Part 31 (1/2)
”Let me come get you and bring you to headquarters. I'll have Joshua pull up any security footage he can find at the hotel.”
”Ok.”
Isaiah appears in Zack's room five minutes later.
”Let me know what happens,” Zack tells me.
I nod. ”I will.”
When we get to headquarters, Joshua has a mosaic of surveillance video up on the holographic display.
”Have you been able to find anything yet?” I ask.
Nick, who is standing by Joshua's chair, is studying the different videos intently.
”Not yet,” Nick tells me. ”But we just started. It took a bit to break through the hotel's firewall.”
I'm not sure how either of them can tell what's going. It looks like a jumbled mess to me. There have to be at least a hundred different cameras stationed around the hotel.
”There,” Nick says, pointing to one particular camera angle and pulling the video forward with the motion of his hand.
”Wow,” I say, ”I didn't know you could do that.”
Nick smiles, a first for him I think.
”We upgraded during the move,” he tells me.
I look at the video Nick's pulled forward to separate it out from the others and feel my breath catch in my throat. It's not hard to recognize Baal. He would stand out in any crowd with his boy next door good looks.
”Do you think he would have killed Chandler?” Nick asks me.
”No,” I say, my heart sinking into my stomach. ”He'll use Chandler to make me tell him what I am.”
”If he plans to use Chandler against you,” Isaiah says, ”then he should be trying to contact you somehow.”
I call Horace to ask if he found a note or something in Chandler's apartment which would tell us where Baal has taken my friend.
”No, nothing,” Horace tells me. ”Jess, you have to save him.”
”I'll get him back,” I tell Horace. ”Don't worry.”
There's only one other place a message might be.
”Take me home,” I tell Isaiah.
Isaiah phases us to my living room but I know where the message will be.
I walk out onto the porch and see the note sitting in Lucifer's rocking chair.
Go to the cemetery and come alone B.
”What does it say?” Isaiah asks.
”Just says Baal has him and to wait for further instructions,” I tell Isaiah.
Isaiah narrows his eyes at me and I know he knows I'm lying.
Stupid Watcher lie detector. I decide to change tactics.
”Can you go get Mason for me?” I ask, hoping this will diffuse Isaiah's suspicions. ”I know he's with the President so I'm not sure how hard it will be to get him away from there.”
”Yes, I can go get him,” Isaiah says. ”But Jess, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I won't be long.”
I nod.
I almost say 'ok' but know that will come up as a big red lie to Isaiah. As I've always said, lies get more complicated when you try to elaborate on them. So I decide to keep it simple.
”I'll be right back,” Isaiah tells me, his eyebrows raised as if telling me I better be here when he gets back.
As soon as Isaiah phases, I run to my bedroom and grab my sword.
It doesn't take me long to drive to the cemetery. Once there, I immediately see Baal. He's standing beside Uncle Dan's grave. Since it's still winter, the gra.s.s hasn't grown over the overturned earth, marking his grave until spring arrives.
Baal is dressed smartly in a grey herringbone style sweater, black jeans and black trench coat.
He smiles when he sees me, the dimples in his cheeks do nothing to make it look like much more than a leer.
”I see you found my note,” he says in a friendly tone.
”Where is Chandler?” I ask not seeing any reason to play nice.
”Oh, he's with Levi. After what Lucifer did to him, he felt like getting a little revenge.”
”When will you things learn to stop messing me with me? Whether you like it or not, Lucifer considers me a friend.”
Baal laughs. ”You're deluding yourself if you think that. Lucifer can't have friends. He betrayed his very best one. What makes you think you're anything special?”
”What do you want from me?” I ask, knowing Chandler's safety will depend on my cooperation.
”I want you to tell me what you are. The rock star is playing stubborn and not saying anything. I'll say one thing for you. You do seem to instill loyalty in your subjects, even when they're being tortured. It's a talent Lucifer could learn from you.”
”What have you done to Chandler?” I ask, focusing on the one word Baal said which stood out: tortured.
”Take that sword off and leave it here,” Baal orders. ”Then I'll take you to your friend.”
I unbuckle the baldric and lean my sword up against the back side of Uncle Dan's grave. I hold my hand out to Baal and he phases us to Chandler's location.