by Ben Hale
"Several," she replied. "Cutting the triggers now."
Marcus spoke from the door. "Thirty seconds,"
Derek's stomach clenched. "Not enough time. Get Katsuo in here. We are going to need him."
Five seconds later Katsuo joined them. "You want me to slow him down?"
Derek shook his head. "How strong is that fire?" he stabbed a finger at the fire streaking throughout the room. "Can you use it to take out the whole office?"
Katsuo glanced at it, and his eyes widened. "Yeah, it's strong enough. A handful of lancing curses and the office will be shredded. You should get out—"
"Marcus, get in here," Derek said. "And close the door behind you."
"Where are we going to go?" Katsuo demanded. "Not even I could survive if it blows. This is true suppressed fire."
"That's what I'm counting on," Derek said. "Make it as big as you can."
"But where are we—"
"Leave that to me," Derek said.
He dropped to the floor and jammed his hand into the crystal. Fashioned of interlaced crystal, the dark green floor bore invisible creases. He grasped one like it was a sheet of paper and began to lift. Like opening a door in the floor, a five foot section gradually swung upward.
"Iris," he growled. "Get the mirror over here."
"He's right outside," Marcus hissed.
"I'm kind of busy right now, Jack. Can we make this fast?" Iris said as she caught the edge of the mirror and hefted it towards Derek.
"Who are you talking to?" Katsuo demanded. He was working his way around the room, and everywhere he went the current of flame brightened. It pulsed with power and turned a blinding white.
"Are Jacob and Julie alright?" Iris asked.
"Iris! I need you to focus right now."
Derek strained to lift the crystal until the opening was large enough for a body. The ten inch gap would be tight, but the density of the crystal made any more impossible.
"We aren't the only ones in trouble," Iris snapped.
"Is there room for all of us?" Kent asked.
"Crystal structures are never solid," Derek replied, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Marcus glanced through the door, his magic allowing him to see outside. "Twenty feet and closing, and he's got two Voidlings with him."
"Will you guys keep it down!" Iris yelled, and then talked to thin air. "Already done Jack, your charms are now lazed to each other as well as me. Just tap the charm and say her name—Seriously, you guys need to keep it down—Oh, and I'll set a contingent on locking their network down. They're likely using a phasing curse to suppress your communications. I'll take care of it. Got to go!"
Katsuo connected the final piece of the circle, and the entire ring released a burst of fire. He jumped to Derek's opening and dived inside. "Ten seconds!" he yelled.
"Iris!" Derek hissed. He gave the crude door a final desperate yank and it lifted another inch. "Get inside."
"I'm going," Iris said, and handed the mirror to Derek. Once she'd slipped into the space he laid the mirror down and passed it to her. Marcus yanked himself after it. Derek dived behind him and fashioned a grip to hold onto. Then he pulled for all he was worth, counting in his head as the opening inched shut.
Three
Two
One . . .
The entire office exploded in a massive blast of magic and shards of crystal, sending a shockwave of force and sound streaking outward. Reaching for the door, Mallian was launched tumbling backward, and only the Voidling's power kept him from burning to a crisp.
Beneath the inferno the concussive sound had been magnified, and Derek held his ears as it shattered across him. He'd managed to close it most of the way, but the two inches remaining allowed a surge of heat and fire into their hiding spot. Katsuo managed to contain the worst of it.
The blaze lasted for several harrowing seconds until it tapered off. His fingers burned, Derek grasped his makeshift handle and pulled it down the rest of the way. Wincing at his burns and the ringing in his ears, he prayed that no one above saw the floor shift. It ground to a halt and he cast a smoothing charm, making it appear as if the floor had never been cracked. Then he turned to his friends.
Crystal columns and beams crisscrossed around them at odd angles, casting a dim glow onto them. Crammed in the gaps between the crystal beams, the four of them huddled with the mirror. No one had emerged unscathed.
"Everyone alright?" Derek whispered. Each of them nodded, but Derek noticed the pain in their eyes. Guilt at their injuries warred with his relief at retrieving the mirror.
"Do you think they know we're here?" Marcus whispered
"We'll know soon enough," Derek said.
The reinforced crystal kept them from using magic to see or hear, but it also prevented anyone from looking through and seeing them. Derek's class on Advanced Earth Structure Properties had made it clear that enchanted crystal could block magic almost as well as anti-magic. Only a strong earth mage could move it. The question was, would they look?
He cringed at the idea of the floor opening up and them being trapped with the mirror. He could only imagine the punishments that would be levied on them. Would Varson kill them for destroying his office? Or strip their magic for attempting to steal a priceless artifact? He swallowed as he realized that Varson would likely kill one of them as an example. He'd proven his favor for that method.
The hours passed, and they huddled in the dim silence. Iris somehow managed to fall asleep, but the others remained tense. When Derek estimated it was past midnight he poked a hole through the six inch floor above and had Iris send a thread through.
"The office is gone," Iris said, and Derek sent Katsuo an approving nod.
Katsuo grinned in the dark. "He shouldn't have used suppressed fire on the walls. It was practically a bomb already."
"Anyone around?" Derek asked Iris.
"Not as far as I can tell," Iris said.
Derek nodded, and lifted himself into position. With his back against the floor and his feet braced for leverage, he forced the gap up again. Grunting from the effort, he didn't relent until there was a space large enough for a body. Then he took the lead and scooted out. He fought a sneeze as the scent of ash and charred crystal filled his nose.
The night sky stretched away above him, empty of cloud or moon. He scanned the darkness between the other offices, but saw no one. The Voidlings could hide in the shadows, but none appeared.
"Let's go," he said, and helped his sister from the hole. Once they extricated the mirror he helped the others out.
"Can you hide us all?" Derek whispered to Marcus, and he nodded. A moment later the shadows rose up to embrace them.
Grasping the top of the mirror while Katsuo held the bottom, they worked their way through the offices until they reached the stairs, but found them blocked by a Voidling. They retreated back to the demolished office.
"What now?" Marcus whispered. "I'll bet he blocked every entrance to get up here. He wouldn't want to risk another incident." He gestured to the charred walls of the neighboring offices.
"Katsuo, can you fly us out one at a time?" Derek asked. "It's dark enough I think you won't be spotted, especially if Marcus can make you less visible."
"Go slow and they won't spot you," Marcus said, and warped the light around him.
Katsuo grinned and took Marcus first. A moment later Iris smothered a laugh. "Please tell me you are still paying attention," Derek grumbled.
"Of course," Iris said. "But I can multi-task. I'm watching the memory of Varson coming up here. You should see the look on his face. It's already being broadcast throughout the city."
"Keep it down," he said. "I don't want anyone to hear us."
Derek’s tension neared the snapping point. His eyes darted from one gap to another. At any moment he expected someone to appear. Time crawled by, and a few minutes later Katsuo returned for Iris. Then he returned and retrieved the mirror. Only when Katsuo had come for him did Derek begin to brea
the.
One task down.
Chapter 15: Traitor
Jack Oliver stepped into the Oval Office for the third time in two weeks. The president stood at the window, staring out into the night. Jack didn't interrupt his contemplations and chose a seat on the couch.
"No reports today, Jack," the president said with a sigh.
Jack closed his folder. "What do you need from me?"
The president turned and strode to a small cabinet. Withdrawing a bottle and two glasses, he said, "I haven't had a drink in years, but I find that just sipping a glass helps me think. Care for some juice?" He flashed a grin at Jack, who returned it. Then he filled the second glass and brought it to Jack.
"Before all this started I was worried about the mid-term elections," he said. "I was about to propose the People's Voice Act and needed the support in Congress to pull it off."
"I'm sorry, sir?" Jack asked. He'd never heard of it.
The president sighed. "For six years I've been quietly gathering support to fundamentally change how elections happen in the United States." The president sounded weary. "I was going to propose that the choices of Congress, and even the president, would be voted on by the people. Every law, every regulation, would happen by the voice of the people."
Jack sat back in his chair, stunned. "That's . . . brilliant. Most of the corruption in Congress would end in an instant. How many backroom deals would fail because the people wouldn't support them?"
The president motioned to his office. "Our government was put in place when elected officials were a necessity. With current technology and rising corruption it has become a burden. The only way to fix that is to take this country back to what it was intended—a government run by the people."
He leaned forward. "I wanted to give them the chance to prove they were capable of governing themselves. It's an idea that's in direct contrast to Alice's plan. She wants to force the obedience of law—and we aren't on the winning side, are we?"
"No, Mr. President," Jack said. "Not right now."
The president was silent for several moments. "The country is barely holding together. The refugees from Europe, Asia, and Africa are arriving in a panic, and it's taking every scrap of resource to keep this country from sinking into anarchy. You only have to look to South America to see the result of that."
Jack's lips tightened at the reference. Most of the South American governments had buckled under the mounting pressure. One president had disappeared into an underground bunker, leaving his country to the riots. Other country officials were locked in debate. Their lack of action only worsened the situation. Brazil had organized its own defenses, drawing many other countries to join them.
"You did all you could," Jack said.
"I don't know if that's true," the president said. "They're trying to stand alone, but they just don't have the resources we do. I'm afraid that when the Dark reaches them the entire continent will fall." He sighed. "Religious groups are claiming it's the end of the world."
"It won't be."
"How do you know that?"
Jack regarded the president. "Because my daughter will find a way."
"Are you willing to bet the lives of everyone in the country on that? Members of Congress are calling for me to surrender, and I can't go tell them that Tess is still alive. Even if I did I don't think it would matter. Some are cowards, but even those who aren't are losing hope."
"Are you?" Jack dared to ask.
"I don't know," the president replied. "I keep thinking I need to send my son somewhere safe, but I don't know where that is."
Jack leaned forward. "I know how you feel. I wish I could tell my daughter to stay out of this war. I wish I could tell her to go home and be safe while I protect her. I can't. The Dark threatens all of us. The truth is that we are not safe, and that humanity hangs by a thread. The events in the next month will decide the future of the human race, and it is people like you and Tess that stand between Alice and victory."
The president passed a hand over his face. "My advisers tell me that within two weeks the Dark will cover every continent except the Americas. They estimate that six billion people will have been lost to the cloud.
He released a harsh breath. "I fought in two wars when I was in the military, and I've never been so terrified. Standing up to Alice is the right thing to do. Everyone knows that—but doing so could very well sentence the last free people on Earth to death."
Jack blinked, and he finally recognized the purpose of this conversation. The president was confiding in him, leaning on him. He'd spoken before the public, Congress, and the joint chiefs like he was a pillar of concrete. Now Jack saw that underneath the president was a man cracking from the enormous pressure.
"When I thought Tess had died," Jack said slowly, "everything in me crumbled—except for one thing. I couldn't stop fighting. I don't know if it's from my years in the military or just part of my makeup, but it wasn't in me to give up. There were a few times I wanted to try, but I couldn't bring myself to stop."
The president flashed a wry smile. "So you're saying we're stubborn?"
"That we are," Jack replied with a grin.
The president leaned back, his humor fading. "What happens if I choose to fight, and it kills us all?"
"There are worse things than dying," Jack said. "Like living in fear . . . or losing a child." He swallowed at the sudden knot in his throat.
The president met his gaze. "Are you willing to risk your family?"
"I don't want to see them as slaves to Alice," Jack countered.
The president issued a bark of laughter. "Neither do I."
There was a knock at the door, followed by the swift entry of Vice President Kensey. A quartet of secret service followed him in. The man's smirk caused Jack to feel a tremor of foreboding, and he rose to his feet.
"David?” the president asked, "what's this about?"
"You're done," Kensey snapped. "You've risked the lives of everyone for the sake of your pride. You and your 'won't go down without a fight' is going to get us all killed. Do you have any idea how much you're wasting to build barricades around the country."
The president frowned. "We've been over this. Intel suggests that when Alice arrives here she might use her army of Twisted instead of the Dark. She wants us to give up, David, not die. Building defenses only makes sense."
"Your opinion doesn't matter anymore." He motioned to the men beside him, and they drew their guns. "Your presidency ends today, and mine is about to begin."
"This is treason," Jack exclaimed, and two of the guns pointed at him.
"Don't," Kensey said, raising his hand. "I don't want blood on my new office. Take care of the president in his room, and don't forget his wife. Remember to use Agent Oliver's service weapon."
The president resisted as they pushed him towards the side door. "Leave my wife out of this."
Kensey stepped into his face. "I can't have her swaying support and saying you're a martyr. You should have listened to me."
"I should have listened to Julie. She told me that running with you was a bad idea."
Kensey sneered and stabbed a finger at the door. "Get it done. I need to go over my speech for his funeral."
The president and Jack were forced into the hall, where the body of his secretary lay on the floor. The president swore as they were led down the lesser used hallways of the White House.
"They aren't secret service, are they," Jack said in an aside, his voice tense.
The president shook his head. "I don't know how they got in, but I don’t recognize them."
Jack's gut tightened. The president was famous for knowing each of his staff and guards by name, a feat unprecedented for any to hold his office. The fact that Kensey had brought in others—and had gotten them into the White House—suggested inside help. Then a thought crossed his mind and he glanced back.
"I didn't realize that the Harbingers had infiltrated our military."
One of the men smirked,
confirming Jack's theory. The president quirked an eyebrow, and Jack said, "Part of my report today was that the Harbingers have gained a foothold in our military and police force. These human Harbingers are growing in number."
"Quiet," one of them barked.
The president glared at him. "You walk like you were in the army. What made you become a traitor?"
The man's lip curled. "I was dishonorably discharged, sooo . . . you did."
"Shut-up, Polk," the one beside him said.
Polk grunted. "You shut-up Mark. We're about to kill the president. Do you have any idea how long I've dreamed about this?"
They reached the president's private quarters, and the third man motioned to Polk and Mark. "We'll watch the door. Get it done and then we're out of here. We've got thirty minutes before the rotation changes."
Jack was shoved through the door, and the president with him. Polk closed the door, and they used their guns to point at the bed. Then Polk holstered his pistol and pulled a glock from inside his jacket.
"Recognize this?" he said to Jack. "You should. It's your gun. Gotta make it look real, right?"
"Any ideas?" Jack said as Polk pointed the gun at the president.
The president's eyes flicked to the bedroom. "Only one."
Just then the first lady came out of the bedroom, dressed in slacks and a button shirt. It was obvious she had been waiting for her husband. At the sight of the gunman she placed her hands on her hips.
"Jacob, what's going on?" Her expression had hardened, and her eyes flashed dangerously. Both men kept their guns trained on their targets.
"Join your husband on the bed," Polk ordered.
"No," Julie said.
Mark's eyes flicked to her in surprise. "We have a gun on him. Do what you're told, woman."
"I'm not stupid," she said. "You're here to kill us."
"Yeah, we are," Polk smirked. "Now get over here so we can make it look right."
"You know what to do, honey," the president said.
Julie's features tightened. Then she drew a snub-nosed gun from her back . . .
Chapter 16: The Iron Lady