by Jamie Davis
Miranda turned to Quinn. “Can you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Look beaten. I’ve never seen you look anything but defiant, even at the worst of times. Even when I died.”
Quinn clenched her fists as the memory of the moment John Handon took Miranda’s life right in front of her. She counted it among her greatest failures.
“Quinn,” Miranda said. The ghost drifted around and floated in front of Quinn. “I didn’t just say that to remind you of my death. Look at how you’re carrying yourself right now.”
Quinn glanced down. Her fists were clenched. Her whole body trembled, and she understood what Miranda was trying to get her to see. She inhaled and released a deep breath, forcing herself to relax.
Quinn smiled at Miranda. “I get the message. Don’t worry. I can do this. I’ve got to keep my eyes on the prize, and that is getting to the heart of what Gemma is trying to do and stopping it. For that, I’ll look like I’ve been defeated.”
“You’d better,” Taylor said. “We won’t get a second chance. If Filippa has been using that house since we first went there, they have to be close to finding the way into the tunnels. They could be near the artifact already.”
Quinn nodded. “I’m going to go take a shower and get ready. I’ll see you both at dinner. We’ll congratulate Avery on her success and welcome her as the new Huntress. Then I’m going to show them what a real Huntress does when there’s trouble in her town.”
Chapter Nineteen
Avery wasn’t in the apartment when Quinn went up. That was fine with her. She didn’t feel like dealing with smug comments, or worse, condescension from the other girl.
Quinn jumped in the shower, taking her time. While she knew she had to go down and let Gemma and Avery take a victory lap over dinner, it didn’t mean she looked forward to the experience. After she got dressed, she puttered around, using picking up dirty clothes and other clutter as an excuse not to go downstairs.
Her phone chirped with a message from Taylor.
We’re at dinner. No sign of Gemma or Avery.
Quinn smirked. The two of them probably had a grand entrance planned for when the whole clan was present. They’d want to show off for the other members of the supernatural community in O’Malley’s. Word would get around Baltimore about Avery’s new status faster that way.
Taking a deep breath, Quinn slipped on her boots, made a last check in the mirror to make sure she looked good, and started downstairs. It was time to face the consequences of her failure, even if it was a way to hide what she had planned for later that evening. It wouldn’t do to give Gemma and Avery a heads up that she was coming after them.
The two of them still hadn’t arrived when Quinn got to the bar. The place was rocking. The band had the patrons up and dancing, even though it was early. The honky-tonk band played as Quinn walked to join her friends.
Clark, Naomi, Taylor, and Miranda sat at one of the larger round tables, waiting for her to arrive. Everyone already had their food. Quinn sat down next to Taylor and glanced at the two empty chairs across from her.
Juni came by to take her order, and after the waitress left, Quinn looked at the others. “Any sign of the guests of honor?”
Clark shook his head. “I tried calling Gemma. She’s not answering.”
Naomi said, “It’s not like her to miss an opportunity to gloat. This is what she wanted, after all.”
“What if it’s not?” Quinn said.
“This is a huge win for Gemma,” Clark stated. “Of course, it’s what she wants.”
Taylor raised her voice as the band started a new song. “Quinn’s right. We did some checking around, and I think she’s found something.”
Quinn said, “Have you ever heard of something called the Crystal Well?”
Clark shook his head. “What does it have to do with Gemma and Avery?”
“It’s some kind of arcane object of power, and I think it’s here in Baltimore. That’s why Gemma and Avery came when they did. They’re working for Filippa to find and obtain the Crystal Well for her.”
Clark sighed. “Filippa isn’t the boogeyman, Quinn. She’s not behind everything that goes wrong in the world.”
“Except, in this case, she is.” Quinn stabbed a finger on the table in front of her. “She was the Fae sponsor who protected Avery after the purges. She financed Gemma so she could train the girl and maybe others to meet some alternate Huntress prophecy. She sent the two of them here to get in my way so she could keep looking for something she’s been after since the very beginning.”
“Quinn—” Clark began.
“Hear me out,” Quinn said. “I’ve got proof. I managed to track down the likely location of the Crystal Well here in Baltimore. It’s somewhere under Federal Hill. The entrance to the old tunnels and mines beneath that part of the city is located where we found Filippa the first time I met her.”
Clark glanced at Naomi. “Okay, let’s go back and start at the beginning. Tell us how you found all this out about Gemma and Avery.”
Quinn went through everything she’d learned, both from her conversations with Avery and from Aurora. She let Taylor explain the things she’d found. Clark and Naomi asked questions to get clarification on a few details. Once she finished, Clark sat back and stared at her for a few seconds.
He frowned. “If this is true, it’s not a good sign they didn’t show up here for dinner. The only reason I can think of for them not to come is that they’re close to finding what they came for.”
“We need to be sure,” Naomi urged.
“I can find out what they’re doing tonight,” Quinn said. “Let Taylor send me into the VR system. I’ll scout the area around the house and get the proof we need to expose their plot.”
Clark said, “Exposing them isn’t enough. We have to make sure they don’t find the talisman. We don’t even know for sure what it does. We have to get to it first and take it before they do.”
“All the more reason to let me go in,” Quinn said. “I can slip into the tunnels and find out how close they are to locating it. Then I’ll come back so we can plan our next move.”
“Quinn,” Naomi said, “your plan is good as long as you remember this is a scouting mission. If they have a werepanther pride providing muscle, you have to approach this with care. You can’t go in there and think you’ll be able to fight your way out again.”
“I figured that out the hard way when I went to talk to Inez, remember?”
“Naomi’s right,” Clark warned. “Scouting for information only this time. Find out what you can and get out. Got it?”
Quinn nodded. “I can do this. You’ll see. I’m more than just a badass fighting machine with a pretty face.”
Clark didn’t answer right away. It was several seconds before he gave a nod. Everyone pitched in with ideas at that point. If Quinn found what they expected her to, this would require all hands on deck. Eventually, the plan came together. Everyone got up and went to get started on the night’s work. It was time to get some payback.
A half-hour later, Quinn sat on the table in Taylor’s workroom, geared up and ready to go into the system.
Clark stood beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Scout only. No fighting. If they discover you, they’ll know we’re on to them.”
“I’ve got this. I can do it.”
Naomi said, “We don’t doubt it, Quinn. We just don’t want you to get distracted if you run into Avery. Now’s not the time to prove you’re better than her.”
As much as Quinn itched for a rematch with the other Huntress, she knew they were right. “I told you I’ve got this. I’ll come home, and we can all go back together, okay?”
Clark nodded. “Okay.” He turned to the others. “Taylor, ready to send her in?”
“Ready to go. I’ve added a little something to the code to dial up your stealth abilities. It should show up on your scout menu as a drop-down selection.”
“I’ll let you know how it
goes,” Quinn said. She laid back and settled the VR headgear, lowering the goggles into place. “I’m ready.”
Taylor tapped a few keys on her keyboard, then started chanting as she melded her spells with the computer code of the VR system.
The system tugged Quinn backward until she virtually fell through the table and into the blackness of the system’s bridge between worlds.
Chapter Twenty
Quinn arrived back in the park atop Federal Hill and dropped to one knee. She scanned the area from the shadows and saw no one out and about. It was late on a weeknight, so she wasn’t surprised. She didn’t want to rely on her stealth abilities until she absolutely had to engage them, not knowing how long she’d need to keep them going.
Rising to her feet, Quinn jogged to the edge of the park, where it bordered a residential neighborhood of brick row homes. Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, Quinn started working her way down the street on the left side, watching behind her for cars or pedestrians. It wouldn’t do to be seen sneaking around or get caught in the headlights of a random passerby. People in this community would be quick to call the police on a suspected prowler.
Twice she had to stop and take cover for a car coming down the street. On one occasion, she ducked under a set of stone steps to hide as a gentleman in his fifties came out to walk his dog. Quinn held her breath so the dog wouldn’t notice her and draw the man’s attention to her presence. She waited several minutes after they passed to be sure they were gone.
She was glad she had. As Quinn was about to stand and return to the sidewalk, the man came back around the corner ahead of her, returning by the same route to his home. She barely made it back into hiding in time.
After they’d passed and she’d checked to make sure they’d gone inside, Quinn continued on her way. She was only a block or so away from the target house, according to her HUD map.
When she reached the end of the street, Quinn found a set of basement stairs recessed into the side of the home on the corner. From there, she could watch the Victorian home where she’d first met Filippa. Situated across the street this way, Quinn got a good look at the front of the home. There were a few lights on, but no other sign of people inside or out.
She couldn’t just walk up to the front door and knock. It was unlikely she’d be able to sneak in the front door anyway. Both rooms at the front of the house on the first floor had their lights on. She’d be seen, or if her stealth abilities held up, someone would see the door open and close and know someone was nearby.
Quinn decided the best option was to try the back of the home and the kitchen entrance. Based on her memory of the last time she was there, the stairs to the basement started in the kitchen. She figured that was where she would find the tunnel entrance if there was one.
Before she headed out to work her way around the block to the rear, Quinn glanced at her HUD and brought up the ability icons. The arrow-shaped scout icon highlighted right away, blinking to show a new ability available. She’d forgotten that Taylor had added something to the system tonight.
Quinn concentrated on the flashing icon so the menu opened. The dropdown had her standard hide in shadows ability, which she’d already accessed with a command word. Below it was a new listing:
Enhanced Recon
Quinn concentrated on the listing without activating it to see if there was an explanation. She smiled when a pop-up appeared.
Enhanced Recon — Allows near invisibility along with limited scent and sound masking. Duration is sixty seconds. May be engaged two times per session.
That was perfect. Inez had been able to detect Quinn’s presence by scent when she’d used her standard hide ability. This new skill would allow her to elude any shifters who might smell or hear her with their enhanced senses. She was worried about the time limitation. Sixty seconds wasn’t very long. She’d have to plan carefully to avoid getting trapped in the open when it ran out.
Quinn tapped her earpiece. “T, I’m getting ready to go inside. I’m going to circle around and come in from the backyard.”
“We’re monitoring your position. Let us know if you need anything.”
“Will do. Oh, and good work on the Enhanced Recon skill. I’ll let you know how it works.”
“Remember, it’s time-limited.”
“I saw that. I’ll be careful. Okay, heading in. I’ll be back in touch soon.”
Quinn cut the connection and checked the street in both directions. A narrow side street opened up a few houses down from the target. The map indicated it connected to an alley that ran behind that part of the neighborhood.
She switched to satellite view and tried to dial in the magnification on the backyards along the alley. It looked like there were fences behind most of them. There was a shed or small detached garage in the yard behind the Victorian home. She might be able to get up on the roof of the shed and check out the home from the back before going in.
The coast was clear as she shifted her attention away from the HUD. Whispering, “mist,” Quinn ran in a crouch across the street as the hazy outline touched the edge of her visual field. She stayed between the widely spaced street lamps to let the shadows do their thing. Anyone taking a casual glance at the street would see shifting shadows as if a breeze waved the leaves in the trees.
She’d angled her crossing to get her closer to the side street that led to the alley. Reaching the corner, Quinn put her back against the wall of the home and peeked around to check the other street.
It was a good thing she did. The smell of wet fur warned her of the approaching werepanthers before she saw them. Two tall men in leather biker jackets walked in her direction on the sidewalk.
Backing up along the front of the home, Quinn searched for somewhere to hide. She remembered how hard it had been to take down the werepanthers before and what Clark had told her about avoiding a fight.
Quinn’s eyes fell on a grate in the sidewalk a few feet away. It had to lead to one of the storm drains to the harbor. It was the only option for a quick place to hide.
Spreading her fingers and shoving them into the grate’s holes, Quinn tensed her muscles and dialed up her strength from the stamina bar. She tugged upward, and on the second pull, the grate came up. Tilting it to one side, Quinn slipped through the narrow opening and let the grate fall closed above her, catching it at the last instant to slow it so it dropped into place almost silently.
Just in time.
The two shifters rounded the corner and stared up and down the street.
The taller of the two said, “I heard something,”
“Me, too. Like metal scraping on metal?”
“Yeah. Just like that.”
The two scanned the street while Quinn watched, peering up at the pair from only a few feet away. She should be able to hide down here until they went on their way. It was dark, and the musty smells of wet leaves and whatever else had washed through here during the last storm should cover her scent.
Up above, the two shifters searched the street for several minutes. After a final scan up and down, the shorter werepanther pulled out a big cigar and a silver lighter. He lit the stogie, flipped the lighter closed, and blew a series of smoke rings.
His partner walked over and held out a hand. The first shifter reached into his pocket again and handed another cigar to his companion.
“Thanks. Are these the ones you got after shaking down that tobacco shop?”
“Yep. Nothing like a twenty-dollar cigar.”
“Twenty dollars? Damn, that’s a lot for a smoke.”
“What do you care? As far as you and I are concerned, it’s free. Lots more where this one came from. I arranged with the owner to slip me more of these when I came to collect, and he didn’t have to come up with so much cash.”
The taller one shook his head as he puffed on the second cigar. “Boss ain’t gonna like it if he finds out you’ve been skimming on the protection racket.”
“He’s not gonna find out, right?”
“Not as long as few of these find their way to me from time to time.”
The two of them chuckled and started walking up the street toward the Victorian home.
Quinn couldn’t see them anymore, but she did pull them up on her HUD. They appeared as red dots on the overhead map. She wondered why they hadn’t appeared on it originally and how many others hadn’t shown up along with them. The good news was, now that she’d spotted them, they remained on the map, even though they’d moved out of sight.
She followed their progress as they walked away, trying to gauge the best time to slip out of the storm drain and make a run for the side street. She was about to make her move when a sound echoed from down the storm drain tunnel. It was faint, but it sounded like someone crying out in pain.
Quinn ducked and peered down the tunnel in both directions, but she couldn’t see anything. It was almost pitch-black in here.
“Dammit, I need to see.”
The instant she spoke the activation words, her inherent Huntress night vision switched on. The blackness of the tunnel was now gray-green, allowing her to see down the long rectangular passage. There was no one visible in the direction from which the noise came.
The tunnel was too small to stand up, so Quinn hunched over and started making her way down the tunnel, searching carefully as she went for the source of the voice. She headed more or less in the direction of her target. Could she be lucky enough for this to get her in somehow?
The answer was yes and no.
Quinn got to the point in the tunnel that was about even with the Victorian home above and stopped just short of a T-junction. The storm drain kept going parallel to the street above.
To the left, in the direction of the homes on that side, a large, round concrete pipe joined the even larger storm drain. Quinn stared up the pipe, straining her ears as she stood at the opening, trying to quiet her breathing and beating heart so she could hear if anyone was down there.
