Gaslit Revolution

by Jason Gilbert

  The coach came to a stop. Kane followed Cybil’s gaze out the window as two police coaches sped by, the horses going full tilt. Another swept by. Another. He looked up and saw a police airship move by, its searchlights aimed forward.

  Kane felt a grip on his arm. He looked at Tabitha, saw her white eyes.

  “The department,” she said plainly. “Lots going on. People shouting. Stand down. No. Take aim.”

  Kane looked at Cybil.

  “It’s happening now!”

  Cybil leaned out the window and shouted at the two drivers to get them to the department. The coach jerked and took off, taking the corner quickly, the storefronts and streetlights whipping by. Tabitha turned to Kane, her eyes blue.

  “We can’t wait,” she said. “It’s Chris and Hoyle! They’re in trouble!”

  He nodded and looked at Cybil.

  “We’ll meet you there.”

  Kane looked down at the police department below, watching as the crowd surged onto the front steps, the shouting and chanting not much different than what he’d seen at City Hall. The cool breeze at the top of the building caught some of Tabitha’s hair, blowing it up against his cheek as she stood next to him, also watching the scene unfold.

  “Do you see Chris or Hoyle?” she asked.

  Kane shook his head.

  “Just people,” he said. “Aspectu aethereo.” His vision went to black and white, the auras below him shining bright in the shimmering world around him. He narrowed his eyes, the scene drawing closer as if he were looking through binoculars. He cursed under his breath as he saw Chris and Hoyle at the front of the crowd. Hoyle was pointing around the area, positioning people. People Kane recognized.

  Magicians from Hidden Valley.

  “Chris, you’re an idiot,” he muttered. He saw Chris turn and look around. “Up here, jackass.”

  “Your two cop buddies came down to the subway,” Chris said, looking up in the general area where Kane and Tabitha were camped out. “We almost killed them both, but they were smart. Guns were holstered and their hands were up.”

  “That was their instruction,” Kane said.

  “So they said,” Chris said. “They told us what was going on.”

  “So you decided to go ahead without us?” Kane shook his head. “You do know that Cybil had a plan in place, right? Involved us sneaking in and taking the station by surprise.”

  Chris shrugged.

  “I prefer an up-front fight.”

  “What’s he saying?” Tabitha said beside Kane.

  “Not much,” Kane said. “Just confirming for me how fucking stupid he is. Chris, stand down and get those people the hell out of there.”

  “They’re riled up now, my friend,” Chris said, grinning. “They’re angry. Tired of it.”

  Kane heard Wil’s voice on the wind.

  “Him done got ‘em all worked up,” she said, her tone irritated. “Ain’t no turnin’ back, now.”

  “I’m sure you’re not helping,” Kane said.

  “What can I do?” she said. “I’m here. They can’t see me, but I can see them good. And that boy betta’ run like hell.”

  Chris looked around again.

  “Both of you can project your voices?” he said. His tone went sarcastic. “Yeah, that won’t get annoying at all.”

  Kane focused his hearing on the department. Everyone in position. Cover all windows. Flank them on both sides. Drive them back. Take out only the first line.

  Danwood’s voice.

  “Scare them up,” he growled. “Templars, front and center. Are the machine guns in place?”

  “Sir!”

  “Oh fuck,” Kane breathed. “Chris, this is the last warning. Get. Those. People. Clear!”

  Chris ignored him, pumping his fist in the air.

  “We won’t back down!” he shouted, turning to the crowd. “We won’t back down!”

  The crowd shouted it back at him, some holding guns they’d taken from the fallen Special Forces troops. The Magicians were all standing at the ready, their hands glowing. Kane shifted his vision to the department as Chris kept the chanting going. Templars were setting up two large machine guns like the one from the conference, each on either side of the main lobby of the department. The curtains were closed. The people outside couldn’t see in. Other officers were in place, rifles aimed at the door. Danwood stood behind Cybil’s desk, shouting orders. He stepped down and made his way to the far back where the desks started as cops cleared out arrestees and took their places, their guns aimed.

  “Wait for my signal,” Danwood said to his men as he held his arm high. “Take out the Magicians first. It’s all they’ve got. The rest will be easy pickings.”

  Kane looked back at the crowd. Unarmed men and women were there, pumping their fists and shouting with Chris as Hoyle made the others ready. Some of the people were younger, kids in their mid and late teens.

  All of them sitting ducks.

  Kane stood back from the ledge.

  “Visus Mortalis!”

  His sight went back to normal. Tabitha looked at him, her eyes wide, her tone panicked.

  “What is it?” she said. “What’s happening?”

  “A massacre,” Kane said. “It’s gonna be a goddamned massacre! Get me down there!”

  “I’m coming with you!”

  “No! It’s about to be a warzone down there. I can’t risk losing you.” He looked down at her stomach and back up into her eyes. “Either of you.”

  She launched at him.

  “I don’t need your protection,” she said, her eyes hard. “If you go down there, I’m going with you. If you go without me, I’ll follow you anyway. I go where you go, and you’re just going to have to suck it up, Kane Shepherd.”

  Kane’s blood froze, his heart seeming to stop in his chest as the chopped, familiar, vicious sound of two machine guns spewing bullets mixed with the shattering of glass and the screams of over a hundred people. He went back to the ledge and looked down. Dozens lay dead as Chris and the Magicians returned fire, retreating down the steps, trying to get clear of the gunfire. Some of the people who were armed returned fire along with the Magicians, but they were cut down easily as Templars moved out from the side doors of the building and opened fire.

  Kane took Tabitha’s hands in his. There wasn’t time to argue. This was happening now.

  “Get us in there and set off a blast! Go! Go! Go!”

  Tabitha closed her eyes and grit her teeth.

  “Draugalega Ferðast!”

  They were thrust downwards and out, the floors and walls coming at them, moving past. The floor was solid under their feet in less than a second. Kane ducked and called out his shield spell at the same time Tabitha spoke her blast spell. The blue force blew outwards, sent debris, furniture, and people flying. The machine guns stopped their assault. Bullets pelted Kane’s shield as Tabitha ducked down next to him. They moved together towards a large overturned desk as the machine guns started back up. Kane looked around, saw Danwood with his pistol aimed. Kane cast his fireball spell and hurled one at the lieutenant, then ducked as bullet slammed into the wall next to him.

  “Take out the machine guns,” he shouted at Tabitha.

  “Right,” she said with a nod. She moved from cover, hurled an ice spear at the machine gunner nearest to them. The spike went into the man’s back and he fell away, the bloody tip if the spear protruding from the center of his chest. Kane charged a fireball and lobbed it blindly over their cover. The Templars and officers called out, their warnings cut short by the explosion. Tabitha launched another spear, missed. Danwood moved from cover and fired at her. She ducked, and Kane dove to the side, picking up a dropped handgun as he went. He came up on one knee and returned fire at Danwood, the gun jumping in his hand with each trigger pull. He heard the man call out. He’d caught him in the arm.

  “Not done with you,” Kane muttered under his breath. He took aim at the other machine gunner and fired. The guy’s head opened up and he f
ell to the floor instantly. Kane looked down at the gun: a Colt 45.

  “No wonder,” he said to himself.

  “Now!”

  Kane turned at the sound of Hoyle’s voice. Chris and his Magicians charged in, blasts flying, followed by bullets from the few left who still had guns. More entered behind them, tackling Danwood’s men and stealing their guns as they went. Kane saw a few officers with them. Then more. The lobby and office area was full, well over a hundred cops fighting back against Danwood’s army. Templars and rogue cops fell, many of them tackled to the floor, some taken out by gunfire.

  “Open fire!” Danwood screamed. “Drive them back!”

  Kane moved from his hiding spot. Danwood was distracted, blind firing at the encroaching rebels as he backpedaled towards the double doors in the rear.

  This was it. It hit Kane, set his blood on fire, made his heart race.

  He took aim. It was a clean shot.

  I told you: If you touched her, I’d kill you.

  He pulled the trigger. He saw it in his mind as the hammer went forward. Danwood falling to the floor, half of his head missing.

  Click!

  Kane looked at the revolver. Empty.

  Danwood rounded on him, his eyes wide at the sight of Kane standing there, staring at him. Kane lobbed an explosive fireball at him, ducked as the floor next to Danwood blew and sent debris everywhere.

  At least fifty officers flooded the main area, all shouting, all firing their weapons as Templars and other officers turned their guns on them. The Revolution had Danwood’s men caught in a pincer attack. The Templars and Danwood’s cops began to group in the center of the area, their guns out, all of them back to back as they clustered together. Kane heard Cybil calling out from the group of officers that had arrived, heard Hoyle echoing her order.

  “Hold your fire! Cease fire, god dammit!”

  Kane looked back at Danwood. The lieutenant was getting to his feet, his arm bleeding. Some of the buttons on his shirt had given, his sizable gut hanging out, his undershirt drenched in sweat and dark with grime. Kane tossed the gun to the side and began to march towards Danwood. Another revolver lay on the floor. Kane knelt down and picked it up, not breaking stride as he approached the large man. He took aim, pulled the hammer back with his thumb. Danwood’s eyes widened, his hands moving up as if to ward of the bullet that would end his life. Kane was on him, the barrel pressed against Danwood’s forehead.

  “Time to die,” Kane said, his tone dark, his eyes wide with fury as his mind flashed back to Danwood groping Tabitha at the execution. It seemed like years ago.

  “Let’s talk, Shepherd.”

  “Let’s not.”

  Tabitha’s voice rang out.

  “Kane! Kane, stop!”

  She approached, the area quiet and still. She came close to him, looked up at him with pleading eyes.

  “He dies,” Kane growled, feeling his rage boiling in his gut.

  “No,” Tabitha said. She gently put her hand on his arm. “No. Don’t be him. Don’t do this. Not again.” She shook her head, moved closer, put her face close to his. “Kane. Kane look at me. He’s beaten. He’s done. This isn’t self-defense, it’s murder! What will you tell our daughter?” She took his free hand and put it over her stomach, her body shaking.

  “He tried to kill you,” Kane said, looking at her, the gun still aimed. “He tried to take you away from me.”

  She shook her head.

  “You saved me,” she said. “He lost.”

  He looked at her, past her at Danwood. Kane caressed the trigger with his finger, looking back into her eyes. The scene played over and over. Danwood touching her cheek, opening her shirt slightly to get a look. The man sneering at Kane as he arrested Tabitha in front of him. The sick bastard sniffing her bra during his search of Kane’s office. Tabitha standing with a noose around her neck on a stage. Kane felt the fury welling in his stomach, the hatred pulsing through his veins.

  The gun jumped in his hand, the report loud in the silent lobby. The shot didn’t startle Tabitha. No reaction. Nothing.

  Danwood’s eyes were wide in horror, the barrel aimed just an inch past his sweating brow, a large hole in the column behind him where the bullet had buried itself deep. A large dark patch began to grow in the detective’s pants and down his leg.

  Kane lowered the gun as Tabitha broke into tears and embraced him. He stepped away as Cybil approached Danwood.

  “You’ve lost, Charles,” she said, not hiding her Southern accent. “We’ve taken back the department. You, your men, and your Templars are under arrest. Anyone who’s still alive, that is.”

  “On what charges?” Danwood said, looking around, trying to sound tough with the front of his pants soaked in piss.

  “Corruption,” Cybil said not backing down. “We’ll start with that at the top of the laundry list and work our way down.” She looked around. “There were only fifty of us in my group. It looks like we weren’t the only ones sick of your bullshit.”

  “Gentry still owns this department,” Danwood said, his voice wavering.

  “Bless your heart,” Cybil said, grinning. “We’ll hang onto you until things settle down. I’m sure there are some people in the general population who would love to have a word with you.”

  Kane heard Chris give a shout.

  “Victory!”

  The room erupted in cheers as Cybil’s officers rounded up what was left of Danwood’s group and began to slap them in cuffs.

  Kane looked around, then pulled Tabitha away.

  “Wil,” he said. “Where’s Wil?”

  The floor shook beneath their feet. A large crack formed in the marble, mortar fell from the walls. Kane focused his hearing. Someone shouted. An older voice.

  Krieg.

  Kane pulled his hearing back in.

  “Guess it’s too much to ask you to stay here,” he said to Tabitha.

  “Right,” she said. “Try again.”

  He looked at her and grunted. Why argue anymore?

  He turned away.

  “Chris, Hoyle, with me! Cybil, I need men!”

  Cybil waved to a few cops. They nodded and stepped forward.

  “You got ‘em!”

  Kane looked at Tabitha. He shook his head and waved her towards him.

  “Bring up the rear,” he said. “Let’s go!”

  Kane led the way, barging through the doors and down the corridor, his company close behind him. He came to an elevator, punched the down button. The doors opened, and he and his group crowded on. He hit the basement key and waited as the doors closed and the car began to lower. He turned to Chris.

  “Be ready with a blast. Tabitha, lay down fire behind Chris, but stay behind him. Hoyle, cover us. The three of us are going in, but we need suppressive fire. You three men are with Hoyle.”

  The three cops nodded and spoke in unison.

  “Sir!”

  “What do you think is happening?” Chris asked.

  “Wil’s down here, and she knows Krieg is on our side,” Kane said. “It means someone else is here. Someone that may be a little more than she can handle.” He dreaded the thought, but he knew who it was. It wouldn’t make sense, otherwise.

  The elevator stopped. The doors opened to a dark hallway. The lights were out. There was a shout, another blast. The door to the morgue blew open. Kane heard Wil mumble something. Hoyle and his men flanked the door, their rifles aimed. Chris and Tabitha had shots ready. Kane conjured a fireball as Wil stumbled out of the morgue. She was bleeding, her face and arms cut and bruised. She grinned as she slumped against the wall. Kane rushed to her side, helped her down to the floor so she could sit with her back to the wall.

  She looked up at him.

  “Big knock at the door,” she quipped, her breathing harsh as she winced in pain. “It for you.”

  Kane’s skin went to gooseflesh as a familiar, unsurprising voice purred from inside Krieg’s morgue.

  “So good of you to come to our lit
tle party, Mr. Shepherd.”

  Kane stood and looked at Hoyle.

  “Leave a man with Wil.”

  “Roger that,” Hoyle said, nodding to one of the cops, a younger black man. He went to Wil while Kane stepped into the morgue.

  The place was trashed, tables overturned, the floor littered with tools and broken jars and bottles. Papers were strewn about. A couple of bodies had been dumped off slabs, their limbs in awkward positions in the floor. Kane looked towards the cold lockers, saw a few of them open, the bodies hanging halfway out. Krieg looked back at Kane, his expression tense, his lips pursed as if he were holding his breath.

  Gentry stood next to him, smiling, a Ruger pointed at Krieg’s skull.

  “A gun?” Kane said. “I figured those were beneath you, Gentry.”

  Gentry shrugged.

  “I prefer not to use something so barbaric,” he said. “However, being that my element is wind, I find that I might need something more visual to get your attention. And, since suspending our dear friend here by the throat might illicit a more brash reaction, I’ve opted for a more traditional approach.” He nodded to Kane. “I require your attention, Mr. Shepherd. Your undivided attention.”

  “You’ve got it,” Kane said. He looked over his shoulder. Hoyle and the other two officers had rifles aimed. Chris had a ball of electricity in his hands. Kane motioned for them to lower their weapons. He turned back to Gentry. “You to let him go. Then we talk.”

  “My granddaughter is ten,” Krieg said, looking sidelong at Gentry. “She has no one else, good sir. I must go home tonight.”

  “And you will, good man,” Gentry said. “As long as our friend, Mr. Shepherd, is able to keep his rather famous temper in check.” He looked at Kane. “I’m afraid you misunderstand who currently holds the ball in this game, Mr. Shepherd. You are in no position to make demands.”

  “We’ve taken the police department,” Kane said. “It’s a matter of time before the Revolution comes after you.”

  “The Revolution burned with Charleston,” Gentry said.

  “Try again,” Kane said. “As long as people are willing to resist, there will always be a Revolution.”

  Gentry’s lip twitched. Kane gave him a smirk. About time I unnerved you, asshole.