Bronze Gods

by A. A. Aguirre

  “We’ve other things to worry about. Which way did he go?” Mikani asked.

  “I promise,” she added. “You have my word we won’t interfere with your operation.”

  “She looks a trustworthy mort,” one of them decided. “We need to get a move on, like he said.”

  “That way.” The man standing on the handcar aimed his lantern down opposite the way they’d come. “Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

  It was quiet; Nuall’s footfalls had died away during the argument. I hope he hasn’t gone too far. If there were excess twists and turns, they had no hope of finding him. Unless . . .

  Ritsuko pulled Mikani past the smugglers, onward into the tunnel. As they left the circle of lanterns, the shadows crept in again. After she put some distance between them and the men, she whispered, “Do you think you could . . . look for him?” Up on the surface, probably not. Too much interference. “You did it under the Royale when we were searching for Leonidas.”

  He hesitated for a second. “Yes. I can try, at least.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head, turning slowly. He reached for her hand, as he took a few steps along the tunnel. “Don’t let me trip, this place is . . . noisy. I won’t be paying much attention.”

  “I won’t,” she said. “Just tell me left or right, if you know. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  He squeezed her hand in response. “Straight ahead. I can taste the decay. It’s faint, there’s something . . . it’s Nuall. The same buzzing as in his villa, somewhere up ahead.”

  Her pulse fluttered. She suppressed the urge to be impulsive—and kiss Mikani—because facing Theron Nuall might be the last thing she ever did. Instead, she pushed into a run, Mikani’s warm fingers wrapped around hers. The weight of her gun in her other hand was reassuring, if not a guarantee of success.

  We can do this. We must do this.

  “To the right, coming up ahead, I think.” She spotted an opening in the rock wall, and the passage sloped down. Mikani pressed her hand. “Here.”

  Ritsuko led him through; the way was narrower than it had been, a side channel connecting it to a different section. Her feet rasped over the stone, and in the darkness, she heard only her breathing, Mikani’s, no sign anybody else had come this way. But she trusted him, so she pressed on until they emerged in a bigger tunnel.

  “Is he close?” she asked.

  “I believe so.”

  She took two steps, then glimpsed an ethereal light up ahead, raying out into the darkness; and in that eerie half-light echoed the terrifying sound of embattled giants.

  CHAPTER 31

  MIKANI STAGGERED. HE HELD FAST TO RITSUKO, A DARK WAVE washing over his vision. His temples throbbed, and the familiar warmth of blood rolled in a thick trickle off his upper lip. I’ll bleed at him if he gets too close. He straightened as best he could. His breath rattled in his chest, and the pistol felt far too heavy in his hand. She drew him forward as the tunnel widened into a natural cavern.

  Two figures were locked in battle, fifty feet away. Their growls echoed off the cavern walls illuminated fitfully by torches crammed into cracks in the rock. As Miss Wright had reported, massive talons sprouted from Nuall’s hands, but . . . they did on his opponent, too. Who the hell is that? The blows they exchanged were quick and ferocious, slammed and blocked almost before he could see where the strike would’ve landed. Beneath the throbbing of his head, he was tempted to shoot them and sort it out later. But if they’re both prone to ignoring bullets, I’ll have them both on me.

  Mikani moved a bit closer. He recognized Nuall, but the other man, the one determinedly trying to kill him, looked familiar, too. He crouched, watching them until he realized, What the . . . ? That’s Mr. Gideon from the Royale. Then Nuall landed a blow that rocked his opponent; he pressed the advantage into a ferocious choke. The other man stumbled back as something pinged on the ground; and his whole appearance . . . shifted. He’d never seen anything like it, but the man looked nothing like Mr. Gideon, and quite a bit like Theron Nuall.

  Two bogeymen, no wonder we couldn’t catch him.

  Deeper in, he glimpsed the low brass gleam of the machine. It had extra components around it, unlike any of the others; an array of gears and chains hummed in constant movement around a gleaming cylinder that shone with its own light. The smaller device was connected with pipes and wires to a slim, vertical tube with a faint seam that revealed where it opened. Since Miss Wright was nowhere to be found, she must already be inside it. He didn’t feel steady enough to run in just yet, so he said to Ritsuko, “See if you can get her out of there. I’ll cover you if they turn your way.”

  She nodded and slipped along the edges of the room, keeping well away from the fight. His partner was smart; if there was a way to liberate Miss Wright without alerting the juggernauts currently locked in combat, she’d find it. Once his head settled, he moved forward, too, but he used the rock face and the bulk of the machine to keep the two from spotting him. He wanted to be close enough to help if Ritsuko needed him.

  A low snarl of pain indicated one of them had struck a powerful blow. Mikani heard the snap of bone as Ritsuko inched forward. She twisted the latch and pulled the door open. A mountain of dirt nearly crushed her; she tumbled back, and Mikani pulled her out of harm’s way. That’s why I’m here.

  “I’ve got you,” he whispered, hands on her shoulders.

  She was breathing fast. Silently, she nodded as she slid forward, boots sinking into the loose earth. The grave smell. He remembered the other inspector’s choked words. This is what Cutler was trying to tell me. With her hands, she dug into the remaining dirt, freeing Miss Wright’s upper body. Mikani leaned close to see if the woman was breathing, and then he heard it, a shallow gasp, so faint as to be almost imperceptible. The woman was pale as death but not there yet.

  “She’s cuffed.” Ritsuko’s voice was a low thread of sound. “Help me.”

  Mikani knelt next to her, checking the iron restraints around Miss Wright’s wrists and ankles. “Larcenous skills. See?” The cuffs were of good quality, an older design. “Keep an eye on them. I’ll be a minute. He set aside his cane and pocketed his sidearm to free his hands to work on the lock.

  After Ritsuko edged to the side, presumably for a better view, he took his picklock kit from an inside pocket and set to work on the cuffs. Miss Wright’s trembling, his shaky hands, and the dancing lights made the process far harder than it should have been. It was almost a full minute before the first cuff clicked open, but it was faster going for the other three. The woman tumbled out of the restraints and into his arms; it was all Mikani could do to catch her. Ritsuko hurried over to him, adding her strength to the mix.

  “We have to get her out of here,” she murmured.

  Nodding, he shrugged out of his coat and wrapped it around Miss Wright’s shoulders. With Ritsuko’s help, he carried her toward the arch leading into the tunnels. But it was impossible for three people—one of them largely unconscious—to be as quiet as they had been coming in. He didn’t look back though he heard a murderous exclamation.

  “We can’t carry her fast enough to outrun them,” Ritsuko said.

  “Lay her down. Make sure she’s breathing well enough. I’ll cover us.” He spun.

  The Nuall look-alike ran toward him with an expression of pure rage distorting his features. Mikani brought up his gun, braced, and fired twice, aiming for the man’s chest. The bullets slammed into him. Unfortunately, they didn’t slow him down. Well. This might be a problem. Theron Nuall hit the other man from behind. Mikani swore and did his best to cover the women with his body as they barreled past them.

  On the ground, Miss Wright choked and spat mouthfuls of dirt. She rocked onto her side, her whole body wracked with coughing. Ritsuko patted her back, looking terrified in the low light. The other woman grasped his partner’s hand.

  “Theron . . .” Miss Wright gasped. “Came later. Tried to help. The other one . . . Mr. Gideon! He said he’s tracked me for
months . . . I’m not mad. But I never had a chance.”

  “I understand,” Ritsuko said. “We’ll take him down.” She stepped up beside Mikani, her weapon in hand, so that they formed a barrier in front of Miss Wright.

  “I hope you have a plan.”

  Like the other sites, there were herbs scattered around the perimeter. Mikani wondered at their purpose, but perhaps it had to do with a summoning ritual. He watched the two struggle, Gideon—or whoever he was—slamming Nuall against the rock hard enough to rain debris on them. They’re blocking the way out . . . and it’s unlikely they’ll let us take the girl and go. Beside him, Ritsuko took a deep breath, then nodded.

  Before she could elaborate, Nuall stumbled back, the other man’s claws sinking six inches into his stomach. Then the look-alike spoke for the first time, his tone mocking. “It feels better than I expected. You’ve had this coming for centuries. Brother.”

  Hells and Winter. I hope no other family shows up to this reunion.

  Blood and breath trickled out from Nuall’s lips before he pushed out the words. “I never wanted to hurt you, Lorne. Only to . . . stop you. Even after what you did to . . . Galene.”

  As Nuall dropped to his knees, Miss Wright pulled her trembling body up and wrapped an arm around him. She whispered, “I’ll get us out of here. I’ll call for help.”

  Five minutes ago, Mikani wouldn’t have guessed she had the strength to stand, let alone crawl, but somehow, she was pulling Nuall to his feet, his arm sealed across his stomach to hold his guts in. The man was disfigured with bruises, but like Miss Wright, he moved when the alternative was dying. They were a formidable pair.

  At the same time, Ritsuko backed into the cavern—and Mikani saw how the killer’s attention was split; he apparently couldn’t decide whether to finish the two creeping away or go after those heading for the cavern. His face was a mask of spattered blood, thwarted ambition, and madness. Dark, glittering eyes cut between his intended victim, his brother, and the two of them. Mikani could imagine the killer’s thought process: Those two won’t get far. They’re too badly hurt. And I can finish these others quickly.

  Then Ritsuko raised the stakes.

  She called, “Mikani, if I disable this machine, he won’t be able to do whatever he intended. I’m not an expert, but pulling out these pipes and wires should do some damage, right?”

  Ritsuko, you beautiful genius.

  Beneath Lorne’s roar of rage, Mikani heard Nuall and Miss Wright stumbling in retreat. He ran into the cavern, with Lorne coming behind him like a railcar; he used rocky outcroppings to keep the monster off him. He’d seen enough of the fight between Nuall and his brother to know that he and Ritsuko didn’t have a chance in straight hand to hand, and bullets hardly seemed to bother Lorne at all.

  That’s it. Going forward, I’m having cold iron bullets fashioned for my gun. And silver bullets: better safe than sorry. Wonder if that would help. But until the upgrade, we have to fight smart.

  A thunderous blow slammed into the stone between them, and it crumbled as if it were made of spun sugar. Mikani didn’t wait to see how that would work out. He hoped the bastard’s hand hurt like hell. He kept moving though he was already tired, running toward the murder machine, where Ritsuko was pulling at the parts with all her might.

  “Need some help, partner?”

  Her smile was weak, halfhearted, and worried. But she had bravado to spare. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  • • •

  RITSUKO DIDN’T EXPECT to come out of this alive. She had a number of regrets, but if they could buy Miss Wright and Mr. Nuall enough time to get to safety, then it would be worthwhile. The maniac charged, his hands lengthened into monstrous claws, his face twisted and smeared with blood. At the last possible moment, she threw herself to the side and his claws sliced into the device.

  “I will enjoy gutting the pair of you,” he snarled, as she scrambled to her feet.

  Keep moving. Even with him hurt, all it’ll take is one hit, possibly two, and you’re dead.

  “Why don’t you use your magic on us?” Mikani taunted him from the other side of the machine. “There’s a reason you’re stealing from these girls. Can’t do it like you used to? You’re probably getting old.” Her partner grabbed a handful of wires and yanked, kicking the side of the cylinder to rip them loose with the screech of tearing metal.

  Lorne spun and swiped at Mikani, the claws slicing the air near her partner’s face as he dropped back. The killer chased him, shaking the ground as Mikani dove and rolled. Uneven footing helped; Lorne’s taloned feet slid with the rasp of claws on stone.

  Her partner laughed as he scrabbled on the ground, heading away from her and the machine. He’s crazy. Ritsuko wasn’t sure if she meant Mikani or the other one. Gun at the ready, she scanned her target from head to toe. Mikani shot him in the calf. Is he limping at all? And then he took two more rounds earlier. He should be bleeding more.

  No matter how strong an opponent was, a bullet in the brain had to slow it down. Taking a deep breath, she braced the revolver on her forearm, sighted, and fired. Between the flickering lights and Lorne’s movement, she nailed him in the neck. He rocked back, blood bubbling from the hole. No exit wound. It’s like he has reinforced skin.

  “What the hell are you?” she muttered.

  The shot drew him away from Mikani, so she ran. For a few seconds, she considered continuing into the tunnels, but he would probably double back, and she couldn’t leave her partner to deal with the maniac alone. Her feet slid in the loose stones and she ran up a rock formation close to the ceiling; it formed a half ledge around the room. Spinning, she fired four more times as Lorne came up the slope, this time aiming for his kneecaps.

  If I can’t kill him, I can slow him down. We just need to buy some time.

  Two of the shots struck; the others pinged off the stones. Lucky they didn’t ricochet and kill me. Dark patches bloomed on his left leg; before he could reach her, she leapt down and darted away, putting more distance between them. Mikani was pounding the hell out of the device. At this point, it would probably take days, not hours, to repair the thing. When the killer seemed to realize as much, he screamed, more in rage than pain, she suspected.

  One shot left. Doubt he’ll give me time to reload.

  Lorne dropped from the ledge with a groan. Apparently multiple bullets in the knees hurt, at least a little bit. But it’s not nearly enough. He paused, rotated his leg, and then bent; she couldn’t tell what he was doing, but she used the moment to dig into her coat pocket. Five more shots. Which I can use to further annoy him. With efficient motions, she fed the bullets into the cylinder, then rolled it.

  The killer pressed his palm to the seeping wound on his throat, blood slipping through his fingers like butchered meat, and he was smiling. Then a soft light gathered beneath his palm; she’d rarely seen magic done, but Ritsuko had no doubt she was witnessing it now. Without Mikani’s extra senses, her impression was of an imminent lightning strike, raising the hair on her arms and the nape of her neck. Shivering, she took a step back.

  “Do you see how futile this is?” he snarled. “You’re wasting my time.”

  Primitive dread washed over her; for a moment, she truly wanted to drop to her knees, like the force of his will could force her to obey. Despair followed, so that her knees trembled. A whimper escaped her; she tightened her fingers on the gun, but it was pointless—

  “I agree. So surrender, before you make me angry. The commander hates it when I drag creepy old corpses back to HQ.” Mikani’s voice disrupted the frozen feeling.

  She pushed out a shaky breath, unsure whether she was steady enough to shoot, but there was no choice. The chances were excellent they’d die in a few seconds. Lorne was healing himself and regaining some strength, whereas she had no ideas left. There were a few things she wanted to say to Mikani first, but overall, it was probably best to go quietly. Well, in the sense that she wouldn’t get emotional first, anyway. Rit
suko didn’t plan on dying without making the monster pay for every wound she took.

  “What now?” she asked her partner.

  Mikani bent to retrieve his walking stick, still propped against the open cylinder. He was breathing hard, with blood, dust, and sweat smeared over his face. And he was grinning. “Well, hell. You heard me. Now we kill him. Maybe we can beat him to death with the glowing cylinder. Looks like it’s about to fall off.”

  “What is that thing anyway?”

  “If I had to guess? The battery Saskia mentioned. Looks like the ones that the Academy tried to build.”

  “Then maybe I have an idea,” she said. “It’s suicidal, and we’ll probably all die. But the important word there is all. Are you in?”

  “Your last idea was to get the monster to chase us. How much worse could it be?” Mikani tossed his pistol down to grab his walking stick in both hands.

  She dug into her jacket pocket and handed Mikani the silk-wrapped charm. “You’re better with this sort of thing I am. Do your best.”

  “What’re you—”

  She cut off his question with an adamant shake of her head. No time. But there are so many things I wish you knew. Ritsuko skimmed her partner head to toe with a wistful glance, then moved into position, drawing the knife from her boot. The light was dying from beneath the killer’s palm; he looked strong. Invincible, even. When Lorne dropped his hand, the wound was gone, just a bloody swathe of skin. He bared red-smeared teeth and rushed, talons extended to gut them both.

  Closer. Closer.

  “Now!” she shouted.

  Mikani hurled the charm straight at the madman’s chest; it hit him with an actinic flare and a dull shriek. Lorne seized for a moment, unable to strike while he clawed at the metal charm stuck to his chest and burning with acrid smoke. She took the opportunity to drive her knife into the glowing cylinder. The stored power sailed up the blade like lightning, pulsing through her body and exploding out the top of her head. Three walls cracked; the ceiling gave way, rocks and dust tumbling down from above. The whole cavern trembled, and Ritsuko flew back in a cascade of sparks.