Showdown in Magic City (Magic City Chronicles Book 4)

by TR Cameron

  Morrigan observed, “That’s bad news. There are tons of places to hide out in there if it’s a trap.”

  Ruby nodded. “Completely true. It’s quiet now, though, or at least looks that way. We need to get in, go to ground and figure out what advantages we have.” She continued, “Thanks, Tree,” then killed the channel and removed the mask.

  The others did the same, and Morrigan laughed. “Your nickname for him is Tree? There are so many things I could say about that.”

  Ruby shook her head. “Not the time. Save it for after.” It was a mark of her sister’s concern for the danger they faced that she obeyed. “Let’s gear up. Then we’ll figure out how best to get there.”

  Morrigan replied, “No worries on that front. I’ve been there when Spirits dropped off some renovation junk. I can portal us outside the office trailer.”

  Ruby nodded. “Excellent.” She donned her base layer of supple Oriceran leather. Boots went on next, carefully laced to ensure they wouldn’t slip. She stuck her knives inside them, inspecting each to verify they were undamaged from the battle against the mad Mist Elf scientist. Her belt followed. It was growing heavy with all the stuff attached to it. I really do need to find some time for strength training. Maybe I’ll see if my work at Spirits can be carrying around heavy things. She wasn’t looking forward to investing that time, but Daphne’s joy at being told of the arrangement—Ruby’s ongoing contribution carefully not mentioned—made the investment more than worthwhile.

  She strapped the holster down to her right thigh and thought she’d probably be better off if she could learn to shoot with her offhand. Sure, sure. Maybe I can make that part of my Spirits gig as well. She inwardly snorted as she scrutinized the pistol magazine, then inserted it into the empty weapon and racked the slide to chamber a round. She pulled the magazine back out and slipped one more anti-magic bullet into it, then reseated it and stored the gun in its holster, securing the tie-down. The dagger was already in its sheath at her left hip, but she drew it and checked it for damage as well. Next up was a touch on each of the grenades, two concealment and two lightning, all she could fit because of the other stuff she was carrying. Add a redesign of my equipment to the list. Honestly.

  Morrigan interrupted her reverie. “Why are you making that face?”

  She turned to see that her sister was almost ready. “Just thinking how nice it would be to have a clone. Someone I could send to do the work I need to do or even use as a partner. It’d be a huge improvement from working with you.”

  Morrigan rolled her eyes. “Sick burn. Maybe your clone should take lessons on insulting others because you suck at it.”

  Ruby countered, “Well,” then paused, finding no more words. “I have nothing to say to that. Shut up.”

  Her partners laughed as Ruby checked to make sure her flasks were in her belt pouch. Her fingers encountered the battery that was the terminal point for the thin cable that ran under the back of her tunic and out through her left sleeve. A small connector dangled at the end. She slipped on the metal knuckles Margrave had deposited for them in the bunker. Her hand flexed easily, and when she tested the arrangement with her dagger, she had no problem maintaining her grip.

  Slotting in the cable delivered a slight pulse of energy as it connected. She unplugged it again, thinking that it might be better to wait until things were about to kick off to avoid accidentally stunning herself. That would be embarrassing. She donned the vest next, then strapped on individual armor plates at shins, thighs, forearms, and upper arms. She fully expected both bullets and magic to be in play. Two spare magazines for the pistol went into holders on the right half of the vest, and the left side held an extra healing and energy potion.

  She reclaimed the sword from Idryll and strapped it on. Her fingers touched the pommel to ensure she could draw it, and the whispers slipped into her mind again, as if the weapon was eager for battle. It was strange, not being alone in her brain. Although she’d always had that critical inner voice, this was a markedly different experience. Finally, she retrieved the other item Margrave had left for her. It was her hand-sized drone, along with a modified smartphone to control it. She lacked a good way to carry the aerial device other than in her hand, which wouldn’t be optimal for most situations. Something else to figure out. The controller fit perfectly into the thin pocket on her left leg.

  Okay. I’m ready. She turned to the others. “Staying alive is priority one. This has to be a trap, at least in part. Hopefully, we can turn it back on itself. Keeping the sheriff’s people and the Ely PD alive, priority two. If we wind up with the gems, great. If we don’t, that’s why businesses buy insurance.”

  Morrigan pulled out a bunch of heavy zip ties wrapped in elastic. “I got these from the security supplies cage at Spirits. Thought they might come in handy.” The big bundle was actually three smaller ones, and she handed them out. Ruby stuck hers through her belt, and the others did the same. Better to have and not need than need and not have.

  She looked her team over and nodded. “Ready?”

  They replied in tandem, “Ready.”

  “Okay. Let’s go kick some criminals in the teeth.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  They exited the portal next to the trailer that served as a construction office right before dusk. Ruby released her drone and piloted it around the Casino Graveyard, holding the controller so the others could see the video feed. Nothing was happening so far, or at least nothing obvious. They agreed a pair of stacked shipping containers a little past the center would be a good spot to watch from and headed for it, maintaining the veil they’d come through under. On the way, she activated the comm to Diana Sheen. “We’re here. Positioning ourselves on the double high shipping containers near the midpoint.”

  The woman’s voice came back immediately. “Affirmative. Just arrived as well, and we’re debating where to wait. Seems like the most likely entrance is from the east, so we’ll deploy a decent distance in from that spot. Give them time to commit to whatever it is they’re going to do before we react. I expect we’ll take three different spots, and Rambo has his wings so he’ll probably want to be up high somewhere.”

  Ruby realized she must be talking about the troll and asked, “He’s not crazy enough to go up on the construction crane, is he?”

  Sheen laughed. “Well, now that he’s heard about it, there’s no way to stop him, I’m sure.”

  Rath’s peppy voice replied, “Up there, I’ll be king of the world.”

  The agent gave a soft snort. “Titanic? Really? When did you get into romance movies?”

  “Boat sinks. Plenty of action.”

  Sheen said, “We’ll let you know when we’re in position. Keep your eyes open and communicate anything you think might be even remotely useful.”

  Diana’s connection cut off, and Ruby opened one with Alejo. The sheriff picked up after only a single ring and demanded, “Where are you?”

  “Here. Also, a friendly team from an unnamed government agency is on-site as well. They’ll be in black uniforms with masks, most likely.”

  “Got it. Not the PDA, I’m guessing.”

  She laughed. “I don’t think those people would be any more willing to work with me than I am with them. No, someone else.” She didn’t want to admit to who it was, for fear that Alejo would draw the connection between Ruby and her costumed identity since Diana Sheen was connected to both. “What’s the news on your end?”

  “I have Ely PD with me. Decided keeping them nearby was a better choice than letting them operate as free agents. I had no other word from informants, but everything we heard before things went quiet reinforced the idea that this is the right place. If it’s not, that would be really embarrassing.”

  “Got it. Let me know if you see or hear anything. Out.” She settled in to wait for full darkness, knowing there was little else she could do. All the planning was done, and hopefully, they’d thought of everything. Idryll had stretched out on the top of the container, apparent
ly napping, and Morrigan was crouched at the far end, keeping her eyes peeled in the direction opposite from Ruby. She’s remarkably professional and dedicated. I would’ve expected that from her at Spirits, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it holds up in this situation, too. Still, it’s hard to picture my little sister quite like this. It took slightly under an hour before anything of note happened, other than some playful banter over the comms about how boring the waiting was.

  The boredom vanished as if it had never existed when Demetrius connected to them. “Traffic inbound from the east. Looks like several clusters approaching from multiple vectors. I’m guessing these are the party crashers, rather than either of the principals, based on how uncoordinated they seem.”

  Ruby straightened and stretched, making sure her muscles were loose. Then she connected the cord to her metal knuckles. “Any sign of the people from Aces Security?”

  “No. Channel’s been silent for most of the day, and right now all I’m getting is the sound of a car radio. This dude’s taste in music is abysmal.”

  “Keep an eye and an ear on it.”

  Kayleigh joined the channel and announced, “We have activity around the site. I make it seven vehicles in three different groups coming from the northeast and direct east. Vehicles to the south and north may also be in play but haven’t deviated toward the target location yet.”

  Sheen replied, “Any sign of other air traffic?”

  The tech answered, “Only the drone from our ally’s team. Speaking of which, Boss, she needs a callsign.”

  “We’ll figure something out, Glam. Anyway, keep your peepers peeled. Do we have offensive capabilities?”

  “Definitely. I have a self-destruct in the drone, as well as a couple of launched munitions, heat-seeking, fire-and-forget. They’re small, but they’ll take out another UAV fairly easily.”

  Ruby muttered, “Where do they get those wonderful toys?” The movie quote earned a peal of laughter from Rath. She activated her drone again and flew through the site, this time looking specifically for anything that could be a trap or other pitfall that might factor in the fight to come. Finding none, she brought the craft back and settled it on top of the shipping containers. Almost immediately afterward, both Demetrius and Kayleigh alerted them to more action. Ruby focused on his voice. “Convoy inbound. SUV-Limo-SUV. Has to be the fence and security. Coming from the north, directly toward the middle of the Graveyard.”

  Ruby groaned and dialed her microphone to only Idryll and Morrigan. “Naturally, they’d want to be near the middle for maximum chaos potential. From their perspective, it probably offers the most routes to escape if there’s trouble. I wonder if the sellers know the bigger picture or if they’re heading in blind. Maybe that’s why they’ve been driving around all day.” Their eyepieces filled with a view from Kayleigh’s drone, which tracked the trio of vehicles until they were close enough to see.

  They stopped in the middle of the site after reversing direction to ensure they faced in the direction of retreat. Guards spilled out of the SUVs, four from each, and created an oval perimeter around the cars. No one exited the limo. Kayleigh said, “They look human. Kevlar, rifles, sidearms. I don’t see anything heavier, but they’re not far from the vehicles, so there’s no telling what they might be packing inside.”

  Sheen replied, “Enhanced scan?”

  Kayleigh answered, “This isn’t that kind of drone. I opted for the munitions version. Besides, the only one we have anywhere nearby with the proper sensor package is over in the place keeping an eye on the thing.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I’d forgotten that was tonight. Okay.”

  Demetrius reported, “Got another car. Looks like an Escalade, a little beat up.”

  Morrigan observed, “Probably the seller, then.”

  Ruby confirmed, “Correct. I can sense the stones in that vehicle.”

  The meetup point was close enough for them to watch in person as the Escalade pulled up, parked, and a group of four people exited. They all held wands, revealing themselves as three wizards and a witch, and carefully examined their surroundings before walking toward the limousine. That door opened, and a tall thin man in a charcoal pinstriped business suit stepped out. He looked more like an accountant than a criminal. Although, I guess there’s probably a mass quantity of criminal accountants out there.

  Sheen warned, “Showtime,” and the handshake meeting of buyer and seller was interrupted by the arrival of screeching cars, which the teams expected. Less expected was the sudden appearance of more people on foot, swarming from the debris field to the west.

  Ruby breathed, “Damn. They got here before us and concealed themselves magically. Overachieving bastards.”

  The agent’s calm voice overrode her concerns. “It’s time. Everybody go.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Diana tracked the procession of cars as they passed beneath her, waiting for the last in the convoy of seven. She wondered if they had jostled for position before entering, the different groups fighting among themselves for priority. Her rifle hung across her chest and her sentient sword, Fury, was ready over her right shoulder. She planned to strike her first blows with magic, however. She connected her comm to only her team and gave orders. “Rambo, you watch over the middle and our new friends. Croft, we’ll hit the back car as soon as they stop.”

  Cara replied, “Affirmative,” and Rath added, “Got it. Will do. Over and out.”

  The constant joy in his voice always brought a smile to her face. It fled as the cars screeched to a halt and scumbags piled out of them like clowns in a circus. “Going.” She grabbed a pair of concussion grenades from her belt and threw one to each side of the car. After a slight pause to let them get ahead of her, she leapt into the air, aiming for the roof of the vehicle below.

  Her earpieces went quiet, and her glasses darkened to protect her from the grenades’ detonation, one of the better tricks Kayleigh had put into their gear. She touched down with a blast of force magic, rocking the car and allowing her to land safely. Opportunity presented itself in the form of a criminal stumbling past her position, so she lashed out with her boot, connecting with his head and putting him down in the dirt. Cries of fear and alarm mixed with shouts of anger as their opponents reacted more quickly than she would’ve expected.

  Another pair of concussions sounded from a short distance away as Cara deployed her grenades. The distraction gave Diana a clear path to the ground, and she fired a force blast at the two closest enemies on the way down. Both called up magical shields to block the attack, and the one on the left discharged lightning at her while the one on the right tried fire. The magic deflectors mounted on her vest consumed their spells, and she whipped her sword from its sheath and brought it across at the nearest one’s head, twisting it at the last instant so it was the flat of the blade that caught him on the jaw instead of the edge.

  Bones shattered, and he went down howling. She rolled to the ground to avoid the next blast of flame and spun herself into a kick that landed on the second one’s knee. Looking up at him, she noted that he was an elf and not a particularly attractive one. Probably hard for him, growing up with the pretty elves. Then the joint snapped under her assault, and he fell screaming. She popped up and looked for another target. “Glam, I need you to tag the leaders of each faction here for us, remember?”

  The tech’s voice came back annoyed. “Oh really, that’s what I’m supposed to be doing? Deacon’s working on it, building the algorithm on-the-fly from the drone feed, and I’m looking for patterns with my Mark One eyeballs. We’ll have it for you shortly, Boss. Don’t get your panties in a twist. Assuming you’re wearing any, you tramp.”

  Despite the situation, Diana couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m gonna smack you so hard when I get back.”

  “Woo, promises, promises. What will Bryant say? Never mind, he’s as much of a perv as you are. I’m sure he’d be into it.”

  “Maybe shut up and focus.”

  “
On it. Data coming soon.”

  Ruby climbed down the side of the shipping containers under a veil, wanting to be a little nearer before she had to deal with any incoming attacks. “Morrigan, give me cover when I get close. I’m going after the gems.”

  As Idryll followed her down, her sister replied, “Weren’t we pretty solid on the whole ‘not supposed to go after the gems’ thing?”

  “I’m sure Diana is right that taking them out of here won’t solve the problem.” She dropped to the ground and skirted along the edge of the wall created by the shipping container and stacked construction debris. “But if I can get the diamonds, some might decide to chase me rather than fight. Then I’ll lead them into a better position for you and Idryll to take them out.”

  “Ah, so you’re the bait in the trap. You know, that’s a good role for you. Not too demanding, doesn’t require a lot of thought.” Her voice cut off abruptly, then she warned, “On your left.” The guard must have noticed something. Either Ruby’s veil was inadequate, or the glasses he wore gave him some sort of enhanced vision. While her magic and costume were adequate to deal with thermal, visual, and aural indicators, technology was always advancing.

  In any case, he was in the process of bringing his rifle to bear on her. Ruby said, “Take him.” Morrigan's arrow smashed him in the chest, covering him in magical electricity and dropping him. The other guards shouted in alarm, and Ruby let her veil fall, putting all her available energy into a force blast aimed at the ones on her side of the vehicle. She traded off raw power for area of impact, and it knocked all of them staggering backward, interrupting whatever moves they were about to make. “I’m on the gems. You guys deal with the rest.”

  Idryll moved quickly and quietly among the rubble, staying low and counting on the strangeness of her fur to her enemies’ eyes to provide the concealment she needed as she circled behind them. Ruby continued to draw their attention from the other side of the vehicles, and she noted the buyer hustling back into his car. With a grin, she adjusted her path in that direction. Oh no, little mouse, you won’t get away that easily.