by TR Cameron
The Zatora leader chuckled dismissively. “You worry too much. We’ve had people watching the cathedral for days, inside and out. No one’s done anything of the kind. We planned for this, remember? We’re ready.”
The mage shook his head and muttered something under his breath, but he leaned back in his chair, apparently content to still his protests for the moment, at least. Breakfast arrived on a rolling cart, and they busied themselves for a few minutes spreading toast with butter, preparing cups of chicory coffee, and loading their plates with eggs and potatoes. They ate in silence and the unspoken agreement that fuel was a priority momentarily delayed the conversation.
When he had finished eating, Grisham tossed his napkin onto the table. “Okay, Jack, what’s the plan?”
Strang set his silverware aside and downed his coffee. The man had put a dark suit on over a dark shirt and as usual, it all looked too small on him. His shave was smooth, though, both on his face and his head. “We already have lookouts in every direction. Four teams of two on the roof, at least one on each street for three blocks, and two guards posted at each entrance. We swept the location two nights ago and again last night. It’ll be done hourly today.”
His boss nodded. “What are they carrying?”
“Everything we could find. Pistols everywhere, plus rifles or shotguns for those not in public places. The shooters on the roof have their weapon of choice, and their spotters have ARs.”
“Anti-magic bullets?” Ozahl asked,
The other lieutenant shrugged. “Some. We don’t have the right caliber for the snipers and I’ve never heard of shotgun rounds of that kind. But more than half our people have at least one magazine.”
Grisham nodded. “It’ll have to do. So, Ozahl, what have you done to prepare?”
The mage straightened again, having slouched in his chair to finish his coffee. “Last night, I did the wards inside the building. We should be warned if someone uses magic to get in. As we discussed, doing it earlier would have tipped our hand but I decided that since the place was locked down, it wouldn’t be a risk.” The leader grunted, and he continued. “I’ll be on the roof too and will be able to detect others’ magic. I’m better than any other magical in this city, anyway, so I should be able to identify anyone who tries to sneak in under an illusion.”
He turned to look at Strang. “I’ll want someone with me who can protect me from attack and be my communication person. Two, if we have them to spare. Be sure they have extra anti-magic ammunition. I’ll be a prime target.”
That drew a frown from the man. “But I thought you were better than everyone. Why do you need protection?” The minuscule quantity of positive feelings the two might have felt for one another in the past had clearly been banished by recent events.
The magical gave a thin smile. “It doesn’t matter how good I am if the Atlanteans portal a group of folks up there to kill me. I could survive and escape, of course, but you, your people, and our boss would all be sitting ducks. Of course, if that’s what you want, I’m game.”
Strang growled annoyance. “You’ll have your guards.”
Grisham nodded. “Excellent. It sounds like we’re ready. Now, let’s go over everything again from the start. Jack, tell me where the outer cordon is positioned.”
Across town in the main room of the Shark Nightclub, Usha sat on the low stage and stared at her audience of one. Danna was seated at a front table in her fighting clothes—tough black leather pants, matching boots that reached past her calves, and a bright red leather jacket. She felt underdressed in her jeans and sweatshirt but she wasn’t willing to put her battle dress on until the last minute.
“So. What’s the plan?” her second in command asked.
She grinned. “What makes you think I have one? I thought we’d simply roll in and cause trouble.”
The woman laughed. “Please. The Champion of New Atlantis doesn’t ‘simply roll in.’”
“Dammit. Betrayed by my awesomeness.” She shook her head and her long ropes of hair swatted her cheeks. “What do you think we should do?”
“Well, answer me this. Is the funeral part of the reason you activated the magic in the drugs?”
Usha stiffened in surprise. “How do you know about that?”
“I hear many things.” Her companion shrugged. “I keep my ear to the streets as you know. Plus, I’ve still made deliveries. If enough people say they’re feeling off, you start to put two and two together. Maybe the better question is why you chose to not tell me.” It was delivered without any particular venom but it nonetheless hurt to hear it.
“I didn’t want you tainted by my choice. Or anyone else, for that matter. It was my decision to make and I made it.”
Danna nodded. “Sometimes, you should try not being an island.”
Usha laughed. “Like you’re one to talk. I still don’t know about your mystery man and that would be far more fun to share. We all have our secrets.”
The teasing reference pulled a smile from her second. “Touché. So, is it part of today?”
She nodded. “When the rest of our people get here in an hour or so, we’ll take anyone who won’t be useful in a fight and get them out on the streets. They’ll spread the word that Grisham and his people are responsible for the withdrawal symptoms they think they feel. Between that and the way the magic fires them up, by the time the funeral starts at sunset, everyone who’s been taking Shine will be primed and ready to kill any Zatora they see.”
“And the magicals?”
Her shrug was dismissive. “I couldn’t be sure the council would refrain from interfering with our plans and bringing their individual communities to bear. So, with their magics weakened for a time, the Zarcanum-using magicals in the city won’t be able to play much of a role even if the do-gooders at the top call upon them to do so.”
Danna shook her head. “It seems like you have that part well-covered. What about the rest of it?”
Usha stood, began to pace the room, and gestured as she talked. “My first thought was to trap the venue or to get our people inside and have them wait. But we saw Zatora presence way earlier than expected, so that option wasn’t viable.”
“So they know we’re coming.”
“I’m not sure know is the right word. At the same time, it would be foolish to think we wouldn’t and they’re not that stupid. Certainly, if the positions were reversed, they’d do the same. While there’s no way they could be aware that we were behind the whole thing from the start, it’s also safe to assume we’d take advantage of it. They’ll underestimate our commitment, though. At least that’s what I’m hoping.”
Her second in command nodded, crossed her legs, and bounced her foot in time with Usha’s steps as they echoed through the space. “How committed are we?”
Usha grinned. “We’re all in. Every person. We’ll get Grisham tonight or we’ll die trying.”
The other woman whistled dramatically. “Damn, girl, you’re fired up.”
She laughed. “I’ve had enough, Danna. It’s not that I’m tired because actually, I’m more energized than I’ve been in ages. It’s simply that I’m sick of it all. The Zatoras, the pretentious magicals and their ineffective council, the smaller gangs and independents who bite around the edges of our territory because we can’t spare the attention from the big fish to deal with the minnows. And, of course, the nonsense with Caliste Leblanc.” She shook her head and anger rose with every word. “After tonight, everything will be different. And once we start down this road, we don’t stop until we win.”
Danna rose to her feet and turned slowly to keep her gaze locked on her boss. “And what constitutes winning?” Her voice was a mixture of excitement and concern but definitely held more of the former.
“For tonight? Grisham and his top people dead and the rest run off. After that, we’ll deal with everything else, one thing after the next, with overwhelming force.”
Her second grinned. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you
like this. It suits you.”
“What will suit me is seeing the look on Rion Grisham’s face right before the light fades from his eyes and knowing that he knows who beat him. Before the night is out, he’ll see that whoever he thought I was, he has no clue about who I really am.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ozahl portaled to the top of the cathedral two hours before the ceremony to begin his preparations. He hadn’t remembered that the building had a peaked roof, which rendered his plan to position himself in the middle useless. He chose a side, sat with his back against the low wall that ran along the edge, and wriggled to get comfortable.
He wore his usual illusory persona but had traded in the normal outfit for heavy jeans, boots, and a coat. Beneath it rested a bulletproof vest he’d acquired long before he’d joined Grisham. He wouldn’t take any unnecessary chances tonight as for all he knew, the Atlanteans might have found their own source of anti-magic bullets. Plus, there was no guarantee that the Zatoras wouldn’t turn on him at an unexpected moment—especially Strang, who seemed to have inherited Colin Todd’s innate distrust of him. Well, that’s fine. I killed one of you so there’s no reason I can’t kill the other.
Tonight, though, that was Danna’s job. Her involvement in the battle made his stomach hurt, but he had no way to keep her out of danger and she wouldn’t allow him to if he could. She’d laughed when he’d suggested she sit the fight out—or at least stay in the back—and responded, “I will if you will.” He couldn’t, of course, so she wouldn’t either.
Damn her for being so competent all the time.
With a sigh, he cleared the worries from his mind. He would be required to maintain his focus even more than usual. To say that the magic he planned to perform would be taxing was a serious understatement and he couldn’t afford distractions. He nodded to his guards as they finished their climb to the roof and pulled the knotted ropes others had positioned a day before up behind them. “I’ll be mostly checked out. If I say anything, relay it. If I need to know something, you’ll have to shake me out of my trance or I won’t hear you.”
They approached and sat on either side of him, removed rifles from over their shoulders, and rested them across their laps. The man on his right replied, “We’ve got you. You do your thing, we’ll do ours.” The other one reported in over a walkie talkie to confirm that they were in place.
Ozahl sent his thoughts spiraling inward. When he had blocked out all the sensory input from his body, he sank into his magic and pushed it out slowly. He felt the presence of his guards first, then more people as it spread in a sphere around him. His limit was less than a mile but that would certainly be enough. He didn’t want to push beyond the edge of Jackson Square in any case for fear of getting results that weren’t aimed at the cathedral itself.
When he found Decatur, identified by the fast-moving people he sensed in cars, he gave his power a new command. Instead of detecting life, he redirected his intention to react to the presence of magic. That would give him a signal if someone used power within the bounds of the spell or if a magical creature such as Leblanc’s Draksa partner should appear. Nothing leapt out at him. The greatest challenge for him would be to maintain his discipline until something did because, inevitably, something would. Depending on what triggered his senses, he might even do what he’d promised and provide a warning about it.
If his guards wondered why he suddenly smiled, they didn’t interrupt him to find out, which was all for the best.
Inside the cathedral, Grisham made another circuit to ensure that everything Jack Strang had told him was true. With only an hour before the starting time, he wanted a last pass to look for possible trouble locations. Obviously, the biggest one would be the front entrance, where the entire Zatora organization would flood in to attend. It wasn’t an optional event because he needed to show everyone in the city of New Orleans that nothing scared him. To do anything else would be to risk losing all they’d spent so much time and effort building up.
“And that won’t happen, not while I still draw breath,” he muttered under his breath as he nodded to the guards at the side entrance. They’d cleared the basement earlier and locked every access so no one could come from that direction without him knowing about it. The balcony that ran around most of the sanctuary held several of his men and a number of secured ropes so they could descend to the bottom level quickly if needed. All the exits from the main room that led to the rest of the building had been barricaded, and nothing short of explosives would get through them.
If it came down to a melee, his people would win. Those who had it would wear body armor under their funeral clothes and he fully expected knives, blackjacks, and every other kind of street weapon to be near to hand as well. If the enemy tried to use magic from outside, the snipers would eliminate them or his mage would. Ozahl didn’t know it, but the two men with him had been tasked with guaranteeing that if anything went wrong, the magical wouldn’t make it out of the adventure alive. Tonight, the Zatora leader’s trust was limited to himself and maybe Strang.
Grisham finished his circuit and walked to the front of the room where the closed casket rested on a long table, draped in yellow-and-blue cloth. He placed one hand on the top and whispered, “We’ll make your death count, my friend. I promise we will.”
With thirty minutes to go, things began to happen. Danna crouched atop the building filled with shops that bordered Jackson Square on the side closest to Cafe du Monde and her head moved constantly in all directions. The position gave her a good view of the thickening crowds along Decatur street.
Usha’s plan to inflame the drug-using contingent of the citizenry seemed to have paid dividends. The individuals looked as unwell as they were angry. I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Had she been provided the opportunity, she would have argued against activating the magic. She lacked the brutal dedication that such a sweeping action required. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Atlantean leader had it in excess.
I guess that’s what made it possible for her to become Champion. Movement from across the street caught her attention. Members of her gang stalked quietly into position, took seats at the restaurant, watched the buskers who still worked the sidewalks, and posed as tourists. Unlike the sprawling Zatora organization, their group all knew each other. They were fewer in number but stronger in dedication and resolve. Every ounce of that would be needed to bring about the defeat of the enemy.
The square itself became an unofficial gathering point for the crowd, a place for them to talk to each other and reinforce what they already thought—or what Usha had primed them to think—which was that their current pain was the fault of the Zatoras, who right now prepared to gather and honor one of their fallen members. She swiveled to study the cathedral. Hard-looking men and women held position on the entry steps and carefully checked each person who attempted to enter the building. Some received a nod, others required a quiet word, and a few were taken off to the side for what looked like a thorough search.
She unmuted the microphone attached to her earphones and said, “I’d say we have about fifteen minutes before they get up the nerve to start moving. There are Zatora guards in the square but they haven’t engaged with the people. They look nervous, though.” She raised her eyes to the roof of the cathedral where she knew Ozahl would be and noticed the telltale tip of a rifle barrel. “They have snipers, as expected.”
Usha’s voice replied in her ears. “Everything is playing out exactly like we thought it would.” Danna laughed internally. Exactly like you thought it would, anyway. “We’ll wait until things start to happen with the humans before we swoop in and engage them.”
“That’s not particularly surgical,” she observed. “It’ll be hard to find Grisham in the press.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that, sweetheart. If we can’t find him, we’ll go to Plan B.”
A shiver of apprehension traced down her spine. The other woman hadn’t filled her in on the details of the backup strategy
but given how involved and outright violent Plan A was, she feared what else might be on the table. With another glance at the rooftop, she whispered, “Keep safe, love.”
Usha was the communication hub for the gang as she wanted to ensure that all commands came from her directly. She hung up with Danna and called each of the men she’d selected to scout the streets around the cathedral. They returned identical reports—there was no sign of additional Zatora reinforcements anywhere nearby. She didn’t think Grisham would put all his people into a single kill box but apparently, he was as tired of the status quo as she was.
Before every battle on the path to winning the tournament in New Atlantis, she had finished her preparations in the same way. It seemed only natural that she do so now, as well. She closed her eyes and spread her arms wide.
“Universe, I come to you again with the same promise as always. Win or lose, survive or die, I will not give up. I will not back down. I will not lose my courage. I will be a shining star to rival those in the night sky above the waves and a bright light to illuminate the shimmering currents below them. I swear it with all that I am. Harken to my vow and lend me your grace for the fight ahead.”
She opened her eyes again and nodded decisively. Saying the words sounded as right as being back in her combat gear felt. The heavy leather pants that had been patched and resewn after every battle were tucked into her reinforced boots, which had quick-release blades set in the toes and heels. She wore a tight tunic of heavy material cinched at the waist by a wide belt. It held potions, a pair of daggers, and a few tricks. An armored vest similar to what the police used covered her chest and dense ceramic plates protected her upper and lower arms and elbows.