Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse

by Bullion, Glenn

  "Yeah, you're probably right," Kevin said, feeling exactly the opposite. He pulled away. "I'd better go find her."

  He went inside and looked for Tiffany's classroom. He'd never been inside her school before, and only knew her classroom number from a list Jack gave him.

  A woman sat at a desk alone, drinking coffee and reviewing notes. She glanced up at Kevin as he entered the room. She didn't look friendly, peering over her glasses as if she were staring down an annoying eight-year-old.

  "Hi," Kevin said. He adjusted his coat. "Are you Mrs. Freely?"

  "I am," she said, looking back to her notes. "And you are?"

  "My name's Kevin. I'm watching over Tiffany March for a while. She's in your class. Do you know where she is?"

  "I'm afraid I don't." She finally looked up from her notes. "She didn't come back after lunch. I checked with the principal and nurse, but she wasn't there. It's sad, really, cutting class at such a young age."

  "Excuse me?" Kevin said. "Cutting class?"

  "Yeah. I hate to say it, but she's a bit of a problem child. And I can see why, given her father—"

  "Tiffany wouldn't cut class." Kevin's anger grew, which surprised him. He was protective of the little girl, which was the last thing he expected.

  Mrs. Freely laughed. "Yeah. No one ever thinks their child breaks the rules."

  Kevin's mind raced as dread crept over him. Mrs. Freely started to ramble about the terrible behavior in her class, but he wasn't listening. His mind kept dwelling on a single thought.

  Tiffany was missing.

  If he'd given her a magical rock, or simply slipped one in her backpack, he could find her easily. He could use his own magic rock to pinpoint where she was. But he'd given her no such object. He just didn't think about it, and he wanted to slap himself for the lack of forethought.

  He needed to find her.

  "Do you have a library here?" he asked, interrupting her rant.

  "What kind of question is that? And don't you know it's rude to interrupt—?"

  Kevin pulled a potion from his coat and threw it at Mrs. Freely's desk. The woman jumped in fear and shook her hands in the air. Her furious expression only lasted a moment, before she slowly breathed in the witch's magic. He waited for her pupils to dilate as she stood perfectly still.

  "Do you have a library here?" he repeated.

  "Yes."

  "And where is it?"

  "Take a right out of this classroom, and a left at the end of the hall. It's on the left, across from the school store."

  His truth potion was good for any three questions. After the third question, the subject would sleep for two hours, and not remember what they were asked. It was simple and effective, but Kevin couldn't think of a third question.

  "You don't really like children, do you?"

  "No, I don't."

  Mrs. Freely started to collapse. Kevin rushed forward to stop her from slamming her head on the desk. He gently lowered her to the floor and left the classroom without looking back.

  Magic spells and recipes always came to him when he least expected it. They usually came when he was at his mostly relaxed, or when he read his spell-book. Being in Leese's company had already conjured up an interesting spell or two in their time together.

  It also came to him at his most stressed.

  Ingredients and words written in the witch's language flashed through his mind as he headed toward the library. He had to lean against a locker several times, drawing a look from teachers as they walked by. Part of him wanted to focus on the magic and reflect on the new spells, but he couldn't take his mind off of Tiffany. There was the chance she was at home waiting for him, with some kind of crazy story about leaving school. But he simply didn't think so.

  Kevin turned into the library. He was ready to search from top to bottom, question whoever he had to, but that wasn't necessary. Luck was on his side, as he saw immediately what he was looking for.

  There were about ten children and one teacher in the library. They were performing some kind of fake newscast. Two children smiled for a camera while a teacher flipped through cue cards, and the other children moved background scenery around.

  The camera was what Kevin was interested in.

  He marched across the library. The children stopped talking as he approached, and the teacher turned around to face him.

  "Yes?" he said, irritated at the interruption. "May I help you? Are you lost?"

  "I need that camera."

  "Who are you—?"

  Kevin reached for another potion, and the children and teacher both gasped as his hand disappeared inside his coat. He felt guilty. With all the school shootings and violence, of course they thought the worst. They were only afraid for a second when the vial broke, then they all fell asleep. The two children doing the newscast slumped on each other, while one child fell out his chair. Kevin unscrewed the camera from the stand and left the library.

  His conscience tugged at him as he reached for more magic inside his coat. He'd basically just assaulted a school. Children and adults would wake up with questions they'd not be able to answer. Their worlds would change.

  As long as he found Tiffany, it was worth it. He'd use everything in his coat to find her.

  The playground was nearly deserted as he left the school. Some children ran wild while a few parents talked and gossiped. Melissa and Stacy were still there. Melissa ran with a group of girls while Stacy spoke with two fathers.

  Kevin pulled two potions from his coat and mixed them together. It turned bright orange, catching the eye of Melissa and her friends. He examined the camera. The most important accessory it had was a viewfinder, complete with pause and playback function. It was perfect for what he had in mind.

  He poured the new potion on the camera, rubbing it into the viewfinder. Taking a deep breath, he tried to wrap his mind around yet another law-bending magic spell. He pointed the camera around the playground, but the viewfinder didn't match his surroundings.

  The viewfinder showed what happened six hours in the past.

  He caught Melissa's eye, who was whispering with her friends. She looked away when their eyes met, embarrassed.

  "Hey, Melissa. Come here a second."

  Her friends scattered as Kevin approached her. She lowered her gaze shyly and her cheeks turned red. He dropped to one knee next to her.

  "When do you eat lunch?" he asked. "Do you eat at the same time as Tiffany?"

  "Uh, yeah," she said. "We're in the same class. Lunch is at eleven o'clock."

  "Did you guys play together today?"

  "For a little bit. Then we started a game of dodge ball, and she doesn't play that."

  "Did you see where she went at all?"

  She shook her head. Kevin sighed in frustration. He just needed a starting point, any place at all. With his magic and technology working together, he could see everything that happened on the playground at lunchtime. But the playground was a big place.

  "Sometimes she like to climb on that," Melissa said, pointing to a dangerous looking collection of metal bars and swings. "But I don't know if she did today, though."

  "Thank you, Melissa."

  "You're welcome."

  Kevin stood in front of the jungle gym. He pointed the camera at it and pressed fast-forward on the viewfinder. Events from the past flew by as if he were watching a recording. A stray cat walked by, as well as a car in the background. Finally, some children showed up, jumping and climbing, and he knew he was watching their lunchtime. He recognized a girl playing by herself, hanging upside-down and laughing.

  "Tiffany."

  He slowed the camera to normal speed. There was no audio, but he didn't need any. He watched her play, and then in a fit of boredom, she left the jungle gym. Tiffany circled around the fence by herself. Kevin kept a step behind her, and could feel the curious stares of the few parents remaining as he pointed the camera at nothing.

  Tiffany stopped walking as she neared the break in the fence, and K
evin aimed the camera high to see what she was watching. A policeman stood on the sidewalk, next to his parked cruiser. She seemed wary, and it was easy to see she was distrusting of police officers.

  Although Kevin didn't believe he was a policeman.

  They spoke for nearly a minute, and the policeman inched closer to the break in the fence. Kevin nearly shouted for Tiffany to run, as silly as it was. He had a sinking feeling he knew what he'd see.

  He wasn't wrong.

  When Tiffany didn't blindly follow the policeman to the cruiser, he grabbed her. With one hand around her waist and the other over her mouth, she didn't stand a chance as he shoved her in the back of the cruiser, in broad daylight, in view of a school full of children. Bold, risky, but ultimately successful. He felt sick to his stomach as he watched the scene through the viewfinder, knowing there was nothing he could do.

  Kevin paused the camera as the cruiser started to pull away. He lowered his gaze to the ground and squeezed the fence until his fingers turned red.

  Tiffany, the young girl he was responsible for, was kidnapped.

  Fear laced with anger flooded through him. The parents were still giving him sideways looks, and it was tempting to toss every sleep potion he had across the playground, give them a four-hour break. Instead, he jogged toward Stacy, Melissa's mother, who checked messages on a cell phone.

  "Excuse me, Miss Stacy," he called.

  "Kevin, please. Just Stacy."

  "I don't know this area very well, and I have someplace I need to be. Could you call me a cab?"

  "Well, yeah," she said, confused. "I could. But you need a lift? I could drive you wherever you need to go. Is Tiffany okay?"

  "Everything's fine," he said, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "And no, thank you. I just need a cab."

  Stacy obliged, and Kevin paced on the sidewalk as he waited. The minutes stretched. He peered into the paused viewfinder every so often, wondering if the crazy idea in his head would work.

  He even pushed the camera into the cruiser.

  It was strange, watching a moment frozen in time. Tiffany was standing on the back seat, pounding on the cage separating her from the front. The man dressed as an officer drove, his eyes on the road, but there was a man sitting next to him in plain clothes. He was turning in his seat, in the middle of shouting at Tiffany. Kevin saw the gun in the passenger's hand, and the lump grew in his throat.

  He had to get to her.

  "Hey, buddy. Nice coat. Are you okay?"

  He looked up from the viewfinder to see the cab next to him in the middle of the street. The driver had an amused smile and shook his head.

  "Are you one of those goofy film weirdos?" he asked. "I swear, you kids today, with your picture phones and everything."

  Kevin said nothing. He simply climbed in the back and pointed the camera forward, keeping the cruiser in the center of the viewfinder.

  "Whoa, now. You're not filming me, are you?"

  "No. Just…don't worry about it."

  "Where are we heading?"

  "I'm not sure yet."

  The cabbie laughed. "That might make getting to our destination a bit hard."

  "I'll tell you where to go. It'll be a pain, I know. But I'll guide you."

  "Hey, you're the boss."

  Kevin imagined it was the strangest car chase of all time. They pursued a police cruiser from several hours in the past, driving the speed limit. He didn't know the names of the streets, and had to settle for giving the cabbie simple directions of left and right. They missed one turn, and Kevin had to pause the camera while they circled around the block.

  The drive took nearly twenty minutes. They ended up outside town on a lonely stretch of dirt road off the highway. Trees were on both sides, and the road stretched on over a hill approaching.

  "Uh, kid?" the cabbie said. "Do you have any idea where the hell you're going?"

  Kevin still watched the cruiser in the camera. The cruiser went over the slight hill, with the cab following. There was a building in the viewfinder, in the distance.

  "Stop!" Kevin shouted.

  The cabbie slammed the breaks, and they both lurched forward.

  "What the hell is your problem?" he said. "This is getting too damn weird for me."

  Kevin kept his eyes glued on the viewfinder. The police car drove forward, toward the building. It looked like a hangar or warehouse. It stopped near a large open bay door, and he could barely make out two adults, one carrying Tiffany, leaving the cruiser and going inside.

  "Back up," Kevin ordered. "Go back over the hill."

  "Okay, that's enough," the cabbie said, although he did drive in reverse. "You're not getting me involved in some kind of crazy drug deal. I'm dropping you off right here."

  "You're right, you are."

  He fished in his pocket for one of two hundred-dollar bills he kept with him, from Jack's money. Handing it over, he didn't bother asking for change. The cabbie's attitude shifted.

  "Do you need me to wait here for you?"

  "No. I'm okay."

  "Really? You're just gonna walk back to town?"

  "Not quite."

  Kevin didn't wait for the cabbie to drive away before he started walking. He didn't follow the road. He crossed the open field to the trees, keeping hidden. The police cruiser still sat where it parked several hours ago. There were flashes of movement just inside the open door, and he thought he heard a laugh or two.

  He left the trees and walked straight for the side of the building. With the large field and strip of pavement nearby, Kevin assumed it was a private airplane hangar of some kind. He felt exposed and vulnerable as he neared the siding, but the thought of Tiffany pushed his fears aside.

  There was laughter inside, with animated conversation. He pulled out his eyeglasses and slipped them on, standing mere inches away from the wall. His eyeglasses were a cheap pair of reading glasses he'd picked up at a pharmacy. With a simple touch from him, they let him see through anything.

  The hangar had two aisles separated by huge metal racks. Most were empty, but there were a few skids sitting about. A long table was near the other side of the hangar, full of weapons. Two men were doing an inspection, while three others walked aimlessly, drinking beer. A van was parked near another bay door.

  Tiffany wasn't far away, sitting in a chair in the corner. Her hands gripped the arms, and he could see she was restrained in some way. A blindfold was wrapped around her eyes. A camera sat on a tripod across from her, with wires running all over the floor.

  He couldn't remember the last time he was so angry.

  "You guys better let me go," Tiffany said. Despite everything, her voice was calm. She angled her head high, trying to see under the blindfold. "If you don't, bad things are probably gonna happen."

  The men laughed as they continued to fill up on alcohol. One of them spoke.

  "Oh really, kid? What's gonna happen?"

  "Either my friend's gonna come, or my dad. The last time people took me, my dad came."

  Kevin blinked. Tiffany had been kidnapped before?

  "Wow. And what did your daddy do?"

  "He beat up everyone. Then he threw trash on them and choked them with a garbage bag."

  The men stopped laughing, looking at each other. The thought of Jack and his rage flashed through Kevin's mind. He was so distracted and in such a hurry he didn't even think about calling him.

  Two of the men moved closer to the wall near Kevin, further away from Tiffany. Kevin flinched before remembering they couldn't see him. They lowered their voices.

  "Look, I trust Sean. The man's saved my ass more than once. But a little kid? I don't know."

  "Just be cool. Hopefully it won't come to that. I'm not happy about this, either. But if it's gotta be done, it's gotta be done."

  Kevin frowned. He didn't know who Sean was, and didn't care. He would rescue Tiffany and take her far away.

  He didn't hear the footsteps, didn't see the man sneaking up behind him. All he fel
t was the hand on the back of his neck, and then pain as his head was slammed into the wall. The metal siding hummed in response. The world went dark for a moment as he fell to one knee. It slid back into focus just long enough for Kevin to see the knee before it struck his nose.

  His consciousness drifted in and out. He was vaguely aware of being dragged across the ground. He saw the sky for a moment, then the roof of the hangar. The man dropped him, and his head bounced off the concrete. He looked up at the man standing above him, a gun at his side.

  "Hey, fellas," he shouted. "Look what I found! We got a little spy that looks just like Humphrey Bogart."

  Kevin turned his head to the side and saw some of the men approaching, their legs moving sideways. Two stayed back with Tiffany. His hand reached to the stone under his shirt. He closed his eyes and thought of one of the few people whom he'd gifted a magical rock.

  "I need you to get back to the hotel," he said, his head throbbing.

  The man at his feet looked down at him, confused. He knelt down and slapped Kevin across the face. The insult only helped clear his mind of the fogginess.

  "Are you on something? Who are you talking to?"

  He hoisted Kevin to his feet and slammed him against the wall.

  "Who the fuck are you? How'd you get here?"

  The other men approached. Kevin picked out random details. They were all men, varying in age. They all carried guns, some larger than others. One had a scar across his face. There were six men he could see, but didn't know if anyone else was circling the hangar, like the one that attacked him.

  "It's a damn kid," another man said.

  "Kevin!" Tiffany shouted. "Is that you?"

  "Yeah! Don't worry, I'll be right there."

  The men laughed. "You hear that? He'll be right there."

  A female voice emanated from Kevin's chest, and the men froze. The man pinning him to the wall backed up a step.

  "Kevin? I'm in the middle of dinner with some very important people."

  "Holy shit," the man said. "He's wired."

  "The hotel," Kevin said again. "I need some help."

  "Okay. Give me two minutes."

  "No problem."

  The men moved forward again, but Kevin was already reaching in his coat. He pulled out his flashlight and covered the beam as he switched it on. The three closest men fell to their knees as he aimed the overpowering magical light at them.