Prompted by Hodge, Clary quickly reined in her excitement and began closely observing the environment in the vision.
In the scene, Jocelyn appeared to be in a room, bandaging her wounds. It was clear Clary's mother had just been through a brutal fight—her body was covered in small cuts, and her clothes were tattered.
"I see Mom in a room, but I don't know where it is!" Clary said.
Hodge guided her further. "That's likely Jocelyn's safehouse. Focus harder, and you might see what's outside the room."
Clary concentrated, and sure enough, the image in the water expanded.
"I think I see the Golden Gate Bridge! Mom must be in the Bay Area!"
The Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco to Marin County, was an iconic landmark, blown up countless times in movies and as recognizable to Americans as the White House. Its red arches were unmistakable.
"Looks like Jocelyn's hiding in the Bay Area," Hodge said. "Ms. Fray, memorize the surroundings to pinpoint her exact location!"
"I'm trying!" Clary said, focusing on distinctive buildings and landmarks. Soon, the vision in the water faded.
"The ritual's effect has worn off," Hodge noted. "Ms. Fray, did you get a sense of where Jocelyn is?"
Clary nodded. "Yes! If you give me a map of the Bay Area, I can figure out her approximate location."
"Great. Should we head out to find Jocelyn now?" Hodge seemed eager, but Clary hesitated.
"Shouldn't we wait for Roy?"
"Ms. Fray, you saw your mother's condition, right? She needs help urgently, and she might move again soon. We can't waste time!"
Hodge had a point, but Clary still felt uneasy. "Mr. Starkweather, let me call Roy first."
Hodge didn't object. "Go ahead."
Clary stepped out of the ritual hall to a quiet spot and dialed Roy's number. After several tries, all she got was an automated voice saying the number was out of service.
"What's going on? Where's Roy?" Clary muttered, growing anxious.
At that moment, Francesca, inhabiting the Smith & Wesson M629 revolver, spoke up. "Clary, don't worry too much. Roy might just be tied up with something. You can trust he'll find you—he can sense my location. Just keep me with you."
Relieved, Clary nodded. "Okay, I'll text Roy and then head to the Bay Area to find Mom. Hopefully, he'll see the message and catch up soon."
She pocketed her phone and found Hodge. "Mr. Starkweather, let's go."
Hodge glanced at her. "Mr. Black's not coming?"
"He's tied up and can't make it."
Hodge smiled. "Ms. Fray, don't worry. I'll personally lead our best Shadowhunters. Even without Mr. Black, we'll be fine."
Clary took a deep breath, still feeling uneasy without Roy. "I hope so."
"Alright, Ms. Fray, get ready to head out," Hodge said.
Clary nodded and left to prepare. Hodge turned to his subordinate. "This mission is critical. Keep it absolutely confidential. Bring the signal jammer."
"Yes, Mr. Starkweather!"
San Francisco was only 600 kilometers from Los Angeles—a morning departure would get them there by evening. By dusk, Clary and the Shadowhunters arrived in the area she'd seen in the ritual.
It was a rough part of San Francisco, a chaotic slum where someone could easily hide. Following her memory, Clary led them to a six-story apartment building. Just as she was about to knock on the safehouse door, Hodge stopped her.
"Ms. Fray, you'll scare Jocelyn off like that. Better announce yourself first."
Clary shouted, "Mom, it's me, Clary!"
There was movement inside, and the door cracked open, revealing a familiar face.
"Clary? How did you find me?" Jocelyn asked, stunned.
Seeing her mother, Clary rushed forward, throwing her arms around her. "Mom, I finally found you!"
Hodge, spotting Jocelyn, grinned. "Jocelyn, long time no see. Mind if I come in?"
But Jocelyn, holding Clary, didn't share his enthusiasm. She eyed her old colleague warily. "Only you can come in. Everyone else stays outside."
Hodge didn't argue and followed Clary and Jocelyn into the safehouse. The room was rigged with traps that could've seriously injured intruders, but Jocelyn had disabled them.
"Mom, why didn't you come to me? Why hide here alone?" Clary asked.
"Clary, I didn't want the vampires hunting me to find you. It's safer for you this way."
"But two days ago, the vampires already found me!" Clary blurted out.
Jocelyn's face darkened. She carefully checked Clary for injuries, relaxing only when she found none. "How did you escape?"
"Thanks to a friend I met at UCLA, Roy Black. He saved me!" Clary's eyes sparkled as she mentioned Roy.
A mother knows her daughter. Jocelyn immediately sensed Clary's feelings for this Roy Black.
Hodge coughed, cutting in. "Ahem! The Shadowhunters helped quite a bit too."
Clary shot him a look. The Shadowhunters only helped with finding Jocelyn—before that, they'd done nothing.
"Where's this boy now?" Jocelyn asked.
"He's off chasing some lead about the Elders' Council, so he didn't join us," Clary said, a bit disappointed. She'd wanted her mom to meet Roy.
Jocelyn stroked Clary's hair, relief washing over her. "I'm just glad you're okay. That's all that matters."
The tender moment didn't last long before Hodge interrupted again. "Jocelyn, why didn't you tell me you were being hunted by vampires?"
Jocelyn looked up at him. "I suspect there's a traitor among the Shadowhunters."
Hodge frowned. "Impossible! Shadowhunters are battle-tested, loyal warriors. None would side with vampires!"
"But the facts say otherwise. I was attacked at home, and when I fled to a public safehouse, the vampires found me almost immediately."
To improve Shadowhunter survival rates, public safehouses stocked with supplies and medicine were set up in major U.S. cities, regularly maintained. Hodge's eyes flickered, as if something clicked.
"A traitor? Jocelyn, I'll get to the bottom of this. Wait—you don't suspect me, do you?"
Jocelyn's hand rested on her holster, her posture defensive. Even Clary, still in her mother's arms, sensed something was off.
"Mom?"
Jocelyn didn't answer, her gaze fixed on Hodge. "Until the traitor's caught, I'll suspect every Shadowhunter."
Hodge raised his hands in surrender. "I get it, Jocelyn. But we'll deal with that later. This place isn't safe. Let's head back to Los Angeles."
Jocelyn scoffed. "It was safe until you showed up."
Still, she grabbed Clary's hand and left the safehouse. It was compromised now—she had no choice but to return to LA with Hodge. Even if there was a traitor, most Shadowhunters still fought for a noble cause.
Clary and Jocelyn joined the Shadowhunters' convoy, which split up to avoid attention as they headed back to Los Angeles.
Halfway through the journey, well into the night, the highway was eerily empty.
"That's weird. Why are there so few cars?" Jocelyn muttered. The route between San Francisco and LA was usually busy, but tonight the road was deserted.
Hodge, in the passenger seat, seemed unfazed. "Maybe people just aren't traveling tonight. It happens."
Suddenly, a massive truck barreled toward them from the opposite direction. The driver swerved sharply, narrowly avoiding a collision. But another truck followed, screeching to a halt and blocking all lanes.
The driver slammed on the brakes.
The first truck then turned, blocking their retreat.
It was a trap.
"Damn it! Vampires!" Jocelyn cursed, shielding Clary as they got out, trying to escape over the guardrail.
But a swarm of vampires appeared, cutting off their last escape route.
"Jocelyn Fray, I've finally found you," a middle-aged man in an ornate robe said, stepping onto the highway. His pale skin and crimson eyes marked him as a high-ranking vampire.
"Valentine Morgenstern!" Jocelyn spat.
"The one and only," Valentine replied, smirking at Jocelyn and Clary.
Hodge stepped out of the car, holding a blood-stained ornate dagger. The Shadowhunter driver slumped over, dead. It was clear what Hodge had done.
"Well done, Mr. Starkweather," Valentine said approvingly.
"Where's my money, Morgenstern?" Hodge demanded.
"Money's nothing to the Elders' Council. You'll have enough for several lifetimes. But tell me—where's my daughter, Abigail?"
Valentine's tone grew serious. Abigail was clearly important to him.
"You mean the royal werewolf? She's with a man named Roy Black. He was with Clary Fray at the time, and my people didn't engage to avoid complications," Hodge explained.
Valentine nodded and tossed Hodge a USB drive. "This is the key to a Swiss bank account. Take it, and you've got a hundred million in cash."
Hodge's face lit up with greed.
Jocelyn, shielding Clary, glared at him with disgust. "I never thought the traitor would be you."
Hodge dropped the act. "Jocelyn, I had no choice. The Shadowhunters' funds have been bleeding dry for years. I had to secure my future."
Jocelyn's eyes burned. "Impossible! The Round Table Knights left behind a fortune. How could we be broke?"
"The treasure? The previous leader burned through it over a decade ago. Money's worth less these days, and what was left I gambled on the stock market—and lost. The Shadowhunters are just a hollow shell now. Even the base is mortgaged."
Hodge's excuses poured out, but Jocelyn saw through him. "You embezzled our funds! You betrayed the Shadowhunters to cover your tracks, didn't you?"
Hodge shrugged, unbothered by her accusation. "Think what you want, Jocelyn. It's over—for you and the Shadowhunters."
"Enough, Mr. Starkweather," Valentine interjected. "Save the reminiscing for the graveyard. I have things to do."
Hodge smirked and saluted. "I'm out."
As Hodge walked away, Jocelyn whispered to Clary. "When I open a path, run as fast as you can. Don't look back."
"Mom, what about you?" Clary whispered, panicked.
"Clary, don't worry about me. You're vital to humanity—you can't fall into vampire hands. If you can't escape, you have to end it yourself."
The mention of suicide left Clary reeling.
"I'll count to three, then run!" Jocelyn said.
"What are you whispering to your daughter, Ms. Fray? Care to share?" Valentine asked, approaching.
"Three, two, one—close your eyes and run!"
(End of Chapter)