All this wasn’t to say we could trust the Cabals. We couldn’t. But Antone had provided a detailed proposal for negotiations, and Kit thought it was workable.

First, though, Kit needed to speak to Antone.

So he did that. When he came back almost an hour later, he said only that he needed to wait for a call. That came twenty minutes later. He took it outside and returned to say a preliminary negotiation meeting had been arranged. It would be tomorrow in Buffalo, where their ordeal had begun, and he would attend alone while we stayed here in Pennsylvania.

While Kit had been doing all that, Chloe had managed to make contact with Liz again, and she was outside, patrolling. That let us relax a little—you can’t beat an invisible guard. Though we’d napped in the truck, everyone was exhausted. Kit said he’d stay awake and “make a few calls” while we got some sleep.

FORTY-SIX

I WOKE TO A rap on the door. Kit had left the lights off with the drapes pulled, so it took a moment to get my bearings. When the knock came again, I shot up and looked wildly around. Kit was walking to the door.

“Don’t—!” I began.

Corey cut me off. “The bad guys aren’t going to knock, Maya.”

Kit looked out the peephole. Then he spun to us.

“Don’t think of going out the bathroom window,” called a vaguely familiar, but muffled voice. “It’s covered.”

“We’re just here to talk, Kit,” said a woman’s voice. “That’s what you want, isn’t it? To talk.”

Something flickered on our side of the door. Moreno appeared. Inside our hotel room. I fell back in surprise. Daniel was on his feet. Derek was already barreling toward Moreno, who reached out and quickly undid the chain, then vanished. The door flew open before Kit could leap forward and relock it.

In walked Dr. Inglis, flanked by two men with guns. Real guns.

I turned to look toward the bathroom.

“Uh-uh,” Moreno said. “Already warned you about that, Miss Maya. But you can go check if you like.”

Beside me, Chloe was whispering. To Liz, it seemed. From the way Chloe was reassuring her, Liz had been around back when they arrived. An invisible guard is helpful, but not perfect.

“Can she scout now?” I whispered.

Chloe nodded and told Liz to see what we were up against. Moreno and the others didn’t seem to notice—they were too busy convincing everyone not to bother resisting. We knew better than to try as soon as we saw the other two armed men blocking the door. These two had tranquilizer guns. Four armed guys here and more out back. Plus two supernaturals—a witch and a teleporting half-demon. Not odds we could take on.

“It’s been a long time, Kit,” Dr. Inglis said. “You’ve been busy.”

“So have you.”

“But I’ve been more successful in my endeavors. I told you Project Genesis was doomed. The real money was in Phoenix. Genetic tinkering with existing types will never be as valuable as reintroducing extinct types.” She pulled a chair from a tiny dinette, sat, and waved for him to take the other one. “So let’s talk.”

“This wasn’t the plan.”

“Because it isn’t the plan. Right now, executives from both Cabals are hopping onto their jets and flying to Buffalo. I’m beating them to the punch. I had the advantage of knowing exactly where you were. Thanks to Maya.”

“Wh-what?” I scrambled up. “No. If you’re saying I betrayed—”

“We know you didn’t,” Daniel said, pulling me down.

Corey seconded that and said, “She’s lying to divide the ranks.”

“No, Maya did tell me . . . unintentionally. When she was at the Vancouver house, I implanted a tracking device. The St. Clouds have been working on an undetectable one ever since last spring, when the Genesis subjects escaped. I used the latest prototype. Apparently, it worked. When I realized you’d joined Kit, I knew I couldn’t hold this meeting at the farmhouse—the St. Clouds might notice. So I had an associate tell the Nasts he’d overheard Maya and Rafe talking about finding Kit. I dutifully informed the Nasts that the St. Clouds knew where Kit was. A joint raid was born. I managed to divert attention enough for some of you to escape. Now you’re here, out of sight of the Cabals, and we can talk.”

“What do you want?” Kit asked.

“Not Simon or Derek or Tori or Chloe. That’s your main concern, isn’t it?”

“I’m concerned about all—”

“Very noble. But your focus is on your own children and Chloe. You can have them. In return, I want the Phoenix subjects.”

“Why?”

She laughed. “Didn’t I just mention how valuable they are? I can have a dozen buyers lined up in a week. International Cabals, independent brokers . . .”

“Sell us?” I said. “We’re not commodities.”

“Oh, yes, dear. You are.”

“But . . . Calvin Antone. You . . .”

“Your father is desperate. Desperate men are easily fooled, particularly by middle-aged women who play the love-struck fool. He thought he was using me. It was the other way around.”

I turned on Moreno. “And you. He trusted you.”

Moreno shrugged. “I was happy to be his wingman while it seemed to my advantage. Then I got a better offer. It happens.”

“If it’s an outside deal, how will I get my kids back?” Kit asked. “The Cabals have them.”

Chloe’s and Derek’s heads both whipped Kit’s way.

“You’re considering this?” Chloe said.

“I can get them,” Dr. Inglis said. “We’ll take Corey now, as a gesture of good faith from you. Then I will take Daniel for your son and Maya for your daughter.”

“Dad?” Derek said.

Kit didn’t answer him. He didn’t even look over.

Chloe looked from us to Kit, her blue eyes wide. “Y-you c-can’t—”

Derek leaped to his feet. “I won’t let you do this, Dad. These kids came to you for help.”

I gaped at Derek. Even Chloe looked confused. I might have known the guy for less than twenty-four hours, but short of demonic possession, I couldn’t imagine him saying that. Derek was a wolf and I knew enough about pack canines to know—as he’d shown already—that his priority was his family. The welfare of strangers came a very distant second.