by Tim Waggoner
Then we continued on our way, in search of a Door.
* * *
It took Jinx the better part of an hour to find one. By that time, we were in Newtown once more, close to the Maul. Many of the pedestrians wore body armor and carried weapons ranging from claymores to automatic machine guns. The Maul takes combat shopping to the ultimate level, and you can tell those who’ve just left, because they carry plastic bags filled with purchases and bear numerous bandaged wounds and hobble down the sidewalk at the best pace their broken bodies can manage.
“There,” Jinx said, and pointed.
The building was shaped like a giant demon head – pointed ears, curved ram’s horns, leering mouth filled with sharp teeth – made entirely of jade. The demon’s eyes focused on us, and the leering grin grew wider.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I said.
Jinx’s own grin wasn’t much different from the demon head’s.
“Nope.”
Sometimes Doors manifest as new openings on existing structures. Sometimes they overlap an opening that’s already there. This appeared to be one of the latter cases.
“I suppose we have to go through the mouth.” I didn’t relish the idea of having to pass those teeth, especially if the demon head decided to close its mouth while we did so.
“You should be so lucky,” Jinx said.
“Please tell me the Door is in one of the ears.”
Jinx kept grinning, and, with a sigh, I started walking toward the demon’s huge nose, Jinx chuckling as he followed.
Four
I looked around in confusion. One instant I’d been climbing up into a giant demonic nostril, and now I stood in a grassy field, blue sky and fluffy white clouds overhead, tree-covered mountains off in the distance. A dozen kites of various colors and designs filled the air, flown by kids whose parents stood close by.
“It’s one of my favorite memories. I have an uncle and aunt who live in Oregon. My parents used to take me to visit them every summer. I loved the windy days the best. As you can see.”
He smiled and nodded toward a boy who was running all out, trying to launch his kite skyward. It took a moment before the wind caught it, but after that it rose swiftly into the air. The boy stopped running and turned around to control his kite, a huge grin on his face.
I recognized the boy. He and I had spent hours in therapy – alone and in group – with Dr Kauffman, AKA the Fata Morgana. It was Russell Pelfrey, or, rather, a memory of him. The adult Russell stood next to me, looking exactly like he had the last time I’d seen him. He wore his somewhat cartoonish pirate outfit – purple cape and hood, white shirt with poofy sleeves, tight black pants, brown leather boots, M-energy rapier belted at his waist. He reached up and pulled back the hood, giving me an unobstructed view of his handsome face, puppy-dog eyes, brown hair, and neatly trimmed beard.
I had no idea how to play this. Should I be pissed off that he hadn’t so much as tried to contact me since we stopped the Fata Morgana? Should I play it cool and act like it was no big deal to see him? Should I not say anything and kick him in the crotch as hard as I could? Then again, I might have use for that part of his anatomy one day. Best not damage it.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Between,” he said. “This” – he gestured to the pleasant scene around us – “is just a backdrop. Decoration while we talk.”
The wind didn’t become any stronger, but it did become louder. And it didn’t sound like wind anymore. It sounded like whispering.
“Is that them?” I asked.
He nodded. “The Thresholders.”
Russell posed as a mercenary called Nocturne, but the mysterious beings called the Thresholders were his real bosses. I had no idea what they were or what their agenda was. Russell might have been an old friend, and he had helped Jinx and me defeat the Fata Morgana, but that didn’t mean I could trust him. It was hard to remember that, especially when I looked into his eyes.
Yeah, I know. Sue me.
“So this place – if it is a place – is between Earth and Nod. Hey, where’s Jinx?” I tried to feel him through our link, but I couldn’t sense him at all. I felt a stab of panic, and I had to force myself to remain calm.
“He’s here,” Russell said. “Kind of. He’s not aware of any of this, though. As usual, the trip to Earth will seem instantaneous to him.”
“And the Thresholders are doing this because…”
“So we can talk.”
“So now you want to talk.” I’d tried to resist, really I had, but when you’re handed that good a straight line, what can you do?
His brow furrowed into an almost-frown.
“My employers are using their powers to hold us in an infinitesimally small fraction of time between dimensions, and you want to start an argument?”
I shrugged. “Seems as good a time as any.”
He sighed. “Fine. After we finished foiling the Fata Morgana’s plans, word got around Nod that Nocturne was working for the Shadow Watch. I had to restore my cover as a neutral mercenary, and that meant staying away from Shadow Watch officers.”
“Including me.”
“Yes. I thought about ditching the Nocturne identity completely and establishing another…”
“But Bloodshedder is too distinctive an Incubus,” I said. “As long as she was with you, everyone would know who you are. And speaking of your little doggie…”
“She’s in Nod. I’ll be heading back there when we’re done here.”
Russell’s “employers” were somehow able to transport him between dimensions without the use of Doors, although I had a suspicion they didn’t do it often. Maybe it was too difficult and energy expensive.
“You could’ve sent me a text or a handwritten note. Something.”
The whispering grew even louder, and it took on a sharp, angry edge.
I decided to take pity on Russell. “Bosses. What can you do?”
He gave me a relieved smile. But just so he’d know he wasn’t off the hook, I said, “But you’ll have to make it up to me. Now, since your bosses are working so hard to make this meeting possible, let’s get down to business. What do you need to tell me?”
“You’ve been working on finding out who’s manufacturing and distributing shuteye.”
“Do you know who it is? Do the Thresholders?” My hopes rose faster than Jinx could crack open a skull with Cuthbert Junior. If Russell could give me that information, I could shut down their entire operation – with the rest of the Shadow Watch’s help, of course.
“Sorry. My bosses are very powerful in their own realm, but their influence is limited in other dimensions.”
“Of course it is,” I said, trying not to sound as disappointed as I felt. “Otherwise, why would they need to employ agents?”
“Right. The Thresholders are also interested in taking down the shuteye ring, and I’ve been trying to infiltrate the organization for weeks. But I haven’t had much luck.”
“Because you helped me?”
“Maybe. But I can’t even get hold of much information about the operation. I can find street dealers without too much trouble, and I’ve even located a couple suppliers. But as for manufacturers – nothing.”
I asked him for the name of dealers and suppliers he’d identified, but none were new to me.
I quickly filled him in on Jinx’s and my encounter with Montrose.
“Sorry about what happened to your trainees,” he said. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Maybe not, but it sure feels like it was.” I hurried on before he could try to make me feel better. I didn’t want to feel better about what had happened. I didn’t think I deserved to. “If you came to me hoping I’d be able to give you information, you’re going to be disappointed. I don’t know anything more than you do.”
“That’s what I thought, but it doesn’t hurt to check, right? But I also wanted to warn you. Whoever is behind the shuteye ring knows that I’ve been sniffing around their operat
ion, and they decided to do something about it.”
He lifted his shirt to show a large gauze pad taped to his lower right side.
I winced. “I bet that hurt.”
“Like a bitch,” he said, and then lowered his shirt. I wished he’d kept it up a little longer. I liked the view.
“They – whoever they are – sent an assassin after you?”
“They sent two. Real pros, too. If my employers hadn’t pulled Bloodshedder and me out of the situation when they did…” He trailed off, but he didn’t need to complete the thought.
“So you’re warning me to watch my back. Okay. Consider me warned.”
If the mysterious they could afford to hire assassins good enough to give Russell trouble, that meant they had some serious connections. I automatically suspected the Lords of Misrule, but they were far from the only candidates. The Hand of Erebus, the Red Claw, the Unbound, the Grim Sleepers… any of them could be mixed up in this.
“Why are the Thresholders interested in shuteye?” I asked.
“Honestly? I don’t know.” He smiled ruefully. “They aren’t big on excess conversation.”
“Need to know, huh?”
He nodded. “And, as far as they’re concerned, I don’t need. But they’re deeply concerned, I can tell that much. I get the impression that they fear something big’s coming, something that’s connected to the shuteye trade. And they’re determined to do whatever it takes to stop it.”
I sighed. I missed the days when all I had to do was bust petty criminals and try to keep Jinx from killing them.
“So what are you going to do?” I asked.
“I’m going to stay in Nod and make myself a target. If I can keep the bad guys’ attention focused on me, they might leave you and Jinx alone.”
“What do you think the odds are of that happening?”
“Slim to none,” he admitted. “But it’s worth a shot. What about you?”
“Jinx and I are going to look up an old friend who dealt with shuteye the last time it hit the streets. We’ll see what he can tell us.”
Russell nodded as if he knew exactly who I was talking about. Maybe he did.
“I’ll keep in touch,” Russell said. I must’ve had a skeptical expression on my face, because he added, “I mean it.”
We looked at each other then. There was nothing more to say, and we were hardly going to embrace and kiss. We hadn’t even been on an actual date yet. But neither of us wanted to say goodbye.
Feeling confused and uncomfortable, I turned to take in Russell’s memory-scape. The sky, the clouds, the mountains in the distance… It was all so beautiful, so peaceful. There were no people now, though. As far as I was concerned, they had never been there in the first place. I had a nagging sensation that something wasn’t quite right, but when I turned to mention this to Russell, my vision grayed, went black, and when it cleared I found myself squinting to shut out a sudden explosion of bright sunlight.
I stumbled as I stepped out of the Door, and I felt a hand on my elbow – firm but gentle – steadying me. I opened my eyes slowly to give them a chance to adjust to the light. I glanced over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of a Door set into a wall. It was already fading, and, within seconds, it was gone. Doors usually only exist at night, but they don’t always vanish with the first light of day. If they have a particularly strong connection to Earth, they can linger up to a half hour past sunrise, especially if a lot of people in the area are still asleep. It seemed that Jinx had found one such door.
We were standing in an alley, and I could hear the sound of traffic filtering in from the street. I wasn’t sure where we were. Hell, we could’ve been in any city on Earth, but it felt like Chicago.
I turned to Jinx. “Thanks.”
He smiled and let go of my elbow now that I was no longer in danger of falling over.
“I’ve been propping you up for years. I’m used to it.”
“Ha-ha.”
Jinx had assumed his Day Aspect the instant he’d passed through the Door and into sunlight. I hadn’t been looking at him when it happened, but, even if I had been, the change occurs instantaneously, with no apparent transition between the two states. His skin was Caucasian and he was still bald. I’ve never seen him shave his head – or his face – so, for all I know, he can’t grow hair. Maybe if he remained human for more than half a day at a time, he would. He still wore his gray suit, but his tie was now normal size, the colors less vibrant, the polka dots smaller. His giant daisy boutonniere had become a regular-sized flower, and, as it did every time he assumed his Day Aspect, it was quickly drying up. His red-and-white shoes – not to mention the feet within them – had shrunk to a more reasonable size. But more than his appearance had changed. Day Jinx was a very different man than Night Jinx, but, in his own way, he was just as vexing.
“Do you know where we’re at?” I asked.
“The Door let us out on North Lake Shore Drive. Not far from the International Museum of Surgical Science.” He made a face as he said this. The museum was a favorite of his other self. Night Jinx was always on the lookout for a Door that would allow him to enter the museum after hours. Day Jinx liked museums just fine, but his favorites had a more aesthetic focus.
So we were in the Gold Coast Historic District. A pretty place for tourists to visit and take pictures, but not exactly my Chicago. But I couldn’t complain. Sometimes you have to take the Door you can get. A week earlier, we’d ended up in Naperville. That was exciting, she said sarcastically.
Jinx and I stepped out of the alley, took a left, and continued down the sidewalk. The air was cold, and I crossed my arms over my chest. I wished I’d thought to grab a heavier jacket from my locker in the Rookery, but, since the temperature in Nod never varies, it slipped my mind. Jinx didn’t appear to be bothered by the cold, but then he usually isn’t, regardless of his Aspect.
The Gold Coast is a mix of mansions, row houses, and high-rise apartments. It’s often associated with the Miracle Mile, although technically it’s not part of it. The vehicles passing by on the street were the best money could buy, all the brands you’d expect: BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, Lexus, Porsche, Jaguar, Ferrari, Lamborghini… Doctors, lawyers, bankers, and the like, heading off to work. It’s a good life, if you can get it. A number of the buildings sported holiday decorations – wreaths on doors, decorated trees in the windows. All very tasteful. No inflatable Santas, elves, or snowmen. Far too tacky.
I raised my wisper – so-called because it’s powered by wisps of Maelstrom energy – and called Connie for a ride. M-tech devices will function during the day, as long as their charge holds.
“You really think it’s a good idea for Connie to come here?” Jinx sounded uncomfortable, and I knew why. Day Jinx can be something of a snob at times, and the Deathmobile’s Day Aspect – while much less macabre – still earned its name, just in a different way.
I ignored his question.
“Russell paid me a visit while we were between dimensions,” I said.
Jinx arched an eyebrow, and I filled him in. As I spoke, he removed the dead daisy from his lapel and tucked it in his pocket for later disposal. Day Jinx was no litterbug.
When I finished, he said, “Assassins. Wonderful. There’s nothing I love better than having to keep looking over my shoulder every few seconds.”
I smiled. “You should be used to people wanting to kill you by now.”
He sighed. “I suppose I am. But it’s awfully inconvenient. I was hoping to attend a lecture at the library this afternoon on the history of black performing arts in the city. But I can hardly do so if someone might try to kill me in the middle of the talk. I can’t endanger innocent bystanders like that.”
Day Jinx was a follow-the-rules and go-by-the-book type. I wondered if he truly cared about the people who might get caught in the crossfire if an assassin tried to take him out during the lecture, or if he was simply following procedure. Probably a bit of both, I decided.
“I think we should avoid going home,” I said. “The assassins could be waiting for us there.”
Jinx gave me a skeptical look. “You just want to avoid having to go home and rest.”
I didn’t bother denying it. “I rested yesterday.”
“For three hours.”
“I did six the day before that.”
“Four-and-a-half.”
There was no use arguing with him. He’s always right when it comes to stuff like that.
“Hey, for me, that’s being a good girl, you have to admit.”
Jinx wouldn’t admit any such thing, but he said, “You probably have a point about staying away from our apartment. And I suppose the sooner we talk with Mordacity, the better.”
“You mean the sooner we get it over with, the better. At least as far as you’re concerned.”
Jinx didn’t comment, but he didn’t need to. He and Mordacity didn’t get along that well, regardless of which Aspect they were in.
“So did Russell say anything else?” Jinx asked.
I gave him a sideways look. “What do you mean?”
“Did he explain why he hasn’t so much as called you since we dealt with the Fata Morgana?”
“You may be my partner, Jinx, but that doesn’t mean my love life is any of your business.”
“Anything that might have a deleterious effect on your wellbeing is my business. If for no other reason than to make sure you’re operating at peak capacity as an officer.” He paused, then added, “Besides, Russell’s a jerk. You can do a lot better than him.”
I couldn’t help grinning. “Thanks, Dad.”
Jinx made a face at me, but otherwise let the matter drop. I was glad. I’m more comfortable fighting bad guys at his side than talking about personal stuff with him. Facing almost-certain death? No problem. Dealing with my own confused tangle of emotions? That’s scary.
“How are your hands?”
The sudden change of topic caught me off guard, and for a moment I didn’t know what Jinx was talking about. Then I looked at my gloved hands and understood.
“They’re sore, but okay.”