Scales (Avery Rome Book 1) Read online

  It wasn’t lost on the man who rolled his eyes, his gray suit looking decent on him. He wasn’t young, but something about him seemed a bit more in charge than the others were. Except the strange girl in the back who was trying to hide there, keeping herself in the best position not to be seen by any of the three she was with in particular.

  That was a really effective trick, given how none of the others seemed to realize she was there at all. It went beyond ignoring her. More exactly, Catherine was dismissing the woman, but Calley was checking her out with more interest than seemed proper, given they were both women. That was a thing though, even if she’d grown up thinking of it as being a bit evil. Really it wasn’t forbidden, but a woman was supposed to put her energy into pleasing her man. Not random women she met along the way.

  Smiling again, Avery nodded.

  “I have my orders for now. I… Can come and help with other things, if needed? I should have a route in and out of the base there. If so… Well, I can bring Greg with me? Depending on what’s going on, I mean. I already enlisted two people for the work crew. They can help on guarding your son at the same time, I think.” That was the real job, after all.

  Lang Peterson gave her a conspiratorial grin then.

  “I like that plan. We’ll put you in with a sat phone, in case anything line walking related comes up. Or… No. Let’s put that with Gregory? It seems fitting to put him in charge of our line walker’s protection detail. It’s a bit more realistic than asking him to merely cook.”

  It was too convoluted for Avery to have thought of for herself, but Calley nodded almost instantly.

  “He’s not bad. Especially on the organizational side. Not that a Dragon will be taken out by anything normal. It’s good networking if nothing else. Setting him up to work with Avery on a pet project like that will give him a chance to make friends right off the bat. We just need to explain it to him that way.” She stopped speaking then, but didn’t seem cowed by anyone standing there.

  Avery felt that way, everyone there being far more important than she was. Except maybe the girl in the back of the other group. Feeling awkward and pressed for time, she waved at the brunette.

  “Um… I notice that your energy is different than everyone else? Kind of rushing in toward you? That and… You know, you’re hiding back there from everyone in your group. We weren’t introduced?” She felt bad for mentioning it, but the others all went wide eyed and spun in place to stare.

  Which got a large sigh. It was fake seeming, but came with a small, rather polite, smile.

  “Well, so much for that. You caught me out there pretty well, Avery. Zack Hartley. The Line Walker.” He glanced at the others and winked at Calley. “Your Line Walker. The Greater Demon. I was supposed to infiltrate here for the day. It would have worked too, if not for you meddling kids.” He stopped then, the only other person in the room that seemed to get the reference being Lang, who nodded.

  Jahn Samson slowly smiled.

  “Ah! Line Walker. So nice to see you. I have to admit you were performing flawlessly, until our new line walker caught you out. I hope that won’t become a rift between you?” He was a bit scared, but the attractive girl winked at him.

  It wasn’t all that flirtatious seeming, really. More like she was just trying to be gentle about the whole thing.

  “Of course not. Avery is one of my people now. Welcome, by the way. You only get paid if you put in work hours, but so far we’re charging full rates still. Having more bodies hasn’t really lowered that yet, just increased the work load, so it’s worth doing. Now…” The woman looked around and allowed a flash of light to leave her body all at once. It was silvery, with white highlights. Like before, when Eve had tried something similar, the energy just danced off of Avery.

  The Line Walker nodded at her, seeing that.

  “Neat talent there. Basically it makes you immune to magic coming from the outside. Not perfectly so, which means getting careless won’t help you. I need to leave now, since these others won’t remember this. Even if you tell them. Don’t? That way I can get my task done for the day by hiding in the outer office. Otherwise my mentor will make me do horrible things as punishment. Given where I am that will probably be hanging out with Rutha Samson.” There was a shudder from the girl that was probably fake, but seemed totally correct.

  Looking at her, Avery just nodded after a bit.

  “I met a different version of her earlier. In a different universe? She was really nice seeming. If you have to do that, you should try to visit with her instead.”

  The other girl sighed again.

  “If only. That would be so nice. Anyway, we should get together and visit sometime? I’ll probably look different, so don’t let that fool you. I need to go now, since these people are about to unfreeze in five seconds. Later!” She, or he if that was the actual case, scurried from the room, doing it in a very normal looking fashion, just walking away through the door to the node space.

  The others really weren’t moving at all, but as soon as they did, Avery made a face. She was trying to seem considering.

  “Um. I should get going. Calley is coming with me. Ambassador Peterson needs to get back to her location first. Is there anything else I need to get done?” She didn’t think anything was missed, but oddly enough Lang nodded.

  “We have three teams that could be moved into sensitive locations, if you have the time? We might have to move you in first tonight for the cover operation to make sense. We can contact you for that? Or get in touch with your handler, Greg Samson?” She was asking, instead of telling her what to do. It was very different than what Avery was used to.

  Uncomfortable, really.

  “That sounds right. I’ll try to be ready. Try not to need me while I’m cooking?” She nearly added in sleeping as well, but that was probably when it would have to be done, given everything. At least if her primary mission were going to be handled correctly.

  The older woman slapped her on the arm hard enough to move her slightly to the side.

  “Good! We’ll try to keep the distractions down to a minimum.” She stopped and glanced at the President.

  Who took over as if it were planned.

  “Which means that we’ll pester you daily, no doubt. Recall, we don’t have any hold over you as a line walker. As a member of our community you’re required to put in a certain amount of time each year toward collective work. Past that you’re a free individual. I shouldn’t tell you that, but…” He glanced at the others in the room.

  Calley, twitchy as was normal for her, grinned happily.

  “But you’re on your last five-year term as President. If the next person in turns out to be an evil a-hole, Avery needs to know her rights. Good thinking.” She said it as if it were a real thing, to which Catherine frowned and Jahn chuckled at.

  “Well… That, exactly. Very much that. Have you considered running Ms. Hale? You have experience with other nations that would be valuable right now. An easier way with them than many as well, which is a needed skill in these times.”

  Instead of acting like that was insane, since she looked so young, the others in the room all just stared for a bit, with Wendell Little actually nodding.

  “Not… a horrible thing to consider. We should get together soon and discuss that? Perhaps Ms. Rome would be allowed to sit in on that when the time comes?” He winked at Avery then. “That way we can travel around without paying you for it. These things should be done face to face, but it can be a hardship if we have to fly commercial.”

  Instead of saying no, since she didn’t feel comfortable doing that anyway, Avery let her face go blank, then agreed.

  “We can do that. I don’t know anything about politics, but I should probably learn. If it’s allowed someone like me, I mean?” She meant tainted and unclean.

  Catherine nodded.

  “You are a bit young. On the outside. That wouldn’t be a horrible thing for you to do in the off season. You’ve already done your battle ca
mp for this year? So combat duty on top of that will have you square for a few years.”

  Wendell, having just read the files filled Catherine in.

  “Three years of back to back training, starting at age thirteen, which is normal enough age wise. The amount of battle training was intense. The files suggested that it was to protect you from your people? Even they wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and attack you at a military instillation. Speaking of The Gray…” The man looked awkward then, turned slightly red but went on anyway. “I hear that you seem to be slightly prejudiced?” It was stated bluntly, which got two large winces from the others. Lang and Jahn.

  Calley just shook her head.

  “Not exactly. She’s been filled full of that stupid superiority dual nature crap, but she thinks of herself as being on the bottom of the heap, or nearly so. Which is bull, by the way, Avery. My point though is that she’s actually not that bad. She’ll work with everyone. If anything, the problem for her will be working with Shifters. She thinks of us a bit too highly. That will fade though, I bet. Most of us are kind of jerks. Especially the bigoted ones, right Catherine?” There was a sidelong glance, but instead of saying no, or becoming angry, the other woman gave Avery a frank look.

  It seemed pretty honest and open.

  “That isn’t wrong. It’s taken me years to feel comfortable around people of all different sorts. It’s the correct thing to do, but can be hard. It’s worth working on, if you can? I get that will be hard for you, given where you came from. You’re too important to waste to that kind of crippled thinking. Which won’t stop it from happening. Try your best anyway?”

  There were slow nods from some of the others, but in the end, Calley grabbed her hand.

  “Let’s get gone, then? We can chat about other things later. Avery is going to be late. Just because she had to chat with the President… That won’t get her out of trouble for not reporting or seeing to her mission.” She glanced at the man himself, who held his hand out again.

  This time to Calley first, then Avery.

  “Ladies. Thank you for coming in. I’ll see to the arrangements we talked about now. Ms. Rome. We’ll be in contact soon.”

  Then, clearly being dismissed, Calley dragged Avery from the space rapidly. Literally pulling her along by the arm. Catherine had to jog to keep up. She was the one that needed to go back first, after all. Not that it had to go that way, but it would save a trip for Avery, speeding things up by about a minute.

  Which when the work was completed, wasn’t as needed as she’d thought. Lewis, whoever that was, still hadn’t called back. That meant that she had time to get her gear together, the personal stuff going first, pulling a lot of it from supply, since their uniforms weren’t going to be tan for the mission they were deploying on. It was stone gray fatigue trousers with deep blue t-shirts. That along with black combat boots and gray floppy hats.

  They were a bit silly looking, having visors on them, but at least all the Shifters would be wearing them. The shirts said they were CDC. It was in white over the left breast. Changing and getting packed up, carrying a single large green duffle bag with her, Avery decided to check out the rest of the operation. It wasn’t all her business, but Hart was impressed enough that she’d learned to line walk that he didn’t suggest what she should be doing, which would have been helpful.

  So she moved around, using shortcuts and nodes to collect all the gear and people in a few places. Technically she could have gotten them to the Congo as well, but Eve had an actual plan for that part of things. Avery didn’t want to step on her toes like that, since they were close friends. Like sisters now. At least it felt like that to her. Eve might not see it that way.

  Except that when the dark haired, pale skinned Vampire got to the Denver node, there were a hundred people lined up outside the Shifter embassy. Getting her there had required making a phone call, but unlike the mission leader, Eve Benson actually answered hers.

  “Perfect, Avery! There’s a bit of a hike on the other side, but it’s only ten miles from the node there. Give or take a few. That’s in Lubefu, which is tiny, thank God. The infection hasn’t reached there yet. They actually have four above ground nodes inside the Congo, which is why one was so close. This one is just sitting outside, in the open. There’s no complex there or anything for it. The CDC team is in Houston. Do you want to do the pick up on that one? I can give you the location. Let me take you through to Lubefu first, then we’ll load in these peeps, since they’re supposed to keep the docs safe. After we get half of that done, you can start in on the CDC people?”

  That made sense to her. On the great side it was a plan that she wasn’t coming up with herself. Her entire life had been all about doing what other people told her to. Even the time in the void had been all about that. Doing what she’d been told and minding as best she could. Like a proper young lady should be doing.

  Which no one there cared about at all. Interestingly, a fairly well armed Greg Samson waved to her about then, smiled and walked over. He had a rifle, as well as a side arm and a knife on his hip. Most of the others weren’t armed like that, though they had cases of heavier weapons to go in, near the Colorado node complex. That location was easy enough for her to find, being right down the hall from President Samson’s office. She’d already been there earlier, to make sure it was all ready. How she was supposed to carry it ten miles herself, she didn’t really know. Hopefully they had vehicles on the ground there for that.

  Eve took turns with her, escorting the first half of the people through into Lubefu, or more exactly about five miles away from that small town, letting Avery take every other person. When they got halfway done, the Vampire smiled at her and touched her arm. Passing the thread that would be needed to find the CDC. Thankfully they were smart enough to have traveled to the node on their own. Yes, it was magic to them, but even scientists were starting to catch on that the world was a bit different than they’d been thinking before.

  Interestingly, the ten people there, all dressed in civilian clothing, none of it marked with their logo or letters, all gasped when she walked through the node into the back of a yogurt shop. That meant it was a Vampire embassy, which made sense, given the job had originally been given to Eve. Who had, cleverly, trained her in time to take part of the work load.

  One of the people, a decently friendly seeming Human woman waved at her, even as she seemed a bit shocked. Not scared really, which was good to see. These people were going to fight a horrible plague, inside one of the most dangerous places on the planet. They couldn’t do that if they were cowards.

  “Well, hello! They told us that you’d be coming through here, out of nowhere. I didn’t really believe it, to be honest. Some kind of space-time folding?”

  Avery had to think for a bit, not really getting the idea. Except that she kind of did, since the node really was a bit like that. Close enough to agree with anyway.

  “Right. I’m not doing that part, just using ripples that already exist. Which means that we have to walk on the other end. Part of the detail is already there, if not all of it. Eve is faster than I am as far as moving people around. This is my first day as a line walker.”

  One of the men, who was clearly their elder, being wrinkled and a bit chubby in the middle, moved forward, his face a bit stuffy and annoyed seeming. His voice was pleasantly deep though.

  “Try not to get us killed then? It would waste everyone’s time.”

  Several of the others seemed to think he was being mean to her, but Avery could see that one, really. It would be a waste of time if that happened.

  “All right. Let’s get you through first?” She was trying to be bland, but there was a bit of a growl in her voice. The older man just made a strange throat noise himself. Smothered laughter, at a guess.

  “Let’s then? It will be an adventure if nothing else! Lead on.”

  He was a bit bossy, but nodded to her on the other side, where everyone else was gathered, already protecting the perime
ter. Greg was standing near the middle, to the left of the node itself, since he was supposed to be guarding her. It worked, over all, when she stopped to think about it.

  They were both in the center of the ring, as people were brought in, protected the whole time. That was pretty much the main mission, so it worked for her.

  Chapter six

  Setting up a field kitchen was labor intensive, made worse by the fact that no one that was there could cook worth a darn except for her. Eva and Samantha were actually willing to do their part, which turned out to be a boon for the team. The rest all seemed to look down on the very idea, since it wasn’t one that they’d grown up with. Even the women kind of resisted doing the work, thinking it beneath them. They were fighters, one and all. Even Avery was, by training, so she kind of understood what they were going on about, griping when it was their turn to do the dishes or peel potatoes.

  It wasn’t until the third day that anyone honestly noticed that they were being fed three hot meals a day. That came from the unlikely direction of the commanding officer of the mission. Lewis. She was interesting to look at being black skinned, having a completely bald head. Along with brilliant, nearly gem like, green eyes. The whole picture was striking if nothing else.

  Smiling brilliantly, the woman nodded to her on the way through the line to get a tray of food. It was chicken, savory rice, vegetables and lots of cake that night. They had plenty of it, as well as tureens of gravy to go along with what was being served. There was also corn bread, which had been freshly baked that morning.

  Interestingly, Gregory hadn’t complained about helping out, doing it armed the entire time, even if that made cooking five times harder for him. He was small, but fit. Lean and quick in his movements, even if weighed down a good bit. Standing there with a tray filled to the brim with things to eat, Lewis looked a little bit manic. Like she might have taken something to help her stay awake, rather than anything natural.