Blood Promise (A SkinWalker Novel #4) (A DarkWorld SkinWalker Novel) (17 page)

When neither said anything, I shifted my gaze to Nerina. "So, in essence we have a paranormal Masai tribe massacred by a team of unknown soldiers."

Nerina nodded. "The villagers were caught unawares. The surviving child told Sini everything. Her grandmother had taught her to run and hide in the reeds if anything bad ever happened. The poor child was hysterical, convinced she should have stayed behind, that she could have saved her people."

I shook my head. "From what I saw, that wouldn't have been possible. The soldiers were well armed, looked very well organized. But, what I don't understand is why send three soldiers to a tiny village in Africa, and send one man to kill a dozen teens in the US?"

Nerina inclined her head. "We wondered the same thing."

"Maybe they were learning," suggested Anjelo.

 
I nodded. "Which incident happened first?" I asked Nerina.

"The African village."

"I thought so." My head still throbbed but at least the pain was now receding. Pity the pain in my heart had nowhere to go. "My guess is they realized killing paranormals was easier than they'd expected. No need for three killers."

A somber silence fell upon room. An image flashed in my mind, the vision returning so suddenly that I had to swallow a gasp. The killer all dressed in black standing a few feet in front of me, his hands reaching out, the burst of paranormal energy from the muzzle--

Paranormal ammunition.

I frowned.

"What's wrong, Kai?" asked Lily, shifting restlessly.

But I wasn't yet ready to discuss it with them. First, there was someone I needed to speak to. I raised my hips off the sofa and dug into my jeans pocket for my cellphone. Dialed

Grams answered on the third ring. "Hey, honey. I'm on my way home.
Be there in ten."

"Er . . ," I hesitated.

"Is something wrong?"

Suddenly, I realized I shouldn't be discussing this particular piece of information on an open and unsecured line.

Grams seem to get the message. "It'll have to wait until I come home," she said, casually. There was something else too, a hint of excitement. "In ten." And she cut the call.

"What is it?" asked Anjelo, his face tight with impatience.

"I wanted to wait to hear what Grams had to say first. She'll be here any minute so I guess it doesn't really matter."
 

I pushed to my feet and shoved the phone back in my pocket, suddenly restless, needing to pace. "The group is organized. They definitely have a military feel to them."

Anjelo shrugged. "Anyone can buy military gear. Anyone can look military if they want to."

"Exactly what I was thinking. But one thing stood out. One thing that made me wonder what the connection was between these men and either Omega or Sentinel."
 

"What?" Angelo and Lily spoke together.
 

"The weapons they used were normal, standard issue, probably Glocks. But the ammunition they used belongs to an entirely different spectrum."

I turned to Nerina. "Did you notice the guns?"

She met my eyes, her expression confused. "I am not sure what you mean."

"The markings on the weapons. Are they familiar?"

Nerina shook her head, looking frustrated.

I shoved my fingers through my hair. "When I first came to Chicago, Storm sent me to Tara when I needed weapons. Working with Tara taught me a few things about weapons manufacturers, more especially paranormal ones. Every paranormal weapons creator is incredibly proud of what they create."

"And every weapons manufacturer marks his, or her, weapons with their signature," said Anjelo quietly.

"Exactly."

"So, the killers are using weapons created by a paranormal weapons manufacturer."

"Right."

He scowled. "And there are only a limited number of good paranormal weapons creators and most of them are either attached to, or contracted to, both Sentinel and Omega."

"So it's possible one of those two organizations have something to do with these killings." Lily's voice shook a little.

It was odd to hear her give an opinion when Anjelo was around. Back before he'd disappeared into the wraith world, Lily had preferred not to talk when Anjelo and I were together. She hadn't liked me. But now that she'd graduated from unofficial hater to official side-kick it seemed she'd thrown off her shell. And probably burned it along the way.

Go, Lily.

I nodded, still pacing. "And we all know which organization we'd put our money on."
 

I pulled out my phone again and dialed Logan, then listened to it ringing over and over again. It didn't even go into voice mail.
 

Before I could think of the numerous reasons Logan couldn't answer, the apartment door opened and Grams breezed inside. She hung her handbag on the coat rack and came to me.

Though excitement lit up her eyes, the emotion was tempered by a glint of concern. And something deeper.

I stopped pacing. "What's happened?"

"Sealed files. That's what." She slapped a small chip-drive into my palm. "I think I might have tripped a couple of alarms so I got the hell outta Dodge. We need to have a look at this as soon as possible, but first tell me why you called."

I gave her a quick rundown ending with my thoughts on paranormal ammunitions.

She blew out a breath. "That makes a hell of a lot of sense."

"What do you mean?"

"When--"

Someone began to hammer on the front door.
 

I frowned and sniffed, my panther nose pricking to attention. "I don't know who they are, but I smell tension."

"Sentinel Military Police," a male voice bellowed over the banging. "Open up."
 

As if we had a choice.

I marched to the door and flung it open. "Damage my property and I'm sending Sentinel the repair bill."

The officer stalked past me and stopped in front of Grams. "Ivy Odel, your presence is required at headquarters immediately."

"And this needed a dramatic entrance?" Grams stayed cool, but her voice was edged with steel.

"Your presence is required in order to answer questions regarding your recent access of Top Secret files."

"Really? I wasn't aware there were restrictions on my clearance."

The officer paused. "That is noted. I suggest you take it up with the High Council today."

Grams sighed. "Very well. Let me get my purse."
 

The officer gave a curt nod, watched Grams take her purse from the coat rack, and then shepherded her out the door.
 

As she crossed the threshold she looked over her shoulder. "I won't be long, darlings. But if you can't wait, start without me."

When the door closed behind them I dropped into the nearest chair.

"Shit," I said.
 

What else was there to say?

S
ENTINEL
HAD
TAKEN
G
RAMS
AND
I hadn't done a thing to stop them.

I clenched my fists and felt the thumb drive bite into my skin. I opened my hand.

"What's that?" asked Nerina.

I held up the drive. "Grams must have suspected they would come for her. Just as well she gave it to me first thing."

Anjelo grinned, as proud of Grams as if she was his own grandparent. "Grandma Ivy is one smart lady."
 

"True." I bounced the chip on my palm and then went to my room to grab my laptop.

As I returned to the dining room and headed to the table Lily laughed.

"What?" I asked
 

"You actually have a laptop?"
 

"Of course I do. I'm a woman of the times."

"So you say," said Anjelo with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" I said, slightly offended. "I use computers all the time."

"Sure. Especially when you're traipsing around the Graylands or the wraith world."

"Or the highlands of Scotland."
 

I knew what they meant. After Clancy had died I'd tried to maintain my job at the Rehab Center, but after being poisoned, then scouring the Graylands in search of Greer, then being suckered by Illyria I'd been a little pre-occupied. Life hadn't slowed down any since then, either.

"How much computer time do you guys put in, anyway?"

"A whole lot more than you--considering
we
are actually getting an education."

"An education which
I
already have. Just so you don't forget." I tapped in my password, opened a directory, and inserted the drive. Moments later, a slew of files cascaded onto the screen.

Nerina slid closer as I clicked on a folder. "An education isn't always as important as it's made out to be. Wasn't there a famous computer company owner who hadn't finished university?"

I raised my eyebrows, impressed. I kept forgetting that death talkers were human to begin with.

As I tapped on the next file Anjelo grunted. "Text from Storm," he said lifting his phone. "He's asked around and none of the kids have reported anyone suspicious, or even anyone new in the area."

I let out a breath. "Dead end, then."

"Yeah. He said he'll keep looking. He sounded very strange when I told him. Like it was a big deal."

I scowled, my attention no longer on the laptop. "Isn't it?"
 

Seeing that Nerina and Lily were also glaring at him Anjelo raised his hands in defense. "Hey. No. That's not what I mean."

"Then what did you mean," asked Lily, her tone icy.

Whoa
.

"I meant that Storm took it in stride. Like it hadn't shocked him at all."

I mulled it over. "So he wasn't surprised."

"Yep. I mean nope. He wasn't surprised. Shocked. Upset. But not surprised." Anjelo leaned back and folded his arms. "Why would that be?"

Not everyone knew that Storm was Immortal. "He's not your run-of-the-mill guy."

Anjelo shrugged. "Must have something to do with all the time he's been spending with Jess."

"Maybe." My mind was busy, dancing between worry over Grams and the fact that the files she'd given me all seemed to be empty. Had she taken the wrong ones or were they protected in some way?
 

Then what Anjelo had just said clicked in my head. "Storm and Jess?"

He nodded. "Not romantically. I don't think. Just very . . . busy . . . And very serious."

"Interesting," I murmured.
 

Jess's sudden association with Storm pushed her up my list of people to talk to. If Storm wasn't surprised about the massacres then it was possible Jess knew something.

No one said anything as I returned my attention to accessing the data. At last one file opened. Letters and numbers filled the screen.

"What's this?" I asked, flipping the laptop around for Anjelo to see.

He glanced at the screen and snorted. "How the hell should I know? I don't read code." Judging by the look on his face reading code was in the same category as wearing a dress.

"Lily?" I asked.

She shook her head. So did Nerina.

"Then we're all outta luck," Anjelo said. "Anyone know a coder?"
 

I had to smile. "As a matter of fact I do know someone."

"Who's that?" he asked.

"My friend Baz. He's a hacker."

"You know a hacker?" asked Anjelo.

"Yeah. Cassie and I dropped him off at Storm's yesterday.

"Oh, the English kid." Anjelo nodded. "He's not much of a talker."

I smiled and removed the drive. "Can you get him to decode this for me?"
 

"You think that's a good idea?" Lily asked frowning. "Shouldn't you keep a copy at least? Or have him come decode it here, or somewhere safer?"