03 Saints (22 page)

“Then, why do you fight?” Alex asked. “If you know you can’t accomplish much, why bother?”

“Because I accomplish a little and because I have faith that God will support the righteous. The worst thing a good man can do is nothing, even when you know you’re outnumbered, outgunned, and out classed,” he said.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” Daniel added from his place next to me.

“One of my favorite quotes,” Preacher approved. “There is another quote: ‘For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.’ As long as we stay true to purity, we stay strong.”

“That’s beautiful,” Alex said.

“Good and evil, both, seem to have a sliding scale with our kind,” I said. “Good people doing evil things, evil people doing good things…how is that judged?”

I couldn’t help my skepticism. It was too difficult to imagine God doing anything beyond hating Watchers for the very fact of our existence.

“Not by me,” Preacher said.

Preacher showed off the rest of the building, answering Alex’s questions with patience beyond any I had seen, then left us to wander around and form our own impressions. Alex had already formed several. She started laying it out as we walked the exterior of the school.

“Preacher is aware that not everything they do is exactly morally right, but he also knows they mean what they are trying to do. I don’t think they’re trying to trick us into anything. They need help, sure, and Reaper wants more bodies, more minds, to join his cause, but they also want people who are committed. Without that commitment, they have a lot of people who could leave at any moment. They want strength.”

“They’re a dangerous group, though,” Daniel said as three people peeled out in a car from the barn we had stopped near. “Wild. Many of them are still very young and very eager to take out their feelings of fear and confusion on the world around them.”

“They grow up, though,” Alex said. “And become like Reaper’s ten.”

“Besides, the wild Watchers are part of the illusion, the way Reaper keeps the dangerous eyes away from his true mission,” I said.

“I doubt they are as invisible as they think,” Daniel said.

“Maybe not…Well, what do you think?” I asked him.

“To join or not to join, that is the question,” Alex said.

“What do you think?” Daniel asked back, not wanting the decision to be his alone.

“I want to fight,” I said.

“I’m with Clare,” Alex said.

“We stay,” Daniel said. “And hope…We should still be cautious, however. Trust will be a thing of time. Some secrets should remain secret…”

He looked at Alex purposefully, suggesting we shouldn’t tell anyone about her ability to change or about my ability to change her. Let the others wonder what I was and how Alex tied into our world.

“I agree,” Alex said assuring us she didn’t want her secret told.

I smiled. “It’s about time things started to go right.”

“Just give it time,” Alex said.

Daniel and I shared a sarcastic laugh of agreement. Together, we headed back to the school where our future was perched with a sense of hopeful expectancy.

There would be no turning back.

Chapter 10

Spider was collecting a huge pile of winnings when we found him again. His face was smug, while King’s was twisted in to a sheepish smirk.

“You let him play me, Clare,” King accused, as we approached the table.

“You let him play you,” I said. “Never underestimate your opponent.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, shaking his head. He stood and rolled his shoulders with a dangerous eagerness for violence. “I’m out. Reaper is finally taking me off house duty.”

“Good luck,” I said.

“I’ve got somewhere to be as well,” Grace said.

“Me, too,” Ghost agreed.

The table slowly emptied as the others claimed places they needed to be. They all headed in the same direction, however – the stairs, toward the silver room. Spider started counting his money, carefully smoothing out the bills as he counted them.

“What’s the verdict?” Spider asked around his counting.

“We’re staying,” I said.

“Good. This place is great,” Spider said. “It’s a den of thieves that doesn’t know the king of thieves has just arrived.”

“Like I said, don’t underestimate your opponent,” I replied.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, waving a hand in dismissal.

“They got any food around this place?” Alex asked, sitting down at the table. “I’m starving.”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I haven’t checked.”

Daniel eyed me curiously. Perhaps, he had noticed the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything since we had found each other again, or else he had waited for the perfect moment to ask.

“How long has that been going on?” he asked.

I shrugged, embarrassed. “I don’t think I’ve eaten since I was taken. I just haven’t felt the need, you know? No hunger, no weakness…just…”

“A feeling of being full all the time?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“Any other abilities?” he asked.

“Just the hearing thing.”

“It seems like all you’re missing is the strength and regeneration,” he said.

“That’s a pretty big ‘missing,’” I pointed out.

“Just give it time,” Daniel said.

I made a face and picked up the deck of cards. “How do you play this game anyway?” I asked.

Spider’s return grin was wicked.

Jackson and Margaret, along with the kids, arrived the following afternoon. Their arrival generated a lot of curiosity within the Saints. People came to their doors to watch the kids unpack their stuff and get settled in. Their faces were curious and confused. It was obvious no one truly understood why children were taking up rooms normally occupied by Watchers.

Reaper met us in the hall as we carried the kids’ bags to their rooms.

“My people don’t understand why I’ve taken the effort to bring a bunch of kids here,” he said loud enough for the others to hear as he approached.

“Tell them it’s because they are trained children assassins,” I said.

“Sounds plausible,” Reaper said dryly. He hesitated, not able to read my carefully neutral expression. “Are they trained children assassins?” he asked in a whisper.

I blinked at him without answering. “When can I start adding to the mayhem around here?” I asked.

“You are still not fully healed,” Reaper pointed at my shoulder.

“You had a talk with Daniel, didn’t you?” I asked suspiciously.

“We did talk after you went to bed last night, but I simply cannot remember what was said,” Reaper said.

“I won’t be locked away here,” I said. “I’ve spent too long in a cage.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to let your shoulder heal some more,” Reaper pointed out.

“It might,” I said.

He shrugged and didn’t commit to a definite answer.

“I’d consider finding some uses for the kids as well,” I said. “If you don’t, you’re going to have some very bored pickpockets with a penchant for trouble on your hands, and that won’t be good for anybody involved.”

“We have a need for such talented people…I’ll make sure they go out with some people I trust; people who can keep an eye on them,” he added.

“Thanks.”

“I think I would like to focus on Han and Beatrice,” Daniel said as he joined us, having finished unloading the kids’ stuff in their rooms.

“I already have people looking into it. It’s actually why I came up here. You say they are scientists, right?” Reaper asked.

“Yes,” Daniel agreed.

“Do you have any idea why Marcus would want them? What do they work on?” Reaper asked.

Daniel and I exchanged a look. While Reaper was an old friend, the truth was dangerous. Daniel settled for answering the second question, instead of the first.

“They’re interested in everything. Beatrice has made a name for herself in genetics and Han in engineering, but they can do it all. They’ve both invented more things than I can conveniently count,” Daniel said.

“And Daniel can count to a hundred, at least,” I added.

“I’ve heard reports of Marcus abducting other scientists,” Reaper mused. “But for what reason, I don’t know.”

“He’s been experimenting with Watcher blood to make weapons,” I said.

I had forgotten my conversation with the scientist I had helped escape in New Orleans, but it came rushing back in an instant. It was probably a truth I should have remembered earlier.

Reaper and Daniel stared at me in surprise. Daniel was particularly shocked.

“I talked to one of the scientists. He was a chemist. He told me that he thought they were building a super virus,” I said.

“To what end?” Reaper asked.

“He made mention of a virus that could fight antibiotics; one that could adapt and keep on killing until there was no one left to kill,” I said.

Reaper and Daniel were still staring at me. Some of the people in the hall also stared, understanding the seriousness of what I was saying. Watcher blood as a virus? Would the virus target Watchers or humans? I wasn’t eager for either scenario.

“The only defense, in that case, would be the person managing to fight it off,” Daniel said. “They would have to have a hell of an immune system.”

“Why would Marcus want a drug that deadly?” I asked. “It would put his people at risk, too…depending on what kind of virus it was.”

“Perhaps, he’s not scared of retribution any longer…or he is preparing to take out the nine,” Reaper said to Daniel.

“That would mean he’s preparing for a lot more,” Daniel replied.

“The nine?” I asked.

“They are a group of elders who sort of…police our actions, keep the general public from finding out about the war. They are a powerful group. It is through their efforts we don’t have a repeat of the flood,” Reaper said.

“The flood?”

“Ever hear of the arc Noah built? It wasn’t to punish humanity…Noah made a deal with God to wipe out the Watchers and save humanity, before the Watchers killed them all…there was a war that was getting messy. Not all of us were killed, though, and no mortal means can kill one of the fallen, so they kept procreating. God sometimes agrees to prayer without mentioning that his miracles don’t always stick,” Daniel said.

“Ohhhhh…right,” I said, trying hard to believe the ridiculousness of what he had just said. “So, Marcus might be thinking about taking out the nine?” I asked, focusing on the part of the story that made sense. Death and mayhem was easier than epic floods targeting Watchers.

“It would be suicide,” Daniel said. “Utter stupidity.”

“He has lots of people at his disposal,” I said. “A lot of people he can send on suicide missions. He wouldn’t even have to get out of bed.”

Reaper started shifting nervously; his eyes turned distant. It was obvious he was holding something back.

“What?” Daniel asked.

Reaper fixed his expression and said slowly. “What if he kidnapped your parents to make them devise this drug, without having to resort to a suicide mission?”

Daniel’s eyes were worried. “That makes a lot of sense,” Daniel said.

As I thought of the kidnapping, I realized something for the first time. I felt my stomach sink, wondering why I hadn’t thought of it before. I reached out and took Daniel’s hand, not even bothering to hide the fact that I was purposefully leaving Reaper out of the conversation. My panic went above the need to appear polite.

I gave your parents my blood…right before we left. They had samples for testing. They had my blood given willingly, Daniel! Willingly! Do you know what that means?

Daniel worked hard to control my panic.
Yes. But I trust Han and Beatrice. They wouldn’t have given that blood up, not even if it meant their lives. They know its importance.

What if Marcus is making an army of Nightstalkers as we speak?
I asked.

Then we will face that when the time comes,
he replied.
Let’s talk about this later.

Reaper was watching us, obviously aware we were having a discussion. During our talk, he had decided the conversation could wait until we had a more private place to talk. Clearing the air of the serious things, he stepped closer to Margaret and Jackson’s room.

“Do you need anything?” he asked Jackson.

Jackson had been in the process of stuffing a long, silver sword under his mattress – a sword I recognized in an instant. It was the one I had taken from Anna in New Orleans; the reason she had tracked me down and ultimately kidnapped me. Jackson turned at Reaper’s words.