Gale Force

you're on record as being one of my biggest nonsupporters. They're recruiting you already. Why

not join up? You could be our inside man.''

David touched the back of my hand, just a light stroke of fingers, and I heard him whisper, so

softly it could have been my imagination, ''Are you sure about this?'' I wasn't, but it was the

best chance we were probably going to have to send someone inside the Sentinels quickly.

Kevin abruptly sank back in his chair in a trademark teenage slump, round-shouldered and

boneless. His eyes drifted half closed. ''Yeah,'' he said. ''Why not? They'll probably be better

company than the old farts around here. The Sentinels may be assholes, but at least they have

some backbone.''

A few eyebrows went up around the table, but nobody said anything. They were leaving it up to

me, and I knew-knew-that I was about to make a decision that could cost a young man his

life.

I said, ''Do it. And Kevin?'' He cocked his head to one side. ''If they ask you to kill me, demand

at least five million. That's the current market price. Wouldn't want you getting shorted on the

deal.''

He smiled, and I have to admit, it wasn't a comforting smile at all. ''Maybe I'll do it at a

discount,'' he said, ''because we're such good friends.''

And then he flipped me off.

That ended the first official war meeting of the Wardens.

''I'm putting a stop to it,'' Lewis said an hour later. He'd been pacing for at least forty-five

minutes, with occasional stops at the window to twitch back the blinds and stare out at the city

street. He looked off balance, and it was odd seeing him so out of control. Lewis had always, by

definition, been the guy who held it together in a crisis. ''He's a kid, Jo. You can't send him in

there by himself!''

''I wasn't pla

He spun and looked at me as if I'd lost what was left of my mind. I didn't blame him; if I'd

meant exactly what I said, he'd have every right to order me a padded jacket in designer fall

colors.

I raised my voice. ''Cherise?'' And sure enough, my cute blond friend poked her head around

the edge of Lewis's office door and gave me a tentative wave. ''Come in. Explain it to Lewis.''

She eased inside, gave Lewis a charming dimpled smile that didn't seem to make him feel any

less unhappy about my idea, and shut the office door behind her. That didn't leave much room.

Typical Lewis: Give him a job as the head of the entire Wardens organization around the world,

and he'll do something goofy like take the smallest office available, even if he has to kick a

junior analyst out to do it. There was a battered desk that still bore scars from the Great Dji

Rampage that Ashan had led through this place, and a couple of slightly-less-than-new chairs,

and paperwork. And a sleek new computer that I doubted he turned on much.

With the four of us, it was crowded. I say four, even though David was, to all intents and

purposes, a shadow; he hadn't said a word, and he'd taken up a post leaning in the corner, arms

folded, watching us with an expression I could only think of as bemused.

Cherise spread her arms and dimpled even more. ''You rang?'' she asked.

''You have any objection to going with Kevin when he joins the Sentinels? It could be

dangerous, you know.''

''Ooooh, I live for danger! But do you think they'll believe I won't run back to squeal to you

about what's going on?''

''I think just the opposite,'' I said. ''I think they'll keep you as a hostage for Kevin's good

behavior, and that also ensures you don't rat them out to me. It puts you squarely in the hot seat.

It also makes you the one person they won't be thinking of as a threat. What do you think?''

Her blue eyes widened; she seemed lost in thought for a second, then nodded. ''Could work,''

she said. ''Could definitely work.''

Lewis lost his cool. ''What the hell are you talking about, could work? Look, Jo, I'm iffy about

sending a kid in, and I'm damn sure not allowing her to go. She's not even a Warden-''

''Exactly,'' I said. ''She's not even a Warden. If they're going to underestimate anyone, they'll

underestimate Cherise. Not that she really is Cherise.''

I gave Cherise the nod, and her form shifted, growing taller, darker, the sweetly rounded figure

of the beach bu

Rahel sighed, stretched, and looked down at her clothes as they shifted to her traditional neon-

yellow pantsuit. She flicked an imaginary mite of dust from the cloth, and cocked a sassy

eyebrow at Lewis.

He closed his mouth with a snap, then opened it again to say, ''I didn't know you could do that.''

Rahel smiled. ''I'm sure, my love, there are many things I can do that you haven't even begun to

imagine. '' She winked, to top it off.

''Are you sure you're strong enough?'' Lewis asked. He was trying very hard to ignore the

somewhat intimidating charm she was sending his way.

''Strong enough to impersonate a human?'' Rahel flicked her taloned, glossy fingers impatiently.

''Please. You insult me if you think otherwise. You are nothing like difficult to imitate.''

I thought Lewis found that as profoundly disturbing as I had. I'd known the Dji

course; David had pulled it off with me when we'd met, and there was no doubt that he could,

when he chose, take on other forms. But he'd told me that Rahel was the master of that sort of

disguise, able to perfectly match whatever template she was given-something I hadn't known

any more than Lewis had, evidently. I wondered whose form she'd taken on before, and for what

purposes.

''You're sure you know what to do?'' Lewis asked.

''I will watch out for the boy, and gather information for you. I will deliver it to David as often

as I dare to, without exposing the boy to danger. Is that not what you want from me?'' Rahel

recited it like a laundry list, inspecting her nails for flaws. ''Don't worry, Lewis. It will hardly be

the first time we have hidden among you, discovering your secrets.''

Well, if that didn't make us all paranoid . . . Lewis didn't look happy, but he'd lost some of the

stiff, angry body language. ''You're sure you can do this,'' he said. ''I'm putting Kevin's life in

your hands, Rahel. And in some ways, I'm putting you in more danger than him-these guys

don't like Dji

really not so sure they can't, if they try.''

She let a slow, contemplative smile slip across her lips, and even I shivered. ''How would they

then be any different from most of my so-called friends and allies?'' she asked softly. Her eyes

had taken on an u

was: Dji

Sentinels. You may count on it.''

There was no arguing with the Dji

hands in surrender, came around the desk, and stood just a couple of feet away from her. They

were almost of a height; he had an inch on her, maybe. ''Take care,'' Lewis said, and leaned in

to kiss her lightly on the lips. ''Come back safely.''

I felt my eyebrows pull up, but I wasn't really surprised, not deep down. Lewis had a lot of

secrets, but he'd always been intrigued by Rahel, and she was drawn to his power, if nothing

else. Maybe it wasn't the world's great love affair; maybe it was just casual, but it eased some