by H. M. Clarke
She had to think. Think calmly.
The only conclusion Kaitlyn could come to for the situation she was in was a trap. She had walked straight into a snare. A magical one. And was now caught like a fly in a spider’s web, waiting for the predator to return to check what they had caught.
There was no way she was going to get out of this. None. With no magical Talent to her name, she was absolutely and completely ‘stuffed’.
What in hell can I do?
She had to attract attention to get help—the right kind of help. Except that Richard was waiting for her in the car…though he is impatient enough to come in after her if Kaitlyn took too long. But what if whoever set this trap ‘popped’ in to check it before Richard came?
There was only one thing she could think of to do.
Kaitlyn screamed.
She screamed as loud as her vocal chords would let her. It sounded funny with her mouth partly locked, but it was still high pitched and screechy enough to attract at least the neighbor’s attention.
Or they might think the downstairs cat is in heat again.
A loud bang echoed above her while at the same time a man popped into existence in the corner of the lounge room. Kaitlyn could not move her head to see what was happening above her, but she could clearly see the man who moved quickly towards her.
Automatically, she tried to move, but her limbs were still locked fast. Another loud bang above them made the man stop and turn towards the far corner of the room. On the edge of her vision, Kaitlyn saw the plywood debris of what was once her roof access hatch raining down on her couch. But nothing dropped through after it.
The stranger stood to one side of the access hatch, looking up, saying nothing. He seemed unworried. Maybe one of his friends got trapped in the ceiling space instead of appearing in her lounge room.
A blur of movement leapt from behind the couch and slammed hard into the stranger who was sent flying through the door to the bathroom. Kaitlyn tried to watch what was happening, but the bathroom was just out of her field of vision. She again struggled against the unseen force that held her trapped and immobile.
There was a crash and Kaitlyn inwardly winced as she heard what sounded like her glass shower door shatter and chime to the tiled floor. There were some more echoing bangs and crashes and a lot of what sounded like fists punching flesh, and then the stranger came flying back first through what was left of the bathroom door.
The stranger twisted in midair, changing to red smoke as he did before completely disappearing.
“You yellow-bellied coward!” came thundering from the bathroom and Kaitlyn’s scream of relief turned into startlement as the force holding her disappeared and she was dumped unceremoniously to the floor.
“Adam!” she looked up to see Adam Rothe standing in what was left of the bathroom door. He was not even breathing hard. But though there was no expression on his face, Kaitlyn could tell he was angry.
“You okay?” Adam finally asked her.
Kaitlyn nodded and as she climbed to her feet, could not help but notice that Adam’s eyes reflected the small amount of light coming in from the window like a cat’s eyes.
“Adam. How did you do that? I didn’t think you were even capable enough to jog up the stairs without having a heart attack.”
Adam smiled at her, as if enjoying a private joke. “It is just my nature. I can be quick when I need to be.”
“But Adam. You moved faster than David-”
“And where the hell is he when you need him?” Adam spat at her. “If I had not heard you scream, then who knows what would have happened.”
Kaitlyn scrutinized her neighbor but quickly decided not to push the issue. At least not at the moment. Whatever he was hiding from her can wait until later, she would get it out of him then. There were more important things for her to worry about. Like, how do I stop these nut jobs from getting into her place again and can she really realistically compete against the Talented arrayed against her?
“Adam, thanks for rescuing me. And we are going to sit down and have a talk later. I have to grab my gun and get back to work.”
“Who is trying to get you?” Adam asked as he slumped down onto her couch.
“Some bad guys we are chasing down at work.” Kaitlyn did not want to tell him too much. He was not part of the RPU.
“These people have made it personal against you then.”
Kaitlyn shrugged. “Looks like it.” She did not want to tell him about any of the incidents earlier today. If she did not hurry Richard will be up looking for her and if he saw the state of her apartment, then he and David might use it as an excuse to lock her down somewhere where she cannot do anything.
“I’ll stay here while you’re gone. In case these people come looking for you again.”
“Thanks Adam.” Knowing he was staying took a large weight of worry off of her shoulders. Kaitlyn threw him an appreciative smile before ducking into her room to access the gun safe in her wardrobe.
When she came back into the lounge room, Adam was sprawled out on her couch, his eyes closed as if asleep. Kaitlyn stopped by the front door and turned back to the couch.
“Adam, please don’t mention this to David. The attack I mean. When I have the time I’ll explain it to you later, just as you can explain some things to me.”
Adam flicked open an eye and grunted. Kaitlyn took that for a yes and quickly exited her apartment.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
◆◆◆
“I will not be left out!” Kaitlyn’s voice burned with anger. “The Old Man told me himself that I was to go. Are you going to countermand his order?”
Kaitlyn was furious. Furious at David for still treating her like a helpless animal, and furious at Richard for just standing back against the wall and passively watching all the drama. The bright fluorescent lighting in the conference room did not help matters either. Its sterile glare made her demands seem petty and childish.
Also, not helping matters was the fact that Kaitlyn was still on edge about the ‘incident’ in her apartment. She did not tell Richard what had happened when he asked what took her so long getting her gun. She had told him that the combination to her safe was a little sticky and that it had to be finessed to open. Richard took her explanation in hand and drove straight back to the office. Upon arrival, she was ‘escorted’ into the conference room where the rest of her team waited, and was then promptly bawled out by David for leaving and told to stay put and let the others do their job and protect her.
“The Old Man told me I was to go, and he also suggested that you should use me as bait to attract them in.”
“Don’t be stupid, Kaitlyn. You have to-”
“I don’t have to do anything!” The vehemence of her answer gave Kaitlyn the inner strength to stand up to David. She may be a rookie, but she was not a junior on this team.
Kaitlyn watched David’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She kept her determined eyes on his and hoped that the warmth prickling at her cheeks would not ruin her impression of strength.
“I am not going to be molly coddled David.”
“But how can we do our mission and worry about protecting you?”
She clenched her hands in anger and glared at him.
“I don’t expect everyone to protect me, I can look after myself. Something which I think I’ve amply proven to all concerned today.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The Sharda have already tried to get you. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I don’t want to be hurt either. I like to keep my skin intact. If you think so little of my skills, maybe I should ask the ‘Old Man’ to transfer me to another team. I’m sure Richard will have me.”
Kaitlyn caught Richard’s nod of agreement in the corner of her eye.
“I would gladly have you,” he said, not moving from his relaxed stance against the wall.
David turned on him. “This is none of your concern, Gisbourne. You’ve done enough da
mage for one day.”
“Now there is no need to be like that, Wheeler,” Richard tutted. “Ishmael asked me to stay here awhile to ensure his ‘suggestions’ are carried out. Hopefully that dog brain of yours gets my meaning.”
David’s eyes abruptly turned inky black and as he moved towards Richard, Kaitlyn stepped in his way.
“Stop it, the pair of you! This is not the time or the place for a pissing match.” She glared at each man in turn, waiting for them both to back down.
Richard’s sapphire eyes stared back at her, and Kaitlyn wrenched her gaze away from his when she felt David back down and step away. Richard moved back and slouched against the wall.
“David, she does have a point.” George spoke quietly from the table.
“The Old Man thought her ready to be an active agent on the Restricted Practioners Unit, so you should treat her as you would any one of us.” John Summerby tossed in after George.
“Which means using Kaitlyn to her best ‘potential’ to get the bad guys,” Mark finished.
“Alright, alright.” David held his arms up in surrender. “Kaitlyn is coming.”
Kaitlyn heard his words but knew David well enough to know that he thought an entirely different thing.
“Pair her with me. I’m the most experienced, Kaitlyn can learn from me. I can keep an eye on her to ensure that she does not get into trouble.” George’s measured tones again cut through the murmuring.
“That is a good suggestion, George. Very well, let’s get this little jaunt organized and be on our way. We can’t keep our ‘friends’ waiting any longer.
As Kaitlyn sat down at the table with the others, she was suddenly struck with how out of character David’s behavior was. He would never normally have confronted her in public like that. It was as if he was performing for someone. Though, as Kaitlyn became involved with the conversation around the table, she forgot David’s odd behavior.
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
◆◆◆
The straps of the body armor bit into Kaitlyn’s shoulders and no matter how much she squirmed, she could not make it sit comfortably. They had never felt comfortable on her. Kaitlyn gripped hard at the anchored safety belt as the armored truck zoomed around a tight corner.
Sitting with her in the back of the van was George, David and Mark. Chris and John sat up front.
“This isn’t a race, John!” Mark called out next to her. John did not reply, but Kaitlyn clutched at her ears as Mark had keyed on his throat mike and his shout blasted directly into her eardrums.
“Mark,” George said in measured tones. “Please key off your mike next time before you shout.”
Mark had the good grace to look embarrassed as he watched his three companions massaging their ears.
“Sorry.”
“How far away are we, John?” David asked over the throat mike.
“We’re only a few blocks away,” John replied over the comm link.
“Remember people, we are here to scout around and if possible to locate and secure any Sharda operatives for questioning. The AFP intelligence says that they have been seen at this location during the last twenty-four hours.”
Kaitlyn stared at David. He had started organizing this trip within minutes of The Old Man contacting the office.
“John, park the truck at the head of the street.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kaitlyn noted that John had slipped into a more formal manner. It was the first time she had heard him like that. All the fun was gone from his voice—now he was all business.
“The target location is number twenty three and you all know your partner. You all know what to do.”
Kaitlyn turned her head to stare at George, who sat across from her. David had paired her with him for tonight as he was the most experienced field agent and she was the ‘rookie’. David had expected him to fight against the choice, but oddly enough George had been the one to volunteer himself. Kaitlyn was just glad that David did not choose Chris as her partner. Kaitlyn preferred more to screw up in front of George than to stammer and have a brain freeze in front of Chris.
David had paired himself to John—their Talents were similar and therefore would not hinder each other. And Chris and Mark were to stay in the truck on the monitoring equipment. Before Kaitlyn joined the team Mark would have been by himself with his equipment and Chris would have partnered his brother.
Kaitlyn felt the truck slow to a stop just before she heard John’s voice over her ear piece.
“We’re here.”
She heard the front doors slam and then a moment later saw both John and Chris appear as the back doors opened.
Kaitlyn tried to still the nervousness in her belly and again patted at both the Sig Sauer P320 at her hip and its sister velcroed to the inner back of her body armor.
“Your ammo mags are fine. No need to check them a third time,” David said as he moved past her.
“Right.”
“Good luck Kaitlyn.”
“Thanks Mark,” she replied, giving him a short nod before following George out the back of the truck.
“Mark, are our locators activated?”
“Yes David.”
Kaitlyn saw David rub at his upper arm. Both he and John wore no armor, though Kaitlyn noted the Browning in David’s shoulder holster. Both he and John preferred using blades.
George and herself on the other hand wore body armor and partial Kevlar arm and leg armor. As well as the velcroed Browning, George also carried an oak quarterstaff. It was an odd thing to carry, but he needed it for his Talent. Plus he was just as quick and deadly using the staff than the Browning.
“Mike checks everyone,” David said, and started with his own.
“David, check.”
“John, check.”
“Chris, check.”
“George, check.”
“Kaitlyn, check.”
“And I know mine is working,” Mark said as he tweaked some of the touch controls. “That should clear up the static on your line, George.”
Kaitlyn adjusted the turtle neck around her throat mike and checked her ear piece again.
“John and I will head in the front. George and Kaitlyn enter the premises from the rear.” David glanced down at his watch. “It’s ten to eleven now. At my signal we will enter and start the sweep of the building.”
David turned and started off down the street, quickly followed by John. Chris gave Kaitlyn a quick smile, making her stomach slightly flutter, as he climbed into the back of the truck to join Mark.
“Ready Kaitlyn?”
Kaitlyn gave George a nod and followed him down the footpath as Chris closed the truck doors. As she ran, Kaitlyn looked at her surroundings.
The street was wide with one and two storey business buildings lining its sides. Streetlights tried to light the area with their blue white light but only succeeded in lighting the path next to them. The moon had not yet risen and George kept them both to the inky shadows, David and John had already disappeared into the darkness.
They both turned down the alley that ran alongside the target building and made their way to the back entrance without seeing a soul.
Kaitlyn had seen the plan of the building at the pre mission brief, so had an idea what it will look like inside but she was glad that she had Mark and Chris on the mike to help direct her if she went in the wrong direction. Her sub-dermal locator would tell the two exactly where she was in the building. The thing still itched where it was injected under the skin of her forearm an hour before.
George motioned Kaitlyn to stand to one side of the dark glass doors and he took position on the other side. Kaitlyn silently removed her Sig Sauer from its holster and waited.
George started murmuring as he passed his hand over the door locks. Kaitlyn took a firmer grip on her pistol as she heard a faint clicking sound as the bolts slid back unaided into the door frame.
“In position.” George spoke softly, letting his throat mike enhance
the volume for those listening for him. In her ear piece Kaitlyn heard answering replies from the other teams. She took a deep breath. This might be her last moment of calm before all Hell breaks loose.
“Go!”
As soon as David’s voice was heard over the ear piece Kaitlyn darted forward and opened the door. In the blink of an eye, George had slipped through, his Browning steady in his hand as he swept the long corridor beyond the open door. It was empty.
Kaitlyn followed him in, her own weapon pointing to the floor. Then both stopped midway down the hall and silently let their eyes adjust to the low light of the corridor. They then quickly ducked through the stairwell door beside them.
George turned his dark eyes to Kaitlyn. “Remember, take all your signals from me and watch my back.”
Kaitlyn nodded her understanding. Though she was a little pissed at being placed with George and then sent to the basement. She should be relieved that at least she was able to go with them on the mission.
Glaring at her a moment longer than was really necessary, George turned and headed down the access stairs that lead to the lower levels.
As they descended, Kaitlyn wondered about the building. She was no architect, but even she wondered why a wharf warehouse had such a large basement structure.
Two stories of concrete stairs rose behind them as George set foot on the lower landing, his staff held before him. Kaitlyn stopped just behind him on the final step, her pistol clasped tightly in her hand and her eyes held wide open and peeled for the slightest movement from the concrete walls around them.
Holding his staff horizontally, George began to murmur. A flash of light leapt out from the staff and flooded the room in electric blue before popping out of existence. George sighed and rested his staff against his shoulder.
“I do not like this.”
“What’s wrong?” Kaitlyn knew enough about magic to know that George’s detection found nothing in this area protecting the door off of the landing.