Page 24 of Avenger of Sins

He’d die first. The only question was how many of them he’d manage to take with him.

The SPECTR office nestled amidst Atlanta’s glittering skyscrapers. A sleek lobby let onto high-speed elevators which whisked them far above the rest of the city. Inside, it was much like any other office building, except for the exorcism rooms. No doubt there was some sort of freight-style elevator elsewhere for bringing fausts here for exorcism, probably locked away from the rest of the building with the only keys in the hands of agents.

Kaniyar awaited the four of them inside a bland, windowless conference room, along with another agent she didn’t bother to introduce. Was she auditioning various people to take over Pittman’s old job?

“I’m sorry about Agent Pittman,” he said to Kaniyar, as the unfamiliar agent handed him a cup of coffee.

Grief flickered in Kaniyar’s dark brown eyes, then was ruthlessly suppressed. “We’re going to catch his murderer,” she said, rather than acknowledge his condolences.

Caleb stretched out in his chair, long legs casually crossed. “Harlow’s the next target, right? Or at least, so we think?”

Kaniyar nodded. “As you know, he currently works for a private military contractor, and has refused SPECTR’s offer of assistance. There’s nothing we can do officially, except try to intercept Ryan before he arrives. We’re working on that, believe me, but in the meantime I want Gray and Night close to the Armaros compound, ready to jump Ryan if he makes it that far. Starkweather, you’re going with them.”

“I’ll go as well,” Zahira volunteered.

But Kaniyar shook her head. “Not this time, Noorzai. I want as few of my people in the line of fire as possible.”

“From Ryan, or from Armaros?” Caleb asked, folding his arms over his chest.

She met his gaze coolly. “Either one. The Armaros compound consists of a hundred fenced-in acres in the mountains of Virginia. There are guard posts all along the perimeter, plus cameras. Probably other technology meant to deter interlopers. They have connections at very high levels in the Department of Defense, so the chance of them taking a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ approach to intruders is larger than I’d like.”

“Oh, but it’s okay if John gets shot by some fucking mercenaries,” Caleb said, letting his arms fall and leaning forward.

Kaniyar raised a brow. “I would hope that Special Agent Starkweather isn’t stupid enough to put himself pointlessly in danger, especially when he’s accompanied by two beings who can’t be killed by weapons fire. But then again, given some of his past actions, perhaps he is.”

“Caleb,” John said sharply, when Caleb opened his mouth to either object or cuss out Kaniyar, or both. Kaniyar’s reminder of his past mistakes stung, but she’d only done it because she knew it would needle Caleb.

The important thing was he was being given the opportunity to get to Ryan first. To stop him before he killed or was killed in turn. Kaniyar could insult him all day for all he cared.

Caleb scowled, but let the matter drop. “What will Zahira be doing while we’re gone?” he asked instead.

“Whatever work I assign her.”

“It’s okay, Caleb, Gray,” Zahira said quickly. “I’ll be safer here than in Virginia.”

Caleb’s expression went momentarily blank; talking with Gray, no doubt. “All right,” he said at last. “It’s probably for the best, at least for now.”

“I don’t require your permission to give orders to my agents,” Kaniyar said, not bothering to disguise her annoyance. “Or to you, for that matter.”

That was bound to make Caleb mad; John prepared to intervene. But to his surprise, Caleb just shrugged.

Taking advantage of the quiet, John said, “Shall we get on the road, then? Or was there something else you needed, Director?”

“Nothing more. Get going, Starkweather.” She stepped to the side, then added, “Stop this lunatic from hurting anyone else. For Agent Pittman’s sake.”

“I see,” Reid Harlow said into the telephone. This call had come in on his special line, the one whose number he handed out only to a select few. It would probably be simpler to use what they called a burner phone these days, but such shenanigans felt beneath his dignity. Besides, he trusted the security on his end to be iron-clad. If the agent on the other end of the line slipped up, it would be their problem, not his. “Thank you. I’ll see another deposit is made right away.”

He put down the phone and turned to his computer. A few clicks, and the agreed-upon amount was winging its way through a long list of shell accounts, before it would ultimately come to rest in one dedicated to paying for all the expensive treatments the agent’s mother required to keep her alive.

Honestly, if the government didn’t want its agents compromised, it ought to pay them better. The private sector was far more lucrative.

So, Carrie Lydell was dead. Pity. The exorcist had been a true patriot. She did what needed to be done, no matter how distasteful. A shame SPECTR hadn’t been able to keep her alive, though it sounded as though she’d done them no favors. Security had never been something she needed to think about; it was something other people did for her.

But she was dead, and the telepath likely on his way to Armaros. So long as SPECTR didn’t interfere, he should arrive soon. He’d find it simple enough to penetrate the compound, never realizing he was being funneled inside, until it was too late to escape.

Unless the drakul got here first.

That was the most interesting tidbit the agent had for him earlier. Harlow had never made a study of the creatures, but he recalled Graham Forsyth’s obsession well enough. The Soviets summoned one during the heart of the Cold War; Graham had intended to do the same, as part of his demonic army.

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