Apparently, they’d gotten to Rita Delinsky after all. As soon as James and Bradley were back in the Headquarters, Amelia told them what she’d heard. She didn’t have many details, but the nurse had walked into her room and found her strangled with a noose made from a hospital johnny. It was a harsh, gross, humiliating death and nobody knew exactly how it had happened.

“They said she was fine one moment, yelling at the nurse to get her some coffee,” Amelia said. “And then when she got back with it, Rita was dead.”

“Jesus,” James muttered, glancing down at the report the Foundation had sent over to them. There were photos included, and he flipped the page over in his lap.

The woman was awful, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her like this.

“So apparently, despite all the protection at the hospital, this woman was able to get in and kill her,” Madelyn said. “What do you think?”

“I think that’s pretty damn powerful. She doesn’t need to be there in person to do it. And I also think she knows we’re onto her,” James said. “We were just at her house and she was clearly there and uninterested in chatting.”

He set down the page and stood up. “Anyway,” he said. “We’re going over to the Cottage to talk to the family and Maria, her assistant. According to the Foundation, they’re basically keeping them rounded up there to make sure that there’s protection for everyone. All the Foundation’s protections are active. I expect a text from Father McEnerney any minute.”

As if on cue, Amelia’s phone pinged with an incoming text. She glanced at it. “You’re good.”

“He knows mine’s broken. What did he say?”

“‘House is set,’” she read. “‘You’ll need to let us know when you get here so that Foundation security agents can escort you in.’”

“This’ll be fun,” Graham muttered.

“What do you think?” James said to Amelia. “Full team?”

“Yeah,” she said. “We need to talk to Rita’s family and touch base with the security teams about everything, so we might as well all go. The quicker we’re out, the better.”

---

They took two cars over to the Cottage. James still wasn’t used to being split up like this, and he was getting a little concerned about the gas mileage his team was covering. They’d been told multiple times that the Foundation didn’t cover gas in private vehicles, but it wasn’t like they had a choice right now, right? So the Foundation had better pay the team back.

He tried to put the thought aside as he glanced over at Amelia in the passenger seat. “What do you think about all this?” he asked.

She looked up from her phone. “I think we’re not quite in over our heads, but we’re getting there,” she said. “And the Foundation’s not going to give us what we need.”

“That’s kind of where I am too,” James said. “This is different from our previous cases. When was the last time we had multiple dead people and had to go outside the Foundation for vital information?”

“I mean, aside from Halloween?” Amelia said. “But that was different. This is something they expect us to do. I’m worried that eventually, these things are going to become more and more our issue. Like, next time they won’t have as much security. The time after that, there will be none. Or we’ll be expected to negotiate it. Or provide it ourselves. You know what I mean?”

James hadn’t quite been there consciously, but from the way he readily accepted her concerns, he knew that his subconscious had clearly been gnawing on that possibility for a little while. “Do you think they’d do that?” he asked.

“I think they’d try. Especially if this goes smoothly.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then they don’t.”

“I hate this.”

“I know.”

They were quiet for a moment. James thought about the night Gabriella had called him, sobbing, from the Leominster State Forest. That case was supposed to go poorly so that they’d be able to keep doing their jobs in the aftermath. And if they did well on this one, they risked having it taken more and more for granted that they would do it all themselves.

“We’re not at that point yet though,” he said after a moment of tense silence.

Madelyn had been dozing in the back seat, but he heard her shuffle and sit up a little straighter. “I don’t know what you two are talking about,” she said. “I’d make fantastic security.”

Amelia laughed, looking back at Madelyn with affection. Madelyn smirked at her, then looked out the window. “I have to admit, I’m a little excited to see this cottage everyone keeps talking about,” she said. “We used to rent a cottage up in Maine every year, but I have a feeling that this is a little different.”

“Just a little,” Amelia said. “Considering you and I shared a twin bed up there. I’m going to tell you now that things are slightly different in this particular cottage.”

“Oh?” James said, looking at Amelia. “One bed, huh?”

“Yeah, it was really sexy,” Madelyn said. “Me with my foot in Amelia’s face and her snoring. Exactly like the movies.”

Amelia laughed. “And your cousins sharing the bed right across the room.”

“Oh, Amelia,” James said as he remembered suddenly. “Sometime in your many texts today, can you please ask Rosa if she’s cool with me saying I learned about Polly Grace from her?”

“I thought you learned about her from…” Amelia trailed off as she realized what was happening. “Right. Yeah, I’ll text her now.”

“I appreciate it,” James said. “I’ll have a phone soon, so I can stop asking you to take all my messages for me.”

“Someday we’ll have room in the budget for a secretary,” Amelia said as she texted.

“Yeah, because that’s so high on the priority list.”

“Maybe once we’re all specialized, they’ll let us bring one on,” Madelyn said. “Or maybe they’ll just keep assuming that’s all Bradley’s job, too.”

“I’m waiting for the day they decide one of us has to be team doctor,” James said. “Then they send us a PDF and wish us luck.”

“God, don’t even joke about that,” Amelia said with a shudder. “I’ve heard rumors they want to cut our medical coverage. Too many hospital visits. Which, yeah, I’m really sick of going to the emergency room. But we’re fighting monsters. What do they expect?”

James tried to ignore the sick little flutter that passed through him at that idea. While most of him wanted to say that the Foundation wouldn’t do that, another part of him knew it was absolutely possible. But it was just rumors right now, and he had things to focus on. So instead of continuing down that path, he tried to think of something else to talk about. Delete

The comfortable atmosphere of the car faded almost instantly as they pulled up in front of the Cottage. Graham was driving the other car and he, Gabriella, and Bradley pulled in beside James at the back of a crowd of cars. They got out and Amelia called to let the security team know they were there. Moments later, three agents walked out the front door. They were dressed in casual clothes, but James could tell from their stance that they were Foundation trained. They steered everybody into the house, past the protections on the walls, and bolted the heavy doors behind them.

As soon as they got in, Zach Delinsky was walking toward them. He was clearly trying desperately to hold himself together. “James!” he said. “Oh my God, I’m so happy to see you all.”

For a second, James thought Zach might hug him. But instead, Zach just took a shuddering breath and pasted on a professional smile.

“It’s nice to see you all,” he said, glancing at the team. “I’m sorry it’s like this. And I’m sorry I’m a mess. I’m just…”

A small sob escaped as he exhaled. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “It’s just… how did it get her? I don’t understand. And I don’t know how we can be safe here if she wasn’t safe there.”

“We’re figuring that out,” James said, trying to keep his voice calm and professional as he reached out to give Zach a squeeze on the arm. As much as he didn’t appreciate the teasing about them, he didn’t dislike Zach. The man had been nothing but nice to them this whole time.

“My cousin left,” Zach said, voice hoarse. “James. He just took off. He told me he was leaving, so I know he’s not… not dead. But…”

Shit, he might not be safe, anyway. But James wasn’t about to say that. That was probably the last thing Zach needed right now, though he was clearly well aware of it. But maybe they could contact the younger man, get him somewhere safe.

“I’m scared for the kids,” Zach said, interrupting James’s thoughts.

James paused, glancing at Amelia. “Kids?”

“Not mine,” Zach said. “My nieces and nephews. They’re so little, they don’t deserve to deal with this.”

“Where are they?” James asked.

“They’re here,” Zach said. “There’s four of them, all under the age of twelve. I know my family isn’t great, but they wouldn’t go after innocent kids, would they?”

James wished desperately that he could say no. No, of course not. But he couldn’t lie like that. So instead, he just said, “We’re doing everything we can to keep them safe. The Boston branch is taking care of security, both physical and magical. And we’ve got a lead. We just need to figure out where to take it.”

Zach’s eyes widened. “What is it?” he asked.

“I can’t really talk about it,” James admitted.

Zach’s face crumpled a little, but then he nodded. “I guess I understand,” he said. “What should I do?”

“What are you doing now?”

“Staying with the kids mostly,” he said. “My cousins – their parents – are in meetings with the rest of the family. They’re talking about just, like, how to come back from this. It’s horrible. Just stocks and profits, like it’s a rough day in the economy and not something that might come after their babies.”

He took another shuddering breath to pull himself together at the mention of the kids, and James felt a renewed affection. He smiled, hoping it looked reassuring and leaderly.

“It’s okay,” he said. “You take care of the kids. We have everything as locked up as possible. Father McEnerney is taking care of things, and there are more agents here than I’ve ever seen in my life. You stay with the kids and keep them calm, okay? That’s what I need you to do right now.”

Zach nodded and smiled at James, who felt himself genuinely smile back. Then Zach hurried away.

He glanced over at Amelia, who was watching him. “What?” he asked.

Amelia shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Oh fuck off, we’re working.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

He looked at Gabriella, who just smiled. “Can we focus?” James demanded. “Come on, Yasmin is coming. I can see her on the other side of the door. Let’s just do these interviews and be done here.”

---

CONTINUE TO CHAPTER 20