The Siren's Code (Siren Legacy Book 3) Page 19

  “Hey all, how was your walk?” Alec said, looking up.

  “Very informative,” said Nimue.

  “And yours?”

  “Also informative.” Ellie smiled up as she spoke. There was something so calming about the woman that made Robin simply want to spend time in her presence.

  “Are we a go?” she asked, looking back and forth from Ellie to Nimue.

  Thad came strolling up a moment later.

  “There are no security cameras from any of the other businesses that have the front entrance in view.” His low voice was smooth as silk as he spoke.

  Robin wanted to kick herself for not thinking of that. She knew that Thad was usually the one who planned and thought of contingencies by the way the other brothers deferred to him, but he had let her lead the charge on this, which she appreciated.

  “That’s not surprising. Randall wouldn’t want anyone else to be able to see what was going on without having to go through him first. He is a bit of a control freak.”

  “Especially when it comes to that which he desires most.” Nimue gave Robin a pointed look.

  “I can handle the other building as well, if you want,” Ellie grinned.

  “No, I don’t think there’s any need.” Robin took a deep breath. “Okay, Ellie, you want to do your thing? How long will it take?” The brunette hadn’t wanted to give an estimate before without having seen the building and power structure.

  “By the time you walk from here to the front door, the power will be down.” Her eyes flashed with blue lightning, and suddenly Robin realized she had been massively underestimating her new friend just because of how protective Alec was, which was a mistake she wouldn’t make again.

  “We’ll see you on the other side.”

  Robin, Nimue, and Dem set off toward the towering building while Thad melted into the background as backup, just like they had planned. Sweat pooled between her breasts and trickled down her back, making the thin blouse cling to her in a way she was uncomfortable with. It was more than just the summer heat; her body was screaming at her not to go inside, not to pass through the doors that they rapidly approached, because she wouldn’t get back out again.

  “Breathe, Robin. I won’t leave you in there.” Dem’s voice was a low growl, but it soothed the part of her brain that was spazzing out.

  “Thank you.” She squeezed his upper arm, which was a hard rock under her hand, before turning to the other important player. “Nimue?”

  “I have created a hole in the outer wards that will allow us to cross without completely taking them down. They are much too complex for that. A slight tweak, though, and we . . .”—she paused, her lips pursed—“are fine.” Her face smoothed out, and a small, slightly malevolent grin took up residence.

  The sleek chrome-and-glass doors were in front of them then. Her hand stopped short as she reached out to open the door. If someone hadn’t been coming toward them on the other side, she may not have opened it, but if she didn’t, then she was going to draw unnecessary attention to their little band of warriors. The sharp cool caress of air conditioning slithered over her sweat-slicked skin as the familiar scent of cleaning products filled her nose.

  The lights flickered and went out, leaving the lobby dull as the sunlight filtered through the tinted glass. The security guard working the front desk looked up at them, his bushy caterpillar brows connecting as he took in the people walking toward him. The hum of the air conditioning died at that moment, and the sudden black screens of the security monitors drew his eyes down. Thick pudgy fingers tapped the screen, as though that would somehow bring the picture back, before he peered under his desk at the computer tower that was now just a very expensive paperweight.

  He ignored them, even though they were standing in front of him now, too focused on getting the screens to work again. When he picked up the phone and there was no dial tone, Robin could almost see the freak out beginning behind his dull, otherwise empty eyes. The badge hanging from his belt showed a photo of him that was at least twenty pounds slimmer, along with his name—Daryl Jenkins.

  “Mr. Jenkins. We have an appointment to see Mr. Fields. Will you please let him know we’ve arrived?” Robin smoothed her hands on the counter in front of her as she spoke.

  “Look, miss, I don’t know who you are, but we are having some technical problems right now, so you’ll just have to wait.” Daryl waved her off, as though she was a mosquito instead of an actual person.

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible, Daryl.” She paused, taking in the man still ignoring her and pushing any button available to him as his frustration mounted. “I’ll just see myself up, shall I?”

  Robin turned and walked toward the elevator bay, with Nimue just behind her, drawing him out from behind the desk as he began to chase after them, just like they had wanted. “Miss!” his raspy voice called out fruitlessly. A boot scuffed the floor behind her, and Robin turned.

  Chapter 23

  Dem had the man in a sleeper hold, his arm crooked around the man’s throat. Desperate hands scratched at Dem’s arm, which might as well have been a band of steel, and wild eyes pleaded with her to help. After a long moment, the scratching stopped, and the man passed out in their protector’s arms. Walking him back, he gently placed Daryl back into his seat, allowing him to slump over his keyboard as he detached the security keys just behind his badge.

  Now they had to move. She lengthened her stride, and they reached the door to the stairs and pushed it open. The whole column of stairs was dark. They hadn’t accounted for no lighting when they were planning. She wanted to kick herself; this was what came of rushing things.

  “Allow me.” Nimue’s voice skated over her oversensitive ears. Now that the door was closed behind them, all the sound was blocked out. Robin wasn’t used to so much silence. Every muscle in her body tensed as she watched what she thought was Nimue move, her hands creating the tiniest spark between them. She blew on it as if it were a real fire, and suddenly the tiny spark turned into an orb of yellow light swirling a few inches above her hand.

  “I do have some skills,” she said, taking in their shocked expressions.

  “Thank you.” Robin meant it. If she hadn’t been able to do that, they would be busy searching the unconscious guard and his desk for a flashlight.

  They descended quickly and quietly until she saw a door that said: “Utility Closet.” They were just past the underground parking area, so Robin was willing to bet that the entrance to the private basement floors was around here somewhere.

  “May I?” She looked at Dem as she held her hand out for the keys.

  “Be my guest.” He dropped the warm metal into her hand. There were seven keys total on the keyring, and it was the fifth one she tried that opened the door. At first, when they looked in, they saw only cleaning supplies, but then there was a second door just to the left, which would have followed the pattern of the stairwell if it continued going down. She was about to try to open it with another key when Nimue asked her to wait.

  Time ticked by. She knew, because it was so quiet, she could hear Dem’s watch. The sound of her pulse pounded in her ears.

  “Okay.” Nimue nodded toward the door.

  Robin lucked out, and the first key she tried opened it. Beyond it lay a badge scanner, which was down thanks to Ellie, and the rest of the stairs. The only problem was the wire mesh security door that could only be unlocked by the badge scanner. No keyhole present.

  “May I?” Dem asked, mimicking her.

  “Be my guest.” She echoed his own line back to him as she backed away from the door with a flourish.

  In that moment, she was extremely glad that if she couldn’t have Hal with her, she had Dem. He was the biggest of the three brothers, with him and Hal being almost equal in height, and where Hal was beefy, Dem was ripped, which he demonstrated when he pulled the door’s mesh off. The muscles in his arms, back, and neck flexed as he moved it inch by inch.

  The screech of the metal rippin
g out of the door it was soldered onto was almost deafening in the stairwell. Just as quickly as it had started, it was over. Dem’s arm reached through the gap he had created and opened the door from the other side. Apparently, they were so confident that whoever was being kept prisoner down there couldn’t get up here, that the badge-locking system was only in place on their side of the door.

  Swinging the now-tattered metal door open, they continued down to the next floor.

  “I’m in front. Nimue, keep an eye out for wards. Robin, look for your family.” Dem’s voice was low and nothing but business.

  Nodding at him, Robin followed him through the first door, with Nimue just behind her. The scent of the cleaner was much heavier here, almost making her cough from the intensity of the acrid smell.

  The hallway was similar to that of the conscripted employees’ upstairs, except there were none of the niceties. No wallpaper or paint, no carpet, no somewhat attractive light fixtures. Just concrete blocks and floors as far as the eye could see. The exposed bulb lights would have been painful on the eyes, if they were working. Thankfully, Nimue’s orb was a pleasant glow.

  Dem went past the first set of opposing doors and stood guard while Robin peeked in.

  The first room was a kitchen. The door looked similar to the others down the hall, but she was willing to bet that the rooms inside were mostly different from this one. Magazines and paperback books littered the table and chairs. The counter that ran around the outside of the room was filled with dirty dishes. Someone had been neglecting their chores. She moved over to the room on the other side. A cat’s eyes looked out from the corner of the room. Not a house cat. A large cat. Robin couldn’t tell what kind in the dim light. She turned and followed Dem to the next set of rooms. Again, she saw animals. This time a deer in one room and a wolf in another.

  Something wasn’t right.

  “Nimue, will you look into a room and tell me what you see?” she asked quietly, so as not to disturb any of the creatures that may be easily startled.

  She nodded and looked into the room where Robin had seen the wolf. Before Nimue could speak, a woman’s voice called out from behind Robin.

  “You don’t work here, do you?” A long thin arm hung out of the barred window Robin had just peered through.

  There had been a giant cat in there. She knew she hadn’t hallucinated it. The reflective eyes staring back at her, the gleam of the fur in the faint light, she had seen those things, but now a young woman stood in the room where the cat had previously been. Robin hadn’t been aware that she had walked over, but now she stood in front of the woman.

  Bright gold eyes stared back at her, long black hair outlining her face. Nimue came closer, and so did the light, making the scarab pendant the woman in the cell was wearing wink and shimmer.

  “No, we don’t.” Robin’s mouth had moved, but her brain had stalled.

  “Can you get us out of here? Please? All you have to do is open the door. That’s it!” The golden eyes were wide with panic now, but there was maybe a touch of excitement as she brushed inky strands away from her face.

  “You . . . You were a cat.”

  “Umm . . . maybe? I thought you’d know what the deal was if you were coming down here.” Her black slashes of eyebrow pinched together.

  “How can we help you get out?” Robin shut the stunned part of her mind up and just let go. She could examine the memory of what she saw later. “Nim?” She used the shortened version she’d heard Randall using, since she wasn’t sure Nimue would want to be outed like that.

  “There are enchantments on all the doors. Give me a moment.”

  “How do we know you are safe to release?” Dem’s voice startled her. She hadn’t even thought of that.

  “We are being held prisoner by a corporation, not the government, not in jail or an actual prison. We were given a life sentence without even being read our rights. How could you keep us in here?” She spat the words out at him.

  “Dem, no one deserves this. Aster was here, remember? Someone is probably looking for these people too. They have families and loved ones, just like Aster did. The only difference is I couldn’t help them, since I didn’t know most of them were here. Now I do, and I’m not about to leave them behind.”

  Nimue threw her head back with tightly closed eyes. The orb of light flickered but hovered where her hand had been as she opened her arms out to each side, moving them forward inch by inch. Her body shook with the effort. Every movement made a tremor run through her. But Robin could feel the magic breaking. Almost as if her ears were popping as each door was freed of its magical locks.

  “Call in our backup. We need someone to get them out of here,” Robin said, glancing at Dem, who looked none too happy. When he didn’t immediately reach for his phone, she said, “I can if you don’t want to.”

  Pulling the thin black device out, Dem’s fingers became a blur over the keypad, before he tucked it into a back pocket. By the time Nimue was done, Robin had started unlocking the doors after figuring out which key to use, and Thad appeared in the doorway.

  “Thanks for getting here so fast.” Robin smiled over at him. “Can you lead these people out?”

  “Um. Sure? What’s going on?”

  “Robin’s a soft touch and can’t leave anyone behind,” Dem grumbled.

  “Don’t listen to him. He’s just a grouch. I wouldn’t leave anyone behind, either, if I didn’t have to.” Thad’s eyes gleamed in the faint light, looking all the more eerie.

  “They must go out through the front door. That is where the hole in the ward is. If they leave another way, I am not sure what will happen. Thank you.” The thanks that Nimue added seemed like an afterthought, which made Robin smile.

  “Sounds good.”

  Thad began speaking to each of the individuals who had been released from the cells, whether they were in human form or . . . not. He spoke to them all equally. Her eyes searched the growing crowd for her parents. As no one else joined, her heart sank.

  Just before they left, the cat lady reached out, her elegant fingers brushing Robin’s arm. “Thank you. If I can ever repay the favor, call for me with this.” She unhooked the scarab necklace and placed it in Robin’s hand.

  “You don’t need to—”

  “Do not be ungrateful. You saved my life. I owe you a blood debt.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Amisi.” The woman smiled, her golden eyes glowing in the light.

  “Take care, Amisi.”

  She nodded and followed the crowd out.

  “We should walk the hallway to make sure there is no one left.” Dem’s voice was curt. He was unhappy with her choice.

  The three of them walked in silence as they covered the ground. The empty floor seemed full of echoes now that the doors were open. When they found nothing but empty rooms, they went down to the next floor. It was similar, but slightly different.

  Before they could even step foot through the doorway, they heard voices. Guards.

  “I don’t like this, man.”

  “Protocol is to stay at your post, so that’s what we are doing, Evanston. Now, tell me about the last movie you saw.”

  The other man, Evanston, started prattling on about spaceships and aliens. Dem made eye contact with Nimue and Robin, motioning for them to stay put and quiet. His eyes were hard, and his face might as well have been chiseled from stone. It almost seemed like he was waiting for an argument from them, but he wasn’t going to get one. She knew they would be liabilities in a situation like this.

  Robin watched as the man in front of her changed from stiff soldier to lethal predator. He moved with an almost feline grace that she wouldn’t have expected from a man his size. He disappeared into a room, and she heard a thud followed by a startled grunt and another thud. The stiff soldier returned, waving them forward.

  The rooms on this floor were bigger, and as she peeked in through the window, she immediately knew why. These were the rooms where the guard
s interrogated the prisoners. She had watched the guards interrogate Aster in one of these rooms. They were designed to allow the guards to use whatever method they felt appropriate to get the answers they needed.

  Thick metal chairs were bolted to the floor in the center of the room, with a light that could be used directly in front of them. To each side were folding chairs and cabinets containing instruments that had given her nightmares when she had first seen them.

  As they moved down the hall, she was happy to discover that the rooms they passed were empty. A fact that also terrified her. Where the hell was her family? And what were the guards doing on this floor if the rooms weren’t occupied?

  They were, though. She just hadn’t seen it yet. A man she didn’t recognize was chained to a chair in one room. She turned to look in the other room, and her heart stopped.

  Her mother and her sister were handcuffed and chained to the wall at the back of the cell while another guard paced around her father, who was handcuffed to the chair. As she peered into the room from the hallway, her mother’s eyes widened, and she began violently shaking her head, tears streaming down her face.

  “What the hell is wrong now?” The guard walked over to her, backhanding her across the face.

  “S-S-Sorry.”

  Robin turned the key in the lock as quietly as possible, and she knew without turning that Nimue was releasing the magic lock on the door. Her ears popped, and she turned the key the final little bit. There was an audible click that froze her in place. Footsteps came toward them.

  “Mom! Stop! He’s just going to hit you again!” Caitlyn’s voice rang out in fear as her mom let loose a sob.

  “I can’t hear myself think with you going on like that. Shut the hell up!” The guard seethed with anger as he headed back in the direction of her mother.

  Dem moved Robin out of the way, and Nimue, who had already been out of sight, became as still as a statue. He pressed his ear to the door, listening to the movements inside. He peered inside and dropped back down again.