Chapter Two
The Farm, somewhere in Texas
Setting the cup of coffee down by the computer, Mikhail shook his head at the grunt that came from Owen. He picked up the folder to read through it again. Not like he didn’t already have it memorized, but he still had the feeling he was missing something.
Gareth wandered into the computer hub of the house and took a seat with Camilla on the sofa. “Anything new?” he asked throwing an arm around their woman.
“Owen’s still digging. We have the names of some of the lower level men of the organization, but the higher ups are a little more protected from the looks of things.” If there was one thing the Russian mafia was good at, it was keeping their most powerful members hidden.
“Makes sense,” Nolan commented from his lounging position in one of the two recliners. “The lower level guys are pawns, fodder to be used and abused by those trying to save their own hides. They also tend to get used for when one of the others gets pinched by the cops. It’s amazing how many of the pawns do the time while the capos stay on the outside living in their big houses.”
“Doesn’t bode well for a sense of security,” Gareth stated.
“Not true. While the lower level guy is inside, the top-level guys keep the family of the man serving time safe, and they also put out a wad of cash to keep them all happy. The mafia boss always looks after the little guy to promote a sense of loyalty to the organization. The boss knows to keep an eye on the future. After all, one day that lower level guy might very well be sitting at the table. And not one of them wants them on the other side with some other boss paying him. Not once they’ve been inside their own operation.” Mik tossed the folder down and began to pace the room. “It would be nice if Ares got his ass down here to explain why exactly we’re looking into this woman and how she is tied to the mob.”
“Not her ties, Brown’s ties, the guy who went on the one date with her,” Owen piped up from in front of the computer. “I really hate the fact these assholes have their own hackers in their organizations. Be so much easier if they’d stuck with the old ways in all things.”
“What do you know about the old ways, bro?” Nolan asked with a grin.
Shooting him a look over his shoulder, Owen wiggled his eyebrows. “Not all of us were Boy Scouts before we joined up, bro.”
Mik chuckled at the dumbfounded look on Nolan’s face. “He’s yanking your leg. And doing a good job, too, from where I stand.”
“Asshole,” Nolan muttered, shaking his head. He looked at his watch and frowned. “I thought Ares said he was going to be here at nine. It’s nearly ten now.”
“Apparently, they can’t tell time either,” Gareth said. “Really starting to wonder what being a so-called all-powerful god actually has going for it.”
“What have you found so far about getting Hailey Davenport out of the trouble she’s in?” Ares’s tone had every single man looking his way when he walked into the room. “Fuck. Okay, yes, she’s a Descendant. There, is that what you wanted to hear?”
“You really should lead with that sort of information,” Mikhail told him. “So, she’s a Descendant? Why didn’t you ask the guys to go for her before now?”
“Because she has another watcher right now. One…” There was that hesitation in Ares’s voice, before he continued. “She’s a doctor. Pediatrician, actually. I didn’t ask you to take her yet because she’s tending to a young soul that needs to survive. The child will survive as long as she has Hailey. The child is bound to inspire greatness in those who lose hope, because of Hailey not giving up on her, so it’s imperative that Hailey set up a plan before she leaves. Her watcher, however.”
Mikhail scrutinized Ares as he ran his hands through his hair and then began to pace.
“Thanatos is looking out for her.” Ares growled. “Fucking goddamn Thanatos, and his handsy fucking self is watching over her because he’s tricked Morpheus and gained her confidence and as far as she knows Morpheus is on a business trip. He and Morpheus have a long running feud of sorts. Anytime that Thanatos can tweak Morpheus’s nose he will do it. So, the sooner you can figure out her tie to the Russians, the better. In the meantime, I would feel better if you would send a few men to watch over her as well so that I can tell that fucker to get back to Olympus.”
“Uh, did he say Thanatos?” Nolan asked.
Owen nodded. “Yup, he definitely did say Thanatos. I might be a little rusty on my Greek mythology, but isn’t he the guy that’s known as Death?”
“More or less,” Nolan muttered. “He’s known as the daemon personification of Death. What the hell is he doing hanging around with one of the Descendants? Where is her regular watcher?”
“The one watching her is Morpheus, and he’s been watching over her, but Thanatos took it upon himself to watch over Hailey right now, just to piss Morpheus off. Also, because she’s…” He hesitated. “She’s a pure soul. She’s a pediatrician, and the innocent souls are all drawn to her. That’s why Thanatos is drawn to her. She’s…” Ares turned and faced them and shrugged. “You would have to meet her to understand. It’s hard to put into words. People are drawn to her like a moth to a flame. That’s the best description I can give you.”
“Morpheus doesn’t seem like the sort to step aside to allow anyone to watch over one of his charges. Especially when it’s someone like Thanatos,” Mikhail said.
“He’s not. Thanatos stepped in without being asked and is refusing to walk away from her. He knows that she’s destined for a Scion pairing, but still, he’s refusing to leave her alone now that he’s met her. She’s a clean soul. Most souls are reborn, but hers wasn’t. As for the mob, the last I heard it was because of this douchebag Brown who fucking put her up as collateral. Please, tell me that I’m wrong?”
“So, I figured out why Hailey seems to have caught the mob’s interest if anyone’s even the least bit curious.”
Everyone looked to Owen. “He borrowed from the mob and ended up doing them a favor in return so he didn’t have to pay them back. The next time he borrowed the favor was bigger, and ended up ruining a profitable relationship. For him I mean, the chick was fucking loaded. The third time he went to them he put Hailey up as collateral in case he didn’t pay them back. He hasn’t, by the way. He also only has about six days left to pay before they snatch her up to kill her so that he can cash out on an insurance policy he’s taken out on the good doctor.”
“Not gonna fucking happen,” Ares growled, his eyes narrowed. “She’s needed in this chain of events to keep Hades locked away. When are you going to go after her?” he demanded. “The faster you get to her the faster Thanatos can get his fucking gigolo ass back to Olympus where he belongs. If you wait too long, he’s going to hook up with her and then her Scions will never bond with her. It’s impossible to bond once a Descendant has had relations with a god.”
“We’ll leave this afternoon,” Mik told him. They didn’t have anything else on the books anyway, so it was as good a time to go as any. “We should get there in a couple of hours, and then be able to make contact by this evening. Morpheus is going to have to prepare her for trouble so she knows why we’re there. Have him tell her about what the ex-boyfriend did, and that he’s hired us to keep her safe. It’s the same old broken record, but it seems to work.”
“She already knows that there is trouble from the ex, just not what the trouble is. She broke things off with him when he wanted to do things to her after just one date that not even us twisted gods would do to each other. Well that, and she heard him on the phone talking about how much she was worth. To say he’s sick is an understatement. However, her Uncle Moe will pay her a visit. Oh, and I suggest none of you call him that. He’s more than a little touchy about his nickname.” Ares snickered. “He was so pissed when I filled his home with televisions all playing The Three Stooges.” And that was the last Ares said before disappearing.
“And he wonders why he’s always in trouble,” Gareth said. “Well, at least we have an in with the little doctor. Keep digging until we head out, Owen. Any information we have at our disposal is good. Especially if we’re going up against the fucking mob.”
“The Russian mob, no less,” Mikhail muttered. While he hadn’t grown up in the motherland, he knew all too well what the mob over there was into. Not all were bad guys, but too many had their fingers in way too many pies that ended in death. Usually horribly painful death. Shaking his head, he checked his watch. “We leave in two hours. Nolan, let the pilots know. Everyone else pack like we’re going to war.”
They might very well be.