Betrayed by Blood: The Shelton Family Legacy : 1

by L. A. McGinnis

  “A level five though, can lift an actual airplane into the air. Or call up a lightning storm. Possibly hail, if they’d had a good breakfast. They can decimate cell towers, bring down satellites and generally fuck everything up.”

  She wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. The problem with the government’s system was the scale had been established during a secret study where the methods had been buried, and nothing was vetted. No one knew if the numbers were accurate, but they stayed with you until death.

  “Look, we both know the system is bullshit…”

  “It isn’t.”

  Reluctantly I closed the door, my way to eternal freedom blocked by an argument I had to win. “There’s no way an antiquated system from a hundred years ago still works.” I slipped off my shoes again and padded across the carpet, resolving to get me one of these fancy rugs when I got settled. “The fact we’re still using it only means nobody cares enough to come up with something better.”

  “What if I told you the government not only has an accurate test, but the levels go up to eight?”

  She was wrong. Level eight Elementals… would be dangerous. “That’s a lie,” I told her baldly. “If Elementals were that powerful, they’d… be hunted by the government.” Suddenly, it occurred to me that maybe I was the one who was wrong about the world.

  “Sit.”

  Dawson motioned to the empty chair, and I took it, feeling this was going to take a while. “Over the past seventy years, the Elemental Surveillance & Control people have perfected testing to pinpoint the level of raw power, ability, and control each Elemental exhibits. I take it you’re Unregged?”

  I shifted in my chair. Bennett was already hunting me, no need to add Dawson to the list. She seemed fine, but if Lincoln had taught me anything, it was caution. “I was only ten when my abilities showed up.”

  “Ten is awfully young to start showing powers.” Dawson gave me a long look. “Why weren’t you registered from birth? They should have known the probabilities.”

  I’m here fifteen minutes, and I’m already screwing up. Nice going, McHale.

  “I don’t know. You’d have to ask my parents, and for your information, I am registered. They registered me after my abilities manifested.” A lie, but one I was perfectly willing to make. “As far as the system, it’s old and flawed.”

  “It’s old, yet perfectly accurate, and you, my dear, are lying through your teeth.”

  “I’m so out of here.” I hopped up, making for the door.

  “Sit your ass down, young lady. We are not done here.” Now I was starting to see how Lincoln and Dawson were connected. They were both touchy old farts.

  “Now… since you’re obviously unregistered, I’ll explain how it works.” She eyed the chair again, and I flopped into it. I didn’t even take off my shoes this time. “Elementals are registered at birth, then tested again at one, at three…. and at ten, by an ESC-registered doctor. They are re-evaluated at age eighteen. This is when things get interesting. Do you know how many eighteen-year-olds are forcibly drafted into the military?”

  “I’ve heard fourteen percent, but don’t know for sure.” I’d kind of skipped formal education in order to become a class-A pickpocket and con artist. “But I’ll bet you’re about to tell me.”

  “That’s a low estimate. Nearly a quarter of all eighteen-year-old Elementals, the ones with the highest ratings, are inducted straight into the military, and not just any branch. They go into Darkwing Operations.”

  Shit. I didn’t know that.

  The Darkwing’s force was the ESC’s equivalent of Navy SEALs. Established by President Walker over fifty years ago, they were an elite, ruthless, highly-trained ground force, specializing in magical warfare and hostile engagement. My thoughts drifted back to the men stationed in front of my apartment building. They’d definitely been military.

  “If that was happening, there’d be some sort of public outcry,” I hedged, praying none of this was actually true. “Besides, there hasn’t been a forcible draft in a hundred and fifty years, not since Vietnam.”

  “The scuttlebutt is, only a few of these kids get a spot on the A-team. They get the pay, the status, and their shiny new Darkwing tattoo. However, the rest…” Dawson’s voice trailed off as I broke in.

  “Lincoln was big into government conspiracies too,” I observed drily, wondering how much of this could be true. “Not quite so far out there, but he had his moments.”

  Dawson shook her head, her huge gold earrings sparkling. “Not a theory, but definitely a conspiracy. This is happening, and no one can do anything about it. What do you think Devilton is, exactly? It’s a maximum-security prison for government dissenters, high-level Elementals, and disloyal Darkwing recruits who didn’t fall into line. As well as a few unfortunates who were caught up in the mix.”

  “Bullshit,” I scoffed. “It’s only for Unregs, and everyone knows that.”

  Now it was Dawson’s turn to laugh. “That’s what’s bullshit, right there. We were born with a target on our back. The government uses us whenever it suits, and erases us when it doesn’t. You’re too young to know this, but things are getting worse, not better.”

  “How?”

  “For one, the government’s powers are now limitless. Fear and distrust led to thousands of laws, decrees, and federal bills, all focused on one thing. Complete control over the magical community. Entire departments, most with no real oversight, were created to legally hunt us down and lock us up.”

  My thoughts went back to Bennett, hoping to score off my capture.

  “Devilton isn’t a prison, it’s something else…” Her voice trailed off for a second, and she shot me a hard, suspicious look. “The facility is a front for something, but no one knows what. Call it a conspiracy if you want, but there’s something else going on there. The numbers, for one, don’t add up, but no one has ever been able to hack into their data banks to find out why. What I do know, is this. It’s a dangerous place for Elementals.” Dawson leaned closer, her gaze intense.

  “The more powerful you are, the higher your chance is of incarceration. It’s perfectly safe to let level ones and twos roam around the world, but a level five?” Dawson shook her head ruefully. “They’re too great a threat to democracy and apple pie.”

  Her eyes took on a faraway look. “Another thing. Any Elemental who’s designated a level six or above is kept under close scrutiny, and most disappear around age ten. Nobody knows what happens to them, but my bet is, they end up as something more lethal than a Darkwing soldier. Once they’re properly conditioned, of course.”

  “If Devilton is full of such high-level Elementals, why don’t they all just break out?” I protested. “If they’re as powerful as you claim, why haven’t there been any escapes?” I recalled the fence, the roaming lasers, the sniper towers. It was secure, but nothing was foolproof, right? “What about overtaking the guards and breaching the fence?”

  “How do you know about the fence?”

  “I swung by on my way here. Thought I’d get the lay of the land before I agreed to anything. Sure, their security was tight, but given time, even I could figure a way out.” In truth, not that I as boasting or anything, I was pretty sure I could find a way inside, using a smile, my abilities, and a commercial jammer. “Those lasers, for example. If I found the source, I could melt the equipment down to liquid in the blink of an eye.”

  “For the love of God. You really are reckless, aren’t you?” She groaned, using both hands to push herself out of the chair. “Please tell me no one saw you? Or followed you here?”

  “Of course not.” I snorted, even though I had no actual idea. Ever since Seattle, I’d been off my game, replaying Lincoln with the hole in his head, Bennett with his hands covered in molten metal, and my quest for survival. One thing was for sure, I had a lot of irons in the fire.

  “I was only there for a minute, and I stayed well-hidden. I am a PI, you know.”

  “Obviously not a very
good one, from what I’ve heard,” she grumbled, while I chose to be the bigger person and ignore her jab. Dawson went to an ancient box on the wall and fiddled with the dial while she quickly explained, “The prison has a one-mile detection barrier, activated by any organic movement larger than a squirrel. I assume you were closer than a mile to the facility? And you drove the car?”

  I nodded, my stomach sinking as I calculated my proximity. Definitely closer than a mile. “I only wanted to…”

  “Save it. Is there anything in the BMW you need?”

  I shook my head before her words registered. “Wait. Everything I own is in that car. I mean everything.”

  “You really shouldn’t have come here, Andy,” Dawson admonished as she shrugged on a gaudy patchwork coat, pulled a matching hat down over her graying hair, and pointed down the long hallway running to the back of the apartment. “When you hear the explosion, head down there. Go through the first door and wait until I come back. Do not go any farther, do you understand?”

  I nodded numbly, my brain catching up to her staccato orders. “What explosion?”

  But my words were drowned out by a roar outside, and when the front windows blew inwards, I dodged the flying glass as the place filled with heavy smoke. Choking on the stench of burning rubber and dense, oily smoke, I stumbled through the only door and slammed it behind me, cutting off the stench.

  “Fuck,” I swore, looking around. The room was a dead end—as well as Dawson’s bedroom—and other than one tiny window I doubted my ass would fit through, there was only a closet overflowing with clothes. The floor began vibrating, and then Dawson burst through the door, bringing in a swirl of dark smoke.

  “Through there.” When she pointed at the closet, I hesitated. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, I’ll go first.” She burrowed through the clothes and then disappeared. I followed, feeling like I was being swallowed by Nordstrom’s, and emerged on the other side into a plain, white room.

  “Steps. This way.” Dawson panted, her limp growing worse by the minute. “You first.” I eyed the narrow metal circular stairway that disappeared into darkness below. “Go on, you’ll be faster.”

  The steps were so tight I squeezed my way downward, every footstep ringing against the metal, the entire contraption swaying slightly. I did a mental whoot when my feet finally hit the concrete floor. “Okay, I’m down,” I called up to Dawson, and the stairway groaned as she slowly descended. I listened to the guttural shouts and commands from outside. There was no mistaking the weight of the heavy bootsteps, either. An army was after us, and here we were, trapped like rats.

  Dawson’s rings winked as she waved her hand toward the ceiling. I watched as the steps disappeared, as did the gaping hole they’d descended from. A perfectly solid ceiling formed overhead, no sign of our escape.

  “You’re a Prometheus,” I marveled, some of my confidence returning. An earth Elemental, known as Prometheus, controlled earth magic, manipulating matter like concrete and wood and steel, a talent that just might get us out of here.

  “Yeah, well, don’t get overconfident. Now comes the hard part,” she said, hobbling to the rear of the space. We were in some sort of lower level, an empty garage, maybe, but in the darkness, I couldn’t be sure. Even through the block walls, I could hear the soldiers.

  Dawson laid her bejeweled hand on the wall to my left, and the cinderblock shimmered, outlining her tiny form like a halo. “Through here, and make it fast.”

  Using the light to guide me, I brushed past her and into total darkness once again. One more step and my thigh hit metal. Rubbing the pain away, I sidestepped through the dark, my anxiety rising at the amount of activity outside, Dawson right behind me.

  We quickly passed through a series of garages. Some empty, some filled with vehicles and junk as Dawson opened up portals, then closed each of them behind us. A nice trick, and one that would certainly get us caught.

  “You’re practically drawing them a map,” I hissed, after she waved me through another opening. The unnatural light died off the second she closed it. “They’ll see your energy signature, and we’ll never get out of here.”

  “I warded the apartment. Should take them an hour to get through. We’ll be long gone by then, promise.”

  “Still,” I argued pissily, “could you try not to use so much magic? They’re right on our tail.”

  “Thanks to you, missy,” she hissed right back. “You brought the enemy straight to my door. I was perfectly happy not knowing you.” She was wheezing so hard I almost felt sorry for her.

  “You blew up my car,” I hissed in response, “along with everything I had.”

  She waved me off. “Certain sacrifices had to be made. One more garage and we’ll exit onto the side street. There’s construction, but we should be able to get through.” She paused. “But my ability ends at manipulating matter. Please tell me you brought something for defense?”

  “I left the gun in the car, so that would be a big no.” Dawson grunted, which, in the dark, I took as disappointment. “Little did I know I’d be running for my life tonight. You know, the exact situation I’ve been trying to avoid.”

  “Likewise.” She opened up a door to the outside, and rain streamed down in torrents, lit up yellow by the construction-zone barrels. “Stick your head out and see if it’s clear.”

  “No way.” All I could envision was that whack-a-mole game. “Why don’t you do it?”

  “Because thus far, I’ve done all the work, and you’ve done nothing but whine and complain. It’s your turn to pull your own weight.”

  “Fine.” I braced my hands on the sides of the opening. The concrete was warm, from where matter had been altered, but the street was quiet enough. The other men who’d come looking for me in Seattle had been stealthy, though. As fast as I could, I stuck my head out, looked both ways, and pulled it back in.

  “And?”

  “It looks clear,” I told her, rubbing my aching neck. I might have pulled a muscle. “Just a few cars parked on the sides of the road. But these guys are sneaky, they could be hiding anywhere.”

  “Can’t be helped. Either we make it or we don’t. But if we stay here, they’ll catch us for sure.” Dawson pointed out into the rain. “Get out there and see if anyone’s waiting.”

  “But I don’t have a gun or anything,” I whined.

  “Then you shouldn’t have left it in the BMW, should you?”

  I swore I heard her mumble something about save me from amateurs as I held my breath and ducked through the opening out into the rain.

  In truth, the street was mostly empty. But the sounds of chaos echoed from around the corner, so they were close. Close enough, I figured, that it was only a matter of time before we were tackled by a swarm of huge guys in military tactical gear. “It’s all good. Come on.”

  Dawson wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, with her uneven gait in her multicolored coat, but I didn’t blend in any better, not with my thin hoodie and soaking wet hair. I should have brought the hat Mac gave me. Moving away from the main street, we headed east, past rows of nice, neat brownstones and more apartment buildings. While the rain kept everyone in, it made us stand out like sore thumbs.

  “Any idea where we’ll find some cover?” I asked, sloshing through a puddle. “They’ll have the drones up by now, and we have to get under a roof.”

  “Another block.”

  I was beginning to worry about Dawson’s breathing; she sounded like a faulty lawnmower. The small houses and apartment buildings gave way to three-story, brick-and-stone Italianates, with long windows and manicured landscaping.

  “Here.” Dawson wheezed as we turned up a narrow, stone and grass drive. The trees were thick enough that we stayed hidden beneath their wide spread of branches, listening for the faint hum of a drone overhead. The squawk of fire engines blared from far away, and I picked up the pace, relieved when we paused in the manicured backyard. Even more relieved when she unlocked the back door.

  “That was close,�
�� I managed, practically flinging myself inside. “But they’ll track us here within minutes. Now what?”

  The thing about magic was it left a mark. A slight disturbance, like a digital fingerprint of the Elemental on the fabric of the world around them. It was a simple enough matter to trace, didn’t require expensive equipment, and, like DNA, resulted in a perfect match that held up in a court of law.

  Dawson’s trail was fresh, powerful, and would lead them right to us.

  “No worries.” Dawson led the way through the darkened house, me right on her heels, until we reached the enormous front window. Soldiers in tight formation were already working their way down the street, the barrels of their weapons glinting under the streetlights. Dawson took two deep breaths and a shimmer of white magic danced down the street in front of them, and they took off, following the carrot she dangled like a bunch of rabbits.

  “That will keep the first squad busy. It will be impossible to backtrack, and they’ll assume they lost us at the next intersection.” When her shoulders relaxed beneath her soaking wet coat, so did mine.

  “I’ve never seen anyone cast their magic like that before,” I observed as we made our way back through the huge house. “I knew some Elementals had that kind of control, but you made it look almost easy.” In fact, casting magic was so difficult, the talent had taken on myth-like proportions.

  “Years and years of practice. Far more years than you’ve spent on this round rock.”

  I took her word for it, eyeing her tangled gray hair as she pulled off her hideous hat. “I’m sure. I haven’t eaten in two days, and everything I owned was in the BMW. Please tell me you have something in the fridge.”

  “The freezer, not the fridge. You’ll have to microwave, and the lights stay off.”

  I threw her the thumbs up and raided the freezer. Watching the macaroni and cheese box go in circles inside the microwave, I tried to figure out how I’d escape this godforsaken city. My gear was gone, along with my transportation. Which left me with my magic and my wits, neither of which would get me to Cleveland. “Just for shits and giggles, you don’t happen to have a spare car, do you?”