get into Nod and I need your help. You were there when that realm was created."
Crystal-blue tears filled Eve's brown eyes and fell without shame. "You see, all I remember is that head of tight curls and ringlets against my breasts. That child who stayed awake all night with a bright, inquisitive smile, and who would occasionally nick me with a hint of fang when he suckled or laughed hard. Those warm, brown, hungry, intelligent eyes that absorbed every shred of knowledge ever put before him, those same eyes that painfully looked to me to solve the problems of the newborn world... and that wonderful, angelic voice that would join me in a lullaby when I sang him to sleep every dawn."
Eve drew in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. "That is what a mother sees. Not the monster. Not the seductive lover. Not the man who has grievously erred and must be punished, or possibly beheaded."
"I know, Eve," Damali said, removing the formality of title between them as she walked to her queen and gave her a much-needed hug. "But you are also fair and wise and just... and I came to you because of all those things."
Eve hugged Damali tightly as she stroked her hair. "What I ask of you isn't fair. It is pure emotion." "I can't commit."
"I know," Eve whispered. "Just be gentle with my boy, whatever you decide. Tell him, if you see him again, that his mother loves him, no matter what, and always will. Tell him that, even if you must behead him."
Damali swallowed hard and nodded. "That I can do."
"Freeze!"
Multiple gun hammers clicked back. Semiautomatics leveled. Men in black S.WA.T. gear had come through the door in a Bradley, and swarmed out of it before any Guardian could take cover. Windows smashed in. A black-hawk chopper was landing on the roof, then footfalls pummeled the upper floors and stairs.
The Guardian team stood very, very still, not even glancing at each other as they kept their hands on their heads. They kept their mouths shut as nervous palms patted them down, spun their bodies around, and affixed nylon ties to their wrists.
"Problem, officer?" Rider finally said, as he was forced to kneel.
"Where's the one you call the Neteru in this cult?" a burly figure shouted, his eyes darting around the team and then toward his men. "Be careful, gentlemen. She's packing a long blade, samurai shit, and knows how to use it."
"I'm a cop," Berkfield said. "You need to start reading Miranda and explain--"
A gun butt to the side of his head stopped his words.
"This ain't local, it's federal," the lead searcher said through his black ski mask. "Homeland Security--after the Patriot Act, we don't have to tell you shit. Anybody else got any stupid questions?"
Guardians watched a team of twenty masked men peel off from the group in search of Damali, and cringed when they heard the weapons room door get kicked open.
"You see this arsenal in here!" a voice down the hallway shouted.
"Fucking Pentagon Web site up on monitors!" another shouted. "Bingo!"
"Bring it all as evidence," the leader said, motioning with his chin to dispatch more men. "Where's this Neteru chick, huh?" He leaned in toward Bobby and Dan, and yanked Dan's hair back.
"She's not here," Dan said, grimacing from the pain. "She left to go talk to somebody, okay? Now get off me!"
A gloved hand jerked Dan's hair again to make him fall. Bobby was drawing sudden breaths of rage, but knelt, unable to assist his friend.
"But we didn't do anything wrong!" Krissy shouted, trying to lift her head off the rug as she was shoved down hard and fell. "Hey!" Berkfield shouted. "That's my daughter!"
"Don't put your hands on her!" J.L. said between his teeth while a gun barrel dug into his cheek, forcing his head to the floor.
"The kid just wants to know what charges we're up on," Shabazz said, receiving a gun butt to his stomach for the question.
When he dropped, Big Mike almost stood, but a Glock nine to the temple made him slowly go back down on his knees.
"Easy, big fella. Don't be crazy," one of the restrainers said.
Inez tried to edge toward him on her knees, her eyes sending silent daggers to the gunman who'd put a nine to Mike's temple.
"She left," Juanita shouted. "She went to go see her man's mother!"
When a gunman nodded and yanked Juanita's ponytail back, two men shoved Jose to the floor. "Hurt her again, and it's on!"