by Martha Carr
Estelle looked up at Leira and gave her a wink as she blew out a long stream of smoke.
“You think Estelle is okay? I mean, she’s family to me. All that smoking.”
“That’s at least one thing I can do for you tonight.” Correk looked to see if the women were paying attention to him but their backs were turned to him and Estelle was looking out at the street. He pulled in enough energy, shading his eyes to hide the light in them and let the magic slowly roll up and around Estelle.
“What are you doing? That’s kind of a creepazoid move. If she ever catches you.” Leira was shaking her head at him. “Stop before she finally proves she’s some kind of magical force we never heard of and turns you into a frog.”
“Still not magical and no ill effect from all those cigarettes. Not a bit.” He pulled back the magic and dropped his hand, watching her. “Like a force of nature.”
“That’s not human. Not a single bad something?”
“Not a one. Don’t know what to tell you. She’s the exception.”
“That part makes sense. She’s the exception to just about every rule.”
“Gribbet.”
“Too soon.” Leira gave a crooked smile. “I still want you by my side in any kind of fight.” Leira held up her fist. “Come on, fist bump. Yeah, it’s a thing. Hold up your fist.”
Correk smiled and held up his fist as Leira bounced her fist off his, and opened her hand wide, pulling it back. “Kapow….”
“That’s awfully close to Hagan’s magic hands.”
“Not even.”
Correk did his best to shake off the feeling of darkness that still lingered. He looked up at the metal sign. “Ambitious. Burgers known round the world. You would have thought we’d have heard about them on Oriceran. What? Why are you poking me?” Correk frowned and held out his hands to defend himself from Leira. “I’m happy to be here. Always willing to try a good burger.”
“That’s been well established.”
Estelle looked unfazed by the swirl of activity around her. Her cat-eye sunglasses with the sparkles in the corners were planted firmly on her face and dramatic dark brows drawn on just above them. Leira noted that Estelle had broken out the bright red lipstick and some of her taller platform shoes. Her red bouffant was as usual, firmly in place.
“Estelle looks like she came to play hard tonight. There have been plenty of days when she’s been my inspiration to go kick some ass and believe in a better day.”
“I’m glad she was there to stand in the gaps.”
“Okay, enough of this. The dark willies have passed. Party on, come on.” Leira opened the door as Estelle stubbed out her cigarette and picked up the butt, following behind them.
“I thought we could use a break and take a night off from rock ‘em sock ‘em world battles.” Leira stepped into the darkened bar despite the bright sunlight outside. She stepped aside for Hagan to come through, followed by Correk and Estelle. “Welcome to Casino El Camino…” Leira held out her arms in a grand, sweeping gesture.
Correk watched Hagan turn in a circle, a smile growing across his face.
“This was very nice of you to find him another dark, questionable bar with I’m assuming its own charm.”
“And then some. He’s going to wonder why he stayed so long at Barfly’s when this place existed right on 6th Street. I did some checking around to find it. Look at the place, it’s perfect!”
There were gargoyles of every size placed strategically around the room, some hanging from the top of the bar. Correk smiled at Leira, an eyebrow arched. “Reminds me of a pub Perrom took me to in the Dark Forest.”
“Just wait…”
In the center of the room was a fountain of a stone Aztec skeleton statue with water pouring out of his head. The bar was fairly empty with a few tables filled with millennials in various stages of piercings and tattoos mixed in with some who could remember Nixon and Agnew.
“Upstairs they show old B movies and this juke box plays music I didn’t know I had to hear till I found this place and stayed way too long.” Leira’s words all ran together in her enthusiasm and her hands danced around as she talked. Correk felt himself relax even as he scanned the bar looking for any possibilities of trouble.
Leira followed his gaze. “Relax. You’re here with two agents and one crafty old broad and at least one retired Marine. The building is secure. You can enjoy yourself. Now, look at this jukebox! There’s a song in here by the only blues guy to get in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for playing the harmonica. The harmonica, dude. Fucking blows my mind.”
“Great, I’ve been around you so long that I feel better when you’re swearing. It’s like a thermometer at this point.”
“There’s even a single from Jackie Venson. Best young blues guitarist in Austin. Saw her at the One 2 One Club.”
Hagan was up at the bar leaning over someone’s shoulder looking at their plate in front of them. “That’s one burger?” He bit his lower lip. “Looks pretty good.”
The man was wearing a short-sleeved shirt despite the season and his muscular arms were covered in tattoos of an olive branch with olives on one arm and doves in flight on the other. He put out his calloused hand to Hagan and said, “Take a seat. This joint’s been waiting for you. What are you misting up there? Are those tears? I feel ya. Had the same reaction when I found the place.”
Correk nudged Leira. “It’s like you gave him an early birthday present. Look how happy you made the big man.”
“Wait till he tastes that burger. It really is the best one I’ve ever had and they burned the fries just the way I like them.”
The bartender was wearing a porkpie hat, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows. “What’ll you have?”
“What he’s having, medium rare.” Hagan felt his breath catch in his throat. “A new hidey hole,” he said in awe.
Estelle stepped up to the bar, her chest barely clearing it. The bartender looked up and a smile creased his face. “Estelle! Now I know it’s gonna be a good night. Look everybody, it’s Estelle!” A general cheer went up as everyone raised their glass in her direction and yelled out, “Estelle!”
Estelle gave a gracious nod and said, “I’ll take the usual. Put it on my tab.”
“You have no tab here, Estelle. You know you’re like family.”
“Of course they know her.” Leira threw up her hands. “This is way too cool a place to not have met Estelle. Only thing left is to convince Hagan to never bring the troll here.”
“I don’t think anyone here would notice. All these gargoyles, he’d fit right in. I have a feeling the patrons would roll with it.”
“Oh man, look ACDC’s first US release. How does one person know to pull all this together? Best mashup ever.”
“This has got to be the only place on 6th Street that isn’t crowded with drunk college students.”
“The Jackalope never gets crowded. Of course, Jack put that magic aura around the place. You don’t think…”
Leira pulled in a flash of magic and saw the room light up with different colored lights pointing out the different Elves and Wizards and even a Gnome sitting in the back. “I just found Hagan a magical hidey hole.”
“It’s like you were drawn to it. Come on, let’s go find a table. Leave Hagan where he is. He’s making new friends.”
“With a Wizard.”
“So much the better. We’ll take two of those burgers with fries on the side.” Correk called out to the bartender as they sat at a nearby table. The bartender held up two fingers as Correk saw the small tattoo of two trolls swinging from a vine. “You know, Leira, I think you were right. The troll would fit right in here. This is the perfect hidey hole for Hagan. Good job.”
“Speaking of Yumfuck, where has he gotten to?”
“Are you worried?”
“Not so much about him… I’m sure it’s nothing, wherever he is.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The small park on the South Side of Richmond, Virg
inia was dark and deserted with one lone street light shining down on an aging swing set. The decorative street lights on the other side of the park were either out or blinking rapidly, giving off almost no light. They had shorted out as Louie walked underneath and the sword strapped on his back sucked in the electrical energy in a sizzle and shower of sparks.
Louie was standing in the deeper shadows near the edge that abutted tall wooden fences around homes away from the pool of light. The Wizard was holding out his wand to create a glamour, hiding them from anyone walking their dog so late at night.
“I won’t screw it up. Look, this is what I do. It’s why the PDF was so hot to get their hands on my services.” Louie gave an easygoing smile despite what he was being asked to do. “Big bad Axiom Corporation is looking for an Oriceran guide to survey the mines near the mountain Gnomes. Not a problem. I’ve been crawling through them avoiding the shorties for years. You guys have an idea who’s selling out our natural resources from Oriceran to some corporation?”
“That intel is not part of your briefing. Focus.” A tall lean Wizard bundled in a puffy green coat and running shoes impatiently tapped at a patch of ice along the grass.
Louie’s hand rested lightly on the hilt of the magical sword relic he had rescued from near Dead Man’s Crawl. He had been spending all of his time practicing with the sword whenever he wasn’t out looking for relics for the PDF. He felt the hum of the energy from the sword passing down his back and making him anxious for a fight and a chance to pull out the sword. He had yet to use it in a battle but was anxious to see what it would be like.
“What are we doing in small town America anyway?” Louie wrapped his cloak tighter around his shoulders, shifting his weight as the small stones from his table at the Dark Market shifted and clacked together. The Wizard looked at the pocket where the stones were and back at Louie.
“Good luck charms. I took a liking to them,” said Louie.
A cold wind blew through the small park, rattling the chains on the nearby swings.
The Wizard grew concerned and tilted his head, scrutinizing Louie, taking in the large, ancient sword on his back. “You going to take this seriously? I mean, you could get some people killed, including yourself. A good weapon isn’t enough. These people may be without magic but they’re playing a very mean game. Whatever they’re about to do next with so much Oriceran ore…”
“I get it, very bad mojo about to go down.”
“Has been going down.” The Wizard shifted his wand and lit the end momentarily to show a red stain along his neck. “Got this tangling with them over an attempted robbery at a zoo.”
“Hope the other guy looks worse?”
The Wizard gave him a cold stare and let out an exasperated breath. “If this wasn’t coming from the top brass I’d be tempted to tell you to go fuck yourself about now. But people with more juice than I have keep swearing you’re the best for this job.” Without saying another word the Wizard tapped his wand against Louie’s head as a thin beam of blue light circled his ear, pouring a magical earworm into his head.
Louie gave a shiver as images appeared before him and he heard the details of the mission run rapidly through his mind. He focused on the meeting time and place letting it seep into his memory. “Next time, dude you’re gonna have to buy me dinner first.”
“Hell, if you live through this I’ll rent a nice hotel room, too.”
“So, you do have a sense of humor or was that for real?” An image flashed by inside Louie’s mind, catching his attention. “Wait, what the hell was that? Did I just see some kind of cow with moving parts holding together the front and back ends? What the fuck have you guys been doing on this planet? You guys are taking fast food a little too seriously. That is some very troubling shit…”
“The humans have been busy. Now you’re getting an idea of why everyone’s a little on edge. If they’re after Oriceran ore it means someone on Oriceran pointed out to them how valuable it is and could incite a lot of scavengers to work for them.”
“Not me, of course. I’m spoken for till further notice. Even have this convenient tracking device following me around everywhere.” Louie lifted up his pant leg to show the marble-sized balls of light encircling his ankle. “Clever little bastard. Haven’t been able to figure out how to disable it… yet.”
“Not all fun and games anymore. Sides are starting to play in ways that will leave a more permanent mark on history for both sides. Make sure you lead them astray and nowhere near any real ore.”
“And bring some of the ore home to the PDF…”
“Only if the opportunity presents itself. Not mission critical.”
“When did you guys get so formal with the lingo? Aren’t you a bunch of moms and dads wielding wands for the greater good or some heroic bullshit like that?”
“Speaking of which, spill with the questions or I’m going. I have kids and a home to get to and a warm bed.”
“No wife, huh? That explains the nervous leg there.” Louie smiled at him, but his eyes were cold as he looked at the Wizard. “I thought you guys only stopped Oricerans from letting the magical cat out of the bag. That is some really dark magic going down there, even if non-magical humans are behind it.”
The Wizard grimaced at the memory of the pictures he had seen. “We’re all depending on you, you know. Screw this up and the balance could definitely tip in the wrong direction. Don’t want to see what this planet looks like with dark magic getting the upper hand.”
“I’ve got this. I’ve been in tighter places, believe it or not. I mean, even the undercover part isn’t that big a deal. I’m a scavenger by trade and we tend to lie a little.” He held up his fingers just inches apart, still giving an icy smile to the Wizard. “Hope that’s not a surprise. I gotta go if I’m gonna meet these guys. They don’t sound like they would appreciate tardiness. Besides, there’s a lot of posers out there these days promising to find you a little treasure. They would definitely get themselves killed just trying to find some ore. Even the Gnomes are a little tricky when it comes to traveling through their land. Turns out, they think all that ore belongs to them. Something about land rights, sacred plots. Testy bunch.”
“Don’t let me keep you. Use a portal. You have government approval for it and the Silver Griffins have been alerted to look the other way.” The Wizard looped his wand in the air in a small series of circles, creating the glamour around himself, leaving Louie out in the open.
“I take it we’re done, then.” Louie smirked, pulling his collar up around his ears, pink from the cold.
“Report back when you have an update and no later than two days from now, either way. Use the spell I gave you to ping me. Better than a cell phone. Can even leave a message.” The Wizard took off at an easy lope across the park, headed for his car parked along the street, the wand still held out in front of him, his other hand in his jacket and his shoulders hunched against the cold. Louie watched him go, giving him a chance to be out of the area.
Once the Wizard drove off, Louie wasted no time, quickly building a ball of light between his hands, blowing into it the coordinates now firmly planted in his mind. He teased out the light with his hands till there was an opening large enough to step through, wasting no time. On the other side he found himself in a dimly lit boardroom on the other side of Richmond facing a row of aging men fully outfitted in LL Bean gear that was clearly bought online earlier that week. They stood on the other side of a long boardroom table.
He landed on top of the smooth wooden table, stamping with his dusty boots, taking joy in watching their eyes widen and a smattering of them backing up from him. The gust of warm air from an overhead vent felt good on his cold face. Not a bad entrance. Give it an eight.
“Gentlemen…” Louie clapped his hands together, a smile spreading across his face. It wasn’t his first time meeting a group of dangerous investors. A Kilomea with a toothache and a pick axe is more dangerous than this bunch. He easily leapt down from the table, land
ing lightly on the floor. The sword made a sharp, metallic thud against the floor as he landed, kneeling against the tile floor. The men backed up even further against the far wall to give him more room. “Hear you’re in need of a scavenger. Who’s in charge and can get this party started?”
He stood up, his hands on his hips, the hilt of the sword just over his shoulder.
No one moved as Louie shook his head, looking around the room. “Take a deep breath folks. Come on, who…”
The door opened abruptly, and Charlie Monaghan breezed in wearing a well-fitting suit and hard soled shoes. “I’m in charge… everyone getting to know each other?” Charlie looked like he was losing weight and his skin was grey and mottled. He had lost more time and woken up in an airport in Texas, wondering how he got there. He smiled harder, doing his best to maintain control. Never let them see you sweat. His head was pounding. That was happening most of the time now.
Okay, another one of these that doesn’t apologize for much, like showing up late. Louie kept his eye on him as Charlie pushed his way through the group to vigorously shake Louie’s hand in a tight grip. Ah, a manly man, got it. Louie gave a sly smile, waiting for Charlie to go first. Jackson, you are saving my butt once again. Always let the predator go first and show his hand.
Charlie hesitated, waiting to see if Louie would say something. He looks like an over-muscled man. “A Wizard, right? What does that mean? You memorize spells?”
“We’re magical beings who can channel it through words and objects. Simple.” A magic snob, great. Come on, tell me your spiel.
Charlie let out a disappointed breath, pushing forward. “I hear good things about you. You can act as a guide for all of these men?”
Louie tried to hide his surprise. These jokers want to go with me to Oriceran. That is a fucking bad idea that will end badly. “Sure.”
“We pay you half now and half upon delivery. Gold coins I hear is the preferred currency.” Charlie went to the credenza, pulling a key out of his pocket to unlock it. He opened a sliding wooden door and pulled out a leather pouch, heavy with gold coins. “There’s more where this came from and an increase for your next job if you get them all back safely.” He let out a chortle slapping the nearest man on the back even as the color drained from the man’s face and he started to protest, sputtering, his finger raised in the air.