“Damned mechanicals.” Charlie breathed with disgust. “They just can’t let the people live in peace, now can they?”
“I don’t know—hey! I think I see Reggie’s team coming up! And they came back with someone!”
Charlie finished off his joint in smart fashion and tossed the burning remnant over the side of the roof.
“That’s my cue. Be back in a flash.” He said—making a run for the open roof hatch and darting down below.
Todd’s portable radio link came on then.
“Sentry duty. Anyone up there? Anyone awake I should say?”
The man snorted in amusement.
“Fuck off man.” He called back with a press of the button.
“Oh! Hey Todd! How’s it hanging?”
“Fucking quiet—till you showed up with your prize. Who is it this time?”
“Injured party. Human. No magical familiars that we could see. I think the army got them before we could. Sorry.”
Todd swore softly, but he accepted the news regardless.
“Okay. You know the drill. Rear entrance for humans. We don’t need the army breathing down our necks tonight.”
“Don’t need to remind me.” His friend radioed back, before cutting the link.
Seconds later, Todd spotted Charlie emerging from a hidden door at the other end of the building and came running down the alleyway and towards the party.
Todd pulled out a stick of chewing gum and bit the end off the wrapper and then spit the piece out—before unwrapping it.
“Shit,” he breathed. “Four in the fucking morning. You would think that things would be more active than they are tonight…?” Then his radio beeped for his undivided attention.
“Has to be Connors. Wanting to know what the hold up is.” He muttered—before he connected with the other end.
“Night watch.”
“Does anyone have any eyes in the north tunnel?”
Todd’s eyes widened in frank disbelief.
“The north—? What the fuck are you talking about? That section’s been sealed off for the past sixteen years to my knowledge.”
“Well, it’s not sealed anymore. Someone large and in charge took a hammer to it about twenty minutes ago and now there’s a hole the size of Mount Everest in it.”
Todd sighed heavily. “Is Sector Two-Seven-Three—?”
“It’s fine. Just some minor damage. But Felix is going to have a fucking cow when he wakes up.”
Todd sighed again. “Okay. Tell the section commander to write up an incident report and—”
“There’s more.”
“Come again? There’s what?”
“Two people. Women by the looks of it.”
Todd laughed despite himself. And he had good reason to.
“Mark. How many times do I have to tell you to get a fucking girlfriend already? Pining for Alicia isn’t doing you any special favors.”
“Uh…that’s the problem. The women that came busting through the north tunnel are named Alicia Gunderson and Sarah Winters.”
“You dog…!” The other man gushed with excitement. “See? I told you things would work out in your favor! Just had to keep your options open.”
“—but I think both are married. Even my ex-girlfriend‘s namesake.”
There was some commotion on the other end of the connection.
“Who are you talking to? One of your perverted buddies? Let me talk to that fucking asshole…!” Came an annoyed voice. One of the women’s no doubt. But she didn’t sound none too happy by the looks of it.
“Here.” Mark said, surrendering his walkie to whomever was with him.
“I don’t have time to shoot the moon, man. I need to talk to someone in charge of this rat infested shit hole.”
“That would be Old Man Felix. But he’s crashed out at the moment. I can get you in touch with the watch commander on duty. That should be Shannon Lomax.” Todd said in a pleasant—if not all business—manner.
“Fine. So produce her.”
“Can I speak with my friend?”
“One moment.”
Two more seconds passed.
“Go ahead.” Mark’s voice radioed back. Just as Charlie reappeared at the top of the roof.
“Channel Six. Get Shannon on the horn and tell her that she has some unexpected visitors.”
“Okay. In the meantime, what do you want me to do?”
“If they are magical familiars, get them to the hotel on Parker Street and Seventh.”
“Well, Alicia here confirmed they are both witches and say they are on the run from the Third Watch armies. I would ask them for further proof of such claims, but I really want to keep my head on intact on this one.”
Todd heard one of the women comment about something off kilter, but he took their word for it.
“Okay. You know the drill, Mark. Get an escort for them.”
Charlie raised his hand. “I can do it.” He quickly volunteered.
“You won’t make it in time. The north tunnel is three hours away on foot. You’re still on lookout duty. Remember?”
“The nearest entrance for the north tunnel topside is six blocks in that direction. I can get there in under thirty minutes if I run.”
“Not with the Third Watch mercs running around you won’t. Plus, you’ve already tangled with their Gen Ones. You stay put. I’ll put someone else on escort duty.”
Charlie deflated a bit upon hearing that coming from his friend, but he was in no position to argue.
“Fine.”
Todd looked at him for a moment longer. “If there’s any news of your friend, I’ll let you know—okay? That much I owe you for sticking it out with me tonight.”
“Well, it’s not like I brought the weed. That was Satchel’s idea. He said it would make the night go more quickly.”
“—and he was right. For once. How many joints did he give you?”
Charlie fished around in his utility belt pockets and came up with four rolled ones in his hand.
“Want one? I’m thinking of saving the other three for later—for when I need it.”
Todd nodded—taking one from his outstretched hand. “Thanks. This will make the last two hours go by much faster. Better if I’m fucking high.”
“Mark will wish he still was. Getting burned by two women with the same name isn’t the highlight of his life—that’s for sure.” The other boy laughed.
“Fuck no. I think this other Alicia Gunderson—” then stopped when he saw the look of astonishment on Charlie’s face.
“What? What is it now?”
“The woman! You said her name was…Alicia Gunderson?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Because now I suddenly remembered seeing Tillie’s name on the ledger! She signed it as Tillie Gunderson! I think she might be the daughter of this new arrival!”
“You mean…she’s the mother?”
“Well, it makes sense—doesn’t it? We have one Gunderson sleeping away at the hotel and now we have another showing up at the north tunnel. It all fits.”
Todd nodded slowly. “That’s a big leap of faith, man. A big fucking leap of faith. But what if you’re wrong?”
Charlie shook his head adamantly. “I’m not! I’m just…seeing the pieces come together in the back of my mind. And I’m sure that these two are connected together. Mother and daughter! I bet they got separated during the attack—”
Todd was already on the radio—getting a hold of Mark Meadows. But his relief watch told him that he had already left with the women to meet up with Shannon Lomax.
“Tell Lomax that the mother of our new arrival is showing up. And tell her that we have her daughter as the guest of honor sleeping it off at the hotel on Parker Street and Seventh.”
“Copy that. Boy this is getting more crazy by the second.” The man’s voice called back.
Todd looked at Charlie.
“What the hell are you waiting for? Get going!”
The boy nodded and
leaped into action—leaving the man by his lonesome.
“Steve? Tell Yates to get his fucking ass up here as Charlie’s replacement for the next two hours. That boy has a date with destiny. I’m sure his new friend will be more than thrilled to know that her mother will be reuniting with her shortly.”
“Yeah. I heard. Talk about the devil’s own luck.”
Todd snorted softly.
“Tell me about it.”
CHAPTER SIX
Reunion
Tillie was still out cold by the time the attendant came to wake her up around eight in the morning. But this time, he wasn’t alone.
“There she is,” he indicated quietly. “Just like I told you. Safe and sound.”
Alicia cupped her mouth in silent relief as she drank in the sight of her only daughter sprawled out in bed with the quilt covering half her body while she clutched the spare throw pillow tightly—snoring softly as she went.
“And you didn’t wake her up?” The woman asked, perplexed.
The man shrugged. “She had a hard night. While it is customary to wake up our guests at eight, some exceptions are made. Hers—for one.”
Alicia nodded for a moment, before walking over to the bed and kneeling down.
“Honey? Baby? It’s Alice. I’ve come to take you home.”
Tillie’s response was to mutter something under her breath—which she didn’t catch right off the bat. Then: “Mom…let me sleep…”
The woman grinned for a moment and kissed her lightly on the side of the head.
“You know the rules.”
The girl rolled over placidly and curled up tighter into a ball.
“I don’t wanna…”
“Don’t you want something to eat first?”
There was a measure of silence from her daughter. Then she stretched and moaned.
“Gods…” she whispered. “I was having such good dreams too.”
“Really? About what?”
Tillie sighed happily.
“Boys. Charlie. The usual.”
Alicia chuckled. “That’s my girl.” She approved lightly, before looking back at the small entourage that followed her in. The attendant was there, so were two other of the hotel’s security detail, Sarah Winters, and of course…Charlie himself.
“Can you give us a moment of privacy? I’ll make sure she gets dressed.”
“But not in the same clothes she came in,” the attendant said, scooping up her old clothes—minus her cloak—and going out.
“Room service with a smile. I can see why they treated you like a princess, sweetie.” Alicia said, still stroking her daughter’s hair.
The girl sighed. “They even gave me snacks after I showered and changed clothes. These pajamas are to die for.”
The others left the room—except for Sarah Winters—whom closed the door behind her and leaned up against it.
“This place is pretty decent considering where we are. I’ve heard of rumors of an underground city beneath some portions of Old New York, but I could never confirm it. Chalked it up to myth and legend.”
Tillie stretched some more in her assigned bed. “It’s real enough for me. And soft.”
Alicia’s expression became more serious in the span of a moment.
“Honey…? Why did you leave the apartment? You were much safer there than—”
“—I wasn’t.” Her daughter said—cutting her off. “Fighting broke out into the streets. People were being cut down left and right. Then the lower lobby of the apartment complex took a direct missile hit and everything went to hell. Then lights failed a minute later. I didn’t have time to pack anything. I just grabbed what I had with my witch’s garb and equipment and left. I figured it would be more safer if I was out there than possibly trapped inside the apartment with no way out. I didn’t want to think that the armies of Third Watch would start casing the joint.”
Her mother quietly digested what she was being told.
“Well, given the current circumstances, I suppose you did do the right thing. But I would have preferred you remained behind. I was coming back from my reconnaissance mission to Lower Tam—like I told you.”
Tillie rolled back over and looked at her mother.
“The Witch’s Guild?”
Alicia’s face broke out in surprise. “How did you know?”
“Because I’m not a dummy? And not stupid? I already knew what that audio link dad gave you last year was for. It doesn’t work—except under the right circumstances. The thumb drive attached to it carried a series of number coordinates and an address. But it’s not for the Witch’s Guild. It’s for an unmarked building across the Hudson on Bleaker Street and Tenth Avenue.”
Alicia was amazed by her daughter’s analysis. Then she nodded in quiet confirmation.
“I was wondering why the link disappeared a few months ago for a short period of time before magically appearing back in my travel pouch.”
“Sorry, mom. But you know about curiosity and the cat…?” The girl offered in her defense.
“Anyways…I did some further checking and it’s a complete dead end. But I don’t think it wouldn’t be unless there was a reason for the numbered coordinates and the address.”
Alicia nodded. “Because you think that unmarked building has some significance?”
“Possibly. Might be a staging area. Or a safe house. But when I went there, I didn’t see a solitary soul around the place. Even the garbage dumpsters were empty. And clean. Which I found pretty bizarre if you ask me.”
“You told me you were going over to see a few of your friends that night?” Alicia said, scowling a bit. “Were you lying?”
“Not entirely. But it provided the perfect cover for Annie and Jake to come with me for a little bit of a trip across the Brooklyn Bridge and a cab ride into the lower part of the city.”
“You said were going to be studying with your friends. I saw you put your spell books and history guides in your travel pack.” Alicia muttered with disapproval.
“I took them with me for light reading.” Her daughter said easily. “Sorry, mom. I didn’t mean to mislead you in any way. I just needed to see for myself.”
“And you’re lucky nobody spotted you or your friends around that place. It’s not safe.”
“Are we talking about the crime rate in the immediate neighborhood?” Tillie ventured off-handedly. “I’m not nearly as defenseless as some might think. I still have my incantations, my enchanted Gatling gun, and of course, my Storm Blades.”
“Even with those in mind, it wouldn’t be enough. That place was handpicked by the High Sorcerer himself for reasons known only to High Witches like myself and Sarah over there.” She said, pointing out her friend—who was listening to the ongoing conversation in silence.
Tillie bolted up in bed.
“Sarah? She’s with you?” She squeaked in astonishment. “Where?”
The other woman flagged her down with a brief wave of the hand.
“Over here, Tillamook.” She threw out teasingly. “Sorry. It’s the darkness. Nobody thought to turn on a light when they first entered the room.”
Tillie corrected that small oversight by sliding over to the nightstand and turning on the table lamp.
The room brightened a bit, but didn’t go any higher than ambient mood lighting.
“A bit romantic—if you ask me.” Sarah observed blithely. “Are all the rooms here at the hotel like this?”
“Probably.” Tillie said, before sliding off the bed and standing up. She started doing some stretching exercises on her own—listening to her tired and stiff body respond to the regimen.
“Gods…I could sleep for another three hours at this rate,” she said with a small yawn of her own.
“You’ll have more time once we get home.” Her mother promised.
Tillie stopped for a second and looked down at her.
“Mom…I barely escaped with my life! If I hadn’t ducked into that deserted alleyway when Charlie found me—?�
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“Is Charlie that tall, skinny boy with acne scars across his face and neck? And smells like cheap cologne and reeks of marijuana?”
Tillie nodded shamelessly. “That would be him.”
Alicia nodded—mostly to herself. “I see. I can see why you would have nice dreams about him. He seems very nice to me—although he looks like a running boardwalk advertisement for a Pulp Fiction remake—but with torn jeans and an orange beater vest instead.”
“Well, he has a nice forest green colored over shirt—” The girl calmly pointed out.
Alicia smiled broadly.
“So this is the boy you want to be seen hanging out with? Whatever happened to Trevor?”
Tillie sat down in a huff. “Trevor was just…a passing crush. I hadn’t seen him since last semester got started. Over the winter in fact.”
Her mother nodded slowly.
“So…a new boy has entered your life? What’s he like? This Charlie person? Does he have a last name?”
Tillie shook her head.
“No.” She admitted sadly. “He was found abandoned as a baby. No name. No ID. Not even a birth certificate. But he has a strange series of numbered coordinates tattooed on his left wrist—where a jagged scar is.”
“So you don’t know where he came from? Are you sure that’s the kind of person you want to be seen with? I mean, after all, he doesn’t have a magical aura that I can either see or sense. He seems human to me.”
“Does that bother you, mom? That’s he’s a plain old human?”
“Well, you know the crazy business of magical kinsfolk mixing it up with pure humans. It hasn’t paid off for any of us in the end. And because you and I are magical familiars—?”
“You don’t think a relationship is even possible with them—do you?” The girl scoffed all of a sudden—feeling miserable about her own chances with Charlie.
The mystery boy she just started to like.
Alicia noticed the change in her daughter’s mood and moved to counter it.
“I’m not here to tell you how to live your life, sweetie. I’m just warning you of the…bad blood that has come as a result of such pairings or unions.” She said—reaching out for her daughter’s arm and grasping it.
Generation Witch Year One Page 5
