Chapter Twenty-Four – Zeth
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zeth
It takes me exactly fifty minutes to meet with Tom and hand over the USB stick. I don’t stay to talk and don’t wait for questions or debriefing. I drop the evidence in his hand and leave immediately, my body dissolving into liquid before he can even respond.
Every second away from Wren feels wrong, like I’ve left part of myself behind.
I’ve merged with dozens of hosts over the years and separated from them without issue, but this is different.
She’s different. When I’m not with her, not touching her or merged with her, I feel out of place, incomplete. A vital part of myself is missing.
I move through the city as fast as I can, flowing through pipes and ventilation systems, taking the most direct routes. In liquid form I can slip through spaces no human can access, and remain unseen even with people around.
Right now, the only thing that matters is getting back to her before something goes wrong.
When I reach the burger joint, I flow through the ventilation system and reform in the bathroom, checking every stall. They’re all empty, not that I expected her to still be here, but for some reason, this is the first place my instinct told me to check.
I move to the dining area, searching the booths and corners. She’s not here either, and Olivia is gone, too.
I head to the underground lab next, slipping through the gaps around the sealed door and spreading myself thin to fit through the smallest spaces. The lab is empty. I search the entire bunker systematically, checking every room and corridor, but there’s no trace of her anywhere.
She’s gone. They took her somewhere, and I have no idea where.
I force myself to think clearly. Panic won’t help. I need information, and the only place to get it is the surveillance room.
I find it behind the kitchen – a small, windowless space with monitors covering one wall. A man sits inside scrolling through his phone, occasionally glancing at the camera feeds. Most of the screens show empty corridors, and I notice there are no feeds from the lab. Of course.
I study the guard for a few minutes, watching his patterns. He’s bored and distracted, and not expecting any trouble. I need to see what happened while I was gone, and he’s not going to let me access those recordings willingly.
I slither out of the vent as liquid, pooling on the floor without making a sound.
The guard doesn’t hear or feel anything.
I flow across the floor and up the back of his chair, moving slowly and carefully.
When I’m level with his head, I materialize just two arms and wrap them around his neck in a hold I’ve used countless times before, applying pressure to the right points.
He struggles for a few seconds, his phone clattering to the desk, but then goes limp.
His breathing evens out – unconscious but unharmed.
Nice and easy.
I materialize fully and lower him to the floor, then turn to the monitors.
I press a few buttons, rewinding the footage, and I’m suddenly watching Olivia and Wren sitting in a corner booth, the waitress pouring coffee.
Wren sits up abruptly and heads toward the bathroom.
So far everything matches what I remember.
I notice there’s a camera positioned in the hallway leading to the bathroom, and a few minutes after Wren enters, I see Garrett appear, pounding on the door.
My hands curl into fists as I watch him drag her out, his movements rough and aggressive.
He pats her down, his hands running over her body, between her breasts, and shoving between her legs like he has every right to touch her however he pleases.
She struggles, but not hard enough to shake him off, and I have to believe it’s because she doesn’t want to blow up her cover.
“Fucking bastard,” I curse loudly.
I hate myself for abandoning her and not being there to stop him.
But I didn’t have a choice. The USB stick had to get to Tom, and with Wren, the mission always came first. That’s what she wanted, and that’s what I did.
Sometimes, the choices she makes are not to protect herself. It’s all about the job.
I watch as Olivia and Garrett lead Wren outside. The footage ends there, and there are no cameras in the back parking lot. I rewind and watch the sequence again, looking for any details I might have missed, but there’s nothing. They just walked her out and disappeared.
I return to the lab, flowing through the ventilation system. When I’m right above the main workspace, I hear someone inside. I slip through a gap near the ceiling and pool in the shadows, watching.
Roman is pacing back and forth with his phone pressed to his ear. He gestures wildly and yells so loud that spit flies out of his mouth.
“What do you mean you’re keeping her hostage and you can’t tell me where?
Are you fucking insane, Garrett? She’s my chemist. I found her, and she answers to me.
You answer to me too, fucker. I’m part of the family.
And you keep stepping on my toes. One of these days, you’ll suffer the consequences. ”
Okay, then. Garrett took Wren somewhere and is keeping the location hidden from Roman. That’s good to know. Is he keeping her hidden from Lucien and Cesar, too?
Roman continues yelling.
“What about my laptop? I have a password, obviously. No, I didn’t fucking forget it open on the desk.” A pause. “Oh, oh! Are you questioning me? So what? Do you think she’s a spy?” He laughs at that.
I have to stifle a groan. Roman really is an idiot, but it worked to our advantage, so at least there’s that. Unfortunately, Garrett doesn’t seem willing to tell Roman where Wren is, which means I can’t find out this way either.
“Fuck you,” Roman snarls into the phone and ends the call.
He groans in frustration and swipes his hand across the countertop, sending equipment crashing to the floor. Beakers shatter and tools scatter across the concrete. He stands there breathing hard, staring at the mess he’s made.
I decide to stick with Roman for now. I don’t have any other leads, and he’s my best chance of finding her. I watch as he calms down enough to start gathering the vials of Flame from the cupboards. He places them into a crate and seals it, then he makes another short phone call.
After about half an hour, two men arrive. They look around the laboratory with interest, and I gather they’re seeing it for the first time.
Roman gestures to the crate.
“Load it into the truck.”
He leaves without another word, trusting the men to do their job.
But while they’re distracted studying the lab equipment, I make my move.
I slide across the floor and pour myself into the crate, fitting carefully around the vials.
It’s a tight space but I can manage it, molding my form to avoid putting pressure on the glass.
I feel the men lift the crate and carry it outside, then place it in the back of a truck. The engine starts and we begin moving.
I know they’re not driving to Wren’s location, but I don’t know what else to do. This is better than nothing. At some point, Roman must meet with his brothers, maybe with Garrett as well. I just need to stick with him, silent and hidden, and wait for the opportunity.
The drive is long, taking us through what feels like the entire city based on the turns and stops.
When the truck finally parks, I slide out of the crate and flow to the back seat, where Roman is.
I spread myself thin under the seat, staying out of sight.
I can sense my surroundings and feel the vibrations and movements around me.
I’m so used to this form that it’s not hard to orient myself.
Roman’s phone rings, and he answers only after he takes a few deep breaths.
“It’s all ready for distribution, yes.” A pause.
“No, father, nothing is wrong. Garrett is exaggerating. Nothing will go wrong tonight.” Another pause.
“We can wait a few days if you’re really concerned.
” He sounds frustrated now. “Yes, I agree. Then everything goes according to schedule.” A pause.
“No, it’s a good idea. Tell Garrett to bring her if it makes you feel better.
But I assure you, she’s one of us. All right. Yes. Yes.”
He agrees a few more times with Viktor and ends the call, then groans and closes his eyes.
I feel a surge of relief. I made the right decision.
From what I understand, Wren will be present when the distribution happens tonight.
All I need to do is stick with Roman until then, and he’ll lead me straight to her.
If the information from his laptop made it to the FBI, they should have everything they need to hit the Kyzers tonight. They’ll know when and where to strike.
My mind drifts to Wren. Is she hurt? Are they treating her well?
Despite Garrett’s polite demeanor, I don’t trust him at all.
I saw how he touched her on that surveillance footage, how he shoved his hand between her legs like he owned her.
I can’t wait to tear him apart with my own hands and make him pay for putting his hands on her that way.
But I sigh, knowing the FBI won’t allow it.
As a bodyguard working for the MSA, I’m not allowed to eliminate people except in dire circumstances, only when there’s absolutely no other choice.
Too much paperwork. The MSA tells us to avoid making a mess if we can and let law enforcement handle arrests and prosecutions.
If the FBI catches everyone tonight, I’ll have to be grateful for that and put my rage to rest.
I settle in to wait. Roman doesn’t move for a long time, just sits there with his eyes closed.
I focus on staying patient, on keeping my form stable and silent.
Soon enough, he’ll lead me to her, and I’ll be able to see for myself that she’s all right.
I’ll be able to protect her again, the way I should have been protecting her all along.
The thought of her alone with Garrett, and especially with Olivia, makes something dark and violent stir in my chest. But I push it down and wait. That’s all I can do right now. Wait, and trust that I’ll get to her in time.