Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel (28 page)

“Yeah ya think?” Helena asked.

“You really make me want to slap you,” he said honestly. “I need to go back to the Infernos, I have my brother Garrett and a Tracker here. They will take you to the airport where they last had Elle. Do you have a glamour so you can leave the house?”

She glared at him. “Of course I do.” She went into her bathroom. Victor headed out and to the back of the house. He threw the door open and called to Garrett. Who appeared immediately. “We got a problem.”

Garrett smiled. “When don’t we?”

“I have to go back to the Infernos. Take Helena to the airport in California. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Victor motioned Garrett to follow him into the house.

Helena was standing on the front porch talking to one of the kids, but they stopped talking the moment Victor and Garrett showed up. “When did pretty guy two show up?”

“Who is he?” Garrett asked at the same time.

But Victor wasn’t paying attention to him he was staring at Helena, her glamour had changed her from a blond bombshell to a mouse brown haired short woman with brown eyes. “Your glamour is full of shit,” Victor said laughing.

“Go to hell.” Helena emphasized her words by flipping him off. She finished talking to the kid and grabbed her bags, she waited for Garrett and Victor to exit her house and she locked up.

“How do you plan on finding Elle?” he asked Helena.

Helena rolled her eyes, “How long ago did she get away from you?”

“Four days.” Garrett offered.

“Her energy will still be there.” Helena said. “I should be able to follow it from there.”

Bowen jogged across the street. “Where we headed?”

Victor slapped Garrett on the back and Flashed out.

****

He was surprised to find Dante in the stone garden. Dante rarely ventured into this part of the Infernos, in fact Victor couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his father here. He stood back in the shadows knowing it wasn’t the right time to interrupt Dante.

“That was the first time since your creation I have had to discipline any of you,” Dante finally said. But Victor heard him even standing across the courtyard, Victor moved out of the shadows and walked toward his father. “You understand I could not back down, I had to punish you.”

Victor did understand, Dante had to punish him, but he hadn’t thought for one moment Dante felt any type of remorse for it. Dante turned to him and remorse shown in his eyes he extended his hand and Victor took it. “Don’t make me do it again.”

Victor nodded. “She is worth it Dante, and I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

Dante raised one eyebrow. “I will of course hold my opinion until I am graced with her presence.”

Victor laughed. “I have information.”

Dante nodded and Victor explained everything he had learned as they walked up to the fortress. “Find out which member of the Tribunal put a price on our heads,” Dante said. “I want the name and I want the individual.”

“Of course.” Victor turned to leave.

“And Victor.”

Victor stopped and turned back.

“Good luck getting Elle back safe and sound.”

Victor almost tripped he was so stunned at Dante’s words.

Dante smiled. “It’s the Angel in you, and I can’t deny that Celeste is happier with Marcus. I could not deny you that same type of happiness.”

“Thank you, father.” Victor left the great hall in a daze. He had just had the strangest conversation of his existence with Dante. Now he just had to go get Elle back. And kill Aldon, and find out who had put a bounty on the Reapers.

****

“It’s an enzyme, a protein. A new kind of protein only you could create.” Doc was talking so fast Elle was having a hard time following her. Tabitha sat next to Elle with the same look of confusion Elle was sure she had on her face.

Elle nodded as Doc continued talking, they had ran a plethora of tests on Elle when she had arrived. From blood tests, to full body MRI’s, CT scans X-rays and others she didn’t know the names of. Shamans had looked at her. She had gone into prayer circles and sat for twelve hours in a sweat lodge.

Now she was sitting across from a woman who went by Doc for the simple reason she was the doctor for the Daughters of Eve, going over the results. And Doc was so excited about what she had found, the tiny woman could barely sit still. She kept shifting in her seat, had actually come out of it several times, in her excitement.

“So you see? You are literally a God in the making,” she finally said, this Elle did understand. And the information sat like a heavy rock in the pit of her stomach.

“Excuse me?” Elle asked leaning forward. “Can you please repeat that part?”

Doc jumped out of her chair. “Have you been listening to me?”

Tabitha gave Elle a strange look and shook her head. “Of course we have but you have to admit this is a little hard to believe. Why don’t you try explaining it to us again Doc?” Tabitha asked.

Doc slapped her hands against her desk. “This is why those things have been going nuts! Those Freaks, why Aldon wants you so desperately. Why the Tribunal can’t wait to get their greedy hands on you.” She said enthusiastically. “I mean, if I had heard about you, I would want to test you myself. Not like, in a test-tube baby kind of way, of course. You are an amazing find. You are going to change the world, Elle.”

Now she really did have Elle’s attention. The last thing she wanted was to change the world. “What have you found?” Elle asked shaking her head.

“Your test results of course.” Doc said with a satisfied smile. And then nodded, “It sure explains those things continued bombardment. Thank you for the sample by the way.” She said the last part to Tabitha.

Elle glared at Tabitha, “What things?” she really didn’t want to know the answer because she was 99% sure she knew the answer to her question.

Tabitha stood and glared at Doc, turning to Elle. “Don’t worry about it, Elle.”

Elle turned to Tabitha. “What is she talking about?”

“You didn’t tell her about the Freak attacks?” Doc asked, surprised..

Elle felt her stomach bottom out. “There have been Freak attacks? Here?”

Tabitha rolled her eyes and turned so she was facing Elle. “It’s nothing we haven’t been able to handle. If it had been a problem I would have told you.” She said, with the same dame placating tone that Victor had used with her.

Elle wanted to smack the woman. “Why wasn’t I told either way? I thought you said we would be safe here. You said Aldon and his Freaks wouldn’t be able to touch me here.”

Tabitha shrugged like it wasn’t a problem. “Because, it isn’t anything we can’t handle,” Tabitha said again. “We haven’t even sustained any injuries. This entire compound, gods Aldon’s Freaks couldn’t come within a fifty miles of our compound the place has been blessed by our priestesses. As for Aldon if he desecrates the Daughters of Eve, we will kill him on the spot. The only reason we haven’t killed him on the spot is because the Sons of Adam pulled the kill order.”

Elle came out of her own seat on that, “WHAT?”

Tabitha swore, “Don’t worry I expect it to be put back in place any day now.”

“What happened?” Elle demanded.

“They didn’t know about the Freaks.” Tabitha explained. “If the Freaks are somehow Sons, and we are killing them, then we are breaking one of their laws. One of their highest laws.”

“You’re kidding me right?” Elle asked.

“The Sons, never kid when it comes to their offspring.” Tabitha said seriously,

“The Freaks are soulless beasts.” Elle said.

“Yes well they wanted to see for themselves. They have sent an emissary to work with Doc. Luckily they showed up when the Freaks were attacking.” Tabitha explained.

Elle laid her head on the conference table, “Tell me this is a bad dream I didn’t come here to bring danger to the Daughters of Eve,” Elle said trying not to panic.

“This isn’t something we can’t handle.” Tabitha reassured her. “And he and Doc got the samples they needed from a Freak.”

Elle peaked up from where she was hiding in her arms.

“Yes, they are fascinating creatures. Soulless as all get out, and beastly. I wouldn’t want to go up against them in a fight I’ll tell you that much. Aldon is a mad scientist to have created them, spliced together several species DNA its quiet fascinating really. They have thought and everything they need to be fighters, but soulless…” Elle was sure Doc would have continued. And Elle was feeling sick to her stomach. But Tabitha cut Doc off.

“I think that’s enough Doc.” Tabitha glared at Doc, and then pushed Elle back into her chair. “So this emissary took everything back to the Sons, and we should hear back any time now. Until then we have it under control.

“And Aldon’s requests can be ignored then.” Doc said happily.

“Excuse me?” Elle asked.

Tabitha turned to Doc and sighed then turned back to Elle.

“Aldon has requested we release you into his custody, Diane has rejected his request.” She said between her teeth. “Doc is full of information today.”

Doc had the sense to look everywhere but at the other two people in the room.

Elle felt sick and put her head back on the table, Tabitha patted her on the shoulder. “Aldon thinks he can circumvent the rules.”

“What are you talking about?” Elle muttered not bothering to raise her head. She didn’t know if she could take any more information at the moment.

“You are here with the Daughters, now,” Doc said it like it should explain everything.

“And?” Elle asked when no further information was offered. She peaked up from her arms.

“Well as long as you are with us, you fall under our jurisdiction.” Doc smiled. “But that isn’t the problem we came here to discuss.” She said shaking her head. “Let’s get back to the real issue here.” Elle didn’t really want to discuss the real issue. She had way too much on her mind now. “What we need to discuss, is the fact you have this awesome new protein. This new enzyme is being created from your curse. Frankly, it’s amazing. It’s turned your curse into a god send. What is happening inside you, is absolutely amazing.”

“A god send? Really?” Elle asked, she was honestly too tired to be as excited as Doc. “Okay I’ll bite what are you talking about?”

“You have an extra protein! This new, amazing type of enzyme in your blood. I couldn’t believe it; I had to run the tests like six different times.” Doc was back to bouncing in her chair like a kid.

“And what exactly does it mean?” Elle asked, sitting back in her chair.

Doc finally couldn’t control herself, she jumped out of her chair. “That is the thing!” She shouted, making Elle shrink back.

“We know why Aldon wants you! Any child you bare, would be a demi-god. Who has given birth to demi-gods? Nobody. Not just a normal child but a DEMI-GOD!?” She emphasized. “Who can do that? Who can do that? You! That’s who! If you mated with that nut-job, Aldon, your child would be both a Son of Adam and a demi-god. A demi-god would mean the Sons of Adam would finally, after eons, have the one thing they have always wanted. Immortality." She danced taking breaths and wringing her hands. “But this enzyme…” she stuttered. “It’s basically made you a God in your own right!.” Doc stopped and starred at Elle, apparently waiting for her amazing proclamation to garner some type of reaction.

Elle just stared at Doc unable to believe what she had just heard. “What?” was all she was able to say when she finally found her voice. She felt bands wrap around her chest and the breath in her chest slowly seep from her lungs. The pit of her stomach grew heavy and she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t just throw up right there on the glossy conference table.

Doc sat heavily in a chair next to Elle. “You seem really less excited then I thought you might be over this type of news.”

Elle nodded. “I’m not sure I understand what is going on.”

Doc nodded and patted Elle’s hand. “I don’t know all the specifics. But, I think this is how it works. You die, the demi-god kicks in, however, your body from the curse is human so to counter that and still bring you back, over and over and over…” Elle held her hand up. Doc smiled. “And repair your body, but still make your body go through all the same deaths again this protein regenerates the dead tissue. Your body has done something amazing.” she shouted. “This protein and enzyme, it’s a medical breakthrough. Not only in the Others medical world and we have some amazing medicine. But in the mortal world of medicine? This is life changing. I gave it to a lab mouse that had cancer and it healed it. You would be able to re-grow limbs. Regenerate, regrow, reanimate, you are practically a God. If you could get past the dying thing you would be a god.”

“That’s why the Tribunal wants me,” Elle said putting her head down on the table. She felt the world descended onto her shoulders.

“Didn’t Victor tell you this?” Tabitha asked.

Elle peeked up. “What?”

“Victor and his little band of merry men had to know about this. Didn’t he tell you?” Tabitha asked.

Elle shook her head. “No, he would have said something if he had.” Why was she bringing this up now? “It doesn’t matter now anyway,” she said waving her off.