War of Prey

13)Beware the Broken Angel (Part 1)

"The brokenness on which she stands was carved by the bloodied hands of the Angel of Death."

***

"Why'd you do it?"

"What part of silence do you not get? This is not social hour, Alejandro. When I get what I want, you will have all the time in the world to talk, but now, I want silence," Rhea snaps, nails digging into the steering wheel. Her conversation with Bradley replayed in her head, his words branded in her brain.

"Rhea? We have a situation," Brad announced.

"What do you mean? What happened? So help me, Bradley, if you set your kitchen on fire again—"

"No, Rhea. That DNA that you figured out was animal, it isn't animal. We have no traces of it in the system; Chief is getting worried. You are the best person we've got, and you're down there; he's sending a plane tonight."

"No. I am not leaving. I can help more down here; I think I know how to figure out all the strange DNA. Have you heard of La Joya del Dragón?"

"Yes...what does the Dragon Jewel have to do with anything?"

"I have acquired someone who is going to lead me to it. We can end the war, Bradley; I have to stay and find it. The killings will stop, and the war on drugs will end; we can eradicate the Pride, stop all the deaths, and there will be no need to have the Pride Accord anymore. Do you not understand Bradley? I have no choice; send me the information, and I will do what I can from down here," she explains, anticipation and excitement bubbling at the possibility of ending the Black War. The name of the War came from the King who led the Embassy when the War broke out, saying that black represented the blood and impurities running through their veins.

"Rhea, this is a dangerous game you are playing. You are going to get killed."

"You cannot rid yourself of me that easily. I am more than a spider crawling along the floor."

"That was an awful analogy, Rhea."

"It was not! It made sense."

"I'm sending the files now. Be safe, Rhea."

"Always am," Rhea replies before hanging up and laying back in bed, running her fingers over Lane's snake bites. "I always am."

"Where are we heading?" Hierro asks as they pull up to a long driveway leading to a castle-looking building. Rhea nearly slams on the breaks at the sight before her. Easily a hundred men are lined up, all armed with guns, knives, and Longswords, all dressed in white uniforms, the breastplate outlined in gold. Not a single woman is present save Rhea.

"Shit! Arm up, love, this will not end prettily," Rhea announces, unbinding Hierro from the ropes and crawling to the back of the car, thanking the gods that she had remembered to stock the car after she killed Mitchell, Lucy, and Bone. She passes Hierro a gun and Dire Flail, praying he knows how to use the Flail.

"I haven't touched one of these in years; Rakel made me give up fighting. Good to have one back," Hierro smiles, taking the Dire Flail and gun from her hands and smiling.

"Try not to get yourself killed," she smiles back and grabs her Ruby Dagger, its hilt pulsing a deep red. Deciding to leave the rest of her weapons, with much reluctance, she joins Hierro at the hood of the car, watching as the guards lift their guns and aim them at Rhea and Hierro.