The lights were on in the mansion, and he took it as a good sign. He had to keep himself from rushing down though. If Philip really was his guy, who knew what kind of tech he had installed around the house? The Commandos did have some radar to help spot them in the air. So hovering around the mansion probably wasn’t a good idea.
He’d just have to stay on the ground, then.
Dave picked a spot behind what looked like a guest house from where he’d be able to see the front doors while staying in the shadows, and decided to test his luck. The Commandos’ tech was made for tracking ordinary skyfolk, not someone like him. If he didn’t move about the courtyard and instead went straight for the chosen spot at maximum speed, he might just slip through the defenses.
Here’s hoping you don’t break your legs, Forrester. But then, he didn’t have much choice. Might as well practice his landing.
With a deep breath, and his body braced for bone-shattering impact, Dave raced toward the ground.
A heartbeat later, the earth exploded under his feet, sending a fountain of dirt into the air. He cursed as he stumbled, ran a couple more steps before a full stop, and strained his ears for any sound of alarm. There was none.
Dave breathed out, realizing he’d made it—and without any broken bones, either. Then he got back to the corner of the guest house and peeked at the mansion’s glowing windows.
And there he was, Philip Delamere, sitting in an armchair with an easy smile.
It looked like the businessman was entertaining tonight, a couple of guests sitting across from him, laughing and sipping from their sparkling glasses. Dave pushed down the excitement, wondering instead if the guests would be leaving soon enough, before their host got a call from the busted lab.
If it’s him. Now all Dave could do was wait.
He pulled his hood tight and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and Dave’s gaze wandered to the two cameras he could see from his spot, another obstacle. Maybe he could use the same trick, snatching Philip too fast for anyone to realize what happened. Or maybe it didn’t matter. Once he had the man, no one would be able to do anything.
Philip rose to his feet, his guests following, and Dave shook the stiffness from his muscles. His nerves buzzed with anticipation, and he nearly dropped his phone as he checked it. There’s still time, he thought, watching three vague silhouettes move toward the front door.
Too soon, the door opened, and a black sedan pulled up to the entrance. The couple said their goodbyes and got into the back seat, while Philip stood on the top step with a smile. Just a second longer. Dave’s heart beat like a drum, counting milliseconds as the car drove away, waiting for the perfect moment between them leaving and Philip going back inside.
Screw it.
He darted into the air, not caring about yet another fountain of dirt, and straight for the front door. Philip gulped like a fish, and then Dave was behind him, hauling him up to the guest house’s rooftop.
It only took a second.
No alarm sounded, and Philip himself could do nothing but gape, his eyes bulging in fear.
Dave froze, too, taking in the trembling human in front of him, so small next to Dave, next to the raging power inside him. Now that he had him, how was he going to bring it up? How to ask his questions without giving away too much, and how to see if he was telling the truth?
Dave had not thought this through.
And in a second, it didn’t matter.
Recognition flashed in Philip’s deep-set eyes, and his lip pulled up in a sneer. “You,” he spat, sending a jolt of adrenaline through Dave’s veins.
“Me,” Dave replied.
For some inexplicable reason, Philip smiled. Right before he darted into the sky.
Not so human, after all, huh?
Chapter 43
Chad looked around as he got out of the car, Pain already ahead of him and Jane, striding toward Peter’s SUV.
They hadn’t even reached the place, and something was already wrong.
He hurried to catch up with her, his sword and armor weighing down his step. “What is it?”
“Change of plan,” she answered curtly, focused on Peter.
They waited for everybody to pull into a tight circle behind the big cars in a clearing just off the highway. From the map, he knew it was at least three miles down the dirt road to the abandoned hospital. Plenty of space between them and the Commandos.
“All right, listen up, everybody,” Peter said, stepping inside the circle. “Our scouts are saying the Commandos are on the move, loading boxes into the jeeps from the abandoned building, so the location is correct at least. We’re going to establish a wide perimeter, wait for the jeeps to move out, then keep them from reaching the highway.” He turned to the girls and Chad. “I need you three to meet up with Rob by the building. He’ll show you some spot he found. You’ll follow the jeeps when they leave and signal when it’s time.” He handed Pain a radio, and she nodded. “Remember what I said. You’ll be the last to walk into that building. Do not engage with anyone or anything there. If they get spooked, we won’t be able to contain this.”
Pain nodded, her face serious for once. “Easy as pie.”
Peter made a face that said, Nothing is ever easy with you, but didn’t respond. He turned to the others, rattling off orders as Pain and Jane broke from the circle and made their way through the trees back to the dirt road.
“We
