Underworld Queen (29 page)

Audray watched them leave.
Pompous buffoons.
Turning around, she saw the guards remained standing on either side of the doors, nodding greetings to the departing council members.

Rather like pigs through the turnstile at the auction yard in Bakersfield.
Once again, she heard Jonas chuckle under his breath. She sighed and held his hand, motioning him to seat himself beside her.

“You are ill?” the wicked woman asked her.

“No. I have some residual effects from our travels through the human world. I spent a good deal of time there, recently,” Audray announced. “My system hasn’t yet adjusted.”

“Yes. I understand you found your mother. How fortunate for you.” Catarina smiled.

Jonas let out a loud “humph” and crossed his arms. “Suppose we just get down to what it is you want to say to us,” he boomed.

The hatred Audray felt for this woman helped her strength, but then her nerves collapsed and Audray threw up on the table, little pieces of soup and chicken traveling across in a yellow finger of vomit, almost dripping in Rupert’s lap.

Rupert stood immediately, wrinkling up his face like a prune. Catarina beamed.

“And so I thought,” she said nodding her head. “I got the feeling you were with child. Congratulations.” She looked at Jonas. “Sort of changes things, doesn’t it?”

Audray squeezed Jonas’ hand.
We need help. This isn’t going well.

Rupert looked to his wife and receiving no direction, sat down.

“Well, I think we can wrap things up rather quickly, now. This is better than I expected,” Catarina mused, smiling for the first time at Rupert who remained seated, his nose dangerously close to the spreading vomit. His smile was more a reaction to his wife’s, but his eyes focused on making sure the awful smelling liquid didn’t soil his lap. Seeing the forward motion stop, he gave Jonas a vacant stare.

“I understand Rupert has intentions of running for the Directorship. If you are asking for an appointment…” Audray was interrupted as Catarina stood, leaning into the table with her fingers pressed into the dull black surface.

“
I
will be the new Director,” Catarina demanded. She floated down to her seat with grace.

Jonas was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Rupert looked so green, the vomit appeared to come from his own mouth. Audray noticed his chair was slightly lower than Catarina’s.
Some advanced planning here.

“So, if I pass the Directorship down to you, what will you do for us in return?” Audray asked.

“Allow you to live up top, of course. I won’t interfere with the rest of your miserable lives. Jonas will have fulfilled his obligation to his family, you’ll be free to go.”

“I’ve heard that term recently and I didn’t trust it when I heard it then and I don’t now,” Jonas retorted. “What guarantees do we have?”

“My word.” Catarina smiled sweetly. Rupert, sitting quietly beside her, allowed his eyes to widen and stared back to the mess on the table.

“Not good enough,” Jonas added.

Wait, love. Perhaps this is best. Let’s get as far away from this place as possible. Rescue as many of your men as you can and let’s just flee, be safe.

“Well, I could threaten to tell the council. They could require a physical examination to disprove my findings. How well do you think you’d fare? You’d be declared incompetent to hold the office and would lose by default, on medical grounds.”

“So now you’re willing to get creative with the rules?” Jonas shouted back.

“No, Grandfather, if I may call you this,” Catarina smiled as she delivered the verbal blow, “I have read the rules and there is such a provision.”

After a brief pause, Audray was suddenly overcome with nausea again. She sighed, resigned to try to salvage what she could of the afternoon. “Under the circumstances, we have no choice. I will make the appointment official. I’ll go back to my office and write it up, attach my seal to it. I’ll leave it on my desk, and then we’ll depart. You will let us go, and you will promise not to harm our child or interfere with our lives, is that our arrangement?” Audray looked up into the face of the gloating evil woman.

“Almost, not quite.” She stood up again. “He,” she said pointing to Jonas, “will go and get your seal and the letterhead. You will remain here with me until after he returns.”

What do you think? You should go get them. You know where they are.

“I am not comfortable leaving you alone here, unprotected,” Jonas answered.

“We wish her no harm. Besides, she is now carrying our bloodline, Jonas. There are rules about that.” Catarina paced behind her chair, arms folded into her chest, just like Jonas liked to do.

“Go, Jonas. Bring my things,” Audray said as she turned to him.
And then we will get the hell out of here and never return, my love. Please do this for us.

They allowed Jonas
leave. As Audray watched his hulking form sprint down the aisle and through the back doors, she ached that he did not turn to say goodbye.

Perhaps he doesn’t feel it is as permanent as I do.
She was tired of showing her false strength.
Rest, little one. Your father goes to help us. He won’t let us down. He never does.

“Come, my cousin,” Catarina said as she drew a slender arm around Audray’s waist, helping her stand. “We will retire to our residence, where you can put those feet up. From what I’m told, this is the difficult part of the pregnancy. Although I cannot figure out how in Heaven this ever happened.” She twaddled on with words Audray didn’t hear.

Audray stopped, separating herself from the dark angel, staring back at the woman who would forever be her mortal enemy.

“That’s because this isn’t Heaven.” It was the only thing Audray was sure of at the moment.

“I
want you
to break into the Director’s office,” Jonas repeated to his senior Captain of the guard. “She has a red box in the top right drawer that holds her official seals. Take the box and don’t tell me where you’ve put it.”

“Excuse me, Sir. This is an act of treason.”

“Not if I give the order. Son.” Jonas had sponsored Omar nearly a century ago. The young man had lost his entire family during the Great World War, and with them, lost his will to live. Jonas’ opportunity was something the man didn’t have to think very hard about before he made the decision to end his life and become a dark angel. “I won’t let you take the fall, if it comes to that.”

“And I won’t allow it. I just want to know why this is so important.”

“It doesn’t matter except that I say it is. When I get to the Director’s office, I need to find it broken into and the seals taken. You understand?”

“You are buying some time. Is the Director well?”

“Very. But Omar, we both are counting on you. A lot is riding on this.”

“Consider it done.”

Jonas gave Omar
as much time as he dared to set his little ruse. Nearly a half hour later, when he ran up the shallow steps of the Directorate, past the reception area, he was not stopped until he got to the elevator. One glare at the guard who came for him and he was left untouched. He traveled to the top floor, opened the doors and immediately saw the anteroom empty, but the door to Audray’s offices ajar. The surveillance video camera was ripped from the wall. Inside her office, papers were thrown in all directions, drawers of the black desk pulled out and emptied. Omar had done a good job making it look like a small time thief had outsmarted them all. Jonas knew the story wouldn’t hold up for long, but it might give him enough time to get Audray away.

Audray picked up
Jonas’ call on the first ring.

“Jonas, are you all right?” she asked. She was seated on a bright red flowered couch, legs propped up on a pillow. A young Chinese woman was giving her a foot massage. Catarina supervised.

“Yes, but we have a problem.”

Audray sighed and sent him a message.
Jonas, I don’t want to be here one more second. Things are not what they seem.
“Problem? Please explain the problem,” she said as she looked into Catarina’s scowling black eyes.

“Your office has been broken into. It has been cleared out. Everything is gone.”

“What? Do you know who did this?”
Please, love, tell me you are not responsible.

“No, but I have some clues. I’ve been followed recently, and I think they were looking for an opportunity when they knew we both would be gone.”

Audray spoke to Catarina, who stood and held out her hand to receive the phone. “Jonas says someone broke into my office and removed…” she spoke back into the phone, “Jonas, they removed everything. My music box?”

“Give me the fucking phone.” Catarina grabbed the device from Audray’s hand. She screeched into the phone. “You better not be responsible for this. Whoever did this will be vaporized immediately, even if it’s you, Jonas.”

Audray could hear Jonas’ response. “I completely understand and agree. But I am not to blame. I’m going to need more time. I’ll come to pick up Audray so she can get some rest in her own bed while I go look for the criminals. One of my men has a good lead.”

“Audray shall stay here. She can just as well sleep under the protection of my home, my guards. No one can touch her here.”

Including me,
Audray heard his thoughts.

“Take a day or two, but not longer. Audray will be safe here. I’ll catch her up on all the family history. Would you like that?”

“Not necessary.”

“On the contrary. She needs to know what kind of a family she’s getting involved with.”

“She knows.”

“Very well. You need any of my guards to help? They are very good with interviewing suspects, although sometimes it is a bit messy.”

Audray envisioned a child pulling the wings off flies.

“No thanks. But I could use Rupert’s help.”

“Whatever for? Rupert is completely helpless.”

“One of his men is responsible, I fear. I think he would be an aid in the investigation.”

There was a long pause before Catarina answered. “I’ll have him meet you at your barracks with two of my guards who will keep an eye out for both of you.”

“Can I talk to Audray, please?”

Catarina handed the phone back to Audray and stormed up the stairs in search of Rupert, pushing the Chinese girl ahead of her.

“Your music box is safe.” Jonas whispered. Audray’s breathing was shallow and irregular. She exhaled through her mouth. Jonas asked, “Are you crying, love?’

“No.”

“It’s going to turn out. Have a little faith.”

“I have all the faith in you. I have so little in me.” She sniffled. “What can I do to help? Is there anything I can do, Jonas?”

“Make sure Rupert comes to see me. Ask him if he can help us somehow.”

“The guy is a snake.”

“On a very short leash. And he knows he’s about to be cut loose. She’s a nasty one, Audray. Not to be trusted. Sorry to say we share the same blood.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Well, the important thing is, she does. As long as you carry my child, she won’t harm you.”

“I’m not so sure of that.”

“Are you feeling well?”

“I’ve been lying down, having a foot massage. I’m surprised Catarina’s left me alone.”

“That’s good. She’s beginning to trust you. She knows you were going to give her what she wants and had nothing to do with the break in.”

“Did
you
?”

“I didn’t break in, no.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Jonas paused and then answered. “I was nowhere near the office when it happened. I don’t know who did it, but I have some good guesses. That’s all I’ll say.” Jonas let his words sink in. “Love, I need to go. Try to meet with Rupert, if you can. Alone.”

“Will do. Take care of yourself.”

“Take care of the little one, and this will all be over soon.”

Jonas flipped the
phone shut. Omar and his men approached, armed to the teeth.

“Sir, we heard about the robbery.”

Jonas, grateful Omar hadn’t let the others in on their little plan, told them, “Catarina is holding the Director hostage until we can recover her seals. These are not replaceable.”

Omar looked at the pink music box tucked under Jonas’ arm. “Sir?” he asked, pointing to the box.

“It has a special meaning for her. No value.” He switched the box to the other hand. “I overheard a group say the vandals transported to the human world. Did you see anyone come up toward the transport station?” Jonas continued with the ruse.

“You know, sir, I didn’t think of it at the time, but, yes, I was making my rounds and saw a band of three running. And they had a satchel with them. Looked like a yellow transport bag the Guardians use,” answered Omar.

“Hmmm.” Jonas looked at the ground, trying not to laugh. He was going to give Omar a piece of his mind, but later, and if they all survived the battle. Stupid to implicate a turned Guardian.
What the bloody hell was he thinking?

Audray met Rupert
as he raced through the entryway. Catarina was shouting to him in Portuguese from their room. Rupert had one ear to her while he nodded to Audray.