Page 21 of Polestar (The Global Paranormal Security Agency #3)

EIGHTEEN

A na’s head spun behind her closed lids, brain pounding.

Magnus. I have to help Magnus.

Her body ached from the tasing.

God, I feel awful. I owe Raya a colossal apology .

The spinning in her head seemed to have gathered cotton in her ears, muffling any sound around her.

Stink crept up her nostrils.

Not brisk northern air.

Where am I?

She cracked her eyes open into more darkness, then let them close again.

Her hands grazed her waist, noting that her weapons were gone. Pulling her cell from her pocket, she confirmed there was no service before she tapped the flashlight function to illuminate her surroundings.

Oh no. No, no, no.

Above her was the familiar view of the interior roof of a cargo container.

They must have drugged her to keep her unconscious, to get her into one.

She groaned, trying to roll onto her side.

“I’d lie still for a while if I were you. It’ll take some time for the drugs to wear off. We don’t want you puking all over the place,” someone said from nearby.

“Smells like someone already did,” she groaned.

“Exactly. Don’t need any more of that, along with everything else.” The face to the voice loomed over her, squinting from the light. He held up a water bottle. “Drink this when the spinning stops.”

“Are we on a ship?” With her head already spinning, she couldn’t tell.

“Not yet.”

A second face, creased with concern, loomed over her.

Ana’s heart stopped. She blinked as she squeaked, “Antony?”

“Antony? No, I’m Emilio. You know Antony?” the first man said.

“You can see me?” Antony asked, astonished. “It’s about goddammned time, Ana!”

“What do you mean, it’s about time?” she demanded. “I’ve been trying to reach you since you died.”

“Uhm. Ma’am, maybe you should drink some water sooner rather than later.” Emilio put the water on the floor next to her.

She pushed herself into a sitting position, balanced her phone on her knee, then swiped the bottle, uncapped and guzzled its contents as she glared up at Antony next to her.

“Thanks,” she said to Emilio when she finished.

“Are you alright? You seemed to have hit your head. There’s some blood,” Emilio said, waving an index finger in a circle toward her.

She had some vague recollection of bouncing off rocks on her way down while she was being tased.

“Maybe that’s why I can see you,” she said to Antony.

Antony shrugged.

“Yeah, sure,” Emilio said, stepping back.

Ana turned her attention to her surroundings. She swept the room with her light. She and Emilio and Antony weren’t alone. A dozen other scattered people in the confines of the cargo container squinted at her with varying expressions of concern and annoyance. A few ignored her altogether.

“God, this is so bad.”

“No kidding,” Emilio said.

“Why are you here?” she said to Antony.

“Because you need to save them,” he said, exasperated.

Emilio said, “because they picked us up after the confusion of the accident. Hey, you mentioned Antony and trying to reach him since he died. You’re not Analiese, are you?”

Ana froze. “How do you know my name?” she grabbed the flashlight phone, aiming it at Emilio. He wore a dirty uniform. Shining the light back down the length of the room again, she noted several more men in uniforms. “Oh, my god,” she whispered.

“Yeah, Ana. I told you to save them, not join them.”

“You,” she jabbed a finger in Antony’s direction. “Your sarcasm isn’t helping.”

“I, uh…” Emilio said.

“You,” she turned to Emilio. “You’re one of Antony’s crew mates, right? You were on his ship when the accident happened? How the hell are you here ? And yes, I’m Antony’s … friend, Analiese.”

“I should ask you that same question.”

“Put the light out, will ya? You’re blinding us. There’s no cell service, so you might as well turn it off,” one of the other captives said.

She switched it off, throwing the room back into darkness, and tucked the device into her pocket.

Ana sat in the darkness listening to her own breath and those of the other people trapped with her. Eventually, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see the cracks of light outlining the door at the far end of the box.

This is real. This is real.

I’m trapped in a fucking cargo container.

I should have ignored Carson’s call.

“Maybe, but that’s not helping you right now,” Antony said.

Jolted, she gaped.

Antony can hear my thoughts.

“Yeah. I can.”

Just like Aksel in his Bear form.

“Who?”

Never mind. Where the hell have you been? All this time?

“Mostly bouncing between here, keeping an eye on my boys and trying to get your attention, Ana. So much for being a psychic if you can’t even hear me when I’m yelling at you.”

She drew her legs up, curled her arms around her shins and rested her pounding forehead on her knees.

You were in my nightmares.

“Nightmares? I was trying to show you what happened, Ana. And that my guys needed your help! Do you know how exhausting this is?”

Sorry. It’s probably the guilt. It creates a barrier sometimes.

Tears stung her eyes.

Yeah, what kind of psychic am I when you needed me most?

“Hey, don’t cry, Ana.”

Don’t cry? This is all my fault. And if they’re still here after all this time, there’s nothing I can do to save them.

“This is not your fault, sweetheart. It’s because of you they’re even alive.”

She sniffled, dabbing her eyes on her sleeve.

What do you mean?

She had the sense he’d settled next to her. His energy felt closer, stronger as it mingled with hers.

“I-uh,” he sighed. “Ana, I’m sorry I pushed you away when you tried to warn me something bad was going to happen at sea. Your ability kept these guys alive. Even though I died, I could save them because your warnings gave me the edge I needed to react in time to get them out.”

The Navy is still investigating .

“Yeah, I’ve been watching that, too. They’re doing their best, but you need to let them know what happened.”

Ana snorted.

Right.

“No really. We’re going to figure out how to get you out of here,” Antony insisted.

Ana laughed. Someone shuffled further away.

Antony, they’ve been trapped for over a month If they—trained for conflict guys—haven’t been able to escape, how do you think I can?

“You, sweetheart, have me. Now that you’re listening.”

She grit her teeth.

You haven’t changed.

“Why should I?”

Aren’t you supposed to be all-knowing and full of compassion and grace in the afterlife?

“Yeah, sure, but I got things to do first. Like save my guys, then I can go slap some wings on my back. Help me out here.”

She rubbed her temples, praying the pounding would ease soon so that she could deal with this … what the hell was this?

“Life, Ana. This is life,” Antony said, dropping some of his bluster.

A cool prickling sensation drifted across her cheek.

If there had been more light in the room, she would have seen Antony’s hand caressing her face.

She leaned into it.

I really miss you.

“Me too, sweetheart.”

She had the impression he pressed a staticky kiss on her forehead.

“I have an idea. Do you know how to bi-locate, like that girl that you interviewed did?”

Just in theory. I’m not skilled enough in my ability yet. Any time Maeda tried to guide me through the process, I just snapped back into my body.

“Hmm. Okay, that won’t work. We’ll just keep it simple then. I’ll guide you through an escape.”

Ana thought of Raya’s prison break—how she used her Ashray ability to guide Chuck Meduse out of the prison to freedom. The other inmates had thought he was psychic or delusional.

Her cargo mates would likely come to the same conclusions about her.

“Nah, I told them you’re gifted.”

Yeah, I don’t know about that anymore.

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and help me help you help them.”

You could let me wallow for at least ten minutes, Antony. It’s been a pretty crappy few hours and my head is still swimming.

“You’re still alive, I’m dead. I’ll give you five minutes before we start planning.”

Ana sighed.

Nope, you haven’t changed at all.

M agnus’ need to find and protect Ana warred with his desire to crush Ulla’s throat with his teeth.

He’d never wasted his time hating anyone in his life, but right now, he had nothing but time to hate Ulla. His hands curled into fists.

When they banished him, he’d lost his world.

This disconnection, this powerlessness… that was nothing compared to this.

On his feet, he paced as far as the chains would allow, which wasn’t far.

Knowing Ana was in danger while he remained trapped in this cell at Ulla’s command, tore at him.

He didn’t care that she was clearly distraught over Aksel’s current position.

That’s her problem—her fault.

There was no doubt in his mind all of this was her fault.

Barentia’s downfall would be on her head.

He just couldn’t decide if he’d seek her out and crush her before he went after Ana, or come back and do it then.

If he ever got out.

No.

When .

When he got out.

Ulla wanted to see him break?

Fuck her.

Rage tore through him. Pain stabbed his wrists and ankles, dropping him to his knees, forcing him to control his instinctive desire to shift into his bear.

Magnus, you can’t afford broken wrists and ankles. Ana needs you.

He ground his teeth against the pain, forcing his animal to calm.

On his knees, panting, sweat slicking his forehead, he stared at his partially shifted hands, claws extended. The manacles bit into the flesh of his wrist as his body strained against the cuffs.

He willed calm and control throughout his body, removing the edge that allowed his body to return to full human form.

Save that for later.

Instinct later, thought now.

How to get out?

Once out, his way to freedom wouldn’t be too complex—as long as there weren’t many guards, or these chains, to contend with.

Remove chains, escape cell…

Three paces one way, three paces back.

The heavy lock clicked, drawing Magnus’ attention to the cell door.

The lockmaster swung it open, flanked by half a dozen guards. “It’s time.”