by TR Cameron
Demetrius’s words came fast. “They have some really good jamming going on. Jewel, duck.” She complied immediately, throwing herself to the ground in a shoulder roll. A PDA drone hurtled over her head to smash into the nearest SUV, bursting into a small bonfire and causing the agents to drop into cover. He said, “Northwest, two blocks, there’s a car waiting for you.”
She pelted in that direction, sheathing her sword and running all-out. A chopper flew in as well, probably the same one they’d seen before, with some sort of orb mounted on the bottom. She panted, “Is that what I think it is?”
Demetrius answered, “You should be out of range of the backpacks, so if you can’t do magic, I’m guessing it is.”
Morrigan growled, “Damn, where do they keep getting these toys?”
Idryll reached her with Morrigan still half a block behind. They turned the corner and confronted a bright yellow minivan. She ran for the driver’s side door, unable to contain a chuckle, even in the dire situation. “Really? This is the best you could come up with?”
Demetrius replied, “It was the nearest thing I could hack. Beggars, choosers, you know the drill.”
Idryll slid the side door open and Morrigan dove inside, then she swung up into the passenger seat.
As Ruby got the vehicle rolling, she told Demetrius, “Thanks, sweetheart. I definitely owe you a date.”
Morrigan dropped to her back on the bench seat behind her and panted. Finally, she said, “Hell, I think I owe you one too.”
Idryll chuckled. “Ruby’s probably not willing to share.”
Her sister coughed and let out a soft groan. “I need to run more. Anyway, how about it, D? Ready to upgrade?”
Ruby shook her head and drove, hoping the PDA had been busy enough with the Drow and his people that they wouldn’t pursue the rather conspicuous escape vehicle. “We have any trailers, Tree?”
“None that I can see. I think you’re clear. But as soon as your magic returns, pile out and portal. I’ll send the car back where it belongs.”
Ruby nodded. The anger inside her was growing with each passing second. “I don’t know who those three were, but it seems clear that Andrews was waiting for us to go after the Drow, using him as bait.”
She shook her head, considering the implications of the new strategy. “I was happy to coexist, but apparently Andrews doesn’t see that as an option. We’re going to need to take the fight to him.”
Chapter Eighteen
Julianna Sloane stood on her balcony, gazing down over the Vegas Strip and out at the sunset over the mountains. Melancholy suffused her as she contemplated how much Gabriel would’ve enjoyed the sight and what a life they could’ve had together if his obsession hadn’t resulted in his death.
Hindsight made her wish she’d spoken more strongly against his plan. Still, he’d always needed her to be his unquestioned support, the one person he could trust to have his back, regardless. So, in the few moments where she might have cautioned him, she’d remained silent.
Now I’m alone. Those bastards are going to pay for taking him from me. Every single one of them owes me blood. I’ve been letting the pot boil slowly for a while, so they’ll think they’ve got an understanding of the things that threaten them. But it’s almost time to turn up the heat to full.
Her watch buzzed with a message from Thompson, saying she was on her way up. Julianna sighed, finished the whiskey in her tumbler, and headed back through the transparent sliding door into the coolness of her apartment. When her lieutenant entered the room, she was seated on the couch with a fresh glass. She gestured for her employee to take a seat diagonally from her. “So, Vicki, what do you know?”
The other woman smiled. “Many things. Some of which you’ll find very interesting.”
Julianna straightened a little at that. “Oh, really? How lovely. Let’s start with the boring stuff, though. What’s going on with Aces?”
“Smith has the place under surveillance around-the-clock. We have a few drones up, and he’s watching from a hotel room on a tablet. I take over now and again so he can sleep. Being tired makes him cranky.” Julianna laughed at the joke, and Thompson continued, “From the outside, nothing seems to have changed, although they’re not meeting as many clients at the facility as usual.”
“After the debacle at Invention, that might be a lack of business. That couldn’t have helped their reputation.”
Thompson’s head bobbed. “Could be. But they have magicals on the payroll, so they don’t really need to use the doors to meet with people. It’s my bet they’re fully aware of the danger and are taking measures to deal with it.”
Julianna asked, “Do you think they understood the message that their failures have become unsustainable where we’re concerned?”
Her lieutenant laughed. “I’m sure of it, especially since they reached out to Scimitar and she turned them down.”
A satisfied smile crept across her features. “Foolish of them to rely on a contact we provided in the first place. Of course, they had no way to know that Gabriel funded the infomancer’s career until she was ready to break out big on her own. That sort of thing breeds loyalty, even among business partners.”
She shook her head, remembering her husband talking about what a good investment supporting Scimitar would be. It was a serious money loser for a year or two, but equipping the woman and helping her get up and running had indeed been worth it in the end. The infomancer had been able to scale up marvelously quickly because of it and had served them well on any number of occasions since. “Any word on Worldspan’s plans?”
Thompson shook her head. “We made some inquiries, gentle ones as you requested, and Prash was completely unwilling to share. Apparently, she prefers to keep things secret at the moment.”
Julianna swirled the ice in her glass and watched the ripples. “In character. She’s a proud woman.”
“Or maybe a paranoid one. In any case, she did admit they’re going to move sooner rather than later.”
“We’ll let her reluctance to reveal her plans stand for now. If they succeed in destroying or taking over Aces, it will be worth having trusted her. If they fail, we can always take a more active stance in the future. Do you see any need for us to be involved in that operation?”
Thompson shrugged. “We might gain a little intel if we pretended to be on Aces’ side again, assuming they were stupid enough to trust us, but frankly I don’t think Worldspan needs any assistance. Unless Trenton and Grentham come up with something impressive, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to go toe to toe with the other company. Worldspan is bigger, and by reputation, meaner. There’s a reason they’re considered the best, I guess.”
Julianna nodded. “Acceptable. Just in case, start looking around the companies in town for someone to replace Aces if things with Worldspan don’t work out. Ms. Prash might perceive she has more power than she does when this episode is over, and we will need options in hand if she becomes difficult.”
Thompson patted her jacket over the spot where her ever-present pistol rested in a shoulder holster. “We always have options.”
She laughed with genuine pleasure. “I love your confidence and the fact that you’ve never once failed to back it up with action. So. Tell me the news.”
“There was a fracas last night. An attack on the Taka Tower.”
Julianna was silent for a moment, surprised. Then she said, “Gabriel and I had planned to live there. The penthouse, of course. Someone was already occupying it, but we figured we could entice them to move or remove them against their will.”
Thompson shifted her weight, seeming uncomfortable, but her tone was still light. “Well, after what the band of anti-human magicals in town did to it, you might want to wait a few months for the soot to clear.”
“Is it destroyed?”
“No, but the fire was pretty big before they got it under control, and I’m sure that smoke seeped through the whole place. Plus, they’ll have to make some serious repairs in p
laces.”
Makes sense. Unfortunate. It was a beautiful building. “Was anyone killed?”
“No. The fire alarms went off before the attack started. Lucky break.”
She snorted. “No such thing, I’m guessing. Did our vigilantes turn up?”
Thompson chuckled. “They sure did. As did the PDA, with drones and in person.”
Julianna was amused. “That must’ve been a mess.”
“No video is available, unfortunately. Even Scimitar couldn’t retrieve any. But we did get a still image I think you’ll find interesting.”
The other woman held out her phone. Julianna took it, then chuckled at the picture. “The Dante girls. Really. That is amusing.”
Thompson accepted the device back with a nod. “So, you’re aware of them?”
“Gabriel and I made it a point to know all the bounty hunters who might be coming after us. It was always easier to buy them off rather than deal with their investigations and pursuit. We mostly ignored those three, though, because they weren’t in our league. Although,” she said thoughtfully, remembering, “We did contract them for a non-bounty thing through an intermediary once if I recall properly. Were they after the vigilantes?”
“Turns out, all three costumes are now level one bounties.”
Julianna laughed. “Really? That’s an impressive play. Potentially a stupid one, but impressive nonetheless. Who’s in charge of the Paranormal Defense Agency there?”
Thompson had the answer at hand. “Andrews. Paul Andrews.”
“I remember hearing his name in Reno. Is he behind it?”
“Scimitar says it was the PDA, yeah. She also said that Ely PD is essentially the cybersecurity version of Swiss cheese and that, quote, a sloth typing with two fingers could break into their systems in ten minutes.”
Julianna snorted in amusement. “Well, that doesn’t speak well of the Ely police.”
Thompson agreed, “It does not. Anyway, the vigilantes escaped, and the Angels faded. The police made some arrests but missed the leader.”
“So, failures all around? Well done indeed.” She thought about the situation for a full minute, appreciating her subordinate’s recognition of the need not to interrupt her.
Finally, she said, “You know, I think there’s an opportunity here. Contact those three and inform them I’d like to layer another contract on top of the one they’re on. Working for Andrews will give them a certain amount of access that we wouldn’t have otherwise, and I intend to use it.”
Thompson nodded. “Will do. And if they ask what we need done?”
Julianna grinned. “Once they accept, you can tell them they’ll be taking on the Council. It’s time to move into the eye-for-an-eye phase of the operation against those who took my husband from me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Ruby stilled her features as she followed her father toward his seat in the Council chamber. She’d immediately spotted Paul Andrews standing in the opposite corner, deep in conversation with the new Council leader. She took her place behind Rayar, then leaned down and asked, “Is that who I think it is?”
He glanced over and nodded. “Elnyier warned us he’d be here. Andrews, director of the local branch of the Paranormal Defense Agency.”
Ruby shook her head and replied automatically, “Paranoid Defense Agency, more like. Strange to see him down here. I thought I was the only human allowed in the kemana.”
Her father chuckled at her joke. “On occasion, we invite others. You know how it is.” He shrugged. “Besides, it would’ve been very inconvenient for all of us to go up there. He better mind his manners, though, or someone might accidentally portal him to the World In Between, rather than back to the surface.”
Ruby shuddered. The mention of that hellish dimension never failed to scare her. “Even if he’s as bad as everyone says, that would be too evil.”
If her father had intended to respond, the opportunity vanished as the last members flowed in and took their seats. Elnyier nodded to the assemblage and said, “Thank you all for coming. I know it’s strange not to have Maldren here, and I appreciate the support of those who have reached out since I was elected. I promise I will do my very best to respect and represent the enormously diverse viewpoints around this table.”
Ruby’s eyes were on Grentham as the woman spoke, and she noticed his lips slightly moving after she finished speaking. Wonder what he’s saying to himself. For as much as he thinks she’s a better choice than Maldren, he doesn’t look at all happy.
The Council leader continued, “Our guest is the head of the local office of the Paranormal Defense Agency. He requested a chance to talk to us, and given all that’s been going on in Magic City, it made sense to acquiesce. Director Andrews, the floor is yours.”
He took a few steps forward from the corner he’d been leaning against. “First of all, thanks for the opportunity to speak to you. I know it’s rare for someone from the surface to be a part of your deliberations. I very much recognize that allowing me to attend was a decision not lightly made. Respecting that, I won’t waste your time.
“To put it bluntly, we need to stop the magicals who are stirring up anti-human sentiment. My preference is that the Council would step up, do its job, and police your own. If you choose not to, however, I will handle it for you. Either way, though, it gets handled. I wanted to make sure that was abundantly clear.”
Murmurs and side conversations sounded in response to his words, and Elnyier slapped a flat palm down on the table. “Council people, please. Let’s maintain some decorum here, shall we?” She locked her eyes on the Kilomea. “Bartrak, it seemed like you had something to say. Please share.”
His bass rumble replied, “Very well. It is rather bold of this man to attempt to dictate terms to us when he is busy persecuting our people on the surface.”
Andrews crossed his arms. “Care to explain that accusation?”
Bartrak growled, “Drones everywhere. Your troops responding with, shall we say, enthusiasm to the idea of ‘policing magicals,’ as you put it.”
The agent shrugged. “That’s our mandate, and have no doubt. We will live up to it as circumstances require. What I’m suggesting is that you alleviate our need to do so.”
Andrielle said, “So what you want is for us to do your job with no compensation?”
Andrews let one hand fall to his side and gestured at the assembly with the other. “Seems to me that as the major landowners in the city above, you have a vested interest in keeping things calm. Do you really think it’ll be that long before your human-hating troublemakers spill over onto the Strip and mess with the tourists you need to make your places profitable? I mean, the recent escalation should have been a clarion call to you all.”
Elnyier replied neutrally, “You’re referring to Taka Tower?”
He didn’t quite snarl, but it was close. “Of course I am. Attempting to burn down the building with people still inside? That’s a dangerous step in the wrong direction—way over any acceptable line. So, I guess you should consider this your fair warning that I won’t tolerate such things any longer. If you’re not going to take care of it, I will.”
Ruby’s father, Rayar, replied, “Isn’t that why we have a police department? And a sheriff’s department?”
Andrews shook his head. “No, you have those organizations to handle the problems they’re qualified to handle. When it comes to magical mischief-makers, you get to deal with my people and me. We, at least, understand how outclassed we are from the get-go and are properly equipped to level the playing field in a way local law enforcement can’t.”
Grentham replied, “That’s a very authoritarian stance. Don’t you think you might be overstepping?”
He snorted. “Those sound like the words of the Drow in charge. Oh, wait, sorry, the Drow in charge of the street gang. Guess I should be more specific.”
Elnyier's tone and inflection remained unchanged. “That comment was beneath you, Director Andrews. I believe you have
made your case. Please leave by the main exit, and one of my staff will see you safely home.” He nodded, suddenly looking concerned as if he realized he might’ve misstepped. Nonetheless, he departed. She said, “So, that was interesting.”
A couple of chuckles greeted her words, but even they were tinged with anger. Bartrak, in particular, seemed to be barely restraining fury. “My people are already tired of the presence of the PDA in the city. We want them gone. Perhaps, if his focus is on the anti-human movement, eliminating it would be the best path to that end.”
Elnyier shrugged. “Agreement, disagreement? Other opinions?”
The conversation continued for twenty minutes, resulting in no action other than everyone recommitting to keeping their eyes open and sharing information. Ruby’s attention stayed locked on Elnyier throughout the proceedings. The woman seemed almost sleepily calm, completely removed from the issue at hand. That’s strange. The first big challenge of her administration, as it were, and she’s treating it like it’s nothing. I wonder why.
After returning home, Ruby changed clothes and joined her father and mother in the study for a drink. Rayar opted for whiskey, but she and Sinnia chose hot chocolate, complete with a perfectly toasted marshmallow in the center. She ventured, “So we know what Andrews thinks about the Drow and his anti-human movement, and the Council seems unwilling to act, more or less. What’s the gossip in the casinos?”
Her father said, “All sorts of talk, none of it good. I know this sounds crazy, but if you ask me, I think someone has taken up the reins Gabriel Sloane dropped when he died.”
Her mother nodded. “I agree. This thing with the Drow whipping up a frenzy is just too coincidental. Feels like it has to all be part of the same big picture.”
