shuddered and his teeth chattered. “We need to go back, please Cronin. I can’t leave them.”
“And if there are now a hundred assassins in that room?” he retorted. “I cannot risk you being there!”
“If there are a hundred assassins in that room, then we need to go back now!”
Just then, Cronin’s cell phone beeped. He fished it out of his pocket and read the screen. “It’s a message from Jodis,” he said, and Alec sighed in relief. “It says ‘sikre.’”
“Is that some kind of code?”
“Yes,” Cronin said flatly. “It’s Norwegian for secure. She’s telling us it’s safe to go back.”
Alec’s teeth were still chattering. “Okay.”
“Are you ready?”
Alec nodded, and they were gone.
* * * *
Alec found himself in their bedroom. The light was on and bright compared to the darkness he’d just been in, but at least it was warm. He was still shivering, his teeth chattering and whole body covered in gooseflesh.
Cronin listened for one second then seemed to relax just a little. He grabbed Alec’s hand and led him out into the living room. Jodis had her phone to her ear, talking in a language Alec didn’t know. Eiji was dropping the bulletproof vests and left over weapons from their last fight in Egypt onto the sofa. Eleanor stood by the wall, which used to be the glass wall that overlooked the city but was now the metal security wall. And two long wooden spears lay haphazardly amongst a spray of brown dust on the white marble floor.
“Thank you, Eleanor,” Cronin said.
She looked a little shaken, even for a vampire. “I am sorry I didn’t see it sooner. They must have a cloaker, Cronin. Someone is hiding their actions.”
Eiji stuffed arrows into a backpack. “We need to leave,” he said without looking up.
Cronin gave a hard nod. “Agreed.”
“What about my dad,” Alec asked. “If they found us, then they must know of him.”
Cronin squeezed Alec’s hand before letting it go. He put his phone to his ear and quickly spoke to someone in French, then redialed and spoke in English. “Kole, it is Cronin. Jacques will be at your door. Please let him in. You need to come with us. Alec and I will be there directly to get you both.”
From what Alec could understand, his father mustn’t have argued. Cronin put his phone in his pocket. “Alec, you will need two jackets.”
Alec raced into the closet and grabbed two jackets, one for him and one for his dad. When he came back out, Cronin was helping Eiji pack stakes and pistols into backpacks. Alec threw the jackets on the sofa. Cronin simply announced they wouldn’t be gone long and slid his arm around Alec, and they leapt.
* * * *
When Alec and Cronin landed in Kole’s living room, Kole was at the front door with Jacques. Alec’s father, a gray-haired man almost in his sixties, was wide-eyed and pale. “Dad?” Alec rushed to him. “You okay?”
Kole nodded weakly. “Yeah, yeah. I’m just too old for this middle of the night crap.”
Cronin wasted no time. “Kole, do you have a book on your family history? Any documentation you may have would be greatly appreciated.”
Kole nodded and darted out of the room.
Alec noticed then that his dad was wearing pajamas. “I’ll go throw some clothes in a bag,” Alec said, following his father down the hall. He heard Cronin ask Jacques if he’d seen anything out of the ordinary while he watched over Kole, but he didn’t hear Jacques’ reply. He stuffed handfuls of clothes into a small overnight bag and when he went back to the living room, Kole was already there.
He was holding a book Alec had never seen. “I only have this one….” His words died away.
Cronin was holding a pamphlet out to Kole. He looked pissed or worried, possibly both. “Where did you get this?”
“Uh, it’s funny you should mention that,” Kole answered quietly. “I got a phone call from some guy at Discovery Times Square who said I won tickets. I didn’t believe him, you know,
“And if there are now a hundred assassins in that room?” he retorted. “I cannot risk you being there!”
“If there are a hundred assassins in that room, then we need to go back now!”
Just then, Cronin’s cell phone beeped. He fished it out of his pocket and read the screen. “It’s a message from Jodis,” he said, and Alec sighed in relief. “It says ‘sikre.’”
“Is that some kind of code?”
“Yes,” Cronin said flatly. “It’s Norwegian for secure. She’s telling us it’s safe to go back.”
Alec’s teeth were still chattering. “Okay.”
“Are you ready?”
Alec nodded, and they were gone.
* * * *
Alec found himself in their bedroom. The light was on and bright compared to the darkness he’d just been in, but at least it was warm. He was still shivering, his teeth chattering and whole body covered in gooseflesh.
Cronin listened for one second then seemed to relax just a little. He grabbed Alec’s hand and led him out into the living room. Jodis had her phone to her ear, talking in a language Alec didn’t know. Eiji was dropping the bulletproof vests and left over weapons from their last fight in Egypt onto the sofa. Eleanor stood by the wall, which used to be the glass wall that overlooked the city but was now the metal security wall. And two long wooden spears lay haphazardly amongst a spray of brown dust on the white marble floor.
“Thank you, Eleanor,” Cronin said.
She looked a little shaken, even for a vampire. “I am sorry I didn’t see it sooner. They must have a cloaker, Cronin. Someone is hiding their actions.”
Eiji stuffed arrows into a backpack. “We need to leave,” he said without looking up.
Cronin gave a hard nod. “Agreed.”
“What about my dad,” Alec asked. “If they found us, then they must know of him.”
Cronin squeezed Alec’s hand before letting it go. He put his phone to his ear and quickly spoke to someone in French, then redialed and spoke in English. “Kole, it is Cronin. Jacques will be at your door. Please let him in. You need to come with us. Alec and I will be there directly to get you both.”
From what Alec could understand, his father mustn’t have argued. Cronin put his phone in his pocket. “Alec, you will need two jackets.”
Alec raced into the closet and grabbed two jackets, one for him and one for his dad. When he came back out, Cronin was helping Eiji pack stakes and pistols into backpacks. Alec threw the jackets on the sofa. Cronin simply announced they wouldn’t be gone long and slid his arm around Alec, and they leapt.
* * * *
When Alec and Cronin landed in Kole’s living room, Kole was at the front door with Jacques. Alec’s father, a gray-haired man almost in his sixties, was wide-eyed and pale. “Dad?” Alec rushed to him. “You okay?”
Kole nodded weakly. “Yeah, yeah. I’m just too old for this middle of the night crap.”
Cronin wasted no time. “Kole, do you have a book on your family history? Any documentation you may have would be greatly appreciated.”
Kole nodded and darted out of the room.
Alec noticed then that his dad was wearing pajamas. “I’ll go throw some clothes in a bag,” Alec said, following his father down the hall. He heard Cronin ask Jacques if he’d seen anything out of the ordinary while he watched over Kole, but he didn’t hear Jacques’ reply. He stuffed handfuls of clothes into a small overnight bag and when he went back to the living room, Kole was already there.
He was holding a book Alec had never seen. “I only have this one….” His words died away.
Cronin was holding a pamphlet out to Kole. He looked pissed or worried, possibly both. “Where did you get this?”
“Uh, it’s funny you should mention that,” Kole answered quietly. “I got a phone call from some guy at Discovery Times Square who said I won tickets. I didn’t believe him, you know,
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