"Orion!" Kellan cried out. The flames cleared as thick black smoke boiled up toward the sky. The side of the wall and part of the pavement was blackened with it, and three figures lay on the ground. Kellan felt her heart stop when she saw it.
Heedless of the danger, she rushed out from cover toward where Orion lay. She vaguely heard the sounds of the other two elves retreating as quickly as they could, the bike engines roaring again as they took off, not wanting to face off against a spellcaster as well as G-Dogg.
Kellan reached Orion's side. His jacket and jeans were charred and burned in spots, and there were burns on his face, hands and parts of his torso, but his chest still rose and fell, and he groaned weakly and started to roll over as Kellan knelt by his side.
"Don't move," she said, placing as gentle a hand as she could on his shoulder. She looked at the other two elves lying nearby. The ganger she'd hit was clearly dead, burned to a crisp, while the other was burned like Orion, though it seemed like he caught more of the brunt of the blast.
Then G-Dogg was there, crouching beside her, looking things over with an experienced eye. He cupped Orion's head in one massive hand, looking at the burns on his face and lifting one eyelid to check his pupils.
"I think he'll be okay," the ork said, "but he needs a street doc or a healer." He turned to look at Kellan. "Can you do anything for him? Kellan?"
The request snapped Kellan out of the daze she was in. She glanced down at Orion, then back up at G-Dogg, shaking her head. "I don't know how," she said helplessly.
"Then we should get him to Liada," G-Dogg replied. "The Star will show up sooner or later, even in this part of the Barrens, especially when people start tossing fireballs around. Help me get him up." Kellan helped G-Dogg move Orion, though the brawny ork did most of the work. Soon, Orion was laid out across the backseat of G-Dogg's car. They drove away from Crusher 495 as sirens wailed in the distance, heralding the arrival of Lone Star. G-Dogg got on the phone as he drove. It was only then that Kellan noticed the blood oozing from a nasty gash along the side of his head, matting in the ork's dark dreadlocks. G-Dogg seemed to pay no attention to it.
"Liada," he said into the phone. "We ran into some trouble. We're going to need some patching up. Looks like the Ancients might be a problem."
Kellan was angry that Orion's surrogate family was trying to kill him, just because he was trying to do what he thought was right. She figured it was over when Orion lost the duel to Green Lucifer, but clearly the Ancients were not going to let it drop until Orion was dead. But she wondered, was dealing with Orion more important to them than their war with the Spikes?
"I think I know how to distract them," Kellan said, putting a hand on G-Dogg's arm.
17
Liada closed her eyes in concentration as she slowly rubbed her hands together, as if warming them. She whispered words in a soft singsong that sounded like elvish. Kellan saw a faint shimmering light gather around Liada's hands.
Orion lay on the couch in G-Dogg's apartment, his leather jacket tossed on the floor and the charred remains of his T-shirt lying close by. Liada gently laid her hands on him, one on Orion's forehead, and the other on his chest. She spoke a single, forceful word. Kellan felt the surge of magical energies, different this time than the kind of power she'd felt from the spells she'd experienced so far. It was gentler, soothing, almost a whisper.
The ripple of magic spread across Orion's body and, before Kellan's eyes, he began to heal. The angry red burns faded to a tender pink, and then to normal, pale flesh. Burned hair regrew along the side of Orion's scalp, and his chest suddenly swelled with a deep intake of breath, followed by a long, relaxed sigh.
Liada slumped over the elf warrior for a moment, catching herself with one hand against the back of the couch. As Orion stirred, she got slowly to her feet, brushing the long, dark hair out of her face and tucking it behind her pointed ears.
Orion's eyes fluttered open. He reached up and peeled the spray bandage off his face. The surgical staples and the cut were both gone, leaving only a thin, white scar behind. He ran his fingers over it, then across his chest where the burns had been. There was a look of wonder on his face as he glanced up at Liada leaning over him.
"Thanks," he said, and the elf mage nodded.
"No problem," she replied, sounding tired, but pleased. She turned toward Kellan and G-Dogg. "He'll be fine, but he should get some rest and eat something to help his body fully recover. Now, let me take a look at that cut, G-Dogg," she said, straightening up and moving over to the chair where the ork slouched.
"It's no big deal:" he began with a wave of his hand.
"Let me be the judge of that," Liada said crisply.
She parted the bloodied dreadlocks and appraised the oozing cut. Then she waved her fingers over the wound, whispering soft words. She gently pressed her hand against the side of the ork's head. When she lifted it away, the cut was gone, as if it had never been.
Liada puffed a tired sigh as G-Dogg brushed his blunt fingers across the side of his head.
"You can crash here for a while, if you want," he offered, and Liada nodded.
"Thanks, I think I will."
"Thanks, Liada," Kellan offered, glancing over at Orion. She couldn't believe that Liada had healed them both so quickly.
"All part of the service," the elf mage replied with a wave of her hand. "You toss a killer fireball."
"That's for sure," Orion muttered, levering himself up to a sitting position.
Kellan felt a hot flush across her face and neck as the memory of her blunder came flooding back.
"I-I'm really sorry," she fumbled for the words. "It was an accident."
"It's okay," Orion said. "You didn't mean any harm, and you sure as hell put an end to that fight. I'll just know next time to get out of the way." He smiled.
"If you're careful, there won't be a next time," Liada said in a firm tone. "You've clearly got power, Kellan, but you need to learn how to control it. Until you do, I'd be careful about just throwing it around. Magic isn't a game and it's not a toy."
"I know that," Kellan said stiffly.
"Don't worry about it," Liada replied, her tone softening. "We all make mistakes. The first time I summoned a spirit: well, let's just say that I bit off more than I could chew. The trick is to learn from those mistakes. Don't try to take on too much before you're ready for it, okay?"
Kellan nodded. "Okay," she said.
"I dunno about you guys," G-Dogg interjected, "but I need some sack time and a shower. I get cranky if I don't get my beauty rest." The other shadowrunners wisely refrained from stating the obvious and found places to sleep.
Kellan volunteered to take the floor so the others could use the few pieces of furniture G-Dogg's doss boasted. She had certainly slept in worse places, and she felt so responsible for what had happened. If Orion hadn't managed to move when he did:. She pushed the thought aside. She would just have to be more careful in the future. She understood that magic was more than just an opportunity, it was also a responsibility. She just had to make sure there wouldn't be any more screwups.
Late the next morning, G-Dogg took them to a local diner that served a hearty breakfast. They sat at a back corner booth, and G-Dogg ordered enough food for eight people. Kellan discovered she was hungrier than she thought, and the ork easily ate enough for two humans. Even Orion put away a surprising amount for someone so lithe. They tucked into stacks of soyjacks, accompanied by juice, soy-sages and plentiful amounts of coffee. Liada stuck with some fruit and a piece of toast, along with some juice. By the time they were close to finished, Kellan was feeling refreshed and invigorated.
"We can meet up tonight at Max's," G-Dogg said between bites of food. "He's got the transportation, and we'll want to go over everything once more before it goes down."
Kellan nodded in agreement. "Can you let the Deacon know?" she asked.
"No problem."
"Might be a good idea for you to lay low for the rest of the day,
" Kellan said to Orion, whose expression demonstrated he didn't care for the idea at all.
"Just until the run is over," Kellan pressed, speaking quietly, so as not to be overheard. "If the Ancients are looking for you:"
"I'm not going to hide," Orion said stubbornly.
"Last night isn't going to be the end of it, not by a long shot," G-Dogg interjected, taking a swig of his soykaf. "Every newbie in the Ancients looking to score some points and some street cred will be gunning for you, chummer."
"There's no point in making yourself into a target," Liada added. "You know this isn't over with the Ancients, especially if they think you know something that might be damaging to them. You're going to need to keep a low profile until the run anyway."
Orion sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."
"You can hang at my place," G-Dogg offered. "At least until things quiet down and you can set yourself up. Probably not a good idea for you to go back to your own place until then. You can bet the Ancients are watching it."
"Thanks," Orion said glumly, realizing the others were right.
Liada and Orion finished up and headed out the door, and G-Dogg turned to Kellan.
"Are you sure about having him in on this?" the ork asked.
"He is in on this," Kellan insisted, and G-Dogg held his hands up to ward off a tirade.
"I know, I know, but it could be trouble. As long as the Ancients are after him, he's going to be a target. And I don't want to go on a run with a big target on our team."
"If things work out, the Ancients won't be a problem," Kellan said, and explained her plan. G-Dogg looked dubious.
"You sure you want to do this?" he asked. "I can set up a meet for you, but it would be easier to just leave the elf at home and take our chances." Kellan glanced at Orion's retreating back as he mounted up his motorcycle outside the diner.
"Yeah," Kellan said, "I'm sure. So let's do it before I change my mind."
"So, anyone else feeling deja vu?" Silver Max commented.
"Not exactly the same this time, Max," Jackie Ozone replied. "This time Kellan doesn't have to play bait."
"That's an improvement from my perspective," Kellan replied. "How's our target?"
"On its way." Max was observing the approaching shipment through the sensors of his drones. "Estimate three minutes."
"All set, guys?" Kellan asked, and G-Dogg and the Street Deacon responded.
"In place," the ork said.
"Ready," the street samurai replied in his laconic drawl.
The remainder of the three minutes seemed to crawl past. Kellan did her best to not wonder if she was doing the right thing. They'd gone over the plan multiple times, and they had the advantage of already having pulled off the run once before. How many shadowrunners got a test run for their jobs? Kellan had a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach, wishing that they'd had more time, but in her heart she knew that no amount of planning could eliminate the uncertainty that came with running the shadows. Sooner or later, it was time to shut up and do the job.
"Here they come," Silver Max said curtly, and Kellan tensed. From the side of the road she could see the headlights of the trucks in the distance. There was a lead escort vehicle and the bigger cargo hauler following behind, exactly like before, the only difference being that this time the cargo truck was carrying a shipment of weapons and ammo, not cheap electronics. At least Kellan hoped it was the only difference.
The two trucks drew closer, headlights bright in comparison to the dimly lit stretch of highway. Two dull thumps sounded from the side of the road and the front tires of the escort truck blew out, sending the truck into a sidelong skid. The driver slammed on the brakes, red lights flashing as the truck skidded to a halt, and the cargo hauler's brakes squealed as it tried to avoid hitting the escort.
"Liada, now!" Kellan said over the comm.
On the other side of the road, not far from where the Street Deacon crouched with the sniper rifle he had used to take out one of the truck's tires, Liada stood up just enough to get a clear view of the two trucks and the road. She raised her hands over her head and spoke the words of a spell. Ghostly light shimmered around her hands, and shaped itself into a dimly glowing sphere. Liada hurled the sphere of light at the two trucks as men spilled out of the escort vehicle's doors.
The sphere streaked into their midst and burst in a soundless explosion, a ripple spreading outward from the center to encompass both trucks. Kellan expected to see the guards collapse under the effects of Liada's stun spell. Instead, the faint shimmer of light seemed to reach its limit and rebound, snapping back into the center and winking out, like an ember blown out in the wind.
"They're protected!" Liada said over the comm. "Somebody blocked my spell! They've definitely got a magician with them."
"Fraggit," Kellan said. They'd considered the possibility, since Ares gave the last shipment they hijacked magical protection, but hoped Liada could end things with a single spell, and they could just move in and take the swag. Now they were going to have to do things the hard way.
"Let's move!" Kellan said, and the shadowrunners leapt into action. G-Dogg and the Street Deacon opened fire on the security personnel in the truck from their positions on either side of the highway. The guards scattered, one of them dropping to the pavement as a bullet got him in the head. Quickly, however, the Ares personnel recovered and began to return fire, looking for the source of the snipers attacking them.
One of Silver Max's drones, which had been keeping pace with the convoy, swooped down from behind the two trucks. Flying low, its engine whining, the drone skimmed over the top of the cargo truck and opened fire on the escort vehicle from the rear. The blast of machine-gun fire took out the two guards near the back of the truck, and half the remaining guards turned their attention to the new threat behind them.
Maybe this won't be so hard after all. Between Max's drone and G-Dogg and the Street Deacon, they could make short work of the guards. As if summoned by Kellan's thought, a shimmer appeared in the air above the cargo truck. A dull red glow sprang into being, growing brighter and brighter until a sphere of flame ignited, a crackling fire surrounding a shadowy shape. It lunged at Silver Max's hovering drone like a striking snake.
"Fire elemental!" Liada shouted. The elemental engulfed the lower part of the rotodrone in flames.
There was a hissing noise, and Max's voice, sounding labored, came over the link.
"Get this fraggin' thing off of me!"
Liada stood up again, pointing one hand at the fire elemental. She began to chant in a singsong voice, with a forceful, commanding tone. The fire spirit seemed to pause and Kellan got a better look at it; a sinuous reptilian form with dull red scales surrounded by a glowing aura of yellow-white fire.
The engine of Max's drone revved and it pulled away from the elemental, which hovered where it was, its attention fixed on Liada. She continued to chant. The commlink conveyed the strain in her voice.
The drone canted left before righting itself, smoke trailing from the armor plating on its lower hull.
"I've got some damage to the main gun," Max said. "It's jammed. I'm gonna have to pull back the drone."
"We need to speed things up, folks," Jackie Ozone urged. "Communications are scrambled, but the clock is ticking."
"Move on the cargo truck," the Street Deacon said to the others. "G-Dogg and I will cover you."
"All right," Kellan said, glancing at Orion, who nodded in response. "Let's do it."
As they moved forward, there was a howl of wind, and a thick mist began to form in the air, coalescing near Max's drone. Kellan thought she saw a hint of a humanoid shape in the mist, with faintly glowing points of light for eyes.
"Fraggit," Silver Max said. "We've got another elemental! They're coming out of the fraggin' woodwork!"
As if responding to the dwarf's words, the road trembled. Something rose up out of the embankment in a shower of fragments of broken concrete and asphalt. It was a hulking figure the size of a t
roll, made up entirely of loose earth mixed with gravel, bits of concrete and glints of broken glass. It lumbered forward with ponderous steps that shook the ground.
"Keep going!" Orion said, giving Kellan a push toward the truck. "I'll keep it busy!" Then he advanced on the earth elemental, sword drawn.
Kellan kept going, staying low and heading for the rear of the cargo truck. Liada and the fire spirit were locked in magical combat, each stock-still and focused intently on the other. Silver Max's drone dodged and weaved as the air elemental buffeted it mercilessly with fierce gusts of wind, threatening to send it careening into the ground.
Orion rushed at the earth elemental, and it swung a massive fist. The elf ducked underneath it, replying with a slash of his sword. The blade cut deep into the elemental's body of rock and soil, leaving a long, ragged gash across its torso. The spirit howled a low, hollow sound, and raised its other fist to try to smash the small, dancing figure that had hurt it.
Ahead of the cargo hauler, the security guards hunkered down behind the escort vehicle, where G-Dogg and the Street Deacon tried to keep them pinned with cover fire from the sides of the road. The guards returned ineffectual fire-but it wasn't the two street samurai who were in danger. Kellan was worried that the guards would figure out that Liada and Orion were vulnerable, easy targets.
Things are coming apart. If we don't get out of here soon, we're fragged. She knew Jackie Ozone was handling things in the Matrix, jamming communications and rerouting emergency messages, but even she wasn't going to be able to cover their activities forever. The longer it took for them to subdue the guards and take off with the truck, the more likely it was the Ares personnel would get reinforcements or Lone Star would be there to take action.
The one good thing about the massive melee was that it provided an excellent distraction for Kellan. She approached the back of the truck as quickly as possible, staying low to the ground. Flattened against the back corner of the truck, pistol in hand, she listened for some indication of what was going on inside, but there was too much noise around her to be certain.
Born to run (s-4) Page 16