by TR Cameron
“I’d like nothing more, but we do have one more person to talk to before we can engage in any indulgences.” She gave a playful pout and released him. They chatted about mundane matters until the guard repeated the entry sequence and Goryo slid into the seat across from them. Sloane said, “I hope prison wasn’t too much of a burden for you.”
The other man chuckled. He was in trousers and a dress shirt and looked more like someone vacationing than he did someone recently released from jail. “It’s of no consequence. I have plans in place to deal with such things. Had you not arranged my release, others would have.”
“It’s a pleasure working with a true professional.”
“I feel the same.”
Sloane sipped his drink. “Matters have reached a critical point. It’s time to go with the endgame option we discussed when I hired you.”
The other man nodded, all hints of warmth gone as he shifted into business mode. “Any limits or restrictions?”
“None.”
“Very good. You will transfer the agreed-upon sum for this new assignment?”
His wife purred, “Already done.”
Goryo gave her a nod that lasted a beat longer than necessary, almost a bow, then met Sloane’s eyes again. “Excellent. I will ensure the ground is prepared for your move.”
Back in the house in Ely, Demetrius stared at the feed from his surveillance bots monitoring the guy from the security company and frowned. He muttered to himself, “That’s not right. That doesn’t make any sense.” He triggered several searches to confirm the behavior he saw was indeed unique rather than part of a pattern that occurred over a long enough period that he might have missed it. Unfortunately, the computer confirmed his observation. Sometimes it sucks, being right all the time.
He clicked the icon to dial Ruby, knowing she would want the information immediately, but it didn’t connect. He sent her a text message asking her to call, then sighed as silence reigned. She’d given him instructions if he needed to get word to her in an emergency, but he’d figured it was a joke at his expense. Only the critical nature of the behavior change in their surveillance target made him willing to go through with it. He left his room, walked upstairs to the attic, and knocked on Ruby’s door.
When no one answered, he turned the knob and entered. His girlfriend’s cat, Idryll, lay on her back on the bed, seemingly fast asleep. She rolled over as he sat, stretching in that feline communication that clearly indicates anything you might need has to wait until they’re good and ready. She sat up primly when the move was complete, her eyes staring straight into his. “Right, okay, this is weird, but Ruby told me if I couldn’t reach her with a message, I could tell you.” He surreptitiously inspected her, looking for a recorder or a transmitter or something. She didn’t wear a collar, so any such device would have to be subcutaneous.
He couldn’t imagine that being the case, but he also couldn’t figure out what conversing with Ruby’s cat would accomplish. “Anyway, the Aces Security people are acting weird. They’re not talking as much in general, and they went completely off the grid several times. Either they know they’ve been bugged or have become paranoid enough to put in some defenses on general principles. I guess they could be vacationing in the middle of the desert on an almost daily basis, but somehow I doubt that.”
He smiled at his joke and waited for a response, but the feline continued to stare at him. He stood and patted her head. “Okay, right. Good kitty.” They hadn’t really bonded, and he figured it was because they competed for Ruby’s time. “Do whatever it is you’re supposed to do. I’ll see you when Ruby gets back.”
If he’d looked back as he departed, he would’ve seen a very un-cat-like smile spreading across the feline’s face.
Chapter Twelve
Ruby, Morrigan, and Idryll crossed the street into Margrave’s domain. Ruby had a duffel bag thrown over her shoulder filled with stuff to show him, and the shapeshifter was disguised as a human, courtesy of Morrigan's magic. Three people visiting a friend, nothing to see here. The animatronics in the yard hadn’t changed since their last visit that she could tell, but this time one of them she’d only superficially noticed before caught her eye. A capybara sat on the edge of the porch, occasionally rising on his hind legs to look at them. Ruby was pretty sure it smiled at her, and she shook her head at Margrave’s skills. Someday I’ll be that good.
Her techno-magical mentor opened the door and ushered them inside with a smile. They headed immediately for his basement workshop, where a pot of coffee and mugs awaited their arrival, along with a tray of cookies. Morrigan asked, “You bake?”
He laughed. “Often. It helps me relax.” When everyone was served and seated around the end of his worktable, he gestured at Ruby’s bag. “So, did you come bearing gifts?”
Ruby shook her head. “Afraid not, but I did bring you some stuff to look at.” She pulled out her new sword first, handing the sheathed weapon to him.
He asked, “May I?” She nodded, and he drew it from its scabbard. It shone brilliantly, and the slightly curved silver blade was etched along its length in symbols and letters. Some were in the Mist Elf language, but others she couldn’t decipher. “It’s beautiful. Does it have a name?”
“Not yet. I’m working on that.”
Morrigan, who was also seeing it for the first time, said, “Man, that’s awesome. You totally don’t deserve a weapon like that. You should let me take it.”
She replied, “Believe me, it comes with challenges. No, you can’t have it.” He returned it, and she stored it back in the bag. Extracting her costume, she explained, “My teacher on Oriceran, Keshalla, got this for me. It’s leather but has clearly been treated with something to increase its flexibility and strength.” She passed the smooth tunic and trousers around.
Margrave replied, “Very nice. It would be worth asking if magic was part of the process.”
Ruby sighed. “I tried that already. She said, ‘Isn’t creating such a masterpiece a magic all of its own?’” The others laughed, and she shook her head. “See what I have to put up with? Everyone’s a comedian.” She stored it back in the bag and handed over her mask. “The tech at the government agency did a great job of integrating new eyepieces and communication devices into this without damaging its power.”
He took it eagerly, almost snatching it from her hands, and lifted it to see the lenses in the light. Then he spun in his chair, grabbed a large magnifying glass, and used it to examine the implanted technology. Ruby and her partners traded smiles while he worked, obviously lost in the moment. When he finished, she had already unpacked the next item she wanted to show, and the small drone sat on the table in front of him with its fans rotated out into flight position. He handed back the mask. “This is amazing work. Really good. I’d love to meet whoever did it.” He gestured at the item on the desk. “That, on the other hand, is still a work in progress.”
Ruby laughed. All the device’s insides were exposed since she hadn’t yet replaced the pieces she’d removed. She activated the controller, which required two hands to use, and flew the drone around the room. He watched it with a calculating eye and shrugged as it landed. “It’s a good beginning, for sure. I already started the printer going based on the schematics you sent and should have the panels in a couple of hours. I had to alter the specs a little because I realized we needed to control for weather. So instead of empty areas between the filaments, I’ve added a thin membrane. Should keep it waterproof in light rain, at least. If there’s a lot of wind, that thing’s too small to fly, anyway.”
Ruby nodded. “I thought about the wind, but not the rain. Good call.”
He accepted the controller from her and piloted the drone in a test circle around the workshop. Frowning at the object in his hands, he observed, “This thing is awkward. And big.”
She shrugged. “It’s what came with it.”
“We can do better. How about you leave this with me, and I’ll do the panels and work on the controller?”
“Sure. I have another one to experiment with.”
Morrigan interrupted, “Tell him about the electric knuckles things.”
Ruby scowled. “I was getting to that. Shut up.”
Idryll interjected, “They’re like this all the time. Can I move in with you?”
Margrave laughed. “You’re always welcome. Unfortunately for you, so are they. I don’t think this would be the sanctuary you’re hoping for.”
The shapeshifter sighed. “Maybe Abbott Thomas will let me live there.”
Ruby countered, “Shut up, you. You’ve never had it so good.” She turned back to Margrave. “So, we came across a person who was wearing something that resembled brass knuckles but carried an electrical charge. We thought it might be a nice thing to have, the right amount to render someone unconscious, not enough to kill them or cause permanent damage.”
He frowned. “Making the contact point is easily done. Figuring out the best means to power it is less so. I’m happy to work on it. You wouldn’t rather have gloves or something?”
Ruby shook her head. “No, I need my sense of touch too much for that.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. Maybe there’s a way to store the charge magically instead of using a battery.” Ideas percolated behind his eyes.
“That would be great. We need some nonlethal options.”
He replied, “Ancient civilizations used curare darts for that. I’m sure we could whip something similar up. Dosage might be difficult to calculate, though. The literature has the right amount for humans, but there’s probably not much study of how it affects magicals. Researching that sounds like fun. I’ll take a look.”
Morrigan observed, “You have a strange idea of fun, Margrave.”
He grinned. “I like what I like. What can I say?”
Ruby said, “There’s one more thing I wanted to pick your brain on. We’ve agreed that we need a base of operations on the surface that’s not my house. You must know this area pretty well since you’ve lived here a long time, so we thought you might have some suggestions.”
He frowned and playfully growled, “Because I’m old, you mean.”
Ruby put her hand on her chest as if shocked by the accusation. “I would never say such a thing.”
“You’d imply it, though.”
She spread her hands wide. “Oh, all day long, for sure, imply. But not say.”
They all shared a laugh at the banter, then he asked, “What are your requirements?”
“Not much. Some space plus utilities for warmth, electricity, and plumbing. Doesn’t need to be fancy.”
Morrigan added, “It should be secure, and ideally not have too many neighbors who would notice whatever activity might go on.”
Margrave snapped his fingers. “I think I know just the spot. Feel like taking a walk?”
It turned out to be a fairly lengthy walk, a couple of miles out into the undeveloped desert beyond Vagrant’s Crossing. Finally, they arrived at a dilapidated chain-link fence, wind-blown clean in places, rusty in others. The only thing new about it was the padlock on the gate, for which Margrave produced a key that permitted them entry. “I bought this property, I don’t know, twenty years ago or so. Never really had a use for it, but it was too good a deal to pass up. I thought I’d eventually convert it to a workshop, but as technology miniaturized, I needed less space to work. So, I never did anything with it.”
Morrigan whispered, loud enough so everyone could hear, “Does he know it’s only a big empty field? I think he’s crazy.”
Ruby couldn’t argue with her sister’s thinking. “So, are you crazy? Is it a mirage? What do you think we should be seeing?”
Idryll replied, “I’m sure he has a reason.”
She muttered, “Suck up.” The shapeshifter grinned.
Margrave turned to look at them and walked backward. “You know, Mist Elves aren’t the only ones who can do disguises. Although mine is a little more technological.” He crossed to a patch of scrub, one of several thick growths in the area, and reached inside. Ruby magnified her hearing and sensed the click of a button, then quickly killed the magic as the ground nearby rumbled. Dirt and dust danced as the surface vibrated, then retracted to reveal a staircase leading down. “So, there you go, not crazy.”
Ruby shook her head. “Not crazier than we already knew you were, anyway.”
“Touché. Follow me. Last one in hit the button at the top to close the panel again.”
Morrigan asked, “Won’t the disturbed dirt be obvious? Even though the door’s shut?”
He laughed from ahead, and it echoed strangely in the narrow stairwell. “You’d think so. I put in a few hidden sprayers, and within ten minutes or so, you won’t be able to tell there’s anything there.”
Ruby nodded. “Nice.”
Idryll added, “See? Told you he wasn’t crazy.”
She was distracted from replying as they entered a storage area with metal racks full of boxes. She read the stencil on the side of one. “Meal, Combat, Individual, Spaghetti with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.” She frowned at the man. “Are you now a prepper? Do you think there’s a zombie apocalypse coming or something?”
“Ha, ha. Keep moving.” He opened a door that wasn’t locked and stepped through. The click of a switch sounded, and the room’s lights tried to come on with a loud snapping noise as she entered. Only about half of the old-style fluorescents from a time long gone by managed the feat. He gestured around at the space. “The very finest in nineteen-sixties decor, am I right?”
It was a living room with couches, chairs, a fireplace, and a large bar along one wall. Even though the stuff was old, it was quality and had endured the years since anyone other than Margrave was inside it exceedingly well. He imitated a realtor’s spiel. “This mid-century modern features multiple bedrooms, an exercise area, a couple of offices, plus bathrooms, and a kitchen. It’s all outdated, but the rich family that commissioned this place made sure they chose only the best of their era. Everything I’ve tested still works.”
Ruby ventured, “This was a bomb shelter, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “You got it in one. If you looked at your phones, you’d discover that the shell they built around this place blocks signals really well. The only exception is the radio that’s attached to an old-school antenna concealed above.”
Morrigan observed, “So, no Internet, then. What about television? How were they planning to spend their time underground?”
He laughed. “You can look through the ton of board games in one of the offices, should you get bored. There was a TV, it just no longer works. Even the best nineteen-sixties sets didn’t have that long a shelf life.”
Ruby said, “This is perfect if you can part with it.”
He shrugged. “Here’s what I’m thinking. You use the space, do whatever you want with it. When you’ve finished, I get it back along with any improvements you’ve made to it. Maybe I’ll retire here.”
Ruby remembered the twelve-sided room she’d talked about retiring in and shuddered. “Be careful what you wish for. I’m not sure decades underground would be good for you. Does it have other exits?”
He nodded. “A couple, although they’re at the ends of long tunnels so they aren’t directly associated with this place. One comes out in a deserted building about a half-mile to the west. The other was sealed up at some point by a cave-in, or maybe the demolition of whatever structure was on top of it. You could probably clear it if you cared to.”
Ruby looked at her partners. “I think this will do nicely. Agree?”
Morrigan shrugged. “At least you’ll know where your bags are.”
She made an obscene gesture at her sister and turned to Idryll. “And you?”
She beamed. “When you’re annoying, I can send you here where you won’t be able to bother me. It’s ideal.”
Ruby shook her head. “With friends like this, who needs enemies?” She clapped her hands together as excitement blossomed inside her. “You
got yourself a deal, Margrave. Now, let’s talk about what we need to do to get this place ready for action.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ruby let herself flop back on the bed and whined, “How can you keep working when your oh-so-beautiful-and-talented girlfriend is right here?”
Demetrius, positioned in front of his multiple monitors with his hands flying over the keyboards, laughed without turning to look at her. “I told you I had to work today. Was that not clear?”
“You’re a freelancer. You can work whenever you want.”
He snorted. “Ah, the myth of the independent contractor. What being my own boss means is that, when someone goes to the effort to arrange actual plans ahead of time,” he paused, ensuring she knew which someone he was referring to, “I can block off my calendar to make sure I’m free. At the moment I have a deadline, and it’s soon.”
“But I’m right here. Don’t you understand?” Since returning from Oriceran with her new weapon, Ruby’s spirits had been unusually high. She didn’t expect anything of Demetrius but enjoyed teasing him now and again. Gotta keep him on his toes, right? “Do you know how many men would pass on an opportunity like this? Not very many, let me tell you.”
“So, you’re saying you’ve had a lot of boyfriends then?”
She frowned. “I don’t see how that’s relevant.”
He laughed. “I’ve spoken with your sister several times. She’s made it clear that you’re not particularly experienced with long-term romantic relationships. Or, really, have had any practice at all.”
“She should shut it. You should shut it. Everyone should shut it.”
He observed, “You’re needier than your cat. By the way, how did she get the message to you?”
Ruby grinned. “Trade secret. Seriously, man, I’m bored. Quit working.”
A tone sounded from his computers, and whatever he was about to reply went out the window. “Looks like you won’t be bored for long. That was the email account you set up for the sheriff. She wants to meet as soon as possible.”
