Page 33 of Beyond the Veil (Endangered Fae #4)

“Ha! Come here. I’ll show you.” Nusair leaped up and left the false cell.

When Diego joined him, he was pointing to the camera above the door inside the monster corridor.

“I broke that one when I first escaped. I hid for a few days since I was sure they would send someone to fix it. No one ever came.”

He waved to Diego to follow and went out into the main corridor, where he slid to the right and pointed up to the camera immediately outside the door. “That one I left in place, but I turned it. If you approach the door from this side, they can’t see you.”

“And you were going to share this, when?” Diego arched a brow at him.

“Oh, not the supercilious single eyebrow!” Nusair clutched his chest and fell against the wall dramatically. Then he straightened and shrugged. “I wasn’t sure of you. I’m still not, but you seem to be getting farther than anyone else.”

“Good to see you feeling more chipper,” Diego grumbled. “But thank you, for the trust you’re willing to give. Do you know if they have sound?”

“Pretty certain not. I’ve yelled things about bombs and about being able to tunnel out, and no one’s come to investigate.”

“Why haven’t they at least realized you’re out of your cell? They must have seen you on one camera or another?”

Nusair’s ebullient mood abruptly vanished. “I don’t look the same as I did.”

“Fair enough,” Finn said with a nod. “So, my love, where were you going with your scheming before you thought of cameras?”

“We need to get the prisoners to cooperate. As many as possible. I think we’re nearly there on that count. We need to get the doors open. I’m assuming you couldn’t pick the locks on those doors?”

Nusair smacked his forehead. “Oh, my gracious! Why didn’t I think of that? I could’ve just picked the locks and been merrily on my way!”

“The sarcasm doesn’t really help.”

“Use your eyes then, oh great sorcerer. The lock mechanism’s internal. Probably activated from the control room or whatever we’re calling it.”

“Sorry. We may be able to force them open magically with everyone’s help. But then what? We’ll be shot once we clear the outside door.” Diego banged his head back against the wall.

“It’s not that hard. The pooka can get outside and you just heard that you have allies out there. Assuming they are allies? Or are they weak, useless allies?”

A low growl rumbled in Finn’s chest. “The pooka can take care of a few slow human guards and Theo is a vampire, neither weak nor useless.”

“ Caro , I don’t want to put you or Theo in danger. The guards may be human but they have guns. Remember the last time you were shot?”

“Yes, well, those humans surprised us and I was a bit too upset to think clearly. It will have to be at night, when both Theo and I have the advantage. There are eight of them. Only eight. Surely, we can manage.”

Nusair stood with his arms crossed, tapping a sharp nail on his forearm. “You have a vampire outside and you’re hesitating? Let me explain something. Dithering is not the same as planning. Just in case you weren’t sure.”

On the verge of telling Nusair to shut the hell up, Diego stopped when Finn took both of his hands. “My hero, my own, we may only have this one chance.”

“It’s so frustrating,” Diego whispered. “If I had my magic, this would be over in seconds. I’d be able to keep you safe. Get everyone safe.”

“Let us all do the things we do best. You can’t always do everything, much as you’d like to.

” Finn kissed the back of one hand, then the other, his smile tinged with sorrow.

“I love you so, the way you care about every being you meet. But for all the waters’ sakes, Diego, stop thinking you have to save the world on your own.

You have a small army at your disposal. Use us. ”

Shrieks and the rumble of falling masonry haunted Diego’s memories, a girl dead because of his scheming. Those kids had been his soldiers, too, his army.

“And don’t you dare.” Finn gave him a little shake. “I don’t need to hear your thoughts to know what you’re thinking. Don’t you go back there, because it’s not the same thing, not a bit of it.”

“We could wait. Hope a diplomatic resolution comes soon. It’s not as if—”

“No! Damn it, no!” Nusair’s bellow shocked him into silence.

“You have everything in place now. Everything aligning for this to work. You wait for diplomats and you get out”—he pointed a shaking finger at Finn—“and maybe he gets out. And that’s it!

Don’t you fucking dare think about leaving the rest of us, not after everything I’ve done! ”

Nusair stood there glaring with his chest heaving, his breaths nearly sobs.

Oh, my friend, what haven’t you told me still? “You’re right. You’re both right. I’m getting all tangled and confused. Let’s go back inside our more private space and hash this out. Finn, I’m afraid you may have to make the trip back outside again tonight to talk to Theo.”

Finn caught him up in a brief hug. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Zack rubbed both hands over his eyes. The moon was waxing toward full, which made him irritable and tired as it was. The timing just couldn’t be any worse. “What do you mean, he’s gone again ?”

“It’s not like a building, Sarge.” Nate flung himself into one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.

“Buildings stay still. Theo’s on the move.

We think we’ve got him, then he’s not there anymore.

He’s got a truck, from what you said. It must still be running.

And every time he goes off again, we’re back at start. ”

“You can’t be back at start. We know the general area he’s in.”

“Okay, fine. Teensy exaggeration. But we still can’t pin him down.” Nate bounced his leg, looking more worried than Zack could ever remember. “I figure when Theo finds the prison, he’ll stop moving for more than a few hours. So when he finds Diego and Finn, we find them.”

“Or something’s gone wrong and he can’t keep going.”

“Not a bad time to find him, either, don’t you think?”

“Damn it, I’m sorry, Nate. I don’t mean to be so snarly with you.”

Nate reached across and patted his arm. “You’re worried. Not much you can do about that until we have them home. Doesn’t help that it’s that time of the month, huh? They really should make werewolf Midol or something.”

“Jerk.” Zack balled up a piece of scratch paper and threw it at Nate’s head. Nate didn’t move, but the paper mysteriously changed trajectory. “You could at least be all contrite and let it hit you. How do you still have a sense of humor, awful as it is, in all this?”

“Helps when you’re part of the world’s prickliest coven.” Nate shrugged, his smile faltering. “It’s how I’ve always been, I guess. I laugh to stay calm.”

“Does it rub off?”

“Not as much as it should. And sometimes it just causes unsolicited projectiles to start flying.”

Despite the lead weight in his stomach, Zack managed a little chuckle. “Thanks, Nate. Yell for me when you know something definite?”

“You got it. We have coffee and we’ll keep at it until we do.” Nate left with a little wave, in many ways still the gangly, easygoing kid Zack had first met, but the years had scoured away the awkwardness, the na?ve, wide-eyed simplicity.

Dr. Nathan Cooper. Freaking head of a new research institute. Why do they have to make me feel so old?

“All quiet here?” Theo whispered as he slid into position next to Limpet again.

Limpet nodded, his trembling telegraphing through his clothes. “They shine huge lights sometimes. Searching the ground nearby. But the light doesn’t reach here.”

“Good. Searchlights cycle every five minutes. Easy to avoid. You cold?”

“Anxious. I was worried when you didn’t return.”

Theo threw an arm around him, pulling him close as he took out the field glasses again. “Was trying to get closer. Damn searchlights are a pain.”

Limpet’s shivers subsided as he snuggled under Theo's arm. Six guards paced the roof, he’d confirmed that, but there was a bunker stuck on one side of the windowless prison.

Impossible to say how many might be in there.

The only entrance appeared to be through the bunker, unless his roof access theory was correct.

But one guard or another would climb down to the bunker every now and then.

They used ladders bolted into the outside walls, which seemed ill advised security-wise, too exposed, if there was a roof entrance.

“What’s that?” Limpet pointed at the base of the wall.

A quick lift of his head confirmed movement where Limpet pointed and Theo scanned through the binoculars until he had it in sight. “Some kind of dog maybe?”

He handed the glasses to Limpet for a look but the selkie shrugged. “Perhaps. Odd sort of dog. More of a large fox.”

Now that Theo had a good bead on it, he didn’t need the binoculars and kept watching because the strange canine behaved so oddly.

It seemed to be afraid of the searchlight but instead of just cowering in the shadow, it watched carefully with its bat-like ears swiveling.

When the searchlight had passed for the second time, the animal dashed out into the desert, heading straight for them.

The jackal—Theo had finally been able to identify it—raced toward them with single-minded intent, tongue lolling out. While he didn’t think jackals were usually dangerous except in packs, Theo certainly wasn’t an expert. He pushed Limpet behind him, edging down the dune, just in case.

When the jackal cleared the searchlight’s perimeter, it slowed to an easy lope, still heading unerringly toward their position. Theo shook his head to clear it. He thought he heard a voice calling him. “ Theo… Theo…”

It had to be inside his head. No one knew his name out here except Limpet, who was still doing his damnedest to stay quiet.

Suddenly, the jackal popped its head over the dune and said, “Hi!”

Theo jerked back and tumbled down the hill a few feet before he caught himself, spitting sand and irritation. “Finn?”

“Why, yes. Do you often talk to other jackals?”

“Hilarious. Aren’t you in jail?”

“I suppose officially, I am. Hello, Limpet. Diego’s going to be upset with you for being here.”

“Not as if I can go back now,” Limpet said with a defiant lift of his chin.

“Ah. Too right, there.” Jackal-Finn flopped down in the sand between them. “I found a way out, but I’m certainly not leaving without my Diego. So, he sent me to brief you. We’re, as they say, planning an outbreak.”

“You mean planning to break out.” Theo holstered his handgun. Finn’s found a way out. Maybe things aren’t hopeless. And Diego’s planning. Suddenly, it wasn’t just him and an unarmed selkie alone against the bad guys.

“That’s what I said.” Finn huffed and gave Limpet’s face a lick. “Poor thing. This is no place for a seal.”

“Not the best place for a pooka, either.” Limpet snickered, shoving the jackal’s head away.

“Granted. But this is serious business.” Finn straightened out, forepaws in front, head up in imitation of an Anubis statue.

“There has just been a changing of the guards today. Diego says this is significant, because helicopter fuel is expensive and they would not use it to bring new guards in every day. He estimates every third day would even be excessive. So we know they will be without the helicopter and without reinforcements for at least the next day or so.”

“Do we know how many guards? Beside the ones on the roof?” The helipad had caused Theo some concern, but not if it wasn’t used every day.

“At least eight. I counted eight new ones coming in today and eight different ones going out. The command center”—the way Finn said this implied that he was proud of himself for remembering the phrase—“can’t be overly large since it has the, ah, intake room inside it as well.”

“Eight at a minimum, then. Maybe ten or twelve. That’s not bad.” Theo glanced reflexively at the prison. “So he wants me to take them down? Tonight?”

Finn shook his jackal head, his ears twitching to catch the desert night sounds. “He needs time to prepare. Tomorrow night, at moonrise, Diego will begin the work to get the doors open.”

“What doors?”

While Finn explained the tunnel and hatch and the internal layout of the prison, Theo crept back to the top of the dune with the binoculars. Yes. There it was. The portal near the helipad looked like something from a submarine. “Tomorrow. Moonrise. He wants me to take down the guards.”

Finn bristled. “Not on your own, bucko. I’ll come help you.”

“You?” Theo blinked back at him. He had a hard time picturing such a kind soul taking anyone down, bad guys or not.

“Two words. Dragon-squashed vampire.”

“A huevo . Not something I can forget.” Theo managed a little smile. “Better we’re on the same side.”

“I don’t even understand what language you two are speaking anymore,” Limpet huffed. “And I will have questions. So many, many of them. But I’ll save them for later.”

Small favors .