Cracks in Reality (Seams in Reality Book 2)
Page 36
"We need a phone or a radio," he said.
Tungsten nodded. "I think I saw a satellite phone packed with the gear."
He climbed into one of the trucks.
"Charley," Andrew said, "I know I look amazing in my underwear, and that nightgown is adorable, but could you find us some real clothes? I'm kind of cold."
Charley smiled. "Sure."
She joined Tungsten in the truck.
Andrew made sure they weren't looking at him. He went to the cab of the truck and slipped the briefcase under the seat. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Found it!" Tungsten called out happily. "I'll call Director Webster."
Andrew walked around to the back of the truck and observed Tungsten make a call on a bulky phone with a very thick antenna.
Tungsten's summary of the situation was brief but covered all the important facts.
When the call was over, he reported to Andrew and Charley, "The director wants us to drive back to the hotel. Other agents will come here to examine the crime scene."
"All the way back?" Andrew said. "That's like an hour away. Can't they send a helicopter?"
"That would take even longer, and there is nowhere for it to land here."
"Let's get dressed first," Charley said.
She found luggage full of shirts and pants. The clothes were a little too big for him and much too big for her, but they were better than being almost naked.
The three of them squeezed into the cab with Tungsten at the wheel. He turned the truck around and drove down the road.
* * *
Andrew's eyes were drooping by the time the truck arrived back at the hotel. The sandstone walls were a very welcome sight. He intended to sleep for the rest of the day.
As the truck entered the lot, Tonya came out the front door with a broad smile on her face. She was clutching the Raven in her right hand. She barely gave Andrew and Charley time to get out of the truck before she hugged both of them. Andrew had never seen Tonya so affectionate.
Agents Floyd and Garcia joined the party but hung back.
"I was so worried," Tonya said. "It's a miracle you're unhurt."
"It was a team effort." Andrew patted Tungsten on his beefy shoulder.
"I heard about it second-hand from Webster," Tonya said. "Now tell me your version of the story."
Andrew gave a report, but he kept it short. He was more interested in sleep than conversation at the moment.
Tonya nodded with a grim expression. "Blake is finally dead. That's great news."
"Andrew made him stab himself in the eye with a knife," Charley said. "It was pretty gruesome."
Andrew didn't like the tone of fear in her voice.
Tonya gave him a suspicious look which he also didn't enjoy.
"What's the plan now?" Andrew said. "Phillip is out there somewhere."
"You'll have to wait for another lead," Tonya said.
"In Washington? There is nothing for us to do there. Sitting around in BPI headquarters is a complete waste of time!"
She frowned. "You're right. You can come home and continue your apprenticeship as well as your schooling. If you're needed again, you'll fly out of Chicago."
Andrew sighed with relief.
"Can we go to sleep now?" Charley said.
"Sure." Tonya smiled. "I'll join you. My work with General Ross is done. I checked every one of his men for mind-control. They're leaving in a few hours, and I have no idea where they're going."
The group went into the lobby of the hotel.
As the door closed, Charley said, "Oh! We brought Blake's briefcase. Where did that go?"
Andrew winced. He had hoped she had forgotten.
"I'll get it," he said quickly.
He ran back outside and returned to the truck. He pulled the briefcase out from under the seat.
After checking for witnesses, he opened the briefcase. It contained fifteen notebooks. He grabbed the top eight and stuffed them into the back of his pants where his shirt would cover them. He closed the briefcase with the other seven inside.
Andrew returned to Tonya. "Here." He gave her the briefcase.
She peeked inside. "Notebooks?"
"From the Vault," Charley said. "It's all we recovered."
"Oh. I'll make sure they get to where they belong." Tonya closed the briefcase.
They went up to their rooms. The locks were broken, but Andrew was too tired to care. His door would stay closed well enough.
The men went into one room, and the women went into the other. Floyd and Garcia stood guard in the hallway.
Tungsten immediately turned into the bathroom and closed the door.
Andrew ran to his suitcase which was still on the floor where he had left it. He quickly hid the stolen notebooks under his clothes, resisting the urge to take a quick peek. He would read them from cover to cover when it was safe.
He walked back to the bathroom door. "Hurry up. I have to use the toilet before I can sleep."
* * *
Phillip looked out the window at the Lawrence Park section of Toronto. It was supposed to be the wealthiest neighborhood in all of Canada, but he wasn't greatly impressed. The big houses were certainly elegant, and the landscaping was immaculate, but he had expected great mansions. Instead, it was just a nice, upper-class area. Still, the homes would suit his purposes.
Phillip had chosen the location with care. The nearest seam was fifty miles away so there was no reason for another sorcerer to wander through the area unexpectedly. The BPI had no jurisdiction in Canada, but the border with the United States was practically unguarded, making travel easy. He didn't have any language or cultural barriers to overcome. He could disappear with hardly a ripple and still enjoy a luxurious life.
Phillip's gaze settled on a particular house made of white stone. It appeared to have two main floors and an attic. The front lawn was big enough to serve as a lot for another house. A long driveway went around to a detached, three-car garage in back.
"That will do." Phillip pointed at the house.
Icepick and Skater were still with him. The once mighty team of six assassins was down to two survivors, but it was enough.
Icepick was at the wheel of a large, black cargo truck, and he expertly maneuvered it down the narrow driveway. He parked behind the house where the truck wouldn't be seen from the road.
Phillip and his two henchmen climbed out of the truck. Phillip had a heavy coat, a ski hat, and mittens, but he was still cold. Toronto wasn't a nice place to visit in the dead of winter. At least the snow was merely a couple of inches thick.
A woman in a coat made of fox fur ran out of the back of the house. She had diamond earrings.
"Hey!" she said. "Who are you? You can't park here!"
Phillip had three portable seams under his clothes including the Russian Eye. He had ample power for all but the most challenging spells. Controlling the woman's mind took no effort at all.
"We're your new friends," he said. "We'll be living in your home for a while. I'm sure you have plenty of space for us. We only need three rooms: one for me, one for my men, and one for my study. Your family will eagerly accommodate my needs."
She nodded with a dumbfounded expression.
"Now help us unload," Phillip said. "It's been a long, trying journey, and I need to rest."
* * *
Andrew was trying to read his chemistry textbook in his room, but his eyes kept glazing over. He was tired of reading about dipoles, halogens, and valence.
He quietly stood up, crossed the hall, and peeked into Charley's bedroom. She was plowing through her own big pile of homework at her desk. Her pretty face was crinkled in concentration. She would be at it for a long while.
Andrew sensed Tonya downstairs, and he could hear the television. He would know if she moved.
He crept back into his room and quietly shut the door. He went over to his bed and reached deep underneath the mattress. He pulled out one of the notebooks taken from the Vault.
&nb
sp; He sat on the edge of the bed and reverently opened the notebook. It had been written by Gustav Pinch, Andrew's grandfather, in his own hand.
Andrew opened to the page he had left off last time and read, "Most sorcerers mistakenly see seams as sources of energy. In fact, they are portals to the Outside where pure chaos resides. What we perceive as energy is actually the gradual decomposition of the universe caused by chaos leaking in.
"What is Outside? It's a lawless place where even fundamental concepts of time and distance don't exist. The mind rebels at the notion. It is said God formed the universe from that primal chaos with His imagination. We live inside a delusion created by Him. I find this explanation very satisfying.
"Understanding the seams as portals opens up entirely new kinds of sorcery. One may reasonably wonder if the seams can be used for transportation. Can we send our thoughts or our bodies to other places? Can we travel to Outside and return to the universe somewhere else? Can we reside Outside? Can we create our own tiny universe in the same way as God? These extraordinary possibilities are certainly worth the most serious investigation. Today, I had a breakthrough..."
Andrew sensed Tonya leaving the living room. She was headed for the stairs.
He quickly shoved the notebook under the mattress and returned to his desk. He went back to studying chemistry, but it was hard to focus. His mind was buzzing with glorious possibilities.
THE END
To be continued in... BREAKS IN REALITY.
A Humble Plea from the Author
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Old Cover