The Legend of the Red Specter (The Adventures of the Red Specter Book 1)

by M. A. Wisniewski

  "THEY GONNA BE OKAY?"

  "Hopefully," said Agent Funaki. "Gunter and Harris have major stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, Gyasi has been shot five times and hasn't woken up yet, and Rafiki has a really nasty...er, bite wound."

  The Red Specter made a disgusted sound and muttered under his breath, while Joy shivered and tried to avoid visualizing that. They entered the KIB's warehouse, and Joy noted the buzz of activity in one corner, cordoned off by freestanding curtains. She got a glimpse through them and saw two people in scrubs rushing about to aid others lying on cots. Joy noted that, despite the activity and equipment, there weren't nearly as many people running around as she'd have expected. They seemed understaffed. Curious. The Specter kept walking, heading to another section of the warehouse.

  "Civilians need to be separate," said Agent Funaki. "Not that we have many. Right now it's you, and—"

  Joy heard yelling, and spotted a familiar face. Lin Lin was struggling with a KIB agent—a woman wearing an elaborate head-wrap over her uniform. The sight alarmed Joy for a minute until she realized the agent was actually being gentle, concerned with keeping her charge from bolting off.

  "Can we—" Joy started to ask, but the Red Specter was already walking her over. Joy called out to reassure Lin Lin, who managed to calm down and wait until they made it over, before falling all over Joy, bawling and apologizing and offering thanks.

  The Red Specter lowered her down so she could hug and be hugged while balancing on one foot, though he still supported most of her weight. They stayed like that for a long time before Lin Lin came up for air. She had been cleaned up, her shackles had been removed, and she didn't seem to be injured anywhere Joy could see.

  Joy tried to deflect further thanks, insisting that she was okay, though Lin Lin freaked out a bit when she saw the nail in Joy's foot.

  "Lin Lin, I think your brave big sister needs to go get that looked at," said the female agent, not unkindly, and in Xiaish, too. "Plus, we've got a treat for you. Our radio team just reported in from the Kovidhian temple, and there's someone who wants to say hello."

  Lin Lin stared blankly at the odd heavy box on the table next to the agent. It must've looked bizarre to her, with all the weird dials and lights, and the strands of wire protruding out of the top, bent around in arcane geometric patterns. She jumped when the box started talking to her, with Hsiu Mei's voice, but recovered enough to reply, as the agent showed her the microphone and told her to push a button to talk.

  "You have voice transmission over radio?" said Joy, marveling at the contraption. "I thought that was only theoretical. What's the range on that? How long has it existed?"

  "Specific details about the radio are classified for now, Ms... er, I mean, Joy," said Agent Funaki.

  Was it, now? Joy was about to ask some follow-up questions, but Lin Lin pushed the microphone in front of her, to talk to Hsiu Mei and all the girls, who'd made it to the temple. She had a round of them all thanking her, and Shao Yin and Noriko were especially effusive, apologizing for giving her such a hard time earlier. Really, it was no big deal—they'd had no good reason to trust her, and all the praise and thanks was getting embarrassing. The female agent came to her rescue, reminding Lin Lin that Joy needed to see a medic.

  Joy said her goodbyes and the Red Specter scooped her back up again. As they walked away, Joy overhead bits of their conversation.

  "Big Sister Joy was amazing," said Lin Lin. "The bad guys had her tied up, and their leader was a monster with sharp metal teeth, and he even tried to bite me! But she yelled at him and made him stop. She wasn't scared at all."

  "He's lucky she was tied up," came Hsiu Mei's tinny reply. "Or else she would've beaten him up, like she did to the other one.…"

  Agent Funaki stared at her, and Joy felt her face grow hot, amazed at Lin Lin’s skewed perception of what had gone on.

  They’d mostly been speaking Kallish in those exchanges, so Lin Lin had used her imagination to guess at what all that gibberish meant. At some point she'd have to have a talk with the girls, maybe correct some of their misconceptions about her...

  "You're tougher than you look, if you can really go toe to toe with Benny the Shark," said Agent Funaki.

  "Ah, I think the girls got a bit of a mistaken impression about me," she said.

  "TRY FULL-ON DELUSIONAL."

  Joy scowled at the Red Specter. He wasn't... wrong, exactly—but did he have to sound that dismissive?

  "I could take Benny," she said. "As long I got to use that crane golem again. I mean, I was pretty effective with that, right?"

  "Wait, that was you?" Agent Funaki went wide-eyed. "You were the maniac running the..."

  He stopped and looked away while noisily clearing his throat. "Ah... Ahem. Yes, um... I guess your... efforts with the crane golem did disrupt their defenses. And umm... Oh, look—you can wait here for the medic."

  Agent Funaki directed them into an abandoned office containing four empty collapsable cots. The Red Specter began to lower her onto the nearest one.

  "Ah, thank you," she said. "Well, since we're waiting here, why don't we do the interview?"

  "NO INTERVIEWS," said the Specter, who deposited her on the cot and turned to leave—or tried to, except Joy wasn't letting go of his neck, so he remained bent-over as he tried to peel her off him.

  "What? But you have to—at least a little one, right?" Joy said. "You need to think image control. And this is a major event. The people of Dodona have a right to know."

  "DON'T CARE. NOT MY PROBLEM," he said, prying her fingers off him, one by one.

  "But it is my problem. It's my job," said Joy. "And I really, really need this interview. You wouldn't turn me down now, after all I've been through? If it hadn't been for me, the bad guys would've gotten away."

  "NO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE."

  "What?" Joy yelped. "Now, you see here—if I hadn't grabbed the Joanne Spaulding with that crane, it would've—"

  "IT WOULD HAVE SUFFERED AN IRREPARABLE ENGINE MALFUNCTION IN ROUGHLY ONE HOUR'S TIME. ADRIFT UNTIL THE NAVY COMES TO RESCUE."

  "What? How could you possibly know..." Joy paused as she remembered all the drugged crewmen and Captain Ong, from when she'd found them all stuffed in the dinghy. So that was what he'd been up to. But wait, did that mean everything she'd done had been….

  The Red Specter broke free and ducked out of reach before she could react.

  "AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN LESS DESTRUCTION," he added.

  Joy felt her stomach sink, but Agent Funaki jumped to her defense. "Well, that's true, but there could've been a nasty standoff with the hostage, too, which we avoided this way. That was a huge concern."

  She thought back to the events of the night—of all the gunfire, but only the "Hostage Rescue Team" had suffered casualties. The KIB hadn't been trying to cut the Triads off from their ship—they'd been herding them onto it. Gather them on a boat, one guaranteed to go adrift, but take away their hostage first, then send the navy to force a surrender. But... wait a minute... how would they have known in advance...?

  "STILL GOING TO BE A BIG BILL," said the Red Specter.

  "We'll see," said Agent Funaki. "Though I'm guessing most of the damaged goods are going to be declared contraband, or seized by the State anyway. And it turns out, we found some interesting, ah... insurance in that secretary's purse. Bunch of names there, including the Harbormaster. He's going to have some explaining to do as to... well, let's just say he's going to have other things on his mind than—"

  "Wait--you found something in Daphne's purse?" Joy blurted out. "Captain Ong's 'Insurance' ledger? A huge ledger of names and payments to people who are on the Triad's take?"

  "What? How did you--" Agent Funaki stopped himself from saying more, but it was too late.

  "That's mine," she said. "I mean, I found that. In the chart room of the Joanne Spaulding. And it was hidden real well, too. In a secret compartment. You'd have never found it without me. That's worth an interview, right?"

  T
he Specter stared back, unimpressed, while Agent Funaki replied. "Ahem... I'm afraid I can't comment on evidence pertaining to an ongoing investigation."

  "But you brought it up in the first place," Joy pointed out.

  "THIS IS WHY YOU'RE NOT CLEARED TO TALK TO PRESS," said the Red Specter. Agent Funaki shrugged and gave him an an apologetic smile, earning a dismissive noise from behind the Specter's mask.

  "WHATEVER. I'M OUT," said the Specter. "GOODBYE, MS. FAN."

  "Wait, wait," she said. "You can't--"

  "Sorry," said Agent Funaki. "We'll have a medic come see to you, as soon as one is available. It was nice meeting you."

  "No, no—" Joy watched the Specter reach for the door, open it as Agent Funaki trailed him, and knew that if he left, she'd have lost. But she was so close. There had to be something she could do. Something she could offer in exchange for an interview. Something they needed. Something she knew and they didn't. Of all the crazy things that had happened to her over the past twenty-four hours, she had to have seen something... something.…

  "Shining blue jewels!" Joy blurted out, and saw both men pause, midway through the doorway. "Big blue jewels, about the size of a walnut, smooth on the outside, polished like stones in a river. But they don't quite look it, because on the inside, there are all these weird lines that reflect light, makes you think of facets, but they're not."

  The two men looked at each other, then at her. Agent Funaki started to speak, but the Specter stopped him.

  "ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU'VE SEEN JEWELS LIKE THESE?"

  "Am I saying that?" Joy said, making a big show of thinking it over. "Hmm... Yeah, I think I can definitely go that far. I can say that I'm seen them."

  "HOW MANY HAVE YOU SEEN, AND WHERE ARE THEY?"

  "Weeell, there's one that I've actually seen, and a bunch more where I'm pretty sure where they are.…"

  "YOU CAN QUIT BEING VAGUE NOW." The Red Specter had a commanding, no-nonsense tone, but he was hardly the scariest thing she'd dealt with tonight.

  "Mmm... I'm sorry, you're asking me a bunch of questions, but you're not answering mine. That doesn't seem very fair, does it? How about a trade?"

  The Red Specter loomed over her. She could see his narrowed eyes through his goggles.

  "THIS COULD BE CONSIDERED OBSTRUCTION."

  "Obstruction? You mean, like, obstruction of an official investigation?" said Joy brightly. "So, would you like to confirm your status as a KIB agent? At this point, you might as well. What is your official title and authority? Although, may I remind you, if there's any authority that requires me to answer questions—especially in the absence of legal counsel—I'm not aware of it. Furthermore—"

  "Joy, listen," said Agent Funaki. "You don't understand. Those crystals are very dangerous. It's of vital importance that we secure them as soon as possible."

  "Oh, so they're very important?" Joy replied. "How interesting. Would you care to elaborate on that, Agent Funaki? What are these crystals called, and how are they dangerous, exactly?"

  Agent Funaki winced as the Specter glared at him some more. "I'm... er, not cleared to talk to press—"

  "ENOUGH. I'LL HANDLE THIS," the Red Specter shooed Agent Funaki out of the room, turning to her before he left. "BE RIGHT BACK."

  Yeah, you will, thought Joy, proud that she managed to refrain from a triumphant fist-pump-slash-victory-dance until after the door had closed. But still, she couldn’t get too complacent yet—not until she cleared the final challenge: the interview itself.

  Chapter 50

  Interview With A Red Specter

  Joy lay back on her cot and waited, and the wait turned excruciating almost immediately. Literally so—without any other stimulus to distract her, it was very hard to ignore the fact that she had a nail stuck through her foot. And a messed-up pinky, which had swollen up to twice its normal size, and was poking off at a weird angle. And a whole series of bruises and cuts from being banged around. Hard to get comfortable like this, with all her injuries nagging at her.

  The Red Specter returned bearing a case of medical supplies, plus her waterproof satchel, which he tossed to her. They'd recovered it! Joy retrieved her notebook and pencils, and watched in surprise as the Specter stripped off his gloves and started rifling through the med kit.

  "What, are you going to be my doctor now?"

  "FASTER THIS WAY," he said. "AND I'M NOT GONNA SUBJECT ANY OF THE MEDICS TO YOU. THEY'VE HAD A ROUGH DAY ALREADY."

  Joy glared at him, though she thought he was kidding. "Or maybe you don't want me asking them any questions. Is that it? And speaking of which—"

  "HERE'S THE DEAL," said the Specter. "I DO YOUR INTERVIEW. YOU TELL ME THE NUMBER AND LOCATION OF ALL THE BLUE JEWELS YOU KNOW OF—AND THEN YOU FORGET YOU EVER SAW THEM. THEY STAY OUT OF YOUR STORY. NO MENTION OF THEM AT ALL. NOT TO YOUR READERS, NOT TO ANYONE."

  Joy's rush of victory faded at the second half of the deal. "Wait, you want me to withhold information from a news story?"

  "THOSE JEWELS ARE DANGEROUS."

  "Well, you say that, but..." Joy tried to think it through. She'd worked in intelligence. She knew that some secrets had to be kept, for the good of all, but still... "How is it dangerous just to know that they exist? That doesn't... I don't know that.…"

  The Red Specter loomed over her. "YOU KNOW THAT ARSON IS A FELONY, RIGHT? COMBINE THAT WITH RAMPANT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A CRANE GOLEM AND AN ENTIRE STEAMSHIP."

  "What?" Joy yelped. "I thought we were over that. It was in the service of a greater good—the emancipation of exploited young girls. I was helping you. I was, err.…"

  The Red Specter crossed his arms and waited, while Joy ran all the events of that night over in her head and tried to stay calm. She really had caused a lot of destruction. Noble motives might be a mitigating factor if she was charged, but still—

  "INTERVIEW," repeated the Specter. "IN EXCHANGE, YOU REVEAL THE CRYSTALS TO ME, AND NO ONE ELSE. DEAL?"

  Joy knew she should take that deal. That was the smart thing to do. But this whole business of keeping secrets from the public—it didn't feel right. It made the words catch in her throat.

  The Red Specter watched her hesitate, and let out a long sigh, seeming to deflate. It came as something of a shock as Joy realized that he was nearly as tired as she was.

  "YOU KNOW, I DID SAVE YOUR LIFE THREE TIMES," he said, sounding more than a little peeved.

  "Oh, right! Okay, fine—it's a deal," said Joy. "You should have brought that up first, instead of making threats. Aiyah!"

  The Specter just stared at her, and Joy decided to let it slide.

  "Okay,” said Joy. “You know all those chains the girls had on them? There's a link right below the collar that's actually more like an amulet or a brooch, with an image of Nibiru embossed on it. There's a jewel inside each of them."

  "YOU'RE SURE OF THAT?"

  "Sure I… well, actually—no," Joy admitted. "I only know for sure about the one I found in Hsiu Mei's collar, but it seems likely—especially given how desperate Chief Gallach and company were acting. They were prepared to blow themselves up, remember? Seems a bit over-the-top if it’s just about getting an extra wife, don’t you think?”

  The Specter nodded. "THE ONE YOU FOUND. WHERE IS IT NOW?"

  "Hidden in my apartment."

  The Red Specter opened the door and issued orders to someone waiting outside, then returned to prepping his medical supplies.

  "AFTER WE'RE DONE, AN AGENT WILL ACCOMPANY YOU TO YOUR APARTMENT. TO RETRIEVE THE CRYSTAL."

  Now Joy really wanted to know what was up with those crystals. This smelled like a huge story, and part of her already regretted the deal she'd made to shut up about them. Joy told that part of her to quit being greedy. She already had a huge story on her hands, and she should focus on that.

  The Red Specter tossed her a damp cloth to wipe the dirt off all her minor cuts, and some that weren't so minor, where she'd been gouged by shards of broken glass.
The Specter cut off her sandals, and started swabbing her feet with alcohol. It stung a lot, made her hiss through her teeth.

  "NEED SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN?" Said the Specter, producing a hypodermic needle.

  "Painkillers? Oh, sweet blessed Kovidh, yes please—No, wait!" An image of the barely-coherent Captain Ong flashed through Joy's mind. "Are there going to be any side effects? Like, it's not gonna make me all loopy, will it?"

  The Red Specter just stared at her. "HOW WOULD YOU NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE?"

  "Oh, you're hilarious," said Joy. "But you owe me an interview, and I need to be—"

  "TOPICAL ANESTHETIC, NOT GENERAL."

  "Well, fine then," said Joy.

  Joy felt a sharp jab in the sole of her foot. The Red Specter tossed the empty syringe away, and repeated the process on a large gash on her thigh.

  "NEED STITCHES HERE," he muttered, and peered at the side of her head. Joy felt him poking at her raw, bloody earlobe, where Shiori had been slicing at her. "HERE, TOO. BEST DONE SOONER THAN LATER."

  "Um, okay," said Joy. "It's...not too bad, is it? I'm not going to always have to style my hair to one side, or..."

  "BE FINE," he said, swabbing the area clean. "SMALL SUTURES, SMALL SCAR."

  "You sure you know what you're doing?" Joy asked, although it did feel like he did from the way he worked—very practiced and efficient. He had strong, callused hands, but his fingers were more slender than she would've expected.

  "And um... maybe you could see better without that mask on?" She added. It was worth a shot.

  "CAN SEE FINE," he said, returning to her foot and poking at it.

  Joy decided she was too tired to do anything but shut up and let him work. She kept especially quiet while he stitched up her thigh and ear. She wanted his full concentration for that. But when he switched to just wrapping bandages over everything, she decided to probe a bit.

  "So, how long has the Red Specter been working with the KIB?"

  "WHO SAYS I AM?"

  Joy snorted. "Oh—come on. It's obvious that you're working together. I've seen you give orders to the lead agent here."