Die Back

by Richard Hacker

  The man with the cowboy boots called out, his voice casual, almost conversational. "Ya down thah, pard'nah? Ya mus' be 'bout wore out, all this gallivantin' 'round. Come on out, mi amigo. No need for other folk to get hurt. Am ah right?"

  The homeless man had curled into a fetal position at the far top corner of the bridge. Addison knew if this guy killed him, he'd kill anyone in the vicinity who might be a witness, including a drunk indigent. He had to lure his assassin away.

  "Okay, I'm right here. Let's just keep this between us. No need to involve anyone else."

  The trestle creaked under the weight of his assassin stepping onto the tracks. For a moment, their eyes locked through one of the large gaps between dilapidated railroad ties. "There ya ah, Addison. Why don't ya come on out from under there so's we can talk?"

  Addison scrambled across the timbers, holding onto a support beam to cross another timber like a high wire act. Thut. A bullet splintered wood just above his hand. Startled, he let go. Off balance, he hung to the trestle by one arm, his body pivoting away from the structure. Fifty feet below, sharp-edged rock awaited any misstep he might make. Addison knew he couldn't stay under this bridge. He had to cross the trestle and get to the other side before the man could put a bullet in him. His arm on fire with pain, Addison shifted his weight back to safety, the odor of creosote thickening the air. Thut. A chunk of timber fragmented near his head. Before he could move away, a loud crack of fracturing wood was followed by a thud of weight falling on the tracks above him.

  "Gawddammit all ta hell!"

  A cowboy boot and a blue jean-covered leg dangled, trapped in a nest of wood splinters like a Chinese finger cuff. The assassin screamed, shooting wildly into the bridge. Thut, thut, thut. Addison crawled across the undercarriage of the trestle, up the embankment and back onto the street. Making his way to the hovercar, he paused at the corner of the building to be sure a second assassin was not lying in wait to kill him.

  Not seeing anything suspicious, he dashed across the street. Jules, still in the hovercar, once again opened the cockpit windscreen. Seeing her he yelled, hoping to make as fast a getaway as possible.

  "Let's go, Jules. Let's go!"

  He jumped into the passenger seat, but Jules only looked at him.

  "Come on, Jules. Let's go. Let's go!"

  She rolled her eyes, pressing the start button, the hover's engine winding up. As the hover sped away a man's voice rose from the back seat.

  "Well, Addison. Finally, we meet."

  The second gunman. Of course. While the first guy chased after him, the second gunman simply slipped over to the car to be certain the job got done. Now Jules would die too, all because he wasn't thinking things through. Addison stared into his cam screen at the man he had seen in the cafe, his thoughts a blur as he tried to process what just happened. He thought of running, but the man in the backseat would kill them before they could get out of the car. Addison turned, his eyes meeting those of their unwanted passenger. Clearly, a professional. Calm, his gaze searching, as if Addison would tell him the exact location of Renascentia.

  "Addison Shaw?"

  Addison put on as innocent an expression as he could muster. "Addison who?"

  Jules backhanded him on his thigh. "Addison."

  The man smiled. Addison didn't expect a hired killer to have such a pleasant smile.

  "Addison, I'm Magnus. Magnus Koehler."

  He held his hand out. Addison looked at the hand, his mind registering the flesh and bone extended over his shoulder. Not a gun. A hand, which he shook.

  "Show me your feet."

  Magnus leaned back, the question taking him off guard. "What?"

  "Your feet. Now."

  Magnus moved to the far corner of the seat, lifting a leg to make his foot visible to Addison. Running shoes, not cowboy boots, and no evidence of falling through a trestle.

  "Ever think of introducing yourself, Magnus? I thought you were trying to kill me. And if you're Magnus Koehler, who was chasing me?"

  "I came over to meet you, but you took off running down the street. When you reacted like I was a bad guy, I came over here, introduced myself to your very nice lady friend. I figured, once you came to your senses and realized I wasn't after you—wait, did you say someone chased you?"

  "Yeah. So I was a little too preoccupied with living to come to my senses." Addison studied Magnus' face on the passenger vid screen. "How do I know you're really Magnus Koehler? You could have murdered Magnus or maybe you have him tied up in the trunk." He tensed as the man reached for his back pocket.

  "Just my wallet, Addison. We use enhanced analogue ID’s in Tejas." He handed his identity card over the seat. A video image of the man came to life by his name. Addison read the information aloud. "Magnus Koehler, born January 23, 1971." He checked the video image again, and handed the license back. "Okay, Magnus Koehler. I believe you."

  "You know, I met your father a few times over the years. He was a good man."

  "My dad's part of the reason I'm here." Jules had set the hovercar nav controls to shuffle roam, so they drove a random pattern through the city as Addison told Magnus about Cameron and his plans to kill the Inkers and steal their pens.

  Magnus frowned. "You really think he killed your father? I thought they were old friends."

  "Power corrupts, right? He's planning to kill Maya and he's made attempts on me. He plans on removing all of us."

  "So we split up, disappear. Make it difficult for him to hunt us down."

  Jules flashed an 'I told you so' glance in Addison's direction. "See? I'm not the only one who thinks disappearing might be a healthy thing to do."

  "Maya and I have another plan. A better plan. We have strength in numbers. Together we stop Cameron."

  Magnus considered Addison's words. "Cameron is a very powerful man without the pens, Addison. He has resources, a black-ops team fronting as his security detail, political connections. You're talking about standing up against a man who can make your life a living hell."

  Jules looked to Addison. "Running is sounding better and better."

  "Don't you see, Jules? If we run, we'll always be looking over our shoulders for Cameron, and more importantly, we'll never be able to correct the reality shifts. Besides, even with one pen he can create havoc."

  Magnus grabbed the seat back, as if he needed something firm to hold in the midst of the chaos. "Whoa there, fella. Did you say reality shifts? How the hell did that happen?"

  Only the whir of the hovercar filled the silence, until finally, Addison spoke. "My fault. I didn't understand the consequences."

  "You do realize the whole point of the League is to maintain the integrity of our reality, right?"

  "He didn't know," Jules offered in Addison's defense.

  "No, he's right, Jules. I'm responsible for the shifts, at least partly. Which is why, Magnus, I'm going to find a way to fix it."

  "And how do you plan to do that? Don't you understand each time you directly interact in the past—"

  "Yes, I know. But I spoke to my father."

  "I thought you told me he died."

  "He did. I inked him."

  Magnus leaned back, disgust in his voice. "Man, you're way out of control."

  "I inked him in order to find out what was happening. And he told me there might be a way to reset the temporal flow."

  "Did he now? And how exactly do you propose to do that, Addison? Ink people until you magically put things back the way they were? Look, stop the car. I'm out. I've invested my life in the League. Do you understand what that means? The sacrifice? The responsibility, not just for the present, but for the integrity of the time continuum?" He slapped the back of Addison's seat, shaking his head. "Stop the car, young lady."

  Addison nodded for Jules to pull to a curb beside a Mexican restaurant with a window filled with votives, blue, red, green, all lit for various saints. I wonder if any of those saints handle time continua run amok?.

  He turned to Magnus, pleading
his case. "If we bring all the pens together, we have the ability to reset the continuum. My father had never seen it done, but the Alchi̱meía describes the process."

  "You have access to the Alchi̱meía? Only Renascentia has access."

  "I've got to locate it, but I am Renascentia."

  "Son, you might think you're Renascentia because you have your father's pen, but being Renascentia is a lot more than having his pen. I'm sorry you got dropped into this mess, but you're in way over your head." Magnus pushed the door with his hand. "Just open the door."

  Addison said, "Don't, Jules."

  "Am I your prisoner now? Sounds to me that you're just as bad as Cameron if you're planning on kidnapping me and stealing my pen."

  Addison swiveled his chair to face Magnus. "I've got to set things right. Don't you understand?" He took a breath, willing himself calm. "We've got to set things right. You said yourself, maintaining the integrity of the temporal flow is the mission of the League. No matter how it happened, we, the League must set things right."

  Magnus groaned, staring out the window as a rangy man in a white linen suit walked by, a long-haired dachshund prancing in front of him on a lead. "I don't know."

  "You said you knew my father. What would he want you to do? Walk away because I screwed up? Or would he want you to help me find a way to fix this?

  Magnus let out a long sigh. "I hope I don't regret this. I'm going to stay."

  "Great."

  "Don't throw a party yet." He locked eyes with Addison. "I'm not staying for you. I'm doing this for your father and for the League."

  "I can live with that."

  "Okay, so first, we've got to gather all the pens in one location."

  "Correct."

  They sat in silence until the man walking his dog disappeared in the distance. Magnus moved his gaze to Jules's vid screen. "I guess your man's right, Jules. So together we take Cameron down, eh?"

  Addison nodded. "That's the plan."

  "Take me by my shop. I need to pick up a few things, including my pen. After I have my gear we can head for the shuttle port."

  ***

  The nav's shuffle roam program had taken them to Loop 360 on the west side of the city. After President Lyndon Johnson declared the land west of Tonkaweya a natural treasure, establishing the Hill Country National Park, development came to a complete halt, the land a living monument to the unique environment. The only concession had been a highway skirting around the city to relieve congestion on the many toll roads to the east.

  Jules tapped her nav screen. "I've programmed in your building location, Magnus. I imagine we'll go south around the city, but we'll see where the nav takes us."

  Addison checked his passenger vid screen to be sure Magnus heard her, but he had turned his back to them, his attention focused out the rear window. "Are they equipping rentals with evasion modules these days, Addison?"

  "I don't recall anything like that in the rental agreement. Why do you ask?"

  Magnus pointed through the back window. Addison checked the monitors as a large hover terrain traverser filled the screen. The behemoth was not fast or nimble, but it could rumble right over arroyos, riverbeds, boulders, and definitely rental hovercars. Some were equipped with sonic compression systems designed to pulverize stone, essentially turning inhospitable terrain into a gravel road. Addison had a feeling this traverser came from the dealer fully loaded. He looked over to Jules's stern expression. She must be thinking the same thing.

  "We're going manual, Jules. I've got the controls."

  He flipped a switch before she could stop him. A panel in front of Addison slid open and a steering yoke emerged.

  Jules glared at him. "What? You're not going to try to drive this. Addison, that's crazy!"

  "Jules, as long as I'm driving that son of a bitch won't be catching us any time soon." Addison accelerated, keeping them ahead of the traverser, but not pulling away.

  Jules stared at the monitor. "Faster, Addison!"

  "I'm going flat out, Jules. The speed must be limited somehow."

  "Just don't slow down!

  Going up a hill, the rental hover gained some distance on the jet-black traverser, the driver sitting in a darkened cab some twenty feet above the road, the body of the vehicle taking up two lanes. They crested a hill, and raced down the other side, weaving through traffic. The traverser flew over the top, slamming hard to the pavement. A small sports-hover got swept up in the giant, bits of synthetic fiber, titanium, and human flesh spewing out the back.

  Jules grabbed hand holds, watching the rear vid screen. "Jesus. Addison, they're running people down!"

  As Addison turned to look, the traverser sped up behind a utility vehicle. Swerving out of the way too late, both driver and vehicle were consumed under the big machine, pulverized and sprayed across the road surface.

  "Hold on." He swerved the hovercar off the highway and into the mesquite-covered hilly terrain.

  Magnus stayed turned away, but yelled loudly. "What are you doing? We don't have a chance in open terrain."

  "If we stay on the highway, they'll kill anyone who gets between us. This way we're the only ones who die."

  "But the time continuum, Addison. We can't die. We've got to reset the temporal flow."

  Addison found a sense of calm within the sheer terror of the moment. Like an old friend, he slipped the familiar cloth of serenity around his heart. "We'll be okay. Trust me."

  The hovercar slipped sideways across arid ground, dust billowing around them, its engine screaming. The traverser followed, destroying brush and trees and rock like some giant all-consuming monster intent on eating them alive.

  Jules was shouting. "Faster, Addison. Faster!"

  But Addison didn't go faster. He slowed enough to keep the traverser a few feet behind them, a deep rumble from the beast's engines vibrating in their chests.

  Magnus protested loudly in one long stream of invective. "You've killed us, Addison! You stupid son of a bitch! I should have gotten out when I could. You've killed us!"

  Jules, in tears, tried to regain control, but Addison had locked her out. She hit him repeatedly. "Addison. Goddammit, Addison!"

  They came to a cliff face, slamming sideways into the rock, crushing the passenger side panels, then moving away just as the traverser hit. Built for cross-country trekking, the large vehicle simply bounced away to continue the pursuit. Addison entered the control panel of their hovercar's command module. "Jules, find the speed limiter. Turn it off. Now!"

  Jules frantically tapped the touch screen, looking for the appropriate control. "Auto park, scenic tour, restaurant search, Jesus, what happened to just having a few voice commands?" The traverser slammed into the back of their hovercar, catapulting them forward. "Beverage program, music display…"

  "Come on Jules. Focus."

  "I am focused! You're the one who drove us off the damn road."

  "Jules!"

  "Ah, there it is. Speed limiter, off."

  Addison pulled the accelerator paddle in the steering unit toward him, the force pushing them to the backs of their seats. The traverser, for a moment, lagged before a thunderous roar and fiery exhaust jetted out of the back of the vehicle. Addison watched as the black beast filled his screen.

  "Addison."

  "Not now, Jules."

  "Addison!"

  "Jules, not now."

  "Addison, there's a cliff. Oh, God. Addison!"

  He turned to Jules. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, panic etched across her face. Magnus was screaming murderous epithets to Addison, suggesting the commitment of all sorts of atrocities to his person and condemning him to the deepest, darkest realms of hell. Time slowed. Addison felt at peace, calm, in control. With a tilt of his head towards Jules and a crooked smile, he swerved hard right, pulling the emergency braking system. The engine roared into reverse, dust and rock flying in all directions. The big black traverser launched with full forward thrusters off the cliff edge, arcing gracefully,
a trail of detritus streaming behind like a comet, impacting the rocky ground two hundred feet below with a thunderous, fiery explosion.

  They sat for some time, thick black smoke billowing from the base of the cliff. Addison looked back at Magnus, who was struggling to regain composure, his hands and legs shaking. Jules stared at Addison, as if seeing him for the first time. Addison maneuvered the hovercar back to the highway. Only after several miles down the road, did Jules finally speak.

  "Addison."

  "Yeah, Jules."

  "Don't ever fucking scare me like that again."

  He thought about suggesting how he had saved their lives, but decided against it. "Sure, Jules. Only when necessary."

  She shot him an angry look, which softened as her hand reached over to rest on his thigh.

  "Just make sure it's damn necessary."

  ***

  They drove to South Congress Avenue, taking a side street to Magnus' shop, a single-level store front with several hovercycles parked out front. Addison reached for his door release. "I'll go with you."

  "No worries. I'll just be a minute." Magnus got out of the hover, crossed the street to his shop, and disappeared inside.

  Jules and Addison waited for five, then ten minutes. The hair on the back of Addison's neck stood up, the same sensation he had in Juarez when insurgents were nearby. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

  "Stay here, Jules."

  "What, again?"

  "Just stay here."

  Addison jumped out of the hovercar, and ran toward the shop, but the entire building exploded in an orange fireball, throwing him to the ground. A loud ringing in his ears enveloped him as chunks of wood, glass, and sheet rock rained down around and on him. When his hearing came back, hover and pod car alarms blared. Fire popped and crackled where Magnus' shop once stood. Cameron. Addison tried to get close to the building, searching for Magnus and his pen, Animus. But with the sounds of fire drones and police sirens wailing, he realized Cameron had won this battle. Addison couldn't afford to be delayed by the police. To fight another day, they had to flee.