Riley wasn't sure how long she slept before she was stirred by Gillian easing away from her. She clung to sleep, blissful and non-pharmaceutical sleep, as Gillian guided Riley to the cushions and rose from the couch. She vaguely remembered hearing a knock, but that might have been part of a dream. A blanket was laid over her body, tucked up by her shoulder, and she relaxed as she tried to slide back to unconsciousness. She'd been having a lovely dream recounting her evening with Gillian, and she kept replaying the last half hour of it over and over.
The light in the room changed, and Gillian whispered, "Do you know what time it is?"
A woman Riley thought she should recognize said, "I apologize. If I thought it could wait until morning I would have. Could I speak with Detective Parra?"
"No, you may not," Gillian said. "Detective Parra is sleeping. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll still be there in the morning."
Riley reluctantly sat up. She knew the voice at the door, and it was useless to pretend she was still sleeping. "Jill."
"Christ," Gillian whispered.
"It's all right," Riley said. She fished around on the floor for her shirt before she realized Gillian was wearing it. She wrapped the blanket around her instead and stood up.
Chelsea Stanton was in the hallway, both hands wrapped around the top of an ornate wooden cane. Her trenchcoat was unbuttoned over a black suit, and she still wore the glasses Riley had seen during the short visit to her office. Riley stood behind Gillian, aware of her nudity under the blanket despite the fact Stanton probably couldn't see very well in the darkness.
"How did you get this address?"
"I still have a friend or two in the department," Stanton said. "I told them it was a matter of life and death, and I apologize for waking you, but I wouldn't disturb you at this hour unless it truly was."
"I find it hard to believe you have anything to say that I want to hear."
Stanton said, "My apologies. I assumed you would want to know that our partners seem to have gone missing."
Riley stopped in the process of grabbing the door to close it. "What?"
"Kenzie told me that your partner, Caitlin Priest, was joining her this evening for a stakeout. I didn't expect many updates during business hours, but Kenzie's shift at the bar ends at midnight. It has been three hours, and I haven't heard a word. She's also not answering her cell phone."
Riley had already returned to the living room to fish her phone out of her trouser pocket. She dialed Priest's number and listened to it ring endlessly in her ear. She hung up and sighed as she imagined Gillian's reaction. "Jill..."
"Just go," Gillian said. She walked past Riley, not looking up as she walked down the hall and into their bedroom. Riley closed her eyes and resisted the urge to curse.
Stanton, still in the doorway, said, "I'm sorry."
"Shut up. I have to get dressed. Wait for me out there." She shut the door and went to the bedroom.
Gillian was out of her shirt, sitting on her side of the bed. Riley said, "It's Priest."
"I know," she said without turning.
Riley went to the closet and took out the first thing she could get her hands on. She dressed quickly and said, "I don't want to fight. Not after the night we had."
"I'm not mad," Gillian said. She turned, and Riley saw her profile in the moonlight. It was heartbreaking to know she had to leave. "You were sleeping so peacefully. For the first time in ages. And now you're running out into the night again, into who knows what."
Riley took her gun from the nightstand, checked the load, and said, "I'm sorry, Jill."
"Just be safe. If you can. If you're even able."
Riley ducked her chin as she left the bedroom. She knew she shouldn't be mad at Stanton. It wasn't her fault that Kenzie and Priest were in trouble, but it was hard not to blame the messenger. Especially when the messenger was someone Riley already didn't trust.
Stanton was waiting patiently in the hallway, tapping her cane against the toe of her shoe. She looked up when Riley came outside and locked the apartment door behind her. "What's the name of the bar where Kenzie was working?"
"You don't think I'm going to send you there alone, do you?"
"I'm not going to baby-sit you," Riley said.
Stanton said, "You're not going into No Man's Land alone. Kenzie is my partner, and my responsibility. I'm going after her one way or another."
Riley sighed. She couldn't have a civilian going into the badlands by herself, especially a civilian with limited vision. "All right. Fine. But I'm in charge. I call the shots, and I decide when we back off."
Stanton chuckled.
"What?"
"Nothing. Relying on you to give the order to back off? I find that unusual given what I've read about you."
"Let's not discuss gossip, all right? Because whatever you've heard about me, I'll win that game. Got it?" Stanton pressed her lips together and nodded. Riley turned and led the way down the stairs. "Keep your mouth shut and follow my orders. Once we get our partners back, I never want to see your face again."
"I'll try to live with the disappointment," Stanton said.
* * *
Kimaris ordered two of his men to move Kenzie to the middle of the floor. They each hooked a hand under her arm and dragged her over the concrete, dropping her at the spot Kimaris designated. Kenzie's head was throbbing, but she somehow found the strength to push herself onto her back. The ceiling swam over her head, a maze of beams and light fixtures.
Kimaris appeared over her, tilting his head to look down at her. His lips spread into a reptilian approximation of a smile. "Hello. Brandi, wasn't it?" He set his foot on top of her hand, applying just enough pressure for her to know how easily her fingers could be broken. "I'm surprised at your patience. With the clues I was feeding you, I expected you to make your move much earlier. But I do appreciate you giving me the time to put everything in place."
Kenzie looked toward the door. One of the other men in the room had poured a line of sand around Priest, forming a circle. Priest met Kenzie's eyes and shook her head 'no.' There was calmness in her expression, and Kenzie tried to let it transfer to herself. But then she felt Kimaris' fingers inside her mind, and she knew that she was still in his power.
When the circle around Priest was complete, another man said something under his breath and held his hand out. The sand ignited and Priest was ringed by low blue flames. Kimaris rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes, like a man who had just sunk into his favorite recliner after a long day.
"Ah, that's a relief. I don't suppose Zerachiel told you about that little trick, binding angels with burning flax? No, why would she. The angels like to keep that a little secret. But I like secrets. Flax has been around for, oh, many more years than you could count. When it's prepared just right, ground to a perfect powder and ignited, it can hold an angel in check. Do you remember the story of Sleeping Beauty? The spinning wheel was a late addition. Originally the princess pricked her finger on a sliver of flax. The sleeping beauty was, in fact, an angel." He looked down at her and said, "Isn't telling stories fun? I bet you have all kinds of stories you want to tell me."
Kenzie swallowed hard. "I'm not a... very good storyteller."
Kimaris moved his foot from her hand and knelt next to her head. "That's all right, Detective Parra. I have other ways of learning what you know." He touched her temple and smoothed her hair back to expose the wounded side of her face. She tried to slap his hand away, but discovered that she was pinned to the ground. She never let people look at the burned remnant of her face, the scars created by a buried bomb in Afghanistan. She could feel his gaze on it, as intimate as if he'd actually groped her between the legs. "Quite a burn you got there. Did Marchosias give that to you?"
"Get your hands off me, you son of a bitch."
Kimaris sighed and withdrew his hand. Kenzie wanted to reach up and brush her hair back in place, but again her arms weren't obeying. It was as if gravity had increased several hundred times. She lay in the middle of the floor, exposed, as Kimaris stood up again.
"I wish we weren't doing this as adversaries, Detective Parra. I regret that I drew you here with subterfuge. You and I, and even Zerachiel, have the same goal. We want Marchosias gone. We want this war over and done with. It's possible. I have it all worked out. All I require are you and Marchosias to come to an agreement with me. In doing so, you will fulfill your goal as this city's champion. Everyone leaves happy."
Kenzie closed her eyes.
Priest said, "Leave her alone."
"Be silent, Zerachiel," Kimaris said, not bothering to turn around. "All that is required of you is non-interference." He undid the bottom button of his coat and checked his watch. "Do we have an estimated time of arrival?"
One of the men in the room said, "He has been located. He will be here when he can."
"He must arrive before dawn."
The man nodded. "He's aware."
Kimaris nodded and dropped to one knee next to Kenzie. "We haven't much time together, Detective Parra. So I apologize for the intrusion. But this is simply the fastest way I have of getting what I require."
He cupped her burn again, his fingers warm against the twisted flesh, and she managed to twitch slightly in response.
"Don't you touch me," Kenzie growled.
"Be silent. Aggression won't make this any more difficult on me, but it could have adverse effects on you. Just relax. It will be over soon." He closed his eyes and Kenzie thought she felt his fingers melting against her skin. And then, like she was pressing her head against cellophane until it broke, she felt his hand enter her head. Her body twitched against the concrete, the closest she could manage to a full seizure, as his hand pushed deeper into her head. She knew it wasn't a physical intrusion; his hand wasn't literally inside her head. But she could feel his fingers roaming, crossing her synapses, teasing through her consciousness as if it was a drawer.
He's going to find out who I really am. He won't hesitate to kill me. Oh, God...
"Please stop," Kenzie murmured.
Then she heard a voice. It filled her mind and seemed to come from everywhere at once. But she knew that it was meant for her and her alone. Be silent. Be still. Priest's words wrapped around her like a fog washing over a street. She closed her eyes and focused on Priest, across the room, and an image of Riley appeared in the darkness.
It will be all right. Focus on me.
She imagined a hand reaching for her and she imagined slipping her own hand into it. Priest squeezed, and Kenzie remembered their kiss in the car. Warmth and tenderness.
It will be over soon, Priest said.
He'll discover the truth.
No, he won't. Just relax.
"So much is blocked. Not just from me," Kimaris said. "From yourself. The war. You've seen things in a war that you don't want to remember. I apologize for this, but it must be done." Kenzie felt a pressure inside of her head.
A shopkeeper held his hand out toward their Hummer. He was bloody, beaten. They couldn't stop. Kenzie ordered the driver to continue and, as they passed, the shopkeeper cried out in Farsi. His hand exploded.
"No," Kenzie said. Her voice was hoarse. "No, stop it."
Dr. Gillian Hunt, eyes alight with demonic energy, lurched toward her.
Kenzie knew this was one of Riley's memories, placed there by Priest, and she was grateful for the reprieve from her own past. Kimaris pressed deeper, past even more guarded memories - the commanding officer shoved her down. "Easy," she whispered as she undid the buttons on Kenzie's uniform pants, "I won't tell if you don't ask..." and Kenzie decided it was best to just lie back and - digging through her consciousness. Priest's hand was still in her mind, and Kenzie focused on that. Her own painful memories combined with those Riley suffered was far too much for her to bear. She turned toward Priest, felt the fog envelop her, and drifted away into the oblivion Priest offered.
* * *
Riley parked in the alley behind Stanton's office and let her lead the way inside. The back door led directly into the greenhouse. Moonlight drifted in through the glass and lit their way down an aisle between flowerbeds. The roses were white, colored blue like everything else in the space, and Riley eyed them as she passed. "Nice flowers. You know they're not red, right?"
"Funny," Stanton said. She turned on the office light and gestured at the desk nearest the front door. "I'm sure you remember that Kenzie isn't the most meticulous note-taker. If there's anything to be found, it's on her desk."
Riley pulled out Kenzie's chair and sat down. She had a flashback to her time in uniform. Riley had a succession of small black notebooks that she wrote everything down in. She filled every page, front and back, with neat handwriting and started a new page for a new case. Kenzie, on the other hand, scrawled down whatever she could remember on scrap paper when they got back to the car. It looked like she hadn't learned any new organization skills in the military.
"So how does this work? Kenzie does the heavy lifting, you take the credit?"
"With my eyesight, I can't exactly go out into the field. Kenzie is my eyes, and she benefits from my years of investigative experience. Plus her face isn't quite as controversial as mine is. We complement each other."
Riley dug through the pile on Kenzie's desk. "When was the last time you tried to call her?"
"In the car," Stanton said. "I'll try again."
She put the phone on speaker and leaned back in her seat, looking at a random point on the wall as it rang. Riley took the opportunity to examine Stanton's body language; her lips were tight and, despite the relaxed pose, there was a lot of tension in her shoulders. It was more than worrying about her partner, even more than worrying about a close friend.
"You've reached Mackenzie Crowe. If you don't have the time to leave a message after the beep, then why the hell did you call?"
Kenzie hung up and said, "She never ignored my calls. Even if she has to answer them in character to protect her cover, she'll at least let me know she's okay."
Riley found a paper with Kimaris' name written on it. There were times, initials, scribbled explanations for why she was making a note, but none of it made much sense to her. She frowned and scanned the desk again. "We're not going to learn anything here that we don't already know. I have some contacts in No Man's Land. Let's hope they can help us out."
Riley stood and motioned for Stanton to follow her. Stanton shut off the lights and closed the door as Riley left through the greenhouse. "I've never even heard of this Kimaris guy before Kenzie brought him up."
"Of course you haven't. You've been dealing with insurance fraud and cheating husbands. He operates a few levels above you."
"I was once a cop, you know. Back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and No Man's Land was a fraction of the size it is now."
Riley said, "Yeah, I've been meaning to thank you for that."
"Thank me?"
Riley wanted to ignore the opening, but she couldn't. The truth was her ire had been building since she heard Stanton's voice on the phone, and now it wouldn't be denied. All those years of frustration boiled over and she spun around and got into Stanton's face. "It's because of cops like you that No Man's Land is the way it is. Cops who didn't give a shit. Cops who would rather take a payoff or snort something so things were easier to ignore."
"That's not fair," Stanton said. "Things weren't as simple--"
"I don't want to hear a sob story. I really don't. All I care about is finding Kenzie and Priest so I can go back to forgetting you exist. Come on."
Stanton shook her head as she followed Riley out of the building. Riley checked her phone again, in case Priest had tried to call in the last thirty seconds. She stuffed the phone into the pocket of her jacket and cursed under her breath.
When Stanton got in on the passenger side, she looked at Riley and said, "If I could make a suggestion without being insulted or cursed at?"
"What?"
"I gather Caitlin Priest is a competent detective. As good as you are, otherwise you wouldn't have sent her with Kenzie as backup."
Riley said, "Yeah. She's probably better than me in a lot of ways."
"So whatever happened to them, your being there wouldn't have prevented it. The only thing it would have changed is that you would be missing as well. Your absence made it possible for you to come to their rescue. You sat on the sidelines until you were called out to win the game. The woman I met at your home..."
"Gillian."
Stanton nodded. "Don't blame her for what happened. And don't blame yourself. Trust me, nobody wins in that game. When you go home after we find our partners, thank her for what she did for you."
Riley looked at Stanton. As much as she hated to admit it, Stanton had read her thoughts almost exactly. And her reasoning was sound. If someone had managed to take Priest out of the equation, then there was little to no chance Riley would have been able to escape. Who would have been able to come after them if she and Priest were both eliminated? She looked back down the alley and said, "You want to go to the bar first, or your office?"
Stanton said, "The bar. I want to see what Kenzie left behind."
Riley started the car and drove out of the alley.
* * *
Panic and fear overrode the pain. She was surprised how painless it was, at first. How she could smell the smoke and the burnt clothes. And something else. Cooking meat. She could feel the gurney shaking against her hand, or maybe it was the other way around. She was wheeled into a room and a medic in scrubs appeared over her. She was never able to remember what he looked like, but she did recall that his eyes were bloodshot.
"Crowe, Major Mackenzie Grace. Serial number..."
The medic quieted her calmly. He told her they already knew that information and said something to a nurse.
"My face," she gasped. He looked down at her. She felt tears, but only in one eye. "Do I still have a-a..." She couldn't finish the question. The medic touched her arm and pushed her into an operating room. She could hear other people screaming and crying and then the doctor appeared over her. A light went on, blinding her, and then she was...
...once more on the floor of the warehouse. She could feel the sweat under her clothes, running down her face and dripping on the ground. Kimaris withdrew his hand and exhaled sharply. "We're making some progress. Chipping away at those walls. I'll get through soon."
Kenzie gasped. She gulped air like someone drowning, her lungs refusing to cooperate at first. Her arms and legs were tingling. She looked up and saw Kimaris looked about as bad as she felt. His face was pale and drawn, sweat beading on his forehead. He pushed himself up and scanned the room. "Where is he?"
Priest said, "Perhaps Marchosias didn't feel the need to waste his time on an associate of your stature.
Kenzie tried to smile. Angel bitch slap.
"You, silent," Kimaris said. He walked to the stairs and sat down with his feet on the bottom riser. "Perhaps we should take the time to get better acquainted. I would love to have you both on my side when Marchosias makes his grand entrance. And I do believe that is where we are. On the same side. We want the same thing. Peace. We want the war between angels and demons to end. Detective Parra, I know this wasn't what you had in mind when you started this mess. I'm sure you didn't intend for the angels to be losing already. My plan will bring an end to hostilities. The city will be calm."
"This city has never been calm," Priest said.
"Times change, Zerachiel," Kimaris said. "Leaders change. By the time people head to work in the morning, Marchosias will be gone. His reign will end, and a new leader shall take his place. You'll find my leadership style much different, I assure you."
"Marchosias is just going to hand No Man's Land over to you?" Priest said. "Do you think he is just tired of running things and wants to take a break?"
I think you're spending too much time with Riley, Kenzie said, in case Priest was still listening in. If she was, she ignored the comment.
"Believe me, I have everything sorted. I've been planning this for... ooh. A very long time. With the Angel Maker throwing the balance into turmoil, there is no better time to put things into motion." He rubbed his palms together and looked at Kenzie. "Everyone will get what they want. Including you, Detective Parra. You'll fulfill your role as this city's champion. You are the keystone to the entire plan coming together."
One of the men who had gone outside returned. "Milord. Marchosias approaches. He'll arrive within the hour."
Kimaris grinned widely and clapped his hands together. "Excellent. Perhaps Detective Parra and I will have some wonderful things to tell him." He stood and walked back over to her. Kenzie resisted the urge to recoil as he knelt and reached for her face again. She realized with dread that she couldn't have pulled back even if she wanted to. He was controlling her again.
"Stop..." she whispered.
"I will. Soon." He touched her head.
I'm so sorry, Priest whispered inside her head as the torture began again.
* * *
Riley parked behind Kenzie's car and scanned the area as she approached. Stanton let her lead the way and said, "An unprotected car on a dark street. Why isn't it cut apart for scrap metal by now?
Riley had thought the same thing. She felt something in the air, a static electricity that hadn't been there before. Maybe whatever Kimaris had planned was sending out a 'keep away' signal to the lower life forms. The door was unlocked, another bad sign, and she slipped into the driver's seat to examine the interior. She spotted the empty doughnut package on the dashboard and groaned. "Oh, Caitlin, don't tell me she got you, too."
She spotted two ear buds in the passenger seat and picked them up. "Did she have bugs planted in the bar? Maybe a recorder?"
"Yes, I think so. I'll check it out."
Riley continued her search while Stanton hurried off. She sighed and muttered to herself, "You really screwed this one up, Priest. It was just supposed to be a quick, simple surveillance." Headlights swept the street and Riley sank down in the seat so that she presented a smaller target. Her hand went to the butt of her gun as the car moved rolled slowly down the street and then stopped in front of the bar.
The headlights flashed twice, and Riley relaxed. She beeped the horn once and assumed a more comfortable position behind the wheel of Kenzie's car.
The other car parked and the driver unfolded himself from the front seat. He trotted to her car and knelt next to the open door. "Sweet ride, mamacita."
"Spare me, Muse. What have you got for me?"
Muse rolled his shoulders. "Not a lot of time to get much," he said, "but you're an old friend so I worked some miracles. A couple of guys said there's been rumors of something that was going to happen soon, and apparently tonight's the night. Everything got real quiet around eleven. And quiet in No Man's Land is never good for nobody."
Riley nodded. "Any idea where this big something is going down?"
"Nobody's talking. I talked to a couple of guys who keep tabs on some blocks downtown. You know, private little fiefdoms. But nobody's asked to play in their backyard."
"Okay. I'm looking for a guy named Alexander Kimaris. You happen have any idea where he might be hiding?"
"First you want March, now you want Kimaris? Shoot. At least you're going the right direction. Kimaris is small-time enough you might be able to do something about him." He rubbed his chin. "He's got a couple of warehouses around here. He likes to use them to store things that are, shall we say, less than legal, if you catch my drift. You want to find him, those warehouses would be a good place to catch him. Lots of incriminating evidence lying around."
"Addresses?"
Muse laughed. "You call me with twenty minutes notice and expect the entire phone book, don't ya? I don't have addresses. All I know is they're near here. That, and your friend is across the street with a gun."
Riley looked past him and saw Stanton standing in the alley. She was obscured by shadows, but Riley could see that she did have her gun out. Riley reached up and turned on the dome light, then quickly turned it out again. She hoped Stanton understood the message that she was okay.
"She's not my friend. How'd you know she was with me?"
"Two white girls in No Man's Land after midnight and they ain't together? Please."
Riley said, "I'm Hispanic."
"Badge makes everyone white 'round here."
"Come on, Muse. Help me out. Anyplace that's usually vacant but is really busy tonight for some reason?"
Muse stroked his chin as Stanton crossed the street. "Near the el tracks," he said. "Couple of my boys said they had to move because it was a little too kicking there earlier. Can't narrow it down more than that."
Riley nodded. "Good enough. Thanks, Muse."
"Keep me in your Rolodex, Riley." He opened the door and climbed out of the car as Stanton approached. He held the door for her and said, "Nice to meet you, Riley's friend."
Riley waited until Muse was back in his car and had driven away before she turned to Stanton. "What did you find?"
Stanton held up a few jewel cases. "Some recordings on CD. I didn't have time to listen to them."
Riley took one of the cases and looked at the label. "Hopefully it'll be entertaining. Come on, let's go back to my car. Muse gave me a lead."
* * *
Priest stood in her prison, cursing the ring of burning flax that prevented her from going to Kenzie's aid. She kept her eye on the other men in the room, watching for an opportunity to present itself, but she wasn't holding out very much hope. They had been there for hours, and she was torn between hoping Riley would be arriving any second and fearing she would arrive too late. The torture Kenzie was enduring was bad enough; once Marchosias arrived, he would reveal the truth. She didn't hold out much hope for Kenzie's survival once that happened.
The only plan of action she had was entirely unacceptable. She could wait until Marchosias arrived, revealed Kenzie's true identity, and killed her. Then either he or Kimaris would turn on her. They would have to break the flax to even touch her, and she would be able to retaliate. It was a horrible plan, and she prayed that Riley would arrive before she had to implement it.
Kimaris was kneeling beside Kenzie, his hand on her face. Priest was fortunate that he had opened her mind the way he had. She was able to piggyback her own thoughts on his and prevent him from discovering anything incriminating. It was a dangerous balance, keeping Kenzie safe with a light enough touch that Kimaris didn't realize she was there. Unfortunately she wasn't able to protect Kenzie from reliving the thoughts and memories Kimaris unlocked. Painful things Kenzie had carefully set aside were dragging to the forefront, happening all over again in living color. All Priest could do was hold her hand during the process and hope it was enough.
"Milord."
Priest and Kimaris both looked toward the door as one of the lookouts returned.
"Marchosias has arrived."
Kimaris laughed and clapped his hands. "Finally. Gather around, friends. It's a momentous day for all of us."
Priest looked at Kenzie and met her gaze. Come on, Riley, Priest thought. Time is short.
* * *
They were nearly to the el station when Riley suddenly slowed and veered to the right. She bumped the curb with her tires and Stanton braced herself against the dashboard. "Maybe I should have offered to drive," she said.
Riley nodded toward the rearview mirror and slid down in her seat. "We have company."
Stanton looked over her shoulder and slid down as well. She could see bright lights advancing on them, four in a row. Her first thought was a drag race, but the cars were inching along at a snail's pace. Behind the advance cars, she saw more coming. She couldn't tell how many. She said, "Odd amount of traffic for this time of night."
Riley said, "An advance car, two more behind it, and two bringing up the rear. All surrounding a single car without headlights."
Stanton said, "Oh, good. I thought we might miss the annual No Man's Land midnight parade."
Riley waited for the cars to pass and opened the door. "It's a cortege. Come on."
"We're going to follow them on foot?"
"They'll notice the car," Riley said. "Besides, it'll be easy considering how slow they're going."
"Okay. But why, exactly, are we following them?"
"Muse said something was happening in a building near the el tracks. Here we have a mysterious car, running dark, driving toward the el tracks. Plus, our partners have disappeared. They have to be connected. Now are you coming or do you want to watch my car?"
"I'll come. But..." Stanton tried to hedge her true concern. "What if I can't keep up with you in the dark?"
Riley looked at her and considered the question. "Just try your best. I'm not leaving you here by yourself. Let's go." She got out of the car, leaving Stanton no choice but to follow.
Riley was parked near one of the supports for the el overpass. With her limited vision, the yellow security lights that lined each support beam became pale yellow halos above her head. Stanton climbed out of the car and followed Riley along the side of the road. The glasses she wore were mirrored to help improve her vision in normal situations, but they were a hindrance in the dark. She took them off and put them into her pocket as she followed Riley down an alley.
"The road the motorcade went down only has one possible outlet," Riley explained. "We can cut them off without being too conspicuous."
"Right," Stanton said.
Riley stopped at the mouth of the alley and pressed against the wall to check the street. The lead car had pulled up in front of a warehouse and the driver emerged. He buttoned his jacket, scanned the area, and walked to the closest door. "Looks like they've stopped. Warehouse is pretty lively for this time of night." She looked back at Stanton and said, "Kenzie didn't tell you anything at all about Kimaris?"
Stanton shrugged. "Just the typical information. Things you probably already know. His connections and his reputation. She told me that she was afraid of him."
Riley was obviously stunned. "Kenzie said she was afraid?"
"Not in so many words," Stanton said. "But she called you."
Riley pulled her gun and checked the load. She looked back out and saw the rest of the procession was arriving. The driver of the lead car was standing at the warehouse door like a guard, hands clasped in front of him. "Okay. Looks like the party is about to get started. Stay behind me. Anything happens, you and Kenzie are civilians."
Stanton nodded and they stepped out of the alley. Riley slipped her arm around Stanton's waist and drooped as if a weight had been dropped onto her shoulders. "Sing," she whispered.
"What?"
"Loud. And slur your words."
Stanton sang the first thing that came to her mind. "Tura-lura-lura..."
Riley said, "Yer a good friend, Tina. A real good friend." She let her right foot drag on the pavement behind her, scuffing on the asphalt as Stanton helped her up on the curb. "Just lemme, just lemme rest it off, I'll be fine. I'll be fine." She lolled her head toward the now parked procession. The man guarding the door stepped forward a few feet and watched their progress. Riley kept her head down, letting her hair cover her face in case it was someone who knew her.
"You ladies all right?"
"Just need to get her home. Let her sleep it off."
Riley tapped Stanton's elbow and nodded toward the stairs to the el station at the end of the block. When they were well enough past the warehouse, Riley pushed off of Stanton's side and started jogging. Stanton followed her, moving to the sidewalk where they could blend into the shadows a little better.
Stanton waited until they were on the stairs to the el before she spoke. "Where are we going?"
"I was hoping there would be a window around the side. There's no way we'll get onto that property from the ground level. They'll see us coming and stop us before we set foot on the driveway. We're going to have to find an alternate means of entrance."
The station platform was wide and vacant, with plastic benches along the outside edge. The wooden roof was equipped with three rows of flickering electric lights, giving Stanton enough light to see a little better. Riley stepped onto one of the benches and threw her leg over the waist-high barrier. She looked down and said, "All right. It's about five feet. Think you can make it?"
"Jumping?"
"Five feet," Riley said. "Come on. It's nothing."
Stanton hesitated and said, "All right."
"I'll go first if you need a hand." She lifted her other leg over the barrier and said, "There's a lip here just wide enough to stand on. She crouched, shifted her weight, and leapt. Stanton heard the double skipping step as Riley landed on the opposite roof. "Okay. Nothing to it."
Stanton hesitated. Even if she made this jump, there were three buildings between them and the warehouse where Kenzie and Priest were being held. How could she possibly make all those leaps in the dark?
"Stanton, I'll leave you here if you want," Riley said in a frustrated whisper. "Just make a damn decision."
Mackenzie is in trouble. She stepped over the partition and leapt to the building. She landed solidly, and Riley grabbed her hand and forearm to keep her from backpedaling. After a moment of vertigo, Stanton exhaled and nodded her thanks.
"Good?" Riley said.
Stanton patted Riley's arm. "Yeah. Let's go get our girls."
* * *
Priest felt Marchosias arrive, and she braced herself for his entrance. If Riley was waiting for the last minute, it was fast approaching.
Kimaris ordered two of his men to remain by the door, while the others moved back toward him. The door opened and two demons walked inside. They took position next to Kimaris' men. A few seconds later, Marchosias stepped through the door. He wore a black suit and shirt, the tie a deep blue. His face was brilliant red, the flesh scoured away to reveal wet muscle. He wore his hideous visage like a medal, reveled in the looks of shock and disgust it drew from people, even other demons. He eyed Priest as he walked past her, and then fixed his gaze on Kimaris.
"You've captured an angel. Well done. If that is all you wished to tell me..."
Kimaris said, "Hardly, milord. I'm certain you recognize the importance of this particular angel's identity."
"Zerachiel," Marchosias said. "She performs the farce of being Riley Parra's partner. Caitlin Priest. Capturing her was a truly impressive feat, but ultimately meaningless."
Kimaris could hardly contain his excitement. He kept his hands behind his back and said, "Perhaps this will change your mind. The reason I called you here at this late hour. I'd like to present you with a small gift. I will give you Riley Parra."
Kimaris ordered his men to move out of the way and Marchosias looked down at Kenzie. His eyes widened and he tilted his head slightly.
"Impossible." He walked forward and Kimaris practically danced along beside him as he crossed the room. Kimaris smiled smugly as Marchosias approached the prisoner and looked down.
Priest tested the limits of her prison. There was no escape. She looked at Marchosias, who was standing inches from Kenzie and staring down at her. Finally, he turned and looked at Kimaris. Priest couldn't read his expression, such as it was, and she flexed her wings experimentally. Shockwaves ran down the wings into her back and threatened to knock her down.
Marchosias looked at Priest, looked down at Kenzie, and began to pace. Kimaris kept his smug smile in place, ready to answer the inevitable questions.
"This is truly remarkable, Kimaris. Truly. How did you manage to capture the angel, by the way?"
Priest froze. Marchosias was looking at her, but speaking to Kimaris. There was no way Marchosias would have misidentified Riley.
Kimaris smiled. "Pure flax, from the Original Home. It's costly, but if one needs to capture an angel, it is the only method."
Marchosias stopped in front of Priest and slipped his hands into his pockets. "And Detective Parra?"
"Laughably easy. The rumors of her protection must be greatly exaggerated."
"Watch your tongue," Marchosias said, suddenly volatile.
Kimaris' smile faded. "Is there a problem?"
"The majority of information on Detective Riley Parra came from me. Are you implying I was unable to control her? That you are more adept at control than I am?" He turned to face Kimaris. "I asked you a question, Kimaris, and I expect an answer."
"I... did not mean to imply..."
"Have you ever heard of the burn on Detective Parra's face? The origin of it?"
Kimaris said, "I assumed it happened when she assaulted your stronghold. I have been attempting to probe her mind for further information, but it has been fruitless so far."
"Of course it has. The angel has been blocking your efforts." Kimaris looked at Priest, and she held his gaze.
From the corner of her eye, Priest noticed one of Kimaris' men look toward the roof. He muttered to the man standing guard next to him and then slipped silently out a side door. Priest had felt the arrival as well; Riley was very, very near.
Marchosias ignored that. "Tell me, Kimaris. Do you believe it's more likely that everything you have heard about Detective Parra is wrong, that every demon and every angel who has encountered her merely provided the wrong information, or did you stop to consider the fact that you... captured the wrong... fucking... person?"
Kimaris' eyes blazed and he looked at Kenzie. "That's impossible. The angel..."
"The angel lied to you, Kimaris, to protect her charge. The fact you were foolish enough to fall for it is nearly as embarrassing as the fact I actually came when you called." He turned on his heel and motioned to the men by the door that they were leaving.
Kimaris rallied his senses and said, "The identity of my prisoner doesn't change my main reason for bringing you here. Things are about to change, Marchosias. At dawn, Riley Parra will cease to be a problem and the war, the war that you are so eager to end, will be over. We will have been handed an unequivocal victory."
Marchosias stopped walking and slowly turned around. Kimaris produced a cell phone from his pocket.
"My men spent this evening planting explosive devices in various parts of the city. There are eight in total, concealed throughout the so-called respectable part of town. That small piece of real estate you've never quite been able to attain. All it will take is the press of one button and the devices will detonate. The city will be devastated. Crippled. There will not be enough resources to manage the destruction. People will die. And in the course of time, deprivation and ruin will spread like a plague. No Man's Land will march forth, and by the end of this year, there will be nothing else. I'm going to detonate the bombs momentarily. But I wanted to extend an invitation.
"In the aftermath, one of two things will happen. Either you become a joke and your followers drag you from your position kicking and screaming, giving me the mantle of ruler in your stead... or you will announce that I am your worthy successor. You will have a place in my court, naturally. One cannot ignore your years of dedication to the cause. But you will have no real power."
Marchosias said, "You're insane."
"No," Kimaris snapped. "Insane is waiting patiently, wasting decades and centuries waiting for the decay to occur on its own. Insane is entering agreements and playing fair. This nonsense of champions is ludicrous. It is time we took what we deserve."
"The difference is taking and earning," Marchosias growled. "What I have earned, the angels cannot simply steal back. Your plan is absolute madness. Do you believe our arrangement has only tied my hands? If you do this, you will unleash the full strength of Heaven's fury upon us. This war would look like a schoolyard spat compared to that. There's even a name for it. What you suggest would be firing the first volley in Armageddon."
Priest said, "I've heard that battle doesn't go well for you guys." She took advantage of their distraction to glance toward the roof. There was a skylight with frosted glass that had been turned milky white by the moon. A shadow crossed one of the lower quadrants and Priest had to conceal a smile. Her heart soared as she returned her focus to the demons in the middle of the room.
Kimaris waved the cell phone. "Play doomsayer all you wish. Time is wasting, Marchosias. Will you be dragged to Hell as a failure, or will you accept your place in my fellowship? I'm willing to decide for you, but I doubt you'll agree with my choice."
"There's only one way you're taking my throne, Kimaris. By holding my severed head for all to see." He unbuttoned his suit jacket and shrugged out of it.
Kimaris shrugged and returned the cell phone to his pocket. "As you wish."
* * *
Stanton had zip ties, and Riley used them to secure the demon that had come to investigate the noise they made jumping onto the roof. His tie was stuffed in his mouth, not that it mattered much. The piece of brick Riley used to knock him unconscious had left a deep gash on his forehead. She'd managed to stop the bleeding, but she wasn't holding out much hope for him surviving the night. Fortunately, she had seen his eyes before she hit him. Death to a demon was probably just a demotion, like going from salesman to the mail room.
She returned to the skylight where Stanton was waiting and listening. Stanton was still sweating from their dash across the rooftops, her hands scraped from where she had fallen. She turned away from the glass and whispered to Riley. "Kimaris believed he was holding you hostage. He was going to trade you to someone named Marchosias."
Riley felt a chill. If she hadn't taken the night off, she would most likely be Marchosias' property right now. She was definitely going to give Gillian a back rub when she got home.
"They keep calling your partner an angel."
"You should meet her," Riley muttered. She overheard Kimaris talking about an end to the war. She cupped her hand over the frosted glass, staying near the edge so she wouldn't cast a shadow, and squinted. She could make out vague shapes, but nothing concrete. She wondered if that was how Stanton saw everything all the time. She saw Priest near the door, surrounded by a low ring of blue flame. It looked like she was standing on the burner of a gas stove.
Kimaris explained his placement of eight explosive devices and Riley tensed. Stanton said, "Armageddon? These guys are pretty damned dramatic. But... God. He's right. The city doesn't have the resources to deal with something that big."
Riley looked across the roof at a tall water reservoir. Pipes ran from it, leading down into the building. She knew that Kimaris probably didn't pay the bills in all of his properties, but he wouldn't want them destroyed in a fire. She assumed he would have hooked the sprinkler system up to this reservoir as a preventative measure. The smoke from the fire around Priest's feet should have activated it by now, unless homeless people used the building for squatting. They built fires to keep warm in the winter, and most of them were savvy enough to disable the smoke detectors so they wouldn't get drenched.
"Did you hear me?" Stanton whispered.
"No," Riley said. "Stay here." She stood and ran across the roof at a crouch.
Stanton followed her. "There's going to be a fight. Kenzie is down there in the middle of all that. And why doesn't your partner just step over that fire?"
"It's complicated. Don't worry; I have a plan," Riley said.
She ducked under the reservoir and wished she had taken plumbing classes. All she knew was how to fix a leak in her own apartment, and even that would require a lot of trial and error. She could barely see the mechanisms in the dark, let alone begin to understand how to fix them. She needed to be able to see in the dark. Or...
"How much do you know about plumbing?"
"I helped install the water systems in my greenhouse. What does that have to do with anything?"
Riley moved to the side and said, "I need you to hook the sprinkler systems back up."
"What?" Stanton said. "What will getting them wet do, other than piss them off?"
"Trust me," Riley said.
Stanton scoffed, but she said, "I'll do my best. Where will you be?"
Riley took her gun from the holster and said, "I was apparently invited to this party. It would be rude not to make an appearance."
* * *
Kimaris delivered the first blow, his fist glancing off Marchosias' cheek. Marchosias wasn't slowed. He wrapped his arm around Kimaris' and wrenched it down. He drove his other elbow into Kimaris' face, and the erstwhile usurper dropped to his knees. Marchosias released the arm and punched Kimaris once, twice, three times until blood stained Kimaris' upper lip.
"Do you know how many people have tried to take my place? You arrogant gnat." He grabbed a handful of Kimaris' curly black hair and punched him in the face.
Priest saw movement across the room and looked away from the fight. Kenzie had rolled onto her side, struggling to get to her feet. She assumed the hold Kimaris had on her had weakened after the first blow. He had other things on his mind now.
Kimaris howled and punched Marchosias in the stomach. Marchosias released Kimaris' hair, and Kimaris lunged forward. He tackled Marchosias and began to pepper his midsection with fierce blows. Marchosias grabbed Kimaris' head and dug his fingernails into the flesh until blood began to flow in ten narrow rivulets down Kimaris' face.
A bell started to ring, but neither combatant paid it much attention. Priest looked at the ceiling as the downpour began. Streams of water cascaded from the sprinkler heads, pouring down on the entire ground level. She looked down and saw the blue flames being quashed and the flax diluted. She used the toe of her shoe to disrupt the ring further and she felt the energy holding her dissipate. She stepped forward and turned just as one of Kimaris' men lunged at her with his gun drawn.
Priest turned to face him fully and extended her wings through the immaterial restraint of her clothing. She flexed the wings once and rose out of her attacker's path, forcing him to change direction at the last second to avoid falling on his face.
Priest glided across the room, more of a long jump than flight, and touched down next to Kenzie. Kenzie looked up at Priest and her eyes widened. "Shit. You're really an angel."
"Can you run?" Priest said.
Kenzie said, "I can."
Priest helped support Kenzie and turned to face the room. Two of Kimaris' men were engaged in battle with Marchosias' escorts at the door, but the other four were quickly advancing on Priest and Kenzie.
"Okay. Forget running. Can you fight?"
Kenzie grunted. Her clothes were soaked from the downpour, her hair hanging down in front of her face to conceal her burn again. "I wasn't exactly confident on the running. I don't suppose you can call in for a miracle."
"Stay behind me," Priest said. She stepped forward and extended her wings to block Kenzie from the advancing demons.
An empty crate fell from above and landed on one of the demons. As he fell, the others turned their attention skyward just in time to avoid another rain of crates. Priest moved Kenzie to the safety of the wall and looked up. Riley was standing on the catwalk above them, using a handcart as a lever to dump the crates over the railing.
Priest beamed and grabbed Kenzie's arm. "You don't call in for miracles. They just show up when Riley's around."
Riley met her at the stairs. She took a moment to watch Kimaris and Marchosias fight and then said, "Don't even try the front door. Marchosias has men out there."
Priest said, "Kimaris has bombs set up in the city. There's no way to find them."
Kenzie said, "Yes, there is. He was going to detonate them with a cell phone." She was clinging to Priest. Her eyes were wide and haunted as she watched Kimaris and Marchosias battle. She swallowed hard and looked at Riley, expecting her to connect the dots.
"So?" Priest said.
Kenzie said, "Kimaris had one man plant each bomb. They didn't need to all be set at the same time if he was just going to wait until dawn to detonate. The man who planted the bomb also had a cell phone, and they used it as the detonator. The phones have to be active to receive the call, so we just find out where they were purchased and call for the tracking information."
"That's good thinking," Riley said. She put a hand on Kenzie's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Lot of... bad memories." She clung tighter to Priest and looked toward the door. "Chelsea."
"On the roof. That's how I got in. Access door. Priest, let's round these guys up. We need information if we're going to find those bombs."
Priest tried to pull away, but Kenzie's hand tightened on her blouse. "I..."
"It's okay," Priest said. "Go to the roof. Chelsea is waiting for you."
Kenzie nodded and reluctantly released her. She started up the stairs, and Priest joined Riley in gathering the demons. The sprinklers had soaked Riley's clothes, but she didn't even shiver as she dragged the demons to their feet. She pulled a handful of zip ties from her pocket and showed them to Priest.
"Will these hold them?" she asked.
Priest covered them with her hands and closed her eyes. "They will now."
As they secured their prisoners, Riley looked toward the stairs. Kenzie was already gone. She turned back to Priest and said, "What the hell did they do to her?"
"They made her remember."
Riley said, "I have never seen her like that."
Priest nodded. She couldn't bring herself to say anything.
Across the room, Marchosias bellowed in victory. His silk shirt was torn, revealing an inhuman mass of muscle on his chest. Kimaris was on the ground at Marchosias' feet, his face bloody. Marchosias locked his gaze on Riley and gave her a mock salute.
Riley moved her hand to her gun. There wasn't time to get to cover; she would have to fight and, most likely, lose.
Marchosias met her gaze for a long moment and then held his hands out to her. "We've all had a busy night, Detective Parra. It will be an even busier morning for you, I suspect." He lifted Kimaris' limp body and held him like a ventriloquist dummy. "For now, I have some managerial matters to discuss with my good friend here. Another day, Detective."
He looked at Kimaris' men and dragged Kimaris to the door. The demons that had been fighting at the door were all down. Marchosias and his men left the warehouse, but Riley didn't relax until she heard their cars drive away. She scanned the floor, the demons bound and unconscious, and then looked up at the ceiling.
"Think there's any way to..." The sprinklers shut off, and an alarm began to sound. Riley wiped the water from her face and flicked her fingers at the ground. "Never mind."
* * *
Riley stood at the back of the room while Priest let her associates into the building. The four angels looked like mafia hit men; designer suits, nothing but muscle, and piercing eyes that gave away nothing as they led Kimaris' men outside. Priest spoke with one of the angels and then walked across the room to where Riley waited.
"They'll get the information we need to stop the bombs. We can tell Briggs that they're in federal custody."
Riley nodded. "Sounds good to me. Not like we could have held them for very long anyway." Riley watched the angels leave and turned to look at Priest. She was in a rumpled dress shirt and vest, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Priest said. "Kenzie's the one I'm worried about."
"Yeah," Riley said. "Come on."
They went up the stairs to the access door, the lock Riley had broken with the butt of her gun still lying on the ground. The sky was starting to get color as the sun slowly rose in the east. Kenzie was sitting against the skylight with Stanton, pressed hard against her partner's side with Priest's suit jacket around her shoulders. She looked like a drowned rat when she looked up at Riley's approach. Stanton had one arm around Kenzie's shoulders, holding her close.
"Thank you," Kenzie said. "If you hadn't shown up..."
"Thank Chelsea," Riley said. "I wouldn't even have known you were missing if she hadn't come to get me."
Kenzie took Stanton's hand and squeezed. The last lingering doubts Riley had about their relationship were eradicated at that moment. She'd suspected when the legally blind woman followed her across several rooftops in the dark, but that grip could only mean one thing.
Riley said, "The cops will be here any second. Chelsea, why don't you come down with me?"
Stanton looked up at her. "What? Why?"
"We need a cover story. We can come up with something together... and you can tell it to the cops. It was your case, it's your bust."
Priest looked at Riley with an expression she couldn't read. Stanton and Kenzie exchanged a look.
"Come on. I'm feeling generous."
"Can I stay up here?" Kenzie said. "I just need to sit for a while."
Priest said, "I'll stay with her."
Riley raised an eyebrow. "Willingly?"
"What can I say? We went through a very difficult time together. She grew on me."
Sirens were coming closer, so Riley held out her hand. Chelsea took it and let herself be pulled to her feet. She looked down at Kenzie. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Kenzie nodded and pulled Priest's coat tighter around herself. Stanton walked to Riley. "I'll need your help on the fire escape. I don't really trust..."
"I'll help you," Riley said. She threaded her arm around Stanton's elbow and helped her across the roof.
"Why?" Stanton said. "Why this sudden change of heart?"
Riley looked back at Priest and Kenzie. "She's in love with you. I didn't know for sure until I saw you together. But you're in love with her, too. And we were able to count on you when it mattered. That goes a long way."
Stanton said, "Thank you."
"Just don't hurt her," Riley said. "And don't make me regret doing this."
Stanton's smile faded. "I used to see how you and Kenzie looked at me in the station. When we'd pass on the stairs. And I remember the way you looked at me after... everything. I want that first look back. I know I have to work to get it, but... I'm willing." She saw the police cars arrive in front of the building, their lights flashing red and blue strobes into the alley.
"Nervous?" Riley said. "About them?"
"Yeah."
"Just think about Kenzie."
Stanton smiled. "Let's go."
* * *
Priest crouched next to Kenzie and said, "I am so sorry."
Kenzie frowned. "For what?"
"By using Riley's name, I prompted everything that happened afterward."
Kenzie chuckled. "If he'd known who I really was, he probably would have killed me outright. This, at least, I can recover from." She pulled Priest's jacket tighter around her shoulders and chuckled quietly. "I hope."
Priest chewed her bottom lip and looked toward the fire escape. "You should have been allowed to deal with those memories on your own terms. Having them dragged out like that will do permanent damage to your psyche. I've seen it happen before. The human brain is designed with fail safes. Yours were bypassed."
"So what?" Kenzie said. "I'm going to be a vegetable?"
"No," Priest said. "I can heal the damage."
Kenzie looked at a point on the ground, and a tear slid from her eye. "Well. I think... I would really appreciate it if you would."
Priest moved closer and straddled Kenzie's lap. She cupped Kenzie's face in her hands, tilting it up as she bent down and brushed their lips together. Kenzie's lips parted, and Priest tentatively explored with her tongue. Kenzie put a hand on Priest's hip, the other on her cheek. She gasped as a warm feeling washed through her, and the kiss increased in intensity. When Priest finally pulled back, Kenzie licked her lips and kept her eyes closed.
"Wow, seraphim," Kenzie whispered. Her voice was slurred, near sleep as she sagged against the skylight. "What was that for?"
Even with so few words, Priest could hear the difference in Kenzie's voice. The anguish was gone; the Kenzie she had grown to hate the last time they met was back. She smiled and touched Kenzie's hair, brushing it back into place to cover her burn. Priest rose and bent to gather Kenzie in her arms. She cradled the sleeping woman to her chest and carried her to the fire escape.
* * *
Riley saw Priest coming down the fire escape with Kenzie in her arms and nudged Stanton. They had just finished giving their statement to the responding officers and were waiting for Briggs to make an appearance so they could go through it all again. Riley started walking toward Priest, with Stanton broke into a run halfway down the alley.
"Kenzie. What happened to her?" Stanton demanded.
"She's fine," Priest said softly. "She just needed a little rest. I helped calm her down." She looked at Riley and nodded slightly.
Riley put a hand on Stanton's shoulder. "She'll be fine. Trust me."
"That's the second time you've asked me to trust you, Detective Parra. Kind of odd, considering that you don't trust me."
Riley shrugged. "I'm getting there. Go tell the police we're going to find someplace for Kenzie to rest more comfortably." Stanton nodded and went back down the alley with one last look at Kenzie's sleeping face. When she was gone, Riley said, "What did you do?"
"Kimaris didn't use any finesse when he raped her mind. I was able to follow the tracks he made and repair most of the damage. She still has the memories, but she'll deal with them when the time is right."
"Nice trick. Did it involve a lot of hocus pocus?"
"No," Priest said. "It only requires that I hold my hand against her skin for a few seconds and concentrate."
Riley said, "Sounds simple."
Priest gave her an enigmatic smile and said, "Sometimes I add embellishments."
Riley led the way out of the alley, with Stanton and Priest trailing behind her. They followed the el tracks, staying in the shadows so the press would hopefully not notice them. When they reached the block where Riley had left the car, she stopped and held up a hand. "Shit."
"What's wrong?" Stanton said.
"We have company." She put her back to the el support and looked around the corner as she pulled her gun from the holster. Marchosias was sitting on the hood of her car, and Kimaris was kneeling on the street in front of the bumper. Marchosias looked much better than the last time Riley had seen him, his wounds healed and his suit crisp and clean. Kimaris, on the other hand, looked a few pounds lighter and his thick black hair had been shaved to the scalp.
"This isn't right," Priest whispered. She had handed Kenzie to Stanton, who accepted her weight without hesitation. She moved next to Riley and scanned the street. "He's alone. He has to know we would see him."
"That's the point," Riley said. "He wanted us to see him."
Priest shook her head. "Riley..."
"I'm going out there."
"Riley."
"It's all right. If he wanted me dead, he had his chance back at the warehouse. Just keep an eye on him." She holstered her weapon and stepped out into the open. Marchosias turned toward her and smiled. The expression caused revulsion so encompassing, Riley nearly had to turn away. "Fancy meeting you here."
"I was in the neighborhood," Marchosias said.
"You and your buddy seem to have recovered from the fight pretty well."
Marchosias plucked the lapels of his suit jacket and shrugged. "We've been... well. Somewhere else. Time is a little different there." He slapped the top of Kimaris' head. "Isn't it, Kim? Yes, it is." He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "What happened tonight was an abomination. It was a child attempting to drive a car. It was sloppy, and it could have been disastrous to us both. I know Zerachiel is listening, so I'm extending this offer to the both of you. The angels will overlook the misguided events of this evening. I will not be held responsible for Kimaris and his plan. There will be no retaliation and no escalation in the war between us."
Riley looked at Kimaris. There were healed wounds on his face and neck, and his eyes were flat. "What do we get in return?"
Marchosias nodded at the man kneeling between them. "Alexander Kimaris. He's committed a hell of a lot of crimes even if you discount his demonic nature. He's been... conditioned. He's the same son of a bitch you know and loathe, but he's now subject to your mortal rules of punishment. Arrest, imprisonment, all those lovely things that make you feel safe when you tuck in your loved ones at the end of the day."
Riley looked over her shoulder and saw Priest standing at the corner. She nodded once, and Riley turned back to Marchosias. "Looks like we have a deal."
Marchosias slid off the hood and straightened his suit. "Fantastic." He looked at the sky. "It's been a long night. Do we have to go through the whole rigmarole of threats and warnings and portents of doom about how 'when next we meet, I won't be so cordial,' or can I just walk away?"
"As long as you do it quickly," Riley said.
Marchosias bowed to her, saluted to Priest, and walked into an alley. When Riley walked to the opening of the same alley, she saw that he was already gone. She took her handcuffs off her belt and walked back to where Kimaris was still kneeling. He kept his eyes on the ground, visibly seething as she pulled his arms behind his back.
"Alexander Kimaris. You are under arrest for kidnapping, attempted murder, eight counts of terrorism, and other charges to be named later. You have the right to remain silent..."
* * *
Riley and Priest spent another half an hour with Briggs. She was furious, but having Alexander Kimaris in custody took a lot of edge off her anger. She ordered Priest and Riley to both have a full report on her desk by the end of the day, and left to call the DA about Kimaris. Priest offered to stay with Kimaris until he was actually behind bars, just to make sure Marchosias wasn't setting them up, and Riley offered to drive Stanton and Kenzie home. Stanton asked to go to her office instead.
Riley parked in the alley and looked into the backseat. Kenzie was curled up, still using Priest's coat but now as a pillow.
"She looks too peaceful to move her," Stanton said.
Riley nodded. She looked at Stanton and finally asked what had been eating at her for years. "What happened?"
Stanton kept her eyes on Kenzie. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," Riley said. "You were the cop. Every woman who set foot in the police academy knew your name. We idolized you. You showed us that it could be done."
"And you don't think that came with some pressure?" Stanton said. "I didn't ask to be the leader of a women's movement. I just wanted to be a cop."
Riley said, "So you were just crushed by the pressure?"
Stanton relaxed against the seat and looked out the windshield. "No. That was part of it, the stress. But..." She shook her head. "You're looking for some big revelation, right? My parents were killed by a mugger I let go, or I saw my partner get shot right in front of me. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I was the primary on a call that came in, two bodies in an apartment. Landlord heard the shots and called us. So I walked in, and there's a man lying in the kitchen minus his head. Woman was in the living room, on the couch. She was lying there peacefully. Just a little hole in the side of her head.
"She had a history at the local hospital. Bruises, broken bones, bloody noses. He didn't even bother to make sure the marks didn't show. He didn't care. She got her hands on a gun, and the next time he hit her, she hit back. And then she went to the living room, lay down, and killed herself. And I stood over her body and looked down at her, and I knew that I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't stand over any more bodies. I couldn't hear one more goddamn sad story. So I got a little help. And then I got a little more help. And by then..." She took her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose. When she opened her eyes, Riley saw they were the same brilliant ice blue that she remembered.
"You want to prevent yourself from becoming like me?" Stanton said. "Keep those partners of yours. Priest and..."
"Gillian."
Stanton smiled and nodded. "I remembered the name. I just like the way you say it."
Riley looked down and then looked at Kenzie in the backseat.
"I didn't have anyone like Kenzie to help shoulder the burden. I didn't have someone who would be mad because I ran out in the middle of the night. You're doing all right, Riley. Just remember that you don't have to do it alone."
Riley said, "Thanks."
"Any time. Will you help me get Kenzie inside?"
"Yeah."
They got out of the car, and Stanton gently took Kenzie off the backseat. Kenzie stirred and rested her head against Stanton's chest. Riley unlocked the office's back door and held it open for them to go past. Stanton directed Riley to a flight of stairs on the opposite side of the greenhouse and Riley went up to unlock the door to a spartan loft. Stanton went inside and deposited Kenzie onto a threadbare couch. Stanton smoothed Kenzie's hair over her burnt face, touched her lip with one finger, and then went back to the door.
"Thank you, Detective Parra. For everything you did tonight."
"She was my partner, too. Once." She smiled and held out her hand. She realized Stanton might not be able to see it and said, "I'm... um..."
"I see it. I just don't comprehend."
Riley smirked. "It's a baby step."
Stanton shook Riley's hand.
"Before you go," Stanton said, "I need to give you something."
* * *
Gillian's lower body was framed by sunlight from the window, her legs twisted under the sheet. Riley sat gently on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb the mattress more than necessary, and touched Gillian's cheek. She trailed a light touch down over her jaw, to her throat, down her exposed arm and then back up. Gillian's eyes finally opened as the touch passed over her lips, and she focused on Riley almost immediately. She rolled onto her back, stretched, and looked at what Riley had been using to touch her. "Wow. That's beautiful."
Riley held it up and twirled the stem between her fingers. "A white rose. For you."
Gillian took it and smelled. "Mm. I'm still mad at you for leaving last night."
"I know."
"I know you had to. I know Priest and Kenzie were in trouble... are they all right?"
"Yes."
"Good. I know that you didn't have a choice. But I want to be irrationally mad."
Riley bent down and kissed Gillian's lips. "I love you for it."
Gillian touched Riley's face with the rose.
"I talked to Briggs this morning. I have to write up a report about everything that happened by the end of the day. I figure if I start sometime this afternoon, it should give me enough time. But until then... I think I'm going to sleep."
Gillian smiled. "Good girl."
"I need you here. So I called and got the day off for you. I hope you don't mind."
"You mean I don't have to get out of this bed, and go deal with death, and you'll get into the bed with me and stay until the afternoon? I'll cope."
Riley chuckled. She touched Gillian's shoulder and said, "I think I just need someone watching over me. I want you to be that person."
"I'll do my best."
Riley smiled and bent down to kiss Gillian. "I'll put the rose in some water and I'll be right back."
"Hurry," Gillian whispered, reluctantly letting Riley take the rose from her hand.
* * *
The clock changed morning to noon.
The white rose from Chelsea Stanton's greenhouse stood in a water glass, already angled toward the sun streaming in through the window. It cast a soft shadow on the bed where Riley lay on her side, limp with sleep. Gillian was curled against her back, head resting on Riley's shoulder, her hand occasionally brushing down Riley's side, to her hip, and then back up and around to her stomach.
Gillian didn't sleep the entire time, preferring occasionally to watch Riley sleep and listen to the sound of her breathing. Soon, she too drifted off with one hand lightly resting upon Riley's hip. They would sleep late, and Riley would miss her deadline to write a report for Briggs. Priest would cover for her. They would wake up, throw together a dinner with whatever they had in the fridge, and then go back to bed with the rest of the world. That would all happen later.
At the moment, Riley simply slept.