It didn’t matter. He wasn’t planning to escape this time.
Will spent his last moments of freedom walking around the casino, watching the humans play slots and poker and roulette, and his empathy senses were overwhelmed at the intensity of their experiences. The agony of losing everything, the joy of winning a huge jackpot… all of those powerful emotions lashed at him like a whip. The thoughts accompanying those emotions struck him as well: the fear that a big loss would reveal the charade of success that enabled the gambler’s presence here; the speculation that a big win meant some type of cosmic approval of a recent business transaction; the concern that maybe, just maybe, an addiction was becoming evident after losing yet another pile of cash to the casino. Will walked by a roulette wheel, sensing the situations of those gathered around, and gave the spinning ball a slight nudge to help the woman with the child recently diagnosed with leukemia. She felt guilty being here, wondering if she should be with her son instead, but it was a final bit of entertainment before the reality of treatment began. Her family had insurance and money to cover the treatment; Will hoped the gambling win might give her an emotional boost to survive the upcoming struggle.
He glanced down at his clothing. His attire was fashionable for the times, speaking to the level of wealth required to obtain admittance to the resort. While his clothing contained no special fibers able to mask his Energy, it did possess advanced Alliance technology. The microscopic pods were designed to swarm out from a central point—his prison cell—and locate a single person with DNA matching a coded sample. Upon locating the target, the pods would remain in place until a predefined date, when they’d open and allow the nanobots inside to escape. Most would line the cell walls with a material that repelled the Energy-draining force that made Aliomenti jail such a nightmarish existence. The others would project a message, explaining that Energy stores would be restored over a period of days or weeks, and that at a defined time, they were to teleport to a specific point, and meet up with an Alliance team able to take them home to the Cavern. The escape craft was shielded from Energy and other signals on the inside; even a GPS signal would be trapped inside. The captives could be freed of any devices buried in them by the Aliomenti before final transport to the Cavern.
Deception was critical to the success of this plan. Will needed to ensure that the Hunters believed he’d made a mistake, and that it was only due to Will’s error that they’d found him. That meant he’d need to fight his capture, try to escape, and only after a tremendous struggle allow himself to be subdued by Aramis and hauled away.
There was concern that the Hunters would try to execute Will due to concern that they’d be unable to restrain him in a standard prison cell. Will had been given a specialty batch of the nanos that would be used to free Alliance prisoners from Aliomenti cells. If he realized they’d decided to kill him after he’d been tossed in a temporary cell, he’d activate the devices, restore his Energy, and escape from captivity.
There were many public discussions relating to Will’s special importance to the Aliomenti Elites. He wasn’t just another member of the Alliance to Arthur, the Hunters, and the Assassin. He was older than all of them, more powerful than any two or three of them combined, and as such was unlikely to be treated in the same fashion as other prisoners. While opinions differed on whether that treatment would be better or worse, all were in agreement that Will’s cell would be isolated from the others. The pods could move, but not for long distances. They believed that Will would be isolated. That meant he needed to transfer to pods to the clothing of someone who would get close to the other prisoners, giving the pods and nanobots a chance to do their work. All of the pods were stored in the cufflink of his right sleeve. If, at any point, he found himself in contact with Athos, he would burst a small bit of Energy as a signal to the pods to move. They’d locate the new carrier’s skin and move there.
“But if we can get the pods on Athos, why do we need to send Will or anyone else out as bait?” Hope had asked. “Why not engage Athos, allow the transport to occur, and then escape?”
Will sighed. “I think it’s important that I go, Hope. It will bolster the confidence of the Aliomenti and make them think they've won. In their minds, I lead this group like Arthur leads the Aliomenti. In their minds, that means my capture means this group withers and dies in my absence. In reality, they’ll make additional mistakes due to overconfidence, while we’ll continue to advance and grow our abilities and our technology. It’s possible they'll stop chasing down the ones who’ve escaped after my capture because they’ll believe it doesn’t matter. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“I’m not," Hope snapped. “What if something goes wrong? What if we’re never able to free you? What if… what if they…”
“Kill me?" Will asked; a morbid smile on his face. “History has nothing to say about my existence beyond this point in time, Hope. The reality is that I may be locked away forever, or I may die, and if so—”
“That’s not a possibility, though, Will.” Hope’s face was stern, but he could see the fear in her eyes. “Nothing in your memories of the distant future suggests that the Hunters believed you were dead. They considered you to be missing at the time of the fire, and given your ability to hide in the Cavern and on the Outside, that’s not surprising. If they’d killed you… or if you were in their prison cells… or if you’d died in their prison cells… don’t you think their reaction to finding you that day would have been different?”
“Possibly,” Will admitted. “Or perhaps we didn’t see their shock at the realization that I’d survived; they’d composed themselves to come after me that day. Perhaps they captured me and I escaped at some point, and they only caught up to me again in 2030. Whatever it is, I’ll be gone for a while.”
“You are an incredibly brave man, Will,” Eva told him. “Willing to risk your life for others? Allowing your mortal enemies to imprison you to help others win back their freedom?” She shook her head, and glanced at Hope. “You have chosen well.”
“Your plan is to get captured, Will, and I suspect that means you’ll succeed at doing just that,” Adam told him. “I hope you’re back in time to help with the plan, because there’s quite a bit I still don’t understand. If that doesn’t happen… you have my word that I will make sure that your family is taken care of. I’ll need to go Outside in the near future as well, because that’s what my role will require. Do what you need to do, Will. I know I speak for myself in saying that we’ll make sure everything happens like it needs to happen, and I suspect there are quite a few others here who feel the same way.”
Will held out his hand, and Adam shook it. “Thanks, Adam. Thank you, too, Eva.” He looked at Hope. “We’ll meet again, and for the first time, at a tiny diner outside the city of Pleasanton, Ohio. You’re working there as an apparently eighteen year old waitress, and when I come in to eat in what I hope will be some privacy, you’re the one to take care of me. You’ll tell me the plans for De Gray Estates are all wrong… and you’ll be correct.” He smiled. “You have everything you need now to bring our children into the world, regardless of what happens over the next few days.”
That had happened three days earlier, and Will had since made the journey here to the casino, teleporting in from a dozen miles away to get Porthos’ attention. The lack of a Shield and scutarium clothing was probably unnecessary.
A voice came over a loudspeaker inside the casino, announcing that the water and light show would begin in thirty minutes. Will hadn’t seen the spectacle before, and decided to head outside to watch the show and wait for the Hunters to arrive.
The resort complex featured a large, open-air atrium surrounding a huge pool of water used to power a series of fountains. As he headed outside and once more enjoyed the perfect weather, Will enjoyed the irony of the fact that hundreds of people—human people—milled about. He’d have far too large an audience to try to escape now.
One side of the atrium was dominated by the
entrance to the casino; the remaining sides were ringed with shops and restaurants. Will’s review of the map showed that the only exits were to be found inside the casino, one of the two sets of doors leading down to an underground parking facility, and a single walkway leading to the outside world. All of the exits included metal detectors and other instruments and personnel designed to discourage shoplifters, a fact Will found ironic given the minimum net worth required to frequent the casino. The open air design of the shops made gliding in and out of each store a simple matter; getting ill-gotten wares outside the complex without paying would prove difficult for those so inclined.
Though he intended to be captured, Will still allowed his mind to wander and plan his escape. In these confines, flight and teleportation were out of the question. In theory, if he could find a corner hidden from both direct human observation and security cameras, he could phase into invisibility and make his escape in whatever manner he chose. Like most casino resorts, however, this one was heavy on security cameras, and he ruled out that possibility.
Could he escape back through the casino itself? Mentally, he shook his head. Crowds of people, gaming tables, slot machines, and ubiquitous servers carrying trays of various alcoholic beverages would all conspire to slow his progress until Aramis could reach him. The secured exit to the outside world was also problematic; the security checks would once again slow him. That meant he needed to leave through one of the parking garage doors. There was no obvious security from the atrium through doors into the garage; they’d check everything when you attempted to leave the resort complex in your vehicle. Will didn’t care; if he could get through one of those doors, he could escape without being seen by the human security team or their cameras.
He walked to the fountain as he plotted the strategy he’d never use; he’d work his way through it to keep up the illusion that he wanted to escape. The fountain was massive, and in less than twenty minutes the liquid plumes would rise and fall, combining timed bursts of water and colorful lights synchronized with classical music. It was a show that reminded him of one put on centuries earlier by the sisters, Anna and Sarah, a show that led to their deaths and their ward William's mental descent into bloodlust.
Ideally, this particular show wouldn’t result in any deaths. As much as he claimed not to worry, dying held no particular appeal to him. He’d lived too long to leave this world now. The event he most wanted to see was the birth of his daughter, Angel; the assault on his home and his rescue had denied him the chance to be present at the birth of his daughter. If he survived all of this, if he remained free… he vowed he’d be there in some fashion. If he needed to stay in the shadows to keep Angel, Josh, and Hope safe, then so be it. But he wouldn’t be denied his presence at her birth.
His reverie ended as he felt eyes on him. He glanced around and spotted Athos. He grinned, feeling a surge of adrenaline. The Hunt was on. His instincts kicked in, disinterested in his conscious plan to allow himself to be captured in the end. Perhaps Hope had been right. If he could get the pods on Athos and then escape… but there was no time for speculation about that right now. He needed to think and strategize.
The Hunters’ plan would not be complicated. The goal was to get Aramis’ hands on Will while keeping him in sight of humans, preventing him from teleporting away. If he was looking at Athos now, he’d soon see Porthos as well. He wasn’t sure which exit they’d chosen for Aramis to haunt, but he was certain that the other two Hunters would try to maneuver him in that direction. He tried to pick up on the Energy flow between them, trying to intercept their telepathic thoughts, but he found nothing. A quick glance back at Athos showed the man moving his mouth. Will nodded internally. They were using communication devices that Will wouldn’t be able to track with Energy, speaking quietly to coordinate their actions.
Will didn’t need to hear the conversation, however, to understand what was happening.
He recognized the effort to move him toward one of the parking garage exits, which meant Aramis would be there, and Will decided he should try to leave through a different door. He caught both Hunters’ eyes, offering facial expressions showing his disgust for their efforts. They’d revealed themselves too quickly, leaving Will plenty of room to maneuver and time to plan. Athos’ face betrayed concern. Had something gone wrong? Was Aramis not visible because he was absent from this Hunt? Or were they trying to keep him guessing as to where Aramis was hiding? Will shook his head. He was trying to help the Hunters succeed and they were clearly fouling up. You just couldn’t help some people.
Will observed the exit the Hunters wanted him to take, spotted a large crowd gathering, and noted a pocket of people well over six feet tall. He smiled. Perfect. His self-shrinking back in the early eleventh century would pay dividends today.
Will slowed his pace, letting the Hunters move toward the exit in the hopes of trapping him. He slipped into the group of giants, cutting off the Hunters’ view of him, and waited for the two men to make their move. Porthos was walking toward the door, and Athos was parked near the fountain. A light gust of wind moved Athos hair to the side, and Will noticed that the scar he recalled from 2030 wasn’t there, yet. The wind also brought with it aromas from the restaurants ringing the fountain atrium. Will’s stomach grumbled. He hoped the Hunters didn’t hear. They were busy waiting for him to emerge from the group and head for the door.
He glanced back in the opposite direction, the direction the Hunters had come from. He slipped out the opposite side of the tall group, mingling into the larger crowds arriving for the upcoming show. He could feel Athos' frustration when he realized what had happened. With the crowds in the way, with the rules both followed about Energy use around humans, there was simply nothing the Hunters could do. Will smirked for the Hunters’ benefit, but inside he worried. Were they going to let him escape despite his efforts to help them?
Will angled for the door heading to the underground garage. In many ways, this had been the easiest escape he’d experienced, and none of them—Will or the Hunters—had used Energy. He chuckled inwardly. The Hunters lived their lives relying on Energy for everything; Will reserved usage for the true emergency situations. Will was thus more prepared to handle a situation like this, was able to better plan and adapt to a situation where Energy wasn't available.
He reached the door to the garage and resisted the temptation to glance back at the two Hunters and smirk.
Once inside, he glanced around quickly for humans on the stairs, and then scanned the walls for security cameras. Could he teleport—
A hand seized his shoulder, and he felt the unmistakable effects of Aramis’ power seize him. His Energy was quashed, and for a man like Will, the experience was much like having the wind forcibly knocked out of him. The pain was terrible. He sagged to the ground. Will barely heard Athos and Porthos move through the door a moment later, and was only vaguely aware that Athos was scolding Aramis for improvising away from the original plan without clearing it with Athos and Porthos first. Deep inside, Will chuckled. He’d been correct. Something had gone wrong with the Hunters’ original plan, and he’d nearly escaped. They had him now, though. Will wasn’t sure if that meant he’d won or lost this round. Success wouldn’t be determined until he found out how many people he freed.
“Why weren’t you responding to either of us?” Athos snapped. Will started to answer, but realized Athos had been talking to Aramis.
“Couldn’t hear you in the garage,” Aramis replied. He sounded quite pleased with his creativity. Will vaguely heard Aramis explain that he suspected Will would catch on to their trap and double back, so he’d entered the garage and reemerged here, where Athos had started. “I’m not sure why I couldn’t hear you, though.”
“Radios don’t work in garages because of the metal beams and concrete barriers,” Will said, unable to resist responding despite finding himself lying on the metal grate. His voice was no doubt weak and muffled; the Damper had affected him in a powerful way. That was a good si
gn; Aramis couldn’t completely drain him now. “The metal shields the radio signals.” He couldn't resist adding a barb. “You’d be better off sticking to telepathy; it’s not like I didn’t know you were there the entire time.” That was mostly true; he knew they were coming and had been prepared to act accordingly. He just didn’t know which part of the casino would be the site of the Hunt.
Porthos, who seemed to be enjoying the sight of Stark lying prone on the metal stairs, walked over, held Will's head up, told Will to shut up, and let his head fall noisily back to the stair landing.
That hurt.
While Aramis maintained his grip, Athos and Porthos hauled Will to his feet and slammed him face-first against the concrete wall. Will could smell the fresh paint, which helped shock him into staying conscious after the rough treatment. Porthos held Will still while Athos elbowed Will’s left forearm, leaving the limb mildly numb. Will struggled, less out of fear than a realization that he probably should resist. Athos forced Will’s left hand into a glove, a move Will found puzzling. It was the middle of summer and quite hot outside. Why would he need a glove?
He then glanced down and saw that the glove was a pair, sewn together as if two people were holding hands. Why in the world…
He realized what it was and started to struggle, but Athos and Porthos slammed him against the wall again, knocking the wind out of him, pushing chips of paint into his mouth. As he struggled to shake away the cobwebs, Aramis slid his right hand into the second glove. The webbing congealed, sealing the hands together in an unbreakable bond on the outside. The palms of the glove dissolved. Aramis’ skin was now permanently in contact with Will’s, and the Damper was thus fully operational. Will wouldn’t be able to physically attack Aramis and break free.
Clever.
Will watched out of the corner of his eye as Athos extracted a hypodermic needle from inside a deep pocket and removed the cap. Will felt the needle pierce his skin, and winced inwardly as Athos depressed the plunger. As the contents filtered through his bloodstream, Will felt mental focus dissolve, leaving him in something of a dreamlike state.
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