He retreated to his rack and tried to sleep. It was hard because he could feel the stares of the others in the room. Finally, fatigue pulled him down into the darkness, but it was infested with demons that kept rising from the dead no matter how many times he killed them.
Hours later, still in some pain and aches, Simon stood in front of the dorm where Leah was staying. He wore his armor but carried his helm under his left arm. He knocked.
A young woman with long brown hair and milk chocolate skin answered the door, peering up at him. “Simon Cross,” she said. Her dark eyes glittered.
Simon didn’t know her, so he had to assume that the Templar were talking about him. “Sorry. I must have the wrong dorm. I was looking for Leah Creasey.”
“You have the right dorm.” The young woman leaned back against the door frame and crossed her arms over her chest. “She was here.”
“Was?”
“She left.”
That threw Simon for a moment. “Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. I was rooming with her. When I came back from rotation this afternoon, she was gone.”
“Maybe she’s just out getting something to eat.” Simon doubted that, though. He’d checked the commissary before coming to Leah’s assigned quarters.
“All of her things are gone,” the young Templar said. “And a spare Spike Bolter from the weapons cache I keep with me these days.”
Why would she take that? Even if she didn’t feel safe in the Underground, she knows better than to try to go around armed here. I should have talked to her after I got back last night.
There was every possibility that Leah had heard what happened and figured that whatever protection Simon was able to provide for her might be gone. He’d slept almost eleven hours. That was unusual for him. Even more unusual, Derek had given orders not to disturb him.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Booth made her leave.
Except for the matter of the missing Spike Bolter.
“She was here this morning?” Simon peered into the room.
The dorm was small, barely enough room for two people. They were usually reserved for married couples who didn’t have children.
“She was here when I left,” the Templar replied. “I haven’t told anyone she’s gone yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll be reassigned to barracks and I’ve enjoyed having the semi-privacy of the room. Leah was easy to be around. Except for all the questions.”
“Questions?”
“She asked a lot of questions.”
“About what?”
The Templar shrugged. “About everything, I suppose. The Templars primarily. Seeing as how she was dragged down into the Underground, I figured that was natural.”
Simon thought it was too. But Leah’s disappearance—with a Spike Bolter—didn’t seem natural. “Did she say anything about leaving?”
“This morning?”
“At any time.”
The Templar shook her head. “She talked about her father a lot. Wanting to know what happened to him. If he was all right. I didn’t blame her.”
“Did she leave a note?”
“No.” She stepped back. “You’re welcome to come in and look around if you want to, but there’s nothing here.”
“That’s all right. I’ve got to get back to my unit. We’re going out tonight.”
The woman frowned at him and trailed fingers over his face. Even the slight contact hurt. “You don’t look as though you’re up to it.”
“I’m fine.”
She pulled her hand back. “If you say so.”
“Leah may come back,” Simon said, even though he doubted it. “If she does, could you tell her that I’d like to talk to her?”
“Sure. But since she took my Spike Bolter, I don’t think she’s coming back. That’s not something you can just say, ‘Oops, didn’t mean to take that,’ you know?”
Simon knew that. “If she comes back.”
The woman nodded. “I’ll tell her.”
Simon turned and walked away. He felt the woman staring after him.
“Hey, Cross,” she called.
Simon stopped and looked back at her.
“Be safe out there,” she said in a softer voice. “What you did last night was really cool, but not everybody thinks so. You may find that your mates no longer have your back as well as they might have.”
Simon already knew that. “Thanks.”
“My name’s Vivian.” The Templar shrugged. “I don’t always agree with the High Seat’s rules of engagement, either. If you need a friend, I’m here.” She frowned. “At least until they reassign me.”
Simon nodded. “Thanks.” Then he turned and got back under way. If he hurried, he had time to check with security before he had to join the unit.
The security detail over the operations center weren’t enamored of Simon. He knew that from the cold reception he got. But they were willing to show him the vid footage of Leah Creasey leaving the Underground at the Baker Street tube station.
Equipment filled the security center. Lights flashed and some of the units hummed. Dozens of viewscreens opened windows on different parts of the Underground, the city, and the tube lines. The demons were present aboveground and in the tube lines.
Simon stood silent and watchful as they brought up the vid showing Leah’s departure. The time/date stamp showed that she’d left early that morning, roughly about the time Simon was having his face cauterized.
She’d gone by herself, a backpack slung across her shoulders. Her expression was grim and resolute. The security vid kept her in sight until she stepped out of the tube station. She never looked back. Then she was gone.
“Why didn’t someone stop her?” Simon asked. He felt guilty that he hadn’t been there for her, but there’d been no way. Only his compliance with his assignments had allowed them to stay there.
“No one was told to,” the young security officer said. The instrument panels limned his face green and blue in the semidarkness. “She was your guest. Your responsibility if you wanted her to stay.”
“She’s out there alone,” Simon said before he could stop himself.
“There are a lot of people out there alone, Cross,” the sergeant said. “At least that one had a choice about staying here where it
