by Edward Aubry
Nothing happened.
He looked at Apryl. She gave him her best surprised look. She was trying, but it wasn't working.
"Shit."
* * *
They returned to the blind. Before dealing with anything else, he hugged Apryl. "You okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Barely felt it."
"Are we ready for phase two?" Alec asked.
"Negative," said Harrison. "We have a problem. We can't transport the bomb. We'll have to take it out of there by hand."
"What?" Hadley asked. "Are you sure?"
Apryl nodded. "Something about the bomb feels different," she said. They had run numerous simulations over the past few days, with Apryl transporting an object of the same approximate mass.
"Magical density," said Glimmer. She was looking away. "The bomb is probably way too dense to move through the currents here. They've been in flux all morning. Too slippery." She looked at Harrison. "I can't believe you can't feel that."
"Was it like that before?" he asked.
Glimmer shook her head. "Started a few hours ago. I should have mentioned it. I didn't realize it would interfere."
Alec rubbed his forehead. "Well, that's troublesome. Taking it out by hand won't be easy."
"I know." Harrison rolled with this punch. They had considered the possibility that things might go wrong. He had simply hoped they would not. "We're on Plan B now. We'll still take the ship. Then you and I will run the bomb up the road with Apryl, drop it off, and teleport back."
"Agreed," said Alec. They had discussed this as a fallback strategy, but, given the logistics, had not been able to rehearse it. "The others should cast off as soon as we're off the ship," the spy said. "They'll want a head start."
Unspoken was the reason they would need a head start. The bomb was going to reset the entire world, and nothing would change, except the island itself. Counterbomb Island would go up like a hydrogen bomb, minus the radiation. Harrison knew that meant killing several hundred people. He wished it did not. Without this bomb, however, they would all be dead soon enough anyway. He took scant comfort in that.
"Well," he said to Alec, "I've already unlocked the cargo hold." It had been a tense moment when he used his power to open the lock he had crushed. He had already tested his ability to do that on a lock in his apartment, but he was afraid they would be heard. It ended up being almost soundless. "That should buy us a few seconds." This was going to be a mad dash, no matter how they looked at it. Apryl would teleport Alec and Glimmer in, then get out of the way while they took out anyone still aboard. Then everyone else would have to run as fast as they could to the ship. At least they'd be running downhill.
"Right then," Alec said to Glimmer. "Let's go." Despite her impediment, the pixie had agreed to be part of the infiltration team. She still had a few magical stunts that might slow down the enemy and give Alec a slightly sharper edge. Harrison noticed that she was still wearing the Curious George dress. It was starting to get dirty. He wondered if she hadn't changed outfits all week because of her depression, or if she was somehow incapable of procuring new ones without her wings. In either case, seeing her like that made him very sad.
He took Apryl's hand, squeezed it, and let go. "Good luck," he said.
Alec nodded. "Take us to the cargo hold," he said. He and Apryl and Glimmer vanished.
"Wow," said Harrison.
"Yeah," said Jeannette. "That's what it looks like."
The instant they were gone, Harrison remembered that he still had Glimmer's stuffed ape in the pocket of the jeans he was wearing the day she gave it to him. Then he realized that he was wearing those jeans today. He put his hand in his pocket and confirmed that it was still there. He would have to remember to return it to her once they were back at sea.
Harrison watched the ship and waited. Two of Scott's men were standing on deck, smoking. He grew edgy. How long would it take for Alec to kill them? "Come on," he whispered. "Come on!" The two men were deep in conversation, one of them was shielding his eyes and looking across the dock. He looked like he was trying to find something and show it to the other man.
"Come on," Harrison whispered again. Now both men were scanning the dock. For the life of him, Harrison could not imagine what they found so interesting. He drummed his fingers on the tree he was hiding behind.
"At least go inside, so I don't have to watch Alec cut you to pieces," he muttered.
They both looked straight at him.
He froze. They couldn't possibly see him. They couldn't possibly have heard him. One of them pointed at him. They both ran inside.
"Oh, God! We've been made! Oh, God! Alec! They know he's there!"
"How?" Claudia asked frantically.
"They heard me!" he said. And then he got it. He looked at his ring. He looked at Claudia. "We have to get down there! Come on!"
They ran. It was easily a mile down a steep, uneven hill, and falls were frequent, painful, and cold. About halfway down, they saw two men appear on deck. They were carrying the bomb. They showed no sign of seeing Harrison and his crew.
"Harrison!" shouted Claudia. She was well behind him. He could barely hear her.
"I see it!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Just get to the ship!"
By the time they had all reached the ship, the men with the bomb were long gone. "Find Apryl!" shouted Harrison. "Find them!" It took a little over a minute to do so. Alec was in the galley, one leg badly wounded. Jeannette wasted no time getting a tourniquet on it. Apryl was cowering in a corner of the room. Harrison ran to her. She's alive. Thank you, God.
"I can patch this up," said Jeannette, probing Alec's leg. "Jake, find my bag!"
"Aye, Ma'am!" He bolted for it.
No one commented on the three dead bodies sharing the floor with Alec, nor on all the blood.
Harrison looked around. "Where's Glimmer?"
Alec shook his head, feebly. "She's done for, Harrison. We need to clear out."
Done for. Harrison rolled the words around in his mind, trying to decipher them.
"What about the bomb?" Hadley asked.
"We can set it off by remote," Alec said. "They're taking it right where we need it, anyway."
"Fuck the bomb!" shouted Harrison. "Where's Glimmer?"
"I'm sorry, Harrison," Alec said. "They took her. She did herself proud, but she's gone now."
This can't be right. We can't leave her. "Is she dead?" he asked aloud.
Alec hesitated. "Yes."
Harrison squeezed his eyes shut. The tears fell. Gone. Done for. It was too quick. He held Apryl close, unready for the loss he knew was coming while he tried to come to terms with the loss he had just learned about. It's too quick.
But Alec's answer had been too slow.
He took a moment to regain his composure and let go of Apryl. "Claudia," he said. "You are now acting Captain. I'm going ashore. As soon as I'm off the ship, set sail and move as quickly as you can. Get as far away as possible."
"Aye, sir," she said uncertainly. "Where are you going?"
He looked at Alec. "I have a pixie to rescue." Alec looked away. "I'm not angry with you, Alec," he said. "Believe it or not, I even appreciate what you just tried to do. But my life is not more valuable than hers." He held out his hand. "I'll need your weapon."
Alec looked at him with disbelief, but unbuckled Bess's scabbard. Removing it aggravated his wound, and he sucked in a breath. Harrison strapped on the sword, being careful not to touch the hilt. He wasn't ready to talk to her yet.
"They knew we were coming," said Alec. Jake had returned, and Jeannette was now sewing up his leg.
"That was my fault," said Harrison. "I accidentally used Claudia's voice trick. They heard me."
Everyone looked confused. "I tried to call to you on the hill," Claudia said, "and I had to shout."
Harrison nodded. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't take it on purpose."
"How did you take it at all?" Apryl asked.
He turned to answer, an
d as he looked into her magnetic brown eyes, knowing how soon their light would be snuffed out, his feelings for her resolved themselves. He reached out to her, and touched her cheek.
"I'll show you," he said. His hand tingled. Zap.
"Ow!" she said. "What did you just do?"
"I just took something from you that you won't be needing anymore," he said.
The implication was not lost on her. "Harrison, no! You can't do that!"
"It's my choice," he said. "I choose that you live."
"What the hell is happening?" Claudia asked. Apryl was sobbing.
"Not your concern," said Harrison. "Get this ship out of here. I'll return with Glimmer as soon as I can. Just keep sailing."
"Return? How?" she asked. "And what about the bomb?"
"That's my problem," he said. He pulled Gizmo from his pocket. "I'm taking this with me. It'll give me another edge. Once I'm back, we'll use it to set the bomb off from the ship. If I can't come back, I'll set it off myself. If you see the flash, you'll know what happened."
"Aye, Cap'm." Claudia's voice was grim.
Harrison looked at the tool in his hand and the weapon on his belt. "One more thing," he said aloud. He looked at Hadley. "You've got to come with me," he said.
"What? Why?"
"Because I can't charge in there blindly. There's only so far my bluster will take me when I'm going up against magic. Doctor, I'm going to need your expertise to get her out of there."
"I don't know as much as you think I do," said Hadley. He was sweating.
"But you know more than you think," said Harrison. "I can see it whenever you talk about it. I know you can't quantify it. And I know that frightens you." Hadley looked down at his feet. "But you've got it. I know you can't explain it, but you understand it better than I do. Better than any of us. Maybe better than any human." Hadley looked up. His expression was unsure. "You've taken us this whole way, Hadley. And you've been right every time. You've answered questions I never would have even thought to ask. Your solution was something even Titania didn't think of." Hadley looked away. He looked frightened, confused. "Rational or not," Harrison concluded, "you have your finger on the pulse of all this chaos."
"Mayhem," Hadley corrected quietly.
"Mayhem, then."
Hadley stared. "Is this an order?"
Harrison stared back. "It's Glimmer, Hadley. Does it need to be an order?"
Hadley looked away. "No," he said. He looked back at Harrison. "Let's go."
When Harrison put his hand on Apryl's shoulder, she turned and began to beat him on the chest with her fists. "Shh," he said, holding her wrists. "Hush. Hey, stop." She looked up at him. "Please forgive me," he said. "You deserve a chance to live."
"So do you."
"I know," he said. "Tough shit for me." He kissed her. She grabbed his head with both hands.
"I'll be back to say goodbye," he said.
"You better."
He stepped away.
"How are we supposed to find her?" Hadley asked. "We can't just walk up and knock on the door and ask to see her."
Harrison looked at Apryl. "We won't have to walk," he said. He grabbed Hadley's shoulder with one hand and drew Bess with the other.
I will blaze a trail of blood to your beloved pixie , the sword swore.
"I know," Harrison whispered. He concentrated on Glimmer, and they were gone.
Chapter Forty-Six:
Bestiary
Harrison and Hadley found themselves in a large, windowless room filled with long tables. Glimmer was nowhere in sight. Hoping that this would be a quick extraction, Harrison had expected to find himself thrown straight into a fight. At the very least, he had expected to find Glimmer. There was no one here. Mess hall, he thought, as he looked around the room.
We are vulnerable here , said Bess.
"Okay," he said. "Come on," and he made for the double swinging door, Hadley right behind him. He had no idea what was on the other side, but he agreed with Bess. He also trusted her. He was about ten feet from the door when another unfortunate coincidence kicked in. Four men entered. Three wore blue jumpsuits he had seen several times before, and the fourth was naked, but covered, top to bottom, with a thick mane of curly brown hair. He stood easily a foot taller than his comrades. They were talking casually among themselves. All but the big hairy one wore swords.
Relax , Bess said to him.
He found that shockingly easy to do. Normally, he would be fighting back panic, and he felt panic building in him now, but with Bess in his hand, he also felt a confidence that propelled him straight into harm's way. Two of the men were dead before they even knew he was there. It felt to him like when he had watched Bess in Alec's hands, and his perception of time was not slowed at all. Harrison wasn't even certain exactly what he had done. That he had killed two human beings barely registered. The third soldier had time to draw and thrust, but Harrison deflected his sword effortlessly. In the same motion, he spun completely around, pulling Bess through the man's abdomen as he completed his turn. As the contents of the man's body dumped out onto the floor, Harrison evaded them with the deftness of a ballet dancer.
Hadley had retreated to a position two or three tables behind Harrison. He did not attempt to run, and Harrison wondered at that until he remembered that Hadley was well aware of Bess's capabilities. The scientist was waiting out this fight.
The last opponent was more of a threat. Harrison felt a powerful strike across his torso. As he tried to catch his breath, he had to juggle his spatial visualization skills with his own agility. This was because he was airborne. He hit a table, rolling so that he tumbled straight to the floor and landed on his feet.
So this is Bess. She's a thrill ride. She was not controlling his actions (though he sensed that she could if she chose to), but she was infusing him with a speed and a strength he had never known. His reflexes were instantaneous, nearly prescient. He had not had room enough to avoid the hairy beast's blow altogether, but he had managed to avoid being crushed. The sword had saved his life several times over in a matter of seconds, and she was just getting started. The first time he had held this blade he had felt that he could take on an army with it. Bess had told him it would depend on the army.
An army entered the mess.
The hairy beast was already rushing him, and as men poured into the room by the dozens, they descended on him, swords drawn. Many of them were not human. Harrison silently asked Bess how they would fare in this particular fight.
Not well , she said.
Only half aware of his actions, he turned and grabbed Hadley. Then his vision went black. For a horrifying instant, he thought they had done something to him, and that he was certainly dead. Then he smelled brine, and realized where he was.
Gizmo cast pale green light into the darkness. Harrison saw his lifeboat. They were back in the tunnel. "What happened?" he asked Hadley.
"You brought us out of immediate danger to somewhere safe," said Hadley. "Running on instinct, I'd wager."
"But why didn't I go directly to Glimmer?" Harrison asked. "I was thinking about her. Isn't that the way Apryl's power works?"
"It's hard to say." Hadley scratched his head. "Glimmer said the island had become a kind of slippery zone. We were probably redirected by currents in flux. Should we try again?"
Harrison hesitated. He wanted nothing more than to try again, but there was an edge of fear in him now. I'm not afraid of dying. With Bess, I don't think that'd be possible anyway. More to the point, he had already effectively given his life to save Apryl, with no regrets. He would cheerfully offer it again to save Glimmer.
What he feared was killing.
He had done it. In the space of a minute, he had slain three men, without hesitation, without difficulty. If he went back, he would surely kill again. No matter how he rationalized it-they'd do it to me, they deserve it, it's the right thing to do-his response, central to everything in his fundamental nature would be remorse.
T
hose were my kills , said Bess. She had sensed his revulsion to the violence and was, incredibly, trying to console him. As fearsome as she was, he hadn't expected sympathy to be one of her virtues. Honor, certainly. Passion, even. Honest concern was a pleasant surprise, and he was touched by it. I have dispatched countless servants of Evil. Three more will make no appreciable mark on me.
She was trying to take one for the team, offering Harrison a chance to preserve his perfect, murder-free record. But he knew better. Though he could never have carried it out without her, and probably wouldn't have chosen to try it on his own, he knew what was to come when he drew her before he began teleporting. His actions, even under her guidance, were his own responsibility. The irony that he had lost his innocence of violence so shortly after having lost his virginity did not elude him.
"No," he said to her. "Thank you for offering, but I know what I'm doing."
Hadley looked at him curiously. "She speaks to you, doesn't she?"
Harrison hesitated. "Yes."
"Remarkable. I suspected as much. We never had a chance to really explore her."
Harrison looked at Gizmo. The marble was glowing faintly, beginning to fade. "I think you should take this," he said, handing it over. "I left you helpless in there. With Gizmo, at least you'll be able to do some magic stuff."
Hadley took the device and examined it. "Thank you," he said.
"Will I still be able to teleport without holding it?" Harrison asked.
"You should be. Apryl never had to hold the wand when she teleported. That's what's happened, isn't it? You have Apryl's abilities now?" Harrison nodded. There hadn't been time to explain, and he was grateful that Hadley was quick enough to figure it out. And big enough to take it in stride. "Well," said Hadley, "as long as it's in your vicinity, it should still function as your catalyst."
"Good. Can you estimate that magical flow well enough to lead me?" Harrison asked. "Take me upstream so I end up where I need to be?"
