"Yes, I heard you the first time."

She looked to either side down the hallway, then back at me. "Can I come in so we can talk?"

"No," I said. "You can leave so I can get back to doing what I was doing!"

Her brow crinkled and she looked mildly offended. "What were you doing?"

I let out a heavy exhalation and felt my hand go to my forehead as I bowed my head. "Ugh, never mind. What did Ariadne want?"

"She got your message and was calling you back." Kat looked at me with wide eyes. "Also, leaving us with that Reed guy while you went to the bar? Not cool. You're lucky I woke up first."

I felt a wash of chagrin. "What did Scott say when he woke up?"

"He's still kind of out of it, but he didn't seem too happy." She shook her head and glanced past me, suddenly stiffening. "Is there someone in there with you?"

I opened the door wide enough to show her that I was in my bra with my pants unzipped, then shut it back to only a crack. "Yes," I said with some urgency.

Her eyes widened in alarm. "Won't that...you know," she lowered her voice to a bare whisper, "kill...whoever you're with?"

"Apparently not," I said. "But the mood? The mood is officially dead, thanks to you."

"I'm sorry, but Ariadne wants us on the phone right now." She stared at me, and I knew the firmness in her voice didn't come from her.

"Just give me half an hour," I said, pleading. I started to shut the door.

"Now." She reached out and grasped my wrist, giving it a squeeze, then letting go immediately. "She's in Kansas, and things have gone very, very wrong. She only has a short window to talk to us. She's waiting for you."

I buried my face in my hands and took a deep breath. "I'll be there in a minute."

I closed the door and felt James's hands slide across my hips, teasing and promising more touches, more caresses. He kissed the side of my neck and I squirmed; it hit the right spot. "I have to go," I said, my eyes closed, my words heavy with the regret I felt over every inch of my body * some inches more than others. I slid free of his grasp and turned to kiss him again on the mouth. I broke away after a moment. "I promise I will be right back after this call is over."

I saw his eyes go cool in the half-light. "All right. I can wait." He cracked a smile as his fingers stroked my bare arms and grasped my hands in his. "I think you're probably worth it."

I pulled away, giving him a coy smile before I stooped to pick my blouse off the floor. "Probably?"

He gave me a noncommittal shrug and went back to the bed as I threw my arms through the sleeves of my blouse. "I guess we'll see."

I sat on the edge of the bed and he leaned over my shoulder, kissing the back of my neck as I b.u.t.toned my shirt. "You never did tell me who you work for."

"I doubt you'd have heard of us," he said, nuzzling, his tongue on the side of my neck. "But if you're interested, I can give you the whole pitch of why you should join us...after."

I felt a little amus.e.m.e.nt as I slipped on my shoes. "So recruiting me isn't your first priority anymore?"

"Nuh-uh," he grunted. I gasped as his fingers tweaked me.

I stood and brushed his hands off. "I'll be back as soon as I can." I picked my holster up off my suitcase and put it on, followed by my jacket. I took a last look at him once I was at the door, gave him a weak smile, and closed it behind me.

I leaned against the wall in the hallway, trying to catch my breath. After taking time to compose myself, I walked two doors down and knocked. The door cracked open to admit me and Reed stood there, looking much less beaten up than he had a few hours ago.

"Is that Sienna?" I heard Ariadne's voice crackle from the speaker of the phone sitting on the bed.

"It is," I said. "Sorry for the delay; I was just*"

"It doesn't matter," Ariadne cut me off. "I only have a few minutes. Our operation in western Kansas has gotten complicated; M-Squad has been ambushed by some heavy-hitting metas, and we've lost half the team from our Texas facility. The Director and I need to manage the fallout from this, but I wanted to get back to all of you first."

"Things have gotten a bit complicated here as well," I said, feeling a little catch in my voice.

"Yes," Ariadne said, "Kat and Scott have explained. We'll have a conversation later about how you've been keeping quiet about your aunt, but for now let's talk about your friend Reed."

I locked eyes with Reed, who looked unconcerned. "You know he's standing right here, don't you?"

"He's offered to help us," she said, "with some additional resources from his organization. He's also shed a little light on what we're dealing with down here in Kansas." I heard the tension in Ariadne's voice. "Omega seems to have chosen this moment to launch a surprise attack against the Directorate. We think they drew M-Squad down here for the express purpose of putting them out of commission." Ariadne's tone was flat. "I'm afraid this little chase we have you on, trying to track down this meta that's robbing convenience stores, is going to have to wait. Reed told me you've captured a laptop from Omega?"

"Yes, I have it right here." I pointed to Kat's overnight bag, prompting a quizzical look from her. I pointed again, and she went over to it, opening it and digging around until she came out with the laptop. "It's pa.s.sword protected, though, and I didn't want to chance digging around in it because...well, because I'm terrible with computers. Figured I'd leave it to the pros."

"I want that computer in the hands of our techies right now," Ariadne said. "How fast can you get it back to the campus?"

I looked to Scott, who cleared his throat. "If we drive fast, with the sirens on, we're a little less than two hours away."

"If there's any hint of what Omega is up to or what their next move might be, we need to know now," Ariadne said. "Get that computer in the hands of our tech support immediately. Do whatever you have to do." She paused. "Reed, is there anything else you can tell us?"

Reed looked like he'd been disturbed from slumber, moving after being still for several minutes. "I can't tell you much about what Omega's up to down there because it's out of my territory, but I can tell you that there's at least one more facility they have here in Wisconsin, something that's a lot more secret than the Eau Claire safehouse. One of our sources called it Site Epsilon, and it was where they were working on something called *Project Andromeda'. Our agent was tasked to find it and get inside, but they, uh..." He shrugged. "...disappeared."

"Where is this?" Scott asked, his arms folded in front of him.

"Eastern Wisconsin, not far from Eagle River." He shrugged. "I took a preliminary look around after our agent didn't report in, but there was no sign * no trace of his cell phone, nothing. Of course, I'm the only meta my organization has in the upper midwest, and I've got about a million things to do, so it hasn't been something I've been able to get to; Wisconsin's just been too quiet in terms of Omega activity to make it a priority."

"If Omega has a secret facility here in the state that far off the beaten path," Kat was thinking out loud, "that means it's probably something important, right? Something secret?"

"How sure are you about the location, Reed?" Ariadne's voice came off a little tinny, and I heard something in the background over the speaker, some kind of commotion.

"The search radius is about 100 miles," Reed said. "But I have to be honest, we don't know what's waiting, which is another reason I haven't checked it out. I mean, it could just have an Omega sweep team or two, or it could have one of the guys that used to be called a G.o.d hanging around, working security."

I heard silence from Ariadne, as though she were pondering her response. "Omega's made a very bold move in their attack on us in Kansas. It's already bad enough that we're not going to be able to keep it quiet from anyone * not the government, not the press and not the public. I doubt they would have made this move if they weren't prepared to follow up with additional attacks, and frankly, we still don't know a d.a.m.ned thing about them.

"We need something, anything. I want one of you three, Kat, Scott or Sienna, to rent a car and get the computer back to Headquarters for a.n.a.lysis. The other two, go with Reed and Sienna's aunt, if she's willing to help, and find that Omega facility, infiltrate it if it looks lightly guarded. If not, put it under surveillance and we'll hit it as soon as we get M-Squad out of this fight in Kansas. We're completely blind here, fighting an enemy we know nothing about."

There was a stark silence broken only by a little static from the phone's speaker. "And if we can't? Can't find anything, I mean?" Kat asked.

"Then we'll need you back at Headquarters as quickly as possible," Ariadne said, voice taut. "Because I think we can safely say that Omega has declared war on the Directorate * and we have no idea where and when they'll strike next."

Chapter 15.

There were a few seconds of quiet after Ariadne had hung up, as the four of us stared around the room at each other. Kat was withdrawn, staring into s.p.a.ce, while Reed and Scott were watching each other out of the corners of their eyes, occasionally looking like they were going to throw down right there, glares in the quiet speaking louder than anything else.

"All right," I said. "Who wants to take the computer back to the Directorate?"

"I can do it," Kat said, stirring. "I'm the least useful in a battle anyway, at least from an offense perspective."

"Yeah, but having someone who can heal fatal wounds is sort of a nice card to have in your hand," Scott said.

"I agree with the waterboy on that," Reed said, drawing a scathing look from Scott. "We're going into an uncertain situation against potentially deep odds and G.o.ds know what kind of metas."

I put my hand on my head, ma.s.saging my temples. An hour ago, I hadn't pictured things going this way. I thought of James, still in my room, and my head spun from the ten thousand questions I had no answers to. I needed to know things, and I needed to know them now. My eyes snapped open and I focused on Reed. "Who are you working for?"

He tensed and a pained expression grew on his face. He nodded slowly, and spoke. "I guess if we're gonna work together, I have to explain a few things, don't I?"

"Yeah, playing the man of mystery isn't gonna do much to endear you to us at this point," Scott said.

Reed seemed to consider that very carefully before he spoke again. "I'll give you some basics. The organization I'm with has one purpose: countering Omega. That's it. We know who the Directorate is because they're a big player in the meta game, but we've got no quarrel with you. The only reason I was after you," he said with a nod toward me, "is because Omega was and we were trying to beat them to you."

"What about a name?" Scott looked at him expectantly.

"I'm Reed, and you?" Reed shot him a smarmy smile, then rolled his eyes when he caught my glare. "Fine, but don't laugh. We call ourselves Alpha."

"And the prize for originality goes to...someone else," Scott said, his lips crooked in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"I didn't come up with it," Reed said. "Our founders are former Omega, but they got disillusioned with what the old G.o.ds had done and decided to band together to stop them. We've been around for a few hundred years, and we've kept them in check during that time."

"Alpha and Omega," I said under my breath. "So, what? They're the end and you're the beginning?" He gave me an oblique nod. "Of what?"

Reed let out a sharp exhalation. "I don't know. I mean, I've seen what Omega does, and it's not been pleasant. This little war they've started with you, it's nothing compared to some of the dirty tricks they've pulled. They've got people working for them that are worse than Wolfe. That should give you an idea of what they're like."

"And what could I tell about you by seeing who you work for?" I stared back at him, watched him stiffen, a resigned look on his face.

"You could see that we've got a common enemy," he said, "and if you keep watching what they do, you'll see why."

"All right," I said. "So what powers do you have?"

His eyes closed and he bowed his head, shaking it like a kid who was asked to give back a toy he really didn't want to let go of. "You're killin' me, Nealon. Can't I keep any secrets?"

"You can keep all the secrets you want," I said, not taking my eyes off him. "You just can't keep them and expect to go into the fight with us at your side."

His eyes came up, burning, finding mine. "Let's get this straight: right now, you need me a lot more than I need you."

"And if we're going into a battle," I said, keeping my tone even, "how are we supposed to work together if I don't know what you bring to the table?"

He squinted, as if he could shut out my d.a.m.ned, unreasonable request, then relaxed and opened his eyes again. "I'm an Aeolus, okay?"

"A what?" Kat asked.

"Like on a breast?" Scott looked at him in confusion. Kat buried her face in one of her hands.

"Like a windkeeper, you jacka.s.s." Reed stuck a hand out and I felt the currents of air in the room shift, my clothing starting to flap in a growing breeze. Reed pulled his hand back and the air stopped stirring. "I can control the movement of air, attracting it to me or pushing it away."

"That could be really useful," Scott said, "if we're on a sailboat and the wind dies."

A flash of annoyance crossed Reed's face. "And I'm sure your power is only useful if a small fire breaks out."

"All right, boys, enough of that," I said. "I think we have to send Kat to the Directorate." I looked between the three of them. "We'll need all the offensive power we can get if we're going to a.s.sault what could be an Omega base." I looked to her. "But you should get any additional help you can from the Directorate and rendezvous with us as quickly as possible. Depending on how our search goes, you may catch up with us before we even find the enemy."

She nodded. "All right. I'll need a car."

Reed shot her a cool look. "I can help with that."

I took a deep breath and looked to Kat. "Hurry." I shifted my glance to Reed and then Scott. "Bring the car around and meet me outside the lobby in ten minutes." I turned and walked to the door, Kat and Reed a couple steps behind me.

I parted ways with them in the hallway, sliding the card key into my room door. I paused and took a breath before I pulled the handle, wondering if I'd find James still inside.

I did. He was lying on the bed, the covers pulled up to his waist, his shirt still off. He greeted me with a warm smile which I didn't quite match. "I waited," he said in an enticing voice, something that called out to me, urged me on. I wanted to throw off my jacket and blouse and crawl under the sheets with him and stay there for the rest of the night. To h.e.l.l with the Directorate, Omega, Alpha and all else; forget metas and humans. I wanted them all to go away and just leave me alone with James. Maybe not forever, but at least until morning.

I breathed in deep, and let it out slow. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

He sat up, an awkward discomfort on his face. "What?"

"My office called, and I have to leave on an a.s.signment right now." I tried to convey regret, but I couldn't tell if it was getting across, because his face had gotten red.

"Wow, that's dedication," he said, voice tight. "But you know, there are alternatives." He pulled back the sheet and I looked away. He wasn't wearing anything beneath it, and I was suddenly very uncomfortable. I became even moreso when he walked around the bed, rested his hands on my cheeks and gently pulled me in for a kiss.

I returned it, but without the heat, the pa.s.sion that had consumed us earlier. This one was slow, methodical * enjoyable, sure, but without the possibility of going anywhere. He increased the pressure of the kiss, and I felt the heat from his side, the desire, and broke away, turning from him, groaning as I did so. "I'm sorry, I can't. I have a job to do. I have responsibilities, commitments." I was breathing much harder than I would have thought I would be after one kiss. "I have to go." I looked back at him, and he seemed so solitary, standing naked in the middle of my room. "When I get done with this, I'll call you, I promise. I'm..." I searched for the words. "...I...want this. I wish I could stay right now, but I just can't."

He was silent for a moment, then turned and stooped to pick up his pants. I watched. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I...can't really get into it. Secrecy and all that."

"I could help, maybe." He stared at me as he put his pants on, then zipped them up. I felt a tremor of regret. Trying to be a responsible adult and do my job really sucked right now.

I sighed. "I don't think so."

"I'm pretty strong," he said with a teasing smile. "You probably know something about that."

"I do know something about that." I tossed the clothes I'd left out into my bag, then pulled my syringe and a vial with my daily dose of psycho-suppressant out.

James's eyes caught the syringe as I injected the vial into my arm. "What's that?"

"That," I said, tossing the empty vial in the trash, "is how I curb the voices in my head." I felt the familiar rush of sleepiness that followed an injection, and shook it off. It barely affected me anymore. "How do you do it?"

"Not like that," he said with some disapproval. "You do it with your mind, not with drugs. If you've got a strong will, you barely feel it with most people, and it gets easier as you learn to control it."

"Ah," I said, slightly sarcastic. "That's where I went wrong. See, when I first absorbed someone, it was a crazed psycho beast who was bent on killing me. I shoulda picked a weaker target I guess, worked my way up to the monstrous, but I didn't really have an option at the time."

"You absorbed Wolfe?" He shook his head and let out a small gasp of amazement. "Wow. I did not know that. I heard you beat him but I a.s.sumed you did it some other way." He cringed. "That's a rough way to start out." His face slackened and was overcome with genuine curiosity. "How old were you when that happened?"