Chapter 69
The Warehouse
The car ride there seemed to take forever. The engine roared, and tires squealed occasionally as Ethan navigated through the tight winding roads following Michael through the streets of Portland.
Georgie’s fingers were white-knuckled to the back of the leather seat, and she had her eyes squeezed shut for most of the way.
Nerves bundled in my stomach, congregating like a group of old men at a Viagra convention.
But it was nothing to do with the speed Ethan was driving.
It was the dread of what Karson had done to Marg and of seeing Sarah again.
If Sarah loved her mother as much as Ethan said, she might trade herself without a fight.
We’d have our freedom back. Karson and I could laze in bed all morning, or watch the sun fall over the mountain at night.
We would be able to go out on dates, walk down the street together, our arms entwined.
It was the little things, the moments that seemed inconsequential at the time, those were the things I had missed. And the big thing—we could all go home.
I reached across and squeezed Georgie’s arm. Her skin had gone from pale to green. She peeked out of the corners of her eyes at the buildings blurring past and groaned before shutting them again.
“Don’t worry, Georgie,” Josh teased, twisting his head from the front seat. “If he crashes the car, I’ll save you.”
“I’m not going to crash.” Ethan looked at us through the rear-vision mirror. “You throw up though, and I will rub your nose in it.”
“Not helping,” Georgie muttered.
I glanced out of the window, watching the fog wrapped around the streets crawling up the sides of heavily graffitied buildings.
The streets were empty of cars and the usual throng of people.
Trash littered the gutters. A solitary homeless man was huddled by a small fire lit in a drum.
The area had a desolate and ruined feel. Perfect for a hidden war.
My fingers slipped to my knives concealed at my side. Knowing I had them wasn’t a comfort though.
We pulled up beside Michael, and three other cars parked behind the ring-lock fence with rolls of barbed wire curling over the top.
We climbed out, clicking the doors shut.
Frail moonlight straggled through the churning clouds.
The air was still and silent. I scanned between the buildings, searching for any signs that we were not alone.
“Hear anything?” Ethan asked Michael.
Michael shook his head. “No, Rodney and the others have gone to check the area to make sure we aren’t walking into a trap.”
“Do you feel anything?” Ethan asked, turning his attention to me.
I blinked. I never thought to feel … It was stupid really, to live with skills and barely use them, even when I needed to.
I closed my eyes and felt for a cold, heavy vibration.
I felt it, of course, standing next to three vampires, but I imagined my energy moving out through the fence, across the concrete yard, searching for something thicker.
I felt something; it pooled in my stomach, settled in my bones.
Dread. But I couldn’t feel vampires. Though my energetic reach had its limits, if they were at a distance or behind thick walls, I wouldn’t feel them.
I opened my eyes. “Maybe he’s not here.”
“Only one way to find out.” Josh headed to the gate, padlocked with a thick chain.
“Wait,” Ethan ordered, stopping Josh as his hand wrapped around the chain, ready to break it. Ethan turned to Michael. “What are we going to do with Amy and Georgie?”
Michael kept his eyes ahead, alert for any hint of danger. “I think the safest place for them at this point is with us.”
“If Sarah is here and she sees Amy …” His eyes shot to me, a flare of panic in them as if he too felt the dread.
“Then we will protect her,” Michael said, calm as though it wouldn’t be an issue.
“I don’t like it. I think we should get Josh to drive them to Dahlia. She can keep them somewhere safe until this is all over.”
I slipped away as they argued, using my mind to unlock the padlock. The argument stopped. I felt their eyes burning through the back of my head. Ethan muttered a curse.
“Oh, nice, that’s a bit quieter than snapping it.” Josh grinned as he opened the gate and indicated with his hand for me to walk through. “The other option was to hoist you both on my impressive shoulders and jump over the fence, but I thought Georgie would throw up all over me.”
Josh didn’t appear scared, but he had never fought before. Had never seen Sarah. He had no idea of her rage, her power.
The night seemed to deepen—thicken—as we entered the yard. To the right, a still river slithered through the landscape, glistening like a dark snake. Fog swarmed over the top in large patches, like spirits rising from death. I shuddered and walked silently across the cracked concrete yard.
Georgie ran to catch up, her footsteps heavy against the clouded silence, heavier than a vampire or witch.
Her eyes darted up, roving the rooftops nervously.
Michael, Josh, and Ethan would spot anything long before we could.
But I scanned too; not even a vampire could look in every direction at once.
Ethan fell in line with me. “You stay right beside me.”
“Isn’t that where you always want her,” Josh said, his voice light.
Ethan nailed him with a hard glare. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.” Josh shoved his hands in the pockets of his thick baseball jacket and looked away. Georgie elbowed him in the side. He threw up his hands, a curl of white air puffing from his lips as he mouthed, What.
We barely made it past the first warehouse when the vampires stopped abruptly.
“Did you hear that?” Josh whispered gravely.
“What is it?” Georgie whispered back, her eyes wide.
“Quiet, please,” Michael said, ever polite, even though he looked worried.
Then, from out of the dark and the fog, a scream sounded.
A terrible, keening, screeching noise. Like a horribly injured animal.
My skin crawled with cold. Wherever it was coming from wasn’t close, it was distant, weak, and yet loud to my senses.
Then it stopped, and all I could hear was my heart thundering and my breath thumping from my mouth.
“Do you think it’s her?” Michael asked.
Color drained from Ethan’s face. “I wish I could say no.”
“At least we know we are in the right place,” Josh said.
“What are we going to do?” Georgie asked, looking between Ethan and Michael.
“I will call Rodney to make sure it’s safe to move closer.” Michael took his phone out, but after a few moments, he shook his head. “No answer.”
“I suppose it’s too much to hope the screaming was him,” Josh said.
Georgie’s mouth opened, then closed, as she muttered, “Josh.”
He shrugged. “I don’t actually want him hurt … too badly.”
“If Rodney was the one screaming, Joshua,” Michael growled, finally losing his patience, “then I suggest whatever lies out there is too much for you and you better run.”
“Sorry,” Josh said, fidgeting. “I tend to crack jokes when I’m crapping my pants.”
“That woman is someone I care about,” Ethan said with a quiet warning. “So if you joke one more time, I will tear your tongue from your mouth.”
Josh held up his palms and took a step back. “Sorry, I … just … this is a bit much for me. I used to bake cakes and now I’m …” His hands swept out. “Here.”
Georgie squeezed his arm. “It’ll be alright. They’ll work it out.”
Josh gave her a weak smile.
Another scream tore through the night, weaker and shorter this time, sending a fresh burst of frozen spiders rushing over my skin. She was suffering horribly. “We have to go now,” I breathed.
Michael tried to call Rodney again, but still he received no answer.
Ethan turned to me, his features tight. “Do you have your weapons?”
I bobbed my head.
“Good, I’m going to carry you closer.” His lifted his eyes. “Josh, you carry Georgie. We will move quickly, but not so quickly we aren’t aware of any unpleasant surprises.”
“Front or back?” Josh asked Georgie.
“Back, and I’d crack a joke about that, but I’m not feeling very funny right now.”
“That makes two of us,” Josh said. “Also, I want to keep my tongue.” He squatted and Georgie clambered on.
I stepped behind Ethan and he squatted so I could climb on. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist.
“Hold on.” He moved so fast my body whipped back and my hands almost let go. The air rushed against my face, stinging my eyes and roaring against my ears. Michael ran in front, Josh at our side, his strides long and effortless as if he was floating.
I closed my eyes and tucked my face in the crook of Ethan’s neck, my breath bouncing off his skin and warming my face. I could swear he shivered.
Ethan placed me on the ground in front of a large metal door. Josh lowered a green-faced Georgie gently to her feet. She staggered, her hand bracing against a wall as she sucked in breaths, fighting not to be sick.
We all paused.
The wind rose suddenly, wailing against the huge brick structure, catching loose guttering in its teeth then snapping it back down again.
Michael turned to Ethan, his hands braced on his shoulders. “Whatever you see, do not go for him, Ethan. In his rage, he may not be able to control himself.”
Ethan’s teeth clenched, a low snarl slipping out of him. “I can’t promise.”
“You must, or you wait here. We need to talk him down, not rile him further.”
Ethan drew in a slow, deep breath and grated, “Fine.”
Another gut-wrenching scream jerked my entire body.
Michael turned to me. “I must warn you. You will not like what you will see. The man in there may behave in ways that are nothing like the one you know.”
The screaming as if she was being ripped apart was brutal enough to tell me whatever he was doing would be horrific.
“I know,” I whispered.
“He will do whatever he thinks he needs to do to flush Sarah from hiding.” Michael’s jaw was taut as he opened the unlocked door.