The Detective Inspectors (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 4) (22 page)

“Are we ready for this?” Slade asked.

Nightshade stepped onto the ramp. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some payback.” “We’re here to get Edgar back,” Slade said.

“Yeah, you don’t need to remind me of that. And I sure as hell intend to get my licks in in the meantime.”

“Just as long as everyone knows why we’re here,” I cut in and Nightshade turned to me.

“Edgar and taking out the First Kind, I got it, boss lady. It’s not like any of us are here for anything else
right
?” His eyes glinted as if challenging me.

I clutched my fists. Leave it to Nightshade to be able to see through me even when he couldn’t remember anything about us. Could he possibly know I meant to deal with my mother before this was all over? And did he sense that until a little while ago I didn’t think there was a chance I would be coming back from this mission?

“Just stay on mission, Nightshade.”

“I will, Masters, make sure you do the same. And let’s make sure this time no one gets left behind. We’ve been making a habit of that and we need to break it.” He winked at me and my blood boiled. I damn well wished he knew the truth about everything.

“Let’s do this.” I walked past him and slid my hand through the portal before stepping through. It wasn’t as disorienting as the first HVO portal I had taken. I stepped out upright this time and not feeling as sick. I kept my Doorknob in my hand and active, ready for anything. The others followed after me and soon we were all standing inside Storm Reach Prison. The Gremlin scuttled off to the side waiting for Nightshade’s next command.

“Okay, most important thing is getting Edgar out of here. We stay together and stick to the plan. Is everyone clear?” All my friends nodded in unison.

“Um, I’m not fully clear on the plan. Mybe you could explain it to me?” Faith stood at the end of the corridor smiling at us.

Status: Fight!

I didn’t wait for Faith to attack. I snapped my wrist out cracking my whip toward her. She jumped back and activated her own Doorknob.

“What, no witty banter?” she asked as she created a shield.

 Her team rushed up behind her; Jasper, Mary, Hitch, and Jackson. I’d worked with them when I was under the control of the Forget Me Not that Faith had used on me. They knew my moves pretty well, but that was before.

I didn’t respond to Faith. I moved in quickly, my friends behind me, and attacked, ready to give Faith what she deserved. Faith scrambled backward as I bashed my whip into her shield time after time.

Jasper tried to intervene, but Slade was on him quickly swinging his wrench around and smashing into his side and knocking him off his feet with such force that I thought Jasper would snap in half.

Jess created her crimson samurai sword and twirled it, slamming into Mary’s azure weapon. They both spun stray bolts of power, arcing off each blade hit. Jess was more experienced and she was more than capable of handling Mary. Hitch pounced on Declan before either of them could use their vessels and they rolled across the floor in a mess of punches and elbows.

“You should have stayed on our side, Guilder.” Jackson approached Nightshade who hadn’t even bothered to raise his Skeleton Key.

“Is that so,” Nightshade said not a least bit concerned.

“Yeah, but at least now I get to kick your ass.”

“You know what Jackson? I never liked you.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Jackson raised his Doorknob, tendrils of blue energy dripping from its edges.

“Sic him, boy,” Nightshade commanded and the Gremlin came roaring out of the corner heading straight for Jackson. His face turned pure white and he froze from fear as the Gremlin slammed into him.

“You can’t win, you’re surrounded,” Faith said confidently.

 I let her talk as I inched in closer, my whip working around the edges of her shield. It licked around behind her, caught her thigh and she jumped back.

“There’s no way out of here for you or your friends.” Her eyes darted around the room and her confidence slipped as she saw her team falling one by one to my friends. But instead of fear in her eyes, I saw anger as she watched Slade kneeling over Jasper and using his wrench to finish putting a set of Impossible Engineer shackles around him that left him immobile.

 Declan was standing and throwing a final punch that knocked Hitch out cold. He wiped his brow and motioned for Slade to wrap him up as well.

Jess spun her energy sword in a dazzling display of speed and knocked Mary’s Doorknob from her hand. She brought the blade across her neck and rested it directly against her throat.

“I give up,” Mary choked out her surrender.

“Heel boy,” Nightshade ordered nonchalantly as the Gremlin reared back and sat beside him licking its massive row of teeth covered in blood. Jackson was twisting and moaning on the ground cradling his arm that looked like it had been run over by a lawn mower.

“This isn’t fair; you’ll never get out of here alive.” Faith gritted her teeth and stared at me with burning anger.

 I smiled and leaned in close enough so only she could hear me. “Who says I want to get out alive?”

 Faith’s eyes turned wide as saucers as she glared at me as if suddenly realizing just how serious the situation had become. You’re insane,” she whispered.

“No, I’m finally clear on what I need to do... and you are standing in my way.” I launched myself into the air and spun around, my whip turning in tight circles. I used my own momentum to bring it down and shattered her shields in an explosion of light.

“I... I... I....”

 She stumbled as I snapped my whip striking her with such force that it lifted her off the ground, whirled her through the air and finally smacked her down on the floor with a thud, leaving her to lay motionless.

“Is she dead?” Mary whimpered staring down at Faith.

“Do I look like I care?” I walked toward her and she trembled violently as I got closer. Slade and Declan’s eyes rounded as I passed them.

 “Please don’t hurt me,” Mary whimpered.

“Hurt you, you mean like how you and your friends have hurt me and my friends?” I leaned in closer and her whole body quaked. “Tell me why the hell should I have any sympathy for you?”

 I stood and turned away for a moment to see Slade kneeling down beside Faith and checking her. He then turned her over and pulled out a set of manacles attaching them to her. I knew I hadn’t killed her; I had controlled my whip just enough to knock her for a loop. But it was Mary who would to be ready to give me any information I needed after seeing what I had done to Faith.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Mary cried dropping her chin and averting my eyes. Her hands slid through her hair, and she grabbed at the back of her neck and squeezed with such force that her knuckles went white. I knew that feeling.

I pulled my energy whip back into my Doorknob and activated a portal. Beside me a line of blue energy separated space and time and I reached into my own pocket dimension. My hand slid over the case Rosalita had given me, and I flipped the latches and opened it, my fingers curling around the edges of the Looking Glass. I took it out and turned the handle to the correct combination and watched as its surface changed and shimmered finally settling on what looked like an ordinary mirror. I held it up to Mary and immediately saw the halo around her head.

“Damn it,” I exclaimed.

“What?” Declan asked, but I ignored him and walked over to Faith. I kicked her leg and she moaned, her eyes fluttering open. She looked up at me and I could see the fear in her eyes.

“Where is it?” I demanded.

“What?” She gulped.

“The Forget Me Not you used on Mary.” Her eyes darted over to Mary who was staring at us in disbelief. I knew the emotions running through her right now. I remembered when I had realized I had been betrayed as well.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She smiled snidely.

I leaned down so close to her face that our noses were nearly touching. “Where, is it?”

“Kiss my ass.”

 That was it, I pulled back and punched her square in the face. Her head snapped back and she let out a short laugh.

“You’re going to pay for that.” She spit out a line of blood across my combat boots.

I raised my fist again. “Where is it?”

She swallowed hard, realizing I wouldn’t stop until I got my answer. “My inside pocket.”

 I searched her pockets till my hand wrapped around a small globe that hummed with power and I pulled it out. I turned it over in my hand and reached out with my senses. It had been active for months that much I could tell, though I wasn’t sure who had created it. The signature was unfamiliar.

I lifted it up high above my head and brought it down smashing it into the ground. A ring of energy shot out from it in all directions. It washed over each of us, Mary moaned and shuddered. I raised my foot above the remains of the Forget Me Not and brought my heel down on it. The satisfying sound of metal crunching echoed around the room.

“You bitch!” Mary was racing across the room, her hands outstretched toward Faith who struggled to move but the Impossible Engineer manacles held her in place. I grabbed Mary’s arm as she was about to pass me and pulled her just short of getting her hands on Faith. She kicked out with her feet trying to reach her. Faith shimmied away, doing her best not to get hit.

“You were weak just like the rest of them.” Faith laughed.

“You were supposed to be my friend!” Mary yelled.

“Stop,” I said calmly, yanking Mary away from Faith. Her eyes were weary and rimmed with tears “I know how you feel.”

Mary finally faced me, her tears starting to fall as she threw her arms around me. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Chloe. She had me under that damn thing for months. I didn’t want to do any of it.”

“It’s okay.” I patted her on the back, though felt uncomfortable doing so. I was never good with emotions and least of all crying. It wasn’t something I knew how to deal with. But at least I could empathize with how Mary felt. The betrayal I felt when I learned that Faith had done the same to me had been heartbreaking.

“We don’t have time for little Miss Tears.” Nightshade interrupted and I shot him a look that I hoped conveyed how much I wanted to punch him. He shrugged and rolled his eyes.

“Sorry.” Mary pulled away wiping her eyes.

“It’s okay,” I assured her. ”Do you know why we’re here?”

She nodded. “Yes, you’re after your friend Edgar.”

 “Do you know where he is?”

She nodded again. “Yes, they’re holding him in the tower. None of us except Faith was allowed up there. We had to stay on the lower levels and guard the people that hadn’t joined the First Kind.”

“HVO members?” Declan asked.

“Yes, and some of the prisoners who refused to help us.”

Declan rubbed his hands together, and I could see an idea forming in his mind. “Chloe, if I can get to those HVO members they might be able to help us?”

 “How many?” I asked Mary.

“About forty last count, though the numbers are dwindling since they’re using Forget Me Nots to turn them.”

“Chloe, please?” Declan grasped my wrists and squeezed. He pulled me close to him and I saw the plea in his eyes. He needed to help his people.

 It wasn’t part of the plan. We needed to grab Edgar and get out fast while locking down the dimension behind us, or behind my friends at least. But how could I lock innocent people away if we had a chance to save them? This was going wrong fast and I knew I was about to make one of my typical stupid moves.

“This is not a good idea.” Nightshade stepped up to cast his opinion.

“Those are my people,” Declan countered releasing my hand and stepping away from me.

“But not the mission, we’re here for Edgar and to end the threat,” Nightshade reminded.

“You can’t seriously be saying we should leave them here?” Declan asked incredulously.

“How do you propose we get them out?” Nightshade asked. “Do we simply walk past the guards and say excuse me can we have all the prisoners.”

“That’s not my plan,” Declan snapped.

“Well, Goldilocks, what’s your plan then?”

“Do you have a problem with me Nightshade?” Declan stepped up in Nightshade’s face.

“I have a problem with anyone willing to risk my friends,” Nightshade said with a crick of his neck. “And at the moment that’s you.”

 “From what I know you’re not exactly the most trustworthy man around here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Well, if you’re so sure of that why don’t you make a move?” Nightshade grinned and Declan’s hand moved toward his Silver Star hanging from his belt. The Gremlin was standing behind Nightshade and let out a low rumbling growl.

“That’s enough the both of you.” I pushed Nightshade back and he chuckled.

“You’ve got crappy taste in men, Masters.” He winked at me.

“You’re right I do.” I smiled back at him and he looked on confused. The joke wasn’t lost on Jess who let out a laugh.

“There might be a way to get the people out without much risk,” Mary said softly from behind us.

“How?” I asked turning to her.

“We have to snatch the person in charge of the cell level. He has access to opening all the cells at the same time.”

“You know where he is?”

 “Yes.”

“Then let’s go.”

Status: I run into an old enemy

“What about her?” Nightshade asked pointing to Faith.

“We finish her,” I said stepping toward her. She raised her head defiantly.

“What are you doing?” Declan asked.

“I’m not leaving this bitch behind to hurt someone I care about.”

“Chloe, I understand how you must feel—”

 I cut him off before he could finish the sentence. “Do you really Declan?” I turned to him, my heart pounding and my fists clenched. “Do you know what it’s like to trust someone and have them betray you in every way possible, to have them control you and try to destroy every aspect of your life?”

 “You can’t murder her?”

“This isn’t murder.”

 “Then what is it?” he asked.

“Justice,” Nightshade said.

“The HVO is responsible for carrying out justice among the Old Kind,” Delcan reminded.