Bishop & Rook, page 3
“Thank you sir,” said Willard as he pushed the cart inside the room.
It was larger than most apartments. A queen-sized bed sat against the wall on the left with two nightstands on either sides of it. The patio was directly ahead, closed as he’d left it. A small hallway on the right revealed a large living room and kitchen combined. The door shut behind Willard as he turned into the hallway and walked toward the kitchen where he began to move the items from the cart to the table.
“So, what does this on the house meal consist of?”
“For the entrée: kidnapping a murderer,” said Bishop as he revealed himself from the shroud net; a thin black net that covered him head-to-toe.
“What the—who are—“
Bishop pressed a finger to his lip—a signal for Daniel to stop speaking—and the man followed his silent order. Willard began removing the attendant's uniform while Daniel watched Bishop. He swallowed hard as beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face.
“Now, now—Mr. Ortega, it’s going to be okay,” said Bishop. “We’re not going to hurt you, I need you to understand that, okay?”
Daniel nodded and swallowed hard. Bishop removed a large square white cloth with a symbol hurriedly drawn on it with black ink and placed it next to him. The signal ignited in a green aura before Bishop began to appear inside the square. A second passed, and he was in the room with the rest of them.
“I take it everything went well?”
“As well as it can. Mr. Ortega looks freaked the hell out though,” said Bishop.
“I’m not freaked out—I know what you are. You’re a warlock—both of you are. I just don’t want to die!”
“No one here is going to kill you; we just need you to come with us.”
“And go where?”
“If he doesn’t stop talking I will kill him,” Willard snapped before finishing putting on the clothes he had hidden inside the cart.
“Shut—“
“Mr. Ortega, is everything okay?” A man’s voice questioned from the other side of the room door behind a firm knock. “It’s Liam—Mr. Ortega?”
“Oh fu—“
“What are we going to do now?” Willard asked.
“He’s not responding—break it down!”
“Grab him and go!” Bishop shouted.
Rook grabbed Daniel, pulling him onto the symbol. It ignited once more, and they disappeared. Willard ran to Bishop and joined him on the symbol. The door to the room crashed against the wall and heavy footsteps entered with a steadfast approach. A man called out for Daniel once more before entering the kitchen to see them disappearing on the symbol before his eyes with Bishop princess-waving at the man before vanishing.
Bishop and Willard joined Rook and Daniel in the room below.
“That was freaky,” said Willard as he collected himself from the port-jump.
Rook was looking out the room’s door and into the hallway.
“Time to go,” said Bishop, joining Rook as Willard grabbed Daniel by the arm and led him to the door.
They walked out of the room and entered the hallway. Move with swift steps, they turned left, then right until they reached the elevators at the end of the hall. They entered, but not before Bishop pulled the fire alarm located on the wall. The elevator doors closed, and they began their decent.
“Pulling the fire alarm was a great idea wasn’t it Rook?”
“In this case, yes.”
“Hey! That was my idea—“
The elevator bell rang, and the doors opened to people flooding the lobby trying to escape the building as the alarms blared and lighting on the wall flashed. They walked quickly into the sea of people and exited the hotel, looking back to see if they were being followed on occasion and they were. A man dressed in a gray suit was scanning the lobby with others and they were all armed, shouting for people to hurry out of the way and make it to safety. Bishop and the man’s gazes met briefly before Bishop turned and continued down the road. The man followed in the direction he saw Bishop head it, but didn’t find who he was looking for.
Chapter 4
Warehouse
The steel door to the empty warehouse slammed shut. It was one of Ian Graves old warehouses that Willard suggested as it was the closest place they could hide. They arrived uninhibited with the invisible net Bishop used at the hotel keeping them hidden from sight. Bishop and Rook weren’t too fond of using the former warehouse as a base camp. Anything could have been waiting for them upon their arrival and they didn’t trust Willard at all. They were out of options and the men that were guarding Daniel were looking for them, flooding the streets in every direction to locate him.
“I gotta get me one of those—what is that thing?” Willard asked as Bishop folded the net used hide them from sight.
“This? It’s called a shroudnet. I made it myself.”
“Shroudnet?” Willard asked, admiring it as Bishop continued folding it.
“Yes. Do you remember that invisibility cloak that kid Potter uses in the books? That’s where I got the idea,” Bishop explained.
Confusion spread across Willard’s face as he arched his eyebrows. “Potter? What are you talking about?”
“Forget it,” Bishop said before sighing heavily. “I forgot I was talking to an idiot for a moment.”
“What did you s—”
“Enough!” Rook interrupted from behind them. He led Daniel to a chair before turning to them. “Can we go five minutes without you two bickering?”
“You people are a strange,” said Daniel.
“You people?” Bishop questioned. He raised an eyebrow and glared at Daniel, then at Rook. “You hear this, Rook? You people—you mean us warlocks? We’re strange because we’re warlocks, is that it?”
“No!” Daniel argued. “No, that’s not it. I’ve been around warlocks before and I have no problem with that. In fact, my sister is a witch and goes to that school… uh… Havenwick—that’s it! The school for warlocks and witches! So, I know what you are capable of. What’s strange is you three don’t seem like the type to kidnap someone based on what I’ve seen so far.”
“Your sister goes to Havenwick?” Bishop asked.
Havenwick was a network of schools, with one on each continent and they sheltered stray warlocks and witches who found themselves without a home in the world. Rook learned about Havenwick from his uncle, but he never met anyone who had attended. Hearing Daniel’s sister was a student intrigued him, and he wanted to know more.
“Don’t believe him, Rook! He’s lying—trying to play to what we know and get us to let him go,” said Bishop. Scanning the room for a few moments, Bishop settled on a pile thick rope in the middle of the warehouse next to a stack of tires that stood three meters. He retrieved the rope and a roll of tape that lay next to it and walked over to Daniel and tied him down, using various loops and knots, securing him to the chair.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m tying him up, so he doesn’t escape, obviously.”
“Where did you learn that?” Rook questioned.
“I watched a video on YouTube about tying knots. With this, he won’t be going anywhere,” Bishop explained before tying the final not. He cut a piece of a tape from a roll he found near the rope and covered Daniel’s mouth with it.
“Don’t you think you’re going too far? He’s hasn’t screamed for help at all,” argued Rook.
“You can never be too sure,” said Bishop.
Willard wheeled a portable television that sat upon a rusty cart into the room, bringing it to the group. He turned it on, shifting the antennas until the picture settled on a local news channel. The group stayed silent as they watched with old television bated breath; wondering if their kidnapping would make the news. There was no news about the Knightingale or a kidnapping, only the weather and sports broadcast on Barry Bonds breaking a home-run record. It was nothing of particular interest or concern for the group.
“We need to call Ian,” said Bishop. “The sooner he gets this guy, the sooner we’re finished with him.”
“What about the people looking for Daniel?” Rook questioned.
“What about’em? They’ll never find us here. We need to figure out how we can get this guy to the shipyard before eight-thirty. My magical pressure is too low to use the shroudnet to take there, it’s too far,” Bishop explained.
Willard stood from the floor and walked toward the steel sliding door. He placed his ear to the cold steal and raised his hand. Bishop and Rook stopped talking as their concerned gazes fell upon him.
“What are you doing?”
“I hear something… voice,” Willard whispered before his eyes widened and he bolted from the door.
A sudden explosion followed rocking the warehouse as debris fell from the ceiling and pipes and other metal tools banged against the cement floor. Bishop took cover behind a wall while Rook took leaped behind the stack of tires. Willard fell to the ground as the explosion rocked the steel door off of its hinges, causing it to crash to the floor. Smoke billowed into the room and armed men descended followed, wearing black masks, helmets and combat gear.
“How did they find us so quickly?” Bishop asked before turning to Rook.
The sight of an empty chair that once held Daniel Ortega and the loose rope that bound him was on the floor, catching Bishop by surprise. A door shutting in the distance alerted them to his whereabouts as he used the distraction caused by the explosion to escape his bounds and flee.
“So much for your YouTube rope-tying skills, Bishop! What did I tell you about believing everything you see on the Internet?”
“Now is not the time for this Rook! Go after him, we’ll handle these guys and catch up!” Bishop ordered as Willard scrambled to his side, joining him behind the cover of the wall.
“What do you mean we’ll handle these guys? I can’t use magic like you two!”
“But you’re a thief—you can steal something from them!”
Rook bolted from behind the tires and followed through the door that Daniel entered. Bishop sighed as the men entered, guns drawn and stepped from behind the stone pillar.
“Stop right there!” shouted one man. “Don’t take another step!”
Bishop reached into his pocket and retrieved a silver Yo-Yo from his pocket, unwinding and rewinding the device before catching it in his hand and repeating. The men surrounded him as he continued to throw the toy.
“What are you doing?” Willard asked through gritted teeth, staying hidden behind the wall. “They will shoot you!”
“Shut up, thief! I got this,” Bishop said with confidence.
“Put the toy down!” another man shouted, aiming at Bishop.
“You mean this?” Bishop questioned holding it up. “This isn’t a toy—it’s a conduit and I won’t put it down.”
“You have until the count of three!”
“There will be no need for that,” said Bishop. He held the conduit up before grabbing the string and spreading it out with his index and middle fingers to create a hollow triangle. The double-disc sphere moved in and out of the triangle like a pendulum while radiating a white aura. The men stared at the pendulum for several seconds, mesmerized by the white glow, before something in the darkness of the ceiling drew their attention and with their aims following.
“What is that?”
“Do you see it? There!”
“It’s a demon!”
The men retreated out of the room as they opened fire into the shadows of the ceiling. Their previous target was no longer a concern as Bishop put his conduit back into his jacket before turning back to Willard, who backed away as fear overtook his face. He fell to the ground and in a hurried frenzy, continuing his retreat away from Bishop.
“What are you doing? We don’t have time for this!”
“What… did you do… with that toy?”
“It’s not a toy! I meant, it is a toy technically, but it isn’t! You know what? It doesn’t matter. I created an illusion of a demon bat in the ceiling. The effect will only last for three minutes. Just enough time for us to get out of here, now let’s go!” said Bishop before picking Willard off of his feet and pulling him behind him as they followed in Rook’s direction.
Rook made his way through empty rooms and dark hallways before he caught up to Daniel who was stumbling around and looking for a way out of the large warehouse. He made it to the roof, but had nowhere to go as Rook descended upon him during his cries for help.
“Mr. Ortega, that’s far enough.”
“Please, just let me go kid! You’re not a killer or a kidnapper. You don’t want to do this!”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ortega—I really am, but I can’t do that. Innocent lives are at stake.”
“What about my life? I’m just trying to do the right thing!”
Rook raised an eyebrow. Ian had told him that Daniel Ortega murdered his younger brother at a diner when finding his wife with another man. But, since meeting him, he hadn’t put up a fight or attempted to harm them in any way. It wasn’t the typical behavior you’d expect for anyone accused of mass murder. It could be just an act on Daniel’s part and a clever one at that. But it was possible that Ian lied to them. In fact, Rook thought he was. But all he could think about was Willard’s family and keeping them safe from Ian.
“The right thing? Didn’t murder your wife and a bunch of other people?”
“Murder my wife? No!”
“Hand up!” shouted a man’s voice from behind Rook.
“Detective Moss, thank heaven!” Daniel shouted before dropping to his knees.
“Mr. Ortega, please stay where you are,” Detective Moss ordered. “You, kid, turn around slowly and don’t make any sudden movements!”
Rook froze for a moment before he followed the detective’s order. This was the second time in less than twenty-four hours that someone had a gun pointed at him, but this time it was a police officer. So many thoughts raced through his mind: how are the police involved? How did they know where to find them? And what is the real reason Ian wants Daniel. Rook turned to see the man in the gray suit from the hotel that was chasing after them. He had an experienced face with circles around his eyes. His hair was short and brown, and he held a silver pistol, aimed at Rook.
“It’s over, kid. You and your friends are—”
“Going to leave with Mr. Ortega,” Bishop interrupted standing behind Detective Moss.
To Willard, who stood crouched behind him and Daniel he held a silver pistol that mirrored Detective Moss’s. But to Rook, it was Bishop’s index and middle fingers pressed firmly against the detective’s temple. Bishop was using his illusion magic in that moment and would only do so if the moment called for it.
Rook put his hands to his side, relieved to see Bishop alive and well. He turned to Daniel and walked toward him before disappointment took over his features. Rook grabbed his arm, and he stood with no resistance. They turned and walked toward Bishop and Willard.
“Okay, okay—easy,” Detective Moss pleaded.
“Drop it!” Bishop shouted. “No sudden movements, Mulder.”
Detective Moss followed his order and placed his weapon on the ground, being careful to not make any sudden movements. Rook and Daniel walked passed him as he turned to the group with cautious steps.
“You will not get away with this, I hope you know that,” said Detective Moss.
“We already have,” said Bishop.
“You won’t make it out of here, you’re surrounded! When I catch you, I guarantee you won’t see the light of day where you’re going!”
“Oh, look, Rook—it’s the bad cop routine without the good cop,” Bishop laughed. “It’s true we kidnapped Mr. Ortega, but we have our reasons,” said Bishop, before reaching into his pocket and retrieving the shroud net.
“What reason would you have to kidnap a witness?”
“Witness?” Rook questioned.
The metal door slammed opened and armed guards stormed onto the rooftop with their weapons aiming in all directions as they searched for their targets.
“Over here!” Detective Moss shouted.
His men followed his voice, holding their guns high and now aiming at the group, but they held off from firing as Detective Moss was too close to them. Without hesitation, Bishop tossed the shroudnet over them, leaving Detective Moss and the armed police in a state of disbelief as they disappeared right in front of him. His eyes bulged as his men arrived to his side. They stomped on the ground to see if there was a hidden door or wires that would explain what they all witnessed, but there was nothing. The only thing that remained on the rooftop was them.
Chapter 5
Opposition
Four hours seemed like twelve for the group. The sun was setting over the horizon by the time they settled on a place to hide. They’d taken several subways and buses through the city before Willard suggested his own apartment as hideout. Anything was better than the old warehouse they inhabited. Daniel made it easy for them to travel as he didn’t put up a fight or struggle to escape at any point. One several occasions he attempted to persuade Rook to let him go, but Bishop dismissed his attempts, telling him to shut up in as many ways he could conjure. His treatment of Daniel met opposition from Rook, who felt his bane was unnecessary. Willard tried to join in, but he too faced a slew of insults from Bishop.
Willard unlocked the door to his home, entering first into a small efficiency apartment. The kitchen was the first room they entered and separated from the living room by a half-wall, making up the far side of the apartment. To the left was a hallway between the kitchen and living rooms. The apartment contrasted the man who claimed it was his home being clean and tidy. Drawings of animals and stick figure families in different colored crayons with a picture of Willard, a woman and a young girl hanging above them covered the front of the refrigerator.
Upon entering, Willard scanned the small place and noticed no one was in the living room or kitchen before him. “Mary—Allison? Where are you?” Willard asked before bolting down the hallway to check the rooms.
