Nine of Wands

by Mark Hayden

‘You don’t have to do this,’ I said. ‘You’re not in the Watch.’

  ‘No,’ she replied. ‘But I’m Myfanwy’s friend. I owe her.’

  ‘Good. Tell her to divert Ben. Mina has the directions, and I’ll break the news to him. I should have come up with a cover story by the time I get there.’

  Erin laughed. ‘Selling oil secrets to the Chinese. That always goes down well in films. Oh, hang on. Hold that thought. Russia might be a better option. I’ll explain when I see you.’

  She had a point. Oil secrets it is. Oh yes, and the fact that he’s already married. Once I told Ben that, he wouldn’t care about the rest.

  The mast where Fisher’s phone was pinging wasn’t one of the main ones in Tewkesbury. Good job, too. It was located north of the town on the plain between the rivers Avon and Severn. That still left a lot of ground to cover, though. I was contemplating this when Ben’s battered pickup arrived.

  Mina, Erin and I were grouped round the Volvo’s bonnet. Scout would have joined in, too, if we’d let him. Before we’d got the map out, Erin showed me something on her phone. She’s a very clever woman, is Erin.

  I went up to Ben’s car and pointed to the passenger seat. He popped the door locks, and I climbed in.

  ‘What’s this all about, Conrad? It looks like you’re planning an operation over there.’

  ‘We are. Have a look at this.’

  I showed him the smartphone that Mina had given me. Hannah had made available an image from the UK Border Agency, and thanks to Erin’s lucky guess, we now had chapter and verse on Isaac Fisher.

  ‘Who’s this Ivan Rybakov?’

  ‘Rybakov means “Fisher” in Russian. Scroll down.’

  He found the picture. ‘Fucking hell. You mean that Isaac Fisher is really this Russian bloke?’

  ‘Look at the next of kin.’

  ‘Nooo. Please tell me this is a wind-up. Or that he’s divorced.’

  ‘Sorry, he’s very much still married. Going to be a father.’

  He stared at the phone, hoping it would miraculously change. It didn’t. ‘How do you know all this, Conrad? And why am I discussing it here?’

  ‘Because his wife is in custody. We’d very much like him to join her. Espionage. Carole knows a lot of things the Russian oil industry would like to find out.’

  ‘He’s been using her this whole time?’

  ‘He told his wife that Carole was his PA.’

  ‘The bastard. The epic bastard. The fucking little shit. I’ll murder him.’

  ‘Not if he gets away, you won’t.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘He knows we’re on to him. If you promise not to lay a finger on him, you can help track him down.’

  ‘Seriously? What about the police? What about MI5? Isn’t that your mob?’

  I shook my head. ‘We deal with non-terror related threats to national security, and we’re pretty thin on the ground. If there’s no threat to life, the police won’t lift a finger. Do you think I’d drag Mina and Erin into this if I had a choice?’

  ‘Can’t I just thump him the once? Kick him in the goolies?’

  ‘No. It’s hands off or I’ll take your car keys and leave you here.’

  He actually hesitated. Long enough that I reckoned he had a spare set of keys somewhere. ‘If that’s the deal, then yes. What do you want from me?’

  ‘Come out and I’ll explain.’

  The plan was simple: the other three were going to drive around the lanes while I waited at a caravan park in the middle of the search zone and scrubbed locations off the map. That way, I could be sure that we hadn’t missed anything.

  Phase one was a drive-by of roadside properties, looking for the Mercedes. Where the houses were down a drive, my team would make a note and go back during phase two. If he moved before then, I could get to Junction 9 ahead of him and cut him off.

  The best news came in before we left Starbucks: Saffron was safely in the ambulance and Xavi was already in place at Milton Keynes.

  After that, things got very frustrating. Phase one took forty minutes, and at the end we had fifty properties where a car could be out of sight, including another, larger caravan park. Ben had also made the mistake of taking a call from Carole, and though he hadn’t spilt the beans, she was now very suspicious. If I were her, I’d be ringing my fiancé and starting to ask questions.

  Scout was looking worried, poor thing. He does rather take his cue from me when it comes to moods, which can be quite disturbing at times. He’d even gone off treats, and that’s almost unheard of.

  We were twenty minutes into phase two when Erin called. ‘Got him,’ she said.

  ‘Where?’

  ‘The lodge at Waterbury Manor. It’s a good quarter of a mile from the road.’

  ‘Got it. Any chance he saw you?’

  ‘No. He doesn’t know my car, and Waterbury Manor is a hotel. There are vehicles going along all the time. I’ve pulled in to a gate round the corner from the lodge. If he moves, he has to pass me.’

  ‘Brilliant. I’ll be there in ten.’ I folded up the map, and Scout was already standing by the back door wagging his tail. ‘Are you ready for some action, boy?’

  ‘Awrf.’

  When we got to the location, it was clear that Scout wasn’t the only one ready for action.

  The drive to Waterbury Manor swept away from the road through an imposing pair of stone gateposts. Beyond the gates, two cars and a pickup were waiting. Hannah would never believe this wasn’t my doing.

  I got out of the Volvo and slammed the door. ‘Erin! What the fuck are you playing at?’

  She looked at the gravel, and Mina grabbed my arm. ‘It wasn’t her fault. I made her.’

  ‘And me,’ said Ben. ‘We made each other promise to text when we found something. Looks like he’s bought himself a love-nest. Mina said she injured his wife. I bet he was going to install her here, not half an hour from Clerkswell. Do you think he was going to go through with the wedding?’

  ‘Not now, Ben, we don’t have time. Erin, describe the approach to the lodge.’

  ‘It’s about three hundred metres, round that bend. The lodge is on the right, set back a bit. The lake is behind it, so there’s no escape that way. I saw a conservatory on the back, with the doors open. I bet he’s working in there or in the garden.’

  ‘Good.’

  I looked up the road. It skirted a field full of sheep, with a substantial fence separating them. The field undulated at such an angle that Fisher’s saloon would never cross it. Even better. I closed my eyes and tried to let my shoulders relax. I took three even breaths and shook my fingers. One more breath and I opened my eyes.

  ‘Ben, this is too dangerous for you.’

  ‘What about Erin? Don’t tell me she’s a secret ninja.’

  ‘Close enough. I want you in your pickup with the engine running. If Fisher’s car comes towards you, block the road and get the hell out. If he slips past us, you’re crucial. Got that?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Good. Erin, you’re going to run down to the lake and follow the shore round to the lodge and cut off his escape on foot. Mina, you drive past in the Volvo and be ready to block access to the hotel. Scout and I are going jog up the road thirty seconds later. Any questions?’ They shook their heads. ‘Have your phones out, get ready and go on my signal.’

  I waited until Ben’s back was turned before I took the Anvil out of the car and strapped the sword on my back. Once in place, he wouldn’t see it. I did let him have a good look at the Hammer, though. I took it out of the holster and carried it in my right hand. I put the Bluetooth earpiece in and waited until they nodded. I raised my arm and waved them off.

  Erin shot over the road and vaulted the fence smoothly enough to make Saffron jealous, if she were here. Mina drove off, and I counted to thirty. ‘Come on, Scout. Let’s find the Mage.’

  The lodge slowly revealed itself as I got nearer the bend. I also got my first clear look at the lake, and s
aw that Erin was catching up. She saw me and slowed to a walk. I told you she was bright. Behind her on the water, a few small sailing dinghies competed with a couple of jet skis that shouldn’t be on a body of water that small.

  The lodge was definitely original. No reproduction building would be that small. There couldn’t have been more than three rooms in the original, and only one of those upstairs. A downstairs extension had been added at the rear, and I could just make out the glass panels of the conservatory attached to it. I kept to a steady pace and Scout gave his first bark.

  The lodge was separated from the drive by a privet hedge with a gap for Fisher to get his car in. It was lucky for us that the plot was too small to hide the car. I jogged through the gap, past the car and down the side of the building. I heard the rattle of diesel behind me and glanced over my shoulder. Mina had parked the Volvo over the gap and was getting out. I ran.

  Scout ran, too, and let out a flurry of angry barks when he got round the corner. An astonished middle aged man was sitting at a table under a parasol, smoking his pipe, working at his laptop and wondering what the mad dog was doing. He looked up and looked down the barrel of the Hammer.

  ‘King’s Watch! Don’t move, Fisher. Stay very still. Hands in the air. Slowly.’

  He’d frozen in place, still seated, pipe smoking in the ashtray. Fisher might be the Master, but he wasn’t the active type.

  ‘Hands in the air! Do it now!’

  I closed the distance as he slowly raised his hands. Fear spread across his face as he realised just how deep in the shit he was. To my right, Erin splashed through the shallow waters as she rounded the fence. Mina came round the corner behind me and stopped. I reached into my pocket and got out the wirecutters. I dropped them on the ground so that I could keep both hands on the gun.

  ‘Mina, pick up the clippers. Get ready to remove his Artefacts.’

  She swooped gracefully on the wirecutters, and I saw a set of restraints ready in her other hand.

  ‘Stand up slowly, Fisher. Keep your hands in the air at all times. Do not lower them. Then back away from the table.’

  He struggled to push the chair back without using his hands and his knees banged the table. With little grace, he overbalanced and landed on his side.

  ‘Don’t move. Stay still. Hands on your head.’ He complied, after a fashion. ‘Go, Mina, and don’t get between us. I need a clear shot at all times.’

  She danced round to the left and crawled up to Fisher. Her nimble fingers had the Artefacts off him and the restraints in place just as Erin arrived. Mina hopped back and swept her hair up with a grin.

  ‘Erin, check him for any Artefacts, phones, anything.’

  ‘Clear of magick. No phones either.’

  ‘Would you like to help Mr Fisher back into his chair? We need to have a word.’

  They moved the chair well away from the table and out into the sun, then they used as much force and arm twisting as they could to get him into it.

  I lowered the gun, but didn’t put it in the holster, nor did I lower my Ancile. Since I’d come round the corner, he’d been a target. Now I looked at him as a human being. He wasn’t in the best shape for a man of his age, which looked about fifty. His shirt was soaked with sweat and now grubby from being manhandled on the floor. He had slightly more hair than me, but not much. His face was a strong one, and he definitely had a notable chin. His eyes were still a little glazed, possibly from the shock of having his Artefacts removed.

  ‘Isaac Fisher, by the authority vested in me by the Peculier Constable, I am arresting you for breaching the King’s Peace. You will answer the charge in the Cloister Court.’

  His eyes came back into focus and he shifted in the chair. ‘My name is Rybakov. Ivan Petrovich Rybakov.’ His voice was deep, so deep it rumbled in his chest. ‘How did you find me?’

  ‘You shouldn’t have given Irina that phone. She’s safe, by the way. We’ll look after her. And your child. Mina, call Ben and tell him to stand down.’

  He struggled in the chair. ‘Not Ben. Keep him away from me.’

  Erin pushed his shoulder down and spoke straight into his ear. ‘Watch Captain Clarke will keep Ben at spitting distance. I mean that literally, you piece of shit. I hope you suffer for what you’ve done to Carole.’

  He leaned away from her. ‘My phone is switched off. How did you find it?’

  ‘You’ve been using your Isaac phone all day. We traced that.’

  He slumped in his chair as if Ben had thumped him in the stomach. ‘Irina, Irina, why did you do it? Why did you put that number in the phone?’

  ‘Because she loves you,’ said Mina. ‘I don’t know why, but she does. A good job for us, though.’

  Ben appeared and stopped when he saw Fisher. His hands curled into fists and the tendons flexed in his jaw. Erin left Fisher’s side and went up to Ben. She placed her hand on his arm. ‘Don’t,’ she said. ‘For Carole and Myfanwy’s sake, leave it to Conrad.’

  ‘The question is,’ I said, ‘do you love Irina at all? Do you care about the child she’s carrying? I made her an offer, and I’ll make you the same one: give up the Fae and you can see her tonight. You can leave the country and start a new life.’

  He looked down and shook his head.

  I walked a bit closer. ‘Do you know what’s going to happen to her? Shall I spell it out?’

  Scout had been keeping a close eye on Fisher. He stood up and looked at the lake. Then Erin looked, then Mina. What?

  I stepped back and glanced at the water. A jet ski was heading our way. Fast.

  Scout charged towards the lake. What the hell? The jet ski revved up and beached at the end of the garden. A woman wearing a bright red wetsuit jumped off the machine. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Scout went ballistic, barking his magick bark as if the world were about to end. I took out the SIG and passed it to Mina. ‘Cover Fisher.’

  The woman was beautiful. You could see every curve under the red neoprene, and she moved with the grace of a ballerina. I was getting a very, very bad feeling about this, as was Erin. She gripped Ben’s arm and stammered, ‘By the Goddess, no.’

  The woman bent down and said, ‘Who’s a clever boy, then? Nice doggy.’ She put her finger to her lips and Scout went quiet. A pain shot through my head, behind my right ear. I could see him barking, but no noise came out. The woman ran up the garden, bare feet barely touching the grass. She stopped about three metres away and brushed impossibly dry hair behind her ears. Diamond studs winked in her earlobes and a great diamond ring glittered on the third finger of her left hand.

  ‘Is this the part where you tell me that Ivan is under your protection?’ Her voice was too sweet, like sugar in your tea when you don’t expect it.

  ‘He is. Don’t come any closer.’

  ‘Sorry, but Ivan is foresworn. He’s mine. Excuse me.’

  Two steps took her to Fisher. He shrank back in utter terror. I raised the Hammer and aimed at the woman.

  She put her hands on her hips and pouted. ‘Shame on you, Ivan. You’ve been very disappointing.’ She shook her head. ‘Ivan Rybakov, you are in default and I claim the debt. So mote it be.’

  She reached her left hand up and stroked his chest for a second, then plunged it in and ripped out his heart. Lux swirled around her, silver lights and tiny fireworks flared off her body. I fired my gun.

  And the bullet exploded into a silver mist when it hit her wetsuit. It didn’t even leave a mark.

  She took a deep breath. ‘Ooh, that hurt. Don’t do it again. I don’t want to hurt you.’ She sniffed the heart, still dripping with blood. ‘Good. I’ll enjoy that later. Sorry to interrupt.’

  She turned and ran back to the jet ski. She dragged it effortlessly off the grass and into the water. With a graceful twitch of her leg, she swung on board and raced back across the lake. As she disappeared, I saw her lift her left hand to her mouth and take a bite from Isaac Fisher’s heart.

  29 — Entangled

  The first p
riority was my team. Behind me, Ben was throwing up into the bushes, with Erin holding his shoulders. Scout ran back to me with his tail between his legs and curled up on my feet with a whimper. I felt my lower legs go cold as he took Lux from them, except for my titanium tibia. That got hotter. I bent down to scratch his ears and checked on Mina.

  She had retreated when the Fae approached Fisher. A good job, too, because there had been a fair bit of blood spatter. She walked over to me, face rigid, and offered me my gun back. I stood up and took it. She wrapped herself round me and gripped me with all her strength. I bent down and kissed the top of her head.

  ‘Conrad,’ she whispered, ‘I have seen my brother murdered, and my husband. I have seen my face after it was smashed and I have seen a Gnome decapitated. None of them were as bad as what she did to Fisher. I want you to promise me something. I want you to give me your word that you will never offer yourself in a bargain with the Fae. Not even to save my life. Or anyone’s life.’

  What could I do? ‘I promise, love.’

  She gave me an extra squeeze and stood back.

  Ben was also standing up. ‘Did you see anything, Ben?’ I asked.

  Erin answered. ‘It’s my fault. I was holding him when it happened, so he saw everything.’

  ‘What was that … thing?’ said Ben. He didn’t wait for an answer. ‘This is your world, isn’t it Conrad? This nightmare stuff. Please tell me that Myfanwy is not one of those things.’

  ‘She’s not. She’s as human as you or I, Ben. So’s Erin and Vicky, and Saffron. We just live in a slightly different world, that’s all.’

  ‘You didn’t always, did you?’

  ‘No, I didn’t. The others have.’

  Erin had kept her hand lightly on his back. He started to sway again. ‘Let’s get inside,’ she said. ‘We don’t need to keep looking at Ivan, do we?’ She guided him gently through the open doors of the conservatory and eased him into a seat. Mina, Scout and I followed.

  ‘Erin, did you recognise her?’

  ‘Him. No. I’ve never met him before, and I’ve never seen so much Fae magick outside a sídhe, either. He was dripping in Quicksilver like he’d bathed in it. I doubt I’d recognise him again. I’m not Vicky.’