Gaslit Armageddon (Clockworks of War Book 2)

by Jason Gilbert

  “What’s going on?” Tabitha asked from behind him.

  “They’re surveying the area,” he said. “Making sure they’re clear to land.” He looked over his shoulder. “Be ready.”

  The airship descended, the landing gear below out as Catch’s men bustled about setting up the platforms and conveyers for loading cargo. The turbines began to wind down, but something else stood out in Kane’s hearing. He waited, listened.

  More turbines.

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  Two Special Forces gunnery ships moved in, breaking formation as they began to slowly circle the plantation. Kane looked down at the ship below as the cargo hold opened. A squad of Special Forces soldiers marched out, their blunderbusses at the ready. Catch held his hands up, standing back as he looked around. Kane reached out with his hearing, pushing past the noise of the other ships in the air.

  “What the hell is this?!” Catch said, his tone surprised and angry.

  “Stand down,” one of the troops said. He stepped forward, shouldering his blunderbuss as he looked at Catch. His voice was muffled by his breathing gear.

  “You stand down,” Catch shot back, standing tall. The soldier stepped up to Catch, tried to intimidate him, but the black man wasn’t backing up. “I’m expecting to load an airship, and you fuckers show up like it’s some damned occupation! What the hell are you doing on a materials transport?”

  “Fugitives from the Charleston attack in South Carolina,” the soldier said. “We received word that they may have headed this way from Florida.”

  “Ain’t no damned fugitives here,” Catch said. “I’d have sent something on the wire.”

  The soldier cocked his head. Catch bristled.

  “We got a good thing here,” Catch said. “Why risk it over some criminals?”

  “Just start loading up, asshole,” the soldier said. He turned to the rest of the squadron. “Fan out and search the place. You’ve seen the photos. Kill on sight.”

  “Nice,” Kane said under his breath. “Looks like Gentry’s done playing games.”

  “Or something else is going on,” Tabitha said. “Kane, I don’t like this. Something isn’t right.”

  Kane looked back at her. Her eyes were normal.

  “Just stick to the plan,” he said. “Be ready for them to take off. We don’t have time to wait weeks for another transport.”

  He hated to wave her off, but too much was a stake. He trusted her intuition, but he trusted her Sight more.

  He peered back out through the cracked door, watching as the troops made their way down the loading dock and fanned out over the plantation. A good many of the people had gathered to the air field, some working the loading crew while others watched the Special Forces men search the crowd, nudging people out of the way the business end of a blunderbuss or shouting for people to spread out so they could get a good look at them. A few broke off and headed towards the plantation house while another group made their way towards the small houses where the laborers lived.

  “I think we made an impression back in Charleston,” Tabitha said.

  Kane nodded.

  “I think you’re right. Let me listen in.”

  “My people don’t deserve this,” Catch was saying as laborers began to load crates into the cargo hold.

  The soldier looked back at Catch, his armor glinting in the sunlight as he turned and aimed his blunderbuss at the black man.

  “Another word and they’ll need a new leader.”

  “You kill me, you cause problems for the Oligarchy,” Catch said, shaking his head. “Your bosses wouldn’t be pleased.”

  “Trigger slips every now and again. Accidents happen. Now shut the hell up.”

  Catch nodded, backing away with his hands up as his men continued the loading process. Kane stepped back from the door, reining his hearing in as he tuned to Tabitha.

  “There’s a shitload of Special Forces down there. Damn. I didn’t think they’d already be out this far.”

  “Something has to be leading them here,” Tabitha said. “Think they have a Seeker?”

  “Richard kept it on him,” Kane said. “You killed him in Charleston. No, I think their network here is a lot bigger than we thought. They probably saw us pass over on our way from Florida and sent a wire to the group here.”

  People began to shout below. Panic, men barking orders. Kane opened the door and looked out, saw a cluster of the soldiers on the ground as one ran up the ramp to the loading platform. He spoke to the leader, pointing off in the distance. The leader turned to Catch as Kane focused in.

  “What the hell is this?!” the leader barked.

  “I don’t know,” Catch said. “I’ve never seen that ship before!”

  The leader turned from Catch to his man.

  “It’s an ambush! Get this platform clear now! We’re leaving!” He turned back to Catch and stood over him, his blunderbuss swinging before Catch could duck. The stock caught him in the temple, dropped him to the platform. Catch rolled onto his side, covering the spot with his hand as blood seeped out between his fingers.

  “Little taste of what’s coming if this proves to be on you,” the leader said.

  Kane looked off in the distance as Tabitha came out to the railing and stood beside him. He felt his stomach knot as he saw the airship from Charleston rise up over the trees. She turned, facing the plantation as the two gunners broke their patrol and headed toward the ship.

  “Farnsworth,” Kane breathed, projecting his voice as the image of Farnsworth on the bridge appeared in his mind. “Goddamn it. What are you doing?!”

  Kane heard Farnsworth speak in his hearing.

  “Giving them hell, Mr. Shepherd! Now is your chance! Get aboard that transport!”

  “Crazy son of a bitch,” Kane breathed. He looked down and saw the workers scrambling to pull back the loading platforms as the cargo bay doors began to close. Catch was up shouting orders to his men as the Special Forces squad leader did the same to the few men standing guard. The others who’d gone to search the plantation came running back to the airfield. The leader spun and pointed his blunderbuss at Catch.

  Kane stepped to the railing, his hand on his amulet, the rune drawn. He began to utter the words to his Ethereal Hellfire spell.

  The cannon ball hit at the same time as the report. Catch ducked as the squad leader was blown apart from the impact, his arms and legs going in different directions, the blood splashing out over the soil. His head flew into the air, smacked the side of the transport ship before it fell back to the earth. Kane looked at Farnsworth’s airship as another round fired from the hull, striking the group of soldiers heading towards the transport. The shot smacked the ground, sent soil, soldier, body parts, and blood high into the air.

  The two gunners closed in on the airship, spreading out to avoid both taking fire.

  Kane turned to Tabitha.

  “Get us on the transport! Now!”

  Tabitha grabbed his arm and squeezed.

  “Draugalega Ferðast!”

  The familiar cold surrounded Kane as the wind swept them at the transport in an instant. They landed on their feet, the air instantly heavy and stifling. Kane pulled Tabitha to a spot behind a large stack of crates as the transport shuttered, the loud turbines revving up. He felt the deck shift under his feet, the transport leaning slightly as it began to rise. Three soldiers had made it aboard, stowed in the cargo bay. They held on for dear life as the ship lurched into the air, all of them too busy bracing themselves to notice the two Magicians that had just appeared in the hold with them.

  “We aren’t tied down,” one of them shouted. “What the hell is going on?!”

  “An attack,” another said. “We got ambushed!”

  The ship began to level out, the rise going smoother as more air moved through the turbines. Kane looked at Tabitha and nodded. She nodded back and stood, making her way out from behind the crates.

  “Um…excuse me?”

  The three t
urned to her, their blunderbusses aimed. She waved at them meekly, smiling as she spoke.

  “Hi, boys!”

  They faltered, looking at each other, the masks hiding what was likely utter confusion on their faces. Kane took the cue, stepping out and holding up both hands.

  “Aethereum Ignus!”

  Fireballs appeared in each hand. Kane brought them together and hurled the combined fireball at the men. It slapped against the deck and exploded, sending them back against the wall. They hit the deck hard, all of them knocked out.

  Tabitha looked back at Kane. “Nice one.”

  Kane looked at the port window.

  “Farnsworth,” he breathed. He ran to the window, looking out as Tabitha moved behind him.

  Farnsworth’s ship hovered in the air in the distance. He’d moved to a spot just outside the plantation where the trees had grown thick. The gunners were on either side, both in perfect firing range. They would be easy shots.

  Why wasn’t he firing?

  “Farnsworth, fire your fucking cannons,” Kane said, projecting his voice.

  “This is it, lad,” Farnsworth said in his mind. “Stay safe. Fair winds.”

  “Get your ass out of there!”

  “They can take away my ship, and they can take my life,” Farnsworth said, bellowing. “But they can never take my skies!”

  Both gunners opened fire at once. Cannonballs ripped through the airship, fire blowing out through the new holes made in her hull as she began to sink slowly. Kane put his hands to the port window, beat on the glass as another round of fire erupted from the gunners, smashing into the airship, crushing her under the firepower. Something blew inside the dying vessel, and she exploded in the sky, debris raining down as she fell to the trees below. Fires raged upwards, licking the bottoms of the gunners as the wreckage spread out, burning trees and brush.

  “No!” Kane shouted, beating his fists on either side of the port. “No! God…damn it!” He pounded on the wall again, his chest constricted as he looked away. He turned to Tabitha, saw the tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. Her lip trembled.

  “They’re gone,” Kane said, shaking his head, trying to disbelieve what he’d seen. “They’re gone.”

  The tears flooded down her cheeks as she stepped towards Kane. He reached for her.

  A shadow snaked around her waist and yanked her back, slammed her into a wooden crate. The crate collapsed from the force. Another tendril smashed Kane across the face and slapped his chest, sent him back into the wall. Kane picked himself up off the deck, looked to the broken crate where Tabitha had been flung. He went toward her, stopped when he heard something behind him.

  Someone.

  “Not yet, Piggy.”

  Kane wheeled around, a fireball in his hand. He flung it into the shadows. The mass moved away, the fireball hitting a crate and blowing it apart. The shadows moved back together, rushed Kane. He dove to the side as the mass reached for him, dug a groove in the deck where he once stood. Kane tucked and rolled, got back to his feet, a fireball in his hand as the shadows converged and formed into Richard.

  What was left of him.

  The Shadow Wraith stood grinning at Kane, half his face blackened, his ear blue, his eye frozen shut. His shoulder and ribs were exposed, the skin charred from the fire at Anderson’s house. His hair was still long, but thinned and patched in areas. Richard reached up with burned fingers and scratched, pulling away a clump of hair and flesh. He tossed it to the side, his grin faltering as his eyes went to steel, locking on Kane with a feral rage.

  “You did this to me, Piggy,” he said. “You and your precious little bitch. Burned, frost-bitten. Left for dead.”

  “Should’ve stayed dead,” Kane said. “Less work for me.” He hurled the fireball at Richard, but the demon was quicker, sidestepping it as he rushed Kane. His arm became a spear made of dark, stabbing outward at Kane’s face. Kane ducked and plowed his fist into Richard’s face, sending the man staggering backwards in surprise. Kane followed up with another swing, connected. Richard spun slightly to the side, and Kane sent a kick to the man’s burned side. Richard howled in pain, swung his arm around, sending a black blast at Kane. It hit him solidly, and Kane went flying backwards, his chest cold, his lungs empty.

  Richard went to shadow again, swept over to where the soldiers lay. The shadows moved by them quickly, taking one up and throwing the unconscious man at Kane. Kane rolled away as the body hit a support beam, the man’s back breaking with a sickening crunch before he hit the deck and lay dead.

  The memory of the night they escaped New Chicago shot across Kane’s mind in a flash.

  Took aim. Danwood in my sights. One cannon shot. A shadow. Danwood gone.

  “You watched us escape New Chicago,” Kane said. “You were there. At the shipyard.”

  Richard reformed, stood a good ten feet from Kane. Kane got his legs under him and stood, facing the Wraith.

  “I had more purpose than merely watching you kill the Oligarchs’ little pet,” Richard said, smiling. “Your trip to the South was to be guaranteed. Whatever the cost. The Special Forces lost men, but their deaths worked to ease your escape.” He took a step forward. “You would’ve been shot down in flames had it not been for me and my father.”

  It began to come together for Kane.

  “How far back does it go?” He clenched his fists. “Gentry’s plan?”

  “My father plays a very long game,” Richard said. “The Mors Rebrum was a pawn. The murders in New Chicago were merely a distraction. A way to get your attention.”

  “Gentry knew all along that I’m a Magician?”

  “He can smell it on you,” Richard said, taking in a large breath through his nose and letting it out in a sigh. The sound was rattled, the skin on one of the nostrils split and moving with the air. “You reek of magic, of the dead you draw it from. Just like him.”

  “Why not just kill me and be done with it?”

  Richard shook his head slowly, wagging his finger as he clicked his teeth at Kane.

  “Why not have you destroy the Revolution you were to be a part of? While they were busy fighting the Wendigo, fighting off their own, the Special Forces could move in and wipe out the city in one attack.” Richard chuckled, the sound grating and harsh. “Not that it matters. The Revolution is gone. Charleston is a scorch. You have nothing left. The real question is ‘why not use you as the effective tool you are?’”

  Kane charged Richard, dove to the side as Richard sent a shadow tendril at him. The tendril barely missed Kane’s face as he formed a fireball and hurled it at Richard. The Wraith sidestepped it, swiped out with another tendril. Kane made for him again, going low as he barreled into the thin man, tackled him to the floor. The demon writhed and snarled as Kane drove his fists into his enemy’s ribs, pushed himself up, and began to work on his face. Fists landed over and over, Richard’s nose breaking, the blackened skin on his injured face sliding away under a blow like the skin off of a cooked tomato. Richard bucked underneath Kane, went to shadow. Kane wrapped his hands around a handle on Richard’s belt, yanked and released. The long knife hit the crate next to where Tabitha lay and clattered to the floor. Kane made for it, but the shadows collided with him, sent him flying into another crate, the wood collapsing under the force. Kane gathered himself, pushing away debris as he tried to get to his feet again, the sacks of grain split and pouring out into the floor. Richard formed in front of the crate, his hand still in shadow, his face bleeding as he grinned at Kane.

  Kane fell backwards over a board in the large crate as Tabitha’s voice called out from behind Richard.

  “Geðveikur frysta!”

  The bay grew cold instantly, an eerie wind howling as Richard screamed, clawing at the freezing blood on his face, ice crystals forming in his long hair and on his tattered shirt. Kane kicked aside the broken side of the crate and stepped out, saw Tabitha standing in front of the one she’d been laying in only a moment ago. Her hand was outstretched, ice
and snow blowing from her palms as she glared at Richard, her hair moving from the windy backlash of the spell. Her Grimoire was in her other hand, the pages blowing in the gusts. Kane glanced back to Richard, the man clutching his chest, heaving as he tried to breathe through freezing lungs.

  The transport lurched, turbulence slamming against the hull. All three of them staggered. Tabitha yelped as she stumbled, the spell stopping as her concentration shifted to staying upright. A shadow tendril smacked Kane in the face, knocked him backward. He rolled, scrambled away as another tendril went for Tabitha. Kane saw her duck, an ice spear launching from her hand. It grazed Richard’s shoulder, but he kept coming at her, unfazed.

  Kane’s eyes fell on the knife laying on the floor not far from him. His heart pounded in his ears, his blood hot as he grabbed it up, lunged. He wrapped his arm around Richard from behind, braced the man in a headlock as he sent the blade into Richard’s back. He heard the man wheeze, the blood pumping out in spurts as Richard’s lung emptied out through the puncture wound. Kane shoved him off of the blade, sent him stumbling forward. Tabitha moved aside as Richard hit the wall and turned to grin at Kane, blood pouring from his mouth, coating his teeth.

  “I’ll never stop,” he said, his voice weak and rasped. He looked over his shoulder at Tabitha. He licked his lips, grinning hungrily as he turned back to Kane. “Pretty little thing. You’ll watch me bleed her, Piggy. Watch me cut into her pretty flesh.” He laughed, the sound gurgling and strained. “I’ll keep coming for you. I’ll see your blood.”

  Kane’s vision went red as he reared back, rushing at Richard. Tabitha screamed Kane’s name as he sent the knife downwards, the blade piercing Richard’s forehead with a gut-wrenching crack as the blade split the man’s skull. Richard staggered, reaching up for the knife, his fingers brushing the handle weakly before his arm slumped. Kane grabbed him by the shirt with both hands, turned his body, and slammed the dead man to the floor.

  Kane stepped back, his breathing rapid as the rush slowly faded away. He looked at Tabitha, her eyes wide with fright as she backed away from him.