The Belial Origins (28 page)

CHAPTER 88

L
aney only stared at the disconnected phone for a moment before she strode down the hall to talk to Victoria and Henry. An agent called to her from the front door. “Dr. McPhearson?”

She turned around. “Yes?”

“Your guests are arriving.”

Laney smiled and changed directions, feeling a little lighter.
Reinforcements
.

A tingle ran over her skin as she stepped outside. She nodded at the two SIA agents who guarded the door. The agents had been busy. Electronic surveillance had been strung all over the area, and guards were now hidden in multiple locations for a half mile in each direction.

It was those guards who had contacted the agent in the house to let her know the car was coming. Laney watched the old Range Rover bump across the ground toward her.

The SUV came to a halt ten feet away. Laney coughed at the dust it kicked up, waving her hand in front of her face. When the passenger door opened, a tall, dark-haired woman with Asian features got out. She made her way over to Laney and enveloped her in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Laney.”

Laney hugged Jen Witt back. “And I am so glad you’re here.”

Jen was one of Laney’s best friends, and one of the only people she trusted to protect Henry and Jake—in part because Jen was also nephilim, but also in part because Laney knew how much Henry meant to her. Jen wouldn’t let anyone get to him.

Two tall blond men also got out of the Range Rover. Laney detangled herself from Jen and hugged each of them. “Thanks for coming, guys.”

Mike Witt, Jen’s adopted brother, nodded. “You know we’d do anything for Jake and Henry.”

Jordan, Mike’s twin, nodded his agreement. The brothers had both served with Jake and were the closest thing Jake had to family. They had all saved one another’s lives at one point or another. Mike worked for the FBI, and Jordan worked for the Chandler Group—and they both would do whatever they had to in order to protect Jake.

Laney felt a lump in her throat, and for what felt like the thousandth time, she said a silent thank-you that the Witts were part of their lives.

Jordan nodded toward the door. “How are they doing?”

“They’ll make it. But it’s going to be a long recovery.”

Jordan looked around, taking in their location. “Tell me about the security in place.”

Laney quickly ran it down.

When she was done, Jordan nodded. “Okay. That’s good. The rest of the group is a few minutes behind. Is all right if we go in?”

Laney gestured to the door. “Of course. Go ahead.”

Jordan and Mike nodded at the two SIA agents standing guard as they headed inside. When they had disappeared from view, Jen linked her arm through Laney’s. “Now tell me how you’re
really
doing.”

Laney leaned her head into Jen’s shoulder. “I’m terrified. Stressed. Sad. Scared. And really,
really
angry.”

“I’m sorry, Laney. I really am.”

“How’s Danny handling all this?” Laney asked. Laney had spoken with Danny on the phone earlier, and he had said he was doing fine. But she could tell he was putting on a brave facade.

Jen shook her head. “Not good. He’s scared. Henry being hurt—it’s new to him.”

“It’s new to all of us,” Laney agreed.

“But we no longer have to worry about Cain, right? He’s dead?”

The image of Cain plunging into the river appeared in Laney’s mind. She shrugged. “I don’t know. He got pulled away in the water. I hope so.”

“Okay. So what’s the plan?”

“Step one, make sure Henry and Jake are safe.” Laney paused, seeing another few Range Rovers heading toward them.

“Step two?” Jen asked.

Laney saw a mental picture of she and Jen. She smiled. “I’ll explain it after I say hello.”

Jen grimaced. “Okay, and maybe
you
can shake her out of her mood. She’s been a little cranky ever since your phone call. I’ll go say hi to Jake and Henry.” She disappeared into the house after her brothers.

The Range Rovers parked in a line next to Jen’s. Some of the Chandler operatives Laney knew climbed out. She nodded at them, but headed for the third SUV without stopping. A roar sounded from inside it.

Scared
.

I know, girl
, Laney thought back at Cleo. She nodded to the operative who was standing next to the SUV. “It’s okay. I’ve got her.”

He gave her a nervous smile and walked away. Laney shook her head. She knew Cleo wouldn’t hurt any of them, but people who weren’t familiar with the big cat weren’t nearly as convinced of that fact.

Laney opened the back door and opened the cage. She stepped back quickly as Cleo leaped from her cell. Cleo walked around, stretching, then came up to Laney and leaned her head against her chest.

Laney rubbed the big cat’s head and ears. “I’m glad to see you too, girl.”

SIA had used their connections to get Cleo into the country. Normally it would have taken months of quarantine and paperwork.

“I need you to take care of them for me. Keep them safe,” Laney whispered into Cleo’s ear.

Cleo lifted her head and gave Laney a look that was almost human.
You?

“I’ll be okay. I’m going to get the people who did this.”

Dangerous
.

Laney thought about lying, but what was the point? “Yes. It will be. But I’ll be better able to focus if I know Henry and Jake are safe.”

Cleo leaned her head down to Laney’s, their foreheads resting against one another.
Scared
.

Laney wrapped her hands around the back of Cleo’s neck. “Me too, girl. Me too.”

             
CHAPTER 89             

L
aney walked into the house with Cleo at her side. She poked her head into Henry’s room—Victoria sat on one side of Henry’s bed, Jen on the other. Jen had her arms crossed, a frown on her face, and one eye on Victoria at all times. Apparently Jen wasn’t quite ready to jump on the Victoria bandwagon just yet.

Laney bit back a smile. “Victoria?”

Victoria looked up.

“We need to talk.”

Laney turned to find Ralph right behind her.

“You have a location?” he asked.

Laney nodded and looked past him to Jake’s room, where Jordan and Mike sat. An iPad was propped on the table in front of Jake. Dom’s face was on the screen. “The duality of transformational…” Dom droned on.

Laney stifled a laugh. “What’s going on in there?”

A smile twitched at Ralph’s mouth. “Um, Dom apparently convinced the brothers that if he read to Jake it would help Jake recover.”

The brothers probably figured that ten minutes of Dom reading to Jake would spur Jake into consciousness—if only to tell Dom to shut up.

Shaking her head, Laney motioned for Ralph and Victoria to follow her down the hall. With Cleo still at her side, they entered what had once been a formal living room. Victoria took a seat on the couch and Cleo walked over to say hello.

Victoria petted her gently. “Hello, Cleo dear.”

Content with her greeting, Cleo then took up position at the open doorway, her back to the room. Ralph stood only a few feet from her, also on guard.

Laney stood over by the windows, too keyed up to sit. She quickly relayed what Drake had told her.

“It must be Heaven’s Gate,” Ralph said.

Laney nodded. “That’s what I figured. When we get there, will you be able to sense it?”

Ralph nodded. “Yes. And so will you.”

Laney hadn’t expected that. “O… kay. Well, we’ll leave in thirty minutes.” Laney turned to Victoria. “When we reach the tree, we’ll contact you, and you can tell us how to destroy it.”

Victoria shook her head. “That won’t work. I’m the only one who can destroy it. I have to be there.”

“You both have to go,” Ralph said. “As the ring bearer, only you can open the doorway. And Victoria is the only one who can destroy it.”

“Yeah, you never did mention how that happens,” Laney said.

Victoria and Ralph exchanged a quick glance. “You’ll understand when we get there.”

Still with the secrets
, Laney thought. “What else do you know about the hiding spot?”

“Weapons are not allowed. No one can enter if they are armed,” Ralph said.

Laney’s hope rose. “Does that mean the Fallen can’t enter?”

Ralph shook his head. “No, but they can only enter if they are unarmed.”

“Right, as unarmed as a super-powered being can be,” Laney muttered.

“Now we need to figure out who’s accompanying us,” Ralph said.

“Actually, I already decided that.” Laney had been thinking about the trip to find the tree ever since they left the temple. And Henry and Jake getting hurt had just reinforced her view.

“And?” Victoria asked.

She looked at each of them and then at Cleo, who stared back at her.
I’m sorry,
Laney thought to her friend, before looking back at Victoria and Ralph. “It’s only going to be the three of us.”

CHAPTER 90

J
en leaned back against the Range Rover. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Laney sighed. She had just explained to Jen her plan to go after the tree of life with only Ralph and Victoria. And Jen wasn’t exactly taking it well.

“Jen, this is the only way.”

“No, actually, it’s not. The other way would be to take the rest of us with you. Better yet, let Clark prove his worth and get a nice big military force to accompany you.”

Laney closed her eyes. She should have known Jen would react this way. “Jen, this is how it has to happen. If we’re lucky, we’ll get in, destroy the tree, and get out without anyone being the wiser.”

“And when the hell have we been lucky?” Jen stood up straight, towering over Laney. “We are
perpetually
unlucky. And you know Elisabeta is going to throw everything she can at getting that tree. You need more help.”

Laney looked back at the house. She pictured Henry and Jake. She would like to have them with her—the intact trio. The three of them had done incredible things. But she was already down two members of the triad in this little adventure. She wasn’t willing to chance anyone else.

“No. This is how it’s going to happen. I need you to stay here and keep Henry and Jake safe. Because if I don’t succeed, they’re going to have to figure out a way to defeat Elisabeta when she has the tree.”

“All the more reason to throw everything we have at her now! We take her out and then no problem.”

“Like you said, it’s never that simple. This is Samyaza, the strategist. The one who started all of it. We can’t just run up at her with brute force. We need to hold something in reserve. If I don’t succeed, I need to know there’s someone who can at least give her a run for her money.”

“But—”

“Jen, do you really think Samyaza has left us alone? She knows Henry and Jake are both my strength
and
my weakness. She’s going to come after them—probably right when I’m in the middle of things. Because she knows if something happens to them, I’ll be devastated. And I will fail.”

Laney took a deep breath. “I need them
safe
. And I know you, your brothers, Cleo, the Chandler operatives, the SIA agents—
you
are my guarantee that they will be safe. You’re the reason I’ll be able to focus on what needs to be done.”

Jen looked away, her fists clenched. “I hate this. First Kati, Maddox, and Max, and now you going off on your own. It’s like everything is splitting apart.”

Laney swallowed hard. She wrapped an arm around Jen. “I hate it just as much. But we’re at the time of hard choices. And this is what needs to be done. I need to know they’re safe. And I know whatever Samyaza throws at you, you’ll be able to keep them that way.”

Jen looked down at Laney. “I
will
keep them safe. Now promise me that you’ll keep
yourself
safe.”

Laney sighed and looked out over at the hills, but she didn’t say anything. Because that was one promise she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to keep.

CHAPTER 91

L
aney took a steeling breath.
Just one more conversation
. And she had a feeling this one was going to be the hardest.

She walked down the road to the little house next door. She’d left Cleo with Jake and Henry. She would need a little privacy for this conversation.

As she opened the door, she could hear her uncle arranging for Jake’s and Henry’s medical treatment back home. Laney leaned against the wall to wait, and a few seconds later Patrick disconnected the call. He turned around, surprise flashing across his face.

“I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Yeah, you were on the phone.” She hesitated. “Listen, I have to go away for a little while.”

“What? Where?”

She let out a breath. “I’m going after the tree.”

He looked at her for long moment, then sighed and nodded. “Who’s going with you?”

“Ralph and Victoria.”

His eyes narrowed. “And who else?”

“That’s it.”

Patrick stared at her, his mouth agape, before he shut it. “You can’t be serious. Take Jen, the Witts, all of Clark’s men.”

Laney moved closer to him. “Uncle Patrick, it can’t be that way, and you know it.”

“No, I don’t know that.” He stared at her. Laney just watched him, not saying a word.

“This is because of that stupid book, isn’t it?”

She tried to put a little levity in her tone. “Stupid book? That’s sacrilege coming from you.”

“Don’t joke, Laney.”

She sighed. “I’m not. And it’s not just because of the book. Henry and Jake are out of this fight for now. And I need them safe.”

“They can be safe without you putting yourself at risk.”

“I need to do this without them—without all of you.”

Patrick looked into her eyes, and Laney could see the anger overtake him. “Don’t you dare put our safety ahead of yours,” he said. “You know Henry and Jake would never let you do this if they were awake.”

“But they’re not awake,” Laney said quietly. “I’m the last one standing, and it’s my call. And if Samyaza is smart, which she is, she’ll come after you to keep me away. I can’t take that chance. I need to get to the tree, but I need to know you’re safe. This is the only way.”

“It’s not. The tree will wait. We’ll—”

Laney covered her uncle’s hand with her own. “It can’t wait. You know that.”

Patrick stared into her eyes, and she saw all the love and fear he had for her. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“I’m not alone. I take all of you with me.” And right then, Laney understood how Victoria had continued on. She was right. She was never alone. All the people she loved walked with her.

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”

Laney shook her head.

Patrick’s voice shook when he spoke. “You bring yourself back, you hear me? No matter what you have to do, you bring yourself back. I don’t give a damn about what any book says.”

Laney leaned forward and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. But she stayed silent.

She turned to walked away, knowing if she stayed a second longer she wouldn’t be able to leave.

His voice stopped her at the door. “I love you, Delaney. You are my daughter in every way that counts.”

“I know. And I love you too.” Laney stepped out of the room and straightened her shoulders, wiping at the tears on her cheeks. And she didn’t look back.