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Mitch and Cassandra crouched near New Horizons’ tall fence. Thin veils of fog drifted across the massive estate yard. Although the swelling around his left eye had diminished somewhat, his vision remained blurry. At times the concrete statues looked like real people that slightly moved, which kept him on edge. Mitch sensed they weren’t alone, but he didn’t see anyone.
Cassandra studied the inside yard and gasped.
“What is it?” he asked. “Do you see something?”
She grabbed his arm and tugged him to the ground.
A gunshot echoed from the other side of the fence, and a second later, Mitch noticed the dark shadow of a guard running from his spot beside one statue and heading in their direction. He raised the gun again as he ran.
Cassandra covered her mouth. Mitch grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet.
“Hurry!” he whispered harshly.
They ran through the hedgerow and headed for the door that led to the underground tunnel. Both stopped moving almost instantly. Between them and the door stood Sheba. Her teeth and eyes had transformed and were eerie to behold.
“Oh, God,” Cassandra said.
“Please,” Sheba said in an oddly deep voice. “I want to help you.”
“Riiight,” Cassandra whispered. She pulled Mitch’s hand and tried to run to the right.
“No,” Mitch said. He projected his mental thoughts toward her, sensing her emotion through her plea and gestures. “Wait. She means it.”
“Are you serious?” Cassandra stared at him with surprise in her eyes. “You really need some quality dating experience. Look at her. She’s changing.”
“No, she’s reverting to her human form.”
“How can you know that?”
Mitch shrugged. “She’s fighting the monster inside her.”
“I—,” Cassandra began.
“We don’t have time to argue,” Mitch said.
Another gunshot broke the silent night air. This one was nearer the gate.
“Move!” Sheba she bolted toward them. “Get inside the tunnel and wait for me!”
She ran past them. They sprinted for the door.
The armed man came through the opening metal gate. Sheba rushed straight at him. Before he raised his weapon to fire, she disarmed him and knocked him unconscious. She put her hands over her ears and dropped to her knees. Her face contorted from pain.
Cassandra opened the door. “Come on, Mitch.”
“No, not yet.”
“What are you doing?”
“Helping her.”
Mitch sprinted toward Sheba.
Sheba’s eyes turned. Her jaws crackled and elongated.
“You can’t!” Cassandra warned. “Something’s wrong with her. She’s changing.”
“Yeah, but she’s not doing it voluntarily. Someone’s making her change.”
“Who?”
“My guess is whoever made her.”
“Get back!” Sheba growled. Spittle frothed from her mouth. “Run! Get away before it’s too late!”
Mitch approached cautiously.
“I won’t abandon you,” he said.
“Please go,” Sheba said. “It’s Alpha. He’s taking control of my mind.”
The closer Mitch came to Sheba, the stronger the dark presence increased. He recognized it as the force that continued eluding him when he first arrived in Salem. Now he was closer to the evil source than he’d ever been. The power was greater than anything he had ever encountered, and it was channeled directly at Sheba.
Mitch thrust his energy along the telepathic conduit toward the man controlling Sheba. Although he wasn’t as powerful as the man attacking Sheba’s mind shield, Mitch struck hard enough to surprise and jar Alpha’s hold on her. It was about as effective as a midget smacking a giant. Mitch hadn’t inflicted any pain on Alpha, but snapped Alpha’s attention off her and diverted it toward Mitch. Mitch’s repercussion for interfering would bring a swift counter that might level Mitch to the ground in excruciating pain.
Mitch grabbed Sheba’s arm.
“No!” she said. “Go. He’s too powerful.”
“I sense that, but come with us into the tunnel. I have an idea.”
She interlocked her arm with his and rushed to Cassandra at the open door.
Mitch let Sheba enter the door first. He paused to see the frightened expression on Cassandra’s face.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Cassandra said.
Mitch led Sheba past Cassandra and nodded. “Me, too. Hurry and get her farther inside.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll be there in a few seconds.”
Cassandra looked worried. Sheba’s facial hair was getting thicker. Her teeth grew longer. She writhed in pain while fighting the internal urges to change. She growled and rolled on the earthen floor.
Mitch nodded at Cassandra with the assurance that he was going to be okay.
Cassandra reached for Sheba’s long-clawed hand and hesitated. Sheba looked at Cassandra’s offer to help with slight skepticism. After a few seconds Sheba took Cassandra’s hand, and they disappeared into the darkness. She feared Sheba wouldn’t be able to prevent changing and the she-wolf would turn on her and kill her before Mitch came to rescue her.
Mitch held the door handle and braced himself. He expected Alpha to attack, but he had never thought the initial assault to be so subtle. Alpha’s attempt to tap into Mitch’s mind had been mild but once his mental tendril crept past Mitch’s guard, Alpha pulsed a quick jab that brought agonizing pain, much like a massive migraine, and then Alpha relaxed his hold.
“You should have left town,” Alpha said angrily in Mitch’s mind.
“I tried,” Mitch said, wincing, trying to break Alpha’s hold. Veins swelled on Mitch’s forehead. His face flushed red. He held the door handle tighter to prevent his knees from buckling and collapsing. “Sheba prevented me from leaving.”
“I know. She gets out of hand once in a while. Even from me. Leave her with me and I’ll make certain she receives the appropriate punishment.”
Mitch shook his head. “No.”
“Even after what she did to you, you’d still try to take her from my grasp?”
“Yes.”
“You’re foolish. You actually trust her not to kill you?”
Mitch strained to keep breathing. “Yes. She needs help. Freedom from your hold.”
“I’ll make her tear you and Cassandra to shreds.”
“Where is Cassandra’s daughter?” Mitch asked.
“That’s something I’d like to know.”
“You don’t have her?”
“No. But Alicia isn’t her daughter. I created Alicia and molded her mind. She’s mine. Cassandra was only a surrogate. Nothing more.”
“If that is true, then why did you try to kill her?”
“She knows too much,” Alpha said. “She so desperately wanted a daughter. She’ll never stop looking for Alicia.”
“Alicia is her daughter. She birthed her and raised her. I’m certain DNA would prove that.”
Alpha laughed with a mocking tone. “DNA would prove far more than that.”
“We’re going to find Alicia and after we do, we’re coming for you.”
“You can try, but your power is weak compared to mine.”
Alpha thrust his full dark power at Mitch. Mitch howled in pain, dropped to his knees, but he refused to lessen his tight hold on the door handle. Never had he endured such reeling pain. He attempted to parry it but wasn’t able. He swung the heavy metal door toward himself and dropped backwards, rolling down the steps.
Cassandra rushed to him with her penlight on. “Mitch? Are you okay?”
“Shut the door,” he whispered in little gasps.
She did so. While lying on his back, Mitch pushed himself into the dark tunnel with his feet. The farther from the door he moved, the less noticeable the pain.
“What happened?” Cassandra asked, helping Mitch sit up.
Sheba crouched beside them. “Alpha attacked him.”
“From where?” Cassandra asked.
“From within,” Sheba said, tapping her finger to her head.
Cassandra looked from Sheba to Mitch. “How?”
Sweat dripped from Mitch’s hair, down his face, and he gasped to breath for a minute or so. “He has full psionic powers. Stronger than anyone I’ve met or ever been exposed to.”
“Meaning what exactly?” Cassandra asked.
“It means he can thrust his will over yours if he gets inside your mind. That’s why he was able to make Sheba change.”
“Then why you?” Cassandra asked.
“That was his punishment for my interfering. Had I not dropped into the tunnel, he’d probably have killed me. The steel door acts like a barrier.”
Sheba was now fully human in appearance. She placed her hand on his cheek. Tears were in her eyes. She gave a gentle kiss to his swollen left eye.
“I’m so sorry, Mitch,” Sheba said. “I never wanted to hurt you. After I told you everything at the bus stop, I knew I had said too much. I was afraid that you’d return with others and Alpha would kill me.”
Cassandra gave Sheba an icy stare. “His friends are coming.”
“That’s good,” Sheba said. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Mitch rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “How are you feeling, Sheba?”
“Okay, why?”
“No, mentally. Do you sense Alpha trying to get inside your head?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Good. I think we’re out of his control here,” Mitch said, trying to stand.
“Why?” Cassandra asked. “How?”
Mitch stood and wobbled to maintain balance. He took the penlight and shone it toward the tunnel ceiling. “The heavy door, for one. The ceiling is metal and looks like underground telephone and power cables run through the tunnel, too. The electrical currents interfere with his mental reach.”
Cassandra braced herself against Mitch to steady him. “How does he do that? Get inside people’s heads?”
“Fewer than a tenth of one percent of people in the world have that ability,” Mitch said. “But most that do, don’t even know they can do it.”
“And you’ve met others?” she asked.
“Yes, I have the ability too,” he replied. “I’m also an empath.”
Sheba studied his face. “That’s how you knew my thoughts when I had you bound?”
Mitch nodded. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you know I was setting you up?” Sheba asked.
“I let my guard down,” he said.
Cassandra shook her head. “No, he likes you and was trying to impress you.”
Sheba’s eyes widened. She blushed and smiled. “Sure . . .”
Mitch surrendered a meek nod. “It’s true. But it’s something I’m sharply reconsidering.”
Sheba’s eyes saddened. “I’m sorry.”
Cassandra helped Mitch walk to the wall. He placed his back against it, attempting to regain his strength.
“So you think we’re safe down here?” Cassandra asked.
“From his reach, yes,” Mitch said. “But if he comes down here, nothing we do will stop him. He’s much more powerful than I am. We need a place to hide until morning. Once my colleagues get here, we go after Alpha.”
Sheba frowned. “I know a place where you’ll be safe until tomorrow, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to take Alpha down. He’ll kill without hesitation. You’ve only felt a sliver of what he’s capable of imposing.”
“I know,” Mitch said. “But you haven’t met my friends yet, either.”
“I hope you’re right. Follow me. I’ll show you where we can hide. It’s where I go to get away from everything.”
Mitch took Cassandra’s hand. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad news.”
“What?” she asked.
“Alpha doesn’t have Alicia.”
“What?”
He shrugged. “That’s what he told me.”
“He’s lying,” Cassandra replied. “He has to be.”
“From what I detected, he’s telling the truth.”
“Then who has her?”
“I don’t know. But Kat and Lucian will help us find her.”
Mitch and Cassandra followed Sheba through the tunnel. Mitch trained the light on the path ahead of them. About midway back to where Sheba had held him prisoner, she turned to the right and pulled aside a black curtain. Behind it was another tunnel. They would have needed a larger flashlight to notice that cloth divider in the darkness.
Sheba paused and listened before she took a step past the curtain.
“Something wrong?” Mitch asked.
“No. I don’t think so,” Sheba replied. “Just want to make certain those cats aren’t in there.”
“Do the cats come from where you did?” Cassandra asked.
Sheba shook her head. “No.”
“They’re not from New Horizons?” Mitch asked. He squeezed Cassandra’s hand. “See? That’s a good sign that Alpha was telling the truth if those cats aren’t his.”
“No, they’re not,” Sheba said. “Alpha works with canine gene splicing. Never seen a cat anywhere on his properties. That would be total chaos.”
Cassandra cleared her throat. “So he really doesn’t have my daughter?”
“No,” Mitch said. “But he’s looking for her.”
“At least I have the hope we can find her.”
“We’ll give the search everything we have,” Mitch said.
Cassandra glanced at him in the faint glow of light. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Mitch said. “But I know Alpha’s pissed that he doesn’t have Alicia.”
“Why does he want her in the first place?” Cassandra asked.
Mitch faced her. “He implied that she is his creation. Alicia is a scientific project and you were only needed as the surrogate.”
“Damn him!” Cassandra said, fuming.
“Agreed,” Sheba said. “What I want to know is why those cats came after me and didn’t bother you.”
“They must have Alicia,” Cassandra replied. “They were protecting us from you.”
“Why would they take your daughter?”
“I’m not sure, but apparently they don’t want her or Seth taken by Alpha. I wonder where they are keeping them.”
Sheba shrugged. “I have no idea. Tonight’s the first time I’ve ever seen those cats.”
“They’ve watched my house for months.”
“Really?” Sheba asked.
“Yes.”
Sheba smiled at Cassandra. “That seems a good thing.”
“I hope so.”
***
Grayson sat behind his mahogany desk when the intercom beeped. His secretary said, “Mr. Grayson, he’s on the line.”
Grayson tapped his earphone. “Have you found Matthews?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
“San Diego.”
Grayson smiled. “So he’s come back for revenge?”
“Probably.”
“Perfect. I’m getting a team together.”
“There’s something you should know.”
Grayson frowned. “What’s that?”
“He doesn’t look the same.”
“Prison does that,” Grayson said with a broad smile.
“No. He’s had plastic surgery.”
The smile faded from Grayson’s face. “Send me a picture immediately.”
“I can’t yet.”
Grayson’s huge hands balled into tight veined fists. “Why not?”
“If I had taken his photo, he’d have killed me. It would be too obvious.”
“Okay.” Grayson nodded. “When can you send me one?”
“As soon as he returns. He should be back soon. But he’s not alone.”
“Oh?” Grayson said. “Who’s with him?”
“A woman.”
“Name?”
“I don’t know that yet, but I believe she might have been the doctor that did his surgery. At least Matthews implied it.”
“Good to know. Get a picture of him and email it to me.”
“I will.”
“Great job, Jimmy. Soon he won’t be a problem for any of us.”
“I’m setting up everything right now—cameras, mics, and if I’m able, I’ll place trackers on their clothes so you can lock in on their location.”
“Keep up the good work,” Grayson said. “The most important thing is getting us a clear image of his new face, in case you cannot use trackers or he discovers them.”
“Getting right on it.”
Grayson tapped his earphone and disconnected their connection. A broad grin spread across his face.
He wished he had killed Matthews in New York, but that would have taken the fun out of the hunting game set before him. Grayson liked challenges. He couldn’t wait to see the smugness stamped out of Matthews forever. Matthews would get what was coming to him.
***
Matthews and Mordia led the homeless couple through the dark filthy alley and across a couple of streets. When they stopped outside the fancy apartment building, Eric looked at Beth and smiled.
“Ritzy place, eh?” Eric said.
She smiled with tears forming in her eyes. “Yes.”
Matthews opened the front glass door. Mordia and Beth entered before him. Eric paused at the open door and faced Matthews. “How long will these tests last?”
“A few days. Maybe longer,” Matthews replied.
“I hope much, much longer,” Eric said, entering the building. “Once you’ve completed the tests, I’d be available to work for you if you need me.”
Matthews nodded. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. One step at a time.”
***
Matthews unlocked the apartment door. The smell of pizza drifted on the air.
Matthews let Eric and Beth inside. He pointed toward the table. “Sorry, but all we have tonight is pizza, but I promise you’ll have even better meals tomorrow.”
“Are you kidding? Pizza is divine when you’ve not eaten much in days,” Eric said.
“Help yourselves,” Matthews said.
Beth and Eric grabbed slices of pizza with their grimy hands and ate as fast as they could.
Matthews shook his head. “Easy, folks. Take the time to enjoy the taste of the pizza. No one’s going to steal it from you. If we run out, I promise we can order more. After you eaten your fill, take a long shower and clean up. Dr. Mordia and I will get the paperwork started.”
Eric’s mouth bulged. “Thank you, sir.”
Beth nodded. “Bless you.”
Matthews acquiesced a nod and turned toward Jimmy. “Everything okay?”
Jimmy gave a nervous nod. “Everything’s fine.”
Matthews approached the desk where Jimmy had set up his laptop and other devices. “What have you got going here?”
“I have a new type of camera on the laptop that taps directly into the FBI database.” Jimmy grinned. “Well, it does now since I hacked into their system.”
“Already?”
“Yes.”
Matthews nodded. “I’m impressed.”
“When you mentioned you might want me to research identifications through their database, I thought I could show you this. If you could indulge me?”
“What do you need?”
“Just a quick photo.”
Matthews’ eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms. “Why?”
“We scan your facial profile and compare you with the FBI database.”
“They won’t find me since my face has changed.”
“I know,” Jimmy said. “But then I’ll run a scan on one of your . . . research participants there.”
Matthews stared at Jimmy in silence for several long seconds.
“It was just an idea,” Jimmy said. “I thought you might want to make certain that their technology didn’t probe any farther and detect who you are.”
“And how could they possibly do that?”
“I’m not certain if their technology can also recognize eye shape or even somehow read eye retina recognition through a photo. Should they have that ability, I’d stay off the streets and never enter any bank or government building where these recognition cameras are set up.”
“You think they can do that?” Matthews asked with a skeptical gaze.
Jimmy shrugged. “Their programs are state of the art, but I really can’t say unless I check firsthand.”
At first Matthews looked suspicious, but after a few seconds, his growing paranoia got the best of him. He looked nervous. Sweat beaded his brow.
“Ah, hell, where do I stand?” Matthews asked.
Jimmy motioned him until the camera captured Matthews’ face. He typed a command and it froze Matthews’ new image onto a small corner of the computer screen. Before Matthews got around the desk, Jimmy clicked another button, which sent a copy of the Matthews’ face to Grayson.
“So how’s this scan work?”
Jimmy typed several key codes into the computer, and the FBI database scrolled through dozens of faces, trying to match one to it.
“Like I said,” Jimmy replied. “There probably won’t be anything show up, but I’ll let it run for a couple of hours in case they do check eye matches, too.”
Matthews said, “Let me know what you find.”
“I will.”
Mordia entered the room with a stack of towels and washcloths in her hands. She set them on the table close to the pizza boxes. She looked at Beth. “When you’re ready, I’ll show you where you can shower.”
Beth nodded.
“After you two are all cleaned up,” Matthews said. “We’ll start with your first injection. Then you can sleep. We’ll begin evaluations in the morning after a hearty breakfast of course. And coffee. Do you two like coffee?”
They nodded, still stuffing pizza into their mouths.
“Good. Enjoy!”
***
Alicia sat on a worn couch with her legs crossed. Seth lay on the other end in a near fetal position. His eyes were red from crying. Alicia hummed a pleasant tune, trying to soothe him, and at least he had stopped sobbing.
The room was small, hardly larger than a prison cell. There weren’t any bars, but there wasn’t a single window, either. The walls were metal. The only light came from the single hanging bulb overhead. She guessed the place had been a large vault at some point in history, but she wasn’t certain.
The tunnels the catlike creatures had led her through were too dark for her to know exactly where they had taken her. Seth came a few hours later.
“Why are we here?” he whispered.
“To keep us safe,” she replied.
“From who?” He sat up and wiped his flushed cheeks.
“I don’t know.”
“I want my Momma.”
Alicia nodded. “I know. So do I. We’ll see them soon.”
“No,” Seth said. “I won’t. Momma’s dead.”
Alicia took a deep breath. “You’re sure?”
“Uh-huh. I heard the people break down the front door. She started screaming in her bedroom and then became very quiet.”
“How did you escape?”
“Those cats. I followed them through the basement and out the little window into the yard.”
“They’ll keep us safe,” Alicia whispered.
“I hope so.”
Alicia smiled at Seth. “If they meant us harm, they would have killed us already.”
“Is your Momma okay?”
Alicia thought for a few moments, closed her eyes, and slowly nodded. “Yes. She’s trying to find us.”
“I wish she’d hurry.”
“Me, too, Seth. Me, too. Close your eyes and try to sleep. It’s late. Maybe things will be a lot better in the morning.”
“Okay,” Seth said, closing his eyes. Tears slowly crept down his cheeks. His breathing was hampered with occasional sharp breaths. A few minutes later he was asleep.
Alicia uncrossed her legs and looked at the pile of toys in the floor. None of them interested her. They were for children much younger than her or Seth. She was startled that Seth was acting half his age, but she understood why. His mother was dead. Gone. And his shock reverted him to childlike actions as a defensive mechanism. Once his shock subsided, she believed he’d adjust in a few days.
She wasn’t affected in the same manner because she sensed her mother was somehow still alive. Her mother was tough and resourceful. She was a runner and that sport required focused determination. Although her mother didn’t speak much of her ex-husband, Alicia was aware of the internal strain this had imposed on her Mom. The lines and creases around her eyes and lips showed the weathering her soul had endured. Her mother was a survivor, a fighter, and the only time she had shown any fear around Alicia was when the cats were outside the house.
Alicia had known about the catlike creatures for months. She had watched them from her bedroom window for a few nights before they finally came for her. They fascinated her because they were the first animals that didn’t fear her. They let her pet them. She loved that they trusted her, so she trusted them in return.
Their fur was soft like silk. Their gentle purrs soothed her whenever she petted them and wrapped her arms around their necks. They nuzzled her affectionately, and last night, when they had come, she sensed that they wanted her to leave with them. She read it in their eyes. She didn’t understand why she knew this was what they wanted, but her instincts hadn’t been wrong. They led her through the alleyways. Their ears and eyes were always alert. They sensed someone was coming. They kept her close, and she never felt afraid.
Alicia worried about her mother. Although she didn’t have telepathic abilities, she did detect her mother’s determination to find her. She was alive, of that she felt certain.
She didn’t want to believe Seth’s mother was dead, as he had just told her, but her gut told her that what he had heard was probably the last brutal moments of her life.
Alicia wondered why the creatures had chosen to take her and Seth but not their mothers. Her mother knew about the large cats and feared them. Perhaps that was why they didn’t try to persuade her mother to follow. Alicia’s curiosity about the creatures was greater than any fear she should have held for them. They were larger than most dogs but gentler than kittens, at least around her and Seth.
Three cats had come to her window, but she had seen at least a half dozen more when she reached the small room. In the dark hall outside the door a larger catlike creature sat in a defensive stance. Although these cats were protecting her and Seth, they weren’t allowed to leave the room. The one time she walked to the door, the cat guardian turned with narrowed eyes and hissed at her. She stepped back without hesitation.
Another cat entered and nuzzled its head against her hands in a reassuring manner. They didn’t want to harm her, but they weren’t about to allow her outside. She gathered that something dangerous lurked in Salem. Someone had sent the cats to protect her and Seth, but who?
On a small table beside the couch were several bags of chips, cookies, and jerky. These were different items the catlike creatures had brought to them to eat but none appealed to her.
Alicia took the small blanket from the floor and gently draped it over Seth before she curled into her corner of the couch and rested her head on the armrest. She closed her eyes and hoped that she and her mother would be together soon. Until then, she’d search for her mother in her dreams.
***
A few minutes after midnight, Lydia entered Grayson’s office with Davis. Grayson sat behind his desk with his large hands folded tightly together. Even at the late hour, Grayson wore one of his best suits without having loosened his tie. When he saw her enter, a bold smile spread across his serious face.
Lydia offered a narrowed, cold stare when her eyes met Grayson’s.
“Have you found him?” she asked.
Grayson chuckled and shook his head. “Straight to the point. I like that.”
Lydia placed her hands on her hips. “Well?”
“As a matter of fact, we now know what he looks like.”
Lydia frowned. “What do you mean?”
Grayson nodded. “He underwent plastic surgery. Apparently he knew we’d want to find him.”
“Location?” she asked.
“San Diego.”
Lydia’s eyebrows rose. “Why would he come here?”
“My guess is that he plans to do what he began at my New York facility. He wants me dead, my technology data, and would possibly go after you if he succeeded in achieving those goals.”
“He won’t have time to pursue either or us. I’m going after him now.”
Lydia turned and headed for the door.
“Easy,” Grayson said. “Not yet.”
Lydia stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Why not?”
“I have a man on the inside. You rush in right now, and he’s dead.”
Lydia turned and frowned. “I doubt Matthews will stick around too long before he heads here. It’s best we catch him off guard.”
Grayson nodded. “That’s my intention. But I know he’s in no hurry to leave.”
“What makes you so certain?”
“The apartment complex where he’s at. He paid a year’s rent ahead on it. So whatever he’s up to, he’s going to be working on it there.”
Lydia looked from Grayson to Davis.
Davis nodded. “He’s right. We did some investigating after our contact showed up. We have proof this is Matthews’ residence and has been even though he was imprisoned.”
“The plastic surgery isn’t something I expected he’d do,” Grayson said. “I believed his vanity flowed vigorously from his soul. And as much as he has lusted for notoriety, I assumed he’d also want people to recognize him immediately. So he’s in stealth mode, but he won’t suspect that we know where he is or what he looks like.”
“How soon before I can get him?” Lydia asked.
Grayson smiled and looked at Davis. Davis shook his head and chuckled.
“She’s set a vindictive mission,” Davis said.
“I see that,” Grayson said, nodding. He looked at Lydia. “Within a few hours Jimmy will leave after Matthews has gone to sleep. After he’s safe, he’ll contact me. Then you move in.”
Lydia glanced at Davis. “I need weapons.”
“We have an arsenal of weapons you can choose from.”
Lydia smiled. “Then let’s get started.”