“Death comes too easy these days. You remember when Uncle Delroy passed and we got everyone in the neighborhood together? If that had happened now, we wouldn’t have so much as blinked.”
–Marquise Jones, “Unnamed”. 2 Months After.
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It was a total bloodbath.
Evelyn studied the halls of Mother’s Grace, her eyes widened against the carnage, and breath heavy from within her respirator. Just about every hall from the entrance to the ward they’d kept Leah hidden in was now caked in undead blood. Bodies lay strewn about, with only a handful still able to move. Many of the dead had their skulls pierced, while others had been beheaded completely. Full purges with no regard for the state of the rezzers or lives lost between.
How the hell could a small group of Inquisitors manage to inflict this much damage? This would have put most veteran Hunter groups to shame.
Evelyn ran up to Stein. “Please tell me you’ve got something.”
He shook his head. “I told Liam to use that hybrid if it came down to it, but I never expected him to leave the Styx altogether.”
“You heard him. There was no choice.”
“Well, now he’s out of radio range, so we’re just as clueless as everyone else as to where he went next.”
Evelyn clenched her fists, the nylon in her gloves digging into the flesh beneath. Of course this would happen the fucking moment she stepped away. Lacking proper medical knowledge about Leah’s condition, her and Stein had gone to the Central Bank to collect more information. When the Beholders rolled in, Liam used their encrypted radio to update them throughout.
He’d first tried to lay low, collecting everything he could fit into a pack while wrapping Leah up in their mobile carrying unit. Then Ezekiel broke through and Liam ran for the garage as planned. The goal was to meet up at the Bank to pick Evelyn and Stein up, then fall back to the Lodge where the Hunters would keep them safe.
But Liam never made it to the Bank. The streets had been too congested and the Inquisitors managed to keep up on foot. With no other choice that he could see, Liam made the bold move of driving out the Styx. He fell out of radio range soon after, though not before leaving one final message. The same that ran through her mind now, again and again.
I’ve got to do what I can to keep our daughter safe, he’d said. Even if it’s alone right now. We love you, Evelyn. Both of us. So take care of yourself until we get back, yeah?
Then the signal dropped, and Evelyn was trapped out here. Alone.
“You’ve got to get me a truck,” she said. “I need to find them!”
Stein grimaced. “It won’t be that easy now. With Leah out of town, there’s only so much I can do. She put a direct order to keep all nonessential vehicles inside the Styx. Dwayne won’t just hand any over without explanation. Even if I brought the rest of the Council into the loop about you and your family, they wouldn’t make any moves on their own. Not with the Beholders so close. Just look at Charon. He was hesitant to send anyone after them, and he stopped chasing once their trucks left the California basin. The sad truth is that we’d need Leah to put in the order.”
“And she was supposed to be back days ago. Has the Council at least heard from her since she reached El Dorado?”
He averted his gaze. “We have not. No advanced scouts have returned, and long-range telecommunications have been down for months, pending repairs.”
“There’s got to be something you can do, Stein. This is my child we’re talking about!”
“I’ll put out a contract and make it as large as necessary. Maybe try to get a Hunter as strong as Declan to take care of this until Leah returns.” He studied the blood-covered hallways. “Don’t forget that I’ve got my own score to settle here. It will take time before they’re able to mobilize, however, and they’ll be traveling on foot.”
“So what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Just sit on my ass doing nothing?”
“Do whatever you’d like, Evelyn. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need. You’ve been gone from home too long as is.”
She breathed deep. “Thank you for the offer, Stein, but I can’t rest idly while they’re not safe.”
He nodded. “I understand. The offer remains open indefinitely, and I will do what I can to keep you updated. For now, I have got to get back to work repairing this place.” His red-tinted eyes scanned the area again with a grim acknowledgment. “Too many patients were created today.”
Evelyn grit her teeth, once again taking in the damage that had occurred. She stormed off without another word.
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As much as it hurt to admit, Stein was right. Leah hadn’t become the Head Huntress for nothing, and with her still MIA, no one else would lift a finger. They didn’t know about Evelyn or her family, and even if they did, what prevented them from using her for their own ends? No, that risk was unacceptable. Only Stein could be trusted, and he lacked the resources to solve this.
That left her. Evelyn Jones. Once again on her own, with no one else to make a difference.
She pulled out the latest blood-work test for her daughter. In the cruelest irony of all, they’d managed to figure out what had caused her sickness after the attack when it no longer made a difference.
Botulism. A common bacterial infection caused by ingesting contaminated food. They’d even found the can responsible after she dug through the trash. Just a little nick on the side was all it took to bring Leah to this point.
Evelyn started considered more possibilities. Could this have been intentional? A small amount of poisoned food slipped into the rest? Chantelle was the only one with access. Maybe she’d been flipped by the Beholders? Couldn’t say for certain. Or perhaps one of her suppliers figured out what they were hiding, and that was the Beholders’ entry point in. How many people could’ve handled their food coming? Who else was in the know? A small handful? Dozens? More?
In and out, Evelyn. In and out. She breathed deep. Regardless of how Leah contracted botulism, she could do nothing to fix it. Not with her daughter stuck beyond the Styx.
There was good news, at least. Their early treatment regiment had helped her body stave off the botulism before it became too damaging, only to be replaced by a common cold through a weakened immune system. So long as their daughter remained hydrated and kept up with a healthy regiment, her body would combat this new illness as well.
But this also created a worst-case possibility. With her and Liam out there, would that even be possible?
She exhaled through her respirator. There was no way to cure Leah’s sickness, but she wasn’t completely powerless either. Her attackers were close by, and she had a way in.
Evelyn knew where she would go next.
* * *
Nathaniel remained where he’d been perched, though the crowd had thinned since the attack. Him and his entourage of white-cloaked Beholders were whispering amongst themselves. He turned and smiled wide as she approached, pious as ever.
“Oh, Evelyn,” he said. “It is good to see you again.”
“That isn’t my name,” she corrected. “I thought we went over this.”
“That’s right, Eva. My apologies.”
“At least you were closer this time. You called me ‘Annalise’ last I was here.”
He blinked. “I did?”
“Yeah. Cheryl thought it was hilarious.”
“Who?”
Evelyn tilted her head. “Don’t you remember? She’s my friend from Seaside who came for last week’s sermon.”
Nathaniel squinted suspiciously. “Perhaps it is you whom is forgetting matters lately.”
She crossed her arms. “Nope. I remember last week like it was today…” She went on from there, describing his sermon on the power of charity with meticulous attention to detail that would border supernatural for their kind. Nathaniel’s smile dissolved as her account dragged on.
“Yes, that sounds about right, Eva.” He looked away, befuddled. “I suppose you’ll be able to give sermons to your friend soon enough.”
Dance, puppet, dance. Keep focusing on the dealer’s hand. Not on the card that fell off the table. Maybe he could chalk it all up to a lack of faith. Didn’t matter. “Eva” was here to stay.
That was her greatest asset in this city. Her unhollowed mind. Even if her frail, living shell forced itself into sleep, could feel pain like nobody’s business, and would crumble with the slightest bite to the arm, her memory remained fully intact. As far as reservoirs went, not even one as powerful as Mother could held a candle to the one between her ears. It would only take a handful more of these mind games against Nathaniel before “Evelyn” disappeared for good, replaced by whatever alias she desired.
Then she’d have more options to infiltrate them further.
“Did you hear about what happened at Mother’s Grace?” Evelyn asked.
“Yes. It is a deeply unfortunate tragedy.”
“Those were Beholders from what I hear.”
He winced. “I do not know what would compel my Brothers to behave this way. They know that the Lord speaks of peace. To inflict so much devastation in a place of healing seems beyond mere heresy. It is nothing short of what the Devil would command!”
“Why do you think they did it then? I heard those Inquisitors are supposed to be the most devoted.”
He exhaled, the moisture growing. “I do not understand. Brother Ezekiel has been guarding our congregation for years. No one has ever questioned his devotion or desires for a peaceful life. I do not understand what could have compelled him to harm innocents like this.” A reddish tear sprung free. “He saved our lives, so many times before!”
“Maybe he was looking for something?”
“Like what?” another asked from behind.
Evelyn turned around. Unlike the other Beholders, this guy wore no more than a black button-down shirt over trousers, with a priest’s collar on top. His hair was thinned out above clear, pale skin, and his eyes radiated with a magenta gleam. A wooden cross hung from his neck, plain and unadorned.
Nathanial’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Father Abraham, you have come all the way here?”
This is him!? Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat.