“Don’t make me get off this bed and kick your ass, elf girl.” Tillie threatened then.
“You’ll be burning out your O-ring before that happens. Come to think of it…does any of your magical incantations react violently to spicy foods or methane gas?”
“Fart power? I don’t think so.” The other girl mused, before sighing. “But that’s leaving a burning feeling in the pits of my stomach though. What’s left?”
“Mexican rice and some mondo burritos.”
“Give me some of that rice and a fork. That should be easier on my stomach.”
“Gotcha.” Roz said pleasantly. “Let me go get a clean bowl from the cupboard and I’ll be right with you.”
“Okay.” Tillie responded cheerfully—cradling the half spent bottle of water in her hands.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
New Blood
“Here’s to ten more years, Muskrat,” Rachel said—tapping her filled cup of coffee against his.
“Ten more years,” the old man agreed rather pleasantly—after he found a bowlful of wrapped spring mints and gave her a couple for her to suck on. They weren’t unlike the candy canes of old, but they certainly did pack some serious bite.
“Hard to believe it’s been that long since you and I last saw each other—but that was before the divorce—if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yes. Right before that. A couple of months in fact—the last time you and Tracy were together under one roof.” Rachel sought to point out gently.
“Unfortunately…those weren’t the best days of my life. I got the house in the divorce. My ex went to live with a couple of her old friends in the city, but she didn’t leave me much else. The settlement was more than I could take on a financial level.”
“Never thought about having a pre-nup agreement?”
Felix sighed. “It never entered my mind—or the picture for that matter. I had loved my wife with every fiber of my being and I could never see anyone else entering the picture. I just didn’t realize that we would fall out of contention and love so quickly after this long. It still…leaves me shaken and disappointed that I couldn’t do more for us.
“But this business with the Resistance and the Underground took top priority—of which Tracy did not want any part of it.” He said sullenly.
Rachel looked at him sadly.
“Do you regret being a part of this venture?”
Felix was quiet for a moment or two as he silently digested his old friend’s question.
Then he said: “I’ll admit that I do at times. But only for brief intervals. I have spent more time fighting the ugliness that became our society of today—before and after the Great War—than anything else. I can’t just turn my back on those who need our help the most, Rachel. I just can’t.”
“Even at the cost of your marriage?”
The other man sighed softly—while staring at his cup of coffee.
“Tracy understood what she was getting herself into when we married just after my 31st birthday. When I was a low-ranking staff sergeant for the Army. Before I went into the Marines for a chance to see combat—which there was plenty of back in those days. She knew.”
“But—?”
Felix shook his head. “She didn’t know how things would play out for either side. Or the fallout which ensued afterwards. It was messy, frightening, and chaotic for the old country. Before the New Republic was formed in 2071. Before the creation of the Regency Council—which swept away the last vestiges of the old federal government and all its failed institutions. Ironically enough, most of the old laws were still in place for a time—before they too were rescinded.”
“—leaving everything and everyone in a state of limbo.” Rachel recalled then. “Yes, I remember those times. It was strangely compelling to say the least—not knowing what was going to happen or who was going to be affected.”
“Then the demonstrations started taking place soon after—for the next few years; humanity demanding reparations and retribution. Even revenge for the losses sustained during the war.” Felix reminisced at that point. Then he took a sip from his cup and sat it back down in its holder on his desk. “That left the magical kinsfolk without any measure of protection or a buffer.”
“Which led to more rioting, vigilante style justice and so many other unpleasantries. Without a centralized form of government, the country become vulnerable to its own darker impulses. And the Great War was the catalyst for many such incidents.”
Felix nodded again in quiet solitude. “Nobody was sure what to make of the Regency Council, or the elections of its first Supreme Chancellor in the year following. But after several years of social and civil unrest, something had to be done. So a new proclamation was made and the armies of the Third Watch was chartered along with the Seventh Arm and the Tenth Legion.
“And for a time, things started to get back to normal. Humanity was back on top, but it was also doing what it could do to protect the rights of all kind in those early days—before things started to fall apart about the same time I was recruited.” He said to her.
“So you were there when Dayton, Ohio—” Rachel began uneasily.
The other man nodded. “Yes. I was. Visiting an old friend of mine. Gregory Kapec. Machinist engineer for an old solar stills production plant. He…didn’t make it.”
“I’m so sorry. It must have been hard for you during the siege/riots of that month. The whole city collapsed under it. To this day, it still hasn’t fully recovered—even with the Regency Council’s financial backing.”
“The city is more militarized now than it ever was since the days of the Great War. An operations’ and command hub for the Seventh Arm.” Felix said. “I was lucky to get out before the road gangs made things impossible for anyone to leave. But I am still haunted by the look my friend gave me when he got off the video link with a co-worker across the river narrows and said that the Old Quarter of the city’s historical districts were up in flames. I knew then that something serious was about to happen. I wanted to stay and help, but Greg urged me to leave before things got too out of hand.”
“And the armies of the Third Watch swept in like a hurricane after six weeks of fighting and more rioting and put a bloody end to everything. Both sides perished that day. Nobody was spared. And the Regency Council reminded the New Republic of what would happen if any of this were allowed to continue unchecked throughout the country.” Rachel recalled. “Sat-com images were uploaded of the horrific incident and it was instrumental in calming things down to a degree. Everyone around started being on their best behavior. No more lynching’s, nothing. Not for the next eight years at any rate. Then—well, you know what happened next.”
“The Tumwater Incident. A runaway chain reaction of the new particle fusion reactor sixteen miles outside the city—which irradiated much of the lower southernmost point of the Puget Sound. The ensuing fallout was pretty bad. Much of Thurston County was affected—before spreading out to adjacent counties thereafter.” Felix offered up then.
“Twenty-two thousand, six hundred people died of neutron radiation poisoning from contaminated water sources and other low lying aquifers surrounding the Deschutes River that emptied into Budd Inlet.”
“Leaving Tumwater a virtual ghost town and sealed off from the rest of the county. In fact, only a third of Thurston County was deemed livable in the months following—forcing many to relocate to those unaffected parts of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula.” Felix finished quietly—before drinking more coffee from his cup.
“Hard to believe that was only five years ago to the day.”
“Then the Bellshire Riots two weeks ago and now this,” Rachel said with quiet agitation. “When’s it going to stop, Felix? When? You know more people are going to die when the armies of the Third Watch attack in the early morning hours. You must know that.”
“I know. I know.” The old man defended lightly. “But it’s out of our hands. We’re all committed. The best we can do is mitigate th
e damage and keep casualties to a minimum—if at all possible.”
“But you know it won’t stop there. Once Old New York falls to the power of the Third Watch, other cities will as well. Just like Boston did. And Boston didn’t have an overwhelming force knocking at their front door like we do here.”
“Much of the city was bombed from the air—taking out many of the old historical districts, the Witch’s Guild Complex for both sides of the city; and breaching the sea walls in tow—flooding another third of the affected areas inland in the process.”
“So why was Lower Tam spared? It has a giant seawall protecting much of Lower Brooklyn, parts of Old Manhattan, and the Bronx.” Rachel sought to point out.
“Because even though the Witch’s Guild for this part of the city wasn’t affected by the invasion, the armies of the Third Watch weren’t going to attack those areas still inhabited by human beings. It’s only the northern areas closer to Times Square dominated by magical kinsfolk that is. As far as intelligence reports go, it’s only this part of the city which is being affected.”
“Because Level One houses such a large concentration?” the woman breathed in sudden realization and horror.
“Felix…no…”
The old man nodded in open sympathy.
“Now you know why we are prepared to stand and fight. Why this part of the quad will be razed by the armies of the Third Watch come morning.”
“But everything you’ve built…everything the Resistance sacrificed and made to make this world a safe haven for all magical kinsfolk…?”
“And a few witches here and there—don’t forget.” Felix gently reminded her. “I know it’s seems like a lot to take in, Rachel. But you mustn’t concern yourself with us. You still have time to leave with the others. We’re preparing to move out a significant portion of the population of the East Tunnels and towards the Blind Intersection four miles from here. Then we’ll take the Hudson River street exit and use what surface roads are still clear of enemy activity and head west out of Long Island.”
“What’s going to happen to the magical kinsfolk already living in the city limits and in range of those slug launchers?”
“The Resistance was able to get who they could out of harm’s way, but the rest—as you can imagine—? Have decided to make a stand and fight.”
“They’ll die.” Rachel persisted. Then she shook her head. “This isn’t right, Felix. This isn’t right at all.”
“You don’t think I know? I do. I’ve met a lot of people here in the city over the past fifteen…twenty years now. I’ve formed friendships and acquaintances with quite a few. See that stack of envelopes on the other side of that table over there? Those are letters to families and friends I’ve known that are now in harm’s way. They were supposed to be sent out with the next day’s mail, but because of what’s going to happen at 0400 hours tomorrow morning…? They will never be delivered.”
Rachel leaned back in her padded chair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know how much these people meant to you. I thought—at the very least—you were throwing everything away just to save yourselves. But I can see—now—you’ve been put in a very difficult position.” She quietly amended.
“One of the worst,” the old man confirmed. “But it was never an easy decision. My people have been in contact with those friends and families, but they are just as determined and adamant to stay and fight—even if it costs them their lives. They won’t abandon the only city they have called home for many a years now.”
“If they stay and fight…what kind of a message will that send to the armies of the Third Watch? The Regency Council? The Supreme Chancellor?”
“I think it will give them a sense of pause. They believed they were fighting for humanity’s sake and our future decades ago. But gravely underestimated the bonds and ancestral ties that many magical kinsfolk have with their homeland—such as it is.”
Rachel sighed heavily. “It’s going to be ugly no matter which way it ends up going.”
Felix nodded in sympathy. “That’s what war is like, Rachel. That’s what war is like.”
“And you still want me to go? After all of this?” She wanted to know. “I can still be of help. I have the connections. I have my own Resistance cell. I can bring in reinforcements two hours before zero hour.”
The old man shook his head.
“No. I won’t risk it. If this part of the city falls—? We’re going to need to take this information back to the other members of the Resistance. And the Underground. They will know what to do next.”
“But what about Tillie Gunderson? Felix…she’s going to be all alone in this one. Without help. Without backup.”
“From what I’ve learned about the girl and her family and that one friend of theirs…one is all they ever need. Trust me, Tillie isn’t as defenseless as you might think. She’s born and bred for combat. At the highest possible level. More so than I ever was when I went military years ago. I’ve read the reports from my own people. She’s definitely not a Mary Sue. And she won’t need saving.”
Rachel took in a deep breath before releasing it. “You’re taking an awful risk on just one little girl, Muskrat.”
“It’s not her that I am mostly worried about, Rachel. It’s those of us who cannot fight. Cannot stand. Cannot contribute to the cause. Tillie is lighting a fire that will burn brightly across this war torn nation. And after it settles, a new dawn will rise and along with it…? Hope.”
“Hope?”
Felix nodded passively. “Hope. This old system of things must finally die. It must be put out of its misery. We need to heal. But we cannot even do so if we are constantly at each other’s throats. Tillie may be young, but she’s shown more than often how capable she is as a fighter and a leader. That’s what we need for the new century. We need people like her to show us the way.” He explained at length. Then drained what was left of his cup into his mouth. “In any case, we better get ready. The next night watch will begin in a couple of hours and we need to still put forward some kind of a plan that won’t tip the enemy to our real intentions.”
“A feint?” Rachel said, surprised.
“No. More like a surprise. The armies of the Third Watch have always been one step ahead of us. I feel like it’s the right time to return the favor. And for that…we need to talk to our resident High Witch in training.”
The other woman nodded. “Very well, I’ll go and get her.”
“Bring Charlie and his best friend, Roselyn Parker as well. They are going to be needed as well.”
“The other girl? But why her?”
“Because I know Roz. And I know she won’t shy away from a fight.” Felix said with a small smile of his own. “And she and Charlie will be perfect for what I have in mind. You see, Tillie won’t have to fight alone. She has friends. Allies even. It’s time to bring them together and unleash them upon our unsuspecting foes.”
Rachel grinned. “I think she’s going to like that. Like it very much.”
Felix nodded. “Hurry along now. We won’t have much time.”
The other woman nodded and left. Felix waited a few more seconds before placing some calls of his own.
It was time to close the net on this little operation.
Time to fight.
Time to win.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Old Wounds
Tillie was on the bed—on her back—and moaning softly to beat the band.
“I don’t think I can move…” she whispered in quiet distress. “I’m so full from that mondo burrito you fed me. Why did I have to eat it? Why? Damn my hungry eyes! They are bigger than my stomach!”
Charlie grinned. “You could have said no and that would have been the end of it…?” He propositioned mercilessly.
Tillie groaned a bit louder for effect. “If I get off this bed, man, I’m going to kill you for that comment.” She thinly promised.
Roz was off to the side and laughing to herself. “How could you
possibly say that after I saw the way you ate back at the restaurant? You were literally pigging out on two plates of bacon on top of the vegetarian options that the waiter brought you.”
Tillie kept mewing softly in distress before she found the strength to roll over on her own accord. She had her eyes closed on top of that to beat back the full feelings that pervaded her swollen stomach on top of the thumping sensations in both her temples.
“I’m going to be sick…” she announced to the room in general.
“It’s only been…forty minutes since we finished dinner.” Charlie kindly pointed out before dangling another plate that had a half-eaten strawberry-crème pastry on top of it with a dollop of whipped cream cheese at its center.
“And I thought at the very least, you could finish this for me, Tillamook.”
Tillie’s eyes screwed shut against the sight of her new tormentor.
“I don’t…think…I can.” She managed to get out. “If I move, I’ll puke all over this bed and probably the floor too. But just give me a second, okay?”
Her boyfriend grinned and set the plate down in front of him.
“I could give you some Bepto for your stomach ache—make things a little easier?”
“It’s not indigestion, man. It’s…I overdid it. Okay? This happened to me back at the restaurant and I’m now paying for it in spades.”
“Would still help,” Charlie gently insisted. “For your upset stomach.”
Tillie looked at him for a few seconds and then nodded.
“Fine. Give me the pink stuff.” She relented somewhat pointedly.
“I think they came out with a blueberry flavor awhile back. The pink stuff still tastes like chalk anyways.” Roz threw out conversationally—watching her best friend disappear into the small kitchenette for a second. “No matter how much time has passed.”
“I don’t care what it tastes like. I’m about to pop.” The other girl moaned pitifully.
Roz nodded sympathetically.
“I guess there is no magical incantation to get rid of your own stomach distress—is there?” She wondered out loud.
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