War Of The Four Worlds Read online

  Alison took a deep breath and turned her head slowly to look at Headmistress Berens. “Let me go. I want to take the train to LA. I need to be there. It feels wrong to sit here safe in Virginia when my dad’s in danger.”

  Alison wasn’t even sure what her father had told the headmistress. He’d only mentioned that she didn’t know the total truth, and it was best if Alison didn’t pass it along.

  “Please, Headmistress,” Alison added.

  The dark-haired older woman sighed and shook her head. “Alison, your home is under a mandatory evacuation order. While I understand that your father is involved in this incident somehow, there’s no way, as an educator and a person who cares about your well-being, that I’m sending you to a city with such a dangerous artifact. It’s insane.”

  I should tell her the truth. I should tell her there is no artifact, and it’s just my dad fighting another alien, but it’s not like that’s any better.

  I could sneak out.

  Headmistress Berens’ gaze turned penetrating. “Within the next hour or so, I suspect every student on this campus will be worried about relatives or friends in California, but the best thing everyone can do right now is not create additional trouble. Do you understand?”

  Alison’s shoulders slumped. “But I feel so helpless.”

  “I understand that feeling all too well.” The headmistress reached over to pat Alison’s hand. “Believe in your father, and believe he will be all right. He’s an unusual and impressive man, and I’m sure that however he’s involved in this Broken Wand incident, he’ll be a help.”

  Alison took a deep breath and nodded, then squared her shoulders and wiped away her tears. “You’re right. My dad is not just anyone. He’s the Granite Ghost, and he’ll do what he can to make sure everyone’s safe.”

  “I’m glad to hear you feel that way, Alison. I think the best thing to do in situations like this is simply go about your daily routine to get your mind off your problems.”

  “Thanks, Headmistress.” Alison stood and pushed her chair back into place. “I’m going to do just that. I hope…” She shook her head, her face gleaming with pride. “I know my dad will be okay.”

  Shay tapped her fingers on her leg, waiting for Peyton to pick up.

  He’s smart. He wouldn’t stick around.

  “Hello?” Peyton answered, uncertainty in his voice.

  Shay glanced at James and Senator Johnston, who were chatting quietly about potential strategies. Peyton’s system had probably flagged the phone as a government device.

  “It’s not Fortis or shit like that,” Shay explained. “It’s me. I’m in a government car, not a prisoner or anything like that. They needed James’ help, and I came along for the ride.”

  Peyton let out a sigh of relief. “It’s hard not to be paranoid with all the craziness that’s happening. I tried to call you right after the big alert went out, but I couldn’t get hold of you, and then I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Everything about this Broken Wand declaration smells like crap to me, but I also don’t get why the government would do something so flashy, and why they might go after you. And thanks for the last cryptic message, by the way. Loved that. ‘They might be coming for James. Things about to get bloody.’”

  Shay furrowed her brow in consternation. “Okay, I’m not gonna call you a dumbass, but you really need to get the hell out of town.”

  “Shit. There is an actual MAMD?” Peyton groaned. “Just lay it out for me, because as bad as I hate to admit it. I’m totally lost right now.”

  Shay sighed. “It’s not a MAMD, it’s an AMD.”

  “Artifact of mass destruction?” Peyton asked. “What’s the difference?”

  “Not an artifact, an alien.”

  Shay proceeded to explain the situation succinctly.

  “Well, fuck,” Peyton muttered. “So even if James wins, there are probably going to be a lot of destroyed buildings. Hope that Vax doesn’t portal in near my apartment or Warehouse Two.”

  “Can we try to keep a little perspective?” Shay asked. “And James will win.”

  Peyton scoffed. “In that case, all the more reason to hope that neither my apartment nor the warehouse gets blown up.”

  “Since when do you care so much about the warehouse?”

  “I don’t think you get how in tune I am with that pizza oven.” Peyton let out a labored and melodramatic sigh. “I’m not sure I can produce the best pizza ever without it.”

  Shay rolled her eyes. She knew humor was Peyton’s way of coping with stress, but she might have to slap him later anyway. “Just grab your cat and your girlfriend, if she hasn’t left already, and run through a portal or take a plane or whatever you need to get way the hell away from here. James already called Heather, and she’s on her way to the Oriceran Consulate with her son. Everybody at the agency has been ordered to retreat to Las Vegas until James says otherwise.”

  Peyton fell silent for a few long seconds. “This is the real deal, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. It is, but I believe in him. I know he won’t lose, not to some asshole who wasn’t even smart enough to show up at the right address before he threw the first punch.”

  Peyton sighed. “I know you’ll probably throat-punch me the next time you see me if I say what I’m thinking.”

  “Then think about what you’re going to say carefully.” Shay narrowed her eyes and checked on James again. He was still murmuring to Senator Johnston.

  “Screw it. I’m just going to come out and say it. What about you? Why are you staying? You’re the toughest woman I know, but even with your sword and all your artifacts, this isn’t a fight you can help with. If even the military is deferring to James, you should too, and let’s be honest: he could lose.”

  Shay ground her teeth. “He won’t lose.”

  “I didn’t say he would lose, I said he could lose. This is another Vax; another badass with a symbiont. It could end up anything from James curb-stomps the bastard to the Purifier tears him apart, and if that happens, you shouldn’t be anywhere near that city. Because the only thing scarier than James Brownstone is a monster who beat him.”

  “I’m not leaving,” Shay muttered.

  “But it’s not like you’re going to help him fi—”

  “I’m not leaving,” Shay shouted.

  James and Senator Johnston looked her way.

  Shay locked eyes with James. “He needs to know that I believe he’ll win, Peyton. He needs to know that I’ll be waiting for him.”

  James gave her a tight nod.

  Peyton groaned. “Fine. It’s not like anyone can ever talk you out of doing anything you’re determined to do. I’ll have my phone. Assuming LA doesn’t end up a radioactive crater, you know how to get hold of me. This will just be a little unscheduled vacation.”

  Shay managed a small grin. “Yeah. And secretly convince your girlfriend to get her pals to invent an anti-Vax-portal device. Who cares about all this talking to aliens and probes and shit?”

  Peyton snorted. “If I’m going on vacation, I’m having a good time. No work, no talk about aliens or LA. Because one thing I’ve learned from everything that has happened in the last few years is that no matter how hard we plan, we’re never truly in control. Good luck, Shay. Tell James to throw a few punches for me.”

  “I’ll do that. And just to be clear, no matter what happens, we’re having that damned wedding if I have to come back as a ghost.”

  Peyton laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Senator Johnston smiled and opened the door to the modest barracks room. Two twin beds were inside, along with two wooden desks and a small closet. A tv hung on the wall. “I know it’s not luxury, but at least it’s somewhere to stay.”

  Shay frowned as she stepped in after James. “If we just needed somewhere to sleep, we could have done that at our house.”

  James grunted and nodded his agreement.

  “The problem is that the situation i
s still fluid,” Senator Johnston replied. “We don’t want to go looking for you at your home instead of just sending you in a helicopter or one of those fancy new dropships to wherever our boy pops out.”

  Shay rolled her eyes. “And we can’t have our phones?”

  “I mean, if Mr. Brownstone objects, it’s not like we’re in a position to fight him, but there’s a strong possibility that the Alliance might decide to pull something even before their fleet arrives, which is why I’m having your phones driven around at random right now.” The senator shrugged.

  James marched over and laid down on the stiff bed, his hands beneath his head. “They want me to fight the Vax, but they don’t even give me a decent bed? That’s the government for you.” He chuckled.

  “So, in the car, you mentioned the Vax is marching to some resonance zone that might be where James crossed over?” Shay stated.

  Senator Johnston closed the door and reached into his pocket. Something clicked inside, and he pulled his hand out. “Just making the room a little more secure to talk in, but yes, Miss Carson. That is the latest information, based on what the Oricerans have passed along to us. At his current pace, he will arrive in four days.”

  “Four days?” Shay scoffed. “And you rushed us over here now?”

  “Four days isn’t a lot of time. Even with the portals, we might not be able to evacuate the city.”

  “I understand, but we don’t need to sit around for almost a week on our thumbs.” Shay turned one of the desk chairs around and dropped into it, then crossed her arms and frowned. “And he hasn’t attacked anywhere else?”

  “There have been a few unfortunate encounters with small groups despite the best efforts of the Oricerans, but no villages or towns have been attacked.”

  James sat up. “If they know where he’s going, they can set up a trap for him.”

  A slightly annoyed look passed over Senator Johnston’s face. “You would think so, but that, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be what’s going to happen. They are more than content to let him come over here and have us deal with him, but to be fair, it’s not like they haven’t tried. The truth is, they just don’t have the personnel to deal with this problem, but we do. We have you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two phones. He handed one to each of them. “I’ve got all the important numbers preprogrammed in there, including the people who will be bringing you your meals.” He nodded at the tv. “Plenty of channels, including barbeque shows and whatnot, and we can get whatever books you might need.”

  “We’re just supposed to wait in here?” Shay asked.

  “That would be optimal. Not saying you can’t walk around, but we ask that you not leave the base, and it’s not exactly a tourist stop. I’ll have some people go over to your house to grab some more clothes for you soon.”

  “It’s fine,” James rumbled. “Not like I’m gonna be able to concentrate on a bunch of other shit in the meantime. What about my dog?”

  “I’ve got an intern taking him to San Diego. Don’t worry, the intern’s sole job is taking care of your dog.” Senator Johnston opened the door. “Your planet thanks you for your assistance, Mr. Brownstone. Your country thanks you, and I personally thank you.” He exited and closed the door behind him.

  Shay furrowed her brow. “Shit. I’m trying to think of a way I can get to my warehouses to get my gear without the government being all up my ass. I don’t care if this a War of the Worlds, I don’t trust them knowing my places.”

  James grinned. “How do you know they don’t already know?”

  “I can still hide when I want to, but I’m not going to be much use if I don’t have at least the Masamune.”

  James’ grin faded. “This is one fight I don’t want you involved in. This isn’t like the government or some of the weird-ass monsters you fight on tomb raids. You’ve seen what I can do, and this asshole is supposed to be a tougher version of me.”

  Shay’s face tightened, and she looked away. “I figured you were going to say that, and Peyton was trying to get me to straight-up run. I’ve been sitting here trying to come up with all the reasons it’s bullshit.”

  “And what have you come up with?”

  Shay shrugged. “Nothing. Unless I kill the Purifier with my first attack, he’ll adapt, and for all we know, all the magic the Oricerans have thrown at him has made him immune to any magical weapons or artifacts I might bring.”

  James reached underneath his shirt and pulled out his amulet. He ran a finger over the inlaid crystals. “It’s all gonna come to how well I use this.”

  “You think you can win?”

  “I think Whispy and I have learned a lot of tricks these last few years, tricks some new bastard fresh from halfway across the galaxy won’t have come up against.” James chuckled. “Fucker won’t know what hit him.” His smile grew, and his heart rate sped up.

  Shay stared at him and shook her head. “Is this the pay-per-view all over again?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You almost seem like you’re looking forward to it.”

  James tucked his amulet back under his shirt. “Maybe Whispy’s not the only one who wants to see how far I can go, but yeah, I’m looking forward to it. This shit has been hanging over me my entire life, and after I got those memories back, I knew this day would come. I’d rather just get it over with now when I can still do something about it than sixty years from now when I might have to bring a walker to the fight.”

  Shay stood and walked over to sit on the side of the bed next to James. “Do you ever question if you’ll win? Not just now. Ever?”

  James frowned as he thought that over. “Sometimes, but not often. When I was fighting those Drow, I thought I might lose. Thought about using the wish even, but the Clown of Doom took care of them. Now I don’t really worry. If it’s my time, it’s my time. Until then, I’m going to beat down any assholes who deserve it and any fuckers who threaten the people I care about, and threatening my planet is threatening the people I care about.”

  Shay smiled. “Well, there’s nothing to do but wait.” A wicked grin followed. “I can think of something we can do to pass the time.”

  “What?”

  Shay winked. “Practice for our honeymoon.”

  Trey paced back and forth in his living room, looking at his phone. “This is some crazy shit. Almost everyone from the agency has checked in with either me or Maria. Only a few people who haven’t, a few of the newer guys, but they’re on their way. A few of them ended up taking the portals. Got a few in Sacramento, and the rest in San Francisco.”

  Zoe offered him a languid smile from her chair as she caressed the fronds of a glowing orange plant in a pot. It brightened at her touch. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  Living with the witch had gotten Trey used to all sorts of weird magical plants. He just thought of them as stationary strange-looking dogs, and it made everything easier.

  “Fine?” Trey asked. “Some crazy-ass magical nuke might go off in Los Angeles, and it’ll be fine? Damn, girl, you and I have very different definitions of what ‘fine’ is.”

  Zoe lifted her hands and rested them in her lap. “I was watching the news. An unexpected number of people elected to use the portals, and not just the ones at the Consulate. They had to bring in more magicals to support them and handle the flow of foot traffic. The evacuation is proceeding even better than they planned. There’s a lot of chaos in the destination cities, but at least people are getting out of Los Angeles.”

  Trey’s phone buzzed and he looked at the message, disappointed when it was another bounty hunter checking in. “Damn it. I can’t believe Nana turned off her phone at a time like this.”

  “Your aunt is handling it, right? Don’t worry.”

  “You’re right. Ain’t nothing to do but wait. You’re not gonna have a problem with Nana and Auntie Charlyce staying with us for a while, are you?”

  Zoe shook her head. “No. I find your relatives pleasant and full of life.�
�

  Trey snorted. “Yeah, that’s one way to describe them.”

  A few hours later, Trey checked his phone from his recliner. Zoe had already gone to bed. Every agency employee was now accounted for, with two notable exceptions: James and Charlyce.

  The big man had made it clear he was helping with the situation in LA. Trey didn’t understand why and how he was doing that, but he figured James would let him know all the details once the crisis was over.

  That left Charlyce and, by extension, Trey’s grandmother.

  Trey frowned as he stared down at his phone. His aunt had told him she wouldn’t call him until she and Nana Garfield were safe in Vegas since she knew he would be busy dealing with all the check-ins from the other agency employees.

  If I call her now, it might be insulting and shit, but this ain’t exactly a normal situation.

  Trey raised his phone to dial, but just as he did, it came to life with a call from Charlyce.

  Maybe I’ve got me some psychic powers.

  Trey grinned and answered the phone. “Yo, Auntie Charlyce! You get stuck on the road or something? I’ve been up waiting for you and Nana. I’m getting tired.”

  “I can’t find her!” Charlyce wailed.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Huh?” Trey asked. “What are you talking about? What do you mean you can’t find Nana?”

  “She called me,” Charlyce explained. “She told me she had to go grab some things and then check on someone else from church. She said she was going to evacuate on one of the soldier buses because the roads were too crowded, and I couldn’t get to her anyway without getting stuck. She told me she would call me once she got on the bus, but she never called.” She sighed. “So I went to go check her house. The traffic was bad, but she wasn’t there. They had those numbers in the window like they were talking about on the news for the people counts, but the numbers showed she was gone when the soldiers came. I tried calling her, but her phone keeps going to voicemail.”