“Oh, Chinese,” Rachel announced, delighted.“I love Chinese.”
“Which is why I got that,” Robbie said as he walked by them.“Think about it.You almost killed the guy who brought you Chinese food.”
“I’ll forever be sorry for threatening you with a gun,” Rachel said as she opened one of the containers.
Cyril took a deep breath and relaxed against the back of the couch.Rachel was right.He was doing the one thing that would help Vale focus right now, even though it felt wrong to him.It was best for everyone if he stayed out of the way, and he would be here when Vale came back.
Because he would come back.
* * * *
STAKEOUTS WERE BORING.There was literally nothing to do except sit around and wait, which Vale had never been good at.It was a little odd considering that his job often meant he had to wait around, but he supposed he’d never had anyone to protect the way he did Cyril.He’d wait for days if it meant keeping him safe, but Vale hoped he wouldn’t have to.They didn’t have time to waste.If Cyril really was getting closer to the Threshold, they needed to know what that meant, which meant they had to find Meridian.They couldn’t do that while they were distracted by this killer.
He didn’t even have Russell to talk to.Russell was in Morgan and Alex’s apartment, hidden away in Alex’s room.He was ready to intervene when the killer arrived, which hopefully would be sooner rather than later.Vale wanted to go back to Cyril.Cyril was safe, but it still made Vale uneasy not to be anywhere close to him when he knew that he was in danger.His mind couldn’t stop coming up with scenarios that he really didn’t like, like the killer finding out about the stakeout and deciding to target Cyril instead.The only reason Vale wasn’t there with him right now was that he trusted Rachel with his life.
And with Cyril’s.
“You know, when someone calls you, they generally expect you to talk to them,” Russell’s voice said, coming from Vale’s phone.
Vale had put him on speaker.They’d been talking on-and-off for about half an hour, but he’d drifted off, thinking about Cyril.
“You can hang up if you want,” he said.
“But then I’ll be completely alone.”
Vale could hear the pout in Russell’s voice.“Morgan’s there with you.”
“He’s not supposed to talk to me.Come on, distract me before I do something stupid.”
Vale trusted Russell not to actually do anything stupid.When they were working, he was professional, and he would never fuck up a job, even though they weren’t being paid for this.He knew how important it all was.Vale hadn’t gotten around to telling him the entire story, but maybe it was time.
“The more recent deaths, the ones that Cyril dreamed of?They both visited the same old lady before they died,” Vale said.
There was a pause before Russell spoke again.“Please tell me you’re not saying that the killer is an old lady.”
“No.We already know that the killer is a young guy.We don’t know how he’s related to this, but apparently, these two were necromancers who were getting closer to the Threshold.”
“Cyril mentioned something about that,” Russell said quietly.
“I don’t think even he understands exactly what the Threshold is, but from what the lady said when we visited her, it’s the edge between our world and whatever happens after you die.Necromancers can get lost in there, and when they do, they change, but of course, that’s only if they come back alive.There’s a high chance that they don’t.”
“I don’t like that Cyril is involved in this.”
Vale snorted.“You think I do?But there’s nothing we can do to stop him from reaching this Threshold.Unfortunately, it’s something that happens the stronger he gets, and you know how strong he is already.”
“What are we going to do about it, then?”
Vale loved that Russell was as ready as he was to do whatever was in his power to help Cyril.“The lady, Iris, gave us a name.This person apparently crossed the Threshold and came back alive.Iris said that this Meridian person was changed, which is why they stay isolated, but Cyril and I are planning on talking to them anyway.We just need to solve this mess first so that I won’t have to worry about Cyril.”
Russell didn’t answer right away, but Vale wasn’t offended.After all, they were working.
“I think he’s here,” Russell suddenly said.
That caught Vale’s attention.He sat up and pressed his finger against the earbud in his ear, not surprised to hear Rachel’s fingers flying on a keyboard.She was part of the conversation, too, even though she hadn’t spoken up.She was probably distracted by Cyril.
“Russell’s right,” she said.“There’s someone at Morgan’s door.It looks like they’re trying to get in.”
“I’m coming,” Vale declared, already on the move.
