I stopped. “You can read my mind?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I can sometimes feel what you’re likely to be thinking. It’s different. Sort of like how you can sense danger. Nothing concrete, but you just get a sense. Right?”

  “How is that everyone else seems to know a whole lot more about me than I know about myself?”

  Charade laughed. “Because we can see you for how you really are. We’re not on the inside looking out.”

  “Wonderful.” I walked up to the door and pulled the handle. It was locked, of course, so I rang the bell and waited.

  After three minutes, no one came to the door.

  “Now what?”

  Charade put her hands to the closest window and peered inside. “I’m not sure. I felt certain Thorssen would be here now.” She leaned back. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  I drew out the set of lockpicks that I carry in my wallet and started fidgeting with the lock. I had it open in under thirty seconds and I prayed that the armory didn’t have an elaborate alarm system. The last thing we needed were cops screaming down here to arrest one of Langley’s finest. Yeah, that wouldn’t look good for me.

  As I pulled the door open, Charade eased past me and walked into the atrium. She pointed up at the ceiling, closed her eyes and the motion detector light vanished for a moment.

  “All set,” she said.

  “What the hell did you do?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing much, just buying us some uninterrupted time here. We don’t need the police coming to check this place out. The alarm is still functioning but it won’t register us.”

  “Handy.”

  “You have no idea,” she said. “Which way?”

  I shrugged. “I thought you knew.”

  Charade smiled. “I don’t know everything about this quest of yours, Rick. You have to do the hard work, too.”

  I held up my hands. “Trust me, I’m not trying to get out of it. I just figured you knew the way.”

  Charade looked at either side of the corridor and then pointed left. “That way.”

  “You sure?”

  “Nope. Guessing. But it’s better than standing here talking.”

  We walked down the hallway and took a right turn at the end. We passed displays of knights from the Middle Ages, samurai warriors, Masai, and every sort of weapon imaginable. Finally, at the end of the corridor, I saw a door marked ‘employees only.’

  “That’s got to be it,” I said.

  “At least the way to go,” said Charade. She pushed the door open and we stepped beyond it. A corridor stretched before us, lined on both sides with cardboard boxes, file cabinets, rolled up maps, chests, and much more. Threading our way through the mess took work. One wrong move would have brought the whole place down on us. I sneezed twice from the accumulation of dust. Charade, for her part, seemed unfazed. I wondered what sort of magic allergy medication she was on and if I could get some of it.

  Around the bend, my stomach suddenly ached. I pulled back on Charade and held a finger up to my lips to keep her quiet.

  Something was going on up ahead.

  I heard a slap that I knew was a hand on a face. Something about that sound the first time you hear it just stays with you.

  Charade started forward, but I held her back. We didn’t know what we’d be facing. Instead of charging right in, we needed to see what we could spy first.

  I dropped to the floor and snaked my way around the bend. Another door stood before us about fifty feet farther on. I could hear voices speaking. Loud. But they were muffled and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I heard a series of slaps, though.

  Had the bad guys gotten here first?

  Did they have Thorssen in their clutches?

  I moved back to Charade and told her what I’d seen. We formed a hasty plan and then moved out, crawling down the corridor toward the door.

  The worst time during an insertion is right before you get on-target. Your exposure level is high and if anyone spots you, your plan goes to shit real quick.

  I prayed no one opened the door and spotted us.

  We moved closer and now I could hear the voices clearly.

  “Where is it?”

  “Tell me!

  Another series of slaps, and each one sounded harder than the previous one. If we were going to move, we had to do it now.

  I looked at Charade. She nodded at me.

  I felt heat in my stomach, radiating outward as if from some unseen sun in my belly. I rose slowly and Charade followed.

  Then I kicked in the door and rushed the room.

  8

  I processed everything in a split second. The man who had to be Thorssen was bound to a chair with obvious bruises about his face. Chief bad guy was dressed in black leather from head to toe and looked like he’d gotten lost on his way to some sex dungeon party. Henchmen One, Two, and Three looked like standard thick-necked thugs who are long on brawn and short on brains. I registered two pistols and a baton. I knew Charade would be coming in behind me, but I went for the immediate threat first: the guns.

  Henchman One started to bring his up as I kicked in the door, so I went to his right, chopped down on his gun hand near the nerve plexus atop his forearm, then swept my chopping hand back up and into his throat, crushing his trachea. He went down choking on his own vomit.

  I spun and grabbed the second henchman’s wrist, snapping it back and inward, releasing the pistol and breaking the joint at the same time. As he started to turn, I went with his energy and brought my right foot up under his chin, snapping his head back and heard his neck crunch. He went down hard.

  With his gun in hand, I turned and used it to pistol-whip the third henchman across his temple as he managed a half-hearted swing at my head. The baton dropped to the floor with a dull clunk. The bad guy followed immediately thereafter.

  I brought the gun up and onto center mass of leather boy. “Don’t even think about moving.”

  He raised his hands with a smile. “Now, why would I do a thing like that?”

  I was aware of the heat still radiating out from my center, what the Japanese call hara. I panted and brought my breath back under control. The entire fight had lasted no more than fifteen seconds, but it felt like time slowed down so I could fully see every single aspect of it in minute detail.

  “That was a most impressive display of combat skill,” he said then. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such economy of motion before.”

  “I’m thrilled I have your approval,” I said. “Now let Thorssen go.”

  Leather boy sighed. “Well, yes, I would but you see, he hasn’t answered my questions yet.”

  “And what questions would those be?”

  Leather boy smiled. “The same questions you’re about to ask him. The location of the jacket.”

  I glanced at Thorssen who looked a bit more like himself now. “Why would he know something like that?”

  Leather boy shook his head. “Seriously, you’re not going to try that on me, are you?”

  “Are you Maleagant?”

  He chuckled. “First of all, your pronunciation is terrible. He’s not French.”

  “So I was told.”

  “Secondly, I work for him. My name is Birk.”

  I shrugged. “Don’t really care what your name is. Release Thorssen and we’ll discuss it.”

  Birk shook his head. “I can’t do that. Sorry.”

  I thumbed the hammer back on the pistol I’d fleeced off the bad guy, a Sig Sauer P226. “I’ve got a bullet that says you can do exactly that.”

  “You’ll have to shoot me then,” said Birk. “He’s being held in place by a spell and I don’t have the power to release him.”

  “Say what?”

  Charade put a hand on my arm. “Let me.” She stood off to one side of the chair that held Thorssen and closed her eyes. I saw bright blue orbs circulate out from her hands and drift toward the chair. In seconds, the things that I thought were ropes fell free and Thorssen let out a small groan.

  Birk wasn’t very happy at all. “You brought her?” He shook his head. “I should have known Hsu-Chi would find a way to get involved in all of this.”

  “I went to her for information,” I said. “She provided it in exchange for a share of what I’m being paid to recover the jacket.”

  Birk laughed. “You really believe she wants money for helping you? My God, you’re naive, man.”

  At that moment Charade unleashed a bright red orb at his chest. Birk clutched his heart and staggered back, falling to his knees before face-planting into the ground where he lay still.

  “Is he dead?” I asked after a moment.

  Charade nodded. “Long overdue, too. He’s been a thorn in my side for a long time. I’ve waited for this moment for years.”

  “Uh...maybe we should have questioned him.”

  She shook her head. “He’d never give us anything useful. If Maleagant ever found out that he’d been betrayed, Birk there would spend an eternity suffering in one of the many realms of Hell.”

  Thorssen sat absolutely still watching all of this take place. Finally, he shifted and the movement drew our attention.

  I pointed at him. “You know why we’re here?”

  “The same reason as those fools,” he said. “And I’ll tell you exactly what I told them, which is to say, nothing.”

  “If we don’t get the jacket first,” I said. “You can bet you’ll be receiving a lot more late night visits from people who are far less compassionate than we are.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  I smirked. “As evidenced by how well you took them on before we arrived.”

  “I was surprised,” said Thorssen. “I had no idea the Veil was weakening.”

  “What veil?”

  Thorssen glanced at Charade. “Are you kidding me? No one’s told him about the Veil yet?”

  Charade shrugged. “It wasn’t germane to the task at hand, which is to recover the jacket before Maleagant gets his dirty mitts on it.”

  “Well, you’d better start filling this guy in if you want to see the jacket. Not telling him anything is like sending a naked dude out to meet lions. Even one as talented at fighting as this guy appears to be, he’s still going to be eaten alive.”

  “You guys know I’m standing right here,” I said. “If you’re going to talk about me, at least pretend you know I’m here.”

  Charade held up her hand. “Sorry, Rick. It just would have taken too much time explaining everything to you. We needed to get out here and as you can see, we barely made it in time to rescue Thorssen.”

  I nodded at Thorssen. “She’s right. We saved your ass. So give us the location of the jacket.”

  Thorssen chuckled again. “As if I know. My boy, I am only part of the puzzle that will lead you to the jacket if you find all the pieces. I’m but one small piece, at that. Think of me as the starting point.”

  “I thought Hsu-Chi was the starting point.”

  Thorssen shook his head. “I’m the guy who can tell you where to start looking. But in order to find the jacket you seek, you’ll need to go beyond the Veil.”

  “Like a wedding veil?” I glanced at Charade. She had a helluva lot of explaining to do when we got a moment.

  “The Veil,” said Thorssen, “is a barrier between this world and the Demimonde.”

  “Another realm?” I figured I may as well try to show that I’d been listening all night.

  “Indeed,” said Thorssen. “The Veil serves as a barrier between worlds. It keeps the inhabitants of the Demimonde from getting into this world, and it keeps the inhabitants of this world from venturing into the Demimonde.”

  “And by inhabitants-”

  “The Demimonde is filled with the stuff of legends,” said Thorssen. “Whatever terrifying creature you can imagine, it exists in the Demimonde. Myths, after all, come from some reality, don’t they?”

  “I guess.”

  “And the reality is that different realms exist. Most of the myths and legends you know of exist because at one time or another the Veil weakened enough for some of them to cross over to this world. They were seen, of course, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

  “So...what, like vampires?”

  Thorssen nodded.

  “Werewolves?”

  “Absolutely.” Thorssen held up his hand. “But those are the least of the worst, believe me. The Demimonde is home to such evil as you cannot fathom. If the Veil is indeed weakening, then it becomes more imperative that the pieces be protected at all costs.”

  I frowned. “All right, if you really believe that, then tell us where it is and we’ll go get it.”

  “It’s not that easy,” said Thorssen. “And while you might well be a force for good, I have no way of knowing if you have an incorruptible heart or not. If I were to give up the information and later find out your true nature was not good, then I would have certainly failed in my mission. How could I live with myself?”

  I sighed. “Look, I’m human. I make mistakes. Lately, I’ve made a lot of them. But I’ve also devoted myself to fighting for good my entire life.”

  “What you perceive as good,” said Thorssen.

  “Isn’t that the same thing?”

  “Not necessarily. You could have been deluded or otherwise led astray from the true path of righteousness.”

  “I don’t believe this,” I said. I glanced at Charade. “You have any other magic that can make him tell us what we need to know?”

  But she only shook her head. “He is a Protector. He can’t be swayed by magic. Anything he tells us must be given of his own free will.”

  “And let me tell you,” said Thorssen, “I’m not feeling very ‘free will’ right now.”

  “Great,” I said. “So what do I have to do to convince you that I’m operating with the jacket’s best interests at heart?”

  “You have to pass through the Veil,” said Thorssen.

  Charade gasped. “There’s no way he is even remotely ready for that. You can’t possibly be serious.”

  “I’m absolutely serious,” said Thorssen. “There is no better test of a man’s heart than to pass through the Veil.”

  “He could be killed,” said Charade.

  “Yes,” said Thorssen. “There is always that possibility.”

  I sighed. “Guys, again, I’m standing right here.”

  Charade put a hand on my shoulder. “You can’t do this right now. You’ve only recently been exposed to magic for the first time. Even attempting a crossing at this point would be like committing suicide.”

  I glanced at Thorssen who said nothing and then back at Charade. “I appreciate your concern, but what other choice do we have? If I don’t prove to the old guy here that I’ve got a decent heart, then there’s no way he’ll let us know how to find the jacket.”

  “You could die, Rick.”

  I nodded. “It won’t be the first time in my life I’ve heard that. Believe me, the thought of potentially dying doesn’t thrill me. But we don’t have a choice. So I’ll do what I have to do.”

  Thorssen cleared his throat. “There. Now that that’s settled, let’s get down to it.”

  I looked at him. “Where do I go to pass through the Veil?”

  Thorssen chuckled again and I found I was beginning to get really annoyed by the tone of his laughter. I got it: he knew more about magic than I did, but did he have to be such a prick?

  “My boy, you don’t go to some location to pass through the Veil. The Veil comes to you.”

  “Here?”

  “Most certainly,” said Thorssen. “We only need summon a portal and then send you on your way.”

  “And then what happens?”

  Thorssen shrugged. “Passing through the Veil is a unique experience for everyone. No one can say for certain what will transpire. Perhaps you will be gone seconds here and a lifetime over there or vice versa. Perhaps you will emerge from the Veil a crazy man. Or you may fall dead.”

  “There is one constant,” said Charade.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Your heart must be pure.”

  “My heart is most definitely not pure,” I said. “I’ve been tarnished for years.”

  But Charade shook her head. “Not pure in that sense. It must be pure in intent. You must be determined to pass through it no matter what is shown to you, no matter what you feel. If you waver in that decision to attempt to cross, the Veil will sense it and reject you.”

  “Which means you die,” said Thorssen.

  9

  “You’re just full of good news, aren’t you?” I asked Thorssen. He sat there and shrugged like it was no big deal. And it probably wasn’t for people who fully embraced the notion that magic existed. For someone like me, it was going to be hard.

  Granted, I’d seen enough examples tonight to tell me that there was some sort of other-worldly force at work. But was I ready to give up all my skepticism and rush headlong into drinking the magic Kool-Aid? I wasn’t so sure.

  Still, the prospect of dying trying to cross this Veil thing didn’t exactly make me giddy with delight. I was going to have to concentrate on getting through it in order to make it out of this alive. I might have readily accepted the possibility of death in my job with the CIA, but this was something else entirely.

  Thorssen looked me up and down. “If you’re going to do this, then you should get started. The longer it takes you to cross, the less chance you have of finding it.”

  I pointed at him. “You must know how to find the jacket once I cross. Otherwise, why would Maleagant’s men come here?”

  Charade looked at him. “He’s got a good point.”

  Thorssen sighed. “One thing at a time. First he proves himself. If he manages that, then we’ll talk about how to possibly obtain the jacket. But I’m not giving up the information without witnessing for myself whether he is worthy or not.”

  “Fine,” I said. “Let’s get on with it. I don’t need any bad guys showing up and beating me out of two million bucks.”

  “One million,” corrected Charade. “Hsu-Chi would be most upset if she didn’t get her cut.”

 

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