Invasion of Justice (Shadows of Justice) (17 page)

"She's loyal to a fault," Petra assured. "Besides I tell her everything eventually anyway, so go ahead."

Jaden nodded and resumed her seat at the table opposite Petra. She withdrew a small book from her backpack and slid it closer, urging Petra to take it. "Over the years I made a habit of acquiring what I could from my previous lives. I thought this might interest you."

Petra's gaze locked on the worn red leather, faded to a rusty brown. The small locking flap designed to keep the contents private had lost its usefulness long ago. "A diary?" Petra asked, not really needing confirmation as her fingers hovered over and around it. She stroked the lock and jerked away.

"Are you okay?" Jaden and Kelly asked in unison.

Petra wasn't sure. Her fingertip practically sizzled from the momentary contact. The connection here was stronger than it should be if the book was half as old as it appeared. "How old is it?" she wondered aloud, unsure if she really wanted to know. She stopped Jaden's answer with an upraised palm and decided to exercise her courage and experience the diary for herself.

Opening the broken latch, she braced for the sizzle that raced up through her fingers to her heart and deeper, if possible. "Oh! It was Mom's." She laid it open, caressing the pages and the flowing script, not reading the entries, just absorbing the lingering emotions. Words failed her as a mother's love for her daughters surged into her consciousness. Her hopes, fears, and laughter filled Petra's mind, providing an immediate picture of warmth, love, and nurture.

She reluctantly broke the contact, feeling refreshed and empowered, and forever grateful to Jaden for sharing. "Wow. Thank you so much. She was a wonderful woman."

Jaden nodded,
a smile lighting up her eyes. "That was one of my better families."

"And still he didn't rest until he destroyed it."

Jaden's mouth thinned to a determined line. "This time around I got it right."

"You did. He's vanquished. This search for
Kristoff is my challenge." At that moment, Petra realized she'd come to think of it as almost a war, as a fight for her mind and the lives of others.

"Then I'll leave you to it," Jaden said, standing. "You keep the diary. Mom would've wanted you to have a sense of who she was."

Overwhelmed, Petra eased through more pages as Jaden walked out. She was about to close the book, to put it aside for later when her eyes landed on the inside cover. Her heart stuttered as she read: If found, please return this diary to Patricia Neiman. Oh, this definitely required a visit with her parents. She'd never been too curious about her family tree–a failing she now knew she must rectify.

"This is your battle, so let's plan it out," Kelly interrupted her thoughts, getting back to business. "Step one: Take a basic flight from El
Deir to see if Nathan can or will make contact. While you're gone, I'll see if I can find any more on Kristoff's grand scheme. After that, we'll compare notes. I'm afraid your dream in the car was an invitation to disaster from Kristoff himself."

"If your
theory's correct and he couldn't know the soul that would come to occupy his experiment, how would he know to meet me in the ancient city?"

Kelly paused. "Good point. I'll work on that. What do you need and where do you want to be?"

"Is the Mustang accessible?"

Kelly's grin brightened the room.
"At your service."

"Great. Let's leave them a note and get out of here. I need a change of venue."

She let herself get lost in every possible outcome while Kelly wrote the note and chattered on their way to the garage.

They left Slick
Micky's place, and then the neighborhood, heading nowhere in particular.

"Where do you suggest?" she asked Kelly after they'd completed a circuit of the city.

"Your office would be best. Here in town I'm inclined to suggest wherever you have a positive history."

"That negates Chicago as a whole," Petra grumbled. "I've felt hunted and watched by darkness since I arrived."

"Even with Jaden nearby?"

Petra thought hard about it. "Yes. It's still oppressive, but in a different way now that we've connected."

"Go on," Kelly pushed when she stopped.

"I'm not sure how to say it other than it feels like something new is pushing back.
Something both inside and outside of Jaden and me."

"You've got a lot to sort out."

Petra nodded, resigned. "Add an online exploration into the Jewish Historical Library to your list, please."

"Okay," Kelly said, wary.

"I think we're going to need all the help we can get. Petra as a city has a diverse history. It may give us clues we need."

"To
Kristoff?"

"To all of it."
Petra fell silent, still wondering where to anchor herself for the flights to come. "Mom, the current one, always came to Chicago for shopping in the Water Tower. Dad came for the golf."

"That rules out two of thousands of locations."

Petra grinned. "Nate's been partial to the Sears Tower for as long as I can remember."

"And I've heard the new atrium is beautiful."

Kelly understood her too well. Turning the car, she headed back up Michigan Avenue toward the famous landmark. Now if they could somehow find a quiet corner office, she'd be all set. She wanted to laugh at her outrageous fantasy. She'd never been one for the affectations of wealth. It was one of the bigger issues that divided her from her parents. Since visiting Chicago's poorer areas she had a fresh appreciation for the comforts money bought.

How odd that the longer she stayed here and the deeper she went into this case, the more she was drawn to material things.

Awareness hit like a hammer. Greed. Kristoff's greed. It was invasive and subtle, and vining its way like a choking weed into and around her heart.

"She's gone," Jaden announced, joining Gideon in the gym.

Gideon slid another ten-pound plate on each end of the weight bar. He couldn't think about Petra leaving the safety of Micky's complex. He didn't understand her or what moved within her. That was the crux of it. Not understanding, he had a difficult time trusting her judgment.

He got into position under the bar and set his grip. Jaden came into view above him to spot, although he hadn't asked and didn't need it.

"She's pretty amazing," Jaden began.

Gideon lifted the bar and focused on counting each rep in his head.

"She was the only sister I've ever had. There've been one or two brothers along the way. Wait, maybe three. Yeah, three brothers."

Thrown off by the numbers, Gideon resumed his count from two and worked harder to ignore her.

"Do you think it's significant she's named for an ancient city?"

He grunted.

"Me, too. Petra only rates a twelve percent frequency on the baby name lists. That's about seven percent more than I would've guessed."

Gideon knew what she was up to. Proving he had no concentration, no heart to focus on specific tasks. She'd done this constantly during their training. He convinced himself he'd done six reps and kept going toward his goal of ten.

"I wonder if Kristoff suggested it. I imagine fertility docs would have a ton of pull with their patients. Brian estimates he helped ten to fifteen thousand families."

Gideon replaced the bar with acute control. "Shut up, Jaden."

She leaned on the bar and grinned down at him with feigned innocence. "You did just fine. Better than a few years ago. You got in thirteen reps, just like you planned."

He sat up and moved to the rack of dumbbells. He considered French curls, but decided against it. If he let her get to him, the weight would crash down and brain him and that wouldn't help Petra or Nathan.

The onslaught of info on Kristoff made him doubt that Nathan would actually beat the doctor at whatever game he was playing with the prisoners.

"Still doing the strong, silent act, huh?"

"Stop bugging me." The words were harsh, but he couldn't completely stop the smirk. "I'm not a student anymore."

"My loss, the Commandant's gain."

He rolled his eyes, grateful they were alone in this part of the complex. He hoped there was only video without audio in the gym. He didn't need Micky finding anything to hold over him. "What about security?"

"We're cool."

"If you say so."

"Tell me what you're planning," she demanded abruptly.

"Me?" He picked up a pair of fifteen-pound dumbbells and began kickbacks as if his life depended on developing perfect triceps. "Not a thing." It was true. He'd stopped planning because he was tired of running in useless circles.

"I know you. You're weighing the angles and the risks. Your real assignment is bigger than Petra's troubles with
Kristoff."

"What do you know about my assignments?"

Her lips curled, sharp and feline. "Anything I want to."

He replaced the weights and ducked his head to wipe his face with his T-shirt. "Don't be shy Jaden. Tell me what you came to say."

All pretense fell away. "Just take care with her. I've waded through too many lives and too much loss. I'm sure I should be content with Brian and a real future, but I want Petra, too."

Gideon wanted to reassure her, didn't he? He wouldn't lie or offer false promises. He didn't know what the rest of his day held, much less the rest of Petra's life.

He looked at Jaden, ready to play it straight and hard, but the words tumbled from his mouth uncensored. "I won't let anyone take her away from you."

She slammed into him with a hug so fierce, so
grateful, he instantly regretted ever laying eyes on Petra Neiman. No matter how this played out, he stood a good chance of disappointing everyone. Especially himself.

Chapter Eleven

Case closed! I found the long lost son. The flight was long and tiring, but he's a safe and well-adjusted adult who grew up in a solid, loving home. Kelly notified the mother and sister who are optimistic that he'll want to see them. We'll draft a letter this afternoon and hope for the best. –From the case files of Petra Neiman

Petra looked around the space, still surprised Kelly had gotten them in here. "Why would Nathan keep a secret office?" she thought aloud. "I didn't even know he worked in Chicago."

"It was just a lucky guess," Kelly repeated her original claim.

Petra wasn't sure she believed her. Kelly seemed in tune with Nathan on a level that caused a spike of envy in her heart. "Does he talk to you?" she asked, giving the jealous monster inside her a voice.

Kelly's near-black eyes went wide. Her mouth worked like a fish and Petra wanted to laugh at the uncharacteristic picture. "No. Not really," she said at last. "Once when you first hired me, I thought I felt him in my head, but I talked myself out of it." She shrugged. "Childhood conditioning I guess. My parents were always lamenting my vivid imagination."

"You and I were raised to be good girls and behave at all times."

"I guess some things never change."

"One would think society would've opened its collective mind by now."

Petra caught the sharp edge of bitterness in Kelly's laughter.

"You should ask Jaden sometime," Kelly said. "I bet she'd give you a full historical survey of societal views on women, their place and their potential."

"I'll save that for a day when I'm feeling truly empowered."

"Good plan." Kelly began reorganizing the modest seating area so she could set up Petra's music and her own recording equipment so none of Petra's comments would be lost.

Her efficiency and dedication continued to impress Petra. "I want you to know how much I appreciate you, Kelly."

"No sweat," she said with her quirky grin.
"Ready to start?"

Petra lay down and closed her eyes. She slowed her breathing and systematically relaxed each muscle in her body. Soon the music filled her awareness and she focused her mind on the dream image of El
Deir.

Arriving in the city in the dead of night local time, Petra was moved by the stark beauty. It was different from her dreamscape playground. The reality was more vibrant, even in the quiet, and more precious for the silence. The moon, not quite full, cast a pale glow over the desert and its ancient secrets hidden within.

The tourists were gone and Petra darted in and out of the ruins just for the pure joy of it. Gradually she made her way to the Temple of Winged Lions. She wondered what she expected to find now. Common sense dictated it would've been better to try to reach Nate through their dreams, but just being here revived her. She easily pushed the doubts away.

She swept up the steps to El
Deir and on up to the cliff top to wait and think. With a vivid picture of Nathan in her mind she reached out...and felt nothing returning.

Determined, she floated in increasing circuits around El
Deir, seeking something she couldn't precisely define. The platforms, channels, and barest remnants of a goddess statue were there, but none of the emotion that had captured her during the violent dream.

Feeling increasingly strong and vibrant, she moved into and out of monuments until happening upon a fresh water cistern hidden from the casual tourist. Floating to the water's edge she absorbed the power, peace, and engineering marvel of the ever-full cistern.

Returning to El Deir, she should've felt disappointed with her virtual failure, but she didn't. Instead an odd refreshment continued to cascade over and through her. She'd never felt anything like it during a flight.

She followed an irrepressible tug of joy that felt as if she was playing with an imaginary friend. The chase slowed as she approached the area known as the Little
Siq. Even in the low light of the moon the color was splendid, layers and variances of stone from deep red to palest cream.

"It's beautiful," she murmured to the unseen presence surrounding her.

Squeezing into a narrow pass niched with devotions to deities on both walls, she was urged through the pass into the open-air sanctuaries beyond.

The darkness swallowed the moonlight only a few feet inside the arches on either side. Yet the sensations of joy and hope swelled as she progressed through this less traveled area of Petra.

Weaving in and out of the shadowed arches, she let herself be drawn deeper into the rock where light was absent, but spirit full.

She trusted her senses and the presence leading her, and was rewarded beyond her imagination. Awareness dawned in her mind, a soft glow growing and climbing, lifting her to new heights.

She knew of Petra's first community, the Edomites, Esau's descendants. She'd learned the function of Petra as a trade route. She'd studied theories that it served as a city of refuge in the past and possibly would again in the future.

Now, today she felt something on a deeper level. On this flight she felt an invitation to share the cherished promise of Petra's redemption, to help create a stronghold of goodness from the ashes of a broken down community. It seemed the ground itself longed to be released from an ancient negative reputation and invasive evil. To be part of an unexpected duty so special was an honor she could only pray to live up to.

Asked, she answered affirmatively, and felt a deep unification with her namesake. She flew up and out of the canyon, ready to do her part to banish the evil hunting humanity.

The music changed, calling Petra's soul home to her body in the Chicago office. Instead of the usual let down after a flight, Petra felt ready to tackle anything with this rejuvenating source bubbling within her.

"Welcome back," Kelly said from the chair across from her.

"Tell me you got all that."

Kelly shook her head, a peculiar look in her eyes. "You haven't said a word. I assumed you fell asleep."

Petra sat up, rubbing the suddenly cold spot near her heart. If she hadn't spoken through the flight as normal, there was no proof of what she'd seen and felt. No assurance of her experience. No quantification. No back up to keep her memory clear and her focus on target.

She wanted to cry out in frustration, but then refused to waste even a moment being counter-productive. Reaching for her retro paper notepad and pencil, she scribbled notes as the thoughts returned to her, harnessing what she'd felt and seen, sketching when words eluded her. Soon a vivid account of her flight and the implications came together.

Her hand slowed and eventually stopped, but her mind raced on. She urgently needed to speak with Jaden.

"Can we go find the others?" she asked.

Kelly looked up from her own work. "Sure, but I thought you'd want to track down
Kristoff first. Wasn't that the plan?"

"Plans have changed." It was an understatement if ever there'd been one. "I'll need Jaden to find
Kristoff." It stung to lie to Kelly and Petra hoped it didn't permanently undermine their teamwork.

If Kelly had questions, she kept them to herself. "All right, then. We're outta here."

Grateful, Petra helped her pack up and leave Nathan's secret office behind.

Gideon stared at the scientific papers laid out on the library
table, grateful Micky had the foresight to provide such a service for the women who delivered his contraband. It only made sense to keep the legs of the business happy. Without anyone to carry the product to customers, Micky's power and wealth would quickly disappear.

"Dr.
Lorine sure pegged this," he said to Brian. "Did you experience any of the side effects she predicts?"

"No. During my mandatory service year they were running the first sample of the stuff. Guess that would've been safe enough, but the Judge warned me off before I ever got juiced."

"Why would Albertson risk a scandal to keep you safe?"

Brian laughed. "The man was one big scandal after another, if you peeled back enough layers to see it. He was a family friend.
Almost a second father." Brian paused to clear his throat. "He exerted his influence the moment I went active and got me into a non-combative duty."

"Must've bored you to death."

"Pretty much. I never planned to career it. A year's only twelve months."

Gideon understood, but didn't agree. A year could be cold, hard, and endless. Three-hundred-sixty-five days could feel like an infinite desolation when a man was in the wrong place under the wrong leadership.

"You all right?" Brian asked.

Gideon shook off the melancholy. They were here for a reason and he'd best get at it. "I'm fine. Let me talk this through. You take down Albertson and sic the dogs onto
Kristoff, who immediately disappears." He ruffled the stacks of paper and pointed to the open laptop. "Where's the connection between Kristoff's med career and Albertson's perv action?"

"Maybe they worked together on the white slavery angle, but I wouldn't bank on it. I think that was all Albertson."

Gideon agreed. Slavery would've brought in cash, but there was more than money motivating Kristoff. "Is there any evidence that Kristoff supplied Albertson with victims?"

Brian looked away. "Albertson found his victims just fine on his own."

Gideon pushed his fingers through his hair. "Okay. Square one. How could Albertson supply Kristoff with test subjects?"

"Prisons would be the obvious and easy resource. Let's assume the Judge offered reduced sentences to men who'd volunteer. I saw the orders for a facility transfer on Albertson's desk when Jaden was liberating the train."

Now they were getting somewhere. This was the link Nate needed for his leg of the investigation. For the first time in weeks, Gideon felt like he was back on a real case. "We're missing something critical." He flipped through Lorine's notes again and then scrolled through the endless list of websites mentioning Kristoff. He paused to rub his eyes and gaped when Brian hauled up two cases of portable hard drives for the electronic binder already on the table. "More reams of scientific studies? Why?" Gideon asked.

"An outside chance you could tell where
Kristoff's studies were performed. It would give us a major break and possibly a lead to his whereabouts."

Gideon had been asked to perform miracles before, but this was extreme. A quick perusal showed all the hardware was generic and the headers were wiped of any tags indicating the hosting lab and funding grants. A detailed analysis could take days, if not weeks. Time he instinctively knew they didn't have. "How did he smother all those egos who insist on the most miniscule credit for a discovery?"

"You should ask the psychic," Brian said.

"You mean
empath, dear, and she's working on other stuff." This from Jaden, who'd snuck up behind them. "What wisdom are you bringing to light for us, Gideon?"

"None it seems. But I brought you Petra in one piece."

"I think she would've found us on her own," she countered, taking a seat next to Brian.

Gideon frowned. Unless he poured over the mass of information on the table, he really didn't have anything to add to the capture of
Kristoff. Not without speaking to his superiors, who appeared to be missing in action or otherwise unable to help him now that he'd removed his sub-dermal pager. After years of griping to be on his own, to run his own missions if not his own life, here he was without a clue to the right direction.

Even with circumstances leaning toward the unbelievable, Gideon trusted Jaden. Regardless of how many lives she thought she'd lived for whatever purpose, she'd never left anyone hanging if she could help it.

He closed the binder with all the evidence refuting the safety of juicing and pushed it away.

"I told you
Kristoff's been on the radar for years." They just stared at him. "Lately, things escalated and I was assigned to gather evidence to put him out of work." This time when he thought about it, the pain was gone. Even the frustration. For the first time since the night that wrecked his shoulder, Gideon could consider the mission objectively. He wished he could credit anything other than Petra, but even he didn't put that much stock into coincidence.