The doppelganger didn’t waste time. He trained both weapons on the two above and was joined two seconds later by the Storm who belonged in Loti Dimension. The remaining two were taken out the same way Storm got number three and four. A math instructor who lived on the second floor decided he didn’t want to wait inside his apartment any longer. So he loaded his Magnum and walked down the hall to the head of the center stairs.
There he found two guys in combat gear set on finishing off the knights below. He raised his weapon with both hands and shot each in the back of the head before they had any idea someone was behind them.
And the last four were over before Spaz had time to announce buckle his shoe. The music stopped. “This is the Voice of the Fray giving the all clear. That’s right folks, it’s over. All meds on deck. You’re needed in the Hub stairwell between one and two and in Operations. Three men, um, persons, down. Again, lock down terminated. Emergency medical personnel to Hub stairwell and Operations.”
Angel turned to Storm. “The Great Storm, I presume.”
“And you are?”
Angel hesitated for the space of two heartbeats. It’s one thing to be told there are other versions of you in the universe, but another to come face to face with one. He stared into black eyes identical to his own and said, “Impersonating you.” He grimaced when he started to move off Fennimore.
“Where are you hit?”
Angel looked down like he had to check. “Nothing that can’t wait. He’s the one in trouble.”
Storm took a closer look and had to agree. Fennimore was Swiss cheese, riddled with so many holes, there was little chance he could survive it. They hadn’t retained the kind of surgical med staff at Jefferson prepared to address that much trauma. The equipment was still there, but the people were gone.
Kris and Wakey had come bounding up the stairs and gave each other a look when they saw two Storms on the landing.
Storm turned to Kris. “Go up top. Tell the pilots I said to warm a Whister. Got an emergency to go to town.” He looked down at Fenn as the boys were making their way past up the stairs. “Hold on.” He stopped them to add to the instructions. “We can’t carry him up without doing more damage. Tell them to bring the bird down to the rugby field. Get a stretcher off one of the Whisters and bring it back with you.”
When Kris and Wakey got to the top and found the pilots dead, they didn’t need to have a conversation about what was going to happen next. One thing was certain, neither of them would ever complain about drills again.
They’d been taken through the paces on preflight checklist so many times they could do it in their sleep. More importantly, they could do it quickly and efficiently, in the wee hours of the morning with no sleep, and with the toll taken by stress and repeated adrenaline spikes.
The Whister’s near-silent blades whirred into rotation, spinning so fast they appeared to be invisible when the engine purred awake. In six minutes they lifted off and Wakey set the Whister down on the rugby field as gently as if he’d done it a thousand times.
Kris jumped out, opened the side panel, and pulled out a stretcher. The two boys didn’t dialog about who would do what. Wakey was a better pilot. Kris was bigger and stronger.
Voices could be heard all over the building as people started to emerge from lock down.
Rosie and Glen arrived at the bottom of the Hub stairs together.
Storm pinned Glen with a look. “I’m guessing cells have been scrambled so there’s no calling out?” Glen nodded. Storm’s gaze shifted to Rosie. “Can you go take care of Helm so your mother can get Ram and bring him here? Elora’s hurt.”
Rosie looked stricken. Storm could see by the look on her face that Rosie loved her auntie. “I can find him, Dad. I know Uncle Ram’s signature.”
“Uncle Ram.” Storm repeated that. It sounded so strange to hear this young woman call his teammate Uncle Ram, but at the same time, it sounded right.
“He’s at the Derry palace. In Ireland.”
“No problem.”
“Okay. Hurry.” As soon as he said it he thought better of leaving it like that. “WAIT! Make sure he’s securely attached.”
She nodded and disappeared.
Elsbeth had decided she would head toward Operations, but the only way to get there was via the Hub stairwell where her new fiancé lay dying on the landing between one and two. When she came upon that scene, she sank to her knees next to him and temporarily forgot all about being a nurse.
It was clear by her reaction that Fenn was more to her than a patient who needed medical assistance.
“Elsbeth,” Storm began gently. “I’m not med. You’re going to have to tell us what to do.”
Her eyes jerked to Storm like she hadn’t realized he was there and from there to the other Storm. A thousand questions joined the shock and grief that were already present on her face, but she decided to triage her own emotions.
A crowd had gathered at the top of the Hub stairs and at the bottom. Kris was yelling, “Make way! Everybody out of the way!”
On his way by, he told a couple of the other trainees who had gathered to run to the Whister outside and get the other stretcher.
Rosie popped into the Hub tied to Ram with a halter lead, which had been handy because she’d found that Ram had risen to an Irish dawn and gone to the stables for a ride so tack was handy. He quickly untied the tether knots and ran toward the stairs where a little crowd was gathered. They parted when they saw him coming and read the panic-stricken look on his face.
Storm and Kris were helping to move Fennimore onto the stretcher while the doc on the scene told them how to do it. An orderly was holding Fenn’s unconscious head as they lifted. Kris looked up and saw Ram first. He simply said, “Operations.”
Ram turned and sprinted across the Hub and down the short concourse to the open door. Kris yelled after him, “Bring her to the Whister on the rugby field!”
The first thing that came into his vision was blood pooled on the floor. Then he could see that she was sitting up, but looking like a rag doll. Last, he got a look at her face as he went to his knees and slid on the blood.
She cracked the one eye that could see. She tried to laugh, but it didn’t work out. “Don’t look so worried. I’m not dead yet.”
“Great Paddy knows, if you’re no’, ‘tis no’ for lack of tryin’. We got to figure out a way to get you to the Whister on the rugby field.”
“What was that about a winch and pulley?”
“Elora”, Ram breathed, his face and voice full of concern. He wasn’t in a mood for kidding around, “Where’s Helm?”
“I left him downstairs with Monq locked inside Fire Testing. Glen’s guardian.”
Ram’s eyes closed with relief and he drew in a big ragged breath. His family was alive and, given the looks of Jefferson Unit, that was both blessing and miracle. His brain did a reboot and started functioning again. “Wheelchair.”
“Hmmm.”
Some of the trainees had gathered outside the Operations door. Ram looked up at them. “We need a wheelchair from the clinic right now. ‘Tis the only way to get her to the Whister.”
Two of the boys ran off toward the clinic.
“Ram. You can’t take me on the Whister.”
“Why no’?”
“The Equalizer is about to wear off. There’d be too many questions about my physiology. The med staff here can take care of me.”
“Auntie?” Elora turned when she heard Rosie. When Rosie saw Elora’s face she whimpered. “What can I do?”
Elora reached out with her good hand to pat Rosie. “It’s not as bad as it looks, precious. Where’s your mother?”
“Home.”
“Could you get her for me, please?”
“No. She’s watching Helm.” As Ram and Elora looked at each other a silent communication passed between them. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day.”
When Storm and Kris reached the Whister, Elsbeth, and the doctor who self-appo
inted himself to accompany them, got on board and helped secure the stretcher to the gurney that was designed for just that purpose.
The outside lighting was good, but not good enough that it didn’t take Storm a while to realize that Wakenmann was sitting in the pilot’s seat, wearing a headset and looking awfully young, but supremely capable. The second stretcher, carrying Storm’s look alike, was likewise fastened to the second gurney. It was a tight fit with two patients and three medics.
Storm tapped Wakey on the shoulder. “You know where you’re going?”
Wakey nodded. Kris slid the panel door closed and ran around to get into the co-pilot seat. Storm gave Wakey a good-to-go sign. In response, the kid touched his head and lifted off.
Storm stood on the rugby field and watched the Whister’s lights speed toward Manhattan. He wished Sol was there because he would know exactly how to take people to a civilian hospital, shut down rumors before they got started, and put the press in lockdown.
CHAPTER 25
When Storm pushed through the Courtpark glass door to reenter the building, he told one of the trainees to go find Glen.
“I know where he is, sir. He’s working on trying to get the front entrance open, sir.”
“I see. Is Monq helping?”
“I don’t think so, sir.”
“Well, if not, then go get Monq and tell him I said to get that door open.”
“Yes, sir.”
The kid ran off, delighted to be given a direct command by a legendary hunter.
Deliverance got sidetracked after sending Rosie to see if they’d found the right Storm, which was not that unusual. Litha had threatened him with a watch a few times, but he’d just laughed and said, “Babe, I love you, but a clock attached to my beautiful body? Not gonna happen.”
He encountered a group of suburbanites on a twenty-five year high school reunion trip to New York and was invited back to their hotel. What was an incubus to do? The lovely ladies had spent too much time reminiscing at Harry’s Bar and had to look at key cards to remember the name of the hotel where they were staying.
Only after the demon was sure that everyone was thoroughly satisfied with his services, did he remember he was late to pick up Angel and take him to the vineyard for the night.
After Storm told that kid to get Monq to help with the front door he started toward Operations to check on Elora. He hadn’t taken two steps when the demon popped in beside him and slapped a fur lined handcuff on his wrist. Storm didn’t have enough time to top off a proper fury about being startled before the demon said, “Time to go.”
“WAIT!”
“What?”
“Unlock this thing and have a look around.”
Deliverance scanned the Hub slowly, taking in the result of the mayhem. “Was there a party?”
“Take. This. Off.”
Recognizing that tone, the demon looked Storm full in the face. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
Storm just raised the cuff in front of his father-in-law’s face and stared with a seething impatience that was barely under control. Deliverance grinned and inserted the key as he said, “What a relief. Litha’s been in a really bad mood while you’ve been gone.”
Storm said nothing, just walked away thinking he would be reincarnated a hundred times before he forgave the incubus for robbing him of seeing his child grow up.
During the time it took to convince the demon to remove a purple fur lined handcuff, which registered with Storm as familiar, Monq had the front door open for business, only a minute or two before Kay returned from his trip to Houston to commune with his wife.
Between the reduction in residents and the late hour, he’d been expecting that he wouldn’t see anyone other than the minimum security on duty until the next morning.
It would be hard to say what was more surprising initially, the fact that the Hub was full of people, or the fact that the building looked like what it had been a half hour earlier – a war zone.
Kay shoved some rubble out of the way with his boot, dropped his duffle at his feet and whistled as he looked around. When Storm came striding toward him, he said, “What’d I miss?”
“Everything but the clean up. Good timing.”
“Looks like you’ll be off the hook for at least a day. No workout tomorrow.”
“I’m retired. I work out when I want.”
It took a few seconds for Kay to process that. When he did, he didn’t look at his partner. He looked at his boots and said, “Storm?”
“Yeah. None other.”
Kay looked away for a couple of seconds and wouldn’t meet Storm’s eyes. “Where’s the other guy?”
“Wounded. Fixable. Fennimore’s bad though. Couple of trainees flew them out of here on a Whister. Don’t ask. I have no idea.”
“It’s a story.” Glen had walked up just in time to hear that. “I made them learn how to fly as a punishment. Couldn’t have worked out better if I’d had Aelsong read our future. Not that she would have.” He stuck out his hand to Storm. “Welcome back.”
Storm shook Glen’s hand. “Yeah. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be here when Sol sees this place. I can just hear it. ‘I go on vacation once in thirty years and you destroy my unit!’ Where’s Elora? Did Ram get here?”
“Clinic. And yes.”
“Okay. We’re going to go check on them.” He motioned to Kay to indicate that “we’re” meant the two of them.
“That was my next stop, too,” Glen said.
On the way to the infirmary Storm stopped, frowned and looked around like he’d lost something.
“What’s wrong?” Glen asked.
“Where’s Z Team?”
Glen’s expression went blank. “Haven’t seen them.”
“New priority. Let’s go find that kid with the microphone and see if he knows.”
The door to the intercom room was open and a few trainees, some still wearing helmets and Shieldo vests, were chatting and joking with Spaz. Everything got very quiet when they realized that the two famous knights and the acting Sovereign had arrived on the scene..
Storm looked them over. “Which one of you is The Voice of the Fray?” He couldn’t have kept the sneering sarcasm out of his question if he’d wanted to. And he didn’t.
Storm guessed right, that it was the kid whose eyes had gotten the biggest. “You, right?”
Spaz nodded. “Look. As much as everybody in the building might wish that you were a mute, we all know you’re not. So speak up.”
“Yes. It’s, ah, me, sir,” he squeaked.
“Do you know what’s happened to Z Team?”
“Not exactly.”
Storm was reconsidering whether or not he was as patient as he had always believed himself to be. “What do you know, Spazmodoc?”
The other trainees giggled when Storm called him that and Spaz turned pink.
“Animal House came to get something from the lab. Z Team saw them and I guess they thought they were real vampire. One of them tried to use a stake, but it didn’t have much effect. Animal House talked it over and took them away. I don’t know where. Wherever it is, there aren’t cameras.”
Storm took in a big breath and let it out. “You kids need to go to bed.”
“Yes sir.”
“Leave the gear and weapons in the armory.”
“Yes sir.”
“Glen, take a phone and get outside the cellscram. When you have a signal, call Baka and ask him if his vampire paid a visit to Jefferson Unit.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll be at the infirmary. Come find us when you know something.”
Storm and Kay swung through the clinic doors just in time to see Rosie arrive with a guy sporting a shock of white bedhead, wearing paisley pajamas. She pointed toward Elora’s room, indicating the passenger should go in.
Just after he opened the door they heard Rammel boom. “WHAT THE FUCK!?!”
Storm, Kay and Rosie rushed in to find Ram holding the newly arri
ved medic by the lapels of his funky sleepwear. Storm and Kay moved so that they stood on either side of him.
“What’s the trouble, Ram?” Storm asked.
Ram didn’t let go and didn’t look away from the guy in his clutches. He practically spat, “Fae.”
Kay and Storm both jerked their gaze to the guy who was holding onto Ram’s wrists and looking worried. His messy white hair was covering the ears so they didn’t think about it. They should have known he wasn’t human. Otherwise, Rosie wouldn’t have been able to take him through the passes.
“Rosie?” Ram called.
“Yes.” She was right beside him.
“Where’d you get this fairy bugger?”
“He’s a plastic surgeon. We don’t have many working for The Order and Edinburgh says he’s the best. We want the best for auntie, don’t we?”
“Who in Edinburgh said he’s the best? That quack who ‘delivered’ you?” Ram sneered the word ‘delivered’.
“No. The Director.”
Ram’s hold loosened. He was anything but happy, but Rosie was right. The most important thing was for Elora to have the best care.
He look go of the doc and turned to Rosie. “Okay. You did good.”
Storm and Kay passed a look between them and breathed a share sigh of relief.
It was crowded in Elora’s room with two J.U. nurses, the clinic doc, Ram , Storm, Kay, Rosie and now Dr. Funky P.J.s, who acted like he was expected to take charge.
“So what have we got here?”
“We’re equipped to take care of the shoulder, but we’re concerned about treatment of the cheek bone.”
P.J.s looked around the room. “Everybody who doesn’t have a good reason to be in here, get out.” Nobody moved. At all. “For cripes’ sake.”
Ram looked around the room at the people present, then pinned the doc with a glare. “Just do your job.”
Apparently the man had grown accustomed to heady treatment, but he finally decided he could work with an audience and got down to business.
Gathering Storm Page 24
