9781631052415ShadowedSpiritBeck (7 page)

    
“We know from our
preliminary sweep that Samra is in the house alone. Mase hasn’t been seen on
the premises for well over a week,” Caedon informed them.

This information
made Granger feel better, but still he asked, “We’ll have their backs? Three of
us travel with them?”

    
“Yes. Trevor, Gage and
you will go along, but remain hidden. If we spook this housekeeper, she might
not help Sadie.”

    
Lucas broke into the
conversation and steered them in the direction of phase two. This phase
involved the women who were adamant that their role was a requirement of the
prophecy. After too much talking and even more arguing, it was agreed to allow
them to participate in the eradication of what they believed to be the final
conspirators in this plan to undermine the Valendite Breed. Some bullshit
theory Gemma cooked up about the misinterpretation of the prophecy had everyone
agreeing. Damn it. Did no one else worry about their women?

    
“Relax.” Sadie rubbed
her thumb over the back of his hand and he realized he’d tightened his grip on
her tiny fingers.

    
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Damn it, now he’d hurt his mate. Granger lifted her hand to his lips and kissed
them.

    
Sadie smiled over at
him and his stomach flipped. Goddess, she took his breath away each time he
looked at her. He wondered if it would always be this way. Would he always be
so overwhelmed by this woman he was blessed with? No one had ever told him life
could be this good. And now that he knew, he wouldn’t give it up for anything.

    
“Granger, earth to
Granger,
are
you with us, big guy?” Gage guffawed from
the opposite side of the table.
“Wouldn’t want to pull you
from your daydreams.”

    
Granger flared his
nostrils at Gage and growled. That little shit. He was more like a brother to
him than just another TEU agent. Joking around with the other sniper was the
only way they stayed sane after all the men they’d killed together.

“Now
you’re back.” Gage nodded and blew him a kiss.

Something
knocked him on the side of the skull. It was a coffee cup. “What the fuck?”

“Thought
maybe I could have your attention.
You
know,
important mission and
all.” Madden’s voice held no humor and straightened Granger’s posture immediately.

“I
apologize, Madden.” Granger felt rightfully scolded.

“We’re
all concerned about the women on this mission but let’s remember, as my mate
often reminds me, they have powers of their own. We shouldn’t underestimate
them.” Madden looked to his mate when he finished speaking and received a
beaming smile of unspoken praise.

Baby
Julianna clapped as she sat in her mother’s lap and watched her parents’
interaction. The levity that simple action brought to the moment couldn’t have
been more necessary.

“Finish
your breakfast and then those of us not going to San Francisco are in a waiting
pattern until we hear our mission destination. I won’t be surprised to discover
it’s overseas so I expect everyone to have a bag packed.” Madden stood, took
his mate’s hand, and exited.

No one
remained sitting. It seemed everyone was ready to get this done.

* * * *

Sadie
would never admit to the nerves in her stomach as her mate sat next to her in
the back seat of the large suburban taking them too quickly to
Mase’s
house. He would most likely be able to sense it if
she hadn’t learned how to block her emotions, a new power she’d discovered
while talking with Davina. Davina, it seemed, did have amazing gifts and Sadie
was learning things from her that she supposed had she paid attention, she
would’ve already known.

Sadie
had a lot of catching up to do now that she’d been released from her soul sin.
As she learned, she felt more connected with her sisters and a new affinity for
her people. Sadie recognized that she’d missed out on so much. She would never
let that happen again.

Once
this was all done and the danger was behind them, she wanted to help teach
other women how to use their powers. Oh, she still planned to open her dance
studio, but this was something she could also do. Considering a future
generation was new to her and it made her happy. These thoughts were good. For
now, they kept her distracted enough to feel sane. Everyone was on edge and
while the Sadie of the past would’ve walked away, the new Sadie was prepared to
stay and be a part of everything no matter how difficult things might get.

Then
the car slowed and Sadie looked up to see that they’d reached the top of the
street where Mase lived. Granger got out and allowed Davina to move to the back
seat with her and Trevor. “I’ll get out and let you out of the back seat as if
I’m just your driver. We’ll park the car slightly down the road and be waiting.
Trevor will move to the back perimeter of the building so if you need him, even
a quiet call for help should reach him.”

“If all
else fails, hit the panic button and we’ll come in for a kill,” Gage added.

“Really,
that’s how you reassure them.” Granger shook his head at Gage.

“They
don’t need reassurance. My little sister kicks ass. Right, Davina?” Gage met
his sister’s eyes through the rearview mirror.

“Absolutely.
Gage and
Davina, the dynamic duo.
We were always the most dangerous.” Davina
agreed with Gage. Sadie smiled at their playful interaction.

Not
having brothers, Sadie’s interactions with men had always been less than
comfortable. Davina though had grown up with men all around her. She was unique
in their society because very few families had children of both genders. In
fact, no one was certain what her role would be or if she possessed a soul sin.
There was nothing obvious about her behaviors that Sadie could see, though
Chiara had her theories. Could it be that gluttony was her soul sin? It would
explain the overabundance of her powers.

Sadie wondered
as she watched the charismatic, confident woman. She took in the way she held
herself, her appearance of control and calm. Then Sadie noticed something that
had her brow rising. Davina’s pinky was linked with Trevor’s as their hands
rested between them. Was something going on with these two under everyone’s radar?
Usually news of a breed mating was front-page news in their families, the nosy
bunch of them. Well, Sadie wouldn’t be the one to spill. She turned away and
took a breath. In another minute, she had a job to do.

When
she exited the car and made her way to the large front door of the home, Sadie
prayed to the Goddess that she looked as casual as she hoped she did.

The
doorbell rang three times before the door opened to reveal the tiny housekeeper
Sadie remembered. She hadn’t changed, standing there in her gray uniform with
her dark brown hair coiled into a bun at the back of her head. Her tiny hands
were folded, fingers wringing. Then Sadie noticed her wide eyes. Samra was
nervous.

“Ms.
Sadie, what are you doing here?” Her rushed near-whisper was not the greeting
she expected.

“I need
your help, Samra. Can we come in?” Sadie looked back at Davina and added, “This
is my friend, Davina, and we need to talk with you.”

Samra
shook her head slowly. “You shouldn’t be here. There’s things going on you
don’t want to know, you don’t want to be a part of. Please, Ms. Sadie. You are
a special one. You cannot be here where—”

“There’s
evil here.” Davina’s words stopped Samra in mid-sentence.

“You.
You are the seer.” Samra looked
at Davina in awe.

Davina
shook her head. “I sense things sometimes. I don’t know why though.”

“You
are the seer, the one sent to warn. Please, heed the warning, seer. You cannot
be here.” Samra was more nervous and anxious with each passing moment they
remained on that front stoop of
Mase’s
home.

“Please,”
Sadie tried again. “We need you to tell us where Mase is. We know he’s doing
something terrible and you need to tell us how to find him.”

“It’s
almost
time
,” Davina explained.

Though
Sadie had no idea what she meant, Samra seemed moved by her words. She opened
the door and led them into the front room. “Sit. Just for a moment. Then you
must leave.”

They
sat and watched as Samra paced. Her short legs waddled as she ate up the space.
Sadie counted the brush of her sandals on the wood floors and bit down the urge
to shout at Samra to talk.

“Ms.
Sadie, when I freed you, I knew who you were. You are part of the Prophecy of
Seven. He did not know. If ever he came too close to the truth, I did what I
could.”

“What
is it he wants? Do you know? That might help us.”

She
looked out the window as she responded. “Mase is connected with these
scientists who want to copy the breed’s DNA chain. They will make their own
breed warriors and Mase is being paid to aid them.”

Sadie
wasn’t surprised. This was actually their most firm theory about his
involvement. Mase was taking blood samples from women believed to be part of
the
Magdalena Circle
. It just made
sense that he was in with this group.

“Is it
the group TEU has been after? Is Mase involved with Abdul-Nassir?”

Samra
snapped her head back to look at them. Her eyes held fear.
“Yes,
Abdul-Nassir, the servant of the victorious one.
He’s a dangerous man.”

“We
know. Samra, please tell us where Mase is. We have men who will help end this.”

“The
time is growing near. We must clear the path,” Davina added.

“Yes.
You must rid us of those who stand against the prophecy.” Samra agreed, her
head bobbing up and down. “He isn’t far. Nassir has been out of contact and
Mase is growing anxious. He’s worried and has been since you escaped. There’s a
lab that’s been helping him. He plans to be there for the next few days before
he takes his results and travels to talk to Nassir in person.”

“That
won’t happen,” Davina spoke under her breath.

“This
is good. This is good information, Samra. Do you have the address?”

The
woman, seeming frailer than Sadie remembered, wrote out the address and handed
it to Sadie. “Now, you must be going. Just in case, you know, I don’t want him
to see you here. It’s dangerous.”

“Thank
you. Thank you so much.” Sadie and Davina stood to follow her to the door.
“Won’t you come with us? It’s dangerous for you as well.”

“I know
the danger. I won’t be here when he returns.”

“Can we
bring you somewhere? Do anything to help?”

Samra
took Sadie’s hands in her bony fingers. “You will help me by ending this and
seeing the prophecy fulfilled. I will be fine on my own. This old lady is going
home.”

Satisfied
and knowing there was nothing left to be said, Sadie hugged Samra before
following Davina back to the waiting SUV.

Inside,
she handed Granger the address.

“What
is this?”

“That’s
where we find Mase.”

“You’ve
got to be kidding me. The asshole is doing this right here, in California,
under our noses!” Gage shouted, his anger erupting. “I thought we’d knocked
this damn cell out. I say we bomb the place.”

“No,”
Granger answered sharply. “If we are going to take out another Breed, we’ll do
it face-to-face. And we’ll confirm one more time that Madden doesn’t want him
alive for questioning first.” Then, letting the seriousness dissipate, he
added, “Besides I would’ve thought you learned not to go in guns blazing, tough
guy.” Granger grinned and bumped Gage in the shoulder.

The
reference to Gage shooting his mate always got him going. “Do I need to explain
that again?”

“No,
please, no.” Groans from everyone in the car who had already heard Gage explain
this plenty erupted.

“Quiet.”
Granger had the phone up to his ear. “Madden, he’s right here in California.
Yep”

There
was a pause and then Granger read out the address. “We’ll stop for lunch and
wait. Sure. Good. It’s a plan.”

Granger
disconnected and turned. “Here’s the plan. The three of you,” he indicated
Trevor, Davina and herself, “will head back to the compound. Gage and I will
wait at a local diner until the others arrive. We’re going to take out the
personnel in the lab.”

“Explosion?”
Gage asked.

“No,
not this close to base.
We’re tagging them one-by-one and running a clean-up,” Granger explained to
Gage.

“Well,
shit, that’s even more fun,” Gage grinned.

Sadie
couldn’t understand how these men could talk so casually about ending lives.
She was just happy to be returning to the vineyard. Her job was done here and
she’d delivered. Satisfied she’d done her part, Sadie knew it was now time for
Granger to do what he was good at.