Fire Defender

by Rodney Hartman

  “I don’t think—” began Alec.

  “No, you don’t,” said Grandma giving Tess a wink. “But I love you anyway, Grandson. In the meantime, you’ll do what I say. This may all turn out to be nothing. I suspect that’s probably going to be the case, so we’ll set up some kind of signal and let you know when it’s safe to return.”

  “What are we supposed to do in the meantime?” Tess asked. Even though it had been her idea to leave, she’d be the first to admit she hadn’t exactly thought things through.

  “Mamie’s going to give you a copy of her notes,” said Grandma. “You can use them to practice with your ring. She told me what happened at the river. You’ve got a great gift in that ring, girl, so use it wisely.”

  Tess saw Alec open his mouth, but Grandma cut him off before he got the first word out.

  “That’s enough for tonight,” said Grandma. “It’s almost midnight. We’ll talk it over some more in the morning, after Mamie gets here.” She looked at Alec. “In the meantime, show Tess where she’ll be sleeping, then I want both of you to get in bed.” The old woman’s eyes sparkled as she gave Tess a wink. “In separate rooms, of course.”

  Tess noticed Alec’s cheeks turning red. He started to speak, but wisely closed his mouth without saying anything. When he rose from the table, Tess got up as well and followed him upstairs. Two of the steps creaked loudly as they went up. Tess grabbed hold of the banister just in case the steps didn’t hold, finding it sturdier than she’d expected for such an old home. Looking closer as she slid her hand along the railing on the way up, she thought it was made of solid heart-of-pine that had been darkened with age.

  “How old is this house?” Tess asked as she followed Alec down the upstairs hall. “The beams in the kitchen are massive. This place is built like a fortress.”

  Alec opened a door on the right side of the hall, motioning Tess in. The bedroom was boyish in nature. “This was my dad’s room before he went away to college,” he said. “Grandma pretty much leaves it the way he left it then. My room’s across the hall.”

  Tess looked at the two garbage bags on the bed. They were the same ones she’d stuffed full of clothes and personal items at the trailer, so she assumed Scott had put them there.

  “You didn’t answer my question about the house,” Tess said not so much interested in his answer as she was in not wanting him to leave quite yet.

  Alec rubbed his hand across the edge of the thick wooden door. “Grandma says the farmhouse was built in the 1890s. They built things to last back then. The Johnsons have lived here ever since.” He smiled. “The place has a shady history of sorts. A few of my more dubious ancestors used it for bootlegging liquor during prohibition. Rumor has it there was even a gunfight here back in the twenties. The outer walls were thick enough to stop bullets, so no one was hurt. Like you said, it’s built like a fortress.” He winked. “Heck, it’s even got a secret room downstairs with an escape tunnel and everything.” He patted the wall. “I guess I always imagined I’d live here someday.”

  Tess saw something in Alec’s eyes she’d never seen before. It was a kind of sadness that made her want to reach out and comfort him. She resisted the urge fearing where it might lead.

  “If that’s what you want,” Tess said, “then that’s what you should do. Whatever’s going on right now will pass. I predict you’ll go back to school, get your degree, and settle down. It will all work out for you. I’m sure of it.”

  Alec stared at her for several seconds.

  Again, she had to resist the urge to go to him.

  “I’m not so sure,” Alec finally said with a strange sadness in his voice. “I just have this feeling like I’m saying goodbye to the place. It’s like in my heart I know I’m never going to see it again; at least not the way it is now.”

  Tess walked over and placed both of her hands on the sides of his face, forcing him to look in her eyes. “You stop that right now, Alec Johnson. I’ll hear none of it. Everything’s going to work out. Do you hear me?”

  Alec nodded. His soft brown eyes drew her in.

  Thoughts of their kiss at the river brought a feeling of heat to Tess’s stomach. She resisted the desire to pull him close, concerned where that might lead.

  “All right then,” Tess said. “Then it’s off to bed. I’m tired, so go pester your grandmother if you need to keep talking.”

  Alec smiled as he yawned. “Naw. I think bed sounds pretty good right about now.” Before turning to leave, he raised a hand to her face and gently caressed her cheek.

  Tess felt butterflies in her stomach, then backed away from the door figuring if she didn’t close it soon, neither of them would get any sleep that night. “I’ll see you in the morning, rich boy.”

  Alec smiled again. “You can bet on it, tough girl.” With a final nod, he turned away and shut the door behind him.

  Once Tess was alone, she decided against showering because at this stage of the game, it could wait until morning. She did change into a clean set of clothes, just in case. After years of having the police knock on her door in the middle of the night, dragging her dad behind them, she was used to sleeping fully dressed. Shoving the unpleasant memories aside, Tess climbed into bed. She glanced at the clock. The display showed 12:30.

  Closing her eyes, Tess dreamed of a skinny man in a t-shirt.

  Why’d you leave me, Dad? she asked.

  Her dad smiled, saying nothing.

  Tess’s dream-self thought it was just as well. If he doesn’t say anything, then he can’t make promises he’d just break.

  A tear ran down Tess’s cheek. It didn’t matter. She knew she was asleep, and even tough girls could cry then.

  Chapter 29 – Execute

  ____________________

  The knuckles of Mick’s hands on the steering wheel of the SUV grew ever whiter the longer he was questioned by his passenger. Mick stared straight down the road, hesitant to even glance at the gray-robed man he’d been ordered to pick up from a charter flight at the Seattle airport and return to the safe house in Covington. Every second since the brown, reptilian-skinned man had sat down in the passenger seat of the SUV had been stressful for Mick.

  His brown, reptilian-skinned passenger tapped the center console between the two bucket seats with a finger. The clawed tip beat out a rhythm that matched the beat of Mick’s heart. The rhythm was very fast.

  “So, you say this Captain Cynthia Jager of yours ordered you not to inform Colonel Harrison that the two of you had discovered the location of the Fire Ring?”

  “Yes, sir,” Mick replied.

  “Oh, sir is much too formal, Mick. Call me Mr. Gray.”

  “Yes, Mr. Gray.”

  “I see. And did she also order you to kill the girl’s father?”

  Mick wanted to lie, but ever since the man had formed a design in the air with one hand while saying words he’d heard but quickly forgotten, he’d only been able to tell the mysterious Mr. Gray the truth. He told the truth once again.

  “No, Mr. Gray. That was my idea. The captain told me to be discreet, but I thought it was the girl coming in. I wanted to get the ring for myself. I thought I might get a promotion if I gave it to the colors…err, I mean you, when you got here. The girl’s dad surprised me. I knocked him out and staged an accident to cover things up.”

  The gray-robed man nodded his head. “See how much simpler things are when you tell the truth, Mick? I abhor violence to get the truth except when necessary. A truth spell is so much easier, don’t you agree?”

  “Yes, Mr. Gray.”

  “Of course you do. Now, how much longer until we get to the safe house?”

  Mick glanced at the time in the dash. “It’s two o’clock. The safe house is still thirty minutes away. Maybe I should check in?”

  Mr. Gray smiled, exposing sharpened teeth. “Do what you think best, Mick. After all, I’m just a passenger.”

  Mick reached into the tray of the console for his cellphone and accidentally touched th
e back of the gray-robed man’s hand with his fingers. Mick shuddered. The man’s skin felt cold and his hand had a slick, slimy feel to it. Grabbing his phone, Mick jerked his hand back as a soft laugh came from his passenger.

  Mr. Gray smiled. “Make sure you put it on speaker, Mick.”

  As soon as Mick dialed the number, Cynthia Jager answered on the first ring. “Where are you? Henderson’s got us loading the gear into the vehicles now. The fool’s launching a full-scale assault. We’ll be moving out in fifteen minutes.”

  Mick involuntarily glanced at his passenger. Mr. Gray smiled again. His razor-edged teeth glinted in the light coming off the dashboard’s instruments. A yellow fire glinted in the man’s eyes. Distracted, Mick crossed the center line before recovering and jerking the SUV back just as an oncoming car honked its horn and flashed its headlights.

  Reaching over, Mr. Gray pulled the cellphone out of Mick’s hand. “Perhaps you should concentrate on driving and I’ll do the talking.”

  Mick nodded his head and stared straight ahead, the feel of Mr. Gray’s cold skin still fresh on his mind.

  “Captain Jager, this is Mr. Gray. How delightful to get a chance to talk to you. So you say the colonel is launching an attack to recover the rings now? Before I arrive?”

  Mick’s heart beat three times before his captain replied.

  “Uh, yes, Mr. Gray. The colonel plans on executing the attack at two-forty-five.”

  “I gather you don’t approve, Cynthia. You don’t mind if I call you Cynthia, do you?”

  “Uh, no, Mr. Gray.”

  “So you don’t approve of your colonel’s plan?”

  Mick’s heart beat three more times before Cynthia replied. When she did, her voice sounded full of conviction. “No, Mr. Gray. I believe a soft hit with an experienced team of two at the farmhouse and another team of two at the library would do the job. An assault by all twenty agents is more likely to draw attention. The ring bearers may bolt or fight back. I believe discreet is a better choice. I also believe the imps could play an important part in the recovery of the rings and keep casualties limited to our targets. The colonel disagrees. He’s holding the imps back.”

  Mr. Gray laughed. “Ah, it is so refreshing to hear someone give their true opinion rather than say what they think I want to hear. You mentioned the library. Why the library? Surely it’s closed now.”

  “The team watching the librarian said she was still there when the colonel pulled them back to the safe house an hour ago. Based upon a conversation Mick heard, I believe she is making a copy of a notebook. I think the notebook is important. I recommended keeping the team at the library to get it from old woman when we attack the farmhouse. The colonel balked at the idea. He’s sending every agent to the farm.”

  Mick heard Mr. Gray tapping the center console with his finger again. The gray-robed man tapped it half a dozen times before speaking into the cellphone. “Tell Colonel Harrison I want him to send three agents to the library now. Mick will meet them there and take charge to recover the notebook. And tell the colonel I will meet him at the farmhouse in thirty minutes.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll tell him to expect you, Mr. Gray.”

  “You do that, Cynthia. I’m looking forward to meeting you in person. Mick has told me so much about you.”

  Mick swallowed and tightened his grip on the steering wheel even more, regretting the day he’d ever heard of the Council.

  * * *

  At 2:30 on the dot, Mick shut off the headlights of the SUV and pulled into a parking spot well behind the library. Another SUV was already there. Three men dressed in black jumpsuits got out. Mick recognized them from the safe house.

  “You will take charge here, Mick,” said Mr. Gray. “Do you think you can handle the job?”

  Mick nodded.

  “Good,” said Mr. Gray. “Now I must go meet with the colonel. I only need to know the location of the farmhouse.”

  “Uh, it’s in a subdivision called Gray Gab—”

  Mr. Gray smiled. “Hush, Mick.” Waving a brown, reptilian-skinned hand in the air, the gray-robed man mouthed two words Mick heard but quickly forgot. The tip of one brown finger glowed yellow.

  Reaching out, Mr. Gray touched the glowing finger to Mick’s forehead. Mick sensed an image of the farmhouse appear in his mind as if from a bird flying high overhead. The gray-robed man pulled his hand back.

  “Now, wasn’t that easier than trying to explain it to me, Mick?” said Mr. Gray smiling to reveal his dagger-like teeth.

  Mick shuddered. “I’m not sure you can get there in the SUV before they attack, err, Mr. Gray.”

  Mr. Gray laughed. “You’re so amusing, Mick. I hope you don’t do anything foolish tonight to make me kill you.” With that, the gray-robed man drew a design in the air as he chanted words Mick quickly forgot. Then the man was gone.

  Mick blinked and looked around. One of the other agents had told him stories of how a few of the colors could teleport short distances. He hadn’t believed him until now. Swallowing hard, Mick opened the SUV’s door. Just do your job, he thought. And don’t mess up.

  Agent MacDonald walked forward as Mick exited the vehicle. “Jager said you were in charge, so what’s the plan?”

  Mick ignored what he thought was an insolent tone to MacDonald’s voice. He was well aware the man had been with the Council for over four years as an agent. Well, too bad, he thought. I’m in charge, so don’t you mess up.

  Mick glanced at the rear of the library. The light in the back office was still on. He pointed at the two agents behind MacDonald. “The two of you go in from the front. MacDonald and I will go in through the office door in the back. We’ll go in hard and fast.”

  “Captain Jager said we needed to be discreet,” said MacDonald.

  Mick rose to his full height and stared down at the smaller man. “I’m in charge here, not the captain. I said hard and fast. We’re looking for a notebook. We’re not here to play nice.”

  MacDonald’s face turned noticeably red and his knuckles turned white around the grip of his pistol. After four heartbeats, his knuckles turned a more normal color. “As you say, you’re in charge. What about the old lady? Do we take her prisoner?”

  Remembering the gray-robed man’s admonition not to do anything foolish, Mick said, “Keep her alive until we have the notebook. Then kill her. We don’t need any additional baggage.” An idea came to Mick. “Do you have any incendiary grenades?”

  MacDonald nodded and pointed at his SUV. “We’ve got a couple in the car. Why?”

  Mick smiled. “Just get them. I’ve got an idea.”

  * * *

  At 2:35, four vehicles with lights out rolled slowly through the Gray Gables subdivision, stopping in a cul-de-sac containing a large mansion to the left and a two-story white farmhouse to the right. Fourteen men and women got out of the two SUVs and two vans. Captain Cynthia Jager started to get out of the driver’s door of the lead SUV.

  Colonel Harrison reached across the center console from the passenger seat and grabbed her arm. His grip was not gentle. “Not you, Captain.”

  “Sir?” Cynthia asked doing her best to keep her temper. The conversation she’d had with Harrison after her call with the mysterious Mr. Gray was still fresh on her mind. The conversation hadn’t gone well.

  Colonel Harrison released her arm and leaned back in his seat. “You crossed the line this time, Captain. I warned you. You kept information from your commanding officer and went behind my back talking to Mr. Gray. As soon as this operation is over, I’m bringing up charges to the Council. If I have my way, this mistake will be your last. Ever.”

  Cynthia didn’t bother trying to defend her actions. She’d known she was taking a risk when she hadn’t given him the full information about the Fire Ring when she’d first found out. As to talking to the color, Mr. Gray had initiated the conversation, not her. Still, she knew arguing the point would make no difference to Harrison.

  “Understood, sir,” Cynthia sai
d. “I look forward to defending myself before the Council.” She looked at the two cages under the blanket in the back of the SUV. “I still say you’re making a mistake not sending in the imps first, Colonel. I highly recommend—”

  “Enough,” said Harrison. “You will stay in the vehicle. If I didn’t need you just in case the imps were needed, I’d have left you at the safe house. As it is, I’ll deal with you later. I’ve got more important things to do now.” Colonel Harrison got out of the vehicle and walked to two agents near the front of the SUV.

  Cynthia put on a pair of night vision goggles and looked around. A team was already making its way to the side door of the farmhouse while two other teams spread out to block avenues of possible escape. She noticed the team assigned to the back of the house was staying between the outbuilding and the farmhouse. Cynthia shook her head. Harrison should’ve sent a team to control the outbuildings. He’s too confident. We don’t even know what’s in them. Cynthia glanced at the clock in the SUV’s dashboard. Five more minutes, she thought.

  Pulling her .380 from its holster, Cynthia screwed on the silencer and chambered a round. She sighed. I could’ve handled it myself if Harrison had just given me free rein. Why can’t he get it through his head discreet is better than beating something into submission to get what you want?

  Taking another look around the farmhouse’s yard, Cynthia could tell everyone was in position. She glanced at Harrison standing near the front of her SUV with the two agents.

  Suddenly the air blurred near the colonel, and a gray-robed man popped into being.

  Cynthia had to give her colonel credit. He barely flinched at the man’s unexpected appearance. As she watched, Harrison gestured towards the teams stationed around the farmhouse. The gray-robed man turned and pointed at her SUV. He seemed to lock eyes with her before looking back at Harrison. The colonel shook his head. The gray-robed man shrugged his shoulders and nodded before stepping back and leaning against the hood of the SUV. The colonel raised his radio in his left hand and spoke into the receiver. The radio Cynthia had sitting in the SUV’s center console crackled.