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“Understood,” they all responded in unison.
Once my plane landed, we got into the two black Lincoln Navigators idling on the tarmac. Not as discreet as I’d hoped, but we were taking different routes to the safe house, and there was a large garage where the SUVs would be stored.
“I notified Zion we’d be arriving in fifteen. He said Fred is still out cold, has a golf-ball-sized bump on the back of his head,” Legend reported.
I was in the middle seat and turned to Axel behind me. He was one of my exercitus who had a doctorate and experience with trauma patients. “Once we arrive, I need you to assess him.”
“Yes, Praeses.”
Westford was a beautiful territory, large with many towns and over-the-bridge city life that poured with riches and power, and Fred owned it all. No wonder it was being fought over. If only Fred had seen it coming sooner.
Well, I was here now, and if any of those motherfuckers thought they were going to take it out from under him, they had another think coming. They would find out what it meant when Lex Talionis got involved.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Fred
I was well aware that I was dreaming, floating through a calm space. It was quiet and I was warm. My heart ached, but it was as if whatever was causing it wasn’t welcome here. The aroma of sugar cookies tickled my nose, and the smile that tugged at my lips was a struggle to achieve…Why? No, I wasn’t going to wonder that because if I did, the ache would push through.
The whiteness surrounding my vision wasn’t painfully bright; it was as if a million candles were lit in a temperature-controlled area.
“Fred?” someone whispered, and they sounded familiar…safe.
“Fred, where’d you go?”
I spun around as the voice came closer, and there was a little girl. She wore a light-blue dress, her strawberry blond hair in pigtails. Clutched in her hand was a ratty teddy bear.
“Fudge.” I gestured to the stuffed animal.
She giggled. “You want to hold him.” She held it out and I gripped it, immediately bringing it to my nose. Sugar cookies.
“Aine.”
As soon as I opened my eyes, the little girl became a woman. She stared without saying a word but grinned.
“Wake up, Fred.”
“I don’t want to.” The ache thudded hard against my chest, and my head began to hurt.
“You have to.” She stepped forward and held out her hand. “Now, wake up and fight.”
“If I wake up, you’ll be dead…Uncle Sean.” The pain was emerging, and it was suddenly hard to breathe.
“We’re okay. Please, Fred. Wake up.”
I opened my mouth to say something else but she took two steps, grabbed my shoulders, and shook me. “I said wake up!”
That wasn’t her voice, and in a moment everything was noisy, the pain was immense, and there were no more sugar cookie smells.
“Fred!”
I blinked open my eyes, grateful for the low lighting. Aiden hovered above me. Flashes of light came across his face, and my body kept thumping around.
“Where?” I tried to sit up, but Aiden held me in place.
“We’re taking you to safety. Try and stay awake.”
My brain was on fire; every inch of my body throbbed and stung. I wanted to be back in the dream.
