Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1) (34 page)

“Yeah, sis,” he said.

“I’m sending you the picture. Maybe it will help.” I told him.

“Thanks, sis. Got it. As soon as the bullets are ready, I can go there and do some recon,” said Leo. “I can find out how closely they’re being guarded and get an idea where the hostiles are located in the house. Oh, and make a note, Olivia—call Vivian and see if she knows the layout inside the house, particularly the basement. It could help.”

“Unless you know the inside of the house, Gracie?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I only saw the place from the outside.”

“We’ll talk to Vivian and let you know. Okay, Leo?”

“What makes you think you won’t trigger the same bloodbath you think a SWAT team would?” demanded Lieutenant Clark.

“With all due respect sir, I’m Special Forces. This is what I’m trained to do.”

“We know it’s going to be some kind of trap, and we know to expect trouble, but at least this way, I’m not going there alone,” I said. “There’s no way he knows that we know where he is, so why would he move somewhere else? It’s getting close to dawn, and it would be awfully tricky to move hostages around while people are getting up and heading to work. I’m betting that he says put.”

“That’s probably a reasonable assessment,” Sharon said. “They might try to move one hostage, but two or three gets a lot more difficult to carry off. We also don’t know if they’re able to hold their Human forms right now, or if they’re even trying. Tonight is the full moon. Luckily, I’m not going to find out for myself. Leo, if you go scouting, and they are in wolf form, what’s to keep them from smelling you poking around, if they’re like typical wolves?”

“I’ll wear some suburban musk to make me blend in,” he replied.

“And what if this is just a ploy to split us up and attack again?” Mikah asked.

“I guess we have to be prepared for that,” I said. “Not everyone should go, in any case. We need people that have some kind of combat or magical skills, but we need a competent guard left here also.”

Razaini raised her hand. “I don’t have combat skills, but I can call on the elements, if something happens. I propose that I stash some things around the grounds and stay here. In a pinch, I can send my spirit to reach Korembi. I think he should go with you.”

I smiled at Kat. “I want you to stay home, too. I need to know you’re safe.”

She looked unhappy and her tail lashed back and forth, but she nodded her head. “I know. I don’t know magic and I don’t know how to fight, but I don’t have to like it. How can I let you go into danger while I stay safe?”

“We just have to get through this, Miss Kitty.” I hugged her, and she finally hugged me back.

“Gracie, I really appreciate the information,” I said. “Do you think you’d be able to stay here with Kat while we do this?”

She looked surprised, but recovered quickly. “I can do that. Thanks, Olivia.”

“I can stay here with the ladies,” said Frank. “In case it is a trick, they shouldn’t be here alone.”

Continuing down my mental list, I said, “Roz had a good idea. I would like Korembi to come. He’s not exactly a combatant, but he has more power after coming through the Grove, and out of all of us, he’s actually seen the place. I think the people that should be at the house are Leo, me, Mikah, Sharon, Korembi, Lieutenant Clark, and Tessa, once it looks like it’s safe to deal with her guy.”

“I’m still going to call in a SWAT team,” said Lieutenant Clark. “They’ll be more than capable of dealing with Green’s Human followers, if he has any. It also puts additional bodies on the ground between this mess and the civilians in the area. Rest assured, we’ll be reviewing our response to these new types of threats after all of this is over.”

“Leo, if you see anything unexpected at the house, I think you should call either Sharon or Lieutenant Clark,” I said. “Calling me won’t be an issue if all goes as planned, but let’s pretend something gets screwed up and maybe I don’t have phone access.”

“You did learn something, sis. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy.” Sharon and Lieutenant Clark both gave Leo their phone numbers, and I know he already had numbers for Mikah and Kat. “I’m going to get back to work,” Leo said. “If anything changes, give me a call. My plan now is to head to the target as soon as we’re done here. It looks like we’re going to have enough silver for about twenty shotgun shells and twelve or thirteen nine-millimeter bullets.”

“See you soon, Leo.”

“See you soon, sis. We’ll get them back.” He disconnected the call.

“I’ll fix some food,” said Kat.

I prepped Imhotep’s snack, under his close direction, and served it in a small crystal dish. “He says he’s not eating on the floor with the pets,” I said in response to Mikah’s raised eyebrow.

“I’d like to help you set up outside,” May said to Razaini and Korembi. The three of them wandered off, talking shop shaman-style.

“I wish I had my tactical gear,” said Sharon.

Mikah gave a bitter smile. “That, at least, I can do something to help with. You should come too, Lieutenant. You might be pleasantly surprised.”

* * * *

I thought I’d eat something light and then try and get a little rest. I might as well not have bothered. My stomach was in knots and I couldn’t force anything down. I couldn’t sleep. I was too wired, and flat out terrified. What if something went wrong and I ended up in Colby’s hands again? I wanted to scream and scream, and run as far and fast as I possibly could. Except that wouldn’t fix anything, and I’d never be able to live with myself.

I finally forced myself to switch focus. Now was a good time to think about the kind of magic I might end up needing today. I was pretty solid on fire, and on my silver spray. Spraying water would work if something went badly wrong with the fire. I liked those energy balls I played with during our ritual, but wasn’t entirely sure about casting them without all of that extra energy from the ritual. I should have spent some time inventing an armor spell of some kind. If I survived the next few days, it was on the top of my to-do list.

“Relax. You have me. The cat always survives. Get some rest.”

“How does that help me?” I asked him.

“Oh, right. It doesn’t. But I’m probably safe. I’ll pop in and try to keep you from making the really obvious mistakes. How’s that? I’m off. See you later.”
He disappeared with ‘
Bamf’.

* * * *

I found Mikah with Sharon and Lieutenant Clark. They were adjusting the combat vests and gear Mikah had pulled out of storage.

Lieutenant Clark shook his head. “I never would have figured you for one of those doomsday types, but I’m certainly glad about it today.”

“My family has always been all about being prepared,” said Mikah. “You never know what you might find in one of the old storage rooms.”

I cleared my throat. “Sharon, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure, Olivia.”

I pulled out the sheathed dagger and handed it to her. “I’d like you to bring this for me. I don’t want to risk losing it and I might need it at the battle. If something happens and you need it, the blade has silver and I can feel the magic in it. Don’t hesitate to use it.”

“No offense,” she said, “but I don’t intend to get close enough to a werewolf to stab it. But I will bring it for you.”

Back in the house, I ran through my mental checklist and remembered that I’d forgotten to call Vivian back. It was really freaking early still, but oh well. At worst, she could yell at me. It’s not like I worked for her.

I tried the number she called from last night. It rang a long time before I heard, “Someone better be dead, or you will be.”

“Good morning to you, too. This is Olivia.”

“I presume you have news? And that it couldn’t wait for actual morning?”

“Things are going down as soon as the banks open this morning. The news is that we know where he is. We did some scouting, and he’s at your old Aurora property.”

“Oh, really? That place is vacant. He must have copied my keys. What a world, dealing with such perfidious employees.”

“Yeah, we know. Your hands are lily-white, so to speak. I’m not the press.”

“Very well. This Change has been most disconcerting. I have this unpleasant urge to see you as a sister Dark Elf. I’ll have to do something about that. I presume you have some sort of plan? At least, I hope you do. I’d tell you to be careful and try to not blow up the house, but it’s insured and the place is a dump. Do what you need to.”

I outlined the general plan for her. “It sounds workable,” she said. “It’ll probably all go to hell, but at least you’ve given it some thought. I’ll wish you luck. Hopefully I’ll see you later. I’ll call a press conference after the unpleasantness has been successfully dealt with.”

She did a really great job of sounding optimistic. She probably did have a bright future in politics. I kind of wondered how much she was like this before, and how much happened after the Change. I’d probably never know.

Kat, Razaini, and May caught up to me in the kitchen. “We’d like to suggest a small change of plan,” said Kat. “I think—we think—Razaini and May should follow you in their spirit animal forms, just in case something goes weird. There’s no way you should go off alone with anyone. You know Colby is crazy, and his people probably are too.”

“Are you sure no one can see you in daylight? You’ve always done it at night before.”

“We did some practice outside with Kat. When we didn’t want her to see us, she didn’t.”

“If you think you can do it without totally draining yourselves, I guess so. But as soon as I get to that house, you need to fall back.”

“Agreed.”

* * * *

Mikah’s bank opened at eight in the morning. We had hugs all around, but it was all I could do to let go of Kat.

“Be safe,” she whispered, and kissed me.

“You know me. I’m always safe.”

“I do know you. That’s why I’m worried.”

“I’ll be back. I promise.”

Mikah brought a leather satchel for carrying the money. We took his car. He drove. I wasn’t able to drive at this point, even if I’d wanted to. The sooner we got the money, the sooner we’d get the phone call giving us the meeting location. So why did I have a sick feeling in my gut that something was going to go wrong?

We arrived at the bank a little before it opened. Mikah turned the car off and sat there, not getting out. “Are you sure about this, Olivia? Berto is my life, but how can I trade another person for my husband? What kind of twisted bastard does that make me, that I’d even consider it?”

“You’re not twisted or bad. You’re normal. Yes, I’m scared. I’m terrified out of my freaking mind, but we all agreed to this. It’s my sister at stake, too, and I love Berto like a brother. You aren’t exactly trussing me up like a holiday turkey and pitching me to the lions. You aren’t forcing me to do anything. I have to go through with this. We’ll make it work.”

He leaned over and gave me a hug, and then wiped his eyes. “I guess we’d better get on with it, then.”

“Yep. Those bad guys aren’t going to slay themselves.”

I went in and waited in line with him, but when he gave the teller the withdrawal amount, her eyes went round and the smile froze on her face. She kept sneaking tiny looks at me, and said, “If you would excuse me just a moment, Mister Carstairs-Morales. I’ll be right back.”

“Um, Mikah? I think the teller thinks I’m making you do this. Why don’t I go sit over in the waiting area and stop making that nice lady nervous?”

I hadn’t taken more than two steps when the uniformed guard near the entrance touched his earpiece, and now he was staring at me too. “New plan, Mikah. I’m not going to breathe until you convince them to stop freaking out. You’d think these people had never seen a Dark Elf before.”

“They probably haven’t.”

The teller finally came back, following an older gentleman in an expensive-looking suit.

“That’s one of the vice presidents of the bank,” said Mikah. “I recognize him. He used to take care of Grammy’s accounts.”

“Mister Carstairs. So good to see you. I’m Mister Peterson. How might I be of service? Perhaps we could speak in my office.”

Mikah corrected him. “It’s Carstairs-Morales, and I believe speaking in your office might be a good idea. This is my roommate, Ms. Mitchell. I’d like her to join us.”

Peterson didn’t look thrilled, but he smiled anyway. “Of course, Mister Carstairs-Morales. Right this way.”

I was not at all surprised to see another uniformed guard waiting in his office. I kept my hands in view and didn’t make any sudden moves. After all we’d survived to arrive at this particular juncture, I had no intention of getting killed by a jumpy security guard at a bank.

“I don’t owe you any explanation,” said Mikah, “but I’m going to share this with you so you don’t do something stupid and cost two people their lives. Before I say anything, however, I’d like the guard to leave the room. This is a private matter.”

The guard hesitated, looking from Mikah, to Peterson, to me.

Mikah went cold, and slammed his hand down on the desk. “I want privacy.
Now
. Just because my family has banked here since before this particular building existed doesn’t mean I can’t close
all
of my accounts and move elsewhere. Now
move
.”

Mister Peterson nodded and the guard left posthaste. “There’s no reason for violence, Mister Carstairs-Morales. The bank is merely looking out for your well-being.”

“While we talk, you have your teller start processing my withdrawal. I’ll wait while you call her.”

His smile looked like it was nailed on. “Miss Atkins. Please process the withdrawal for Mister Carstairs-Morales, and bring it to my office as soon as you’re ready. You heard me.”

“Fine. My husband, and Ms. Mitchell’s sister are being held hostage. We are working closely with the police to gain their safe release. I need the cash to show that we’re doing our part in good faith. If this takes too much longer, they may decide that we’re trying to trick them. If either my husband or Ms. Mitchell’s sister are harmed as a result of your interference, I will be suing both the bank in general, and you, personally. Please keep that in mind.”