Ruby Fever (Hidden Legacy, #6)(34)

“What does that mean?”

“It means the vault will lock and the siege protocol will be reinstated without exceptions. We’ll have three minutes to get out. If you need anything, grab it now, because nobody is getting back in. If Linus dies, we’ll have to fight our way inside.”

He was right. It was our best option.

A phone rang somewhere in the room. Bern and I froze for a desperate second, trying to pinpoint it.

Another muffled ring.

Inside the desk.

Bern jerked open the middle drawer. Locked. Bern grit his teeth and yanked it. Wood snapped, the drawer came free, and I grabbed the cell phone. Unlocked. I answered the call.

“Catalina!” Arabella yelled into my ear.

“How are you calling me? Whose phone is it?”

“I’m calling from a burner Connor’s people brought. That phone is my emergency phone.”

“Why do you have an emergency phone at Linus’ house?”

“He bought it for me to use when I come over because my phone is always dead.”

Of course he had.

“Anyway, not important. Mom is out.”

“What?”

“She left to identify Pete’s body. She took a security detail with her, three guards. We can’t reach them.”

“Why did she go in person?”

“Pete’s son is there. Someone had to go and explain why Pete died.”

Crap. Pete had been taken to a private morgue at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas. Twenty-five minutes from us.

“I’ll get her.”

An electric crackle split the air on the other end.

“Got to go,” my sister said and hung up.

I shoved the phone into my pocket.

Bern yanked the cords out of the back of the tower and picked it up.

The three of us took off for the front door. The security team was piling into an armored personnel carrier. Jean, the tall olive-skinned woman in charge, looked at me from the front passenger seat, her window down, waiting for instructions.

The use of Warden guards was strictly limited. Guarding the family of Wardens wasn’t covered by their duties, so telling them to escort Bern and Runa was right out. Technically they would guard me if I ordered them to as long as I was performing an official investigation but going to get my mother wasn’t a Warden matter, it was a Baylor matter.

“Go back to base and fortify,” I told her.

“Yes, Acting Warden.”

The last person climbed into the Warden vehicle and banged on the side. The carrier rolled out. Linus’ people had a base outside of Houston. Its location was well hidden and the base itself enjoyed the full benefit of the best defensive weaponry Duncan Arms could provide. If Arkan went after them, he would regret it.

He wouldn’t go after them. Why would he when what he wanted was inside the Compound.

Bern loaded the computer tower into the Humvee and got behind the wheel. The Humvee rolled up to me, windows down. “Do you need us to come with you?” Runa asked.

“No. I need you to go home and get our phones back online. Alessandro and Leon are out there, and they are deaf and mute.” And Bern was the only one who could fix it.

“I’ll take care of it,” Bern promised.

The Humvee took off.

I ran up to Rhino and jumped into the driver’s seat. Cornelius was already in the passenger seat, holding a tactical shotgun. Gus panted in the back. I reversed, peeled out of the driveway, and stopped just outside the gate.

Seconds ticked off. One, two . . . Ten . . .

The gate clanged shut. Turrets spiraled out of the ground, sparking with residual magic. A low buzz rolled through the street. The system was hot. From now on Linus’ mansion would be off-limits.

Cornelius’ silver BMW waited parked ten yards ahead. He must’ve moved it.

“Do you want me to drop you off at your car?” I asked.

“No. We’d like to ride home with you. Safety in numbers. I’ll pick up my car later.”

Gus made a small woof in agreement.

I could use all of the backup I could get. “Thank you.”

I drove down the street, rolling over the speed bumps, pulled a U-turn and sped toward the Buffalo Speedway.



The Buffalo Speedway was crowded. The traffic was steady but moving at a decent speed.

“I paired the phone to the car. Your mother’s phone was already in contacts under Mom,” Cornelius reported.

“Call Mom.”

The car’s audio system obediently dialed. Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Your call has been forwarded . . .”

“Mom, I’m coming to get you. Call me.”

A sign flashed.

CAUTION

CONSTRUCTION AHEAD



The car in front of me put on its brakes. The caravan of vehicles compacted, slowing down.

“Call Mom.”

Ring. Ring. Ring.

LEFT LANE

CLOSED





500 FEET




“Your call has been forwarded . . .”

“Your mother is very capable,” Cornelius said.

“Yes.”

My mother was also a high-value target. If Arkan’s crew got to her, I would give them anything they wanted to get her back.

“Could you please look up the number for Margolis Autopsy Lab at the Woman’s Hospital and try that?”