Finding Real Magic

by Shawn Keys

  Zahn nodded. “Exactly. He’s on the hunt for the Staff as well. If nothing else, I owe him a warning about Lars. Pooling our resources would be nice, though I doubt it.”

  Heather cautioned, “He didn’t agree to give the Staff over to Carter. It could get messy.”

  Zahn agreed. “But I have no idea what Carter has, but he had a few geniuses working for him. They’ve been tracking the Staff with the clues they’ve had for at least a few months now and found nothing. Crawson might have the key that Carter is missing.”

  Kaylee was convinced. “Not a lot of time, but it’s worth looking.”

  A rush of gratitude passed through Zahn. “You’re all in this with me?”

  Kaylee nodded, a bright gleam in her eye. “The prize is a relic of my own. One I get to choose! There’s a song about wild horses not being able to keep me away.”

  Angelica had a flush about her as well; both excitement and nerves bundled into one. “Can you promise me there won’t be any undead bears?”

  Zahn chuckled at the inside joke. “It’s unlikely. But, no, I can’t promise. Sorry.”

  Angelica sighed. “Well, I’m in, anyway.”

  Heather was a ball of nerves.

  Zahn tried to offer, “You’ve already done more for us than we could have asked, love. We can do this without you.”

  Heather shook her head. “That’s not it. I want to be involved. I’m terrified of letting you down when it counts. I mean, I have the body that could handle this, but I’m still remembering how these fresh new limbs of mine work. ”

  Zahn considered, “Why not play it like a strength? This isn’t a small recon mission like trailing Ash. We’re doing a real relic-dive here. Not being in constant contact nearly cost us back at the warehouse. If these two weren’t on the ball, I could have been cooked.”

  Angelica guessed, “You want to use a little modern tech this time?”

  “Yes. Using your animals is great for scouting, but not for communication. We can get multi-channel radios with bone mics. Real time video feeds on shatter-resistant ballistic glasses. Satellite uplinks so Heather can stay here and feed us search data and check details for us. Portable booster relays we can plant along the way so we don’t get cut off even when underground.” He laughed at himself a little. “Here I am, spending your fortunes away. But if you are willing to invest a little, we don’t have to be the underdog while everyone else gets all the cool toys.”

  Heather smiled. “What else do I have to spend it all on?” She brushed aside the cost, and asked instead, “What about weapons?”

  Kaylee noted, “Until I get a little practice, I’m as likely to shoot Zahn as anyone else.”

  Zahn objected, “Not sure about that. But even if we don’t go with guns, there are other things we can do to avoid being helpless. Stun batons, for instance. Mace and pepper spray can burn out eyes. A taser will take down even a nasty supernatural creature given the right voltage.”

  Angelica sighed. “Doubt an undead bear would be affected.”

  “The odds of there being any undead bears is very low, my love.”

  “Uh huh.” She didn’t look convinced.

  Zahn slid back to the central conversation, “We can pick all of that up on the way. We can order it to be ready in LA, then pick it up at the store on arrival. I’ll put together the tactical shopping list. Heather, you’ll have to order a matching set here and set it up. We can link everything together once we’re on the ground in LA.” He looked sour. “I still hate this man-hunting stuff. At least we aren’t looking to kill Burt like Carter wanted with Lars.” He took a deep, controlled breath. “Which leaves just one other matter.”

  Seeing him get so terminally serious, the energetic mood of the women eased up a bit .

  Zahn focused on Heather. “Last time, I left the Fountain here without telling you. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t ready to trust you with that secret then.”

  She smiled forgivingly. “Things take time.”

  “True. In fact, some of my diver brethren would probably call me crazy for how fast we have all come together. For me, I don’t care. I love all three of you. I’ve never liked regrets. Nor worrying about them. If this is the way it is going to be, then I’m going to trust you and love you with everything I am.”

  Kaylee brushed a gentle hand through his hair. “One of the reasons we love you back.”

  Zahn shared a smile with her, then returned to Heather. “Which is why I’m leaving the Fountain here again. I couldn’t stand to lose it or break it while we’re running about. It’s simply too valuable to cart around. It needs to stay somewhere secure. And… I think this is the place.”

  Heather said honestly, “I’m honored you’d leave it with me.”

  “More than that, Heather.” He steadied himself for the difficult words. “I don’t have anything like a will. I barely exist on paper, anyway. If I don’t make it back from this, I want the Fountain to be yours.” He squeezed Angelica’s and Kaylee’s legs fondly. “I’ve known these two longer, but that Fountain is the key to your health. It deserves to be with you. You’ll know if I die – the Fountain has a soft inner radiance. It will go dark. If it does, you have my permission to claim it for yourself. Keep yourself young and alive.”

  Heather looked pained. “I wish you wouldn’t talk like this. You three just wandered into my life and broke it all apart. If you don’t come back, I’m going to be very annoyed at your ghosts.” She shivered at the thought of losing them so soon. Shaking that off, she pulled a small handkerchief-covered bundle from a nearby shelf. “But since you started it, I have a gift as well.” She flipped off the fabric to reveal the pansalve. She had separated it from the brace she had worn all her life. She had kept it affixed to the straight rod which had kept it pressed to her skull, making it into a wand. She held the end out to Kaylee. “Take this. I won’t be needing it. You may need healing at a critical moment.”

  Kaylee didn’t even think to say anything so boring as ‘I couldn’t take that’ or ‘are you sure?’ A tear streamed down her cheek and she hugged Heather close. “I’ll keep our lovers safe. I promise.”

  Heather squeezed her tight. “You better.”

  Angelica mopped at her own eyes, fighting off her own tears. “We need to go. Otherwise, we’re never going to go at all.”

  Zahn coughed, doing the manly business of trying to make it seem like he hadn’t been about to cry either. “Right you are.”

  They got moving.

  Chapter 13

  Kaylee strolled alongside Zahn as they trolled up and down the musty rows of old belongings in an orange county garage. “Not that I would ever question your ability to hunt down a fugitive, my love. But why are we going to garage sales?”

  Not far off, Angelica stopped and thumbed through some framed posters. A soft pout touched her lips as she pulled out a poster of herself in her Climbing the Wall role. “Aww. They’re selling it.” She tsked. “I never liked how those power suits made me look, anyway.”

  A young teenager slurping at a soda as he browsed heard the comment. He looked bored, as if he had come to wander through a garage sale for lack of anything else to do. He stared up into the face of the gorgeous movie star. His mouth dropped open and his drink dropped to the ground with a hollow splash.

  Angelica flashed the kid a knowing wink, then handed him the poster. “Go offer the owner twenty for it. That’s twice the list price. Make her day. If you do, I’ll sign it.”

  The kid grabbed it and was back in a flash, brandishing a sharpie. Angelica signed it and sent him on his way. She wandered over to her lovers with a smile. “That never really gets old when the reaction is that genuine.” Remembering the concern she had, Angelica asked tongue-in-cheek, “So why are we going to garage sales again?”

  Kaylee nudged Zahn and grinned.

  He resisted the urge to bug them right back. “Divers put in their time at local libraries, used book stores, antiquity dealers and so on. We could have found Burt at any
of them. But those are the first locations you’d think of, right? Carter hasn’t found him. We’re hoping Lars hasn’t. Plus, Carter has been looking for Burt since before I’ve been in town. They’ve exhausted all the normal places.”

  Kaylee sighed. “Don’t suppose we can do like they do in spy movies and pry open his credit cards?”

  Zahn laughed. “I wouldn’t even know where to start with that. Carter could, but then we’d have to let him in on this little side-hunt. Besides, Carter has probably already done that, if Crawson is stupid enough to use plastic while he’s in town. I doubt he is. Either way, I want our first conversation with Burt to be a private one.”

  On their group microphone channel, Heather had been tracking along. She joked, “I’m not quite the Oracle yet, though maybe with a little practice. OK, a lot of practice. No credit card hacking for me just yet. ”

  Kaylee grinned, “You’ll get there. We can start calling you ‘Heather the Feather, floating above the world of crime’.”

  The pun was so bad, they all shared a soft groan.

  Recovering first, Angelica prompted Zahn, “So, garage sales?”

  Zahn picked up a nearby family photo that looked like it was taken in the middle of the 1940’s. He added a strange egg-shaped ornament to his growing pile. Then, he selected a hand-carved fox that was incredibly realistic. “These sales are treasure-troves of possible clues and even the occasional forgotten relic. Not all relics are powerful. Some were created for nothing more than artistic beauty. This fox might come alive to perform a cute trick on command. Or this egg might warm your tea if you plop it inside.”

  He tapped the photo. “More importantly, old photos and books and family lineages can all hint at where a relic might be cached. Are there any relics here? Well, no. But who knows what else might be hidden in these piles?”

  The idea fascinated the two women. They looked at the surrounding cast-offs with a little more respect.

  A semi-familiar, friendly voice spoke from behind them, “You might be a loner, Zahn. But you’ve always had a nice flair for the dramatic.”

  Burt Crawson was unfamiliar to the two women, so they jumped at the surprise. Their hands darted to hidden pockets with their concealed weapons.

  Zahn’s palms shot out, holding them back. “It’s alright, ladies.” He smirked. “This one’s harmless.”

  Burt was standing at the end of the aisle of tables. He wasn’t coming into the garage, as if ready to bolt if Zahn turned on him. He was tall enough to crest six feet, lanky but with a wiry strength to him. His scruff was a little long for a professional in an office, but not completely out of control. He was wearing a careful but dimpled smile that had charmed more than a few ladies.

  Kaylee proved it as she quipped, “Oh, I doubt that.”

  Some of the tension eased from Burt’s shoulders. “Huh. I like her. Is it possible you have good taste in friends, Zahn? ”

  Zahn shrugged. “Sort of trapped yourself there, don’t you think? We’re not friends yet. If I say ‘yes’, then where does that leave you?”

  “Don’t get a big head. No one’s infallible.” He got a little more serious. “Case in point. If I was perfect, then I wouldn’t be walking into a random garage sale and find you hanging about.”

  On to business then, I guess. Zahn sensed the strain in Burt. He’s on a clock. Carter’s right. He thinks he’s on to something. Aloud, Zahn said, “You’re right, Burt. This isn’t an accident. We need to talk.”

  “What if I don’t feel like chatting? It helps that you brought along a couple beau…holy shit , are you Kaylee Valemount?”

  Zahn rolled his eyes. “Smooth, Burt.”

  Kaylee swatted her lover on the arm, “Be nice, my love. Can’t you see he’s a fan?” She beamed a smile at him. “An honor to meet you. Considering the wonders you’ve seen, I’m flattered you think so highly of me.”

  “Are you serious? I was a wreck for a week after seeing you in Danielle Unbent / Unbroken !”

  Angelica shared a fond smile with her lover. “You really crushed that one.”

  Burt gawked. “Are you kidding me? Ms. Laviolette? What are…” His wide eyes skipped to Zahn and back. “Are you two here helping Zahn? Zahn, you can’t bring civilians in on a hunt like this!”

  Not about to get into their personal history, Zahn answered, “They are more than I deserve. And they’ve already survived more than you might guess.”

  Burt let out a confused, “Huh. Always thought you’d be a lone wolf for life. Never took help from anyone, ever. Not even when it was in your interest.” He mimed a tip of his cap to Angelica and Kaylee. “Well done for sorting him out. But partners or no partners, that still doesn’t explain why you’re looking for me.”

  Angelica took a step his way, putting herself closer than Zahn. He understood why; he was Burt’s competition. Angelica was someone Burt admired. A far better ambassador. “We just wanted to talk for a few minutes.”

  Kaylee also drifted closer. “The issue is that we’re not the only ones looking for you.”

  That caught Burt by surprise. He had the sense of a man who wanted to run. Like Zahn, he was used to operating anonymously. But he didn’t run. He glanced nervously left and right at the bundles and boxes of old stuff surrounding them. He clearly wanted to bolt, but he couldn’t leave without seeing what he had come to see.

  Zahn recognized that look. He brushed past his two lovers, knowing that time might be short. “Wait a second. You aren’t here for a random garage sale. You’re here for this garage sale!”

  Understanding dawned on Burt as well. “Which means you didn’t follow the clues. You stumbled on me here.” He cursed under his breath, knowing he had given something away.

  Zahn gripped his shoulder as if the connection could forge a bond of honesty between them. “Listen to me, Burt. I’m not here to poach your claim. There’s more at play here. We can talk about that later. For now, we need to get the hell out of here. Mueller is stalking you.”

  Burt snorted. “That Neanderthal isn’t capable of uncovering the clues I’ve had to track down. It took me a decade to piece together the genetic history of the Native-American family that guided Gawain from the east shore through the mountains. He came seeking the furthest end of the Earth.” He pointed at the home owner running the sale who was sitting near the back of the garage at a cash box. “Her ancestors helped the knight find it. Then he buried his treasure forever.”

  Hurrying to explain, Zahn said, “He killed Ryan and nearly did us in, too. Worse, he put Ryan on the rack. Whatever he knew, bet that Lars knows it, too.”

  That made Burt balk. He checked up and down the street as far as he could see. “For fuck’s sake! I know Ryan had hooked into Gawain’s story like me. He signed into the same library I did two days before me. They had a thousand-plus-year old diary where a woman scrawled memories of Gawain describing the trans-ocean journey he intended in the fashion of the Vikings, long before the Europeans made the trip.” He shook his head. “But I have no idea how far Ryan chased the story. I didn’t even know he was in the city. How’d you know we were all here?”

  “Long story. And unfortunately, we have no idea how far Ryan got. He was dead before we could question him.”

  A gout of blood erupted from Burt’s shin as a bullet ripped through. A heartbeat later, the crack of the gunshot rumbled through the garage. The force of the shot rocked Burt’s leg out from under him. He went to the ground hard with a shout of pain.

  Zahn yelled, “We’re under fire! Cover!” That answers the question about how much Ryan knew. This can’t be a coincidence!

  Angelica and Kaylee both darted behind tables. Neither looked thick enough to stop a rifle shot. The tables might as well be paper. The best those obstacles offered was to block any visual from the gunmen. The garage was like a shooting gallery. There hadn’t been any other customers, thankfully. But the woman running the sale had shrieked and scuttled out of sight behind the stairs leading into the house. Any a
ttempt to run up those steps would have been suicide.

  Zahn scrambled forward to where Burt was writhing on the ground. Activating his gauntlet, he painted a shield in the air in front of him. No sooner was the azure magic in place than a pair of bullets bounced off the other side.

  He remembered Lars’ voice from the scene in the scrying pool. From the other side of the street, he barked at his team, “I told you I wanted Crawson alive!”

  Zahn didn’t like the fact that neither him nor the women were included. That meant the deadly team out there would take kill shots if they poked their heads out. “Keep your heads down!” He meant that for his lovers.

  A trio of shots ripped into the garage, trying to flush them out.

  Burt snarled as he gripped his leg. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck! Ryan must have gotten this far too!” He pulled out a .45 pistol and fired from behind Zahn’s shield. He punched a couple holes in the car that two of Lars’ men were using as cover. At this range, he had almost no chance to hit anything. But it made them duck and hold their next shots.

  Then from out of nowhere, a rowdy black-lab retriever bounded over a nearby fence. Barking loudly, it charged in and clamped its jaws around one shooter’s arm. Jerking its head back and forth, the dog bloodied him and the scampered back toward safety.

  A second later, two squirrels dropped from a tree and started gouging red furrows into the face of another gunman. He screamed, “What the hell is going on?”

  Lars himself was trying to bat away a trio of cats that gathered to swipe at him with their razor claws, then darted away before he could hurt them. “One of them can control the beasts! Take ‘em out!”

  At least one of his mercenaries was still free from attack. He broke cover and lobbed a metal cannister into the center of the garage. Zahn felt helpless, trapped away from Angelica and Kaylee. He could only yell, “Flash bang! Get down!”

  Tables were pushed over as the two women tried to build a shield between them and the stun grenade. Boxes full of papers and old clothes smashed into the floor. Two seconds later, the explosive detonated. By pure luck, none of them were within its tiny kill-radius nor its wider stun-radius. That didn’t make it harmless. A shock wave still rocked the concrete foundation. Tables were rattled and blown over.