by Matthew Fish
“You like what you see there, little piquer?” Zampa said as he placed a hand on each one of his daughters’ knees. “I believe you’ve met Eva before, but had not had the honor of being in the presence of Lola. Beautiful, are they not? Very deadly…out of a very basic sense of curiosity what ever happened to that bitch Emily?”
“Ran off…” Mark spoke as he turned his attention back toward Tany Zampa. “Bradley shot her and so she didn’t feel that she could trust me after that night.”
Zampa laughed heartily as he nearly choked on a peanut. “If you ever see her again, you have my blessing to put a coin into her and be done with that whole mess. Think of it like putting down a sick and useless horse…except a horse has more sense than that little cunt.”
Eva and Lola both laughed as Mark felt a deep sense of anger well up inside of him. He calmed himself down and let out a sigh as though nothing mattered at this point.
“She was trying to do your job,” Mark said as he met eyes with Tany Zampa.
“She fucked up my job,” Zampa quickly retorted. “We would have had you weeks ago if she had not interfered and made such a huge distraction. She made you difficult for us to find—to the point that we had to resort to this.”
“So why does this old one want me?” Mark said as he ignored Zampa’s temper. “Does he have a thing for barely legal boys?”
“I do not speak on his behalf,” Zampa said as he cooled down and relaxed in his chair. “We’re almost there—you can ask that of him yourself. Show him the same disrespect that you’ve shown me and I bet he will tear you into two.”
“Sounds like you’re intimidated by him,” Mark said as he attempted to poke the hornets’ nest a bit more.
“You’re wrong you little piquer, he’s chosen me,” Zampa replied as he laughed.
Emily projected one last time. Her body felt as though it was on the verge of collapse. She found herself in a park and wondered for a moment if she had screwed up somehow. She caught sight of the car pulling into a water filtration plant. She ran to the nearest tree and ducked out of sight. She messaged William and click on the ‘share my location’ setting.
“Always wondered what that was for…” Emily muttered as she could barely stand. She spotted a hotdog vendor. She peeked out and saw that no one was nearby. She reached into her workout bag and pulled out her handgun.
She snuck up on the man, who heard her approach as he turned and raised his hands above his head. “Please don’t shoot, take all the money you want.”
“I’m sorry,” Emily said as she kept her gun trained on the man and started grabbing hotdogs from the cart and began chewing on the meat. “Do you have any soda?”
“In the fridge down there…” The man said as he backed away with his arms still in the air.
“Thank you,” Emily said as she popped open a can of root beer and downed it all in one gulp. “You have no idea the kind of day I’ve had.”
“Are you going to kill me?”
“No,” Emily said as she ate a few hot dog buns. “I’m actually…with the police, what’s your number? I’ll make sure you’re paid well…I was just—really fucking hungry. Don’t run, I’m going to put the gun down now and go meet up with my other…officers. Why are you out here anyway, it’s raining?”
“People jog out here in all kinds of weather,” the man said as he put his hands down and shook his head. “I’m just trying to make a living.”
“Good job,” Emily said as she gave the man a thumbs-up. “Jogging…I have somewhere to be soon, but yeah, you’ll get paid for all of…that.”
“They’re at the Jardine Water filtration plant,” William said as he sped the SUV up. “That’s not far from here at all…”
“So we go in guns blazing?” David asked as the SUV sped through Milton Lee Olive Park, completely ignoring the roads. “Or do we have a fucking plan or even an escape plan?”
“We came up with this earlier today,” Maddie said as she nervously placed her fingertips into her Heart Sash and rubbed them against the rough edges of the coins within. “I think getting Mark in was the only part of the mission we had down.”
“Seems like a typical operation,” Kate said as she folded her arms and shook her head at William. “You know even the regular police force plan things out before they go out on a mission?”
“Well here’s plan A. Kate, when I give the word project Maddie out of the car. “David, put your seatbelt on.”
“Fuck me,” David said as he the car sped up and bounced atop a small hill as the water filtration plant filled the view ahead.
“We’re here,” Zampa said with a little smile as a metal door opened up and they drove into a large warehouse building with huge water tanks filling the vast space. Zampa pulled Mark by the collar and drug him out of the car. “Let’s go, you have an important meeting that is very much overdue.”
“I can walk,” Mark said as he freed himself from Zampa’s grip and began to walk on his own accord. He looked around and counted about twenty or so armed thugs wandering around the catwalks. He placed his finger into his sleeve and palmed the quarter from Zampa’s birth year. “I’m interested in who would go through such an effort to find little old me.”
“You should be honored,” Zampa said as he turned to his daughters. “Watch the door. I have a feeling that little shit William is not too happy with our little…arrangement.”
“A little fun would be nice,” Lola said as she sat on the trunk of the Cadillac and reached up her skirt and pulled out the handgun from its holster.
“Now!” William said as the SUV went headfirst into the gate. Kate grabbed a hold of Maddie and the two disappeared as the metal gate came crashing down all around them shattering the front windshield.
“Bitch on the back of the trunk,” David said as he laughed and placed his hands out in front of his face as the SUV came slamming down upon the girl, crushing her as blood came flying through the windshield and bathed the two men in crimson goo.
“You’ll burn for that you piece of shit,” Eva said as she held her hand out in front of her and a plume of fire emerged from her palm.
“No we won’t,” David said as he pulled out a light machine gun from his bag and let loose a barrage of gunfire into the girl.
William broke the door off of the severely damaged and blood soaked SUV and used it as a makeshift shield as bullets came down from above.
“Are you ready to head in?” Kate asked as she placed her arm around Maddie.
“They need us,” Maddie said as she nodded.
Emily projected into the room just as Maddie and Kate did. The three looked at each other for a moment as though to ask, what the hell have we gotten into? Wordlessly they split up and took shelter behind the large metal containers of water.
“Nice of you to show up,” William said as he inched his way to Maddie and took cover.
“I’ve taken more bullets than the normal Perpetual,” Eva said as she laughed and sent a fireball into the disabled SUV. David leapt out of the vehicle, screaming and on fire as he continued to shoot at anyone that wasn’t on his side. Eva prepared another large ball of fire and began to laugh hysterically.
William tossed the door with all this strength into a nearby water container—soaking Eva as her fire quickly fizzled out. As the room filled with water she attempted to relight her flame with no success.
“Kill them all!” Eva said as she punched the empty water tank as she began to run away from the battle.
“Eat this, clown titties!” Emily said as she tossed a full lighter and hit Eva squarely in the back of the head as it exploded in flames. It burned for a while as she made her way down a long hallway. The dampness of her hair eventually put it out, but not before causing some severe burns and bald spots.
“Get behind cover!” William shouted as bullets rained down once more.
Emily nodded as she projected herself behind another large canister.
“Alright, Maddie,” William said as h
e poked his head out from the safety of the container. He began rattling off five years in quick succession. “1981, 1962, 1990, 1985, and…1979….”
Maddie moved her left hand swiftly and precisely as she pulled out the years that William had named off. She nodded once to Kate as the two of them ran out from cover.
Kate, acting as a shield stood in front of Maddie as she sent coins up into the air. A bullet came down and grazed Kate in the side, however she did not flinch as the blood shot forth from the small wound. Maddie gracefully gestured upward and sent a coin flying towards the man who had fired the shot, turning him to dust as a loud boom filled the air. Two more booms followed in quick succession as coins found their way into two other men as they attempted to flee from their fate. With fingers tightly together Maddie launched the last coin into the man who was running at her at full speed. His weapon fell to the ground as he disappeared into dust.
“Don’t worry,” Zampa said as he locked a large metal door behind him as he continued to rush Mark along. “You’ll get your meeting.”
They passed over a long bridge with water rushing beneath it. Ahead of them Mark spotted a dim light from a small office where a man wearing a silver robe was seated. He had olive skin and no hair at all.
“I brought you that Conductor that you wanted,” Zampa said as he turned to Mark and took a few steps back.
“Emily’s doing just fine, by the way—I’ll tell her you said goodbye, “Mark said as he launched the 1933 quarter up into the air. With a swift, direct gesture and tightly wound fingers he sent the coin directly into Zampa’s chest.
“Fuck…” Zampa said as he stumbled back for a moment. He then reached into his chest and pulled the burning hot coin and tossed it to the ground. He shook his head disapprovingly at Mark and punched him in the face, leaving his nose bloodied. “You stupid cunt, you think I’ve lived this long—you think this is the first time I’ve run into some shit-headed Conductor who believes everything they hear. There’s a reason I’m still alive and will continue to be so—I leaked my own fake birthday you dumb little shit.”
“That’s enough,” the voice from the office spoke just as Zampa had his first raised above Mark, ready to strike.
“Lucky piquer,” Zampa said as he spat and licked Mark’s blood from his knuckles. He pulled Mark from the ground and tossed him into the office.
Mark’s head was spinning as the man dressed in the intricate silver robe sat him down in a chair. He then turned to Zampa and gestured for him to leave with a quick flick of his wrist. “Go and make sure that mess going on out in the warehouse does not get too out of control. After all, I need time to speak with my…friend her.”
“Of course,” Zampa said as he cockily passed over the walkway. He shot Mark a smug little grin as he slammed the heavy metal door. The large wheel-lock spun around a few time until it slammed firmly into place.
“Who…who are you,” Mark said as he placed the back of his hand to his nose and wiped away some of the blood that was pooling above his lip.
“I am sorry for the lack of hospitality on my associate’s part,” the man spoke as he reached into his robe and pulled out a satin handkerchief and placed it in Mark’s hand. “He is young, for my kind, and has quite the temper. He has his uses though.”
“Like finding me…?”
“That was his task, though he did not do it as planned—however, I do not fault him. What he lacks in intelligence, he makes up for it with determination,” the man said as he gestured to another man standing silently to his side. “Mr. Littcott, meet young Mr. Argent.”
“You’re supposed to let him go,” Mark said as he looked at the old man. He wore a long brown coat and had a hat with a red band around it. His face showed signs of wrinkles and he had tufts of white hair that protruded beneath the rim of his hat. He wore a similar Heart Sash that Maddie also used for Conducting.
“And So I shall,” the man said as he nodded to the old Grand Conductor. “I will respect the council’s wishes.”
“I never got that name,” Mark said as he shrugged.
“What does a name matter?” The man asked as he placed his wrinkled hands upon the table. “I could give you any name—I’ve gone by so many over the years, just like a lot of my kind has. You Mortals place so much importance on names. It is not who I am that really matters, but why.”
“Alright, why are you?” Mark said sarcastically.
“I am, because I am needed,” the old man said as he leaned in and met his dark eyes with Mark’s. “I had you brought to me, because you are needed. The Perpetual Council has gotten too old—too corrupt. It needs to be torn down and replaced with new ideas and younger members. It needs to be built anew with both Conductors and Perpetuals working together and actually acting instead of just dictating rules they cannot even enforce properly.”
“That’s it…” Mark spoke as he cocked his head to the side and let out a disappointed sigh. “All this and it’s just because you want to recruit me to join some stupid political cause. I’m honestly…disappointed.”
“It’s an offer of peace, and a position of power to do something meaningful,” the old man said as he gently placed his hand against the table. “Under our rule as the new council the world will work differently—we will be the revolt that is necessary to rid ourselves of the corruption and failings that emanate straight from the council’s core.”
“It’s an offer of stupidity,” Mark said as he shook his head. “I kept thinking that this old one would be someone important—turns out he’s just another old elitist dick who wants power.”
“The old one,” the man spoke as he laughed. “I do like the name. That is what you may call me from now on.”
“I’m not going along with your plan,” Mark said as he shrugged.
“I offered this same position to your father once,” the old one said as he gave Mark a look of disappointment. “I let him live. He might still be alive today, would he had chosen to see things my way. Turning me down, I could not guarantee his safety. Do you believe that you will be safe if you refuse me as well?”
“As far as villains go,” Mark said as he smiled and shook his head. “Zampa is a hundred more times interesting than you have turned out to be.”
“You think you know anything of me?” The old one said as he rose from the table as his voice boomed through the hall. “I have lived more lives than any other Perpetual. I have gifts that other Perpetuals dread…why do you think it is that the council was so quick to turn you over to me? They fear me and that is why they caved so easily—they fear what I am capable of. I am the Perpetual that all who has wronged me will come to soon fear.”
“I don’t sense any more,” William said as he attended to Kate’s wound. “Sleep it off.”
“Thanks for that,” Kate said as she touched the injury and winced.
“We have to get to Mark,” William spoke as he began to lead the others down the hallway. “You alright there, David…?”
“That bitch burned my face,” David said as he slung an automatic rifle on his back that he had retrieved from the wrecked SUV. “I better not…”
“Look at my hair,” Eva said as she pounced from a corner and began slamming her fists into David’s face. She was striking with such a quick ferocity that he was nearly rendered unconscious. “My fucking hair is burned off!”
“1966,” William said just as Tany Zampa emerged from the door.
“Let her go!” Zampa said as he pulled a pistol from his gold jacket and fired a round into William’s chest.
William fell back to the floor stunned. “1933 on that one…wait…no…1932...”
“Fuck,” Zampa said as he fired one more shot and caught William in the arm as he turned and ran away.
“This is for staking me in the chest when I was a kid, bitch!” Emily shouted as she tossed a lighter and watched as it flipped end over end and exploded in Eva’s face. “All the makeup in the world isn’t going to fix that.”
“Get her,” William said as he struggled to get back to his feet.
Maddie already had the 1966 coin up in the air and gestured with a quick, short, wave of her left hand as the boom sounded heavily. The coin shot down and struck Eva in the chest turning her into smoking ash.
“Get up David,” William said as he pulled the man up to his feet. His face was heavily bloodied as it dripped onto the floor in large piles.
“How bad is it?” David said as he stumbled around for a bit.
“A bit of an improvement, actually,” Emily said as she shrugged. “Sleep it off, tough guy.”
“I don’t like you very much,” David said as he picked his assault rifle up from the floor and placed his finger on the trigger. “Let’s go hunt that other freak down.”
William led them further down the hall until they reached a heavy steel door that remained slightly ajar. He pushed it open a bit more just as he saw Zampa running across a bridge.
“Sir,” Zampa said as he stood on the bridge caught between William and the old one. “We have some trouble…”
“I told you to handle this,” the old one said as he got to his feet and raised a hand towards Zampa.
“Fuck this,” Zampa said as he jumped into the rushing water beneath the bridge and disappeared beneath its dark and murky surface.
Mark slipped past the old on and slid across the rough metal surface as he joined his friends. Emily handed him his Standard and quickly helped him get into his Schmied Vest. He threw his ‘Death Tosser’ long coat over his back as he advanced upon the old one. “What’s his year?”
“Death Tosser,” the old one scoffed. “You know nothing of death, little Conductor. Trust me, you carry no coin that can kill me—even if you had the right materials, no one can guess.”