“Stop!”
I immediately leap out to the side and turn, putting my back away from both men.
Anson’s fingers twitch and roll, adjusting his grip on the knife. His eyes both darken and go wide.
“Lotan,” Anson says.
My gun held firm in my grasp, I aim first at Anson, then at Jonah, then back to Anson, my eyes darting back and forth to make sure neither one makes a sudden move. Anson holds his knife up at an angle midway between both of us. And from where I am, I can’t see if Jonah has a weapon. But knowing him, I’m certain he has something up his sleeve.
We’re in a standoff.
I suddenly realize both men have gotten inside without incident.
Where are Sam, Eric, and Dean?
Chapter Forty
My heart pounds so hard against my ribs I worry they’ll crack and each tremble of blood through my veins makes my hands shake and my stomach churn. I take a slow, measured step back, but Anson’s long stride brings him inches away from me in a split second.
“Don’t touch her.”
Anson turns his head slowly to look at the older man standing just feet away from him. I didn’t turn the lights on while I was watching TV. The sun setting outside creates shadows throughout the room. But they’re not dark enough for me to hide in. It’s just enough to blanket both men in gray that both conceals and accentuates their features and movements. They both seem larger cloaked in the coming evening, but I can no longer see their eyes or the details of their faces. I inch closer to a table lamp, but Anson points his blade directly at me.
“Don’t move,” he warns. “This is perfect. A moment better than I could have even dreamed of. Look at this, Lotan. Your worshipped and revered Emma is standing right here in front of you because of me. Because I found her, and I brought her here.”
“You didn’t bring her here,” Jonah growls back. “She made the choice to come.”
“Only because she thought she solved mysteries I created for her. And she was wrong. She blamed an innocent. Perhaps not fully innocent, but not a killer. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Doesn’t that show you who she really is?” Anson asks.
“You have always been so loyal to me. You are so pliable, so trainable. You’ve always been quick to do my bidding. With you, I have known I would never be questioned because you had none of your own.”
Anson’s face darkens.
“How could you say that? After everything I’ve done for you? The systems I’ve designed and sabotaged. The weapons I’ve created. You would never have achieved half of what you have if it wasn’t for me. But that’s exactly why I needed to do this. It was for you, Lotan. I wanted to remind you.”
“To remind me? You’ve lost faith in me?”
“Yes,” Anson says. “When I first learned of Leviathan and heard the name Lotan, I had no idea what it was or what to expect. But so quickly, I learned it was my home. My place in this world. I’ve never felt like other people. I always believed there was more in the world. More to accomplish. A higher calling. And that’s what you gave to me. You taught me about the transformative, primordial power of chaos. I woke up. I came alive. The world became a place full of opportunity, and I was eager to pursue all of it. To follow you as you pursued it.”
“And like I said, you’ve been a loyal servant. Up until now.”
As they’re talking, attention totally rapt on each other, I square myself, calculating the exact angle I’ll need to fire. I’ll only have one shot at this.
“You threw everything away,” Anson says, his voice rising shrill as his emotions start to take over. “You stopped caring! Your grasp on the missions you created started to slip!”
I move slowly, closer to the table, and manage to turn on the lamp, giving slightly more light to the room. Anson whips back around to face me, pointing the blade of his knife directly at the soft base of my throat.
“I told you not to move,” he growls. “Why won’t you listen? Why won’t you learn? You are outwitted. Outsmarted.”
He spins around again, and I see the men are now closer. They are gradually easing across the room toward each other like a magnetic force is drawing them. “Why were you so wrapped up in her? She became your only focus. You didn’t care about anything else anymore, and your power and control were slipping through your fingers. I had to step up. There’s nothing I could do. I couldn’t watch Leviathan fall. I wanted to bring you back and restore you to your glory. But if I couldn’t, I would take your place.”
My heart gives another hard pound. I’m very aware of Anson’s peripheral vision. I slowly and carefully lift my gun at an angle. I don’t know what other weapons might be among us, so I have to be careful as to not spark the violence.
“You’ve done well,” says Jonah.
Anson looks as shocked as I feel.
“I have?” he asks.
“Yes. You did what a true and powerful leader must do. You recognized the failings of those about you. You became willing to take them down to restore the purity of the mission. Yes, I believed Emma was far more than she is. You’ve proven that to me now. She wasn’t able to complete a basic task set in front of her. She lacks the devotion and faith of heart to believe in who she truly is. You could see that about her, while I was blind to it. For that, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“What will we do with her?” Anson asks, the words coming out cold and flat. Subservient.
“There’s no need for
