Archon's Queen (39 page)

“I could no longer bear the guilt of what I had done to the Taylor family. I lured their daughter into my flat. Once alone with her, I forced her knickers off and touch―”

The audio cut out, replaced with Devon Meath’s voice speaking over images of a shocked crowd. “Bell is giving a graphic description of his crimes, which we have elected not to transmit out of respect for the victim and her family.

Audio returned with Bell in mid-sentence. “…holo-recorded the entire event for my later use. I have turned that recording over to the Metropolitan Police force, having rendered a full confession.”

The crowd gasped; the video swept over them to capture their reactions. Anna blinked at whom she saw at the rear of the crowd. Doctor Mardling, tweed coat bundled about in the wind that tossed his hair, met her gaze and smiled at the camera as if he knew she saw him.

Constables escorted Mr. Bell down the steps. Two officers held back a furious man, no doubt Faye’s father. The crowd turned, their silent shock morphed into derision as they hurled insults as well as objects. Amid the pelting, the constables stuffed him into a marked car and drove off.

The camera returned to Devon Meath, now flanked by a sobbing man and a woman who looked as though she had recently gotten done crying.

“I’m here now with the missing girl’s parents. Missus Taylor, if your daughter is watching, what would you say to her?”

Anna looked away, unable to suffer the sniveling apology from a mother begging for forgiveness and asking her daughter to come home. Her father, too upset to talk, continued to sob into his wife’s shoulder.

She had to get back to Coventry and take Faye home, whether she wanted to go or not. With the last half-sandwich jammed in her mouth, she mumbled at the waiter to prepare her check and swiped the NetMini past the reader.

After swallowing, she glanced at the door then back to the man. “Where’s the nearest autocab terminal?”

He tilted his head. “Are you all right, miss?”

“Fine… why?”

“Yer ‘oldin’ a mini, why d’ya need a street term?”

Anna stared at the small slab of technology in her hand, feeling acute in her stupidity for a moment. She had gone so many years without one that the convenience of it had slipped her mind.

“Been up too long… forgettin’ meself.”

Her fingers flew over the screen, summoning an autocab to her location. She finished the food by the time the little car arrived. Now realizing she had the ability to―she called Penny once the car door closed.

The third time she got voicemail, she had to concentrate not to destroy anything. Neurotic Penny could not let a ringing phone go ignored; the woman would get the sweats if she left a text message unanswered for more than ten seconds. Anna rattled about the inside of the cab, fidgeting and worrying until it stopped at the edge of The Ruin, refusing to go in.

She ran into the muck, finding it easier to jump puddles using the fragments of old paving without the haze of zoom, and raced for the lone tower block that jutted up from the destruction. Had anything dared surprise her at that moment, it would have been bad for both parties. Worry removed her hesitation about hiding her power; nothing would keep her away from her friends. Ol’ Jack lay on his back in the ground floor lobby, smoke peeling out of his mouth. Two small, metal cylinders as big as shotgun shells stuck to his chest.

Stunners?

Anna grabbed them, gritting her teeth as she shrugged off the crippling electrical shock and redirected the power into the wall. The cannon-like sound of the discharge shook dust off the ceiling. Ol’ Jack drew in a breath, now able to move, and moaned as he sat up.

“Christ on a crutch, Anna… what the feck. How did you touch―”

“Are you all right?”

He coughed. “Someone got me BVR, no idea what…”

“BVR?” Anna helped him prop up against the wall.

“Beyond visual range… sorry. Sniper or something.”

“Shit.” She looked torn between him and the stairs.

When he waved her on and gave a thumbs-up, she ran. Gasping for air after running up a dozen stories, she screamed at the sight of Penny’s door half open. She found her apartment empty; no sign of Faye, the only occupant a small white bear perched at the foot of the bed with zip ties on its paws.

“No,” she yelled, backing up for three steps before sprinting across the hall to Penny’s flat.

Spawny’s hairy ass greeted her as she rounded out of the little access hallway past the bathroom. He lay bent over the couch, beaten bloody and secured hand and foot by plastic zip ties. Penny was on the far side of the couch, naked and hogtied, but did not appear hurt. Anna skidded to a halt on her knees by her friend, holding her fingers a half-inch apart on either side of the plastic. A brief spark melted through the bindings. After freeing her, she hauled the ragdoll of a woman into a hug, patting and shaking her until she moaned.

“Anna?”

She helped her friend stand, guiding her to the bed and wrapping her in a sheet. “What the bloody ‘ell ‘appened?”

Penny swooned in a chemical fog, her arm flopping at the sheet in an attempt to grab it. “We were shaggin’ when we heard Twee scream bloody murder. He got up to go check on her and these men kicked his ass in the door. They came for me when I tried to run. They nicked Twee. Didn’t much look like the filth.”

She brushed green crystalline residue off Penny’s shoulder. A thousand tiny wounds from minuscule needles created a rash-like patch tacky with blood. “No… They weren’t. Are you all right? They shot you with a tranquilizer needler.”

“Little shaken, but all they did was put us out of their way.” Penny squinted. “The devil is that?”

“Solid block of chemical tranq, shaved into shards and shot out of a gun.”

“I’m not gonna ask how you know that.” Penny squeezed, sniffling into Anna’s shoulder.

Anna held her until Spawny moaned. She melted the binders from him and hit him in the back with a stimpak. His bruising lessened, the blood dripping from his nose stopped, and he groaned while crawling down onto the rug to take up a fetal position. A liberal dose of obscenities fell from his mouth as he shuddered. Anna threw a blanket over him, and squinted at the wall.

“Bastards.”

“I didn’t do a fing!” blurted Spawny.

Penny gathered the sheet around and roamed about, plucking her clothes off the rug. “Why would they arrest her? She ‘asn’t left the place since she arrived?”

Spawny dragged himself onto the bed. “Cops smelled sweet meat. She’s probably getting the ol’ pig on a spit right now.”

Penny threw his underwear at him. “How can you say that?”

Anna’s voice came cold and soft. “No. She isn’t. Cops don’t ‘ave ‘er. CSB does. Besides, the cops don’t come in here lookin’ for it.”

“Wha?” Spawny lifted an eyebrow. “That’s a pile of cack, she’s not… um…”

“Like me? No.” Anna shook her head. “It’s got nothin’ to do with ‘er.”

Dressed, Penny abandoned the sheet and put an arm around Anna. “Are you all right, Anna? You seem… different. Don’t think I ever seen ya this, um…”

“Confident,” wheezed Spawny. “Ye look like a cat what’s eyein’ a mouse.”

Penny sank into the couch at Spawny’s side, shaking. The sight of her protector reduced to a shivering, terrified wretch sent sparks dancing up and down Anna’s arms.

“Oh, someone’s ‘bout to ‘ave a bad day.” Spawny blinked.

“I’m sorry.” Anna looked down. “This is all my fault. I won’t let them hurt you again.”

Anna stormed for the door.

“Anna! Wait!” Penny yelled, breaking into sobs. “What’s going on?”

It took every ounce of Anna’s willpower not to turn around. “I have some things I have to do to keep the people I love from being hurt. Don’t worry about me. Protect yourselves. I gotta go.”

nna clung to the NetMini, standing at the edge of The Ruin waiting for the autocab. She had forgotten how much of a lifeline the little devices were. The line of constables eyed her with suspicion. Brown was among them and seemed about ready to have a heart attack. She glared at him.

What are you thinking about, you pig?

Her heart fluttered as she touched his surface thoughts. He knew. The CSB had been here. They told the officers to leave her alone. Hughes told Brown they’d “black bag” him if he touched her again. They showed him how close he’d come to death. He had seen the alley video; he knew what she could have done to him if she wasn’t high. At that moment, he froze like a deer staring down a hunter’s rifle, wondering if she would kill him. Brown tugged at the collar of his shirt, looking like he couldn’t breathe. Her chilling glare sent him scurrying inside like the filth he was. The Sergeant came outside; no doubt to see what had spooked Brown. He tilted his head at her, trotted down the small porch stairs, and approached.

Anna looked off towards London proper. “Good day, Sergeant.”

“Indeed, girl. You look like a different person. Off the poison?”

“Couple days now. I’m trying, sir.” Her anger ebbed. “I’m not sure what they told you, but I’m not dangerous. I just want to be left alone and live like anyone else. I’ve no interest in trouble with the law.”

“That’s good to hear.” He glanced at an approaching pair of lights. “Sorry about Brown. Damn union got involved, couldn’t ship him off. Looks like you’ve a lot on your mind.”

The autocab pulled up and opened its door.

“It’s the CSB, sir. I probably shouldn’t say more. People could get hurt.”

He nodded. “Take care of yourself. Oh, and eat something.”

Anna almost smiled at him as she settled into the car and gave Doctor Mardling’s address. The engines whined as it got underway, and the gentle sway of the ride lulled her into a nap.

A hand on her shoulder jostled her awake. She looked up into blinding bright light. From behind the glare, came a woman’s voice.

“You all right, miss?”

She had fallen asleep; the autocab had parked in the subterranean parking deck of James’s building. When she did not get out, it summoned the police. The fatigue of such a brief sleep kept her emotion neutral as she dragged herself to her feet.

“Sorry about that, I’ve ‘ad a long day.”

The female constable waved something in her face. “Breathe please.”