Page 22 of City of Love

“Hang on, G, you don’t think Lexi had something to do with this?” Vik interrupted.

“No.” Alana and Gideon responded together.

“It’s got to be a coincidence,” Alana said. “I can’t imagine what a sweater would have to do with this, and I would’ve sensed if there was anything suspicious going on with her.”

The three nodded agreement.

“Although…” Alana tipped her head, eyes looking off to a corner.

Gideon dropped his shoulders. “What?”

“Now that I really think back, there was something. But it’s distant, tangential. Like she walked through a scent and it’s now clinging to her.”

“She a psychic herself,” Vikkras said. “Maybe she’s blocking you.”

Alana pressed her lips in thought and then shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t think she had anything to do with this, Gideon.”

“I agree.” Gideon curled his fists on the desk, wanting it to be true. “She was as frantic as you when she got back here, and I could hear some of her thoughts. She didn’t have a clue as to what was going on.”

“You could hear her thoughts?” Alana and Vik burst out together.

“Yes.” Gideon waved their question aside with his hand. “But that’s not what we’re talking about right now.”

The couple turned to each other, their faces mirroring surprise, before Vik finally spoke. “Okay. So, we’re in agreement she likely had nothing to do with this. At least not directly. But then what was it?”

Gideon studied the faces of his friends as he thought. “I don’t know. But everything that’s happened today confirms I have no choice. Eventually, we’ll have to begin global discussions about whether or not to keep all the portals open for regular access to World Two, but for now, we must immediately shut down the Philadelphia portal until we determine what happened here tonight.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” said a new voice from the door.

Their three heads spun toward the man striding into Gideon’s office. Benjamin Smythe had a diminutive stature, but pure arrogance in his step, and they’d somehow missed his knock at the door. Or perhaps there hadn’t been one.

Gideon rose from his chair. “Benjamin.”

Vikkras followed suit and also stood, but none of the men extended their hand in greeting.

Gideon continued. “I’m unclear as to how you’ve already been made aware of—”

Benjamin waved a hand in dismissal. “Word travels fast when people disappear like magic off the street.”

Very fast indeed. Gideon wasn’t at all convinced that their fellow City Council member’s sudden appearance was merely the result of the town grapevine. For whatever reason, Benjamin had always played his personal psychic abilities close to the vest. While everyone knew of his skill with physical speed, Alana suspected his real talents lay in something less obvious, such as clairvoyance. One could only guess at what information had really brought him storming into the office.

Benjamin stood with legs wide, arms slipped into his pockets. “So, we’ve got another one of those holes. What did you call them before? Oh yes, a thinning of the veils.” He flicked a hand. “Just fix it, like you did originally, and carry on.”

“Just fix it?” Gideon’s face heated. “We have no idea if that’s what happened tonight, or if so, why it’s happening again. We believed putting the stable portals in place had fixed it. Besides, there are other issues at hand as well. It appears that many of our citizens would like the portal closed. They feel it’s becoming a threat to our society, and I’m inclined to agree.”

Benjamin leaned forward, slapping his palms on the table. “And just as many would like it to stay open. They feel it’s important for cultural trade. It’s important for business. And I’m inclined to agree.”

“Business?” Now Alana stood, her own fists curling with frustration. “That was never the point of the portal.”

Benjamin straightened, a smug smile spreading on his lips. “Funny, I can’t help but wonder how much money this club brings in on drinks and food because of the crossings.”

“The extra money we make on Friday nights doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of security and research on the other side,” Alana fumed. “Most of that comes out of Gideon’s own pocket and—”

Gideon cut her off. “I don’t give ten fucks about making or losing money.” His eyes narrowed as they bore into Benjamin. “What I do give a fuck about, is this city. Which I would think, given your involvement in both the City Council and the Portal Committee, you would too. How do we know this isn’t somehow the start of another rebellion?”

Though their civilization had decided centuries ago to reject resource-driven technologies and massive world growth in favor of a different path, it seemed that every so often a group would rise up, deciding they disagreed with the decision of their ancestors, and wanting to try the easier route that machines and mass production offered. The rebellions had always been quashed, but rarely before it cost them dearly in some way.

Gideon in particular knew something about that. He’d lost his parents in the last battle as they’d fought staunchly to protect the traditional life of his people.

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