Zeno: #8 (Luna Lodge) (6 page)

“I thought you had to wear special glasses for night vision,” Ava said.

He took in a deep breath and tried to focus on something beside the Vestal scent calling to him.

There, he could smell it. Just past the notes of vanilla, air called to him. Fresh air. There had to be an opening of some sort to the left of them. He stepped further into the open space between the two halls.

“I’m special,” he said quietly, still trying to make sure he was right.

A small draft stirred the room and brought more fresh air. To the left was freedom. He was sure of it.

Zeno turned to the left and stepped forward.

“But that doesn’t explain—”

A loud screech echoed off the walls behind them. Zeno whirled to face the sound with Ava still in his arms.

“It can’t be,” he rumbled.

Ava trembled in his arms and gripped herself tighter to him. The eerie sound filled her with a deep terror. It was unlike any animal she’d ever heard.

Several other loud screeches returned the first cry.

“It can’t be,” he said again. “Why didn’t I smell them?”

She tried to find his face next to her own, but there was nothing but blackness and the screech of the animals.

The animals clanged in the darkness against whatever was keeping them at bay.

Zeno turned again. She felt his massive muscles tighten against her, but his grip didn’t cut into the skin like she would have expected.

He burst into a run.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice quivering.

The loud squeal of metal against metal made her glance behind them. Bright red dots glowed from far away.

“Red eyes that glow?” she whispered.

“Fuck,” Zeno grunted and halted.

The last thing she wanted was to stop running, especially since it seemed like those red eyes were closing.

“It’s here,” he said and placed her to the ground. “I can smell it.”

“They’re coming,” she said.

He pushed her to the corner.

“Don’t move,” he said quietly. “They can smell your blood.”

She nodded and pressed herself into the crevice. She held the letter opener against her chest, ready to do what she needed.

Zeno hit the wall beside her. He moved over a bit and hit it again. A hollow thump sounded.

A metal door. She only hoped it wasn’t like the one at the top of the stairs.

He grunted loudly as he hit the wall. She could see a small sliver of light slip in, but it was enough.

The glowing eyes crept through the hall. Every now and again, one would screech and set the hairs on her neck on end.

Zeno slammed against the door again, and this time she could see the metal latch bending.

“Almost,” she whispered.

The animals were nearly on them now. The slivers of light illuminated the shape of the closing beasts. They were nearly her height. Maybe some sort of bears? She had no idea about the local wildlife.

Zeno hit the door again, and it groaned open a bit more.

“Go,” he hissed and shoved her to the opening.

Ava slipped through and took the bag as he passed it to her. She took deep breaths of the fresh air, relief washing through her at the sight of the moon overhead. Wherever they were, the men weren’t around for now.

She could hear Zeno pushing, trying to get it open more. Her heart hammered in his chest. If he didn’t get out now, the bears would get him. He was a big man, but there was no way he could handle a bear, let alone more than one.

The door groaned a bit more. It was a tight fit, but he managed to slip out. He immediately pushed hard on the door, forcing it back.

The animals slammed into the other side of the door and roared. Soon all the men would be there, and the struggle would be for nothing.

She watched in horror. She’d expected a paw, but instead a hand reached out through the opening. Or what had once been a hand. The flesh had been torn in parts and smelled like it had been dead for some time. She wanted to scream but couldn’t seem to find her voice.

The hand pushed against the door and, to her surprise, seemed to be winning as it pressed open a bit more.

The whole arm came out and struggled to find a hold on Zeno.

“Run,” Zeno growled.

Ava shook her head. “I can’t.”

He whirled his head toward her. His eyes glowed a deep yellow.

She gasped and stepped back.

“You have to go,” he growled. “They will kill you.”

For the briefest moment her mind told her to listen, that he was a monster himself. Normal people didn’t have glowing yellow eyes. Something in the back of her memory called to her, but panic clouded her mind.

Ava shook out those thoughts, pushing against the panic. How was she supposed to leave a man who had done nothing tonight but try and keep her safe?

No. She wasn’t going to just leave him.

The hand found his arm and scrapped its ragged nails down. Blood seeped out.

She had to act.

In one swift motion, Ava slammed the letter opener into the meaty part of the creature’s arm. It let out a loud roar as it retreated. She rushed to the side and slammed into the door, pushing with all her might as she and Zeno sealed the room off.

They stepped away, and she stared at the metal.

“It won’t hold,” Zeno said quickly. “Time to get the fuck out of here.”

He reached down and grabbed the bag. He swung her back into his arms. This time she could see where they were going and could feel the blood flowing freely from his arm.

When they rounded the corner, she found that they had made their way to the front gate. Zeno leaned his back against it hard metal of the gate with her still in his arms.

“Fuck,” he said.

A beastly scream filled the air, and she knew the door would fail. They didn’t have much longer.

“I see you met my pets.” The familiar voice sent a jolt of terror through her.

She glanced to the side and spotted Antonio standing next to the front door wearing the same smug smile he always wore when he was going to win.

“I can call them off,” he said with a shrug. “They, unlike some of my other pets, know respect.”

Zeno’s arms tighten around her.

“I’ll toss you over,” he said quietly.

She whipped her head to the side to stare at him.

“It will hurt like hell, but you’ll be free. I have friends here that will help you. Go to the hotel on Las Torres. Ask for Val and Apollo. We’re all friends of Paige.”

She wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m not going to just leave you here,” she whispered and buried her head into his neck.

“Ava!” Antonio yelled.

She could hear Antonio but didn’t care. She’d had enough of him frightening her.

The gate buzzed loudly and clicked open. Her head came up. She spotted Piero in the moonlight standing by an open panel at the side of the house. Several switches were exposed. Security? Power? She wasn’t sure.

“Run!” Piero shouted and looked behind him. “They are coming! Run!”

“No,” she said, her lungs just barely finding the air.

Zeno nodded to the man and passed through the gate.

She watched over his shoulder as Zeno carried her away. The beasts snarled, and she knew they must be close. Her eyes landed on Antonio, the Devil in the flesh.

“He will die,” he screamed. “And you’ll suffer, you ungrateful bitch.”

She struggled in Zeno’s arms. She had to do something.

The gate buzzed again, sealing behind them and blocking the estate from her view. Zeno picked up the pace, his speed incredible as they fled.

The screech of the beasts filled the air, followed by the choked scream of Piero. Then, silence. Sickening silence.

Ava buried her head in Zeno’s warm chest and sobbed.

Chapter Eight

Zeno glanced over at Ava. She still lay in the bed in the hotel room, stirring only slightly in her slumber.

She had cried herself to sleep in his arms. Her small body had curled against him, seeking out some sort of comfort.

The sight of her pulled at him and made him want to do all he could to protect her.

A quiet knock came from the door joining his room with Apollo and Val’s.

He moved over and opened the door. He wasn’t surprised to find Apollo there.

“Is she sleeping?” Apollo asked.

Zeno nodded.

When he’d arrived at the hotel, Apollo and Val had been full of questions, but his first thought was to get Ava settled and tend to the wound on her foot. As gently as he could, he had washed the area, making sure no glass was still in place. Then, he carefully bandaged the wound.

Despite the deep cut, he believed she wouldn’t need stitches. It wasn’t exactly his first time dealing with wounds on missions.

“We should talk,” Apollo said and nodded toward his room.

Zeno stepped through, leaving the door open slightly so she’d know where to find him when she woke.

The other room was identical to his own, just reversed. One single king-size bed sat in the middle of the room. A small sitting area had been arranged near the balcony with a love seat against one wall and a desk and chair against the other.

It was a nice enough room, not too run down but still not fancy enough they would stand out, which was even more of a concern now.

He shook his head. He must have caused quite a stir when he walked through the main lobby, a large man carrying a sleeping woman in an evening gown who was barefoot, bleeding and dirty. He was lucky if they didn’t call the police on him. Díaz might not immediately come after them, especially if it involved leaving his stronghold, but they still needed to avoid any further trouble.

He sighed as he took a seat on the couch and leaned back, tired to the bone.

“What the hell happened?” Apollo asked as he sat in the chair across from him.

Zeno ran a hand over his face. Rough stubble rubbed against his hand.

“Glycons,” he said, not wanted to beat around the bush.

Apollo’s brows shot up in surprise. “What the hell?”

“Somehow that prick has Glycons.” Zeno shook his head. It just didn’t make sense. He snorted. “Guess everything was connected after all, just not the way we thought.”

“Did he set them on you?” Apollo leaned forward. “Tell me what happened exactly.”

Zeno had been thinking about the events earlier, and there were just too many holes. He might not be some fancy thinker like Marius, but he wasn’t an idiot.

The lock to the door clicked, and his hand dropped to the gun at his side. Val walked in and let the door shut behind her.

“Everything is straightened up at the front desk,” she said and walked over to the desk next to Apollo. “Not that it was easy, but I think I convinced them.”

The little woman scooted herself onto it with ease.

“She’s your girlfriend and had a bit too much to drink,” she said looking over to Zeno. “She fell and hurt her foot.” She snorted loudly and shook her head.

“Guess that didn’t explain what happened to your arm, but he didn’t ask, so maybe he didn’t see it,” she said.

Zeno gingerly touched the deep scratches on his upper bicep. He’d forgotten all about it, but now that he remembered, it started to throb a little.

“What the hell happened?” she said, pinning him with her stare.

He twitched, again thinking about the rumors about her ability to read emotions. He related evening’s events, starting with his arrival at the estate. The two sat silently, and when he finished, they both had paled.

“What I can’t figure out is why I didn’t know they were there,” Zeno said. “I didn’t smell those fuckers at all.”

It was something he’d thought about on the way home. Sure, the Horatius Group had proven they could mask smells, but he hadn’t noticed anything at all until they were nearly on him.

Val and Apollo exchanged glances.

“There’s something different about these Glycons,” Zeno said. “Not just the scent. They were way stronger than normal Glycons. A bit bigger, too, I think.”

“Do you think it’s the Group?” Val asked. She frowned. “Doesn’t it have to be?”

His instincts said no, but Zeno looked to Apollo. He was the only one who would have some idea if that was the case.

Apollo shrugged. “Not necessarily.” He scratched his eyebrow. “And nothing about Díaz makes me think the Horatius Group. Why would they bother aligning with a criminal in Peru? He has some influence, but it would be better to just get in with the government.”

“But the signal?” Val said.

“I know. It’s one too many coincidences, but something doesn’t feel right, even if they are related. I’m not sure.” He scratched the back of his neck.

“Well, if he’s not with the Group, how the hell did he get those Glycons?” Zeno mumbled.

Apollo frowned. “When Major Carter was first assigned to us, he told us a lot about the US government’s investigations of the Group. They’d been tied to supporting terrorism, rogue nations and all sorts of shady dealings. I guess they have to make money somehow. Maybe they’ve been selling Glycons.”

“What’s a Glycon?” a soft female voice asked.

Ava watched from the doorway as the three strangers turned to look at her. The other man had the same strange amber eyes as Zeno. The woman also seemed a little off, even if she wasn’t huge like the other two.

The small woman hopped off the desk and walked over to her, hand outstretched.

“I’m Val,” she said and smiled. The softness had a calming effect, and after the night Ava had, it was a welcome reprieve. “We’re all friends with your sister Paige. She asked us to check in on you.”

“Thank you,” Ava said and looked around.

She noticed Zeno seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her. Something about it bothered her even more than not understanding what was going on.

“I’ve got an extra pair of shorts and a tank if you’d like,” Val said. She pulled out the shorts and shirt.

Ava held them in hand, not really paying attention to much besides the man who had captivated her since she first saw him yesterday.

And still he wouldn’t look at her. It frustrated her to no end.

Not knowing what else to do, and sensing they weren’t going to key her in on whatever a Glycon was, she took the clothes and headed back into the room she had been in before. She continued walking until she was in the bathroom.