“Give me time to piece this together. Someone did a lot of work to coordinate these attacks. They had to build each team, and at least here in Michigan, they had to hire a third party to brainwash that team into finishing the job. There’s a bigger pattern here. We can’t see it yet. Too many missing pieces. Too many questions. Why limit each team to a single type of inhuman? Why arrange the attack for a time when the FBI was en route? That reminds me, do you know the response time at the other attacks?”

“The state police were already on site in Oklahoma,” said Nicola. “Someone had called in a bomb threat. In California, the attack took place less than ten miles from an FBI field office.”

“They wanted the authorities to arrive quickly. Were any of the attackers captured alive?”

“None that I’m aware of.”

“All right, I only have one more question for now. Do you trust mundane authorities to handle this?”

It was Nicola’s turn to think in silence. I drummed my fingers against the chair until she finally said, “Keep me informed. You understand that if this goes badly, the Porters won’t be able to protect you? McGinley at DHS is determined to make an example out of anyone involved.”

“Understood. Thanks, Nicola.”

“I hope everything goes well with your niece.”

“Thank you,” I said, more warmly this time.

“I’m sorry you missed your flight out of D.C. I know you wanted to be there.”

“I needed to be in Lansing.” I sighed and checked the information screen mounted on the wall. I needed to be in Vegas, too. I trusted the New Millennium medical team, but I was the one who’d assured Lex and her parents that it wouldn’t hurt, and that everything would be okay.

Toby had never forgiven me for letting Lex suffer all these years. What would they think when I wasn’t there for her in the morning?

I managed a forty-five minute nap on the flight before jolting awake when the plane touched down in Vegas. I sat up and rubbed the drool from my cheek, texted Lena to let her know I’d arrived, and gathered my carry-on bag of books. The rest of my luggage was back at the hotel in D.C.

I picked up an overpriced coffee from one of the half-dozen airport Starbucks and hiked my way to long-term parking where my pickup truck awaited. I made the slow drive east through the city on mental autopilot. It was almost two o’clock when I finally left the worst of Vegas traffic behind, and another half hour to reach my destination beyond the city limits.