Firewall (Magic Born) (16 page)

“They’re sealing up the area,” Hayes said in her ear, his hand on her shoulder.

The sound of gunfire intensified. “This is starting to feel like a mop-up operation. We go for the tunnels.”

He squeezed her shoulder in agreement. She glanced at Paula, who nodded. The young woman’s eyes were bloodshot from the smoke, her hand in a death grip around the small camera, but she held herself together with a determination Tuyet admired.

They weren’t the only ones heading for the tunnels. Magic rushed through the streets, a wild overflowing river, as terrified witches fled the carnage, their energy spilling out like unstable emotions.

“Calhoun Street is blocked! Calhoun is blocked, head for the Riverside entrance!”

Tuyet scanned the crowd for the familiar voice. She spotted him just ahead, standing on the side of the street, directing people to safety. Nate Perez was still recognizable to her, even with the mask on the lower half of his face and a glamour meant to alter the features left visible. She grabbed Hayes, pointed at the other man, and headed for Nate.

“You are supposed to be gone by now,” the former cop said by way of greeting.

“Yeah, well.” Tuyet gestured at the scene. “Is it this bad all the way back to FreakTown?”

“Worse in some parts. I think they’re herding us.”

“Where are the cops concentrated?”

“A three-block area right in the middle of Rock. They’re cutting off side streets, blocking people in. Mass arrests. They’re not playing tonight.”

Hayes said, “What are the Magic Born doing out in this?”

Nate seemed reluctant to answer but finally did after a look from Tuyet. “It’s a long story. Basically, a bunch of kids decided to be stupid. Then a bunch more of us came out after them. Now we’re all fucked unless we get back inside the zone as soon as possible.”

A burst of automatic gunfire sent people diving for cover. Hayes dragged Paula to crouch behind a bus stop. Tuyet and Nate lay flat on the ground. Someone in a mask and torn jacket ran past then dropped to the ground as a bullet hit them in the back.

“Snow!” Hayes reached for her.

She crawled toward him, glancing once over her shoulder to make sure Nate followed. The four took refuge in a small store, its door already off the hinges.

Nate ripped off his cloth mask and threw it on the floor. “That was an illegal shooting. Police aren’t allowed to shoot suspects in the back.”

“They don’t give a damn about the rules tonight,” said Hayes. He moved around the dark room, searching.

“We’ve got to find a way to get all this video uploaded and actually seen,” Paula said. “People have to know what’s going on in New Corinth.”

“We will,” Tuyet promised. “For right now we need a back way out of here and to get to the tunnels.”

Hayes said, “Found it. Delivery entrance in the back.”

“We need to make a run for it, fast as we can.” Tuyet headed for the door. “Paula, stay close. Nate, when we get to the junction, Hayes and I will split off and head to Midtown. We’ll guide her to the exit and make sure she gets home safe.”

“Got it,” Nate said.

One hand on the door, Tuyet turned to Hayes. “Ready?”

He kissed her, a quick warm press of his lips to hers. “Always.”

Tuyet swung the door open and they ran back out into the chaos.

Chapter Nineteen

The chemical stench of the river overwhelmed the smell of fire and smoke. Nothing could drown out the gunfire and the screams. Another sound rumbled behind that—a police armored personnel carrier. Tuyet ran flat out, part of a stream of dozens of people both Magic Born and Normal, headed for the safety of the old subway tunnels.

A pair of witches who were the first to reach the hidden entrance opened it. With all of the cops around this would compromise that entrance, but if they could get people in the tunnels and seal it before cops had a chance to follow, at least they would be safe. Finding a new entrance to the tunnel could happen later.

Right now, they needed suppressing fire. Tuyet ran for a streetlight, one of the few still working. She placed both hands on the metal of the pole and focused her will on
pulling
, as hard as she could. Neon would have worked better with her particular skill set, but she could manage well enough with this.

The bulb dimmed overhead. Heat shimmered through her, a desert mirage.
More.
She needed more. Deeper into the city’s power grid. Eyes half-closed, she murmured an incantation to the Madman of the Wires, asking for his help.

Electric magic blasted through her body. Concentrating fiercely, she raised one hand from the pole and aimed it at the line of police. A wall of light erupted from the magic working through her and swirling in the air. A blinding blue-white, it cut off the riot cops’ view of the escaping protesters. Shots still rang out, the police aiming wildly. Tuyet poured more energy into the wall, drawing on reserves she rarely tapped.

Electricity leapt from her fingers and the ends of her hair. It crackled and danced in the air, then sped toward the wall of light. Blue-white turned a deep indigo that sparkled with dots of energy, a late-twilight sky full of stars. It absorbed the bullets, becoming stronger with every impact.

She pushed the wall closer to the line of cops, hemming them in to keep them from giving chase. Heat boiled in her, sweat soaking her skin like a hard rain. All color and sound dimmed until she could hear nothing but her own heartbeat, see nothing but the dark night-blue of the defensive shield. She drew more and more power from the surrounding area, streetlights and steel, the humming power grid and even the crowd itself. She asked of the city and it gave.

Her body could only handle that much magic for so long. The barrier began to slip, a shot getting through here and there. She tried to bolster it and got a few more moments. Her vision cleared enough that she was able to make sense of the dark shape behind the riot cops, who were moving out from in front of it. An armored vehicle. She put the rest together just seconds before an RPG hit the shield.

The impact gonged like a massive bell, disintegrating the barrier. Tuyet dropped to the ground, fried magically and exhausted physically. Her hearing returned in a rush, the sound of screams and gunfire cleaving her head. She shut her eyes against the sudden burn of brightness from the armored vehicle’s lights.

Hands grasped her waist. “Snow, it’s me. Can you move?”

Hayes. She covered his hands with hers. “Yeah.”

He helped her up and kept one arm around her as they hurried to the tunnel entrance. As soon as they were inside, the same pair of witches who’d opened it sealed the door with an incantation. Tuyet slumped against the concrete wall. Just a moment was all she needed. Well, that wasn’t true, but nobody had to know how bad she felt. Least of all the man crouched in front of her.

Hayes brushed her hair from her face. “That was some serious magic.”

“Yeah.” One-word answers seemed to be all she could manage.

“So are you just moderately fried or burnt to a crisp?”

She focused on his face. For one thing, she needed an anchor to help quell the energy still bouncing through her system. For another, she wanted to know how he really felt. When working undercover, Hayes could hide his true feelings with the best of them, but when it was just the two of them he’d always worn everything on his sleeve and in his eyes. Right then they were full of concern, but also awe. It made her proud to see that.

“How many?”

“Dozens, at least. Paula too. She’s still filming.”

“Actually, I just ran out of battery,” Paula said as she knelt at Tuyet’s side. “Are you okay?”

Tuyet worked up a smile. “Never better.”

Hayes folded her hand into both of his. “Let’s get going. I want out of New Corinth before they decide to shut down the whole city.”

As bad as this riot was, Tuyet knew that was likely to happen. She braced her free hand against the wall and pushed herself up. Low-level witchlight illuminated the tunnel. Several yards in they met Nate, who was frantically trying to patch up someone injured on the ground.

Tuyet said, “What happened?”

“It’s Mekhi. He’s been shot.” Nate hurried out of his jacket and ripped at the sleeves. Zinnia’s partner must have been one of the adults who came out to collect the kids. He lay unconscious, his dark face ashen.

Hayes swung the duffel from his back and unzipped it. In moments he found their first-aid kit and dropped to the injured man’s side. He and Nate worked quickly, efficiently. Gushes of blood poured from a bullet hole in Mekhi’s chest. Tuyet went through the duffel for clothes that could be used as bandages while Hayes ripped open a packet of clotting powder and dumped it on the wound.

Nate said, “Got any more of that?”

“Just the one. How far is it?”

“Too fucking far. Help me get him on my shoulder.”

“Dale,” Tuyet said quietly. Their eyes met, an unspoken conversation passing between them in seconds. He nodded in agreement.

“We’ll take turns.” He helped lift Mekhi and got him balanced on Nate’s shoulder. Nate left at a fast walk without another word.

Tuyet hefted the duffel so Hayes would be free to switch with Nate at any time. Once they reached the Y-junction, she took Paula by the elbow. They stood near a pile of broken track, under green and yellow witchlight spelled into the ceiling.

“Follow this tunnel all the way to the exit. You’ll know when you’re there. Be careful getting out but you should be fine. You’ll be in Midtown. Do you have your ID?”

Paula nodded. “Do you think they’ll be stopping people?”

“Yes.” A worrisome thought occurred to Tuyet. “Did any cops see your camera?”

“I don’t know. Probably.”

Tuyet held out her hand. “Give it to me. We’ll get it back to you, probably through Jason. If you get stopped, just stay calm. Don’t tell any elaborate lies, maybe say you were part of the march but got scared when things got violent so you hid. Something like that. Just get home as fast as you can.”

Paula held out the camera. “Please—just—don’t lose the memory card. The world needs to see what happened here tonight. People died out there.”

“We’re going to find a way to get this out.” Tuyet clasped her hand briefly as she took the camera. “I promise.”

Paula squeezed her hand. “Good luck with the injured man. I hope he’s okay.” She turned and jogged into the tunnel that would take her to Midtown.

The tunnel Tuyet and Hayes should have been in.

Tuyet sighed, shifted the duffel to a more comfortable position, then hurried to catch up with Hayes and Nate. They’d get out the next night, or the night after. She knew all the best routes and could get them anywhere as long as they had good IDs and a decent vehicle. Another day or two in New Corinth was only a minor delay, not a problem.

They were halfway to FreakTown when an explosion made the tunnel shudder and flex. The concrete fractured with lines. The witchlight that ran like vines on the roof flickered several times before stabilizing.

Hayes said, “What the hell was that?” He shifted Mekhi’s weight on his shoulders.

Cold fear gripped Tuyet. A rumbling sound echoed through the tunnel, getting closer by the second.

“That’s coming from the tunnel to Midtown,” said Nate.

“The river.” Horror dawned as Tuyet pieced together a theory. “That tunnel runs alongside the river for several blocks before turning.” She looked at Hayes. “What if he saw? We thought he was already gone but what if he saw enough to figure it out?” Channing had the know-how to work with any kind of munitions he could get his hands on, and people like them always knew how to find weapons and gear. They developed an instinct for it after years of training and operating in the field, were able to sniff out the dark corners where bad things could be had for the right price.

Dark corners like Riverside, where Channing ventured on a regular basis with untraceable cash.

The rumble grew louder. Hayes reached for her hand. “Run.
Now.
”

Tuyet screamed, “There are people in that tunnel!”

Nate took her by the shoulders and bodily moved her forward. “If that tunnel’s flooding, this one will too. He’s right—we need to run.”

Dozens of people, Hayes had said. How many were Magic Born and almost to FreakTown now? And how many were Normals trying to find a safe way home? Paula was in that tunnel, and Tuyet had sent her there with a promise of safety.

“Snow, please,” Hayes said. “We don’t know how fast that water’s moving. We have to go.”

Nate said, “Give me Mekhi. Drag her if you have to.” They switched the injured man from one set of shoulders to another. “Come on, Tuyet.” Nate hurried farther into the tunnel.

Her phone buzzed. Tuyet withdrew it quickly to find a text from Paula.

Tunnel flooding.
Is there quicker way out?

The sound of rushing water was now unmistakable. Tuyet wasn’t sure if she was hearing screams or just imagining them. Hayes gripped her hand and pulled. In the tight confines of the tunnels, there were few exits. For her and Hayes, the sole way out was through FreakTown. The only other exit between that one and the one in Midtown was covered over with trigger-happy police, and even that might be underwater soon.

Another buzz.
Ppl drowning.
Can you help?

“Baby, please.” Sky-blue eyes pleaded with her.

“She’s asking for help.” Tuyet held the phone up. “They need help!”

“Is there anything we can do? Anything at all?”

Bile rose in her throat. If it were a drainage tunnel, part of the sewer system, she could direct Paula to a manhole and possibly contact people in Rock to meet them. But it was the old subway tunnel, damaged decades ago and with only a few exits. None lay between the branch where she’d said goodbye to Paula and the line’s final exit in Midtown.

Run
, she typed.
Run as fast as you can.

Water too high.

“No.”

“Tuyet, if we can’t help them we have to go!”

Tuyet sent another message.
r
u
there?

No answer. “No, no, no.” Her heart beat too fast, a trapped bird. Spots marred her vision. This could not be happening. This whole night, it couldn’t be real.

The rumble of water grew louder, closer. The witchlight that lit the tunnel blinked rapidly, the spells thrown into disarray by the energy churning in the air.

“Snow, please.”

This time when he tugged her forward, she ran with him. The pounding of their footsteps echoed a loud, steady tattoo that competed with the oncoming water. The first lap of it at their feet came at the last bend, yards from the FreakTown entrance. With alarming speed it was up to their knees.

Up ahead, Nate pounded on the sealed door. The edges of it glowed with magic, and then it opened with a
whoosh
. He carried Mekhi inside. Water spilled into the small space that marked the beginning of the underground rooms. Tuyet and Hayes put on a burst of speed, splashing through river water now waist high.

Vadim appeared in the doorway. “Come on, come on!”

Hayes crossed first, dragging Tuyet through the threshold as a surge of water hit. Vadim and two others shoved the door in place, then a third witch chanted the incantation that warded it. Hayes leaned over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath.

“Are either of you hurt?” Vadim handed Tuyet a handkerchief. She wiped her face, not sure if the wetness was from splashes of river water or her own tears.

“We’re okay,” Hayes said. “The guy who was shot?”

Vadim nodded. “He’s being worked on now. Come on, let’s get out of this water.” The others had already left. Vadim led the way through a short hall and another door. Once they were past it, there was no more water. As she stepped through the doorway, Tuyet felt the mild sizzle of a magical ward. Someone had erected a quick-and-dirty barrier to keep the deluge out.

They entered the main section of the underground facility. With the railroad no longer running through FreakTown it had been converted to a secret clinic, and it already had beds and supplies. They were needed tonight. More Magic Born than she’d realized had slipped out to take part in the protest. The number of injured people shocked her. Most of the wounds were mild, not life threatening. A lot of bruises, cuts, scrapes. Damage from being hit by flying projectiles. Tear-gas inhalation and pepper-spray burns. Most of the witches were kids, and one she recognized was no more than eight years old. Most were teens, some in their twenties. Mekhi appeared to have the worst injury. He was in a separate room, being worked on by a mix of magical healers and witches with medical training that was only semilegal. Zinnia hovered at the curtained entry, her face a study in agony.

This time, the Magic Born were the lucky ones. Anyone caught in the flooded tunnels was dead.