Dark Mirror 2 - Dark Passage (21 page)

She frowned as she calculated. “You’re right. Carrying a person bigger than I am would be slow and difficult and dangerous. So much for that idea.”

“Nick, have you thought about how you’ll convince Dr. Weiss to leave with a sixteen-year-old stranger?” Allarde asked. “A scientist will have trouble believing in magic. And he might not speak English.”

“Which is why I’m grateful you volunteered for this mission. You’ll have to come with me to do the talking.” Nick sighed. “I have thought about this. Dr. Weiss will certainly be startled, but he’ll want to escape. Performing some simple magic, like mage lights, should be enough to persuade him. I hope.”

“Then what, assuming you convince him?” Allarde asked. “Did you originally plan on cutting through the fence wire? You don’t have the tools.”

“I thought I’d be better prepared,” Nick admitted. “I didn’t expect to come tumbling through the mirror so soon. Luckily you’re here. With your talent for lifting heavy weights, we won’t need wire cutters.”

“My skill is best at lifting inanimate objects. Tory is better at living beings,” Allarde said with a swift glance at her. “If we blend our powers, we should be able to lift several people and move them fairly quickly.”

Tory winced as she thought of how they’d shared energy when they danced on air at Kemperton. It had been joyous. Intimate. How could she bear to allow him in her mind again? How could either of them bear it?

She turned her gaze back to the compound. “With several of us together, I doubt we could move fast enough to avoid the spotlights. If we’re seen leaving, they could shoot us out of the air like pheasants.”

“So we can’t do anything even though we’re so close,” Nick said tautly. “I have an itchy feeling that we must work fast because Dr. Weiss’s situation might change. If it does, it won’t be for the better.”

“Think of this as a scouting expedition,” Allarde said. “We need as much information as we can gather through observation if we’re to have a chance of success when we make our move.”

“The voice of reason speaks, and is right,” Nick said. “Once we know what we need, we can send a message stone to Lackland for supplies. Since flying would make us easy targets, we’ll need those wire clippers. Powerful ones.”

“You won’t find those in our time,” Tory said.

“I can get cutters from Polly. She promised to check the mirror every day I’m gone.” He frowned. “I can get a message to her, but I don’t know if she has the mirror magic to send something back.”

“Since you have mirror magic, there’s a good chance she does also,” Tory said. “It would be more reliable if you or I went to Lackland in person to get what is needed, but who wants to do that if it can be avoided?”

“Magic is wonderful, but it doesn’t remove all obstacles.” Nick frowned at the compound. “If the fence is electrified, cutting it won’t work because anyone trying would get a dreadful shock. Likely an alarm would go off, too.”

“Going over the fence would be best if we can manage it safely. I wonder if it might actually work better in daylight, when there aren’t any spotlights. The laboratory is in a fairly isolated corner of the compound.” Allarde’s gaze methodically scanned the area. “I’ve only seen two guards patrolling. They should be easy to avoid, especially with our stealth stones. A gray, rainy day would be ideal.”

The rain had slowed, but thunder boomed nearby and the rain increased. Tory jumped at the sound. The guns of Dunkirk had made her skittish about loud noises.

Thunder. Lightning.

An idea struck. “Nick, where does the electricity for the spotlights and the military facilities come from?”

He scanned the compound, then pointed. “The power lines come in through that pole over there.”

“If the pole is destroyed, would the electricity fail long enough for us to get in and out again?”

“That depends,” he said, looking intrigued. “If they have an emergency backup generator, the lights would come back on almost immediately.”

“Then we call down lightning and blast that pole to tinder!”

“Interesting thought,” Allarde said approvingly. “Do any of us have enough weather magic to direct lightning like that?”

“Nick isn’t as strong as Jack, but he has some weather power. We can increase that by working together. We couldn’t call a storm very far, but this one is right on top of us,” Tory replied. “If we can knock out the electricity, how long will it take to restore?”

“Hard to say. At least half an hour, I think. Probably longer. Maybe much longer.” He glanced from Tory to Allarde. “Shall we try?”

“We’ll have to move quickly before the storm passes,” Allarde said. “Which means going down this hill and moving as close to the laboratory as we can. Then we try to channel the lightning.”

“With the help of you two, I think I can do that,” Nick said. “If we fail, we’re no worse off than we are now.”

“If the power goes out and stays out, Nick and I will go over the fences with Tory’s help,” Allarde said. “I’ll unlock the laboratory door and Nick will lead us to Dr. Weiss. God willing, we persuade him to leave before the power is restored. If we all make it out, we head back to the cave as quickly as we can.”

“They probably won’t realize Dr. Weiss is gone till tomorrow, and we’ll be back in Lackland by then,” Nick said. “Let’s do it!”

“A good plan, except I’m going with you two over the fence,” Tory said. “Don’t protest, Allarde. My ability to lift people is strongest if I’m touching them. We’ll have the best chance of getting in and out again if we hold hands when we go over.”

“You make me long for the days when a duke could just lock an unruly wench in a tower!” Allarde said with exasperation.

“But she’s right,” Nick pointed out.

“I know,” Allarde said glumly. “Very well, let’s get moving. If this is to work, we’ll have to move fast.”

He caught Tory’s hand and headed down the hill. She felt a shock as intense as the lightning they planned to bring down. Reminding herself that he just wanted to help her over the rough ground, she matched her pace to his.

She’d known they must join hands if they traveled over the fence, but this felt dangerously romantic. Fiercely she reminded herself that nothing had changed. She cared too much for him to ruin his life.

Better to concentrate on her breathing and her footing as they raced down the hill.

CHAPTER 23

The ground had been cleared for several yards around the fence, but they found a concealed position in dense shrubbery just outside that area. The storm was already moving off. After Tory caught her breath, she said, “Nick, you have the most weather magic and you understand electricity best, so you lead.”

She took his hand and let her energy flow into him as he turned his face to the sky. Allarde joined hands with Nick and poured his smooth, deep power through their connection. Tory was far too aware of him whenever they touched and this was much, much worse. The passion and deep understanding hovered so close …

Focus on the job that must be done.
Shutting out her personal feelings, she blended their power into one powerful force. “We’re ready, Nick.”

Nick stared at the power pole. “Now!” He sent his energy into the heart of the storm, and he carried the other two with him.

Giddily Tory soared into that raw, exhilarating power as Nick sought the lightning. They were one with the fierce winds, slanting rain, bone-shaking thunder.

There! For an instant, Tory
was
lightning, a searing energy that destroyed all in her path. A volatile force that coalesced, struck,
transformed
. White sparks exploded into the sky on the far side of the compound. The power pole shattered and she sensed power lines melting away in white hot coils.

All the lights vanished, leaving absolute darkness. As they waited to see if power would be restored, another slash of lightning illuminated the faces of her companions. Allarde was calm, Nick excited. “Ready to jump, Tory?” Allarde asked.

“Nick, you be in the middle since you haven’t done this before. I’ll take your left hand, Allarde your right. You don’t have to do anything but make your power available to us. We’ll take care of the rest.” As they positioned themselves to enter the compound, Tory rebalanced their energy, then changed the focus from weather to flying. When the energy was right, she gathered it together. “Now!”

They rose swiftly into the air. Nick made a strangled sound and his grip became bruising, but he didn’t falter even though wind and rain tore at their clothing.

Supplementing her power with Allarde’s allowed her to manage their combined weight handily. They should be able to add a fourth person and escape with Dr. Weiss.

The main fence was barely visible with the spotlights off. They skimmed over. Wise of Allarde to choose dark clothing for the three of them. In the middle of the storm, they must be almost invisible. Plus, she and Allarde had stealth stones that were spelled to make people’s gazes pass by them.

In the distance voices called out in German. Though Tory didn’t speak the language, the tone sounded like furious curses.

They moved silently over the empty ground between the outside fence and the laboratory fence. The laboratory was light-colored, easy to see in the dark.

“Down now,” she murmured, and brought them down in front of the building’s main entrance. Unused to flying, Nick stumbled but recovered immediately.

There were no signs of life, only wind and rain. Anyone imprisoned in the laboratory was in his bed unless woken by the storm.

Dropping Tory’s hand, Allarde stepped forward and placed his palm over the door lock. After a long buzz of magic, he opened the door. Its faint squeal sounded painfully loud, but probably couldn’t be heard more than a few feet away.

Allarde stepped back and gestured the other two inside. Tory’s saturated clothing dripped on the cold tiled floor, but it was good to be out of the pounding rain. The chilly air contained odd, medicinal scents.

When they were all inside, they waited to see if their entry had been noticed. All was silent except for the rain pounding on the roof. When he was sure they were unobserved, Nick created a very faint mage light and aimed it at the floor. Then he started off without hesitation, leading them down the long corridor until they reached a set of swinging double doors.

Cautiously Nick opened them. Ahead was a shorter stretch of corridors with the medicinal scent diminished.

Once again Nick led the way. The corridor ended in a tee junction. Nick turned into the short passage on the left and stopped in front of a door. Carefully he tried the doorknob. Locked.

Allarde was about to step forward when Tory raised her hand to halt him. She moved up to the door and placed her hand over the keyhole. Then she guided her magic into the components of the lock, puzzling out how the mechanism worked. Ah,
there.
A quick, sharp effort moved the latch and unlocked the door.

She stepped back and waved Nick in first. He opened the door and stepped inside. The small, spare room contained a narrow cot that held a sprawled sleeper.

Nick increased the power of his light. “Dr. Weiss?” he asked in a quiet, unthreatening voice.

The sleeping figure rolled over and sat up. Speaking in weary French, he said, “Have you come to drag me from bed and execute me for insufficient progress,
mon colonel
?”

Allarde said in French, “Not at all. We’re here to rescue you, Dr. Weiss.”

In the brighter light, Tory saw that the scientist was a lean man in his forties with dark hair and haunted gray eyes. The room itself was stark as a cell. Besides the bed, there was a battered metal desk covered with books and paper and a door that must lead to a closet or washroom. The high, narrow window was covered with a heavy curtain.

As the scientist blinked in confusion, Allarde asked, “Do you speak English?”

“Yes, and also German, Russian, and Greek,” Dr. Weiss said tartly in fluent, French-accented English. “Which you should know since you’re figments of my imagination.” He pulled a pair of spectacles from his desk and slid them on. Frowning, he added, “Wet and very young figments of my imagination.”

He removed the spectacles and lay back on the bed, pulling the blankets over him. In French, he muttered, “Fairly benign as nightmares go.”

Thinking a female voice might be more soothing, Tory stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. “We’re not figments of your imagination, Dr. Weiss,” she said, speaking in English so Nick could understand. “We came here at considerable risk to take you to England where you can continue your research without having to worry about being shot in the middle of the night.”

Dr. Weiss stared at her hand, then reached for his spectacles again. “You certainly feel real, but you look younger than my daughter! Have the British started sending children to war?” His gaze moved to the door. “If you’re real, how did you get in here? I heard the click when they locked me in for the night.”

The three mages exchanged a glance. “Allarde, you explain,” Nick said. “You have more gravitas.”

The scientist smiled. “Gravitas? You’re well-educated children, but you boys don’t look much older than she is. Is this some kind of bizarre joke?”

“It’s no joke, sir,” Allarde said.

Tory noted that Nick was right: Allarde had gravitas, which gave him the best chance of convincing the scientist that they were serious. Persuasion needed to be quick, because she was itchily aware that the lights could come on again at any time.

Allarde continued, “The three of us have magical powers. I understand how difficult this is to believe, especially for a scientist. But there have always been people with magic, and we can prove we have it.” He snapped his fingers. Another globe of mage light appeared. He tossed it into the air and it hovered above them.

Dr. Weiss stared at the light. “That … that has to be some kind of secret British scientific discovery. Just a different type of torch.”

Which was exactly what Nick said when Tory first met him. Impatient and very aware of time passing, Tory used the same proof she’d used on Nick: She floated up to the ceiling.