Chapter 41 — Ghosts of the Past

"Ashe!"

"I just fuckin' woke up, Aderholt. What do you want?"

"Need you to go pick up someone from DC Jail."

"You know I outrank you now, right?"

"This is from the director, asshat. I'm just the messenger."

Despite his annoyance at being woken up early, Jeremy got a kick of pleasure from the frustration in Aderholt's voice. Man might not have gotten demoted, but me bein' above him is just as good.

"They picked up a kid along with Nishimura. Alden Bensen. Turns out they don't care about the little fuck, so they're turning him loose. He's awakened, so he's your department. Get on it."

"Fine. DC Jail, you said?"

"They're releasing him in twenty minutes."

"And you're just calling me now?"

"Couldn't get to a phone. I got work to do, Ashe." The phone clicked off before Jeremy could get another word in.

Petty motherfucker… Jeremy dragged himself to his feet. Rachel was awake in the next room over, and he could hear a faint TV and some scratching noises, while Maddie snoozed on the bed next to his. Quietly, he pulled on his suit, since he'd still have to get back for their White House meetings later that day, and left Maddie a note before he headed out to his car.

Nice to be in the Bureau's good book again. He sighed as he got in. They'd gotten him an even nicer car than they usually gave out, something showier since he'd been in the press plenty at Cinza's side, playing the official liaison role as the government's foremost expert on magic for the time being. Milk it while it lasts.

It only took a few minutes to drive over to DC Jail. To his surprise, Bensen was already right there on the curb—they'd tossed him out straight away. Jeremy laughed aloud. Spent all that fuckin' time searching for him, following clues, goin' to the kid's house, and here he is: waitin' for me to pick him up from prison. This fuckin' life.

"Alden, huh?" he said as he rolled down the window.

The kid nodded. "Hi again."

"Well, hop in."

Alden got into the front seat, to his surprise. Jeremy liked it—he wasn't a damn chauffeur, and the kid wasn't in any significant danger as far as Jeremy knew. No more than I am these days, anyway. Jeremy started driving, though in truth, he had no idea where they were going. Aderholt hadn't told him where to take the kid, just to pick him up and put him somewhere safe for now.

"Thanks, by the way," said Alden, again to Jeremy's surprise. He hadn't heard more than two words from the kid before, way back at the Tacoma bar. "For saving my life in Tacoma."

Jeremy shrugged. "It's my job."

"I didn't know it was gonna be you picking me up. I would have told Hailey."

"You got shoved in with her?"

"Yeah… I guess they decided everybody awakened should go into one cell block together."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Dumbasses."

Alden smiled. "That's what I thought too."

"Well, you've ended up in the midle of every fuckin' thing, haven't you?"

"It feels like it," he sighed.

Jeremy grinned. "You and me both. So, where are we headed?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I'm supposed to put you somewhere safe. We can't get you home yet 'cause all the flights to Washington are packed right now and they don't want to spin up a jet just for you. I could take you to a safehouse, if you want." Jeremy scratched his head. "Not sure what we've got in the area, but I'm sure we got somethin' decent."

"Actually," said Alden, "could you take me to where Hailey's mom is staying?"

"...Sure, but you think that's safe enough?"

"I'll be okay, I think." Alden glanced out the window. "I always end up coming out okay."

Well, that's some confidence. Wish I felt the same way. "You got it."

Stephanie Winscombe was staying with Hailey's two boyfriends in a hotel only a few blocks from the White House, and she'd been stirring up trouble already. The woman was as much a potential hurricane as her daughter, even without magic, and she'd riled up supporters in favor of Hailey's release. Jeremy guessed a good chunk of the protestors showing up every day were likely thanks to her mother's rabble rousing.

With his reinstated badge and wide-reaching authority, Jeremy had no trouble getting them past the desk and straight to the batch of joined hotel suites. Alden was fidgeting more than usual, to Jeremy's surprise. Where'd that confidence go? "You okay?"

"Well, I've never met her mom."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Thought you two were like best friends or somethin'."

"That was Jessica," said Alden with a sad smile.

He sighed, nodding. "Still, figured you'd have met her mom."

"Never had the chance. We were in hiding, remember?"

"Right."

Jeremy knocked on the door. A quick shuffle, and Stephanie was instantly at the door. "Mr. Ashe?" came her muffled voice.

"Brought you a friend," said Jeremy.

The door swung open. "...Who are you?" asked Stephanie suspiciously. Behind her stood Rupert and Weston, who Jeremy had briefly encountered back at the hospital in Tacoma… while Jessica lay dying.

"Alden Bensen," he answered, a little nervously. Jeremy couldn't blame him. Stephanie Winscombe was an intimidating woman, especially up close and personal. "I was… I am one of Hailey's friends."

"He just got released from the same prison they're holdin' your daughter," Jeremy added, eyeing Stephanie with a warning expression. He'd faced up against her enough to have gotten used to the strong-arm tactics, and Alden sure didn't deserve to face this sort of suspicion. "They were friends back to Rallsburg."

Stephanie's face instantly softened. "You… you were there?" she asked quietly.

Alden nodded.

Stephanie stepped back. "Come in, please. Both of you," she added, glaring at Jeremy, who'd begun to step away. "I insist you stay for breakfast, at least."

"Gotta get back to the White House soon," Jeremy grumbled.

"You've got time. I know your schedule."

"You and the rest of the damn world," he sighed. "All right then." Jeremy nodded at Alden. "He's gonna be stayin' with you for the time bein'. You need cash to open up an extra suite, let me know and I'll get it to you."

"We don't need your charity," said Stephanie brusquely.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself."

As the others began to prepare a table for breakfast, Alden pulled Jeremy aside. "Hey… how much are you involved in Rika's trial?" he asked quietly.

Jeremy shrugged. "Much as I can be, but it's way outside my job description."

"She's innocent."

He sighed. "Can you prove it? 'Cause the evidence is lookin' pretty bad. Even Cinza ain't sure she's not guilty."

"I can. I was there."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "So who did it?"

"I don't know that. But I was with Rika. She left Rallsburg before all those people died. She flew out on a helicopter." Alden smiled in a way that made Jeremy feel he was missing out on a joke. "Ditched me in the middle of the woods."

"...Don't take offense, but you're a shitty witness. For the last six months, you've been maintainin' you never went to Rallsburg. Lyin' to federal agents on record. Not exactly credible."

"There's more though. The helicopter was Viper's. And Rook was there too. She's a witness. Hailey said she was on our side now."

Jeremy worked very hard to keep his face steady when Alden said her name. "We don't know where she is. Unless she comes in to testify, it doesn't mean anything. Doesn't explain the Seattle deaths either."

"But Rika was in Redmond working retail. That's where the whole Lakewood chase started. She couldn't have been in Seattle that night."

He frowned. "...That's a bit better. Why wouldn't Rika put this information up, though?"

Alden shrugged. "I don't know. She's… I mean, have you met her?"

"Only that night in Lakewood and the funeral, and we didn't really talk much." Jeremy sighed again. "I'll make sure the defense hears about your offer."

"Thanks." Alden smiled. "You're going back home soon, right?"

"Back to the Northwest? Yeah."

"Can you let my parents know I'm okay? Since… you know, you went there and all."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Your sister told you?"

He grinned. "Meg had to brag about getting an FBI agent off my back."

"Not even fuckin' close."

The smirk didn't go away. "Thanks anyway."

"You sure you don't want to come back with me?"

Alden hesitated. "I wanted to stay here and help out."

"Honestly, unless you've got some huge fuckin' connections I don't know about, you're not gonna do anythin' here. Stephanie's got real pull, but this is all politics now."

"What about testifying?"

"Trial won't be for a while. If the defense wants you, they'll come get you, don't worry." Alden still looked uncertain, but Jeremy shook his head before the kid could answer. "I'll call again when we're gearing up to leave. You tell me there. But I think you'll be better off back in Washington. That's where everythin's happening."

The smell of something sweet wafted by—fresh pancakes, eggs, bacon, and whatever else Stephanie had ordered on the room service cart.

Jeremy stood up. "Come on, let's eat."

One awkward breakfast later—Jeremy had no idea what to say to them, between a mother he'd repeatedly investigated back in the early days of the Rallsburg investigation, and the two boyfriends of Hailey who he'd never met and didn't have a clue about—he was back in his car and on the road back to his hotel. They'd be picked up by the Secret Service soon for the next grueling day of negotiations and debates at the White House.

Grey-eyes appeared in his passenger seat.

"Jesus Christ!" Jeremy shouted, nearly twisting the wheel to the side—only to find it locked steady in place, as if it were suddenly made of solid steel. The car hummed along like normal despite his inadvertent attempt to crash.

"Sorry…" she said quietly. "I didn't think I'd have another chance to talk to you today."

"Give me some damn warning first!"

"I was just—" Grey-eyes cut off. She suddenly popped out of the vehicle again as if she'd never been there. Jeremy's only hint the girl was gone was a sudden light breeze across the car, tickling his cheek as he drove through the quieter early-morning streets.

"What the fuck…" he muttered aloud. As soon as he rounded the next curve, a faint light appeared in his passenger seat. Well, guess that's a fuckin' warning. Sure enough, Grey-eyes popped back in again. "Thanks, I guess."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. It's spreading again. I have to do that more."

"Do what?"

"Go… go awaken people."

"...Right," Jeremy sighed. "'Cause if you don't, whatever poor motherfucker's readin' one of those damn bits of paper will bite the dust. Yeah?"

"...Yeah."

"Don't envy your job," he grumbled, turning the next corner. The hotel garage was in sight. "Thought you could slow down time or something too. Didn't you do that last time we talked?"

"Huh?" She sounded genuinely confused.

"Back in the forest. At… whoever the fuck. Julian. Julian Black's bar-casino-thing."

"Oh…" Grey-eyes glanced away, out the window as Jeremy pulled into the dark parking garage. He pulled into a corner space and turned off the engine, leaving them in near-silence. "I'm… I don't like risking that much energy anymore. It's not easy to do, and if I'm not ready… I might get caught."

"Caught?"

She looked back to him, and there was a cool confidence in her eyes, a sense of power which set Jeremy back on his heels. "People have tried."

"...They still alive?"

Grey-eyes looked offended, even genuinely hurt by his accusation. "I don't hurt people," she said quietly. "I'm trying to help everybody."

Jeremy shook his head. "So far I'm not sure it's workin'."

"It's not people I awaken who are the problem," said Grey-eyes, fiddling with something in her pocket. "It's how scared everybody is of them. I didn't awaken Jackson, I didn't awaken Brian Hendricks. The man who killed Jessica wasn't awakened. The men in that bar in Tacoma weren't awakened. They—" She disappeared again.

Fuckin' hell… If she's disappearin' every five minutes or so, and it's this early here, it's the middle of the damn night in Washington. So how fast is she goin' at noon? Or five p.m.? How many more awakened per day? Jesus…

Jeremy was about to get up and leave when she finally reappeared again. This time, Jeremy could tell she was winded, from her breathing and a slight pinch to her muscles. Grey-eyes was tense, and that put Jeremy on edge.

"What are we supposed to do?" asked Jeremy, after she'd caught her breath.

"I don't know," said Grey-eyes, to Jeremy's frustration. "Isn't figuring that out the job of everyone out there?" she added, nodding in the general direction of the White House.

"Supposedly."

Grey-eyes looked back to him. She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, shivering from the cold. Ain't she powerful as fuck? Just make the car warmer. Even Rachel can do that. Unless she's blocked like Hailey? Diffinities or whatever? But… invisibility's supposed to be in the same thing as making the place warmer. So which is it?

"Don't take Rachel up there."

"Huh?"

"Don't introduce her to the President. If she wants to work from the shadows and try to make things better, then maybe that's a good thing, but don't let her feel power again. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Jesus," said Jeremy. "What the hell did that girl do?"

"She was in charge when Rallsburg burned down," said Grey-eyes. "I don't know if she could have prevented it, but I know she could have done things better."

"Yeah, she said so herself. Didn't get the impression it was 'cause she's a shitty leader, though."

"Just don't bring her to the White House."

"Good news for you, she doesn't want to go there anyway."

"She will."

"And wouldn't it be useful to have someone with experience governing this shit advising the next group?" Jeremy was getting seriously annoyed now, and didn't much care anymore how intimidating Grey-eyes might be. He was pretty sure she wasn't ever going to do anything to him at this point—for all her supposed power, Jeremy hadn't actually seen much from her in terms of real action. Even Rachel seemed more willing to strike when the time came—she'd pulled a gun on him in seconds, after all, when she felt threatened back in Vancouver. "At some point, somebody's gotta be in charge. This shit can't just run wild."

"So pick someone better."

"We're workin' on it," Jeremy grumbled. "Would be helpful if you gave us some ideas, instead of just shootin' down one of the best sources we've got."

"Rachel DuValle can't be trusted."

"Seriously, what the fuck did she do to you?"

Grey-eyes looked back at him again, and there was real fire in her eyes. Jeremy could feel hatred flowing off her, heating up the car and driving away the winter chill. "She blackmailed me into killing the man I loved, and she forced other people I care about to help her do it."

...My God. "What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you," Grey-eyes sighed, and for once, Jeremy didn't feel annoyed anymore.

"Part of the blackmail?"

She nodded wearily. "I'm not going to pretend he didn't deserve to be punished somehow. Jackson was out of control." Jesus Christ, she's talking about Omega? "But… she used innocent people as bait. She watched them die just to get a better shot. She forced me to lure him there into her trap. I'm probably already telling you too much, but someone should know. Nobody else does."

Jeremy opened his mouth, but he was genuinely speechless. None of her words rang false. He was seeing Rachel in a new light, one far more uncomfortable than he'd known before. He'd heard the words of Grey-eyes and Julian Black, of Hailey and of Rachel's parents, but they'd been tempered by the sheer praise heaped on her by Cinza and the rest of the awakened community.

This was something else. Jeremy didn't know what to think about it yet. Grey-eyes disappeared again, but Jeremy got the impression this time it was for good. He got out of the car and trudged up the stairs, wishing he had time to sit down and think for a while—but the Secret Service were already there at the door, waiting to rouse his sister and the guest of honor. He needed to clear his mind and focus on the rest of the day. Rachel would have to wait.