The Detective Inspectors (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 4) (30 page)

I slipped through the battle as best I could to avoid fighting, since my injured right hand was pretty much useless and I was having a hard time dealing with the immense pain. I didn’t chance looking down at it, afraid the sight might send me over the edge.

The barricade that Slade had erected earlier laid in pieces, scattered across the floor. I spotted him near the edge swinging his wrench, taking out two people at a time.

“Slade!” I yelled over the roar and he waved me toward him. I raced over and he pushed me past him. To my relief, I found myself in a moment of relative calm. Edgar was sitting on the floor wrapping a bandage around Nightshade’s chest wound. Jess stood over him with her Skeleton Key aimed at his chest.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked.

“Captain Crazy over here,” —Jess pointed to Nightshade— “was threatening to fight his way back up to you. We managed to convince him to let Edgar at least bandage him up first.”

“That’s when your cousin pulled her Key on me,” Nightshade smirked.

“What? I was just making sure he stayed still while Edgar fixed him up.” Jess laughed, and then caught sight of my injured hand. “OMG, what happened?”

“It’s nothing. My hand kind of got caught in the power of the Artifacts.” I tried to shrug it off, but Nightshade and Edgar were at my side before I could say another word.

“I could use some help over here,” Slade called over his shoulder.

“You two take care of her.” Jess nodded toward me and ran to help Slade.

Edgar reached out, his hand stopping just short of mine. He bit at his bottom lip as he tilted his head and swung it back and forth, surveying the damage.

Nightshade slid his arm around my shoulder and eased me to rest against him. I lowered my head to his shoulder so glad I was there in his arms. I wanted to tell him all about what happened with Mom. But I couldn’t handle reliving it right now; there would be time for that later. At least I hoped there would be.

“It’s bad,” Edgar said.

“I kind of figured that, Edgar.” I said having known it would be even before I shoved my hand into the burning hot energy mass.

“I’m not sure I can do anything for it. If I had a fixer kit I might be able too.” The comment jogged my memory and I slipped my other hand into my pocket and activated the portal to my pocket dimension. My fingers slid over my Polymorph case and I pulled it out.

“Maybe this can help.” I held it out to Edgar.

“Is this a polymorph case?” he asked with a grin.

 Leave it to Edgar to be amazed by something in the middle of a rescue attempt that was going horribly wrong.

“Yes, it is,” I confirmed with a nod.

He dropped to his knees and opened it, inspecting the contents.

I turned back to Nightshade, his chest and ribs were bandaged, though thin lines of blood were beginning to soak through.

“Hi,” I smiled, realizing how precious this moment with Nightshade was, especially since we were sharing it during one of the worst moments of my life.

Nightshade wrapped his arm around me and pulled me gently into a hug.

The preciousness of one moment conflicted with the horrific remembrance of the other. On the one hand my mother had died saving me, and on the other, the man I loved was back and remembered me. Then there was the fact that Tower had manipulated my mother all these years. It lit a white hot rage in me that would not be satisfied until he was six feet under. There was no debate on that one.

Then there was... my sister. I still needed to wrap my head around that. The image of the young blond girl at the restaurant with my mom kept haunting me.

“Your mom?” Nightshade asked.

“Dead.” The word nearly choked me and Nightshade slid his arm around my waist taking my weight as my legs trembled and gave way.

“That’s a shame,” Edgar chimed in.

Nightshade looked at Edgar like he had two heads. “What? The woman got what she deserved.”

Nightshade didn’t know the truth about my mom, no one but me knew that. I glanced at Edgar who regarded me with sympathetic eyes.

Had he discovered something during his time here with her? The thought that he might know something gave me the courage to say, “They used a Forget Me Not on her.” My anger and pain had grown with each word and it would grow even more until I avenged my family.

“You okay?” Nightshade grabbed my chin lifting it and looking into my eyes.

I nodded and he kissed me gently at first. Then it was as if a damn had burst and we both needed more. I lost myself in that moment, savoring not only the kiss but the love I felt along with it. It broke through my sorrow and helped ease my pain.

Nightshade eased the kiss to an end, though sprinkled kisses along my cheek to my ear and whispered, “You’re still a terrible liar.”

I pushed him back and punched his shoulder. He laughed and so did I.

Then he turned serious. “We’ll definitely talk about it later.”

I nodded, knowing he would make sure that we did and knowing I needed to.

“Okay, I think this should help.” Edgar had mixed a few of the potions together and handed me a vial.

“It’ll fix my hand?”

“No, it should stop the pain and make sure nothing else is affected, but I think your hand it lost.” Edgar shrugged as if it was a given.

I nodded. One more thing I was going to have to deal with. I grabbed the vial and downed it in one gulp. The pain in my hand stopped immediately and warmth rushed throughout my body. It poured through me and I shuddered as I felt my abilities regenerate. If I needed to fight my way out, at least I would be able too.

“That did it,” I said and handed him the vial and he returned it to the case, flipping it closed. “Edgar, what about the Legend?”

“I got it.” He pulled it from out of his shirt and sighed in relief.

“What about the other Artifact? Jordan had said that the First Kind had possessed more than one.”

“They kept talking about another Artifact, but I never saw one.”

“Great, we have no idea what it is or where it could be.”

 “The plan?” Nightshade asked.

“Same as before we lock this place down and get the hell out.” I smiled up at him and he shook his head at me.

“Crazy and probably stupid, yup that sounds like us.”

“So you’re back to normal?” Edgar asked Nightshade.

“Yes, normal as ever.”

“That’s debatable,” I teased and got a poke in the ribs from him.

“Good, I’d have hated it if we had to kill you,” Edgar sighed and I stifled a laugh.

“Yeah,” Nightshade slapped Edgar on the shoulder and smiled. “I would have hated that too, buddy.”

“Have you seen Declan?” I asked Nightshade as we went to join Slade and Jess. They had formed a rather effective two man operation, keeping everyone away from our little area.

“Goldilocks? No, I was out of it till just before you arrived.”

“We need to get him and his people out with us.” I looked around the room for Declan but didn’t see him anywhere. I did catch a glimpse of Mary who was fighting against a Guilder. I pointed her out to Jess and she nodded in understanding.

I glanced to Nightshade and that was all I needed to let him know what I was up to. He took Jess’s place helping Slade and protecting Edgar.

Jess and I moved forward, acting like a cleaver we cut a path through the fighting straight to Mary, flanking her sides and taking over the battle. She dropped down exhausted. We had arrived just in time.

“Nice timing, you two,” she huffed.

“No problem, where’s Declan?” I yelled as I deflected a blow from a First Kind.

“I think he’s down another level. He and some other DIs decided to break into the high risk prisoner section. The First Kind didn’t get them all to join; he figures they might be willing to help out.

“Well that sounds like a terrible idea,” Jess said.

“That’s what I said.” Mary pushed herself to her feet.

“Where to?” Jess asked over her shoulder.

“We need to make it to Declan, and then we finish the plan.”

“You mean were going to do it?”

“Yes, we’re locking this whole dimension down.”

“Are you serious?” Mary asked getting to her feet between us.

“Damn straight.” I activated my whip and brought it across the latest First Kind to rush in for an attack. I cut him down and raised my hand waving toward the others “We’re moving out!”

“What about the HVO?” Jess looked around the room at the DIs who’d come to our aid.

“We can’t just leave them,” Mary chimed in.

“HVO fall back now!” I yelled out and saw some heads turn my way. We were backing up and they began to follow. I’d hoped Declan had told them about us and it seemed like he had. We all moved away from the First Kind in a wave.

The remaining First Kind pulled back unsure of what to do. I imagined they were in disarray with two of their leaders dead and another missing. This would be the perfect time to strike against them, while they were weak. We could end their threat once and for all. Then I could find that bastard Tower and make him pay.

Status: Fight or flight?

The HVO had secured a floor of the tower and were holed up fighting off the First Kind who was in complete disarray. Declan had sent out word about us and we were allowed access immediately.

“I was hoping you weren’t dead,” Declan beamed as he walked toward us. His hair was drenched along with his clothes.

“What happened?” I asked.

“We had to blow a hole out the side wall to reach the high risk prisoners.” He ran his hand through his hair pushing the wet strands back out of his face.

“How’d that go?”

“The ones that didn’t join the First Kind joined up. I guess they figured it was better being on a side than caught in the middle. What’s the plan?” he asked.

“Same as before.” I nodded.

 He let out a low whistle. “We’re still doing the Lockdown?”

“It’s our best bet and with the First Kind having lost a few leaders tonight, this could cripple them.”

 Declan cricked his neck at my comment but didn’t follow up on it. “What do you need me to do?”

“I want you and Mary to start getting all of your people out of here. I don’t want anyone getting stuck here.” Mary stepped up next to Declan, ready to proceed.

“How much time do we have?” he asked.

“I can give you thirty minutes till I activate the Lockdown, and I’m going to do a five minute shutdown to give my team time to get out.”

“Is that going to be enough time?” His hand rubbed along his chin and it was obvious that he didn’t think we had enough time to get out.

I had faith in my friends, I always did. “We’ll make it out. You get the HVO out of here. Edgar is going to supply you with coordinates to the Mapmakers. Go straight to them and tell them what’s happened. Whatever you do don’t let the Council find out. Tower, is the one in charge of the First Kind.”

“What?” Declan’s mouth dropped open and he stared at me in disbelief.

“It’s true. We know now that we can’t trust the Council at all. The Mapmakers are our only chance. Understood?”

“You got it.” He nodded and waved for Mary to follow him as they went to find Edgar.

Jess, Nightshade, and Slade were standing off to the side talking quietly. I moved to a dark corner of the room and lifted my right hand to finally take a good look at it. It was a blackened and ruined mess, sinew and bone was visible in sections and it took all my will not to lose my lunch looking at it. The pain was gone, but moving it wasn’t possible. I doubted I would ever be able to use it again.

 I slid my good hand into my pocket and pulled out the small container my mother had given me. I hope what was in it was worth the price I paid to retrieve it. I couldn’t open it now; I had to wait until I got out of here. I needed a quiet space and some time to think... about everything, especially my sister, Erin.

She was in danger. Mom was right, if Tower thought he could use her against me he would. I still didn’t know what that meant and it scared the hell out of me. It didn’t matter she was only a kid. He had destroyed my family over and over; Bodie, Dad, Mom, and now Erin.

Tower wasn’t going to be happy until he took everything from me. Had this all started with Bodie? Is that why he hated the Masters family so much? That was another person he was going to have to answer for and I needed to talk to Rosalita. She’d known all this time what I was headed for here. No wonder she had stayed away from me. She had sent me to watch my grandfather sacrifice himself for me.

I glanced across the room at Nightshade. He was back, my Nightshade, and he loved me. I hadn’t thought it was possible and yet here he was. I had something to look forward to other than pain and suffering. With my luck a comet would hit the building and everyone would die a horrible painful death. I chuckled. Who was I kidding? One good thing happened today, which meant more good things could happen.

“I got the coordinates,” Edgar said excited.

“Are you okay?” I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He was thinner and looked tired but otherwise he seemed like himself.

“I’m okay. Once they realized they couldn’t use a Forget Me Not on me, things got a little tense. Darker wanted to persuade me to help them.”

 I knew exactly what that meant, Nightshade had the scars on his back to remind me of Darker’s idea of persuasion. I couldn’t bring myself to feel bad about his death, he was one person who deserved to die.

“What happened?”

“Your mom, she made me start working on maps and kept an eye on me. She seemed like she was trying to spend time around me and the Legend. The more time she spent around it, the more she changed.”

  I hadn’t had time to consider it, but when I’d been under the influence of the Forget Me Not, I almost broke its control when I came close to the Artifact. Maybe it had done the same to her, that’s why she was struggling with confusion when we were fighting.

“It must have been the Mapmakers Legend that affected her.”

“I think so.” Edgar nodded in agreement.

A weak smile played across my lips. “She was free at the end.”

 “I think she was before that too,” Edgar said, glancing sideways at me.