The Great Fury (20 page)

“Make sure Dutronc is alright,” she added, her voice showing concern for her boss Dutronc.

The Greyman drew John's revolver and made his way into the disused tunnel whilst Dearg Due changed into a bat and flew at speed upstream, leaving Leanan to guard their prisoners.

Dearg Due flew at speed passing a horse and cat that were galloping back downstream.

She reemerged as herself and walked back downstream.

“Hi,” Morag wants to know if you are all right,” she said when she came across Dutronc pulling himself out of the water.

“Damm horse and cat!” he swore.

“A horse and a cat,” Dearg Due said.

“Yes they were travelling at me at speed. I think somebody, probably a security guard fired at them upstream. The horse must have panicked and ran back the way they came.”

“I'll deal with them,” Dearg Due said.

“I need to go.” Dutronc said.

Dearg Due watched him go. Then she took off in pursuit of the cat and horse.

***

“Ready, the mixture is hot enough,” Deirdre said and they began to chant the contamination spell while stirring the cauldron.

Maedbh opened her eyes. The immobilization spell was wearing off. She was tied to Peter and Oengus but was comfortable with that. Peter was also coming round. Maedbh strained to see around him in order to watch the two witches in action. It was not often at her stage of apprenticeship that she got to watch the real thing in a real situation and she was fascinated.

Peter opened his eyes to see Maedbh's face opposite and apparently staring in his direction. He kissed her and Maedbh rose in outrage but then melted against him.

Chapter twenty-nine

The horse and the cat, pursued by the bat came into the tunnel at a gallop.

Without breaking rhythm Morag nailed the two of them with her immobilization spell. The bat landed as Dearg Due.

“We may get people with guns coming downstream,” she warned.

“Stop, I can't concentrate, we have to start again,” Morag said minutes later as the mystery of the cat and horse interfered with her concentration.

Deirdre swore under her breath. She as aware that there was a limited amount of firewood near to hand and the spell needed a good hot boil to work well. But so far the situation was only tending serious but not yet critical. She incanted a pause and looked to Morag for further instruction.

“Where the hell did the horse come from?” Morag demanded.

“It must be a shape shifting Puca,” Dearg Due suggested. “We should have killed the cat and the poodle,” she added, addressing her remark to the Greyman, who was now stationed at the entrance to the Reservoir tunnel.

“Recriminations later,” Morag said. “I undo the spell. You get the Puca to do his poodle thing and we put the cat and the poodle with the prisoners for further investigation, “ she instructed crisply.

Dearg Due bared her fangs at the horse while holding Venus by the neck fur. “Ready,” she said.

Morag waved a hand and muttered an incantation to undo her spell.

Puca neighed but took one look at the fangs and did his poodle thing, having heard the instruction, his ears still working when immobilized. Venus wriggled but she was held fast.

“What's' going on?” Jane asked as she recovered from her faint.

“Hi!” Oengus said, somewhat embarrassed to be tied facing Jane and not knowing where to look.

“Who are you?” Jane asked, wriggling as she realized she was tied. She was pleased she had worn her long pantsuit that day as she was all over the place and the buttons of her blouse had popped to show her bra.

“This is Oengus. John is his uncle or rather was. John is dead, someone shot him,” Peter explained.

“What!”

“Peter what were you doing tied up and kissing that girl,” she demanded further.

“Sorry, we got distracted. I'm Maedbh,” Maedbh explained with a light blush rising to her cheeks.

“Really!” Jane said in disparaging tones. “This is not what I hired you for Peter.”

“Right,” Peter agreed.

“What's going on?” Jane demanded.

“As I understand it,” Peter said. “That lady called Deirdre is conducting the preparation of some sort of a chemical mixture designed to re-infect the water system. The others, that is those not tied up, are her collaborators.”

“I demand our immediate release,” Jane said as Dearg Due came with the cat and poodle and tying more cabling to their collars, she secured them to Oengus's right leg.

Dearg Due smiled, her fangs gleaming in the yellow light of the lamps. “Speak another word and you'll have the blood sucked out of you like the fireman,” she said with a mild smile.

Jane shrank back against Oengus, wide eyed and believing. This is a scary woman she thought to herself.

“We need to cover off the down stream tunnel,” Morag said, having done a mental review of their situation. She could see things were getting fraught and the spell was not yet in place and hidden away. Time was tight.

“Morag, I spoke to Mr. Dutronc. He is fine and agreed he'd leave the upstream tunnel. He also suggested we create a hostage situation with the prisoners to buy more time,” Dearg Due said.

“Check it out downstream,” Morag said.

Jane's eyes widened further and she bit back a scream as the woman with the fangs turned into a bat and lit off into the tunnel at speed.

“We'll recommence when Dearg Due gets back,” Morag said, signaling a small break.

Dearg Due was but minutes in time.

“Some movement,” she reported.

“Take a gun and guard the downstream entrance,” Morag instructed.

Morag reviewed the situation. Everything was quiet. The tunnels were guarded. They needed but little time and they could cast the spell, secure the prisoners and consider how to exit. The upstream tunnel was clearly a point of weakness.

“Leanan, you'll have to cover the upstream tunnel,” she instructed.

“What!” Leanan was startled. “I can't fire a gun, and yeah like they'll have machine guns.”

“I can let you have Hugo's pistol,” Dearg Due suggested.

“Maybe,” Leanan said doubtfully.

“I've a better idea Leanan,” Morag said. “Walk upstream to them, tell them you are a hostage and the message is that if they come down the tunnel the hostages die.”

Clearly plan A had gone off the rails but Morag was calm, deciding all she would need is a plan B.

“Lets' carry on,” she said.

Deirdre threw some more wood under the cauldron.

Doubtfully yet determined, Leanan made her way into the upstream part of the tunnel system carrying only a torch.

“You need to get to your sword before they kill us,” Venus mewed a whisper.

“My sword?” Oengus replied and then the penny dropped, there was only one sword in question and that had belonged to his now dead uncle John. But Dutronc had taken it with him.

“Puca?” Oengus asked.

“Sorry can't shape shift, she's tied my collar. I could probably do different types of dog or a circus bear with a collar?”

“No point, you'll still be tied by the collar and there is wire through these cables,” Venus advised.

“Is that boy talking to the cat and dog?' Jane asked.

“Seems to be,” Peter agreed.

“It's ok,” Maedbh said.

“Sorry,” Oengus said, “trying to figure a way out before they kill us.”

***

The CNN news reporter was the first to pick up on the tension in the air.

“We have a hostage situation. Individuals have occupied the water system. We believe they are trying to poison New York,” the Fire Chief had said in response to their questions about shots in the Reservoir tunnel.

This was confirmed by the Mayor in a separate report on Fox News and then it was out there. There were terrorists in the subterranean water system and they were apparently responsible for the contamination of the water. The FBI was on site and would manage the situation until the Homeland Security people were in place.

Lived Dutronc listened to the news reports with growing alarm. He was now back in his offices in the financial district. On his return he had immediately phoned his traders and called them in to discuss the situation and how it would affect the forward financial commitments of Live corp.

“Lucky escape boss,” the Lead Trader congratulated.

“Saw it on Fox News. ‘Hedge Fund Manger escapes kidnappers and reports hostage situation in Water Reservoir,'” a younger trader called Jim enthused.

“Well,” Dutronc explained. “The security guard on duty called the police when I arrived. I'd managed to phone my driver and he was outside and able to explain who I was. The security guard was a bit spooked, and unbelievable though it seems, he swears there was a wild horse galloping in the tunnel and he'd fired a shot to ward it off.”

“You kept a cool head,” Jim enthused.

“Well I didn't advise them to go blundering down the tunnel. Not that that stopped them. They went on in on what they called an exploratory sortie, but when a second hostage came and warned them of what was the situation, they pulled back and called the FBI and they in turn called Homeland Security.”

“And did you need hospitalization?” the Lead Trader asked, looking closely at Dutronc.

“No, I came back here and left them to it, after all they are the experts,” Dutronc said with a grim smile. “I was a bit wet but after a change of clothes I'm as good as new.”

“Well done,” Jim said admiringly.

“We need to work up forward positions before the market opens,” the Lead Trader interjected.

“Your view?” Dutronc asked in businesslike tones.

The Lead Trader met the eye of his assistant, as if to say let me do the talking.

“Boss, our position on Property was solid given the problems in the sewage systems. Property futures were trending down nicely. However if it emerges that the problem is merely one of terrorists trying to poison New Yorkers the market should recover fairly quickly. It will be anticipated when the terrorists are apprehended, that the security of the water systems will inevitably be enhanced,” he said.

There was a silence where Dutronc considered.

“I agree,” he said.

“Unwind and reverse positions?” the Lead Trader suggested.

“What's' the downside?” Dutronc asked.

“Jim?” the Lead Trader asked, turning to his junior Trader.

“If we move fast and the market is slow to react we could be a few million up. If we do nothing we are looking at a severe drubbing,” Jim said, shuffling his papers in anticipation of further questioning of his detailed calculations.

But Dutronc was known for his decisive leads.

“Do it, instruct the team and get it done,” he said.

After they were gone Dutronc sat alone in his office. He sighed. This was his second venture into Morag's world of magic. A previous attempt to capture a Druid who might foretell future stock market trends had also ended in disaster.

The present situation was not yet a disaster and he had escaped personally. And he had disposed of his revolver so that if bodies turned up in the Water System and were examined by forensics it would not implicate himself.

But it did seem, being realistic, that things had gone bottom up.

Then he shook himself and decided on a fresh pot of coffee. The world goes on he thought.

He still had high hopes that Morag would survive. The sentiment surprised him and he realized he had grown fond of her.

But he'd have to have a serious talk with her about the future of the magic unit. It was hard to see how it was adding to net equity value at this juncture.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The group around the table became silent as the Mayor entered.

“So this is the ‘emergency committee,' he said as he sat at the head of the table.

The Army General representing Homeland Security sat in full uniform alongside the FBI head for New York. Also along for the ride were the Fire Chief and Police Commissioner for the City. Further down the table there were a couple of senior representatives of the Water Authority.

“Where are we?” the Mayor asked.

“The hostage area is surrounded. We have SWAT forces at the ready back a ways in each tunnel,” the General said.

“Backed up by uniformed officers,” the Police Commissioner said.

“Yes, but's what is going on?” the Mayor asked.

“We found three of our fireman downstream. One of them, John was shot in the head. One seems to have drowned, but there is such a look of horror on his face... and then the third seems to have been completely drained of blood,” the Fire Chief began.

“Also two local youths found shot,” the Police Commissioner interjected.

“All found floating in the water system downstream of the incident area,” one of the Water people said.

“We found a teenage girl near the Reservoir. Her name is Nina. She identified the dead youths. She said that there are two other teens in the system that she knows of. It emerged that she and the two dead youths all lived in the apartment block where the fireman John had an apartment,” the Head of NY FBI said.

“How many assailants and how many hostages? Have we established this?” the Mayor asked.

‘We have professional negotiators on the scene,” the FBI man said. “We have contacted one of the hostage takers. He uses the name, ‘Greyman,' as an identifier.”

“And?” the Mayor prompted.

“They say they have a Fire Service biologist and her assistant as hostage,” the FBI man continued.

“Members of my team, Jane and Peter,” the Fire Chief interjected. “Together with the dead fireman John, they had managed to stop the previous contamination in the water system. I believe they were apprehended while trying to undo the re-infection.”

“And the state of the water?” the Mayor asked.

“Initially there was rapid re-infection followed by equally rapid clearance. The infection came at the water treatment plant but the counter-infection came from upstream,” the Senior Water spokesperson began what might have been a longer explanation. However the Mayor was in a hurry.

“Why under Central Park?' he asked.

“My team suspected the contamination originated near to the old Central Park Reservoir but was triggered by the processes in the Water Treatment Plant,” the Fire Chief replied.

“So I can summarize that a team of terrorists are in the tunnels and have taken the Fire Department de-contamination team hostage.”

“Good summary,” the FBI man said.

“Do they intend to re-infect the system?” the Mayor asked.

“We're not sure,” the senior waterman said.

“We need to take them out before they can,” the General pressed.

“Is that why I'm here?” the Mayor asked.

“Yes sir,” the General replied. “We need clearance to go in.”

“Still negotiating however,” the FBI interjected. “We have reached demand stage.”

“We have also detected a commencement of contamination in the system near the water treatment plant,” the Waterman added.

“Demand stage?” the Mayor asked.

“They say they have a decontaminant. In return for a payment of ten million dollars and safe passage out of the city to a destination they will nominate, they will not only stop any contamination, they will provide the antidote.”

“And the hostages?” the Mayor asked.

“They say that the hostages will be left in place for us to remove unharmed.”

“So we have murder, hostage taking and major sabotage to the city and they expect ten million and a safe passage away?' the Mayor summarized.

“We need to know the nature of the water contaminant and the anti-contaminant,” the senior waterman pressed.

“We need to hit them before they do more harm,” the General pressed.

“Are they well armed?” the Mayor asked.

“We don't know, they certainly have small arms,” the Police Chief offered.

“And what did the hostages who escaped have to say?” the Mayor demanded.

“The lady known as Leanan was incoherent with shock. The businessman Lived Dutronc said he reckoned at least three hostage takers, maybe four and four hostages but he said he got out in the confusion of the gunfire and could not be sure. Apparently there was some dispute between the instigators after the fireman John was shot and in the confusion he slipped up a tunnel and out.”

“So we should be able to take out three instigators with ease,” the General pressed.

“We kid them along. Get them out of the Water System and then we arrest them. Their offer to leave the hostages in place is a major error. Once we separate them from the hostages we have them,” the Mayor said.

There was a murmur of agreement around the table.

“Try not to kill them,” the Waterman said with a smile. We'd love to know the formula for the contaminant.”

“We'll do our best,” the General said.

“New York Police should make the arrest,” the Police Chief said.

“Agreed,” the Mayor replied firmly. “General, the SWAT and Homeland security are there to show we have the force if needed but hold them in restraint unless otherwise advised.”

“Yes sir,” the General said reluctantly.

***

Deirdre tipped over the cauldron and rubbed her hands. “Job done,” she said.

“But our cover is blown,” Morag said sadly.

“It was that fireman and his sword,” Deirdre complained.

“We have the magic mystery of the sword left,” Morag continued.

“And the girl Jane and her assistant Peter.”

“They'll do Dearg Due for lunch,” Morag said with a laugh.

“What's' the plan?” Deirdre asked.

“Well Dutronc will be disappointed. He wanted an unknown but reversible contaminant to destroy property values in New York.”

“But that's what we have,” Deirdre protested.

“We are trapped. We have to negotiate our way put. We can only use the anti-contaminant spell to do a deal.”

“The Sword?” Deirdre asked.

“No we need that. We have to find out how it works.”

“What's the plan?” Deirdre asked.

“The Greyman will negotiate for you Deirdre, to take them to the anti-contaminant. Don't characterize it as a spell. Just give it to them. They'll have to use it to decontaminate the system. Just tell them to add it to water.”

“OK, and then?”

“Tell them to bring you back here so you can demonstrate the anti-contaminant. It is key to the negotiations.”

“OK.”

“It's vital that you use no overt magic and don't reveal any magic.”

“OK.”

Deirdre came out of the Reservoir tunnel into a blaze of lights and publicity. The armed guard took her to her place in the Bronx. There she retrieved the backpack containing the anti-contaminant spell.

On the way back in the SWAT bus she incanted the spell. Her armed guards wondered was she mad, but as she made no sudden moves they let her mumble away.

“We need to act faster, the system is getting fully contaminated at a frantic rate,” the senior waterman informed the Mayor.

“Let the Police Chief handle it,” the Mayor replied.

When the negotiator went in with coffee and sandwiches he had a major surprise. The tunnel was empty. All that remained was the charred embers of the cauldron fire and a reddish tinge on the water.

Deirdre led a small group of water officials back into the tunnel and down to the active water system in order to demonstrate the anti-contamination.

Deirdre threw the backpack into the water.

“It will need about a half hour,” she said.

“I'm arresting you for conspiracy to poison the population of New York and for murder,” the Police Chief said, putting a hand on Deirdre's shoulder. “Cuff and search her and read her rights,” he instructed.

“What happened to the hostages and the rest of the conspirators?” the Mayor asked.

“They just vanished. They must have had a plan B. We are watching every road and Airport and Train Station. They will be found,” the FBI NY man promised.

“In the meantime what of the woman you captured?”

“Illegal immigrant Mayor. Irish we think. In the absence of other suspects we are throwing the book at her.”

“How is she?”

“Calm, she says she hates men so prison is ok.”

“Surely we can execute her for murder?”

“If convicted possibly, but the plea bargain includes providing the anti-contaminant and being cooperative,” the FBI man advised.

“The anti-contaminant worked very well. But we can't get an analysis that shows the active ingredient. It would be no harm if the criminal was alive and in custody in the event of a re-contamination,” the senior water official offered.

The Mayor made a decision.

“OK. Lets' get the city back to normal. This is what New Yorkers will expect of us. The law can take its course and they can read about it in the papers,” he advised.

“Yes sir,” the group around the table agreed in unison.