grabbed her purse with the accelerator and got out. Rachel was already waiting beside the back of her car, one of Peri’s larger purses at her feet. The mouth of the wine bottle poked out of it, and Peri could hear the clink of a glass when she picked it up. “There’s more room in there than it looks,” Rachel said as she gentled the trunk lid down and the latch engaged. “It holds what, two bodies?”
Peri’s flash of shock vanished. “Three, if they’re friendly.” Hands in her pockets, she nodded to the front door. “Jenks is good. I didn’t think Opti’s cameras could be altered.”
Rachel was smiling as she came even with Peri. “It’s what pixies are second best at.”
“What are they best at?”
Rachel’s smile widened. “Making more pixies.”
Peri was too worried to laugh. Adrenaline spilled through her as she saw Harry through the wide glass windows, the big, wide-shouldered man looking more security than receptionist, but then again, that’s what he was. There was a reason he was on the night shift, and it wasn’t because he was stupid. The man was an anchor, meaning he’d know if she drafted, remember it while she forgot. He’d have a weapon under the counter along with his reception data pad, and Peri eased Rachel to a stop in the shadows outside the door.
“Okay,” Peri said as Jenks dropped down and settled on Rachel’s shoulder. “Just like we talked about. I keep him occupied as Jenks makes his computer wonky, and, Rachel, you slip in when he goes to fix it.”
“No problem,” Rachel said, drawing deeper into the shadows. “It doesn’t even look like the door is locked.”
“It’s not locked because he’s got a handgun under the counter and a gold star from his shooting coach. I mean it, Rachel,” Peri said, and the woman raised her eyebrows in question. “Don’t hurt anyone, and try not to be seen. It’s not just my job. I know these people, work with them. They trust me. I don’t have anything else to fall back on. This is my life.”
Rachel grimaced, and Peri heard Jenks’s wings clatter. “Yeah, I got it,” the woman said sourly. “I won’t hit anyone. Though it’d be a hell of a lot easier if I did.”
Isn’t that the truth. Peri started when Jenks shifted to her shoulder, his wings cold as they tickled her neck. “We’ve got this, Rache,” he said dryly. “Cool your jets and wait for the signal.”
Satisfied, Peri went in. Harry looked up from his tablet at the sound of the door opening. “Hi, Peri,” the soft-spoken man said as he pushed back from his desk. “I saw Jack come through earlier and figured you weren’t far behind.”
Arms swinging freely, Peri came forward to sign the visitors’ book, her expression freezing when she caught sight of Jenks flying low to the floor, swinging around behind the desk. “Bump on the head. I had to clean up the wine before it set. You don’t know where he is, do you?”
An alarm began sounding softly behind Harry, and he turned away. “They moved Jack into one of the doctors’ apartments. B-2. Just down the hall to the right.” His frown deepened, and he tapped the array of video monitors set to the side. “Another one down. This is so weird.”
“Thanks, Harry.” She signed her name with a flourish, catching sight of Rachel as the woman hustled into the nearby hallway.
“If you see Bill, tell him I need to talk to him,” Harry said, eyes still down as he fiddled with a knob. “Something’s wrong with the electrical system. We might have mice in it again.”
Or little winged men , Peri thought as she turned away, forcing her pace to slow when all she wanted to do was race down the hall.
Rachel waited at a drink kiosk, looking out of place with Peri’s purse over her shoulder. “Your security is lousy,” she said as Peri joined her, and the two walked as one down the deserted hall.
“That’s because there’s nothing here,” Peri said, miffed. “It’s an infirmary, not
Peri’s flash of shock vanished. “Three, if they’re friendly.” Hands in her pockets, she nodded to the front door. “Jenks is good. I didn’t think Opti’s cameras could be altered.”
Rachel was smiling as she came even with Peri. “It’s what pixies are second best at.”
“What are they best at?”
Rachel’s smile widened. “Making more pixies.”
Peri was too worried to laugh. Adrenaline spilled through her as she saw Harry through the wide glass windows, the big, wide-shouldered man looking more security than receptionist, but then again, that’s what he was. There was a reason he was on the night shift, and it wasn’t because he was stupid. The man was an anchor, meaning he’d know if she drafted, remember it while she forgot. He’d have a weapon under the counter along with his reception data pad, and Peri eased Rachel to a stop in the shadows outside the door.
“Okay,” Peri said as Jenks dropped down and settled on Rachel’s shoulder. “Just like we talked about. I keep him occupied as Jenks makes his computer wonky, and, Rachel, you slip in when he goes to fix it.”
“No problem,” Rachel said, drawing deeper into the shadows. “It doesn’t even look like the door is locked.”
“It’s not locked because he’s got a handgun under the counter and a gold star from his shooting coach. I mean it, Rachel,” Peri said, and the woman raised her eyebrows in question. “Don’t hurt anyone, and try not to be seen. It’s not just my job. I know these people, work with them. They trust me. I don’t have anything else to fall back on. This is my life.”
Rachel grimaced, and Peri heard Jenks’s wings clatter. “Yeah, I got it,” the woman said sourly. “I won’t hit anyone. Though it’d be a hell of a lot easier if I did.”
Isn’t that the truth. Peri started when Jenks shifted to her shoulder, his wings cold as they tickled her neck. “We’ve got this, Rache,” he said dryly. “Cool your jets and wait for the signal.”
Satisfied, Peri went in. Harry looked up from his tablet at the sound of the door opening. “Hi, Peri,” the soft-spoken man said as he pushed back from his desk. “I saw Jack come through earlier and figured you weren’t far behind.”
Arms swinging freely, Peri came forward to sign the visitors’ book, her expression freezing when she caught sight of Jenks flying low to the floor, swinging around behind the desk. “Bump on the head. I had to clean up the wine before it set. You don’t know where he is, do you?”
An alarm began sounding softly behind Harry, and he turned away. “They moved Jack into one of the doctors’ apartments. B-2. Just down the hall to the right.” His frown deepened, and he tapped the array of video monitors set to the side. “Another one down. This is so weird.”
“Thanks, Harry.” She signed her name with a flourish, catching sight of Rachel as the woman hustled into the nearby hallway.
“If you see Bill, tell him I need to talk to him,” Harry said, eyes still down as he fiddled with a knob. “Something’s wrong with the electrical system. We might have mice in it again.”
Or little winged men , Peri thought as she turned away, forcing her pace to slow when all she wanted to do was race down the hall.
Rachel waited at a drink kiosk, looking out of place with Peri’s purse over her shoulder. “Your security is lousy,” she said as Peri joined her, and the two walked as one down the deserted hall.
“That’s because there’s nothing here,” Peri said, miffed. “It’s an infirmary, not
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