Firefight in Darkness (29 page)

December 2nd, 2005

I’m dying, and while I’m doing it I’m laughing at how absurd it all is. The human doctors call it cancer…hah! I asked them if it was some kind of virus I contracted from being around other people, but they informed me that it has been growing inside my body for some time now, something that happened naturally. I have never heard of such a thing, so I do not believe them. But I do believe them when they say I have so little time left. My body is withering away, and I am only fifty seven! Maybe my life was never meant to be very long. It certainly hasn’t been easy, but I have done my best with what I was given.

I hear Brock is living in Las Vegas now, as Thea banished him after Dante framed him. I wish that my two sons could have known each other as friends, and not as enemies. But there’s no time for regrets now. I can only hope he’s getting by as I did, one day at a time.

Dante is agitated, and I hate to leave him this way. He says I can’t die, that if I do he will be all alone. But how can I change this? It is beyond my control.

Blythe would be fourteen years old by now, with no father or grandmother to guide her. God, was it really my mistakes that led to that? I can only hope she is strong, resilient, and bold enough to take charge of her own life. I’ve certainly learned that life throws you so many curveballs, and that the only way to survive is to plant your feet firmly on the ground and swing with everything you’ve got. I hope she is wiser than I was, and I hope she has a questioning and skeptical mind. I hope she learns to love herself long before ever loving someone else.

She may never know my story, but I hope she forgives me.

December 31st, 2005

At least in my sleep, the world loses its painfully sharp edge. At last, I can rest.

♦ ♦ ♦

She closed the diary and set it aside for the last time. Jax looked up at her expectantly, and she noticed the apprehension in his eyes, as though he was worried she would fall apart again. God, since when had she become that girl? The one that can’t hold herself together? Well, this time, her eyes were dry, and her resolve in place.

Knowing the truth, the whole truth, brought her great comfort. No longer would she judge blindly what she didn’t know or understand. And once this was over, she would educate everyone who would listen on who her grandmother had been, and how they had all wronged her.

Until then, they had a mission to complete.

“Dante’s in Richmond.” She told him, brushing back her hair and stretching her arms over her head. “It was the place he and Bristol went after Chicago.”

“Any specific place in Richmond?”

“I don’t think so, it doesn’t say where they lived or anything.” She stood up and stretched out her legs, groaning at how her unused muscles strained. “God, I haven’t run in forever.”

“You can run all the marathons you want once this is done.” Jax informed her as he set his own book aside. “Let’s get some sleep, catch the first flight to Richmond in the morning.”

Yawning hugely, Blythe nodded. She climbed into bed beside him and curled against him, comforted when his arms came around to hold her.

As she tumbled into sleep, she dreamt of her home, and to her horror she watched it become rapidly consumed by flames.

♦ ♦ ♦

It didn’t occur to her until they had landed in Richmond and were standing in front of the baggage carousel, staring at the conveyer belt.

“Oh!” She smacked his arm excitedly, earning a scowl from him as she grinned. “Do you think Dante is going to the alley where he left Capri? That would be a good place for a showdown, don’t you think?”

Rubbing his arm, Jax glared down at her. “That’s precisely what I was thinking. Now what the hell did you hit me for?”

“Sorry, I was excited.” She beamed and suddenly reached down to haul his duffle bag off the carousel for him, tossing it down beside his feet. “There, now we’re even.”

“No, even would be me punching you in the arm in retaliation.” He grumbled, even as his lips twitched at the edges.

“Normally I’d say give it your best shot, but seeing as we’re in a public place, I don’t think hitting a woman would be very wise, cowboy.” She flashed a grin at him and winked. “But I promise to give you ample opportunity later, in private.”

Inspired, he grabbed her and pulled her in until her mouth was inches from his. “Anything else go along with that promise, darlin’?”

“Mmm…” She leaned towards his ear and whispered something that had his blood heating and his pulse quickening. Pulling away, she simply patted him on the cheek and then reached out for her own duffle.

Amused and irritated with her at the same time, as he usually was, Jax led the way out of the airport and out to the rental car he’d booked for them.

When they hit the road, Blythe turned to him. “So how do I know you really were thinking that Dante would go to the alley, and you weren’t just stealing my idea?”

“The hotel I booked for us while we waited for our flight is one block away from the alley. Ain’t no coincidence.” He flipped on the radio and cruised the channels until he found something he liked.

On impulse, Blythe reached into the backseat and dug into his duffle bag, unearthing his Stetson. “Don’t forget your hat, cowboy. Can’t listen to country music and drive without it.”

Patting it down on top of his head, she sat back and marveled at him. God, he was cute when he wore that damn hat, and the way his forehead creased in both humor and frustration only made him more appealing.

“You know, we should just go to the alley right now, skip the hotel. He might be hanging out, waiting for us to show up.” Blythe encouraged, hardly able to contain her excitement.

“If this is indeed the showdown we’re expecting, I don’t want to go in blind. We’ve got to survey the surrounding area, make sure he’s not gearing up to ambush us. This is his home turf, Blythe, and he’s got resources here that we don’t.”

“Yeah but we’ve waited this long, and we’re so close. Let’s just do it.”

“No.” His voice was stern now as he continued on to the hotel. “We’re going to do this the right way, Blythe.”

“And maybe miss our chance? For all you know he might wander off while we’re twiddling our thumbs and ‘planning.’” She made exaggerated and sarcastic quotations with her fingers, emphasizing her point.

“He’s not going to wander off. He’s going to wait for us, because this is where he wants us to be. But I’m not going to charge in there unprepared before I know the lay of the land.”

Huffing out an annoyed breath, she sat back in her seat and stared out the window, pursing her lips. Arguing with him over this was like beating against a brick wall. He was never going to cave.

She would just have to take matters into her own hands if necessary.

♦ ♦ ♦

Hours later, after surveying the area, scoping out local demons, talking with a few of them, and putting together what Jax termed a ‘location study’, they settled into their hotel to organize and plan.

It was late in the evening, nearly eight o’clock, and Blythe’s stomach grumbled hungrily as they waited for the pizza Jax had ordered. Sitting together on the floor, they spread out a map of the area, and began locating where Dante supposedly lived according to the local demons, and where that was in conjunction with the alleyway that Capri had been discovered in, along with the tree he had supposedly used to transport himself from Euphora to Richmond all those years ago.

They reviewed their notes from their conversations with the local humans who knew Dante, along with what they had gathered from the few demons they had found.

It always took Blythe by surprise how fearful demons were of Jax, and how easily they could be convinced to divulge information to him. His reputation certainly preceded him everywhere he went, and though she admired that fact, she also found it infuriating. While the demons slavishly showered Jax with information, they took one look at her and were revolted. Her Dryad blood made it hard to convince them to talk, and so Jax left talking to the humans up to her.

And so she’d walked around and asked about him, and managed to get some responses. Mostly they said he kept to himself, that he was rather shy and reclusive. The women she talked to said he was handsome, but kind of creepy. He never flirted with anyone, or dated anyone as far as they knew.

There was a brisk knocking on the hotel door, and Jax rose up to answer it. Blythe groaned thankfully when he came back in with two boxes of pizza.

“I could never get tired of pizza.” She told him as she ripped open the box and greedily grabbed a slice, biting into it and moaning. “So much greasy cheese and crispy pepperonis…ugh, it’s heaven.”

Jax just shook his head and smirked as he opened his own pizza and took out a slice. “It’s the food of champions.”

“Mmm hmm.” Grinning, she polished off the slice and grabbed another. “Anyway, so we know the ins and outs of the alley, including any doors and what shops they go to. We know the names of the shops in the area, and we managed to locate where Dante lives, a mere five blocks from the alley, and speak to both humans and a few demons nearby who know him. What else is there to do?”

“Tomorrow we drive by the area with the sensor, see if we find any activity happening down the alley. He should be expecting us there any time, so if he’s lying in wait we will see him before he sees us.”

“And then what?”

He swallowed a bite of pizza, then leaned over the map to make another notation. “Then we move in, but carefully. He can sense you because of what you are, so it might be best for you to wait in the car a block away so I can try and get to him before he realizes we’re there.”

“I don’t want to wait in the car.” She scoffed, insulted. “That’s stupid. If we rush in there and take him by surprise, it won’t matter if he senses me. I will have already shot him.”

“Why do you think it’ll be so easy? Dante is smarter than most demons, and he’s prepared for this. He is expecting us to rush in because he knows how you are, and he only thinks he knows me. We’ve got to sneak up on him, and I can only do that alone. You can attack him all you want once I have him tied up, okay?”

“That’s not good enough.” Rising to her feet to pace, Blythe felt her hands shaking with temper. “We’re in this together, cowboy, and I won’t be pushed aside to wait while you go in and save the day.”

“You’re missing the point, Blythe.” He fired back, equally as heated. “We won’t catch him at all if you’re right there. He can sense you, damnit, you know that!”

“So I’ll wear perfume.” She combated haughtily, cocking her chin at him. He huffed out an incredulous laugh and began gathering up the materials they’d spread out over the floor.

Standing up, his arms full of papers, he sent her a cold glare. “I know you’re not that stupid, Blythe.” He muttered, his voice low and his eyes dangerous. “Now get some sleep, and this will all be done tomorrow.”

Tossing the map and papers aside onto the hotel desk, he stormed into the bathroom and shut the door. She heard the shower hiss on, and had to bite back the urge to set fire to all his stupid papers and maps.

♦ ♦ ♦

Hours later, he lay sleeping beside her. She hadn’t even been able to fall asleep, her mind had simply been on warp speed since their disagreement.

She understood his point, of course she did. He was right, she wasn’t stupid enough to believe that Dante couldn’t sense her. But this was about more than that, this was about confronting Dante herself. It was a matter of both pride and necessity. For herself, for her father, for Capri…even for Bristol. She had this feeling in her gut that if they went to the alley, even if Dante sensed her he would want to speak with her. He wouldn’t just try and kill them, or try and run away. No, all of his letters and gifts over the past weeks had been leading up to this finale.

And if Jax didn’t understand that, then perhaps it was best that she act alone. He could thank her later, when she had Dante and the job was done.

Slipping out of bed soundlessly, she dressed in the dark, shrugging into jeans and a black shirt. She tucked Jax’s revolver filled with liquid nitrogen bullets into the back of her jeans. On impulse, she put on the Fire Dryad heirlooms, the ring and the necklace, as talismans in honor of her grandmother. She didn’t know why, but wearing them made her feel safer, and stronger.

She sent one last glance back at Jax before she left, blowing him a noiseless kiss.

Even if you won’t forgive me, cowboy, this is how it was probably always going to go down.

She let the door click softly behind her, and, like smoke rising out of a smoldering fire that dissipates into the air, she was gone.

♦ ♦ ♦

It didn’t take her long to reach the alley, as it was only a block from their hotel. Even though she was aware of the various access points through different shops and housing complexes, she knew in her heart that it had to be the main entrance. She wanted him to see her coming for him, wanted him to see that she wasn’t afraid. No, she had determination and vindication in her heart now, perpetuated by the heirlooms of her forefathers that she wore.

She walked the short distance to the alley, her footsteps muffled on the sidewalk. It was nearly midnight, and the full moon glowed eerily overhead, highlighting the near empty street.

It wasn’t the best neighborhood, and even though she spotted a few shady people drifting here and there, she kept her mind focused. No one and nothing could hurt her now, not when she was this close to her goal. The thirst for it resonated inside of her, beating itself into her very bones.

Perhaps in a way she should be thanking Dante for giving her this renewed strength of purpose. Without him, she would have never had the heirlooms, and she would have never known the truth about her grandmother. But despite her gratitude, none of it made up for the horrific misdeeds he’d committed to her family and to her.

She approached the mouth of the alley, nerves and anticipation thrumming through her veins. The alley was lit only by the moonlight and by a few dim streetlights that cast a vague yellowish glow over the brick of the buildings. She stopped and stared down the lane, noting the clotheslines that hung overhead, shirts and pants hanging motionless in the still night air. The lack of breeze and eerie lack of sound had the hair rising on the back of her neck.