Fear Her Wrath II: Crucible of Glass

Chapter 61

The Fen was completely deserted as we crept along its narrow streets towards our unknown destination—unknown to me, at least. Sloane had turned off the headlights on the patrol car, and he did his best not to get caught at any stop lights where we'd be easy prey for an ambush. Most of the stores and restaurants we passed were shuttered, and in the apartments above us, people were locking their windows and closing their curtains. It had been decades since the last gang war in the Fen—not since the Chicago Outfit tried to move in on the Montagnese family's smuggling operations back in the '80s—but the memories of that bloodbath were vivid enough for the Fen's older residents, and even my generation had heard the stories. The city's morgues had been filled with bodies, and not just of mobsters who knew the risks. A city councilman, a mechanic mistaken for his mobster cousin, and a 10-year-old girl who lived on the same street as Carmine Aurelio were among the victims, and that was just in the first week of the fighting.

This, for all I knew, could be even worse.

As we turned left at an empty intersection, I heard gunfire and the screeching of tires coming from the opposite direction—maybe two blocks away at the most. The Fen was coming apart. I was in desperate need of an update from the Prioress.

"Um, don't mind me if I just start talking to... no one," I said uncomfortably, turning to Sloane. "My, uh... It's just the person in my helmet."

I tapped the side of my head. Sloane didn't take his eyes off the road, but I had no reason to think he hadn't heard me. So, leaning as close as I could to the passenger-side window, I adjusted the volume on my mask and began talking to Ellie in a whisper.

"Hey, Prioress. I'm on my way to... somewhere. How are things in the Fen?"

"Well, somebody's taking potshots at the Midnight Rider," Ellie replied. "And the news of Carmine Aurelio's death finally leaked out, so most of the mafiosi in Brand Hill have either switched sides or retreated across the river."

"Great. He'll have the whole Fen by morning. Who's even left?"

"Fritz Marlene seems to be in charge. She's not gonna give up the Rider without a fight, and she's got a few guys from the Aurelio crew there with her if it comes to it. I'm betting that Augusto's a little scared of her, though, so he might hold off taking that end of Vice Mile until all the rest of the Fen is his."

"How's Hmong Town?"

"Safe. Ish. Probably not for much longer, though. Oh, um, speaking of which..."

I heard the headset being pulled from her head and put on by someone else.

"Hey Maggs. How's it going?"

"Ben?!" I exclaimed, so loudly that Sloane actually slammed on the brakes. "Oops. Sorry, detective. Ben, I thought you said—wait, you're supposed to be in Fredericks Park!"

"Yeah, I changed my mind," he said casually. "Wasn't that hard to sneak back into the Fen. Only had to beat up seventeen mafia goons at once. No biggie."

I wanted to scold him for doing something so dangerous, but deep down, I was pleased. Ben would never have come back if he wasn't going to give me a second chance. He still cared. At least as a friend. But I would need to be on my best behavior and not make him regret it.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Aww, she's concerned," said Ben, apparently for Ellie's benefit. "Yeah, I'm fine. Ellie was already at the Night Chapel, so I stopped off and got her some purple coffee. I figured she'd need it."

"It was very appreciated!" I heard Ellie yell in the background.

"Sounds like we're in for a long night. Ellie brought me up to speed about what Glassface is up to. You sure you can handle it, Maggs?"