Bound By Darkness Part 4

Things had been changing over the past few months and not for the better. Colonel Kincade had had his faults, but at least he'd known the guards were the real heroes around the place. The Paladins fought like madmen, but they could afford to be reckless with their lives. They weren't playing for keeps, because even if the f.u.c.kers were killed they didn't stay that way. Freaks.

The guards, though, were pure human stock, guaranteed to bleed and die if their wounds were bad enough. That was why the Paladins usually bore the brunt of the fighting, but not always. Sometimes the barrier went down too often or stayed that way too long for the Paladins to handle it all on their own. That was when the guards were thrown into the battle as sword-fodder.

Duke punched out, picked up his gear, and left the building. Home next or a quick stop at the local watering hole for a cold one? No contest.

It didn't take him long to reach the bar where the guards hung out. He spotted a few of his buddies at a big table on the far side of the room. He signaled the waitress to bring him a microbrew and a burger before weaving his way through the clutter of tables and chairs.

"Hey, Duke, come park your a.s.s over here," one of them yelled.

He tossed his bag in the corner and pulled up a chair. He knew most of the guys at the table, but the one on his immediate right wasn't familiar.

He stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Duke. You must be new."

"I must be," the guy said after giving Duke's hand a firm shake. "My name's Rusty. I just transferred in from California."

"What brought you up here? From what I've heard, the California office is a pretty cushy a.s.signment."

The guy shrugged, his gaze sliding past Duke as if to see who might be listening before answering. "Seems lately all the action is up here."

What the h.e.l.l was that supposed to mean? "I don't understand."

Once again, Rusty seemed to hesitate. "I heard rumors about the stuff the Paladins have been pulling up here. Like hanging out with the enemy, arresting the local administrator-you know, stuff. That last one was a shocker for sure. I'd always heard good things about Colonel Kincade."

He quit talking long enough to stop a pa.s.sing waitress. He held out a twenty-dollar bill. "Miss, would you bring me and my friend each another beer."

"Hey, you don't have to do that," Duke protested.

"You can buy the next round." Rusty munched on a handful of pretzels. "So what did you think of him?"

"Who?" Duke asked, although he could guess.

"Kincade."

Duke wasn't exactly thrilled with the direction of this conversation. Still, there was no reason not to answer. "The man always gave the guards a fair shake, but he had problems with the Paladins and their pet Others. A couple of months back, they arrested him and s.h.i.+pped his a.s.s back east for the Regents to deal with. No idea what they had on him. Some folks think they faked the charges because he didn't put up with their c.r.a.p."

Duke was one of those folks, but he kept that to himself.

Rusty sneered. "Yeah, I'd heard that, too. I could hardly believe it when I saw a pair of those Others wandering through headquarters all alone. Maybe Kincade had the right of it."

"Yeah, maybe."

Rusty took a long pull off his beer. "I hear Kincade's replacement is a woman. Is that true?"

Duke nodded. "Sasha Willis. She seemed nice enough at first."

Rusty's eyes lit up with interest. "Something happen to change your mind?"

Okay, maybe Duke should shut up now before he said something he shouldn't. "Nothing. She's been real friendly. I just get twitchy when people start poking their noses in our business."

That much was true, but it was watching her act so friendly to that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Larem that had Duke seeing red. Time to change the subject.

"So tell me, Rusty, are you a baseball fan?"

Sasha stared at the door, waiting for a knock that seemed destined never to come. Not that her guests were late, but a lot rested on the success of this meeting. She had so many questions and suspected that if anyone had the answers, it would be Devlin Bane and Dr. Laurel Young.

There was one major problem with the plan. Earlier in the day, she'd discovered some substantial irregularities in the Paladin financial records. Someone had authorized salaries for three additional Paladins, only these particular individuals were apparently phantoms. Their names didn't appear on any duty rosters, nor had she been able to find any personal information on them.

She clenched her hands until they hurt. Without a doubt they weren't phantoms at all. No, they had crossed from another world, one that bred crazed killers. Everyone knew the Seattle Paladins were sheltering the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, but it had come as a shock that they were using Regent funds.

The whole idea made her furious. How many Paladins had died because of them? Eventually she'd have to confront Devlin with the evidence, but unfortunately, right now she needed his support, as well as that of his wife. Devlin Bane was crucial to maintaining stability in the region. She couldn't risk exposing the problem-not yet anyway.

The Regents thought the Seattle crowd was unruly now. She could only imagine how bad it would be if she toppled their leader and brought him up on charges of treason and theft. Not that he'd spend a single minute in a civilian jail or courtroom. The only option when it came to a Paladin who was out of control was a lethal injection. The thought made her physically ill.

The long-awaited knock finally came. She drew a calming breath and pasted a smile on her face, hoping it looked more sincere than it felt. Nervous now that the moment was upon her, she wiped her sweaty palms on her slacks and opened the door.

"Devlin, Laurel, please come in."

As they entered the room, Laurel made no effort to be discreet as she checked out Sasha's suite. "Nice place."

"Thanks. It's still a hotel room, though. I'm looking forward to finding a place of my own."

Sasha led the way toward the living area. "I haven't had a chance to look yet, but I hope to squeeze in some time this weekend."

"So you're planning on staying in Seattle for a while?" Devlin asked the question as he settled into the corner of the sofa. "I'd gotten the impression you were the scouting expedition and that the Board of Regents would a.s.sign someone permanently after you reported back."

Okay, so he had contacts back in the Midwest that she hadn't known about. The Regents' plans for the area were supposed to be a secret.

"I'm hoping they'll consider a.s.signing me permanently. After all, by the time I've finished my a.s.sessment, I will know the inner workings of this sector better than any current member of the Regents would. Any other person would have to start over at square one."

"Makes sense to me, especially if you find you like it here," Laurel said, frowning. "You know, maybe I could help with your apartment hunt. I own a condo here in town that's just been cleaned and painted top to bottom. We'd planned to put it up for sale, but I'm in no hurry, especially with the market as poor as it is. It's even mostly furnished."

Sasha considered the offer. That would so simplify her life. "If you're sure, I'd love to see the place."

Laurel pulled a key ring from her purse and laid it on the coffee table. "When you get a chance, check it out and let me know what you think. We can work out rent and stuff if you like it."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Another knock at the door signaled it was time to play hostess. "I had the hotel prepare some hors d'oeuvres for us and bring up some of my new favorite wine from a local vineyard."

On her way to the door, Sasha glanced at Devlin. "Unless you'd prefer I sent down for some beer?"

Laurel laughed. "Oh, does she have your number, mister!"

"Very funny, Laurel." Devlin looked mildly insulted. "Seriously, wine will be just fine."

For the next half hour, the three of them made small talk. Laurel and Devlin gave Sasha recommendations about restaurants and told her the sights worth seeing around town. Sasha told them about her first visit to the famous Pike Place Market.

"You know, until they started slinging salmon over the counter, I didn't believe they really threw fish around. I was just glad I wasn't in the line of fire." Sasha laughed at the memory and mentioned other shops she'd checked out.

She looked at Devlin. "One of your men was nice enough to suggest whale watching while I'm here."

The Paladin looked puzzled. "Who was that? I don't recall any of them mentioning they'd gone. Not that I'd mind if they did. They all deserve more time off than they get."

"Larem Jones. I ran into him after I left your office the other day. Since he was headed in the same general direction, we stopped for coffee."

She poured herself another half gla.s.s of wine, but that didn't keep her from noticing the concerned looks exchanged between her guests.

"Oops, did I let the cat out of the bag? If he was AWOL for a day, please don't let my big mouth cause him problems," Sasha said.

"No, that's fine. Larem's relatively new to the area. I'm glad he's been enjoying some of the sights on his days off." Devlin tossed back the last of his wine and set the gla.s.s down on the table with a shade too much force.

Interesting. The time she'd spent in Larem's company had definitely been one of the highlights in her stay so far. But rather than press the matter-or admit that she and Larem had met again since then to wander along the waterfront and to visit the aquarium-it was time to get back to business.

"Look, I know you've both had a long day, so I'll get to the point. I won't lie to you about my purpose in being here. Yes, I want to make things better for the Paladins in any way I can. I a.s.sure you that I have the utmost respect for both their service and their sacrifices."

She paused to let that sink in before she dropped the hammer. "But quite frankly, the Board of Regents has some serious concerns over the events that have transpired here in Seattle the past couple of years."

Devlin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, all pretense at casual conversation gone. "Which events would those be? The one where a Regent went rogue back in Missouri and killed Judge Nichols, all right under the Board's nose? Or when Colonel Kincade, one of their favorite lapdogs, was trafficking in stolen goods and illegal immigration?"

Laurel jumped in. "Not to mention that he went out of his way to make life a living h.e.l.l for the Paladins here. I know you've promised additional funding, but what if it's too little, too late? Without naming names, I can personally testify that Kincade's brutality caused permanent damage to some of my patients."

Sasha watched as the doctor struggled for control. Although Kincade had hidden his tracks well for a long time, she had no doubt that Dr. Young was telling the truth.

Laurel entwined her fingers with Devlin's and stared at their joined hands. "I'm sorry, Sasha. I know Kincade's actions were not your fault. However, no one on the Board of Regents would listen when I repeatedly reported what was going on. The additional funding is wonderful, but it's a little difficult to be grateful for what should've been forthcoming all along. I also resent the Board sitting in judgment on decisions that were made under very difficult circ.u.mstances."

How horrific were the scenes playing out in Laurel's mind to fill her dark eyes with such utter grief? Now wasn't the time to ask.

"Look, all I can tell you is that the Regents will be taking a more active approach to governing the whole organization worldwide. Like it or not, they realize that they've contributed to the situation by giving individual administrators like Kincade far too much autonomy. They feel-and I agree-that we must step back and a.s.sess what is working now and what has worked in the past. Once we have a clearer picture of the situation, then we can all move forward together."

Devlin looked thoroughly disgusted. "Sasha, do you have any idea how many times I've heard that same bulls.h.i.+t over the years? Yes, there have to be some rules in place, but I have a hard time with a bunch of paper pushers and number crunchers sitting in a boardroom making decisions without consulting those who actually get their hands b.l.o.o.d.y day after day."

"But without rules . . ." Sasha started to protest but stopped. "Okay, I get what you're saying and even agree, to a certain extent. One reason I volunteered to come is that I want to hear your side of the discussion. I'd like to think that ultimately we share the same goals.

"It's imperative that I learn everything I can from the ground up, without restriction or interference. I've been involved in similar situations before this, although not on the same scale, and I can tell you one thing that doesn't work is anything less than total transparency from both parties."

Devlin clearly wasn't buying it, not completely anyway. "So where does that leave us? What do you want from me?"

Sasha considered her words carefully. "I have some discretionary budget I can use any way I see fit. Part of that is already earmarked for Laurel's department, but I'd like your take on how the remaining money can best be put to good use. I want it to have a direct, positive impact on the quality of life for the Paladins.

"To that end, I'd like a report from you by the end of next week with any suggestions you might have. It would help if you could prioritize them, but we can discuss that in more detail once I've had a chance to review the report."

There. She'd laid her cards on the table. It was up to them to play theirs next.

Devlin slowly leaned back, still holding his wife's hand as if it helped keep him grounded.

"I'll work on the report, but not alone."

Sasha nodded. "I was hoping that you and Laurel would put your heads together on it."

"And we will, but I'll want to bring a few of my men in on it, too."

Not exactly what she had wanted to hear, but neither did she want to shoot him down right out of the gate. "Who do you have in mind?"

Devlin's mouth quirked up in a small smile. "Does it matter?"

They both knew she hadn't had time to get to know the locals well enough to judge who would have useful input and who wouldn't. Even so, she needed to maintain some control over the situation.

"No, I suppose not. I'd appreciate it if you limited it to no more than five of your men, ones who can keep a secret. I don't want the other department heads demanding their 'fair share' of the budget. Depending on your suggestions, they may end up getting some of the pie, but only if it has the impact we want."

Devlin looked decidedly happier. "Okay, then it's a deal. For what it's worth, the guys I have in mind are Blake Trahern, Cullen Finley, D.J. Clayborne, and Lonzo Jones."

He repeated the names more slowly when Sasha reached for a pad and paper.

"They're all good men and know how to keep their mouths shut. When your whole life has been one big secret, you learn early how to fly under the radar. They also hang out in my office a lot, so no one will think anything of it if they're in there more than usual."

"Perfect."

She studied the names, noting Lonzo's last name was the same as Larem's. Were they brothers? And why wasn't Larem on Devlin's list? Hmm.

"I want to thank both of you for coming tonight. We've made a solid start on fixing what's been broken for way too long. I'm hoping these changes will help us all get back on track."

She really did. Men's lives depended on it. Too many had died already because of bad management and simple carelessness.

"I will be seeing a lot of both of you as we move forward. As you've probably already guessed, I believe in hands-on management. I'm well aware that will ruffle some feathers, but I'm convinced the problem has been the lack of direct contact between those who control the purse strings and those who do the bleeding."

Devlin shook his head. "Look, I know you mean well, but there are areas that are off-limits to civilians, and for good reason."

Time to make her position clear. If she blinked now, she'd lose all chance of maintaining control. "I'm sorry, but you don't have the authority to restrict my movements, Devlin. I can-and will-go wherever I need to. The Board of Regents has granted me full access."

Then she offered what she hoped was a conciliatory smile. "Just tell me where I need to be careful."

"You may have the right to see anything and everything, Ms. Willis, but I'm the one responsible for the safety of all who enter Paladin headquarters. I will not allow you to wander the tunnels unescorted. And before you think we're trying to hide something, Lacey Sebastian works for the organization as a geologist and is under the same restrictions."

"I see." And she did. "I promise to use common sense, but I can't let you dictate how I do my job."

Neither of her guests looked convinced, but they couldn't say they hadn't been warned. "Again, all I'm asking is that you give me a chance. And if you have a problem with something I've done or said, I'd appreciate your coming straight to me with it. My door will always be open."

"I hope you mean that." Devlin stood and helped Laurel up off the sofa.

Sasha followed them to the door. "See you soon."

Once they were gone, Sasha got ready for bed. A few minutes later, she crawled between the sheets and turned out the bedside light.

G.o.d, it had been a long day-too long. She had no doubt that tomorrow would be just like it, but right now she was too tired to think that far ahead.

Instead, her mind filled with the image of Larem Jones smiling as he walked away from her. She really hoped she hadn't gotten him in trouble with Devlin. Maybe she should warn him. No, bad idea. Her working relations.h.i.+p with Devlin was too fragile to risk getting between him and one of his men.