Living with the Dead

It was a couple, a man beside the woman, arms around her, her face against his chest.

"The gas," Fi

"No." Rhys rose and extended his hand. In it lay two small vials.

Fi

"Hugh and Lily," Rhys murmured, his voice thick.

Damon murmured he'd go check on the women. As Rhys took off his ball cap, Fi

Rhys looked up sharply. "The others. I have to – "

"You have to get Hope, Robyn and Adele Morrissey." Marsten appeared from nowhere. "As for the rest? What's done is done."

Harsher than Fi

"Those are stashed all over the property," he said. "Anyone who hasn't been captured will have already done what they were taught. They'll presume it's a Cabal."

"But these people had rifles," Fi

Rhys shook his head. "Then some could be captured. They wouldn't risk that."

"It's the Nasts, isn't it?" Marsten said, keeping his voice low. "I believe I suggested we switch cars in case they'd planted a tracking unit."

"And I said that my car has a device to scramble the signal. They'd be in North Hollywood by now."

"Whoever is here, I think it's my fault," Fi

"They diverted calls from your radio," Rhys said.

"That's not poss – "

"Believe me, it is. Cabal technology. Almost certainly the Nasts. As for why… I have my suspicions – "

"Unimportant." Marsten walked back from peering out the window. "We have a rescue to launch. Hope, Robyn and Adele's trail seems to lead to that building behind the barn. But the guards have already checked in there, so – "

"They're underground." Fi

"Don't worry about Adele," Damon said as he returned. "There was a situation. Hope took her down. Shot her."

Again, Fi

"What we'll do then is create a distraction," Fi

Marsten didn't turn from the window. "At this point, I'm not looking for a humane course of action, Detective. It's too risky."

As Rhys answered, Fi

Fi

Ru

"There's a guy in the hay. He's – " Hope saw Fi

"Niko?" Rhys strode over, kicked the rifle aside and hauled the middle-aged man to his feet. "Playing possum, were you?"

"Th-the poison," Niko said. "It didn't work for me."

Rhys cold-cocked Niko and sent him flying into the hay pile.

"I'm not going to fight," Niko said, struggling up. "I claim sanctuary."His gaze swung to Hope. "With the council."

"The same council you've always sworn was in league with the Cabals?"

"You don't understand, Rhys. You never did. To give clairvoyants the community they need, we lie. It's a blueprint created by bulibas has long before my time."

"Lies? Like the one about hiding from the Cabals? Protecting the kumpania from them?"

"We do protect – "

"You brought the Cabal here, Niko. When Adele told you the Cabal chased her and Colm earlier today, you knew she was wrong. The Cabal wouldn't do that because they own the kumpania. It's not a safe haven. It's a clairvoyant farm."

"That's – "

"I've been following the trail for ten years now, and finally figured out where it ended. You tried to stop this – " He waved to the dead young couple. " – from happening by telling the kumpania not to worry, not to panic."

"Of course, I didn't want – "

"Because if they killed themselves, it would be your fault. You alerted the Cabal. You told them about me. They somehow linked it all to Detective Findlay's investigation – "

"Because he visited the Nast offices today," Hope said. "He met with Sean, who went digging for information on clairvoyants to help me, which must have triggered an alert. They found out about Detective Findlay's visit, and put it together."

"And the Cabal wouldn't want the police descending on their kumpania. They rerouted Detective Findlay's calls, and probably all emergency calls from that motel."

"Because they wanted to protect us!" Niko said. "As they have always protected us, Rhys. That protection comes with a price. One clairvoyant every ten years. A pittance to pay. But you couldn't leave well enough alone. And look what happened." He pointed to the couple.

"The Cabal swooped in because of Adele," Rhys said. "Adele was your creation, Niko. Her actions brought everyone to your door step – "

"Uh, guys?" Damon ran in. Rhys and Niko were still arguing. Damon leapt between them. "Fi

Marsten strode in. "They've figured out where we are. Process of elimination or he – " A chin jerk toward Niko. " – alerted them. We have eight armed men heading this way, led by one old man – "

"Rhys Vaughan? Hope Adams? Karl Marsten?" a voice boomed. "This is Thomas Nast. We have the building surrounded."

"Come out with your hands raised," Hope muttered, sounding surprisingly calm.

"Split up," Fi

"No, Detective," Hope said. "Fortunately for us, this isn't going to end in a hail of bullets."

"We can negotiate," Rhys said.

Hope took a deep breath. "Okay, as the council representative and chaos-sensing half-demon, I should be the one – "

"No." Marsten grabbed her arm. "Rhys wanted to go this alone. I think it's time we let him."

"Really?" Rhys said. "And I thought you were about to volunteer. Silly me."

"Stop it." Hope brushed off Marsten's hand. "I'm – "

"Bobby!" Damon shouted.

Fi

"Mr. Nast?" she said. "We'd like to declare a truce."