“Yes,” she said.
TWENTY-NINE
I didn’t expect you’d admit that,” Simon said.
“If I didn’t, one of us would have been the fool. I can’t tell you any more about it.” Leah regretted that, but she had her own promises to keep.
“I’m fine with that,” Simon said. “You and your mysterious benefactors have been helpful to us in the past. As long as what you know about us doesn’t harm us, we’re willing to exchange information.”
“The people I work for,” Leah said softly and slowly, “would like to be more helpful.”
Simon crossed his arms and drew himself up to his full, imposing height. “How helpful?”
“Your situation here isn’t good, Simon,” Leah stated blatantly. “The demons are hunting you out this far, and you’re facing a supply shortage.”
“Yes.”
“The Templar Underground, from what we know of them and their stockpiles—”
“And you’re the one that brought your people most of that information,” Simon said.
“I did.” Leah refused to feel guilty about the subterfuge she’d used to get into the Templar Underground. “As I was saying, from what we know of them, they have enough food and medicine to take care of your people here.”
“They’re not willing to take on extra mouths. I tried that already.”
“Maybe you can’t change them,” Leah said. “But maybe you can change who’s leading them.”
His eyes flashed and he looked at her more squarely. “I’m not going to challenge anyone for the leadership of the Templar, Leah,” he stated softly. “So whoever’s putting those ideas into your head is wasting his or her time. And yours.”
“Not challenge anyone there,” Leah said. “Simply…let the Templar know that you want back in.”
“I don’t.”
“They would let you come back.”
Simon hesitated. “How would you know that?”
“Because this is what we do.”
He shook his head. “If you ask me, that’s a nasty business to get into.”
That stung a little. Leah chose not to be defensive. Her job contained bad elements. “Perhaps. But what we do has its uses. Secrets save lives.”
“They also claim them,” Simon said.
“We have people around the Templar,” Leah said. “No one within the Underground, mind you, but a few on the periphery of their operations.”
“They don’t have any operations outside the Underground.”
“No, but they do—upon occasion—venture forth to save someone or just to explore how badly things have gone.” Leah smiled at him crookedly. “And we have a few friends among the Templar Underground. Some of the Templar used to be in my line of work.”
“I can see that. But they would still have definite lines of allegiance.”
“Really?” Leah stared into his eyes, knowing her next statement was risky. “Like the allegiance you had toward the Templar, Simon?”
Simon folded his arms. For a moment she thought he was going to walk away.
“I’m different,” he said brusquely. “I broke with Templar ways a long time ago.”
“Really? Is that why you’re here, then, risking your life to save others?”
Simon hesitated. “My father would have wanted—”
“You’re not here because of your father, Simon. You don’t risk the things you do because of him. You’re here because Lord Thomas Cross raised a fine son and guided him in the ways of being a Templar.”
“I’m not that good.”
“The other Templar here aren’t following you because they want to help you with your guilt over your father, Simon.”
Angry spots of color blossomed on his face.
Leah knew she’d come perilously close to hurting him or offending him. “They believe in what you’re doing. That’s why they came out of the Underground to risk their lives with you. You’re doing everything they believe they should be doing.” She paused. “They believe in you.”
“That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“Then give it away.”
“I’ve offered.”
“And no one’s accepted.”
Simon was quiet for a moment. “No.”
Leah remained silent for a time to let his answer sink into his mind. “Not only do you bring fugitives here, Simon, but more Templar join you as well. This operation you’ve set into play grows larger than you expected, and you’re not able to hand off the survivors like you believed you would.”
“I know.”
Leah took a deep breath. “One of the people I work with has the ear of Jessica Sumerisle.”
“She’s just a child.”
“And the heir to the leadership of the Templar. Not only that, but this is no time for children. I saw you training children to fight and kill earlier this evening.”
Simon’s voice took on an edge. “I taught them to survive.”
“Yes, and part of that involves fighting and killing. Otherwise they’re going to die without hope, afraid, and alone.”
Simon didn’t argue.
“Just as those children are no longer children because this world can’t allow them their childhood, Jessica Sumerisle has grown up as well. She doesn’t have the power she will one day have because her uncle runs things at the moment, but she does have some power. She has enough to bring you back into the Templar.”
“There’s a reason I left them. I don’t want to have to fight their mind-set again. I can’t wage a war with two fronts.”
“I know. But more and more of them are drawn to your view of things. They know people still survive in London. Fewer and fewer each day, but there are survivors.”
“What about the people you work with?” Simon asked. “Do they believe in saving those survivors as well?”
“We’re not set up as the Templar are,” Leah said. “We don’t have the resources, manpower, or space to handle search-and-rescue operations. But we believe in what you’re trying to do.”
“Sounds like another way of shifting responsibility, if you ask me.”
Leah couldn’t keep all her anger from her voice then. “No. It’s recognition of fact. You don’t realize how far my organization has come just to make the offer to use what influence it has to help you and
