Without replying, Joshua fell in step with him. “Her silence may indicate a darker problem than simple female perversity.”
“What are you talking about?” Daniel asked impatiently.
“Being forcibly removed from the Fallen home may have seemed a traumatic experience to the girl. I’ve heard there’s a medical term for it.”
“You mean post-traumatic stress disorder?”
“Yes, that’s it. You were always so knowledgeable when it comes to trivia. I believe mutism is one of the characteristics of this condition.”
“Your point being?” Daniel nudged the conversation forward.
“Perhaps she requires professional help like your wife Annabeth did.”
The scion stopped dead in his tracks and swung to face his brother. “You mean you want to have her institutionalized.”
Joshua adopted a disingenuous expression. “It seems to me the girl needs professional care. I’m sure I could prevail upon Father to see things my way—for Hannah’s welfare, of course.”
Daniel was speechless. A horrifying vision of history repeating itself shot through his brain. He turned and marched forward again, but his brother hung back.
“I forgot something in my office,” Joshua explained. “I need to go the other way to retrieve it.”
“You do that,” Daniel cast back over his shoulder. He suspected Joshua had retreated because he’d lost interest in baiting him further. Or perhaps he’d gleaned whatever inscrutable tidbit of information he’d hoped to find. As the scion walked on alone, he knew one thing for certain. Getting Hannah out of the compound had now been escalated to an immediate priority.
Chapter 46 —One Step Beyond
Erik and Zach skirted the side fence of the Nephilim compound. They had parked their SUV a half mile away and trudged the rest of the way on foot. They wanted the sound of their car engine to be well out of Nephilim earshot and out of the range of their bullets. To make sure they remained unseen as well as unheard, they were both dressed completely in black. Erik also wore a black sock cap to cover his light hair.
“Are you ready, kid?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” the boy replied shakily. If Erik only knew how unready Zach was despite his swagger when he’d charged into Maddie’s office and demanded that the Arkana do exactly this—storm the gates of the compound and get Hannah back. Like Gamma once told him, “Be careful what you wish for.”
Despite Maddie’s assurance that they would find a way to save Hannah, Zach had never dreamed he would be included in the rescue party. He was painfully aware of his inexperience, but the paladin had insisted on somebody who knew Hannah personally. That requirement made Zach the obvious choice. Nobody knew Hannah better than he did except maybe for Gamma. His thoughts strayed to a hospital bed in the vault infirmary. He immediately suppressed the image. That was one place he didn’t want to visit right now, mentally or otherwise. Instead, he shifted his focus to the object that stood between Hannah and her rescuers—a ten-foot chain link fence topped with razor wire.
“That’s new.” Erik pointed toward the privacy slats interwoven through the links. From the outside, it looked like an AstroTurf hedge. “Score another point for us because of Metcalf’s paranoia,” the paladin remarked. “The slats were added so nobody on the outside could look in. It also means nobody on the inside can see what we’re doing out here.”
Zach studied the wall of fake pine needles doubtfully. “How are we supposed to get over that?”
“Not we,” Erik corrected. “Me.” He removed his backpack and took out a lightweight assault ladder. Fastened to one end was a metal grappling hook. The paladin extended a telescopic pole which fit into a hollow tube on the side of the grappler. He guided the hook over the top of the fence and secured it. “Once I’m up, you put together the ladder in your pack just like you saw me do this one. OK?”
Zach nodded.
“I’m going to swing my ladder over to the other side of the fence to climb down. I want you to set up the second ladder on this side, climb to the top and haul up my ladder. The last thing we need is for the Nephilim to notice something dangling from their fence inside the compound. After you do that, stand at the top and keep watch. When I bring Hannah back to the fence, throw my ladder back down so we can climb over. Have you got your night vision glasses?”
“Right here.” Zach produced the binoculars.
“Good. You keep scanning the yard and the guard tower by the front gates. If you see anything moving besides me, you send a signal. Got it?”
“Got it,” the tyro echoed.
They each held small two-way radios. All the boy had to do was send a call to the other unit and Erik’s radio would receive a silent alert.
Apparently noting Zach’s worried expression, the paladin said, “Relax, kid. She’ll be back on this side of the fence before the hour is up.”
“Thanks, man,” the tyro mumbled gratefully. “I’m gonna owe you bigtime.”
“You can thank me now by watching my back.”
“Absolutely. I’m on it!”
Erik removed the contents of his pockets and crouched down to stow them in his pack which lay on the ground.
The boy scrutinized his odd behavior. “What are you doing?”
The paladin paused. “Rule one. On a mission like this, you never take anything with you that can connect you to the Arkana.”
“So, you’ve done this before.” Zach chuckled nervously. “Someday you’ll have to tell me about your adventures.”
“I could, but I’d have to cut out your tongue afterward.” Erik grinned sardonically.
Zach winced. He was fairly certain the agent was kidding, but he decided not to press the matter.
The paladin drew a pistol out of his pack and stuck it into the waistband of his pants.
“Don’t guns have serial numbers?” the boy asked cautiously.
“Not this one. It’s homemade. We’ve got people in the Arkana who specialize in making weapons—serial-number-free and completely legal.”
Erik clamped the two-way radio to his belt.
“What about that. Isn’t that traceable?”
The paladin
