Dark Mirror 2 - Dark Passage

by M. J. Putney

  “If the pole is destroyed, would the electricity fail long enough for us to get in and out again?”

  “That depends,” he said, looking intrigued. “If they have an emergency backup generator, the lights would come back on almost immediately.”

  “Then we call down lightning and blast that pole to tinder!”

  “Interesting thought,” Allarde said approvingly. “Do any of us have enough weather magic to direct lightning like that?”

  “Nick isn’t as strong as Jack, but he has some weather power. We can increase that by working together. We couldn’t call a storm very far, but this one is right on top of us,” Tory replied. “If we can knock out the electricity, how long will it take to restore?”

  “Hard to say. At least half an hour, I think. Probably longer. Maybe much longer.” He glanced from Tory to Allarde. “Shall we try?”

  “We’ll have to move quickly before the storm passes,” Allarde said. “Which means going down this hill and moving as close to the laboratory as we can. Then we try to channel the lightning.”

  “With the help of you two, I think I can do that,” Nick said. “If we fail, we’re no worse off than we are now.”

  “If the power goes out and stays out, Nick and I will go over the fences with Tory’s help,” Allarde said. “I’ll unlock the laboratory door and Nick will lead us to Dr. Weiss. God willing, we persuade him to leave before the power is restored. If we all make it out, we head back to the cave as quickly as we can.”

  “They probably won’t realize Dr. Weiss is gone till tomorrow, and we’ll be back in Lackland by then,” Nick said. “Let’s do it!”

  “A good plan, except I’m going with you two over the fence,” Tory said. “Don’t protest, Allarde. My ability to lift people is strongest if I’m touching them. We’ll have the best chance of getting in and out again if we hold hands when we go over.”

  “You make me long for the days when a duke could just lock an unruly wench in a tower!” Allarde said with exasperation.

  “But she’s right,” Nick pointed out.

  “I know,” Allarde said glumly. “Very well, let’s get moving. If this is to work, we’ll have to move fast.”

  He caught Tory’s hand and headed down the hill. She felt a shock as intense as the lightning they planned to bring down. Reminding herself that he just wanted to help her over the rough ground, she matched her pace to his.

  She’d known they must join hands if they traveled over the fence, but this felt dangerously romantic. Fiercely she reminded herself that nothing had changed. She cared too much for him to ruin his life.

  Better to concentrate on her breathing and her footing as they raced down the hill.

  CHAPTER 23

  The ground had been cleared for several yards around the fence, but they found a concealed position in dense shrubbery just outside that area. The storm was already moving off. After Tory caught her breath, she said, “Nick, you have the most weather magic and you understand electricity best, so you lead.”

  She took his hand and let her energy flow into him as he turned his face to the sky. Allarde joined hands with Nick and poured his smooth, deep power through their connection. Tory was far too aware of him whenever they touched and this was much, much worse. The passion and deep understanding hovered so close …

  Focus on the job that must be done. Shutting out her personal feelings, she blended their power into one powerful force. “We’re ready, Nick.”

  Nick stared at the power pole. “Now!” He sent his energy into the heart of the storm, and he carried the other two with him.

  Giddily Tory soared into that raw, exhilarating power as Nick sought the lightning. They were one with the fierce winds, slanting rain, bone-shaking thunder.

  There! For an instant, Tory was lightning, a searing energy that destroyed all in her path. A volatile force that coalesced, struck, transformed. White sparks exploded into the sky on the far side of the compound. The power pole shattered and she sensed power lines melting away in white hot coils.

  All the lights vanished, leaving absolute darkness. As they waited to see if power would be restored, another slash of lightning illuminated the faces of her companions. Allarde was calm, Nick excited. “Ready to jump, Tory?” Allarde asked.

  “Nick, you be in the middle since you haven’t done this before. I’ll take your left hand, Allarde your right. You don’t have to do anything but make your power available to us. We’ll take care of the rest.” As they positioned themselves to enter the compound, Tory rebalanced their energy, then changed the focus from weather to flying. When the energy was right, she gathered it together. “Now!”

  They rose swiftly into the air. Nick made a strangled sound and his grip became bruising, but he didn’t falter even though wind and rain tore at their clothing.

  Supplementing her power with Allarde’s allowed her to manage their combined weight handily. They should be able to add a fourth person and escape with Dr. Weiss.

  The main fence was barely visible with the spotlights off. They skimmed over. Wise of Allarde to choose dark clothing for the three of them. In the middle of the storm, they must be almost invisible. Plus, she and Allarde had stealth stones that were spelled to make people’s gazes pass by them.

  In the distance voices called out in German. Though Tory didn’t speak the language, the tone sounded like furious curses.

  They moved silently over the empty ground between the outside fence and the laboratory fence. The laboratory was light-colored, easy to see in the dark.

  “Down now,” she murmured, and brought them down in front of the building’s main entrance. Unused to flying, Nick stumbled but recovered immediately.

  There were no signs of life, only wind and rain. Anyone imprisoned in the laboratory was in his bed unless woken by the storm.

  Dropping Tory’s hand, Allarde stepped forward and placed his palm over the door lock. After a long buzz of magic, he opened the door. Its faint squeal sounded painfully loud, but probably couldn’t be heard more than a few feet away.

  Allarde stepped back and gestured the other two inside. Tory’s saturated clothing dripped on the cold tiled floor, but it was good to be out of the pounding rain. The chilly air contained odd, medicinal scents.

  When they were all inside, they waited to see if their entry had been noticed. All was silent except for the rain pounding on the roof. When he was sure they were unobserved, Nick created a very faint mage light and aimed it at the floor. Then he started off without hesitation, leading them down the long corridor until they reached a set of swinging double doors.

  Cautiously Nick opened them. Ahead was a shorter stretch of corridors with the medicinal scent diminished.

  Once again Nick led the way. The corridor ended in a tee junction. Nick turned into the short passage on the left and stopped in front of a door. Carefully he tried the doorknob. Locked.

  Allarde was about to step forward when Tory raised her hand to halt him. She moved up to the door and placed her hand over the keyhole. Then she guided her magic into the components of the lock, puzzling out how the mechanism worked. Ah, there. A quick, sharp effort moved the latch and unlocked the door.

  She stepped back and waved Nick in first. He opened the door and stepped inside. The small, spare room contained a narrow cot that held a sprawled sleeper.

  Nick increased the power of his light. “Dr. Weiss?” he asked in a quiet, unthreatening voice.

  The sleeping figure rolled over and sat up. Speaking in weary French, he said, “Have you come to drag me from bed and execute me for insufficient progress, mon colonel?”

  Allarde said in French, “Not at all. We’re here to rescue you, Dr. Weiss.”

  In the brighter light, Tory saw that the scientist was a lean man in his forties with dark hair and haunted gray eyes. The room itself was stark as a cell. Besides the bed, there was a battered metal desk covered with books and paper and a door that must lead to a closet or washroom. The high, narrow window was
covered with a heavy curtain.

  As the scientist blinked in confusion, Allarde asked, “Do you speak English?”

  “Yes, and also German, Russian, and Greek,” Dr. Weiss said tartly in fluent, French-accented English. “Which you should know since you’re figments of my imagination.” He pulled a pair of spectacles from his desk and slid them on. Frowning, he added, “Wet and very young figments of my imagination.”

  He removed the spectacles and lay back on the bed, pulling the blankets over him. In French, he muttered, “Fairly benign as nightmares go.”

  Thinking a female voice might be more soothing, Tory stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. “We’re not figments of your imagination, Dr. Weiss,” she said, speaking in English so Nick could understand. “We came here at considerable risk to take you to England where you can continue your research without having to worry about being shot in the middle of the night.”

  Dr. Weiss stared at her hand, then reached for his spectacles again. “You certainly feel real, but you look younger than my daughter! Have the British started sending children to war?” His gaze moved to the door. “If you’re real, how did you get in here? I heard the click when they locked me in for the night.”

  The three mages exchanged a glance. “Allarde, you explain,” Nick said. “You have more gravitas.”

  The scientist smiled. “Gravitas? You’re well-educated children, but you boys don’t look much older than she is. Is this some kind of bizarre joke?”

  “It’s no joke, sir,” Allarde said.

  Tory noted that Nick was right: Allarde had gravitas, which gave him the best chance of convincing the scientist that they were serious. Persuasion needed to be quick, because she was itchily aware that the lights could come on again at any time.

  Allarde continued, “The three of us have magical powers. I understand how difficult this is to believe, especially for a scientist. But there have always been people with magic, and we can prove we have it.” He snapped his fingers. Another globe of mage light appeared. He tossed it into the air and it hovered above them.

  Dr. Weiss stared at the light. “That … that has to be some kind of secret British scientific discovery. Just a different type of torch.”

  Which was exactly what Nick said when Tory first met him. Impatient and very aware of time passing, Tory used the same proof she’d used on Nick: She floated up to the ceiling.

  “You can’t explain this away, Dr. Weiss,” she said briskly. “Nick used magic to call down lightning to destroy the power pole, I used magic to float us over the barbed-wire fences, and Allarde used magic to unlock the laboratory door.”

  Seeing the scientist’s baffled expression, Nick said soothingly, “You don’t have to believe that magic is real, sir. Just trust us to get you out of here safely. You can argue about whether it’s really magic when we’re a safe distance away.”

  Dr. Weiss ran trembling fingers through his unkempt hair, then swung from the bed and passed his hand through the air under Tory. Allarde obligingly floated his mage light higher so it was clear that no wires supported her.

  The scientist tried the light switch. The electricity was still out, which might be considered proof of their claims.

  Turning to face the Irregulars, Dr. Weiss said, “The two logical hypotheses are that you have magical abilities, or I am mad. I rather think it’s madness.”

  “You’re not mad, sir,” Nick said. “We are not here as official Allied agents. My father works in British intelligence. I learned of your work when a scientist from Oxford, Dr. Florey, pleaded for my father’s agency to rescue you. He said he needed you for his research.”

  “Howard Florey did that for me?” Dr. Weiss said, surprised. “We have met at scientific meetings and he said he would like to work with me someday, but I didn’t realize he was this serious.”

  “He’s very serious, but he was refused because British intelligence consider rescue impossible.” Nick hesitated as if wondering how to explain this rescue attempt. “I had a very strong intuition that your work was vital, and that with magic I could bring you safely out of France. So I collected some friends and here we are.”

  “But we must leave as soon as possible.” Allarde’s face showed tension. “We don’t know how long the lights will be off. When electricity is restored, escape will be far more hazardous.”

  “Assuming I’m not mad,” Dr. Weiss said flatly, “I would like nothing better than to leave this damnable place. But I can’t go with you.”

  CHAPTER 24

  The scientist’s words silenced Tory and the others until Nick exclaimed, “Sir, why can’t you come with us? Surely you don’t want to work for Hitler!”

  Dr. Weiss spat on the floor. “I wish him to die an ugly, painful death. But my wife and children are held captive in the castle above. They are—how you say?—hostages for my cooperation. If I am not here in the morning, Colonel Heinrich, the truly evil commandant of this installation, will see them dead by noon. I cannot leave.”

  Nick caught his breath, his expression startled. Something about the scientist’s words struck an intuitive chord, Tory suspected.

  But it was Allarde who spoke. “The Sword of Damocles hangs over your head,” he said gravely. “But surely you know there is a terrible likelihood that if you stay, all of you will die. Wouldn’t your wife and children want at least you to escape?”

  The scientist’s face twisted in agony. “Perhaps they would. But I would never be able to sleep again for visualizing them being dragged screaming into the castle courtyard and being shot. Or … or worse.”

  “Then we shall have to rescue them at the same time as you,” Nick said.

  Tory gaped at him. “Nick, you’ve seen the castle! Even magic can’t get us up that cliff and back with Dr. Weiss’s family! Not with Nazi soldiers all around us.”

  “I can try. I may succeed.” Nick’s gaze met that of the scientist. “I will be back for you, Dr. Weiss, and on the same night I will also rescue your family. I swear it.”

  The scientist sighed, his face haggard. “You are a brave young man, or I am mad. Once again, I incline to believe it’s madness. I shall not expect to see you again. If you are real … do not risk your life or that of your friends on me. Nothing can be done.”

  “Perhaps not,” Nick said stubbornly. “But if we do return, how large is your family? How many children?”

  “My wife, Sarah. My daughter, Rebecca, who is fifteen. My son, Joel, is eleven.” Dr. Weiss sighed. “One reason my work goes slowly is because my wife was my research partner. Her training is the same as mine, she is as good a scientist as I. But the colonel refused to believe a woman could be equal and necessary to my work.”

  “Then he’s a fool,” Nick said. “You may doubt that I’m real or that I can do what I say, Dr. Weiss. But just in case, be ready. If you have notes or personal possessions, keep them close. Just in case.”

  “Almost you convince me,” the scientist said sadly. “I have no hope for myself, and my family’s situation is even worse than mine. But I wish you brave young people Godspeed. Leave now and save yourselves.” He gave a twisted smile. “If you are real.”

  “I am real.” Nick offered his hand.

  Dr. Weiss returned Nick’s firm handshake. “Indeed you feel substantial. Go now, and swiftly.”

  “He’s right,” Allarde said, his voice sharp. “We must move.” He opened the door and peered out. Seeing the way clear, he beckoned to his companions. Catching his urgency, Tory darted through, closely followed by Nick.

  Allarde took a moment to lock the door behind them, then set off swiftly down the corridor. “My foretelling sense says we’re cutting this very close,” he said in a nearly inaudible voice. “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

  They hurried to the entrance as quickly as they could while making minimal noise. Again Allarde checked for danger outside before they left the building. As he locked the laboratory door behind them, the rumble of a motorcar sounded n
earby. The compound might be dark, but there was activity.

  Tory stepped out into the rain and caught Nick’s hand. “Everyone ready?”

  Allarde took Nick’s other hand. “Ready!”

  “I’m looking forward to flying again.” Nick’s voice was jaunty, but his hand clamped tight on Tory’s.

  She closed her eyes and cleared her mind to find the stillness needed for her floating magic. Power shared among them, take it slowly, visualize rising in the air …

  Click!

  As they began to lift, lights blazed on through the compound. Allarde swore under his breath and poured more lifting magic into the link. The rush of power helped Tory speed up their flight.

  Over the laboratory fence. Over the bare ground between fences.

  They were soaring over the barbed wire when the glaring beam of a spotlight slashed over them. Its brilliance almost blinded Tory. A guttural shout rose, followed by the ear-piercing rat-a-tat-tat of a machine gun.

  As bullets whizzed by, Tory swooped them down into the shrubbery so fast they risked sprained ankles. As soon as everyone was on solid ground, they bolted into the woods. Tory prayed she wouldn’t run into a tree or step into a rabbit hole.

  No shots followed them. After they’d run perhaps a quarter mile, Tory gasped, “Enough! I need to rest.” She leaned back against a wet tree trunk, not daring to sit because she’d have difficulty getting up again. “I think we got away safely.”

  “I doubt anyone saw us clearly,” Allarde halted, breathing hard. “And if someone did, he probably didn’t believe what he saw. The machine-gun fire likely came from someone who thought we were a pair of geese flying into the woods so he shot after us on general principles.”

  “Three geese, not two,” Nick panted. “Unless you consider Tory gosling size.”

  As Allarde chuckled, Tory said sternly, “You’ll pay for that, Nicholas Rainford!”

  “Yes, my lady,” he said with exaggerated deference. “But not just yet.”