Chapter 15 Zeke
Zeke
Iled Ori and the security team through the wreckage to the back of the barn where I’d seen the machines. My heart still raced from the earlier confrontation. I’d never seen death like that up close, and I never wanted to again.
The distinctive odor of burnt Drevlin energy crystals assaulted my nostrils. The polaron wave had done its job, reducing most of Lael’s tech to useless scrap. A few crystals still survived.
“Be careful,” I warned, stepping over the wreckage of the energy generator. “Some of the crystals didn’t burn out.”
Orion might not understand the significance of my words, but the security team did. Gabriel had picked agents who understood how the weapons worked. One of them pulled a pair of tongs from her kit, while another took a containment box from his pack.
I left the collection to the crew and moved deeper into the barn. Orion stuck close, stopping me once to check around the corner. I appreciated his concern, but I was a big boy. This wasn’t my first dangerous assignment.
The whole mission left me off-kilter. I was proud of my work but couldn’t stop feeling this was all a waste.
Lael and his accomplices had poured so much effort into this misguided venture based on false information.
Not only was their work a pile of useless junk, but they’d also lost their lives for nothing.
“Over here,” Orion called, gesturing toward what had once been the communications array. “This looks different.”
I joined Orion and immediately understood why he’d called me over. The damage was too extensive, too deliberate.
“This wasn’t us.” I crouched down to get a better look. “The polaron wave wouldn’t have caused this kind of destruction. This was an explosive. Lael or one of his people must’ve done this.”
“Why would they do that?”
I could think of several reasons, but they all had the same origin. “They didn’t want anyone to see what they were doing. There was probably a self-destruct program tied to Lael or one of the others. If they died, the machines would be destroyed beyond repair.”
“Sir!” one of the security officers called out. “I found a tablet. It seems mostly intact.”
She dusted it off and I accepted the device, grateful for small mercies. I tapped my watch and held it close to the screen. My luck held. Their security was as outdated as their other tech and the screen unlocked.
I stood there for a moment, looking at the wallpaper of the tablet. None of this made sense. Even if Lael didn’t have the expertise to understand the antiquated nature of his technology, the person building it must’ve known. Why would they help him build something so useless?
And who paid for all this? Whoever it was, they made sure Lael couldn’t tell us their identity.
“Are you okay?” Orion asked.
“I’m fine, but something’s wrong. We’re still missing an important piece of evidence.” I explained my concerns, the list of which grew as I spoke.
“Lael never showed an aptitude for science,” Orion said. “Maybe he immersed himself in this area over the last few decades?”
His theory was possible, but even he didn’t believe it. Lael also didn’t seem to understand when I explained his tech was outdated.
“Is there someone who disliked Lael so much they would set him up like this?” I asked.
Ori gave me a puzzled look, so I continued.
“Someone filled his head with nonsense about angels not preparing for the Drevlin. Then they convinced him to build essentially useless weapons—which once we review the plans, I’ll bet contained a design flaw that would attract attention.
After that, Lael gathered a bunch of malcontents to help with his mission and got them all in one place. Convenient, much?”
I gave Ori a moment to digest my suspicions.
“Toss in that at least one of those disgruntled angels had an aptitude for Drevlin technology and I don’t think I’m being paranoid.
They used Lael to assemble dissidents and agitators, gather them in one location, and give them weapons that were easily neutralized. This was a setup.”
“You think Michael or Gabriel is behind this?” Orion asked.
If they were, it would shatter Ori’s worldview. “No. If they set this up, they wouldn’t need either of us. They’d have known what to expect and sent in a security team to round everyone up. It wasn’t either of them.”
Before we could continue our discussion, someone called Ori away.
I wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t have the vital information needed to prove my theory.
Skimming through the tablet, I found a wealth of information stored in its memory. The communication logs and the schematics for the machines might give Michael a lead on who recruited Lael for the fool’s errand.
Closing those windows, I clicked on the photo icon in the hopes it would confirm ownership.
My breath caught as the lone image filled the screen.
The image was an old photograph that had been scanned into a picture file.
Lael and Orion wore uniforms consistent with World War I.
Orion smiled for the camera, but Lael’s expression made my stomach churn.
He was looking at Orion, but there was no affection in his gaze. Just a cold, calculating stare.
My instinct was to delete, but I refrained. Orion might’ve known Lael’s true nature, but he’d also said there had been true feelings between the two. No matter how difficult it might be for me, Orion deserved to see the only picture Lael kept on his device.
“I have the original of this at home,” Ori said, standing over my shoulder. He reached over and tapped the screen to close the image. “We took it the day before he nearly died.”
Neither of us spoke. I wanted to ask if Ori was all right, but words felt inadequate.
This reminder that Lael never forgot him must be a bitter pill for Orion to accept.
Despite my feelings for Orion, I was just a grain of sand in the hourglass of his life.
Orion had spent more years with Lael than I’d been alive.
I had no right to inject myself into his past.
“It’s odd he kept only that picture,” Orion said. “He’d been gone for so long by that point. Over the years, I’d look at that picture for hours and see all the signs I missed of his true feelings. I’m sure he saw this picture as proof I was a fool.”
Lael’s reasons were probably complicated, but Orion was wrong. “No. He kept it because you meant something to him.” I squeezed his hand and looked him in the eye. “He might not have been able to understand it totally, but he still knew you were special.”
Orion surprised me by pulling me into a hug. “How much did it cost you to stick up for Lael?” He squeezed me tighter. “Thank you for being so generous.”
It wasn’t generosity, it was jealousy. I wanted those years together, those memories, and more than anything, I wanted to be sure Orion always felt cherished by his lover.
I clung to him for another few seconds and then inched back. “We should go. The team can search the area.”
“You were amazing today.” He grabbed my free hand and we headed for the exit. “Michael chose the right angel for this job.”
I soaked in the praise, letting it distract me from wondering who set up Lael and the others. Michael and the others could worry about those deeper questions. My focus was closer to home.
Isank onto the couch, utterly drained from the chaos of the past few hours. Orion settled in beside me, his solid presence a comforting anchor as I tapped my watch to initiate the secure call to Michael.
The grave expression on Michael’s face surprised me. Surely someone had told him what had happened. Then again, this was our mission. It was our job to give him a report.
I launched into a detailed account of the confrontation.
I’d still need to file a written report, but that would have to wait until tomorrow.
Orion and I traded off giving an account from different perspectives.
I squirmed when he gave an embarrassingly long accounting of my “brilliant” handling of Lael and the quick thinking to bring down the SUV.
“All I had was my Beretta,” I said, trying to avoid Michael’s piercing stare. “The car obviously had heat-diffusing armor, so the tires were the logical weak point.”
Michael chuckled and cracked a smile. “You did exceedingly well, Ezekiel. Orion is rightly proud of your work.”
The bit about Orion being proud made the hair on the back of my neck go up. Gabriel had clearly informed his brother of what he’d observed. I shrugged it off when he asked about the machinery.
“The polaron wave did an effective job of neutralizing everything,” I said. “The energy cores were fried. Everything using Drevlin energy is little more than lumps of useless metal.”
“If the wave destroyed all Drevlin powered tech, how did their hand weapons survive?” Orion asked.
I wished he’d waited until we were done to ask. Then I could explain without Michael hearing he didn’t understand. “Their guns must’ve employed newer tech. I calibrated the wave so it didn’t affect anything made using higher than 14,000 megajoule energy.”
“Excellent work,” Michael said. “Both of you. I had complete faith you were the right angels for the mission.”
He paused, sharing a meaningful look with Orion that didn’t escape my notice. A slight smile tugged at the corner of Michael’s mouth. “I hear congratulations are also in order on your relationship status.”
I felt my face flush scarlet, but Orion merely laughed, the rich sound reverberating through me. “Yes. Your match-making machinations paid off quite well. I’ll recommend your services to any who ask.”
“I don’t meddle,” Michael said mildly. “I simply align pieces where they’re needed and let events unfold.”
His characterization of what he’d done skirted the line of meddling, but his version wasn’t blatantly false. “Call it whatever you like,” I said. “I still say thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He raised an eyebrow and pointed at Orion. “Manners are still in vogue.”
“All jokes aside, I thank you, too. I didn’t see what I’d lost until you forced me to confront the truth.”
“Welcome back, Orion. Our kind is better with you among us.” Michael touched a spot on his side of the image, paused, and then touched it a second time.
“I’d like you both to be in Milan two weeks from tomorrow.
Plan to stay at least five days. I want you to debrief with the council.
I’ll have rooms set aside in my home. You can stay as long as you like afterward, but the first five days will be busy, so don’t make outside plans.
We’ll speak more when you’re here. Thank you again for your excellent work. ”
The call abruptly ended before we could reply. I stared at the empty space for a few seconds, processing everything he’d said. “I’m not an expert on Michael, but I’d never heard any account of him being that friendly.”
“He keeps most of his relationships as professional as possible. It helps not to have close ties to the players when he has to make the hard decisions.”
I never wanted his position, but I wanted it even less after hearing Orion’s assessment. “That sounds lonely.”
“Michael’s father was the leader before him. He had to choose the angels who would die so the others could survive. There might come a time when that onus falls on Michael.”
I nodded and saw my watch flashing. I missed four calls talking to Michael. One of the calls was from Brenda. She wanted dirt on my new relationship, which was so wrong how quickly it spread.
Orion put his hand over mine before I could call anyone. I faced him and his dark eyes burned with an intensity that took my breath.
“Get naked,” he said, his voice a low growl that ignited heat across my skin. “And get in the shower. Now.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded for a heartbeat. Then, feeling a heady thrill coil low in my belly, I smirked and scrambled to my feet. As I hurried toward the bedroom, he huffed out a soft laugh.
He’d be laughing a lot if he found it funny whenever I wanted him like few other things in my life. I peeled off my clothes, tossing each in a pile in the corner. By the time I reached the bathroom, I was naked and my pulse thudded with a mix of nervousness and want.