Lucifer Read online

  Unlucky much? Yeah, he was unlucky all the time. He could imagine what Stef was going through and how Zeus and his demons were tearing up the place looking for him. But was he anywhere near the place he’d been taken from? The buildings on the site they’d been at all had looked less than ten years old. They’d been modern in appearance but this place looked fifty years old or older. It was possible that something new had been built over top of this, but most construction companies tended to fill in places like this when they were doing new construction.

  His headache came back which made him close his eyes and breathe deeply hoping to relax enough that it would clear. It must have worked because they next thing he knew he was dreaming. He was in bed with Stef just holding her close. It felt wonderful to be with her after his fear that he might never return to her. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

  “You don’t know how glad I am to be here with you. I feared we’d never see each other again.” He whispered.

  “We’ll always find each other, Lu. I love you too much to lose you like that.”

  Her declaration rolled through him filling him with heat. She really loved him and he knew he loved her too. His female, his mate and he’d found her against all his expectations to the contrary. He’d never thought a female like her would want the unwanted and love the unlovable. She made him stronger than he’d ever been and happier than he’d ever thought he could be. He knew something wasn’t quite right with this picture of being here with his female. He didn’t want to think about it or question it too much for fear she’d be gone. He wanted to hang on tight with both hands as long as he could. She was holding him tight too, so she must sense the same thing. She must know this wouldn’t last.

  Chapter 13

  Where’d He Go?

  They were almost ready to leave and she still couldn’t find Lu. It wasn’t like him just to wander off without telling a soul or taking someone with him. It was true everyone had been busy since they wanted to get out of here. She finally had no choice but to tell Zeus and hope he wouldn’t give Lu too hard a time when they found him.

  “Hey, I can’t find Lu anywhere.” She admitted.

  “How long has he been gone?” Zeus asked.

  “Thirty minutes or more and I’ve looked around this whole area. I was sure he’d come back, now I’m worried!” She explained.

  “You should have come to me sooner.” Zeus observed.

  She couldn’t deny the truth in his statement. She’d know better next time she just hoped she hadn’t made a terrible mistake.

  Zeus immediately contacted everyone and they all began searching. Zeus headed back toward the bathrooms and he stayed back there a while.

  Sierra walked over to her. “Have you seen Zeus?”

  “He went back to the bathrooms maybe thirty minutes ago.” She said.

  Sierra looked worried about Zeus being gone too and headed that way. Stef followed right behind her. They found Zeus kneeling on the ground sniffing at it. It looked really weird but Stef knew they had senses closer to a hound dog than a human. It made her believe he had found something. One of the gods standing near him seemed to be gingerly holding something as if afraid he’d drop it or it would bite. Under different circumstances it might even be amusing but not with Lu missing.

  Zeus stood up and turned to look at them. He had a serious expression on his face that did nothing to calm her tumultuous mind. Whatever the news he had, it wasn’t good.

  “We’ve found a dart. I can still smell a trace of Lu on the floor. This dart had traces of a tranquilizer and blood that belongs to a demon. I’m going to assume Lu was shot and dragged off somewhere. Once they knocked him out, he would have been easy to handle. I’m still not sure how they would have removed him from this building with all the guards running around everywhere. Unless half the guards were on the take, he’d have to still be here somewhere but the residue of his scent just disappears.” Zeus looked a little uncertain as how to proceed.

  “Is there any underground facilities here?” Sierra asked.

  “We’ve not been made aware of any. Stef, get on your computer and search for any information.” Zeus instructed.

  “If they didn’t go backwards or forwards, that leaves up or down.” Sierra insisted.

  “I’ll have them look for any cellar or attic access visibly. Maybe we’ll get lucky, but they also could have put him in something airtight.”

  “That would still catch some attention. It would have to be large to hold him.” Sierra stated.

  She didn’t add that he could be damaged if he ran out of air. Stef tried not to think of that. Stef unpacked her laptop and began to do an exhaustive search. She simply had to find some clue to where he was.

  She was searching through the county zoning records and found that there had been a building with a large underground storage area on the exact site this building sat on. The records showed that it was supposed to be filled in prior to the new building going up, but it wouldn’t surprise her if they had simply built over it. She examined the old plans carefully to see where the access would have been originally. It was near where the bathrooms were in the new building.

  She tried to remember exactly where Zeus had said Lu’s scent disappeared. It was near a closet that they had opened and looked into, but she thought a closer examination was called for. She hurried to find Zeus knowing time was of the essence. Her heart beat faster as hope took hold. She had a feeling that Lu was somewhere beneath them and if they were quick, they might find him unharmed. Wishful thinking? She had to believe it was just the way it would be.

  She tracked down Zeus and he and several other gods were gathered around her. “There is a cellar below us from a previous building and I believe it was left intact.” She explained. They could all hear an irregular thumping noise beneath them.

  “What the hell is that?” Zeus asked.

  “I don’t know.” Abe said. “I heard it earlier when we were walking through this hall.”

  “Maybe they’ve got monsters in the basement?” Win observed.

  “More like a demon.” Stef guessed.

  Zeus asked, “How do we get down there? I’ve seen no entry point.”

  “The cellar was supposed to be filled in so whoever left it intact, wanted no one to know about it. The original stairway would have been near the janitor’s closet so my best guess, there’s an access point hidden in the closet,” she informed.

  “Damn, this is like James Bond shit.” Win noted.

  “Origin did stuff like this too. They had hidden rooms and entrances all over the place.” Zeus pointed out.

  “We’d better get to looking. We don’t know how much time he has left.” Stef said.

  Zeus asked, “What do you mean?”

  “They took him for a reason so they have a plan for him. They’re either planning to harm him or to get him out of here. We need to free him before they do either of those things.” She explained. She could feel the tension in the air and the unasked question. What if he was already harmed or gone?

  She marched over to the closet with purpose. The door had been locked earlier but one of the gods had picked the lock to look inside when they had searched for Lu. They had left it unlocked so she opened it. It was large for a closet at roughly six feet by eight feet. There were shelves on one wall but what took up the most space was a monster floor cleaning machine. It was an expensive piece of equipment that looked heavy and was chained to the floor and padlocked. That seemed a bit excessive so she took a closer look at it. She pulled on the handle and she felt the floor move. OMG!

  “Zeus, this floor moves!” She growled.

  He was at her side in a second and he took the handle and pulled. She had barely been able to move it but he had moved it effortlessly. It made sense that they wouldn’t want it to reveal itself accidently.

  She looked down into the opening now at her feet. There were old steps and cobwebs. It looked like something out of a mystery novel. She started to
step down but Zeus pulled her back.

  “I’ll go first,” he ordered.

  Overprotective males!

  He hit the steps but moved down cautiously and she followed him. Others were behind her but her focus was in front as they descended into the dim, musty environment of the cellar. She listened for sounds and still heard the occasional thump but now it wasn’t as muted. It sounded like it was coming from below. The sound echoed off the walls so she couldn’t pinpoint the exact location.

  Zeus got to the floor of the cellar and he waited for her. “Stay behind me and if we run into trouble, do as I say.” He directed.

  She nodded indicating she’d heard him. Of course that didn’t mean she’d listen.

  They moved forward past a stack of pallets and around some boxes and into the room. She saw a cell on the far side of the wall and …oh God, it was Lu. She ran around Zeus and right to the cell as Lu turned and saw her.

  “Am I dreaming?” He asked with a confused look on his face.

  “No, Sweetheart. We’ve come for you.”

  “I couldn’t find a way out. I tried but all I could do was make noise.”

  “We heard you.” She said.

  “Later we’ll discuss why you wandered off alone.” Zeus interrupted.

  Win was working on the lock and it clicked and popped open. Lu grabbed his boots and rushed out to pull Stef into his arms.

  “How touching.” Said a cold voice. “I only intended to take one, but it looks like I’ve netted half a dozen.”

  The voice was familiar and Stef looked at the man in shock.

  “Mr. Tumble?” She gasped.

  “Ah, Stef. How nice to see you again. I’ll admit it’s not the best situation, for you at any rate.” He said in a pleasant voice as his hired thugs stepped up behind him each with what looked like machine guns.

  “Is Danny involved in this?” She asked.

  His father’s outlook had poisoned Danny toward the rest of the Handover family, but she couldn’t believe Danny would be involved in something like this.

  “Who is this, Stef?” Zeus asked.

  “He’s a third cousin to the owning members of Handover Corporation. His son is Danny Tumble. You may have heard of him, he’s a well-known singer.” She responded.

  “What do you want with us?” Zeus asked.

  “Is this some kind of attempt to get revenge on your cousins?” Stef asked.

  “Very good Stef. I always liked you. Too bad you had to be here for this. Danny will miss you.” He said, his voice as hard as steel. There was no good will or sympathy there. “Yes, I intend to sell all of you back to Origin and blame my cousin for it. He’ll lose all the government contracts and he’ll be hated and reviled by all the god lovers of the world. I’m sure they’ll be happy to buy you too, Stef. Don’t worry, you’ll get to stay with your lover since they want baby gods. Your DNA will water his down enough the babe won’t be a demon like his daddy.” He explained.

  “Do you really think it won’t come out eventually?” She asked.

  “I don’t care. Handovers will be ruined and I’ll be living like a king in some undisclosed location. Too bad I know you wouldn’t keep your mouth shut, Stef. You’ve always been an animal lover.” He said as he shook his head. “You two, restrain them.”

  The two knuckleheads next to him stepped forward to do as he ordered. They took two steps, then they fell over, and their boss fell as well.

  Stef looked up in shock to see Sierra standing there with a dart gun in her hand.

  “Thank goodness you came. Why did you?” It wasn’t that Stef wasn’t thrilled that Sierra had saved them, she just wasn’t sure what had alerted her to the need.

  “Well, Zeus and I can communicate on an emotional level. It keeps getting better and I think we may be able to communicate mentally someday.” She explained with a smile at Zeus. “I sensed he was frustrated and angry. It seemed like a good idea to check on him.”

  Zeus gave her a kiss. “Your timing was perfect. You even stunned them so we can question them. If one of the other gods had discovered this happening, they would have shot first and checked for survivors later.”

  “Let’s get these goons restrained and loaded!” Lu said as he grabbed ties off one of the downed men and used them on him. They had them tied up in seconds and they started carrying them one at a time up the stairs. It was a good thing most people had left and they were able to get them out to the SUVs without anyone the wiser. It was a little crowded, but they only had a short run to the airport.

  They got on the plane while Zeus and Sierra ran back to get everyone’s bags. The prisoners were all secured in the back of the plane where they would be under guard to ensure they didn’t get loose and cause mayhem. Zeus and Sierra were back nearly an hour later. By then, the pilot had arrived and no time was wasted getting them off the ground.

  Once they were aloft, they were able to talk about what had happened and what would happen to the prisoners.

  “Okay Lu, time for you to do some explaining.” Zeus goaded him.

  “It was nearly time to go and I just needed to go to the bathroom. Everybody was busy and it wasn’t far away.” Lu explained.

  “I hope you’ve learned a valuable lesson.” Zeus replied.

  “It seems I’ve been learning a lot lately and most of it has been hard won lessons.” Lu admitted.

  Zeus nodded. It seemed he was going to consider all Lu had been through as punishment enough. It must have been horrible on Lu thinking he was back in that nightmarish world he’d once escaped from.

  Stef knew how she’d felt at the thought that they would try to breed them so they could abuse their baby. Danny Tumble’s father had a lot to answer for and he would. She felt bad for Danny because his dad was as good as gone.

  Zeus was going to interrogate him on the flight so Lu would have some answers. Once they hit Washington DC, Lu and his demons, including her team, would head back to their island while everyone else headed straight to Olympus. They would take no risks with the possibility of Origin lurking in the shadows. They wouldn’t base their decisions on anything Tumble said until they’d taken time to check everything out.

  Tumble was awake if not entirely clear headed.

  “Why did you pick Lu to abduct?” Zeus asked. He was deceptively pleasant.

  “Why would I tell you anything?” Tumble asked disagreeably.

  “Because if you don’t cooperate, we have a drug that works very well. It is a tad hard for a man when they come down off it, but that won’t bother us.” He explained.

  Tumble paled. “You mean demon’s venom?”

  “Something like that. I wasn’t aware Origin knew about that.” Zeus observed.

  “They’ve taken a closer look at demons lately and decided they might prove useful.” Tumble admitted.

  “If that’s true, why did they sell some of them?” Zeus asked.

  “They’re hard up for money and they were in physically poor condition. They only sold those that would take a lot of care to bring back to good health.” He stated.

  “Why are you being so helpful, Mr. Tumble?” Stef asked suspiciously.

  “I don’t want them using that devil’s brew on me. It’s not right.” He whined.

  Maybe he was just a coward deep down.

  “Now tell us, why Lu?” Zeus insisted.

  “I knew he’d be easy because he was so fired up about the band. It made it almost too easy.” He said snidely.

  “Don’t be too proud of yourself.” Stef declared. “Gods look after their own. They would have come after him regardless.”

  “Good to know.” He smirked.

  “Where you’re going, it won’t be helpful.” Zeus chided.

  Stef was glad. This hateful old buzzard needed to be put away somewhere where he could cause no more harm. He was full of bile and hate, bitter over something she was beginning to think was the result of an unreasonable action of his part. Had he done nothing wrong, how could they have fo
rced him to sell his shares? They couldn’t have. Knowing Danny, he’d search the ends of the Earth to find him and if he questioned her, there’d be no choice but to look him in the eye and lie. At least that father hadn’t brought about the downfall of the gods. He would have thought nothing about turning them all in to Origin.

  “There’s nothing more for Lu here.” Sierra said. “Let’s get away from this piece of filth. He’ll get his. Make no mistake of it. We’ll tape the rest of his questioning and send it to you. Meanwhile I want to know if you’re going to make an honest woman of my little sister.”

  “What did we miss?” Doc asked as she walked to the back with Hades right behind her. “We had a minor emergency at Olympus to deal with.”

  “What happened?” Stef asked.

  Doc smiled and answered, “Someone brought back a captured female who gave birth to two gods. We seem to get more multiples than other humans. None of my assistants have done many deliveries so they wanted me on the line in case of complications. Thankfully there weren’t any. Hades had to calm down the proud father who was bouncing off the walls and wanted to hurt someone.”

  “Ooh, I can’t wait until we get back to see the babies!” Sierra practically sang. “I miss mine too.”

  “You’ll be back tomorrow.” Zeus said as he pulled her close and gave her a tender kiss.

  They reached DC and got off the plane amid tearful goodbyes and well wishes. Lu kept Stef close to him as if assassins lurked in the shadows. Overprotective demon? Damn she loved him. They got on their plane and headed home. She was relieved when they landed, now they would be safe.