[9]

I entered the warehouse, closing the door behind me as quietly as I knew how and immediately the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention. A form of power thrummed the air like strings on a guitar, a kind of energy that I had never felt before. It felt hot and heavy, as if its sheer presence could pin me down and burn me alive. I now understood a little more about what my Sight showed me. The ghostly fire that poured out from every crack and hole in the building, it was the spiritual manifestation of the power I was feeling. I began to feed some of my will to the rings on my left hand, making them ready to defend me at a moment's notice. Things were eerily silent. Despite having the runway of the airport pretty much on its doorstep, this strange place just didn't appear to fit. The silence, the darkness, the power. All of it seemed to overwhelm the building like a confined beast longing to be freed; it wanted nothing more than to tear down the walls that contained it.
I stayed by the door while my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Slowly I could begin to make out the faint silhouettes of tall structures, shelving racks perhaps, standing to attention in ordered rows to the left and right of me. Each stack full of what looked like boxes of some description and other non-descript items; the poor lighting made it almost impossible to identify them clearly. Cautiously I moved away from the door making my way farther into the warehouse, more and more of my surrounding revealing itself as I progressed. After I passed five shelving stacks either side of me the warehouse opened up into what seemed to be an empty area. Just as I stepped out into the open space, lights flooded my vision from high up, blinding me momentarily. I shielded my eyes with my left hand, holding my defensive spell ready, until my eyes could re-adjust. Now illuminated, I could fully see the interior of the warehouse. It looked as if the whole structure should be filled with row upon row of shelving and items the airport either didn't need any more but couldn't get rid of yet or spare parts for the planes. In front of me stood a clearing about twenty foot wide and just as long, the metals units surrounding the area, gave it the facade of a gladiatorial arena. On the far side opposite me stood a man in an immaculately pressed black pinstriped suit, matching waist coat, white shirt and red tie. His black shoes shined with reflective light, almost giving them a presence of their own. His black hair was slicked back, keeping it away from his smooth facial features. A professional and dashing salesman smile stretched across his lips, promoting a sense of ease, but his eyes gave him away. Looking into his eyes I saw nothing even remotely human looking back at me. Behind him were five not so smartly dressed individuals. They all wore a combination of combats, boots and hooded jumpers of varying dark colours. Their stance was that of someone ready to respond and leap into action when prompted or commanded and all eyes were on me. Inhuman gazes fixed on me from inhuman beings.
"Ah, the infamous Gabriel Crane I presume," said the well dressed man, his tone part practised spokesman and part telephone salesman. "I am so pleased to finally meet you."
"I wish I could say the same." I replied trying to keep my voice steady, swallowing down my fear and nerves. "But you seem to have me at a disadvantage."
"Oh I do," he said. "In more ways than one. But I will indulge your interpretation of the phrase and conduct a more formal introduction. I am Senator Matthew Larson. I'm visiting from the great city of New York to continue showing the world what a grand relationship we still have with those of Queen and Country."
I quickly looked from Yankee Prime to the others standing behind him and back. Unless his aid was a great believer in dress down office days, it was a pretty safe bet to assume Yankee Two had yet to show his face. The pack where starting to get restless in the background, their weight shifting back and forth on the spot.
"Fancy opening speech," I said. "How often have you practised that in front of the mirror?"
I was out numbered, I knew it and Larson knew it. My only hope was to keep the Senator talking and hopefully give me enough time to think of a plan that would get me out of this in one piece.
And alive.
He smiled, a slight discontented laugh escaping through his lips. "Tell me, do all Wizards have such smart mouths? I have yet to meet one who hasn't always had an answer for everything."
"It's one of the main aspects of the lessons. You know, mastering the elements, creative wise cracking and growing long breads to stroke while contemplating the former."
"Amusing," he said as his smile turned into a spiteful smirk. He slowly began to pace back and forth in front of his pack. "Why don't we just skip all this and move on to the real reason we are all here. The real reason being that I wanted to finally meet you in person."
"I'm flattered." I said, fighting hard to keep any nerves from registering on my expression.
"Oh you should be," he responded. "There really aren't that many Wizards walking around that have proven to be an incessant thorn in the Red Court's ass. I know because since the beginning of this war with your kind, I have personally gutted and mutilated many who fancy themselves as some sort of Vampire hunter." The pressure of his gaze returned as he once again fixed me with a scornful glare. "I was requested to travel to this toilet you call a city to make sure a certain artefact was safely couriered to my Lord. An artefact that is said to be powerful enough that victory over your kind is assured. But to present such an item untested? Well that's as good as signing your own death warrant. What I wanted to do was to test it by removing one of the few remaining thorns from our flesh. But it seems plans have changed." He stopped pacing and faced me directly, scorn edging his gaze and hate tainting his tone. "Much to my displeasure, I am required to take the artefact directly to my Lord. That means I can't take my time enjoying your death as much as I would like."
What disturbed me the most about his little rant? How much he seemed to really want me dead. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people who I've come across who have wanted to kill me but I have usually had a run in or two with them first. This guy just really wanted it because he saw it as some kind of retribution, for constantly sticking it to the Red Court at every turn possible.
For him, this was personal.
For me, it was an idea. People who start getting personal start making mistakes.
A smile stretched across my face. "Wow Matty, those are some intense feelings. Don't you think we should start slow? Go see a movie or something first?"
Yankee Prime went rigid with rage. Underneath his finely pressed suit I could see something moving, the true Matthew Larson writhing around just below the surface. But then his expression changed and his face twisted into a vicious smirk.
"A smart ass to the end. I'm just sorry I won't get to tear you apart myself. Sadly I have a rather pressing appointment to keep." He turned and started to walk away. So much for my idea. His pack looked ready to pounce.
"I almost forgot," Larson said, he stopped and turn back to face me. "Just in case you have the crazy notion of coming after me, I have a little insurance policy. Oh Daniel."
And right on cue, Yankee Two came out from behind a shelving unit. He was dressed in a similar fashion to his boss, a pristine and immaculate navy suit right down to the shiny shoes. His blonde hair was cut short with the front flicked up and held in place with gel. His expression was the exact counterpart to Larson's, all serious with no bells and whistles. He was there and had a job to do, no more, no less. Daniel shuffled over to his boss dragging someone with him. My heart dropped.
That someone was Louise.
Her lower lip had been split open and a purple coloured bruise was starting to form around her right eye. Yankee Two pinned one arm behind her back and had this free hand gripped tightly around her throat. The expression on her face conflicted between fear, defiance and anger as she continued to struggle uselessly against her stronger captor. My blood began to boil in a sea of rage that threatened to come pouring out in a violent exhibition of my will.
"I won't insult you with the details of the situation," Larson called. "I'm sure you understand them perfectly, but I would hate for this to get lost in translation. You follow me, she will die."
He once again turned to walk away but I felt my mouth curl into a wolfish grin and just started laughing. I couldn't help it, it just came bubbling out and it stopped Prime dead in his tracks. He spun back to face me, pure disdain twisting his features, teeth showing in a fierce sneer.
"Oh Matty boy," I said, starting to get a grip on my laughter. "I don't know how they do things on your side of the pond, but over here?" My laughter stopped completely as I looked him dead in the eye. "Here, you don't piss off a Wizard."
Larson's rage overwhelmed him. His lips peeled back from this teeth and he snarled, "Kill him. Now!"
With the order barely given, the pack sprang into action, tearing free of their flesh masks and revealing the grotesque creatures underneath. Giant, flabby, black bat like monsters, drool dripping from their mouths, their tongues lashing out ready to feel flesh pressed against them. They ate up the distance between us quickly, but I had been ready. I had been building up my will and I infused it with all my anger, all my fear, reaching into the well of power that had been expanded by Reggie's potion and channelled it all into the rod held tightly in my right hand. Like predators pouncing on their prey, they all leaped into the air and I slammed the end of my rod into the ground crying "Talar'ehta!"
Power surged out into the stone floor beneath me. The ground shook as spears of granite shot out from the floor, rising at least ten foot high and struck the attacking Vampires, the spikes piercing their bodies. My aim couldn't have been any more on target as I looked up to see my adversaries impaled on the resulting manifestation of my will. Howls of pain and agony filled the air from the only Vampire still alive. I rose to my feet, wobbling a little from the amount of energy I poured into the spell. Out of all the forms of elemental magic, earth magic is the most demanding and draining form there is. Unlike other types of evocation, like fire and air where you are conjuring them to life from the spell you've created in your mind, with earth magic it's about sending out your will and reshaping what's already there in front of you. On any normal day there is no way I would have led with that kind of spell, but with Reggie's potion coursing through me I felt like I could take on the world.
Slowly I took a step towards the rocky spikes that had impaled the coming wave of Vampires. The sole survivor flailed helplessly to free itself. The stone had pierced it through the stomach, rupturing its blood sack. It was dying slowly and in pain. I walked around to the left of the spikes and it tried to grab me but I was outside its reach. I stepped out to find Larson and his aid, still holding onto Louise, staring out at me. Larson's features where a mixture of shock coupled with anger and Daniel just couldn't seem to nail down an emotion to settle on. It was almost as though I could see the thoughts racing through his head. Once again a wolfish smirk spread across my features as I raised the rod in my right hand, pointed it at the dying Vampire and said "Runya!" A lance of fire as thick as my wrist shot out from the end of the eskrima and blew a hole just as wide into the Vampires head. There was a brief cry of surprised agony that quickly gurgled away into nothingness. The aid's eyebrows shot up so high they looked like they were trying to hide in his blonde hairline.
"As I was saying," I said as I slowly stalked towards my friend and her captors. "You don't piss off a Wizard. You never know what he's capable of."
"Fine," Larson snarled, spitting with rage. "We'll find out what you can do as I tear you limb from limb!"
He removed his jacket, throwing it to the side and seemly ripped his tie away from his neck.
"B-but sir," Daniel stuttered, "We must get the Charm to our Lord. The Red King will..."
"Fuck the Red King!" Larson roared in response, his body practically trembling with anger and hatred. "No one will keep me from dealing with this Wizard and crushing him like the insect he is."
I looked at him and smiled. "Buzz, buzz."
He let out a howl so primal that no human throat should be able to make, but then again, he wasn't human. Larson charged at me, dizzyingly quick but straight at me. I aimed my eskrima, poured my will into the weapon for a massive strike and shouted "Runya!" I called forth more fire, this time in a wide column, and it shot across what little space there was left between Larson and me. It hit him like a molten steam train and resulted in a mini explosion. The heat from the back draft was so intense that I had to lift my arms up to shield my face. After a couple of exaggerated seconds the light from the detonation faded and I lowered my arms. I was breathing heavily, beginning to feel weariness creeping over my body. The potion was starting to wear off and the seemingly infinite well of power inside me was drying up. I looked into the smoke, trying to see what was left of Larson and my stomach dropped, catapulting my heart into my throat. Matthew Larson, the Senator from New York stood there without a single scratch on him. Even his clothes were completely unaffected by the fire of my spell. Scorch marks littered the ground mere inches in front of him. A sinister laugh began to bubble out from his throat as he reached under the neck line of his shirt and produced something hanging around his neck. From what I could see it was a miniature golden idol of a person on their knees, its little face stretched out in a ghostly scream, similar to those of the spirits being washed away by the flaming tides, and wings spread out behind him.
He was wearing the Icarus Charm.
"If that's all you're capable of," he said with a barely contained, menacing glee. "This should be over quicker than I thought."
Oh crap!