by Tom Keller
"Thanks, Mal, "I said as we made it to the sidewalk. "You got a pac-set?"
"Sorry we took so long to get here," he replied, nodding. "We were in Henderson finishing up that search warrant when we got the call. Got here as fast as we could." He took the portable radio from his back pocket and handed it to me. Like the other electronics, it was old fashioned and shaped like a brick.
"No problem," I answered, lifting the radio. "Sometimes shit happens. Like the fact that I was just around the corner when this call went down."
"Control, Hoskins," I said, keying it.
"Go ahead, 301M," the dispatcher replied. Well, at least I now knew my call sign.
"Has Captain O'Malley been notified of this call," I asked.
"Affirmative, 301M," she replied. "200 has been advised and asks you to call him at your earliest convenience."
"Acknowledged," I replied, handing him the pac-set back. "Thanks. I gotta find a phone. Then I need a ride to Number Four to get my car."
"Why is your car at the hospital?" Mal asked, confirming that the old call sign for the hospital was the same here.
"Lent it to a Patrol Unit to take care of his partner," I replied, looking around. Unlike the modern Las Vegas I was used to, this was still a residential neighborhood here. I suppose I could have knocked on a door and asked to use a phone, but I'd rather not talk to the Captain where others could hear. "Screw it. You want to give me a ride? I can call from there."
"Yeah," he said, pointing down the street a few houses. "I'm parked over there."
"Okay," I replied. "Let me see if Vice is here and then we can go."
"I saw Hartung when we pulled up," Mal said, referring to who I assumed was one of the Vice cops. "My guys are coordinating with him since a Mage was involved. He should still be inside."
"Thanks," I replied, and then made my way back to the house. I stopped at the now open doorway and yelled out his name. When he came out, I told him what I wanted and then headed back to Mal, who by now was standing next to his car.
"Let's go," I said as I walked up and got in.
He floored it and we were gone. Even with the hospital a short distance away, I had to tell the story about my contact with the Keres several times before he was satisfied I wasn't holding anything back.
Chapter 4
Apparently, if it was anyone else, they'd have been transferred and reassigned to a spot writing parking tickets on graveyard shift in the shittiest part of town the Captain could find. I guess it pays to be me in this world. After a royal ass chewing for making tomorrow's headlines by being the first person to be kissed by a Keres in a thousand years and live to talk about it, something he expressly stated he hadn’t been able to foretell, I briefed O'Malley on what else had happened and then he went off to join the Sheriff at the already scheduled press briefing. One now updated to include what he had called my latest heroics, or theatrics, depending on where we had been in the conversation. Fortunately, I guess the fact that I could retire if they pissed me off enough worked in my favor. After I hung up, I retrieved my car and went back to the office. Blanket authorization to do my job or not, I still had to write a report about the incident like any other cop.
I grabbed a change of clothes from the trunk. Since the other Robert had left me a choice, I picked the jeans and a long sleeve shirt so I could leave it untucked and carry my weapons. Hey, there was a price on my head, remember? I tossed what was left of my suit into a bag and then spent the next couple hours writing up my report on my outdated computer. When that was done, I rifled through every drawer in my office. If I was gonna be stuck here, I needed to know what was going on. Trust me, I already knew things were different here. I just hadn’t considered all the possibilities that entailed. Things like being human again. To be honest, I was exhausted. I couldn’t tell you the last time I'd felt this tired. I figured I'd done enough for one day so I headed back to the parking lot to go home.
I got in my car and took the Fourth Street exit and got on the 95, heading northbound. That was my first mistake. The second was not knowing where I lived in this world. The expressway here ended at Rainbow Boulevard and there was nothing but desert after that. Figuring why not, I made the right and continued down the two-lane road till I hit Craig, making the left toward my old neighborhood. Old was right. Most of the homes here were all ranch style properties with large lots that had been here for some time. Gone were the developments and newly paved roads. My old neighborhood didn’t exist here. The Dude Ranch that my house had once been part of in my world was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was only a horse corral and a shed.
I drove west for a few blocks and pulled over in an area that overlooked the city. As always, the lights of the Strip and Downtown were gorgeous, but I noticed immediately that the city wasn't as large as it had been back home. If I were to guess, I'd say it was like the Vegas of the late '70s, just like Downtown had seemed to be. Maybe half a million people lived here. People being humans and Fae… and whatever else was out there. Not that it made much of a difference in my situation, but every little bit of information helped.
I pulled out my wallet and looked at my driver's license. Something I should have done before I ever left the office. I didn’t know the address listed but based on the hundred block, I was guessing it wasn't too far from downtown. I started looked around for a map. I finally found one tucked into the space between the seat and the center console. It was a notebook paper sized booklet published by a company called Front Roads. I looked in the directory and found the address, then started up the car and headed for what constituted my home in this world.
I pulled off of Rancho onto the entrance to the development. In front of the guard shack, there was a sign identifying the property as Vegas Meadows. It had been Scotch Eighties back home and it hadn't been guarded by security.
"Saw you on the news, Lieutenant," the Fae security guard said as I drove up to the entrance. He leaned into the window. "I have to admit, I never thought I'd see that in my lifetime. The Keres don’t interact with anyone unless their dead or dying. I'm not even going to ask how you survived."
"That's good because I have no idea," I replied with a halfhearted smile. "So how's it been around here?"
"Chased a few reporters away earlier," he said, moving away from the car. "Just the usual crowd, no real problem there. Other than that, it's been a quiet night. All the wards are solid and I've got perimeter security in place."
"Glad to hear it," I replied as he waved the gates to open. "Been a long day and I could use some downtime."
"I bet you could, Lieutenant," he said, giving me a crisp salute. "We've got your back, as always.
"I appreciate it," I said, saluting him back. Then I proceeded through the gate toward the address listed on my driver's license.
I turned at the end of the street and came upon a tan, ranch style house with the right numbers on the mailbox. It was nice. It had a three car garage with grass and trees that filled the yard. None of them oak, of course, but beggars can't be choosers. Like the other homes in the neighborhood, there was no fence or gate in the front. But I guess that wasn't needed with Fae guards watching the community. I checked my visors and console but there was no garage door opener. I parked in the driveway and got out, locking the car and making my way to the front of the house. I found the front door key and, crossing my fingers, went inside.
Damn that bitch to Hell! I thought to myself as I searched the house and backyard. No doggie door and no bowls. Which meant no Charlie and no Lucy. How could any version of me not have a dog or a cat? This was bullshit. Charlie was my Fae hunting dog… but he was much more than that. He wasn't just a Fae dog that talked, he was my partner. He'd always been there when I needed him. He had once told me that he would always find me if I was in danger. I hope that hadn't changed. Although I don’t know how he'd ever be able to cross the worlds to find me this time. But even if Gaea decided to exile me to this place forever, he would never give up searching. It
wasn't much, but it was a glimmer of hope. Too tired to do any more, I found the master bedroom and laid down on the bed. Still fully clothed, I was asleep before my head touched the pillow.
I woke up early the next morning. It took me a second to remember where I was but the sore knees and aching back were an instant reminder I was human again. I dragged myself into the kitchen and started the coffee. Then I jumped in the shower and got dressed. A little while later I retrieved the newspaper from the driveway and then sat down and poured myself a cup of coffee. Nothing like making the front page, I thought to myself, as I read the article underneath the photo of Kyras kissing me. Between that and Marissa's conviction, I was becoming quite the celebrity. Lucky me.
When I was done, I headed out to the car and drove to the office. For the next couple days, in between the boring part of police work, i.e., meetings and paperwork, and fending off questions about the Keres, I tried to make sense of the world I'd been thrown into. I won’t waste your time for the most part, but some of it is kind of interesting.
For example, in this world, I live in the Republic of Nevada. Sure, we joined the U.S. to help Lincoln get reelected, but we also got a few concessions that were unheard of back home. To begin with, the Fae were already here and their contribution to ending the Civil War wasn't without its rewards. While they're specifically barred from combat in my world, except under strict conditions, here, that wasn't the case. In exchange for their services, Nevada became a kind of Fae haven, still a State and part of the U.S., but allowed some degree of independence from the standard bureaucracy that exists back home. Oh sure, there are Fae enclaves in other states, but this is the closest thing to a Fae homeworld you'll find anywhere on Earth.
That's not to say that everything between the humans and Fae was hunky dory. No, even here there was a lot of friction between the races. Not so much if you're part of the upper crust. Magic wasn't the only source of power here, money had its place as well. Unfortunately, there was only room for so many at the top. Everyone else had to pick up the crumbs that were left over. I guess it's not that different from back home, but it did cause a lot of tension between the police and those that felt we only worked for the ones at the top.
Another thing. All those antique devices I've mentioned are here for a reason. Like I've said before, magic and technology don’t mix. You can buy a smartphone in California and bring it here, but it won’t work right. Oh, it might work some, but it won’t be very dependable. Besides, there's no wi-fi or modern cellular in the entire state and forget about hi-def TV. Instead, it's all analog. Older cellphones work some of the time, but almost no one uses them for business. Think of it as a compromise. With the way they throw magic around, you'll never miss it anyway. There were communication spells. We had them but used them sparingly. You needed a master Mage to make them secure enough for police work.
Oh, I almost forgot. That technology vs magic stuff… That also means that very few records are computerized. Which means almost everything is documented on paper. The IRS has to hate the place, as do most other law enforcement agencies. You can't just run a search on folks that live here that easily. The records aren’t online. Which means you have to do things the old-fashioned way. If you want to find something here, you have to get out there and beat the pavement as they used to say. Magic helps, but it's heavily regulated, and even then you'd need to find someone who was able to perform the right spell. But even that only goes so far. You still need to have the information available to use it.
That really burns the big technology and telecommunication corporations. Not to mention the FAA and the airlines. Of course, they've adapted somewhat. Small planes still fly in, but the big boys built new airports near Barstow and Sacramento to get close enough to the border to bring in visitors. From there you can take a prop-job, train, or shuttle bus to Vegas or Reno. I also found out that there was a huge aftermarket business run by the car manufacturers to compensate for the problem when it came to new vehicle electronics.
Then there's the magic. You can find shops that sell magical implements and spells throughout the city. Inside, it's like a dispensary. For the right price, just about any kind of approved white magic can be purchased, no ID necessary. None of these shops can be found on what exists here as the Internet. You have to come in person. There's even a thriving shopping market experience where busloads of people from surrounding states drive in to shop. Okay, you can't buy just anything, but if you need a shelf stretcher to fit that extra pair of shoes, or maybe a never empty gravy boat for the Thanksgiving table, you can get it here.
Then there's MAD. As you can guess from its title, the Magical Affairs Division monitors magic. While we're most concerned with someone using the dark kind, we also regulated white magic's use throughout the community. Part of a larger group, we make sure it's used in accordance with agreed upon rules and values that have become law. There's even a Customs and Border Division that makes sure certain magical implements and spell books aren't imported or exported illegally. Not to mention a Magic Control Board that made sure that all games of chance remained that way. That was one place magic wasn't allowed, at least as far as the slots or table games were concerned. Not that it mattered, the odds were always skewed in the house's favor. You didn't need magic to make that happen.
Fortunately, most of that was O'Malley's problem. He was head of the statewide task force. My division was more like a strike force. We tried to control things before they got out of hand. Luckily for me, the Robert Hoskins in this world knew what he was doing. I had good folks working for me and after several briefings of what was going on and monitoring a few tactical operations, I left them to it. They'd let me know if I was needed. Besides, I was leaving the office early. It was Friday, the start of my weekend, even if I was technically always on call. I was hoping for a quiet next couple of days. Of course, the way things had been going, I doubted Gaea was gonna let me off the hook that easy.
First things first, I had a stop I needed to make. I don't know the real reason Gaea sent me here. It seemed like a lot of crap to go through just to make a point. But since she'd started with old girlfriend week, the least I could do was finish it. I knew I couldn't change the world, not being a lone human again, but maybe I could shake things up a bit. Vice had delivered their report on the Lilin we'd freed after yesterday's shootout and there were a few things I wanted to follow up on before I could call it a day. I'd found a shoulder holster for the dagger and a backstrap for the short sword. Between those and my guns, I felt suitably armed to face the world I now lived in.
Ten minutes later I parked in front of the old Fire Station Number 4, next door to the Fae bar I knew as Danu's. In my world, most humans didn't even know it existed. Here, however, it was visible to anyone that could find it. That's not to say that magic wasn't in use here. As soon as I opened the car door I felt a little uneasy. Guessing that it was merely a spell to prod humans along, I ignored the feeling and walked up to the front doors. I pulled them open and it went away. I walked into the antechamber and through the inner doors, stopping as the noise died down and every head in the place turned to face me. This was still a Fae bar, but definitely not the same as it had been in my world. It didn’t take a magic spell to know I wasn't welcome. I ignored them and walked up to the counter, taking an empty seat as I looked up at the glaring Half-Demon bartender who was clearly not happy that I was there.
"Where's the Elf?" I asked, ignoring his stare.
"He's not here," he replied, picking up a glass and cleaning it.
I hadn’t really expected such a negative reception. Back home, Danu's was a high scale bar catering to all the Fae. Delia's words, however, now made sense. If the Elf that owned it was a protector of the Lilin as he was in my world, it figures he wouldn’t be that fond of authority.
"Fine," I sighed, guessing that everything was going to be difficult in this world. It was time to play the asshole again. I took out my badge and laid it on the counter. "I suggest you f
ind him fast or do I have to come up with a reason to close this place down to get his attention?"
"Now, now, Lieutenant," the Elf in question said as he came out of the back. "No need for that. I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding. Wasn't it Draven?" He stared at the Half-Demon as if daring him to say something stupid. "We don’t need any problems today. Apologize to the Lieutenant for your mistake."
"As you say, my Lord," the Demon replied in a downtrodden voice. "My apologies, Lieutenant. I was mistaken."
"There now," the Elf said, taking the bartenders place at the counter and shooing him away. He set down a leather notebook. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant? Work cards? Health cards? I have everything here in alphabetical order should you wish to review it."
"Nothing so official, Bjartr," I replied, using the name I knew him by back home as I picked up my badge. "Tell you what. Let's just leave that paperwork there. Why don’t you grab us a couple of those Elf ales you make here instead? The real stuff, I mean. Then let's find us a booth in the back so we can chat."
"I hardly think that is necessary, Lieutenant," he said, frowning. "Unless this relates to the bar, I doubt there is anything we have to say to each other."
"Humor me," I replied. "Five minutes of your time. Then I'll leave you be. You have my word on that."
"As you wish," the Elf said, sighing as he shook his head. "Five minutes." He turned and pulled two beer mugs, then opened a tap on a small wooden barrel on the other side of the bar area and filled them. As he finished, I got up and made my way to an empty booth near the back. Bjartr came around the bar and joined me a moment later. He placed the two glasses on the table as he sat down.
"I should warn you," he began, pushing one of the mugs toward me. "This ale is considerably stronger than humans are accustomed to. Drink up. I believe your five minutes have begun."