Page 96 of Cerulean Truth (Sapere #1)

FIFTY-FOUR

JAMES

She was nowhere to be found. I had combed through every damn corner of that house, and she was nowhere.

Screw the tight lids I'd kept on my anger and rage, forget the years of meticulous training, damn any illusion of control, and fuck my inhibitions.

I let it all out and I went fucking feral .

By the time I came by, I’d destroyed most of Emma’s childhood home, and found Julian, wide-eyed and stunned, observing the chaos I'd wrought.

"Damn, you're really... explosive," he remarked, a mix of awe and concern in his voice.

I grabbed his throat, the anger pulsating through my veins.

"She's at Coastal!" he blurted out, desperately hoping that the information would act as a shield against me ripping his head off.

It worked.

I halted, the rage momentarily suspended. “How the fuck do you know that?”

"Being The Elder does have some perks, and I've been conducting peace negotiations over there in the last few months.

They transported her from here to a hidden facility at Coastal through the Human World, moving solely with human forms of transportation.

They thought they were clever, thinking we wouldn't be able to gather intel from the Human World, but I've been building connections on both sides for cycles," he explained hastily.

"Where?" I asked sharply, squeezing a little harder to motivate him answering more quickly.

He provided the address. I narrowed my eyes, caution evident in my tone. "You better be fucking sure about this."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Do you ever not swear?"

I opened up a portal, ignoring him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, do you have clearance?" he hurriedly asked, panic etched on his face. I was almost touched by his concern for my well-being. Almost.

"Do I look like I care?" I huffed, moving toward the portal.

"James, you can't! You'll die crossing their borders without clearance!" Julian grabbed my shirt, holding me back.

I narrowed my eyes. "You have exactly one second to let go of me, or I'm portaling you in with me, and we'll die together like Romeo and fucking Juliet."

He let go, and I jumped through my portal without waiting for his response. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful for his assistance, but I wasn't about to tell him how Stephen had secretly shared his Specialist-status with me, providing me with diplomatic clearance in every Collective of the world.

Touching down in the dark streets of Coastal, I ran up to the building, following Julian's directions.

Standing before it, my Offensive instincts kicked in, recognizing the high probability of this secure structure being infested with Radicals, ready to eliminate any intruder.

I had to make a choice?either sneak in stealthily or blasting my way in.

Portaling in blind was not an option; I'd be dead in an instant without knowing where I’d end up.

My eyes methodically scanned the dark corners and blind spots. A wry smile played on my lips as I observed the abysmal quality of their external security. Stealthy infiltration would be easy .

Dressed in my usual dark Offensive suit, I relied on the cloak of night and my years of experience of infiltrating and extricating myself from places I had no business of being.

Translating an assessment triangle, I analyzed the entire security-blueprint in a few seconds. They’d installed the usual magi-defense systems and a few human-ones.

The entire building was encapsulated by a barrier, almost like an invisible spider’s web pulled over every aspect of the building.

I’d have to deactivate it or somehow evade it when going in.

Any touch or vibration would set off alarms throughout the entire compound.

If it didn’t outright kill me upon contact.

For a second, I thought about reaching out to Coastal’s Offensives but considering their location, I had no idea who I could trust. Better to go at it alone anyway. Less risk, more control.

Human surveillance cameras monitored the external walls. They got probably triggered by translation, so obscuring them was out. I quickly figured out their patterns and moved out of their sight accordingly.

The barrier around the building was a little trickier. And although it would take me a while to figure it out, I did exhale in relief. A magical web excluded the existence of any bubble. At least I wouldn’t be without my haze or Skindo.

I studied the web on the Nexus. Every web had a weak point, a small almost invisible knot where its threads would come together and hold. Locating it wouldn’t be easy, but I wasn’t just anyone. And I was extremely motivated.

Quickly taking in my surroundings, I noticed a building not too far off, practically at the same height as my mark. I leapt up, and while I climbed the second building, I let the drops scan the entire web.

Crouching down on the rooftop, I searched the blueprint for the knot. There was a small, almost imperceptible spot near the left corner of the roof.

Enhancing the image, I shook my head slowly. That was too easy. Probably a trap. But what other choice did I have?

Only one way to find out.

Jumping from the second building to the first, I hovered over its edge with a swift, noiseless leap, my muscles coiled and ready.

Dissolving the knot, while changing my position every so often so the camera's wouldn’t pick up on me, I dismantled the web in record time and let myself roll onto the surface.

Spotting a small and narrow window a few paces to my left, I strode toward it and eased it open without a single sound. Beneath the window stood a guy, engaged in the captivating routine of sucking on a cigarette.

My eyes remained fixed on the distracted guard as I slipped through the hole without catching his attention. Lowering myself slowly, I used the last second to propel my body onto him, and snapped his neck before he could enjoy his last drag.

My feet touched the floor of the small room, completely veiled in darkness.

Although my eyes adapted rather swiftly to the obscurity, I translated my Offensive lenses, providing me with clear night-sight. I blinked a few times, focusing on the closed door ahead, quickly translating it open as I went through.

Finding myself in an abandoned and pitch-black hallway, I noticed the creepy glow that barely cut through the darkness, coming from a flickering exit sign at the far end.

The hallway felt cramped, and every step seemed to carry a sense of dread as the weak light battled against the shadows. Thank fuck for my night-vision.

Rushing through the maze of corridors, my senses heightened with urgency and worry. The air was so thick with the scent of disinfectant, it almost made me gag.

We were probably in an old medical factory of some kind.

I pulled out my Nexus and generated the blueprint again. The heat signatures should have indicated her location, but the multitude of Radicals inside made it impossible to pinpoint which one was Emma’s.

Being inside a Collective, her translation would be the only traceable one.

And I was pretty sure the Radicals didn’t know that.

Attempting to locate her energy signature, the drops came up with nothing.

I frowned. Even if she hadn't translated yet (which was surprising given the apparent danger), I should have been able to find her energy. Where the hell was her signature?

Fuck Emma, you better be alive.

Pushing down the rising panic, all improbable alternatives raced through my mind.

If her energy was somehow subdued, that made her as elusive as the others.

It left me with only one other option– interrogate one of the Radicals.

And given the pressing lack of time to extract answers, it wasn't going to be pretty.

Moving to the next floor, my eyes studied the surroundings for any signs of them.

Soon enough, I identified a security booth tucked away in a corner.

Behind the reinforced glass, sat a Radical, and whoever he was, he was at least partly responsible for Emma's disappearance. My blood started to boil.

I approached the booth silently, careful to keep my movements undetected. As I unlocked the door, I noticed with a sinking feeling that my haze was visible. Damn it, this meant that any form of stealth or invisibility was out.

Once inside the room, I quickly and quietly closed the distance to the unsuspecting Radical.

With one precise and calculated strike, I incapacitated him.

As he slumped to the floor, unconscious, I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out into the corridor, maintaining a firm grip to ensure he didn’t slip away.

Locating an empty closet nearby, I forcefully shoved the door open and pushed the magus inside. With a single kick to the nuts, I jolted him awake. His eyes widened in fear as I grabbed his collar and pulled him close.

"Where's Emma Thompson?" I demanded, my voice a low growl.

He stayed silent, his eyes darting around the small, dark space.

I didn't have time for this. I slammed him against the wall. "I said, where is she?"

He groaned but remained tight-lipped. Anger surged through me, and I unleashed a barrage of punches, each one harder than the last. "Tell me!" I hissed.

His silence only fueled my rage. I gripped his hair, yanking his head back. "Tell me where Emma is, or I'll make sure you regret it."

Despite his attempts at silence as I fistfucked his face, my determination to find her inspired a supernatural motivation and unleashed an aggressive streak I hadn't experienced in years. Still, it took seven grueling minutes to break him, which was longer than I would've liked.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally gasped, "Alright, alright! She's... on the third floor."

"Where on the third floor?" I demanded, shaking him, ignoring the blood spraying all over the place.

"There’s a sterile area," he choked out. "They’re luring out her translation."

Godsfuckingdamn . Worst case scenario.