“She’s asleep.” Rachel told her. “So let’s give them both a chance to have some nice dreams for a change.”
“Well, I checked Charlie’s work schedule and he’s not due to start working until about ten-thirty; eleven tonight.”
“We’ll wake them both up at around eight.” Rachel decided then and there. “In the meantime, I’m going to go and step out for a bit. I have an overdue meeting with Felix today and I don’t want to be any more late than I already am. So keep an eye on them for me—would you?”
Roz nodded. “Sure. If they wake up later and you’re not here, I’ll tell them that you had to meet with someone and will be back.” The girl announced at that point.
Rachel laughed. “It won’t be that long. And I should be back before eight anyways. I still have to teach Tillamook a few things before the armies of the Third Watch launch their operation in the early morning hours of the eighteenth.”
Roz was a bit surprised by the woman’s revelation. “How do you even know about that?”
Rachel grinned. “Because I am one of the cell leaders of the Resistance. Nothing gets passed me on such short notice. Not even a change in orders or operations. Trust me, I’ll be back.”
“Damn. I always wanted to meet up with someone from the Resistance,” she babbled on excitedly. “So what’s it like?”
The other woman chuckled to herself before stopping at the front door.
“It’s nothing like the stories you read or the history books for that matter. It’s…a very unforgiving life. Interesting, but unforgiving. So let’s leave it at that.”
“Okay.” The other girl relented—watching her go.
The door closed with a quiet click of its own and Roz sat down in front of the entertainment center to see what kind of music she could play in the meantime.
Something not loud. But soft and quiet.
Running through her best friend’s music collection of laminated vinyl mini-discs and five inch records, she found some popular jazz compilations that had some dust on them—which she blew off—and inserted the first mini-disc into the player and turned the volume down to a respectable level.
In the next minute or so, the sounds of classical jazz music began to fill the air and Roz smiled—humming along the way.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Old Friends
“Hey Muskrat.” Rachel said with great affection as she embraced Felix for the first time in ten years since they last met over some wine and a nice dinner in Sioux Falls.
“Rachel…” the other man said with humble grace. “It has been too long. Way too long. How are you doing these days? How are you holding up? Are your students giving you any trouble?”
The woman laughed. “You wish. Actually, I’m a bit into semi-retirement right now from the Academy. Headmaster’s request.”
They separated in time—with the old man offering her a seat in his spacious office.
She took it graciously and composed herself in turn.
“Harris again, eh? Not surprised. Not surprised at all.”
Rachel smiled. “He means well, Felix. But he’s also set in his ways too.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Rachel looked at him earnestly. “So what about you? How are you holding up being the overseer of Level One and Two?”
“It’s been surprisingly quiet as of late—save for our new visitors. Everyone’s been pretty excited about having them here. That’s for sure.” Felix revealed to her then.
“Yes, I know. I ran into Tillie at the restaurant and she was nothing if not expressive and talkative about things. I’m surprised by her though: She’s never this outgoing with people she doesn’t know or cultivated relationships with strangers like she has now.”
“Current circumstances are strange bedfellows—I’ll grant you that much.” Felix deferred easily enough. “But few of us are complaining. Tillie Gunderson and her family have been more than supportive and helpful with things as of late.”
“As they should be. That’s what we’ve trained them to be in this day and age: Support units.”
“I would tend to think of them as assets, allies, and even friends—strange as that may be. Coming from a human—of course.” Felix said without any further embarrassment on his part.
“No offense intended.” Rachel returned easily enough. “It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about such distinctions with me. I’ve known you long enough to see the kind of person you’ve become since your early days after retirement. In the end, you really were one of the good guys to come out of this war unscathed.”
“Yes. But many did not. Hence our current raft of problems.”
“We’ll manage. We’re not without teeth—that’s for sure.” Rachel offered confidently.
“Are you talking about your cell of vagabonds?” The other man teased mercilessly.
Rachel’s eyes narrowed a bit.
“Keep talking like that Muskrat and you’ll have a real fight on your hands.” She playfully warned. “I take my people very seriously. And they take their jobs just as serious. If it wasn’t for them, Lower Tam would be completely lost.”
“Yes, I know. And I’m eternally grateful for that. I really am.” Felix said with quick flourish. “But three crack units won’t be much of a deterrent against the armies of the Third Watch. We need more experienced fighters at the front lines and all I have at my disposal are dreamers and sacrificial lambs.”
“I’m sure you have more people willing to fight than you’re led on to believing, Felix. You just have to give them a reason.”
“I wish that were true, Rachel, but to be honest, all I have with me is women and children and a few older people whom wouldn’t be much help against the battle hardened armies of the Regency Council or those of the Supreme Chancellor.”
“Sometimes that can be enough, you old goat. Or do you need a pleasant reminder of what I can do with nothing more than a kitchen knife and a rusted pipe?” Rachel hinted in passing.
Felix looked at her for a moment and then laughed. “No. Oh heavens no. I know what you can do. I happened to catch a few of your sparring sessions in the South Quad years ago when you were facing down a group of attackers and that was enough for me.”
Rachel patted her knee. “And don’t you forget it. I may be old, but I’m far from defenseless as old ladies like me go.”
“You’re only…what? Fifty-five now?”
Rachel nodded. “With plenty of energy for some of the younger applicants to pass through my door on a daily basis. I didn’t become an instructor or teacher because I wanted to play things the safe way. In this environment, we no longer have any such luxuries.”
“Sad but true.” Felix said softly. “Sad but true…”
The other woman nodded some more. “Which brings me to Tillie Gunderson. The wonder girl who stood toe to toe with two regiments of the Third Watch—under Captain Kara Plummer’s command.”
“Yes, I know. I read Tayna Beck’s after action report. It was quite informative.”
“I’d call it brazenly stupid—if you don’t mind me saying.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tillie isn’t just your ordinary girl. Or an ordinary witch from the days of old. I’m sure you’ve heard of the rumors, stories, and even legends surrounding a new breed of combat witches to be born and bred in the last two generations—since the days of the Great War?”
“Yes. But I normally chalked those things up to hearsay and questionable intelligence from the front lines in those days. Nobody could confirm for absolute certainty.”
“Well, you harbored three of them, Felix. Right under your very nose and you didn’t even know it.”
Felix stared at his old friend for a second in open surprise.
“That’s impossible.” He breathed. “Just not possible.”
“It’s true. Alicia, Sarah, Tillamook…? They are that part of this new generation of combat witches. We’ve seen evidence first hand of their capabilities—as
your after action report probably hinted at.”
“You mean her enchanted Gatling gun wasn’t just for show?”
Rachel shook her head. “Oh, no. It’s not. It’s a very destructive weapon—once unleashed. And part of that reason is because it harbors one of the legendary Hell Demons of War.”
“That is just…fantastic. I heard stories about them, but always thought they were nothing but children’s fairy tales told by my mother when I was a little boy.”
“Oh believe me. They aren’t. They aren’t.”
“So Tillie can literally bring about the Apocalypse when she fights?”
“For a limited time. But at a great cost to her personally. Her sanity for one. And you don’t want to have that visited on just about anyone. Especially a child like her.”
“But she seems to assured of herself and her abilities. Not too mention being very capable and highly intelligent for someone her age. She reminds me of my ex-wife’s little girl, Juliet.”
“Didn’t she just get promoted to the position of regional coordinator of New Atlantis?”
Felix nodded. “Yes. About five years ago—from what I heard. Her mother spoke very highly of that watershed moment.”
“Gloria always did have her best at heart when it came to her girls—didn’t she?” The other woman offered gently.
“Yes. But some things never worked out—as you know.” Felix reminded her then.
“I know. The divorce was ugly as sin—from what I heard. I’m so sorry.”
Felix sighed heavily. “So am I. I only wished…things went a little differently then than they do now.”
“But you still stayed in touch—right?”
“After thirty years of marriage? Yes. But my little girls aren’t so little anymore. Juliet’s got her new job. April is married and has two kids of her own. And Bethany…I think she’s decided to enter the New Republic’s military academy school for the arts. Something about working on the Regency Council’s propaganda sheets.”
“I heard that caused a split between the two of you.” Rachel said sadly.
Felix nodded. “It did. Unfortunately. She knows I’m one of the “ring leaders” for the Resistance and the Underground, but she doesn’t care. She wants to play her part the best she can for “all of humanity“. Or so she was told by her immediate superiors in the last letter I got from her eighteen months ago. I haven’t had the heart to respond back—knowing how raw a subject that one is.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Nothing should ever separate you from your children—even if it is a mild disagreement about a choice in careers.”
“Being ex-military…I thought she would understand why I joined the Resistance and the Underground. But I think she believes that I am betraying the human race by throwing in my lot with what she claims are “undesirables”—the dregs of society. The ones that have made being human such a miserable lot in life.”
“The same could be said of slavery and immigration of the past centuries: When the people were divided among class and racial lines of the 20th and 21st century.”
Felix winced. “Don’t remind me. The last war was bad enough.”
“I know. I know. Some things we can never escape from. Like the demons of our past for example. I think all kind has been traumatized enough—don’t you think?”
“I won’t argue that,” the old man said breezily. “But I feel something big is about to happen to us and happen soon.”
“You mean with that new operation the armies of the Third Watch have got going? Yeah, I’ve heard about it from first hand reports. They really do plan on leveling the city—just to get to…her.”
“You mean…Tillamook?”
Felix nodded. “That’s our understanding. She’s made quite the impression on the Regency Council in recent years—from our recently gathered intelligence ops.”
“But why? Why her?”
“Has something to do with the incident surrounding Greta Freeman and the legendary Dragon’s Tear—which I‘m told she has in her possession now—given to her by Shay Greenling at the women‘s mission a few days ago.”
“Yes, I know she has full possession of it. I was just surprised by the fact that Shay’s family were the ones who found it after the battle six years ago—fractured and broken. From what Shay’s mom told me before my meeting with Tillamook is that a small piece of the Dragon’s Tear was missing from the scene of the battle and never found. Her grandmother repaired the stone to the best of her ability and hid it away in a keepsake box of her own devising—never knowing what it really was.” Rachel revealed.
“I don’t even think her mother even knew—while growing up. But Shay told me that she had an inkling it was something more than what it appeared. She just didn’t know it was the legendary Dragon’s Tear which belonged to one of the First Beings.”
“Which one?”
“An ancient and very powerful dragon god by the name of Susha.”
“I thought he was always painted as the only god to ever exist on this Earth. That the five stones were actually one and the same at one time—before being split apart in a titanic battle to end all battles?” Felix openly questioned.
Rachel grinned. “So you know the story? That’s good. Not many do. A lot believe that there were more than one god, six First Beings to walk the Earth unchallenged. Unencumbered. But so few actually know the real story behind the start of all kind’s civilization and society in general.”
“Does Tillie know that she holds the power stone of all creation?” Felix wondered out loud with a small shake of the head. “To be in control of that much destructive energy—it’s unfathomable.”
“You would be right, Muskrat. But I suspect that Tillamook is a real special girl all her own. It’s quite possible that she alone was chosen for this honor.”
“By whom? The god of all creation and destruction? Even she can’t be that lucky.”
“Susha must have his reasons for doing so—after being wed to Greta Freeman for so long.” Rachel said.
“Even still—”
“That woman had a heart of ice and black as midnight silk,” the other woman interrupted quietly. “All she ever wanted was a means to an end. Absolute power upon absolute power. The ability to create and destroy on a whim.”
“So how did she escape being unnoticed for that long?”
“The coven ex-communicated her from Lower Tam some time ago—when Tillie’s mom was very young—right after she became a High Witch in fact. Disappeared in fact. Never to be seen again—except through rumors and second hand reports—and then she materialized some six years ago in the outskirts of Trenton, New Jersey. That’s when the High Sorcerer acted and sent Alicia Gunderson to deal with her directly. What we didn’t know at the time is that she brought her only daughter along for the ride—shortly after she awoke as a witch.”
“That was a foolhardy move—if I do say so myself.” Felix murmured objectively.
“It was a gamble on her mother’s part. By herself, she wouldn’t have stood a chance against her. But with her daughter in tow…? She had a higher rate of success and survival.”
“I heard rumors through the Underground that Tillie Gunderson is more powerful than any of you. Is that true?”
Rachel D’Amboise nodded. “It’s true. She is a rare soul indeed, Felix. A rare soul indeed. Nobody but her mother knows just how powerful she can be—once she puts her mind to it. Which is why we did our best to train and educate her—help her control her power and abilities. Most witches wouldn’t have that problem. But Tillie “awoke” years earlier than anyone planned.”
“So it scared some people in your neck of the woods?”
“Not just us,” the other woman chuckled. “But the Regency Council as well. Especially when she blacked out at the height of the battle and woke up an hour later on the ground and bleeding from shrapnel debris with no clue as to what happened. Her mother had to pick her up and carry her off to safety.”
“Why di
dn’t she do it earlier?”
“She couldn’t. Greta pulled a few magical incantation tricks out of her bag and sucked her into some kind of interphasic void twenty minutes earlier—which left her a front row seat to her daughter’s fight with her former colleague. That pissed Tillamook off even more so when she discovered that this would be for keeps and she wasn‘t fucking around.”
Felix nodded numbly. “Three neighboring counties were destroyed during the battle. That much I do know.”
Rachel nodded. “Yes, I know. It ended in Camden County—after both Salem and Cumberland were wrecked.”
“How many people in that exchange?”
“Thousands…” the woman admitted with some difficulty. “Not even the armies of the Third Watch could stop them. And they tried their hardest. They were just…slapped aside as if they were nothing more than gnats.”
“But now they seem to think they have the upper hand…?” Felix threw out worriedly. “They’ve occupied the city and are preparing to strike.”
“Which means that they know something that we don’t.” Rachel confirmed.
“Tillie?”
“It may be more than that. If she is being targeted, it must be something pretty damned important.”
“The Dragon’s Tear then. That could be their overall objective.” Felix suggested.
“Perhaps. Perhaps.” The woman conceded then. “But then again, from what I remember about Greta Freeman, the Regency Council was very much interested in her as a possible field agent for their Intelligence Division. Just like Ashley Dietrich. Only in her case, I would suspect they offered her something she couldn’t possibly have resisted to fall in with the other side so easily.”
“Power begets power. Or so the Human phrase goes.” Her friend reminded her sagely.
“Yes,” the other woman said with a regretful sigh of her own. “A stellar reminder of how easily anyone can fall prey to the wiles of money, power, or absolute control—no matter where they come from: Witch, magical kinsfolk, human…?”
Felix got up suddenly and went over to the beverage server where a hot pot of coffee and another of tea sat nearby with some Styrofoam cups and a bowl of sugar packets and another bowl for non-dairy creamer cups.
Generation Witch Year One Page 44
