Splinter (The Machinists Book 2) (15 page)

“It’s been done,” Kendyl said, “by others without his ability. You’re always saying that we don’t know the full extent of Liam’s capabilities. Maybe it’s time we found out.”

Liam was sweating and looking terror stricken. Kendyl had a point, and they all knew it. His abilities were still the largest variable they faced with the machinist movement. A power play of such magnitude would go a long way to proving their legitimacy.

“This might be the show of strength we need,” Allyn said. “If you cut the FBI’s legs out from under them and slow their investigation, it’ll give us time to get the help we need and restore the McCollum Family to its rightful place. What do you think, Liam? Is it possible?”

“I don’t know,” Liam said slowly. “If you’re correct and there are multiple databases, then we’re not talking about just hacking into one, but several, and each one has its own set of unique challenges. It would take days, weeks even, and the entire time, someone might notice me tampering with their system and shut it down—or worse, trace us back here.” Liam rubbed his face with the sleeve of his shirt. “And even then, say we succeed and erase you from the FBI databases—you’re not removed from the grid. You’d still have records in the DMV, Social Security office, hospitals, schools…” Liam took a sharp breath, no doubt overwhelmed by the weight of the task.

Allyn laid a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Can it be done?”

“The FBI Database?” Liam asked. “Yes. The rest… I don’t know.”

Jaxon folded his arms, focusing a steady gaze on Liam. “Start looking into it.”

Liam nodded.

“Hey,” Jaxon said. When Liam met his gaze, he continued. “Don’t dwell on the size of the task. Break it into manageable chunks and save the most difficult for last. If you can accomplish a little every day, you’re going to do great. Okay?”

“Okay,” Liam said softly, almost a whisper.

“Let me know when you get started.”

It wasn’t until they were headed back to the trail that Allyn realized the matter with J.P. Niall was still unresolved. He pulled Jaxon aside, letting the rest of their group file forward.

“Yes?”

“We still didn’t decide what to do about the video.”

Jaxon rubbed his swollen eyes. Minutes before, Jaxon was the epitome of strength, but he’d let down his guard, and fatigue had quickly won over.

“You said they want to meet?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you propose?”

“I think we have to see it through,” Allyn said. “If we choose the right location and position our magi around it, then we minimize the risk.”

“And if it is the police?”

“Then I guess you won’t have to worry about breaking into their system.”

Jaxon barked a laugh, the tension disappearing from his face. “Put it together.”

Chapter 16

A
llyn reread the message for the last time:
I’m ready
, it said, and went on to provide the date, time, and location for the meeting. Allyn was more than a little nervous about putting that kind of information where anyone could see it, but he didn’t have a choice. The best he could do was hope the account wasn’t being watched. He’d picked an out-of-the-way diner on the outskirts of the city, and since it was open all night, he’d chosen a time in the late evening, hoping the diner would be slow. He’d toyed with the idea of picking an empty parking lot, vacant quarry, or some other isolated location, but he’d decided against it. Those locations allowed for too many unforeseen variables and too many places to hide. Most of them had one entrance and one exit. If it were a trap, there would be no way to escape.

Meeting in a public place had potential complications, too—mainly, he might be recognized by someone who would call the police—but the watchful eyes might also prevent a desperate man from doing something reckless. Allyn didn’t know what to expect, and that made him nervous.

He shifted in his seat, his backside tingling from falling asleep. The weathered wood of the old patio chair scratched the backs of his legs through his jeans, and he had to be careful not to get a splinter when resting his arms on the armrests. An identical chair sat vacant on the patio beside him. The cold night was quiet and still, with only a gentle intermittent breeze. The thick clouds that had blanketed the region for the past several weeks had thinned considerably, exposing patches of dark sky and dozens of stars, which provided more light than he would have expected. Part of him longed to see them in their full glory again, as he had when he was a child, but the clouds wouldn’t dissipate entirely until summer, and the McCollum Family would be long gone by then.

Allyn’s breath caught in his throat as he clicked Post. Save for not showing up to the meeting, he couldn’t back out now. Not that he would have ever done that—his curiosity outweighed his apprehension. Allyn watched the screen for several moments, almost expecting an immediate response. He hadn’t needed much time to come up with a plan or put it into action. When Allyn had gone to borrow Liam’s laptop, the young magi had retreated to the loft without showing any desire to help. Liam had made great strides since Allyn had first met him, becoming more sociable and confident, but he still had a bad habit of hiding in a dark corner anytime he was stressed.

They would soon have to break that pattern of behavior. As someone expected to lead, Liam couldn’t hide every time the situation grew dire. He needed to be a symbol of strength. Of consistency. Never wavering. Allyn just hoped they could fix the problem in time because cultivating his new reputation would take months.

Do we have that long?

Jaxon had never given a solid indication of
when
he was leaving the McCollum Family, only that it was an eventuality. The open-endedness of the decision grated on Allyn. He feared the day, but the undefined date didn’t allow for them to plan adequately. Without a date, they lacked urgency. Life and everything along with it continued at its steady pace. Sometimes a ticking clock was the most effective motivation.

Allyn clicked Refresh
,
and the discussions page reloaded.

“Damn.” His message was still the only one on the
Discussions
tab. Their previous conversation had disappeared, likely having been deleted by the other user. Niall had insinuated that he was at great risk of being discovered, so he wasn’t likely to leave a trail of evidence straight back to himself.

The front door opened with a squeak, and Kendyl’s slender outline, lit from behind by the soft orange light of the cabin, stepped onto the patio.

“There you are,” she said, closing the door. “What are you doing out here?”

“Working.” Allyn closed the computer monitor. “Jaxon agreed to setting up the meeting.”

Kendyl sat down in the empty seat beside him. She wore a surprised expression. “When?”

“Tomorrow,” Allyn said. “If he agrees to it.”

“Wow,” Kendyl said. “So soon?”

“I’m tired of waiting.” He set the computer down next to his feet and instantly regretted it. The computer had been warm, and its absence left a cold void on his lap.

Kendyl looked away for a moment, surveying the landscape in front of them. The light inside the kitchen shut off, plunging the patio into darkness.
What time is it?
If the others were turning in, he’d been outside longer than he thought.

No wonder I’m so damn cold.

“What do you think about Jaxon’s plan?” Kendyl asked.

Allyn blinked. His vision still hadn’t adjusted to the darkness, and he couldn’t read Kendyl’s expression, but there was a sadness to her voice. “I’m not convinced it’s going to work. Why?”

Kendyl took a strained breath. “I hope it doesn’t.”

“What? Why?” Allyn asked. “You were so intent on it before. Wasn’t part of it your idea?”

“I know.” Kendyl turned back to him. “I was so captivated on whether we
could
do it that I didn’t stop to think if we
should
.”

“Why shouldn’t we?” Allyn said. “I may not think it’s going to succeed, but the prospect of getting the police off our backs sounds pretty enticing.”

“It’s not about the police. What happens when we disappear? What does it
mean
if we vanish?”

“I’m confused.”

“We’re all that’s left, Allyn. We’ve become so fixated on saving the McCollum Family that we’ve forgotten our own. If we disappear, if we vanish from all record, then our family vanishes with us.”

Allyn traced his bottom lip with his thumb and index finger. Kendyl continued to hold him with a steady gaze, waiting for his response. He hadn’t thought about the implications of disappearing from the system, but he didn’t agree that their family would die with the act. If anything, their family, as Kendyl defined it, had died with their mother. He and Kendyl had kept their father’s name, and legally—even if they hadn’t had any communication with him in a decade—they were more a part of that family than their mother’s. But something still gnawed at his insides.

“You have nothing to say?”

“I guess I hadn’t thought about it,” Allyn said slowly, “because in my head, I’d already been through it. I used to think that I honored Mom through my career. Her money got me through school, and I got a job that I thought she would be proud of. Turning my back on that to join the Family felt like I was turning my back on her. And then I had to do it again when you told me you wanted to stay.

“But I did it,” Allyn continued. “Because I realized that protecting you was the best way to honor Mom’s memory. She wouldn’t care about a job or money. She cared about us. So I guess I don’t see it the same way you do. To me, vanishing isn’t tarnishing her memory. It’s commemorating it by taking the final step to save the little family I have left.”

“I never knew you felt that way.” Kendyl bit her bottom lip. “It kind of makes me feel guilty for giving you so much crap about your job for all those years.”

Allyn snickered. “You should.” He smiled to let her know he was playing. It had been an important couple of days between him and Kendyl. First, she
thanked
him for being there when their mother had passed, and now she was apologizing for the way she had treated him. He didn’t know what was going on, but he hoped it continued.

“I just wish there was another way.”

“Me, too,” Allyn said. “But I think Liam is beginning to understand the complexity of the assignment. You should see him right now. He could barely look at me. He’s overwhelmed because he knows Jaxon ordered him to do the impossible.”

“That was me,” Kendyl said, guilt in her eyes. “I did that to him. I set him up for failure.”

“How?”

“It was my suggestion.”

“No. No, Liam said he could do it, and Jaxon ordered it. They made the decision—and who knows? Liam might find a way to do it. He’s already done the impossible.”

Kendyl frowned. “I’m so conflicted. I don’t want him to fail, but I don’t want him to succeed, either. I’m sorry, I’m not trying to lay this all on you. I just needed to vent. Needed to try and make sense of what I’m feeling.”

“It’s okay. I probably just made it worse anyway.”

“No,” Kendyl said. “No, you didn’t.”

“Good.”

The front door opened, cutting the moment short. A dark frame stepped onto the porch, slow and shuffling like someone trying not to wake up a sleeping companion. It was Riordan, one of the Hyland refugees. He closed the door behind him and hesitated when he saw Allyn. Taller by almost half a head, with spindly arms, bony hands, and narrow shoulders, Riordan looked sickly. His eyes were sunken; and his face, hollow.

Allyn nodded to him. The man returned the gesture slowly then turned away and leaned against the railing near the stairs.

“Come on,” Allyn said to Kendyl, standing. Riordan obviously wanted to be alone.

Kendyl stood then followed Allyn down the porch toward the door. Riordan watched them approach. Something about his demeanor made Allyn uncomfortable. His breaths were quick and shallow, and his eyes darted about nervously. Riordan’s fingers drummed against the railing, his long fingernails tapping the wood. Instinctively, Allyn positioned himself between Riordan and Kendyl when he opened the door for her to enter.

The dry hinge squealed, almost hiding the noise, but after weeks of being on the run and having to fight for his life, Allyn’s senses had become attuned to perceiving that sort of thing. A sharp, scratching noise accompanied by a
whoosh
. Fire igniting. Someone wielding. The interior of the cabin was dark, save for the crackling fire in the living room. The mess of sleeping bodies was alive with the hum of collective breathing. The noise had to have come from one of the bedrooms.

Kendyl’s with me, and Liam is in the loft—Jaxon’s room then.

Riordan’s boot scraped the dry porch behind him. Kendyl stopped, perhaps also sensing something amiss, and glanced at him over Allyn’s shoulder. Somewhere deep inside the cabin, something creaked.

Riordan wasn’t looking for privacy
, Allyn thought.
He was looking for me
.

Another creak.

Riordan took a step toward Allyn.

“Awake! Awake!” Allyn shouted. “Enemies in the cabin! Enemies in the cabin!”

Wielding, he turned to Riordan.

Chapter 17

R
ed coils of electricity sprang to life around Allyn’s arms. They writhed, colliding with each other, crackling and sparking. The red glow made Riordan’s hollow face appear sinister.

“Awake! Awake!” Allyn continued to shout. “Jaxon! Mason!”

Riordan sprang into action, a pair of orange fireballs igniting in his hands. In the close proximity, Allyn wouldn’t be able to dodge those, and as far as he knew, electricity did nothing to combat fire. So he charged, driving his shoulder into Riordan’s chest and slamming the slender man into the porch railing. The wood cracked and swayed.

Riordan cried out, letting the fireballs dissipate. Allyn struck him in the face with a fist. The coils singed, turning from red to white on contact, and the air filled with the scent of burnt flesh as the side of Riordan’s face bubbled.

The sour taste of nausea filled Allyn’s mouth.
Not again
.
Not again.
But instinct won the battle with his conscience, squelching the guilt and filling Allyn with nothing but the need to survive and protect those he loved.

Riordan staggered, hiding his face in his arms, roaring in agony. Allyn kept him against the railing, punching and kicking him in the torso. The railing groaned against each blow, but the rotten wood held.

The air warped and cracked, and a concussion of air threw Allyn backward. Prepared, he planted a foot into the siding of the cabin, halting his backward momentum. There was a hole in the railing where Riordan had been, and the man had disappeared. Allyn took the brief lapse in the battle to assess the situation.

Kendyl remained where she’d been—crouching inside the doorway to the cabin, shielding her head with her arms. She was unhurt, but the inside of the cabin was in pandemonium. The throng of people shouted for loved ones and rushed for the exit. Some had fire or ice at the ready, but it was impossible to tell friend from foe.

“Kendyl,” Allyn said. “I need you to get these people out.”

She looked at him in horror. Her fear shook him—and made him think about his own.

Don’t think about that
. “Kendyl!”

She flinched at his command but met his gaze and nodded. She stood and turned her attention to the cabin.

“This way!” Kendyl shouted, her voice cracking in fear. “This way! Come on!”

The mass of people heeded her command, rushing toward the exit as a collective wave of bodies. Allyn hoped that only the allies would follow her command. Their enemies had another mission. He turned back to where Riordan had been and leaped off the porch, soaring over overgrown flowerbeds and the broken railing to land in the snow with a crunch.

Riordan was on his feet a few paces to Allyn’s right. He’d been in the process of rushing toward the stairs to re-enter the fray. The left side of his face was blackened with burn marks, and his left eye was watery and nearly swollen shut. He squared on Allyn and hissed, unleashing a volley of attacks.

Riordan didn’t seem to know about Allyn’s inability to counter fire and attacked with a series of ice blasts. They appeared in the air as fast Riordan could wield them. Allyn
reached
for them, and the coils of electricity burst from his hands, snaring the blasts out of the air. The ice exploded into a shower of mist. Allyn countered two this way then dove out of the way of the third.

Riordan strode toward Allyn confidently. Allyn rolled onto his feet in a crouch. Watching. Waiting.

Magi streamed out of the cabin, McCollum and Hyland Family members alike. Allyn didn’t know whether to be pleased or outraged. A small number of magi, not the refugees as a whole, had orchestrated the attack. Allyn hoped Brandt and Juniette were as surprised by the attack as he was.

Riordan slapped his chest then lunged forward, slapping his hands together in an exaggerated clap. The air distorted, and the concussion threw Allyn backward, end over end. Fortunately, the coils didn’t dissipate. They seemed more stable and to require less concentration than some of the other magi elements. But by the time Allyn dug his face out of the snow, Riordan had thrown an angry fireball at him.

Half on instinct and half in desperation, Allyn shot a static charge at the oncoming fireball. The charge, a series of tiny bands of electricity wrapped tightly around each other in a flattened disc shape, disbanded, and dozens of individual strands shot in all directions. One struck the ground near Allyn, burning through the snow with a hiss. Another struck Riordan in the leg.

Riordan cursed and wielded another fireball. Hobbling, he threw it at the ground as if it were a grenade, and it erupted into a wall of flame. Allyn heard the
crack
of a concussion of air, and the wall of fire raced across the landscape. Allyn sent a series of static charges into it, but they flew through the flames harmlessly.

Remembering a previous training session with Jaxon, Allyn threw an arm out to the side, casting coils of electricity at a nearby tree. They struck the battered trunk, and the air split, echoing like a gunshot. The tree became an anchor, and the electricity, the gunpowder. Allyn was shot away from the tree with such force that blackness crept in at the edges of his vision. He struck the ground on his side and rolled several feet before stopping, only narrowly avoiding the firewall.

Ears ringing and seeing stars, Allyn struggled to get his bearings. Every part of him hurt. His chest felt as if he’d been struck with a cannonball. Steam rose from his hands and arms, which were buried in the snow, red from irritation or burns, or both. His head throbbed, and pulses of agony rippled through his body with every beat of his heart. He blinked, focusing.
Where’s Riordan?

There.

Riordan hadn’t moved, but Allyn’s perspective had changed. He watched Allyn, hesitant.
Why?
Doesn’t he realize he has me dead to rights?

Behind him, Kendyl ushered the last of the fleeing magi into the woods. Many of them could wield but were more concerned about their loved ones than assisting Allyn. Kendyl lingered behind, watching. Allyn tried to call out for her to go, but he couldn’t get the words past the pain. He waved her on. She remained at the forest’s edge for another second, and then after Allyn waved her on again, this time more urgently, she disappeared into the trees.

Allyn returned his attention to Riordan. The man seemed to have gathered himself and was wielding another attack. Allyn harnessed the pain rushing through his veins and wielded again. He didn’t have to look down to know the red coils had returned. He could feel their heat. Their power. It made his hands tremble.

Just as he was about to launch them at Riordan, he caught movement behind the man. Dressed entirely in black compression armor, a slender figure darted around the cabin, using the shadows for stealth, descending on Riordan. Only a few paces behind him, the slender figure cast a blast of ice, and the blue glow illuminated her face. Ren.

Riordan spun on her just as she unleashed the blast. Fire met ice in midair, stalling the attack. But Allyn used her distraction and projected his electricity toward the man. The coils streaked through the air in a continuous, growing band of electricity that lassoed Riordan and engulfed him in burning tendrils of power. His body went rigid then shook violently as the electricity took him.

Allyn cut power to the coils, and they disappeared, but the damage had been done. Riordan fell to the ground. Smoke curled into the air above him, and the putrid smell of death already tinged the air.

Allyn staggered.
I’ve done it again.
He doubled over, emptying his stomach onto the untouched snow. Even his vomit tasted like death. His legs grew weak, and he fell onto all fours. Eyes closed, he could still see Riordan’s lifeless body and the way it resembled Lukas when he had died. Angry-red, blistered skin. Eyes liquefied. Face unrecognizable. It didn’t matter that these men deserved death. He could be the judge, but he couldn’t be the executioner, too.

Ren grabbed him by his armpits and dragged him to his feet. “Good work,” she said.

“Where are the rest?” Allyn asked, his voice quiet and strained.

“Mason chased one off the deck,” Ren said. “The others went for Jaxon. They’re still inside.”

“Liam?”

“He’s fine. Nyla has him.”

Nyla was a cleric and lacked the offensive arsenal of other magi, but she was trained in hand-to-hand combat and had other battle skills. Allyn trusted her more than anyone. Maybe even more than Jaxon. She would protect Liam—or anyone else in the McCollum Family—with her life.

“Let’s go,” Allyn said, taking a labored step forward. His body was sluggish, not acting on command, and his steps were more of a shuffle than a run. “They would have made their strongest play for Jaxon.”

Ren took the lead, darting up the stairs onto the porch, and threw her back to the wall beside the door. Allyn labored to keep up. Each step sent needles through his veins. After he’d settled in beside her, Ren gave him half a second to collect himself then raised three fingers and silently counted down. On zero, she rounded into the cabin with fire in both hands. Allyn stormed in behind her, wielding again.

The red coils and orange firelight lit the inside of the empty cabin. Chairs, blankets, and pillows mixed with other personal belongings, littering the floor in a chaotic mess. The sliding-glass door that led onto the back deck was open, and winter air blew inside, making the flames that still burned in the brick hearth flicker. Ren and Allyn crept forward, quick but silent.

Ren checked for assailants hidden behind an overturned couch, while Allyn focused his attention to the loft. He didn’t see anyone, but someone crouching could hide behind that half-wall. Ren circled the couch, apparently finding nothing, and locked eyes with Allyn. He pointed toward the loft, but Ren shook her head, evidently content that nobody was up there.

With the living area secure, they made for the hallway to the bedrooms. Scorch marks marred the hallway, and wet carpet squished under their feet. A few tiny lingering ice crystals refracted the firelight onto the walls.

As they passed the first two bedrooms, Allyn heard a distinct thump. His eyes darted to Ren, but the slender woman had already rushed forward. He quickly scanned the insides of each bedroom. The last thing they needed was someone coming up from behind to flank them. Both rooms were empty, and by the time he emerged from the second, Ren was already in position outside Jaxon’s room.

Allyn stood at Ren’s side and waited for the order. Ren paused.
For what?
The door to Jaxon’s room was cracked, and a dim light was visible inside, but Allyn couldn’t make anything out. He heard labored breathing. And…voices.
How did I miss that?
Allyn struggled to hear more, but the voices were too faint. All he could hear was the tone. Angry. Sharp. To the point.

“Jaxon?” Allyn mouthed to Ren.

“I think so,” she mouthed back.

Allyn took a deep breath. If they didn’t let Jaxon know they were outside the room and ready to storm in, he might attack before thinking and injure one of them. But if they gave away their location and Jaxon wasn’t in control, they would lose the advantage.

He had to risk it.

“Jaxon?” Allyn said, hesitantly. “It’s Allyn. I’m coming in.”

The door swung open before Allyn could move, and Jaxon’s bulky frame filled the doorway. His face was hard. Allyn could almost feel the fury radiating from him. He saw Allyn and Ren, and his posture relaxed. Slightly.

“Report.”

“There were five that I know of,” Ren said without missing a beat. “Allyn killed one, I killed another, and Mason prevented a third from assassinating Liam. He pursued them into the forest. As for the other two…” Ren peeked inside Jaxon’s room. Sitting with his back against the wall was another of the Hyland refugees. His face was a charred mess of burnt flesh, and blood stained the front of his compression armor.

“Casualties?”

“Not that I know of,” Ren said. “Thanks to Allyn’s quick thinking.”

Jaxon nodded his gratitude. “Who?”

“Riordan,” Allyn said.

“And Tomas,” Ren said.

“The third?” Jaxon asked.

“William, I think,” Ren said. “But I can’t be sure.”

“Could it have been Brandt?”

“No.”

“I think this was a splinter group,” Allyn said. “Probably sent here by Darian himself to assassinate the leaders of our Family.”

“I agree.” Jaxon turned back inside the bedroom.

Allyn followed, nearly overwhelmed by the coppery scent of blood. What he saw reminded him of a gruesome crime scene. Blood puddled on the floor, and a large crimson stain had soaked into the mattress. Even more dripped from the box spring, tapping onto the floor with an unsettling rhythm. There was too much for a single person, and Allyn scanned the room for a second assailant. He found him lying facedown on the far end of the room.

Leira sat in a chair beside the first assailant, clutching her side. She wasn’t wearing compression armor, only a thin cotton top with a matching pair of bottoms. Her shirt was stained, but otherwise undisturbed. Allyn hadn’t noticed at first, but Jaxon’s side was also injured, so her wounds had likely come from healing him.

The assailant leaning against the wall was a man named Aric. His pasty skin had gone as white as cream, and sweat beaded on his brow. The labored breathing Allyn had heard a few moments ago was his, and he clearly didn’t have long. Allyn cursed under his breath. The man had kept largely to himself, and Allyn had only spoken a few words to him. In hindsight, Allyn realized, neither Riordan nor Tomas had worked to integrate themselves into the Family.
Their mission wasn’t to make friends. It wasn’t reconnaissance. It was to infiltrate and assassinate. Straight forward.

I should have known something was amiss
.
I should have seen this coming.
I shouldn’t have trusted them so blindly!

“This isn’t over,” Aric said through blood-stained lips.

“It is for you,” Jaxon said, crouching in front of Aric. He placed his hand on the man’s chest, and before Aric could cry or plead, Jaxon wielded an ice blast through his heart. Recognition flashed in Aric’s eyes for a brief moment, then his head drooped to the side.

“You didn’t ask him anything,” Allyn said.

Jaxon pulled back his hand and stood. The tip of the ice blast was barely visible in Aric’s chest. “Would you have believed anything he said?”

“No.”

“Me either.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Allyn asked, pointedly ignoring Riordan’s remains.

Leira walked with one hand against her side. Her face had lost much of its color, and she was hunched over, wearing a perpetual grimace. “I’ll be fine,” she said.

Allyn wanted to say something but held his tongue. She didn’t look fine. In fact, she looked downright awful, but her word had been enough for Jaxon, so it would have to be enough for him.

The tracks made by the fleeing magi led into the forest, and Allyn followed their trail with his small group in pursuit. Kendyl hadn’t taken them far. They were waiting atop the first rise, huddled together, looking cold, wet, tired, and scared. Kendyl stood with her back to the host of magi, watching the head of the trail intently. She saw Allyn and rushed toward him.