Page 5 of Gates of Tartarus

Emlyn nods: “OK, Maela. What about Magda? Could you try to see her?”

Again, I go through my breathing exercises, clutching the crystal and trying to concentrate, but nothing comes. The more I try, the more nervous I get. I’m terribly conscious that both Emlyn and Seef are waiting expectantly and watching me. I chant, willing myself into the vibrations, seeking the darkness, but it eludes me. I’m about to declare defeat when I think of what Seef will say if I do. And how he’ll look. He’ll sneer, won’t he? His top lip will curl, and his eyes will glitter, and he’ll give a heavy sigh and shake his head and tell me I’m a… a… well, asomething. And Emlyn will be so disappointed, and he gave me shortbread! He’s so sweet. Wish it was just the two of us, maybe on that Italian beach I once fantasized about. Or at his country house, by the library fire. It would highlight those chiseled features, gilding his hair and turning his eyes dove gray. Would he have his shirt off? I shiver. What would Emlyn’s chest look like? Strong, obviously; he works out, I know. But hairy? Smooth? He’d be beautiful either way. I sigh and fall into the black, every nerve ending tingling.

Magda’s waiting. In her apartment, as per usual. I wonder if she only leaves to have sex with her hired thugs. Maybe that’s why MI5 can’t find her? She’s on the phone, and for the first time since I’ve “met” her, she sounds agitated.

“So what now? Have you decided?” Magda paces in front of the windows, and I can see lines bracketing that lush mouth. She’s undeniably rattled. “Obviously not, but he was useful for a while. He did deliver a number of shipments… We discussed it at the time, after he killed that cop, and you agreed that… Fine, next time I won’t mix business with pleasure. It clearly went to his head… Upset? I’m not a fucking nun, Rhea, and it’s not like I can swap pictures on Tinder. And you’re hardly one to preach.”

Fliiiip. The sultry temptress has morphed into a pit viper. I watch as she pivots on her heel, and a ray of sunshine strikes a building in the distance, reflecting off the glass. I frown: it looks familiar. Leaning forward, nose pressed almost against the window, I mentally run through London’s skyline. Then it hits me. It’s The Shard – only one of the capital's most distinctive landmarks – and I kick myself for not recognizing it immediately. In front of me, Magda stills. “No, I don’t need to take a break… Swap? Where would I go?” She laughs, malice twisting her mouth. “That’d put paid to his ambitions. I’ll think about it. One more thing: St Cosmas.” Magda listens, frowning. “We can’t send Amy. It’ll have to be someone else. OK.Unemi ái.” She hangs up the phone and stands for a moment, looking out at the view, then turns and walks past me and down the hall. When I hear bathwater running, I reach for the rope and slide down.

I open my eyes to see both Emlyn and Seef staring at me fixedly. They know I’ve seen something; I must display rapid eye movement, or maybe my face changes when I’m seeing. Emlyn gets me another cup of tea as I rub at my right temple; for some reason, my head’s throbbing. The men listen intently when I tell them about Magda’s conversation with Rhea, Emlyn sitting straight-backed in his chair, Seef leaning against the wall, right hand on left bicep. My voice drops when I mention Eadric’s murder, and Emlyn’s mouth thins; but when I finish, he looks at Seef and only says, “St Cosmas.”

Seef nods, as if everything suddenly makes perfect sense. “A small trial unit, not widely publicized. Only twenty participants from Queen’s College, London, which sends their medical students to St Cosmas for their clinical training. None of the other participants reacted like Maela; the drug worked as intended, and the worst side effect was slight nausea and a dry mouth. The drug being trialed is similar to ketamine but said to be more effective.” Seef pauses for a moment, thinking. “If Kronos is now interested in it–”

“They might be trying to get their hands on the formula,” Emlyn finishes.

“Eish, I’d better tell Maddox,” Seef grimaces. “We don’t want another club drug getting onto the market. If Kronos manages to refine the formula and get it into pill form, it’ll make ecstasy look like aspirin.” He takes out his phone and dials. “Rise and shine, mybru!Ja,ja, sure you were up. Listen, we’ve got a development at this end.” He quickly explains about Magda and St Cosmas. “It sounds like Kronos has decided to try to steal the formula. It’s on their radar, at any rate. We’re going to be monitoring St Cosmas at this end, but I think it’s time to let Cole know about Maela. I’ll speak to the higher-ups at Babylon, see about getting her cleared. The drug’s being developed by Gaia, isn’t it? She might have more info. Think she’ll pause the clinical trials?” He listens for a moment. “No, didn’t think so. But we’re going to have to try to get the formula out of her. I’d also like to see if she recognizes the photofit of Magda. Could be this isn’t the first time Kronos has taken an interest… No, nothing on the orderly. Hospital only has CCTV at the main entrances, and that’s easy enough to evade… Keep me posted.”

He hangs up the phone and looks at Emlyn. “I’ll let you know when I hear from Maddox. I want to go back to the office and review the information we have on Kronos.” To me, he simply says, “See you on Monday, princess.” I smile tightly at him, not deigning to speak.

As soon as Seef leaves the room, I turn to Emlyn, hissing, “Why is Seef such adrol?”I mean, really, what is his major malfunction? And why has he taken against me? I’m a nice person, aren’t I?

Emlyn’s eyes light with laughter: “Maela, do you know what that means?”

“Something bad.” I shrug; Seef used it about Tennireef, andhe’sa criminal, so, if the shoe fits…

Emlyn nods: “I’d better let Seef tell you.”

St Cosmas Again

Friday, 2 November – Kailani

Maddox is frowning as he walks into the room. Phone pressed to his ear, his face is creased in worry, and he nods while making intermittent sounds of agreement or dissent. Walker is right behind him, like a shadow, brow furrowed as he flips through papers in his hands.

“We’ve set it up to bring her in on this, but run me through it once more… Where were the trials run?” Maddox turns and mumbles under his breath to Walker, “St Cosmas… Twenty people. They’re running them down, but Driscoll is the only pop right now.” Focusing back on his phone conversation, Maddox continues, “Yeah, I got the photos… Mmmm. How’s it working? Did she get anything on him?” The frown lines deepen, and his icy eyes narrow. “Nothing? And Magda again, hmmm? Like a bad penny, Seef. Something’s not connecting here…” He looks at me consideringly. “She doesn’t work like that, Seef. I don’t think…”

Addressing me directly, Maddox covers the phone with one hand, saying, “You can’t read imprints on objects or anything, right? That’s something else.”

Walker mutters behind him, “Psychometry. Unproven at this point. At least according to CDS intel, so take that for what it’s worth.”

My eyes fly open in surprise, mirrored by Maddox, and Walker flushes slightly at our response. “What? I’ve been doing my research,” he says almost defensively. Maddox and Walker look at each other for a moment longer before Maddox returns to the phone call.

“Walker says it’s not the same thing. Reed has to be in proximity… Well she can’t, Seef. We’ve called Cole in today to see if she’s able… Seattle, New York, London. Higher ups said to use any means necessary… Babylon approved, but I’m not sure. I don’t like giving out so much information… Well, yeah. It is what it is.”

There’s a long silence, and Maddox looks at me consideringly. “Not worried on our end. She can handle herself. Tanaka has had her training since she joined… Well she’s a civilian, Seef.” A grin suddenly breaks on Maddox’s face, unexpected and breathtaking, straight white teeth flashing, eyes crinkling up in the corners. In a moment he transforms from a towering, silent Viking to an almost boyish countenance. “Ooooo, my brother, my brother! She is under yourskin!” There’s a bit of angry chatter from the phone, and I forget how to breathe for a second when Maddox breaks into deep, rolling laughter, like thunder, echoing through the room. My lips curl unintentionally into a smile, an after-effect of the sincere, almost sweet enjoyment pouring off Maddox. “Ja, ja,” Maddox manages to say through his amusement. “I can tell. Keep me informed on thevriendin…”

He pulls back and looks at the phone, laughing over his shoulder at Walker. “Bastard hung up on me!”

Walker shrugs. “Well, I mean…”

The men exchange a knowing look before exploding into unrestrained laughter, and if I could bottle it and sell it as an aphrodisiac, I’d be a fucking millionaire. Women would pay their life savings to hear these two, and I let down my shields a little to drink in some of their emotion. I’m careful not to pull any in, just tap into what’s around them, but after a moment, Walker turns to me and cocks his head at me, almost curiously, so I slam my shields back into place. I can’t stable my smile quickly enough, though, no matter how hard I try, and he notices.

Keeping his eyes locked on mine, a small grin deepens his dimple and makes him look like he’s been caught doing something naughty. And God damn him, because that fucking dimple heats the air between us to scorching in nano-seconds. “Something funny, Kai?” he asks, voice a little deeper and rougher than usual, the amusement from moments before curling around something more raw and hungry, and it sends swarms of butterflies stampeding through my stomach. The longer I’m silent, the bigger his grin gets, until both dimples are canyons and his eyes are flashing with something molten and wild. “Kai...?” he asks again, and my answering frown sends him back into rolling laughter, shaking his head before turning back to Maddox.

“So, what’s the story with Seef? Sounded like an angry chicken.”

Maddox grins at the description before his face settles back into its usual, serious expression. “Their girl is poking the bear. It’s good for him.”

Walker’s face frowns into an unexpectedly serious look. “Is it?” he asks, though it’s not really a question, and Maddox just shrugs in response.

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