I handed control of the chair back to the nervous agent, who kept his distance from me—smart man—and walked out of the makeshift office in search of Simmons's tent.
Simmons sat at a small table checking her weapons. With practiced movements, she broke down and reassembled her 9mm in a matter of seconds.
Her obvious display didn't faze me. I could destroy her in a heartbeat, and I would if she interfered with rescuing my daughter. But for now, she could be useful. "You have expertise—expertise I need—but you must do as I say."
She laughed without humor and lifted a large needle off the table. "Do you know what this is? It's a very special drug that strips paranormals of their para-power. Do you and your friends think you'd be so special without those powers? No. You'd be nothing. Less than nothing."
She stood and walked toward me, expecting me to flinch or back away. She'd have to live with disappointment.
"So, why should I listen to you, when I have this?"
I took a step closer to her, my face inches from hers. "Because I know who you are, and I know what you've done."
Part Three – What Lies Beyond
Chapter 109 – Lucy
Lucy perched at the door of the airplane and stared down at the black ocean, reflecting on all that had happened since the last time she'd stood on a plane, ready to jump. It seemed a lifetime ago. At least this time they knew the location of the base and wouldn't leave a trail of dead agents behind. The wind whipped through her hair, and she searched the night sky for any sign of Beleth. He was out there, somewhere.
She hadn't killed Simmons—though she'd been tempted at times just because the woman pissed her off—and that meant the deal was broken. Whatever. Let Beleth do his worst. I have a job to do.
Hunter came up and kissed her. They didn't speak, but they didn't have to. Earlier that day, they'd said all that needed saying, with words and touch.
Without hesitation, she jumped, free-falling into the darkness, relishing the feeling as the seconds ticked by in her head. When the timing was right, she opened her parachute, her body jerking as the silk panel unfolded and cut into her descent.
The guys opened their own parachutes above her.
She hit the icy water and immediately flicked the quick-release on her chest strap, loosing the chute into the ocean so it wouldn't drag her down.
A few moments later Luke and Hunter splashed down and did the same.
They all slipped underwater and pulled out their breathing devices. Once Lucy had adjusted to breathing through the plastic nozzle strapped around her face, she turned her underwater light on and swam toward the fence that guarded the perimeter.
It was a massive thing that reached all the way to the ocean floor, a barrier to both divers and submersibles. Lucy wondered if the kids ever got to swim in the ocean, taunted by a freedom they couldn't have, still locked in by wires.
Coral grew around the fence, its beautiful texture and color mesmerizing. Her brother slipped through the metal using his para-power, while Hunter pulled out the torch and burned a hole in the fence wide enough for Lucy and him to swim through
The black water surrounded them, Lucy's light giving only a few feet of visibility. She imagined something moving out there, a predator stalking them. "What if there are sharks out here?" she said through the comm system.
Hunter swung a light in her direction. "Don't worry, we're almost there, and it wouldn't be able to get through the fence unless it has Luke's powers."
Isn't there some rule that sharks are especially dangerous at night? She gripped her gun, knowing it would work underwater if needed, and followed Hunter through the fence.
As they approached shallow water, they shut off their lights and surfaced, peeking out over the water to get a visual on the compound. A small building sat close to the beach, guarded by one patrolman. If they'd come by land they would have faced a large fence with a guard tower and who-knows-how-many guards, but by water they had immediate access. In the dark, the shadows of the buildings peppered the lush Hawaiian foliage. There'd be cameras everywhere, using thermal vision to spot any movement. The cool water, combined with their wetsuits, saved them from detection, but once on land, the effects would dissipate. They'd have to get to the building and take out the patrolman quickly.
They waited for the guard to turn away, then slipped onto the shore. Lucy snuck up behind the man in black and knocked him out silently. She pulled him behind the building and sat him against the wall, as if he were resting. It wouldn't stand up against close scrutiny, but it would have to do for now.
"It's clear," she whispered to the guys.
They rounded the building and found the door, in a hurry to get in before the cameras picked them up.