Chapter 13 #2
The spirits looked at each other with expressions of ancient pain. "The Drake line," the scarred man said finally. "Michel Drake's corruption did not die with him. His descendants have continued his work. They’ve been hiding among the Guardian families like wolves among sheep."
"Son of a bitch," I breathed as my mind began processing the information. It wasn’t surprising given Michel’s actions. But it did complicate things.
"I bet it’s the researchers approaching the families," Phi postulated.
"And we have no idea how many other Drake descendants might be positioned throughout the network." I felt a sense of dread as the implications hit me. "They have likely been mapping Guardian bloodlines for decades."
"There's more you need to see," Thomas said urgently. "The spirits have been guiding me to discoveries I never would have made on my own."
My sisters and I groaned in perfect unison. "Are you kidding me?" I muttered, staring at yet another set of mysterious stairs disappearing into the bowels of the earth.
"Mysterious stairs leading to underground chambers are definitely the theme of this crisis," Kota said dryly. "At this point, I'm expecting to find them in my breakfast cereal."
"I'm starting to think the original Guardians had a serious obsession with basements," Dani added, rubbing her temples like she was fighting a headache.
"Or maybe they were all just really committed to getting their daily step count," Dea said with her usual cheer.
Thomas looked confused by our less-than-enthusiastic response. "These are sacred passages—"
"Oh, I'm sure they are," I interrupted, already resigned to our fate. "But we've been up and down more mysterious staircases in the past two days than a Victorian ghost story. Lead the way."
"There are tunnels that connect to sites all across the city,” Thomas explained as we reluctantly descended into yet another corridor that stretched beyond our flashlight range. “The original Guardians used them to move unseen."
"Of course they did," Kota muttered behind me. "Heaven forbid we find any Guardian secrets at ground level."
Despite our collective irritation with subterranean exploration, we went down behind Thomas.
The tunnels were genuinely impressive. They were a marvel of 19th-century engineering combined with magical construction.
The walls were lined with the same protective symbols we'd found in other Guardian sites.
And the air hummed with preserved enchantments that had kept these passages hidden for over a century.
"How do you know about these?" Dani asked as we walked through corridors that should have been on every city planning map but weren't.
"The spirits guided me," Thomas replied. "Every few months, I'd get the urge to explore a new section. I had to clear away debris to make sure the passages stayed accessible. It’s taken me months, and I haven’t explored everything."
We'd been walking for maybe ten minutes when Dre suddenly stopped, holding up her hand for silence. "Do you hear that?"
Cocking my head to the side, I strained to pick up what she had. The sound of electronic equipment was barely audible over our footsteps in the distance. There was beeping, humming, and the subtle whir of machinery. What was it doing in century-old tunnels?
"That's new," Thomas said in an alarmed voice.
We moved forward more carefully with our magical senses on high alert. What we found around the next bend stunned us. Modern surveillance equipment lined the tunnel walls. There were cameras, motion sensors, and listening devices that looked military-grade.
"Someone's been monitoring these tunnels," Phi observed as she began photographing everything. "And they've had time to install a comprehensive surveillance network."
"Look at this." Dea lifted a folder that was left carelessly on a makeshift table. We all scurried over to her. It contained detailed floor plans of Guardian properties, photographs of family members, and schedules that tracked daily routines.
"They know everywhere everyone goes, when they go there, and who they talk to," Kota growled.
There were photos of Claude Moreau, the missing Beauregard and Ashford families, and dozens of others I didn't recognize. Each photo was labeled with names, abilities, and what looked like target priorities. "This is a kill list," I realized with growing horror.
Dre blew out a breath. "That's not surprising. We know they've been systematically cataloging every Guardian descendant in the city."
"There's a signature on these reports." Phi pointed to initials in the corner of each document. "M.D. Marcus Drake?"
"Has to be," I said, anger burning in my chest like acid. "The bastard's been using his descendants as researchers to map Guardian bloodlines and then feeding targeting information to the Collector's harvesters."
Thomas's ancestral spirits’ translucent forms flickered with agitation. I hadn’t realized they’d followed us into the tunnels before they began their little light show. "The betrayer has been here," the scarred man confirmed. "His corruption stains these sacred passages."
“No shit,” Kota snorted, making Dea glare at her.
"When was he last here?" Dea asked with a smile.
"Recently," the woman who had spoken above ground said after a moment. "Within the last day or two. And he wasn't alone. There were others with him."
"I bet they were harvesters," I concluded. "If this goes as many places as you say, I bet he's been using the tunnel network to coordinate attacks."
"I hate to break up this conversation, but he knows we're here," Kota said grimly. "This equipment is still active. If it's transmitting real-time surveillance..."
"We need to move," I blurted, cutting her off as I backed away from the surveillance station. "Now. This whole thing could be a trap."
As if summoned by my words, the electronic equipment began sparking and smoking as supernatural energy interfered with the circuits.
I hoped that was the ghosts surrounding us.
A bone-chilling howl echoed in the distance.
It didn’t sound like the harvesters. What else did Michel have at his disposal?
"Thomas!" the spirit woman called urgently. "Lead them to safety! More creatures are coming!"
"This way!" Thomas shouted as he broke into a run toward a side passage. The dim lighting had hidden it until we were turning down it. "There’s an emergency exit to the surface!"
I cast a protective shield around us as we ran through twisting corridors. My heart hammered harder in my chest as the sounds of pursuit echoed behind us. Whatever was hunting us in these tunnels was gaining ground fast. I had the distinct feeling that our luck was about to run out.
The emergency exit was a narrow spiral staircase that led up to a concealed entrance behind a tomb.
We emerged into daylight, gasping and disoriented.
Thomas slammed the hidden door behind us and triggered magical locks.
"That won't hold them for long," he warned with sweat beading on his forehead from our flight.
"They’re taking over the tunnel network. Soon nowhere will be safe."
"Then we make our own safety," I said, pulling out my phone to call Lucas and Noah. "It's time to gather everyone at Willowberry. We need a plan to end this."