Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

XERO

I arrive at Helsing Island airport later that evening in full disguise. Even though the investors’ reception is tomorrow evening, I need to be in the Hotel Royale, ready to capture Father the moment he arrives with Dolly for the meet and greet.

Depending on whether he intends to share his companion with the investors, he might even bring Amethyst. I’ll need to be careful with capturing her to make sure I have the right twin. Both are his victims, but one has devolved into a creature so twisted and hateful that she would wish trauma on her own sister.

Reverend Thomas will arrive at Helsing Island tomorrow, as instructed, with Camila watching his back. By the time he steps into the drinks reception, he’ll have enough tech in his orifices to qualify him as a cyborg.

Helsing is an island nestled within an archipelago off the coast of New York, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the Long Island Sound to the north. It’s renowned for its status as a nature preserve and the site of a prestigious private academy.

The Hotel Royale is located at its southernmost point, twelve miles from the airport. It’s a three-story colonial-style building in a prime spot overlooking the ocean. According to the website, there are three hospitality rooms available for private events, as well as a single penthouse suite with panoramic views.

Father would definitely choose this kind of location for its privacy, not just for the luxury of a private helicopter pad. Hotel employees might enter a hospitality room unannounced, but not a penthouse.

I upgrade to the penthouse for tonight, since it’s already booked for tomorrow. The receptionist reminds me to check out by 10 am, but I plan on leaving before then.

Once I take the key, I make my way up. The penthouse is a white space with a king-sized bed, two banks of sofas, a fully stocked wet bar, and plenty of room for entertaining guests.

I step out through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the marina and walk across a wraparound balcony leading to the private helipad.

Noting it as a possible hiding spot, I return to the suite to explore its closets, when Jynxson calls my phone. “We’re docked at the marina,” he says through the sound of crashing waves. “Ready to storm the hotel whenever you are.”

“Any word from the Spring brothers?” I ask, remembering we left them to infiltrate X-Cite Media’s out-of-town studio.

“No one from their other shoot can tell them the location of Delta’s snuff production. It looks like he only shares that information with his inner circle.”

After telling Jynxson to stand by, I check in with Tyler’s team for updates on possible shooting locations within the vicinity of the Hotel Royale.

“We’ve run through all the venues for hire on the island,” he replies. “Everything’s either set up for tourism or connected to the academy and located within four highly trafficked areas.”

“How about houses and cottages for hire?” I ask. “Warehouses, industrial buildings? There has to be something.”

“Still running through possible locations, but this island has limited potential. A group of eight or more men torturing a screaming woman on an island as small as this will attract attention.”

“Then where?” I snarl.

“We’re already looking at the other islands in the archipelago. Some of them are completely uninhabited. Plenty of space to shoot where no one can hear you scream.”

My gut churns. We’re so close to where they’re keeping Amethyst. She could be under our noses, suffering unimaginable horrors, yet we’re running around blind.

“Send me your findings.”

“Just remember, Delta is arriving in less than twenty-four hours. You can extract the information you need when you capture him.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Tyler may have gone through four years of academy training, but he didn’t qualify to be an assassin. I poached him from the Moirai’s IT department, where he specialized in surveillance and research. He can’t put himself in the mind of a man like Father.

“How much torture do you think Delta will withstand before he gives us the information we need?” I ask.

He hesitates, sighs, and mutters, “Point taken.”

I hang up. Delta won’t just be resistant to torture. If he doesn’t send us into a trap, then he’ll feed us enough misinformation so we’re chasing false leads while Amethyst might already be wishing for death.

My search around the penthouse suite continues. I can only hope when he arrives tomorrow, it’s with Amethyst and at least one lackey who will cave in to pressure.