Worlds Collide
Magitech Series, Book 1
Serena Lindahl
©2018 Serena Lindahl
All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying or recording without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
About the Author
Chapter One
Jenira
Jenira stared at the communication device in her hands, confusion glinting in her bright blue eyes. “He wants to meet me.” Jenira rose to pace their small living room. Four strides of her long legs brought her to the opposite wall before she pivoted and retraced her steps.
Her sister, Cat, occupied her usual place. She hunched over a green circuit board, the remnants of machines, computers, engines, and Gaia knew what else littering her desk in a pattern only she could decipher. “Who wants to meet you?” Cat lowered the tiny screwdriver and gave her sister her full consideration, or at least as much as Cat ever gave any object or person.
“My boss.” Jenira twirled her enchanted dagger, her thoughts whirling with suspicion. Why, after six months of anonymous messages, was her employer so interested in meeting her?
“Your boss?” Cat squeaked. “But, you told him you couldn't. Wait a minute, how do you know this person is a man? All your communication has been electronic.”
Jenira thrust the palm-sized gadget that Cat had explicitly engineered for her into Cat's hand. The small pda was useful for keeping lists and communicating with undisclosed patrons, but Jenira didn't understand its internal workings. Employers in the Eastern Territories would be highly suspicious if she didn't respond using mechanical means, though.
Expressions flitted across Cat’s face as she read the message aloud. The directive was short and to the point. “The next job is different and significant. It requires that we meet in person. 9pm tonight on the roof of the Rialto ~ Davin Rennert.” Cat squeaked again. “Davin Rennert? The Davin Rennert?”
Jenira continued to twist her dagger in agitation, hilt over blade; the movements were swift and coordinated. Even her introverted sister knew of the enigmatic billionaire. He owned one of the largest tech companies this side of the border. It produced all manners of security and surveillance systems, computers, and communication devices. The man lived and breathed technology, and his fortune depended on his inventions. For seven years, he had built upon the company his father founded. Working in his city, because Brenville most assuredly belonged to him, Jenira made it her mission to research him and the corporation.
It had never occurred to her that her boss for the past six months might be the reclusive inventor, but the clues were obvious now that she connected them. She recollected the work she'd done, derived from the encrypted messages transmitted to her pda. He paid more than any previous boss, which meant wealth. In contrast to former years and cities, she and Cat had lived in comfort since they’d arrived in Brenville. For once, her assigned tasks didn't consist of knocking skulls together for no apparent reason. She'd frightened a journalist who'd been sticking his nose into Rennert Industries, halted theft at the docks by ending an organized crime lord, and offed a few assholes before they'd had the chance to kill her. All a day in the life.
After her first few jobs, she'd suspected her mysterious patron possessed a connection to Rennert Industries, but she’d never contemplated her employer might be the owner himself. Unlike others of his kind, the Elite of the techie world, he maintained a quiet and secretive existence. Gossip mills speculated Rennert was simply waiting for the right moment to explode on the scene and impress everyone with his brilliance, money, and supposed good looks. Only low quality, grainy images remained on the Internet and required an active imagination. Better pictures must exist, but the technical giant prevented them from reaching the masses, so no one actually knew what he looked like.
Jenira redirected her attention away from her inner musings. Cat had plugged the pda into her precious triple bank of monitors, and Jenira waited patiently for her sibling's technical aptitude to amaze her.
“The memo originated in the penthouse of the Rialto. It is Mr. Rennert's personal account, although that wasn’t easy to determine. The man maintains one of the most advanced security systems I've ever seen.” Cat’s voice was awed.
Jenira smiled. She’d assumed no one was stupid enough to impersonate Rennert, and Cat fact-checked her assumptions. Jenira might be the brawn of their operation, but Cat was the brains. Techie culture depended on electronic surveillance and mechanical integration in all matters, but Jenira didn’t understand layers of encryption and other technical mumbo-jumbo.
Cat tore her eyes from the mess of code and other unrecognizable squiggles on the computer monitors. “What are you going to do?”
“I don't know. You're sure Rennert sent the message?”
“Yes. The digital signature matches the other job notices you’ve received and his professional correspondences, now that I know to look for it. He uses a clever method of hiding his communications with you, and his system is fantastic. I always knew he was one of the better techies because his inventions are innovative and inspiring.” Jenira cocked an eyebrow, and Cat blushed. It was just like her sister to drool over a man’s work and not his other assets.
“I admit he's been good to us.” Jenira ticked the reasons off on her fingers. “He pays more than any other bosses, and his jobs are reasonable. I haven't killed a single innocent under his direction.” Jenira refused to dwell on that any longer than necessary. Although she possessed morals, she would do anything required to ensure her sister's safety. “I don't like it, though. I've never met with an employer before. My line of work is dangerous enough without advertising my identity.”
“Jen,” Cat began in a small voice, “I don't want to move again. We just got here. I have projects in the works; I have ideas which will take the pressure off you as our sole provider.”
Jenira sighed. Cat considered Brenville home, and Jenira silently admitted she agreed. The city's population allowed for anonymity and boasted more natural features than most Eastern Territory cities. Brenville maintained green spaces; the nature restored her spirit and bolstered the mage abilities which assisted her work. Why was it was too much to ask that she maintain a safe, anonymous relationship with her employer?
“Cat, do you think he's responsible?” Jenira whirled toward her sister, the question popping abruptly into her mind. Cat easily followed her sister's random connection.
“Oh.” Cat’s dark eyes wide
ned behind her glasses. “You mean the mage killings?”
Jenira reclaimed the chair across from Cat, her blade stilling. Jenira liked to plan her jobs out loud so Cat could correct her if her logic proved faulty, which it sometimes did. “Registered mages are being targeted and slaughtered in their beds. Rennert is arguably the most powerful tech provider and inventor in the Eastern Territories. What if he plans a brutal assassination as my next job? What if he asks me to kill a mage?” She shuddered. Her mind was numbed to violence after years of exposure, but the savage murders shocked her to her core.
The Eastern Territories disapproved of mages, but they could make their home here if they registered and documented their presence. If they didn’t report their residency and fill out the requisite paperwork, they would be deported back to the West or conscripted into work for the techie government, depending on their usefulness.
Jenira's lips pressed together. The techie government frowned upon the recent attacks against legal mages. Treating mages as second rate citizens wasn't considered a crime, but killing them wasn’t acceptable because murder left them unable to contribute their skills to Eastern culture. The Western Territory would treat mages better and allow more freedom, but there were reasons to live in the East. She had her own reasons.
“Do you honestly believe he would kill mages or arrange their murders?”
Jenira flinched. Cat revered the billionaire for his contribution to tech, the lifeblood of the East. Jenira's skepticism and practicality kept her from raising him to the same level her sister did. But, Jenira didn’t respect many people; it was just the way she was. “Who else, Cat? Magic presents a threat to the technical industry, and it's always been that way. This might be the break we need. If he had a hand in orchestrating the murders, he won't live to see tomorrow.” Jenira's voice hardened. Once she found the perpetrator of these attacks, they would die.
“Well then,” Cat replied seriously, “we need to get you onto the roof of the Rialto unseen. His office building employs more fail-safes than the Council Temple.”
“That's why I have you.”
Cat hesitated before returning to her monitors. “And if he's not behind the killings? What if he's discovered our identities and this is a trap?”
Jenira curled a lock of blonde hair between her fingers. Her other hand tapped the flat side of her blade against her thigh. “I've been careful, Cat. There's no way he knows who I am or that I have magic. This is just another job. If it's not, I'll deal with it.”
Jenira turned her attention to their small bungalow, leaving Cat to start her preparations. Due to the generosity of their boss, this was the nicest place they'd called home since crossing the border. The backyard even had a green space. They shared the block of trees and grass with four other bungalows, but the small piece of natural land balanced out the metal and concrete structures throughout the city. They had running water, a kitchen, and separate bedrooms. The walls were bare, the plaster was cracked, and their furniture had been scrounged off the side of the street, but it still felt homey.
“We should be ready to run just in case,” Jenira sighed.
Cat nodded, but her expression revealed her disappointment. They were always prepared to move at a moment's notice. Jenira's status as an unregistered mage wouldn’t let them become complacent. Years of running had taught them both a valuable lesson. Leaving a trail of bodies behind them might have protected their secrets better, but Jenira refused to kill more than necessary. And although neither of them wanted to run again, their freedom and lives were more important than their personal preferences or comfort.
“Ok, I better get to work. The Rialto will be fun to crack.”
A wide grin soon displaced Cat’s sour grimace as she began her new task. Jenira grinned in loving exasperation. Nothing made her sister happier than cracking security measures. “Do you need me anymore?” She needed to address her anxiety with a sweaty workout and several well-placed punches into a bag of sand.
Cat's eyes roamed over keyboards and monitors, and she shook her head absently. Jenira recognized the grainy view of the city as seen from a satellite.
“You go ahead, sis. I'll have everything ready for you when you return.”
Jenira nodded, although her sister's preoccupation prevented her from noticing. She zipped up her hoodie, her body humming with the anticipation of the slap of concrete beneath her feet and the sound of daggers whizzing through the air.
Chapter Two
Cat
The door closed behind Jenira, and Cat sat back in her office chair. Although she believed in her sister's abilities, the situation made her chest ache. Jenira was hated, feared, and unwelcome in the East, but they hadn’t been safe in the mage controlled West either. Jenira chose to relocate to the East, and nothing swayed her sister when she made a decision. Despite Cat's repeated reassurances that she would be fine in the East on her own, Jenira refused to leave her and Cat couldn’t go back. A return to the West would cause Cat slow insanity; she needed her inventions, research, and tinkering to keep her sane.
As a result of their upbringing and the events which led them to flee over the border, Jenira and Cat valued anonymity over legality. Cat could create fake registrations, but circumstances hadn't yet required the risk. The only way Cat eased her guilt over Jenira remaining in the East was by helping her survive in her current line of work.
Her fingers moving deftly, she manipulated commands and drifted past layers of complicated encryption. She imagined there were fewer than five people in the Territories with the skill to bypass Rennert’s security; she just happened to be one of them. His system impressed her, though, and she was difficult to impress.
She sifted through the code blinking across her triple screens. The memo directed Jenira to meet him on the rooftop of the city’s highest building with no instructions for arrival. A mercenary as successful and intelligent as Jenira wouldn't risk a condemning photograph, so she couldn’t walk through the front door. Also, why would the employer of a highly paid assassin advertise his role? Rennert probably assumed greed was his employee's greatest motivation. It wasn't a baseless assumption because avarice ruled the East.
Cat sunk further into the day's correspondence, searching for signs of a trap. She crowed triumphantly when her search produced results. The man was ridiculously detail oriented. A note to his personal guard accompanied a nine pm appointment inked on his private schedule. It told them to admit one person at that time. Cat didn't believe the billionaire was stupid; the location was a test of Jenira's skills.
Cat manipulated the satellite feed, sucking in a surprised breath when the Rialto filled her screen. A beautiful, overgrown garden occupied the rooftop, causing her no small amount of curiosity. The typical array of solar panels existed; they were the standard power source in the city. The remainder of the summit, however, teemed with plant life. Vines crawled over potted plants and climbed the roof's pillars, creating a myriad of hiding places and shadowed corners. A tech mogul rarely maintained any connection to the earth, especially not so brazenly displayed. Rennert's political influence might protect his eccentric tendencies from suspicion, but it was still risky. The billionaire's personal residence occupied the top floor of the building so the patch of nature wasn't just a nod to the company's mage employees.
Cat scanned the roof for mechanical devices, surprised when none appeared. Rennert preferred privacy in his rooftop garden, even at the risk of abandoning visual or audio surveillance, but Cat’s satellite feed proved nothing in the East escaped video surveillance. The darkness would shield Jenira's presence from the orbiting camera, but it would also prevent Cat from monitoring. Since she always observed her sister's jobs with video and audio, the meeting broke several of their rules of engagement.
She sank into the softness of her office chair, her mind spinning. The Internet held a wealth of resources for criminal masterminds and contract mercenaries. Magic continued to be the worst offense in the Eastern Territory; paid m
urder paled in comparison. As long as employers didn't seek unregistered mages for covert activities, the authorities turned a blind eye.
Cat quelled stray rumors of Jenira's presence and occupation on the electronic venues, but success occasionally eluded her. Jenira was known as the ‘Desert Rose’ in the underworld, a beautiful, deadly woman who performed every job successfully. The fame led to higher paying jobs, and Cat wondered if Rennert suspected who he had employed. The message to his security personnel was vague, but his directions could cover the possibility he had hired an idiot.
Cat located historical satellite images of the roof, trying not to think about everything that could go wrong. Either Rennert never used his rooftop garden or his visits stayed hidden. Removal of his presence from the photos without blocking complete surveillance of the building displayed the brilliance Cat associated with his inventions. A blocked feed would be suspicious. The only activity in the image history revealed a rotund woman watering the plants.
Cat's next task involved examining the perimeter for magic sensors. Human mage sensors, also called Sniffers, posed the most significant risk. The small devices which sensed magic were easy to find, their electronic signature too unique to mask. Phasing on and off the rooftop would require a sizeable magical output, so a carefully placed Sniffer could have disastrous consequences. Jenira could sense Sniffers, but only at close range. If she phased onto the Rialto and encountered a sensor, the mage could track them, and they'd have to flee underground.
Cat's teeth sank into the pencil. Running would force her to abandon the invention which claimed every second of her free time. Their long stint in Brenville had given her an opportunity to complete her calculations, and a breakthrough was imminent. She was so close to being able to combine tech and magic into a usable device. Abandoning her progress and destroying parts or research would erase her advancements and devastate her.
Worlds Collide (Magitech Book 1) Page 1
