Guild of Truth 02 - Shield from the Heart (27 page)

Light burst into the hallway once more as the door was wrenched open. More hired muscle funneled in. They were going to run out of space fast. Merrick scrambled for where Jente was getting to his feet. He tried to surprise him from the back but the kid was fast on his feet. As if he sensed Merrick behind him, he spun and smacked him across the face with the butt of the gun.

Pain exploded along his jaw but he ignored it as he grabbed Jente’s wrist and twisted.

Jente hissed in pain.

Merrick twisted harder.

Jente grit his teeth but eventually he dropped the gun.

Merrick dropped to get it and received a knee to the stomach. He did his best to push the pain away. With one hand clutching his abdomen he grabbed the gun and pitched it into the far corner of Kevin’s storage unit where it fell behind a mountain of boxes.

Hands grabbed him from behind and nearly pulled him off his feet. He relaxed his body and dropped like dead weight. The men staggered. Merrick kicked back and heard a grunt.

“Merrick!” Sydney shouted.

He looked up and saw her holding the bat like she was ready to hit a home run. Jente and Regina were fleeing with the box, the man Sydney had nailed in the knee hobbling after them.

As if noticing the others making a run for it, the men holding Merrick threw him into Sydney. He caught her in his arms and together they crashed into the box towers.

“Are you hurt?” he asked her immediately.

She pushed herself up. “I’m okay. Merrick, we have to get that box back.” She started to run after them.

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. “Easy. No we don’t.”

She frowned at his calm expression. “What do you mean ‘no we don’t’? They have Kevin’s journals.”

“True, but they don’t have
the
journal.” He smiled. “Now come on, we should leave. We got what we needed.”

“We did?”

He ushered her out and locked up. There was no sign of Regina and their thugs. Good riddance.

“Merrick, I’m confused,” Sydney said as they made their way back to her car.

“I’ll explain everything, I promise, but first call Felix and see if he’s home. We need to plan and we don’t have that much time. I don’t know how long it’ll take for Vander to realize the journal he’s looking for isn’t in the box.”

“What do you mean it’s not in the box? There were tons of journals in that box.”

He pulled out of the storage facility. “I know, but the one Vander’s looking for isn’t among them. I saw someone else get to the box before we did. I think Felix was right. Whatever Kevin saw he didn’t want Vander to get his hands on his Mirror Mate. A trusted friend of Kevin’s took the journal. He’s the one who has it. His name is Greg Kelley.”

• • •

Sydney sat back and watched as Merrick told Felix and Luke what had transpired at the storage facility and Collette’s home. They were still waiting for Niella and Cali, but Merrick didn’t want to wait. Time was limited. The longer Vander believed he had the right journal the more time they had to find the real one without having to look over their shoulders.

Sydney had to admit it was nice to not have to worry about Shielding because Jente was hiding out in the bushes. She doubted any Kratos Guild member was within a ten mile radius of them.

She pulled out her phone and checked it. She’d texted Joel to meet at Felix’s as soon as possible but she hadn’t heard back.

Cali and Niella burst through the front door as if someone was hot on their tail. They both instantly sought her out. “Where’s your idiot boyfriend?” Niella demanded.

Sydney’s eyes went to Merrick before she realized it.

“Not your Mirror Mate, I mean Joel. Where is he? Have you heard from him?”

“What’s a Mirror Mate?” she heard Luke whisper to Felix.

Felix shushed him.

“I haven’t heard from Joel.” Her stomach started to sink. “Why? Did you Dream about him?”

Cali swore.

It was all the answer she needed.

Niella expression looked pained. “Vander has him,” she said gently.

Felix exploded. “What? When the fuck did this happen?”

Niella looked lost; it was a rare show of vulnerability on her part. “I don’t know. All I know is that he’s about to be in pain. At first I thought it was emotional pain — that you finally grew a pair and broke it off with him, but you haven’t heard from him.” She looked ill. “Which means the pain I saw was physical.”

Joel awoke groggily to the swaying sensation of being in the back of a car. “Fucking hell.” He grabbed his head as it throbbed. What the hell had happened?

He remembered the café, the interview, being given the job, and shaking his employer’s hand. They’d walked out together when he’d started stumbling.

His coffee.

They’d drugged his coffee.

Motherfuckers.

How long had he been out?

He couldn’t see anything in the back of the van. There were no windows and his phone was missing.

His eyes felt dried out and he went to rub them before remembering the contacts. He pulled them out, his eyes tearing up. He rubbed his eyes. His hands weren’t tied together. Neither were his feet.

He didn’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand it could be a good thing because he could fight his way out of there. On the other hand he might not be tied up because whoever was holding him had powers and could easily take him out — thus he wasn’t a threat and there was no need to tie him up.

Knowing Vander he went with the second option.

He was so screwed.

He didn’t know how long he remained in the back of that van before it came to a stop. It felt like an hour but he had no way of knowing.

The car shut off. He edged his way closer to the back doors. If he could Lock his kidnapper’s hands to the back doors he could make a run for it.

The front doors slammed. Footsteps sounded around the side. He heard voices.

Shit. There was more than one of them.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other anxiously. He could do this. He pressed his hands against the two back doors of the van. He heard the key and waited until they opened the door. He needed to make sure the guy’s hands were touching the metal.

The van groaned as the back doors were pulled open. Joel Locked the metal and kicked out with his foot. The man who opened the door took the hit in the shoulder and flew back. His arm was stuck to the van and pulled him back like a bungee cord. He cried out.

“Nice trick, want to see mine?”

Joel turned to find the man from San Francisco. He grabbed Joel and hung on. Pain exploded beneath his skin. He screamed as the burning sensation increased under his skin, like he was being boiled alive on the inside. He wrenched away and dropped to his knee.

“Not so fast,” the pain master said. He held his hands up menacingly. “Drop whatever you did to my colleague and I won’t hurt you more than I have to.”

Joel weighed his options. His muscles screamed and spasmed, his legs were shaking. He’d never experienced a pain like that before. It was as if every nerve ending had been on fire. He wasn’t ready to feel it again. He eyed his surroundings.

A crappy motel, how fitting.
He glanced back at the man flailing against the van door in an attempt to unlatch his arm.
Good luck with that, buddy.

He was tempted to watch the poor sucker to see how long he’d go at it before he realized there was no way he was coming away from that door unless Joel willed it. However, he didn’t want to feel like his insides were melting either. Keeping a careful eye on the pain master he put his hand against the van door and dropped his Lock.

The man fell back on his ass and Joel grinned.

Once he was back on his feet the man stormed Joel, his arm held back as if to throw a punch.

Joel stared him right in the eye. “Touch me and I’ll freeze your lungs right in your chest.”

The man hesitated. He looked to his colleague as if to ask him if that was possible.

Joel had no idea if his powers allowed him to do that but this fucker didn’t need to know that.

The pain master shrugged at his idiot companion. Idiot companion dropped his arm and instead glared balefully at Joel.

Joel returned his glare with a pleasant smile.

“Move it.” He motioned for Joel to start walking.

He was taken to a motel room on the far side of the building, as far away from the front office as possible.
The better to hide your screams, my dear.
He thought of Little Red Riding Hood as he was led to the big bad wolf. Vander Donahughe stood inside the room waiting for them. He looked as if he’d aged forty years in the three months since Joel had last seen him. The sight was startling.
Grandma, what gray hair you have.

Sitting huddled on the bed behind him was a young woman. Looked like he wasn’t the only captive.

“You’re right on time,” Vander greeted him. “I just got off the phone. It appears that your bargaining chip purposes have been made void.”

Joel frowned.

“The journal is in my possession, which means your usefulness has all but run out.”

Joel didn’t take the bait. He wouldn’t ask what he’d be used for if Vander wasn’t going to barter him off to Sydney for Kevin’s journal.

How the hell had Vander gotten to it before her?

Fear slid through him. He hoped Syd was okay. If she was hurt in any way he didn’t care what happened to him, he’d take Vander down right where he stood. The man looked ready to break a hip at any moment. If Joel got to him before he used his powers then he might have a chance.

“Not going to ask what I’m going to use you for?” said Vander.

Joel crossed his arms and feigned nonchalance. “Considering what I’ve seen from you I have a pretty good idea.”

Vander bowed his head in concession. “Then there’s no point in wasting time talking about it.”

Joel was grabbed from behind and propelled toward the bed. He landed on the edge of it.

The woman clutched her knees closer to her chest. She was dressed in RN scrubs. What the hell was Vander playing at?

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Joel promised her.

Her doe-like eyes latched onto him. He didn’t think she heard a word he said. Poor thing.

The next thing he knew he was being held from behind, his arm gripped in idiot companion’s hands. “What the fuck?” Joel struggled but pain flared bright hot through his body in warning.

Pain master held him immobile as idiot companion waited for some kind of signal from Vander.

Vander drew closer and touched the woman on the shoulder. “You’re an incredible nurse,” he told her calmly. “I’ve seen your records. The recovery rates are off the charts.”

The woman shivered beneath his hand. “I’m just a nurse,” she all but sobbed. “I don’t know why I’m here. Please let me go.”

Vander continued to speak as if he hadn’t heard her. “You don’t like to see people in pain, do you?”

She shook her head, tears leaking from her eyes. Joel’s stomach churned painfully. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered.

“You’re a natural born healer,” said Vander.

“I’m just a nurse,” the woman repeated. “You keep calling me a healer but I don’t do anything special, I just do my job. Please … ”

“Show me how good of a healer you are.” Vander nodded at idiot companion.

Joel felt a snap in his forearm and screamed.

• • •

“We have to get the real journal and trade Joel for it.” Sydney paced Felix’s living room. Worry had her stomach cramping. This was all her fault. She should have gone over to his place when he didn’t answer his phone.

“For that to work we need to get the real journal.” Felix stood a few feet away, participating in his own pacing. “Where does this Greg Kelley live?” he asked Merrick.

“I only caught glimpses. I put in a call to the city station and should hear back shortly. We’re going to have to tread carefully. We can’t go barging into this man’s house.”

“Why the hell not?” Cali asked from the couch.

“Because he has powers,” Merrick said flatly.

“What kind of powers?” said Felix.

“I didn’t see that much,” said Merrick. “And with no idea what he can do, we need to plan this out. Kevin must’ve realized how valuable his information was, so he trusted it to someone he knew could protect it. That’s saying something about this man’s power.”

Felix swore.

Sydney was right along with him. This was such bull. She couldn’t sit by and wait while she knew Joel was being hurt.

“Look,” Niella said. “You guys go after this Greg guy and I’ll stay behind and see if I can Dream up anything about Joel. Specifically his whereabouts.”

“Do you want me to stay behind with you?” Luke spoke up for the first time.

Niella looked startled that anyone would even offer but she quickly got control over her expression. She shook her head. “It’s fine. I know how much you want to go along with them.”

“I don’t know if bringing him is such a good idea,” Sydney said. Luke was only twenty years old. If anything happened to him she’d feel even worse. She didn’t even think he knew how to fight.

“Are you kidding?” said Cali. “He’s perfect. If we have no idea what we’re going up against, we’ll just shove Luke in first.”

Luke’s face paled.

Cali leaned over and chucked him under the chin. “I’m kidding.”

Luke relaxed.

“But only partly.”

Felix grinned at Cali’s antics.

Before they could say anything else and give Luke a heart attack, Sydney intervened. “We need to come up with a plan. We don’t have any time to waste.”

“Agreed,” said Merrick.

The Newport police station got back to Merrick within the hour. Sydney sent up a silent thank you that this Greg character didn’t live in Anaheim. She never wanted to deal with Merrick’s old co-workers ever again.

The address was some private estate that was very secluded.

“Shit,” Cali commented as they looked up the address on the internet. “I don’t think he has a neighbor within a mile of his house. Is that good for us or bad?”

Felix cracked his knuckles. “It’s good. Everyone ready?”