StrategicSurrender (14 page)

“We also will need to make sure people don’t have access to
our memories,” Kiera added. Kate raised an eyebrow at her inquiringly and so
Kiera tried to explain. “Josh and I read a page each of the ritual. The
Tribunal was not exactly informed of it, and that is why I don’t believe it’s
public knowledge yet—”

“I told them after you had all left,” Morgan added quietly.
Kiera nipped on her lower lip nervously.

“Oh, so it might have
become
public knowledge,” Kiera
amended. “And if that is the case we might not be dealing with mere assassination
attempts but kidnapping as well. Neither Josh nor I have anywhere near enough
information to piece together the ritual, but…well, it would be a good starting
point. A step up from anyone else trying to re-create the ritual once they hear
about it.”

“If the leak is in the Tribunal and not someone who has
managed to tap the council chambers or even just a worker there who has found a
nook to hide in and eavesdrop,” Kate suggested, “then we might even be up
against telepathy or other mental magics. Are you sure I shouldn’t call in
reinforcements?”

This last comment was directed at Hayden. Hayden glanced at
Morgan for assistance.

“What do you think?” Hayden asked. Morgan pondered the
matter for a moment but finally nodded.

“We don’t really know whom we can trust outside this
circle,” Morgan suggested before directing the rest of his response to Kate.
“How likely is it that you think you will need extra help?”

“At this stage I wouldn’t think I would
require
extra
assistance,” Kate replied confidently. “I’m just wanting to sound out all our
avenues. I highly doubt it would be wise for us to meet regularly as a group
like this and so I want all the details possible ironed out before we go our
separate ways.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Hayden supported her. “I have
one other set of contacts I trust implicitly, Kyle and Sally. They work
exclusively as a Guardian team, even though Sally’s magic is predominantly as a
Tracker.”

“I know them,” Kate replied with a curt nod. “Sally
is…erm…not what I would classify as precisely stable.”

Hayden shrugged with a wry grin. “They are trusted
associates of mine and dedicated. It’s rare that they can’t unearth information
or weasel it out of whomever does know. I didn’t guarantee they were mentally
stable and coherent.”

Kiera chuckled, though she felt a bit out of her depth. Kate
shrugged and appeared to let it go as not being relevant to her part of the
assignment.

The lithe redhead stood up from her chair and reached out
her hand to shake first Morgan’s hand, and then Kiera’s and lastly Hayden’s.

“Now I more fully understand the circumstances, I believe
it’s time Mr. Delamere and I should be on our way,” Kate said with a determined
strength in her tone. “Considering what I have learned I do not believe it a
wise idea for us to stop by Mr. Delamere’s apartment and pick up a bag as I
suggested on the phone to you earlier, Hayden. A few hours have passed since
the initial contract was released. By now every two-bit hunter and the lower
class of Assassins will already have staked out your offices, homes and known
haunts. A quick trip by the store would be smarter so Mr. Delamere can pick up
a few crucial items.”

“Hang on,” Josh protested vehemently, “if I’m going on the
lam I need a few of my things. My clothes, toiletries, deodorant…how am I
supposed to be presentable if I don’t have my mousse and aftershave?”

Kiera couldn’t help herself, she snickered and finally
laughed aloud. Kate had looked at first utterly flummoxed, but when Kiera bent
over giggling her features appeared to relax somewhat and the tiniest of smiles
twitched at the edge of her mouth.

“If you’re really so keen to be mentally raped, possibly
tortured for the whereabouts of your coworker and friends and killed, then by
all means, we can return for your precious mousse,” Kate replied coolly.
“However, since for now I believe I am in charge here, what say we get out of
here, drive out of the city and discuss the rules somewhere potentially out of
the range of fire?”

“Rules?” Josh replied with a crestfallen expression as he
stood up. “There are
rules
?”

Still giggling softly, Kiera stood, leaned over and hugged
her partner.

“There are always rules, Josh,” she replied with a grin.
“You just usually don’t pay attention to them and a clever witch like myself
learns how to instigate them without making you particularly aware of them.”

Kiera cast a quick, speaking glance at Kate as she pulled
away from Josh. The redhead nodded once, briskly, having already worked that
out for herself, apparently.

“We will be in touch soon,” Kate said. “For now, I want to
get myself and Mr. Delamere away from here and somewhere safe. Good luck.”

Turning sharply on one foot, Kate began to walk toward the
door. Josh looked from the Guardian then back to the others, and returned his
glance to the departing redhead.

“Now just a minute—” Joshua began as he clearly internally
debated whether to blindly follow the Guardian or stand his ground. Kate
effectively cut him off before he could say any more, seeming to understand the
situation without even turning around. Her step did not pause or falter for one
second as she spoke over her shoulder.

“I have been given charge of your safety, Mr. Delamere,” she
said. “By preference I would far rather you come along willingly and we discuss
matters in the car like rational, grown adults. However, if you prove difficult
I can and will force your compliance by any means I deem necessary. The choice
is yours.”

“Bossy,” Josh replied softly, an unmistakable glint of
awareness and excitement in his amber eyes.

“Pushy,” Kiera replied with a smirk.

“I think I’m in love,” Josh finished with a small, happy
nod. A second later he loped in a half run after Kate, who had just reached the
front door, paused and appeared to somehow magically scan the area outside,
small crackles of magical energy shooting from her fingertips as she did so.

Despite his playful, teasing earlier comments, Joshua
remained respectfully silent as Kate did her thing, and when the sparks ceased
and she cast a quick look over her shoulder to reassure herself Josh did indeed
stand behind her, she nodded at him and opened the front door for them to both
walk out.

“Say, are you always this dominant?” they all heard Josh’s
voice carried back to them as they left. “Because I find that rather hot. I
love a witch willing to take charge, and I bet with that pale, creamy skin and
natural red hair you’d look amazing in a leather bustier, skintight pants with
a riding crop. You could teach me what a very bad boy I have been and—”

The heavy wooden door closed, effectively cutting out the
rest of whatever Joshua had suggested to Kate. Again unable to help herself
Kiera held her sides, sat back into the cushions of the couch and let her
laughter peel loose, filling the main living area for a moment before she
finally got a hold on herself.

“Oh ten bucks says Kate stabs Josh before the day is
through,” Kiera hazarded to the two wizards.

“No bet,” Hayden insisted, “that’s practically a given. But
twenty says before the week is out they’re going at it like rabbits.”

Kiera’s jaw dropped and she shook her head.

“No way,” Kiera averred. “She’s a Guardian. That never
happens. Besides, did you hear her with the ‘Mr. Delamere’ and cool, rational
questions? Her mind wasn’t on Josh and his ass or any other piece of him. This
is strictly a job for her.”

“I think she’ll surprise you,” Hayden disagreed. “She was
too cool. I’ve known Kate a number of years and while she’s the consummate
professional she has hidden depths. She’s not the stereotypical Guardian.
Indeed, I think she and Josh might make a match of it. Kate won’t fall over
herself trying to impress him or get into his pants, and Josh doesn’t strike me
as the sort to let a challenge like Kate get off easily.”

“Hmm, you’re on,” Kiera agreed. “Twenty by the end of the
week.”

“Interesting as I find the byplay between you both,” Morgan
inserted himself smoothly between their betting, “I really do think while we
know for a fact it is safe to leave, the two of you should also be on your
way.”

“Oh of course,” Hayden replied and stood up quickly. The two
wizards shook hands as Kiera stood up. With a quick hug to her mentor as Hayden
started to make his way slowly toward the door, Kate pulled back and chastely
kissed Morgan’s dark cheek.

“Will you be all right?” she checked, a little worried.
“You’re not in trouble with the Tribunal, are you?”

“They are not impressed, child,” Morgan replied easily, “but
I have a lot of standing among them. I‘ll easily survive.”

“Okay,” Kiera nodded and followed Hayden to the entryway,
Morgan only a few paces behind her. “We’ll be in touch, Morgan.”

“Call my message service if you hear anything further,”
Hayden requested. Morgan nodded and opened the door for them both.

Exchanging farewells, both Hayden and Kiera exited the house
and walked through the front garden toward his car. With a final wave as Hayden
unlocked the door for her, Kiera took one more glance at her mentor before
climbing into the car. Hayden shut her safely inside, came around and let
himself in.

“Do you really think no one will go after him?” she asked,
genuinely concerned. Hayden nodded as he started the car up.

“Neither you nor Josh have the least experience in the field
or in protecting yourself. Most hunters, dabblers and less-than-savory
Assassins will believe you’re easy prey. Morgan has a decent few days’ worth of
grace until they all realize with me protecting you and Kate protecting Josh
that neither of you will be as easy to kill as they first assume.”

With a small squeal of tires Hayden pulled away from the
curb. Kiera wasn’t sure she felt better, but she also knew Morgan could
definitely look after himself. It should be herself she worried about for now.

“Where are we heading now?” Kiera asked curiously, “since I
presume my place and yours are both out of the question?”

“I have a small cabin outside the city,” Hayden informed her
as he watched the traffic and wove smoothly between the cars. “Not many people
know about it, so we should be safe there for a day or two. I’d like to stay
nearby so I can make some calls, see what we can discover about this contract
out on our lives, maybe dig around a little and see if we can find out who the
leak is and why they want us all dead.”

Kiera nodded as she watched the city fly by. As she shifted slightly
in her seat her shirt crinkled and her pants twisted a little uncomfortably.

“Can we stop by a store on the way to your cabin?” she asked
hopefully. “I’ve been in these clothes since early yesterday morning and I
would do almost anything for a fresh change of clothes. If we’re going to lay
low for a few days I’ll need a hairbrush, toothbrush and at least one,
preferably two changes.”

Hayden cast her a quick glance and smiled ruefully.

“You’re so attractive to me I hadn’t even noticed you’d not
changed, nor had I thought about how uncomfortable that must be,” he admitted.
“Sure, once we get out of the city limits there are a few larger department
chains. We can stop there for a quick trip, grab you some necessities and maybe
a duffel to carry them in. That’s not a problem, sweetheart.”

“That would be awesome,” Kiera sighed gratefully. “Thanks.”

Hayden took the steering wheel in one hand and let his other
reach out. They held hands as he wove through the lunchtime rush and they
slowly left the city limits.

“I am
so
grateful they let me change in the rooms,”
Kiera replied with a happy sigh and for the dozenth time squeezed Hayden’s
side. They each had an arm casually slung around one another as they walked
back to his car, Kiera practically bouncing with good cheer.

A spray of new deodorant, clean underwear, jeans, socks and
a comfortable T-shirt and Kiera almost felt like a completely new witch. Slung
over one shoulder was a duffel that contained three fresh changes of underwear,
two more T-shirts and another pair of jeans and a few critical toiletries.

Life felt so much more under control in fresh clothes.

“I have an endless supply of hot water in the cabin,” Hayden
tempted her as they walked through the car park. “It was the first thing I
upgraded when I renovated the place after purchasing it.”

“Oh I am definitely in love,” Kiera replied more than
slightly serious, even if her tone was light and teasing. “I can’t
stand
it when the hot water runs out on you when you’re not nearly done with soaking
in the shower. Nothing makes me crankier. Be careful or I might not leave to
come back here, what with there being the bounty and all.”

“I’m sure we can come to a mutually satisfying agreement,”
Hayden returned just as easily. “We’re only ten minutes from the cabin now. When
we get there I can fire up the grill and you can shower to your hearts content.
After dinner we can—”

Hayden’s words were cut off as a sporty navy blue car
squealed into the parking lot, taking the corner almost on two wheels. They
both paused, surprised and taken aback by the vehicle.

“Kiera, run to the car, now,” Hayden ordered in a fierce
tone as he unwrapped their arms and pressed the keys into her free hand. She
frowned and took a few steps, but Hayden hung back.

“Hayden, what are you—”

“I said
now
, Kiera!” Hayden shouted as he cut her off
and pushed her shoulder to reinforce his point.

“No!” Kiera insisted stubbornly. “I’m not going to leave
you. Come on, Hayden, we can
both
make it if you quit being so damn
stubborn.”

Hayden appeared to debate the matter internally for a split
second as the car sped up as it wove through the parked cars coming closer and
closer towards them.

“Dammit, fine. Run. You drive, I’ll try to discourage them,”
Hayden relented after a tiny pause, time obviously trickling out of their
grasp.

Having convinced her lover to not sacrifice himself for her,
Kiera clenched her hands around the ring of keys, hoisted the duffel higher
over her shoulder and flat out sprinted toward their car. Weaving through the
vehicles to keep off the main road so as to not give their pursuers the chance
to simply run them over, both Kiera and Hayden made good time. Cursing as her
fingers fumbled with the key in the lock, Kiera wrenched open the door, dove in
and unlocked the passenger seat for Hayden as she simultaneously threw the
duffel into the backseat.

Shoving the key into the ignition as Hayden slammed his door
shut, wound down the window and aimed his gun at the oncoming navy blue car,
Kiera turned over the engine, pumped the accelerator and only at the last
minute recalled to slam her own door shut. The car peeled away from the park,
leaving rubber behind on the asphalt and missing two cars parked too closely
only by the scantest of inches.

“Where the hell did your gun come from?” Kiera shouted at
Hayden above the roar of the engine. With her foot pressed almost to the floor
to keep the car accelerating out of the car park, she held the wheel with one
hand as she pulled on her seat belt with the other.

“Ankle holster!” Hayden yelled as he ducked his head out of
the open window, took careful aim and shot at their followers. The
ear-splitting
bang
of the gun going off shocked Kiera—having never heard
a gun explode at such close range before—and for a split second the car swerved
as she reacted instinctively to get away from the noise.

Quickly recovering, Kiera steeled her nerves as the
bang,
bang, bang
of return fire assaulted her ears.

“They’re
shooting
at us!” Kiera shouted, scared and
outraged. For a moment she felt stupid for her reaction, but she could not
believe after working for
years
to assist Enforcers of all walks and
sections the villains were suddenly after
her
just to collect some money
on her head.

“Just keep driving,” Hayden insisted calmly, “I’ll get rid
of them and then guide you to the cabin, just try to stay off the main roads.
The last thing we need is to get arrested. We’ll be sitting ducks in jail, not
to mention they’ll try to split us up and I’d hate to fill out the paperwork
related to assaulting a human police officer. It’s enough to make you cry.”

Kiera laughed as she made a dangerously fast turn toward the
exit of the car park. Swerving to avoid an incoming car—who leant on their horn
and gave her the finger—she bit down on her lower lip as this gave their
pursuers a chance to close some of the distance between them.

Hayden continued to shoot at them. Kiera noticed he aimed
low to presumably blow out their tires. A small explosion proved her lover had
hit his target, but still the car kept on coming.

The gunfire was returned, and with a crackling
whoosh
their rear windshield exploded, glass shattering everywhere. Kiers muffled her
shriek, ducked her head and drove over the grassy median strip to bypass the
three waiting cars and simply cut the queue to drive directly out of the
parking lot and onto the side road.

The car rocked around, the base scraping on the curb as they
fell the short distance onto the asphalt and ground the undercarriage. The
noise set Kiera’s teeth on edge, but she shuddered to think what would occur if
they mildly sat and waited their turn to pull out of the park and wait for a
set of lights. More shots were fired from their attackers and there were
shrieks from the street. Worried about innocent bystanders, Kiera took the
first right-hand turn she came across after passing a series of stores and
pulled onto a narrow suburban side street.

Revving the engine, she pressed the accelerator to the floor
and the car shot forward. Kiera realized there had been a few seconds’ worth of
pause from Hayden and she cast a quick glance at him only to see him reloading
his gun. Her attention jolted back as the sound of metal grinding on metal
coupled with a jerking lurch forward as they were tailgated.

“Stop it, assholes!” Kiera shouted as she stared at their
pursuers in her rearview mirror. Grateful for her seatbelt, she glanced quickly
at Hayden again and debated the wisdom of telling him he’d be restricted but
far safer with his own on. She never got the chance to even broach the subject
as their car was slammed into from behind again and Hayden leaned dangerously
far out the window and shot rapidly at their attackers.

Another burning trail of blue-green magical energy blasted
past, singeing the arm of Hayden’s leather jacket as he dodged inside for a
moment only to return and plug the rest of his bullets into the car, shouting
with success as he hit one of their attackers. The staccato of rapidly returned
gunfire pinged from the side of the car and Hayden groaned as he pulled himself
inside and dodged.

“Dammit to hell,” he cursed and Kiera shot another second
long glance at her lover, her stomach diving to the floor as she saw blood
spreading from the shoulder of his shirt underneath his leather jacket.

“Hayden? Hayden, you’re hit!” she screamed and for a moment
her attention remained riveted on her lover and not on the car, the road or the
chase they were involved in. With one hand on the steering wheel she reached
out with her other hand to gently touch him, petrified to discover his skin
sweating, the blood spreading and soaking through the chest of the thin
material and Hayden turning pale and blinking as he went lightly into shock
from the wound.

“Hayden!” Kiera screamed and with a brief look out their
windshield realized she had lost control of the car and plowed into the front
garden of a home they were passing and crashing into a tree.

The seat belt burned against her chest where it restrained
her, but Hayden surged forward even with her hand pressed in restraint against
his chest and he cracked his head on the windshield. There was an enormous
crunch of metal and shattering of glass as the front of the car compressed into
and around the thick tree and the windshield shattered into a million tiny
pieces.

The car that pursued them broke hard, the tires squealing on
the asphalt as they left rubber in their wake and more shots fired. Kiera
unsnapped her seat belt and dived down to cover Hayden’s body with her own,
tears leaking silently from her eyes as she tried to protect her lover. Doors
slammed and shouts were heard and for a moment Kiera was positive this was it,
that the group of wizards were going to come to them and shoot them dead and
that would be that. Fear froze her for an instant until Hayden groaned and his
hand warmly clasped her shoulder.

“Get out of here, sweetheart,” he moaned, his eyes still
pressed closed as sweat dripped down his forehead. “Run, go and hide in the
gardens, jump over the fences, they won’t chase you far when they get me.”

“No!” she shouted fiercely. “No, Hayden, I won’t leave you.
Come on, you can run with me. What the hell was all that training for if not to
teach you how to push past the pain barrier?”

More shouts occurred and Kiera wasted a single second as she
forced open Hayden’s crumpled passenger side door and cast a glance over her
shoulder and out through the splintered windshield.

It turned out the goons chasing them were not the only ones
who had come out onto the street, but numerous home owners, irate parents and
neighbors had also left their homes and were now heatedly exchanging curses
with the wizards.

“…
saw
you chasing that black car…”

“…have already called the cops, you’d better wait right
there, mister…”

“…don’t give a flying fuck if you say you’re the police, if
I don’t see a badge I don’t want you moving your ass…”

“…better go check those poor people you ran off the road…”

“…I really think you ought to leave us alone and not stick
your beak into what does not concern you…”

Kiera realized they had the grace of only a few seconds of
confusion to act and escape. It appeared enough of the street had witnessed
what occurred for them to know Kiera and Hayden were not entirely at fault
here. With a grinding squeak of bent metal Hayden’s door opened and Kiera gave
her lover a hard shove.

“Move it, Mr. Special Ops,” she ordered firmly. “We have the
tiniest of windows here right now and I for one plan to use it. We are
running—the greater part of valor don’t you know—and I am not leaving here
without your scrawny, scruffy ass. Let’s move!”

Hayden groaned but obligingly rolled out of the door and by
pressing his hands and knees into the soft grass managed to get wobbly to his
feet. Kiera climbed ungainly out of the car, snagged her beloved duffel and
clean clothes—since the ones she now wore were covered with shattered glass,
sweat and blood from numerous small, stinging cuts—and propped Hayden’s arm
around her shoulder to take some of his weight and help him become more steady
on his feet.

“That way,” Hayden said woozily, clearly befuddled and not
his best. His hand still remained firmly clasped around his gun, and despite
being obviously worse for the wear, with Kiera’s support they both started into
a slow, loping run as they fled the scene and into the back garden of the
nearest house. Kiera cut across the lawn and headed out of sight as fast as
possible. Her heart pounded in fear as more shouts rose.

“…they’re getting away!”

“…Don’t you move, mister, my husband will shoot your ass if
you get near those two poor people…”

“…don’t care
who
you say you are, the cops will sort
this shit out…”

“…go after them, Jesse…”

“…hold it right there!”

The oncoming sound of sirens pierced the air and the
neighborhood watch group appeared to gain more confidence with the sound of the
police arriving. As Kiera and Hayden ducked behind the house next door a single
gunshot cracked in the air, and as no one followed them immediately she assumed
one of the gathered humans had screwed up their courage and detained their
pursuers and shot one of the few guns they had been holding protectively.

“We need to get out of here right now,” Kiera panted and
started to lead Hayden in a weaving run at random through backyards, small
parks and light woodlands around a small nearby lake.

Hayden sweated badly, but Kiera knew they had to put some
distance between themselves and their attackers if they were going to get away
at all. It would not take them more than a minute or two to get through to the
cops or to wait while the cops dispersed the crowd of humans and then outright
kill the police. While there had been too many witnesses out on the street,
once they had been sent on their way a pair or two of cops would not hold the
wizards back at all.

When Kiera could feel Hayden shaking from the exertion and
effort it cost him merely to remain upright she paused and looked around. They
were at least a couple of blocks away from the accident now and she knew Hayden
would not last much longer.

“Keep. Going,” he panted, the effort to speak those two
words clearly all he could manage as he heaved and sucked air in deeply to try to
say more.

“No, we need to get you to a hospital or at least sitting
down. You’re going to collapse in a minute and—”

“No. Hospital,” Hayden wheezed. Kiera couldn’t help it—she
had to smile.

“My love, I could dress you up in a frilly pink tutu right
now, tie you to the roof of my car and drive you down central Chicago and you’d
not be able to do a single thing about it. A child on crutches could currently
knock you on your ass. Let me worry about things for a minute until you can at
least speak more than two words without throwing up.”