Chapter 181
It took two days to organise what they were doing and allow their friends to extract themselves from their various jobs and commitments. Valkyrie had been the one to call China, sweet-talking her and promising a visit very soon as well as telling her about how Nadia absolutely dreamed and fantasied about being her apprentice and becoming her prodigy to convince her to give them her private jet. They were also able to enlist the help of Fletcher who had minimal choice and was also scared out of his mind imagining god-level weapons. Unfortunately, he would not be able to help them much as they wanted his presents in America in case anything went wrong so no one could imprison him and leave them with just Peregrine who was a pain to work with since he tried so hard to remain hidden.
Tanith had chosen to go with them in the end. She was gone for a day with Fletcher on a trip to England to drop off Laila and Fletcher would be taking Ghastly back and forth to visit and care for their baby. It just made the most sense to leave Laila with her parents than to trail her all over the world for potentially the next couple of months, and it just wasn't possible for Ghastly to look after her when he had to work as a Dead Man. It would be more work on Fletcher but he seemed to be more than happy to help. Neither Tanith nor Ghastly were too enthused about it, but they are more focused on trying to create a better world, and a safer one, for their daughter to grow up in. "Some sacrificed have to be made," Ghastly had told her, glaring at the wall.
The jet turned up on the third day, along with their team. Frightening Jones, Aurora Jane, Wilhelm Scream, the Monster Hunters, and of course Valkyrie, Nadia and Tanith. Valkyrie had met Frightening and the Monster Hunters before, briefly, when they came to flush out the caves under her house, but that had been at the same time as Caelan and they left right after Valkyrie and Nadia broke up so they hadn't exactly spent time getting to know each other. Nadia hadn't met them either. She also hadn't met Wilhelm Scream before, but Dexter had found him last second to deal with the electronics side of things – air traffic control and security, primarily.
"Hey, lovebirds," Aurora called, coming out of the small building and out onto the tarmac. The plane was filling up waiting for them. Valkyrie turned, hand in hand with Nadia.
"Hey Aurora," Valkyrie smiled. "You alright?"
"Sure, sure, you? Congratulations by the way," she said, giving them both one-armed hugs. "Where's Tanith? Is she bringing the kid?"
"No, the baby's with other family," she said, almost tripping on Laila's name. "Tanith's on the plane."
"I'll go say hi," Aurora smiled and rushed off towards the plane.
"Do you think they'll start dating?" Nadia asked.
Valkyrie grimaced. "I hope not."
Frightening came through the door next, the Monster Hunters on his heels. "Detective Cain, Miss Robin," he boomed, a massive grin on his face. "It is so good to see you."
"And you," she grinned back. "How have you been?"
"Well, despite the increasingly turbulent times," he said as he shook his hand. He turned to Nadia. "We have not met, but I have heard much about you."
"I've been told a lot about you too," Nadia laughed a little nervously. She took his hand and it engulfed hers. He gracefully gave her some space and turned to the Monster Hunters who were quietly waiting behind him like children.
"Hi," Donegan grinned.
"Long time no see," Gracious waved.
"It's good to see you too," Valkyrie smiled. "We're just waiting on one person now."
"Who?" Gracious frowned. "Is Aurora here?"
"Yeah, she's with Tanith in the plane. I think the pilot will be done filling up soon. Also, I signed you all up to eternal gratitude and service to China. It's her plane."
The Monster Hunters grimaced – the same expression at the same time. "Great," they said together.
"Yeah." Wilhelm Scream chose then to fall through the hanger door and onto the tarmac face down. "Wonderful, we're all here."
Gracious rushed over and helped Wilhelm onto his feet and gather all the papers, the thick laptop and rucksack for the tall, lanky, black-haired man. He went bright red when he saw they were all looking at him. "Oh, hullo."
"Hi," Nadia offered with a little wave. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes, of course," he said, brushing off his trousers and dropping more papers. He swore quietly and Gracious practically took everything the guy had been holding and carried it for him. "Thanks. Am I – am I late?"
"No, right on time," Valkyrie smiled, gesturing them towards the plane.
They wandered over and Wilhelm introduced himself to them. Apparently, Wilhelm had heard about them going on a mission from Dexter's scout, who was really just Aurora who had asked Saile but he hadn't been sure, and they'd been overheard by Wilhelm who wanted to get involved in a Dead Man mission. Saile said no in the end but Wilhelm had adequate skills to deal with the computer side of things, so here he was. It was thoroughly unimpressive and Valkyrie wasn't sure she was looking forwards to being on a plane with him for the next – well, she didn't know how long. Hopefully less than two weeks.
"Hey," Tanith said, her head poking out from where she was sitting. There were only eight seats, just enough for them all to sit. There was a kitchenette type of space mostly with dry goods, and lots of storage for all their bags, as well as a separate toilet and shower rooms. Four seats on the left and the same on the right with a middle aisle, and there were small tables between the seats. It was like a long eight-seater table with a cut down the middle to walk. They all shoved their bags away in their own cubbies and took a seat. Nadia took the window and then Wilhelm took the seat next to her with a nervous smile, his laptop clunking on the table. He immediately opened it and started doing stuff.
Nadia gave Valkyrie a look, but by then everyone had shoved themselves into seats and that was that. Nadia, Wilhelm, Gracious and Donegan took the right side, Valkyrie, Frightening, Tanith and Aurora took the left. Valkyrie was sat next to Aurora, who immediately grabbed her arm and made a sly comment about her getting even more 'jacked' than the last time they saw each other.
Tanith kicked her ex under the table, making Aurora laugh.
The pilot came in and told Valkyrie he was ready to go when they had their destination, and Valkyrie nodded. The group looked at her.
"I thought you had a plan?" Donegan asked confusedly.
"I do," she said, sitting up so everyone, but Nadia who was behind beanstalk Wilhelm, could see her. "I haven't been entirely honest about what I've got you all here for. As you know, we have the threat of the Spiders pushing for war with Ireland, and potentially more countries after that. At the same time, other Sanctuaries are trying to push for answers from Ireland and we can't do much about what they're demanding, causing political tensions. In one of the Dead Men's missions, we went into the American's Spiders hideout to find any valuable information as well as see how many Spiders there are. In doing that, we uncovered an ongoing plan to find and take the four remaining magical superweapons of mass destruction. That being the Dagger, Bow, Spear and Sword, which go alongside the destroyed Sceptre of the Ancients."
"They're not… real though," Aurora frowned, glancing between Valkyrie and Tanith.
"But they are. Whether the ones we're hunting now are the correct ones is another story, but they're certainly the ones the Spiders are after," Valkyrie told her. She seemed to want to argue but held her thoughts for now. "Regardless of whether you believe if they are what we think they are, the Spiders are planning acts of terrorism to get a hold of them. So we need to remove them so they don't do the attacks."
"Do we know where they are?" Frightening asked.
"Well. That's the reason we don't have our destination. The Dagger is in German Elder Johann Starke's house, and there's a Ball soon so we could snatch it then. The Spear is in Poland with a hermit and is the most vulnerable. The Sword is under the English Sanctuary. And the Bow is in Chicago with some gangsters. I can't decide which is best to get first," she explained.
"Most of the European Spiders," Frightening said after a considered moment, "are said to have migrated towards Ireland. Of course, not officially, but according to the rumours. So with any hope, the Polish weapon should be safe for now. The Sword is protected well and the political implications of taking it could be wide spreading. Both of those can wait. The Bow is close and since we know there are Spiders are in this country, it makes sense to get that and then move immediately to Germany in time for the Ball."
Valkyrie nodded and the others agreed all around on that plan. Valkyrie told the pilot where to go and he dealt with that, getting some security help from Wilhelm, and they were off. Valkyrie told them about some of the Spider stuff they didn't know, mostly people the Dead Men had confirmed and what the American Sanctuary 'hadn't actually told them but did in secret because they had to'. When conversation drifted to idle chatter, Valkyrie sent China a text to thank her again and watched the landscape change beneath them.
.*****.
The Bow
Touching down in Chicago was nice, but the air outside was frigidly cold. It was already minus four degrees Celsius and it was only going to get colder into the night. Being early evening, though, this was good. They'd have their freezing cold to contend with but so would their enemies. And they weren't far off so it wouldn't be a long heist.
Their pilot was going to sleep in the back bedroom while they were gone and be ready to leave by morning, he promised.
They got to the harbour by eleven at night in their rented car, liberated free of charge at the airport. The mortal gangster, Valkyrie had explained in the car, was somewhat unknown. However, they did know that he had a bodyguard, a Necromancer named Kaiven. Kaiven was apparently good at his job because his boss, Jackie Earl, was not yet dead. Earl's house was on a compound with high fences that enclosed three warehouses and a larger, main warehouse as well as a small house that looked like a barrack and was surrounded by actual barracks for all of his armed guards.
They got out the car near the compound and climbed their way up a stack of large metal cargo containers to see in. All eight of them had come. Valkyrie had wanted to leave Nadia in the plane, but Nadia hadn't wanted to be left with their somewhat strange, way-too-quiet pilot. He reminded Valkyrie of China's old bodyguard before he was killed, but Nadia didn't have the same experiences with China's people that Valkyrie did. Valkyrie hadn't been happy about it but they had agreed under the terms Nadia wear her protective clothing which wasn't quite the same as Valkyrie's war-ready protective gear but would still stop a bullet – Ghastly hadn't given her rubbish quality, he'd just given her what was appropriate given she rarely goes into the firing line. To make up for it, she was also wearing an old proper protective jacket of Valkyrie's that she could confirm would stop bullets. Aurora had snorted a laugh at Valkyrie's overprotective double-bullet-stopping bubble-wrapping she'd forced on Nadia but Aurora could go fuck herself if she thought Valkyrie wasn't going to guarantee Nadia's safety before Aurora's life. She'd turn her sister's ex into a meat shield for her fiancée.
Valkyrie mentally shook her head of thoughts of Nadia.
From her position on the roof, she could see Kaiven issue orders to the mortal men with guns. He wore only black but the rest of him was all golden hair, golden skin, and a bright smile. He walked proud, his build strong, and he moved gracefully.
He wasn't quite what she expected.
"He's really handsome," Nadia muttered quietly.
Aurora stifled a laugh while Valkyrie refused to even look at Nadia. Mostly because she didn't want to give Nadia anything for such a horrible thing to say, but also because she was beginning to focus now. They all watched quietly as Kaiven grinned at the men and ordered them back and forth as they received a shipment on the back of a large lorry. It looked to be bricked cocaine packed onto pallets and wrapped in so much cling film it turned each pellet into an opaque square. Stopping the drug distribution was a good bonus, but realistically, Valkyrie wasn't concerned. Keeping it going was actually better for them right now. Without a halt in supply, hopefully their enemies won't be any the wiser that they'd beat them to the Bow and move onto the next weapon before her team was ready.
They conferred as they watched and came up with a plan before splitting up. Nadia was going to go with Tanith and Frightening, the Monster Hunters were another team, and Valkyrie was going with Wilhelm and Aurora. By splitting people up from those who they might get too distracted by – Valkyrie protecting Nadia, Tanith protecting Aurora – they would theoretically be more likely of concentrating and coming out healthy.
Valkyrie, Wilhelm and Aurora snuck to wait in some bushes, pressed together and cold. It was a short wait before they heard the guns, and then they – that being Aurora and Valkyrie with a Wilhelm nervously trailing behind them – darted out from their cover and jumped the fence.
The Monster Hunters, their distraction, were going to town sweeping mortals off their feet and using little gadgets to blind and hurt people. Alarms blared as they got halfway into the yard and the lorry started back up to make its getaway. She waved for Wilhelm to get out of its path and then had to tackle him out of the way to stop him getting rolled over. She left him screaming on the ground, got back up and went around a warehouse before coming face to face with a vampire.
A bone-white, deskinned, frothing at the mouth vampire.
"Shit," she muttered, then dropped and rolled.
The vampire came back for her and swiped at her leg, almost knocking them from under her. She stumbled and pulled her magic out, letting it boil over her skin. She went to reach out and throw it at the vampire but it didn't care that she was trying to use her magic, she was just a standing meal. It jumped on her and she screamed as she held her hands out and held it up above her head, somehow lying on her back now. She was sure she'd hit her head, and she pulled at that magic again as its snapping jaws got closer and closer to her face–
She pushed her magic out violently and without entirely meaning to. The animal spasmed above her and then flew back with a howl of pain only to fall on its back. It rolled, twitched and gagged on its tongue. Horrified, she stared at it, pulling herself up and feeling blood on the back of her head from where she fell. There was gunfire and someone yelled her name. She scrambled up, pressed a finger to the vampire and let her power surge. It had a fit for a moment and then went still.
Haunted by that image, she turned and grabbed the gun off of her back to continue the fight. The lorry had crashed through the gates and left, there were packages of drugs on the ground and men were taking cover behind buildings while they shot at Valkyrie and her team. She felt a few bullets pepper her thighs and lower back as she ran, gritting her teeth through the pain before getting behind a building. She immediately shot three of the men in the chest and face and smashed her gun into the last one's face to knock him out. She heard Aurora call her name and she ran towards her.
Aurora was crouching and signalled for her. Valkyrie ran and Aurora jumped up as they became level to continue the fight together. They found Kaiven at the front doors of the largest warehouse surrounded by men with guns. Valkyrie pulled out her magic and zapped three of the men with it and they fell to their knees.
"Who's this then?" Kaiven asked with a big golden grin, pulled out a black, metal stick. "You realise you're not going to live through this, right?"
Valkyrie gaped. "Are you using your Necromancer object like a wand?"
"Don't take another step, whore!" He bellowed, levelling the stick at her chest.
"Oh my god," she breathed, barely even taking in the insult. They were common to her anyway. "Please stop waving that around. That's just… embarrassing! There are mortals watching."
"Indeed they are," said Kaiven, "and they will open fire on you and your small, blonde friend if you take one more step. You are not leaving here with the Bow. I don't think my boss is ready to part with it just yet. Maybe if you come in a few decades, after he's dead…"
"We're not here for a bow," Valkyrie lied, frowning and feigning confusion. "What bow does your boss have?"
Kaiven stumbled over his words slightly and they all heard a boom somewhere behind a smaller warehouse blocking the view to the sea. "What else would you be looking for?"
"We heard of a Necromancer using magic in sight of mortals," she fibbed. "We were just going to collect you kidnap-style and leave. But if you tell me why you're protecting this bow perhaps we could come to an agreement."
"What? Look, kid, I get paid good money to do an ass-easy job. I'm not interested–"
"Telling a single mortal about magic and revealing it to them in public spaces carries an automatic sentence of twenty years. Every other person after ten mortals adds twenty years. You're looking at hundreds of years in a gaol, Kaiven, so either tell me what's going on here so I can deal with that, or I can take you in and then come after our Sensitives have broken into your mind."
"Look, I get it," he said, trying his smile again and putting his hands up, wand included, like this was all a big misunderstanding. There was a flare of fire but no explosion this time. Sirens sang far in the distance. "You have a job to do. This was probably your first time out in the field, and you want to score big. But I am telling you. If you do anything to anyone here, we'll cut you, your girlfriend and all your teammates down like paper in the wind. I just want to live a peaceful life protecting a mortal man from sorcerers. Isn't that an honest enough life?"
Aurora sighed. "So, you truly can't be reasoned with," and with a well-practised move she swept the mortals off their feet, removing them of their semi-automatics.
.*****.
Nadia's POV
Nadia had thought she was ready to fight, to defend her friends and work for the good of mankind by taking this evil weapon from the evil drug man. Just like the last time she was in a fight for her life, she was barely prepared and utterly terrified. Valkyrie had tried to warn her and bundled her into protective clothing, but it just wasn't something she was good at. Some people saw danger and ran to safety, some fought it with all their hearts – Nadia was a throw herself on the cold ground and let herself die kind of girl.
But Tanith and Frightening wouldn't let her do that no matter how many times she froze, or her knees stumbled. She wasn't even sure what was going on, who was shooting who, or where exactly in the compound she was until Tanith gripped her shoulders.
"Nadia! Listen to me! Take Frightening and get up to that window! Now!" Tanith shouted in her face. Blood was splattered over her right cheek.
She tried to nod but it came off as frightened shakes. Frightening smiled kindly and shot off some orange energy towards someone Nadia failed to see, and she took a breath to centre herself. She could go up to the window and take Frightening with her. He wasn't that much bigger than Saracen or Dexter.
She took a last breath, held her hands out and Frightening wrapped an arm around her waist in time to catch a ride up, catching the windowsill Tanith broke and entered right before they got level with it. Frightening was fast enough to grab the ledge and pull himself through, reach out and drag her through before she had lost her upwards momentum. She crumpled onto the carpeted floor and kneeled while Tanith closed the window back up.
She was covered behind a large, walnut desk she immediately and irrationally wanted for herself. She could just see the top of Frightening's bald head over the desk flattening himself to the wall next to the door. Not a moment later a middle-aged, grey and patchy-haired man came through the door in a big hurry, sweating beads. Nadia hunkered down and paled, digging her nails into her palms and reciting everything Valkyrie, her friends, family and teachers had ever taught her about fighting and self-defence.
Jackie Earl went straight for the large case on the other end of the room and they let him take out the Bow within before Tanith struck – but she was seconds too late because he had the weapon up and aimed at Frightening's head before she could finish her attack.
Nadia held her breath as Tanith huffed and stepped back.
"How did you get in?"
"Window," Tanith said, a smirk in her voice. She didn't sound worried. Nadia was worried. "I have a way with locks."
"You're Tanith Low," he said, and Nadia heard them shuffle around so her friends were by the wall and Earl in front of them. She didn't dare look up and check out the arrangement. "Vigilante for hire, but now living with them Dead Men. I heard you had one of their bastards and they abandoned you."
"Not exactly," she said nonchalantly. "You know a bit about our world, huh?"
"I know about all of you. What, you think all of us mere mortals live in the dark? I've known there was magic in the world for years. Finally tracked down one of you, found out sorcerers are just like the rest of us. They like money and an easy life just as much as anyone. It kind of ruined the mystique when he started calling me sir, though. But hey, that's what money'll do to you."
"And you haven't gone public with any of this?"
"What would be the point? If people knew you existed, the whole world would change – maybe the Feds would even recruit some of you, set up a sorcerer task force to take down organised crime. No, I got no interest in outing you people. But I do like your toys."
"Then you know why I'm here," she said with a happy tone.
"You can't have my bow. As you can see, I'm using it."
"Not even if I ask nicely?"
"Not even. It's just too handy. I'm not that good a shot. But all I have to do is point and release. Why would I ever give up something like that?"
"Because if you don't I'll arrest you?"
He chuckled. "And if you were closer to me with your sword drawn, I would take you seriously. But it's too late for that."
"Well, if I can't threaten you for it, how about I bargain with you? How much will you sell it for?"
"It's not for sale."
"Of course it is."
"Not for a price you could afford."
"Mr Earl, you must realise there is no way we're leaving Chicago without the Bow. Even if you kill me and my friend here, our other friends are destroying your home and probably are halfway up to meet me now. The guns outside have stopped. We've already won. You must know this."
"I do." He didn't sound upset or worried.
"Then I'll either be taking that bow after paying you, and I'll even help you escape those police sirens coming this way, or take the Bow and wipe the blood off our shoes onto your carpet."
"I know how dangerous you are, Tanith Low. And your Dead Men fuck buddies. I've been listening to all of it through an earpiece. You brought some fancy toys with you today and some good soldiers."
"And I didn't even bring my baby daddy."
"I have no wish to go to war with you over this. So if I have to kill you to finish this right here and now, I'll kill you."
"Are you aware there is a war brewing? A real one? Mages we call Children of the Spider, able to shapeshift into massive spiders that can bite a human head off. No one likes them. They're collecting weapons like yours. That's why we're here, trying to get it before anyone else does. So even if you kill me, they'll be over here not long from now and they don't have to worry about letting you see them like I do. You're better off letting me have it and going into hiding quickly because I'll be making a racket elsewhere soon and they'll realise you don't have it and leave you alone. That's all I want."
He snorted. "That's a kind offer, Miss Low, but I'll have to decline. Nothing will convince me to part from my bow."
She sighed like it was awfully disappointing. "Alright. I suppose I'll take you up on your offer then, Mr Earl, and we'll leave you. I hope you know what you're doing."
He grunted and Nadia heard the door open and her friends leave. She pulled herself up on her knees to squat and looked up over the desk. Earl watched them go and then the door closed, and his arm lowered after a few moments of nothing. Then he reached into his pocket, effective prohibiting himself from being able to shoot easily again and pulled out a radio.
"Attention all remaining staff. Do not stop the fight now. There is a woman. Brown leather, blonde hair. Sword on her back. A black man is with her in combat, no visible weapon. Kill them. Shoot on site. Do not let them escape."
Nadia held her breath and prayed that he didn't come around the desk. He didn't put down the Bow, but he did sigh and pull over a chair from the other side and sit on it. She carefully peeked under the desk and saw his feet sitting by the cabinet the Bow had been in. He was silent but turned on his radio to quietly listen to the voices shouting on it – mostly asking for others to respond rather than giving news.
What the actual fuck as she meant to do now?!
.*****.
Valkyrie's POV
She was shaking badly and about to be wiped out by Kaiven when Tanith jumped on top of him like a rabid ninja and cut off three of his fingers and slashed his wand in two. She breathed heavily, standing on seriously shaking legs and looked around. Frightening waved her over and Valkyrie stumbled to her feet and followed him at a run.
"What's happened?"
"Earl accidently kidnapped Nadia."
"What?!"
"He does not know she is in his office. She's hiding. We had to abandon her or we would have all been killed. He has the Bow and is ready to kill anyone that walks in. We figured your magic was the best shot at killing him in one go."
She wanted to shout and scream and felt the rage build, and then used it to run faster up to the office Frightening showed her too. She didn't even think, just barged in and –
Stumbled and threw herself on her knees so she wouldn't trip over Nadia. Who had the Bow in her hands and looked just as shocked to see Valkyrie as she was to see Nadia with the Bow.
"What happened?" She asked, gaping at her.
"Err, well, Earl was just sitting there with the Bow. He sneezed and moved his hand, and I used the air to push him off his seat, took the Bow from him and punched him in the face. I think I broke his nose."
Valkyrie gaped for another moment before letting out a hysterical laugh and hugged her fiancée tightly.
That's a much better chapter!
AshleyMistic: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Thank you for the reviews, you're very kind. It made me feel a lot better about the last chapter :)