Lost Eden (The Soulkeepers) (14 page)

But it was too late. The front door opened and slammed shut, sending Jacob and his mom racing from the kitchen, Uncle John beside them. By the time they wrestled the door open, Katrina was backing out the driveway, spraying pebbles in her haste. As she shifted from reverse into drive in the street, she met Jacob’s eyes. He thought he saw a softness in the empty green, an unspoken apology, but her expression hardened just as quickly, and then she drove away.

Behind him, Aunt Carolyn started to weep.

* * * * *

J
acob popped into existence next to Malini inside a cluster of trees on the edge of the Barger’s farm. There’d been a cluster of animal killings since the Watchers took over the school, and based on the pattern, the Barger’s herd was the next target. He handed Malini his enchanted staff and readied himself for some good old-fashioned Christmas Watcher slaying.

“Did Katrina ever come back?” she asked.

“No. No one has any idea where she went.”

“Maybe back to school?” Malini offered.

“A school that is now run by Watchers who are handing out Elysium like candy. Great.”

Malini frowned. “There was nothing you could do, Jacob. She’s an adult, and she’s not in her right mind.”

“Yeah.”

The Barger’s cattle grazed in the last washes of winter twilight. In the late December chill, Jacob could see the cows’ breath.

“Get ready, Jake. The Watcher has to feed before full dark or the cows will go in.”

Jacob bent over and uncapped his ankle flask, shaping the water into his favorite broad sword.

“Do you want me to help?” Malini asked.

Jacob kissed her cheek. “Nah, I got this.”

As predicted, a ripple flashed on the horizon and then an oily black fog dripped from its center. A man formed next to a Guernsey roughly a hundred yards out. Even if Jacob hadn’t seen him arrive, his underwear-model good looks gave him away as a Watcher, as did the fangs he bared aimed at the cow’s neck.

With the superhuman speed of a veteran Horseman, Jacob leapt over the fence and crossed the field, feet falling lightly on the frozen ground. The hungry Watcher never saw him coming. Before the creature could break skin, Jacob’s sword relieved him of his head. The Watcher’s surprised noggin bounced off the side of the cow and rolled down the hill where it lost its illusion and melted into a puddle of black goo.

Malini clapped as the bubbly black remains hissed into the grass. The cow mooed appreciatively and joined the rest of the herd while Jacob swaggered back to Malini’s side.

“I told you, I got this,” Jacob said, smiling and pointing his thumb at his chest.

“Nice work.”

Jacob willed his sword of ice to melt and bent to return the water to his flask. When he straightened again, his face was grim. “How long can we do this, Malini?”

“Do what? Kill Watchers? Forever.”

“No. Live double lives. In a week, we’re supposed to go back to school—a school run by
Watchers
. I’m thinking we should avoid that at all costs.”

Malini shrugged. “So we won’t go. We’ll figure something out.”

“It’s not just that. Look how far Lucifer has come. We haven’t found Abigail. Half the world is addicted to Elysium. Paris is crawling with Watchers and we are trying our best just to keep them from eating the farm animals while pretending to be normal teenagers.”

Malini stepped closer. “I know. This can’t last forever. But my intuition tells me it’s too early. A change is coming. I can feel it in the air. But for now, we have to stay focused and organized.”

He sighed.

“And as for Abigail, Gideon found ten properties owned by Milton Blake in the Chicagoland area. The first six were decoys. We’re getting close. Abigail
has
to be in one of the last four.”

“We hope. Unless he has her in Hell like Dane.”

Malini blinked slowly, her face twisting at the thought. “When Abigail first went missing, I thought Lucifer would call me to him like before. I thought he was using her as bait against us. After all this time, I think he just wants
her
, Jake. I think he has come to see her as some sort of prize. None of us can go to Hell, but I’ll keep sending out teams to Blake’s properties until we’ve searched every one. I’m not giving up on her.” She handed him back his staff. “Come on. Let’s patrol town.”

“Hey Malini.”

“What?”

“You want your Christmas present?”

“Hell yes.”

“Well, I don’t have it here.”

“Tease.”

“It’s in my room. An early edition of Silas Marner.”

“Hello! Way to ruin the surprise.”

Jacob spread his hands and laughed.

“Silas Marner. Cool. Leather bound?” Malini asked.

“You bet. You said it was your favorite.”

“It is.” She pecked him on the cheek. “Thanks. I’ll even forgive that you have absolutely no patience.”

Jacob held out his hand and made the gimme motion. “What did ya get me?”

Malini pulled a tiny, flat package from her back pocket. Jacob tore the glittery paper off. His lips twitched when he saw what was inside.

“Seeds.”

“Cherry seeds”

“You gave me cherry seeds for Christmas.”

Malini rolled her eyes. “It’s romantic. We can plant them when all this is over, if or when we ever get our own place. You know, Mara told me that Heaven is full of cherry blossoms.”

Eyebrows raised, Jacob pulled her into a hug. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Jacob.” She laced her fingers into his. “Now come on. Let’s go see if any of the Watchers from the school are stupid enough to show their faces in town tonight.”

Winter’s Quarry

Four weeks later
…

B
onnie tried to remain inconspicuous as she stared across the street at the North Wabash Avenue skyscraper Gideon said contained the devil’s penthouse.

“I can’t believe I finally get my chance to be useful,” Cheveyo said, pulling his coat tighter around his body.

“Don’t count your chickens before they’ve grown up and laid eggs,” Bonnie said.

“I don’t think that’s the expression,” Cheveyo said, laughing.

“So then how’s this for an expression?” Bonnie stretched her mouth open with her gloved fingers and waggled her tongue.

“Stop messing around,” Samantha said. “We need a plan.”

Bonnie eyed the door to Lucifer’s building through the dark lenses of her sunglasses with apprehension. “Chances are it will be like all of the others, a completely empty decoy.”

“I don’t like this,” Samantha said. “I’ve had a weird feeling all day. What if Lucifer is inside? Or worse, what if Cord is there?”

“That’s why we have Jesse staking the place out,” Bonnie said. They’d come at noon on a Wednesday. Across town, Harrington Enterprises was not only open, but an interview with Milton Blake was scheduled for WGN. The public’s outcry about Elysium had reached a fevered pitch. Bonnie hoped Lucifer, Cord, and Auriel would be sufficiently distracted with Harrington business that if this was Milton Blake’s actual residence, it would be empty.

Sam crossed her mittened hands over her puffy purple coat. “I wish Jesse would get back soon. I don’t like to think of him in there alone.”

As if his name was a magic incantation to conjure him to her side, he formed next to her, slipping his arm around her waist. Sam jumped at the contact.

“Your wish is my command.” Ghost chuckled.

Sam smacked him on the shoulder, and then yanked him into a quick hug. “So what did you find out?”

“Yeah, Ghost, spit it out. I think my balls are freezing off out here,” Cheveyo said. Originally from Arizona, he hadn’t ever experienced a Midwestern winter. The puffy coat he’d borrowed from Jacob was warm, but every time the wind blew, he scrunched up his face like it hurt.

Bonnie didn’t think the weather was that bad, but then again, she and Sam had grown up in northern Nebraska. Cold, flat, and inhospitable in the winter, Nebraska had toughened her up in more ways than one.

Ghost cleared his throat. “He owns the penthouse, the entire top floor. You need a special key to get up there. The elevator won’t even reach that level without it.”

Bonnie groaned. “Great. How are we supposed to steal the key from Lucifer?”

Ghost grinned. “I don’t know, but you could just use the one I stole from security.” He held up a cylindrical silver key.

Seizing Ghost’s face between her purple mittens, Samantha kissed his cheek so hard it left a red mark. “You are the best Jesse Larsen. The absolute best.”

“Jesse can slip in undetected, but can we pull off Cord and Auriel?” Bonnie asked Sam.

“They’ll have to be smaller versions. It’s going to be difficult to replicate the bulky clothing,” Sam said.

Their own bulky clothing would add to their mass, but Bonnie was right, Cord’s muscled frame topped two hundred pounds and Auriel’s tall stature added to her mass.

“I could do Cord and you could do a random woman. Security might go for it. A romantic interlude?”

Sam tipped her head. “Maybe, but what do we do about him?” They all stared at Cheveyo.

“Hey, these guys are Watchers, right?” he asked. “Obviously, the only reason I’d be with them is if I was their food or carrying their bags.”

Bonnie’s eyebrows shot skyward, and she grabbed her sister’s hand. “Brilliant! Let’s find a place to change.”

“Did I miss something?” Ghost asked.

No one answered. The two red heads were already ducking inside a shop at the end of the street.

* * * * *

“G
ood afternoon, Mr. Maxwell,” the gray-haired woman in the doorman’s uniform said to Bonnie as she opened the door for her. She gave a curt nod, avoiding eye contact. Cord wouldn’t be the friendly sort. She needed to stay in character.

Behind her, Cheveyo and Samantha entered the building, boxes from the local stores stacked in front of their faces. Sam had changed her appearance to look like an extremely petite Hispanic woman, but Cheveyo had no disguise. They’d have to hope the packages did their duty to block his face; a number of Watchers might recognize Cheveyo from Nod. Of course, if they ran into Watchers, they were doomed anyway. Their smell would give them away.

“That way,” Bonnie said in Cord’s baritone, pointing in the direction of the elevator.

“Mr. Maxwell,” the woman at the front desk called. She waved her hand and smiled.

Bonnie stopped, turned slowly toward her, forcing her face to contort into a busy man’s scowl.

“You have a message,” she said softly, fear leaching into her voice. “Ms. Thomson left you this envelope.” She held up a large manila number.

With measured steps, Bonnie approached the counter, motioning for Cheveyo and Sam to continue toward the elevators. She snatched the envelope from the woman’s hands without saying a word.

“Asshole,” the woman murmured.

Bonnie pretended not to hear her. Quickly, she slipped past the large security guards outside the elevator. They seemed to recognize Cord and know not to make small talk. She joined her cohorts in the elevator reserved for penthouse residents and slipped her key into the top slot. The doors closed and they began to ascend.

Ghost formed inside the compartment, catching himself on his knees. “Jeez, I can’t do that again guys. I feel like someone is pulling me apart cell by cell.”

“You held it for too long, Jesse. You can’t do that,” Sam said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Should I have formed in front of security? How about the other residents in the lobby?” he snapped. “I’m trying my best here.”

Bonnie placed her hand on his shoulder. “We know, Jess. You’ve done a great job.”

“Not to interrupt, but what is that smell? It reeks like something died in here,” Cheveyo said around his stack of packages.

“I smell it too,” Samantha said. “This is a five star complex. You’d think they’d keep it clean.”

Bonnie sniffed, then followed the smell back to the envelope. She weighed the package in her hand, pressed her fingers around the object inside. Stupid. Stupid. Why did she accept this from the front desk? Now when it wasn’t there for Cord to pick up, he’d ask questions. Likely it wouldn’t take long for him to figure out she’d been there.

Her fingers pressed against the fleshy roundness inside the envelope. Realization dawned. “It’s a human finger,” she said solemnly. “That’s what you’re smelling.”

“Wha—?” Cheveyo squeaked, glancing from face to face as if someone might say it was a sick joke.

But no one was laughing. Bonnie had told everyone in Eden about Cord’s drawer full of fingers. Each of them stared at the package with equal parts disgust and dread. Then the doors opened.

A small foyer greeted them with mirrored walls and a potted plant that, upon closer inspection, was artificial. Two sets of double doors formed the ends of the foyer, one to their left and one to their right.

“Which way?” Bonnie asked. She took a step inside and the elevator doors closed behind her. Cheveyo and Sam propped their packages against the wall and looked expectantly at Ghost.

“I don’t know,” Ghost said, arms wrapped around his abdomen as if he was holding himself together. “I didn’t go inside before, and I couldn’t possibly now.”

Sam hugged his shoulders with one arm. “It’s okay, Jess. Just rest.”

“Maybe the door’s open?” Cheveyo said optimistically. He looked from one door to the other, shrugged, then headed for the one on the left. He never had a chance to test the knob.

The door opened on its own. A hunched woman in a loose fitting dress and a babushka that hid her face, backed into the foyer, pulling a cart full of cleaning supplies. Cheveyo lurched forward to hold the door open for her. She muttered her thanks and wrestled her cart over the threshold.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Maxwell,” she said to Bonnie before pressing the button to call the elevator.

Samantha, Ghost, and Cheveyo entered the penthouse, but Bonnie lagged behind. Something about the cleaning woman was familiar. She caught herself staring, wondering if they’d met before.

The elevator doors opened, and the old woman backed her cart into the compartment. Their eyes met. The woman looked exactly like Bonnie, down to the mole on the right side of her face! Bonnie’s mouth dropped open.