Read The Seventh Sons (Sycamore Moon Series Book 1) Online

Authors: Domino Finn

The Seventh Sons (Sycamore Moon Series Book 1) (24 page)

BOOK: The Seventh Sons (Sycamore Moon Series Book 1)

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"You may have lived but many others died. What she did was wrong."

Angelica was obstinate. "They can't tell you the truth because they're dead. I'm the only one left alive that you can ask, and I'm telling you that what she did wasn't wrong."

Nithya again turned to Maxim. "There is a tumor in my head, Detective. I had hoped to have the time to discover what I needed in order to survive, but the pain is greater every day. What's more, I've been bitten by Deborah, savagely. I am likely to succumb to the rabies for all my efforts."

"No," said Angelica. "You can treat yourself like you did me."

Nithya shook her head. "One out of twenty-one lived. That accounts for less than five percent of all subjects. Those numbers are similar to the control." Nithya was overcome with a tragic smile. "Two years of effort, and all of my work has been in vain. Now, in two months..."

"No," repeated Angelica. "You did help me!"

Nithya watched the girl sadly before addressing the detective. "Is it really so hard to let me die with my freedom?" she asked. "Allow me this, Maxim. My last moment of happiness."

She turned to walk away.

Angelica had tears in her eyes but Maxim still stood earnestly. Could he really just let the woman escape? What justice had fate orchestrated for her?

"Let it go," urged Diego with calm sobriety. Maxim's gaze fell upon his friend, who was now standing next to him. "There's been enough fighting."

Something stirred inside of Maxim. For most of his life he had never broken the rules that were set before him, but recent events had presented him with many opportunities to reconsider. Was he truly sure that sticking to such extremes was the right thing to do?

Maxim discovered that he did nothing as Nithya Rao disappeared behind the grain bin.

"You need to get out of here too," he said to Diego and his sister. "If your names are in the report, the CDC will follow up with you. You don't want to be on their radar." He looked to Gaston, who was bloody but breathing in a controlled manner. The wolf needed medical attention and wouldn't be going anywhere.

Angelica smiled at him. "You're all right, old man." The girl considered for a moment. "For a
policía
." She then tugged at her brother's shirt but found him holding his ground.

"The hostages have seen me," said Diego. "I've been in the marshal's office twice. They already know about me. Besides, Gutierrez has my bike and is wearing my clothes."

His sister let out a laugh but she waited, thinking he was only joking. "Come on, bro," she insisted.

The biker firmly shook his head. "You need to get out of here, Angelica. You'll be fine now."

Maxim could see the resolve in the man's brown eyes, and his sister did too. The girl sprung away without taking further issue, and the men heard the bustle of the officials impending behind them.

Over the course of the night, the paramedics attended to Gaston and loaded him into the truck. Deborah was pronounced dead at the scene and taken away by the medical examiner. The gray pickup truck was extracted from the grain bin and towed. Hordes of investigators swarmed the scene like ants and the feds got involved. And then, finally, Sycamore Lodge was allowed to rest.

As the morning stirred, the sun one again commanded its place in the sky.

Epilogue

The black Scrambler roared in the middle of a greater thunder, a throng of bikers returning from the Flagstaff hospital where Gaston was recovering. The new president was respected among the remaining MC members for managing to keep the CDC from shutting them down.

As they halted at the first stoplight in Sanctuary, Diego glanced to his flank and saw Melody on her hog, sharing a smile with him. She winked and he returned the gesture even though it was sure to have gone unnoticed behind his helmet.

The light switched to green and invited them to resume their pleasant ride. Up ahead, a large camper was parked awkwardly on the side of the road and a shiny silver TT was positioned behind it. As they got closer, Diego saw Maxim standing in the grass, wearing his white hat, circling the abandoned vehicle.

The biker signaled to the rest of the group and broke away. As they disappeared around the bend ahead, Diego slowed to a stop next to the detective and removed his helmet.

Maxim rubbed his smooth chin. "You're riding with the Seventh Sons now?"

Diego shrugged. "We're just coming from visiting Gaston."

"Is he demanding beer yet?"

"He's okay, aside from the annoyance of having to wait out the entire moon cycle."

The detective chuckled. "Yeah, well, that works out in his favor. He'll be released to the Sanctuary clinic before the two weeks are up, and we can give him leave before he turns. If he stays out of sight for a month or so after that, nobody will notice anything strange the next time they see him."

Diego was impressed. The town was finally living up to its title, providing a haven for a persecuted people. His gaze fell on Melody, who was parked some distance ahead, waiting for him.

Maxim caught the gesture. "Are you sure this one isn't going to get you into any trouble?"

"Can't be any worse than my sister."

The detective raised his eyebrows in agreement but stayed silent.

"By the way," asked Diego, "are you coming to Sycamore Lodge tonight to send her off? She wants to thank you again for everything you've done."

"So she's set on leaving, huh?"

The thought would've troubled Diego a few days ago, but he had found a way to accept it. He was surprised at the liberation he felt. "Sycamore was just a speed bump for her. She wants to find her own place in this world. As her older brother, I need to encourage that."

"And Nithya?"

The biker shrugged. "She's gone. They're not traveling together. Angelica might be back here someday, though. She knows where to find me, at least; I found an apartment in Sanctuary. I think I might stick around for a while."

Maxim drew his head back in surprise. "So this little party is going to be a regular treat." He was talking about the MC.

"Sanctuary is married to the Seventh Sons. With Gaston down and the deaths of the others, the club is at half its normal size. They don't object to hanging out with a like mind."

"Your motorcycle doesn't make you like them."

Diego nodded. "I can never be a wolf because of my vaccinations, but through all of this, I think the MC has recognized the importance of friends over circumstantial ties. They trust me enough."

"They run drugs."

"I've heard," said the biker. "I don't want any part of that. It's not action or money that I'm after. Speaking of which," said Diego, pointing behind him, "I see you got a new ride."

Maxim smiled as he admired what he could see of his sports car on the other side of the camper.

"Yeah, well, I think it's time that I opened up to some new experiences myself."

The biker chuckled as he examined the aggressive lines of the small roadster. "The silver's a nice touch."

The police officer thought intensely for a moment. "A new promise to myself."

That's when Diego noticed that the man had no rings on. He could have recovered the keepsake if he had wanted, but would there have been a point?

Diego placed his gold helmet on his head again, leaving the visor open to talk. He motioned to the old camper Maxim had been studying. "Anything going on over here?"

"Just the usual," said the detective dismissively. "Sanctuary is a lot more boring than you'd probably expect."

"Need any help?"

Maxim scrunched his eyes. "Nah. I can handle it."

Diego patted his friend on the shoulder and readied his bike to go. "Brotherhood and the open road, Maxim, that's why I'm here."

The police officer crossed his arms and shot Diego a suspicious look. The biker shut the black visor and pulled away from the inquisitive stare.

"Besides," he called back, grinning, "you really do have some beautiful forests out here."

-Finn

Maxim and Diego are back in
The Blood of Brothers
. The sequel is twice as long and twice as action-packed. Even better, you can
get it for FREE
.

About the Author

Hi. I'm Domino Finn, an urban fantasy author and contributor to several award-winning video games. If you enjoyed this Sycamore Moon book,
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