Chapter 280
Cyprus addressed the guards, while Jorick gave each a hard stare. Katelina could almost feel the new memories he was pressing into them. When they'd finished, one of the guards hit a button and the opposite wall slid open to reveal a slice of dark, damp alley.
"Danke!" Verchiel chirped and pushed ahead. They followed him out and into the artificially lit night. The side of the building snapped closed and suddenly they were alone in the alley. Tiny flakes of snow dropped from the dark sky above to melt on contact with the stones and a chilly wind whistled past them.
Neil clutched his duffel bag. "N-now what?"
Cyprus pointed to a garage door embedded in the back of a nearby building. "In there. The code is 677543924."
Verchiel shoved the suitcases on Neil. "I'll be back." And then he seemed to disappear. He rematerialized for a moment before the garage door and pushed in the key code. As soon as the door started to open, he was gone again.
Katelina looked to the building they'd just left. Her heart thundered in her ears and she imagined that it was the sound of footsteps pounding after them. In her head she could see Wolfe burst through the wall, that long, jagged sword-lance in his hands, Sadihra and the others on his heels.
The roar of the motor jerked her back to the present and she looked in time to see a black SUV tear out of the garage and skid to a halt near them. The driver's window opened and Verchiel stuck his head out. "Need a ride?"
Jorick jerked open the back door and shoved the suitcases through. "Quit being an idiot!" He motioned Katelina inside.
"Ah, come on," Verchiel fake whined as the others followed suit, Cyprus up front and Neil in the back. "Lighten up a little."
Jorick slammed his fist into the back of the seat. "Drive, you moron!"
Verchiel gave a mock salute and slammed the gas pedal. The SUV lurched forward and Katelina stifled a scream. She clutched Jorick tightly as the city flashed past; neat ordered buildings and bright streetlights.
Verchiel tore around the corners and easily maneuvered through the traffic. He spent as much time in the left lane as he did the right, and Katelina closed her eyes against it. It was just her luck. She'd survived the encounter with Malick only to have her brains smeared across the road.
The trip to the airport went much faster than it had last time, and the SUV had barely stopped before Jorick threw the door open and leaped out. "Get the luggage!" he shouted as he hurried towards one of the buildings.
Katelina stared after him, her purse clutched in white knuckled hands. "Where's he going?"
"To get the plane and the pilots," Verchiel answered. "Since they're humans it should be a piece of cake. No offense." He flashed a grin. "Come on, we better do as he says. He's in an emotional state right now."
Katelina slid out of the vehicle and dropped her purse. It landed in a puddle and splashed cold water up her legs. It was the last straw. All the fear and frustration of the last hour crashed over her at once and she burst into tears. "Goddammit! He's not the only one! What the fuck is going on? Why was Malick looking for him? Where the hell are we going? I thought we were done with this mad dash in the middle of the night shit!"
Neil took an uncertain step back. "Uh, I'm sure it's going to be okay. You can, uh, ask him when he gets back."
Verchiel materialized at her side. He fished her purse from of the puddle and shook it out. "Now, now. See? It's okay." For some reason that only made her cry harder and he put his arm around her and patted her back. "It's not that bad. We're all here and in one piece, right? Sure, it was a little scary, but it's over now and no harm done."
She pulled at her stained shirt and cried hysterically, "If there's no harm, then why I am I covered in blood?"
Cyprus made a noise of impatience and strolled towards the building. "I'm going to see how it's coming."
Verchiel sighed, then he tightened his hold on her. He caught her chin in his free hand and turned her face to his. She found herself staring into his eyes. They were a deep violet blue, like the sky at twilight. Something caught in her chest and then she was flooded with a soothing calm, much like the one Jorick used. But instead of being deep and silky, like sinking into a warm pool of night, this was like a high, sweet summer evening; watermelon and lightning bugs and the smell of flowers.
When it disappeared, she was leaning against the other side of the SUV with her suitcases stacked at her feet and her purse hanging over her shoulder. She shook her head to clear the confusion and found Verchiel standing near the front of the vehicle, his arms crossed over his chest and a look of affected innocence on his face.
Neil stood on the other side of her, his duffel bags clutched to him like a shield, staring straight ahead. She followed his gaze to see the black plane roll to a stop, lights blazing.
Verchiel grabbed part of the suitcases and nodded to the plane as the side door opened in a square of yellow. "We'd better hurry. I don't think Jorick's in the mood to wait."
As if to prove his words, she saw a dark shape hop out of the plane and hurry towards them. Without really stopping, Jorick grabbed Katelina and threw her over his shoulder. "Hurry or stay behind!" he shouted to the others.
He sprinted and the night sped past in a blur that left her clutching him and shouting, "Put me down!"
When they reached the side of the plane, he jumped over the steps and landed inside. They hopped out of the way in time for Neil to clamber through the door, panting.
Jorick dropped Katelina into one of the chairs and hurriedly slammed the door. "Go!" he shouted.
The plane rolled forward. Katelina clutched the arms of the chair and looked around wildly. Where was - but then she saw the redheaded Executioner, already belted into a seat, one leg crossed over the other. He gave her a wink. "No worries, I beat you on board."
The plane slowed and a voice crackled over the loudspeaker, "There's a vehicle in the runway!"
Jorick swore under his breath and looked to Cyprus, "Can we run over it?"
The vampire seemed to concentrate for a moment. His passive expression melted into one of panic, and then back again. "No."
Verchiel popped up, swung the emergency door open and leaned out. "Oh! It's that tasty bit of Scharfrichterin." He waved wildly and called, "Hello, Sadihra! Sorry I can't stay, sweetie, but maybe next time I'm in town!"
Jorick hauled him back by the collar of his coat. "I should pitch you out!" He kicked the door closed.
"But you think we'll make handy decoys?" Verchiel finished, rubbing the back of his neck.
The pilot's voice came over the loud speaker, "There's someone approaching the plane!"
Jorick cursed and spun towards the door. A second later a knock sounded, it was repeated with more violence. Cyprus fidgeted, his expression morphing from worry to irritation, to something Katelina couldn't name; hope, maybe. He swept past the others and jerked the door open. "There's no way to avoid it."
Sadihra clung to the side of the plane, her long coat and her blonde hair flapping in the wind. "Where do you think you're going?" She swung inside and straightened her clothes, a scowl on her face. "I've been sent to find you."
Verchiel batted his eyes. "As happy as that should make me, I have to tell you that we're not going back to the Citadel."
Sadihra's scowl deepened. "Just where are you going?"
"Russia!" Jorick roared. "Assuming we ever take off!"
Interest flared in the Scharfrichterin's eyes. "How interesting." She waved her hand and the heavy door slammed shut.
"A ghost hand!" Verchiel enthused.
She ignored him to pull a cell from her pocket and tap the screen. Someone answered and she reeled off a string of German as she took the nearest seat and fastened her belt. With a satisfied nod, she shut the phone off and stowed it in her pocket. "The guard is moving the car, so let's go before Wolfe decides to investigate."
