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When they were alone, Cain put the tip of his shoe on the chair opposite him and kicked it toward Joss. Joss caught the chair, placed it facing Cain, and straddled it. Neither man spoke as each waited for the other in silent challenge to either attack or defend.
He had a lot of time and respect for his leader. After all, it was Cain who found him, trained him, and rescued him from himself when he washed up as nothing but a shadow of a boy in the streets of New York. However on this, Joss had to trust his gut. It ran deeper than his conditioning, maybe deeper than he’d like to admit. The men stared at each other until Cain sighed in frustrated recognition of Joss’s hardheadedness.
“What the fuck was that stunt?” Cain asked in his strong American accent.
Joss feigned innocence “What stunt?”
“Acting doesn’t suit you. You’re a team leader, not a circus clown.”
“Your point is?”
“You better start acting like the man I trained and not some rabid hero gone astray.”
“I took the suspect in like you commanded.”
“You were supposed to bring the girl in to ground base and if the base was compromised to the safe house. I thought my orders were clear.”
“I made the best decision I could with the knowledge at my disposal.”
Cain crossed his wrists over the top of his cane. “You think I’m withholding information from you.”
“I know you are.” Joss’s tone wasn’t accusing. They operated on a need-to-know-basis. “I don’t know who’s behind the attack, but I’m not a fool. The assault was meant to take us out,” he leaned forward, “and to take her alive.” He waited for Cain to digest the information. “Someone else wants her as badly as we do. To keep her with us puts the whole team in danger. I thought it best to hide her until I know more.”
“Lann said the first shot was aimed at him.”
“He was standing in front of the window, a clear target. Luckily for him, he moved at just the right moment.”
“After that, are you sure the shots were not aimed at the girl?”
“The shots only targeted my team. The assassin steered well away from me. I’m guessing it’s because I was covering Clelia and the shooter didn’t have a clean shot without the risk of taking her out. Maya recorded the bullet holes and reconstructed a hologram that shows the bullet path directions. You can look at the report if you want.” Joss narrowed his eyes. “Who else would be interested in abducting a fisherman’s granddaughter? Is there something you’re not telling me about Clelia?”
Cain smiled. “Is there something about her you’re not telling me?”
Joss’s muscles tensed, but he managed to keep a calm face. “I told you what I knew, that there were rumors about her mother.”
“Just rumors?”
“So far, yes, they’re just rumors. We’re trying to track down anyone who was on the trawler that rescued Clelia’s mother.”
“There’s nothing else?”
“No.”
“For someone who grew up with her in a town where everyone knows everyone, you don’t know much about her, do you?”
Joss gritted his teeth. “I did a thorough background check. She’s clean. No funny business. A fucking straight line. What else do you want me to say?”
“I was hoping for something more personal like what her character is like. What was she like in school?”
Joss studied Cain. “Why are you so interested in her? You’ve never come out on any mission. Why did you come here?”
“You said you tasted her blood.”
“She’s clean.”
“No magic? No potential for ancient arts?”
“I told you. No.” About that he was sure.
“Interesting, considering what you said about her mother.”
“I don’t like where this is going,” Joss said. “When we came out here, it was to investigate a paranormal crime. Why do I get the feeling this is about something entirely different?”
“Oh, I think for you it is about something different. Did you really come out here to investigate a crime?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Cain’s smile was indulgent. “You’re not asking who attacked you.”
Joss crossed his arms. “I was hoping you’d tell me.”
After a short hesitation, Cain said, “The game has changed.”
“Meaning what?”
“It has started.”
“What has started?”
“The evil that’s been dormant for the past four centuries is about to be re-awakened. We’re facing the beginning of the second Dark Age, and it’s our job to prevent it.”
“Fuck, Cain, you sound like a goddamn horror movie.”
“There’s a dark force in the making, and it has started to harvest power. It’s worse than anything we’ve dealt with. I don’t know who’s behind it, but whoever he is, he has disciples reaping art. His followers are hunting people with the ancient skills of forgotten magic. By killing them, he can steal their talents and add them to his own to grow his power, provided that his victims’ hearts have gone to the dark side. One of his greatest followers, a man named Lupien, is said to be a very powerful pyromancist. No one has heard or seen a trace of Lupien for nearly thirty years.”
