not knowing how much time I have before Leah returns. “And please don’t try to lie to me.”
Xiulan gapes at me, as if she’s not used to being asked a question in such a direct manner. I don’t have time to beat around the bush, and I hope she doesn’t try to deflect my question.
Xiulan glances over her shoulder to the entrance of the kitchen, making sure no one is about to enter the room. Mason comes to sit beside me and across from Xiulan as she pulls up her right sleeve. I gasp involuntarily when I see the blood-filled polyp surrounded by spider-like black veins on her wrist.
“When did that happen?” I ask her in a whisper, knowing Xiulan’s fate has been set in stone.
“A few days ago,” Xiulan confesses, self-consciously covering up her injury.
“I’m guessing Leah doesn’t know about it,” I say.
“No,” Xiulan answers, with a resolute shake of her head, “and please don’t tell her. There’s nothing she can do to help, and I don’t want to cause her any worry.”
“Are you feeling…any effects?” I ask, having witnessed firsthand the savagery the infected are capable of committing.
“Not yet,” Xiulan replies with a sad smile, understanding what it is I’m really asking. “But when I do lose control of myself, please make sure I’m nowhere near Leah. If I ever did something to her…”
Xiulan leaves her sentence unfinished, but she doesn’t need to say more.
“I can’t offer you a cure,” I tell her, knowing one doesn’t exist, and not wanting to give her false hope. “But maybe we can help your soul move on so you’re not forced to live through the pain.”
“Thank you for your honesty. I would much rather leave this world on my own terms if possible,” Xiulan says, doing her best to put on a brave face, but I can still see her fear. And who in their right mind wouldn’t be scared? Being driven insane by the excruciating pain of living in a decomposing body was enough to frighten even the bravest of us.
“Has there been any word on where they’re keeping Lucifer?” I ask Mason.
“Yes,” Mason replies rather reluctantly, his back stiffening slightly as his gaze drops to the table, “we know where he is. Noel was able to find him and Ava.”
“I’m not going to like the answer to my next question, am I?”
Mason finally meets my gaze. “No. You’re not.”
I take a deep breath. “Where are they being held?”
“They’re being kept inside the White House.”
“Ok,” I say, wondering why this is such a bad thing, “well, I know there will be added security there, but it doesn’t sound impossible.”
“Jess,” Mason says like a warning, to prepare me for what he’s about to say next, “they’re keeping them in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.”
“Why do you say that like it’s the worst place on earth to be?”
“Because it’s six stories below the East Wing of the White House,” Mason explains. “The only way to get inside is by going through an access tunnel, which has three vault doors leading to the only elevator that goes down to the room. The vault doors can only be opened one way.”
“How are they opened?”
“Only someone with security clearance can get through them. They’re fitted with a biometric access control system.”
“Like the controls Wayne put in Lucifer’s cell?”
“Yes.”
“I assume no one working with the rebellion has the security clearance we need to get through the doors.”
Mason shakes his head. “None of them do.”
“Then what’s the plan?” I ask, not ready to give up on the one hope Xiulan and perhaps thousands of others have to end their pain. “There is a plan, right?”
“Brand and his group are working on one,” Mason tells me, not sounding too optimistic about the outcome.
“Which is?” I press.
“Nina is trying to play on the sympathies of a fellow Watcher. Her name is Peyton Kilpatrick.”
“Will’s wife?” I ask, remembering Will mention his wife
Xiulan gapes at me, as if she’s not used to being asked a question in such a direct manner. I don’t have time to beat around the bush, and I hope she doesn’t try to deflect my question.
Xiulan glances over her shoulder to the entrance of the kitchen, making sure no one is about to enter the room. Mason comes to sit beside me and across from Xiulan as she pulls up her right sleeve. I gasp involuntarily when I see the blood-filled polyp surrounded by spider-like black veins on her wrist.
“When did that happen?” I ask her in a whisper, knowing Xiulan’s fate has been set in stone.
“A few days ago,” Xiulan confesses, self-consciously covering up her injury.
“I’m guessing Leah doesn’t know about it,” I say.
“No,” Xiulan answers, with a resolute shake of her head, “and please don’t tell her. There’s nothing she can do to help, and I don’t want to cause her any worry.”
“Are you feeling…any effects?” I ask, having witnessed firsthand the savagery the infected are capable of committing.
“Not yet,” Xiulan replies with a sad smile, understanding what it is I’m really asking. “But when I do lose control of myself, please make sure I’m nowhere near Leah. If I ever did something to her…”
Xiulan leaves her sentence unfinished, but she doesn’t need to say more.
“I can’t offer you a cure,” I tell her, knowing one doesn’t exist, and not wanting to give her false hope. “But maybe we can help your soul move on so you’re not forced to live through the pain.”
“Thank you for your honesty. I would much rather leave this world on my own terms if possible,” Xiulan says, doing her best to put on a brave face, but I can still see her fear. And who in their right mind wouldn’t be scared? Being driven insane by the excruciating pain of living in a decomposing body was enough to frighten even the bravest of us.
“Has there been any word on where they’re keeping Lucifer?” I ask Mason.
“Yes,” Mason replies rather reluctantly, his back stiffening slightly as his gaze drops to the table, “we know where he is. Noel was able to find him and Ava.”
“I’m not going to like the answer to my next question, am I?”
Mason finally meets my gaze. “No. You’re not.”
I take a deep breath. “Where are they being held?”
“They’re being kept inside the White House.”
“Ok,” I say, wondering why this is such a bad thing, “well, I know there will be added security there, but it doesn’t sound impossible.”
“Jess,” Mason says like a warning, to prepare me for what he’s about to say next, “they’re keeping them in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.”
“Why do you say that like it’s the worst place on earth to be?”
“Because it’s six stories below the East Wing of the White House,” Mason explains. “The only way to get inside is by going through an access tunnel, which has three vault doors leading to the only elevator that goes down to the room. The vault doors can only be opened one way.”
“How are they opened?”
“Only someone with security clearance can get through them. They’re fitted with a biometric access control system.”
“Like the controls Wayne put in Lucifer’s cell?”
“Yes.”
“I assume no one working with the rebellion has the security clearance we need to get through the doors.”
Mason shakes his head. “None of them do.”
“Then what’s the plan?” I ask, not ready to give up on the one hope Xiulan and perhaps thousands of others have to end their pain. “There is a plan, right?”
“Brand and his group are working on one,” Mason tells me, not sounding too optimistic about the outcome.
“Which is?” I press.
“Nina is trying to play on the sympathies of a fellow Watcher. Her name is Peyton Kilpatrick.”
“Will’s wife?” I ask, remembering Will mention his wife
Similar Books
Don Tarquinio: A Kataleptic Phantasmatic Romance (Valancourt eClassics)
Barón Corvo, Frederick Rolfe, Fr. Rolfe
