Shifting Life

47. Game on

Corporate Magic headquarters didn't have a big proud neon sign. It didn't have any sign. Only a brass plate on the board in the lobby with the rest of the mostly start-up bio-tech businesses that rented office and lab space in the building.

Corporate Magic owned the building under the name C.S. Industries Inc. The house was a new, sleek glass and steel six-story building. Corporate Magic had the entire top floor. It consisted of a few offices, but the biology and computer departments took up most of the space with their research labs.

Jacklyn, Craven and Gabe shared Gabe's magically cloaked silver Fiat. Gabe parked two blocks down the street.

Jacklyn was reduced to a knot of nerves. The cloak buzzed with an energy that chafed her horsey senses badly. The cloak had second unpleasant side effect. It trapped the heat inside the car.

Jacklyn wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her palm. Gabe's face shone with perspiration. Craven, being part snake, didn't sweat at all.

Craven, being part snake, worried her.

He could flip back from ally to enemy at any time.

Craven didn't need the mirror coat anymore. He was healed, but he'd made his case for going in with Jacklyn. Craven was done being a pawn controlled by mages. He was done being bound by contract to do his master's or mistress' bidding. He was taking the Iron Heart back.

"I'm not the only one," he said. "Most locals think the old order has to go. It's time."

Gabe didn't have a choice. He had to come if Craven came, he said. Gabe was compelled. He'd saved Craven's life and now he was responsible for him.

Gabe showed her graphs on his tablet proving how the inherent strength of the Magic Rules multiplied if either the saved or the savior belonged to the magic realm. "It's a killer self-reinforcing formula," he said impressed, his cheeks rosy with geeky excitement. "I have to come to protect Craven, even if he's a snake. Because he is a snake. You get it?"

Jacklyn got it.

She hoped Craven was telling the truth, but either way she would save Matt or die trying. She was responsible for him. The Magic Rules ruled in that department.

And her heart.

"Snakes have a bad rep," Craven said earlier. "We'll use it."

Jacklyn didn't have a better plan.

Here they were.

* * *

A warbled static signal filled the car. Jacklyn's body reacted, even though she knew there was no real danger. Knowledge didn't help. Her hairs stood on end and her pulse pounded. She officially hated static.

Craven put the black, brick-like device close to his mouth.

"Can you hear me? Copy."

It was Gabe's worried voice.

"We hear you." Craven let go of the big clunky button.

"You need to say copy," Jacklyn reminded Craven.

Craven pushed the button. "Copy," he added, stone faced.

The stone age device was called a walkie-talkie. It was Gabe's idea. There was no blackout for analog technology, the forgotten middle child between original magic and advanced tech.

The walkie-talkie wasn't exactly stealth. It was big, noisy and the fact that you had to press a button to communicate was a serious draw back in case you were attacked. Still, Gabe could potentially guide them from the inside.

They waited while Gabriel trudged up the emergency stairs in his Corporate Magic cloak version of a Hazmat suit.

Veronica Wade's company worked in the absolute front line of Magic, in the uncharted territory that ran along the porous border to High Tech. All employees were aware that sooner or later they may come under attack. Chinese and domestic competitors had been trying to infiltrate or intimidate Corporate Magic for years. Invasion was a real possibility. Knowing the opposition, it was only a matter of time. Prepared for a worst-case scenario Corporate Magic staff had the tools and equipment to disappear from the Magic realm radar if necessary. Every employee had full suits, one at the office, one at home.

Gabe, being Gabe, stashed a third set in the backpack he carried everywhere. Just in case. Bless his paranoid, geeky heart.

Gabe was counting on Veronica not giving up the company's secret defense weapons.

They all were.

* * *

The hot air inside the car had become sticky with humidity. Jacklyn had pulled her hair back and twirled it into a makeshift bun that would fall out when she moved her head. She felt strands escape and curl up around her face. She had no control over anything. Even her hair rebelled.

Jacklyn had bad feels about the rescue plan. Not just one bad feeling. Multiple bad feels. There was bad news in the works. The building was pulsating with it, like a throbbing epicenter creating dark ripples that washed over the cloaked car. She could feel the energy.

Worse, she could feel its pull, strong like a current.

Jacklyn tried to get a lock on Craven's feels to see if she could taste a betrayal coming.

He shook his head in warning without looking at her.

For an evil demon half breed he was surprisingly sensitive about the privacy of his feels, Jacklyn thought. Or maybe he didn't want people to know he had them.

The screechy signal followed by Gabriel's breathless "Advance copy" came in seven minutes later.

They had decided on the word 'advance' in case Gabe got caught and forced to use the walkie-talkie to lure them in. 'Go' would sound inconspicuous, but they'd know he'd been taken.

Jacklyn took the walkie-talkie from Craven. "Roger that. Copy."

Craven was out of the car before she'd even opened the door.

They had discussed the next move back in the sauna.

"How do we get in?" Jacklyn asked.

"Getting inside is the easy part. Everyone wants you to show up. We walk in the front door."

Jacklyn caught up with Craven. They headed toward the entrance. She realized she was holding her breath. Nervous, scared as hell, worried, furious, horsey sense let her know she was all of the above.

"Fake it till you feel it."

Jacklyn mimicked Craven's long strides and confident swagger.

She was thankful they had stopped on the way over and bought her another set of clothes. You do not show up to a showdown in an oversized sweatshirt and joggers from the drugstore. You bring it.

Jacklyn matched Craven in all black. Black dress, long black coat billowing as she walked and her black hair falling freely down her back. She had insisted Craven pay for a new pair of knee high boots. When he protested, she told him nothing says Doom like a pissed-off woman in knee high boots. He'd pulled out his wallet and paid for them.

As they got closer, two Svartalves took up guard positions on either side of the door. They wore black suits and skinny ties, but still looked more like LEGO-men than security.

Jacklyn sensed eyes watching from the windows above.

"Just so you know," said Craven, "calling in the aide of Svartalves is a last resort. They're the original turncoats."

"Meaning what?"

"This tips in your favor, they'll finish the fight for you. It's their nature."