give her courage and tentatively nodded
back at him. Inside she was freaking out. Two Sentries? Oh my God, and I’m in the middle of whatever is
happening!
“The ring-shield activated?” Bruno asked, swinging his attention
back onto Greyson.
He nodded shortly. “Yes, though it wasn’t enough. There was one
left when I got there.”
Bruno rubbed his face. “I saw video on the news. You couldn’t just
make something up to tell the police?”
Greyson snorted. “The other customers recorded the entire attack,
Bruno. What would you have had me say?”
“Fine,” Bruno growled. “But now I’ve got to call the others, and
the President and the rest of the whole fucking world and explain what happened
since all of you elected me spokesman. So tell me, what the hell happened?” He
leaned forward, blue eyes snapping.
Eva stepped back nervously, not wanting to get into the middle of
the brothers’ argument. She wandered around the room as Greyson gave a short
and concise explanation of what had happened. She still didn’t understand
precisely what Spiders were, but she knew enough to realize that Earth was in
danger. Those things must be what the Sentries have been protecting us from, she mused, staring out the window above the kitchen sink. The woods beyond were
darker than she’d expected. Storm clouds were rolling in over the treetops and
she shivered. She had no desire to ride back to her house on the back of a
motorcycle in a thunderstorm.
“What I don’t understand is why they swarmed there. Why Ohio, of all places?” Bruno sounded exasperated.
Eva turned and leaned on the counter, curious. She’d like to know
the answer to that, too.
“Hasn’t Solomon found the hacker yet?” Greyson asked.
“No, or you would’ve known.” Bruno began pacing. “Maybe it has
something to do with your girl.”
His girl? Eva wrinkled her nose. Surely
Sentry Day didn’t mean her?
Greyson glared. “You know it does not.”
“The only other Spiders we’ve found weren’t far from her apartment
here in the city,” Bruno countered. “And they followed her to Ohio.” He glanced
at her. “Why don’t you ask her what she knows?”
Wait, what? Eva pushed off from the counter and moved closer.
“Perhaps the hacker is one of your entourage,” Greyson said.
Bruno shook his head. “I’ve gone over every inch of the tech here. And the people.” He looked at Eva again. “What do you
know about the Spiders, Eva?”
She frowned. “You think I had something to do with those
things?” she asked. “I didn’t even know they existed until today.”
“And why did you move back to Ohio? You could’ve worked perfectly
well from your apartment in Manhattan,” Bruno said, voice going cold.
She stared at him, a hard knot forming in her gut. “How do you
know my name?”
He shook his head. “You’re redesigning the Stronghold website. Of
course I know your name.”
Eva glanced at Greyson. He looked like he wanted to chew on a rock
and spit the pieces at his brother.
“I didn’t like living in the city,” she said finally. “That’s all.
Nothing more complicated than that.” No way was she going to admit she’d moved
back here hoping to see Greyson again.
“Enough, Bruno. She knows nothing, as you would
immediately sense if you were here.” He touched her shoulder gently.
It didn’t reassure her. Eva shook off his hand. “I don’t know
anything about any of this,” she told them, willing Greyson to believe her.
“It’s okay. I know,” he murmured to her before turning back to the
viewer. “Bruno, let the others know what happened. We’ll check back in with
each other tomorrow.”
Bruno nodded curtly. “On your head be it.”
His expression softened as he touched the corner of his eye. “Be careful,
brother.” He didn’t look at Eva as the viewer went dark.
“Greyson, you have to believe me. I didn’t even know those things
existed before today!” Eva felt sick to her stomach. How
back at him. Inside she was freaking out. Two Sentries? Oh my God, and I’m in the middle of whatever is
happening!
“The ring-shield activated?” Bruno asked, swinging his attention
back onto Greyson.
He nodded shortly. “Yes, though it wasn’t enough. There was one
left when I got there.”
Bruno rubbed his face. “I saw video on the news. You couldn’t just
make something up to tell the police?”
Greyson snorted. “The other customers recorded the entire attack,
Bruno. What would you have had me say?”
“Fine,” Bruno growled. “But now I’ve got to call the others, and
the President and the rest of the whole fucking world and explain what happened
since all of you elected me spokesman. So tell me, what the hell happened?” He
leaned forward, blue eyes snapping.
Eva stepped back nervously, not wanting to get into the middle of
the brothers’ argument. She wandered around the room as Greyson gave a short
and concise explanation of what had happened. She still didn’t understand
precisely what Spiders were, but she knew enough to realize that Earth was in
danger. Those things must be what the Sentries have been protecting us from, she mused, staring out the window above the kitchen sink. The woods beyond were
darker than she’d expected. Storm clouds were rolling in over the treetops and
she shivered. She had no desire to ride back to her house on the back of a
motorcycle in a thunderstorm.
“What I don’t understand is why they swarmed there. Why Ohio, of all places?” Bruno sounded exasperated.
Eva turned and leaned on the counter, curious. She’d like to know
the answer to that, too.
“Hasn’t Solomon found the hacker yet?” Greyson asked.
“No, or you would’ve known.” Bruno began pacing. “Maybe it has
something to do with your girl.”
His girl? Eva wrinkled her nose. Surely
Sentry Day didn’t mean her?
Greyson glared. “You know it does not.”
“The only other Spiders we’ve found weren’t far from her apartment
here in the city,” Bruno countered. “And they followed her to Ohio.” He glanced
at her. “Why don’t you ask her what she knows?”
Wait, what? Eva pushed off from the counter and moved closer.
“Perhaps the hacker is one of your entourage,” Greyson said.
Bruno shook his head. “I’ve gone over every inch of the tech here. And the people.” He looked at Eva again. “What do you
know about the Spiders, Eva?”
She frowned. “You think I had something to do with those
things?” she asked. “I didn’t even know they existed until today.”
“And why did you move back to Ohio? You could’ve worked perfectly
well from your apartment in Manhattan,” Bruno said, voice going cold.
She stared at him, a hard knot forming in her gut. “How do you
know my name?”
He shook his head. “You’re redesigning the Stronghold website. Of
course I know your name.”
Eva glanced at Greyson. He looked like he wanted to chew on a rock
and spit the pieces at his brother.
“I didn’t like living in the city,” she said finally. “That’s all.
Nothing more complicated than that.” No way was she going to admit she’d moved
back here hoping to see Greyson again.
“Enough, Bruno. She knows nothing, as you would
immediately sense if you were here.” He touched her shoulder gently.
It didn’t reassure her. Eva shook off his hand. “I don’t know
anything about any of this,” she told them, willing Greyson to believe her.
“It’s okay. I know,” he murmured to her before turning back to the
viewer. “Bruno, let the others know what happened. We’ll check back in with
each other tomorrow.”
Bruno nodded curtly. “On your head be it.”
His expression softened as he touched the corner of his eye. “Be careful,
brother.” He didn’t look at Eva as the viewer went dark.
“Greyson, you have to believe me. I didn’t even know those things
existed before today!” Eva felt sick to her stomach. How
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