“Yes.” Hallie moved to the doorway and silently asked thezauberto help. They might be indoors just now, but she was cold from head to toe and her feet were sore enough to be distracting. The magical object sent a gentle wave of warmth and healing through her even as she sensed it extending itself somehow to keep watch for anyone else around.
Rhodda moved across to join Girard at the radio and the two had what sounded like a low-voiced argument. Trying not to draw attention. Hallie tried to ignore them and focus on herjob, and not think about the fact that Rhodda had a completely different agenda and set of priorities to Girard.
Then a shockingly loud voice cut into the room.
“This is the Conclave emergency channel. Unauthorised use will be punished. What’s your business?” The voice was allhochlen, carrying assurance and arrogance even through the slight crackle of the radio signal. It sounded both young and male.
“Special Investigator Girard Abbott with a message for Director Peredur Roth. Matter is urgent,” Girard said, voice clipped.
“Verify,” the voice snapped back.
“Indigo raptor seven seven six,” Girard replied, as if he’d been expecting the challenge. The words made no sense to Hallie, but they produced a startling change at the other end of the radio.
“Investigator Abbott, this is Jasper Clayton. It’s good to hear your voice, sir.” The new voice was stillhochlen, young and male, but had far less of the arrogance of the unidentified first speaker. Hallie remembered meeting the young man - a junior investigator, whose brother was one of the forensic team.
“Likewise,” Girard said. “I don’t know how long I have on this channel. Advise Director Roth that there are armed hostiles on the island, and we need back-up asap.”
“Number of hostiles?” Jasper might be young, but he sounded sharp and attentive.
“Precise number unknown,” Girard answered. “Two groups, each of twenty or more at best guess. One group affiliated with individual identified as Nicholas Rigg, the other with individual with first name Jonah, no known last name.”
“All received. I’ll relay the intel. Last update here is the tac team were on standby for immediate departure. Are you in imminent danger, sir?” Jasper asked.
“Affirmative,” Girard said, even as thezauberflared a warning at Hallie’s hip.
“We’ve got company,” Hallie called over her shoulder. She didn’t hear what Girard said to the radio, all her attention on the sensation of movement somewhere in the rest of the house. And outside. Thezauberhad caught it first, but as she listened she could hear them, too. “Outside and in,” she added, voice tense.
Girard appeared at the other side of the doorway, handgun ready.
“How long will it take for back-up to get here?” Rhodda asked from somewhere behind them. She sounded miserable and nervous.
“A few hours at best,” Girard answered in a low voice.
“We’ll be dead by then,” Rhodda whispered. Hallie risked a glance over her shoulder and saw the other woman huddled down on the sofa, hands between her knees, head bowed. “We should have left when you suggested it,” she added, looking up at Hallie. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. We’re not dead yet,” Hallie told her, frowning slightly. She’d seen Rhodda in various stages of fear and defiance before now, but this seemed something new, as if she’d given up all hope.
Footsteps coming through the house snapped Hallie’s attention away from Rhodda and back to the very real danger posed by Jonah and his men.
“I’m telling you, I heard something,” a low voice was saying. The speaker probably didn’t think he could be heard, and if Hallie had been human, she might have missed it. But she caught the words clearly.
“Then shut up and we’ll check it out,” another voice answered.
Heavy boot treads sounded and then two men appeared from under the staircase. They were carrying their weapons down by their sides, not ready to use. Girard fired. He caught the firstone in the shoulder. The second man squealed in fright and ducked back into the shadows as Girard fired. The further shriek suggested that Girard had hit him, but not killed him. The first man stumbled back, a furious yell erupting from his throat. He brought his weapon up, aiming towards Girard.
Hallie fired. She was aiming in the general direction of the man, just trying to get him to back away. Her bullet missed him, but from the further shriek of the second man she thought she might have hit him instead.
The first man reached into the shadows, grabbing his companion, and pulling him back to where the kitchen was, sending up a shout. One word.Intruders.
More shouting.Intruders. Office. Radio.
Before Hallie could do anything else, glass shattered behind her and something smacked into the wall not far from her head. She ducked down, huddled close to the floor and turned away from the door, looking through the now broken windows to see the vague shapes of people outside, emerging from the forest. Jonah’s men must have reached the top of the stairs. Moving as fast as she could, she headed for the shelter of the enormous desk, Girard with her.
“You watch the door, I’ll take the window,” he told her.
With her blood roaring in her ears, Hallie focused on the doorway, gun levelled towards it, and tried to pretend her hands weren’t shaking. The desk wasn’t going to provide them with cover for long, not now that Jonah and his men knew where they were. For a horrible moment she wondered if Rhodda had been right and they were all going to die.
More shots came into the room from outside. Glass flew through the air and Hallie felt something bite into her skin. She risked a glance and saw a shard of glass poking into her upper arm. It wasn’t all that big, so she ignored it, turning back to thedoorway in time to see a shape appearing. She fired. Two shots, one low, one high, and the shadow moved back at once.
