The Map Maker's Quest (4 page)

“What is it?” Eriunia asked. She waited for him to catch his breath, trying to not lose her patience.

“The troops are here from Madeline Island,” the goblin reported.

“How many?” Eriunia asked.

“It looked like all of them.”

Eriunia's face scrunched up trying to figure out why Tasker would leave the fortress at Madeline Island stripped of its defenders. On the other hand what did the rebels have to lose? If they failed here, not enough of them would be alive to stop Cain from retaking the Prison Isles.

“How many fighters do you have here?” Jane asked curiously.

“About three thousand total,” Eriunia admitted. “A little over three hundred are armed with the muskets, about two hundred have the repeaters, and the rest have their own weapons.”

 

* * * * *

 

Jacob waited as Jackie finished
getting her boots laced up. His car was already parked in the drive so it was a matter of five steps to get into the vehicle. He was wearing his work jeans, which were spotted with grease stains. At least his gray t-shirt was clean, and he pulled a maroon, hooded sweat shirt over his head to ward off the cool air. The letters UMD were emblazoned across the front of the shirt, and he wondered if he would get to attend college there after all this was done. Or even if he felt like attending college; being a Runner was something that, if he wanted, he could put to many interesting uses. His mind began to wonder about the places he could go if he felt like it.

“I'm ready,” Jackie said when she finally stood. She grabbed her sister's blazer from the hook on the wall and slipped her arms into it. The year of captivity had left her lean, and she had been pleasantly surprised to find she could slip into her sister's clothes. They were a little tight across her chest and around her hips, but she was still happy.

Jacob slipped his arm through the straps on his shield and held his scabbard in his hand, not wanting to have to take it off when he got into the car.

“Are you ready?” Jacob asked Jackie. He had to admit she was as beautiful as both Jane and Flying Cloud. Mentally he berated himself for wondering if she would be interested in him, he had enough issues trying to sort out his feelings right now.

“Ready as I'll ever be,” Jackie replied. She turned the front of her jacket back and showed him the anchor pinned to her shirt. “Will we be able to jump to Jackie's map at Split Rock?”

“Hopefully, we don't have to,” Jacob replied. “But I don't think so. Her map only extended as far north as Two Harbors.”

“I hope Carvin's safe,” Jackie said. They walked to the front door and glanced out through the glass window. The door was solid oak except for a small window near the top that had an arched top. She was finding the longer she was away from the viscount's son, the more she missed his company. It felt like a piece of her was missing. He was someone she had come to rely on over the last months.

“It looks clear out there,” Jacob muttered. He looked through the window one last time. The tree-lined street was quiet. Two cars were parked down the street and across the road from his house. The little bubble of pavement Jane had raised under the van a few days earlier was still there. A slight breeze ruffled the leaves of the oak trees and the sun shone brightly. A pair of blue jays fought over a spot at the feeder in the yard. The world seemed at peace. “Let's go.”

Jacob pulled open the door. As they stepped out onto the porch, Jacob hit the auto start on his keychain, and the engine roared to life. Jacob turned and smiled at Jackie. Suddenly an explosion rocked the porch, and the back of the mustang flipped over. A burst of flames rocketed into the sky and a concussive blast of air nearly knocked Jacob from his feet. He lurched back into the house as Jackie fell backwards onto the rug covering the floor.

“No!” Jacob shouted. He grabbed the door frame and regained his balance. His hand was shaking as he reached down to Jackie and helped her back to her feet. “They blew up my car!” Jacob felt a cold rage come over him as he watched the mustang burn and a roll of black smoke drift into the sky. “So help me I'm going to kill someone!” Of all the things the Adherents had done, to blow up his car was something he could not forgive. Months of hard work had gone into sanding and bodywork, days of cleaning and scrubbing to bring the shine back into the seats and dashboard. It was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes.

 

Chapter Four

Adherent Supporters

T
he mustang burned uncontrollably in the drive and the fire blackened the concrete around it. Jacob grabbed a garden hose attached to the side of the house and turned the water on as high as it would go. The water made a hissing sound as it struck the fire, but the stream of water was too small to make a serious dent in the flames, finally he threw the hose down in disgust.

“I called the fire department,” Jackie said when Jacob stepped back into the house.

“How are we going to get to Split Rock now?” Jacob grumbled. The loss of his beloved Mustang nearly brought tears to his eyes. He spent almost two summers working every day and saving everything he made to put together the down payment on the car. It took every dime he made to keep up with the insurance, payments, and gas.

“Does Grandpa still have his old motorcycle?” Jackie asked. Grandpa Able had bought the old motorcycle and sidecar at an auction nearly thirteen years ago. She and Jane spent two summers covered in grease helping him in the garage as he tinkered with the bike until it ran perfectly. She had many great memories of riding in her grandfather's sidecar up the scenic Highway 61.

“I don't know,” Jacob replied. Together they walked to the garage and opened the door. The light came on automatically, and Jacob walked to a corner of the garage with a thick gray tarp. He pulled off the tarp to reveal an old Harley-Davidson Knucklehead complete with sidecar.

“Still has gas in the tank,” Jacob said after checking. He replaced the gas cap and pulled the tarp back even further. The bike and sidecar were cherry red. Jacob knew that Grandpa Able had restored it almost ten years ago from the rims out. It ran, and he had even begged a ride one day up and down the street. It was loud and rough but it had power and plenty of it.

“Can you drive a motorcycle?” Jackie asked, knowing they had to get to Split Rock and meet Jane.

“Sure,” Jacob replied. “I got my license last summer.” He picked up the helmet under the tarp and slipped it onto his head. “Here” Jacob handed her a helmet. He touched the ignition slot. No key. A wooden key hung on the garage wall with a half dozen hooks screwed into it. From the hooks were an equal number of keys, each labeled with a small piece of tape on which was printed a word. Jacob ran his finger down the list until he reached one that said Harley.

The bike roared to life the first time he stepped down on the ignition lever, and he motioned Jackie to open the garage door. She slapped her hand against the button for the garage and hurried back to the motorcycle. The sidecar was a tight fit but she managed to slip into it and even get the old seatbelt clipped. Funny she remembered the sidecar being plenty big enough for her to sit in easily but she had been four or five years younger.

“Here we go,” Jacob shouted over the echo of the motor in the enclosed space. He slipped the bike into gear, and they rolled out of the garage and skirted the ruins of his still smoldering Mustang. The fire was nearly done already, and a tear nearly rolled down his cheek as he looked at the burned-out hulk. Instead he ground his teeth together and set his jaw firmly.

Jackie was nervous as they rolled down the avenue, but her nerves settled a little when they finally turned down the hill towards London Road. She stayed quiet as they took a left onto the big road that mirrored the lake shore. The spectacular houses that lined the shores of Lake Superior came and went, and Jackie kept a close watch on the streets around them. She kept expecting to see the flash of Adherent robes around each corner. When they finally swung onto the highway, she leaned back in the sidecar seat and tried to make herself comfortable. The wind wiped by her visor, making talking to Jacob almost impossible so she decided just to enjoy the ride. Jacob's sword was tucked in the side car near her leg, and she edged it into a more comfortable location. The shield he had slung over his back and looked a little odd but other than gain them some strange stares it should be fine.

“It's an hour and half drive,” Jacob said later. They were sitting in the parking lot of a small gas station in Two Harbors. Jacob sipped from a Mountain Dew and watched as Jackie tipped her Coke up to take another drink. The gas station carried coke in a glass bottle and Jackie seemed to be really enjoying her drink.

“You know how long it's been since I had something to drink beside warm water?” Jackie asked when she lowered the bottle. She stretched her back again, which was sore from riding in the sidecar and then tipped the bottle back to get the last bit from it. She could already feel the caffeine rushing into her system and suddenly the urge to use the bathroom hit her.

“I'll be right back,” Jackie said. “I gotta go.”

“We should be safe enough here I think,” Jacob said with a wave of his hand. He turned back to watching the road and sipping on the last of his drink.

Jackie walked back into the station and looked around. Rows of junk food with a counter just inside the door and a bored-looking man in his thirties standing behind it.

“Where's the bathroom?” Jackie asked. Between the shelves and the fluorescent lights on the cooler, she could not tell if they had a public bathroom or not.

“Around the back of the counter.”

The man jerked his thumb towards the back and went back to reading his copy of Newsweek. As she turned to walk to where he had pointed she glanced at the cover, the date in the corner caught her eye. The issue was almost six years old, and she wondered why the man would be reading something that out of date.

The bathroom was disgusting to put it mildly, and Jackie nearly turned and walked back out. “This is gross,” she muttered as she took a damp paper towel and wiped down the toilet. When she was finished she used another paper towel to turn on the water so she could wash her hands. As she turned the water off she heard an odd, but strangely familiar thud outside the door. Her heart beat faster. Carefully she used the towels to turn the door knob. The door opened just a crack. She peered out. Her heart sank. Two black robed Adherents were leaning on the counter talking to the gas station clerk.

“She is in the bathroom,” the clerk said.

“No other way out?”

“No, the window's been swollen shut for years,” the clerk replied.

“Good.”

“Take me to see your side,” the clerk whined. “I'm so sick of working in this gas station, nothing ever happens here.”

“When the master says you come over, that's when you'll come over.”

Jackie slipped the door shut and softly turned the latch. Where was Jacob? What had happened to him?

 

* * * * *

 

Jacob tipped his bottle up
and sipped the last drops from it, then tossed the bottle into a nearby recycling can. Jackie was still inside, so he walked over to where the motorcycle was parked and knelt down to check the air pressure in the tires. The bike was old, and he didn't want to risk having a flat.

“Well, where is she,” Jacob muttered. The tires were good and he was beginning to worry about Jackie. He walked back over to the station and grabbed the door. It was locked tight. He shook the knob again. “Hey, open the door.” He leaned forward and peered through the door. Suddenly his eyes went wide, and he lunged to the side, throwing his body over the stack of firewood being offered for sale. The “Five Dollars a Bundle” sign went tumbling off the stack as he rolled over it, behind him was a crackle of energy, and part of the locked door exploded out into the parking lot. Jacob felt the blast of energy crackle around him, and his body nearly collapsed from the close hit.

“Jackie!” Jacob shouted. He tore his shield from his back and reach for his sword but his hand came back empty. The weapon was still tucked safely into the edge of the sidecar almost thirty feet away. Another blast of energy tore through the remaining door and knocked it completely from its hinges.

“Don't hit the gas pumps!” Jacob heard someone shout from inside, the voice was cut off at the end of the shout and then the musket triggered again. This time he distinctly heard the sound of a body falling to the floor. There was a thump of something striking metal and he heard Jackie's muffled shouts as she called his name.

He edged forward until he could see in the glass window and took in the situation. Two Adherents were inside the station, one was covering the blasted doors while the other used the butt of his musket to pound on the bathroom door. He ducked again as the Adherent spotted him and fired a blast that took out the window and sent glass flying out over his head. This time the energy ball struck the upright of the shelter over the gas pumps and sent sparks flying everywhere.

Already traffic was stopped on Highway 61 and Jacob had to do something. He dashed from the shelter of the brick wall and sprinted to the sidecar. One quick motion gained him the sword stowed there and he turned and sprinted back to the side of the gas station. Two more blasts struck the ground around him as he ran and left his hair standing on end. The wail of a police siren grew in the distance. Jacob knew he and Jackie had to leave now or they'd be forced to answer too many questions. That would end up with the both of them locked up in a mental ward or in jail.

“Hurry up, the locals are coming!”

“I'm trying, but the door won't give!”

Jacob heard the shouts as he circled the building and finally found the rusted window grate. He looked inside and saw Jackie looking out frantically at him.

“Hold on!” Jacob shouted to her. He swung his sword at the window. Seconds later the metal fell away along with half the sill. “Can you climb out?”

“Yeah,” Jackie replied. Her face was red, “The clerk must have been working for the Adherents. I heard him ask them to take him to the other side.”

“How many places do these guys have their fingers into,” Jacob muttered. “Come on, the cops are showing up and this could get really ugly.” They jogged up the street from the gas station and slipped into a small stand of trees about two hundred yards away from the carnage. Jacob turned to talk to Jackie again but the wailing siren of the squad car rolled by the hiding place drowning out his words. They watched as the police officer screeched to halt on the street outside the filling station and leapt from his car. A state patrol car ground to a halt at almost the same time and both man dove behind the hoods of their squad cars for cover. Suddenly two shots zipped out of the cover of the station and slammed into one of the two gas pumps. The pump was torn to bits by the blasts and seconds later a pillar of fire erupted that sent the few bystanders that had gathered across the street running for cover.

“We gotta get outta here,” Jacob muttered. “Someone had to have seen us running from the building.” Jacob turned and looked around. “Think we can we get back to the bike?”

Jackie looked down to where the flames were still pumping out of the destroyed gas pump. The motorcycle seemed to have survived the initial blast but the flames were coming closer to it.

“Do you trust me?” Jacob asked suddenly.

Jackie looked at him and nodded.

Jacob wrapped an arm around her waist and stepped into the darkness of the Divide. The bike was close by, and he moved through the darkness until he spotted the place he wanted to exit. He was about to step out of the Divide when a tremor shook the darkness. Jacob's mind raced as he tried to figure out what was happening, around him the darkness seemed to writhe and struggle as though something was attacking it. The energy was fading but he looked around one last time before leaping out of the Divide. There to the south, a long ways away, was a flash of light and a great thunderclap echoed around him. A second later they tumbled to the ground behind the motorcycle.

“Are you all right?” Jackie cried out. The fire was throwing off waves of heat all around them.

Jacob nodded.

“Come on,” Jackie cried. She helped him to his feet and onto the motorcycle. As the engine roared to life she climbed into the sidecar and off they roared leaving behind them the ruins of the gas station. Stories circulated for weeks about the explosion at the gas station and the mysterious couple who seemed to appear out of thin air and vanish in a cloud of smoke.

 

* * * * *

 

Jane and Bella sat on
the cliff edge looking down at the waves as they crashed against the massive boulders. The echo of hammers rang off the stones around them as the rebels continued to strengthen the walls and defenses. They needed a place of safety in case things went poorly in Duluth. Calvert and Eriunia agreed this place could be defended until the rebels could escape through the two mushroom rings on the north and south edges of the massive outcropping of stone. But it would still be two days at least before the mushroom rings were ready for use. Until then they were stuck here.

“I want to go with you,” Bella said suddenly. “I want to help you rescue your family. I know what it is like to miss your family.” The fairy said quietly as she sat down next to Jane on the stone and leaned against her.

“Is that even possible?” Jane asked. Carefully she put her arm around Bella and gave her a brief hug.

“I think so,” Bella said. “I asked Eriunia. She thought I was small enough that if I went with Jacob or you I would make it through.”

“What if something goes wrong?” Jane asked. She cared deeply for the little fairy and didn't want to be responsible for any harm coming to her.

“I'm willing to take that chance,” Bella replied. “When we were in the dungeon at the Isle of Lakes, I glanced into the room after yours. Do you know what I saw?”

Jane shook her head, she had been so happy to see Jackie that everything else faded in her mind.

“Two of my brothers and three cousins were all locked in cages,” Bella said in a small voice. “If we don't stop this madness soon our world will cease to exist.”