Cracks in Reality (Seams in Reality Book 2) (22 page)

"We're on our way," he said finally. He put away his phone.

"What's up?" Andrew said.

"Phillip was spotted in Charleston, West Virginia. He apparently escaped from Blake and is in police custody. Let's go. A jet is waiting for us at the airport."

Andrew looked at the delicious food still on his plate. "Can we take some dinner to go?"

"No time," Dan said. "Come on."

The group of four stood up and headed for the door. On the way out, they paid their bill at the front and grabbed their coats.

They left the restaurant. The night was dark, but bright street lamps illuminated the wide avenue. It was a nice part of Washington, and Andrew saw plenty of very expensive cars. He wondered how many had been bought with taxpayer dollars.

"Is there a seam in Charleston?" Andrew said.

"Not according to our information," Dan said, "but our information could be wrong. We can't assume anything. Blake must have a good reason for being there."

He hailed two cabs. One cab wasn't big enough for all four of them.

"Take us straight to the airport," he told one of the drivers.

"Wait," Andrew said. "What about our luggage? We just have the clothes on our backs."

"Our bags will catch up to us," Dan said. "Right now, we need to be in Charleston ASAP."

Andrew rode with Tungsten, and Charley rode with Dan.

When the cabs were moving, Andrew turned to his companion and said, "What's in Charleston?"

Tungsten shrugged. "I have no idea. I thought it was in South Carolina actually."

Andrew took out his phone to do a little research on the internet. He found a web page describing the city.

"There is a Charleston in West Virginia," he said. "The population of the metropolitan area is 224,000. It's the state capital."

"I probably should've known that. What kind of industry do they have?"

"Coal and natural gas. Mostly, it's the center of government." Andrew frowned. "Maybe Blake is using mind-control to take over the government."

"I hope we don't have to fight the State Police. That could get messy."

"Yeah."

"But you can fix it, right?" Tungsten said tentatively. "You and Charley are strong enough to take down Blake?"

"I think so."

Tungsten's voice had a nervous edge Andrew had never heard before.
He's scared,
Andrew thought.
He realizes he is in way over his head.

"I wish I could learn a little sorcery," Tungsten said wistfully. "It sounds cool."

"It's a mixed blessing. One bad spell can rip your mind apart. Even when it goes well, it can still feel like a nightmare."

"How does it actually work? What do you do when you cast a spell?"

"My awareness expands," Andrew said. "I connect with nearby minds. My beliefs become integrated with the world around me. Seams break down the normal barriers and make sorcery possible, like a catalyst."

"Sounds like an amazing experience."

"I might be able to take you for a ride and show you what it's like."

"Really?" Tungsten raised his eyebrows.

"I just have to share my experience with you. I'll talk to Tonya first though. I'm sure it's possible, but it might be too dangerous. I don't want you to end up insane."

"Yes. Talk to her. Make sure she approves."

The cabs eventually arrived at the Reagan National Airport. They drove past the passenger terminal and went straight to the VIP section at the south end.

The official BPI jet was waiting in a hanger with the engines already running. The dark blue paint gleamed under bright lights. Andrew had to smile. He enjoyed being treated like a powerful executive instead of an ordinary teenager.

The group got out of the cabs and jogged towards the airplane.

Chapter Ten

Andrew looked out the window of his car at Charleston. It was tough to judge a city at night, but it seemed like a nice place. The streets were clean and well-maintained. The downtown area had enough big buildings to qualify as a legitimate city if a small one. During the drive from the airport, Andrew had seen scenic hills covered in thick forest. The landscape was certainly more interesting than the endless flatlands of Illinois.

Dan was driving a rental car, and Tungsten was riding shotgun. Andrew and Charley sat in back as usual. A second car containing four more BPI agents was following. The Bureau had wanted to make sure they had plenty of manpower.

Andrew used his inner eye to scan for sources of energy. Blake could hide his energy signature, but he was carrying a portable seam called the Russian Eye. Seams were impossible to conceal from other sorcerers, although a small one might be undetectable at long range. Andrew was also looking for Phillip. The boy had the talent to be a sorcerer and emitted significant energy.

"Are you sensing anything in the area?" Andrew said.

"No," Charley said. "Just you."

"OK. Stay alert."

"Don't worry. I'm fully engaged."

Dan parked in front of a four-story building with a neoclassical architecture. The limestone façade featured plenty of columns and cornices. Andrew wondered why government buildings always had to be so ostentatious.

Dan, Tungsten, Charley, and Andrew got out of the car and went inside.

* * *

Blake and Phillip watched the BPI arrive from a window in the county courthouse. Both sorcerers had forced their energy levels down to make themselves very difficult to detect. Blake had left the Russian Eye in a hotel room in a nearby town. As long as he didn't attract any attention, he was safe.

When Andrew and Charley got out of the car, Blake was shocked. The BPI hadn't sent a master sorcerer at all. Instead, two mere apprentices were on the case.

"They think so little of me?" Blake said in a tone of disbelief. "After everything I've done, they send kids after me. I'm insulted. Maybe I should've killed a few more BPI agents just to get some respect."

"You might be misinterpreting the situation," Phillip said. "Take a closer look."

Blake had met Andrew and Charley months ago, and their talents had impressed him enormously. New apprentices normally had weak, disorganized energy signatures, but Tonya's students were different. Power had flowed around them in smooth, symmetrical patterns. Andrew in particular had been freakishly gifted. Judging by his energy alone, Blake would've assumed the teenager had been a fully trained sorcerer.

The apprentices were even more impressive now. There were no fluctuations in their energy indicating weaknesses Blake could easily exploit. The stream was clean and dynamic. It pulsed with the regularity of a clock.

"They've been training hard," Blake said.

"Yes," Phillip said. "Training to kill you, and Tonya wouldn't have sent them if they weren't ready. Andrew looks particularly dangerous. I'd swear his energy has teeth."

Blake grimaced. "Reminds me of his famous grandfather, Gustav, but even he wasn't that pure. I still think I can take them both in a straight fight."

"You're sure?"

Blake paused. The apprentices had gone into the police station, but he could still sense their location easily. They pulsed like black beacons.

"I might need your help," Blake said, "but that's why I made you. We'll stick with the plan anyway. It's safer. Come on. Let's get some sleep while we can."

Blake and Phillip turned away from the window and left.

* * *

Dan spoke to the first police officer he could find in the building. "We're federal agents." He took out his wallet and flashed his badge. "We need to make contact with Officer Buchanan immediately. Do you have her cell phone number? Can we use the radio dispatch system?"

"She's in the squad room," the officer said.

"Huh?" Dan raised his eyebrows. "We ordered her to drive out of town."

"She didn't go anywhere as far as I know."

Andrew and Charley exchanged worried looks.

The team found Buchanan sitting in a cubicle working at a computer. She was a short, slim woman who didn't fit the stereotypical profile of a cop. Her hair was tied back in a neat bun.

Dan, Tungsten, Andrew, and Charley surrounded her.

"Where is Phillip?" Dan demanded. "Why are you still here?"

"Phillip ran away," Buchanan said.

"When? How?"

"Right after we left the police station."

"And you didn't chase after him?" Dan said.

"Well, I, uh...." She furrowed her brow and appeared confused.

Andrew realized she wasn't acting like a cop should, and it was obvious why.

"Blake got to her," he said. "He must've taken Phillip back."

Dan's shoulders sagged. "You're probably right. You can't do anything for her?"

"Not without a seam, and I haven't sensed one in the area."

Buchanan looked back and forth between them. "What are you talking about?"

"Never mind," Dan said. "Just tell us exactly what you remember. What did Phillip say to you?"

"It's all in my report."

"And you wrote it before you left the station?"

"Yes," Buchanan said.

Andrew felt a gleam of hope. She had written the report before Blake had controlled her mind which meant the information was probably reliable.

Buchanan printed two copies. Dan and Tungsten read one copy, and Andrew and Charley read the other.

Most of the information didn't surprise Andrew. It appeared Phillip had been completely forthright during his short interview. A mention of an apartment caught Andrew's eye.

Dan beat him to it. "What's this about an apartment?" Dan said.

"Phillip claimed Blake was living in an apartment in town," Buchanan said.

"Did Phillip provide an address?"

"No, but he did say we investigated an explosion there yesterday. There should be a police report."

Dan raised his eyebrows. "Did you look up the report?"

"No."

"Why not?" He barked angrily.

"I, uh...." Buchanan chewed her lip.

"Obviously, because Blake told her not to," Andrew said. "Let's find somebody else who can help us."

Other police officers were in the squad room, and Dan's federal badge induced their cooperation. It took just a few minutes to find the report in the computer. Supposedly, a pressure cooker had failed, but it was the only reported explosion that day, so it had to be the right one. The description included an address and an apartment number.

"Let's go!" Dan said.

The team ran out of the room.

* * *

Five BPI agents were standing in the hallway with their backs against a wall. Full body armor and helmets protected them, and they held assault rifles. Nobody was making the slightest noise.

Andrew and Charley were in front of the door of the apartment. He sensed no energy sources behind the door, so if Blake was there, he was hiding his energy. He couldn't have his portable seam though, which meant he would be as dangerous as any ordinary criminal.

Andrew didn't detect Phillip either. The boy didn't know how to hide his energy, so he couldn't be in the apartment at all.

"Getting anything?" Andrew whispered to Charley.

She shook her head. "No. I don't think they're home."

The apprentices backed away so they wouldn't block the assault. When they were safely down the hall, Andrew made a hand signal.

Tungsten led the charge. He kicked open the door without any warning and rushed into the room. The other BPI agents followed immediately. Andrew wondered about the legality of the operation. The agents had no search warrants or written authorization of any kind as far as Andrew knew. Apparently, the Fourth Amendment didn't apply to sorcerers.

A couple of minutes later, Dan poked his head into the hallway and said, "You can come in. Nobody is here."

Andrew and Charley hurried forward to check out the apartment.

He walked through the doorway and quickly looked around. It was a nice place. The floors were made of real wood, and the furniture looked relatively new and modern. An area rug had a brown and yellow checkerboard pattern. A painting on the wall showed a mountain shrouded in morning mist.

"Whoa!" Charley said.

Andrew ran to see what had caught her attention. He discovered a small explosion had wrecked the kitchen. Cabinets were dislodged, and a crack ran through the counter. Overhead lights had shattered, spraying glass onto the floor. Even the ceiling was damaged and probably needed to be replaced.

"A pressure cooker didn't do this." Andrew touched a streak of black residue, and it marked his finger.

He rubbed the grit between his fingers. Then he realized he probably shouldn't mess up the evidence.

Tungsten and Dan were already examining the scene. Andrew stood back and let the experts work.

He noticed a couple of plastic jars with orange labels on the coffee table. He walked over, and realizing the jars might be more evidence, he didn't touch them. One contained white powder, and the other contained gray powder.

Andrew read the labels, "A binary rifle target. What is that?"

Tungsten came over. "You mix the ingredients together to create a target. When you shoot the mixture, it goes boom. It's fun. You need to be a safe distance away, of course."

"What are the ingredients?"

"Ammonium nitrate and aluminum are most typical. Good materials for building a home-made bomb. They're stable and easy to acquire."

Andrew nodded towards the kitchen. "Blake must've been testing the mix."

"Yes," Tungsten said, "but the energy density of ammonium nitrate is low. It might take thousands of pounds to destroy a big target like a building. It's inconvenient. That's why the military doesn't use it much."

Charley wandered into the next room, and Andrew decided to follow her.

The room contained a queen-size bed, but an air mattress was also lying on the floor. A few loose articles of clothing were scattered around, some in a man's size and others made for a boy. Andrew looked through a door into a bathroom and saw toothbrushes and toothpaste on the sink.

"They left in a hurry," Andrew said.

"Blake must've realized we were coming," Charley said. "He didn't even take the jars of powder."