“There is a firing range on level two. You have an appointment there after the scans to make sure you can handle the weapon.”
It wasn’t as big as Ash’s gun had been, but probably Ash had the biggest everything. Why did that thought make her feel a little warm? She squirmed on her seat then glanced up to find the two men watching her.
“So,” she said. “You’ve gone to a lot of bother to get me here. What for?”
“We want you to make contact with your old partner, John Ryan. Find out what he’s doing and see if you can get an in to CR International.”
Now, was the time to tell them about her visit to Ryan last night, but something kept her quiet on the subject. She certainly wasn’t about to tell them of the job Ryan had mentioned or they’d have her in there undercover quicker than she could say “spy.”
She didn’t want to be a spy, and she certainly didn’t want to snoop on her friend. At least not until she had found out more about what was going on. So she nodded. “You said you had evidence that tied Christian Roth in to my murder case.”
“No longer your case, Detective.”
“The hell it isn’t.”
“Here at MI13 we look at the larger picture. We’re not involved in individual murder cases.”
“So what are you involved in?” she asked.
“The survival of mankind,” Father O’Brien answered.
She twisted on her seat so she could see the priest. He stood, hands clasped in front of him, looking pious and godly. Asshole.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered.
“You need to open your heart to God, and you will see the truth.”
“Of course I will.” Not.
“I sense that you’re a skeptic, Faith,” the colonel said, his tone tinged with amusement. “But I assure you, you’ll be a convert once you’ve seen the evidence.”
A glimmer of interest flickered to life inside her. They were talking her language now. Good, hard evidence was what she believed in. But she didn’t believe they would have any strong enough to convince her that she was wrong and the monsters really existed. All the same, she might find something useful to help her case, because no way was it not her case. She would solve Julie’s murder even if she had to work on it in her own time.
“Well then,” she said. “Take me to your evidence.”
Chapter Six
Ash called a meeting in Ryan’s office the evening after he met Faith. Their whole integration plan was based on the concept that the Order was a big, dark secret. Yet now it seemed as though there was a government organization actively studying them. And they had a file on Christian and God knows who else.
Of course, Christian had been outside the Order for many years. He’d left after the last demon wars—maybe a guilty conscience. He’d been phenomenally successful as a businessman, maybe too successful, which was perhaps what had brought him to the attention of the authorities. Ash’s revenge had brought Christian back to the Order, searching for answers and for a way to protect Tara.
The sun was just setting outside as Ash lounged back on the sofa, his booted feet resting on the coffee table while they waited for the vamps to wake up. He took a swig of whiskey straight from the bottle.
“Didn’t someone say alcohol is supposed to do weird things to demons?” Ryan asked, his glance wary.
“Yeah. Turns us all demonic.” He grinned. “Some of us, anyway. The weaker ones can’t take it and even the stronger ones can go a little weirded out if they’re not used to it.” He took another swig. “Lucky for you, I’m used to it.”
He held out the bottle and Ryan sighed.
“Why the hell not?” He pulled two glasses from his desk and put them on the table next to Ash’s boots.
Ash poured a good measure into both and watched, amused as Ryan perched on the edge of the desk and sipped.
Ryan appeared exactly what he was: a cop. Well an ex-cop now but Ash was guessing they never really lost the look. He wore gray slacks and a black sweater, a beat-up leather jacket over the top.
“So how are the arrangements going?” Ash asked. “Any important meetings to go to yet?”
“First one is the day after tomorrow—with a guy from the ministry of defense.” He cast a glance at Asmodai and frowned. “You are going to wear something different, aren’t you?”
“Different?” Ash peered down at himself, in the usual black leathers and T-shirt he wore in his human manifestation.
“I suggest a suit, because I’m not sure you’ll get passed security like that.”
“A suit?”
“Yeah and maybe a haircut.”
He must have appeared shocked at the idea because Ryan grinned. “It’s not like that guy in the bible where you lose your powers or something if you have it cut?”
“No.”
“Well lose the ponytail, then. It’s…girlie.”
Girlie?
“I’ll think about it. And are you going to get a suit and a haircut?”
“Me? Why?” He ran a hand through his already mussed hair so it stood on end. Ash quirked a brow.