Crimson by Ben Wise Page A

that they’re using remote viewing to find us. I need to find her. Your sister tells me that you’d be able to do something similar and track her down. Can you help me?”
    Logan answers instead, scowling, “holy shit she is crazy.” He talks past me to Cara. “I will not have members of my team running off getting themselves killed by the damn Templars just to help her with some fool’s errand.”
    He looks at me and says matter of factly. “You say your sister was captured by the government? She’s already dead. Get over it. You want to go chasing ghosts? Go find yourself a witch.”
    A witch? The insult cuts. But I need his help.
    “But if they’re still tracking me, she must still be alive.”
    He ignores me, turning back to Cara. “I don’t know who she is and I don’t give a shit. Get her the fuck out of here before she gets us all killed. Or I’ll kill her myself.”
    That’s enough of being referred to as if I am invisible. I’m tired, it’s been a long day and I’m not going to let this stuck up bastard stop me from finding my sister. That aggressive feeling builds again. I’m not looking to stop it this time. I reach down to my belt as I take a couple of steps forward. Adrenaline preempts any need for a plan on how I can force him help me.
    The bodyguard steps directly in front of me before I’m able to get much closer. She’s imposes herself right on top of me, getting right up in my face while putting a firm hand on my shoulder. It’s then she does the unexpected. She leans down and whispers into my ear, a soft and gentle voice. “Not like this. He’s nothing. This will just get you killed. There will be other ways.”
    The lack of edge to her voice disarms me, though she keeps a firm hand on my shoulder. Over her shoulder Caitlin looks despondently up at me. “I’m sorry,” she says to me. She shrugs with a pained look on her face. I guess Cara was right; she is lost to this world.
    The bodyguard turns her head to face their leader. “I’ll lead them out and make sure that they make it.”
    “Yes, please do,” he says, frustrated, waving us away.
    “Come on, this way,” she says, pushing me ahead of her.
    “So what do we do now?” I ask Cara as we walk away.
    “I’m not sure,” she says. “Perhaps we’ll find somebody else able to help us. I’m sure that there must be others. We’ll just have to keep asking around at other places, there are other places we can go to.”
    The crowd parts for us as we walk back towards the entrance again. We walked all this way just to get turned away so easily? I feel lost, what am I supposed to do now? It’s difficult to think clearly, I can feel how tired I am.
    Cara steps out onto the street first, quickly taking a few steps to distance herself from the place. I’m slower, my pace limited by the weight of my thoughts. As soon as I step out though I can tell straight away that something isn’t right. Something is missing.
    The sound of Nem’s voice comes screaming into my head. “Get out of there!” Where the hell is she?
    Then I realise. The door guard is missing. There’s movement in the corner of my eye. A new black van parked a few metres down the street is open.
    “Oh no.”

The Lights Only Hide the Darkness
    I scream out to Cara. Too slowly. Far too slowly. Soldiers seize her before she can react. They drag her into a waiting van, even as more soldiers move towards me.
    A firm set of arms pull me back through the club doorway. The woman, the bodyguard, holds me steady. I fight to free myself from her, but she’s far too strong. The steel door slams shut, stopping the soldiers from getting to me. And preventing me from getting to Cara. On the back of the door a large steel rod slides across though no hand moves it, locking the door.
    Cara… I fight to get free. I can’t let them take her.
    “Calm down, calm down,” the firm voice of the arms that hold me says. “There’s nothing you can do about it now. We have to get