by C. Gockel
Bohdi’s mouth falls. He stops pulling at the branches.
Amy stands up beside Tucker. “You’re lying,” she hisses at Rush. “You’re trying to cover your butt after you got Steve captured!”
Bohdi’s gut twists, and he feels heat at the corners of his eyes. “Amy,” he whispers, “Rush’s not lying.” Bohdi can’t really believe it, though. Rush is an ass, and Tucker is a good guy, a much better guy than Bohdi.
The branches around Bohdi loosen. Extricating himself, he stands between the two men, not sure what to do.
Taking a step back, Amy shakes her head. “No, no … Rush has to be wrong. He has to be mistaken. Maybe he thinks Tucker did this.”
Tucker moans on the cross, and Amy falls beside him. “It’s okay, we’ll fix this, we will.”
A Frost Giant approaches with what looks like tongs from a fire. Holding Tucker’s arm, Amy says, “I’m so sorry, but we have to take the nails out of your hands out here. But we’ll saw off the crossbar and carry you into the cavern and then Sigyn can use magic and it won’t hurt anymore.”
The Frost Giant grabs one of the nails with the tongs, and Larson shouts, “Stop!”
The Frost Giant pauses and looks up at the lieutenant. Larson’s eyes are on Tucker. “Did you let the Asgardians into the inn, Tucker? Did you tell them about the gunpowder?”
Tucker whines. Through the crowd of Frost Giants, humans and Thor, comes Sigyn’s and Gerðr’s voices. “What’s going on?” A moment later, Sigyn, Claire, Gerðr, and Bjorna, Cannonball strapped to her back, step out of the throng. “Where’s my dad?” Claire asks, looking up at Sigyn. Sigyn shakes her head and wraps her arms around Claire’s shoulders, pulls her close, and whispers something in her ear.
Bjorna’s eyes go wide, and she falls to her knees in the snow at Tucker’s side.
“Answer me,” Larson says quietly. “Did you help the Asgardians?”
Tucker sniffles and shouts, “No!”
A sneeze wracks through Bohdi’s body with such force he bends at the waist. As he recovers, Larson meets his eyes.
Bohdi feels like crying. “Tucker’s lying,” Bohdi says.
Amy pulls back from Tucker. “Why?” she gasps, putting her hands to her mouth.
Tucker closes his eyes. “Because what you did was wrong! You turned the human race into guinea pigs, and if magic destroys us you can’t stop it, but Odin can. Because we’ve killed Americans since we’ve been here. Because magic in human hands is too dangerous—we are still killing each other in droves. And look …” Sobbing, eyes red, he turns his head to the Frost Giants nearest Bjorna; they’re staring down at Cannonball strapped to her back. “Look who our friends are! Baby-killing rapists, just like Rush said.”
His body becomes racked with sobs. “Odin is our only hope now.” Lifting his head, he looks at Bjorna. “Odin is your only hope. Walk through the gate and you’ll be safe. He promised me.”
Scuttling to her feet, Bjorna backs away from Tucker. Her slender frame shakes, and her thin lip turns into a sneer. “You think I want Odin’s charity?” Her hands ball at her sides. “I am a Frost Giantess! I would rather die a thousand deaths and watch my baby die than submit to Odin’s mercy!” With those words, she spits on Tucker.
Tucker’s head bows. One of the Frost Giants says, “Kill him! Kill the traitor!”
Someone yells, “Burn him!”
Tucker sobs and Bohdi thinks he might, too. He trusted Tucker … he liked Tucker. The betrayal hurts, and he wants to hurt the man, and yet some part of him rebels and he can’t. Everything Tucker said to Amy he believes. Traitors are supposed to act out of fear, or envy, or for power, not because they’re trying to save the human race and babies.
The Frost Giants loom closer to Tucker. Someone throws a ball of ice at the crucified SEAL, and it hits him in the side of the head with such force his whole body jerks. He moans in pain. Grumbling, the crowd looms nearer.
“Form a perimeter!” Larson shouts.
All of Bohdi’s conditioning kicks in at the lieutenant’s words. Raising his rifle, he spins to the crowd of Frost Giants. Beside him all the SEALs and Harding do the same. Nari, Valli, Sigyn, and Gerðr’s eyes slide between each other, and they don’t move. Sigyn keeps her arms wrapped around Claire. The Frost Giants shift on their feet. Some growl. The ones closest to Bohdi are warriors, but over their shoulders, Bohdi sees the peasantry has crawled out of hiding and has come to join the party. He feels sweat prickle his brow, not in fear—anger—and the awful knowledge that Tucker may be right—their friends probably aren’t any better than Odin, they might even be worse.
“Lieutenant,” Berry says softly, “the punishment for treason during wartime is death.”
Bohdi hears Larson take a deep breath. “Tucker, you have to tell us … what does Odin want?”
“He wants Patel!” Tucker says, his voice a strangled sob. “Just to talk to him! I swear that’s what he told me.”
Bohdi’s nose doesn’t itch. Berry says softly, “Patel, is he telling the truth?”
Eye still in the sights of his M4, Bohdi nods. “Yes, Sir.”
“This—Tucker—lies! Give him to us,” Heiðr says. “We’ll draw the truth out of him!”
Voice soft, Larson says, “Is there anything else you can tell us?”
Tucker’s voice cracks. “No, that’s all I know.”
“Patel,” Larson says. “Is he telling the truth?”
Bohdi nods. “Yes.”
“He needs to pay!” screams a Frost Giant warrior. “He let Odin into our lands.”
“His magical fire destroyed our homes,” screams a peasant. Amy hears murmurs of assent.
“Skin him alive while he’s trussed up,” someone whispers.
“Burn him, we’ve got the wood,” someone hisses, and laughter rises from the crowd.
A single pistol shot silences the crowd. Amy gasps. Claire cries out. Angry roars rise from the Frost Giants, but they back away. Bohdi turns his head. Larson is standing above Tucker with his pistol drawn. Tucker’s eyes are open, his head sagging to the side, his lips parted. A single crimson bullet wound mars his forehead, and Larson’s gear is stained with spatters of blood.
Bohdi swallows. Larson looks gray; there are deep lines between his brows. He doesn’t put his pistol away. He just stares at it.
Claire whimpers. “Where is my dad? Why did the lieutenant do that?” The enormity of all that has just happened crashes down on Bohdi. He hears his heart beat in his ears. Steve is missing because Odin wants him. What had Odin said about Chaos? He destroys everything and everyone he loves. Bohdi trembles. Tucker said if Bohdi didn’t go to Asgard, Steve would suffer the consequences—and that wasn’t a lie. Bohdi feels the burn of tears in his eyes but none fall.
He starts to see red. Forcing the rage down, he charges through the line of SEALs and pushes his way past the Frost Giants.
“No!” Rush cries. “Bohdi, Captain doesn’t want you going after him!”
Rush’s words make him stop short. Rush isn’t lying. He grits his teeth in frustration. He wants to go through the gate … but Steve said no? He hears Claire say again, “Where is my dad?”
Bohdi closes his eyes. All Steve wants is for him to take care of Claire. Bohdi walks to the edge of the trees and stops just past the shadows of their branches. He feels a light pressure on his arm and finds Amy by his side. “Heimdall’s probably watching us, isn’t he?” asks Bohdi.
She nods.
Lifting his head to the sky, Bohdi shouts, “You want to talk, Odin? Fine! I’m right here! Come down and talk to me!”
x x x x
Amy stands beside Bohdi, looking at the sky. Behind them, she hears Frost Giants muttering about “losing their fun.” She hears Gerðr say softly, “It had to be done.”
With a grunt, Bohdi swings his rifle behind his back, lifts his hands above his head and shouts, “I know you can tell I’m not lying. You want to talk? We can talk!”
There are jeers among the
Frost Giants, and Claire whimpers. “Where is my dad?”
In the crater, a fire snaps and crackles, sending sparks into the sky, but nothing else happens. Amy looks at Bohdi. He stares upward, not even blinking, hands high. From behind them Thor rumbles, “Odin will not come.” Everyone goes silent. The only noise is the wind and the snap of flames.
Bohdi drops his hands, and Amy slides her mittened fingers into his and squeezes. He doesn’t look at her, but he squeezes her hand back. Together they turn to Thor.
Odin’s sons stands amidst the Frost Giants who are aiming crossbows at him. Lifting his chin, Thor says, “He expects some trick.”
Bohdi’s voice is anguished. “Some trick? I have no tricks!”
“The trees say otherwise,” Thor says.
It’s only then that Amy realizes the trees have begun to move again. They’re not creeping toward the crater, but their smaller branches are waving gently, as though stirred by an unseen breeze.
Still clutching her hand, Bohdi looks back toward the gate, eyes wide and frantic.
Berry comes toward them but doesn’t leave the shadows of the trees.
“He’s got a trap for you over there,” Berry the ever-rational warrant officer says, his voice perfectly level.
Bohdi bows his head and nods. “I know.”
Amy squeezes his hand, and he squeezes back. She’s ridiculously grateful for that. She still matters in his universe.
Berry nods, and returns to Larson’s side. The lieutenant is talking in low tones with Heiðr.
“Amy,” Bohdi whispers, head still bowed. “If it weren’t for Steve, I wouldn’t have you, I wouldn’t have anything. I’d probably be in Gitmo right now.” Not raising his head, he whispers, “I have to go, I have to try and save him.”
Amy bites her lip and feels tears that don’t fall. She thinks of Tucker, Odin’s ally, crucified. What would Odin do to Steve, his enemy? If she was in Bohdi’s position, she couldn’t live her life knowing Steve was suffering, no matter how troubled their history.
Squeezing his hand, she says, “I know.”
Bohdi lifts his head. He’s got a five o’clock shadow, and his hair has gotten longer in the past few weeks. Meeting her eyes, he takes her other hand. Somewhere a flame crackles loudly, and in the periphery of her vision she sees sparks shooting into the sky. He gives her the grimmest of smiles. Amy pulls him toward the shadows of the trees and out of Heimdall’s sight. “We need a plan,” she whispers. Bohdi stops short for a moment, as though startled, but then he says, “Yes.”
They begin moving again, and together they approach the team. The Frost Giants are arguing about what to do with Tucker’s body. They seem to have forgotten Thor. He and his family are standing with the humans and Loki’s family. Cruz is kneeling beside Rush, who’s collapsed on the snow. Fenrir is hovering above them and whining. Releasing Bohdi’s hand, Amy drops to her knees beside the wounded SEAL.
“Crossbow bolt to the abdomen,” Cruz says. Amy gulps. If it weren’t for the magic users around her, she’d say he was done, but with magic there is hope.
Cruz winces. “He broke the shaft off so it wouldn’t get in the way when he crawled.” Cruz gently rubs Rush’s hand, and Fenrir whines. Rush’s eyes are closed; he seems to have mercifully fallen into unconsciousness. Looking at her, Cruz says, “You can get it out, right, Doc?”
Rush’s eyes snap open. “Oh, no, no … she can’t operate on me!” He coughs. “I’m not an animal!”
Amy sits back on her heels. Technically, she isn’t qualified to operate on him. Above her Bohdi hisses, “You idiot! Vets are smarter than doctors!”
Pushing his feet up underneath his butt, Rush scrambles backward in the snow, leaving a bloody trail. “Keep her away from me!”
“Don’t move!” one of the guys says. “You’re making it worse, you dolt.”
Rush shivers and doesn’t speak, his face contorting in pain.
“May I?” Thor rumbles.
“Yes, Thor!” Rush moans. “You can make me better.”
Thor touches his eyes, and says, “Sleep and be well.” Above his head, branches swing down and then sway in the air. Rush’s body slumps over.
Thor scowls down at the man. “You’ll need to operate on him, Dr. Lewis.”
Amy puts her hand to her face. “He doesn’t want me to touch him.” There has to be some ethical breach she is committing if she does operate on him.
“He’s being stupid,” Harding says, pushing back her helmet. “How can we help you make some tools?”
Amy looks up. All of the humans are looking at her expectantly. Before she can think of a reply, she hears Claire say, “Odin took my dad.”
She hears Bohdi whisper, “Don’t worry, I’m going to go get him.” There’s something about the answer that makes Amy pause, but then Larson says, “Dr. Lewis, what do you need us to do?” She pushes the tingle of worry to the back of her mind.
Chapter 28
Bohdi stands in the building they erected above the cavern. They have their snowmobiles stored here, a couple of Harding’s comm relay boxes, a single cot someone made out of tree branches and vines, and a sleeping bag. Jaw grinding, he turns away from the meager supplies, goes to the door and stares out into the snow. Downstairs, Amy is operating on Rush with Thor. Most of the rest of the team is down there helping out in one way or other. Valli and Nari are standing guard outside, Fenrir pacing between them. Beyond them is a small fire. Sigyn is sitting in the snow next to it, talking to Claire.
He hears footsteps. Turning, he finds Larson coming out of the tunnel to the cavern, Berry and Gerðr behind him. Larson looks like he’s aged ten years in the past few hours. His shoulders are too tight, he has dark circles under his eyes, and it looks like a scowl has settled permanently between his brows. When he speaks to Bohdi, the scowl deepens. “Berry tells me you intend to go to Asgard.” Even though the lieutenant is perhaps a half-inch shorter than Bohdi, he still manages to look down his nose at him.
“Yes,” Bohdi says, fingers finding his lighter.
More team members file into the room—but no Amy, Beatrice, or Thor. As they enter, Bohdi notices that Park and Thomas give Larson strange looks. Larson stands straighter and draws his head back, making him look like he’s looking down his nose even more.
“You can’t order me to go back to Earth,” Bohdi says. He smiles tightly.
Beside Bohdi, Park mutters, “Patel isn’t technically a Marine anymore, and he’s not even an American. You can’t shoot him for treason.”
Bohdi shifts on his feet, and his mouth falls open. “Larson wasn’t thinking about shooting me,” he says sharply, Park’s and Thomas’s strange looks suddenly making sense. They’re angry at Larson. His eyes graze over the other members of the team; except for the stoic Berry, they’re standing a little farther from the lieutenant than necessary, and they’re more restless than usual. Bohdi’s gut twists. When he thinks of Tucker, he is filled with conflicting emotions. But the more he thinks about it, the more relieved he is that Tucker is dead—he betrayed all of them and cost Steve most of all. Tucker wasn’t remorseful; being alive he’d be dangerous. Someone would have to kill him, and Bohdi’s glad it doesn’t have to be him. He looks at Larson and nods. “You did what you had to, Lieutenant,” he says softly.
Instead of making Larson relax, Bohdi’s words just seem to wind him up tighter. “Do you really expect you’ll just walk into Asgard and rescue Rogers?” Larson snaps.
Bohdi looks down at the muddy floor of the building the Frost Giants call “the shit house” for its supposed location above the toilet plumbing of the old Keep. The odds are against him. Supposedly, that makes him even more likely to succeed, but he doesn’t really believe it. He flicks his lighter. “No, but if I die trying, it will give Odin one less reason to want to hold onto Steve.” He swallows. Or chase after Amy, if she manages not to be captured.
Shrugging, he tries to give a cocky grin. “Hey, maybe if Odin’s busy with me he’ll be less
likely to catch you guys, right?”
There is absolute silence in the room. Then Berry says softly, “If it were up to me, I’d go with you.”
Bohdi’s eyebrows shoot up to his bangs.
The warrant officer rubs his chin. “The World Gate to the Dark Lands is well known, Lieutenant. Odin will have people waiting for us when we arrive. Chances of any of us making it to the World Gate between the Dark Lands and Chicago are slim and none.”
“Chances of us making it back from Asgard, let alone rescuing Rogers, are slim and none,” Larson snaps.
Berry gives him a crooked smile. “But at least we might get a chance to shove a grenade up Odin’s throne.”
Redman crosses his arms, and says, “Yeah.” Bohdi sees Harding nodding. Park and Thomas grunt in agreement. The tension leaves Larson’s shoulders, and the scowl in his brow melts. For a moment his eyes slip closed like he’s saying a prayer, but he opens them quickly. “We’ll need a plan.”
Bohdi blinks. Larson wants to go to Asgard and get Steve, probably has all along.
Berry puts a hand to his chin and looks at Redman. “If you can make us invisible—” Redman is the best so far at manipulating light.
Larson snorts and then chuckles. The whole room looks to him. Larson shakes his head. “Sorry, still not used to sentences that begin with if you can make us invisible.”
There are a few more chuckles in the room. Gerðr, quiet up until this point, says, “He can’t make you invisible … yet … but I can.”
Larson’s frame winds up again. Berry says excitedly, “We storm the gates without Odin knowing we’re there … we’ll get a few good shots in before he figures it out.” There are earnest nods and a few wry laughs.
Bohdi snaps, “I don’t want any storming, I just want to get Steve.” Tension returns to the room, and all eyes are on him. Before he can say what is on his mind, he hears Thor’s voice rumble up the stairs, and Amy’s hushed response, still too far away for the words to be distinct.