Rite of Passage, page 3
Alison scoffed. “As frustrating as he can be, Jack Dahlish is nothing if not reliable. If he had some reason to contact the Watchers and ask for me to meet him, then I’m sure there’s good reason.”
“Okay, good.” Benny nodded and muttered to himself for a few moments.
She watched him with interest, noting the tense shoulders and creased brow. “Benny, why are you asking about Dahlish’s reliability?”
He shrugged as he slumped back down onto the couch. His gaze strayed to one of the windows, and for a second, she thought he wouldn’t answer her. “Boss, why didn’t they ask me to join them?”
Alison was thrown by the strange question, and it took her a few moments to realize what he meant. “Tre and Juliet were requested because they’d worked with Jayce’s team before, Benny. He has two openings on his team that haven’t been filled yet, and Jayce wanted people he trusted to work that assignment. You weren’t left out on purpose, Benny.” She wondered how long that had been weighing on his mind.
“Yeah, I know, boss. It just doesn’t always feel that way. I’ve been sitting around playing Call of Duty and eating burgers while the rest of you were out being useful. It’s hard not to feel slighted by that.”
She laughed, trying to think of what she’d been through over the last several days as useful. “Next time you feel that way, call me. I’ll let you roam around forests and shiver through a night of half-sleep while searching for a fugitive.”
Benny chuckled. “When you put it that way, I’ll take Call of Duty and fast food.”
“Yeah, I thought you might.” They shared a smile, and she was glad to see a lessening of the tension in his body.
Benny sprawled back on the oversized couch again, reaching for and draining his glass of champagne. “Video games and burgers would have been a lot more fun if I’d been stuck in a place like this, though. The couch in my apartment is one of those ultramodern things that look good but don’t feel that great to sit on for too long.”
Alison glanced at him, and realized she’d never visited his place. The entire team had been to Tre’s house a couple of times, when her second-in-command held a barbecue for friends and colleagues. Privately, she thought his wife was the main driver behind those gatherings, but she enjoyed them all the same. She’d even visited Juliet’s tidy rental house once, when the redheaded sniper had asked for assistance unpacking after she’d moved in. But none of them had ever visited Benny at his place.
Maybe it was time to change that, when they got back to Colorado Springs. It was hard not to think of him as the “new guy”, but he’d been a member of the team long enough for them all to be aware of his individual quirks and oddities. And for him to be aware of theirs.
A loud ding filled the plane, and the speakers crackled as the pilot started talking in the half-mumbling tone that all airline pilots seemed to be born with. “We’re currently, uh, sixty miles out from our destination, folks. I’ll have you on the ground in, uh, about half an hour.”
Alison glanced out the window, noting the grouping of buildings below that constituted one of the small towns that dotted the landscape around San Antonio. Part of her wondered what it would be like to enjoy a quiet day of touristy shopping, while another part was already preparing for whatever the upcoming job could entail. She started running down lists of gear she might need to request from the Archives outpost in Austin, hoping they’d have a quick turnaround.
By the time the jet was banking to make the landing approach, she had half a dozen lists compiled. Depending on what Dahlish told her, she’d know instantly what to request.
Chapter Four
Benny stood at the top of the stairs exiting the plane, his arms wide as he soaked in the waning light of the evening sun. “I hope we get to sample some Tex-Mex while we’re here, boss. I want to see how it compares to my abuela’s food in Chicago.”
Alison nudged him gently, getting him moving down the steps to the tarmac. “We’ll have to see how it goes,” she said noncommittally. She knew Benny would remain professional, even while daydreaming about all the things he’d like to be doing in the various locations their assignments took them to.
There was a black town car waiting not far from the steps off the plane, with a driver standing beside the rear door waiting for them to approach. Benny turned to help the steward open the cargo space under the jet to retrieve their luggage, and then hauled the two bags over to stow in the trunk of the car. While he did that, Alison turned her attention to the man standing unobtrusively twenty feet away, separated from both the car and the plane.
“Ms. Pearson,” he greeted her, nodding slightly. “I have the items you requested.” He lifted the briefcase he was carrying, laying it across his arms.
She reached out to roll the combination lock into the sequence of numbers she’d been given when she called the Shadow Archives from her desk in Colorado Springs. There was an audible click once she’d done so, and they both watched the briefcase for a moment. After a stretch when it seemed like nothing was happening, the latches on either side released. Alison breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the lid. The cases from the Archives were laced with deadly toxins, ready to eliminate anyone foolish enough to try and steal from one of their couriers. If she ever entered a wrong combination by mistake, the case would be deadly to open, forcing her to do without the items she’d requested.
Her blue-tinted spectacles were inside, nestled beside another Relic in a bundle of silk for protection. It was a needless precaution, since it would take more than a dropped briefcase to damage a Relic. She’d heard stories of Watchers sent to comb the remains of volcanic eruptions and bombing sites, looking for the objects that would still be in pristine condition amid rubble and ash.
“Thank you,” she said to the man as he closed the briefcase. “Will you be heading back right away? I’ll likely be putting in a request for gear with the Archives as soon as I get details on the job.”
“Another courier will be standing by to pick up and deliver whatever you need, Ms. Pearson. As always, it is our pleasure to assist the Watchers in any way possible.” He whirled and began to stride toward an SUV with dark windows that was sitting just inside the gates of the small airfield reserved for charter and private jets.
Benny’s eyebrows were raised in a silent question when she walked over to their waiting car, but she shook her head. He was cleared to know about the existence of the Shadow Archives, but a lot of the inner workings were beyond his current level. She had a much higher clearance, and still didn’t know half of what she wanted to. It sometimes made her wonder what it would take to climb high enough in the organization to possess the clearance to know everything that could satisfy her curiosity.
They slid into the leather backseat of the town car. The driver got behind the wheel, taking off without a word. He clearly knew what their destination was and had likely been there several times before. She wondered if Dahlish used this guy every time he had visitors.
“Nice car,” Benny said, running a hand along the real leather seat. She had to admit it was comfortably supple. “This guy has some real dough, huh?”
She chuckled. She’d been wondering how long it would take him to ask. “Each member of the Nine receives an inheritance when they take over the coin and the duties that come with it. Don’t ask me where that money comes from, though, since I’ve never known them to ask for recompense when they step in to stop a rampaging Nox or defuse the humans who stumble across the fact of the supernatural being real.”
“Hey, when it comes down to it, where do the Watchers get our money?” he asked with a grin. “When you have a lineage going back thousands of years, I’m sure shrewd investments and compound interest come into play in a big way.”
Alison shrugged. Financial matters had never interested her overly much. As long as she kept getting a paycheck, she was quite content to let the rest of it remain a mystery. She turned her attention to the scenery passing by outside the car. Not that there was much to see other than buildings and other cars. It appeared as though their journey would mostly involve freeways.
Benny made noises of admiration fifteen minutes later, and she realized she’d fallen into her thoughts. “Talk about nice,” he muttered. She had to agree with the sentiment as she looked over the houses they were driving past. Many of them were large enough to be considered mansions, and even the smaller houses were nice enough that it was easy to see how expensive they were.
The car slowed before turning left onto a street filled with even nicer homes. These sat on large half-acre lots, with elaborate landscaping and plenty of privacy from next-door neighbors. She didn’t even want to know what the price tag might be on one of these houses.
Benny gasped, reaching out to tap against her shoulder as he pointed to the right. Alison followed his finger, and she grunted in surprise. One of the lots was empty aside from stacks of building materials and construction equipment. There was a hole in the ground that looked as though it hadn’t been fully dug out by heavy machinery, and there were still remnants of an iron fence tilting away from what she thought had likely been a massive explosion. She was surprised none of the surrounding buildings showed any signs of damage.
“What do you think happened there?” Benny asked.
“I guess we’re about to find out,” she said, noticing that the car was slowing. The driver pulled to the curb just past the construction site and jumped out to open her door. She almost expected him to offer a hand to help her out but was glad he didn’t.
Her eyes were locked on the empty lot, picking out more signs of the damage that was slowly being shaped and repaired. She could see enough of the gaping hole in the ground to observe sturdy concrete pillars and steel beams. It looked like construction had already started on strong foundations for a house to replace whatever had once stood there.
“Alison! Glad you were able to come.”
She turned to see a tall man approaching down the walk from the house next door to the construction area. His dark hair was cut short and pushed back from his face until it was almost standing straight up. His cheeks and chin were shadowed with several days of scruff, which would have made him look almost disreputable if not for the wide grin on his face. The old Aerosmith t-shirt and faded jeans made him look younger than she knew he was. She caught a glint of silver chain peeking out from the collar of the shirt and knew it held the coin that made him special in ways he’d never imagined for far too long.
Jack Dahlish’s arms went wide as if he were about to come in for a hug. He deflated when he was met by a raised eyebrow that conveyed her silent disapproval, and he presented a hand instead. “I’m sorry. You, uh… you know me, right? I never did figure out which time period you came from.”
Alison resisted a laugh, maintaining her stern façade. He was talking about the special assignment they’d worked, which had involved being sent back in time to hunt down a new god before their powers escalated out of control. She’d known he was sent back from 2022, but he’d never once asked what her normal time might be. “Yes, Mr. Dahlish, I remember you from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.”
“That was a hell of a road trip,” he said with a boyish grin. His blue eyes shone in the evening glow, somehow seeming lighter than they were in bright daylight. “You know, I saw Harold a while back. Or Taranis, as he prefers to be called these days.”
She felt a spike of interest. Little memory of that job remained, aside from snippets of the man standing in front of her. She knew the basics of what the job had entailed, but any attempt to picture the new god had been met with nothing but foggy memories. “Why did you seek him out?” she asked.
Dahlish’s eyes strayed to the construction zone. “There was a bit of a kerfuffle with the Circle, which ended up with a large-scale battle when they tried to kill me to take my coin.” His hand strayed to touch the impression of a coin under his t-shirt, which was twice the size of an American quarter. “Taranis arrived in the nick of time to save my life.”
“Kerfuffle? Is that what we’re calling it now?” The woman who appeared from the direction of the house was a head shorter than Dahlish, with dark hair and eyes that spoke of a Hispanic heritage. She moved with a sinuous litheness that hinted at a propensity for violence when provoked.
“What am I supposed to call it, Annie?” Dahlish asked with a shrug. One of his arms draped across the woman’s shoulders in a familiar way, and she snuggled against him unconsciously.
“Call it what it was. A damned invasion.” Her eyes flashed, but her lips pulled back in a smile. “Now, introduce me to your friends.”
“Oh, yeah.” Dahlish reached up to rub his neck, a sign of embarrassment that Alison remembered from their short time working together. “Alison Pearson, this is Anne Bishop. One of my Knights.”
Alison shook hands with the other woman, and they shared a look of understanding. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bishop. Jack spoke of you when we worked together a while back.”
“Did he, now?” The woman smiled as she shot a glance at the man beside her. It was clear to see they were equally smitten with each other. “Just call me Bishop.”
Dahlish seemed oblivious to their words, and his focus was on Benny. “I don’t think I know you. Sorry.”
“Benito Herrera, but just call me Benny,” he said, walking over to shake hands with both of them. “Say, bro, how rich are you? I mean, the jet and the car were nice, but this house is off the hook.”
Bishop snickered. “Yeah, Dahlish, how rich are you?”
“Moderately wealthy,” he said defensively.
“He’ll never answer that question,” Bishop told Benny with amusement. “Even I can’t get a straight answer. Or a meeting with one of his accountants.”
“Plural?” Benny asked with raised eyebrows. “That says a lot right there. As does that ring,” he said, pointing to the diamond glinting on Bishop’s finger.
Alison nudged her teammate. “Benny, stop being rude. And congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Bishop said, smiling widely. “It took the big idiot far too long to ask, but he finally popped the question last week.”
Dahlish squeezed her tightly and chuckled. “Yeah, and then she made me wait a full day for her answer. I haven’t been that nervous since the time we found Nyk about to be sacrificed in the swamp.”
They made googly eyes at each other for a while, until Alison finally cleared her throat loudly. “I’d like to know why you contacted the Watchers, Mr. Dahlish. And why you specifically requested me.”
Dahlish slapped a hand against his forehead. “Of course! It’s a bit of a long story, so why don’t you both come in the house, and we’ll get comfortable? I hope you haven’t had dinner yet, because our chef is preparing one of the best enchilada dishes you’ll ever have.”
“Almost as good as Turvord’s,” Bishop said, her voice filled with sadness as she glanced at the construction site next door.
“No one will ever replace that little guy,” Dahlish said, his smile dropping away for a moment. But he was back in ‘welcoming host’ mode a moment later, leading Alison and Benny into the nice home and telling them the story of how he’d purchased it in the aftermath of the devastating battle that destroyed his old one. A battle that had left everyone on his street in a state of conflicting emotions as they tried to rectify what they’d seen with what they knew shouldn’t be possible.
Alison had to admit she was kind of glad to see Dahlish again. She’d forgotten how it felt to be around him, wrapped in a cloak of restrained competence that made her feel almost safe from the dangers of the world. She didn’t know if that was an effect of the Relic he possessed or an aura all of the Nine generated, but she enjoyed it while she could.
She had a feeling that the job he had in mind would have her swiftly jumping right back into the action and danger soon.
Chapter Five
Benny pushed back his empty plate, groaning as he rubbed his stomach. “That’s the kind of meal I miss from home. Your chef and my abuela would get along great.”
Dahlish grinned as he polished off the last bite of his own meal. “Emilio has been a real blessing. Annie actually found him a few weeks after we moved in here, and she convinced him to leave his restaurant a few days every week to cook for us.”
“There’s only so many times a girl can handle scrambled eggs and microwave dinners,” she muttered, smirking at her fiancé.
“Hey, I lived on that stuff for more than ten years,” he said with a mock frown.
“Yes, but now you have taste. You did finally ask me to marry you, after all.”
Alison rolled her eyes as she watched the two of them make googly eyes and kiss. Benny snickered beside her, trying to hide his laughter behind a cloth napkin. She finally cleared her throat to break up the lovefest. “This was a wonderful meal, and we thank you for it. Maybe we could discuss the reason we’re here, though?”
Dahlish gave her a sheepish smile. “Of course. Come with me, and I’ll show you the information I’ve put together.” He pushed back his chair, waving for Alison and Benny to follow. “Over the last couple of years, I’ve been building up a network of sources across the country. Well… I guess Annie and Monica have done most of it.”
“And we did a fabulous job,” Bishop said, wrapping her arm around his elbow.
“You did! I honestly didn’t expect our information network to be as helpful as it’s proven. Without it, we never would have been able to track Alexandru Rosu to his Circle hideouts as quickly as we did.”
Alison scoffed. “Didn’t it take you almost a year to finally catch up to him?”
“It did,” Dahlish admitted with a chuckle. “But it likely would have taken twice as long without our sources feeding us intel from all across New York City and then beyond. It’s proven useful since we took down the Rosu twins, as well. Several mounting issues in San Antonio and Austin came to our attention quickly enough that we could defuse them before too much damage was done.”
