Danger Zone
By Divamercury
Chapter 7
Mac and I finished our lunches and we were about to part ways. I had already stood up to leave when she stopped me.
"Wait, there's one more thing I have to tell you. Sit back down."
I complied, just slightly perplexed, and met Mac's steely blue gaze.
"If you're ever in need of help, and I mean serious manpower, there's some people who will be on your side no matter what. They're called the Associates, and they are descended from people closely involved with the Witchblade. Some of them hide underground away from persecution; many of them have special talents like clairvoyance and such that alienate them from the rest of the populous. Others are normal but have great knowledge and are out there waiting for your call. Either way, this is the address of a warehouse in which they are known to meet very frequently. You will be sure to find someone there should you be in need," she said, scribbling the address on the back of a business card. "The man on the front is a high-ranking member of the Associates. If you find no one at the warehouse, then track him down." She handed me the card.
"William Jerald, Attorney-at-Law. This guy's a lawyer?" I asked incredulously. She nodded.
"But not one like you're picturing; he's actually a decent fellow. Now, I'll let you go. You need to drop out of sight, Pez, and the sooner the better."
"Thanks for everything, Mac. Just one question."
"Shoot."
"How do you know about these people?"
"I'm one of them. Having the Witchblade in your ancestry kinda makes it mandatory; the Wielder almost always is in need of help at least once in her lifetime. Take care of yourself, Pez, and say hi to Ian for me."
"I will, and thanks again." I left Mandrill's, got on my bike, and sped away.
* * *
Irons backed up toward the wall, weaponless and practically screaming to be thrashed. I held his cane in my hand, and images of beating him senseless danced through my mind, the result of years of repressed feelings of that sort. But I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't compromise my honor by doing something that Irons would do himself if the situation was reversed.
"Go ahead, Ian," he said, derisive to the last. "I would."
"I realize that you would, but I won't. I thought about it, but I won't sink to your level, Irons," I said. I turned and threw the cane into the fire. "You hold no claim to me anymore. I won't be returning."
As I left I heard Irons shout after me, "Don't think you can come back when Sara rejects you, Ian! I'm finished with you! You're flying solo now without a parachute!"
I ignored him as I left Vorschlag for the last time. I stopped outside the building and got out my cell phone. I had to call Sara and tell her about the events of the morning. I was excited to share the news with her. I dialed her cell number and waited for her to answer.
* * *
I was sitting at a stoplight waiting for the light to change when I heard the ringing of my cell phone cut through the sounds of the motors of the cars around me.
Spectacular,' I thought. Hope they stay on the line long enough for me to pull over.'
I maneuvered through the traffic to get over to the right side, counting the rings as I went and was up to about ten when I finally ripped off my helmet and answered.
"Pezzini," I said breathlessly.
"Pez? What took you so long to answer?" It was Jake.
"Sorry, Jake, you caught me on the road. I was at a red light and had to pull over to answer. What's up?"
"What's up? Maybe the fact that you haven't bothered to grace us with your presence down here today! Dante's going ballistic! Where are you?"
"Um, Jake, I can't say," I said, struggling to find a way to explain my mess. I wasn't completely sure that I could trust Jake. Hell, I hadn't completely trusted anyone in the department before this happened (except Danny and Joe, and both were gone now), and I wasn't about to start. The only people I trusted implicitly were Ian, Mac, and Gabe.
"Why the hell not? Pez, you're technically AWOL. I can't cover you with Dante breathing down my neck."
"Jake, all I can tell you is that I'm in trouble. I won't be in for a while, and I don't know for sure where I'll be. I'm going to have to disappear for a while. Don't call me again. If I need to talk to you, I'll call you. Bye, Jake." I hung up despite his protests. Two seconds later the phone rang again.
"Goddamn it, Jake, I told you not to call me again!" I said indignantly into the phone.
"Sara? What are you talking about?"
"Ian? Damn. Sorry about that. Obviously I was just talking to Jake."
"McCartey called you? Did you tell him what was going on?" he asked sternly.
"No, I didn't, as a matter of fact. I just said that I was in some trouble and that I'd have to stay out of sight for a while. I told him not to call me anymore and that's why I was pissed when I answered the phone. Anyway, so what'd you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, I have some good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
"Hmmjust get the bad over with and then I'll be doubly happy with the good. Lay it on me, Ian."
He sighed, then continued. "Sara, we're in a lot more trouble than I originally anticipated."
"Okay, you know you can't stop there. Finish your thought. Why are we even more screwed than you thought?"
"The Speakers are no longer alone in their operation. Irons has recruited another group to hunt you down and they will be working simultaneously to try to find you."
"Well, wonderful. You weren't kidding when you said this was bad news. So who's the other group of stooges in Irons's back pocket?"
He was silent.
"Ian? Have I lost you? Come on, who are we dealing with?"
"The White Bulls, Sara. The Speakers and White Bulls are working together to bring you down."
