by T. C. Clark
“Anthony,” she said, using his real name. “Me and Ghost can handle this. It’s important that you take care of Nancy. We owe that much to the Benefactor.”
The Fireman was quiet for a minute and then he pulled out his phone. “That we do. I can’t believe my old friend is gone. I will go with Nancy.”
“I can’t let you do this, Lily. I promised Sandy I would keep you here.” Ghost turned in his seat to look her in the eyes.
“I don’t give a fuck about your promises. I’m not stupid, I know why Sandy sent me here. But this isn’t his choice. His whole life he’s been forced to do everything alone, to rely only on himself. I don’t just care about Sandy. I fucking love him. That means we act as one. If we die, then we die together. He will come to understand this, even if I have to beat it into his thick head. Ghost, you’re good at what you do, but you’re not like me, neither of you are. I don’t want to kill you, but we both know I will.”
Ghost still looked unconvinced. His debt to Sandy still weighed heavily on his mind. She knew underneath all of the sarcasm there was a good man. Anyone who felt this conflicted about breaking a promise was someone she could trust.
“Put it like this; even if we fight, you’d have to kill me to keep me here. Do you think Sandy would want that?”
The other car was heading back and the Fireman started to gather his stuff. “I wish I was younger and could do more to help you. I can only promise that I will get Nancy to that island. It was good working with you two. Try to stay alive.” He got out of the car and walked over to the waiting vehicle. One of the windows rolled down and Nancy leaned out of it. Lily could tell she’d been crying from the smudges on her cheeks.
She waved at the young girl. She would come back for her later. Right now, she had to find a Russian. Lily climbed over to the driver’s seat and buckled herself in.
“You think you should be driving? You have to be a little fucked up from the drug.” Ghost buckled his seat belt as the car jerked forward and Lily slammed on the brakes. She shook her head to clear the fog of sleepiness that cloaked her brain.
“You think I would trust you to drive me?”
“Man, you drug a girl one time and all of a sudden she can’t trust you.”
“We need to focus on contacting Dmitri. I have a pretty good idea where Sandy is going and I have a plan, but we’re going to need some things.”
“What kind of things? I know a few people in Turkey that should be able to help us.”
“First we need a phone so I can call Dmitri and figure out exactly what Sandy is going to do.” She swerved to avoid an imaginary hole in the road, and Ghost cursed.
“Sorry about that,” she said, laughing at his worried expression. If he wanted a good driver, then he shouldn’t have drugged her. “I also need a shit ton of cigarettes, about ten grenades, and a few small metal boxes with anti triggers. Are you writing this down?” she slurred.
“Sure, yeah, I’m writing it down. Lily, you gotta let me drive. You’re going to kill us before we ever get to Sandy.”
“I can’t trust you. I have to keep going. Buckle up, buttercup. Shit’s about to get weird.”
Six
Chapter 6
* * *
A few days later inside of a shitty apartment located in the South district of Novosibirsk, Russia.
Sandy tightened his grip around his victim’s neck and squeezed. The average person could hold their breath for up to two minutes in the right conditions. A person who was fighting for their life had about 30 seconds before they went out.
The man tried to pull at his arms but it was too late. As he blacked out, Sandy snapped his neck. There could be no witnesses left behind. He packed the man’s body into a bedroom closet and pulled out his computer.
He’d chosen this man because he was part of the security detail on the train and he looked the most like him. His plan was to get there early, check in, and hide somewhere inside the train. The only problem was, he was pretty sure that the Magician knew someone from the Sanctuary was here. The train was most likely going to be a trap. Sandy accepted that. It didn’t change what he needed to do.
The Magician had changed his personal detail twice and was now keeping the haggard- looking engineer indoors. They’d arrived two days ago, and Sandy hadn’t had a clear shot since he’d seen him again. He hated the sight of the man. It was a searing thing, hate… it ate at your soul and clouded your judgment. He’d stopped himself from confronting him three times.
Logic was hard to grasp when he remembered everything Lily told him. If he went after him no, where all of his people were waiting to protect him, he would no doubt be caught and killed, leaving the Magician free to do his job.
He grabbed one of the worker’s uniforms and pulled out a razor. He examined his light blond hair and frowned. He was going to miss it, but he had a part to play. He looked at the clock again. He had one day until show time. His mind replayed the steps he’d created for this mission. By this time tomorrow, the Magician would be dead, Lily would be safe, and the world would be right again.
* * *
Lily crawled through the small crawl space underneath the train’s floorboards. Once she’d found out which passenger car they were storing the engineer in, she made her plan. She’d snuck onto the train two days before. It had taken all of her strength to keep her sane in the small enclosed space.
In one part of the floorboard, it was deep enough for her to get into a sitting position. She’d used the small dip in the undercarriage to stretch out her legs and uncomfortably use the bathroom.
She hoped Ghost was handling all of the tasks she’d given him. For this plan to work, the timing had to be perfect. She hadn’t seen Sandy yet, but that was because he was good at his job. She knew he was here somewhere. She didn’t have time to worry about him. She had to focus on getting to the Magician and ending this.
The Forecaster had told her more about the engineer working with NICON. His name was Taavi Chemrevosky. They’d taken him from a university in Prague when they realized he’d discovered a way to weaponize DNA. They were using his family as blackmail to keep him working. She had bad news for Taavi; his family was gone.
She knew what she had to do with him. She tensed when she heard people entering the train. It was game time. Her heart started beating fast when she heard the Magician’s voice.
How could she have trusted a man like him? He was the exact opposite of Sandy. At least she had better taste now. His Mexican accent brought back a barrage of memories from when they were happy, which inevitably led to the memories of when he betrayed her.
She took control of her mind and viciously destroyed any of the lingering feelings she had for him. She could handle this. She would take out her targets, find Sandy ,and get out. For the first time in a long time, she felt it. The curious numbness that came before violence. She reveled in it.
She was the Librarian, the keeper of knowledge, and an instrument of will. She would survive.
* * *
Sandy counted backwards and forced his body to remain deathly still. He’d gotten through security but some of these people would personally know the man whose identity he’d stolen. He had to be careful and keep his head down.
Once the train started moving, he would continue his plan. They were doing another check on board; this was the third one. When his door opened, he nodded to the guy looking inside.
“You almost done?” he asked in Russian.
“Da.”
“Okay, join us in the front. We are taking off in ten.”
Sandy nodded and kept his head down. Luckily , everyone was too busy to notice him. The Magician ran a tight ship. They all moved quickly setting up the train. When he heard the Magician, he stepped back between two of the doors and moved out of view.
“We don’t have time for this,” Chico said as he walked through the small hallway. The Magician still looked the same after all these years.
“I understand that, but I nee
d to see my family. I told you I’m willing to do whatever you say, but you haven’t let me speak to them in weeks. Our deal…”
“You think I give a fuck about that deal?” Chico flicked a wrist and a blade appeared. He placed it on the older man’s neck. The engineer had fresh bruise marks on his arms and face. His time with NICON had not been easy. “You do as I say and you stay alive, as simple as that. You keep pushing me, and I’ll take my chances with just your research.”
The Magician pulled at his collar and then looked back at one of his men. “Why the fuck is it so hot? Go check on that.”
While the Magician was distracted, Sandy examined him. He was wearing a thin gold necklace with a pendant that was big enough to be a usb. That was exactly what he needed to see. He had them: The kidnapped engineer, the Magician, and the research. The engineer shut his mouth but his eyes burned with hatred. For a moment, Sandy felt bad for him. This wasn’t a man who wanted to be a part of this project, but that didn’t change the fact that he was the brains behind the weapon. The second he’d created it, he’d signed away his life.
Chico flicked his wrist again and the weapon was gone. He adjusted his tie and stepped back. His tattoos were easy to make out under the suit. They were unique and he had them all over his hands and up his neck. Accompanied with his height and strong build, his face should have popped back up in their systems a long time ago. That was a question for another time.
“Take him back to his room,” Chico commanded. One of the mercenaries grabbed the engineer and led him away.
Sandy forced himself to remain still. He finally had the bastard. It wouldn’t be long now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the locator devices. This was it, the last few moments before the end of his life. He smiled, there was no better way to spend it then beating the Magician to death and protecting the woman he loved.
* * *
Lily climbed out through the small hole she’d made in the floor. She grinned as the men started to drop, her plan was working. One by one they fell to the ground. She found the room with the engineer in it and stopped.
The man was praying over a picture. He looked up at her with bloodshot eyes, with pain etched across his face. He looked at the gun in her hand and closed his eyes. “They’re dead, aren’t they?”
She nodded, and the man fell to the ground. The news was as effective as a bullet. He cried out softly to her. “I did everything they asked. Why… Why did they have to kill them?”
She walked over to him with a blank face. She could see clearly how much pain he was in. But his fate was sealed. He looked at the gun as he wiped his face.
“That’s for me, isn’t it?” he said, pointing to the gun.
“It is,” she answered grimly.
“I deserve it. Can you make it quick, I don’t…” She didn’t let him finish. She fired one shot into his chest, and he collapsed onto the floor. A quick death was the best kind. She pulled his limp body into the closet and secured him against the wall.
She didn’t have a lot of time. Sandy had probably set those tracking beacons off. They had less than an hour to get off this train. She needed to find him so they could escape together. She looked down at her watch. She put the gun away and pulled out the silver knives the Surgeon had given her and moved into the hall.
* * *
Once the area was clear, Sandy followed their team through the empty passenger cars, making sure to stay at least one car back. Once they stopped, he took a deep breath and pulled out the box Dmitri told him to use.
He looked down at it and took a moment to set his watch. He wanted to know exactly how much time he had left to work. He opened the box and heard the low chirp that signified they were activated. He placed all but one on the surrounding cars.
Every time he encountered someone, he killed them silently using his hands. He knew soon enough the others would come for him. He wanted to take out as many as he could before then. After ten minutes or so, the surrounding cars got eerily quiet and he knew his time was up.
He ran forward and opened the door. There was only one person in the car separating him from the engineer. The Magician walked was sitting at a table in the back of the car with a sick smile on his face.
“Thank you for taking out the weakest of my men. I appreciate the help.”
“Fuck you, Chico!” Sandy snapped, walking forward. Chico slipped off his coat and cracked his neck. An evil smile formed on his face.
“No, fuck you. I’ve heard that you’ve taken up with my girl. Do you have any idea how insulting that is to me? The Librarian belongs to me. Everybody knows that.”
Sandy moved first. He threw himself into the Magician. He came at him with everything he had. He punched him in the stomach and pushed him into the wall. The Magician caught the next blow and backhanded him into the other seat.
Sandy ran back at him, grabbed him and used his strength to throw him to the other side of the room. The Magician stood up, flicked both his wrists, and two wicked looking blades appeared. Sandy pulled out his own knife.
One of the Magician’s men tried to come inside but he yelled, “He’s mine. Stay the fuck back!”
“No, sir. There’s something else…”
Chico turned and threw a knife at the young Russian man standing at the door. “Kids these days don’t know when to shut the fuck up.” The boy hit the ground with a thud and Chico switched his attention back to Sandy. But it was too late. Sandy was on him, throwing blows that he was forced to deflect.
He punched him over and over again, raining down heavy fists across his face. Chico caught him with a knee to the gut. When Sandy reared back he raked a blade across his stomach. Sandy smiled through the pain. He’d slipped one of the trackers into Chico’s pocket. Whatever happened next, the coward wouldn’t survive.
Chico laughed, blood running down his chin. “Not bad, Russian. At least she chose someone strong. Here’s the thing, though. It’s over for you. I’m back now, and she’ll realize in time who she’s supposed to be with. You are a memory for her.”
Sandy threw himself forward and tackled Chico to the ground. They rolled on the floor. Sandy used his elbow to fracture Chico’s nose. Chico cursed, he grabbed Sandy’s head and slammed it into the side of the train. Before he could recover, Chico jumped up and snatched something off the back of the chair. Sandy tried to stand but it was too late.
Chico shot Sandy in the kneecap. He cried out as his body collapsed back onto the floor. Fuck, he’d checked all of the cars earlier for weapons.
“I’m going to have some fun with you first. I have to say I’ve been planning this for a while. Every time my team delivered another picture of you and Lily together, I would go nuts and hurt anything or anyone that was close by. I’ll have to punish her for that, but she’ll live through it and she’ll learn to be better.” The Magician started to say something else but yelled out as a blade landed in his back. He turned and raised his hand to throw one back and stopped when he saw who it was.
Chico reached back and found the blade’s handle in his lower back and yanked it out. He didn’t make a sound as he ripped it from his skin. His eyes remained focused on her. They burned with intensity. He tossed the blade to the other side of the room.
Lily took a deep breath and stepped inside the room.
“Really? You’re going to teach me how to be better?” Lily asked.
She didn’t look at Sandy, who was cursing on the ground. She knew he was upset. She didn’t have time to reassure him.
“Lily, my baby. You’re not supposed to be here,” the Magician said softly.
“Don’t ever call me that. I’m not your baby anymore,” she said firmly stepping into the room. Chico looked around her and saw no one.
“What happened to all my men?”
“They aren’t coming. Something about bad water, I think.” Lily answered moving closer to Sandy.
“What did you do, baby?” The Magician made no move to attack.
“I di
stilled pure nicotine out of cigarettes and poisoned your water supply. Then I fucked up the thermostat. I knew your men would be stupid enough to drink the water on board and it would only take a few minutes before the poison would shut down their organs. Pure nicotine is actually a very effective poison.”
“That’s my girl. Always the smartest in the room. So what happens now? You kill me?” he asked condescendingly. His smile said that he found the very idea laughable.
“That’s the plan.”
“You’re angry because of what happened to you, after I left you with those men. I had no fucking idea that they were going to do that. I told them to detain you and keep you there. I was taking you with me. I wouldn’t leave you behind. But they heard I was dead and they hurt you. But they paid, baby. I know Dmitri killed the three men responsible and you came back to take care of their crew. But I got them all, from the oldest grandparent to the youngest kid. I wiped them from the face of the earth for you. Your name is like a curse around there. No one will touch you now. They know who you belong to and they respect it.”
“You think that changes anything?” It was her turn to laugh.
“Get out of here, Lily,” Sandy yelled. He pulled off his shirt and wrapped it around his leg in an effort to stop the bleeding. He was desperately trying to stand.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said without turning to look at him. She kept her attention on the Magician.
“You’re angry, I get that. I’ve done some things and you’ve done some things, but we can work through it. All we need is a little time, and we got time, baby. I just got to take care of one more thing.” He moved toward Sandy, and Lily stepped in front of him.
