Paradise Made

Thirty-Eight: Idiotic Heroism

My phone was dead. The useless blank screen mocked me, a dead weight in my hand.

Nik leaned over the back of his chair. "Use mine."

At first it did not seem like Lily was going to pick up. Panic gripped me. What other options did I have? There was no going to the authorities when Dejan controlled them. There were demons on both sides of this conflict: police and protestors. Would I just leave with Pen? Could I just leave?

There was a click. "Xavier?" Lily was breathless.

"Lily? Thank God!"

"Xavier, this really isn't the best time. I shouldn't be telling you this, but Sara will be back with us soon enough."

Down at the end of the street, I saw a group of masked individuals run out into the open. Pen swerved down a side street.

"Please listen to me," I begged. "I've got some information, about what the demons are planning. We don't have time! Oh God, do you know about the nuclear fusion plant?"

"It rings a bell."

"They're going to blow it up, trigger a meltdown. It'll take the whole city with it."

Pulling out onto the next main street, we found ourselves facing a wall of protestors. Masked officers held a line of shields. A tear-gas canister collided with the car window. The pause on the other end of the phone was stretching.

"I don't know if I'll be able to get you all the way back to the hostel," said Pen. "I'll try to get as close as possible."

"One second," Lily finally spoke, "I'll call you back."

"Please hurry!" I begged, into a dead receiver.

Pen chose to escape the riot by pulling into an underground parking lot. As the automatic door closed behind us, we were bathed in blissful quiet. Pen drove so we could see the exist before stopping.

"The hostel is a block down, do you think you'll be okay?"

Nik shrugged. "We got through it the first time, didn't we?"

"Just hang out for a couple more minutes and I'll give you back your phone," I said.

Nik shrugged again. "This is the most excitement I've probably had in my entire life."

We sat with our doors open, legs hanging out onto the concrete. The ceiling was low, pipes visible and easily within arm's reach. It was dead silent here, though we were surrounded by other cars. Florescent lights lit the space, but only about half of them appeared to be on.

"I hate to repeat myself," said Pen, tapping the dash-board clock, "but time is really of the essence here."

"Just give it--" I didn't even have to finish my sentence, for the phone had began to ring.

"Lily!"

"Give me the low-down, quickly. How does your watcher friend know what he knows?"

"He was talking to Azazel. He relays a lot of Lucifer's orders I think. He's staying in a house right near the fusion plant, registered under—you're going to love this—Lucas Dejan's name."

"Address?"

With my elbow I nudged Pen, who I knew was listening. Grudgingly, he obliged.

"Meat us there," said Lily. "We'll need to shake him down for information first."

"Good plan, it's just that, uh..." I cast a look at Pen. "I don't know if I'll be able to make it back there."

"Please, Xavier, we need you and whoever you're with. The knights had big plans tonight and it's just me and two others coming."