One Last Breath

by S. C. Stokes

  Kasey made her way out of the elevator and wandered down the hall, counting the rooms as she went. The more time she took, the more time she bought. She couldn't appear too eager. Otherwise, the Master of the Shinigami might recognize her ploy. Reaching the door to 1505, Kasey fished around in her pocket and pulled out a key card. She hovered her hand by the door.

  A voice inside her mind urged her onward. "Go inside, now."

  Oh, Arthur, your impatience is so predictable.

  Kasey slid the key card into the lock and the door opened. Pushing the heavy hotel door in, she stepped into the room. The small suite was dominated by two queen size beds. Laid out across each of the beds was row upon row of assault rifles. Dozens of spare clips and magazines lay in a pile at the end of the bed. Half a dozen handguns were sitting on the dresser, and on the coffee table rested a M249 fully automatic belt fed machine gun.

  Kasey smiled at her imagination. It was enough firepower to fight a small war and would certainly be enough to get Arthur's attention. Sanders sat on the end of the bed, checking one of the assault rifles.

  "Hey, Kasey! There you are. You had me worried sick. I thought that the ADI might've caught up with you."

  Kasey laughed. "No, those clowns are days behind us. They’re still investigating the attack on the Night Crew’s stash house. They have no idea just how good a use we have put that money to.”

  Sanders grinned. “I'll say. Did you see that arms dealer’s face when you opened the duffel full of cash? I thought his eyes were going to roll out of his head. He couldn't give us the guns quick enough."

  Kasey sat down in the recliner. "Yeah, tell me about it. I imagine he would have sung a different tune if he knew just whose money it was."

  "I'm sure he'll be less than impressed if the Night Crew manage to catch up with him. Shame he won't have any of these guns—they might have come in handy.”

  "Yup. Definitely two birds with one stone,” Kasey replied. “Not only have we got these dangerous guns off the street, but we've also got enough firepower to take the fight to the Council. No more of this oppressive nonsense. It's time that we unseat Arthur Ainslie once and for all. How did you go on your recruiting drive?"

  Sanders set down the gun. "Better than my wildest dreams. I knew that there were a lot of disaffected witches and wizards looking to take a swing at the council, but I guess with all my years spent working there, I just wanted to believe that the community had a better perception of us. After all, we were just trying to help keep them safe.

  “Well, it turns out, there are more than a few witches and wizards ready to settle the score with the Chancellor. I used my case files from the last decade to identify who had the biggest axes to grind. Started with those who have recently been released from custody and worked my way back. Not all of them were happy to see me at first, but once I told them of our target, they were more than willing to lend a hand.”

  "How many did you get?” Kasey asked.

  “All told, I think we’ll get at least twenty,” Sanders replied.

  Kasey punched the air. "Fantastic. I got another six, so we are on our way to thirty. I thought we had enough firepower, but we may have to top up our supplies. You think there’ll be enough to get the job done?"

  Sanders surveyed the room. There were guns strewn on every surface. “I think so. Last they saw us, we were fleeing before them. They may have fortified their position at the Arcane Council, but they are just agents with pistols. What can they hope to do against an army of wizards armed to the teeth with assault rifles? One decisive strike, and we will cut the heart out of the Arcane Council. With Arthur gone, we will be able to move on with our life. It won’t be long before the memory of Arthur fades. As it does, their will to hunt for us will too. We’ve still got more than enough cash, so we can disappear overseas and never be found. Once the Council has been dealt with, we will be free to live without having to look over our shoulder every day."

  “So, when are we doing this?” Kasey asked.

  Sanders picked up and checked one of the pistols. As he handed it to Kasey, his eyes narrowed. "Soon, Kasey, very soon."

  That ought to do.

  Closing her eyes, Kasey dispelled her vision. The manacles may have inhibited her ability to cast spells, but inside her mind she still reigned supreme.

  With iron will, she slammed shut the steel gates of her mind, expelling Arthur unceremoniously with the same savagery he'd employed against her.

  With their minds linked, Kasey lashed out psychically, doing her best to destroy Arthur’s mind, but the ancient wizard was already prepared, dispelling her attempt with ease.

  Releasing his hands, he tutted. "None of that, Kasey. An attempt on my life is not going to play well for you in court. Not that it really matters. I think we have everything we need. I did tell you, Kasey, we get what we want eventually. You would be wise not to resist."

  "He will kill you; you know that Arthur. I've never seen anyone so determined,” Kasey said.

  "Determined he might be. Unfortunately for him, we know where he is and will crush him like the rodent that he is.” Arthur turned and shouted into the darkness, “Ready the ADI! We have Sanders’ location. We'll need a hundred agents in tactical gear, ready to roll out immediately. I want no mistakes this time. We’ll have Noah Sanders in a body bag by nightfall."

  A storm of footsteps trailed off into the dark.

  Kasey had to fight to keep from smiling. The Chancellor had fallen straight into her trap. She only wished she could get a warning to Sanders, so that he might make the most of the opportunity. In any event, she would succeed in wasting most of their afternoon.

  Every minute mattered. If she was lucky, Sanders would be watching the Council for news of her and her capture. If Ainslie was foolish enough to join the sting, Sanders might get to take a shot at Ainslie himself.

  As Arthur departed the cell, he slid the door shut and breathed an incantation to lock the cell door.

  “You know, Kasey, I really do enjoy our chats. No matter how rebellious you seem at first, you always tend to come around and give me what I want eventually. It's one of your better qualities. Is there anything you want to tell me before I have you executed for treason?”

  "Rot in hell," Kasey snarled, eager to sell her ploy.

  "I’ll be sure to tell Sanders the same," Arthur replied with a chuckle as he disappeared into the dark.

  When the footsteps retreated, Kasey was alone once more. Now with time on her side, she set about making a real plan.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kasey let out a heavy sigh as she lay exhausted on the stone floor of her cell.

  In the hours she had been left alone, she tried every conceivable spell, enchantment, and incantation. She had worn herself out trying to blast her way free. When her arcane efforts had failed her, she attempted to grind away at the cuffs or break them outright by beating them against the steel bars or the sparse furniture in her cell. All Kasey had to show for her efforts was a pair of chafed wrists.

  Though the wrought iron shackles looked old and worn, they seemed as strong as the day they were first forged.

  Kasey got the distinct impression that was more to do with the underlying enchantment than the materials themselves. Whatever spell that had brought them into being had also augmented their durability.

  "I don't know what I was expecting," Kasey mumbled to herself.

  There was no way she was the first witch to inhabit these cells. The realization dawned painfully. As long as she was wearing the cuffs, she was stuck down here.

  Which brought her to her second problem: she didn’t rightly know where down here was. From her conversation, she suspected that she was somewhere in the Arcane Council's headquarters. The vast underground metropolis stretched for miles. It made sense that the Arcane Council would lock up the worst of its felons in its most secure location. The proximity to the Council’s Court would provide protection during the transfer of criminals as their cases were tried.


  She was unsure what security measures would be in place beyond the cell. Doubtless there would be both magical and mundane lines of defenses. The vast chasm between where she was and what she needed to know in order to escape was too much for her to deal with.

  If she was to get out of here in one piece, she was going to require assistance. Sanders would know of her capture by now. The ADI would have broadcasted their win far and wide. She wondered if her mother might come. Surely, she was entitled to some sort of legal representation. Could the ADI hold her without cause? Would she have an opportunity to defend herself at all?

  She was in uncharted waters. She resigned herself to her fate. For the first time in days, her world was truly silent. In spite of her terrible predicament, she was grateful for the peace. She had grown weary of life on the run, and while being caught presented its own perils, the solitude of the cells was a welcome reprieve from the perpetual harrying of the ADI.

  Perhaps I might even get some sleep.

  Rolling over, Kasey wedged her hands underneath her face and attempted to doze off on her side. As her tired eyelids slowly descended, a door in the distance slammed open. The racket reverberated through the expanse, and Kasey began to get a feel for just how vast a chamber she was housed in.

  Arthur Ainslie approached her cell, the veins in his neck threatening to explode at any moment.

  Kasey sat up. "Well, Chancellor, so good to see you. How was your little excursion?"

  The scarlet coloring in Arthur’s cheeks was growing brighter and brighter by the moment. His rage was almost luminous.

  "You lied to us,” he said with a snarl. “You sent us on a wild goose chase."

  Kasey placed a hand on her chest innocently. "Why, me? I would never do such a thing. After all, I didn’t tell you anything. You took your answers out of my mind of your own free will. I can't help if you're ignorant or uninformed when it comes to a superior mind. How is the Astoria this time of year? I suppose it's beautiful."

  Arthur grasped the bars. "My agents just spent hours tearing the hotel apart. He was nowhere to be seen."

  "I expect not," Kasey replied, scratching at the nape of her neck. "We’ve never even been to the Astoria. Not together, anyway. I went years ago, and it was lovely. I’m not really sure why you expected him to be there. I guess that's what you get for poking around in other people's minds."

  "You insolent little witch! You think you can toy with me? I am the Chancellor of the Arcane Council. I was willing to be lenient if you would give us Sanders, but if you’re too stupid to see the wisdom in that course of action, then we’ll be forced to use more invasive methods.”

  Kasey placed her hands in her lap. "Torture? Or are you going to read my mind again? How did that go for you last time? You want to be careful, Arthur. You don't even know what I'm capable of. If you come to play in my mind again, you might just get lost in there. I might be a little child, but you are an ignorant old fool.”

  Arthur shook the cell bars. After several deep breaths he looked Kasey in the eye and replied. "Oh, no, I shan't bother reading your mind again, Kasey. This time we’ll try a different approach. If we can't find Sanders, we will make him come to us. Even unwilling, I am sure you will prove just as useful as bait. If Sanders gives a damn about you, he’ll have to come out of his hole.”

  "Good luck with that. I doubt he’s still in the country," Kasey said.

  "Oh, he's here," Arthur said. "That poor fool doesn’t know when to let things go. He'll still be working the Getz case, trying tirelessly to clear his name. When he hears word of your trial, I'm sure he'll pay us a visit. If not for your trial, then certainly for your execution."

  "Execution?" Kasey stammered, as Arthur’s declaration cut her to the core. "You have no grounds.”

  Arthur smiled. "Oh, no, Miss Chase, that is where you are mistaken. In the last two weeks alone, you’ve showed reckless disregard for our laws. You have broken into the Arcane Council, you've attacked our agents on numerous occasions. We have footage of you and Sanders laying waste not only to our people but setting fire to the building doing untold millions of dollars’ worth of damage. Not to mention the priceless damage you did in the archives. Some of those records will never be recovered. Don't even get me started on the evidence you destroyed. Oh, yes, we know why you went to the evidence locker. Doubtless trying to conceal your attempt to kidnap me.”

  “Kidnap?” Kasey asked, concerned that Arthur might be too close to the truth. “We should have killed you while we had the chance.”

  “Yes, I thought that was you in the church. No one else is quite as brazenly foolish as you are, Miss Chase. You see, I don't need to fabricate a case against you. You have been working tirelessly night and day as long as I've known you to build a case against yourself. While you served a purpose, I was willing to stay justice on your behalf. But now that you've aligned yourself with Sanders, all I really need to do is get out of the way and let justice take its toll. I have no doubt how the Council will vote. Your display the other week certainly poisoned most of them against you. Even Sanders didn't enjoy your visit. I think your trial will be the fastest capital trial the Council has ever seen."

  Kasey was speechless. She wanted to fight back, but she could see the futility of it. Everything Arthur had said was true, albeit out of context. She had done all those things. She had done the wrong thing but for the right reason.

  Unfortunately, without Getz’s killer in custody, she seemed destined to be on the wrong side of the truth.

  Her only hope now rested on revealing Arthur as the Master of the Shinigami, but she needed witnesses and lots of them. She needed everyone to know the truth. Her best chance lay before her; as a high profile criminal, her trial would be well attended.

  "You see, Kasey, you know it's true,” Arthur continued. “There is plenty of footage of you assaulting agents, and detailed records of you using your magic repeatedly in front of normals. No one in recent times has done more to endanger our world than you. It’s a fitting cause for an execution if ever there was one. I'll simply have our media outlets broadcast the truth: The infamous criminal Kasey Chase is in ADI custody, about to stand trial for her crimes. Arcane Council in disbelief at the magnitude of her transgressions. Chancellor seeks the death penalty. I think that'll get Sanders’ attention. What do you think, Kasey?”

  “I think you’re going to get exactly what you deserve,” she said, trying her best to put on a brave face, while her heart raced inside her. “And sooner rather than later.”

  “Oh, that’s cute. You think Sanders will be your knight in shining armor? I doubt it. Your insolence is at its end. Enjoy the last few hours of your life, Kasey, because that's all that remains. The trial begins tomorrow morning at eight. Get some sleep, because you are going to want to be wide awake for that. The Council will appoint a defense counsel for you. Not that it will do you any good.”

  “Don’t bother.” Kasey replied. “I’ll represent myself.”

  Arthur scoffed. “Defiant until the end.” He laughed as he walked away. Stopping, he looked over his shoulder, he added, "Any request for a last meal?"

  Kasey thought about it for a moment.

  Arthur laughed. "This isn’t a movie, Kasey. You are going to die tomorrow. You hardly need a last meal."

  With his laugh reverberating through the prison, Arthur disappeared into the darkness, leaving Kasey alone to contemplate her fate.

  Chapter Seventeen

  In the darkness of the cell, it was difficult to mark the passage of time. Kasey had never been one for wearing a watch but could have used one now. She had tried to rest as best she could, but the cold stone floor and iron shackles had made it an uncomfortable prospect.

  Her looming fate hadn’t helped her cause. Lying flat on her cell floor she ran over her plan again in her mind. A clanging at the door of the cell drew her attention. Kasey groaned as she opened her eye, expecting to see Arthur standing there once more.

  Instead, it
was a full detail, six ADI agents. At their lead was a blonde-haired agent with a strong jaw line. At any other time, Kasey might have considered him handsome. The stubble evident on his chin showed that it had been a long night for him also.

  "What's all this, then?" Kasey asked. “All of you for just one girl? I feel flattered.”

  "You shouldn't,” the leader replied. “The council is in session. You’re about to have a front row seat to your own destruction. On the plus side, it’s standing room only. I've never seen such a throng. We couldn't even fit everyone in the chambers. It appears you’ve become something of a celebrity, Miss Chase. It’s a shame you won't be alive long enough to enjoy it.”

  The agent swept his hand over the lock issuing the arcane command, “Onlucan.”

  The cogs in the lock whirled into place and opened.

  Grabbing the steel gate, he opened the gate and then nodded to his men. The other agents filed into the cell.

  Cornered like a rat in a trap, Kasey stood her ground, staring them down.

  "Miss Chase,” the leader said, “I'd advise you not to compound your problems by adding another assault to your record. If you are willing to behave, we can remove the leg irons and leave them here. But if you force us to, we will truss you like a turkey and carry you into the chambers. Either way, you'll be brought before the court. It's really your choice on the manner of your arrival.”

  "I don't suppose I could get you to remove these as well?" Kasey asked, holding up her shackles toward the agents.

  The leader laughed. "Nice try. I wasn't born yesterday."

  Kasey sighed. "That's a shame. Would have given us a fresh start on your personality." She dropped her hands and nodded to the men. "Ready when you are, boys."

  The agents closed in. One of them bent down and inserted a key into the shackles binding her feet. In one deft motion, he unlocked the shackles along with the chain that had kept Kasey tethered to the center of the cell. Now only the cuffs and the agents stood between her and freedom.