TWENTY-FOUR
So tense her jaw ached, Peri doused the elevator lights seconds before the heavy door slid open. Cool, salt-scented air almost masked the metallic tang of blood. Finn's blood. She tightened her fingers around the hilt of the dagger as she wedged her way to stand beside him to peer into the near darkness. She cocked her head and after a few throbbing moments of silence, whispered, "I don't hear anything. There's no one here."
"That doesn't mean they aren't lying in wait for us," Finn's cautioned, voice low, breath warm against her cheek. "Move fast."
There was no way anyone could be waiting to jump out at them in the dark narrow tunnel, but she was braced for a Jack-in-the-box anyway. "Another fiftyish feet and we'll reach the dock," she said as softly as she could. The ceiling was low enough that Finn, while able to walk upright, had to bow his head.
There wasn't a soul around when they emerged from the tunnel into the cave. "Holy shit." Peri sucked in a breath, and then wished she hadn't. Evidence of a well attended, and bloody fight was everywhere. The stink of blood - and worse - choked off the fresh air. Bile rose in the back of her throat at the evidence of carnage that greeted them.
"No bodies?" she whispered, staring aghast at pools of dark blood, smears as though something - or someone- had been dragged across the rock floor. Some of her once neatly stacked supplies, under tarps along the wall, ready for loading, had been knocked over. Spewed dry goods like rice and beans crunched underfoot as they moved quickly to reach the dock.
"Looks as though the Good Guys came and went." Finn urged her to move more quickly with his hand on her back. "Or the Bad Guys came and went."
"God, there was plenty of bloodshed here, but where are the bodies?" Was Ry one of those bodies? God, she prayed not. She grabbed Finn's hand. "Let's get on board before the bad guys decide to come down here to look for us."
The wide opening in the cavern led out to the sea, and the vast expanse of moonless, star-studded black sky. Weird. It felt as though they'd been inside the caverns for months instead of hours. Shocking to discover it was still night time.
Peri breathed a big sigh of relief seeing Sea Witch right where she'd left her. Apparently undamaged.
"She's a beauty," Finn said, admiring her ship as she gently rose and fell on the incoming tide. "Same sleek lines as Blackstar, same black hull. They're a matched set."
The smell of fresh air and salt spray made Peri's shoulders un-hunch and allowed her to take a few cleansing breaths. "2010 Sunseeker Predator, sixty-four feet," she told him, proud and happy to show her off, even under these circumstances. "Twin inboard. Diesel. Cruising speed twenty-eight. Let's crank her open to her max speed of thirty-two and get the hell out of Dodge."
"Yeah, let's."
After quickly untying her, they climbed on board and Peri started the engine. "Want to pilot her out? I'm going below to put on some pants and get my first aid kit. I don't want you bleeding to death when we're so close to help."
Finn took the wheel, but snagged her arm as she walked past him. "I need a kiss to keep going."
She stood on tiptoe, kissing him hard and fast. "That's going to have to hold you for a bit."
Finn gave her the number for Blackstar. "Tell them we're coming in. I'll try McCoy on the comm to get an update."
Peri stayed where she was for a moment, to call the Captain of Blackstar to inform him of their location and eta, and that they were both alive, but Finn urgently needed treatment for his gunshot wound.
Finn settled into the comfortable Captain's chair, spoke briefly to McCoy via however he was communicating with the others.
"Everyone is okay. They have your tablet. Núñez left it with his men in the house. Your brother retrieved it. The bad guys have been rounded up, the authorities are on their way."
"What about Theo?"
"They have people watching for his chopper," his voice was grim, his jaw set. "They'll find him and bring him to justice." Finn headed out of the mouth of the cavern into open water. His smile was a little strained as he turned to find she hadn't moved. "You don't have to stay. I've done this before."
"Not with a bullet wound, you haven't. I'm going down to check my security cameras etcetera. Don't pass out before I get back." She reached over and kissed him again before going below. As she passed through the galley, the fragrance of her shampoo and soap lingered in the air. Odd. She hadn't been on board for days. Peri frowned as she walked through her midship salon toward the master stateroom, then stopped as the hair stood up on the back of her neck.
Someone was in her cabin. She heard them moving around. A soft footfall on the carpet, a drawer opened, then softly closed.
She darted into one of the guest cabins. It was empty of furniture other than the built-ins. Slowly, carefully, she slid open the top drawer of the dresser where she kept her log books and a sem-automatic pistol. The black polymer grip S&W compact rimfire fit her hand nicely. Her brother had trained her on one similar years ago, warning her of the dangers of sailing alone unarmed.
The magazine was already inserted. She was always prepared to fend off pirates and thieves, and she wasn't fooling around. If she picked up any of her guns, Peri was prepared to shoot.
There was nowhere to stick another magazine, and she hoped like hell she wouldn't need it as she eased open the cabin door. With a two-handed, grip she padded into the middle of the short corridor, the barrel pointed at the open bedroom door. "Come out with your hands up."
Theo stepped into the doorway, not looking in the least surprised to see her. Dressed in a pair of her sweatpants which were too short on his hairy legs, and an old sweatshirt of Ry's she liked to sleep in. He pointed the business end of a black gun at the middle of her chest as he casually rubbed his hair dry with one of her favorite purple towels. No wonder she'd smelled shampoo when she'd come downstairs.
"Did you just shower in my bathroom?" Thank God he was dressed, but still. "You're wearing my damn clothes?
"What is yours is mine." His eyes scanned from her face down her bare legs. His look felt like spiders crawling on her skin. His gaze lingered on her unfettered breasts, then tracked down her body. He frowned. "Why aren't you wearing any pants?"
"What are you doing here, Theo?"
"Where do you think you're going, Ariel?" The gun pointing at her didn't waver. "Gallagher's fancy ship was destroyed hours ago. Bombs. Such a big ship, it took several to do the job. And since my people were never able to break into his helicopter, because he made sure anyone touching it detonated explosives, all we have left of Blackstar's prophecy is your tablet. It's time to introduce you to my people, Ariel. We'll tell them what the tablet says, and start the New World Order. Put the gun down, novio.."
"Will you put yours down?" As exhausted as she was, her arms didn't waver either. Like Ry had taught her, she watched Theo's eyes for any telegraphing that he'd pull the trigger. "No? Neither will I." She was by no means a crack shot, but she couldn’t miss at this range. But since his gun was bigger, his determination stronger, she figured she'd try talking first. If nothing else it would distract him until she shot him.
"I have serious issues with that ridiculous speech. Let me enlighten you, Theo." She stood her ground. Wondered why she'd never noticed how close-set, and reptilian his eyes were.
"They discovered the bombs on Blackstar. There was no explosion. The ship's perfectly intact."
"No." He shook his head. The towel in his hand dropped to the floor and he finger-combed his hair. "I saw the explosion with my own eyes from the helicopter earlier."
"I just talked to the captain. I'm pretty sure he'd have mentioned if Finn's billion- dollar ship had recently exploded." She let that sink in, while she tried not to hyperventilate. Did Theo have more men on board? Were they, as she and Theo spoke, with Finn? Or was he up there, slowly bleeding to death because she was down here, instead of with him administering first aid?
She was damn sick of having her heart knocking so hard she could hear it throughout her body. Sweat stung her eyes and she blinked them clear. The muzzle of her gun stayed pointed at his chest. "We have all the tablets. All five of them. Yes, Theo, five. Because when you and your band of dipshits were shooting at us in the cavern, we had to improvise. And guess what? We found your prophet. That's right. We found Blackstar. We almost fell over that poor little boy's ancient bones. He was clutching the fifth gold tablet. So you see, that cavern you were so intent on shooting up, was your Holy Lake, and he was on his High Altar."
Theo's eyes burned as if he had a fever. "I must go back."
"Sure. I have a dinghy I'll lend you. Oh, wait. You don't sail, do you? And the High Altar is sixty feet up. Ditto for your ability to climb since you don't like heights. Guess you're shit out of luck."
"You'll return with me. Retrieve Blackstar and all the tablets."
"Not to going anywhere with you. Now or ever. And you're delusional. Not only can Dr. Vadini corroborate what the tablets really say, dozens of people are witness to that correct interpretation. It's the Protector's that win for the correct reading of the prophet's words. Not the Chosen. Who, apparently were only chosen by you. Your version has been proven as bogus and filled with misinformation as you are. If necessary I'll put a full-page ad in the local paper to that effect and expose you for the fraud you are. Oh, and for the last damned time. My name is not Ariel, and I will never- I can't say this strongly enough- be your anything."
His gun wavered for a moment, then steadied as he brought it up. His eyes telegraphed his intention as he said, his voice silky, "If you have nothing to offer me, why shouldn't I k-"
His words were cut off by a muffled pop, and the sudden appearance of a small black hole in the middle his forehead, like a slightly off- center bindi. Peri let out a little shriek of surprise as Theo collapsed like a felled log at her feet.
"More often than not, certain negotiations go sideways, and we need to bring them to an expedient end." Finn said from behind her.
Body hot, then cold, then hot again, Peri turned. "Remind me never to negotiate with you!"
Finn gently removed the gun from her white-knuckled grip. "I have better ways to expedite a negotiation with you, darling. Want to go up and pilot your boat while I take care of the garbage?"
She liked the way he phrased that as a question. He was getting to know her. "Throw him in the dinghy, and light the damned thing. We'll give him a Viking's funeral. Not for the glory, but because I want to kill the son-of-a-bitch twice."
Dr. Gayle, a short, bald guy with skin the deep, golden brown of an acorn, and a strong Jamaican accent, called a couple of Finn's security people waiting outside to come in and haul an unconscious Finn onto his exam table. His arm hung limply off the edge, blood dripped sluggishly from his fingertips. He'd opened the wound again when he'd dealt with Theo's body on board Sea Witch.
God. How much blood did a person have in them? Peri was certain he’d lost at least half of it on the floor of the cave, more on her ship, more when they walked from the garage up to the infirmary.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The doctor was wearing black, Hawaiian surf shorts with big pink flowers on them, and a black muscle shirt. He quickly and efficiently cut away Finn’s shredded, bloody shirt, clearly unfazed by the man she’d watch nearly bleed out. After examining and cleaning his wound, he set up an IV for a blood transfusion and turned to her.
"Are you really a doctor?" Peri eyed his outfit.
"Sure. Certificate over there cost me a hundred bucks. Extra for the gold seal." He cocked his head, eyes sharp as he looked her over. "You look like crap. Let's take a look at you then,” the less than charming doctor said. He examined her various scrapes and cuts and slapped four cartoon Band-Aids on her fingers then gently cleaned the raw, painful, red skin on her wrists where Theo's men had tied her. “Go take a shower. Get some rest. I’ll send word when he’s up and about. Want a tranquilizer? You've had enough trauma to warrant one. ”
"Never again, thanks." She shuddered. "They shot me with a sheep tranquilizer. I hope I don't start baa-ing soon."
"That's why I did the blood draw," he said, not smiling, but his eyes twinkled. "I'll let you know if you need to worry. If you need something to help you sleep, let me know. Now scat."
Peri didn’t appreciate being shooed out of the exam room while Finn lay pale and still, and she didn't appreciate the doctor's cavalier attitude. Lacing her bandaged fingers with Finn's, she lifted her chin, standing her ground. "Thanks for your medical opinion, but I'll stay until he wakes up."
"You won't be any damn good to him if you pass out, too."
"I won't pass out." Peri leaned her hip against the side rail of the hospital bed, tempted to hop up and stretch out beside Finn. A: she didn't have the energy, and B: she'd be asleep in about eight seconds. "I'm staying."
"The local police are waiting outside the door to talk to you. Go. Get that over with, I'm sure it'll take a while. Then rest." He opened the door to show her the two officers standing outside, gently pushed her out, then closed the door in her face.
She did need a shower, and crawling into bed, and closing her eyes, held a lot of appeal. But she had to thank the brothers, tell them what had happened inside the cavern. More importantly, she wanted to contact Ry to make sure he was okay. Then she’d go to Finn’s cabin, shower, and wait for him in his bed.
But first, the police escorted her to an empty conference room one deck up. Blackstar Group's business offices apparently. Peri told, and retold her story to several officers, and finally was allowed to leave. Her brother was waiting outside in the reception area to go in next.
Peri gave him a tight hug the second she saw him. "Thank you for coming to find me." Stepping out of his arms, she assessed his drawn features and filthy clothes. "Please tell me you're undamaged, I've had about as much bloodshed as I can handle for the year."
"Other than being pissed at you, at those fucking Cutters, and at that boyfriend of yours, I'll live." His voice was harsh with worry, and she saw the concern in his eyes. He softened his tone and touched the small nick on her bruised cheek. "I had a brief chat with Dr. Gayle. He says you have no serious injuries and should be one-hundred-percent after you get at least twelve hours sleep. Come back to Tesoro Mio with us after I'm done making my report. You've had a hell of a day. You can sleep for twenty-four hours if you like."
"Thanks for the offer. But I'm staying right here."
The door opened and an officer waved Ry inside. Her brother turned to her with a scowl. "With Gallagher and the Cutters? You're shitting me, Magma. Have you forgotten who and what these people are? The clusterfuck they embroiled you in today? You could damn well have died! Think about that so you can explain it to me later." He closed the door behind him.
She wasn't particularly looking forward to that conversation, but right now she needed to find the biggest, blackest cup of coffee she could wrap her hands around, and then thank the Cutters. Which was going to taste a lot more bitter than the coffee, or anything Ry could dish out.
Then she was going back to the infirmary to see how Finn was doing. It had been thirty minutes or so, he should be awake by now.
Finn cracked open his eyes. He lay in one of four hospital beds in Blackstar's infirmary. A half-empty IV bag dripped blood into him. Other than a sharp pain in his shoulder when he moved, he felt pretty decent.
They’d left Núñez where he lay and hightailed it to Blackstar. Since his people had already contacted the authorities, who were on their way, Finn had accompanied Peri down to the infirmary so they could both be checked out. He’d passed out before he made the introductions.
"Where's Peri?" he demanded of the doctor, who sat on the bed across from him, feet swinging off the floor as he keyed something into his iPad.
Finn had hired Arley straight out of med school, where he'd ranked top in his class, almost a decade earlier, and they'd become good friends. In the space of two weeks, his ship’s doctor had met, fallen head over heels, and married Blackstar's chief steward. Britt, a tall Norwegian blond, was a foot taller, and more than a decade older than her new husband. They were still blissfully in love.
Dr. Arley Gayle had the shittiest bedside manner Finn had ever encountered, and he didn't disappoint now. He glanced over at his patient, and said something - for sure something damned rude, in Patios, then translated in perfect English, "You fainted like a girl."
"I didn't faint. I passed out."
Arley hopped off the bed and placed his hand on Finn's chest to prevent him from rolling to his feet. "Same thing. I cleaned out the wound, dug out the bullet," he said unsympathetically as he efficiently removed the IV and slapped a band-aide with a Disney princess on it over the small puncture wound. They were the only bandages on board, and everyone got a damned princess. Wounds tended to heal fast on Blackstar.
"Took a bit of excavating. But I'm that good that I didn't do more harm than good. Saved the bullet. A giant-sized sucker. You could frame it and tell your children about your misadventures. Did I mention you fainted like a girl?" Arley's grin was wide, white and evil.
His features softened as he gave Finn a mildly sympathetic look, and squeezed his uninjured shoulder. "Lucky man you is. She's anise." His friend doctor dropped the accent. "A fiery beauty."
Anise. Jamaican slang, and high praise, for beautiful princess. "She is that." And more.
"I like her. Don't fuck that up. She was worried, and I had to threaten her with bodily harm to get her to leave you to my tender mercies."
The doctor checked his pulse, shone a light into his eyes. "I patched up her cuts and scratches while she held your hand, and watched every move I made with threat of dismemberment if I made a wrong one. Not that I would ever make a wrong move. Rumors of me killing my patients are grossly exaggerated. Which I told her. She was brave and stoic. I like that about the woman. No crying or winching as I stitched you up. Insisted I deal with you first since you were bleeding like a stuck pig. The worst damage was to her hands. Nothing that a half dozen princesses and a good manicurist can't fix. She needs to be taken to bed. And allowed to sleep."
"You're a prick, Arley. Help me up."
The doctor helped him sit up, holding on to Finn until his head stopped spinning. "You lost a bucket or two of blood. You'll feel weak for a while. No stitches. Leave it open to drain, let it dry out naturally. Less likely to become infected and kill you. It'll hurt like a fire-breathing dragon is kissing your shoulder for a while. But man up. You can take a little pain. Abstain for at least ninety days to be on the safe side. Doctor's orders."
Finn laughed. Wearing just the black slacks he'd worn before he left, he swung his bare feet to the floor. A fire-breathing dragon did indeed kiss his shoulder. Hard. The room bounced several times. "Where's Persephone?"
"Everyone's waiting anxiously in the salon, mengkeh. Lots of wringing of hands, and pacing. I ordered the lot of them to get blind drunk and sleep it off." His friend sighed. "Favor it if you plan on rolling around on a soft surface anytime soon. And don't get any long hair stuck to it. It'll be a bitch to get that out. Like spider webs, you know. Drink liquids, no alcohol. Sleep. Don't call me in the morning unless your arm falls off. I'm going back to a lonely bed since my wife is on duty for another hour. Off you go."
Finn padded down the corridor from the infirmary. He had no idea what the time was, Arley had probably stolen his watch as he frequently threatened to do when they played poker.
Dragging his bone-weary ass, he took the elevator, instead of walking up two decks. He needed to hold Peri in his arms. Had to see her beautiful face, and touch her hair. Then they'd go to his cabin and sleep, wrapped in each other's arms, for about a week.
Her steps faltered when she saw that the salon was crowded with people milling about. Everyone was there. The Cutters, Addison, Callie, and a bunch of black-clad men, all helping themselves to coffee and sandwiches. Finn's salon had apparently become a deli.
A strange, dark-haired woman stood beside Logan, a giant tabby cat apparently asleep in her arms. "This is my wife Dani."
"Hi." She looked like a pleasant woman, but hi was all Peri could muster.
Dani gave her a sympathetic smile. "We can meet again tomorrow after you've rested. It sounds as though you've had a hell of a day."
"Yes. . .that." Peri made her way across the room. It shocked her that the blackness of night still pressed against the windows. She felt as though days had passed since she'd set out to the mainland followed by everything that had happened. Instead, it was three am. She'd been awake for years.
“How is he?” Jonah sat on the arm of Callie's chair, and she had one arm draped over his knee.
“He lost a lot of blood, and he's getting a transfusion.” She'd already pretty much experienced the apocalypse in the last six hours. She was braced for anything as she went to pour herself a mug of coffee, then went to sit beside Addy, who cradled a sleeping Adam.
"Have a sandwich." Callie frowned. "They have grilled cheese, your favorite."
"Thanks, but only if someone else chews and swallows for me. I'm so freaking tired all I want right now is this coffee."
When she sat down, Addison took her free hand and inspected the raw tips and assorted bandages, and the angry red marks on her wrists. Trust her sister-in-law to sit there looking serene while surrounded by Cutters. If Addy felt uncomfortable, she didn't look it. Wearing white shorts, and a sage-green t-shirt, with her strawberry blond hair up in a ponytail, face makeup-free, she still looked like a million bucks.
“Oh, honey, look at you. That bastard. I'd kill him myself if he wasn't dead already."
Peri drank half the hot coffee in one giant gulp, hoping for the instant jolt of caffeine. “Ow. Hot!" She fanned her mouth. "This is nothing. Finn was shot. It was sheer luck that the bullet didn’t hit anything vital, but he lost freaking gallons of blood.” She looked around the room. "Was anyone else hurt?"
"Not on our team," Zane said dryly. "Nunez’s soldiers were either killed or rounded up. Your brother retrieved the tablet from your house, as you can see."
Addison gently squeezed her hand. “I heard about Finn. I'm sure he'll be just fine. They say the doctor on board is first class. But, how are you?”
“Yes, Persephone.” Nick sent her a frowning glance from his position near the windows where he had an arm wrapped around Bria’s shoulders. “How are you?”
Peri smiled. “I feel exactly like you guys look. Tired, filthy and ready to sleep for twenty-four hours.”
"We're just hanging to see how Finn's doing, then we'll return to our ships. We can catch up tomorrow."
"First signore Gallagher must be informed of the message carved into the new tablet." Dr. Vadini didn't look up as he spoke. Crouched beside the marble-topped coffee table, in what looked likean uncomfortable position, he had all five tablets propped up on easels. With his hands encased in pristine, white cotton gloves, he was looking at the new one through a lighted jeweler’s loupe.
"Perhaps it could wait until tomorrow, signore?" Bria suggested gently. "I don't think any of us can stand any more excitement or input into our weary brains for today."
"Amen." Nick kissed the crown of her head, tucked beneath his chin.
"No. It must be tonight," Dr. Vadini said, firmly, then seemed to forget they were there as he went back to writing notes with one hand and inspecting the tablet with the other.
"Have you been able to read the fifth tablet, doctor?" The glossy gold of the five tablets gleamed in the glow of the overhead lights. The one she and Finn had retrieved from Blackstar, was as shiny as the other four and needed no cleaning. Unlike the rough square shape of the others, this was oblong, eighteen inches wide, and five or six inches deep. There didn't appear to be any writing on it, but it was perforated by series of unevenly spaced holes.
"This is an extraordinary find, and the tablets, together, tell a riveting, and complete, story now that I have more words translated and interpreted." Dr. Vadini was almost quivering with excitement. "How long do you think it will be before signore Gallagher joins us?"
"I'm not sure." Peri covered a yawn. "He was having a blood transfusion when I left. It's possible he'll stay in the doctor’s quarters until tom-"
"No no no." Vadini scowled. "He must be made aware of the situation tonight."
"I'm sure he'll come and say goodnight if he's able," Peri said soothingly. Raising her eyebrows at the curator’s vehemence, she met Nick’s smiling gaze across the room.
With a small shrug, the middle Cutter indicated her bandaged fingers with a jerk of his chin. “I see Arley took good care of you.”
"His bedside manner could use a little polishing, but as long as Dr. Gayle takes good care of Finn, I'm good." She drained the mug, then lowered it to her knee, cradling the warm ceramic between her hands. "I want to thank you guys for coming to the rescue." She looked from Nick, to Jonah, to Zane, to Logan. "I don't know what Finn could possibly have said to convince you to come out, guns blazing, but I'm really grateful that you did."
"Ready for a refill?"
Peri looked up to see a tall, gorgeous blond standing beside her holding a large black thermos of coffee. "God, yes." She held her mug aloft.
"I'm Britt Gayle." The woman had a stunning smile, wide and white. Even at three in the morning, she looked as fresh as a freaking daisy in her crisp black shorts and golf shirt, her pale blond hair swirled in a tidy coil on top of her head.
Peri wondered if Finn had slept with her. She scowled. "Wait. Did you say, Gayle? You're the doctor's wife?" This tall, beautiful pleasant woman was married to the cranky doctor?
Britt smiled even wider. "We get that shocked response every time. He sent you a message. Finn's doing well, and he'll come to you here in a little while." With a smile, she filled Peri's mug almost to the brim.
"Thank you."
Britt went around to refill mugs as another steward circulated offering sandwiches and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
What was a 'little while'? She should meet him halfway. Peri was about to get up and do just that when Logan spoke.
"Want to fill us in on what you and Finn were doing while we were doing what we were doing?" Logan asked, holding a sandwich to his mouth.
Peri sipped the hot coffee before responding. "Honestly? Not now." I want to drink another gallon of coffee, struggle to keep my eyes open, and sit right here waiting for Finn. The loveseat was soft and comfortable, and it would take just too much effort to speak, let alone go in search of him. "Maybe when Finn's with me, and we have energy to rehash the whole thing."
"Then we'll fill you in while we wait."
The men took turns recounting their individual stories, while Peri pretty much went into a semi-comaleaning her head back on the chair’s soft pillow and watching everyone through gritty eyes.
"You really should go to bed, honey," Addy whispered as the others talked around them.
"In a bit." There was no way she'd sleep until she knew Finn was out of the woods, and lying beside her.
“Landed the chopper a couple of miles from the house,” Logan told Teal who’d just demanded 'Details!' “Walked in. Took out my fair share of the bad guys-“
“Logan!" Teal sat on the edge of her chair. "I don’t want the Cliff’s Notes version. Give us the specifics, please.”
"Sweetheart." Zane cupped the back of his head with both hands and gave his wife a tired smile. "Let the autopsy wait until tomorrow. We're all wiped out. We're going to split in a bit."
While the conversation swirled around him, Dr. Vadini continued his inspection of the new tablet. Every now and then excitedly writing something in his small, neat handwriting in his little red notebook. He appeared oblivious to everything around him.
"We have to stick around, might as well go over what we know and compare notes. Coffee? Cup five? Sure, why not? Thanks, Britt." Logan started from when the men, loaded up with weapons, departed their respective ships to go to her house. Apparently, the women, none-too-pleased to be left behind, had gathered on board Blackstar, awaiting word. The Cutters and Ry had, shockingly, worked together. Using Finn’s resources, including a very sophisticated satellite, they were able to pinpoint how many, and where each of Theo's men were located.
Peri frowned as Logan took a sip from his steaming mug. "I knew there were a bunch of them. Sounds like Theo had an army?"
"The army of the Chosen," Dr. Vadini said in his quiet, calm manner as he looked up. "The Chosen have been preparing for the war that would precede the end of the world for hundreds of years."
"A war against who?" Zane asked, making no comment on Dr. Vadini's unshaken assurance that there was going to be an imminent end to the world.
Vadini shrugged. "The Protectors. We too, have trained all our lives for the confrontation."
"You have?" Bria's eyes widened.
"Sí, Principessa. In secret, of course. And we do not have as many men as the Chosen. But our small army had access to Israeli weapons, and we have trained all our lives to protect Blackstar's legacy. To us, the Chosen was but a part of the myth of Blackstar. We didn't really believe we would ever have to fight to protect and preserve the truth from the Chosen."
Teal was the only person in the room who looked and sounded wide awake. "Just like you, Dr. Núñez believed his truth was the truth."
"The Chosen believed that they would rule eleven thousand true believers," Dr. Vadini said. "That this manifestation of the prophecy would secure their rule. The problem came when Dr. Núñez realized that what he had always believed, was in fact, false. Blackstar's prophecy was much different from what he'd been led to believe. And since his belief was unshaken, he couldn't allow what the tablets truly say, to become known to his followers."
"You think he was trying to steal them to destroy them? To destroy the truth?" Jonah asked.
"He was prepared either way. He set two bombs on board to destroy the tablets if Mr. Gallagher didn't bring them to him. Or he was willing to lie to his followers, cognizant of the fact that none of them would be capable of reading Abipón., He could've told them anything he needed to, to confirm the Chosen's beliefs. His people would’ve had no reason to doubt him."
"That's chilling," Bria said.
"Dr. Núñez was obsessed with the Chosen. It is my supposition that he'd been sending men away from Patagonia to be trained in various forms of combat for many years."
"They could've been trained in the Ukraine," Nick said, leading Bria to the sofa, her hand in his. "The last time I saw that many H&K G36 assault rifles was a skirmish in Cosio a few years back. That was a major clusterfuck."
"Stylistically their methods were very much Maza's M.O., so yeah. ANLF instructed," one of the T-FLAC men lining the wall, agreed. Most of the silent men standing against the back wall were unfamiliar to her. But she recognized several of Finn's security people, and one or two from Rydell's ship as well. Peri let the rumble of words wash over her, as the men's voices ebbed and flowed. Right now, she didn't care who'd done what- or how it had gone down, although the fact that the Cutters had jumped in to help astonished her.
Rydell strolled into the room, his gaze going directly to Addison.
"Ry!" Addison handed Peri the sleeping baby before jumping to her feet and racing across the room. Peri's hands automatically clasped the baby.
She, who'd never held a baby in her life, froze with the responsibility just foisted on her. Staring at Adam's sleeping face Peri hoped to God she wasn’t holding him too tightly. Addison flung herself into her husband’s arms. Ry wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the crown of her head as his eyes sought Peri.
Her brother, his arm around Addy's slender waist, scowled. "I thought you decided to go to Tesoro Mio, Magma."
"You decided. I'm incapable of moving."
Ry gave her a half smile and held out his hands. "Here, give him to me."
Peri couldn't move. "Take him. I don't want to drop him."
Her brother's large hands cradled his son as he lifted the child from her lap, then as he'd done on board his ship what felt like a lifetime ago, held him in one hand like a football. The baby slept blissfully on.
"Sit here." She rose from the loveseat. "I need to stretch my legs for a bit."
He gave his head a slight shake, his eyes hard. "We're going back to Tesoro Mio."
"Stay," Peri asked softly. "Please."
Addison and Ry took her seat and Peri went to pour herself another cup of coffee. Her exhaustion was now compounded by a case of the jitters and her nerves raw waiting to see with her own two bleary eyes that Finn was okay. Her hand shook as she returned the carafe to the table.
There was a sudden hush in the room. "My sister's alive, no thanks to you, Gallagher." Her brother's voice cracked with fury. "She saved your sorry ass." Ry glared at Finn who'd just walked in.
Finn put up a 'stop' hand. "True, but I’m not going to fight you.” His eyes met Peri’s across the room. Fumbling to set down her full mug without looking away, she walked toward him. They met in the middle of the room. He was favoring his shoulder, and his face was paler than usual, but he was the most awesome sight Peri had seen in days.
He was barefoot, but had on a clean black t-shirt. She wasn't too tired to notice, the fabric did nice things for his broad shoulders and tight abs.
"Thanks for sticking around," Finn addressed the others as he slung an arm around her shoulders and hugged her against his side.
Peri looked up at him. His color was better, but there was a tightness in the muscles along his jaw and down the column of his neck. He was tired and in pain.
Finn’s fingers gently gripped her side ever so slightly more as he began to speak. "Now that you see I’m fine, and know this is over, would you all bugger off? I want to get Peri tucked into bed. She's exhausted."
Dr. Vadini staggered to his feet from his crouched position. Teal rushed to lend him a helping hand as he wobbled for a moment. "It is not over. You must let me read Blackstar's last message. For that, we must go outside."
“I’m not up for bedtime stories. Perhaps in the morning, Dr.—“
“No. No. It must be tonight! You must see it outside. Tonight!”