Mortal Danger by Eileen Wilks Read Free Book Online Page A

Karonski’s badge persuaded him they could be allowed to advance to the next sentry, a tired-looking woman in front of the ladies’ room. The sound of a hand-vac inside announced that the crime scene techs were still busy, and a quick exchange brought an estimate of fifteen minutes before they’d let the feds have the scene.
    She and Abel moved down the hall a short distance to wait. Cynna leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “That’s a lot of hullabaloo for a simple knock on the head.”
    “Assault on a federal officer in connection with her investigation is a big deal. Try to remember that you’re important now.”
    Cynna just shook her head. She didn’t feel like a federal officer, for all that she’d been with the unit five years now. Most of her fellow agents would say she didn’t act like one, either. “So who is this Helen Yu thought she saw?”
    Karonski took a healthy swallow of his coffee. “She was a telepath. She’s dead now.”
    Cynna’s eyebrows shot up. ‘The one who wanted to open a gate to hell?“
    “That’s her.”
    Cynna considered what little she knew. The dead woman and Patrick Harlowe had belonged to the Church of the Redeemed, also known as the Azá. Some of those involved in the hell-raising scheme had been true believers; others had been magically bound to the cause with the help of a mysterious staff Helen had wielded. With it, she’d been able to control minds.
    Which, of course, was impossible. Or so everyone had always said.
    Three weeks ago the Azá, led by Helen and Harlowe, had taken Rule and Lily Yu captive. Somehow they’d managed to turn the tables on their captors, but Harlowe had gotten away. And the staff had vanished. “Seems like the staff should be our primary target.”
    “We know a fair amount about Harlowe, next to nothing about the staff. Hard to track a piece of wood.” He sipped his coffee, watching the activity inside the rest-room. “Seabourne tried, right after the staff went missing. Couldn’t do it.”
    “That’s the one you told me about. The sorcerer.”
    Karonski chuckled. “Your skepticism’s showing.”
    “Well, Jesus, Abel, there haven’t been any sorcerers since the Purge! Not real ones, anyway. A few wannabes who know just enough to get in trouble.”
    “Seabourne’s for real, though what he can do is limited.”
    She tipped her head to one side. “Sorcery’s still illegal, last I heard.”
    He snorted. “And I know how that troubles your conscience.”
    “It’s important to be flexible. Is this guy working for us?”
    “Hey, sorcery’s illegal. He can’t work for us.” Karon-ski grinned. “Call him a friend of a friend. Turner and Yu wouldn’t have stopped Helen without him.”
    “It was the China doll who offed her, though, right?”
    “Yep. And if you call her that to her face, I want to be there.” Karonski set his empty mug on the floor, pulled a mint from his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it in his mouth. “So where do you know Turner from?”
    “Oh, me and Rule go way back. All the way back to before you arrested me.” She grinned. “I was just a big bite of mean back then, all attitude and no sense.”
    “And you’re different now in what way?”
    “Smart-ass.” She shook her head. “Lord, but seeing him does bring back memories. I used to hang out at a place called Mole’s in Chicago. Wonder if it’s still around?”
    “You met Turner there?”
    She nodded. “We hooked up for a while.” Now, there was a nice, low-key way to refer to someone who changed your life. “What’s this deal about him being unavailable, anyway?”
    “None of your business.”
    “Yeah, but it doesn’t make sense. Lupi don’t do the faithful bit.”
    “Rule is. Leave it alone.”
    He hadn’t been when she knew him. He’d made that clear up front, and she’d accepted it. In that respect he hadn’t seemed much different from the other men she knew, just more honest… but she hadn’t exactly hung with a