Free Nightfall (Pact Arcanum Integrated Serial Edition) by Arshad Ahsanuddin Page B

have given you my word that he will go free and unharmed if you cooperate. Put on the restraints, and my people will return him to his celebration before his friends even notice his absence. He will remember nothing. My people have even maintained their shields around him, so that his Gift would remain dormant. He is a pawn whose part is played out. I see no reason to prevent him from retiring from the board in peace.”
    Antonio looked at the restraints on the ground. I’m dead the moment I put them on. A fragment of conversation came back to him, from the night before the assault in Alexandria. “Someday, he’ll break his mother’s heart and get himself killed for the cause, just like I will.”
    Antonio picked up the restraints and locked them around his wrists. But not today.
     

CHAPTER 9
     
    September 2020; Portland, Oregon
    Takeshi woke to a pounding at the door. He climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of track pants before stumbling toward the front door of their suite. As he passed her room, Ana darted into the hall, her crystal staff out and ready. She hid behind a bend in the wall, watching Take extend a psychic probe beyond the door to see who it was.
    “Shit!” He immediately unlocked the door and disarmed the perimeter ward. “What happened?” he asked, nodding at Antonio’s disheveled appearance.
    Antonio snorted and entered the suite. “Some of the new teams in Denver refused to believe I was acting under your orders when I asked them to send reconnaissance parties into the areas where we believe Jiao-long’s base of operations are situated.” He indicated the fading bruise on his face. “They expressed themselves quite eloquently.”
    Takeshi sighed, closed and locked the door, and reactivated the ward. “We need those scouts, Antonio. How do we convince them?”
    Ana emerged from behind the wall and took a seat next to Antonio on the couch.
    “It’s the price of keeping your identities secret,” Antonio said. “We’ll need to break cover for this to work. All Sentinels can recognize one of the Winds as soon as the Gift is kindled. You’ll have to speak to them in person to secure their cooperation. As soon as they realize who you are, their natural instinct will be to obey.” He looked at Ana. “The two of you are first and third in rank among the Winds. If both of you go, they’ll be sure to fall in line.”
    “Tonight was the last show anyway,” Rory said, walking into the room, his sword loose in his hand. “There’s no harm in a road trip, as long as we’re back in time to check out of the hotel with the rest of the crew.”
    Antonio frowned. “Actually, I’d prefer if you stayed behind, Rory. You’re fourth in rank, so you won’t add much more weight to Takeshi’s orders. I don’t think they’ll view my presence well, if the warmth of their welcome was anything to go by. But you can pass my advice on to Takeshi over the link while he meets with them.”
    Rory opened his mouth to protest but realized there was nothing to be gained by his going. “Fine. I’ll wait here then.”
    Take grabbed a pen and paper from the hall table next to the phone. “We’ll need an address.”
    “Here are the coordinates.” Antonio scrawled a series of Arcolin symbols. “You should go immediately.”
    Rory dropped onto the couch next to Antonio. “Know any good card games?”
     
    * * *
     
    Within ten minutes, Ana and Take, now dressed in dark, non-descript clothing, were back in the living room and reviewing the coordinates again.
    “Okay, I’m ready,” said Take.
    Standing next to him, Ana laid her hand on his shoulder and began casting. The soft white haze of the teleport matrix surrounded them, and the hotel room disappeared. After a moment, the real world returned. They looked around in bemusement.
    “Where the hell is this?” asked Take, seeing nothing but scrub brush and dirt as far as the eye could see.
    Anaba shrugged. “No idea. Teleport coordinates don’t