I’d scaled walls brighter and more visible than this with no problem, and this proved no exception. I floated to the ground undetected. The key was to stay close to the corner, move quickly and silently, without pause.
I unlatched the clear metal tether and crouched low to the ground as I maneuvered to the front of the house. Romeo’s car still sat in the driveway. I pushed out a relieved breath as the Morevv exited the house’s front door. I’d guessed correctly.
He didn’t go to the parked, empty Porsche, however. No, he strode purposefully to the wooded area behind the house. Confused, I silently followed, wondering all the while if I’d made a mistake after all.
Chapter 10
Romeo stopped in a small circular clearing at the edge of the property, away from the ocean and allowing me an unobstructed view of him. Over the years, other targets of mine had come to clear areas like this. I’d never known why; I hadn’t cared why. I’d always used the isolated surroundings to my advantage and struck. Perhaps I should have had more patience.
For a long while Romeo stood motionless, silently watching the darkening sky. Was he meeting someone? Did he suspect I followed? Or…was he expecting a spaceship? Perhaps the wordportal actually meant “ship.”
Minutes passed. I unsheathed my gun.
Brittle grass bit into me. Salt stung the air. Concealed by shadows and bushes, I crouched motionlessly, waiting as time continued to pass and nothing happened. Nothing at all. No one arrived. At least his movements didn’t indicate suspicion. I uncovered my wristwatch by pushing back my shirtsleeve. Three minutes after nine. I frowned. What or who was he waiting on? Did he expect to world-travel simply by standing there?
If Lucius were here, he’d grab Romeo and beat the answers out of him. I could do the same, I suppose, but that wasn’t always effective. I preferred to observe the other-worlder’s natural tendencies.
I only prayed my patience would be rewarded.
A quiet whistling sounded several feet behind me. A person? Merely the wind? Heart drumming with adrenaline, I shifted my focus, switching my aim as I searched the trees. No one was there that I could see. Leaves rustled, then stopped…rustled, then stopped…like the beat of a drum, ever increasing in intensity. Not wind, for I felt nothing on the ground. An animal?
Romeo didn’t seem to notice or care.
The sound steadily crescendoed to a thousand disharmonized screams, like blades screeching through metal. The noise ripped through me, tearing me apart inside. Pressing my lips together to cut off my own scream, I squeezed my eyes shut and dropped my pyre-gun, covering my ears with my hands. That didn’t help.
When I realized what was happening, I cringed. Solar flare. They always affected me this way. Humans never seemed to hear them, or feel the searing, violent bombardment of charged particles. Other-worlders always seemed to be affected. For most, the experience was a pleasure. For me, it was a nightmare. Flares were stronger out in the open, with nothing to obstruct their destructive waves.
I forced my eyes open, forced myself to watch Romeo. He basked in the sound, spreading his arms wide, welcoming the disharmony. Had he caused this? How? Why? I didn’t understand.
The wind kicked up, lifting and scratching like a desperate lover. Trees shook and rumbled ominously. A bright light pulsed in the purple sky. Too bright. Getting brighter. Getting closer. What was happening? What—
Romeo vanished.
One second he stood there, in the center of the circle, the next he didn’t. The screaming ceased. The light dimmed. The trees settled.
Gaining my balance, I shoved to my feet. My head whipped to the side as I searched for my target. I searched the entire clearing for tracks. None led away from the circle.
My confusion doubled.
I replayed the scene through my mind. The screaming, the wind, the lights, and the way Romeo embraced them. My eyes widened as realization struck me. He’d somehow traveled from one world to another through the solar flare. My God.
Knowing what he’d done, however, merely increased the number of questions I had. Why hadn’t I traveled with him? I’d been no more than ten feet away. I should have disappeared, too.
He was scheduled to return in two hours. I’d question him then. Brimming with anticipation, I settled into my hiding place. And waited for his return.
Eleven thirty came and went.
I should have returned to Michael by now, or at least called, but I didn’t dare move from this spot. I kept myself awake all night, well past the time allotted for the trip on Romeo’s daily planner. Another solar flare did not erupt, so Romeo didn’t return.
Morning brought the harsh rays of the sun, causing heat to envelope me. Causing the grass to stiffen. Maybe I’d miscalculated. Maybe he’d meant eleven thirty this morning.
I’d wait.
Sweat dripped down my face and chest. I wished to God I’d brought a canteen of sugar water. But this was supposed to be a quick job. In and out. So I’d brought no provisions for anything other than killing. One hour after another dragged by, the sound of the insects my only companion. I wouldn’t doubt if Michael had sent out a search party for me by now. The man did like to worry.
Eleven thirty arrived without any signs of a solar flare. Romeo, however, arrived right on schedule. I kept my gaze on the circle, and before my eyes, he simply appeared. No warning. Just blink, there he was.
Excitement and anticipation renewed, flooding me. He shook his head to orient himself, and I made my move. I jumped up from my crouch and bolted toward him, taking a controlled, don’t-fuck-with-me stance right in front of him. My pyre-gun locked on his heart. His eyes widened when he saw me. Covered from head to toe in black as I was, I looked every bit as menacing and deadly as I actually was.
Without a word of warning, I punched him in the nose to get his attention. His head whipped to the side, and blood poured down his lips and chin. “Where did you go?” I demanded.
His mouth gaped open, and he stumbled backward, away from me.
Instead of trying to overpower me, he wanted to run. I expected no different. Most people, even those who used physical force when angry, backed down when faced with physical force against themselves. “You have three seconds to answer my question, or I’ll melt the flesh from your bones. One.”
I saw the wheels turn in his head before he morphed into seductive mode and offered me a let’s-go-to-bed smile. “There’s no need for this. We can—”
Disgust welled inside me. “Two.”
“I know how to pleasure women,” he whispered suggestively.
“Thr—”
“Home,” he gasped out, his body beginning to tremble like a little girl’s. “I went home to Morevv.”
“Through the solar flare?”
“Yes, yes.” He licked his lips, and his gaze darted from side to side. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“How does the solar flare work?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.” I stepped toward him and punched him again.
Tears filled his eyes and spilled onto his cheeks. He dropped to his knees. “I swear I don’t know how it works. I only know it’s the transit portal. Please don’t hurt me. Please.”
I wished he could see my expression when I said, “Is that how women have begged for your mercy? On their knees, pleading? Did you show them even an ounce?”
His sun-kissed skin paled, giving him a ghostly pallor. “I’ve never raped a woman.”
Busted. “I didn’t mention rape. Did I?”
“So what?” he said with sudden bravado. “They liked what I gave them in the end. Every woman does.”
“Now I know you’re lying, angel cakes, and I don’t like liars.” I pulled the trigger. A blue light flashed, hitting him directly in the chest.
He froze, locked in stun. His features projected shock and fear. I withdrew a small vial from my pocket, closed the distance between us, and poured the liquid down his throat.
“Onadyn,” I said, knowing he heard every word. “Completely undetectable. A deoxygenating drug that some other-worlders use so they can breathe Earth’s air. You—someone who needs oxygen to live—will suffocate in minutes, your every breath ineffective, making it look like you came out for a walk but died of organ failure.”
I saw a muscle twitch in his jaw, and abject terror filled his eyes. I patted his cheek and gave him my sweetest smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of your dog.”
Romeo had named the dog Killer. Since that wouldn’t do, her new name became Agent Luc. A play on the name Lucius. Hopefully he would be properly irritated, especially when he learned this shaggy brown dog with the big, watery brown eyes was female. I smiled. Ah, life was suddenly good.
Agent Luc and I negotiated an understanding on the flight home. She craved affection, and I gave it to her. She’d been nothing more than Romeo’s punching bag. She deserved a little pampering.
When we exited the ITS, she saw Michael waiting at the bottom of the exit steps. His expression was concerned until he saw me. Then a big, relieved grin lit his face. Immediately, Agent Luc began whimpering. I guess she didn’t like males—even those who smiled.
Wise woman, I thought. I gently patted her neck, cooing, “He won’t hurt you. He just looks mean.” I squinted in the harsh daylight, heard another ITS pass overhead, a gentle hum.
Michael’s confused gaze flicked from the dog to me. “You’re late, and you didn’t call” were the first words out of his mouth.
“I was delayed. I’m sorry.” I hoisted my bag over one shoulder. Gripping Agent Luc’s leash in the other hand, I strode from the private airstrip toward Michael’s waiting sedan.
Agent Luc resisted at first, watching me with those sad brown eyes. “Come on, big girl,” I said. “Think of this as an adventure.” She reluctantly fell into step beside me, hopped into the back seat, and curled into a protective ball. She looked out of place against the fine black leather.
“Who’s your friend?” Michael asked, motioning to the dog.
“She used to belong to the Morevv, but now she’s your newest agent.”
He rolled his eyes. “Do I have to pay her?”
“Of course.” I slid into place beside Luc, and Michael settled behind the wheel. “Mission complete,” I told him.
His motions clipped, he spun to face me. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say? I was beyond worried about you. After your last injuries…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call.” I reached over and squeezed his hand. “I got caught up. I should have made the time, anyway, and I was wrong not to. I admit it.” I knew he was a worrier, and I needed to take better care of him. “Forgive me?”
“As if I could stay mad at you,” he said with no heat. Only affection.
I grinned. “What do you know about solar flares?”
“Only a little, and only because they bothered you so much as a child. Why?”
I sidestepped his question. “Tell me what you know first.”
He programmed the self-navigating vehicle to take us home, then shrugged. “They’re sudden eruptions of energy, heat, and light.”
The car jolted into motion, but Michael didn’t have to turn his attention away from me. The car drove smoothly along the road, expertly weaving in and out of traffic. A typical male, Michael had always liked his toys to be expensive, fast, and state of the art.
“What else?” I asked.
“Humans can’t see them, but we think a lot of other-worlders can. They happen more frequently when the sun approaches the maximum apex of its cycle. Now, you tell me something. What’s this have to do with anything?”
“I experienced one.”
“And?” he prompted.
Leaning back in my seat, I propped my feet on the dash. “And I watched an alien disappear in the midst of it.”
“Disappear?” Michael frowned. “Until a few weeks ago, I’d never heard of anyone mastering molecular transfer.”
“I don’t think that’s what happened.”
“Because—” he prompted.
“Because of what was happening around him. Violent winds. High-pitched screams. It wasn’t just molecular transfer. What if solar flares aren’t what we think they are? What if they happen when aliens open portals?”
“Then why can’twe open one? Why can’t you?” Michael’s frown deepened. “Maybe you missed the guy. Maybe—”
“No,” I interjected. “I looked for him, for his tracks. He didn’t simply run or hide, Michael. He vanished.”
“So you think…what?”
“Remember what EenLi said about the portals not always being open?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“That means they are opened and closed. They could be opened and closed through solar flares. Because of solar flares. Cause the solar flares.Something. ”
“Possibilities, yes, but they raise the question of whyyou have never vanished during one. Over the years, you’ve been in the middle of several.”
True. My hands curled into fists. I was so close to the truth. I knew it. But so close wasn’t what I needed. “There has to be a reason, a catalyst that sucks someone through. When is the next flare due, do you know?”
“I’ll check on it.”
I rubbed my forehead. “I wish my parents were alive. I could ask them how we came to this world.”
Michael stiffened, just as he always did when I mentioned my biological parents. I immediately regretted my wistfulness. I suspected when I spoke of them, Michael felt I was somehow dissatisfied with him. I wasn’t. Michael had worked hard to raise me. Very hard. He hadn’t hired nannies or shuffled me off on other people. No, he’d kept me near him, seen to my every need and want. I loved him all the more for it.