by R. J. Wolf
In a flash, Castillo rushed the ghastly man, plunging his hand into the spectral’s chest before he could dissipate. He ripped out its heart and threw it onto the ground. The other spectral stared in shock then vanished into the night.
“We’ve gotta get out of here,” Castillo called out but everywhere he looked agents were closing in.
“Castillo,” Aranel called out as he stepped out of the diner and tossed an agent’s severed head onto the ground. “Get your people out of here. Ellania and I will hold them off.”
“No,” Eric replied. “We can’t let you do that.”
“Go!” Aranel barked. “Enough have died tonight.”
Eric looked down the alley at the trail of riddled bodies. He frowned then turned back to Aranel. “The hotel. Meet us at the hotel.”
“Go,” Aranel repeated as he turned and rushed back toward the next wave of agents.
Eric stared after him for a moment, fighting against his urge to stay and continue the battle. Castillo had already left to round up as many of the survivors as he could. And Bertram was stumbling toward him with Theo handing onto his shoulder and Julie trailing behind them.
“We’ve gotta get to the hotel,” Eric yelled to them. “Follow me.”
Castillo and the rest of the gang fell behind him. They hurried down the alley toward a narrow gap between the buildings that led to another side street. The space was small, barely over a foot between the buildings. In a single file, they had to shuffle sideways for the entire length.
“Hurry up,” Julie called from the rear. “They’re coming.”
Shanna was right in front of her, shuffling as fast as she could move. Eric finally made it to the other side then turned and tried to help Theo through. He could hardly stand much less move at a quickened pace. He fell over as soon as he made it out.
Eric stared back down the shadowy passage. He could see the agents amassing on the other end. At least five of them had begun shimming down the gap in pursuit. “Hurry!”
Julie turned and looked over her shoulder. She took a deep breath then turned back to Shanna. “Make sure they get back safe.”
“What?”
Julie didn’t answer. She started back toward the opening, slowly shifting into a massive gorilla, bashing apart the building as she charged the agents.
“Julie, no!” Shanna yelled and tried to turn around.
A blue-haired warlock laughed as Julie rushed toward him. He raised his hand and a jolt of energy erupted. The blast sailed over Julie’s head and smashed into the wall.
Meanwhile, Eric grabbed Shanna’s arm and pulled her back. She tried to fight against him but he was too strung. As a crackle noise thundered from overhead they paused and looked up. The space where the warlock’s spell hit had blown a chunk away from the building and the curse was spreading, dismantling the break and sending it crashing to the ground.
Eric held Shanna in one hand and grabbed the medallion hanging from his neck. He stared toward the end of the passage then closed his eyes and thought long and hard on it. With a whoosh, he apparated himself and Shanna just as the building collapsed into an enormous heap of brick and mangled iron.
“No!” Shanna cried out. She ripped her arm away from Eric and fell to the ground in tears.
CHAPTER 22
BAD NEWS COMES IN THREES
There was a knock at the door and everyone jumped. Eric grabbed his revolver from the table and slowly gripped the handle. Ready to shoot, he yanked the door open and aimed. “Jesus, Safron,” he sighed in relief. “I almost killed you.”
“Almost,” Safron repeated. He was standing in the hallway holding a leather trench coat across his arm with a concerned look on his face. “Antwon asked that I give this to you,” he said and extended the coat. “He felt you may need it sooner than later.”
“A raincoat?”
Safron smiled. “To say this is the magical equivalent of a bullet-proof vest would be an understatement. Just take it.”
Eric grabbed the coat and nodded. Safron took a skeptical glance past him. The room was filled with injured underworlders but that was almost commonplace. “If that is all,” Safron bowed slightly then turned to leave.
“Safron,” Eric suddenly called after him. “You didn’t see Gary tonight, did you?”
“Yes, he left the hotel shortly after you did.”
“Did he say anything about where he was going?”
“He did not. Mr. Abbot was in a hurry. He didn’t seem to be himself and I advised that it was best he stay in the hotel.”
Eric looked back into the room at what was left of his team. Only a few of them had made at back and he felt in the pit of his stomach that anyone not there by now was dead. He wanted to hold out hope but all he could see were the piles of bodies they’d left behind.
Every face that stared back at him was bruised and beaten. They’d all trusted him, or trusted Gary and the best leadership he could offer was fumbling around in the dark. He didn’t have a plan, he never had a plan. Shanna was right, he was in over his head.
“Eric,” Bertram called out. “What are we gonna do?”
Eric blinked and fell out of his daze. He dropped his face into his hands and rumbled out a deep sigh. “I…I don’t know,” he stuttered.
Theo groaned and sat up on the couch. “What the hell happened out there? Those guys were everywhere.”
“I don’t know,” Eric said again with a trembling tone. “Something is wrong. They shouldn’t have known where we were.”
There was another knock at the door and Eric sighed then reached for the handle. Before he could open it, the door swung and Aranel walked in with Ellania trailing behind him. They were both covered in blood but unharmed.
“Is this all that returned?” Aranel asked as strode into the center of the room.
Eric nodded and winced at the finality of his question.
“Then sadly, the rest are dead,” Ellania added. “The commission will come here next, we must prepare ourselves.”
“Mr. Strange?” Safron said in a puzzled tone.
“They attacked us tonight, Safron. Are we safe here?”
Safron looked around the room and clenched his jaw. For centuries he’d managed to stay off the commissions radar. He’d avoided straying into the politics of magic and taking sides in the continuous waxing and waning that came with the rise of every new movement or magical revolution.
But this time was different and he knew that if Richard was correct, he’d no longer be able to wait on the sidelines. If the inferni were truly returning, he didn’t have choice, it was either fight back or die. With a steel face, Safron turned to Gary and spoke with certainty. “You will be safe here, Mr. Strange. I will make sure of it.”
“Thank you,” Eric replied then paused as his phone made an ominous buzz from the night stand. Hesitantly, he grabbed his cell phone and stared at the display. “It’s a voicemail,” he announced.
Theo groaned in pain as he laid back and folded his arms behind his head. “Who is it?”
“Mr. Strange, we have healers that can be trusted. Would you like me to bring them for your friends?” Safron asked and gave Theo a suspicious glance.
“One second, Safron.” Eric put the phone to his ear and played the message. He listened as Noll pleaded with him to leave California. He warned him about Langston and the fallen and then he said Rabelial’s name and Eric felt a jolt of fear right before the message cut off.
Eric let his jaw hang as he stared down at his phone in shock. Castillo walked up behind him with an anxious look on his face. “Who was it? Something about Richard?”
“No,” Eric mumbled. “It was Noll. He said, he said Langston is on his way. That the commission has been working with Rabelial, and they were unleashing the…the fallen.”
There was a unified gasp in the room and Safron rushed to the door and bolted it shut. In a flash, he secured all of the windows then approached Eric with a look in his eyes that made Eric’s skin crawl. �
�You’re certain he said the fallen?” Safron asked sternly.
“I’m pretty sure. The line went dead, but—”
Suddenly, the phone rang again and he jumped. With a deep breath, he picked up and spoke in an optimistic tone, “Noll?”
CHAPTER 23
THE MISSING ABBOT BROTHERS
“Noll, is that you? Are you okay?” Eric panted desperately. There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Eric’s hand shook and he could feel his throat tightening as he waited for a response.
“Eric,” Gary’s raspy voice called.
“Gary? Where the hell are you? What is going on?”
“Eric, I need you to listen. I need your help.”
“The commission attacked us tonight. A lot of the team is missing, a lot of them are dead.”
“Damn it, Eric! Just listen!” Gary snapped.
“What’s wrong?”
There was an awkward pause then Eric heard a loud slap. Gary let out a groan and started apologizing to someone on the other end. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll tell him,” Gary moaned.
“Gary, are you okay? Where are you?”
“Listen to me, Eric. I’m uh…I need you to come down here. They, they said they won’t hurt me if you come.”
“What?” Eric asked in confusion. “Who is they? What the hell are you talking about, Gary?”
“Jesus, Eric.”
There was another loud smack and the sounds of a tussle. Gary made a whimpering cry and the phone fell to the floor.
“Gary? Gary, are you there?”
Someone took a long, rattled breath then spoke, “Is this Eric?” a man asked in a distorted, harsh voice.
“What did you do to Gary?” Eric shouted. Is he okay? I swear if you hurt him, I’ll kill you.”
The man on the other end laughed. “You’re in no position to make threats, shadow walker.”
“What do you want?”
“We have your little warlock friend. If you want him, come get him.”
“What is it?” Castillo asked, fear lurking behind his eyes as he leaned toward the phone.
Eric held a finger up. “Where do I need to go?”
“9718 Valley View drive. It’s a bit out of the way but I’m sure you can find it. You’ve got an hour, Eric. One hour and we start peeling back layers. Take too long and you’ll be collecting scraps.”
“Okay. I’m leaving now. Just, just don’t hurt him.”
“That’s entirely up to you. Get here in time and you can trade places with this drunken hobo. Get here too late and…well you get the picture. Oh, and Eric, come alone.”
“Okay.”
“We mean that, Eric. If we see a vulture that looks suspicious, Gary’s a dead man.”
“I understand.”
The call dropped and Eric took a deep breath. He stowed the phone into his pocket and turned to face a field of curious eyes. “I have to go,” he said simply.
Safron cleared his throat then spoke with a fatherly tone, “I’d offer the same advice that I gave Gary.”
“You don’t understand, Safron, it’s about Gary. Someone has him and if I don’t go…they’re going to kill him.”
Castillo glared at him with eyes like coal. Eric thought for a second that he was trying to compel him but that type of thing had never been effective. Instead, it was worry and fear that soaked Castillo’s face.
“What about Richard?” Castillo asked. “We owe him, you owe him.”
“I know. As soon as I get back, I promise we’re gonna find him. Having his brother with us can only help.”
“And what if you don’t come back?”
Eric shrugged then turned to the sound of another knock at the door.
“How many more of you should we expect?” Safron asked and yanked the door open.
Chuck fell into the room and stumbled. He was shirtless and covered in scrapes. Piece of his ear was missing and blood was dried all around his mouth.
“Chuck,” Betram gasped. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll live,” Chuck replied in a low growl. “I’m not done with them yet. When are we heading back out?”
“That would be foolish at this juncture,” Aranel replied.
Chuck eyed him angrily then turned his back. “At least half of my pack is gone. I’m rounding up the rest and tearing apart every agent I find.”
Eric sighed. I’ve gotta go. As soon as I get back when can regroup and see where we go from there.
“We find Richard is where we go from there,” Castillo replied.
“Are you guys crazy?” Shanna asked as she continued to wipe dried blood from her arm. “I mean, didn’t like the entire world just try to kill us? Julie is dead. Mark is dead. Half of Chuck’s pack. Barbara, Dennis, that fae Kendal…I don’t know. They’re probably all dead too. We barely made it back here and now you want to go traipsing around the city. I mean damn, Eric, didn’t you just tell us that the fallen were coming?”
“I don’t have a choice, Shanna,” Eric replied.
“No, no, Eric, you do have a choice. Julie didn’t have a choice. She’s dead now, do you get that?”
Eric took a deep breath and swallowed. Shanna didn’t understand. How could she? And every minute Eric spent trying to explain it to her was a minute Gary was closer to death.
Lowering his head, he paused then grabbed his coat and his gun from the bed. “I’m sorry. I…I have to go. I’ll explain later but I have to go.” Before Shanna or anyone else could object, Eric rushed out of the door and sped down the hallway.
CHAPTER 24
TOIL AND TROUBLE
Valley view drive was barely a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Rows of dilapidated buildings gave way to tumbleweeds and cactus then to empty paths of sand cloaked in shadows. Eventually, the street lights and all signs of life faded, leaving a wide-open landscape.
Eric slowed down as the headlights illuminated something up ahead. The corvette growled as he crept closer and closer and the abandoned corn manufacturing plant came into view. The towering rusted cylinders were falling apart. Gaping holes ravaged the sides where the elements had waged war against the metal for years.
Past the tanks were rows of equally weathered warehouses but one stood out more than the rest. 9718 might as well have tapped Eric on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. He could feel it, and he knew some magical enchantment had drawn him to exactly where he needed to be.
He cut the lights off and turned off the ignition. The car coasted the last hundred meters and stopped inside of an empty lot beside the building.
As he put the car in park, Eric surveyed the deserted landscape by moonlight. The tiny sliver in the sky shined just enough to make everything look nefarious. Shadows reached out like hands and his vision turned the air itself into monsters. Even though they’d told him to come alone, he regretted not bringing Castillo or someone whose night vision was better than his. But such was life, and he didn’t have time to waste with regret.
“Relax,” he whispered to himself as he opened the door and stepped onto the gravel covered surface.
There were a million other places Eric wanted to be but Gary was his friend, and more importantly, he needed him. So, without hesitating, Eric made his way to the side of the warehouse. He peered through a small window in the center of the door. He could see a light swinging from a support beam, casting a weak glow into the room. In the center there was a figure tied to a chair. Their back was facing him but something inside told him it was Gary.
Eric slowly turned the handle and opened the door, cursing himself with every moan and creak. He slipped into the room and stealthily made his way toward the chair.
“Gary,” Eric called in a voice just shy of a whisper. “Gary is that you?”
The figure lifted their head and turned toward the sound. A rush of relief fell over Eric as he saw Gary’s exhausted mug. He hurried to him and started pulling at the ropes that bound him to the chair.
“Their magical…you ha
ve to burn them,” Gary whimpered.
“I’m not the warlock, you are,” Eric replied.
“Hurry up! They’ll be back soon. Get me out of here, Eric.”
Let me help. The voice in Eric’s head called. He had no choice and whether it was his idea or not, he took the rope in his hands and rubbed his forefinger and thumb. Suddenly the magical twine crumbled to ash and Gary fell forward into Eric’s arms.
“Don’t worry, I got you,” Eric said.
Gary smiled then suddenly lunged forward and gasped for air. He coughed like something was stuck in his throat, spraying blood all over Eric’s face. Eric frowned, wiping his lips with the back of his hand then cleaning his eyes with his shirt.
“Sorry,” Gary moaned. “I think they broke my ribs.”
“What the hell is going on?”
“I’ll explain later. We have to get out of here.”
“Okay.” Eric helped Gary to his feet and dragged him toward the side door.
“No. They’ll see us.” Gary resisted. “There’s another door in the back. It’ll lead us into the field.”
“But your car is out front.”
“They’ll have seen it by now. Trust me, if we can get to the field I can apparate us out of here.”
Eric nodded and started toward the rear of the warehouse. Gary could barely walk and Eric didn’t think he’d have the strength to even apparate himself but he trusted him. “You still with me?” Eric asked as Gary seemed to fall in an out of consciousness.
Gary mumbled and flicked his hand. Clenching his jaw, Eric quickened his pace as he heard the side door behind him opening. He rushed into the back room and bolted the door shut then laid Gary onto the floor.
Half of the room was filled with five-gallon buckets stacked on top of one another. A cobweb covered forklift was in the corner and empty shelves lined the back wall. Eric spun around in place scanning the room but there was no sign of anyway out except the door they’d come through.
