Chapter Two #2
“Great.” Victor straightened. “To continue, the low number of demons could be misleading. It’s possible that the rogues have perfected a masking technique we’re unaware of that protects them from being identified.
Samir’s lover shared that he overheard two demon guards complaining about being reassigned to oversee the human containment facility.
Samir is confident they were referring to a prison where they hold problematic humans. ”
Ronen’s eyebrows shot up. “Humans who know too much?”
“Possibly.” Victor shrugged. “Or those with abilities that could threaten their operation. Samir wasn’t sure.”
Cassiel rubbed her chin. “So, we’re looking at a potential infiltration of the Miami Beach location, followed by a rescue mission if we confirm the intelligence?”
“Exactly,” Victor said. “So, at this point, we’re not going in wings blazing, but doing reconnaissance.” He locked eyes with Cassiel. “After that, it’ll be up to you to decide how we proceed.”
Ronen tensed at Samir’s sudden appearance. The former shadow gargoyle had a way of moving silently that put Ronen on edge. Though Samir’s skin had returned to its natural brown tone after his redemption, Ronen still searched his features for any lingering traces of obsidian corruption.
“Sorry I'm late,” Samir said, nodding to Victor before acknowledging the others with a cautious glance. “I was reviewing the latest imagery of the Miami facility. Oz circled the skies of that area last night to see if anything’s changed.”
Victor gestured for him to join them at the table. “What did you find?”
“The building layout matches what I remember from my time with the rogues.” Samir spread out a rough sketch on the table. “But there’s something different about the energy patterns. The demons were concentrated in this southern wing, rather than spread throughout.”
Ronen studied the diagram, his distrust of Samir warring with his curiosity. The former shadow gargoyle drew precise lines, using different colors to mark areas indicating a demonic presence.
“What’s in that wing?” Cassiel asked, leaning forward.
“Conference rooms, primarily. And the offices of several high-ranking officials.” Samir traced his finger along the corridor. “Including this one—Marianne Walker, Deputy Secretary of War. She’s been making frequent visits despite having no official business in Miami.”
Victor’s features clouded. “That's troubling. Someone that high up the chain potentially compromised?”
“She would have to be possessed,” said Ronen. “How does that work? I doubt she’s strolling around the Pentagon growling and frothing at the mouth.”
Cassiel snorted. “You never know.”
Samir cleared his throat. “What if it’s more insidious than that? Less obvious?”
Cassiel regarded him. “Enlighten us, champ.”
“It wasn’t long after I escaped that my lover did the same.
” Samir’s features fell. “But they were watching him more closely because of me, and he was gravely injured before he got away. By the time he made it back to me, Evan was fading fast. All he was able to croak out before he passed was that ‘they’ve found another way. Not us. Not demons.’”
Victor leaned back, crossing his arms. “That supports what the prisoners told us when they arrived. But it still doesn’t answer what the ‘other way’ is supposed to be.”
Ronen drew his eyebrows together. If humans were interacting with the demons, they either had to be possessed or they had no idea what was going on.
“So,” Ronen began. “What does the outside world think the facility is supposed to be? No way did it simply materialize without the city noticing. Maybe there’s a logical explanation for why the Defense Secretary would be there. Do they manufacture weapons or ammunition? Uniforms? Field Gear?”
“Pencil sharpeners?”
Everyone turned Cassiel’s way.
Victor smirked. “Hilarious. Samir, help us out here.”
“Their cover is a gaming console manufacturer,” Samir said.
“They have one storage facility on site that distributes pre-purchased gaming systems to help maintain the ruse. The rest of the buildings are for more nefarious activities.” He sighed.
“To be honest, I wasn’t there long enough to get the entire layout.
One large complex housed the fully transformed shadows.
Another, the torture chambers and retraining gym.
I heard rumors of a lab, and there was a three-story office-style building at the front.
That was the face of the operation to the outside world.
I saw many humans coming and going, so I assume they worked there unknowingly. ”
“That must’ve been quite the job listing.” Cassiel rolled her eyes. “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for the powers of darkness? No experience necessary, huge signing bonus. Call now for an interview!”
Victor gave her a withering look. “Cassiel, please focus.”
She gave him a half smile. “I was born focused.”
He arched his eyebrows. “I’m not sure what that means.”
Cassiel patted his arm. “That’s all right. I do.”
Ronen held in a laugh, covering his mouth with one hand. He caught Samir’s eye, surprised to discover the reformed shadow was chuckling. Ronen quickly looked away, the moment unnerving. Maintaining a healthy level of suspicion would be difficult if he started feeling chummy with the guy.
“Then what’s the plan?” Ronen asked, directing the question to Cassiel rather than Victor. “If we’re doing reconnaissance, how are we approaching the facility?”
Cassiel tapped her fingers against the table. “We need to go in phases. First, aerial surveillance to confirm what we know about the layout. Then, we infiltrate the facility to gather more intel on this Marianne Walker and whatever meetings are happening in that southern wing.”
“I can help with that,” Samir offered. “I know which security systems they typically use to monitor the perimeter. There are blind spots we can exploit.”
“That’s helpful,” Victor said, nodding at Samir. “What about inside? Any suggestions on how we can move around undetected?”
“The ventilation system.” Samir pointed to several locations on his sketch. “It’s oversized to accommodate the equipment they house there. A gargoyle in human form could navigate it easily.”
Cassiel studied the map. “And what about Walker? Any idea where she might be staying while in Miami?”
“There's executive housing on the northeast corner of the property,” Samir replied. “I’ve marked it here. Heavy security, but not impossible to penetrate.”
A thought struck Ronen. “What about the humans that work there? Perhaps one of them could be of use, a good way in.”
Victor’s forehead creased. “You mean cozy up to someone and pry information out of them? That might take longer than we have time for. Plus, it’s unlikely the demons would have shared anything with a human that’s of use to us.”
“Actually,” said Samir. “I know of a human who has all the intel regarding what’s going on in there.
He runs the computer systems, and even though he’s pretty young, the rogues seem to rely on him quite a bit.
I have no idea why, or what he’s doing exactly.
I just noticed how carefully they protect him.
None of the shadows are allowed anywhere near him. ”
“Weird.” Cassiel narrowed her eyes. “Then that’s our play. We leave tonight. We’ll fly under the cover of darkness. It’s a straight shot down the coast, should take us about four hours at a steady pace.”
Everyone but Victor nodded. He figured that the surly gargoyle was butthurt that he wasn’t in charge.
Ronen mentally cataloged what weapons he’d need. His freshly sharpened blade would be first on the list. While he still harbored reservations about Samir being part of the team, the fact that they had a plan reassured him.
“Hey, Vic.” Cassiel tapped his shoulder as he rolled up the maps. “Ever been to Miami?”
Victor straightened, staring at her with a confused expression. “No. But what does that have to do with anything?”
She gave a small shrug. “Just curious whether you knew of any good strip clubs.”
He frowned. “I hardly see how that’s pertinent to our mission.”
Cassiel elbowed him with a grin. “Speak for yourself.”
Victor grunted. “I always do.”
So far, all the operations Ronen had been part of had been built on strong camaraderie. However, their current line-up didn’t fill him with much confidence.
Ronen sighed. He hoped it wouldn’t be their downfall.