The Great Fury

by Thomas Kennedy

  “What’s’ the downside?” Dutronc asked.

  “Jim?” the Lead Trader asked, turning to his junior Trader.

  “If we move fast and the market is slow to react we could be a few million up. If we do nothing we are looking at a severe drubbing,” Jim said, shuffling his papers in anticipation of further questioning of his detailed calculations.

  But Dutronc was known for his decisive leads.

  “Do it, instruct the team and get it done,” he said.

  After they were gone Dutronc sat alone in his office. He sighed. This was his second venture into Morag’s world of magic. A previous attempt to capture a Druid who might foretell future stock market trends had also ended in disaster.

  The present situation was not yet a disaster and he had escaped personally. And he had disposed of his revolver so that if bodies turned up in the Water System and were examined by forensics it would not implicate himself.

  But it did seem, being realistic, that things had gone bottom up.

  Then he shook himself and decided on a fresh pot of coffee. The world goes on he thought.

  He still had high hopes that Morag would survive. The sentiment surprised him and he realized he had grown fond of her.

  But he’d have to have a serious talk with her about the future of the magic unit. It was hard to see how it was adding to net equity value at this juncture.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The group around the table became silent as the Mayor entered.

  “So this is the ‘emergency committee,’ he said as he sat at the head of the table.

  The Army General representing Homeland Security sat in full uniform alongside the FBI head for New York. Also along for the ride were the Fire Chief and Police Commissioner for the City. Further down the table there were a couple of senior representatives of the Water Authority.

  “Where are we?” the Mayor asked.

  “The hostage area is surrounded. We have SWAT forces at the ready back a ways in each tunnel,” the General said.

  “Backed up by uniformed officers,” the Police Commissioner said.

  “Yes, but’s what is going on?” the Mayor asked.

  “We found three of our fireman downstream. One of them, John was shot in the head. One seems to have drowned, but there is such a look of horror on his face... and then the third seems to have been completely drained of blood,” the Fire Chief began.

  “Also two local youths found shot,” the Police Commissioner interjected.

  “All found floating in the water system downstream of the incident area,” one of the Water people said.

  “We found a teenage girl near the Reservoir. Her name is Nina. She identified the dead youths. She said that there are two other teens in the system that she knows of. It emerged that she and the two dead youths all lived in the apartment block where the fireman John had an apartment,” the Head of NY FBI said.

  “How many assailants and how many hostages? Have we established this?” the Mayor asked.

  ‘We have professional negotiators on the scene,” the FBI man said. “We have contacted one of the hostage takers. He uses the name, ‘Greyman,’ as an identifier.”

  “And?” the Mayor prompted.

  “They say they have a Fire Service biologist and her assistant as hostage,” the FBI man continued.

  “Members of my team, Jane and Peter,” the Fire Chief interjected. “Together with the dead fireman John, they had managed to stop the previous contamination in the water system. I believe they were apprehended while trying to undo the re-infection.”

  “And the state of the water?” the Mayor asked.

  “Initially there was rapid re-infection followed by equally rapid clearance. The infection came at the water treatment plant but the counter-infection came from upstream,” the Senior Water spokesperson began what might have been a longer explanation. However the Mayor was in a hurry.

  “Why under Central Park?’ he asked.

  “My team suspected the contamination originated near to the old Central Park Reservoir but was triggered by the processes in the Water Treatment Plant,” the Fire Chief replied.

  “So I can summarize that a team of terrorists are in the tunnels and have taken the Fire Department de-contamination team hostage.”

  “Good summary,” the FBI man said.

  “Do they intend to re-infect the system?” the Mayor asked.

  “We’re not sure,” the senior waterman said.

  “We need to take them out before they can,” the General pressed.

  “Is that why I’m here?” the Mayor asked.

  “Yes sir,” the General replied. “We need clearance to go in.”

  “Still negotiating however,” the FBI interjected. “We have reached demand stage.”

  “We have also detected a commencement of contamination in the system near the water treatment plant,” the Waterman added.

  “Demand stage?” the Mayor asked.

  “They say they have a decontaminant. In return for a payment of ten million dollars and safe passage out of the city to a destination they will nominate, they will not only stop any contamination, they will provide the antidote.”

  “And the hostages?” the Mayor asked.

  “They say that the hostages will be left in place for us to remove unharmed.”

  “So we have murder, hostage taking and major sabotage to the city and they expect ten million and a safe passage away?’ the Mayor summarized.

  “We need to know the nature of the water contaminant and the anti-contaminant,” the senior waterman pressed.

  “We need to hit them before they do more harm,” the General pressed.

  “Are they well armed?” the Mayor asked.

  “We don’t know, they certainly have small arms,” the Police Chief offered.

  “And what did the hostages who escaped have to say?” the Mayor demanded.

  “The lady known as Leanan was incoherent with shock. The businessman Lived Dutronc said he reckoned at least three hostage takers, maybe four and four hostages but he said he got out in the confusion of the gunfire and could not be sure. Apparently there was some dispute between the instigators after the fireman John was shot and in the confusion he slipped up a tunnel and out.”

  “So we should be able to take out three instigators with ease,” the General pressed.

  “We kid them along. Get them out of the Water System and then we arrest them. Their offer to leave the hostages in place is a major error. Once we separate them from the hostages we have them,” the Mayor said.

  There was a murmur of agreement around the table.

  “Try not to kill them,” the Waterman said with a smile. We’d love to know the formula for the contaminant.”

  “We’ll do our best,” the General said.

  “New York Police should make the arrest,” the Police Chief said.

  “Agreed,” the Mayor replied firmly. “General, the SWAT and Homeland security are there to show we have the force if needed but hold them in restraint unless otherwise advised.”

  “Yes sir,” the General said reluctantly.

  ***

  Deirdre tipped over the cauldron and rubbed her hands. “Job done,” she said.

  “But our cover is blown,” Morag said sadly.

  “It was that fireman and his sword,” Deirdre complained.

  “We have the magic mystery of the sword left,” Morag continued.

  “And the girl Jane and her assistant Peter.”

  “They’ll do Dearg Due for lunch,” Morag said with a laugh.

  “What’s’ the plan?” Deirdre asked.

  “Well Dutronc will be disappointed. He wanted an unknown but reversible contaminant to destroy property values in New York.”


  “But that’s what we have,” Deirdre protested.

  “We are trapped. We have to negotiate our way put. We can only use the anti-contaminant spell to do a deal.”

  “The Sword?” Deirdre asked.

  “No we need that. We have to find out how it works.”

  “What’s the plan?” Deirdre asked.

  “The Greyman will negotiate for you Deirdre, to take them to the anti-contaminant. Don’t characterize it as a spell. Just give it to them. They’ll have to use it to decontaminate the system. Just tell them to add it to water.”

  “OK, and then?”

  “Tell them to bring you back here so you can demonstrate the anti-contaminant. It is key to the negotiations.”

  “OK.”

  “It’s vital that you use no overt magic and don’t reveal any magic.”

  “OK.”

  Deirdre came out of the Reservoir tunnel into a blaze of lights and publicity. The armed guard took her to her place in the Bronx. There she retrieved the backpack containing the anti-contaminant spell.

  On the way back in the SWAT bus she incanted the spell. Her armed guards wondered was she mad, but as she made no sudden moves they let her mumble away.

  “We need to act faster, the system is getting fully contaminated at a frantic rate,” the senior waterman informed the Mayor.

  “Let the Police Chief handle it,” the Mayor replied.

  When the negotiator went in with coffee and sandwiches he had a major surprise. The tunnel was empty. All that remained was the charred embers of the cauldron fire and a reddish tinge on the water.

  Deirdre led a small group of water officials back into the tunnel and down to the active water system in order to demonstrate the anti-contamination.

  Deirdre threw the backpack into the water.

  “It will need about a half hour,” she said.

  “I’m arresting you for conspiracy to poison the population of New York and for murder,” the Police Chief said, putting a hand on Deirdre’s shoulder. “Cuff and search her and read her rights,” he instructed.

  “What happened to the hostages and the rest of the conspirators?” the Mayor asked.

  “They just vanished. They must have had a plan B. We are watching every road and Airport and Train Station. They will be found,” the FBI NY man promised.

  “In the meantime what of the woman you captured?”

  “Illegal immigrant Mayor. Irish we think. In the absence of other suspects we are throwing the book at her.”

  “How is she?”

  “Calm, she says she hates men so prison is ok.”

  “Surely we can execute her for murder?”

  “If convicted possibly, but the plea bargain includes providing the anti-contaminant and being cooperative,” the FBI man advised.

  “The anti-contaminant worked very well. But we can’t get an analysis that shows the active ingredient. It would be no harm if the criminal was alive and in custody in the event of a re-contamination,” the senior water official offered.

  The Mayor made a decision.

  “OK. Lets’ get the city back to normal. This is what New Yorkers will expect of us. The law can take its course and they can read about it in the papers,” he advised.

  “Yes sir,” the group around the table agreed in unison.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Good try,” Dutronc said, trying to sound encouraging.

  “I brought the horsewhip,” Morag confessed.

  “Later. I’m just pleased you got clear,” Dutronc said warmly.

  “Plan B was your suggestion sir. I have you to thank. I would never have planned a pre-dug escape route through the Central Park Reservoir.”

  “You did well to get the hostages out.”

  “Yes, I expected one or two drowning’s but they survived.”

  “And Deirdre was arrested.”

  “Deirdre takes the rap as planned. In a few years we can see about getting her out, but at least she gets to stay in the USA,” Morag said.

  “I’ve decided to review the future of the magic group. It fails to meet corporate targets for generating adequate financial return.”

  “But last year we started a currency crisis in Europe,” Morag protested.

  “Yesterdays news. We must look to the future,” Dutronc said.

  “We have other proposals,” Morag said confidently.

  “Risk versus reward,” Dutronc explained with a raised eyebrow.

  “The water scheme was low risk but for the unexpected,” Morag defended.

  “The unforeseen unforeseen,” Dutronc said in a tone that conveyed he’d seen it all before.

  “Unexpected arrival of a young man from Ireland which acted as a catalyst and produced this counter-contaminant,” Morag gave her summary. Adding, “We are still on top of this.”

  “You hold the young man prisoner?” Dutronc said.

  “Yes sir, together with the young witch apprentice Maedbh, Peter a human and Jane a human.”

  “And this sword, ‘the Great Fury?”’

  “We sent it to the Laboratory.”

  “And tell me what was that cat and that horse all about?” Dutronc asked.

  “Witches cat. Also she had a shape shifting Puca. I tied them by their collars. When we finished with the cauldron we tied them to it and threw them into the water to drown.”

  “Dead then?”

  “Definitely.”

  “And just back to the sword, what did the laboratory make of it?”

  “They can’t get a fix on it.”

  “Morag what do you mean. Is it metal or plastic or what?”

  “It pulsates and destroys the measuring instrumentation. They sent it back with a bill for damages.”

  “Don’t pay.”

  “I won’t, their machinery is their responsibility.”

  “Morag, where is the sword now?”

  “On the wall in my apartment. It seems to calm down when it is near the boy Oengus. Longer term we will have to find storage.”

  “Connection to the boy?”

  “We don’t know. I suspect it has a magic provenance and this gives it an energy.”

  “Morag why don’t you just kill them and we can move on. We don’t want any of them popping up as witnesses,” Dutronc advised firmly.

  “Sir, I have given the woman Jane to Dearg Due for lunch. It appears she is a microbiologist with the Fire Department. Under questioning she has related all in relation to her experience with the sword. I think she can be disposed of now.”

  “Good, good.”

  “Her assistant is doing a post-doc assignment and seems naive. However he has evidenced a fondness for the junior witch Maedbh that she reciprocates. We have kept him alive to keep Maedbh on edge.”

  “And the boy?”

  “Oengus?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well sir, he is an enigma. He says he was sent by his mother to retrieve the sword from his uncle John. He said it was a family treasure and John had stolen it. This may explain why it calms in his presence.”

  “The young man is disposable?”

  “I think so. Funny thing, he says his mother told him he was the God of Inconsequential Things.”

  “Sound inconsequential?” Dutronc said with a grin.

  “He seems to have some minor mental powers. By way of demonstration he asked us to agree that unscrewing the top off a bottle of soda was an inconsequential thing. We agreed and then he unscrewed the top off a bottle of soda without seeming to touch it. Impressive.”

  “Yes, and what of the effect he had on Leanan?”

  “Unexplained.”

  “Morag if you can’t get to the bottom of this get rid of him. We d
on’t need complicated.”

  “Ok sir, will do.”

  “That leaves Maedbh and her friend Peter?”

  Morag spread her hands expressively, searching for words.

  “I had to promise the heart of the young witch Maedbh to Deirdre. Part of the deal for her cooperation.”

  “What?”

  “If a witch eats another witches heart it is very good for her complexion and it extends her life expectancy.”

  “Why not eat her heart yourself?” Dutronc asked mildly.

  “In time I may eat Deirdre’s heart,” Morag said with a grin.

  “Ha!” Dutronc laughed.

  “But I want to question Maedbh further. So the situation is she will be kept alive until Deirdre comes through and takes the rap in full.”

  “Including shooting those shot?” Dutronc checked.

  “Yes, indeed.”

  “Good.”

  “During the trial period I will begin to torture Maedbh.”

  “OK,” Dutronc agreed, but in a tone that wanted more information.

  “Leanan will do her thing and slowly undermine her friend Peter. This will maximize mental anguish. In time we can get to physical torture.”

  “To what purpose Morag. Why question her further?”

  “We need to find out about her master. That is assuming she is an apprentice witch. This is in case we need to take defensive action. That or capture her master whoever she is.”

  “I’d recommend that you leave the blame for her death at Deirdre’s door. Let the master come after Deirdre. Get yourself in the clear Morag. We have to get on with other things.”

  “Yes boss,” Morag agreed.

  “Evidence at Deirdre’s residence. I assume you or your team left nothing incriminating there?” Dutronc checked.

  “Dearg Due flew over there as fast as she could before Deirdre took them for the de-contaminant. Dearg Due took Oengus’s and Maedbh’s belongings back to my apartment. The FBI will puzzle over the house and the cellar but I don’t think they will get any leads.”

  “Good, good,” Dutronc said.

  There was a silence while he considered any other angles but he seemed satisfied.