HOPE: VISIONS OF MADNESS
Joan of Arc saw visions of God. Believing she was the messenger of the Almighty she mustered the will and the passion to rally the French against the English invaders. Touched by God? Or by madness? History is filled with tales of visionary madmen, and I had no doubt Jaz was mad, with a fire that burned through self-doubt and moral qualms.
A few days ago, I’d reflected on that impulsive side of Jaz, how he pursued what he desired without fear. I’d chalked it up to a charming lack of self-doubt and self-consciousness. It was a lack of something all right…
Listening to Jaz, I remembered those moments in Benicio’s panic room, where I’d been unable to comprehend that Troy’s death would be wrong. I’d wanted it. It would serve me. Therefore, it should be.
The demon in its purest form. Ego ruled by id. That was Jaz.
I remembered too my thoughts on first walking into his apartment. I’d reflected on how his cheerful, impulsive nature was kept in check by cold sense, leading him to save money while he had it. That observation, too, came back to haunt me now.
For most people, that lack of self-doubt and conscience would be their undoing. The first time their goal exceeded their reach, they’d do something foolish and die pursuing their mad dreams. But not Jaz. He was crazy enough to hatch impossibly grandiose, destructive schemes and brilliant enough to carry them through. And if he went too far? He had Sonny to pull him back in line.
This hadn’t been the slapdash plan of two brazen young supernaturals. They’d been plotting this for years, taking a job at the Cabal and studying Carlos-the brother least likely to succeed, but the one they could best impersonate. Then they’d infiltrated the gang, seducing Guy with Jaz’s wild visions, swaying them into allies and, finally, into tools to execute their plans.
Kill the most prominent members of the Cortez Cabal family, then take the place of the remaining one?
Madness.
What if Benicio hadn’t planted me in the gang? What if Karl hadn’t called in Lucas? Would Jaz and Sonny have still failed? Even in failure, they’d achieved half their goal, and had a backup plan for the remainder.
Brilliant madness.
Lucas was their new target. They’d kill him, impersonate him and find Carlos guilty of the murder of his brothers. Then they’d let Benicio hand over Cabal power to his beloved youngest son, as Lucas “saw the light” and renounced his former crusade. When the transition was solidified, the old man would die in his sleep.
Lucas was as good a target as Carlos-maybe even better. His age, coloring and physical size were closer to Jaz and Sonny’s. Add lifts in their shoes for a few weeks until people wouldn’t notice the difference. Wear looser suits until they could lose some weight-or have Lucas bulk up. An easy transformation.
Like Carlos, Lucas would be expected to know little about the inner workings of the Cabal, so no one would question his ignorance. He was even more an outsider than his brother, and far less known in the Cabal, making him easier to impersonate.
The only sticking point was Paige.
They couldn’t fool her. So, wisely, they wouldn’t try. They’d kidnap her and keep her out of the way while “Lucas” took over the Cabal. In the meantime, he’d continue searching doggedly for his wife-suitably heroic and sentimental. By the time he found her, she’d notice he wasn’t himself, but her protests would be chalked up to post-traumatic stress. Besides, he had changed-she’d left “Lucas Cortez: Cabal-fighter” and returned to “Lucas Cortez: Cabal leader.”
Whatever Paige’s reaction, Jaz assured me the path was predetermined. Divorce.
“Irreconcilable differences. Completely understandable under the circumstances. She’ll get a nice settlement, and I’ll be free to marry you.” He grinned. “It’ll be perfect. Lucas and Paige, estranged by tragedy and circumstance, parting civilly, and then, after a suitable period, who does he turn to? The beautiful half-demon who helped him find his wife, catch his brothers’ killer and save his father, then stood by his side through it all. A fairy-tale ending.”
The only thing left was for me to call Paige. And I would, because here was the fatal flaw in Jaz’s plan.
Two years ago, when I thought I’d been working for the council, I’d pictured them as a powerful group overseeing perhaps dozens of field agents. That was the perception many supernaturals had…and one the council knew better than to dispute, because it was far more intimidating than the truth: the delegates did all the work themselves. Jaz had heard enough of my conversation with Karl that night in the apartment to figure out I worked for the council. So, to him, I was one of that presumably vast network of operatives.
If that were true, and Paige knew me only as an employee, then the story he’d concocted seemed plausible enough. I’d been seduced into Jaz and Sonny’s scheme by my demon side, but now my real nature was asserting itself and I wanted to make amends. The person I’d naturally turn to was the one outside the Cabal. The one who was powerful in her own right. And the one with a reputation for being unrelentingly fair and merciful.
Had I really considered betraying the Cabal, then changed my mind, Paige was indeed the one I’d turn to. And she would help me…if she believed me capable of such a thing. Between Paige and Karl, they’d know this was a trap. She’d never accept my invitation at face value and show up alone. No matter how careful Jaz and Sonny were, they were only two men. No match for a Cabal SWAT team.
So I called.
“CAN YOU FEEL it?”
We stood in an office building alcove, tucked into the shadows. Jaz moved behind me and put his hands on my hips, leaning against my back. When I stiffened, he only chuckled and bent to kiss my neck.
“Not so fast, huh?” He rubbed my hips. “That wasn’t a problem before. We both felt it. Fast wasn’t nearly fast enough. It was like…”
He rested his chin on the top of my head. “I can’t even describe what it was like. I’m at a loss for words. Can you believe that? It’ll be like that again, Hope. I know, right now, you’re probably thinking ‘fat chance, you son-of-a-bitch,’ but you’ll see. We’ll pull this off and I’ll serve you the Cortez Cabal on a platter.” His arms slid around me. “Yours, mine and Sonny’s. All the power you’ve ever wanted. All the power you deserve. It’ll be…” A shiver ran through him. “Perfect.”
For just a moment, feeling that rising lick of chaos, I saw his dream glittering before me.
He was right. We did have something. I was a half-demon starving for chaos, and he was a chaos feast. Maybe if I was what I feared I was, I’d hear the rumble in my belly, urging me to partake.
I did feel a rumble, but it was only my stomach churning. Minutes to go. Could I pull this off? I had to.
I glanced around, searching the shadows alongside every darkened building. Looking for Karl, even as I hoped he wouldn’t risk coming so close.
Paige had agreed to meet me. She’d been smart enough not to give anything away on the phone, in case Jaz or Sonny was listening, just like she’d been smart enough not to press for details. But I could tell by her tone that she understood.