Law and Disorder (Magic City Chronicles Book 6)

by TR Cameron

  “I don’t know. Could be a need for it at this point. You have to admit, humans are all over the place now, with their police patrols and their ubiquitous drones.”

  Ruby made a “wooo” sound. “Ubiquitous is a pretty big word for a biker gang member.”

  “Screw you,” he said genially. “Come on, be honest. You don’t like it either.”

  A few moments passed as she gave the question the consideration it deserved. With a shake of her head, she replied, “I’ll admit to thinking some of the complaints might be valid. But, again, wanton violence is probably not the answer.”

  He laughed. “More like carefully directed violence, right?”

  She grinned. “Now you’re speaking my language. Seriously, the Paranoid Defense Agency doesn’t represent humanity very well.”

  “Those bastards. Here’s a piece of information you might not have. I’m pretty sure those government slimeballs have co-opted the self-driving cars that carry tourists around town.”

  “What?”

  He sounded satisfied to have surprised her. “Yep. We had the opportunity to, uh, get a solid look inside one of them recently.” Ruby knew the gang occasionally did things that strayed across the line separating legal from illegal, but property crime wasn’t her concern. Except on a large scale, like casinos collapsing. He continued, “We discovered an encrypted transmitter hooked into the vehicle’s computer system. Our resident techie said that with the right software, it could be pulling information from the cameras the car uses for its AI driving. I doubt it can get anything from the magical component, but between the cameras, data on the occupants, and the vehicles’ constant presence throughout the city, it’s a gold mine of information.”

  Ruby frowned. “Well, that sucks hard.”

  “Exactly. So, sure, a lot of humans are okay, but some of them are right bastards.”

  Thinking of Agent Paul Andrews and the trap he’d tried to set for her, she replied, “True that, brother.”

  She threaded a little magic into her body to assist with carrying the heavy box up to the abbey and felt comfortable and refreshed when they arrived. They had the transfer down to a science, and a steady line of abbey brothers came out to take the loads off their hands. The gang members headed inside to the brewing area, where they’d sit at the long table that dominated the center of it all and enjoy a pint before heading home. On a previous visit, Abbott Thomas had confided that on some occasions it was more than a single pint, and no one was allowed back to their bikes until they’d slept it off or magicked the inebriation away, depending on their preference. The long white-haired and short white-bearded and mustached head of the Abbey smiled as she surrendered her burden and entered the brew hall. His robe looked like the same beat-up one he’d worn every time they’d interacted. “Ruby, so good to see you.”

  She matched his expression. “Abbott Thomas, you, too.”

  “I have a special batch for you to try if you’re interested.” They had bonded over a love of craft beer, although Ruby’s passion for it didn’t approach his level. She nodded. “Only an idiot would turn down such an offer. Despite the opinion that my sister and my friend Idryll share, I am not that stupid.”

  He laughed and gestured her toward a small room at the back of the chamber. As they walked, he asked, “How are they? Is your sister fully recovered?”

  “She seems to be.” Morrigan's kidnapping had caused less surface-level anxiety than Ruby would’ve expected, and she wondered if she had truly dealt with the experience or had merely buried it for a while. Ruby had tried the latter tactic on any number of occasions and knew that if she had, the issue would come back up eventually, and probably at an inconvenient moment.

  Thomas nodded. “Excellent.” He opened the door and led her into the modest chamber. A smallish brewing setup occupied the left-hand part of the room, and a square table, about three feet on a side, with a trio of chairs around it, was pushed against the opposite wall. She lowered herself into a seat while he drew two mugs of beer. He handed her one, sat at an angle, and raised his glass. She clinked it with hers, and he offered, “To peace and harmony.”

  She finished the toast as she always did with him. “Through the liberal application of alcohol.” He laughed, and they both drank. The flavors on her tongue were fantastic, and as usual, mostly impenetrable. She thought she had identified one, though. “Honey?”

  He nodded. “Very good. We’ll make a brewer out of you yet.”

  A raucous set of noises came from the other room, and he rose to investigate. She did the same and looked over his shoulder to see a human family sitting amongst the Desert Ghosts, a middle-aged man and woman and two kids—a boy and a girl—both below ten. Ruby commented, “The perfect nuclear family. Who are they?”

  He shut the door, and they returned to the table. “The Kincaids. Their house burned down recently, and they’re staying with us until they get things figured out.”

  “It’s a good thing you do here, helping people who’ve had random events smash into and up-end their lives.”

  He took a deep drink and set the mug down with a sigh, then lifted his eyes to meet hers. “Interesting choice of adjective, there. ‘Random.’ Indications are that the house was deliberately set aflame.”

  Ruby frowned. “I haven’t heard anything about that.”

  Abbott Thomas shrugged. “I have contacts in the fire department. They’re not officially calling it arson because they can’t find an accelerant, but it appears to have burned way hotter than it should have.”

  She set her mug carefully down on the table. “You’re suggesting magic.”

  “I am.”

  “Any other reason to think that was the cause?”

  He shrugged. “None that I know of. I did make inquiries with the Ely Police Department, but they’re reluctant to share information of late.”

  She growled, “With the PDA watching over their shoulder, I’m not surprised. Did you reach out to Sheriff Alejo?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t have the sort of relationship with the sheriff that would allow me to ask that delicate question.”

  “I do, and I will.” She changed the subject. “Is there anything you need for this place? I mean, not for the people you help, but for you all?”

  He laughed. “We’re pretty self-sufficient. But, you know, if you happen to come across any interesting flavors or unique plants in your travels, I’d love to have them. New varieties require lots of experimentation.” He rose and refilled their mugs, then sat again. “And intensive testing. For instance, is this one of those brews where the second mug goes down as well as the first? Only one way to find out.”

  Ruby laughed. “Now that’s a task I’m definitely willing to take on.” First, magical items for Shentia and books for the mystics. Now, components for beer making. Pretty soon I’m going to be nothing but a wandering scavenger. She thought about that for a second, then grinned. Actually, doesn’t sound like such a bad gig. Also, that’s totally my band name if I ever have one.

  Chapter Seven

  Ruby had planned to drop in on Sheriff Alejo at her office, but Demetrius’s bots in charge of monitoring the police scanner channels set her in a different direction. She made her way to the city’s southwest corner, to a factory that had been a fixture in the area for more than half a century. It was a fixture no more, however. The main building was ablaze, sending smoke billowing into the sky. Explosions repeatedly cracked in an irregular beat, and police and firefighters kept their distance more than actively seeking to stop the blaze. The strategy was entirely logical since the other buildings were far enough away that they probably wouldn’t catch, and the conflagration was too intense for them to have any chance of saving the structure.

  She called Alejo’s cell phone from her untraceable comm, and when the sheriff picked up, said, “Time for a chat? Go around the corner of the building behind you.”

  Alejo didn’t reply, merely shoved the phone in her pocket and turned with a s
cowl visible despite the distance that separated them. Ruby crossed the roof, jumped down, and greeted the sheriff as she came into view. “That’s a doozy.”

  Valentina Alejo nodded. “Firefighters say it’s the worst they’ve ever seen. I guess that’s what happens when you light up a plastics factory. Casinos are going to be scrambling to find new vendors.” The other woman shook her head, looking irritated at the situation. “Something I can do for you?”

  The words emerged in her professional, brusque tone, but Ruby took no offense. It was simply the sheriff in sheriff mode. “I wanted to check in and see if the PDA has been causing you any trouble. Some people I trust who work on the Strip say their presence has expanded dramatically.”

  Alejo shook her head. “I haven’t seen any evidence of that, but admittedly I’m not watching the main part of the city since that’s Ely PD jurisdiction.”

  “Did they reach out to you?”

  The sheriff shrugged. “A while ago, as you know. Lately, no. I’m keeping an eye on them, all the same.”

  “You’d think that people on the same side shouldn’t have to do that.”

  The other woman barked a laugh. “I wouldn’t assume we’re on the same side. First, they’re federal. Second, a scumbag leads them.”

  “I can’t argue with that. Anyway, I also wanted to make you aware that some of my friends believe the PDA is using autonomous cars for surveillance throughout the city.”

  Alejo scowled. “That would break all sorts of laws, I would think. Unless, of course, the government helped fund the companies and wrote themselves in some special privileges.” She sighed. “That’s the trouble with this secretive spy stuff. Too many unknowns.”

  A large crash sounded from the factory, and they peered around the corner to find that the roof had caved in entirely. Ruby shook her head. “Seems like fires are popping up all over lately. Maybe it’s the heat. I met a family earlier today whose house burned down. The Kincaids.”

  Alejo grunted. “I have one of them in lockup right now.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, oldest child, a son, seventeen going on stupid. He wound up in a drunken fight outside a bar. He shouldn’t have been in there anyway, but fake IDs aren’t too hard to come by in this new magical age.”

  Suspicion bloomed inside Ruby. “Who was involved?”

  “A bunch of drunk idiot humans against a bunch of drunk idiot dwarves. No one we took in could explain why they were fighting, only that they were. The dwarves didn’t use magic but still put several of the humans in the hospital and were the unquestioned winner of the fracas.”

  A chill ran down her spine. There’s no way that’s a coincidence. “You might want to keep an eye on the other non-magicals involved for a while.”

  Alejo’s frown intensified. “What do you know?”

  Ruby shook her head. “Nothing specific. Only a hunch. It’s probably worth taking a second look at any situation where magicals and humans are battling though.”

  The other woman let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m aware you’re the secretive type, but now’s not the time to hold anything back.”

  Ruby lifted an eyebrow. “Is there ever a time for that, in your eyes?”

  A short laugh escaped Alejo. “Well, no, but that’s not the point. Give me whatever you can, whenever you can, and I’ll do the same.”

  She nodded. “Our agreement holds. Whatever I can share, I will share. Speaking of which, what do you hear about the investigation into the collapse of the Mist?”

  Alejo hooked her thumbs into her weapons belt. “Nothing new. The investigators hung it all on Sloane, who is conveniently dead, which allowed them to close the book on it. Now it’s just wrapping up details and running the process.”

  Ruby growled, “Dammit. That’s too easy.”

  “And nothing’s easy in Magic City.”

  “Exactly what I was thinking. Sloane didn’t do it alone, and the masked man and the fancy soldier he had with him wouldn’t have been enough to accomplish all that. There must be more players on the field that we don’t see yet.”

  Alejo shrugged. “As long as no one’s bringing down any more casinos, do we really care?”

  Ruby nodded. “I care. They’re a threat until we identify and remove them.”

  “Speaking of difficulty identifying things, I hear tell of a local trafficking ring in magic items getting busted by some government agency. Standard special ops, black uniforms with no markings, masks and helmet kind of deal. Know anything about that?”

  Ruby snorted softly. “I might have heard a thing or two. Nothing I can share, though.”

  “Was it at least a successful bust?”

  “If I had any insight into such an event, which I’m not saying I do, I’d say that the operation met its objectives to disrupt the trafficking and shut down a certain compound utilized as a base.”

  “Compound?” Ruby had used the word by choice, intending to offer the sheriff a clue about where she might investigate. “Interesting. Anyway, just you remember, and feel free to share this with anyone who needs to hear it. There’s a line in my jurisdiction, even for out-of-towners. Everyone should be careful not to cross it, or all cooperation goes out the window.” Alejo’s eyes stared directly into Ruby’s lenses.

  “Always. It’s front of mind, trust me. Anyway, last piece of info, I’m going to be away for a bit. I have a thing to do out of town. Stay safe.”

  Alejo nodded, already turning back toward the accident scene as she replied, “You too, masked stranger.”

  Ruby laughed as she watched the other woman depart. You’re good people, Alejo. But believe me, you don’t want to look too deeply at Diana and her friends. She thought about that for a second, then reconsidered. Actually, I wonder how you’d fit in with her and her team. She considered it a little further and laughed again. Nah, you’re not nearly crazy enough to be part of that bunch.

  Chapter Eight

  Morrigan moved from rooftop to rooftop through the southern part of Ely, forcing her distracted mind to concentrate only on the next step, on maintaining her silence and concealment. She’d chosen to patrol alone, leaving the house at midday to nap in her office at Spirits to avoid any complications with Ruby or Idryll. Since her kidnapping, since she’d been indescribably stupid enough to let the enemy get the drop on her, sleep came haphazardly. Motion was better. There was a purity in the exercise of her body and brain with a purpose.

  She was well aware that any competent therapist would point out that her current mental state wasn’t completely normal. She was suffused with anger and figured pushing that energy outward against anyone who might cause trouble in Magic City was better than focusing it inward and rehashing past mistakes. Like Margrave says, every mistake is valuable as long as you learn from it and don’t die.

  She’d spent a good part of the sleepless portion of the night before crafting and sharpening new razor arrows. Now each slot in her quiver held some sort of offensive capability. Adding more potentially lethal choices ran the risk of running afoul of Alejo’s mandate not to drop bodies, but Morrigan was utterly confident in her ability to shoot to wound. If there’s a doubt, I’ll use something different.

  She’d decided the best way to figure out what the Drow was up to was to follow humans who might be likely targets—those acting like idiots. If there were groups of magicals out looking to cause trouble, they would doubtless be doing the same thing. So, she headed to the club that was the lowest-hanging fruit, where the drinks were cheap, and the tourists who ventured off the Strip tended to congregate and pregame before going out for their serious carousing. The front was glass block and neon. The door was painted red with a strange moon-shaped window cut into it. She’d never been inside the bar but had heard stories galore, and they were sufficient to ensure she never wanted to cross the threshold. If “Eww” was a location, that’d be it.

  It was only a matter of waiting ten minutes before a group of rowdy boys—well, men, I guess—left the estab
lishment. Margrave had converted the listening device he’d made for Ruby into one small enough to attach to her wrist, and she pointed it at them. Their words filtered into the connected earpiece. “All right, let’s find a good place to get our drink on.” A second voice replied, “And some girls, cute ones this time.”

  Another group member laughed and added, “But not too smart, and a little on the wild side.” Morrigan rolled her eyes. I seem to have found the idiots I was looking for. Not sure if they’re trying to live the college dream they saw in the movies or if that’s how they really are. Either way, they’re going to get themselves in trouble due to their stupidity. I can’t let them be bait. Too dangerous.

  Her original plan fell away as another replaced it, inspiring a grin. She paralleled their movement, and when they stepped into an alleyway, saw her chance. She focused her mind and her magic, imagining human versions of Jessica Rabbit if she was a sorority girl. An illusory trio of women walked past the mouth of the alley in full view of the boys. No, men, even if they act like boys. She’d made them all top-heavy, all blonde, and all dressed in tight club clothes.

  The men called after them and increased their speed, and she had one of the illusions wave before moving out of sight. She rushed to the opposite side of the roof in time to solidify them again so that the men would spot them half a block away as they came around the corner. She gave the women a little more sashay in their step and laughed as a man stumbled, his eyes not properly on where he was going. Distracted, much? Seriously, there should be some sort of hormone depressant pill you guys take until your brains catch up with your bodies.

  One of the boys called, “Hey, wait up,” and with a soft laugh, Morrigan ventriloquized through her illusion, “Oh, come on, guys. Surely you can catch us.” She had the blondes increase their speed, and the men ran after them. Her magic led the frat boys, which is how she’d come to think of them, on a merry chase, their quarry always half a block ahead, disappearing around the corner before they could reach them. Finally, she had the figures vanish in the entryway of a fairly reputable club closer to the Strip, where the pursuing group would probably be safe. To their credit, they had all remained good-natured about the pursuit, not developing into nasty comments or the sort of talk that might have ticked her off. She was laughing as she left them behind and headed further south.