Cloak & Ghost: Lost Gate by Jonathan Moeller

Author:Jonathan Moeller [Moeller, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-09-27T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6: Lost Choices

A little before quarter to six, Caina parked next to the physical plant of Kardamnos Memorial Hospital and got out of her car.

She didn’t know what the night would bring, so she had come prepared. She had dressed in black cargo pants, black running shoes, a black T-shirt, and a tactical harness. Gloves protected her hands, goggles had been pushed up over her hair, and a breath mask hung from a cord around her neck. A backpack held all the usual gear she had brought last night. To the backpack she added a loaded .38 Royal Arms pistol, a bunch of extra ammunition, and a sheathed sword of the sort carried by men-at-arms into the Shadowlands.

Caina always had her valikon, of course, but she had learned long ago that there was no such thing as too much firepower in this kind of situation.

Kardamnos Memorial Hospital was a sprawling complex, and the loading dock was large enough to accomodate the hospital's needs. There were a dozen ports for semis, and even as she approached, two more trucks backed up to the dock doors. There was a pedestrian entrance next to the loading dock, and Caina walked up to it. A middle-aged man wearing the uniform of Ghost Securities waited at the door and straightened up as she approached.

“Ma’am,” said the man. His nametag read PHILIPS, and he was the night security supervisor for Kardamnos Memorial Hospital.

“Any trouble?” said Caina.

Philips shook his head. “Just the usual. Some domestic battery cases in the ER, someone out of his mind on synthetic drugs. Called Homeland Security to deal with them, and everything’s under control. Things are set up at the maternity ward, ma’am. We won’t let anyone else in or out until morning.”

“Good,” said Caina. “Two other people are coming after me. A man named Riordan, and a woman named Nadia. They’re going to come to this door. Once they do, send them to the maternity ward, will you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Philips. “We’ve had to call in double shifts tonight.”

Caina frowned. “Why?” Had word of the maelogaunt attack leaked out?

“No, there’s a fundraiser,” said Philips. “Some fancy thing with the chairwoman of the board, and…”

Even as he spoke, Caina heard the click of a high heel against concrete.

She looked through the pedestrian door and into the loading dock. It was a cavernous space, half-filled with pallets, and a score of burly men worked to unload the trucks and sort the arriving supplies. All of them took great care to avoid looking at Andromache Kardamnos, who stood near the door to the employee lounge. She was wearing a red evening dress with a flowing skirt that left her arms bare, and Caina had to admit she looked attractive in a regal sort of way. Next to her stood Winston Ravenwood the Ninth, wearing an expensive double-breasted suit. He had the sort of complexion that burned in the sun after above five seconds, with fine-boned features, pale blond hair, and shrewd blue eyes.

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