Greco (Book 1.5) (The Omega Group) (4 page)

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll call you
later.” Mirissa ended her phone call and turned to Asteria. “You ready?”

“Aren’t I always?”

Mirissa grinned at the girl who
had quickly become her best friend. They’d only worked together with the Omega
Group for a few months, but their friendship felt life-long. Asteria filled a
void in Mirissa’s life that she hadn’t even known was there. Her friends from
high school had fallen away, slowly at first, as she became more and more
involved in her Amazon duties. It wasn’t just the time involved, but the
secrecy that made her close herself off to the very people she used to run to
for advice. When the Daedric thing was finally over, she realized she had no
friends left. Sure, she’d send and receive the occasional text or email, but
that was as intimate as it got. She thought for a while that she and Greco
might become friends—more than friends—but he’d always made sure to keep her at
arm’s length, squashing any hopes she had for more. Asteria was someone from
her tribe, who knew and accepted everything about her and, most importantly,
didn’t shut her out.

“All right, then. Let’s get our
friend over there and head on out.”

The plan was simple. John Anderson
would keep his six o’clock appointment at the parking garage and she and
Asteria would follow whomever he met back to their headquarters. Their
uninvited guest had eagerly agreed to be part of their sting operation, as he
called it, once they told him he could keep the money he’d been paid and they
wouldn’t have him arrested. Of course, they’d needed to give him a pair of
Greco’s pants to wear in place of his own pee-stained pair. All they needed
then was a car, and Greco’s dad had graciously loaned them his. Convincing him
to stay at the hotel while they rescued his wife and son had been a little more
difficult, however.

After arriving at the parking
garage and letting their newfound spy out at the entrance, Mirissa found a
parking spot near the building’s only exit. They needed to keep their eyes on
John and be ready to follow whatever vehicle held their target at a moment’s
notice, so it was decided that Asteria would stay with the car and Mirissa
would watch John. He’d been instructed to wait at the northeast corner of the
uppermost level, so Mirissa quickly climbed the stairs and slid between two
parked cars.

A moment later, the door to the
northwest stairwell opened and a nervous looking John Anderson poked out his
head. Mirissa let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.
At least
he didn’t run
, she thought. He walked to the opposite corner with their two
overnight bags and casually leaned against the wall. Mirissa had to give him
credit. Not only had he shown up, but he was playing his part well—and had yet
to wet himself.

Although it felt like an hour,
less than ten minutes passed before a white Honda Pilot emerged from the ramp.
Passing dozens of empty parking spaces, the SUV came to a stop a few feet from
John.
Here we go
.

Mirissa took a deep breath and
focused on expanding her senses. Since discovering this power a few months ago,
she’d trained with Greco until she was able to isolate each individual sense
and increase its sensitivity to just the level she needed in any given situation.
For now, she expanded her auditory capability enough to hear John’s
conversation but not so much that the sounds of the surrounding city
overwhelmed her.

“Did you get everything?”

“Yes, sir.” John had his hands shoved
in his pockets and was rocking back and forth from his left foot to his right.

“Put it all in the back seat and
wait here for ten minutes before you leave.” So far, the driver had done all of
the talking, although Mirissa could see he had a passenger with him.

“Uh, what about the rest of the
money you promised?”

Mirissa watched as the driver
took something from the passenger and handed it to John.
Failed to mention
the rest of the money, did you John
? After shoving the final payment into
his pocket, he opened the back door and tossed both suitcases on the seat.
Without another word, the driver pulled forward and headed toward the exit.

Mirissa brought her hearing down
to the normal human level and, once the Honda was out of sight, teleported back
to an impatient looking Asteria.

“They’re in a white Honda Pilot.
Two people. Should be exiting any second now.”

Asteria turned the key in the
ignition, put the transmission in drive, and waited. When the SUV pulled onto
the road in front of them, Asteria eased into traffic a few cars behind.
Demetri’s car, although a Jaguar, looked the same as a thousand other sedans on
the road. Unless the guys they were following were professionals, they wouldn’t
be spotted. Mirissa used the onboard navigation system to keep track of where
they were while Asteria kept her eyes on their target.

They’d been driving for less than
a mile when the Honda pulled to a stop on Oglethorpe Avenue in front of a
historic brick townhouse. Although she’d already run two red lights just to keep
up with them, Asteria was more than happy to be stopped by one now. It allowed
them to sit and watch as the two men exited the vehicle, grabbed the suitcases,
and entered the building.

When the light turned green,
Asteria drove past the townhouse, allowing Mirissa a brief moment to scout the
area, and made her first right, finding a parking spot only a few yards down.
This was where things would get tricky. There were several groups of people on
the sidewalks on both sides of the street taking away the option of simply
breaking and entering. This was, after all, a tourist area. The obvious
security system in the house, with at least one camera mounted above the door,
limited them even further.

“So, what do you think?” Asteria
asked.

“Well, I could teleport back
inside the room where we were held, I guess.”

Asteria shook her head. “No way.
You’re not going in there alone. Besides, we don’t even know for sure if that
room is in this house.”

Mirissa smiled. “Maybe we can
find out.” She grabbed Asteria’s hand and pulled her across the street,
hopefully out of view of the camera. There was an old ten-speed bike chained to
a tree and Mirissa knelt down beside it. Pretending to fiddle with a lock, she
once again expanded her auditory capabilities. She’d never tried to listen
through walls before but it couldn’t hurt to try.

After a few moments of effort,
with only muffled voices at best, it became clear that the exterior walls of
this building were too heavy for Mirissa to penetrate. She then focused on the
windows.
Pay dirt
! Through a large second floor window, Mirissa could
clearly hear two men talking.

“I can hear them. There are two
men, both talking.  I can’t make out what they’re saying, but they sound
excited about something. Let’s go around to the back of the house and see what
else I can pick up.”

There was a narrow alleyway that
ran the length of the block behind the townhouses. Each house had a cement
driveway leading from the alley to a double-car garage door. Again, Mirissa
focused on the windows—listening through each one until she finally gave up. “I
can’t hear anything but the same two guys. Gah! I need more windows.” That’s
when it hit her.

The room where we were held
had no windows.

“It’s got to be in the garage.
That’s the only place with no windows.” Mirissa focused on the metal overhead
door, straining to hear. “I can’t tell if anyone’s there. I can hear something
but it’s too faint to make out.” She took a deep breath and tried to increase
her ability. She could feel her heart beat in her ears.
Just a little more.
“I’ve
almost got it.”

The pressure in her eardrums was
becoming unbearable. She knew she couldn’t sustain this for long, but she
needed to know if Greco was in there. She’d have one hell of an
ear ache
for a while, but he was worth it. And then she
heard his name. “I’ve got him! They’re in there.” Reining in her power, Mirissa
took a step toward the house.

“That’s not going to work.”
Asteria held on to Mirissa’s arm and pointed to the back of the house. “You see
those cameras? Every inch of this building is covered by their security system.
I’m not saying we couldn’t get in, but they’d see us coming.”

Mirissa finished Asteria’s
thought. “And they might hurt Greco and his mom.” She knew there was only one
way she’d be getting into that building. “I’ve got to teleport.”

“Yep. And you’re taking me with
you.”

“What? I can’t do that. Don’t you
remember?” A few weeks prior, Mirissa had attempted just that. At Greco’s
insistence, she’d tried several times to teleport both of them across the training
room. She held his hand, focused, and inevitably found herself alone on the
other side of the room. She then tried to expand her ability, like she did with
her senses, hoping to encompass Greco in whatever field she created when
teleporting. Not only had she failed, but the attempt also left her feeling
woozy and disoriented. They didn’t try again. “I’m not able to do it.”

Asteria simply smiled. “And this
morning you weren’t able to teleport further than a mile. Your powers are
growing and you know it. If you connect with your ring like Greco’s mom told
you, maybe it’ll work.”

“And maybe it won’t.” Mirissa
wasn’t worried about herself—she could handle a little wooziness. What she
couldn’t handle was the thought of hurting Asteria in the process. “Even if I
can do it, there are so many things that could go wrong. What if the extra
strain makes us materialize inside a wall or something?”

“You’ve been watching too many
sci-fi movies. I trust you. Plus, it’s not like we have a whole lot of options,
here.”

Mirissa knew Asteria was right,
so she closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and grabbed her best friend’s
hand. “Here goes nothing.”

“Mom? Are you still there?” Greco
tried to tilt his head enough to be able to see behind him but it was no use.
Even the effort made him dizzy. The sedation was definitely taking its toll,
periodically forcing him into unconsciousness. Each time he awoke, his brain
took longer to register where he was and what was happening. He had no idea how
much time had passed since Mirissa left.

“I’m here.” His mother sounded
woozy, slurring her words ever so slightly. Then again, he probably sounded the
same way. “Some men came in here a little while ago. As soon as they saw that
your friend was gone they stormed out. I don’t know what they’re going to do,
but it can’t be good.”

“We’re gonna get out of here,
Mom. I promise. Mirissa will figure out a way. She’s… amazing. ” He knew he was
babbling but he couldn’t help himself. His normal self-control was almost
nonexistent, and his thoughts wandered to the one place he usually tried to
keep them away from: Mirissa.

“I’m glad you finally found
someone to care about. I know it hasn’t been easy for you, and that’s my fault,
but I’m glad you let someone into your life. You deserve to be happy.”

“I’m her Guardian, Mom. Nothing
more.” Even with his drug-addled brain, Greco was still able to lie to her—and
himself.

His mother let out a small laugh
and said, “Go
ahead
and keep telling yourself that.”

Even if he did want more, it
could never happen. His past mistakes ensured that. There would be no
forgiveness from Mirissa, and he deserved none.

Greco tried to force his thoughts
to the situation at hand. They were in trouble and he knew it. If this Alayna
woman had spent the last few days taking blood from his mother, they might
already be too late to save her. Once again, he struggled against his
restraints, knowing it would do no good, but needing to at least try.

“Greco? I’m so sorry for what I
did to you. I know an apology can’t even begin to make up for the life I gave
you, but I need you to know how sorry I am. I’d hoped to have a lifetime to
show you that I’ve changed. To give you everything that I should have given
from the day you were born. To earn back some small place in your life. But
now…”

Their conversation was
interrupted by a loud crash from beyond his feet, like a load of dishes being
dropped. Greco whipped his head around in time to see Asteria grab the wall and
Mirissa collapse to the floor.

“How did you… You teleported with
her?” The fear he felt caused a lump in Greco’s throat. “Get me off this table.
Now!”

Asteria grabbed the metal
restraint around his wrist and pulled with all her might, but it didn’t budge.
“Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

Greco watched as Asteria opened
the door and peeked her head out before disappearing through it. Less than two
minutes later she returned with a hammer and chisel in hand. He raised his
eyebrows in question.

“You’re in a garage. It was a
safe bet.” Asteria placed the tip of the chisel in the seam of the cuff and
with one blow from the hammer, the restraint popped open. Three more blows and
Greco was free, tearing the IV out of his arm.

“Get my mother out of here. I’ll
get Mirissa.” Greco knelt down beside Mirissa’s prone form, trying to rid
himself of the wooziness in his brain. With his right hand he felt for a pulse.
With his left he gently swept the hair from her face. “You’re OK, Mirissa.
You’re gonna be OK.” With one hand around her shoulders and the other beneath
her knees, Greco stood on wobbly legs, ready to carry her as far away from
there as he could.

Muffled shouts from somewhere
outside the room signified that they’d missed their window of opportunity to
escape unnoticed. Laying Mirissa on the table he’d previously occupied, Greco
turned to Asteria. “What’s the layout out there?”

“Nothing to the right. Hallway
opens on the left to a two-car garage with a standard overhead door. No
vehicles. Staircase heading up at the end of the hall. Two men on premises that
we know of.” Asteria spoke with the efficiency of a soldier, all the while
checking Greco’s mother for injuries.

“They know Mirissa escaped. They
will have called for reinforcements. Our best chance is to get out before they
arrive. Mom, can you walk?”

“Can I walk? I’m an Amazon, son.
I can fight. This stuff will be clear of my system as soon as the adrenalin
hits. You take care of Mirissa. Your other friend and I will take care of the
boys outside.” She looked at Asteria and smiled. “I’m Gayle Costa. It’s nice to
meet you.”

“I’m Asteria. Likewise. Now let’s
do this.”

Greco lifted Mirissa into his
arms. He gave the women a quick nod and followed as they ran into the hallway.
Before they reached the garage, two men rounded the corner and stopped short.
Their hesitation cost them dearly.

Asteria reached them first,
nailing the one on her side with a left hook to the jaw. She grabbed the back
of his neck with both hands and yanked him forward and down into her oncoming
knee strike. Gayle came at her opponent with a roundhouse kick to his temple.
She lost her balance for a moment, giving him time to regroup and push her
away, but Asteria was there to assist. A flying jump kick to his jaw, and he
joined his friend in dream world.

Asteria looked at Gayle and
smirked. “I know. You’re drugged. You really should ‘just say no’ next time.”

“Very funny, but thanks for the
help.”

“If you ladies are done, maybe we
can get out of here.” Greco used his elbow to push the button for the garage
door opener while his mom and Asteria took positions on either side of
it.  Half expecting a rush of armed men to be waiting for them outside,
Greco was relieved to see nothing but an empty driveway.

Asteria smiled. “We’re parked
around the corner.  Follow me.”

When they got to the car, Greco
chose to sit in the back seat with Mirissa while the others got in the front.
He positioned her on her side with her head on his lap as they drove. She
looked so fragile lying there—a look she didn’t often have. “Are you feeling
OK, Mom?”

“I’m fine, sweetheart. Just a
little groggy. Nothing a good cup of coffee won’t cure. How’s Mirissa doing?”

Greco absentmindedly stroked
Mirissa’s hair as he spoke. “She seems OK but I don’t know.” He noticed Asteria
giving him a strange look in the rearview mirror. As it dawned on him what he
was doing, he jerked his hand away, fumbling to find a less intimate place to
put it.
What am I, twelve?
The giggle coming from the front seat caused
him to blush for the first time that he could remember.
Yep, I’m twelve.

Mirissa shifted in his lap,
making a soft sound of protest. Greco looked down to see her eyes flutter, then
come fully open. Greco couldn’t help but smile. “You’re awake. How do you
feel?”

She struggled to a seated
position, wincing with every movement. “Like I just rode a corkscrew roller
coaster fifty times straight.” She looked at everyone in the car and continued,
“I guess it worked. Sorry I missed it.”

“I knew you could do it. Never
had any doubt,” Asteria said.

“And I owe you my gratitude. I’m
Gayle, by the way. Greco’s mom.”

Mirissa looked at Greco, clearly
uncomfortable. She obviously didn’t know how to react to meeting his mother
after what he’d told her. He gave her a small smile and nod of his head, hoping
to let her know it was OK.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.”

After a few moments of awkward
silence, Mirissa asked, “So, is it over?”

“Not quite,” Greco said. “We
still have to take care of the woman behind all of this.”