“Which side?”
“East. It’s not big yet, but I can see the glow from here. Hang on.” Lily heard a
voice in the background, then: “You heard?”
“Two patrols near Big Sister have reported an explosion,” Rule said, “and are on their
way to investigate.”
“Yes. Lily said Isen’s on a run alone.”
“He’s alive.” Rule said that with calm authority. He would know, of course. If his
father had been killed, the full mantle would have descended on him. “I don’t know
where he is, but he’s alive. Call full alert. I’m switching to my earbud. Call me
on my mobile.” He touched the disconnect button.
An explosion and fire on Big Sister. Lily had stuffed her feet into her shoes while
Pete reported. Now she raced for the bedroom she and Rule shared. Big Sister was the
tallest peak in Clanhome. The view from the top was spectacular, but getting there
was a bitch and a half. Halfway up, though, wasn’t a bad hike even for the two-legged.
She grabbed her purse and shoulder harness. “Benedict’s cabin?” she called. Benedict
had a propane tank up there. That would make a nice, big boom.
“That’s on the west face, not the east.”
She knew that. Or should have. Lily ran back to the great room. Rule stood just this
side of the entrance hall. He’d opened a small door set into the wall, revealing what
looked like the control board for a security system. He wore his earbud, and his face
said “listening” again. “Good. I want Cynna here, fast. Triple the detail on Toby.
Send Cullen to deal with the fire. He’s to take a squad with him to—yes, just one.
Every other squad mobilized, but hold them at their meet-points until we know more.
Pick someone with a good nose and set him on Isen’s trail.”
The lights went out as Lily passed Rule, stepping into the entrance hall. Full alert
meant the Rho’s house went dark. She paused, letting her eyes adjust, and used the
moment to slip on her shoulder harness. “The fire’s a diversion.”
Rule’s voice came from right behind her. “I think so, yes. Or possibly Isen took his
run up on Big Sister and precipitated an incident.” He moved past her, a whisper of
sound and warmth in the dark. A second later she heard a door open.
It wasn’t completely black. The windows in the great room weren’t draped, so some
light spilled in from that end of the hall. But the moon was only a couple of days
past new, so that wisp of illumination was too thin for human eyes. Lily trailed her
fingers along the wall to guide her.
“Here,” Rule said, giving her a target.
She brushed past him and entered Isen’s study—where it was truly, deeply dark, being
a completely interior room. When the light was on, it was a cozy and inviting room
with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a desk in one corner, a small bassinet in another,
and four cushy chairs grouped in the middle. The walls and ceiling were reinforced
with steel. The trapdoor that opened on the emergency escape tunnel was hidden beneath
a fine old Persian carpet.
Lily stopped just inside and waited for Rule to shut the door and turn on the lights.
“I’m leaving the door open until Cynna gets here with the baby,” he told her. “I’ll
have to switch to the landline then, but until…yes.” The last was apparently addressed
to Pete. “I see. Lily, call Benedict. His mobile number is star four. Brief him. Pete
can’t raise the patrol that was on Big Sister at the time of the explosion.”
Rule was in full Rho-mode, which meant tossing out orders, not requests, but Lily
wasn’t going to quibble over phrasing. Benedict had to be told, and she wasn’t useful
otherwise at the moment. She moved farther into the room, feeling for the desk. She’d
need the landline; there was too much metal in the walls for her mobile phone.
She found the desk and the phone, propped her rump on one and lifted the receiver
of the other, causing the
“East. It’s not big yet, but I can see the glow from here. Hang on.” Lily heard a
voice in the background, then: “You heard?”
“Two patrols near Big Sister have reported an explosion,” Rule said, “and are on their
way to investigate.”
“Yes. Lily said Isen’s on a run alone.”
“He’s alive.” Rule said that with calm authority. He would know, of course. If his
father had been killed, the full mantle would have descended on him. “I don’t know
where he is, but he’s alive. Call full alert. I’m switching to my earbud. Call me
on my mobile.” He touched the disconnect button.
An explosion and fire on Big Sister. Lily had stuffed her feet into her shoes while
Pete reported. Now she raced for the bedroom she and Rule shared. Big Sister was the
tallest peak in Clanhome. The view from the top was spectacular, but getting there
was a bitch and a half. Halfway up, though, wasn’t a bad hike even for the two-legged.
She grabbed her purse and shoulder harness. “Benedict’s cabin?” she called. Benedict
had a propane tank up there. That would make a nice, big boom.
“That’s on the west face, not the east.”
She knew that. Or should have. Lily ran back to the great room. Rule stood just this
side of the entrance hall. He’d opened a small door set into the wall, revealing what
looked like the control board for a security system. He wore his earbud, and his face
said “listening” again. “Good. I want Cynna here, fast. Triple the detail on Toby.
Send Cullen to deal with the fire. He’s to take a squad with him to—yes, just one.
Every other squad mobilized, but hold them at their meet-points until we know more.
Pick someone with a good nose and set him on Isen’s trail.”
The lights went out as Lily passed Rule, stepping into the entrance hall. Full alert
meant the Rho’s house went dark. She paused, letting her eyes adjust, and used the
moment to slip on her shoulder harness. “The fire’s a diversion.”
Rule’s voice came from right behind her. “I think so, yes. Or possibly Isen took his
run up on Big Sister and precipitated an incident.” He moved past her, a whisper of
sound and warmth in the dark. A second later she heard a door open.
It wasn’t completely black. The windows in the great room weren’t draped, so some
light spilled in from that end of the hall. But the moon was only a couple of days
past new, so that wisp of illumination was too thin for human eyes. Lily trailed her
fingers along the wall to guide her.
“Here,” Rule said, giving her a target.
She brushed past him and entered Isen’s study—where it was truly, deeply dark, being
a completely interior room. When the light was on, it was a cozy and inviting room
with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a desk in one corner, a small bassinet in another,
and four cushy chairs grouped in the middle. The walls and ceiling were reinforced
with steel. The trapdoor that opened on the emergency escape tunnel was hidden beneath
a fine old Persian carpet.
Lily stopped just inside and waited for Rule to shut the door and turn on the lights.
“I’m leaving the door open until Cynna gets here with the baby,” he told her. “I’ll
have to switch to the landline then, but until…yes.” The last was apparently addressed
to Pete. “I see. Lily, call Benedict. His mobile number is star four. Brief him. Pete
can’t raise the patrol that was on Big Sister at the time of the explosion.”
Rule was in full Rho-mode, which meant tossing out orders, not requests, but Lily
wasn’t going to quibble over phrasing. Benedict had to be told, and she wasn’t useful
otherwise at the moment. She moved farther into the room, feeling for the desk. She’d
need the landline; there was too much metal in the walls for her mobile phone.
She found the desk and the phone, propped her rump on one and lifted the receiver
of the other, causing the
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