Firewall (Magic Born) (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

The news that trickled in from Rockenbach went from bad to worse. Raids were now a daily occurrence. A sunset-to-sunrise curfew had been hastily put in place by police, with strict enforcement. Between all the different types of disruption going on, businesses in the neighborhood could barely operate. Residents weren’t safe from police harassment in the streets or even their own homes. The deaths and injuries in the last protest had cast a heavy pall over Rockenbach and the movement as a whole, but as the crackdown worsened, shock gave way to boiling rage.

Text messages and darknet chatter were full of that rage. Tuyet skimmed the surface of it, searching for any details that might be important. What she found was an increasingly dangerous mood among the residents of New Corinth.

The worst of the police action might have been confined to the Rockenbach area, but the rumbling unrest didn’t stop there. Rumors of new blood tests for all spread like wildfire. Accusations of false tests were flying through the city’s elite. Just like in the early days of the Magic Revelation, people were accusing their enemies as a means of settling scores. It horrified Tuyet to see history repeating itself, but she was heartened by something radically new and different: a growing swell of support for the Magic Born and the abolishment of the Magic Laws.

Best of all, that support was showing up in cities other than New Corinth. In dribs and drabs, Paula’s earlier videos were spreading via the darknet and its chat rooms and forums. Before Friday, help from others in the underground had been sporadic. Now every zone in the country was putting its best trancehackers to work spreading the news of the violence in New Corinth.

It was a good thing, but it wasn’t enough. To really make a difference, they had to get the video of the last protest out on the regular internet. Had to get it seen by average citizens, by news media, by politicians of all levels. First, they had to crack TMG security.

Tuyet dove into the slipstream of cyberspace and made her way to the online game play of Silver Wheels. It didn’t take her long to find the game’s eponymous designer, his mirrorball helmet avatar flashing a brilliant rainbow across the darkness.

“TMG’s got some of the most complex security I’ve ever come across,” he said without preamble. “Not all of it is code, either.”

That could only mean one thing—spells. Tennant Media Group had witches on the payroll. “The combination of code and spellwork is intricate, constantly shifting and changing. Finding passwords and backdoors isn’t going to work. This is going to take brute force.”

She wasn’t really surprised, but she knew it would make things more complicated. “We need an easy way in. Hayes had a good idea.” She told him about the possibility of using Channing.

“We’ll still have plenty of work left to do but that might help, getting a foot in the front door like that.” His avatar dimmed darker than cyberspace for a split second. “Plus the added benefit of screwing over Channing.”

“Hayes is asking some pretty pointed questions.”

“Did you answer them?”

“Not yet, but I want to. I want him to know you’re okay.” As okay as he could be, at any rate. She left that thought unspoken.

“The facility is set up so you have to swipe your badge to get in and visit a patient. I didn’t know that until recently.”

“You mean the facility where—”

Silver Wheels cut her off. “Tell him thank you. Let me know when it’s go time.” He sped away, leaving a contrail of blue and silver in his wake.

Now that she had the spells and viruses ready, she could devote more time to helping to crack TMG security. That was for later though. Right now, she needed a break.

She tranced to an address long committed to memory: a real estate site in Paris, France. Whereas other people might drink or get high when the ghost of lost dreams got too heavy to carry, Tuyet had this site. She used to torture herself with it when thoughts of the past—no, she could be more honest with herself now. When thoughts of Hayes and the life they couldn’t have together had gotten to be too much, she had trancehacked to this site. She knew every arrondissement of the city, had picked out a home in every one, always with a beautiful view and enough closet space for two.

For the first time, looking at the site wasn’t torture. Hope was still a fragile thing, but it was there and growing every day. She looked through listing after listing, musing over floor plans and views and location. A small apartment in Montparnasse caught her eye. It had beautiful floors of shining blond wood, eggshell walls and high windows that let in plenty of gold Parisian sunshine. Modern, tasteful furnishings made up for the narrow kitchen and tiny bath. Best of all was the view of a wide, tree-lined avenue. Photos of the neighborhood were included—there was a florist and a coffee shop.

She could see herself living there. Really living, instead of just existing. Making a place like that apartment home, learning the neighborhood and feeling at ease rather than constantly looking over her shoulder. A life with Dale by her side.

Cyberspace and realspace merged as someone shook her. She dropped out of trance with a jolt to find Hayes and Vadim wearing matching grim expressions. “What happened?” She gripped the edge of the table to keep the room from spinning.

Vadim spoke. “Duane Mendoza emailed Lizzie. About a dozen women were arrested in Rock tonight, known protesters. One of them resisted and it set off a chain reaction, got all of them beaten pretty badly.”

“Damn it,” Tuyet said. “Why the hell can’t people keep their cool? They come to arrest you, just go along so you don’t get hurt. Sheila even had briefings about it.” The protesters had been taught what to do when faced with arrest, tear gas, how to make sure they got their one phone call, the numbers for the volunteer lawyers in the movement. All of those and so many other things had been covered in meetings, so why the hell didn’t people heed the advice?

Tuyet knew the answer though. They were tired of being pushed. Once a person was forced past a certain point, it was natural to fight back. People could only take so much. “Please tell me someone is trying to keep the neighborhood calm.”

Vadim shook his head. “They were meeting in a church. Carried out covered in blood. This is about to go nuclear.”

“People are already gathering in the streets,” Hayes said. “Calla’s monitoring text messages right now. It doesn’t look good.”

“What do they think they’re going to do?” Tuyet stood slowly. The room had righted itself finally, but getting pulled out of trance abruptly always left a lingering headache.

Vadim answered. “They’re taking it out of Rock. Duane says people are organizing for a dawn march, all the way to City Hall.”

“We’ve got to stop this,” she said. The potential for an even bigger bloodbath was too great.

“No.” Hayes held up one hand.

“Are you crazy? Another protest will only get more people killed.”

“We can’t stop it.”

“We have to!”

“Listen to me.” Hayes took her hands in his. “Just listen for a minute. The intel that’s coming in to Vadim and Calla and Nate through his guy in the force, there’s no stopping this. There’s too much rage in the streets, it’s too chaotic. There’s no real leader to talk to and no time to try to put someone in that position.”

Tuyet shook her head. “Sheila Copeland.”

“Took herself out of the equation when she issued that statement,” Vadim said. “He’s right—there’s no stopping this.”

Hayes said, “But we might be able to use it, if we can get the pieces in place fast enough.”

Tuyet looked from Hayes to Vadim. Vadim shrugged. “That’s all he’s told me. Come on, let’s go. Get your glamours on.”

Tuyet reached into a pocket for the glamour that would change her appearance. “Where to?”

“My place,” he said. “We all need to hear this.”

They hurried to Vadim’s apartment above Sinsuality. The now-defunct nightclub was a grim place, like a lonely stripper past her prime with all the lights and music and revelers long gone. Once safe inside the Bazarov family home, Tuyet and Hayes shed their glamours and Vadim peeked into a bedroom to check on his sleeping baby.

Calla sat on the sofa with one of the magic-app phones in her lap, eyes half-closed and a blue glow emanating from her. Nate and Lizzie huddled at the kitchen table. Nate’s eyebrows were drawn together and his mouth puckered in a worried frown. Lizzie’s cheeks were red, her hands absently brushing her hair back. Vadim went to her side, bending over and covering her body with his as he embraced her. Nate silently moved away.

Hayes said in a quiet voice, “Is she okay?”

Tuyet blew out a breath slowly, unsure of how to answer. “She has pretty severe anxiety sometimes. It can lead to meltdowns.”

“What do you mean by
meltdowns
?”

“She grew up like Jason, hidden, protected by her family’s money. She never learned how to properly use her magic until she met Vadim. Like Jason, she had a lot of guilt over being hidden. Combine that with not knowing how to ground, and she’s had a lot of problems. Vadim’s helped her so much, but there’s only so much you can do.” She shrugged.

Hayes cut his eyes to Lizzie again, then peered down intently at Tuyet. “That’s a handprint on her face.”

Shit. She’d been hoping he wouldn’t notice that. “Self-harm is the worst way her problems manifest.” Hopefully the clinical words would convince him to drop the subject.

“Self-harm?” Hayes swore viciously. “An empathic witch who’s that unstable?”

“Keep your voice down!” Tuyet jerked on his arm and led him to the far wall, as far from the others as possible. “I know, it’s a little dicey at times, but she’s really much better now than she used to be. So much better.”

Hayes bit his lip, scowling. “But this still happens?”

“Lizzie is who she is. There’s no cure for that, not even love.”

“This could complicate things.”

Tuyet wanted to ask what he was talking about but didn’t get the chance. Calla dropped out of trance, the blue field around her fading in a deliberate manner. Vadim and Lizzie joined Nate and Calla in the living room area. Hayes and Tuyet followed.

“They’re organizing by text message,” Calla said. “Nothing’s on any kind of media that can be monitored in real time.”

Vadim said, “All the way to City Hall?”

Calla nodded. “They’re putting the word out for any glamours and spells that might be useful. A couple of dealers have already responded. A bunch of kids who have been making mask charms are pulling an all-nighter to get as many out as possible.”

Tuyet said, “Mask charms? What kind?”

Nate withdrew a thin black-leather cord from his pocket and tied it around one wrist. The cord bore a single charm, a thumbnail-sized chunk of rough concrete wrapped in wire. He tapped the charm three times and the mask to hide his identity appeared. A gasp slipped out of Tuyet. The glamour was a perfect copy of Silver Wheels’ mirrorball helmet from the game.

“People have slipped out of the zone for every other protest,” Nate said, his voice slightly distorted by the magic. “This one won’t be any different, even if it is harder to get out now.”

“We’re not going to be able to stop that either,” Vadim said. “You up for going back out?”

Nate tapped the charm again. “You bet.” He eyed Hayes. “So what’s your big idea?”

Hayes went through a quick explanation of the app that measured magical energy, followed by Tuyet’s theory on what caused the city’s energy and his own on what could be done with it. “We’ve only got a few hours until this thing is going to start. That’s going to bring on a massive spike of energy. If they get all the way to Central, it’s likely to spike all over New Corinth. We can use that power to break through the firewalls of TMG and anywhere else we want to distribute the video.”

“Silver Wheels believes they use witches for their security,” Tuyet said. “He’s been testing their systems quietly.” She detailed the information she’d learned.

Calla said, “If he’s right about the need for brute force, and we can draw on the city’s magic—”

“That’s a big if,” Vadim cut in. “And a hell of a lot of magic to try to channel.”

Tuyet said, “If I can get into TMG, I can start the process. But I can’t do it all alone. Do you think we can count on the rest of the underground to help?”

Vadim gave a noncommittal shrug. “Some, sure. A fair number are still worried about revealing what we can do. This is a big trigger to pull. For others though, it would just be a problem of timing. This is pretty fucking short notice.”

“How long before Channing’s lunch break?” This would be the tricky part. She could get into TMG with his badge, but then she’d have to wait for the dawn protest. Those intervening hours could make for a minefield of problems.

Vadim glanced at his phone. “We’ve got just enough time to get out of FreakTown and set things in motion. Barely though, so let’s figure this out quickly.”

Hayes took over the conversation, outlining his plan. It was tricky, depended on way too many variables and would likely get them all arrested, plus be a total failure.

No one backed out.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Every night in the middle of his shift, Scott Channing clocked out for lunch and walked a block and a half to a twenty-four-hour deli for lunch. The early morning hours of this day were no different. He entered the shop and brushed raindrops from his hair. The two other customers, both men, paid no attention to him.

The counter girl watched as he surveyed the menu displayed on a screen to the left of the register. She tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear and offered a tired smile. “What can I get you?”

“Coffee, black, two sugars, and a turkey club.”

“Coming right up.” She picked up a carafe of fresh coffee, made just minutes ago, and poured the liquid into a paper cup. Using tongs, she dropped two sugar cubes from a small, mostly empty bowl into the cup. Then she said to hell with it and added two more. This was their one chance to get inside TMG, plus they’d collected every dollar they could scrape together to buy off the diner’s staff for the night. This had to work. “Here you go.” She passed him the cup across the counter. “I’ll get started on your sandwich.”

“Thanks.” He strode to a table along the wall and sat.

The girl moved slowly to the bread rack, keeping an eye on Channing. One of the men stood and carried the remainders of his meal to a garbage can. His blue eyes met hers and she winked.

Channing took a drink. The powerful sedative in the sugar cubes hit him almost immediately. He slumped over the table, face slack.

Nate got up and flipped the Open sign to Closed, then hurried to help Hayes carry the unconscious man behind the counter to the tiny kitchen and dishwashing area separated from the front by a wall. Once out of sight, Tuyet and the others removed their glamours and Calla, Vadim, and Lizzie came out of hiding. Hayes patted Channing down and came away with his wallet and his TMG badge.

“Got it.” He passed both items to Tuyet.

“Check him,” she said.

Hayes took out his phone and activated the app for reading magical energy. It beeped immediately. Hayes ran the phone over the unconscious man like a metal detector wand until he found the defensive charm that had done so much damage to Tuyet days before. He removed a chunk of crystal from Channing’s pocket.

“Ugh.” Lizzie stepped away. “That feels all wrong.”

“It’s natural magic,” Tuyet said. “Dark stuff, and not well made.”

Vadim said, “That’s what you get for buying shit product in Riverside.” He gestured at Nate. “Mind taking it into the alley and doing the honors?”

Nate took the crystal and hurried out the side door that led to the alley. As a Normal, all it would take for him to destroy the thing was a good, solid boot heel to the ground.

Calla slid to the floor next to Channing’s prostrate form. “I need space, please.”

They gave it to her, huddling in the doorway. Tuyet slipped away to turn off the front lights and lock the door. By the time she returned, a thick silvery fog surrounded Calla and Channing. The witch chanted over the strip of leather on the floor between them, the chunk of polished quartz attached at its center glowing with the energy of the spell. The fog coalesced into a spiral above the quartz, spinning faster and faster. Then it entered the crystal, a blinding light filling the kitchen for a moment. Calla uttered a few more words to bind the spell, then picked up the charm and gave it to Tuyet.

The crystal was warm to the touch. She held it in her hand, not ready to wear it yet. She considered the fact that everyone had dropped their glamours for these last few minutes, and was glad of it. If things went anywhere near according to plan, this would be the last time she would stand with the friends she’d made in New Corinth.

Tuyet took a lingering look at each person around her. She’d been suspicious of Nate Perez the first time she saw him. He had that cop look she’d learned to distrust early growing up in Gehenna. The reality was far different. He had a wide-open heart and a solid core, was the kind of person that could be counted on when things got bad. That solidity made for a perfect match for the wild, untamed spirit of Calla Vesper. Mouthy and creative and a risk taker, she was every bit as daring as her purple and hot-pink hair. Lizzie Marsden had been a bit of an enigma for a long time, but once she finally relaxed enough to let the others get to know her, Tuyet had grown to like her immensely. The tall, willowy redhead fought battles within herself that no one but her partner fully understood, but she was determined not to be defeated by the things that haunted her. Vadim Bazarov had his own demons as well, and Tuyet believed that’s why they were so well-suited for each other. Lizzie fought hers but Vadim was more the type to name them and offer them a drink. They came at things from different angles but always arrived together.

Then there were the people in other parts of FreakTown and the city. Zinnia and Mekhi, who cared for baby Danika Bazarov tonight. Duane Mendoza, shaken by the violence just days ago but now ready to lead a group to march through the city. Paula Miller, who hadn’t lived to see her message become the focal point of this day’s act of rebellion. Jason Beckwith, who waited hidden at his appointed location instead of safe at home. Silver Wheels, everywhere and nowhere, a cyber phantom.

Nate drew Calla to the side. Vadim and Lizzie moved away too. Tuyet was left standing in the middle of the room with Hayes.

She said, “Did you check your earpiece?”

“It’s working fine. The text-to-voice program is a little hinky, but I can make out every word when someone sends me a message.”

Tuyet nodded. “And your glamour charms?”

His lips curved into a smile. “Snow.” He took her hand.

“I just want to make sure everything goes right. We can’t afford too many screwups.” They’d gone over the plan as best they could in the short time they had, everyone involved looking for holes and problems and potential blind spots.

Hayes pressed his mouth to hers and grounded her with his warmth and his strength. Nervous tension she hadn’t even been aware of melted away. Worry lingered, but it didn’t scrape against the inside of her head anymore with claws and teeth. The plan was the best they’d been able to make it. Everything and everyone was in place. It was time to put away doubts and fears and let it all play out.

“I love you,” Hayes whispered.

“Of course you do,” she teased.

Nate said, “It’s time.”

The three couples broke apart into two groups. Nate, Lizzie and Hayes headed for the exit. A spike of fear urged Tuyet forward and she caught Hayes before he could open the door.

“I love you,” she said, not caring if the others heard. She pulled him into a deep, fierce kiss full of all the emotions she didn’t have time to put into words. “I’ll see you at the rendezvous.”

“It’s a date.” A stupid, happy smile was plastered across his face.

Tuyet hugged Lizzie, then Nate, the only goodbye she felt capable of. Hayes squeezed her hand and winked, then the three disappeared into the dark.

“They’ll be okay,” Calla said, but she didn’t sound fully convinced.

“Let’s go,” said Vadim.

They walked to the end of the block in silence. At the intersection, Calla hugged Vadim and Tuyet, then headed south without a word. Tuyet took a deep breath. The cool predawn air held a faint hint of the coming autumn.

“It’s real this time.” Vadim gazed down the street where Calla had disappeared.

“What is?”

He pulled her into a tight embrace. “Safe travels, sojourner.”

Tuyet choked back sudden tears. “Blessed be, Vadim.”

He slipped away toward the west at a fast walk. Jason waited at his spot in the north section of the city. Now it was time for Tuyet to take up the east position, at TMG. She slipped on the hastily made glamour charm and sent a tendril of energy into it.

Channing had never been one to get along with colleagues. That worked in Tuyet’s favor as she badged into the TMG building—that and the early morning hour. Few people were about, mostly janitors and other guards at their stations. Tuyet knew Channing had a desk in the basement cubicle farm for security. She had no idea whether he spent his shift manning a security station or walking a circuit. Hopefully clues at his desk would tell her. She followed a route memorized from the building’s floor plans. With every step that took her closer to her goal, her heart pounded harder. She worked to keep her breathing even and calm, her gait long and loose, as close to Channing’s as possible.

* * *

Hayes stood to one side as Nate handed out glamour charms. They were in the back of a boarded-up factory in the nearly deserted section of the city called Southside. People were streaming in from all over—mostly Rock but other areas too. A group of witches huddled in an office, the walls long since torn down, creating more glamours. The work would continue right up until go time. The line for charms was orderly despite the palpable nervous tension in the air and the presence of weapons. Mostly baseball bats, though a few people had stun guns strapped to their bodies. Hayes swallowed his unease at the possibility of more violence. Not that it was a possibility, more like a certainty. As soon as this group hit the streets, they would be a target.

Spotting Lizzie sitting cross-legged alone on a patch of scarred floor, Hayes weaved through the crowd and knelt beside her. “How are you?”

Her eyes were closed, long red hair kept out of her way in a braid. “I can feel it already.”

“The city’s magic?”

She nodded. “I’ve felt it before. Mostly in FreakTown so it feels different from this.”

“How so?”

“This feels more chaotic. Unstable. Potentially dangerous, like it could build up to be too much and explode.” Lizzie opened her eyes. The corners of her mouth tipped upward. “I simply can’t imagine what that’s like.”

Hayes didn’t know much about her, but he could hear the sarcasm loud and clear. “This can work without you directing the energy. All they have to do is draw on it.”

“But if I can direct it, or even better shape it into something truly useful, then it could be even stronger.”

“If you can do it, then do it. If not, Nate will get you back home as fast as possible.” Hayes hadn’t liked asking Lizzie to take part in the plan, but if her empathic abilities could influence the city’s magic, this could be a slam dunk. Provided a thousand other things didn’t go wrong, of course. She was a civilian with a new baby at home who needed her. They should have left her in FreakTown, but the truth was they needed her too. Channeling the city’s energy would be too much for one witch, possibly too much for four. If Lizzie could help manage that energy, shape it into something they could work with, it could make all the difference.

So Hayes had asked her to be a part of it because he’d been taught to use every resource possible when your team’s back was against the wall. Lizzie had said yes without hesitation, and then answered everyone’s unspoken question. “
Dani will be taught to fight for what’s right.
”

“Can you really ground me if things get out of hand?”

He thought back to the moment he’d done that for Tuyet. “I should be able to, yes.”

Lizzie raised an elegant eyebrow. “Should?”

“I’ve done it once. I’ll do everything in my power to do it again if you need help.”

She regarded him with a cool gaze. “Vadim never has to know this, but if you need to hit me, do it.”

Hayes grimaced, a knot of disgust rising in his stomach. “I can’t do that.”

“Tuyet told you about my issues with grounding and controlling my magic.” It wasn’t a question so he simply nodded. “I don’t want to blow this chance just because we were both squeamish. So man up, Captain Cream Puff, and do whatever this job takes.”

A grin sprang to his face. “Are you trying to goad me into hitting you right now? Because it won’t work.”

Lizzie turned her frosty gaze to the floor. “I simply thought it might be easier for you if you don’t like me.”

“Too late.” He leaned over and lightly kissed her cheek. “I have a weakness for difficult women.”

He was about to stand when she caught his hand. “Sit with me.”

He did as requested. For several minutes they both watched the crowd of people as it grew. The hum of nervous conversation became steadily louder. The sound of singing drifted through the mélange, the singers hidden by the mass of people. Hayes focused on the music, taking measured breaths to keep himself calm.

“Are you scared?”

It took a moment for him to realize it was Lizzie who’d spoken. “Yes.”

“Is it like when you were with the Rangers? Did you get scared like this before a mission?”

“No, this is different.” If Tuyet was caught, if he was caught...the rest of their lives depended on at least partial success of this mission. If they failed in their objective to upload the video virus, they still had to get out of the city without being apprehended. The chaos of the imminent demonstration would help provide cover for that, but that didn’t make him feel any better about it. “If this goes bad, Snow and I might not make it out.” They’d faced danger before, but this time more than their lives was at stake. A life together—that was the prize. Losing that would mean losing everything.

“If this goes badly, I may never see Vadya again.”

Hayes took Lizzie’s hand. “Good thing my plan is foolproof.”

Nervous laughter bubbled out of both of them. Neither one was fooled by it.