by Quincy Allen
The bull was still breathing. Lumpy opened his eyes and lifted his head, making a low moaning sound. Grabbing the sword, Jake stood up and moved back a pace. The bull shifted once, and with a massive twist rolled his legs under his body.
“Come on, boy. You can do it,” Jake said. “You get off that ground and it’s sweet feed for a week, you hear me?” The bull looked at Jake and then licked the blood off his nose. He was breathing heavily, but he didn’t seem to have any other injuries. “Come on, Lumpy.” Jake wiped the tears from his cheeks.
The bull heaved, first his hindquarters and then his front. With one last lurch, he got to his feet. He staggered once, leaned against the cockpit of the assault unit, and then steadied himself on his feet. Jake rushed in and wrapped his arms around the bull’s neck.
“Attaboy!” he yelled. Lumpy turned into Jake and pressed him up against the vehicle. “Hey! Watch it,” Jake cried. He gave the bull another hug, and then stepped away just as the first of Brewer’s people climbed over the barricade. Brewer crested an overturned vehicle, his gun in his hands, and for long seconds looked at the carnage that lay in every direction inside the barricade.
“Holy shit,” he said, eying Ghiss and then Jake. “Remind me not to piss you boys off.”
“Duly noted, sir,” Ghiss replied, tipping his hat. The tall topper had miraculously stayed in place the entire time. Ghiss calmly started unscrewing one of the cables from his pistol.
“I can say it now,” Brewer said, grinning. “I figured you boys didn’t have a hope in hell of coming out of here alive.”
Jake grabbed Lumpy’s bridle and turned the beast around. He slipped the sword through a loop in the saddle and stared up at Brewer. “Frankly, neither did I.” He gave Brewer a tired smile when something caught his eye.
He could just see the top of the tower from where he stood, and a thin stream of smoke drifted up from the apex. Stepping up on top of a barrel, it looked like only one of the four emitters had been damaged.
Jake began reloading his pistols. From where he stood, he could see that only a quarter of the shield around the city had been affected. The rest appeared to be intact, and the open portion was on the north side, away from where Cromwell’s troops had gathered.
Lucky, that, Jake thought. Had all four emitters gone, Cromwell’s troops would have had a shot at the southern gate.
Jake turned to the southwest. A mass of zeppelins locked in battle tore into each other. At least a dozen Roswell zepps were engaged with twice that number of the smaller, sky-blue Cromwell ships. The Dragun was at the center of the fight, and she was in trouble as she powered toward the north end of the city. The shield around her glowed a sickly yellow, nearing collapse. Smoke poured out the back of the gondola and Jake could see one of her turbines burning. There wasn’t a ship in the air, Roswellian or Texan, that didn’t have an orange or yellow shield. They’d all been taking a pounding.
One of the Roswell zeppelins exploded, and then another, raining debris down onto the desert and part of the city. The Dragun focused her fire on a single enemy zeppelin whose shield turned pale yellow. Then it flickered out. In a matter of seconds, the envelope caught fire, collapsing as the Dragun’s guns poured into her.
Jake spotted Szilágyi’s zeppelin a few hundred feet above the Dragun, pacing the battle, but it didn’t seem to be shooting at anything.
Suddenly Szilágyi’s zeppelin accelerated. The nose dipped toward the north end of the city. Two more of Szilágyi’s ships disengaged from the main battle and angled in the same direction.
“Ghiss, it’s time to go!” Jake shouted. “I think Szilágyi’s heading for Pandora Celtica.”
A boom followed by the hiss of massive rockets drew Jake’s eyes back to the Dragun. Large doors had opened up under the nose of the armored gondola, and something shot away from the zeppelin like a bullet.
It was an aircraft of some kind, with a small cockpit up front and wide wings that swept back in a triangular shape. The aircraft streaked across the sky, propelled by two long jets of flame and smoke, and it was heading north of the city—straight for the shadowgate.
Jake got up onto Lumpy’s saddle as Ghiss jumped down from the barricade and leapt on behind him. “It’s been a pleasure, Brewer,” Jake hollered over his shoulder.
Brewer merely smiled and waved as Jake spurred Lumpy hard.
The bull bellowed once and charged through the remains of the wagon blown apart by the assault unit. “Good luck with the city!” Jake added over his back.
He never heard Brewer’s reply as Lumpy clattered across the cobblestones on the other side of the inner gate. The main gate of the outer city walls stood wide open, and at first, Jake was afraid Cromwell’s troops were coming through. Fires burned atop the wall where several of the large gun emplacements had been destroyed, and he could hear a battle raging beyond. People were working frantically to pull a downed assault unit out of the gateway. A dozen horses and two vehicles had been hitched to the heavily armored war machine and were dragging it slowly inside.
The small aircraft from the Dragun shot over the western wall, banked north almost over Jake, and leveled out about fifty feet off the ground. It rocketed over the outermost city wall, the shriek of its rockets reverberating within the city.
Through the gate Jake spotted the shadowgate. It had become a dark, swirling mist taking shape well north of the city. It grew in size and intensity, glowing a deep purple with sparks and a tangle of electricity at its center that almost made it look like a human iris, but this one had to be almost a hundred feet tall. The dart of the retreating aircraft hit the eye dead center and disappeared into the swirl of energy.
Jake turned his attention to Pandora Celtica. The dragon was agitated, its tail swishing wildly. People scrambled around Pandora’s gondola, loading up the last bit of gear.
Jake’s heart sank. The wagon, along with Corina’s reliquary, lay out in the open a short distance from the gondola.
He looked behind him. Two of Szilágyi’s zepps sailed in low over the city, with another close behind. The dragon looked up at the approaching enemy and roared defiantly. The sound of it rattled Jake’s teeth, but he pressed on.
Glancing back, he saw wide doors swing open underneath the trailing zeppelin as the first two passed overhead. He watched helplessly as a large cargo net dropped out underneath. He spurred Lumpy harder, and the bull put on a burst of speed, but he knew he’d never make it in time.
Gunfire erupted from several positions along the street, aimed at the zeppelins, and small green splashes of light pocked the envelope’s shield with each impact.
The dragon inhaled. Several people dashed out from under Pandora, running straight for the wagon as the first two zeppelins closed the gap.
“GET THE DAMN WAGON!” Jake screamed.
Heavy machine guns erupted from the two lead zeppelins, and the two runners stumbled, veering away from ricochets that danced around the wagon.
Pandora exhaled. A gout of blue flame shot into the sky, catching one of the lead zeppelins dead on. The zeppelin’s shield went pale green, then orange. Yellow. Pale yellow. It flickered out.
The dragon’s flames tore through the nose of the zeppelin in an instant. The ruined airship veered sharply to the right, crashing straight into the side of the ship beside it. An explosion tore the first zeppelin to pieces and ruptured the other zeppelin’s shield. Then the ammunition within the first cooked off. Bullets and shells erupted in a hailstorm of shrapnel that blossomed, most of it arcing over the city wall.
The second ship, its side caved in, folded with the impact. Its envelope caught fire, and it sank quickly toward the city. With a massive splintering of wood, the ship crashed into the street between the buildings and the wall, slid thirty yards, and came to a stop up against the outer wall.
The third zeppelin passed over Jake’s head. The cargo net flew by, the bottom of it dragging across the street. Jake yanked the Peacekeeper and took aim at the cables of the cargo
net. He fired once, twice, and then Ghiss’ pistol sounded behind him. Neither of them could get a bead on it with Lumpy bounding beneath them. All three shots missed.
Several ports slid open on the rear of the zeppelin, and gun barrels poked out. They opened fire as Jake yanked on Lumpy’s reins, veering sharply to the right. Ricochets danced on the cobblestones where Lumpy would have been, sparks flashing wildly in all directions.
Jake angled behind the zeppelin landing tower, trying to keep pace, but there was no hope. Lumpy ran past the base of the tower just as the cargo net slammed into the wagon and scooped it up.
“Corina!” Jake howled as the wagon and the reliquary within lifted off the ground. He pulled his other pistol and unloaded at the cables again. The nose of the zeppelin angled upward, following.
The wagon, reliquary, and Corina were gone, drifting away in the drone of zeppelin turbines.
“Corina,” Jake whispered hopelessly as he steered Lumpy toward Pandora Celtica.
Skeeter, Cole, and Shadowcat stood in the wide open doors of Pandora’s gondola, waving frantically for Jake to come inside. Rage filled Jake’s heart as he looked at them. He couldn’t believe they’d left her out in the open like that and just stood there as Szilágyi hauled her away. He squeezed his eyes closed as tears streamed.
There was about to be a reckoning, and Jake was going to take it out on anyone who got in his way.
Chapter Twenty
Into the Fire
“They were five steps ahead of us the whole time.”
~ Captain Jane Wilson
“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MINDS?” Jake screamed as Lumpy skidded to a halt inside the gondola. He wanted to kill someone, and they were all standing there like it was just another sunny day.
“Jake,” Skeeter said quietly, holding up her hands, trying to calm him down.
“What in the hell made you think it was a good idea to park the wagon out in the open like that?” Jake lifted a leg and slid out of the saddle. His Colts were still in his hands, and he was waiving them about as he dropped to the floor. Ghiss got off the bull as well, but on the other side. They all stood in an area easily big enough for the wagon to have fit in.
All they had to do was roll the son-of-a-bitch in! Jake thought.
“Jake,” Shadowcat injected with a bit more emphasis. “Calm down.”
“Calm down?” Jake shouted. “Why the hell should I calm down? Y’all just gave Szilágyi the book and Lady Dănești for god’s sake! You got any idea what you’ve done? Any idea what they’re going to do to her?”
“Jake,” Cole said gently. He stepped up and put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “It’s not what you think.”
Jake spun, his eyes blazing as he jerked his arm away. He glared at his partner. He couldn’t believe Cole of all people could have been so stupid. “Don’t tell me what I think, goddamnit!”
Cole stepped back, his hands held up defensively, and there was a hurt look in his eyes.
“Jake!” Skeeter shouted and stepped in between them, dragging her suitcase. “Shut up and listen for a second!” Skeeter was small, but she was a terror when she got worked up. She shoved Jake back hard.
It was exactly what he needed. He was so surprised that he staggered back, his eyes wide and jaw agape. She held up a single finger to get him to cool his heels, then squatted down over her suitcase, undid the latches, and reached inside, her eyes never leaving his. “Everything is okay,” she insisted as she eyed his pistols. “Now put those things away.”
It occurred to Jake that he still held his Colts. He slowly slid them home in his holsters. They were empty, but he and Ghiss were probably the only ones who knew that.
From inside the suitcase, Skeeter pulled out a large book made of reddish-brown leather. The color reminded Jake of the blood-streaked canvas in the army tent where they took his limbs.
He suddenly realized the leather had been soaked in blood. It couldn’t be anything else. There were seams across the surface, stitching together small pieces of hide. Between the seams were symbols that had been branded with a hot iron.
It could only be one book.
“The Book of Ebliss?” Jake asked, staring at it.
Skeeter nodded. Before Jake could ask, Skeeter answered the obvious question. “Last night.” She carefully slipped the book back into her suitcase. “She brought it to me for safe keeping in case Szilágyi attacked. She figured no one would ever think a little girl had the damn thing, and the Lady is beyond being tortured for information.”
“And what about Corina?” There was still anger in Jake’s voice, but it was easing.
“I’m here, Jake,” Corina called out from a doorway on the far side of the cargo hold. She was in shadow, well away from the daylight.
Jake’s heart soared at the sight of her, his rage evaporating in an instant. “But, what about your reliquary?”
“That was my idea, Jake,” Skeeter said. “If we needed to buy time to get out of here—which we did and are now burning by the way—then giving up the reliquary would get that son-of-a-bitch Szilágyi off our backs.”
“At least for a little bit,” Corina added from the shadows. “He probably has a way of opening it.”
“What do you mean?” Jake asked. “That thing was indestructible.”
“Nothing is indestructible, Jake,” Corina said sadly. “And he’s had plenty of time to prepare. A man like Szilágyi is likely to come prepared, with magic or brute force.”
Jake thought about it. “Yeah, I suppose he is.” He looked down at Skeeter. Her resourcefulness and sheer smarts never ceased to amaze him. He smiled at them all. “I guess I owe y’all an apology … in spades.” He paused, looking at each of them, his eyes lingering on Cole. “I’m sorry, everyone.”
Jake grabbed Cole’s shoulder. “Hey, Cole.”
Cole turned, his jaw muscles tight.
Jake knew he’d made a mistake, a bad one. “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have come at you like that. Not you. It was the thought of Corina in the hands of those rotten sons of bitches. I ain’t got no excuse exceptin’ I lost my head.”
“Sometimes sorry ain’t enough, Jake.” Cole let that hang in the air between them for a few seconds, and Jake felt a pang of guilt fill him to overflowing. He cast his eyes down in shame.
“I …” Jake started. He didn’t know what to say. The thought of losing the best friend he ever had made him feel like he’d been hit in the belly with a sledgehammer.
Cole’s face relaxed, and his eyes softened. “But sometimes it is.” He grasped Jake’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, amigo.” He smiled knowingly. “We all get riled.”
Jake breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t know what I’d do without ya.”
“It’s alright, Jake. I woulda’ thought the same thing,” Cole replied, patting Jake on the back.
Jake grinned. “Well, what are we standin’ here jawing for? Let’s get the hell outta here!”
Their faces went deadpan, and then they shook their heads in unison.
“Good idea, Jake,” Skeeter said, but there was no mistaking the sarcasm in her voice.
“Shadowcat,” Jake said, motioning towards Lumpy. He stepped over to the bull and drew Requiem’s sword as Shadowcat stepped up. He reversed the grip and held it out. “I’m sorry about your man.”
Jake tried to read the dark man’s face, but it was a blank slate. There wasn’t a trace of emotion.
“There’s no need for an apology,” Shadowcat replied. “We all have our path to walk.” He stepped by the proffered weapon and slid the cargo hold door closed, locking it. “Keep it, Jake. You may have use for such a blade before this is all over. Especially where I suspect your path will lead you.”
Jake’s mouth dropped open. “I … I couldn’t,” Jake said as Shadowcat moved past him. Jake stood staring as Shadowcat disappeared through the far doorway where Corina stood.
“Cole?” Jake said, holding out the weapon. “Do you want this thing?”
“Naw, Jake.” Cole paused, turning in the middle of the hold. “You were always better with those things. I know how to hack with ’em, but you were trained to use one.”
Shadowcat hollered something down the corridor in a strange language. The dragon roared, and the ship lurched as they lifted off the ground. Jake stepped up and clapped Cole on the shoulder. “Thank you.” He said. “After you,” he added, motioning for Cole to go ahead.
Steadying himself, Cole stepped through the doorway past where Corina waited for Jake. He tipped his hat to the Lady and hurried off behind the others.
Corina wore the green leather armor from the night at Chung’s, and both blades were sheathed at her hips.
The two lovers rushed into each other’s arms, and the embrace turned to a kiss that lasted long seconds. Jake broke the kiss and whispered into her ear, “I’m glad you’re okay.”
She stepped away from him, an apologetic look on her face. “We didn’t mean to frighten you, but I’ve been doing this a long time, and the less people know what’s going on the safer we all are.”
Jake nodded. He was beginning to truly understand how hard it must have been for her. Four hundred years of running teaches you a few tricks.
“We better get up to the bridge,” he said. “We’re not out of this yet.”
Corina nodded and squeezed his arm. “This way,” she said. They moved quickly through a main corridor of finely carved wood. Each panel depicted an assortment of forest patterns like leaves and vines and trees covering virtually every surface.
There were carvings of woodland animals and faerie folk scattered along the walls, and Jake got the sense there was a story being told there. He wished he had time to give the images more than a passing glance. Following the others, he and Corina made several turns, passed through a galley and another corridor, and then came to beautifully carved wooden stairs that led up to an open set of double doors.
“They’re coming back!” Shadowcat’s voice reverberated down from the bridge. The ship lurched, pouring on speed, and Jake had to steady himself against the banister. He. felt Corina grab onto him to keep from falling. They dashed up the stairs to a wide bridge that was even more intricately carved than the rest of the ship.