by T. G. Ayer
I tried a second time, tapping again and concentrating harder. Again nothing change. We remained exactly where we were.
I glanced at the President who was now watching my face, his expression worried. "What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.
I shook my head, panicking now as the green fog closed in from above. Loki must have used some kind of magic to ensure we couldn't transport out of the emergency safe. I cleared my throat. "I'm not sure. It's not working." Around us, gunfire rattled as a second group of Jotunn swarmed into the room, ripping the Oval Office up with bullets. Carpet exploded, walls crunched, nothing in the room able to withstand the gunfire.
I reached into my pocket for the Icebreaker. And as I moved, the President glanced up at the ceiling and froze. Fear skittered across his expression as blood drained from his face, giving him a deathly pallor.
"Don't worry about that, Sir," I said, touching his arm. "We will get-"
"Don't worry?" he said, his voice raising to almost a shout. "There's poisonous gas a few feet from our heads and you're telling me not to worry?"
"Yes, Sir. Panic will get us nowhere. We need to remain calm and in full control," I said, annoyed now that I'd gotten myself, and the leader of the US, caught in this trap. I stared at the ceiling and shook my head. "We should have foreseen something like this. They must have jimmied the mechanisms."
The President's eyes darkened when I looked back at him. "And how would you have been able to figure that out?"
I shrugged. "We have people who studied every inch of this office before we set foot in it. We should have known that the possibility existed. Then we would have been prepared."
A shout reverberated around the room and I looked up over the desk in time to see Myst, a hand flat on her abdomen. She was standing by the fireplace, her sword in one hand, an odd, surprised expression on her face. She looked up and met my eyes, her expression slightly dazed. Then, she slowly sank to her knees.
Behind her, her great ebony wings shook almost angrily.
"No," I shouted as I rounded the desk and slammed my palms on the glass, filled with utter frustration that I was unable to help her, and horror that she'd been injured. I'd told her to stick to my side, I'd promised her I'd keep an eye on her and the moment we'd arrived in the Oval office, I'd completely put her out of my mind.
I watched helplessly as she sank to the ground then tapped the button on my comm. "Someone make sure to bring Myst when we leave." A few affirmative responses buzzed in my ear but I barely heard them. Another voice broke through my fugue. "Bryn, we gotta get outta here. The helicopters are almost on our backs." Derek's yelling in my ear shocked me into the realization that I already possessed something that would enable the President and myself to escape the deadly safety of the box.
But, as I reached into my pocket, two Jotunn turned to face me and opened fire. Bullets struck the glass hard, thumping deep enough to cause small gouges. And the bullets kept coming. Fast.
Loki had powerful ammunition and when the shooters focused their gunfire on one spot I realized they knew what they were doing. Given time they'd be able to weaken the glass.
I backed away and rounded the desk. "We really have to get out of here. They'll get through the shield soon." When the President nodded, the strain tightened around his eyes. I grabbed the ball of gloopy Icebreaker from my pocket and held it in my palm. "This will disintegrate the glass. The moment the shield falls we have to leave so keep holding on to me."
He nodded and I slapped the clear gloopy substance onto the glass.
I touched my comm. "I'm blasting the glass. Will take the President to the Bifrost. Soon as I'm out, retreat." A chorus of affirmatives sang in my ear and I faced President Whitman. He set his hand on my shoulder and we both waited.
The clear glassy gloop began to grow opaque, almost pearlescent. Within seconds, the glass closest to the Icebreaker began to grow paler too.
On closer inspection, pale color proved to be the glass beneath the surface cracking hundreds of times over. Networks of hairline cracks snaked outward away from the Icebreaker and I watched in awe, with one ear on the gunfire around me and one eye on the green gas now merely a foot from my head.
A movement on my left took my attention away from the slowly breaking glass to the frost giant now pointing his gun at us. I scrambled to put the President behind me, knowing when the glass shattered we'd be at the mercy of the Jotunn for a few dangerous seconds.
"Stay behind me," I said.
"This is ridiculous," he snapped. "I want a weapon."
"Sir, I think it's best for you to stay safe. We can protect you."
"I'd be safer with a gun in my hand." He wasn't budging.
I stared at him for a second, then reached for one of the guns strapped to my hips. I handed it over, handle first, and hoped he wouldn't end up shooting himself. Or me for that matter. This President wasn't an army man, but I hoped that at some point, someone had given him weapons training.
He grabbed the gun, thumbed the safety off and aimed it at the Jotunn who stood still, waiting as if he knew we were up to something and was merely biding his time until he could take us out. The right side of the desk was free of frost giants, and I was relieved. At least I only had to worry about one death threat.
Other than the noxious gas, of course.
I glanced at the Icebreaker, noting its progress. With the glass shield so thick, I couldn't gauge how long it would take to break. And the more glass shattered the more impatient I got.
In reality, it had only taken a few seconds, but to me it felt like hours.
And enough time for the green gas to close in on us. The substance tickled my nose even as I held my breath, trying not to get it in my lungs. But it didn't take long before both President Whitman and I were coughing uncontrollably.
Impatient, I said to the President, "I'm going to try breaking it now. In case this works, keep a hold on my shoulder." He nodded, his expression stricken as he let out a cough keeping an eye on the Jotunn behind me at the same time.
My eyes began to water as I aimed my gun at the weakened glass and ripped off a shot. Thankfully, the Icebreaker had done enough of its job and the shield shattered on impact, sending shards of glass flying in all directions. Within a breath, I tapped Gungnir and concentrated to get us to the grass beside the Bifrost.
Gunfire exploded as we began to shimmer and dematerialize. The President's gun exploded beside me as he sent a round of bullets at the Jotunn who now stood a foot from us. But the frost giant was persistent, remaining unaffected by the President's fire. He continued to shower us with lead, his gun being an automatic, giving him a distinct edge over us.
Coughing uncontrollably, we began to fade, pain blooming in my shoulder, but I ignored it.
Just a flesh wound.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
We reappeared on the grass, both the President and myself bent over in a coughing fit, weapons hanging loosely from our fingers. I'd thrown my glamor over us as we arrived, to ensure we didn't shock any innocent bystanders and pedestrians.
When we straightened and began to breathe normally, the President let out a shocked, relieved laugh. His watering eyes looked a little unfocused as he regained his balance and stared at the gun in his hand, his expression shell-shocked.
The team had obeyed my order to disengage and were reappearing around me. Thor strode toward us and I said, "We should leave before they come looking for us. Loki will know where the Bifrost touches down." He fished the note from the pocket of his pants and nodded.
The drone of helicopters, no longer distant, drew our attention to the White House. "Crap," I muttered. "We should get out of here. Now."
Despite my instruction, the team remained focused on the helicopters that hovered a few hundred yards from the monumental building.
"Shit," Derek shouted. "They going to take it out."
The President's hiss of shock went unheard as we watched four bombs fly, two from each of the helicopters, and punch their w
ay into the iconic monument that was the White House.
The bombs exploded on impact, sending fragments of stone and wood flying in all directions. A fireball mushroomed as another explosion rocked the building, sending shock waves through the ground. I could feel the vibrations beneath the soles of my feet but I still couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"I can't believe they did that." Joshua's voice rose over the team.
Letting out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding all this while, I figured now was a good time to give the team a little insight into Loki's intentions. "Believe it. Loki is being thorough. He wants to cut the power of the government off at the knees. What better way to destabilize a nation than to take away the monuments of liberty?"
Fen moved to my side. "And knowing him, he has only just begun."
I suppressed a sigh, steeling myself against the urge to give up. "Let's get out of here people," I said into my comm.
Joshua's eyes darkened with worry as he looked at me. I wasn't the only one wanting to get away from the sight of the destroyed building.
Within seconds, I sighed with relief as the Bifrost touched down in an unfamiliar street that appeared uninhabited. All the Midgardian team members were visibly shaken and I hadn't fared much better either.
Thor broke away from the group and everyone took that as their cue to follow him. Joshua slowed his steps and came up alongside me. His worried glance made me want to smile. I wasn't sure who was more worried about whom.
We hurried down the road, noting the deserted feel of the area. No cars parked at the curbs, no bikes forgotten in front yards. Two blocks over, we headed down another quiet street, this one slightly more populated, with a few lights on up and down the road as the sun began to set, bringing with it the cool relief of night.
Sunset seemed appropriate considering the spectacularly horrible end to the day. Loki had decimated the White House and I couldn't even put the words together to describe how I felt about that.
We stopped in front of an old, dilapidated house and the President inhaled, the air rattling in his lungs. "They blew it up. I can't believe they blew up the White House," he whispered. Ditto, Sir. Then he sighed and stared at me, his golden-brown eyes flat with shock. "I guess this means it's all true. All the ridiculous things you told me are true. If I'd only-"
I met his gaze, my feelings clear in my eyes. "You could not have known they'd do that. And to be honest, I didn't suspect they would either. We assumed they wanted to get inside but to blow it up? No. That I didn't foresee." My throat felt raw from either the gas or the coughing it had caused.
The President didn't respond and I didn't expect him to, either. It was probably too much for anyone to absorb so quickly.
A monument had just been destroyed, a monument that had also been his home. A symbol of freedom had just been obliterated and it was easy to see the signs in that.
Loki was trying to undermine the stability of the free world, to instill fear in the same way that terrorists did. In fact, what he'd done had been an act of terrorism. Everything he did was in the pursuit of one goal; winning the great war, a war he was bringing to Midgard. And in his quest to win that war, entire countries will be brought to their knees on Loki's whim.
I shook my head and swallowed the gritty feeling in my throat as Joshua and I turned to study the house. A rundown Victorian, it looked abandoned, garden dried and almost non-existent, its weather-board peeling, roof looking like it was missing a few too many tiles. The only thing that was missing was the 'Marked for Demolition' sign.
With a glance at the President, I asked, "Doesn't anyone live here anymore?"
He shook his head. "Not since my grandmother died. I own the place, but I chose to let it decline, at least on the outside. It discourages reporters. No self-respecting President would stay in a property that looks like this."
I nodded, impressed at his cunning. This man was not to be underestimated. "Good thinking." I gave him a short nod and glanced at Joshua.
He touched his comm. "Derek, are we good to go?"
Derek's voice crackled over the airwaves, setting my ear abuzz. "No heat signatures, so yes, all clear."
Then, Joshua gave the sign, and pointed at the house. We headed to the property, two dozen warriors, one god and one President. As we closed in, I pressed my comm. "We need a perimeter check, and a good number of guards around the property. No blind spots please."
"Will do," said Fen, his voice distorted by the communications device.
"Derek, can you get some cameras set up discreetly?" I asked.
"I'll get right on it," he said, sounding a little too excited for the occasion, but I didn't say anything. We needed a little enthusiasm right now and if Derek was the only one enthused by his role then I'd happily take it.
At the door, the President punched in his access code into a small keypad, then waited as a panel opened and a small plate extended from the wall. A soft beep sounded and he placed his thumb on the pad. The device buzzed as it scanned his thumbprint, then beeped softly. The scanner disappeared into the panel and a dull click emanated from the lock.
The President pushed the door open and entered the hallway, with six warriors, led by Joshua and Aimee, brushing past him, spreading out as they ran up the faded oak staircase and down the bare wood floors of the hall and into the doorways flanking it on both sides. He looked at them, slightly annoyed, his spine stiffening.
"They have to check the place out first, Sir." I spoke softly and his annoyance fled as he nodded. He looked strained, and tired, and I understood his emotional state all too well.
When the warriors shouted out the all clear from the rest of the house, the President headed for the small front room on the immediate right.
As he sank onto the dark leather sofa, I motioned for the rest of the team to enter the house. Warriors swarmed inside, commandeering rooms downstairs and heading upstairs to look for more space.
Thor and Fenrir stopped beside me, their expressions wary as they looked to me for silent confirmation. I gave them a nod before walking into the front room. They followed and as we drew closer the President's eyes rounded at the sight of the two men up close. He probably hadn't gotten time to study them in the craziness of the last half hour or so.
Fenrir, splendidly attired in Ulfr armor made a particularly vicious statement. Thor was even worse in terms of impression. His height and bulk, his bronze armor, and the gigantic hammer he clutched in his hand all screamed his identity. I introduced them and they all shook hands.
"Sir, I think you can see that this situation has escalated."
"That was a trap, Bryn. Just as we expected." Fen was shaking his head, clearly unhappy about the failure to protect the building.
I gave a short nod. "There was nothing we could have done about the bombing short of infiltrating Loki's team." My words didn't seem to mollify Fen in the least bit.
"We're in danger," said the President quietly. He rubbed his face and then pressed his fingers into his temple. Shifting his gaze to Thor, he asked, "What is it you need me to do?"
"If you can help us gather all the people on the list, bring them here, or better yet to Asgard," Thor said, giving me a glance for confirmation.
"Considering it's likely that Loki has some secret access to Asgard, I think the best place is Muspellheim. With Steinn. Loki and the Jotunn cannot enter Muspell," offered Fen.
"Good plan." Thor nodded.
I'd forgotten that Steinn's father had placed a spell on the borders of Muspell using a strand of Loki's hair, thus preventing him from ever setting foot in the realm again.
I glanced in the direction of both Fen and Thor. "Can you take care of rounding up all of them?" They both frowned slightly.
Clearing my throat, I said, "I can't go with you just yet. I need to see how Myst is doing." I felt conflicted about the decision to stay but Myst was my responsibility and I had just gotten her killed.
The President cleared his throat. "Is she goi
ng to be okay?" I glanced at him, curious. "I saw the girl you were looking at. The one with the black wings. Is she badly hurt?"
My heart tightened as I answered. "I don't know. I'm going to check on her." I turned and stumbled, suddenly feeling slightly dizzy. Thankfully, the back of a sofa provided support so I didn't have to fall flat on my face.
"Bryn, you're bleeding," Fen said as he closed in on me. I swallowed, then put a hand to the throb in my shoulder. With adrenalin slowly draining from my bloodstream, pain began to take its place, making me swallow a gasp.
I gritted my teeth as I studied the ripped fabric on my arm, now gleaming with blood. "Crap," I said, annoyed. "I think it went right through."
A familiar hand snaked around my waist and I looked up into Joshua's worried eyes. "Come. If you don't behave I will have to carry you." His tone told me he was deadly serious.
The strangest thing was that I didn't mind the offer. "Don't you dare think of carrying me. Unless you want that concussion to kick in so you end up dropping the both of us on the ground." His only response was a dry snort as he walked me to the stairs.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
I entered the first room at the top of the stairs, guided by Joshua's hand at the base of my spine, drawing comfort from his proximity.
Inside, the room had been turned into a small infirmary, with blankets and cot-beds sourced from camping gear stored somewhere within the house.
Near the door, Myst lay on a low cot, her skin so pale I felt a shiver of fear ripple through me. I knelt beside her as she caught sight of me and gave me a weak smile.
She swallowed hard, then closed her eyes for a moment, her dark lashes fluttering against her pale skin. Then she opened them and met my gaze, her brilliant blue eyes glistening. "Thank you for letting me come with you." She sounded so grateful that I wanted to burst into tears right then.
She shouldn't be grateful. I'd just killed her by allowing her to accompany us.
I shook my head, anger and fear a terrible duo taking control of my senses, making my ears ring, making my throat close on the words I wanted to utter. "You can't be grateful if you end up dying." I almost snapped my words out and my eyes widened, as I feared I'd hurt her feelings, but she let out a soft laugh, followed closely by a rattling cough.