Galilee Rising(75)

I open the fireplace and down we go into what easily could have been my crypt. Still no strangeness. I suppose after having a subway collapse around you and almost plunging to your death, someone inviting themselves over for a chat and putting me to sleep isn't high on the horror scale. The only sign of my assault is the faint bloodstain on the concrete. Dobbs must have spent an hour on his hands and knees scrubbing. It'll never fully come out. Maybe I'll put down a carpet or rug. Something gray and depressing to match the rest of the room.

"Looks intact," I say after I boot up Doris to run a diagnostic. "I'm still going to call Lizard to check for viruses. We shouldn't use her until then." I twirl around to face my friends. "And what about the warehouses? I don't want to pull up the uplink now."

"I'll do a fly-by on my way back from practice," Brendan says. "I've actually gotta go. You got this?" he asks Lexie.

"We can manage."

"Okay." He kisses his wife's cheek before turning to me. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you. For everything. For finding me, staying with me, you know."

"Of course." He puts his arm around my shoulders and rubs my arm up and down. "You're family now." He releases me and kisses his wife. "See you later, babe. Be safe."

"Love you," Lexie says.

With a grin, Brendan strolls off to live his normal life. I miss having one of those. My own house isn't even safe anymore. "Fucker took us out of commission," I say. "We gotta get back up quick. I'll call--"

"Uh, you will do nothing. At least not today."

"He chose to surface yesterday for a reason. He probably has something huge planned and needed Doris out of pocket."

"Maybe, but that isn't our main concern right now. You are. You're in his crosshairs."

"I have been for over a month. We just happen to know it now."

"Regardless," she says, "we are going home, and you are resting. Doctor's orders. Come on. I'll physically carry you out of this house if I have to."

"But--"

"That was also doctor's orders. I mean it. Let's get your clothes and get the hell out of here. This place always gives me the creeps. Don't know how the hell you live here."

I'm too tired to put up much of a struggle. I need a shower too. Still have blood in my hair. I follow Lexie up and out, the fireplace shutting itself five seconds later. "How long do you think I'll be staying with you guys?"

"Until we catch the asshole."

"Then what?" I ask.

"Up to him. Personally…I hope to kill the son of a bit--"

The all too familiar sound of an explosion toward the front of the mansion shocks us both almost out of our shoes. What the…? Oh God. We stand slack jawed for a second before glancing at one another and sprinting out of the room. Dobbs is already at the front door, about to open it, when Lexie reaches him. The moment the door opens, a gust of scorching air assaults us. This doesn't stop Lexie for a moment. I'm the last out just as Lexie lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

Oh, God. No.

Brendan's Hummer is engulfed in flames with the driver's side completely destroyed. Black smoke curls up to the sky like a pitch black snake. The smell of burning human flesh causes me to gag. Lexie starts shrieking, "Brendan, Brendan," and starts toward the inferno, but Dobbs has the wherewithal to grab her by the shoulders to stop her. "No, Mrs. Darby. No. He's gone. He's gone."

He's right. Inside the flames, I can see a smoking arm still holding onto the steering wheel with nothing attached, and even that burns into nothing but dust. Obliterated. Gone. Not even he could have survived this. Lexie crumples to the ground, folding in on herself as she gasps for air. Tears fill my stinging eyes as I join her down there. He's done it. He's destroyed the Triumvirate. The King is dead. And God save us all.





CHAPTER FOURTEEN




The End



I seem to be hosting a Priority Homicide reunion   in my living room. Past and present colliding. The gang's all here: Kowalski, Mirabelle, Cam, and this homicide is such a priority even Harry's left his office to pitch in. And by pitch in I mean shoot me worried glances as he bosses the others around. They've been here half an hour and besides saying hello and hugging me the guys have left Lexie, Dobbs, and me alone as they process the scene in my driveway. Good thing too because Lexie is almost catatonic, and I have no idea what to say let alone do next. I just want to crawl into my bed and yank the covers over my head until this is all over.

"Mr. Dobbs," Mirabelle says as he steps away from Harry whose taken position by the fireplace. "Will you please come into the other room so I may take your statement?"