by Cameron, TR
Silence reigned for several moments until Tony smoothed his mustache and asked, “Are we doing this because it’s strategically smart, or are we doing it because we want to give the assholes who took our home some payback?”
Her smile turned into a full grin. “Both. For one more reason, as well. They think they have us on the run. They think we’re scared, wringing our hands with anxiety over our imminent capture, prosecution, and hell, who knows, maybe execution.”
That was laying on a little thick, but she was in a groove. “Here’s the thing. We’re going to show them they don’t scare us a bit by going back to the place where they hit us and punching them in the mouth so hard they’ll be trying to find the splinters of their teeth for days.”
Smiles blossomed on every face. Rath yelled, “I’m in, so very in.”
Each member of the team confirmed that they were, too, and Diana felt a familiar pride in her peoples’ spirit. She said, “We’re still going to try to remain nonlethal, so plan accordingly. The rest of us will take six hours to rest while Kayleigh and Deacon get some prep done. Sleep if you can. After that, though, we gear up and show these people exactly how big a mistake they made in choosing to mess with us.”
* * *
Diana permitted herself a beer as she sat on the couch in the main room. Cara, in a chair beside it, also held a can of a local craft brew in her hand. She wasn’t paying attention to anything other than her conversation with Cara and was spending a good portion of the non-drink-sipping time with her eyes closed and her head tilted back. It surprised her when Ruby’s voice came from nearby. “Hey, you two, can I chat with you for a minute in my workshop?”
Diana blinked the gumminess out of her eyes, exchanged looks with her second-in-command, then rose. “Of course.” Cara was a step behind as they followed their host into the other room. Waiting inside was the completely unexpected figure of Nylotte, Diana’s mentor, and lately, Cara’s teacher as well. Diana couldn’t restrain herself from going forward and wrapping the other woman in a hug.
The Drow patted her back with a laugh. “It’s lovely to see you too, Diana. You too, Cara.”
Diana stepped back and stared at her teacher. The dark elf had always possessed a certain martial aspect, but now it was more pronounced. She wore black leather armor, and the hilt of a sword stuck up over her shoulder. She’d tied her white hair in a warrior’s topknot, its substantial length spilling down her back in a ponytail bound by a series of leather ties. She said, “You look like you’re about to go to war with someone.”
Nylotte smiled. “The version of me you’re most familiar with is only one of many, my student. This is another. I’ve taken it upon myself to do a little of the work your team normally handles, seeking out magical artifacts and taking them away from people who would misuse them.”
Cara asked, “Are you planning to join us, then?”
The Drow shook her head. “No. I only stopped by to let you know that I’m here for you. You can get in touch with me through Ruby whenever, and I can always find my way to Diana at need.”
She said, “Really?”
A short laugh escaped the other woman. “There is much about magic that you have yet to understand, Diana. Of course, I know where you and Cara are at all times. I’m attuned to you because we have worked so closely together.”
She frowned. “That seems like it would get annoying if you had a lot of students.”
Nylotte nodded. “Which is why I select so few.”
“Any advice?”
Her mentor laughed. “Now that you’re beyond the inevitable sulking you’ve doubtless been engaged in? None. Be yourselves. Trust your powers. You are adequate to any task, as long as you don’t let your brains get in the way.” The other woman had said words to that effect before, but a reminder was always good.
Cara asked, “Are you sure you won’t come along? We’re going to take the fight to our enemies, finally.”
“No. But I am a resource and a refuge if you need it. Even if the entire world knows you’re with me, still, you shall remain safe. Worst case, I’ll spirit you away to the deep woods on Oriceran, and we’ll plan our vengeance from there.”
Diana and Cara both nodded. Her second-in-command said, “Thank you.”
She echoed her appreciation and added, “I feared it would be much longer before we would be together again.”
Nylotte laughed and stood fully from where she’d been seated on the edge of the table. “As if I’d let such a thing happen. Now, go do your work. You both need to get back to your regular training sessions as soon as possible before you lose all the skills I’ve taught you.”
Chapter Thirty
With a plan in hand, Diana’s team focused on gearing up. Ruby had supplied all the equipment she could, including electrical grenades, gas grenades, and flash-bangs. The need to try to stay nonlethal, especially when magic would be sporadically useful at best because of the anti-magic emitters, upped the op’s degree of difficulty considerably.
Diana took a moment to check out her people scattered around the bunker’s main room. Some had their normal vests. Some wore only armor that Ruby had borrowed, off the books, from Sheriff Alejo. Pistols were present, and some rifles as well, but they wouldn’t get used except as a last resort.
Kayleigh had made it out with enough prototype web grenades that each team could have two, but the tech hadn’t guaranteed their functionality. “There’s a reason they’re only prototypes, you see. If you all understood any sort of science, that would be clear.” The comment had earned her nothing but mockery, which Diana felt had been well-deserved.
Satisfied with her people’s preparations, she went into one of the bunker’s storerooms. Kayleigh and Deacon had chosen that spot for their setup because it offered the best network access. She said, “The team will finish prepping in a few minutes. Time for you to do your thing.”
The two sat back-to-back, each staring into their computer monitor. Kayleigh asked, “Ready?”
Deacon replied, “Waiting on you, now.”
The blonde shook her head. “Moron. Okay, sending the activation signal to the backup system.” After a long second, she continued, “Link established. It’s booting out of standby mode.”
The tech’s eyes stayed glued to the screen, which meant she couldn’t see the exasperated look on Diana’s face. Sometimes, the technical aspects of a job seemed to crawl. This was one of those times.
Kayleigh announced, “Boot-up complete. Self-diagnostic in progress.” Diana sighed and resisted the urge to pace. “Systems are good to go. When I hit the switch, the possibility of detection will kick up. We should hold until we’re ready.”
Diana turned to find Cara standing right behind her. At this moment, it was the other woman’s responsibility to get the team prepared. Cara advised, “We’re good to move.”
Diana ordered, “Do it.”
Kayleigh hit a button with a flourish. “All you, Deke.”
The infomancer replied, “I have the signal. Okay, bots are active.” Diana stared at the screen over his shoulder, which showed grainy black and white images in eight windows.
She frowned. “I thought you said you only had a couple.”
“I lied.” The distraction in his tone was a warning not to continue the conversation. She muttered to Cara, standing behind her, “Set up the teams in position to portal. Make sure Rath doesn’t try to bring Max.”
Her second-in-command chuckled. “Affirmative, Boss.”
Deacon said, “Found a good spot. Back corner, no overlap from other anti-magic emitters, only one handling the room.”
Diana asked, “Any chance it’s that way as bait for a trap?”
On his screen, the windows converged on a thick cylinder covered in electronic-looking things. “Possible. Doubtful. Once you get in there and start and give me a bridge into whatever systems the enemy has running in the base, I’ll know more. The bots are in position. Ready to go?”
She nodded. �
�Do it.” She watched as all the boxes became filled with the cord connecting the device to the power grid.
Deacon said, “Using a heavy-duty model was smart, to ensure we couldn’t somehow overpower it, although I don’t even know if that’s a thing. Still, it makes sense on the face of it.”
He turned his head to grin at her. “The power draw is considerable, which means it has to stay connected to a source of electricity. If something should happen to that feed, well, let’s just say it won’t be good for the defenders.” Six of the eight screens went to black, and he finished, “RIP, little buddies. They died cutting the cord. Your path is clear.”
* * *
Diana watched as Cara, Ruby, and Idryll were the first through the portal into the base. Their Magic City contact had insisted on coming along, and of course, that meant her companion had joined as well. Cara had promised to keep an eye on them, but that didn’t change her responsibility to take that initial step.
Everyone else paused for a second to see if something bad would happen. When nothing occurred, the rest flowed through. The teams wouldn’t use comms until Kayleigh and Deacon compromised the base’s systems, which meant each team had prepared with a specific goal and several conditions that would cause them to abandon the fight and portal away.
Each group was targeting a different destination. Cara was headed to the armory because finding nonlethal weapons outside the base would be a highly annoying task compared to taking the ones they already had. Hank and Anik had perhaps the most unexpected role. At least, hopefully the enemy won’t anticipate it. They were going to the vimana’s core, what their expert mechanic liked to call the “engine room.”
Diana had decided that if they couldn’t use the vimana as a base, they certainly weren’t going to allow the enemy to do so. While magic fueled the place, it still had mechanical systems, or at least they looked mechanical, as Hank explained it. The details didn’t concern her, only the fact that both he and Anik had agreed that explosives should mess them up pretty effectively.
She, Rath, and Bryant were on the way to the vault to take away as many artifacts as they could. She was fully aware the move would make her look worse in the eyes of those who already suspected her. Still, she feared the evil potential of the objects and didn’t want them in a bunch of bureaucrats’ hands.
Long-term, she’d find someone she trusted and turn them over. Short term, the safest location for them was with her and her team. That left Tony and Sloan to hit Kayleigh's lab and grab whatever they could. With their backup base out of the picture, materials and supplies would be an ongoing challenge.
The other teams flowed out of the landing room on their way to split up at the nearest intersections. When an anti-magic emitter was in a hallway, they smashed it. They weren’t willing to clear the place door by door to get them all. They couldn’t afford the time, and they didn’t have the personnel.
One member of each team carried network enhancers to put down at intervals when they split up. The devices would give Deacon more bandwidth to use to break into the base’s systems. Diana had detailed herself to mount the one in their landing room, so their group was last to leave.
Bryant clubbed the anti-magic emitter into submission, ensuring that even if someone restored power to it, the unit wouldn’t function. Rath twirled his batons, seemingly eager for the fight ahead. The troll said, “Max would’ve loved this.”
Diana sighed. “Shut it. Get a move on, short stuff. You’re on point.” He laughed and scampered out the door.
She traded an amused glance with Bryant, obvious even through the team’s masks that covered everything except their eyes. Certainly, Rath would be a dead giveaway about who they were, but her concern was for Ruby and Idryll, who definitely didn’t need to have a confirmed spot on their enemy’s hit list. She ran for the exit, Fury in her grip, ready to get a little payback.
* * *
Cara paused to attach a network enhancer to the wall, then spun in alarm as Ruby yelled, “Contact.” The Mist Elf was mostly indistinguishable from the rest, having thrown on a loose shirt and pants to cover her identifiable leather armor and a mask to hide her face and hair. The tiger-woman was her twin and unfortunately would need to keep her claws sheathed to avoid outing herself. Their slight wardrobe change didn’t appear to hamper their fighting effectiveness at all, though.
Ruby dashed forward toward the left member of the guard patrol. The base’s defenders were armed with rifles and wore basic body armor. It was clear they’d achieved surprise, to judge by the shocked expressions and the lack of heavier equipment. If the bad guys had known we were coming, they would’ve brought bigger guns.
Ruby launched herself at the one on the left, and Idryll did the same on the right. Neither of them held weapons at the moment, but neither needed them. Both wore stun knuckles similar to the team's gloves, and snaps and cracks punctuated a flurry of punches as the electrical devices discharged. In only seconds, both men were down. Cara gave a nod of approval. “Nicely done.”
Idryll laughed. “This is good. I needed some exercise. Too much time sitting around doing boring stuff.”
Ruby’s scowl was evident in her tone. “Doing my job is not boring stuff.”
Cara sensed an argument, probably one they had often used to amuse themselves coming on and interrupted to stop it. “Onward. Remember the plan.”
They both nodded, but she distinctly heard Idryll imitating her statement in a goofy voice. “Remember the plan.” The shapeshifter continued in a normal tone, “Plans are boring. Improvisation, that’s where it’s at.”
Cara sighed. Here I thought that with Rath on Diana’s team, I wouldn’t have to deal with this sort of goofiness. With a grin, she jogged after the other two, who had spotted another pair of guards around a corner and were charging to engage.
* * *
Kevin Serrano bolted upright in his chair, where he’d fallen asleep after a long day’s work, at the chiming of his watch. He scowled down at the unfamiliar alarm, then realized what it meant. Intruders in the vimana. Those clever scumbags. He ran for the armory, Tash taking her place at his side partway there. He said, “Surprises galore with these people.”
“Let’s go show them how much we like the unexpected. Which is to say not much. Not much at all. Just so we’re clear.”
He laughed at his second in command, then sped up so she wouldn’t have the pleasure of outracing him to their destination by too many seconds.
Chapter Thirty-One
Tony growled, “This sucks.”
Sloan laughed. “You’re not wrong.”
Tony primed the grenade and threw it, wondering what it would do. They hadn’t had a chance to practice with the gear Ruby had given them, and while she’d described the effects, he still hadn’t seen them in action. It landed, discharged, and smoke billowed out of it. The pair of defenders ahead of them weren’t wearing gas masks, and although they tried to turn and run, they only made it about two steps before stumbling, then falling to the floor.
They waited for the gas to dissipate, the vimana’s circulation system running as efficiently as ever, then rushed forward, took the guards’ rifles, and hogtied the men with zip ties. Their glasses weren’t providing the tactical advantage they normally did because they lacked a central communication network to tie into.
Plus, not all the agents carried the advanced sensor packs they ordinarily did. It left them with only the short-range information their gear could provide, which was enough to warn them of nearby enemies. The tech had spoiled him. He missed having an eagle-eye view of the situation.
Sloan poked him in the shoulder. “Hey, partner, quit daydreaming.”
Tony nodded. “I don’t suppose either of those rifles is nonlethal?”
The other man shook his head. “Nope. Standard issue.”
“This sucks.”
His partner laughed. “Three more hallways to the lab. Let’s get a move on.” They found only one more pair of enemies along the
way, which Sloan dropped with another gas grenade.
Tony heaved a quiet sigh of relief as the entrance appeared ahead and his glasses identified no enemies within their target destination. They dashed in and hit the button to slam the door closed behind them. It fell from the ceiling with a satisfying clang.
Added to that sound was an unexpected whir, and Tony spun to see what his eyes had initially glanced past, categorizing it as an irrelevant metal garbage can. It was rising to reveal tracked wheels underneath and extending what looked like gun barrels and other nasty weapons out of its carapace. “I think we have a problem.”
* * *
Diana ducked behind the corner, annoyed at how quickly their enemies had marshaled a substantial response. She grabbed a stun grenade and threw it blindly, then stuck her head out to check the results. A flood of bullets caused her to jerk back again immediately, and she let out a loud curse in place of the yelp of alarm that wanted to escape. “Well, apparently those don’t work against the upgraded version of the defenders.”
Bryant chuckled. “They’re not robots, Boss.” He put a little humor into the last word since her callsign didn’t adequately express their relationship.
She growled, “I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”
Rath, who had stuck his head around the corner low, reported, “Not advancing. Just staying there.”
Diana nodded. “Because the longer they slow us down, the more people they can bring to bear. It’s good to know they seem as interested in capturing us as killing us, at least.”
Bryant replied, “That’s because they don’t know you.” He held up a palm as he had multiple times since they’d entered the facility, then frowned at it. “Magic still being blocked.”
