by TR Cameron
Law and Disorder
Magic City Chronicles™ Book Six
TR Cameron
Michael Anderle
Martha Carr
This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright © 2021 LMBPN Publishing
Cover by Fantasy Book Design
Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing
A Michael Anderle Production
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
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Las Vegas, NV 89109
Version 1.00 June, 2021
ebook ISBN: 978-1-64971-825-9
Print ISBN: 978-1-64971-826-6
The Oriceran Universe (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are Copyright (c) 2017-21 by Martha Carr and LMBPN Publishing.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Thank you!
Author Notes - TR Cameron
Author Notes - Martha Carr
Other series in the Oriceran Universe:
Books By Michael Anderle
Connect with The Authors
The Law and Disorder Team
Thanks to the JIT Readers
Wendy L Bonell
Dorothy Lloyd
John Ashmore
Larry Omans
Dave Hicks
Diane L. Smith
Paul Westman
If I’ve missed anyone, please let me know!
Editor
Skyhunter Editing Team
Dedication
For those who seek wonder around every corner and in each turning page. Thank you choosing to share the adventure with me. And, as always, for Dylan and Laurel.
— TR Cameron
Chapter One
The comm in her ear came jarringly to life in the quiet of the night. Kayleigh, the tech with the callsign “Glam,” announced, “Drones show no activity.” That’s not useful, Ruby thought snarkily. After several training sessions to better integrate with Diana Sheen’s agents, she, Idryll, and Morrigan were in the field for their first real operation alongside them. Ruby and Idryll were teamed up with Cara Binot and Anik Khan, “Croft” and “Khan,” respectively. Diana, Rath, Morrigan, and Tony Ryan were functioning as a separate unit and currently holding a position across the target compound from them.
The place was allegedly a religious commune, and Demetrius’s research showed it to be a legitimate nonprofit with sites in several states. This one was also a front for the black-market-magic-item-trade, including the Rhazdon artifacts Diana’s team was interested in. Ruby absently rubbed her arm through her costume, directly over the spot where the artifact that had embedded itself into her body rested. She was doing a better job of keeping its voice at bay, thanks to training from Diana’s Drow mentor Nylotte, but she still worried about it frequently. At least it’s not a constant worry anymore. Baby steps.
Diana said, “Thermal scans?”
Glam replied, “Same as the last time you asked, Boss. A couple in each building, far fewer than our surveillance spotted entering during the day.”
Morrigan observed, “So, this is a front and they portaled to a different location?”
Ruby shrugged. “Maybe. Or could be it’s something simpler.” She reached behind her to the compartment on her belt that held the tiny drone, retrieved it, and set the vehicle on the ground. Margrave had upgraded the control system, which was now a cuff she wore as part of her costume. Only the thin silver ring encircling the tip of her right index finger could activate its touchscreen display. She launched the craft and switched it into rotating detection modes. It would look for sound, thermal, electricity, and even sense the presence of magic, although that last one was still a work in progress since its range was dismal. “Glam, my drone is out.”
The tech replied, “On it.” A moment later, her local view of the drone’s camera in her mask’s eyepiece converted to a feed from the agents’ headquarters showing the same thing but shared among the entire team. She piloted it close to the nearest Quonset hut, one of four curved buildings arrayed without apparent logic on the property. As it swished along the side, the rotors chopping mostly ineffectively at the tall grass, the thermal image displayed a smear of color. She tapped the command to lock onto that detection mode and put the drone into a hover. The display showed blobs moving where there were none to be seen.
Diana said, “Underground. Makes sense. The Quonset huts are big enough to hide any evidence of their excavation, assuming there weren’t tunnels there already. They probably have a defense inside to resist thermal sensing, but they couldn’t spread it everywhere, so your drone was able to pick up something ours higher up couldn’t.”
Glam growled, “I’ve been telling you we need to upgrade the drones.”
Diana snorted. “I’ve been telling you we need to put our time and energy into other things, not to mention our limited funds.” Ruby didn’t know much about the team that called themselves the Federal Agents of Magic but wasn’t surprised to hear that the government didn’t provide them with an overly abundant amount of operating capital.
In a tone that conveyed the continuation of a long-running conversation, the tech replied, “That’s why we need to start liberating some valuable items from adventures like this and selling them off the books. Or turn them in for rewards. Either way.”
Khan sighed loudly. “That would be highly unethical, and you know it.”
Glam countered, “So says the guy who makes his living inflicting property damage in large amounts. When I picture you during operations, you’re always carrying one of those cartoonish black sphere bombs with a lit fuse sticking out of the top. You’re doing it right now, aren’t you? Admit it.”
Diana cut the chatter short. “Don’t insult Khan. You know how he gets hurt when you make fun of his toys. My team will enter the Quonset hut nearest us. Croft, take yours into the one closest to you. We go in one minute from mark.” A countdown appeared in Ruby’s display. At first, it had been difficult getting used to having data from the tech appear unexpectedly on a lens of her mask, but now it seemed completely normal.
She patted her equipment for at least the tenth time since they’d crawled into position a half-hour before. Bulletproof vest, pistol,
extra magazines, dart gun around her forearm, daggers at her hips, and her sword across her back. The throwing knives never left her boots except when targeted at an enemy, so there was no need to check them. She touched the flasks on her chest and thigh pouch containing healing and energy potions. From beside her, Idryll asked, “Did you lose anything since you last checked five minutes ago?”
Ruby scowled at her companion. The shapeshifter seemed to relish making fun of her when Diana’s people were on comms. “Shut it, you, or I’ll drop your disguise so everyone targets you first.” Ruby maintained an illusion that made her and the tiger-woman look like the agents, who wore masks in addition to their standard gear. Morrigan would be doing the same. No reason to let our enemies know that the protectors of Magic City are part of tonight’s adventure.
Although technically the compound was a little out of their jurisdiction, an hour’s drive away from Ely, Ruby wouldn’t miss a chance to be involved in anything artifact-related until she figured out a way to master the thing in her arm or remove it. Unfortunately, since the only proven method of separating oneself from a Rhazdon artifact is dying, my options for the latter aren’t looking all that good. Idryll had suggested they could cut off the limb and see if that did the trick and offered to wield the sword to do it, but Ruby wasn’t quite ready to give that a try, either.
Croft ordered, “I’m first, then Jewel, then Cat, then Khan.” Glam was responsible for their new codenames, and they fit well. Morrigan’s was Barb, a reference to the wicked hooks on some of the arrows she carried. Deacon’s voice popped up now and again in service of his role handling the technical aspects of the run, other than surveillance, which was Glam’s purview.
When the clock ran out, they dashed forward to the Quonset hut and put their backs against the wall next to the door. Croft nodded, and Khan moved to the doors and yanked on a handle. “Locked, but not for long.” He pushed a small rectangle onto the seam above the handles and took a step away. It detonated with a soft pop, and the doors swung freely. He grabbed one and pulled it open, and Ruby followed Croft into the dimly lit space.
As the heat signatures from Glam’s drone had indicated, a pair of occupants were inside. Both were in motion, rising from chairs set at a round table that held a deck of cards and two bottles of Coke. Individual cards drifted toward the ground as the two men snatched guns holstered at their waists. As they’d arranged in advance, Croft darted forward to the one on the left and used her left hand to prevent him from bringing the gun to bear and delivered a right cross to his temple. A loud snap sounded as the agent’s stun glove discharged, and her opponent dropped.
Ruby wasn’t wearing gloves, but she did have low-profile metal knuckles over her right hand, which she’d charged to full before heading out for the operation. Margrave had designed them to deliver just enough power to take out a human, so when she drove her punch into the man’s nose, it smashed the cartilage and knocked him unconscious. Idryll complained, “You could’ve left one of them for me.”
Croft ordered, “Find the way down.” The others moved to examine the floor of the building, which seemed to be irregular layers of cheap plywood stacked a few deep. Ruby piloted her drone inside and ran it around the space, seeking telltales. It was Khan who found it, noting that a piece of the floor creaked a little more than the rest as he walked over it. A quick search revealed an exceedingly thin gap in the wood, covered by a clever disguise. They pried it up and discovered a ladder descending a hewn rock chimney. Croft snapped a glow stick and threw it into the opening, revealing the end of the vertical shaft twenty feet below. “Let’s do it.” She jumped, doubtless planning to use magic to break her fall.
Idryll sighed. “You have an incredibly agile and profoundly bored member of your team who could do that jump without magic, but do you send her first? No, of course not.”
Ruby clapped her on the back. “I’m sure there will be plenty of fun for everyone.”
Diana’s voice came over the comm. “We’re underground. Be wary. The approaches are trapped.”
There was a sizzle and a snap from below, but no other response. Ruby asked, “Croft?”
The absence of a reply shot anxiety through her. Khan said, “Go to it, Cat. Be careful. Maybe use the ladder.” Before he’d finished the sentence, Idryll had leapt down after their team leader.
Chapter Two
Ruby followed Idryll down and found Croft waiting for them at the bottom. The agent said, “There was a stun trap down here. My magic set it off, so it didn’t get me, but it fried my comm.” Ruby reported that information to Khan, who was still on his way down and heard him share it with Diana. The agents’ leader said, “Okay, Khan, you’re in charge. Tell Croft she’s paying for the replacement comm. Let me guess. She jumped instead of climbing down the ladder.”
Khan laughed. “Got it in one.”
Diana’s response was amused. “True to form. I love that about her. Okay, the sensors in my suit aren’t giving me much, but it looks like there’s a tunnel in front of me.”
He hopped down the last couple rungs and replied, “Same here.” The data filled in as a wireframe map on Ruby’s eyepiece. “Not getting anything from very far away either, though.”
“Assume there will be traps. Move quickly, but safely. What direction is yours in?”
“North-northwest.”
After a second’s pause, Glam said, “If the tunnels are reasonably straight, that should bring you both toward the same location.”
Diana replied, “Makes sense. Okay, let’s get moving.”
Diana connected her comm exclusively to Morrigan. “Barb, you all good?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Excellent.” She switched to the party channel. “Rambo, you have the best senses here. Go scout.”
The troll, wearing his custom version of their battle armor with the rectangular case holding his mechanical wings strapped on his back, chirped, “Right on, Boss,” and advanced warily. “Traps. Why did there have to be traps?”
Diana sighed. “You’ve been using that Raiders of the Lost Ark quote way too often lately. I think you need to watch more movies.”
“The classics always work.” They moved forward through the dimly lit passage, the illumination coming from LED lanterns hanging from above. The roof of the corridor was only a couple of inches above her head, so she had to swerve out of the way of the lighting instruments whenever they appeared. Rath, in his three-foot form, had no problems with them. She froze as he said, “Stop.”
“Physical or magical?”
“Physical at least. The dust is disturbed, but I don’t see anything.”
Diana looked where he was pointing and waited while her display cycled through detection modes, revealing nothing. She crouched and extended her magical senses, looking for a clue. “Okay, there’s something arcane there. I’m guessing it’s an illusion, but a pretty sophisticated one. I wouldn’t want to set off the trap by dispelling it.” She connected to the other team and warned them of what she’d found, then added, “Let’s try that old Indiana Jones trick.”
She scraped her glove along the ground, gathering up dust, then rose and threw it forward in a line that extended from the floor to the ceiling. At about shin level, the particles were disturbed by something. She reported over the comm, “Looks like a magical tripwire. We’ll try going over it. Rath, you’re the most agile. Have at it.” In the past, she’d been a little overprotective of her troll life partner. After their headquarters in Pittsburgh blew up and they’d relocated to the vimana, he’d spent an impressive amount of time training with anyone who would teach him things and was now the equal of any of them.
To be honest, given his ability to grow into a seven-foot version with muscles that would put a bodybuilding champion to shame, probably better than most of us. She watched as he carefully examined the ground beyond the tripwire before flowing into a somersault leap with no apparent windup. He landed cleanly on the opposite side, and she held he
r breath, waiting. Nothing happened, and the rest of the team followed, though generally less acrobatically. “Going over it worked. I’ll let you know if we find another one.”
Khan replied, “Affirmative.” They had found their tripwire, and he carefully led the way over it. After, he asked, “Jewel, have anything that will help here?”
Ruby answered, “Not really. I can create an illusory version of us, but it’s not a physical thing. It would only set off traps that involve cameras or maybe sound if I made them noisy. Never actually tried that before.”
He shook his head. “I haven’t spotted any cameras, and no electrical lines run through here, so I presume the outer perimeter devices we defeated on our way in were the only electronic surveillance. Let’s keep that option in reserve.”
They continued forward, and Ruby sensed growing anxiety in her partner. She whispered, “Idryll, what’s up?”
The shapeshifter frowned. “I sense danger, that’s all. I don’t know why, and I don’t know from where.”
