Chapter 6 #3
Ben looked at her and then at Finn, the former DAPI agent and the shadow operative, two people who’d spent a good chunk of their lives working in darkness and secrecy.
They made an unlikely team, but he could see the way they’d begun to sync up over the course of the day, their different skill sets complementing each other in ways that neither of them had probably anticipated.
“Halloween is in five days,” Finn said, his voice taking on a more businesslike tone.
“If we’re going to use it as an opportunity, we need to start planning now.
The chaos of the holiday will provide cover — trick-or-treaters everywhere, people in costumes, general confusion.
We should be able to move through town without attracting attention. ”
“And Gregory’s team?” Ben asked.
“They’ll be focused on their drilling operation.
Eric’s readings show they’ve been running the equipment around the clock for the past week.
They’re pushing hard for some kind of breakthrough.
” Finn’s jaw tightened. “If we can disrupt their operation while simultaneously reaching through the portal….”
“We might be able to buy enough time to find a real solution.” Rebecca pulled the map closer so she could study the approach routes Finn had marked. “The question is how we coordinate. Sidney’s the only one who can actually use the portal, but she can’t be in two places at once.”
“She won’t have to be.” The certainty in his voice surprised Ben a little, but he went on, “When she uses her abilities, I amplify them. That’s what DAPI discovered — our bioelectric signatures resonate.
If she’s opening the portal, I need to be with her.
Which means the two of you would need to handle Gregory’s camp. ”
Finn’s expression was unreadable, but Ben thought he saw something like approval in the older man’s eyes. “You’ve thought about this.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about how Sidney and I work together.
” Ben leaned back in his chair, feeling the weight of the past few months settle over him — the fear and the wonder and the strange, fierce joy of finding someone whose very presence made him more than he’d been alone.
“During the phoenix merge, I was her anchor. I kept her connected to herself when the fire wanted to burn her away. If she’s going to reach through the portal and contact these other guardians, maybe even bring her mother and grandmother back…
.” He paused for a beat or two, wanting to make sure they understood. “She’s going to need me there.”
“And if Gregory’s people detect what you’re doing?” Rebecca asked. “They’ve got sensors all over that forest. The moment Sidney starts channeling serious power, every alarm in their camp is going to light up.”
“Then you’ll need to make sure they’re too busy to respond.” Ben met her gaze steadily. “Can you do that?”
Rebecca and Finn exchanged a glance. Neither of them said anything, but it still seemed as if they’d reached an understanding.
“We can do that,” Rebecca said. “Finn knows the terrain better than anyone, and I’ve got enough tactical experience to improvise when things go sideways.” A ghost of a smile crossed her face. “Which they always do.”
“Then we have the beginning of a plan.” Ben looked down at the map, at the red circle marking Gregory’s operation and the winding paths that led to the portal site. They’d be risking a lot, but they didn’t have any choice but to go forward and hope for the best.
Time and the Dragon waited for no man.
“We should get some sleep,” he said at length. “Tomorrow, we’ll start working out the details.”
Finn nodded, but he didn’t move from his chair. “I’ll stay up a while longer. There are still some approaches I want to map out.”
“I’ll keep him company,” Rebecca added. “Eric’s supposed to send more data in a few hours. I might as well be awake to receive it.”
Ben rose from the table, then paused at the doorway to look back at them — two people who’d spent years operating alone, now working side by side in the warm light of the dining room. It wasn’t exactly trust, but it was something. A foundation they could build on.
“For what it’s worth,” he said quietly, “I’m glad you’re both here. Sidney won’t say it — she’s still too angry, and she has every right to be. But she needs people in her corner right now. People who understand what’s at stake.”
Finn’s dark eyes met his, and for a moment, the careful neutrality dropped away, revealing a flash of raw pain underneath. “Take care of her,” he said. “Whatever happens with the rest of this — take care of my daughter.”
“I will,” Ben promised. “I always will.”
He climbed the stairs slowly, skipping the third step, and slipped back into the bedroom where Sidney still slept.
The blue-gold light had faded to a soft glimmer that pulsed gently in rhythm with her breathing.
He undressed quietly and slid under the covers beside her, and she turned instinctively toward him, her hand finding his chest, her fingers coming to rest over the scar where Rosenthal’s weapon had struck.
Even in sleep, she was reaching for him. Even in sleep, they were connected.
Ben closed his eyes and let the steady pulse of their shared light carry him down into darkness, where dreams of fire and impossible choices waited.