Shadow Kissed 03 - Shadowman

barrow, or it won’t hold wights.”
    â€œHow do you plan to get them down here in the first place?” Seemed impossible to her.
    â€œLaunching a new division to work on that problem.” He looked over at her. “Wish I’d gotten a look at that one you spotted yesterday.”
    They took a small elevator down into the earth, which opened into a control room. Inside the fairy mound, technology held the monsters at bay. Three soldiers sat in front of several monitors with sleek computer interfaces. A fourth soldier waited by the elevator.
    â€œGood morning, Rick.”
    Rick nodded back. “Sir.”
    Layla lifted her camera. “May I?”
    â€œFor your reference only,” Adam said. “I don’t want to compromise the security or personnel here.”
    Right. Layla lowered her camera.
    Adam signaled Rick. “Open ’er up.”
    A wide, tall door opposite the control desk gasped open, and a strong puff of fetid air almost knocked Layla over.
    â€œYeah, they stink all right,” Adam said.
    The wraiths within must have sensed the change because suddenly a chorus of earsplitting pterodactyl screeches shredded Layla’s ears. She braced herself on the wall, her heart racing. She’d heard that screech many times during her coverage of the wraith war, but only once so close. She’d never run so fast in her life.
    â€œThere are sixteen cells in the facility,” Adam said, “with three wraiths currently in residence, all male. These were nested in Baltimore and apprehended by the police. You might remember, there was a stir about it on the news?”
    Layla nodded. Two cops down. She took a deep breath, but her heart still wouldn’t slow. She didn’t want to go in there. Had she really searched deserted city alleys, abandoned buildings, and dockside warehouses to encounter one? She’d been out of her mind.
    Three paces inside, Adam stopped at the first thick, clear window. Considering what the cell held, Layla didn’t think the window was made of glass.
    Inside was a wraith. Layla had originally come to Segue to look at one, to charge Adam and his wife with bringing this scourge on the world. Now that she had a good look at the real thing, up close so there could be no mistake, she could tell for certain that there was no earthly way any disease or drug had created him.
    His face had seemed normal, youthful, just for an instant, but then he crouched defensively. His jaw unlocked and his mouth gaped open while barbarous teeth extended. Normal human eyes went hollow and mad, and his skin turned sallow with a queer, sudden emaciation. There was no way in hell that thing was human.
    She’d learned as much from Talia and from her research today, but now the truth was feet from her.
    Yes, Segue and the government were lying to the public. An elaborate hoax and cover-up were definitely in play. But, as Khan had said on their first meeting, sometimes a little deception was called for. Should she broadcast the truth, knowing everything possible was being done? Or should she trust Adam, and let him spin the facts as he saw fit?
    It was a problem.
    Further, it was a problem both Adam and Talia trusted her with.
    Should she take this picture, or let the camera hang around her neck? This was the story she came for, and she had data to prove her claims, but she was stumped.
    Adam was watching her carefully. She knew that he knew she was deciding something.
    She let the camera hang. For now. “How long has he been here?”
    And Adam seemed to completely relax. “We’ve had this one in custody about two weeks. He’s hungry, which makes it more difficult for him to maintain the appearance of normalcy. He’ll become hungrier still because The Order comes to destroy them only when all the cells are full. Used to be Khan took care of them, but since he found other projects ”—an eyebrow went up—“we asked The Order to take over.”
    â€œTalia can’t . . . ?”
    â€œNot alone, no.”
    They walked on. The cells formed a neat semicircle, at the end of which was a large space with padded chairs lined up to view an operating room of sorts, which was located behind a transparent wall.
    â€œWe started by trying to find a cure. These days the research has shifted to rates of regeneration, identifying variables and any relationship to . . .”
    Adam’s voice muted as an earsplitting scream