Coyle and Fang: Curse of Shadows (Coyle and Fang Adventure Series Book 1) by Robert III (great books for teens .txt) 📗

word on the street, and our contact at the morgue says it’s been business as usual, sir.”

“And we haven’t seen her since she visited Coyle in the jail cell, correct?”

“That’s correct, sir.”

“She’s somewhere close, and we have no idea where. Humph. Makes for a frightful situation. Especially considering I’m the one who put her in the iron cage and I’m the one who broke her out.”

“I’m sure you’re safe, sir.”

“Am I? Are you? Such good questions to ask oneself. Thrilling, actually.”

The agent glanced to the sides. The crew was busy tying lines and affixing the rigging. No one paid him any attention, which is exactly what they were paid to do.

“Well, that’s enough conjecture for now. I’ll remain in radio silence until our parties get airborne on the ship. Over and out.”

The agent twirled his finger in the air, prompting the captain to resume sailing. He glanced at the crew one more time before rubbing his throat and raising the spyglass to his eye.

Chapter 12

The Treece mansion

Sausalito

Treece and the others lounged in the main hall, sipping drinks and discussing the incident. Vonteg pushed a small pack of ice against his swollen lip. Poes’s complexion was this side of ashen, his trembling hands rubbing his bruised neck. The rest of the group argued civilly about what had transpired and what had happened to Coyle.

“Why was she targeted?” Bolt asked.

“Why not?” Poes answered. “She was by herself when it happened. It was just a matter of opportunity.”

“Opportunity for what?” Duone asked.

“Disguise,” Poes said. “I’m not sure what that creature is.”

“I suspect she’s fae,” Treece said. “And I suspect she’s a mimic of some kind. I’ll have to do some investigating with my contacts. But, you say she disappeared when you shot her?”

“There was a flash of blue light—and poof! She was gone.”

“It could have been a molecular-transference device, the same kind used on Miss Coyle,” GEM added.

The room sat in silence. Each man ruminating about the past events. There were more questions being raised than answers given, and it would take some time to discover what they found. But, each knew they didn’t have much time.

“We could have been walking around with this thing since the beginning.” Bolt gently tugged on his waxed mustache. “I knew there was something about her.”

“There is something about her,” GEM chimed in. “She wants to help a group of men who haven’t found a way to trust her yet. Not yet, anyway.”

Bolt side-glanced the automaton.

“I’m not wrong, am I?” GEM asked.

“It could have been any of us,” Duone said. “Right?”

“No, I believe this fae can only mimic other females,” Treece answered. “But I do wonder how long this has been happening.”

“Not too long,” Poes said. “Coyle had left me to find some papers, and when this impostor returned, things took a wrong turn.”

“But how did you know it was... this thing and not the real Coyle?” Bolt asked.

“It was little details,” Poes said.

“So the devil’s in the details, is it?” Bolt cracked his knuckles. “And it fooled Vonteg, but not you?”

“What made you change your mind about this one, Poes?” Duone asked.

He took a few moments before shrugging. “It was a hunch.”

“Well, we can’t continue with this kind of work based on hunches, Poes,” Bolt said.

“And yet I did.” Poes set his drink down. “And it looks like my hunch paid off.”

Bolt walked around the room and huffed. “This changes things, though, doesn’t it? This really changes things.”

“Such as?” Duone asked.

Bolt turned to them. “What if there are more of these impostors? How do we know Coyle and this fae weren’t conspiring together? And how do we know one of us isn’t going to be next because of Poes’s hunches? What if he offs me next?”

“You’re not making any sense,” Poes answered.

“But you said it yourself.” Bolt snorted. “All of you were separated for a time. That means any of you could have been taken by this creature.”

“I’m not interested in your baseless accusations, Bolt,” Poes said. “I’m interested in finding the truth, not distorting it.”

“She had to have started the fire,” Duone said. “Set the whole place ablaze. Burned away any evidence we needed.”

“Not everything,” Coyle said.

They all turned to the doorway. Coyle leaned against the doorframe with a bandage wrapped around her head.

“Not everything was destroyed,” she said, holding a stack of papers.

“Miss Coyle!” Treece said. “The doctor’s orders were to rest. You need to get back into your bed.”

“I finished going through what we found, and we need to a proper debrief,” Coyle said, walking inside.

The men looked at each other. Bolt studied Coyle, his finger tugging the end of his mustache. Poes studied Bolt in turn, and the two glanced at each other, their eyes challenging the other to turn away first. Bolt grunted, looked at his drink and finished it.

***

GEM helped Coyle move a chair and small table to the center of the room. She asked for a Scotch and soda, and the automaton went to the bar. This would be her second since waking up. The first had kept her company in the study where the papers had been taken to dry, as she gleaned everything she could and arranged what was available into something coherent and usable.

GEM handed her a tumbler, and she took a big gulp, hoping to numb the grotesque evils seeping through her mind. She needed to be sharp if they were to listen to what she’d discovered. No more naive washout walking around the boys; she knew she had to prove her worth tonight, and she was fully confident of her findings.

She pulled the glass away from her lips as the men made themselves comfortable. GEM freshened their drinks and made sure the fire was adequate. Though she looked like she could use a long day off, all ears waited for her to speak.

This is my chance. Again.

“Has anyone ever heard of Project Archangel?” She glanced around the room for answers. Hearing nothing, she continued. “It appears it was initially funded by the Templars. They