This is the second to last installment and I cut a chapter in half just to leave you hanging- it's a writer thing. I hope you are enjoying the story and the very light erotica.
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Seventeen
There were seven men at the meeting, as well as Genevieve and Zoe. Zoe had met all but two of them, who were quickly introduced to her as Sean and Guillermo. Grey called them to order and quickly reviewed the purpose of the meeting. Zoe was surprised that immediately after the briefing, the room became silent and everyone bowed their heads. She felt the hair on her arms stand up, and a tingle run down her spine. Realizing they were all praying, she quickly bowed her own head and asked for God to protect her, to protect all of them, and to stop whatever Z's plan for the Fist of Apollo might be.
Francis began to speak in a language Zoe didn't understand. It sounded strange, even a little scary. A couple of others began to make sounds as well. They all stopped abruptly and everyone's head came up.
Grey asked, "Does everyone agree, then? We will set up six safe houses, one in each district, and we will move Zoe between them and here at random intervals."
All the colonels said, "Agreed."
Zoe looked around the table, baffled. How did they come to agreement on a plan that was never discussed? There was something very powerful directing these people.
Grey continued, "I want no fewer than three guards on each house at all times. We can't make it obvious where she is, or isn't, by changing anything once we set up. Any questions?"
"Who will make the schedule of moves?" Francis asked.
"I will," Grey answered. "I will let each of you know when I deliver her to your safe house, but otherwise, only I will know where she is and when she moves."
Everyone nodded. "We need this in place within the day. We don't know when the abduction was to occur, so for the foreseeable future, we will be following this plan. Before each of you leaves, Zoe will read you for any additional information. She will also need to read all of your chosen guards, so send them here this afternoon. I don't think I need to stress how important this is. God speed."
Grey rushed to Zoe's side. He whispered, "I'd like to join you for the readings as much as I can. I don't want you to tell anyone anything that you see."
She nodded. He turned her toward Enrique who was still beside her. Enrique smiled at her.
"Go ahead. I don't mind if you read me," he said.
She felt Grey in her mind and opened to the visions. She saw Enrique setting up the guards, visiting the safe house, meeting in this room, and fighting at that battle where Z wielded the Fist. Zoe worried that the visions ended then. Did that mean Enrique wouldn't survive that battle?
Grey answered in her head, "God gives you what you need. You don't need anything beyond that point, so it is withheld."
Zoe felt relief. She smiled at Enrique and tiptoed to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later, friend."
"Soon, my friend," he answered and left the room.
"You told him?" Grey asked.
"More like he put it together. He's a good man," Zoe answered.
"One of the best," Grey agreed. "Genevieve?"
"Mon cher, but of course," she said, coming to stand in front of Zoe.
Zoe opened to the visions. She had a bad feeling about Genevieve, not really trusting any woman that beautiful who treats every man as if he was in love with her. Grey whispered in her head, "She is all show. Her heart is good."
Zoe was embarrassed Grey had witnessed her little snit, but refocused on the visions. With Genevieve she saw preparations and the battle, but no indication she would be involved with her abduction.
Next she read Lloyd. Again Zoe felt a deep resistance to her gift, and the touch of Lloyd using his gift to try to enter her mind. Zoe and Grey both frowned and Lloyd raised his hands in surrender, seeming opening himself to them. Again they saw the preparations and little else.
The remaining colonels filed past to be read, with no traitors found.
When everyone had gone, Grey asked Travis to remain as Zoe's personal body guard.
Looking surprised, Travis asked, "You want me to guard her? Because I did such a good job last time."
Grey looked at him very seriously, "No one will guard her better than the man who now trusts no one where she is concerned. You have learned from your mistake, and won't make another."
Zoe was sure she saw a tear in Travis' eye before he dropped to one knee, head bowed, in front of Grey, who touched him lightly on the shoulder.
Looking up, Travis said, "I will protect her with my life."
Suddenly Zoe thought she was going to cry. She threw her arms around Travis and hugged him fiercely. She had never touched him before, and he stiffened with the contact, then relaxing, he hugged her back, gently.
"Then it is settled," Grey continued as Zoe and Travis disengaged and stood up, a little embarrassed, "Travis, you will never leave her side unless she is with me, and Zoe, you will sacrifice privacy and independence for safety."
They nodded, sheepishly, both feeling responsible for the last occurrence.
"Zoe, I think you should get some rest before the guards begin to come in this afternoon," Grey suggested gently. At her nod he continued, "Travis, please take her to her room and stay with her." Then he reached out and touched her cheek. She felt a rush like the dizziness of standing up suddenly, and fell into Travis' waiting arms.
*****
She awoke to find herself in her own bed, and Travis sitting facing the window. He must have heard her stir, because he turned to her and smiled. "Do you feel better?" he asked.
"Actually, I feel really sick to my stomach, and my heart is racing," she replied as she sat up. "Oh, and my head feels like a freight train ran through it."
"We'll let Grey know. It's from the drugs. He'll help you out," Travis said, assisting her to stand up.
They found Grey in the command center. Zoe had never seen it before, and wished she felt better because she would surely be curious about the equipment if she didn't feel like death at the moment. Travis explained her condition to Grey.
Walking to her, Grey said, "I'm so sorry we had to use those drugs. I'm glad we learned what we did, but the next few days are going to be rough." He placed his hand on her head and she felt the headache lessen, and her heart settle, but the nausea remained.
"Is that better?" he asked.
"Some better, yes," she answered, "Grey, I really want to stay here with you. Are you sure moving me around is the right thing to do?"
He placed his hand on her cheek, "I want you here with me also, but the council agreed that moving you around was the best course of action. I'll be with you as much as I can."
She nodded sadly and he leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. She smiled weakly at him.
"What is the Fist of Apollo?" she asked, suddenly remembering the other visions she had that seemed of interest to Grey and his men.
"Just what it sounds like," Grey answered with sorrow. "Right before they killed Apollo, they amputated his hand and cast a spell over it to have it retain Apollo's strength. It took more than a century for us to get it away from them, the dark ages of human history. We couldn't destroy it, so we hid it. The guardians eventually all died, and its location was lost with them. Apparently it is coming back into play."
"So whoever wields the Fist is imbued with the strength of Apollo?" Zoe asked, "I expect that's pretty bad for us, huh?"
"That's putting it mildly," Travis answered.
"But not something we can worry about right now," Grey said, "I have someone watching for Abigail and looking for the Fist. We don't know where it is, so we will have to wait for it to turn up, then work on getting it back.
Again remembering something she wanted to ask about, Zoe continued, "Who is Abigail? You seemed surprised she was with Z."
Grey turned away from her, which was an unusual thing for him to do. She wondered if she'd said something wrong.
"She's my sister," he said quietly.
"Your sister?" she repeated, confused.
"I need to tell you about my family, but we don't have time now," he turned back to her, "But soon. I promise."
She just nodded. A knock sounded at the door. Grey looked at a monitor, pushed a button and the door swung open. Three men stood in the hall. He motioned them in, beginning a long afternoon of reading Grey's men, and a few women. Everyone cleared scrutiny. If there was a traitor in the Legion, he or she was not among the soldiers chosen to protect her.
She hated to complain, but the nausea was becoming unbearable, and her body was beginning to shake uncontrollably, her anxiety skyrocketing. Before she could speak, Grey was beside her, hand on her head, pouring calming neurotransmitters into her brain. The shaking stopped, but the nausea continued. She looked up at Grey, tears in her eyes.
He knelt beside her, holding her as she cried. When the hiccups became heaves, he held her hair back from her face, and placed a cool cloth on her neck. Eventually her body realized there was nothing left inside her stomach, and she sat back, exhausted.
"I'm so sorry, Zoe. There's no easy fix to the nausea. You need to start sipping an electrolyte solution, which will help a little," Grey said with such sympathy, Zoe tried to smile.
