We hurried down the stairs and came back out on the main level, where all the shops were. The room had been turned in to a makeshift E.R. Paramedics treated wounds and prioritized the victims. I could tell there were a lot more than twenty-three injured. It was more like a hundred. I scanned the crowd but didn’t see Alex, Eli or Serenity among the faces.

Daniel pointed to the stairs, his eyes distant. He had seen their location. We made our way around the injured. As we walked, Daniel pulled the tubes he had taken from Beatrice and collected quick samples. It was barely noticeable around his swift walk. Spider couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the carnage; his greens eyes were huge as he took in the sight of so many people hurt all at once. I avoided looking at the people – it only made me feel guiltier for not stopping the explosion. My brain had decided that guilt wasted time, but my heart could not let it go. Seeing people in so much pain was a reminder of the evil that had been done.

Daniel led us up a staircase and down a long hallway. We all stopped in front of the woman’s bathroom. It was not difficult to see that there had been a fight. The silver blood still stained the floor. My heart beat faster with the bloodshed. It was silver – so it was not Alex’s blood – but that didn’t mean she was safe.

I turned to look at the others, to see if they were prepared for a possible fight. They nodded. Spider pulled out his knife. I reached out and knocked on the door. There was a sound of feet moving across the floor and a low whisper to someone inside. I recognized the voice.

“Alex?” I asked.

The whisper cut off, and I heard the feet cross the floor again. This time, there was less fear and more aggravation in the step.

“What the frak!?” Alex demanded.

Her blue eyes were wide with fright. She held a bloody, curved knife in her hand. It was one of Serenity’s knives. I could not tell if the blood that was on it was from Alex’s use or Serenity’s.

“You don’t just knock on the door like that all casual-like! You scared me!” Alex continued.

“Should I have just stormed in?” I asked.

Alex frowned at me. “Well, no…but you could have called out first.”

“What happened?” Daniel asked.

“That woman with the scales showed up,” Alex said. “Serenity and Eli led them away from the people and up here. Serenity got hurt, but Eli’s healing her now.”

“Did she have zombie-Watchers with her?” I asked.

“No,” Alex said. “It was just her, a guy in a cloak and five others.”

“Why was she here?” I asked.

Alex sighed at the admission she was about to make.

“I think they were after me,” Alex said.

“Not me?” I asked.

“Not from the way they were trying to kidnap me,” she replied. “They seemed very focused on taking me.”

“And you scared them off?” I asked, pointing at the knife.

“I don’t know. Serenity killed one, I injured another…then they just left,” Alex said.

“They just left?” Daniel asked. “Like that?”

“Yeah…” Alex agreed. “I don’t get it either.”

“Why would they want you?” I asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she replied sarcastically. “Maybe because I’m your best friend and that puts a lot of leverage over you. Marcus could manipulate you, if you thought he had me.”

“That’s true,” I replied.

Marcus had already kidnapped Daniel’s parents. What if he realized that he could kidnap someone else I was close to, and I would come for them in the same way we had come after Han and Beatrice? He could lay a trap I would be helpless to escape.

“That’s very true…” I said more thoughtfully than before.

“What?” Daniel asked me.

“If that woman can track people, what would keep them from tracking down Ellen?” I asked. “Ellen has a way of hiding, but she’s not omniscient.”

“We can go get her and the others,” Daniel said. “We won’t let anything happen to them.”

I nodded and refocused on the situation in front of me. Reaper was eyeing Alex for injuries. His concern was written across his face. Alex was eyeing him in the same way. She was worried about his radio-silence from the past day and what it meant for the Saints. Behind her, I saw the feet of a person on the ground. It was the Watcher Serenity had killed.

“Where are Serenity and Eli?” I asked.

“In here,” Alex said.

She moved out of the way, and I stepped in to the bathroom. Serenity was on the ground. She had a deep cut that ran from the top of her scalp to her chin. There was another wound in her shoulder. Her eyes were closed as Eli worked his magic. I knew she would heal on her own, but Eli’s touch sped the process along. Reaper eyed Eli and Serenity. His expression was back to the leader of a group, instead of a friend.

“We should take them back to the camp,” Reaper said. “Then, we can get your mom.”

“Alright,” I agreed.

I crouched down next to Serenity and Eli and put my hand over where Eli was touching the wound on her face. The others crowded around me. I imagined the city of trees, the platform on top of the tree, and felt the pull of the place lead me on.

As soon as we landed, Eli picked Serenity off the ground and looked at Reaper in a question. None of their past showed in Reaper’s face, though he couldn’t hide the animosity from his eyes. He was professional – as always. Eli’s expression questioned where he could finish the healing.

“You can take her in there,” Reaper said, pointing at one of the rooms.

Eli nodded and walked away with Serenity. Reaper turned to me.

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Reaper said before I could disappear to collect Ellen and the others.

“What?” I asked.

“I have people still out there. For all I know, Marcus is hunting them down as we speak. There is also the matter of King and Preacher. They are still in Israel. Sara and Shawn might be out for a while…and you are the only person I have that can…”

“I’ll do it,” I said. “After I make sure my family is safe.”

Reaper nodded in appreciation.

“Fair enough,” Reaper said. “I’ll get the locations of the others, and we’ll go hunting when you get back.”

“Okay,” I said.

I held my hands out to Alex, Daniel and Spider. Spider looked at my hand without taking it. Alex knew the reason behind his hesitation before I could figure it out.

“They kids will want to see you,” Alex said. “They’ve been asking about you.”

Spider flicked his eyes to the leafy room Eli had disappeared in to with Serenity.

“And they would rather hear that truth from you,” Alex added.

Spider finally reached forward and touched my hand. I focused on another familiar place. I landed us in Naomi’s front room. It was the safest place I could think of to land – a place that would keep us from being followed. Naomi was on the sofa. She jumped when we appeared and spit out her cereal. She was in her pajamas, which had crossbones on them. On the TV was the second Evil Dead movie. She looked as if she was just settling in for the night.

“I was enjoying that bite of food!” Naomi told me.

“I’m sorry,” I replied.

Naomi sighed regretfully. “It’s only food.”

She held her arms out to me and gestured for me to come to her. I moved across the space and she wrapped her arms around me.

“Evil Dead?” I asked her as she held me.

“It’s better than watching the news,” Naomi replied. “Have you heard about those explosions?”

“Yeah, I heard,” I replied.

Naomi released her death-grip from around my back and held me out at arm’s length. She looked me over.

“You look different,” she told me.

“I am different,” I replied.

“That would explain it,” she said.

“Suppose so…” I agreed.

“I suppose you just didn’t pop in to check on me,” Naomi said.

“Well…” I said.

Naomi knew our visit was not a social call. She could tell from my expression. I could never hide anything from Naomi. She could also tell that I wasn’t just there to see her.