by S. C. Stokes
Kasey and Sanders had been the most wanted fugitives in the Tristate area.
“I would, but I doubt the Ninth Precinct are going to listen to me after that smear campaign the ADI ran,” she said. “The Ninth probably still thinks I murdered an apartment building full of senior citizens. I’m hardly employee of the month right now.”
“You don’t have to worry about the Ninth Precinct, Kasey,” Sanders began. “As soon as we had control of the Council back from Akihiro, we began working on the damage he’d done to our reputations. There may still be some skeptics among the public, but we’ve issued retractions of the claims that he made. We’ve also found footage of the Night Crew operating from that stash house. The truth is out, Kasey, and in time we should be entirely free of those accusations.”
“I hear you, but that hardly guarantees a warm reception. They may not think I’m a murderer, but I doubt they will take kindly to me being a witch either. All things considered.”
Sanders nodded. “You’re not wrong. You know your colleagues at the Ninth better than we do. How much you tell them is up to you, but if we want to move out in force, we are going to need their assistance keeping the public in check and locking down the target. Without their help, it will be chaos. We can’t afford to take the chance.”
Kasey tapped her fingers on the table. “Alright. Let’s say we succeed in getting them on our side. What is the plan then? How are we tackling the assault? We’re going to need a concrete plan. Do we have any idea how many acolytes Akihiro has at his disposal? What kind of forces are we up against?”
“He had at least thirty followers when he fled the Arcane Council. We know they are heavily armed and that they are fortifying their position. Unfortunately, their numbers are also growing.”
“Growing, how?” Kasey clenched her fist, her knuckles turning white.
Rosenberg looked at Kasey through his one good eye. “The day after Akihiro was revealed for who he truly is, we noticed more wizards than usual not showing up for work throughout the Council offices. At first, we thought it was shock at the Chancellor’s death, or fear of what the public might do if their secret was discovered, but the numbers continued to grow. Day by day, it became more noticeable. Their absence hindered our efforts to reorganize the affairs of our community. I informed Sanders of them, and that is when we realized what was happening.”
“What was happening?” Kasey asked, almost grinding her teeth.
“Some of our people have defected to Akihiro,” Sanders replied with an exasperated sigh. “I have agents watching Park Avenue. People have been seen trickling into the building. At first, we thought they were his original acolytes coming and going, but the numbers are increasing, and we’ve begun running the identities of those we see entering the building. They are ours, or at least they were. It seems Akihiro is growing in popularity.”
Kasey’s heart sank and her blood boiled as Sanders spoke. She had spent so long fighting against Akihiro, and her own kind were willingly joining him.
“Why would anyone side with that monster?” Kasey shouted. “He’s going to destroy the city.”
“I don’t imagine he’s leading with that as the party line,” Lender chimed in.
Kasey smoldered.
“No,” Sanders agreed. “But his promise of a prolonged life certainly has an allure. Not to mention the protection he’s offering against the public. Our people are scared, and they know Akihiro won’t hesitate to harm a normal. I suppose they feel safe, as warped as it is. It seems to be working, though. Akihiro is welcoming them with open arms.”
“How many of our kind have joined him?” Kasey asked softly, her stomach churning.
“We have no way of knowing,” Sanders replied. “Many are absent. I’m sure that most of them are simply hiding at home, waiting for the storm to pass. We’ve seen at least two dozen that we know of, though. It could be more.”
“With more joining him every moment,” Kasey said. “It will grow worse if he succeeds. New York will be gutted. In the wake of such a display of power, others will come. For the first time in centuries, we would have civil war among those who survive. It would be catastrophic, and that’s before the normals retaliate. They won’t care that it was Akihiro that caused the devastation. We’ll all be blamed for it.”
“We can’t allow it to come to that,” Helena interjected. “That would set us back centuries, and the middle ages were kind to no one, witch or normal alike. Everyone suffered. We must stop him here and now.”
“Agreed,” Kasey said. “So, we get the police on our side and we hit him with everything we have.”
“You’re the one who has seen it in a vision, Kasey,” Vincent turned his gaze to her. “You’ve also had the most dealings with the Shinigami. What would you suggest?”
Kasey leaned back in her chair. At least, finally, the Council was taking her seriously. “We root them out. All of them, root and stem. Today.”
“How would you do it?” Vincent asked.
Kasey folded her arms. “Frontal assault. Akihiro doesn’t know what we know. He expects to detonate the weapon and take us by surprise. If the police will cooperate, we’ll have them seal the neighborhood for five blocks in every direction. We go in hard and fast, ram-raid the lobby, and unload directly into the building. We’ll split into two teams. One team will head down into the subbasement in search for Akihiro’s weapon. The other will sweep upward through the building, clearing any resistance as we go. I know Akihiro will be watching the carnage from the observation deck. If we can get aerial support, we can have tactical teams insert from above and sweep downward. If we can’t stop Akihiro in time, we’ll bring the building down on top of them. Take out the weapon before it can be detonated.”
“No half-measures,” Sanders replied. “Many will die.”
“If we hesitate, it could be millions,” Kasey said, and her thoughts flittered over her vision. “How many agents can we muster for the assault?”
Sanders scratched his head. “I had hoped for more time. Our numbers have been thinned. We buried some good men as a result of Akihiro’s flight. Others are still recovering from injuries. Some have disappeared. We can probably muster thirty or forty agents on short notice.”
“That few? I was hoping for more,” Kasey ran her fingers through her hair.
“Me too,” Sanders replied. “Beggars can’t be choosers, though. It’s all we have. We’ll have more if the police side with us.”
“We don’t have long,” Kasey replied. “If they aren’t with us now, they may never be.”
“I’ll make a call while you are at the precinct.” Sanders pulled a phone out of his pocket and slid it across the table. “If you’re successful, call me, and we’ll set a time and place to rendezvous for the assault.”
Kasey grabbed the phone off the table as she stood up. “Understood. I’ll take a run at Chief West and see if I can’t garner their support. Wish me luck.”
Sanders smiled. “I think I speak for all of us when I say, we wish you luck.”
Kasey nodded. “Thanks.”
She turned for the door but paused. Looking over her shoulder, she said, “All things considered, this went much better than my previous visits. I think I’m starting to grow on you. Even you, Lender, though you do a great job of hiding it.”
Lender scoffed.
Kasey turned for the door, her smile spreading as she let herself out of the Council Chambers. It was high time she returned to the Ninth Precinct. How would her former colleagues react to her return? She’d been painted as a fugitive and a murderer. Kasey only hoped they gave her a chance to explain before tossing her in a cell.
Chapter Four
Kasey pushed open the Ninth Precinct’s heavy steel doors. It was a relief to be off the street. The windchill was making the wintry weather bite all the more. Kasey had been ready for the cold, but the chaos had caught her off guard. Roving packs of citizens scoured the city like lynch mobs. As soon as she’d spotted the first ma
king its way down Broadway toward her, she’d hailed a cab.
She crossed the lobby of the Ninth Precinct, heading toward the bank of elevators.
An officer stepped into her path and raised his hand to bring her to a halt. “Miss Chase, I’m going to need you to wait here.”
The barrel-chested officer was no stranger to her.
Kasey sighed. “Morales, what’s going on? I need to see Bishop and the Chief. Where are they?”
“West is in his office. Bishop, I’m not sure. She’s probably in the bullpen. I’ll page them and have her come down.”
“No need, Morales, I’ll find her.” Kasey stepped around him.
He shuffled sideways. “Sorry, Kasey, I can’t let you through.”
Kasey raised an eyebrow. “Since when?”
“Since the chief suspended you last week,” Morales replied. “You are a wanted fugitive.”
Kasey felt her pulse quicken as her cheeks flushed red. “That was a misunderstanding. I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s not for me to decide,” Morales answered. “Until the Chief clears you, you can’t freely wander the station. Grab a seat. I’ll have Bishop come straight down.”
Kasey looked over Morales’ shoulder. The bank of elevators was right there, and she had no time for this. The city had no time for this.
“I know that look, Kasey. You might be a bad ass, but if you try to jump me in the middle of the station, you’re just going to make things worse. So just grab a seat and relax. Bishop will be right down.”
He was right, as much as she disliked that. She strode over to a bench seat and flopped down. She let out a sigh.
The city is going to be leveled and I’m a prisoner in my own precinct. Well, today is just off to a brilliant start.
Morales strode over to the lobby’s reception desk and picked up a phone. “Yeah, this is Morales. Can you find Bishop for me? I have a guest in the lobby. I think she’s going to want to come down.”
Kasey tapped her foot while she considered her next move. She had hoped for a better reception; her suspension would complicate matters further. West would be even less inclined to listen to her. She also wanted to see Vida. He had been the first to uncover the true nature of the Shinigami’s plot. She hoped that by now he had an idea of what type of weapon the Shinigami might be using. If they could figure that out, they might be able to disarm it before it could detonate beneath the city.
“Kasey!” a voice shouted.
Kasey tuned to see Bishop striding across the lobby. Bishop had her blonde hair tied back, and her pantsuit was pristine and pressed as usual. She was smiling from ear-to-ear. In light of her usually stern demeanor, it was a welcome change.
At least someone is glad to see me.
Kasey leapt to her feet and headed for Bishop.
Without hesitation, Bishop threw her arms around Kasey. “It’s good to see you, Kasey. When we didn’t hear from you, we feared the worst.”
“Feared the worst? I’m told West suspended me,” Kasey said, returning the embrace.
Bishop let go of her. “That was before. You had the FBI running ads about you, Kasey. You and Sanders made the most wanted list. We didn’t want to believe it, but it put West in an unenviable position. He couldn’t have you on the active duty roster and the FBI’s most wanted list at the same time. Don’t stress about it, though. I’m sure he’ll restore your status once he knows you’re back. You are back aren’t you, Kasey?”
“Sort of.” Kasey jammed her hands into her jacket pockets. “Is there somewhere quiet we can talk?”
“The bullpen is kind of crazy. Let’s head downstairs. At least we never have to fight anyone for a seat in the morgue.” Bishop nodded toward the stairs.
Kasey followed her into the staircase.
Free from eavesdroppers, Kasey asked, “Is it really that bad?”
Bishop turned to look at Kasey. “What do you mean? Is it that bad? Have you been outside? The city is in an uproar. The government is talking about instituting martial law. Things are out of control. How do you not know this? Kasey, where have you been?”
“Underground and most recently unconscious, at least for the past forty-eight hours. My trip here was the first time I’ve seen the sun in days.”
Bishop’s eyes widened. “What happened?”
Kasey kept walking, “Let’s get to the morgue. Vida will want to know too, and time is short, so I’d rather not repeat myself, if that’s okay?”
“Sure, no worries. I’m just glad you’re alright.”
Together, they made their way down the hall and into the morgue. Vida was standing at the whiteboard, scribbling away.
He looked over his shoulder. “Kasey! It’s so good to see you.”
“You too, Vida.” She came up to peer over his shoulder. “What are you working on?”
Vida put down the marker. “I’ve just been looking into the building at Park Avenue. I’m trying to work out how long it will take the Shinigami to drill down and detonate their weapon. I want to know how long we have to stop them.”
“I can help you there,” Kasey said, dropping onto a stool. “We have ten hours, give or take.”
“Ten hours?” Vida spluttered. “What? That soon? How do you know?”
“A vision?” Bishop asked, grabbing a chair for herself.
“Yes. I saw it this morning. If we don’t stop the Shinigami by six pm, the city as we know it will cease to exist. Millions will die.”
Vida sank into his chair. “Well, I guess that answers that. I’ve got to say, Kasey, I’ve missed you, but I haven’t missed the doom and gloom that seems to follow you, like your own personal storm cloud.”
“Alright Kasey, we’re all here,” Bishop said. “Why don’t you bring us up to speed with what’s been going on? We need to be on the same page if we’re going to have a chance of stopping this. Why don’t you start with where you went when you disappeared from the station? One moment I was talking to you and Sanders, the next you were just gone.”
Kasey nodded. “You’re going to get the condensed version, okay? We don’t have time for everything that has happened. It’s been a hectic few weeks and frankly, it would take all day to cover it all.”
“The abridged version is fine, Kasey,” Bishop said. “Give us the highlights.”
“Alright.” Kasey swiveled on her stool. “So, when you helped us escape from Council Headquarters, we knew that you’d bought us some time but that it wouldn’t last forever. Sooner or later, the ADI would come and squeeze West until you gave us up. We couldn’t have that, so we slipped out of the station and made a run for it. We figured the less you knew about our plans, the less they could lean on you. We wanted to give you plausible deniability.”
“Fair enough,” Bishop said, leaning forward. “What happened next?”
“We went on the run. The ADI harried us everywhere we went. We couldn’t speak to anyone we knew, and we were quickly running out of cash. We knew we had to turn the tables on the Shinigami, but we seemed to be getting further and further from being able to do anything. With Akihiro and his Shinigami in control of the council, we were losing ground fast. That’s when we decided to rob the Night Crew.”
“You do realize how insane that sounds?” Vida asked. “Do you know how many bodies have come through this very room because of them? They are ruthless.”
“I know. It was Sanders’ idea. We needed resources and we didn’t want to harm any innocents. So, we hit them instead. We raided one of their stash-houses. We destroyed as much of their drugs as we could on the way through, and when we reached their safe, we stole enough cash to keep us going and burnt the rest to the ground.”
“How much is enough?” Bishop asked.
“Three million,” Kasey replied, “give or take. We must have burned almost double that. There was no way for us to transport that much cash.”
Bishop’s eyes went wide. “There was ten million in cash? No wonder we are struggling to make a dint in t
heir operation. With that much money on hand, they can hire an army.”
“Agreed. Based on the intel we gathered, they have other stash houses located throughout the city. There was enough firepower there to start a small war. We took out a lot of them on our way through, but it’s a spit in the ocean. If we survive the Shinigami plot, there will be a reckoning.”
“Where is the money now?” Bishop asked.
“Gone. We used a chunk of it to hire some help against the Shinigami. We lost some when a Night Crew hit man tracked me to my hotel, and the rest, well, I’m not sure. Sander had it and I haven’t really had a chance to talk to him about it. It didn’t seem like our most pressing issue to be honest.”
“Fair enough,” Vida said. “Ignoring that whole Night Crew hit man part, which we will talk about later, what happened next?”
“We were going after Akihiro and his Shinigami but we needed more intel. We needed to know where he was if we were to be able to take him out. So, I met with John to discover where Akihiro might be hiding. After all, he was masquerading as Arthur Ainslie, so if anyone was going to know something, it would be John. Unfortunately, the meeting was a trap. The ADI followed John to Central Park and caught me. I put up a fight, but there was just too many of them. I was taken into custody by the ADI.”
“How did you survive that?” Bishop scowled. “I would have thought Akihiro would have killed you.”
Kasey nodded. “He certainly wanted to, but he needed to know where Sanders was, so he was trying to leverage me with pressure from the ADI. If he’d had known that I knew his true identity, I’m sure I would have been dead in my cell.”
“So, you didn’t tip your hand?” Bishop nodded appreciatively. “Good call.”
“I thought so. It didn’t do me a lot of good though. They dragged me before the council and tried to prosecute me for everything that had happened over the last few weeks—breaking into the Arcane Council, trying to abduct the Chancellor, vandalizing the city. Everything. There were enough charges for a capital sentence if I was convicted.”