Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Margo Bond Collins

  "What does he test in here?" I asked.

  "As far as I knew, he's working on patches and survival rations. Looks like he dabbled in a bit more than that."

  After the third doors, we entered a huge, dark, windowless room. Glynn flicked the light switches on the wall, and yellow light gleamed off a polished cement floor and stainless steel tables.

  "It looks like an operating room, doesn't it?" I trailed a fingertip along a spotlessly clean stainless steel table.

  A low groan sounded from the far corner. I thrust a wheeled table aside to dart across the room.

  "Meagan, not so fast."

  I slowed to a fast walk, but kept moving. A single large man lay on a metal table against the wall. Please, not Bill. I ran to the table, Glynn close at my heels.

  Bill. I sagged against the table, the metal hard against my hips. Bill tried to lift his head but couldn't. His eyes rolled back in his head.

  I gripped his hand. "What happened? What did they do to you? Tell me how I can help?"

  "Poison." Bill slurred his words. "Too late for me. Save the others."

  I curled my arms around his shoulders, his head lolled, and he died in my arms.

  Tears sprang to my eyes, I scrubbed them away, leaned into Glynn’s chest. "I will kill the bastard myself if you don't."

  Glynn squeezed my shoulder. "I'm not going to let you kill anyone."

  "You wouldn't care if I killed a dead person."

  "You wouldn't be killing them, if they are already dead. Isn't he just going to rise again seeing as his head is still attached? "

  "Owen and his people are different. Healing Owen felt like healing you or Del. They’re like us, with a second chance at living. I don't think Bill will live again after this."

  Glynn's face hardened. He turned an unseeing gaze across the room.

  "I know you've got history with Owen. But—"

  A screech startled both of us.

  Glynn pushed me back against the wall. "Stay there."

  With raised gun, he paced to the source of the sound. The double doors swung open with a swoosh. A man, little more than skin and bone, dressed in a tattered T-shirt and ripped jeans, staggered toward us.

  24

  The skeletal man lifted one of the smaller tables and flung it at Glynn. Instinctively I dropped to my knees and slid under the table holding Bill. Glynn fired, but he missed. The bullet hit a table and pinged against the opposite wall.

  The man screeched again and staggered behind a steel cabinet. He kept up a constant babble of incoherent sounds. I pushed out with my senses and recoiled back. He felt like the half-crazed living dead who’d tried to kill me at Echo Den. A twitcher, so Owen said. My stomach heaved as the suffocating intertwined odors of dirt, death and decay slammed into my memory.

  I slid across the nearest metal table. Pushed in front of Glynn. "He's a dead twitcher. He's even more messed up now than before he died."

  Glynn fired into the man's chest. The sound of the dull explosion bounced between steel surfaces and the dead twitcher crumpled to the floor.

  "Fire. We have to make sure he doesn't rise again as something less than human." I ran to the metal cabinets along the wall. "It's a lab. Must be alcohol somewhere."

  Glynn grabbed my hand and tugged. "We have to get out of here before breakfast is finished and the compound fills up with soldiers looking for something to do."

  "Help me. Look for alcohol. And a lab lighter."

  He grumbled, but rummaged in the cabinets I hadn't yet searched. We found what we needed. I drenched the corpse in alcohol and set it alight, then tossed more alcohol around the room.

  "What are you doing?" Glynn snatched the empty bottle from me.

  "Destroying this place."

  "It won't burn easily. You'd need to drop a bomb on it. Besides, it's not the place that’s wicked. Asher isn't trying to accomplish evil goals. I probably wouldn't have given these experiments a second thought before—"

  "Before you met me?"

  "We need the healing patches replenished, too many medical improvements to list." He held out his palms. "There's got to be a way to do both, without harming anyone." He swallowed hard as if including the living dead in the category of anyone was distasteful.

  The flames licked the ceiling, but they found nothing to burn and quickly descended to the body.

  Glynn grabbed my hand and pulled me to a side door. "You promised to take me to Owen. Let's go."

  I pulled back. "Let's hide Bill. Just in case."

  "Where? It's hardly safe for him here, is it?"

  "There must be somewhere."

  Glynn lifted Bill's body over his shoulders. "Old storeroom, on the way to the garage. Follow me. Remember to stay close and low."

  We ran along the fence to another set of squat buildings. Glynn deposited Bill's body in the first building, and motioned me to get down and stay quiet.

  We crept into the garage. Four jeeps lined one wall. Two soldiers worked on the engine of a fifth vehicle.

  "Stay here. Stay quiet." Glynn tiptoed between the jeeps, at the work desk he grabbed a wrench.

  He smashed the wrench on one man’s head, and punched the other on the chin. Both men wobbled for a few seconds and fell to the ground, barely conscious.

  Shaking his hand, Glynn strode to one of the cars, opened the passenger door for me and slid into the driver seat. "Back to the tunnels, right?"

  "I don't know any other way to get to the base, other than the one Del and I took."

  "It will be quicker in the jeep. And safer now the sun is rising." He reversed out of the garage, played with various controls in front of him and drove the car around the back of the garage, away from the manned main exit.

  "You hurt your hand."

  "It'll be okay, might sting for a bit."

  "I guess those soldiers weren't your people either."

  He shook his head as we arrived at a small, unlocked gate in the fence. I jumped from the car, opened the gate, and closed it after Glynn drove through.

  Instead of the small lanes I traipsed along with Bill, Glynn turned into a major road and we headed back to the city. How long did we have before someone raised the alarm? Would Asher guess our moves and send a patrol after us? If he did, he probably wouldn't include any of the people Glynn trusted. The odds stacked up against us, but what else could we do?

  At the station plaza, Glynn screeched to a stop. We clambered out of the jeep together. I tugged on Glynn's hand and dragged him to the top of the steps.

  At the railing, he pulled me back to him. "Be careful. You don't know what's down there."

  "They've all gone." I yanked his hand again. No need to tell him about the few who remained. The small group led by Simon and hoping to die in a final battle with Asher’s raiding party.

  "What about dead twitchers? Have you considered them?" He pushed ahead of me. His gun drawn and ready.

  Dead twitchers. Living dead twitchers. Children trying to survive among the filth and garbage. I jolted to a stop. "They may not all be lost. Owen might be able to help them, especially the children. He is a steadying influence."

  Glynn shook his head. "Not now. Focus on the next step. Let's get this done." He jumped down another two steps.

  "I know you're mad at Owen—"

  "I'm not mad at him. He did what he had to do."

  "Why did Asher think—"

  "His judgment has been off since I got here. Since well before according to Ed."

  I trailed after Glynn. Each step descending further into darkness. At the landing, I almost fell over him. He crouched, silent, listening. He pushed me behind him. Shuffling steps sounded from below us.

  "If it's a living dead, let me deal with them," I whispered.

  "I'm not stopping to ask questions."

  "Meagan?" My name wafted up from below, in a soft voice I recognized.

  "Simon?" I let out a small groan. "It's okay. I'm with Glynn."

  Glynn sighed. "Corporal Simon Woods?"
>
  "Yes, sir." Heavy footsteps plodded up the steps. Simon's white face loomed below us.

  "What happened?" I moved to step closer, but Glynn blocked my path.

  Simon shrugged. "It didn't work. I haven't got a scratch on me."

  "The others?"

  "Gone, as far as I can tell."

  "Are you kidding me? Ed reported your death." Glynn fixed a hard stare on Simon's face.

  "Yes, sir. But something went wrong. This isn't for me, so properly dead is the aim."

  "You can help us." I stood. "We have to go to Echo Den."

  Silence dragged on for seconds. Simon shuffled his feet. "Nothing's changed. I hate this. You said you'd help me."

  "I will, if it's what you want. Will you help us find Echo Den first? It’s important."

  "The cart is still at Westmead Station." Simon sagged against the railing, but when he spoke he sounded strong again. "It's out of charge, but we can pump it back—it's mostly downhill. Where's Bill?"

  "He was caught. He died." My throat thickened. If I could go back in time and change what happened, I'd have done it in a heartbeat. I hardly knew him, but he seemed like a decent guy. Another one lost to Owen and his people.

  Glynn rifled through his vest pockets and pulled out a small torch. "I doubt it will shine for long, but it's better than nothing."

  Simon led us to the cart Del and I sat in not yet a day and a half ago. Glynn took the opposite side of the cart to Simon and together, grunting, they worked the pump to push us ahead. On the downward stretch to Echo Den, we gathered speed until we bounced into the bay at the entrance to the cavern. We all clambered from the cart and Glynn swung the torchlight in a slow arc across the space. A few bits of paper blew across the floor in a slow draft. Empty packing crates lined one wall. Most of the furniture had gone.

  "How do you propose we find them?" Glynn said.

  "The town is on the train line." I walked along the wall feeling for light switches. "With a bit of luck, whatever they used to power their lights, something is left."

  "The track ends here." Glynn shone the torch along the wall.

  "Loops and levels wind below us and through the other side. Yes." I flicked switches and a gentle light broke through the darkness. I pointed to the opposite wall. "I didn't see them leave, but I'm sure I can find it."

  Simon nodded. "I know the other exit, I helped them load some stuff.

  "Lead on," Glynn said.

  "Not so fast. I need to ask Owen first." I stepped to the metal table they’d left behind in the middle of the cavern. It had probably been too heavy to lift, or too securely attached to the ground.

  Glynn swore under his breath. "You promised."

  "It's not my secret to share. But I did promise, and I will ask him."

  Glynn glanced at his watch. "Do your voodoo stuff, tell him I'm here, but I won't wait all day."

  I opened my mouth to tell Glynn how little I appreciated his sarcasm, but stopped before I spoke. Arguing with Glynn wouldn’t achieve anything. "I don't do voodoo." Not that I knew of at least. I'd send feelers down the ley line. "I should be able to reach Liliwen as she's a spirit, and she'll ask him for me. I know she will."

  "Why not Owen directly?"

  "He's a living dead, not a spirit. It should be easier for me to reach Liliwen." Truthfully, I had no idea if I could reach Owen, or any other living dead. They didn't come to me like spirits did. I sensed their essence, but couldn't reach out to them.

  Glynn rotated his hand in a small circle. His silent way of saying get on with it.

  I found the ley line. Its energy ran in a direct line under Brimbank to Saltpetre Way in one direction, and Winterhurst in the other. If I pulsed out a jolt of my own energy, amplified by the ley, I could wake every spirit in each direction. With lips pressed together so hard it hurt, I hesitated. Another risk I had to take. We didn't have much time, and if I could get Glynn to trust Owen, he'd put an end to this vicious war against the living dead. I gripped the smooth metal of the central table, closed my eyes and called for Liliwen.

  The power bubbled and swirled like a pot of seething soup. Nothing happened at first. No danger of waking up hundreds of spirits, I couldn't even contact one. I tried again, called Liliwen's name out loud. Holding on took all my strength; she was too far away. I slumped over the table, the metal hard against my cheek.

  A breath of cool air drifted across the back of my neck. Evie. The sound of her voice strengthened my resolve. Her light touch reminded me why this was important. I called Liliwen again and reassured Evie I was well and she had nothing to worry about. Even so far from Ravenswood, Evie's laughter rippled across my skin.

  Liliwen came to me in an image, her face creased into a question. A proper conversation wouldn't be possible. Her spirit hadn't formed in front of me like it did when I called spirits with the help of wormwood smoke. I projected my request for Owen and Glynn to meet and sort out a sustainable future. Her eyes opened wide, her disapproval smacked at me, but she nodded her agreement to ask Owen.

  "What's happening?" Glynn pressed against my back, his warm breath curled around my ears.

  "We wait. Owen wants this over too." I hope I hadn't misread him. "He will talk."

  Seconds dragged by and slowly turned into minutes. Fatigue spread from my head down my body until my knees buckled. Glynn pressed close to me. He pocketed his gun and gripped his hands around my elbows. I was vaguely aware of Simon's presence, shoulders slumped, defeated. I called Liliwen again, and felt her presence as if she'd raised her palm to silence me.

  "How long will this take?" Glynn stroked his hands from my elbows to my shoulders and rested them there. "You're exhausted. You shouldn't have tried healing this burn."

  "I'm fine."

  His touch lifted the hairs on my neck and I found myself leaning into his strong chest. We'd barely had any time alone together since I got here. We'd stumbled from one catastrophe to another with hardly a word that mattered.

  "We didn’t get that early night in Del’s guest room, did we?" I nuzzled into his chest.

  He stroked his hands up my arm and touched his lips to my temple.

  With a loud sigh Liliwen reappeared.

  "He's not happy, but he said okay." Liliwen's words floated into my head. "Buckley and yourself. That's it, no one else."

  She didn't wait for a response from me. I twisted away from Glynn.

  "Simon." I choked back the desire to touch Glynn, to hold him close for a long time. We had to make this work. There would be time together later. "Where is the start of the line that leads to Saltpetre Way? Do we need to drag the cart to it?"

  Steps shuffled behind us. Glynn grabbed the torch and swung the beam of light back to the bay.

  "Yes, we need the cart," Simon said. "I'll show you the way."

  "You'll come with us, won't you?"

  "He will." Colonel Asher's voice echoed across the room. "Keep your hands where I can see them Buckley."

  25

  "How the hell." Glynn held his empty hands at waist height. A green light on the end of Asher's gun reflected an eerie light over his face.

  My legs buckled and the last of my strength drained from my limbs.

  "Put your weapon on the bench and move away." Asher gestured with the gun. "You two have been in cahoots all along I see."

  Glynn pulled me behind him and pushed his gun along the bench. "You followed us."

  "Obviously. You losing your touch Buckley? Did you really expect us not to watch you two? Your detour to Dr. Prescott. Nasty lumps on two men’s heads. And as for your witch friend, she is quite a find."

  Glynn stepped toward Asher. "Let her go."

  "No way. She'll do as she's told with you in chains Buckley. Trust me, my boys won't be as gentle next time."

  A green light flicked on either side of Asher. A uniformed man stood at each light, both with guns like his own. Glynn and I were unarmed. My heart sank to my stomach. Everything was about to be undone.

  Simon sti
ffened at the sound of the colonel's voice, but his steps didn’t waver. "Six of us won't fit."

  "Then find two of the damn things," Asher shouted.

  The soldiers emptied Glynn's pockets.

  I clutched my satchel to my body. "You already took the gun in my possession."

  The man snatched the bag from me and rifled through it. He removed my athame, sniggered at the blunt edge, and smacked the bag back into my chest.

  When Simon reached the cart, he lowered its small wheels to the ground. "There's two like this, each one needs two men to work the hand pump." Digging in his heels he thrust his weight against the end of the cart. It moved a couple of inches at most. Even with wheels, it would be hard to push all the way across the cavern.

  "Get behind these things, push them where they need to go." Asher pointed with the barrel of his gun. Let's all take a trip to this Saltpetre Way." Asher rolled his tongue around the town's name, as if knowing it gave him power over it.

  Hand in hand Glynn and I paced to the cart where Simon labored.

  "Not you, witch," Asher shouted. "You get over here with me. I'll put a bullet in her if you so much as falter Buckley. As for you, witch, try anything and I’ll put a bullet in your major so fast you won't finish your first abracadabra."

  Working together Glynn and Simon shoved the cart forward. Asher prodded me to follow, and stepped directly behind me. Every step, the end of the gun prodded my back.

  The two soldiers manhandled the second cart behind us, inch by gratingly painful inch. After what seemed like an eternity, Simon yelled stop. Asher moved ahead of us. He kept the gun pointed at me while he shone a small torch into the darkness.

  "The track is down two levels. We descend in the elevator." Simon struggled to catch his breath. "It will take two trips."

  He trudged to a huge metal cage and yanked the heavy grill doors open. He and Glynn maneuvered the cart into the cage while Asher watched.

  Asher signaled for me to squash in one corner while squeezing in the opposite corner himself.

  "Close and latch the grill," Simon said. "It won't move until it's latched."

  Asher turned a metal bar until it locked into place. At the back of the elevator, Simon and Glynn heaved on a thick chain. With slow jerking motions, we descended until we hit the ground level with a crunch of metal against metal.