“That’s fine, Firebrand.” I looked up as headlights pierced the darkness, and a taxi pulled to the curb. “But when you figure it out, when you remember that you’re still a dragon, I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere, that’s my promise.”
The cab window lowered, and Wes’s shaggy head poked out, thin arms gesturing frantically. I grinned and started toward the cab, surprised at how relieved I was to see him. “I’m heading your way now,” I told Ember, sliding into the backseat, ignoring Wes’s I-told-you-so glare. “Hang tight, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Riley?”
I paused, stopping myself from clicking off the phone. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re all right.” The voice on the other end sounded defiantly embarrassed. “You scared us there for a while. Don’t do that again.”
“You mean don’t get captured and interrogated by Talon’s double agents? No promises, but I’ll do my best.” I smiled, hearing her snort into the phone. “See you soon.”
“Well,” Wes commented as I hung up. “Don’t you look like hell.”
Cobalt
Twelve years ago
I don’t know how he tracked me down, but he did.
A human was waiting for me in the latest dump I’d rented for the night, sitting at the desk in the corner, watching as I came through the door. I tensed, going for the gun I always carried now, and he quickly held up his hands.
“Relax, mate! I’m not here for trouble. Just hear me out.”
I recognized him then. The kid who had been in that meeting with Roth and the Chief Basilisk, so long ago, it seemed. His brown hair stuck out in every direction, hanging in his eyes, and his clothes looked rumpled and dirty, like he’d spent a few days in them. I racked my memory for his name, then realized it had never been given.
“Okay.” I did not lower the gun, keeping it aimed at the kid’s scrawny middle. He might’ve been human, and unarmed as far as I could tell, but I’d had a hell of a week and wasn’t going to be taking any chances. “You have my attention. What do you want?”
“Uh, could you maybe put the gun down? I told you before, mate, I don’t want any trouble. I’m here to help you.”
I smirked. “Really? I find that a little hard to believe. One, you’re human. What can you possibly do that would help me? And two, more importantly, I saw you in that meeting with Roth. You’re part of Talon.”
“Not anymore.”
I faltered and gave him an incredulous look. “Not anymore? What do you mean?”
“I mean, I left, mate. I’m out. Went rogue, dropped off the grid, gone AWOL, whatever you want to call it.”
“How?”
“I’ve been planning this a long time,” the kid explained, a flash of anger and resentment crossing his narrow face. “If you wanna lower the gun, and not make me so bloody nervous, I’ll tell you everything. Including some things about you that you might not know.”
Sighing, I dropped my arm. “Fine,” I muttered, and he relaxed. I did not need this right now, having some strange human show up on my doorstep like a lost cat, but if the kid really had gotten out of Talon, it could be worth listening to him. He might know what Talon was up to, if they had any more plans involving me and another Viper. I’d managed to avoid Stealth so far, but that wouldn’t last. She was still out there, looking for me. The least I could do was hear him out. “Although,” I warned, with one last jab of the pistol, “if Talon unexpectedly shows up while we’re talking, you’re going to be the first one I shoot. Just so you know.”
He paled, but nodded. “Fair enough. Though if the bastards do show, it might be better to shoot me.” Resting bony elbows on his knees, he sighed, sounding suddenly tired, and far older than I first took him for. “I think…I might actually rather be dead than go back.”
Shoving the gun into the waistband of my jeans, I stepped farther into the room. “Who are you?” I asked, pausing at the foot of the bed, watching him. “How’d you find me?”
“My name is Wesley,” the human said, leaning back in the chair. “Wesley Higgins, or just Wes, if you like. Not that it matters, I officially don’t exist in any system anymore. And there’s no need to introduce yourself, Agent Cobalt. I already know who you are. I know a lot of things about you, actually.”
“Do you, now?” I said in a flat, dangerous voice. “And what exactly do you want for this information? Is the deal I give you everything I have, or you go back to Talon to turn me in?”
“That’s not it at all! Look, I’m not trying to blackmail you or anything. I just…ugh.” Wes scrubbed both hands through his hair. “Bloody hell, I don’t want a fight. I’m on your side, okay? Let me start from the beginning. Can I do that, without you blowing my head off?”
I shrugged. Maybe I was being paranoid, but again, hell of a week. “No promises,” I growled. “Get on with it.”
“Right,” Wes muttered, and took a deep breath. I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms, and waited.
“I’ve been in Talon nearly five years,” the human began, eyeing me warily. “Before that, I lived in London, with my folks. I didn’t have any siblings, and both my parents worked long shifts, so I was alone most of the time.”
“What does this have to do with Talon?”
“I’m getting there, mate.” Wes paused to gather his thoughts before continuing. “Like I said, my folks were absent most of the time. They didn’t know what I did. They weren’t aware that I was an…um…anonymous independent computer specialist.”
“You were a hacker,” I said.
“And a bloody good one, too. Still am.” Wes looked faintly smug, then his eyes darkened. “Of course, that’s what got me into this mess. I was home alone one day, minding my own business, when there was a knock at the door. I opened it, and two uniformed policemen were standing there on the stoop. Said I was under arrest, and that I already knew why they were taking me in. I was terrified. I was fourteen, alone and being dragged from my home in handcuffs.” He smiled grimly, completely without humor. “Of course, it wasn’t the police. It wasn’t anyone in law enforcement. But you already know that, don’t you?”
It was my turn to sigh. “Talon.”