The War Gate

by Chris Stevenson

  A fire engine pulled into the rear parking lot, and a squad of firefighters jumped from the vehicle. They threw levers and unraveled hoses. One of the firefighters rushed to Avy’s side, asking her if she needed assistance. She shook her head, hypnotized by the flames, watching the paint peel and blacken on the walls—the walls they had just painted the other day. She couldn’t hear anything over the roar in her ears, but now that internal roar was one of rage. Everything in the world Sebastian owned was turning into flaming slag and cinders. It was an incalculable loss that could never be replaced. She hoped the two men stood safe on the other side of the building.

  “I’m okay, I’m fine,” she kept telling the attending firefighter. She gazed at the Stadium Theater. Every inch of the building was engulfed in flames now, an orange mushroom climbed heavenward.

  It seemed like hell on earth had arrived.

  Chapter 17

  There were no serious injuries other than a few first-degree flash burns. The Raleigh fire department had extinguished the inferno in less than two hours. Sebastian had to fill out a report and make a statement about the fire’s suspected cause. He had not revealed the entire truth about the incident. The animals were safe. The interior of the theater had been gutted. Most of the building walls had crumbled into piles of scorched bricks. Many of the stage props were unique, one-of-a-kind, and irreplaceable. A few of them were antiques or custom-made mechanisms.

  They packed their cars up that morning with what little belongings they had, then drove off the property. Sebastian had to load all his animal cages into his car, tethering some to the roof. Chubby had called a friend who agreed to house the animals for a short time, and then the guard offered to let the couple stay in his small trailer. Avy declined the offer. She had no wish to bring any negative forces down on Chubby’s household. For all she knew, Drake had identified the guard as their accomplice. Which meant he would find out where Chubby lived.

  They found a small motel on the west side of Raleigh called Lazy Acres. The rooms came equipped with an adjoining door. Chubby moved his gear into his side, having rescued all of it from the fire. Sebastian left to shop for personal hygiene items, necessities that would tide them over for their motel stay. He also had to arrange a meeting with his insurance agent to put in a claim. Avy shared doughnuts and coffee with Chubby while she waited for Sebastian to return.

  Chubby gave the small dog gentle pats and bits of doughnut while he sat on the large bed, watching Avy prepare some complimentary instant coffee. “I can’t thank you enough for saving Gretchen, Avy. She wouldn’t have made it if you hadn’t rescued her. I don’t know how you got to the back of the theater so fast, but I’m sure glad you did.”

  “You would have done the same for me,” she said, extending a cup to him. “You had your hands full with the animals. Will they be okay out there with your friend?”

  “Sure, Henry has plenty of room. He’ll take care of the critters until Sebastian gets another place. That is, I hope he gets another place. He lost a lot. Well, you both did.”

  Avy had to admit that the last curtain call on their act had dropped with a sickening thud. She could overcome the inconvenience of losing a job. However, Sebastian’s life centered on everything having to do with magic, his props, and performing in front of a live audience. She couldn’t see him doing anything else. Now that she thought about it, it had been her first exposure to a legitimate stage act. She couldn’t imagine working any other job, now that she’d had a taste of the limelight. She hoped they would have the opportunity to start the business up again in the future, even if it required a large investment.

  The other side of her thoughts filled her with the most dread. If she had never met Sebastian, none of this would have happened. There would have been no attacks on the theater, causing the death of his animals or the ruination of his business. He wouldn’t be in grave danger now if he hadn’t made a vow to protect her. It all came back to her like a big accusing finger. She’d ruined his life. All because of some insane quest to prove her mother’s innocence.

  Chubby glanced at her. “There wasn’t anything we could have done to stop it. Don’t feel so bad. I’m not about to let that happen again. They’ll have to go through me to get to you.”

  Chubby had a penchant for devout loyalty. Coupled with his honesty, it gave her a terrible guilt complex. She hadn’t been truthful with him, and owed him a straight explanation of the facts. Now was the time.

  “I have something to confess to you,” she said.

  “Huh?”

  She began to tell him about her meeting with Janus, including his association with her mother’s past. The more she talked the more he nodded. It seemed like he had expected it, waiting all along for verification of what he knew to be true. It fit right into his analogy like a perfect puzzle piece. When he heard about her interpretation of how the time dilation worked in Gate-Walking, he perked up with a heightened interest. He had some revelations of his own to express.

  “It all makes sense now,” he said. “She did see a Catholic priest named Janus. They called him the ‘ghost lover.’ I knew your mother wasn’t crazy or delusional. At first, I thought she was losing her mind. Then later, I listened real careful to what she was saying. She never changed her story. She told me that this man interacted with me at the prison, but I don’t remember any of it. There was nothing I could do about it anyway. My superiors told me I was making all of it up, and if I wanted to keep my job I had to shut up—wipe all those rumors out of my head. I had to obey. Deep down, though, I knew there had to be some truth to the intruder theory.”

  Avy sipped from her cup, considering what he’d just told her. “I have to admit that you are more accepting than I was in the beginning. It was hard for me to get a grip on any of it.”

  He looked reflective for a long time before he answered. “Don’t blame yourself. I had a long time to consider all of the facts. I also had your mother’s sworn testimony, which was firsthand. In fact, I was the one person in the world she trusted.” He looked at her with those steel eyes again. “Now isn’t the time to break that bond of trust. There is something else I have to confess to you.”

  She wouldn’t have thought he had held anything back concerning her mother. If her mother had been an open book to Chubby, then he was the sole translator, having already explained everything that he knew.

  She waited for him to reveal what more he’d held back on the subject.

  “She told me once about an unexpected guest,” he began, “but it wasn’t the angel kind. She had a visitation during regular hours. It was a young woman, who Avalon claimed she’d never met before. This woman asked a lot personal questions. The questions dealt with a lot of emotional things. None of it seemed unusual because she thought this visitor might be interviewing her for a book or a magazine. But she felt she knew the woman somehow, or had seen her before somewhere.”

  “What did she look like?”

  “Avalon described her as a mirror reflection of herself—but much younger. Curious, I checked the surveillance tapes for that day. I saw you, Avy. Just like I’m seeing you right now.”

  “It had to be a coincidence.”

  “Just for my records, I recorded a still shot. I have it with me. It’s a three-quarter profile, but it’s got me convinced. It really hit home when I first saw you here in Raleigh.” He dug into his wallet to remove a small square of worn paper. He unfolded it and held it out to her. She looked at it. It was a photo reproduction taken from an overhead camera depicting the visiting area in a prison. In it, a barrier of shockproof glass separated two females. They were leaning forward toward each other, speaking through courtesy phones. The profile of the visitor looked like a dead ringer of her mother, even down to the color and style of the hair. The difference seemed to be in the lines of the face and the weight of the individuals. The mother was older, carrying an extra thirty pounds. Yet there was something in the appearance of the visitor that gave Avy’s heart a sound knocking.
The hairstyle and earrings were close enough, but it seemed impossible that someone else would be wearing a custom-made bracelet on her wrist like the one Avy owned.

  Avy pushed the old photo away from her. “I would have never done anything like that. It’s too dangerous. I wouldn’t have risked it.”

  Chubby pocketed the photo. “You went back, Avy. You traveled in time to meet your mother. I know it’s hard to believe. Sure, you haven’t done it yet. If you had, you would have a memory of it.”

  “I can’t do something like that,” she said, rejecting the idea. “It’s beyond my skill. I almost got lost last time out. It’s not like taking a stroll in the park or trying to find your way back home when you get lost. There are no roadmaps for this. The whole realm is laced with webs, mazes, dead ends—dirt roads to nowhere. Janus is the master traveler. He’s the only one who knows how to navigate the system.”

  “Maybe one day you’ll learn how to master them,” Chubby suggested.

  She heard similar words echo in her head. “Until that day comes I’ll have to crawl before I can walk.” She meant that. Maybe she would do such a thing one day. Right now, she had no desire to anger the gods or test the fates.

  ###

  Three hours later, Sebastian walked into the motel room, winded, his eyes glassy. He hefted several bags of groceries through the door, then slammed them on the table. “I dropped the animals off, then delivered my insurance papers. Sorry I’m late, but I had another errand to run.”

  Avy said, “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

  Sebastian poured himself a cup of coffee. He drank it down fast, spilling half of it on the carpet. No one had to tell Avy that something was not right with her boyfriend. His demeanor made that evident a moment later when he pulled a knife from his boot and threw it at the wall where it stuck quivering.

  Sebastian glared at the two with wild eyes. “Be advised that there are no inflated tires left in Cyberflow’s executive parking lot. I would have hung around longer to get the general motor pool but a lot camera picked me up. Security came after me. I lost them after a three-mile chase.”

  Avy clenched a fist. “Gee, that’s nice, sweetie.” She didn’t know what else to say. Sebastian didn’t seem to be in the best of moods, having just gone off on a rampage. No one could fault Sebastian for his feelings after losing everything. But he was straddling a dangerous edge at the moment.

  Chubby spoke up. “Serves them right for what they did. It still doesn’t make up for burning down a theater to ruin a person’s livelihood.”

  “I’m not finished with them either,” Sebastian swore. “They will rue the day they torched me. I can guarantee it’s going to get a whole lot worse for them from here on out.”

  Avy sat him down on the bed, taking his hand in a fierce grip. “I know this is hard to take. We all feel the same about it. But this tit for tat is going to get worse until somebody gets killed.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be one of them that gets killed,” Sebastian snapped.

  Avy shook her head. “That’s not what is supposed to happen. You know that, Sebastian. We’re playing their game right now. It’s a stupid, reckless game of violence. Drake’s got his security people thinking this is a company problem. He’s using them as muscle. They’re just ignorant thugs. We need to isolate him—concentrate on bringing him down for his crimes. That means we need a plan.”

  “How do we avoid his thugs?” asked Sebastian. “He’s hiding behind them.”

  “By doing what we’re doing now—staying out of their way. They have no idea where we’re at.”

  “They know our vehicles. Especially mine, now that it’s scorched on one side.”

  “They don’t know Chubby’s car,” she reminded him. “We can keep our cars parked in the back. That’s if Chubby doesn’t mind.” She looked at him.

  “No skin off me. I don’t think they linked me to my car. They saw me, but I’m just another fat face in the crowd. Besides, that clash we had was a real Heckle and Jeckle moment, so I doubt if anyone could put the make on me.”

  Sebastian didn’t look pleased. He tapped his foot, clenched his fists. Avy knew he had his mind set on revenge. Although she couldn’t talk him out of it altogether, she felt she could soothe his anger or at least appeal to his reason.

  “I thought we were doing the right thing,” said Avy. “I’m not so sure anymore. We’re using his tactics by fighting back. The whole thing is escalating, playing right into his hands and out of control. All we have to do is out-think him—that’s not asking a lot from us.”

  They sat in a brooding silence. It wasn’t clear that her plea got through to Sebastian until he spoke again.

  “Well, I suppose that mustard-gassing Cyberflow is out of the question then.”

  Avy looked at him. He gave her the slightest wink. The three erupted in laughter.

  ###

  Drake stopped pacing when Auggie entered his office. He led his security chief to the window where he jabbed a finger down at the parking lot. Three wreckers were parked there, their drivers busy jacking up cars, changing out tires.

  “Right under our noses,” said Drake, “the guy knifes dozens of tires on Cyberflow property. Not one alarm is sounded, nor does anybody see anything until it’s too late. Tell me, how does that happen on company property that is known for high-tech surveillance software? I’ll tell you how it happens—complacency. That’s how.”

  Auggie swallowed. “You’re right, boss. It was a damn unfortunate oversight. There is no excuse for it. I’ve punished the guards responsible. Beggin’ your pardon, but I need to bring you up to speed about another important matter.” Auggie glanced at Linda Wu.

  The secretary put her pocket mirror down. “Don’t tell me. Go to lunch, right?”

  Drake loosened his tie with an angry tug. “No, I’m going to lunch. Just take calls. When the guys from the tow service are sent up here, sign the check, then file the receipt.” He stepped out of his office and started down the hallway. Auggie broke into a trot to catch up.

  “What about this important matter?” Drake asked.

  “Our package is about to arrive.”

  “Lunch first. Then we’ll open up packages. Right now I need a bar with the strongest drinks available. Any ideas?”

  “Boss, wait.” He lowered his voice. “This is a different type of package. It’s the one we’ve been waiting for. The one from New York.”

  “Good, we’ll take him out to lunch with us. Think of a good restaurant.”

  “I don’t know how to tell you this, but I don’t figure our friend has lunch on his mind. I don’t think he’s appropriate for any outside venues.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s not the type that would fit into a social setting. Also, I think you better wait on lunch until after the meeting.”

  Drake halted in mid-step. “I told you no obvious gangster types, roughnecks, or idiots who would draw attention. He was supposed to be of subtle character. Someone that would pass without suspicion.” He continued on, picking up his stride.

  “Oh, I guarantee he’s the best where it counts. A real tag ’em and bag ’em kind of guy.”

  “It’s not the day for riddles, Augustus.”

  “You’ll just have to see him for yourself. He should be pulling in at loading dock number six. I’ve had the area cleared—the delivery trucks have been rerouted to the overflow parking area.”

  They walked to the loading dock at the back of the plant. The area was devoid of employee traffic. Drake looked around, throwing up his hands in disgust. “I give up, Auggie. Do you want to tell me where you’ve hidden him?”

  “He should be along any minute now.” Auggie reached into his pocket, removing a white surgical mask and a pair of latex gloves. “You better put these on, Mr. Labrador.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Auggie produced another set from his coat pocket. He pulled the mask on, then snapped the gloves tight. He spoke throug
h the filter. “It’s no joke, boss. It’s to keep things sterile.”

  Drake ignored the advice. He watched a large truck pull around the corner, then back up and park against the dock. A side panel of the truck read ICE KING REFRIGERATED MEATS. Two men wearing masks stepped from the cab. They stationed themselves near the rear door of the truck. One of the men spoke into a walkie-talkie. Auggie answered through his two-way, then turned to Drake. “Sir, he’s concerned that you’re not wearing your—”

  “Just get on with it. There’s no reason for all this cloak and dagger shit.”

  Auggie waved his arm, signaling to open it up. One of the men keyed a lock open, then swung the large loading door upward.

  Drake saw a shadow move across the inner wall of the truck. It was followed by the figure of a human dressed in very dingy clothing. Drake walked closer to get a better look. The figure wore an olive green rain slicker, a filthy orange hat, and what looked like snow boots. The face resembled a smear, still indistinguishable from the distance.

  Drake moved closer, stopping within fifteen feet. He could smell something like a wet dog—the odor wafting from the confines of the truck interior. Another odor assaulted him, the cheesy putridness of decay. Closer now, the face within the truck looked wet, so did his hands, the only parts of his flesh that were visible. The lips of the man were gray, cracked in a slight grin that showed teeth that looked like broken cashews. The eyes were either gray, or spoiled with cataracts, it was hard to tell. Drake put the appliances on, since he had no idea what kind of human stood in his presence. This had to be the Wax Man, whom Auggie had referred to earlier.

  “This is Mr. Drake Labrador,” said Auggie aloud, serving as liaison between the two.

  “Uh.” Drake extended a hand but made no move to close the distance. He watched the Wax Man take a few steps toward him, the rain slicker waltzing in sway.

  Drake got a good look at the face. The cheeks were drawn, the eyes were white voids. Numerous inflamed ulcerations, some of them leaking puss, pockmarked the man’s face. A perceptible heat radiated outward from the body, and with it, Drake could detect more of the strong fetid smell through the mask. Indeed, the face looked like it was made of wax, changing form when the light shifted upon it.