A Flicker of Steel

by Steve McHugh

  Everyone stared at Tommy.

  “What he said,” said Sky before she turned to Tommy. “Have you been working on that speech?”

  “No,” Tommy told her. “I’m just naturally eloquent, and I read a lot of science fiction and epic fantasy. There are many stirring monologues in those kinds of books.”

  Olivia smiled. “I married such a huge geek.”

  “So, Layla,” Hades said, bringing the conversation back on track. “Can you help us?”

  “What if I say no?” Layla asked.

  “Then we’ll keep you here, send the teams, and see what happens. We’d rather it didn’t come to that, primarily for the reasons we’ve already stated, but also because we value your place on our team. Removing a key piece means the others can’t function quite as well.”

  Layla took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ll do it. I’ll help get my dad out of prison and back here. But there are two provisos to this. One: you don’t kill him unless there is no other option. If we’re under attack, I don’t want someone immediately killing him to just deal with it.”

  “Deal. No one would ever do that,” Olivia said. “Okay, some would. But no one we’re sending with you.”

  “What’s the second condition?” Sky asked.

  “When he’s here, I don’t want to know his location in the compound. I don’t want to know how he’s doing, or what information he’s providing. I just want to hand him over to you, so I can go back to never thinking about him.”

  “What if he agrees to help, but only if you are involved?” Hades asked.

  “We’ll come to that if he says it.” Layla sighed; she knew he’d make that deal. “Fine, yes, then I’ll have to be involved.”

  “Anything else?” Olivia asked.

  Layla shook her head. “Actually, yes. If Harry wants to be involved, I’d like him on comms and intel in the field. He’s smart, he knows my team, and I trust him one hundred percent.”

  “He’s only human,” Hades said. “I mean that without disrespect.”

  “I know, but he’s been trying to get put in the field for a year. And you know he’s passed every single test you’ve thrown at him. The only thing that sets him apart is his humanity. You want to lead a new Avalon? One without secrets? Then start by involving humans in what you do. Harry is probably the best of them.”

  “Deal,” Tommy said without a second thought.

  “You sure about this?” Hades asked.

  Tommy nodded. “Harry is a damn genius, and I like him, but more importantly, Layla’s right; we have thrown every obstacle at the man and he climbs them all. He tried to create his own Green Lantern power ring at one point, using those damn magic crystals from Shadow Falls. Almost blew his hand off. He’ll be fine running comms with Fenix and Diana beside him. Would you want to go through Diana to get to someone?”

  Hades shook his head. “Not if I wanted to keep all of my limbs.” He looked at Layla. “Seems like you’ve got yourself a deal. Go get kitted out and prepare for Minnesota.”

  “So, where is this prison exactly?” Layla asked.

  “In the middle of a forest, near a small village by the name of Sawbill,” Olivia said. “Everyone who lives in the village works at the prison, and they were all loyal to me when I was Director of the LOA.”

  “They’re still loyal to you?” Layla asked.

  “Not everyone moved over to work with Arthur’s Avalon,” Olivia told her. “There are some people who want nothing to do with Arthur’s plan.”

  “And you put my father there?”

  Olivia nodded. “It was perfect for him. And for us.”

  “There is one problem,” Hades said. “As you know, Nergal is going to attack Thunder Bay. We assume he wants access to the realm gate at Red Rock. I’ve ordered an evacuation, but if this does go wrong, head for Red Rock. I’ll have people waiting there just in case. It’s a bit of a trek, so you might need to get some transport.”

  “If it comes to that, I’ll figure something out,” Layla said. “Hopefully, this will be as smooth a job as we’ve ever done.” Even as she said the words, she knew she didn’t believe them one hundred percent. Nothing involving her father was ever simple.

  9

  It didn’t take long for everyone to get ready to collect the man who Layla had hoped never to see again. If her father was the lesser of two evils, things must really be bad.

  Their modified Black Hawk flew the whole group through the night until they landed in a large field a few miles away from the village of Sawbill. The helicopter’s occupants disembarked and were met by four black Audi Q7’s, all parked in a neat row.

  “It’s a good job that we still have people who can sort out things like this, despite being on Avalon’s most wanted list,” Remy said. Like everyone else, he now wore combat armor and wielded several weapons, although, unlike everyone else, his weapons consisted of his sword and two custom-designed revolvers that hung from his hips.

  A young woman walked over to Diana and hugged her. “No Sky this time?” the woman asked with a hint of a Southern accent.

  “She got to stay home in the warm,” Diana told her, before turning to everyone else. “This is Felicia Hales. She’s responsible for supplying us with these vehicles.”

  “And a few extra things in the trunks,” Felicia said, running an elegant hand through her long hair, which was varying shades of green.

  “Thank you,” Layla said.

  “I knew your dad,” Felicia told her. “When he worked for the FBI. I didn’t know he was . . .”

  “Evil?” Layla guessed.

  “I’m not sure evil is the right word,” Felicia said. “He was always very professional and helpful. He didn’t know I was a vampire, and he certainly didn’t tell me what he was, but then, when I worked with him, the word umbra wasn’t known. I’m sorry he turned out to be much more dangerous than I imagined. And I’m even more sorry that your life got turned upside down because of it.”

  “Thank you,” Layla said as everyone made their way toward the SUVs.

  “Can I give you a piece of advice?” Felicia asked.

  Layla nodded. “Sure, but if you’re about to tell me to forgive him because he’s my father and I’ll miss him when he’s gone, you’re going to be disappointed.”

  Felicia laughed. “No, not even slightly. I’m a vampire, a very powerful one. Not in a bragging, look-at-how-awesome-I-am sense. It’s just as a fact. I’ve dealt with many people over the centuries and not all of them have been nice. I like to consider myself a good judge of character, but your father is one of the few I was wrong about. I thought he was just someone who loved his family and job, and he managed to hide the dark side of himself so well that I found it genuinely terrifying.”

  “You’re not the only one.”

  “No, I don’t suppose I am. I know you’re probably very conflicted about this whole thing, but my advice is that if you need to put him down, do it. I’ve read the report on his crimes—don’t ask how—and I’ve met people like him over the years, people who hide that side of themselves so well you don’t get a glimpse of their real personality until it’s too late. Your dad may love you, but the second he gets the chance to revert to his old ways, he’ll jump at it, and if you’re in the way, there’s a possibility he’ll consider you an obstacle to remove.”

  “I’ve wondered that myself,” Layla said with a sad sigh. “Would he hurt me to get to someone else? I’d like to think not. I’d like to think that despite everything else he’s done, it would matter that I’m his daughter. But, honestly, I doubt it would. I don’t think he would consider me anything other than an obstacle. Thanks for the advice. I’m not sure I could put my dad down, despite everything, but hopefully it’s something I’ll never find out.”

  Felicia offered her hand, which Layla shook. “Take care out there,” Felicia said. “I don’t want to read how we’ve lost another of our side to Avalon’s evil. We’ve lost too many already, and I’m going to try everyth
ing I can to stop adding to that total.”

  “I’ll do my damnedest to make sure I’m not one of them.” Layla got into the nearest SUV and buckled herself into the seat next to Remy as the cars moved out of the park.

  “Everything okay?” Remy asked.

  “I hope so,” Layla said. “Felicia just reminded me how much we’ve lost in the last few years. She didn’t want me to be added to it.”

  Remy patted Layla on the hand. “We’ll get this done and then we’ll get back to our frozen paradise where we can all sit around, drink margaritas, and talk about the good old days.”

  “Talk about the good old days?”

  “Those days when we look back with the rosiest colored glasses and decide that the young whippersnappers have it too easy, or aren’t respectful enough, or have music that’s strange and confusing.”

  “I’m twenty-three,” Layla said. “I think I have a while before I get there.”

  “I’m several hundred years old,” Remy replied. “I think I’ve always been there. I’m definitely wiser than my years.”

  “Are you bollocks,” Chloe said, causing everyone to laugh.

  “See, whippersnappers,” Remy said with a tut.

  The conversation continued with its usual jovial tone for the rest of the short journey until the car stopped. Layla looked out of the window at the dense forest all around them. There was a turning off the main road a few hundred feet from where she sat, and a dirt road appeared to disappear into the trees. Three buildings sat between her and the turn-off, all two stories tall, with white fences and small yards. They obstructed her view of the dirt road until they were level with the houses, when they stopped and several of the strike team got out to talk to the residents of the houses.

  “That’s Sawbill,” Kase said, nodding toward the hamlet. “Small place, but they have a big job. We need them to talk to those working at the prison so that the gates can be opened. They might be expecting us, but if Sawbill doesn’t let them know we’re on our way, they won’t take kindly to us just arriving.”

  “So, are these guards all human?” Chloe asked.

  “Yep, pretty much,” Irkalla answered from her position in the shotgun seat. “The prison is a human prison, after all; we just use a part of it to put people we want out of the way until we can move them somewhere more permanent. It’s not a huge place—only a few hundred inmates—but it’s high security, so we play nice with those who work there, provide protection to its employees, and we get to come and say hello without having to deal with Avalon or its newfound dislike of us.”

  “Sounds fair to me,” Zamek said as the SUV started up again.

  “They didn’t make this place easy to get to, did they?” Chloe said, just before the convoy turned down the dirt trail that Layla had spotted earlier. Huge trees towered over them from either side, putting the occupants of the car into shadow.

  “They aren’t good people here,” Irkalla said. “But if you break out of this jail, you’re going to face several hundred square miles of nothing all around you. It’s just forest, rivers, mountains, and, in winter, death. And that’s ignoring the bears, wolves, and other assorted wildlife that will make your escape more difficult. And those are just the obstacles for humans. For the supernatural prisoners, there are runes of various types; some just remove powers, and some are designed to cause injury. We had a werewolf escape a few years ago. He got to the outer perimeter, ignited a rune, and it turned the wall to gas. A rather unpleasant cocktail if I remember correctly. It almost killed him.”

  “They should put that in the prison brochure,” Remy said.

  “Anything else we should know?” Layla asked.

  “Technically, this place still falls under the jurisdiction of the LOA. Thankfully, Olivia kept its existence off the official record because she’s paranoid like that. Her predecessor did the same, presumably because working for Avalon for too long makes you distrust a lot of people. From what Olivia told me, the prison’s location is known only to the director of the LOA. When she was kicked off Team Avalon, she made a few calls to let those loyal to her know what was happening. Also, she never gave up any information about places like this to her successor.”

  “Who’s her successor?” Layla asked.

  “Not sure who’s in charge now,” Irkalla said. “It was Ares after Olivia, but he came down with a bad case of pissing-off-the-wrong-sorcerer, and he’s now dead. As for this prison, I have no idea. Avalon has more important things to do, and if the information I gathered about the prison is right, Avalon doesn’t know they exist. So, it’s a win all around, although if this goes well, we might want to send them some money to keep them happy.”

  “So long as Nergal doesn’t know about this place,” Remy said.

  “We can only hope at the moment,” Irkalla told him.

  Half an hour later, the convoy stopped outside of the prison, which loomed over its surroundings. The walls were thirty-foot-tall concrete with four guard towers and a guard post with several armed personnel. They passed the first hurdle and were allowed onto the prison grounds where there were more towers and a parking area that led to the prison offices. Both teams got out of the SUVs and waited as two guards left the building and walked over to the group.

  “Which one is in charge?” the older of the two men asked as he rubbed his hand across his graying beard.

  “That would be her,” Irkalla said, pointing to Layla.

  “Sorry, what?” Layla asked, surprised by the announcement.

  “He’s your father and you’re the only one he might listen to, so you’re in charge,” Irkalla told her.

  “Surprise,” Remy said, raising his hands and then, palms out, wiggling them about.

  “Did you just do jazz hands?” Kase asked.

  Remy smiled.

  “You done with the show?” the guard asked. “My name is Captain Malcolm Turner and I’m in charge here. We’ve dealt with Avalon and its people a few times over the years, but I’ve always had Olivia as my main contact, and frankly I trust her more than whoever now has her job. Besides, I hear that Avalon is less interested in our prisoners and more interested in executing everyone, which puts me out of a job. So, I’m on your side.”

  “I like you,” Remy said.

  “I don’t give a shit,” Malcolm countered. “It’s my job to keep you people safe, and to keep the inmates secure. Many of them are about as close to animals as people can get, but they’re my animals, and I take my job seriously. You will not engage with any inmate. You will not rile them up or make fun of them. And you sure as hell won’t touch them in any way. If, during your time in the prison, any inmate other than the one you’re cleared to engage with says anything to you, you will ignore it. If they whip out their dicks and start pissing on you, you will continue as if nothing is happening. We will deal with the prisoners, not you. I don’t care how many guns and how much magic you’ve brought with you. Am I clear?”

  “Yes,” Layla said.

  “Your father, Caleb, is about as model a prisoner as we get here; until you put him with the general population, and then he tends to reduce their numbers. He is not to be underestimated, not even by his own daughter. He’s in solitary. There are four other inmates in the same unit. Again, do not engage with them. We go in, get your father, and leave. That is the only way this works.”

  “Anything else?” Irkalla asked.

  “Caleb Cassidy scares the living shit out of everyone who deals with him. Because his power allows him to track anyone, anywhere, so long as he has something they’ve touched, he was able to see where some of the guards went in the evenings. We were not meant to keep people like your father here for long-term care. The wing he’s in was only meant to be a stop-gap before they could move him on. Unfortunately, that turned to shit, and we got stuck with him. We do our best, but we were never equipped to deal with someone like him. Most of the non-human prisoners we have here are only capable of minor power displays.

  “Caleb would
find a hair from one of his guards, or steal things like a pencil, and he would use that item to investigate the owner’s world. Caleb would ask about their families, about mistresses and drug use. It was like some kind of screwed up game for him.”

  “He’s a real charmer then,” Remy said.

  “When he was first arrested, Caleb was placed in general population. We knew that he was dangerous and arranged for greater security. Before those arrangements could be completed, he escaped his cell. He beat one inmate with a chair leg so badly most of the bones in his face were crushed.” Malcolm looked toward his younger colleague. “This is Cody. He was the one who had to stop your dad.”

  “Took four guards to pull him away,” the younger man said. “We threatened to shoot him, but he just laughed. Was he like that before he went in, Miss?”

  Layla shook her head. “I never saw that side. Not until they arrested him, and his crimes were exposed for all to see.”

  “He was perfectly pleasant to talk to,” the younger guard said. “Even when he said things about our lives—he’d mention that it looked like our kids were having a nice time playing a particular game, or that it must have been good to have our parents visit—it never seemed like he was being malicious or cruel, just like he was making conversation. Like he wanted to keep his power in use and was interested in what we did. He seemed surprised that we were upset with him.”