An electric jolt ripped through his stomach and his grin fell. He searched the floor and the crowds departing on the moving stairs. Nothing. He stood, looking for any sign of the immortal’s presence. His phone buzzed to life in his pocket and he jumped.
Argus fished it out and answered without checking the caller ID, his attention still focused on his surroundings. “Argus.”
“Why aren’t you searching for the girl?” The monotone drone grated his nerves.
“I am looking, dammit. I’ve got time.” Argus quickly scanned to both sides.
Shit.
Now the lying bastards were watching him?
“No. You’re wasting time instead of completing your assignment.”
“I’ll get her, don’t worry.” A message blared across the P.A. system. The store was closing in twenty minutes.
Fuck.
“You aren’t keeping secrets, are you?”
Argus fumed. The amulet beneath his shirt heated in response to his emotions.
“Find this girl, Argus, or you will cease to breathe. Are we clear?”
The talisman burned, and his veins flooded with adrenaline. “Maybe if you’d explain your needs, I’d work faster.”
“Don’t fuck with us, Argus. You will lose.” A sudden force constricted his chest, severing his air supply. “Get her, Argus.”
The call disconnected and the invisible vise released him. Argus fumbled into his chair and rubbed a hand over his face before glancing up to see the sales clerk hightailing it out of the department.
With an inhuman growl, Argus launched himself across the department and seized the clerk by the back of his top-of-the-line jacket. The smaller man went down like wet newspaper. A quick twist of the neck, and he was gone.
Argus hauled the body into the dressing room and propped it against the wall. He raised the amulet from his chest and pressed it to the clerk’s lips, reciting a silent incantation. Within seconds, the clerk’s eyes flickered open to reveal milky-white irises, and Argus whispered into the reanimated corpse’s ear, instructing him on his upcoming duties.
• • •
Chago slipped unnoticed through the freight delivery entrance of the department store and hid behind several large boxes until the area cleared. He scanned for company before he popped open the side door and let the others in. They moved through a labyrinth of hallways and service passages before emerging on the merchandise floor. Ducking inside circular clothing racks, they waited for the store to close so Wyck could disable the security system. Forty-five minutes later, Kagan’s phone vibrated with an incoming text.
Let the games begin.
After an extensive search, they found nothing on the first floor and headed to the second. Upon exiting the stairwell, Mira noticed the slight hesitation in both Kagan and Chago. “He’s here, isn’t he?” The two warriors gave her a curt nod. She retrieved a dagger from her boot. “Let’s go get him.”
Mira started off across the floor only to be pulled back by Kagan. He hiked a thumb in the opposite direction.
Whoops.
Lips pursed, she followed them into the men’s department. They approached the dressing room area. The sound of whistling echoed through the now empty halls.
Fuck!
The hair on the back of her neck prickled. She recognized the tune.
Not again.
In silence, Chago crept into the changing area, flanked by Kagan and Mira. His foot slammed forward, kicking in the door while his machete sliced downward, forestalling any resistance. The whistling ceased and a weight slumped at his feet. Chago squinted into the face of a man’s well-dressed corpse, his stylish glasses dangling from the spot where half his face used to reside. The man was not Argus.
“Fuck!” Chago’s roar echoed in the deserted store. Mira peeked around his broad back.
“Who the hell’s that?” she asked, grimacing at the bloody mass at Chago’s feet.
Kagan stopped to check the body before moving to search the rest of the rooms. “It happens,
mi fratello
. Not your fault.”
Mira glanced at Chago’s tortured expression, his eyes fixated on his bloody blade. The sound of applause snapped everyone’s attention to the entrance.
“Wow, you Scion are good!” Argus chuckled, taking in the carnage. “Takes a special talent to kill an unarmed corpse.”
Anger tore apart her reason and Mira flung her dagger at him. It lodged in his left chest. Chago pushed Mira aside and charged Argus, knocking him backward. The blow knocked the machete from Chago’s hand. They hit the floor, and he pummeled Argus with bone-shattering blows. The demon grew motionless under the assault, yet Chago continued the beating. “You fucking bastard!”
Kagan pulled Chago off and held him at bay. “Much as I like the idea of this
testa di merda
dead, Divinity wants him alive. At least for now.” He glanced up at Mira’s approach. “Stay away until I get him secured.”
He crouched beside the demon and leaned across to secure his wrists. Mira spotted the sudden glint of metal moments before it struck home. Her warning shout congealed in her throat as she stared at the growing red stain on the front of Kagan’s shirt and the hilt of Chago’s machete protruding from his abdomen. Horrified, she watched his body tip forward to land atop Argus’s bloated belly.
“Should’ve let him continue, Kagan. You always were a softhearted dumbass.”
Argus yanked Mira’s dagger out of his chest and sat up. He shoved Kagan off as Chago charged again and threw the blade, scoring a direct hit in Chago’s throat. The massive warrior fell to his knees, clawing at his trachea as blood flowed over his fingers. He managed to rip the knife free before collapsing into unconsciousness. Immobilzed with shock, Mira watched the unfolding scene, torn between saving herself or the two warriors who lay dying before her. Argus’s words broke the stalemate.
“Tightest piece I ever had.” Argus’s eyes snagged on her breasts, lust seething in his gaze. “Filled out real good, didn’t you, bitch?”
Mira sprang into action, using his distraction to her advantage. She darted around him, hoping he’d reach out to grab her. He didn’t disappoint. Argus’s arms surrounded her in a bear hug, and her muscle memory kicked in. She bent over and grabbed the flesh of his inner thigh, twisting with brutal force. He grunted and tightened his grip. No success. Mira switched to plan B, and pried at his hands locked around her waist, searching for a finger to jam. She stomped hard on his foot and Argus’s grip loosened. Swinging out to the side, Mira kept his hand in a tight lock and twisted his fingers, pulling him off balance. Her steel-toed boots slammed into his torso, his groin. Argus grunted and sank to the floor. She finished him off with a roundhouse kick to the head. “Take that, fucker!”
“Hold it!”
Mira swiveled to face two armed security guards. She lifted her hands. “This isn’t what you think.”
“On the ground. Now!” One guard kept his gun trained on her while the other moved farther out into the department to radio the police for backup.
Mira knelt and he stepped forward, weapon aimed at her head. Kagan stirred with a soft groan. She had to act fast.
The guard shifted his attention to Argus and Mira grabbed his wrist, pushing the barrel of the firearm away from her temple. While maintaining a hold on the butt of the weapon for leverage, she used his struggle to gain her footing. Mira drove a hard kick into his crotch with her steel-toed boots, and he stumbled backward. She kicked him several more times before he released the gun. Mira aimed for the second guard, who now stood at the dressing room entrance, frozen in shock. “Get on the floor!”
She made quick work of binding the guards with their own handcuffs, her gaze flicking up when Chago groaned. She grinned at his stunned expression. “Welcome back.”
While she finished tightening the bonds on the second guard, a pained moan rose from Kagan. She looked away as he pulled the machete from his stomach. Mira grabbed a pair of designer socks from a nearby rack and stuffed one in each guard’s mouth before hazarding a glance in Kagan’s direction again. She found him leaning on one elbow, watching her, his expression unreadable. His voice simmered low, tinged with feral undertones. “Great work,
piccola
.”
Chago rubbed the front of his throat and pushed to his feet. He shuffled to the entrance and helped Kagan stand. “We need to get out of here. What do we do with Argus?”
“We need to interrogate him.” Kagan grabbed several leather belts off a rack and bound Argus’s ankles and wrists before shouldering his bulk and striding out. Chago and Mira followed, making their way down the stairwell to the first floor.
Mira cracked the door open. Several squad cars were parked outside, lights flashing. “We have company.”
Argus stirred on Kagan’s shoulder and Mira frowned, jabbing the side of the demon’s neck. When Kagan quirked a brow, she grinned. “Hey, Spock’s got nothing on me.”
Chago pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial button. “Wyck, distraction, please.” Several seconds later, the fire alarm sounded and the sprinklers rained. “Let’s go.”
They dashed across the display floor, evading detection behind clothing racks and checkout islands on their way to the exit. Officers jogged past, barking orders into walkie-talkies. With the coast relatively clear, the group made their final drive to the side doors. Chago wrenched a fire extinguisher from the wall and smashed the glass, then repeated the action on the outer doors. Security alarms blaring behind them, they crawled through the shattered entrance and stood in the darkness, searching for their next option. A black Suburban screeched to the curb, the tinted passenger window swooshing down to reveal Xander’s less-than-pleased expression. “Get in!”
Chago yanked the door open and they piled inside. Xander swerved into the nearby traffic as police swarmed the now deserted sidewalk. Kagan hoisted Argus’s body into the cargo hold, and Chago wedged through the console area and up into the front seat with an agility belying his large frame.
While Xander weaved through the dark streets, his glare flicked between the traffic ahead and Kagan in the rearview mirror. “Way to keep things quiet.”
Kagan held Xander’s glower with an answering one of his own before slumping against the seat. “Hey, we got the job done.”
“No,
she
got the job done. You’re lucky Mira was there, or you’d both be in lock-up right now trying to explain how you survived all your otherwise lethal injuries.” His eyes flicked to Chago before returning to Kagan. “You two got your asses handed to you in there.”
Chago kept his gaze locked on the passing scenery. Kagan scowled out the window. On cue, Argus delivered a swift kick to the back of the seat and sent Mira and Kagan flying forward. With a snarl, Kagan leaned over the seat and punched the demon hard in the side of the head then hunkered down once more, his arms crossed and a scowl firmly in place.
“What’s the problem, Cranky Hanky?” Mira asked. “Pissed a girl saved your ass?”
“Maybe he’s considering how irresponsible his actions were,” Xander suggested from the driver’s seat.
Kagan flipped him a middle finger. “
Vaff!
”
Xander made a sharp turn around a chain link fence. They pulled up outside an abandoned warehouse beside the lakefront. Mira studied the industrial buildings. “I don’t recognize this place.”
“It’s secret.” Chago climbed out and opened her door. “Welcome to Pain Central.”
A cold wind blew off the lake and Mira shivered. The hatch of the truck slammed closed behind her. Kagan toted Argus toward the cavernous building. He stopped at the entrance and called over his shoulder, “C’mon, let’s get this over with.”
Argus squinted into the bright light beaming in his face, but sighted nothing beyond the glare. Sounds of movement, electronics, and muffled voices droned in the surrounding gloom. Duct tape secured his torso and arms to a metal chair. He jerked each foot and confirmed they too were strapped tight. He closed his eyes and attempted to flash away. Nothing. He summoned his demonic strength to break his bonds. Nada.
Turning his head, he spied an IV bag and pole to his side. Tubes snaked to a needle jammed beneath the skin near his elbow.
Shit! The bastards fucking doped me!
Tape covered his mouth and prevented anything more than a grunt while the nearby bulbs drove the scorching temperature higher. Copious sweat ran from his temples and pooled around his ears before slicking down his chest. Something was missing. The comforting weight of the amulet. Argus bucked in his seat.
Fuckin’ A!
A hand gripped his throat and ripped the adhesive from his lips. Raw skin stung with salty perspiration. A lethal voice whispered close to his ear, “If you scream again, I’ll rip out your forked tongue. Are we clear?”
He gave a single nod, his gaze narrowed on the warrior now directly in front of him. Argus didn’t remember screaming, but he recognized the face.
Kagan stared down at him, his eyes black with fury. “Tell me who you’re working for.”
The warrior’s fingers wrapped around Argus’s neck, grip tight, and his vision spider-webbed. He forced his host’s spirit farther beneath the surface. No time to find a new body at this point.
Fucking Scion.
“No idea. Never met ’em. They only sent me here to collect the girl.”
Kagan leaned closer, nose-to-nose. “Lie to me again,
cazzo,
and this will get painful.”
“Promise?” Argus smirked.
“
Vaff!
” Kagan pushed hard on the chair back; the metal frame creaked and rocked on two legs.
Argus chuckled, pressing his advantage. “You don’t scare me, pussy. I know all your fucking tricks.”
“Want to bet?” A bag descended fast over Argus’s head, pulling tight around his neck. The plastic sealed off his windpipe and he flailed. His vision tunneled to a pinprick of light in a sea of black. The last speck of light blipped out and his demon clawed to the surface, desperate for oxygen. Argus reveled in the adrenaline-fueled anguish, his constricted gasps echoed off the warehouse walls.
An order barked from the shadows, and the suffocating material disappeared. Air rushed in, and Argus drew in a large breath.