Page 64 of The Devil's Viking

“They will ifyouguys are outside kicking them until they walk back in wheelchairs.”

There was a stunned silence as they all stared at her.

“So –” said the blond. “So you go into the lion’s den alone and get these women, and we clear the path out of the compound?”

“Yeah. We work together. The four of us.”

“And just why the hell would we trustyou?” he demanded. “Who’s to say that you won’t tell Gideon about us waiting outside? About this other woman maybe wanting to escape? About this whole plan? One word from you and we’re surrounded by Guardians with weapons, and we’re dead where we stand.”

“Because,” she said. “If I help you, then you’ll help me.”

“How?”

“You take me with you when you go back to Denver,” Briley said. “I walk away from my whole life here and you go get my friend, the one who Gideon is blackmailing me over. You get us both someplace safe where we can start again, away from the fucking human nightmare that is Gideon. If you agree to do this for me – forus– then I’ll do whatever it takes to get Iris to you. Ipromiseyou.”

“Huh,” said the blond, sounding grudgingly impressed. “Not a bad pitch, officer. Not bad at all.”

“So, we have a deal then?”

“Not yet.” The blond pulled out his cell phone, headed into the kitchen for some privacy. “I’ve got to run this past the boss.”

Chapter Twenty

Utah

The Garden of Divine Light

The next day

Michael pulled up to the front gate of the Garden, nodded at Guardians Adam and Nathaniel. They opened the gate, then came out to meet him.

OK, here we go… show time. Look devastated.

“Guardian Michael,” Nathaniel said, poking his head in the window. “Welcome home. You’ve been very much missed.”

“Thank you.” Michael put on a sombre voice, hoping hard that they’d ask him the most important question so he could get this ball rolling. Sure enough:

“Where’s Right-Guardian Zachariah?” Adam inquired. “Is he in the back with Servant Iris?”

Michael flashed back to where he left Right-Guardian Zachariah, somewhere in the Rockies back in Colorado. It had been nothing but a pleasure to shoot him in his mouth, blowing out those fucking teeth that he sucked on incessantly. Shoving him off a precipice into the ravine below had been equally wonderful: the body had made a wetly satisfying sound when it hit the stone.

Almost as thrilling had been coming back to the van and informing that harlot Iris thatshehad killed Right-Guardian Zachariah when she’d tried to escape. Sadly, his body couldn’t be brought back to Gideon because she’d shot him into a mountain ravine, never to be retrieved or seen again, or buried with honour at the Garden. The look on her bruised face had been exquisite: dumb shock followed by dawning understanding, then panic. Just beautiful.

“Right-Guardian Zachariah is –” Michael gulped, pretending to dash tears from his eyes. “He’s dead.”

“What?” Nathaniel gasped. “How? What happened?”

“He didn’t lock the van door when he put that bitch back there,” Michael said, loving blaming Zachariah for the whole mess. “She tried to escape out in the mountains and we chased her. She hid behind a tree, surprised the Right-Guardian, got his gun, and shot him. He fell over a cliff… he’s gone. He’s just –” He stifled a sob. “He’s justgone.”

So, so tragic.

“I tackled her and knocked her out, got her back in the van,” Michael continued. “She’s back there – but she’s alone. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t bring the Right-Guardian home to the Garden.”

“Oh, no,” Adam said in dismay. “What will we do without him?”

“Right-Guardian Zachariah was our light,” Nathaniel agreed. “How will we walk through the darkness?"

“Master Gideon will show us the way,” Michael lectured him piously. “He is our leader and our guide, so as long as we have him, we will be safe. We will have purpose, we will have a light to follow. We will do his will, and we will thrive.”

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