Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
When Robbie walked into my flat without knocking, I smiled. He treated my place like it was becoming a home, and I liked that.
I wondered if I’d ever feel as comfortable at the den.
Then my welcoming smile faded as I realised he was armed to the teeth. After him came Ivan, Maktel and Hanlon, all similarly armed.
I raised an eyebrow. ‘All right?’
Robbie nodded tightly. ‘We can get into Wraithmore but it must be tonight. We need to leave now.’
North of Liverpool, Wraithmore Prison was a fifty-minute drive away, on a good day. It was already 8pm, and the edges of tiredness were clawing at me, but I was grateful I hadn’t indulged in a whisky with Channing and Ji-ho.
‘They won’t let you in armed like that.’ I gestured to their many weapons.
‘I know,’ said Robbie. ‘It’s a statement.’
‘It sure is that,’ I agreed. ‘Give me a second. I need to change.’ I was dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and a hoody Rupert had given me which said, ‘Your ambition outweighs your skills’. Despite the insult, the maroon jumper was one of my favourites, but it wasn’t quite prison-suitable.
I hustled into my bedroom to change and Loki flew in after me, sneaking in before I closed the door.
I coming with you, he said firmly in my head. His emotions were so high that he’d switched into verbal speech mode. I not leaving you to face him on own. Nothing you say change mind.
Okay, I said.
I help—wait. What? I come?
Of course. In invisibility mode, but yeah, I’d like to have you with me. It was hard to admit, but I meant it. There was something about the occasionally snarky bird that settled me, and I’d take any and all comfort I could get while I literally confronted my nightmares made flesh.
Loki trilled in triumph, doing a victory lap around my ceiling.
I opened my wardrobe and stared into it, thinking about what image I wanted to project.
I hesitated to select my Connection uniform.
The middle triangle on my forehead marked me as part of the Connection come what may, but all the same, this wasn’t a formal visit.
Wasn’t authorised. So the black suit was out.
After a beat, I selected a light grey trouser suit instead, with a standard white shirt. It was formal, official, but it wasn’t my uniform. I slung it on and brushed my hair. No makeup. Meeting your kidnapper and torturer wasn’t an occasion to dress up for.
I pulled on flat black boots and wished they’d let me take my weapons in with me, but I already knew they wouldn’t. The risk that an inmate might snatch it off me was too high.
I walked out. ‘I’m ready.’
‘Then let’s go.’
Maktel gave me a small nod as I came closer, discreet as always.
Hanlon slugged me on the shoulder, but he pulled it so much that it was barely more than a nudge.
I shot him a glare and gave him a far harder reciprocal punch, making him grin.
Ivan jerked his chin up in acknowledgement. We were all one big happy family.
We left the flat. As I shut the door, I heard the kettle switch on and off again. Bob was freaking out. You and me both, Bob.
I didn’t want to go to Wraithmore. Didn’t want to meet up with Vance Broadlake or look at his hands, knowing what he’d once done to my flesh.
My stomach was churning so badly I felt like everyone could sense it, but I kept my face blank as I made my way down to the three identical black SUVs parked outside my apartment building.
The tree outside was black with crows. I sent them a pulse of friendship, and they burst into raucous caws in response.
Despite his tension, Robbie’s expression warmed. ‘They like you.’
‘Yeah. I like them too, so it’s all good.’
Ten crows peeled away from the tree and thrust their bodies into the air.
Ignoring the crows’ antics, Ivan strode to the front car and climbed in.
Robbie and I took the middle vehicle, and Hanlon and Maktel brought up the rear.
Apparently, we were riding in convoy today with a corvid escort.
I texted Bastion our estimated time of arrival at Wraithmore.
I didn’t receive a response. Whether he would join us or not was anyone’s guess. He was the ultimate man of mystery.
The atmosphere in the car was tense as we moved off.
‘Are you okay, Stacy?’ Robbie asked.
‘I’m fine,’ I said tersely.
‘You’re not,’ he shot back, hands tightening on the steering wheel. ‘You’ve got a poker face on, Inspector, and you only wear it when you have something to hide.’
I grimaced. ‘I’ll have to work on that.’
‘Don’t. I like seeing your emotions. Don’t hide them from me.’
‘I’m not hiding them from you,’ I said. ‘I’m hiding them from me.’
His left hand left the steering wheel to rest lightly on my knee. A silent support. He was good at that – offering support.
Loki better, the bird muttered in the recesses of my mind and my poker face relaxed.
The rest of the journey passed in heavy silence, each of us in our own heads.
Wraithmore’s walls loomed up out of the land, red-brick and austere. Lit all around by floodlights, it was painted with more runes than I’d ever seen in my entire life.
Even at this time of night, a pair of witches were up ladders, painting on more runes. I assumed it was a job akin to painting the Golden Gate Bridge; when you were done, it was time to start all over again. And there was no job more important than keeping the occupants of Wraithmore in.
The dull, cloudy day had rolled into a dull, cloudy night, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.
Tonight suddenly did not feel like a good time to venture from home.
It was a night for a glass of wine, a movie and a fire, and I wished I were doing exactly that.
Hell, I’d rather be doing anything other than heading into the highest-security prison that had ever been made for the Other’s denizens.
As we came closer, an eerie screech penetrated the air, and the whump-whump of huge wings flapped right by us.
‘Bastion,’ I said.
Robbie toggled on the radio handset and barked, ‘He’s with us. No action.’
‘Roger.’
‘Roger.’
I probably should have mentioned that I’d messaged Bastion, but without a reply from him, I’d assumed he wasn’t free to join us at the drop of a hat.
I was annoyed with myself. My motto was never assume, and I’d done just that. For all I knew, my heavily armed escorts had been seconds away from shooting Bastion out of the sky.
We pulled into a gatehouse and turned our engines off.
Bastion hit the ground with such force that the pavement shook. A beat later he shifted into human form and walked over to join Ivan, who was out of the car and doing the hard work of presenting various wads of paper to the guards and gesturing to each car.
Invisibility mode, I murmured to my bird, and Loki shimmered out of sight, taking his place on my shoulder and pressing himself against my neck in silent support.
The guards inspected each vehicle thoroughly but said nothing about the ogres’ armed state. I guessed that was someone else’s job.
Bastion must have got the all-clear too because he strolled over to our car and climbed into the passenger side.
‘Your Excellence,’ he greeted my mate.
‘Bastion. Nice of you to come along.’
Bastion flashed white teeth in tanned skin. ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
Once the gatekeeper was satisfied we were who we said we were, he pressed a button and the metal gates clanged open, granting us entrance into hell. My gut felt like a herd of unicorns was running through it with their sharp piercing claws.
I squinted into the darkness at the prison. It was a huge compound, and even from outside I got the sense that once you stepped inside you could be swallowed up and never find your way out again. It wasn’t a comforting thought.
The engines caught and we rolled forward into the prison’s maw.