by D. N. Leo
On the fighting square, he saw a man come out to check on security. It must be Tomkin, the head of this fight club. He’d been away when Ben broke in. There was nothing glaringly alarming about Tomkin that he could tell from a quick scan. He was human and appeared to be normal, but his movements suggested he was quite agile and might be a good fighter. Caedmon waited as Tomkin finished his security check and returned to his office.
It seemed as if Tomkin was done for the day, so Caedmon left the fight club. He sneaked down to the basement where he’d seen Alyna put Ben in a cell.
Ben charged at the wall of steel bars, grabbed the bars and shook them in anger when he saw Caedmon walk in.
“You act as if you’re innocent, Ben.”
“I’m not innocent. But neither are you. You’re here without the others, so you must want something they wouldn’t approve of. Am I right?”
“I’m not interested in trading information with you or promising to get you out of lockup. And I’m not going to bother judging whether you’re a good man or not. It’s none of my business. But yes, I’m here for information.”
“And you think I’m going to simply hand it over to you?”
“Yes, pretty much.” Caedmon smiled at Ben. “You care for Alyna. If you’re willing to betray the club, I believe you’d do it for her interests.”
“What the fuck do you know?”
“There’s no need for profanity. I won’t even have to work hard to get information from you. It’s written all over your face. But you resent the fact that Alyna doesn’t read your signals.”
“You can’t speak for her.”
“You’re right. I can’t. But it’s blatantly obvious that Amaraq’s interest is her top priority. I care for her, too, as a friend. But her interest in Amaraq will ultimately put her life in jeopardy. I’m here to tell you that, because she and Pukak won’t listen to me.”
Ben chuckled. “And you think they would listen to me now?”
“No, I don’t think so. But you can tell me how to save Alyna. That is, if you care about her.”
“I know when I’m being played.” He walked to the bed in the cell and sat down. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some sleep.”
“I don’t think you saw the thing that tried to kill Alyna at your client’s place. But I did. It has some kind of connection with this.” He pulled out a cooler and showed Ben the shard of red ice inside. The color drained from Ben’s face.
“Where did you get that?”
“From the thing that tried to kill Alyna.”
“That’s not possible. It’s supposed to protect her. Protect us.”
Caedmon shrugged. “You don’t have to tell me why you tried to find Alyna’s file or why you think it will protect her. I know you recognize this ice from the artifact. You know it can’t be faked. I’m telling you it will kill her, and I won’t be around to resuscitate her like I did before.”
“If you’re thinking of accessing the Scorpio key, forget about it, unless you’re a mage. I’m guessing you’re not, though, because Pukak can tell if you’re not one of them.”
“Alyna isn’t a mage, either. So you’re saying that even at her rank, she doesn’t have access to Scorpio key?”
“Only mage members have access. Not only that, they summon Scorpio key only once every century. So there’s no way to tell if Alyna has access. And if that thing is going to kill her, you should tell her not to be at the summoning ceremony.”
“When’s that?”
“Next week. Look, I know you have an agenda, and I still don’t trust you. But you showed me the ice, so I do think you care. Let me tell you this—I don’t think Alyna is a normal human. That’s why I wanted to check her file. Rumor has it that Pukak rescued her from a major accident in which everyone died. She was lucky to survive. But the way in which she gained rank within Amaraq so quickly made me think they might be planning to use her for something spiritual.”
“You don’t mean they want to use her as sacrificial subject, do you?”
“What else could it be? They have the summoning ceremony coming up. All the supernatural creatures know about it. And let me tell you, they fight like mad dogs to host it. Amaraq has the right because they hold the Scorpio key. But it’s really all a myth…hearsay. Because it occurs only every hundred years—well beyond a human lifespan—no human can verify it, and no one can talk about what happens at the ceremony. So if Alyna is human, she’ll be safe because they wouldn’t let her attend. That’s why I’m looking for her file—to see what Amaraq has on her and whether they consider her to be a normal human.”
“I know you can’t just ask them, because if they saved Alyna just to sacrifice her at the summoning, they wouldn’t admit it. But who else of high rank, apart from Pukak, has access to the Scorpio key?”
Ben shook his head. “I’ve never been to a mage meeting. I’m not sure if Alyna has or not. They’re very exclusive. I know Pukak is a mage, and he runs the show when it comes to spiritual stuff.”
“What about Ethesus?”
“What about them?”
“Well, you work for Amaraq. Don’t you know Ethesus is your number one competitor?”
“I know it from a business standpoint. But as for the spiritual practice, I’m not involved at all.”
“All right, I’ll get some more information. If I find any evidence that they plan to use Alyna as a sacrificial lamb, I’ll let her know. I’ll put in a word for you as well.”
Ben shook his head. “No need to speak for me!” Then he looked at Caedmon with a strange expression on his face. “They will soon find out.”
“Find out what?”
Ben smiled. “That it has nothing do to with Alyna. But still, tell her to be careful. That’s all I need you to do for me.”
Caedmon nodded and left the basement.
18
A lyna didn’t know how long she had been standing in the alley next to her complex, staring at the trash cans. It was late in the morning. She was supposed to have finished her morning training and been headed to work by now. But she hadn’t practiced today, and she hadn’t yet gotten ready for work.
“The cat hasn’t come back?” Sam asked from behind her.
She turned toward him. Sam was more mature than she would have thought for a teenager who picked pockets for a living. She guessed because he’d been living in tough conditions he was more street smart than most teens she had known. She shook her head.
“I told you, the cat died. It can’t come back.”
“Then what you are waiting here for?”
“An explanation. You touched the cat, right? It was real?”
Sam scratched his head. “Yes. So I guess the question is whether you’re sure your cat was dead. Or whether you’re sure that cat was your dead cat.”
She shook her head. She really had no idea. “I need to look into this further. Can you keep this between you me?”
“Sure. Who do you think I’m going to tell?”
“All right. Now, I need to take you to the fight club, but since you didn’t like Ben, I might take you elsewhere. It’s a shame because the North Side club is one of the better ones. Tomkin manages it, not Ben. He isn’t the best in higher rank training, but he’s excellent for beginners.”
“Do you want me to give that club another try?”
“Ben is no longer with that club, so I think you should give it another go. If you still don’t like it, we can change later.”
Sam nodded.
“I’ll take you there,” Alyna said and realized she wasn’t dressed in her usual gear. Her hair was down, and she was wearing loose pants and a shirt without pockets for weapons. She shrugged. She shouldn’t have to dress a certain way to prove she was a fighter who could kick ass. She signaled for Sam to follow her, and they headed toward the express subway.
Shortly, they approached the fight club. They were a block away, but she sensed something unusual happening. Trainees were walking out of the club, looking
confused. Visitors looking for tickets for tonight’s performance fight were being turned away.
She rushed into the club and saw Pukak talking to Tomkin. Tomkin’s face paled when he saw her, and he stopped talking. Pukak looked at her, disappointed.
“What’s up, Pukak?”
“Ben escaped.”
“How? When?”
He sighed. “It appears he got away last night. Our surveillance didn’t pick up anything. But Ben knew his way around here. He knew how not to be seen by the system.” He chuckled. “If we have a functional system, that is.”
“What does this have to do with me?” she asked.
“Why would you think Ben’s escape has anything to do with you?” Tomkin asked.
Tomkin was a quiet guy. He rarely gave his opinion and always did what Pukak wanted. He wasn’t a mage and thus couldn’t progress in rank unless he entered fighting competitions—which he never did. So he just managed club business and trained beginners.
“I’ve always said I trusted Ben,” Alyna said. “He has a temper, but he’s not a traitor. True, the evidence was against him yesterday, but I feel we haven’t given him enough opportunity to explain. That’s just my view.”
“Well, he’s confirmed your belief, trust, and confidence in him, Alyna,” Pukak said.
“What do you mean?”
Pukak handed her a note. She recognized Ben’s handwriting. It was rare for people write anything by hand anymore, but Ben still did. The note stated, “I’m sorry to leave you like this, Alyna. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I only need you to believe I’ll do what I promised you. I will never betray you, Alyna. Watch your back.”
“I—”
Pukak cut in before she could utter another word. “You don’t have to explain. He’s your trainee and your confidant. Whatever you told him, we don’t need to know.”
When Pukak used the pronoun we with that tone of voice, it usually meant he had talked to outsiders who shouldn’t be trusted.
“I had nothing to do with Ben’s escape, Pukak. In fact, you might recall that I’m the one who captured him.”
Pukak nodded. “What happened has happened. But it is our code that you cannot be included in our summoning ceremony.”
“I couldn’t care less, Pukak. I’ve told you before—I am not a mage, and I have no intention of being turned into one. I also have no intention of taking the spiritual leadership position.”
“That’s precisely the point. I understand now.”
“Understand what?”
“You want to change Amaraq into a human-operated organization and abandon spiritual tradition.”
“That’s totally unfair, Pukak. How many years have I worked under you to build Amaraq and maintain the mage tradition? Has there been a single occasion when I deviated from that mission? Have I ever let you down?”
“You never failed a mission. But that’s the problem. You recruited your trainees—Ben, the youngsters standing behind you now, and several who walked out of the club when I announced that you would no longer be in charge of their training.”
“You announced what? Why?”
“You’ve turned Amaraq into something of your own. More than half the club left. Ben left. Can’t you see the pattern, Alyna? They idolize you.”
“I can’t accept that accusation, Pukak. I should walk out of here right now, but I’m not going to do that. If you doubt my loyalty, if you think I have ill intentions, then use your light and purify me. I’ll stand here and take it.”
“What a challenge, Alyna! You know I would never hurt you.”
“But you just did! What can I do to prove my loyalty?”
“I never doubted your loyalty. You’ve just outgrown Amaraq, that’s all. We don’t have enough to keep you here. Latch on to the LeBlancs—I’m sure they’ll be able to arrange a very bright future for you in Mid-land London. The North just isn’t for you, Alyna. Not anymore.”
She turned and walked out of the club. She didn’t know she was crying until Sam quietly handed her a piece of paper towel he had picked up from a food vendor on the street.
“Well, I don’t have a job for you anymore, Sam. You can go now.”
“I’m happy to tag along wherever you want to go.”
“I need to be by myself.”
Sam nodded. “All right, I’ll look for you later then.”
“Be good, Sam. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
He grinned. “Amaraq doesn’t deserve you, Alyna. Go South.”
19
C aedmon sauntered into the LeBlanc’s headquarters as if he was oblivious to the fact that someone from within had been poking around for his information and had sent half a dozen high-end mercenaries after him. His records in the LeBlanc database were fake because he had come from the past, and so he had to be careful. He had no idea his records could be traceable.
Leanne rushed out from behind her desk. “Caedmon, you need more rest. Your bruises are still visible. Have you been to the medical center?”
“No, but I’ll—”
“Don’t underestimate your injuries. Maybe they’re just flesh wounds, but until you get them properly scanned, I won’t feel good about this.”
“All right, I’ll do it this afternoon. Do you know where Mr. Tann is by any chance?”
“Speak of the devil…” she said as Mr. Tann’s voice drifted in from a side corridor.
“We just finished an executive meeting,” he said and looked at Caedmon. “What happened to you?”
“A minor accident. I’m going to my office. I need the mainframe to connect to central. The system alerted me last night that someone tried to access classified data.”
“Is that right? You mean from here?” asked Mr. Tann. “I didn’t think our computers had the capacity to detect information regarding identity. That’s only possible from Mid-land London.”
Caedmon smiled. “I didn’t say they’d tried to steal identity information.”
“I just assumed.” Tann smiled a crooked smile. “Identity is the most valuable kind of information. If someone had the guts to hack the LeBlanc’s system, I’d automatically believe it had something to do with identity data.”
Caedmon nodded. “Fair enough. And you’re correct. It was identity information they were trying to steal.”
“What a relief. I’m not an idiot after all.”
Caedmon chuckled. “I don’t think the LeBlancs have ever appointed idiots.”
Tann shrugged. “They’d better not. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Caedmon nodded. “Yes, I have something to show you.” Then he turned toward Leanne. “I could do with some food. Given your warning about the north side of the city, I didn’t eat anything when I was there.”
“Right away. I’ll get you something safe to eat,” she said and scurried away.
Caedmon gestured for Tann to follow him into his office. Caedmon settled into his chair and turned on his computer. “When I finish my work here, Leanne will be transferred, working in Mid-land London. Do you know if she has any family or dependents here?”
Tann sat down opposite Caedmon. “If you want to take her with you, just take her. You don’t have to pretend to care about her life.”
“We might have differences, Mr. Tann, and I don’t care to elaborate on them. But I—and any LeBlanc—value good employees and will do whatever it takes to make them happy. I must stress that this is how we treat top employees only.”
“Okay. Leanne is a contractor here. We don’t have any commitments with her. If you want to take her, then do so. She’s not worth a discussion.”
“So what is worth talking about, Mr. Tann? My secret identity?”
“Caedmon, if you want to accuse me of something, go for it. You don’t look like the kind of guy to kill without reason.”
Caedmon chuckled. “It’s not a secret that you and I don’t like each other. As I said, I don’t intend to here for long. It really wasn’t necessary to send mercen
aries to scare me off. Just in case you haven’t heard, they’re all dead.”
Mr. Tann shifted in his chair. The gesture, although subtle, showed signs of anxiety. So you didn’t know, Caedmon thought and then said, “One of them provided me some information before he died,” he said.
Mr. Tann stood up abruptly. “I don’t know anything about this!”
“Are you saying you didn’t send the mercenaries, or you didn’t think one of them would have a chance to speak before he died. As you’ve already said, I’m not the kind who kills without reason.”
“This is my turf, kid. Don’t you dare threaten me.”
“So you don’t have an explanation about the mercenaries?”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you. I don’t report to you, and I don’t answer to you.” Mr. Tann strode toward the door.
Leanne came in, carrying a tray of food. Mr. Tann turned abruptly and followed behind her. He looked at Caedmon and then glanced at Leanne’s backside.
Mr. Tann locked eyes with Caedmon and smirked. “Caedmon, how about I promise not to interfere in your business here, whatever it is. My staff and I won't interfere with you and Amaraq and whatever it is they’re doing. In exchange, you will keep your nose out of my business here.”
Caedmon said nothing, waiting for Leanne to arrange the food and exit the room.
“Your business is the LeBlanc business,” said Caedmon. “If you act against our interests, I’ll be forced to interfere with your operation. And I consider sending men after me, one of the LeBlancs, to be your shady operation.”
“I had nothing to do with that!” he roared. He put both of his hands against the wall and shoved hard, sending a decorative picture crashing to the floor.
“There’s no need to damage property. You’re aware of the mercenaries.”
“That doesn’t mean I sent them.”
Caedmon leaned back in his chair. “So who did then? One of them told me he was sent by someone in authority here.”