One Last Breath

by S. C. Stokes

  With each moment, Kasey felt her energy waning. The longer she had to maintain the spell and the greater the weight of fire the more quickly she would tire.

  "Whatever you are going to do, do it quickly," Kasey whispered.

  When Sanders didn’t respond, Kasey looked over her shoulder. He had lowered himself to a runner’s pose and was beginning to glow. Kasey stared in wonder as he glowed brighter and brighter.

  "When I say now, expand your shield as wide as you can. I only need a little bit of cover. Once I get moving, the bullets won't matter anymore.”

  Kasey had an inkling of what was coming. She'd seen that golden glow once before, at the Ainslie’s Manor.

  "Now!" Sanders shouted.

  Kasey closed her eyes and willed her barrier outward, stretching its protective shield as far as she could manage. She couldn't see it, but she heard Sanders take off. Her eyes fluttered open, and she risked a peek around the dumpster to see Sanders sprinting down the alleyway toward the cars. Soon the light grew in intensity until Sanders was completely obscured by a radiant glowing orb of energy.

  Kasey knew what came next. She shrank back behind the dumpster and drew her shield tight around her.

  With singular purpose, Sanders’ spell reached its cataclysmic finale.

  Kasey felt the shockwave roll over her. Debris rained down from the buildings above.

  As the dust settled, she dared another glance down the alley. Sanders stood there smiling in the midst of the Night Crew barricade… Only the barricade was no longer there. Both vehicles had been flipped by the blast and lay in the center of the street. The thugs were nowhere to be seen.

  Sanders’ glow was fading with each second. Kasey pushed to her feet and raced to meet him, duffel bag pounding against her back. As she emerged from the head of the alley, the battered bodies of the Night Crew came into view. They weren't moving at all.

  Without a word, she and Sanders sprinted down the street and around the corner. The storefronts were closed, heavy steel grills blocking all of the store entrances, and the street was largely deserted. Sanders grabbed Kasey and pulled her into the entryway of a butcher store lying just ahead of them.

  "What are you doing?" Kasey asked.

  Sanders chanted, “Bedydrian.”

  Before her eyes, Sanders’ countenance shifted, and in seconds, he'd aged his entire appearance once more. He now looked like an octogenarian reaching the end of his life.

  Hunching over with a cane, he cracked a toothy grin. “You’re next."

  Before Kasey could stop him, he cast the enchantment. Kasey’s heart stopped as her arms wrinkled and sagged as the illusion rolled over her.

  Even in the dark, she resembled a woman three times her age. She was also carrying a grocery bag, rather than the black duffel.

  "I’m going to kill you," Kasey muttered.

  "Not now you aren't,” Sanders replied, hefting his own grocery bag off the sidewalk.

  They stepped out from the storefront right as two Night Crew happened upon them.

  "You there. Stop!”

  Kasey and Sanders stopped dead.

  Sanders feigned surprise and turning slowly, raising his cane.

  "What is it?" His voice came out weak and strained.

  The Night Crew approached, taking in their appearance. Their faces contorted with confusion.

  “I, um…" the first Night Crewmen muttered.

  "What is it?" Kasey added, trying her best to affect an old woman's nag.

  "Have you seen anyone else pass this way?” the second Night Crew asked. “We were looking for some thieves. They were dressed in black hoodies."

  Sanders pointed his cane toward an alley trailing off the right-hand side of the street. “We saw two people run down there, just a moment ago. I'm not sure if they are your thieves but they certainly looked like they were up to no good."

  The two Night Crew took off towards the alley.

  As soon as they were gone, Kasey grinned. Maybe this disguise wasn’t so bad.

  Tottering to the edge of the street, Sanders held up his cane and hailed a taxi.

  In moments, one of New York's signature yellow cabs pulled over. Sanders motioned for Kasey to jump into the back seat. She ducked inside, scanning the distance for any sign of more Night Crew.

  The taxi driver clambered out of his car.

  "Shall I put that in the trunk?" He nodded towards the grocery bags.

  Sanders clutched the bag close. “No need, son. They can ride with us in the back.”

  The taxi driver shrugged and then climbed back into the vehicle. Sanders lifted the bags into the back of the cab and slid them across the seat before climbing in after them.

  "Where to?” the taxi driver asked

  “The Park Hyatt, please,” Sanders said, settling against the seat.

  The taxi pulled out into the street.

  "They certainly looked like they were up to no good," Kasey teased affecting her best impression of Sanders’ old man accent.

  "Quiet, you. It was the best I could do on short notice.”

  Kasey couldn't help but laugh. “What's the plan now?"

  Sanders patted the shopping bags with their precious payload.

  "Tonight, we rest.” He turned his gaze out the window, watching the street. “Tomorrow, we strike back."

  Chapter Eight

  Raiding the Night Crew stash house, while risky in the extreme, had provided them with all the funds they needed to lose their pursuers, at least for a time.

  Now with their cash reserves replenished, they were no longer slumming it. At Sanders’ insistence they had headed for the Park Hyatt located near Central Park. The ritzy hotel would throw the ADI off their tail, at least for now. The five-star establishment cost more than a thousand dollars a night and offered spectacular views of the surrounding city. It was the perfect place to relax and catch their breath while they formulated the next stage of their plan.

  Checking in under assumed identities, and masked by an illusion spell, Kasey was confident they could breathe easily at last. The ADI may have been looking for her and Sanders, but Ben and Jenny Kaswell were fine and upstanding citizens with money to burn.

  Safely ensconced in their suite, they had counted their haul. Avoiding the smaller denominations had paid off. Together, the two duffel bags contained almost three million dollars. Packed flat and banded together in neat ten thousand dollar stacks, it was remarkably compact.

  Kasey had never seen so much cash in her life.

  Off the grid and armed with resources, they now had a swathe of options available to them. Eyeing the luxurious hotel beds, Kasey succumbed to her exhaustion.

  Flopping onto the mattress, she drifted straight to sleep.

  The sound of the hotel door clicking shut roused Kasey from her slumber.

  Kasey fought to open her eyes.

  “Good morning, sleepyhead,” Sanders said from nearby.

  Kasey forced her eyes open to see Sanders sitting at the writing desk in the suite. The lights were dimmed, and a tray with a large silver lid rested on a serving cart by the bed.

  “I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I got you a little bit of everything. I figured you’d be famished.”

  Kasey sat up, eying the tray hungrily. “Mmm. Breakfast would really hit the spot about now.”

  Sanders smiled. “At this time of day, it’s more brunch, really.”

  Kasey brushed her hair back out of her face. “Really? What time is it?”

  She searched the hotel room.

  “It’s almost eleven am,” Sanders said. “Fortunately, these black out curtains work like a charm.”

  He held up a remote and pressed one of its small black buttons. The heavy curtains rolled back, revealing a bright and sunny New York day. Kasey squinted against the sunlight, but as her eyes adjusted, she took in the spectacular vista that was New York City. Central Park cut a trail of green through the urban metropolis as it stretched for miles below her.

 
“I’ve certainly stayed in worse places,” Kasey said, “I’m pretty sure most of them were your fault though, so this makes things even.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Sanders replied, “I was a wizard in good standing before you walked into my office. I’m beginning to think my run of ill fortune can all be traced back to a singular source.”

  “Oh, get out of here,” Kasey replied, rolling her eyes. “You were wanted for murder before I got involved. You did that much all on your own. As far as I can tell, your success in evading your fate has more than a little to do with my intervention. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be in a cell—or worse.”

  “Worse, definitely worse,” Sanders said, turning all the way around to face her. “And I’ve certainly had poorer company that’s for sure.”

  Kasey glanced down at her sheets to avoid the compliment, but found the warmth rising in her cheeks regardless. She rubbed her face then reached for the cart.

  “What have we got here?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “Enough to feed an army,” Sanders replied with a flourish of his hand.

  Kasey lifted the lid off the tray. To her delight, Sanders wasn’t exaggerating. It was the largest tray she had ever seen. On one plate lay crispy bacon and scrambled eggs. On another two, toasted waffles heaped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Beside them, rounding out the meal, were two slices of French toast on a wooden board, drizzled in maple syrup. This close to Canada, and in a hotel of this caliber, Kasey expected it would be sensational.

  Kasey giddily picked up her knife and fork and set to work. After slicing a portion off the first waffle, she picked it up and slid it between her lips, savoring the moment.

  Between mouthfuls, Kasey turned to Sanders, “So what’s next? We are no longer poor as church mice, but the ADI will catch our trail eventually. We still need to change the game.”

  “I have a few ideas,” Sanders replied, folding his hands over his stomach. “I’ve been thinking on it for most of the morning, but I’ve only come up with one truly viable course of action. If we want to get the ADI off our back, and do away with this baseless murder charge, we need to prove my innocence. Right now, the Master of The Shinigami is masquerading as Arthur Ainslie. As the chancellor, the complete resources of the Arcane Council are behind him. He killed Theo to cover his tracks and we are still paying the price for it. Our freedom hinges on taking him down.”

  “I agree, but that’s far easier said than done.” Kasey swiped her finger through the whipped cream and dabbed it on her tongue. “How are you suggesting we accomplish so great a feat? Arresting him will be difficult. All the money in the world is still going to make that a tricky proposition. Besides, he’s a formidable wizard. The more we pursue him, the more perilous our own position becomes. Not to mention the collateral damage that might result from such an effort. He’s not going to go quietly.”

  “I agree entirely,” Sanders said, leaning forward. “Arresting him will be nigh on impossible. We have no evidence of his crime. It’s our word against his.”

  “The council will not take our side.” Kasey answered. “Of that much I am sure.”

  “Agreed. So I think it’s time we commit the crime for which I already stand accused. I’m suggesting we kill Arthur Ainslie, or at least the impostor who has taken his place. It will be far easier for us to eliminate him than arrest him.”

  Kasey nodded slowly. She had always known it might come to this. The Master of the Shinigami was the author of a plot that would kill millions. He had to be put down for good, but hearing Sanders suggest killing him while he sat in power at the heart of the Arcane Council seemed almost tantamount to suicide.

  “You want to assassinate the chancellor of the Arcane Council?” Kasey asked.

  Sanders leaned back in his chair. “No, he’s already dead. I want to kill the pretender now sitting in his place. It will take care of two birds with one stone. If we kill him, the illusion he’s hiding behind will be shattered, revealing his duplicity and prove his motive for killing Theo Getz. It will clear us of all suspicion and allow us to take back control of the Arcane Council. Hopefully with him dead, the plot against the city will also fail.”

  “Two birds with one stone, indeed,” Kasey said as she slowly chewed a piece of crispy bacon. She swallowed it before continuing. “But it’s a heck of a big stone.” She studied Sanders expression. “How do you suggest we accomplish that?”

  “I’m still working on the details,” Sanders answered, “but we now have resources we didn’t have yesterday. Money buys allies, equipment, and weapons. I’m suggesting we use this money to pay for it. I’m suggesting we buy ourselves an army of our own.”

  “An army? I like the sound of that,” Kasey said, mulling over the words. “Any chance I can relax here in the hotel while they take care of things? Maybe have a spa day or a massage?”

  “Not a chance,” Sanders replied. “Right now, there are very few people I trust in this world. I need your help to finish this. No one knows as much about the Shinigami as you do, and your visions have saved my skin more than once already. I need you with me.”

  Kasey let out an exaggerated sigh. “Very well, then. Can I at least finish my breakfast? Carrying out an assassination on an empty stomach is not a proposition I can agree to.”

  That broke Sanders’ somber mood, and he laughed. “Of course. Finish your breakfast, then we’ll get moving.”

  Kasey tore into the balance of her meal, taking a brief break now and then to gulp down her orange juice.

  Sanders flicked on the TV. The usual news cycle had been replaced by a red warning screen.

  Side by side pictures of Kasey and Sanders dominated the TV. White letters on a black background read, “New York’s Most Wanted.”

  The voice over announced, “Noah Sanders, age thirty-five, and Kasey Chase, age twenty-eight, are wanted for a violent armed robbery committed in the Bronx last night. Heavily armed, the pair stormed an apartment building, terrorizing the aging residents before stealing anything they could carry away from the scene.

  “No less than twelve people were killed in this brazen theft, making it the single deadliest armed robbery in New York in recent years. Authorities warn that the pair remain at large and are to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If spotted, do not attempt to approach them. Please call the FBI’s hotline on 1-800-225-5324 with any tips or sightings. A reward is being offered for any information leading to the apprehension of these two violent killers.”

  Kasey’s jaw dropped. “What the hell?”

  “The ADI,” Sanders answered. “This is their retaliation for the attack on the stash house. The amount of magic we used against the Night Crew will have drawn their ire. We left enough witnesses for them to be mopping up after us for weeks. We’ve divided their resources, and this is how they respond. They’ve turned the entire city against us.”

  “It isn’t true, though,” Kasey replied, thumping the mattress. “Is there no end to the lies the ADI will tell to achieve their mission? My family will have seen that. My boss, Chief West at the Ninth Precinct, will have seen it. They’ve just ruined my life!”

  She hurled her cutlery across the suite and leapt to her feet, hot with rage.

  “Easy, Kasey,” Sanders replied, but kept his distance. “This is what they want. They want to rattle us. Force us to make a mistake. This is what they do. They don’t care what the cost is. They will protect the World of Magic at any price and right now they see us as the biggest threat it has faced in decades. If we want them off our back, we have to take out the Shinigami.”

  “That’s going to be difficult with all of New York City after us,” Kasey replied. “We won’t be able to take ten steps before someone spots us.”

  “You’re right. We’ll have to use our aliases everywhere we go. A bit of hair dye isn’t going to cut it. We’ll need to use full body illusions. Don’t worry about your job, Kasey. The Ninth Precinct will do its research and discover, if t
hey don’t already know, that it was a Night Crew stash house that was hit. All the damage the ADI does to us, we can undo later. For now, we just need to focus and move forward with our plan.”

  Kasey simmered with rage as she paced the floor angrily.

  I’m no murderer.

  She’d dropped bodies, certainly, but no one who didn’t have it coming. Danilo had been the first. The finality of it had shook her then but she’d reconciled herself to the knowledge that it had been Danilo or her. She had been fighting for her life.

  The Shinigami likewise didn’t cause her to lose any sleep. For New York to be saved, there was a price to pay. More would be required to thwart them, that much she was sure.

  The Night Crew had been the first Kasey had actively sought out. They were not self-defense. Self-preservation perhaps, but not self-defense. It had bothered her less than she had expected. She’d seen enough bodies in the morgue to know the price their drug trade was taking on the city. The victims got younger and younger as dealers pushed products laced with deadly chemicals. College students were dying in the war on drugs and the single greatest contributor to that loss of life was the Night Crew. Truth be told, when Kasey considered the lives she’d taken raiding their stash house, she felt entirely justified. She wasn’t losing any sleep over their loss, either.

  She stopped and stared at the full-length mirror hanging on the wall.

  What have I become?

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Sanders asked. “You’re looking a little grim.”

  “I was just thinking about the past few months. Only months ago, I’d never killed anyone. I’m not even sure how many people I must have killed last night. The grenades alone must have taken a dozen. All told, it could have been as many as thirty people. I tell myself they were drug dealers making millions off others’ misfortune, but what does that make me?”

  “It makes you a hero, Kasey,” Sanders said softly. “Without you, many more would have died. Danilo, the thieves at the Gala, the Shinigami, and even the Night Crew. If you’d not intervened, the loss of life would have been considerably more. We may have been motivated by survival rather than the greater good last night, but the fact remains, we just dealt the single largest blow to the Night Crew that has been struck since they took up residence here in New York City. That makes you a hero. Don’t ever forget it.”