C13 Chapter Thirteen

Cade stared at the portal with a mixture of amazement and disgust. Amazed that someone had apparently managed to create a permanent link to the Beyond when, by its very nature, the Beyond was always shifting and changing, never the same thing twice, and disgusted that they had bothered to do so at all, for try as he might he couldn’t think of a single worthwhile reason for doing so.

It appeared he was going to have to reevaluate not only what he knew about the Beyond, but about Father Martin, as well.

Leaving the portal open was an invitation for any manner of creatures to come crawling across the Veil, so he waved the Hand of Glory at the wall a second time and then snuffed out the flames burning on the fingertips. As the last one was extinguished the wall shifted before their eyes once more, returning to its former, solid state.

It was looking more and more like they were going to have to chance making an incursion into the Beyond to determine just what Father Martin had been using the connection for. If they could open the portal from this side, there was also the chance that someone, or something, else could open it from the other, which meant they were going to have to post a guard for the time being, until they could decide just what to do about it.

Just what did you get yourself into, old man?

Leaving Riley and Flynn to keep an eye on the gate, Cade climbed back up the stairs, pulling out his cell phone as he went. Back in the sanctuary, he began making a series of phone calls.

His first one was to the duty officer at the Ravensgate Commandery, who he had transfer him to Echo’s barracks. There he had someone track down Davis, First Squad’s new leader. Cade had promoted him in the wake of Ortega’s death inside the Eden complex and so far, Davis had been doing fairly well. Cade was confident that, given a bit more time, he’d fit into the role as if he’d been born into it. Once Davis picked up the phone, Cade let him know that he was ordering First and Second Squads to grab their kits and meet him at his current location in Boston as soon as possible, knowing that Davis would relay the information to Wilson, Second Squad’s leader.

Regardless of what he found on the other side, Cade knew they were going to need backup to handle the task of guarding the portal. You couldn’t mount a round-the-clock operation with just four men. By getting the ball rolling now, he was increasing his options later, and Cade liked to be prepared wherever and whenever he could. It was one of the traits that had made him so successful as Echo’s leader.

That done, Cade hung up and took a moment to consider what he intended to say before dialing the Preceptor’s direct line. It rang for a few times before Johansson’s aide answered it.

“Preceptor’s office. Nichols speaking.”

“Knight Commander Williams for Preceptor Johannson.”

“I’m sorry, Commander, the Preceptor is in a meeting at the moment and is currently unavailable.”

Cade grinned. Just as he’d hoped. Now if the incompetent fool would only stay in meetings until this was over, things might actually go pretty smoothly.

“That’s fine. Please let him know I called and that he can call me back whenever he finds a free moment.”

“Very well, Knight Commander.”

The aide’s snobbish attitude was almost enough to match that of his boss. But Cade knew the message would be relayed almost verbatim, which was exactly what he wanted. The Preceptor didn’t like him; that had been obvious from the start. He would consider any request from Cade that wasn’t labeled as urgent to be of no consequence and would ignore it out of sheer spite.

Which would leave Cade to do as he pleased.

Cade turned away, intending to return to the crypt hidden below the church, but then stopped, took his phone back out, and dialed another number. The phone rang and rang, heightening his anxiety, but at last it was answered.

“What?”

Cade wasn’t surprised by the greeting; it was how Clearwater always answered the phone. “It’s me again,” he said, knowing she would recognize his voice, if she didn’t already know it was him calling. Sometimes her abilities made him seem damned normal.

She didn’t sound thrilled to hear from him. “Did something happen? Did the wards collapse?”

“Oh, no. No, nothing like that. I just need your services again.”

She was silent for a time and then, “You didn’t dig another one up, did you?”

“God, no!” he said, trying to keep the humor out of his voice. Did she think he made a habit of this? “I’ve been called away on urgent business and I can’t make it back home again for several days. I need someone to watch over her until I get back.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“I’ll pay you double your normal rate to just sit there and keep an eye on her. I’ll be back in a few days and that will be it. I won’t drag you into this again.”

She was against it, but after a bit more pleading she finally agreed. “Fine. A few days, no more.”

She hung up without saying goodbye. Cade wasn’t surprised. Clearwater might be the best hedge witch he knew, but she wasn’t comfortable around people and her social skills were less than developed.

No matter. She knew her job and she would protect Gabrielle until he could get back there to do it himself.

With that taken care of, he turned and made his way back down the stairs to the room below. It was time to begin preparations for a short trip through the portal into the Beyond.

They had to find out what Father Martin had been involved with and passing through the portal was the quickest way to do so.