We talked to the guards, passed along the necessary warnings, and reviewed the procedure of how to raise the alarm. There were two guards at the main, side, and back entrance. Edwards and I were the ‘sweepers,’ as she termed it, meant to be constantly on the move, going from floor to floor and evaluating the building.
As we went up the stairs to the second floor, I did the basic math and frowned. “There’s only six, including us. I thought you managed to get eight policemen?”
“I did.” Her long legs ate up the stairs at an easy, effortless pace, her words echoing in the narrow confines of the stairwell. “Two of them are stationed across the alley, on the rooftop next door.”
I pondered that for a moment. “I’m not sure why you positioned them there.”
“Because, Henri, if I were them, I’d come through the roof.” She paused on the first landing and pointed to the map that hung next to the second floor’s doorway. “Think about it. They know that we have guards on every entrance, right?”
“I would assume so.”
“We can also safely assume that their girl scout has come through the place at least once and given them the layout.”
I nodded, still following. “Also safe to assume.”
“Then they know that the stairwell is the only way into the building without coming near a manned door. Look at the map. The stairwell is on the opposite side of all three doors.”
I cottoned on immediately and groaned. “I did not think this through. Of course, logistically, it will be far easier to come down, steal whatever they wish, and go back up again. They’re less likely to encounter any guards.”
“A zip line, or the magical equivalent, and they can take off with quite a haul without us realizing it. That’s also why we’re patrolling all of the upper floors, just in case they decide to go that route.” Edwards opened the door to the second floor and stepped through. “I’m so grateful you guys don’t have helicopters. You’ve no idea.”
Giving her a look, I waited. Proving that she had been around me too long, I didn’t wait long.
“A helicopter is a flying contraption that can carry people or cargo, like an airplane, only a helicopter can hover in place. Like a hummingbird.”
I thought about a flying vehicle that could hover in place at will for long periods of time and made a face. “You’re correct, I’m just as glad the thieves don’t have one. Kindly don’t give the idea to Warner.”
Laughing, she denied, “That boat’s already sailed, my friend. But they’ll be hideously expensive to make, so only the government will be able to afford them, at least at first. In fact, they’re quite useful for rescue operations. Speaking of Ellie, you have her prototype, right?”
I took it from my breast pocket and gave it a little demonstrative wiggle. The device in question couldn’t be used except by magicians, hence why I carried it instead of Edwards. She understood its functions better than I did, being part of the design team, but sadly couldn’t operate it yet. I found it unremarkable in appearances, just a simple small rectangle with a blank surface, three buttons on the bottom edge, in an aluminum case. “Seaton has been pestering me since yesterday with it.”
“He loves new toys.” Edwards shrugged, amused. “I can’t figure out if it was kindness on Ellie’s part to lend us these or if she’s using us as lab rats.”
“My opinion errs on the side of lab rats.” Warner’s delight and insistence that we use these for communication had been more than a little suspect.
“To be fair, she’s been working on these for three weeks. I don’t blame her for at least proving concept before she goes through the headache of figuring out how to make them useable for us muggles.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Henri, I swear I will teach you all of the Harry Potter references, whatever it takes.”
The prototype vibrated in my hand, startling me so badly that I nearly dropped it. Hastily I pushed the central button, turning my device active, and then a second button to activate voice-to-text recognition. “Davenforth here.”
On the small screen, precise cursive writing scrawled silver over black. “Davenforth, it’s Seaton. Something strange just happened over here at the palace.”
Ice cold premonition raced down my spine. “What happened?”
Edwards leaned in close to read the screen as well, although she struggled to translate.
To spare her, I started reading the texts out loud. “The Ghost Gun was fired over here at the wards. It didn’t take them down, of course, it didn’t have the power to do so. But it certainly created some pock marks.”
Edwards jabbed a finger at the voice-to-text button and protested, “Jamie here. How do they have another Ghost Gun, when they chucked their gun at my head!”.
I blinked at the words as they scrawled out. How had she managed to do that? It shouldn’t have translated her words. Unless just by my holding the device, it possessed enough magic to respond to her commands?
Shaking the thought off, I dutifully read Seaton’s response: “Of course you’re listening in, Jamie. Yes, I know, but they apparently had a second one.”
“No,” I corrected, thinking quickly, “it’s the second one they threw at her. Remember how the numbers changed, became more powerful after that first theft? I will bet you anything that they built a better gun after the first theft. They used the prototype on the palace tonight.” Which I would have realized, if I had bothered to think about it for more than two seconds. I kicked myself mentally for making such imbecilic assumptions.
Edwards started swearing, what I don’t know, as the translation spell couldn’t keep up with her. She jabbed the button again so she could respond. “So did they actually try to get in? Have you seen any sign they used a Sink?”
“None. I think it’s a diversion. They wanted our attention here.”
Her head came up, a hunting dog signaled, and her lips peeled back from her teeth in a way that terrified me. “They’re here.”
Alarmed, I demanded, “You’re certain?”
“I’ll bet you my left eye they’re here. Sherard, send what help to us you can. Henri, let’s go up.” So saying, she took off in a mad sprint up the stairs that I couldn’t hope to emulate.
“She just took off running, didn’t she?” Even through text I could sense his frustration and resignation. “She’s going to be the death of me, that woman. If you find me keeled over with heart failure, lay the blame at her door.”
I gave it half of my attention as I struggled to run after my insane partner. “Seaton, you’re not able to come, are you?”
“I’m trying to. I can’t leave until another Royal Mage replaces me. Duty demands I stay planted at Her Majesty’s side if there’s any breach of the palace’s wards. Be careful, alright?”
“I’ll try. And don’t worry, I won’t let her anywhere near that Sink.” An unfamiliar feeling of ferocity swept through me and for a moment, and my vision bled red. “I’ll kill the lot myself before I let that happen again.”
“I’m counting on you, my friend. Safeguard her.”
“I will,” I promised, and ended the connection.
Edwards beat me to the roof a whole story ahead of me. Even running as hard as I could—and my body informed me it could not do any better than this, my calves threatened legal action—I could not begin to match her pace. It was embarrassing how much of a physical difference lay between us in terms of stamina. She was the one fighting terminal health issues, and yet look at how physically fit she was. I really did have to start exercising.
I breached the door with wand drawn, a shield spell poised on my lips, but no one stood within my line of sight. Still panting for breath, I turned, coming around the brick alcove that framed the door, and from my peripheral vision I caught sight of a discarded pile near the edge of the roof. “Wankers,” I breathed, realizing what the burned husks, cracked stone and dull weapon lying near the doorway meant. “They’ve already discarded the Sink.”
; Turning back toward the inside, I slammed my hand against the large alarm button before retreating back outside. Head snapping back and forth, I frantically searched for my partner, breaking into a lope as I went. Several other small structures cluttered up my line of sight on the roof, housing different utilities, and it took me several heart-stopping moments to locate her. “Edwards! JAMIE!”
The alarm sounded throughout the building, a klaxon siren that threatened to send a person’s eardrums into the netherworld. I activated the phone spell as I ran. “Call Seaton.” Where, where, where was she?
From somewhere ahead, the report of a gun went off twice. Which meant she’d found the thieves and was giving chase without waiting for me. If we both survived this, we were going to have a long talk about her lack of survival instincts.
“HENRI!” Edwards shouted from somewhere ahead. “ALLEY!”
“—forth. Davenforth? Did you mean to call me?”
“Thieves are here,” I panted out, thighs trembling, calves protesting from the mad sprint I had just executed. My balance went sideways a little and I careened off a brick wall, using it to propel myself forward.
Seaton let few some choice words. “I’m coming.”
The spell abruptly disconnected and I was just as glad, as I didn’t have the breath to say anything more.
Edwards’ gun spoke again, a sharp ricochet of sound that echoed down the narrow confines of the alley. I turned a last corner, eyes taking in the situation. Thieves frantically gathering up loot and hauling it over their shoulders, running away from us as they did so. One person delayed long enough to cut three thick cables, presumably what they’d used to span the distance between the buildings.
I finally spotted Edwards but not in the position I expected. Instead of hovering near the edge of the roof, trying to shoot the thieves, she instead had backed up and assumed a runner’s position.
For a moment her stance made no sense at all. Surely she was not trying to…I mean, the alley was narrow, certainly, but not THAT narrow. Even a talented athlete would hesitate to jump that distance.
Even while my head trotted out all the logical reasons for not attempting a jump, Edwards took off running, boots slapping against the flat slab roof. For the third time in as many minutes, I felt my heart try to leap out of my chest. This crazy woman, what was she doing?! Even with her enhanced speed—and she was quite clearly using it, she darted forward so fast—that would be an insane distance to jump! Granted, the thieves on the other side of the roof had cut off their access, the last of the line snipped and fell even as I watched, but that didn’t mean she should take such drastic measures!
I had perhaps five seconds before Edwards’ feet left the roof. Five seconds to attempt to stop her or somehow help her. I didn’t dare use half the spells in my arsenal as it would directly impact her magical core. It likely wouldn’t kill her but that was the best that could be said. I’d have to do something else, something that wouldn’t touch her directly.
A flash of inspiration struck and I turned my wand on my partner, speaking the spell so rapidly the syllables nearly tripped out of my mouth. “Gradus!” The spell didn’t quite track with her, she moved too fast, and I swore and aimed again, this time just ahead of her, quickly forming the spell again. “GRADUS!”
Transparent steps of magic and air formed directly under her boots, supporting her. I shouted as loudly as I could, “Don’t jump, just run!”
Edwards didn’t look down or back at me, but she must have caught my actions out of her peripheral vision as an unholy grin spread over her features. No words passed between us as she again returned wholeheartedly to the pursuit. She ran across thin air as certainly as she would over a stone bridge, having complete faith the spell I cast worked as I intended. This faith both alarmed and warmed me but I had no time to dwell on such emotions. I ran after her, casting the spell again on my own shoes so that I could keep up.
As I crossed the alleyway, I realized that the alarm had called forth every possible onlooker, policeman—off duty and otherwise—and the guards for the Royal Museum. Most of them were in the street, shouting to each other and pointing up as they realized it had become a rooftop chase. They were helpful down there for exactly one reason: they pointed out the direction the thieves ran to.
I looked for the policemen posted on the rooftops and found them unconscious and tied up, stacked along the edge of the roof like discarded rubbish. I paused long enough to check for pulses, found them, and heaved a sigh of relief. Not dead. I’d have to come back for them later.
The neighboring roof passed in a blur. I did see the remains of a zip line and pulley system, obviously left behind by the thieves, but paid it nothing more than scant attention. Edwards, again, had pulled far ahead of me and I scrambled to cross the distance, hitting myself with a stamina booster, which I disliked doing. I’d feel the full effects and then some tomorrow, but right now, I had no other option. I had to catch up with her.
Edwards didn’t try to run and fire, no sane person would, not under these conditions. The roofs weren’t always level, some of them steepled, others with balconies or roof top gardens, and navigating all of that took more attention than we were willing to spare.
I counted heads as we ran. One, two, three, four—all men. Their scout, Eda Robbins, wasn’t with them. I cursed the luck as that meant we might not be able to catch the full thieves ring.
One of the thieves had more in his hands than the others, and he was older, not as young and spry as his compatriots. He started lagging, and on the last jump from one roof to another, he landed wrong. I could barely hear over my own harsh breathing his yelp of pain, but hear it I did. He got back up, hobbling along as quickly as he could manage, but not quickly enough. Edwards hit him low in the back, bringing him sharply down. A lioness tackling a buck couldn’t have done it more gracefully.
They both grunted at the impact, the backpack of loot spinning and tumbling out of his immediate reach. The older man gave a string of curses that sounded more resigned than angry. Edwards, however, kept going, her speed such that she couldn’t readily stop.
If she kept going like that, she’d go straight off the roof. Worried, I readied a spell to catch her, pull her back in. Edwards changed angle just slightly and plowed straight into a set of smokestacks. With that much iron, I expected it to stop her, but she went through it like a knife through butter. She tumbled and rolled, out of sight.
“Edwards?!” I called after her, alarmed.
“Ooops,” she responded, sounding only guilty and breathless.
I heaved out a breath. She didn’t sound in pain, so likely she wasn’t hurt, although how she managed to demolish six iron smoke stacks and not attain an injury was beyond my ken. That Immunity Spell she was under certainly made her tougher than reason.
“What oops?” Seaton called up from the street level. I could barely see the top of his head from my vantage point. “Jamie, what did you break this time?!”
“Me,” the thief on the ground grumbled, still nursing his injured side.
“It’s just a flesh wound!” Edwards called back to him.
With a quick word and snap of the wrist, I spelled the thief immobile. “Coercere. Don’t worry, Seaton, she used a collection of smoke stacks to break her fall,” I informed him loudly and with considerable asperity.
Seaton, below, let out a few judicious words on the subject. I found myself whole-heartedly agreeing with him.
“Well, it worked,” my partner defended herself even as she popped back into view. Edwards bounded up, gave me a nod of thanks, and took off running once more.
I stared after her with a sort of fatalistic resignation. Of course, she used the same burst of speed as before. One smoke stack or a dozen, what was the difference? Grumbling, I ran after her.
The three other thieves had barely given a glance back at their fallen member and my lips twisted as I realized they were perfectly willing to abandon one of their own. The old saying is true: th
ere is no honor to be found among thieves.
At the next roof top jump, fortune smiled on us. The roof I stood on had a good half story in height over its neighbor. The thieves jumped down, as did Edwards, continuing to run for it. I, however, realized I had an excellent vantage point. The only thing that had stopped me previously from firing any spells was the danger of hitting Edwards and I hadn’t been able to gain a clear line of sight.
Chuckling in a truly sinister manner, I raised my wand like a conductor in front of his orchestra. “Coercere. Coercere. Coercere!”
The thieves went down like felled trees. One, two, three.
Edwards this time used a brick chimney to stop herself, sending it somewhat askew, although this time she was able to slow her speed at least a little before impact. It didn’t send a part of the building toppling sideways. She took in the swearing, sweating thieves with some bemusement before turning, her neck craning to spot me. I waved at her cheerfully. Laughing, she cupped a hand around her mouth and shouted, “Nice shooting, Tex!”
She’d have to translate that last part for me later, but I took the praise in the spirit in which it was meant. “Can we stop running about like headless ghosts now?”
Seaton, from below, started yelling again. “I can’t see what you’re doing up there! Did you catch them? Do I need to come up?”
Edwards popped her head over the side of the roof. “Ah, there you are. We caught them! Don’t come up.” To me, she requested, “Go fetch the other one. We’ll drag them down to street level and deal with them there.”
I did so with open relish. My lungs burned, my muscles screamed, my stomach growled for want of food, and none of it mattered one whit. It had been a hard, brutal chase, so?
We caught them.
It took entirely too long to get the four thieves into interrogation. An hour felt like a decade at nearly 11 o’clock at night. McSparrin proved to be a true friend and helped us book everyone, cutting the paperwork in half, and most were hauled to the jail cells.
Edwards kept one, bringing him into the smallest of the interrogation rooms. It only held a table and four chairs, nothing else. She’d chosen, interestingly enough, the oldest thief to start with. I briefly entertained the question of why she didn’t just bring all four together, interview them all at once and get it over with. Then I realized the folly of the idea. No, of course, she needed to get each separate story so that she could match them up together and catch the lies.
Magic and the Shinigami Detective Page 26