by Shawn Keys
He stepped over and held his breath as he reached in to unbuckle the knight’s sword belt. The ancient leather came away and instantly started to disintegrate in his hands. Apparently, it was not part of the magical matrix surrounding the relic. By the end, he was brandishing the burnished, flawless steel of Gawain’s longsword in his hands. He handed it over to Kaylee, eagle-sculpted hilt first. “This is a relic, Leea. Hold on, there’s another.” He shifted positions on his haunches until he could slide a hand under the knight’s left greave to slide free the dagger concealed there. It glimmered with silver life, capped by a black eagle hilt. He measured he balance, then handed it to Angelica. “Both are works of art. And they seem more modern than most relics. Probably made within the last thousand years. That makes sense. Legends suggest that Merlin made relics for the knights to set them above their peers and forge Camelot through war.”
Kaylee was turning the longsword over in her hand. She was fit, but normal longswords had significant weight to them. She handled this one like it was a feather plucked from an ostrich. “Can you tell what they do?”
Zahn inspected the relic’s aura and its design. “No. There are no markings, and nothing obvious like Angelica’s hawk necklace to hint at what it does. Eventually, a relic will attune with its owner enough to reveal its secrets. I can see aggression to its magic. That makes sense, too. It is rare that a sword is given power that doesn’t relate to combat.”
Angelica showed the dagger, “And this?”
Zahn shook his head. “The aura is unfamiliar to me. One of us will have to claim it long enough to forge a proper link with it. As for yours, Kaylee… try swinging it. See what does.”
Despite their fatigue, a flash of her youthful spirit showed. She raised it up and slashed it at the remains of the stone podium. All that was left was a ragged pillar sticking up from the ground. The tablet had been completely destroyed. The sword connected halfway down the pillar.
With almost no effort, the blade cleaved right through the stone. The slash was so clean that it took a few seconds before gravity remembered it had a job to do. The top slab finally toppled off and broke into pieces on the rocks below.
Kaylee froze, watching in amazement. Then, a smile dawned on her face. “That was so cool !” She brought the blade up, inspecting it with a whole new level of respect. A faint purple mist hovered around the leading edge that had made the cut. It soon evaporated.
Zahn whistled. “A vorpal blade.”
Angelica scrunched up her nose. “A what?”
“A modern term for an old power. Lewis Carroll described a sword with ultimate sharpness that could kill the fabled Jabberwocky. Other fantasy games and stories have altered it since into a variety of definitions.” He found himself grinning. “But it seems Gawain left us a key after all.”
Chapter 17
Zahn crouched as he ran, staying below the ridge blocking him from Lars’ direct sight. Stopping behind a boulder a hundred feet away, he whispered, “Any change, Heather?”
“Nothing. They keep looking up at the crevice. One or two of them has wandered over to peek in, but none of them have been brave enough to venture through. ”
“Too bad. Having a few fall into that pit trap would narrow the odds.” He couldn’t hear the drone Heather was flying. She was keeping it high enough that the rotor noise was lost on the wind. “Tell me when the hostages have a little space.”
Heather knew what he wanted, having already done this a couple times in the last hour. “You can try now. ”
Zahn thanked her, then switched over to a different circuit. He trusted his three lovers to be on an open circuit all the time, but he wasn’t inviting a relative stranger to hear every word they said together. “Carter? Have you done what we asked?”
The old Guardian’s reply was soft. He was grunting almost sub-audible, relying on the bone-mounted mic to pick up his speech. “Yes. Nora and Regina are holding as still as they can. Whatever bugs the movie star has chewing through our ropes are itchy as hell. But we’ll play like we’re still trapped. ”
“Good. We’ll let you know when it’s time to run.”
“I don’t want to run. I want revenge. ” Carter snarled back.
Zahn had told him about Ash, and how Jake had been the one to sever her spine while she was helpless. Knowing might make Carter angry, but at least he’d be totally on their side. “He’s a bastard, Carter. Probably deserves to die. But I’m not an assassin. We’re going to distract him, get you three out of there, and leave him on this damned mountain. You can kill him later, on your own time.” He switched back over to the other channel. “Angelica? Carter says they are cooperating with your little friends. Is he right?”
She was concealed closer to one of the helicopters sitting at rest on the plateaus. “They’re getting it done. Whenever one of them shifts and accidentally hurts one of the insects, I have to stop them from scattering. But they’re almost through. ”
“Good. Be ready with your squirrel ambush to follow.”
“I am. And I might have one more nasty surprise to keep the guards from worrying too much about us leaving. As long as I find the animals outside the suppression field, I can bring them in to hassle Lars and his team. But it’s more difficult, like wading through soup. ”
“Can’t wait to see it. Kaylee?”
“These rock formations are going to give way if I give them another chop. ”
Zahn peeked again over the edge of the ridge, near to the second helicopter. The rotors were stopped to conserve gas. That wasn’t ideal. But he hoped they would have the time. “We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be. Kaylee, give me two minutes to get in close. Then hack away.”
Zahn didn’t waste him time. He flicked his invisibility cloak over his head and stole up to the helicopter pilot’s door. The CH-304 was a common variant. He had ridden in one twice, both times in the co-pilot seat as a hired pilot set him down in a remote wilderness. He knew he could fly the thing, especially since the check-list was all done. It was being held in hot standby on the mountainside.
The pilot had the door open to let in the breeze. The situation might be serious, but they had been waiting for hours now. He didn’t think he was on the front light – just the transportation guy. He was looking at his phone, tapping away at some game app Zahn didn’t recognize.
Like a ghost, Zahn wrapped his arms around the pilot’s neck and arms. Locking him in an arm-bar choke-hold, Zahn dragged the pilot out of his seat and behind the helo. The man fought, but the disadvantage was too great. He was smaller than Zahn by an inch, and nowhere near as strong. He was unconscious soon after. Zahn rolled him away under the nearby bushes so he didn’t get sucked in when the rotors engaged.
Zahn darted back to the helo’s pilot seat. Scrunching down in the seat to remain mostly out of sight, he scanned over the controls. He started to prime pumps and warm-up the hydraulic systems; anything he could do that wouldn’t be noticeable from outside.
Not long after, Kaylee’s efforts paid off. Using her newly acquired sword, she had chopped away at the rock formations around the entrance to the crevice. Then she had run away, circling toward the helicopter Zahn was powering up. The damage she had done was left behind. Loud cracks filled the air as the pillars and outcroppings to either side of the crevice crumbled. Massive boulders and pillars of rock collapsed in front of the entrance.
As far as Lars could tell, a rockslide had just buried the relic-diving party alive. Along with them went his chances for getting the Staff.
He reacted as Zahn expected. Outrage lit his face and he stormed toward the buried entrance. “What the hell happened? Tag, Hal, stay with the hostages. The rest of you get over here! We need to find a way in!”
The soldiers heaved themselves off the ground and picked their way over the broken landscape. Helpless to move the largest pieces of stone, they scraped and dug around the edges in hopes of finding or making a small gap.
That was as good as Zahn could ha
ve hoped. “Angelica?”
“My mother and the others are free. ”
“Then time for the furry fury.” Zahn switched over to the other channel. “Carter, on the signal, get those two women to the nearest helo as fast as you can.”
“What signal ?”
From the bushes around them, four squirrels launched into the faces of the two guards. The men screeched in pain as claws sank into their skin. Pain and panic made them drop everything to grab at the scurrying animals. That included their guns.
As soon as they screamed, Regina and Nora tugged their hands and feet free of the frayed ropes. Clambering to their feet, they started to run.
Carter turned the other way.
Zahn cursed under his breath as Carter ignored the chance to run. He snatched the nearest rifle and unloaded a sharp series of bang bang bang bangs into the first guard. Slewing the weapon, he fired again and dropped the next.
The gunshots ripped Lars and the soldiers away from the rock slide. Lars barked, “After them! You!” He yelled at the second pilot. “Get the chopper spinning!”
The soldiers started to run after the fleeing women, but a huge cougar pounced on top of a nearby boulder and snarled. Primal fear jerked the soldiers to a halt as the massive cat seemed to be deciding which of them to eat first.
Carter gave them further cause to worry. The old Guardian might not be spry, but he recalled his days as a field agent. And his eyes were as sharp as ever. He rolled into a prone position and blasted a few more rounds off. One soldier went down, while two other bullets barely missed. “Stick your head out for a second, Lars! I’ll make your worries go away!”
Lars shouted back, “You are as arrogant now as you ever were! You thought your money could buy me? All those decades and you’re still so damned naïve!” He fired back, hissing a few rounds right over Carter’s head.
Zahn hated how close they came to the two mothers running for cover. They were right down-range. He shouted into his microphone, “Angelica! Kaylee! Get your moms in here! We need to get in the air!” He already had the rotors spinning up.
Kaylee burst from behind an outcropping, running up to her mother. They crushed into a hug, and then Kaylee dragged her toward the helo. She dragged along Nora as well, knowing Angelica couldn’t be there for her.
From the other side, Angelica crept up to the opposite helo door. She struggled to walk and control the large animal at the same time. She was nearly an expert with small hordes of small creatures, but such a powerful creature like the cougar was something else entirely.
As Kaylee scrambled in, Zahn called back, “Help Angie in as well! She’s half out of her mind!”
Kaylee realized the problem and yanked open the opposite door to help her lover in.
Zahn looked the way of the second helicopter, seeing it charging its rotors as well. He spoke into his mic, “Time for an intervention, Hally. We don’t want them chasing us once we’re airborne.”
“My pleasure. ”
Ten seconds later, her drone tore out of the sky. It was not massive, but far larger than most personal models. It had a commercial size to it, significant weight, and a long-lasting fuel tank. So when it flew right into the tail rotor of the other helicopter, it did far more damage than a simple bird strike could do. And a bird strike could be serious. This was devastating.
The pilot was lucky they weren’t flying. The main rotor went into auto-rotation, but simply bucked on the ground like an angry horse. He managed to put the craft into an emergency shut-down before anything catastrophic happened. But the helo wasn’t going to fly anytime soon.
Zahn called into the alternate channel, “Carter! Get the hell over here! We need to go!”
Carter glanced back over his shoulder. Then, he retorted in clipped anger, “Revenge doesn’t wait, boy. Get the hell out of here before they shoot you out of the sky. ” He turned back and unleashed another small spray at the ducking soldiers.
He isn’t wrong , Zahn knew. The CH-304 wasn’t a military model. A drone took the other one out. A couple bullet would mess with this one’s machinery just as badly. He gritted his teeth, but didn’t wait. In the end, there wasn’t much of a choice here. Carter had made his decision. And Zahn wasn’t risking his lovers or their mothers to wait on Carter’s revenge.
“Close the doors!” Not waiting to see if they did, Zahn engaged the throttles and peeled away from the ground. He didn’t go for height. Instead, he banked as hard as his skills allowed and dropped below the next ridge. He swore he heard a couple metallic pings as bullets ricocheted off the helicopter’s chassis. But his instrument didn’t show any failures, so he rocketed away and left the battleground behind.
Chapter 18
Two days later, Zahn trudged up the stairs into their hidden apartment in Denver. He wasn’t physically tired. They had rented hotel rooms as they settled affairs in Los Angelos, and sleep had been first on the agenda. But even the amazing sleep that came from being snuggled against Angelica and Kaylee hadn’t yet healed the bone-deep weariness that came from surviving death after death.
Dealing with Carter’s Guardian organization hadn’t been totally unpleasant. Julian was his second-in-command, and was fortunately a reasonable man. But they had found Carter in the high hills using an SOS beacon he had activated. They’d found a few dead soldiers as well, but not Lars. Carter’s people were clearly in mourning, properly saddened at losing who they viewed as a great man. Ash was also well liked, and finding out that the two were family had made the tragedy even worse. Lars would be hunted by the Guardians to the end of his days.
Julian had decided to honor Carter’s deal with them. The only bright spot for them on the dark day was hearing that the Staff wasn’t real. There was no need to conceal it from others, because the legend had proven false once again. He had given them a speech about leaving the myth alone for the good of everyone.
Zahn tactfully avoided mentioning that Gawain’s tablet confirmed the Staff’s existence, and had even provided a clue as to how the real one might be found.
Believing the terms of the deal had been met, Julian had also followed through on the promise to give their team four relics: no matter which and no argument. Kaylee had kept her vorpal sword. Angelica had taken a chance and retained Gawain’s dagger, hoping it would unveil itself to her over time.
Having no wish to push Julian for added compensation while they mourned Carter, Zahn simply kept secret that he had grabbed Mike’s ring of language comprehension and Jake’s indestructible spike. He figured they were adequate bonus for dealing with the traitors in the Guardian’s own organization.
That left Heather and Zahn’s selection. He was pleased with his choices, and was bringing both back as gifts. He was already anticipating Heather’s smile of delight.
He was also looking forward to a drink from the Fountain and a week of pure relaxation with his new family. Yeah, a week ought to do it.
Reminded of them, he reached out behind to link hands briefly with Angelica and Kaylee, who was right behind him on the stairs. They were all dressed casually. He had on a loose shirt and slacks, while the two women had both picked elegant summer dresses that flattered them without being flashy. They could have been coming back from a vacation or a business conference or a visit with family.
The last was accurate enough; they had stopped along the way to drop off Regina and Nora. Both were still confused as to how or why they had ended up as hostages in the first place. Both were used to being hounded by paparazzi after each new movie opening for their daughters, but this was on another level. Not wanting to lie, the daughters had explained Lars obsession with ancient artifacts. They decided together to leave out the full reality; Lars was still out there, and bringing them into the full secret of magic in the world would only make them a target.
Besides, there had been enough sensation when both mothers realized there was more than simple friendship between their daughters and the random stranger with them. Fanciful tales of old re
lics were quickly forgotten as Regina broached the subject of the obvious romantic link and sexual tension between them. Nora had pretended to be properly scandalized, but both had demanded visits in the near future from all of them. Zahn could hardly believe it. A month ago, and he didn’t have family. Had never thought he would want it. Now, he was surrounded by it, and felt a strange contentment at the idea.
Shaking off those thoughts, he focused on the here-and-now. Stepping into the entry-sitting room, he glanced around. No sign of Heather. Strange. She hasn’t answered the video phone all day, either. He called out, “Hally?”
From somewhere distant inside the mansion-sized apartment, they could just hear her answer, “I’m upstairs! Come in!”
Zahn was fond of the idea that Heather trusted them to simply wander in with standing on ceremony. Like she was saying ‘this is your place, too.’ He smiled at the other two. “Shall we?” Shouldering the pack with Heather’s gifts, he headed for the central stairway.
Together, they ascended to the top floor and made their way through the outer rooms of Heather’s personal apartment complex. None of them had had time to formally move in yet, though Heather had made it very clear she intended to share the central master-suite with them. There was certainly plenty of room for all of them.
Passing through a few double-door archways, they finally located Heather in the main bedroom.
She was waiting for them.
Her rejuvenated body was flawless, and all of it was on display. Her wave of crimson-red hair was drawn back into a high pony-tail that spilled off her head while leaving the lines of her neck open for appreciation. Not a stitch of fabric existed to cover her lovely breasts, hourglass middle, or the athletic lines of her trim hips. The lace of her thigh-high, black stockings was the first fashion-accent to her flawless skin. They did far more to accentuate her gorgeous legs than to block them. After what seemed like a mile of silk-clad legs, she had chosen artfully delicate black shoes with two-inch heels that extended her shapely form perfectly.