by Taki Drake
Trying a shaking breath, the young Witch asked, “Is it over? I don’t think I can fight anymore right now.” Reassuring sounds from Stefan and Vadim relaxed the iron control she had over her body, and she knew that she was slipping into shock.
Someone kneeled down directly beside Zhanna, creating a windbreak from a chill wind that the young Witch hadn’t noticed until then.
“There’s no reason for you to have to fight right now. I have officers and medical assistance on the way. Just relax and rest. We’ll take care of everything else. Your efforts are done for now.”
Zhanna made no response, concentrating on trying to keep her head from exploding into myriad pieces. She didn’t know if the police detective knew what she was going through but he apparently empathized enough to continue to provide her with information. “Maxim has disappeared. Some of the other people that were with him are also gone. I’m sending policemen out to try to intercept them, but after this spectacular unmasking, I don’t dare send a team out without a Magic user.”
Dov’s voice could be heard at that point as he talked to Nikko. The mercenary commander ordered more of his troops into the area. Explicitly requesting Magical assistance, his instructions were concise and forceful. His orders were rapid, and you could tell by his tone that he expected each one of them to be carried out exactly as he had specified.
From a slightly different direction, Zhanna could hear Pavel ordering up some of the men that belonged to him. They were bringing field medics and other assistance. All of that meant that there were others to take care of things and Zhanna could rest.
The young Witch knew when the police detective moved away from her. Once again, she was chilled by the wind. The subtle warmth of his body had moved further away from her, leaving her vaguely bereft. Dascha continued to purr soothingly, and Zhanna could feel Mikhail and Stefan standing a few feet away from her. She was reassured and protected. The situation was under control, and she didn’t have to do anything right now.
<< The new mercenaries on our team are doing well. They’re acting like they have worked with Stefan and Mikhail for an extended period. It bodes well for our next adventure and our mission. >>
<< That’s good. But I wish my head didn’t hurt like this. It hurt so badly, and I can’t see. What’s wrong with me?>>
<
<< Instead of just wishing I were? >>
Chapter 19 – Take Off
It seemed like only a short time before the area was teeming with police and medical personnel. Through a blinding headache, Zhanna tried to keep some level of awareness but knew that nothing that she could do would get past the intense, grating pain that speckled her vision with a confetti of overwhelming lights.
The young Witch concentrated on getting her headache under control. After ten minutes, she was able to climb shakily to her feet and look around. Holding both of her hands up to shade her eyes, Zhanna saw that much had been done while she had been recovering. The ambulances were busy loading and quickly departing. Uniformed and plainclothes policemen were scattered throughout the crowd, busily taking statements.
Surprisingly enough, the vehicle that had been delivered to Zhanna just a few minutes before the fight had broken out was unharmed. Sitting in pristine splendor at the curb in front of the store, the intimidating vehicle exuded power. Mikhail and some of the other mercenaries from Dov’s company stood guard around it.
“I think the SUV has some sort of protection against Magic,” remarked Stefan. He moved closer to Zhanna as he spoke and indicated the front of the vehicle with one hand. “There were several flashes of what I think was a combination of ammunition and Magical power that I know hit the vehicle. Look at the area around it.”
Zhanna looked in the direction that Stefan was pointing. She could see scorch marks all around the front hood and bumper of the vehicle, but the shining black paint was unmarred. “What do you think happened? I’ve never seen damage like that.”
Another voice intruded, as Vadim said, “I have a Witch that works with machines. I asked him to put what protections he could on it. I don’t know exactly what he did, but obviously, it worked.”
“It did, and I thank you. I would also love to know what spell it was!”
“I can ask him, but you know how Witches are. They don’t like to give up their secrets.”
The young Witch and the old man shared a moment of friendly amusement before they were interrupted by the sound of another vehicle approaching. It was an even larger car painted a luxurious pearlescent gray. Vadim exclaimed, “Wonderful! There’s my vehicle. Now we can truly get the show on the road unless something else interrupts us.”
Despite the pounding in her head, Zhanna laughed, saying, “I thought everything was going with your plans on this, you wily old man. You wanted to make a spectacular show, and you certainly got it.”
“Pomp and circumstance, yes, but explosions and death, not so much.”
Reminded of the violence that they had just survived, Zhanna looked around the area noticing that there was a group of blanket-covered bodies off to one side. Her breath caught in her throat and she exclaimed, broken-heartedly, “Oh no! Was it me? Did I cause those deaths?”
The deep, baritone voice of the police detective intruded, “No. None of those deaths were due to you. You’re not responsible for the crimes that Maxim committed. And it will do no good to torture yourself with thinking of ways you might have done things to prevent the deaths. The draining and destruction would’ve continued without you exposing his machinations.”
An older man had approached the area where Zhanna and Vadim stood. He came directly up to them at the same time as the detective arrived, saying, “This town owes you a large thank you. When I saw the people lying on the ground that had been drained by Maxim, I was surprised to see members of my own team there. They were all sorts of people including an Assistant Commissioner, someone high up in the agency that approves buildings, key secretaries, and more. That evil one must have had his hands into many of our committees and management groups. It was a danger that we weren’t aware of but now, thanks to you, we are.”
Vadim greeted the man, “Nikolai, thank you for coming. This was quite distressing as you can imagine.” Turning to Zhanna with a small bow, the old man continued, “Lady Witch, this is the mayor of our town, Nikolai Tesorov.”
Zhanna responded instantly, saying, “I am pleased to meet you, although I wish it were not under these adverse circumstances. I am Zhanna Arturovna, and this is my senior team lead, Stefan Alexandrovich.”
Acknowledging Stefan’s presence but focused on Zhanna, the Mayor said, “I assure you that this is not a normal part of doing business in Brasilov. Hopefully, your next visit will be less trouble for you and yours.”
“We fully appreciate that this is not a lawless town. Other members of my team have long associations with people here. Vadim and I have come to a rapid and comfortable working relationship, so I am sure that we will be back, and fairly soon.”
The politician looked relieved and would have continued the discussion except that he was interrupted by both Vadim and the police detective. Politely waiting for the older man to speak, the detective stood next to Dascha, looking down occasionally with a small smile on his face.
Vadim began to limp toward the open door of the gray car, announcing in a clear voice, “Now that the unpleasantness is settled, we must leave for urgent business in the city. I will let you know the results, Lady Witch, as soon as possible.”
The young Witch responded, “We also need to leave, and I will look forward to our further conversations. Perhaps in a few days, we can discuss the next order of business.” Zhanna began to move toward her waiting vehicle, suddenly anxious to be away from this area that stank of death and twisted Magic. The young police detective kept pace with her. Moving silently and carrying a small package in h
is hands, he stayed beside her all the way to the car. The young woman could feel the weight of his gaze on her face.
Trailed by Stefan and actively protected by the alert troops of Dov’s group, Zhanna concentrated on walking unwaveringly and staying focused on the sanctuary promised by the open doorway of her vehicle. She saw her Familiar sitting on the back seat, the welcoming green-eyed stare a beacon for the increasingly weary Witch.
“I came by to bring you a gift.”
It took a moment for Zhanna to understand that the police detective had said something to her. Another few steps went by in silence as she tried to process what he had said. With understanding came an abrupt halt. Turning to him, headache forgotten, the young woman asked, “What did you say? I don’t think I understood it.”
Once again a surprisingly sweet smile drifted briefly across the serious face of the detective. “I said, I came by to bring you a gift. The gossip mill was running at full speed, and I knew that you were at Vadim’s shop. The old man’s son-in-law Misha was heard to say that his most expensive vehicle had been included in a deal and that the person receiving it was a Witch. It didn’t take a lot of intelligence to figure out who that was and that the chances were that you would be leaving in an automobile rather than on the bus.”
Zhanna just stared at him, mind spinning in circles, no words coming out of her mouth. Dascha’s amusement was obvious across their bond. Worried that the man might take her silence for distress, Zhanna tumbled into speech, “That was very thoughtful of you.”
Igor laughed softly and handed her the package. “I thought this might come in handy and I knew that you didn’t have any with you.”
Once again, Zhanna’s words emerged like a small landslide of sounds, scattering meaning as they fell. “Thank you! I think… I mean… I’m sure that the gift is perfect.”
Smiling more broadly, his eyes alight with gentle humor and a look of great satisfaction, the young police detective waved goodbye and walked away.
Guided by Stefan’s gentle push, Zhanna got into the back of the vehicle and sat down. The car door closed and Dascha climbed onto her Witch’s lap. Stefan and the other mercenaries jumped into the car and sat in the seats facing the young woman. Mikhail called out from the driver’s seat, “Here we go! I really think it’s time that we get out of town.”
The vibration of the engine increased, and the vehicle pulled away from the curb. Zhanna could feel Mikhail’s expert driving in the way that the car was smoothly steered and acceleration increased.
<< Just don’t sit there, open the blasted package. I am dying of curiosity, and you know what they say about cats and curiosity. >>
Obedient to the urgings of her Familiar, and under the weight of the curious eyes of the other people in the passenger compartment, Zhanna fumbled her way through untying the package. Losing patience with the slow speed, Dascha became involved, hooking her claws into the edge of the paper and pulling it apart with great relish and satisfying ripping sounds.
Soon there was a pile of shredded paper littered over the floor. Partially-concealed smiles peeked out periodically from the faces of the men watching her as Zhanna first stared at the decorative box that now sat on her lap and then at her Familiar.
<< Open it! It’s not supposed to be stared at! Let’s see what’s in the box! >>
Between a pounding headache and her confusion, it took Zhanna several tries before she could lift the box top and move it aside to see what lay nestled in the body of the container. A hot wash of tears shocked her nerves and set the headache pounding in her head on fire. Through the veil of sparkling pain and watery film, she saw his gift, his journey gift.
He had brought her salt.
Chapter 20 – On the Road
The vibration of the car and the gentle swaying as it navigated the twisting roads between Brasilov and their destination had lulled Zhanna into a relaxed, exhausted stupor. Slowly emerging from the pit of semi-consciousness that she had slipped into as they had left the town, the young woman listened passively for a while.
Stefan and Kasha were discussing their new vehicle. A faint thread of amusement wiggled its way into a sharper presence when Zhanna realized that the men were so absorbed in their discussion that they had not noticed that Noma had come out of the young Witch’s pack. The small creature was perched on the back of the seat between them, lending his voice and opinions to the discussion.
Kasha was stating in a heated voice, “I tell you, the wheelbase is really important to the stability of the vehicle. You cannot have a dependable vehicle without a wide wheelbase!”
“Yes, you need a good spread of the wheels, but it’s the tires that are really the important part. The wrong tire means that you cannot get the traction you need for your terrain,” Stefan said in rejoinder.
Noma’s higher pitched contribution followed quickly on to that, registering his disagreement, “Both of you are missing the biggest issue. If you don’t have enough clearance underneath your vehicle, it doesn’t matter how wide apart the wheels are or what kind of tires there are. You’re going to end up perched on a rock and not be able to go anywhere. Plus which, if there’s water anyplace on your path and you don’t have a high enough clearance, you’re going to have your engine stall when the exhaust gets blocked.”
Both the mercenaries paused briefly in consideration before Stefan said, “Okay, you are right, Noma. But I still think that after the clearance, tires are more important.” When Kasha murmured his agreement and nodded in acknowledgment of the small male’s authority, Zhanna woke up enough to laugh. All three of the men discussing the vehicle turned to look at her in question.
“Are you feeling better, Zhanna?” Stefan asked.
“Yes, thank you. I have not gotten to the point where I realize how much the spellcasting takes out of me. I am sorry that I couldn’t do more.”
“Lady, you did what none of us could. I thought I was a decent Witch before I met you but now I know how little I can manage. It is a small thing for us to do to protect you while you recover,” answered Kasha. Sitting next to him, silent to this point, the subcommander, Pavel, grunted his agreement.
Zhanna had forgotten that the subcommander was sitting there, so quiet he had been. The senior mercenary had a talent for disappearing into his surroundings. Idly, Zhanna wondered if his background was more in the scouting area than a standard fighter.
<< He moves like a scout. No wasted action and he is always watching everywhere. Sometimes even I forget he’s there and I can smell him. >>
<< Pavel has a very strange expression on his face. Do you know why? What did I miss while I was sleeping? >>
Dascha’s sparkling humor felt like little bubbles coming over the Familiar bond. << It was pretty funny listening to two adult humans and a brown plush toy arguing about the different aspects of driving cars. Considering they forgot that they were disagreeing with one of the Hidden Folk about two sentences into the discussion, it has been a rare show to watch. >>
The mercenaries in the compartment with Zhanna straightened to alertness as the vehicle slowed to a halt. So wholly absorbed had the young woman been in the discussion about the SUV that she hadn’t realized where they were.
Looking out the window, Zhanna saw that they had come to a stop beside a gas pump in front of a garage. There were other cars and trucks stopped there with a comfortable swirl of activity around the hoses, vehicles, and building. The surreal nature of this day, which it started with a bus trip from their sleepy village, crashed in on the young woman.
“Wait here for a moment, please. Then you can get out and stretch your legs,” said Stefan.
He and Kasha climbed out of the left-hand passenger door and moved in opposing directions, smoothly interacting as if they had worked together for years. Stefan walked to where Mikhail was refilling the tank. Leaning over the pump hose and talking in a low undertone, the two men were continually looking past each other’s shoulders. Alert for threats, their darting eyes reminded
Zhanna of the watchful eyes of the predatory wolves she had seen.
“He does well,” Pavel stated in a quiet voice. The mercenary subcommander had moved closer to Zhanna, sliding across the seat until he was positioned in what the young woman recognized as an action-poised position. The older man saw that she had noticed his movement and nodded in approval. He continued, saying, “Despite myself, I am impressed. Both of the mercenaries that came from your home village are more than competent, and you have a good foundation for not only effective combat Witchcraft but an excellent ability to observe and comprehend.”
Realizing what a tremendous compliment she had just been given, Zhanna merely nodded her head and issued a quiet “thank you.” After a few seconds of silent and companionable waiting, she continued, “I am afraid that I have so many areas to learn, I worry about not learning fast enough and not learning the right lessons.”
“Does it stop you from trying?”
“No. But I have to put my fear in a box, and afterward, it comes roaring out leaving me vulnerable. I desperately worry that that vulnerability will hurt those I care about.”
“Courage is not an absence of fear. Pushing past the barrier of fear, however you choose to do that, is the challenge for anyone who either fights on the battlefield or in the boardroom.”
Mikhail and Stefan were joined by Tolya for a brief moment before the two older mercenaries handed off the control of the pump hose to the third man and began to walk purposely toward the building. Pavel and Zhanna watched as they disappeared into the building.
In an even softer voice, the young Witch asked, “How do you cope if everything you have done is not enough? How do you live with yourself if you can’t protect them?”
“That is when the mettle of your courage is tested, young woman. When you have done all you can, and those that you are responsible for still have been damaged or die, when you continue to do your best even under crushing regret, that is courage.”