Summoned Chaos (25 page)

Chapter Nineteen

B and E for You and Me

“What’s the situation?” I asked as Quinn and I scampered along the stone fence of the Watkins compound. It was a large place, but not nearly as gargantuan as the Homestead. Two acres of trees surrounding a modest, elegant house.

“Light staff today. At least one butler, a handful of maids and only a couple guards. These guys are only a couple hours into their shift, so they’re fresh.” She bit her lower lip. “I can’t believe we’re doing this. And in broad daylight too.”

“They won’t expect it,” I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.

She glanced over her shoulder, checking to make sure we weren’t being followed. “I hope you’re right.”

“Me too.”

Quinn looked at me with concern.

“Give me some credit, not all my plans are epic failures.”

She grimaced. “Enough of them are.”

Fair point.

We reached the edge of the wall. I poked my head around the corner.

Quinn pressed up against me. “Well?”

“Large gate with a call box, just like you said. You sure that is the right package?”

She patted the small box covered in shipping labels. “Yes, sir. One extremely expensive antique from
Monson’s Collectables
.”

“How’d you convince the delivery company to give you the package?”

She shrugged. “Breasts are amazingly powerful, Marcus.”

I glanced down, but she snapped her fingers. “Later. Stay focused.”

“How’s my getup?” I shifted uncomfortably in my costume. The padding in my shirt and trousers changed my body type while the fake goatee masked some of my face.

She gave me the once over, tugging on the facial hair. Thankfully, the spirit gum held the fibers in place. “Not bad, if I do say so myself. Keep your Skill tamped down and someone would be hard pressed to recognize you.”

I swallowed, sweat already trickling down my forehead. “Man, I hope you’re right.”

She grinned. “Me too.”

How could anyone not love this woman?

But those were feeling for later. I shoved them aside and slipped on an earpiece. “Okay, time to shine.”

We rounded the corner, walking briskly like we knew what we were doing. I pressed the button on the callbox, then waited. The barrier of the estate pressed against my Skill like a wall of concrete. I caught a glimpse of a curtain being pulled aside in an upper story window. My guess was a guard checking us out from afar.

“Yes?” a bored voice asked.

“Delivery for Glenn Watkins,” I said in my best pizza-guy voice.

The box was silent. I crossed my fingers that this would work because considering how powerful the Elder’s defensive barrier was, Quinn and I wouldn’t stand a chance blasting our way in.

Thankfully, the gate buzzed and swung open. We pressed through the barrier, slipping inside like we were passing through silky water. Once across the initial perimeter, we walked up the short drive to the front door, then rang the bell.

A stooped, elderly gentleman in a dark suit greeted us. The carnation in his lapel was a strange mixture of blue and green. I’d never cared for the Watkins’s family colors, and seeing them on a flower convinced me that some palettes just don’t mix.

The butler looked out into the street. “Where’s your truck?”

“Broke down a half-mile back. We called the tow company, but it’ll take at least an hour to get here. I figured we’d at least drop this thing off before heading back to wait for him.”

Quinn leaned against the doorframe, muttering under her breath.

The butler frowned. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I dunno.” I handed him the package and peered at Quinn. “You feeling okay, Alice?”

“Just a little dizzy.” Her Georgia drawl was surprisingly accurate. “The walk here took more out of me than I thought. Any chance I can get a glass of water?” she asked.

“Of course, of course.” The butler stepped aside, waving us indoors.

Quinn played her part like a pro—stumbling slightly. I wrapped an arm around her, then followed the butler through the large entryway to a side room.

“Set her on the sofa,” the man said. “Once she’s comfortable, I’ll fetch some water.”

We helped Quinn onto the plush, white couch. She leaned back, placing a hand to her forehead. The butler walked briskly out of the room, returning almost immediately with a tall glass of ice water and a wet rag.

Quinn placed the rag against her forehead and took a large sip of water. “Thank you.”

“Shall I call a doctor, miss?”

She shook her head. “I just need a minute to cool down.”

“And you, sir?”

“I could use the boy’s room, if you don’t mind.”

“Down the hall, third door on the left.”

“Mind watching her while I’m gone?” I asked, careful to sound concerned over her welfare without overselling the part.

The butler smiled. “Of course, sir.”

I nodded, then proceeded down the hall.

“Friggin’ déjà vu,” I muttered as I flipped the light on in the bathroom. I scanned the hall to make sure the coast was clear, then pulled the door shut. Once it clicked closed, I continued down the short hall, poking my head into rooms until I found my destination.

Elder Watkins’s office was impressive from a minimalist standpoint. The walls were a warm yellow and filled with family photos instead of the diplomas and training certificates I expected from a senior leader of the Skilled. The desk was large, but unassuming, and the bookshelves were packed with an odd assortment of spell tomes and steamy romance novels.

Not willing to waste time, I opened the lid of the large, ancient laptop. The screen ground to life, ticking slowly as it powered up. While I waited, I dialed Seamus.

“Okay, the computer’s finally on. Now what?”

“Any login passwords?” he said into my right ear.

“Thankfully, no. Went straight to his desktop.”

“Excellent. Can you access the Skilled database?”

“Uh, gimme a minute.”

Unlike his office, Watkins’s computer was completely disorganized. Icons were all over the place, sharing space with a massive number of pictures, documents, and who knows what else. Considering the speed of the computer and the disheveled nature of the desktop, it was apparent Watkins—like many of the old-school Skilled—was completely clueless about modern technology.

But hey, at least he was trying. So kudos there.

After what felt like an eternity, I found the little blue symbol in the upper-left corner of the screen. When I clicked on it, the login page for the Skilled database popped up.

“Okay, now I need help.”

“Time for the Data Hound.”

Geez, he sounded almost gleeful.

I pulled the device from my pocket and slipped it into an available port. No larger than a thumbdrive, the unit contained algorithms that only a select few computer gurus understood. But Seamus swore it would help him break into any system short of the NSA’s. Maybe even that one, too.

“You do it?” he asked.

I tapped my fingers on the desk impatiently. “Yeah, it’s just taking forever.”

Finally the cursor wiggled.

“Okay, I have controls.”

I watched as Seamus began clicking around on the screen. “How do you do that?”

“Magic.”

I chuckled softly, but the humor died when the house rumbled with the unmistakable grind of the garage door beneath me.

“Oh crap.” I ducked under the desk as the sound of the butler’s footsteps echoed down the short hall. More sweat slid down my back and my heartbeat skyrocketed.

“What?”

Holding my breath, I released it only after the footsteps receded.

“Someone’s here,” I whispered. “Quinn and I need to bolt. Now.”

Seamus cursed. “I need maybe five more minutes to access the system. Can you delay at all?”

“No way. My disguise may fool the staff, but Watkins is too powerful and knows my family too well. He’ll see through it.”

Dammit! I was so close. But if Quinn and I got caught snooping around an Elder’s home, Devon wouldn’t just throw the book at us, he’d throw the whole damn library.

I fumed. Just once I wanted to catch a break...

“Holy cow, how old is this machine?” Seamus demanded. “It’s like watching snails move through molasses.”

The grinding ceased which caused my heart to leap into my throat.

“Seamus, we’re out of time. What the hell do I do with the drive?”

“Leave it. It’s small and won’t get noticed until it’s too late. I hope.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. “You hope?”

“Best I can offer, bud.”

I swore like a sailor, but left the drive in place. The sound of doors slamming echoed through the floorboards, followed by the muffled voices of the passengers.

Giving the office one last check, I poked my head into the hall, then moved quickly to the bathroom. I eased the door open, flushed the toilet, then walked briskly back to the waiting area.

“We gotta move,” I snapped to Quinn.

She sprang to her feet, but we both froze when the butler walked into the room. On his heels was Elder Watkins.

Time stopped as my heart sank to the floor. Breaking in was a gamble.

I’d lost.

Watkins scowled. “This is unacceptable.”

“We—” I started to say, but the man silenced me with a glare.

“Yes, yes, I know it’s not your fault. You just deliver the packages. But this is the third time this month one of my orders has arrived damaged.”

He handed me the box that Quinn had given to the butler. Sitting on top of the Styrofoam peanuts was an ugly porcelain unicorn with its horn snapped in half.

If I wasn’t so relieved, I might have burst into laughter.

Watkins inhaled, then shook his head. “I’m sorry, where are my manners. How are you feeling, miss?”

“Better,” Quinn said in a cautious voice.

“David said you were faint. Heat stroke?”

“Just a little overheated.”

“Well, my apologies for jumping on you both. No matter how frustrated I am with your company, it was rude and uncalled for.”

“Thank you, sir,” Quinn replied. “But like you pointed out, damaged goods are simply unacceptable. On behalf of the company, we’re sorry. We’ll make sure this is replaced immediately.”

Watkins shook his head. “I appreciate it, but there’s no need. I’ll be taking my business elsewhere from now on. I will, however, want a refund.”

“Of course, sir,” Quinn said.

“Good. You’re sure you’re alright?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Well then, I’ll leave you in David’s capable hands. Please be careful out there. It’s very hot.”

With that, Watkins walked out of the room.

The butler saw us to the door, handed us several bottles of water, then wished us safe travels.

I didn’t relax until we were clear of the compound. My hands shook as we jogged to the car. “That was close. I can’t believe he didn’t sense us.”

“It wasn’t easy.”

I looked at her in confusion.

“To tamp down your Skill, I mean,” she said. “You were radiating like crazy.”

“You did that?”

She nodded.

I was stunned. “How?”

“I’ll tell you later.” I started to press the issue, but she immediately switched topics. “So, was it a success?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I had to leave the drive in the computer, but I’m hoping that Watkins doesn’t notice. Seamus only needs a few minutes once he’s behind the firewall, so with any luck, he’ll find what we’re searching for.”

“You’re betting on luck?”

I smiled. “Yeah, but considering the huge bullet we just dodged, I’d say we have that going for us.”

* * *

I dropped Quinn off in a random neighborhood, then picked up my formal robes from the dry cleaners. I tried to distract myself from checking my phone for a message from Seamus by running various errands. One of those was calling Arbent.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I’m planning some theatrics this evening that may piss off a couple high-ranking folks.”

“This have something to do with your missing rift?”

“Partially, yes.”

“Anything I need to worry about?” I could hear the edge of concern in his voice.

I rubbed my eyes, struggling to soothe the pressure beginning to build behind them. “I’m hoping that the presence of all the Elders and the media will keep things calm, but can you contact the team and have them on stand-by just in case?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “You got it.”

I sighed with relief. “Thanks.”

“That’s what teams are for, Marcus,” he said and hung up.