Phantom in the Night (B.A.D. Agency, #2)(38)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

The door opened, admitting Carlos.

Must be time to go, but Nathan wasn’t leaving until someone told him Terri’s status. "How is she?"

"See for yourself." Carlos walked out.

Nathan caught the door before it shut and followed close behind. Carlos led him down a hallway with doors and up a set of stairs that opened on to the equivalent of a small hospital ward.

He paused at a glass window. Terri lay on the other side. She was alive. Only one tube ran from her arm to a drip. He noticed Carlos waiting next to an open door and moved forward.

When Nathan passed in front of him to enter, Carlos said, "Don’t think this means you’re going to be free to go and don’t try to make a run."

"I said I’d give myself up and I will. No fighting."

Carlos’s forehead creased with mild curiosity. "Interesting."

Nathan walked over to Terri and took her hand, which felt small and cold. He brushed his palm over her hair and leaned down to kiss her, not giving a damn who watched from outside.

The door whooshed open. A brawny guy in a white coat entered and checked her vitals. "Looking better this morning."

Nathan turned a worried face to him. "Will she be okay?"

"I think she’s going to be fine."

"How did she survive when the others didn’t," Nathan asked.

"Yeah, how come?" Terri asked, groggy.

He glanced down to see her smile at him. Nothing could have brought his heart all the way back to life but that.

The doctor jotted notes. "Best that I can tell, she was injected with antibodies, not the virus. If she hadn’t been hit with such a large dosage, she wouldn’t have gotten so sick."

Carlos came in. "She going to be okay, Mako."

"My doctor is named ‘Mako,’ as in a shark?" Terri asked.

"She’s going to be fine," Mako told Carlos, then turned to Terri. "That’s my agency name and don’t believe anything they tell you about me."

"You got an hour, then back to your quarters," Carlos told Nathan.

"’Quarters’? You mean cell," Nathan countered.

"Call it whatever you want, but I’ll be back in an hour."

Stoner passed Carlos on his way in. He smiled at Terri and shook Nathan’s hand. "You’re looking much better than yesterday."

"Thanks, Stoner. Hows Grandma? Is she upset?"

"Just calm down. Your grandma is doing real fine. She was pretty scared until I told her you were safe, then I took her to my maw maw’s house. Maw-Maw lives alone and normally don’t cotton to strangers, but she really likes your grandma. They were talking up a storm this morning when I checked on her. Of course, she wants to know how you ended up in that schoolhouse with a crazy man."

"Oh, I know. I’ve got a lot of explaining to do," Terri said. "But at least she’ll be around for me to explain to."

Stoner shook his head. "I don’t understand why Duff injected Terri with the antidote."

Nathan snorted. "I don’t think he realized it was. The crazy bastard must have mixed up the vials and thought he gave you the virus."

Stoner picked up the remote and pointed at the television in the corner. "By the way, you need to see what’s on TV."

The image lightened to show a sterile newscaster. "Zolono Pharmaceutical Corporation came out miraculously, within thirty hours of the viral outbreak in Chicago, with an antidote. The CDC received an anonymous tip, which they passed on to the DEA, resulting in a scandalous report that Zolono had created the viral outbreak as part of an elaborate plan to gain the support needed for the upcoming Senate vote."

The scene flashed to an arrest in progress.

Terri jerked. "Turn that up."

"… CEO of Zolono was arrested today by DEA agent Josephine Silversteen, daughter of the prestigious Silversteen Banking firm, along with Zolono’s top scientist after a tip that the attack in Chicago was linked to the next Senate vote on a potential takeover. The DEA acted on what they called indisputable evidence delivered to their office in New Orleans, which led to the discovery of a vial of the virus at the Zolono laboratory. Concurrently, in D.C, lobbyist Parker Jones was arrested for orchestrating this "white-collar" terrorist attack with 1.5 million dollars transferred to him from Zolono to secure the vote. Upper management denies any knowledge of this heinous crime. In another top story, international investor and rare wine collector Victor Bacchanalia was found dead in his New Orleans hotel room last night, of an apparent heart attack… "

Stoner lowered the volume.

Terri was stunned. "I’ve never liked Josie, but I’ve always given her credit for being good at her job." She looked at Nathan. "Wonder if she snaked Brady on this?"

He shrugged. "I’ve been kept in the dark since I got here."

Stoner gave Nathan a headshake and shrug, indicating he couldn’t see Nathan until now. "Carlos told me the DEA has been informed, but that’s all I could get out of him. He said Joe and Tee would fill you in."

"Okay." Terri squeezed Nathan’s hand.

He smiled down at her.

"Yeah, I know," Stoner said, turning to the blinds that he closed. "I told Carlos to do himself a favor and let you two talk. He said he’d give you an hour, so I’m going to cut out before it’s up." He pointed the remote, flicked off the TV, then put his hand on the door handle.

"Stoner?"

He stopped. "What?"

Nathan walked across the room and extended his hand. "Thanks for everything. I wouldn’t be here and Terri wouldn’t be alive without you. Hope to see you again in ten years."

Stoner smiled. "We’ll see about that." He walked out.

"Ten years. What do you mean?" Terri pushed up on elbows.

"Lie down and take it easy," Nathan groused.

"I’m fine. I feel a little like I’m ready for real food." She shifted over when he got to the bed.

He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, hugging Terri to him. "That’s good to hear. You need to get better."

"What was that crack about ten years?"

Didn’t think she’d let that go. "I turned myself in."

"No!"

"Yes. I told them I’d go willingly so they’d get you medical help."

"But Nathan, you didn’t do anything wrong."

"The NOPD thinks I killed people. I didn’t so they won’t find any evidence, but I’ve still broken parole big time."

"What about Duff? He admitted killing Jamie."

"I watched you die in front of my eyes and swore I’d stop searching for revenge if you lived. You asked me once what Jamie would want me to do. He said in his last letter to me that he hoped I would eventually find peace and be happy. I thought he meant I’d find peace once I made his killer pay, but I knew in that minute Jamie would want me to let it go and do something good for the world. That was his way. I’ll just have to wait until I’m out of prison again for a chance at living his way."

"Oh, Nathan, what are we going to do?" She reached up and kissed him before he could answer. He wrapped her up tighter, feeling as though his world made sense if only for the few minutes he had now.

He kissed her, savoring this one for all those he’d miss.

When he peeled his lips from hers, he stared, into eyes that cared so much, his heart ached at the thought of leaving her. Just once, he’d like to get it right. He kissed her and held her close for a long time, wishing for the impossible again.

Just wasn’t in his cards to have a life of his own.

"You can’t spend the next ten years of life waiting on me," he finally told her.

"Oh, I won’t spend them being quiet. They aren’t putting you in a prison until I’ve exhausted every means to keep you out. I love you."

He brushed his thumb over her cheek. "I love you, too. So much that I won’t let you wait. I’ve already told Carlos I’ll go willingly and not fight my sentence. I gave my word."

* * *

The twelve ruling Fratelli de il Sovrano elders in the United States met around a black onyx marble table in a Phoenix hotel owned by one member.

Fra Diablo called the room to order. "I’d like to welcome our newest elder approved unanimously. Fra Vestavia was successful in finding the traitor within our Order. Every international Order has been informed of the penance paid. Though he was once a revered general for us, Duff was sacrificed as an example to all who would deceive the Order. He committed the sin of defiance, the sin of flesh, and of unnecessary deaths. Our success depends on discipline, from all. For that reason and the recent unexpected seat left open by Fra Bacchus, Fra Vestavia will now join the table as an elder."

Fra Vestavia had been standing near the door and now took the vacant seat. "Thank you all, brethren. I’m honored for this promotion. We all grieve for Fra Bacchus, who succumbed to heart failure during his sleep. May he rest in peace. Anton Marseaux failed to contain his people so we can no longer support his position in New Orleans. We’ll have someone to take his place shortly."

Murmurs echoed his last comment before Fra Diablo said, "Please share what you learned while exposing the traitor."

Pulling papers from his briefcase, Fra Vestavia passed a set for each around the table. "The first round of viral tests has been successful. Once we have completed the study of national defense response, we can move to step two. In the meantime, I have found an exciting opportunity that we should explore_now_with six months left until the U.S. presidential elections and the dollar on decline with Canada. We can make surgical strikes that will reverberate around the world and turn allies into enemies."

EPILOGUE

Terri tapped her fingers on the chair arm, tired of waiting on Joe and Tee to start this meeting. Joe had said to be in the Nashville, Tennessee, headquarters at 1330 hours and by her watch it was 1335. They’d kept her in the infirmary for two more days, then sent her home for another four… without seeing Nathan.

You need the rest, Terri. She’d heard that one time too many. She was fine, more than fine, and ready to set a few people straight. Terri pushed forward on the chair to get up when the door opened.

Carlos held it open. Nathan stepped inside the room, damp hair pulled back into a ponytail. He looked tired.

She’d spent every minute traveling to Nashville planning to give all of them a piece of her mind_including Nathan_for keeping her in the dark. Now all she wanted to do was hug Nathan and convince him to fight the system once more.

Joe walked in from the connecting office that belonged to Tee, who followed right behind him. Like Nathan, Joe had long dark hair in a ponytail. His eyes were a steel blue that took in every detail the instant he looked at something. He was dressed in a white buttondown shirt, with a red tie and navy blue slacks, and he was all business.

Tee was so tiny, most would dismiss her as powerless. But she had an aura of danger about her only matched by Joe’s quiet threat. Her white suit and light blue blouse set off her Vietnamese coloring to perfection. She was a beautiful woman, with shoulder-length black hair.

Joe narrowed a menacing grimace to Carlos. "I wasn’t ready for Nathan. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Terri first, so Nathan, would you wait outside?"

Terri fisted her hands but held her composure. "If it’s all right, I’d like for him to hear everything said."

Nathan didn’t even look at her. He stood with his hands in his pockets waiting for a final verdict.

Joe debated for a few seconds before he nodded. "Have a seat, Nathan." Then he introduced himself and Tee.

Tee cocked her head at Terri. "Patience is a virtue."

Joe snorted. "Excuse me, pot, could you not pick on the kettle?"

Tee passed him a look that promised Joe would regret that comment later.

He disregarded the life-threatening stare. Joe’s eyes bored into Terri. "I thought you’d like to know the DEA has determined you were in no way at fault for Conroy’s death,"

Terri wasn’t quite ready to be relieved. "Are you sure?"

Joe walked over to his desk and leaned a hip against it. "Positive. Looks like Brady set you both up." Joe dropped a folder in front of her. "When I spoke to an associate in the DEA about Brady’s deal with Jamie_who Brady believed was Nathan_the DEA was unaware of the arrangement. One of the reasons I waited to meet with you was to give him time to get back to me. The DEA now believes Brady was the leak to Marseaux and tipped them to the ambush. After a deeper look into his background, they found out his ancestors changed the family name when they migrated to this country. His great-great-grandfather’s name was Vestavio Braido, an Italian family suspected of harboring and training assassins for a couple decades."

"I’d like to kill that bastard," Terri muttered with a death-threat edge.

Nathan had been sitting quiet as a statue, but turned to her and lifted an eyebrow at that.

She shot a look of "what of it?" right back at him. Shouting that instead might get a rise. She hated the blank mask of acceptance he wore. Fight to stay free, dammit.

Joe ignored the silent interaction and continued. "They have to find him first. Brady’s disappeared and he’s listed as a top-ten fugitive. Marseaux’s body was found riddled with bullet holes at the south end of the docks, outlined with spray paint. That means he’s gone, but we don’t know who is taking his place."

"What about Duff?" She could envision a painful death for him, too.

"Duff was found dead five days ago. He’d been given the virus. Not a pretty sight."

That topped her worst plan. Terri glanced at Nathan. "Are you angry you didn’t get a chance to deal with Duff yourself?"

He shook his head and swallowed, but wouldn’t look at her when he answered. "No. I’m done with going after revenge. I’ve had plenty of time to think about it and based on what I’ve just heard, Jamie’s death has been avenged. All I want to do now is get to prison so I can start doing my time. I want it over and done with."

She fisted her hands, wanting to scream at him. He’d already written off any future for the two of them.

As if he heard her thoughts, Nathan turned his face to her with a sad smile. "Shit happens, Terri. And I’m really sorry it happened to us." He stopped, his mouth set in a grim line.