by Matt Sheehan
Captain Roberts joined us for lunch, and he was in a much better mood now that the work was done and his holds were teeming with fresh herring. Lunch dragged into dinner, as Likos continued to serve us course after course of delicious seafood. We turned in early that evening, stuffed to the gills, and woke up the next morning in Tyre.
Chapter Seventeen
Captain Roberts was in a great mood after selling his catch that morning. He told us he would be busy spending some of his newfound coin on a variety of questionably legal items over the next few days, and that we would be welcome to hitch a ride home with him when we were done with our business.
I was just hoping we would be alive to take him up on his offer, but I kept it to myself. We disembarked early that morning, to the displeasure of Shamus and Willie, and spent a good portion of the day wandering around the city with nothing to show for it.
Shamus consulted the arm often, and each time felt that we were close. Sha couldn’t quite pinpoint our final destination and was unable to shake the feeling that wherever it was, it would be surrounded by water. The rest of us were hot and tired, and it had been suggested a few times, particularly by Nero, that Shamus needed to drop the water issue.
We sat around at a café discussing the situation mostly civilly, over curry lamb and chai tea. After the meal Alek disappeared into the market, and he returned a few minutes later with an armload of local maps. It took some coaxing—Sha hadn’t had the proper amount of time to digest his lunch—but after being supplied with a local adult beverage called Arak, he finally relented and took a look at them. He proceeded to dismissively throw the maps on the ground as he deemed them, one after the other, worthless. That is, until he came across one that looked like it had been drawn by a grade-schooler for a geography assignment.
“Now this is a good map.”
Alek reached out to take it. “That map is terribly outdated. The man at the market just threw it in for free.”
Shamus batted his hand away. Alek let it slide. “I like this map. Look at this island off the coast.”
“I believe that is where you spilled your drink.” Alek said diplomatically.
“No, not that.” He poked at the map. “Here.” He looked over at me. “Can you get me another one of these drinks? It’s really good.”
I got up to get him another Arak, then returned to catch the tail end of the conversation.
Shamus was saying, “And it’s surrounded by water, just like I was saying.” He was leaning back in his chair with his feet up on the table. I handed him the drink. “Finally, Helmut. I’m on the verge of dehydration.” He was in full prima donna mode now. He knew he had found the spot and that he was the only one who could lead us there. So he was enjoying the moment.
He sipped his booze. “This is a really good drink. Hey, Helmut, go find out what the recipe is.” I gave him the look that is his warning that he’s pushing it. He’s seen it enough to recognize it. “Never mind, Helmut, we can figure it out later.” He knocked back the drink, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I guess it’s time to find the evil mage base.”
I was content to sit there, drink chai and observe the local populace. I was getting some interested looks, even in my ugly clothes. Nero and Alek wanted to start assault plans, Shamus suggested napping first, and Hector wanted to disguise himself as a young peasant girl. Ramón was the voice of reason, suggesting we should perhaps find the island before determining our next course of action. He didn’t specifically comment on Hector’s idea, but it was assumed that he was against it.
Sha started walking in a westerly direction, with the bronze arm in one hand and the map in the other. His nose was in the map half the time, so I made sure he didn’t walk into traffic or any open pits. We started getting off the beaten path a bit, then ran out of path. Before I knew it, we were crossing through a sort of ramshackle residential area with no clear property lines. Just as I started to wonder if we were lost, we encountered the Mediterranean.
Shamus had a satisfied smile on his face as he pointed offshore. “What does that look like to you guys?”
Nero answered, “Damned if it doesn’t look like the perfect spot for a base.”
Less than a kilometer off the coast was a small island, and on it a good-sized stone structure that looked like an ancient fort. We actually weren’t that far from the pier. The reason we didn’t see the island when we disembarked was because the docking area was in a cove, which blocked it from view. The only way we would have seen it was if we were on deck when we arrived.
“And do you see all the wet stuff surrounding it?”
Shamus was being unhelpful. However he did have a point. Nero had the good sense to keep quiet. Ramón suggested waiting till dusk to decrease visibility, confiscating a rowboat and rowing on over. It was actually more of a command stated in a nice way, and no one argued with him. Hector started to ask about proper moonlight attire, but the look he got from Alek silenced him.
Shamus again brought up the idea of a nap, and no one had a good reason why we shouldn’t. So with no further ado, we went back to the cot room on Captain Roberts’s boat and got a few hours of sleep.
* * *
Ramón woke me up with a shake.
“Get your gear on, brother.”
I did as I was told, putting on the black suit with the built-in body armor. Sha and I had worn outfits like this once before, and just putting mine on again got my adrenaline pumping. Sha’s suit actually fit him this time around, and he seemed to appreciate it. I caught him doing fighting poses in front of the mirror a few times.
Ramón pulled a bag I hadn’t seen before out of a storage locker at the foot of his cot, and from it he started passing out blades and firearms to Alek and his men. Then he came over to me and held out a knife.
“This is the blade I was given when I was accepted into the special forces. Now it’s yours.” I took the blade and nodded. I couldn’t really speak. “Strap it to your left thigh. You’ll want this on the right.” He handed me a very large revolver in a holster. “Damn. We never discussed it. Can you shoot?”
I found my voice. “I haven’t shot a lot, but when I do I always hit the target.” That was more or less true.
“Right. Here’s the thing. Just know where you want the bullet to go and let it go there. You’re not going to need it anyway.” He looked over at Shamus, who was posing again. “Should I give him something?”
“I wouldn’t. He’ll shoot himself in the foot, or you in the back. He is a weapon when he needs to be.”
Ramón nodded. Just then Shamus asked, “Where’s Willie’s armor?”
Alek said, “Why don’t we leave Willie here, where it’s safe?”
“Why don’t I just stay here where it’s safe too?”
“I wish we could spare you, Shamus, but we’ll need your help with the interrogation, and with reading any objects that may help us find the bones. However, I assure you, we will keep you safe.”
“Then why do I need this armor? Anyway, Willie sticks with me. We come as a set. There’s no way I’m leaving him alone on this boat.”
Ramón whispered to me, “This is going to be a problem, huh?”
I nodded. Alek was beginning to get flustered, so Ramón spoke up. “I’ve got an extra set of gear. I bet Hector could fashion it into suitable armor for Willie.”
Shamus was ready to argue, but couldn’t find any footing. “Well, okay then. But it had better be reliable protection.”
Hector smiled and said, “I was hoping they would let me do this. I...”
Hector and Shamus babbled on for a bit, but the conversation really wasn’t important. Nero caught my eye, and we shared a knowing smile. It’s hard dealing with temperamental geniuses, although I’m not quite sure where Hector’s genius lies. Comic relief perhaps. When Hector was done, Willie had an ill-f
itting and completely useless set of armor. Shamus thought it was great.
The last thing everyone did was strap a sword to their backs. This seemed to be a personal weapon, in that no two members of the team carried the same style blade. No one offered me a sword, which was probably for the best.
We exited the boat and made our way down to the docks. I didn’t know where we were going, but I assumed someone did, so I just kept quiet and followed. Sure enough, we came to a large rowboat with four oars.
Shamus said, “Wow, that’s incredibly convenient.”
Nero answered, “Nothing convenient about it, mate. I appropriated it while you were sleeping.”
We piled in, four of us manning oars and Shamus, Willie and Hector taking passenger seats. It took less than ten minutes to reach the shore of the island, and just a few more to ground the vessel in a safe spot.
The island was small, dotted with olive trees and patches of wild grasses. A dilapidated wall surrounded what looked to be an old fort. The wall was five meters tall at some points and worn away to nothing at others. We had a new moon that evening, and between the low light and our black outfits, we were almost invisible. Even so, we stayed low and moved quickly until we were safely behind the wall.
From there, a plan was quickly discussed and put into action. Likely due to oversight, Shamus and I weren’t consulted for our opinions on the strategy. Regardless, it was decided that Alek and his men would go ahead to scout the perimeter and, if able, penetrate the stronghold. Meanwhile Ramón would stay back with Shamus, Willie the Wonder Dog and myself, as a glorified babysitter. Alek and Ramón each had radios, but they were to maintain radio silence unless there was an emergency.
So we sat with our backs to the wall and waited. Shamus and Willie fell asleep ten minutes in. Ramón kept a lookout, and every once in a while he would patrol out and check for sentries. I tried to watch him, but he always disappeared after he was a few feet away.
Since I couldn’t find Ramón, I studied our surroundings a bit. The fort was a few stories’ worth of crumbling stone that was obviously deserted. There were gaping holes everywhere, including where the doors had once been, no lights shining out and no noise coming from within.
I did, however, see something that gave me pause.
It reminded me of Phoebe’s comment about her bunny Fluffy. It was a bunny all right. Or at least it had been. Now it was a bit green and only had a few scraggly tufts of fur. Instead of bouncing, like bunnies are wont to do, it was sort of dragging itself along the ground, all the while making a weird groaning sound. I caught myself holding my breath as it shuffled past.
I was beginning to wonder where everyone had gotten to when Ramón appeared at my side and put a hand on my shoulder. It took all of my self-control not to gasp out loud.
“Something’s up. A patrol is coming out. Wake Shamus, and stay ready.” Then he was gone again.
I did as I was told, and I told Shamus to remain quiet.
A few minutes later Ramón reappeared, almost in front of me, and said to Shamus in a calm and low voice, “We need fog, and we need it now. Can you do that for me?”
Shamus nodded, then scrunched his face up and looked at the sky for a bit. A light breeze picked up, blowing in low, wet clouds.
I heard the sentries long before I saw them. Deep, rumbling footsteps and clanking armor. In all, four men came through the doorway, each bigger than the next, with mismatched bits of armor and unkempt beards. One was carrying the biggest gun I had ever seen, and two had swords. The one in front had a torch in one hand and was holding the other hand out in front of him, as if motioning someone to stop. There was a strange shimmer playing off the torchlight in front of his outstretched hand.
“The one in the lead is shielding the other three,” Ramón said. “Can you see it?”
I nodded.
Then the lead man said something in a thick Mycenaean that was way beyond my limited understanding. After I called back in Gaelic, a different voice spoke.
“Ramón De Arca—we’ve captured your men and forced them to talk. Surrender to us now, or they will be executed.”
Ramón said to us, “Alek gave us this to use as an opportunity. He didn’t mention you or Shamus to them.”
“Or Willie,” Shamus said.
He took it in stride. “Right, or Willie. Helmut, you’re going to surrender to them. They don’t know what I look like. I’ll follow close behind, Shamus will make a diversion, then I’ll finish them.”
Shamus asked, “What’s the diversion supposed to be?”
The voice boomed again. “Ramón De Arca. This is your last chance.”
Ramón whispered, “Answer them. Argue a little. Don’t make it too easy.”
I yelled, “How do I know that you won’t just kill us all after I surrender?”
There was no answer. We looked, and they were huddled together discussing it. Then the lead man spoke again. “Um, you have our word that you will receive a fair hearing before we kill you and your men.”
“I don’t know. Who will be involved in the hearing?”
They huddled some more. Finally the lead man spoke up. “It will be a committee of our peers. Larry will be part of it. He is very impartial.” The rest of the men nodded their agreement.
“But you’re sure we’ll still be killed.”
More discussion, then, “Well, we may imprison and torture you for a while first.”
Ramón and I just looked at each other for a moment. Finally I yelled, “That sounds perfectly reasonable. I’m coming out now.”
Ramón said, “Hold your gun by the barrel, up high so they can see it. And with all your concentration, think that your blade isn’t strapped to your leg. Do you understand?”
I nodded and stood up. I unholstered my firearm and held it by the barrel above my head. My heart was pounding and Shamus looked terrified. Ramón had disappeared again.
“I’m coming out. See my gun? Right here in my hand. I surrender.” I walked out from behind the wall and toward the front of the fort. I concentrated on my knife not being on my leg, as well as simply forcing my one foot in front of the other.
When I got within a few yards of them, the lead man told me to drop the gun. I did, and he dropped his hand down to his side. The shimmering light in front of him disappeared.
“Good, now get over here and give me your hands.”
He had pulled a length of rope from a pouch and was holding it in front of him. The guy with the gun had it pointed right at me, and the guys with swords looked fairly menacing as well. I was really beginning to wonder if this was going to work when I heard Willie howling. Then I saw him running toward us, barking the whole way.
They all just stopped and looked for a moment. Then I heard a boom and the head of the one holding the rope exploded. The one with the gun tracked in the direction of his buddy, in time to watch Ramón’s knife penetrate his eye to the hilt.
My knife was in my hand and I was moving. The two men with swords were facing Ramón, and one was raising his open hand in a way that was making me nervous. I went for him, and I moved so fast I almost ran past him. My blade danced across his throat, and then I hit what felt like a solid wall.
My knife fell from my hand as I collapsed to the ground. The man I had cut dropped to his knees next to me, clutching his throat. The last man standing was trying to engage Ramón with his sword, but he went down moments later to series a well-placed slashes.
I stayed on the ground for a bit, not because I was hurt, but because of the gravity of the situation. Ramón cleaned his sword on a downed opponent, then did the same with my knife before handing it back to me.
He held out a hand and helped me up. “You all right, Helmut?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I crashed into something. I’m not sure what.”
“You got inside the guy’s shield before he raised it, then hit it from the inside. I’ve never actually seen that happen. But that’s not what I meant.” He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me square in the eye. “That was your first kill, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. I’m still processing it.”
“Just remember, he would have killed you. But it’s better if you don’t dwell on it right now.” He gave me a final pat on the back. “You did good, Helmut. I’m proud of you.”
Shamus came running over to us. His eyes were wide and he was flushed. “I can’t believe what just happened. Helmut, you...”
Ramón cut him off. “Shamus, that was a good distraction, my man, and it was timed perfectly.”
Sha smiled, but it was mostly with his lips.
Ramón said, “I don’t know how the hell Alek got captured, but at least he was smart enough to give us this opportunity. The question is, what do we do now? They’re going to start wondering pretty soon where their men are. They may send another squad out, or they may hunker down inside. And I have no idea how many men they have in there.”
I said, “How can there be anyone in there? It looks completely abandoned.”
“There is a subterranean passage off the first floor. It’s where they are holed up.”
Shamus asked, “Do you think Magnus is still mad at you for lopping off his arm?”
“I imagine so, lad.”
“Then why don’t you just march in there like you own the place and challenge him to a duel?” Shamus pulled a flask that I didn’t know he had from his hip pocket and took a long swig.
Ramón said, “That’s as good an idea as any. If I can kill him, it may break the rest of the coven. Let me have a taste of that. I’m gonna need the courage.”
Shamus passed it over and Ramón took a healthy hit.
“All right. March in like I own the place. It’s just counterintuitive. Special forces usually sneak.” Ramón pointed at the giant’s firearm and said, “It couldn’t hurt to have that in there.”
I picked up the giant rifle. It was heavy but I could carry it. We made our way through the old fort entrance and found the passage that led below. Willie’s tail was curled between his legs, but he dutifully followed us in. The stairway down was circular and cut into the rock floor. There were strange glowing orbs on the walls, illuminating the cavern. Ramón saw me looking at them and said, “Mages’ dust,” but didn’t elaborate.