by TR Cameron
Ruby put one hand on the railing and leapt over it, dropping fast and blunting her impact with a burst of force magic. She landed right beside a human with a wicked scar across his forehead. He pointed his weapon at her with an impressive lack of shock, and she slapped it away before he could pull the trigger. His response was swift, a quick jab from his offhand that caught her in the shoulder as she ducked away to protect her face. She flashed out a double punch, both fists connecting simultaneously with his chest and causing him to stumble backward. As she charged in with a follow-up, he planted his foot and snapped out a kick, forcing her to abandon her attack and curve off to the side. The new angle showed her more of the building’s first floor, and she realized more enemies were present than she’d thought.
Idryll was a whirl of motion across the way, occupying a couple of the black market warehouse workers. However, at least six more remained and guns were coming out in everybody’s hands, which meant she had no time to delay. Ruby whipped the sword from her back, wrapped it in force magic, and slashed out at her opponent with all her strength. It caught him with a heavy blow on the chest, and bones cracked as he flew backward. She charged toward the next, calling up a force shield in her left hand to block the bullets firing at her. Even as a blunt instrument, her sword was a devastating weapon. She swiped across to knock the man’s gun out of his hand by shattering his wrist, then hacked it down to smash into his knee, destroying the joint. He fell with a scream, and she kicked his pistol away as she positioned herself to face her next enemy.
The man fired a pair of pistols at her, seizing the triggers in an almost convulsive fashion. She’d tried to use two simultaneously at the range once, to see what it was like, and had been unable to hit with either of them. Her foe had the same problem. She dashed at him and jumped in the air, snapping out a front kick that connected with his forearms as he frantically tried to block his face. She landed and spun, delivering a sidekick to his sternum that dropped him gasping to the floor. Ahead, a door slammed open as one of the three remaining bad guys fled. She called, “Get him, kitty cat.”
Idryll's voice floated back as she dashed in pursuit. “Don’t call me kitty cat.”
Ruby grinned as she stalked toward the two hoodlums left standing. This pair had gotten smart and were far enough apart that she couldn’t engage both of them at once with her weapon or her fists. She summoned a force shield to intercept the oncoming bullets, sheathed her sword in a swift motion, and reached out with a line of force to snag a nearby wooden crate. She whipped her arm forward and threw the container at the one on the right, and he had only enough time to screech in fear before it leveled him. Ruby walked calmly toward the remaining foe, holding her shield in front of her as she approached. He fired the gun dry, then fumbled to replace the magazine.
At that moment, she let her shield go, stepped forward, and knocked the weapon out of his hand with an open-handed slap. She stopped, staring at him. He’d see the illusion of a cat’s face, a little touch that her partner had approved. The man threw a punch, and she blocked it easily. He tried for a kick, and she stopped that, too. Then she imagined invisible bands covering his body, and her force magic reached out to make it a reality. He stiffened, arms dropped at his side, then fell. She caught him before his head struck the floor and laid him gently down.
A clatter from the doorway came as Idryll returned and threw the man she was dragging halfway across the room. He hit the cement floor hard and screeched. From the strange angle of his arm, it was clear that at least one bone had snapped, either before or after his short flight.
Ruby shook her head. “You broke him. What if we needed to have a conversation?”
Her partner snorted. “First, if you want prisoners, say so. Second, this one is too stupid to know anything. He tried to hide behind a bush. From me. I mean, that wouldn’t work against anyone, but against me? Downright insulting.”
Ruby chuckled. “Well, I guess he got what he deserved, then. Fortunately, I have one for us to talk to.” A door led into an office area, which was doubtless where the extra bad guys had come from, and she used force magic to drag the bound prisoner in that direction. “Make sure none of these jerks can leave, ideally without hurting them more. I saw some rope over there in the corner. I’ll get this guy ready, and we’ll have a conversation.”
Ruby had put the man in a chair and tied him with some extension cords she’d found so she wouldn’t have to maintain the flow of magic. She pushed the chair back against the wall so he couldn’t hurl himself backward and break his head and sat on the edge of the beat-up metal desk that was the room’s only other furniture. When Idryll returned, she stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, looking menacing.
They went quickly through the preliminaries, with the man refusing to share any useful information. He swore and threatened and was generally unhelpful. That lasted right up until the moment Idryll stomped forward, extended a single claw, and showed it to him before using it to slice a shallow furrow in his face. After that demonstration, he was far more willing to answer.
Ruby asked, “Who’s in charge of your operation?”
He was sweating with pain or fear, and his voice trembled. “We work for the dwarf. Tarrant.”
“Is he the top of the food chain?”
The man shook his head. “Don’t know. I doubt it. He’s not so smart.”
“What is this place?”
“What does it look like?” Idryll shifted her weight toward him, and his sudden display of attitude vanished back into fear. “It’s a warehouse. Stuff comes in, and we uncrate it, or we put things together to go somewhere else. Not too often. Supposed to be a shipment tonight, but it didn’t come.”
They asked several more questions, trying to glean information about Tarrant’s operation, the pawnshop break-in, plus the casino and security company attacks, but the man was useless. Finally, Ruby gave up in frustration although she masked it from their captive. “Okay, I think we’ve had enough from him. Let’s call in the sheriff.”
The man looked panicked. “No, you can’t. They’ll know I talked to you. You have to hurt me some more, or maybe just make it look like you did, or the boss will get more suspicious.”
Ruby exchanged glances with Idryll, who had also caught the comment. She replied, “More suspicious? If there’s something you’re not telling us, you’d better fix that right now, or we’ll make sure everyone outside knows that you spilled.”
Any remaining resilience the man possessed ran out of him in a rush. “I’ve been dealing on the side. An expensive item disappeared recently, and the boss, or his boss, or someone noticed. They’ve been sniffing around. Asking questions.”
“Who did you sell it to?”
“Don’t know. The buyer used a drone. Sent the money, I checked it; then I sent the case with the items in it. No way of knowing who it was.”
Drones are one of those areas where technology causes as many problems as it solves. She asked, “Okay, what was it?”
“Armor. Technology and magic, I think. It was apparently really rare. I got a good price for it.” The last was said almost as a justification.
Ruby shook her head. “I’d suggest when you get out of prison, that you find a new line of work. You’re definitely not smart enough for this one.” She led Idryll outside. “I think it’s time for you to go home. I need to call the sheriff and have a chat with her.”
She expected an argument, but one didn’t come. After her partner was home, she pulled the burner phone she’d taken to carrying when she couldn’t use hers from her belt, turned it on, and called the sheriff’s office to report a crime.
Chapter Twenty
After making the call, Ruby collected all the fallen hoodlums and gathered them in the center of the room, ensuring they were all securely tied together. She protected the ones with broken or damaged limbs with force splints while she moved them, but she couldn’t feel too badly about it. She and Idryll hadn’t killed anyone, and she was certai
n they wouldn’t have returned that favor if things had gone their way. She also grabbed a canvas bag lying in a corner and filled it with the objects that looked most valuable. She imagined they would sit in an evidence locker for years and doubted their owners would want to wait for them that long. Plus, if we can’t figure out who owns them, maybe we can sell them and donate the money or something.
When she heard sirens in the distance, she took her collection and headed up to the catwalk. She opened a portal and threw the bag into the bedroom at her parents’ house, then summoned a veil and hid in the corner. She watched as the local police department and Sheriff Alejo came in with guns raised and made sure the danger had passed. This crime scene was much different than the one at the pawnshop. Technicians and officers worked methodically, clearing out the prisoners and taking inventory of what had transpired, looking for clues. More like the cop shows she’d seen, although still not quite the same.
She waited and watched, and finally, the sheriff went into a corner to take a phone call. Ruby carefully crossed so she was above her, and when Alejo clicked off, Ruby created a force magic tunnel to carry her whisper from the top floor to the bottom. The illusion changed her voice, making it sound older and harsher than it was. “Sheriff. Don’t be alarmed. I’m about to come down to talk to you.”
The other woman started, then looked around, including up. Ruby cast a different veil to separate the sheriff from the rest of the people on the bottom floor and dropped the one hiding her. She put one hand on the railing and vaulted over, using force magic to stop her fall.
Alejo took in the figure before her, doubtless wondering why she’d chosen to look like a humanoid cat. Maybe someday you’ll find out. The sheriff’s right hand rested on her holstered pistol. “Who are you?”
Ruby replied, “A friend.”
“To me? Don’t believe we’ve met.”
She shook her head. “To the citizens of Ely. You as well. You can call me, uh, Leopard.” Way to go, Ruby. Show up in disguise without a good name. Might as well tell her who you really are since she’ll probably figure out there’s only one person she’s met recently so desperately awkward as to forget they needed a secret name.
The other woman nodded. “Okay, Leopard.” She managed not to make it sound ridiculous, which was a plus. “What are you doing here?”
Ruby shrugged. “Helping.”
“Violating a ton of laws, more like. Breaking and entering, assault, battery, criminal mischief, we can go on.”
She shook her head. “Things are getting bad in Magic City, Sheriff. You can’t pretend you don’t see it. Since magic is involved, I’m sorry to say that puts it out of your league, more or less.”
Alejo frowned. “I have resources.”
“I have no doubt you’re using them to their greatest effect. That doesn’t change things. Unless you get a sudden influx of personnel or tech, most magicals will have an edge. They won’t have quite as much of one against me.”
The other woman scowled. “I’d like to say that you’re wrong. I’d like to be able to say that the law’s sufficient. These days, it seems as if our corner of the world is getting weirder by the minute, so those statements would be lies.”
She smiled encouragingly. “No argument here. So, I’ll help.”
Alejo nodded. “Let’s get one thing clear, though. The moment you step out of line and hurt an innocent or something you do results in harm to someone who shouldn’t be, I’ll come for you without reservation. You don’t have a mandate. You don’t have permission. At best, you have a time in which I’ll focus my energies elsewhere.” She laughed darkly. “Heaven knows I have plenty of other things to focus on.”
“Understood. I’ll share information freely with you if you do the same.”
The sheriff sighed. “Yes, sure, of course.” At that moment, Ruby realized how frustrated the other woman was, how close to being overwhelmed by her inability to solve the mysteries cropping up.
“So, what can you tell me about the Deep Woods?”
This laugh was starker still. “Not a damn thing, really. I managed a look at the crime scene, a couple of floors of blood and damage, and a bedroom with a chalk outline. That’s all I got before the Paranormal Defense Agency took over, since, as you mentioned, magic was involved.” Her eyes narrowed. “Was it you?”
Ruby shook her head and put as much honesty as she could into her voice. “Never.”
Alejo stared at her, then nodded acknowledgment. “If you say so. Anyway, the mother is in a coma in the hospital, and the son is now running the casino. The family will never be the same. There’s no reason for it, not that I can see.”
“Me neither. Together, maybe we’ll figure it out.”
The other woman asked, “Why did you want to talk to me in particular?”
“First, because you’re top of the food chain. Second, because there’s nothing in your history that suggests you’re anything other than honest, dedicated, and at need, pragmatic. I don’t think anyone else on your force would’ve been as open-minded.”
“So what you’re saying is that I’m an easily manipulated idiot.”
Ruby grinned. “That’s certainly not how I would describe you. In any case, it’s time for me to go because someone’s coming to look for you.”
The sheriff looked over her shoulder, then returned her gaze to Ruby. “How do I contact you?”
Ruby shook her head. “You don’t. I’ll contact you.” She called in another veil, effectively banishing herself from the woman’s vision, then made her way slowly to the exit. It wasn’t a particularly dramatic departure, but the important thing was that no one noticed her.
If she’d looked up before rounding the corner and casting a portal to leave the area, she might’ve noticed the hooded figure that watched from a nearby building. As it was, that person also remained unnoticed.
Jared pulled his SUV into the garage at Aces Security and killed the engine with a growl. Although their last action had been a complete success, and their experts were right now digging through all the data they collected to ensure the other company would never be viable again, it didn’t feel like a win. It was the news of the killing on that same night that made him feel that way, as if the boss was using his company as a diversion for something bigger. He didn’t like the thought that he wasn’t involved in the most important actions, not one bit.
He exited the car and slammed the door, an admittedly childish move that entirely failed to lessen his frustration. He stomped up the stairs to his office and had enough time to make himself a drink—double whiskey on the rocks—and sit behind his desk before his partner walked in. The dwarf said, “The thing at Deep Woods is irritating as hell.” Grentham dropped into the chair across the desk with a snarl of annoyance.
Jared nodded. “Right? I’m not sure if we got played or not, setting up our event for that night, but it sure seems like we did.”
“It’s that lunatic Goryo who’s behind it. I’m sure of it.”
“Me too. The real question is whether he did it on his own, or because the boss told him to.”
His partner scowled. “Yeah, I’ve asked myself that a bunch of times. Can’t come to a useful answer though, so I guess it doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Still, if I see that guy, I’m going to put him down. I have no faith that he won’t come after us, eventually.”
“What would the boss say?” It wasn’t a condemnation of the idea, not at all, only a consideration of the outcome.
The dwarf chuckled. “I’ll burn the body so badly no one will ever know who did it. The boss might suspect, but there will be no evidence left to prove it. Trust me. I can make sure of it.”
Jared didn’t doubt that his partner could do what he’d said. “Let’s consider that our last option, though. Maybe there’s a way we can turn this to our advantage. Blame some things on him, that sort of thing.”
The dwarf shrugged, and it didn’t look like agreement. “Relatedly, how can we turn the thin
g at Deep Woods into a benefit?”
He replied, “Well, the kid has already put out a call for proposals to beef up security, so we’ll put in a bid. I’ll lowball it to see if we can get in there.”
“Good, good. We’re still going to have the company officially stay away from the Atlanteans for a while?”
Jared sighed. “As much as I don’t want to, I think it’s the right decision. Delayed gratification on that one.” He sat up in his chair and leaned forward, his mouth twisting into a frown. “I have to tell you something though, in strictest confidence. Swear to me you won’t breathe a word of it.”
The dwarf matched his change in posture. “Sworn. Of course. What’s up?”
“Up ’til now, I felt pretty good about the idea that the boss had long-term plans for us. That once he’d accomplished what he wanted to here in Ely, he’d move on to other things and leave us in charge. I’ve lost that faith, and now I wonder if he intends for us to be with him at the other end of all this.”
Grentham nodded. “Have to admit; I’ve had the same thought. Think it’s time we did something about it?”
“I do. Nothing huge, yet. Still, making sure we always have bodyguards with us, at least until the stuff all shakes out, might be a good idea.”
The dwarf chuckled. “Might put a bit of a damper on your dating life.”
Jared gave a crooked smile. “Yeah, I already thought of that, and I still think it’s a good idea. That should tell you how concerned I am.”