Helena was opening a mystic connection to Lyudmila as soon as she stepped in the room. After only a few seconds her friend’s face appeared in the mirror. “I take it Aoi got there?” Lyudmila asked.
“Yes and it dropped everyone’s plans into Hades,” Helena said. “We need to figure out what’s going to happen and how to handle it. I’ll set up the communication spell so we can all talk.”
“I’ll do it,” Lyudmila said. “You may need to fight today.”
Helena nodded to her friend and let the other magician take over the spell. In a moment she saw the inside of Aoi’s house, with Kseniya standing behind her sister, looking worried.
“Okay that’s way better than a phone,” Camila said. “Can you teach me?”
“It’s a magician technique sadly,” Aoi said. “I can’t do it either.” She turned her attention back to the group. “And I also can’t handle youkai hunting or monster hunting or whatever we want to call it. That’s why I’m living here instead of home. So why can’t we leave this to the police?”
“If the Living Dragon is letting his brother go on killing sprees he has to have a plan for when the police come for him,” Helena said. “Most likely he’s got a backup lair away from his gang headquarters. That way even if the police or the other Triad groups destroy his crew, he can rebuild. He’s only in this for the money, so he doesn’t care if the gang is destroyed.”
Kseniya nodded. “I’ve sent a bird to watch the warehouse Kilduff mentioned but I think Helena’s right. He won’t risk himself. If the Triads are destroyed he can move back to the Middle Kingdom.”
“Can the police even beat those guys?” Camila asked. “They got a wizard and an undead wizard. If this were a movie all the police would get killed.”
“At full power? The police wouldn’t stand a chance,” Helena said. “But they’d have to level four or five blocks in the process. Unleashing that level of destruction inside a city would bring every master magician in the realm down on them. So if Kilduff and his team find them, they’ll have to run one way or another. Unfortunately there’s no way a mundane police force can catch a magician that wants to run. I have experience in that field.”
Aoi tapped her chin. “So you think he’d flee the Immigrant Realms? Just leave while he can?”
“Yes,” Lyudmila said. “But they’d stay around just long enough to try to kill Helena and Camila.”
“He did seem very insistent on that challenge.” Helena shrugged. “Not that I mind. I love it when my enemies make mistakes.”
Camila grinned. “I was kinda worried we weren’t going to kick his butt into the next century.” Her eyes darkened. “I got a score to settle with those two.”
“That’s probably why they’ll want to kill you. The Living Dragon knows you’re going to be hunting him,” Lyudmila remarked.
Helena nodded. “Right. Which is why we need to find a way to catch him soon. His attention will be focused on the police raid. Now’s our best time to strike.” She’d burnt more magic than normal this morning, but the element of surprise was worth that and more. Facing the two on equal footing was a bad plan.
“But where? As you said, he’s not going to linger around his headquarters. Even if the police let you join them,” Aoi pointed out.
“Did you have any luck finding where his real hideout might be?” Camila asked.
Kseniya shook her head. “No. We searched, but there’s just too many sources of magic in the underground to look through. The fairies pointed out a few places with concentrated evil energy, but it’s hard to tell which one is his workshop, and which are just cursed.”
“Do you have a list of places? Maybe we can narrow it down.” Helena said.
Lyudmila nodded. “Kseniya looked them over, but that only gives so much information. We’ve got a crashed airplane wing, Warehouse 4b, 4c, and 4f, a shutdown fish cannery, two shipwrecks, what looks to be a brothel and two bars.”
“Lovely,” Helena replied. “Well we can write off the airplane wing. I know the evil that lurks there, and I’ve already talked with her more than I want to.”
“That’s where the kumiho lives?” Aoi asked. “I keep warning people about her but…”
Camila hopped forward. “Wait. What was that about fish?”
Lyudmila frowned. “A shutdown fish cannery. Looks like it went out of business a while ago.”
“The windows were tightly boarded up, so I couldn’t see anything,” Kseniya said. “There wasn’t anything in the upper floors, but I couldn’t get down to the first floor.”
“You think that’s what that stupid fish guts insult actually meant?” Camila asked.
Helena considered it. That was exactly the kind of hint that Gold Rat Wizard Hsu probably would put together. “Kseniya, were there any squatters in the upper floors?”
“No. No signs anyone tried to move in,” Kseniya said. “People will loiter outside though.”
“Then that’s our target,” Helena said. “Squatters should be all over that building. Someone must be driving them off. If it were just haunted Kseniya’s constructs would have noticed.”
“I don’t like it, but this might be your best option,” Lyudmila said. “Are you sure you don’t want my help?”
“I want your help, but I don’t want my apartment firebombed. I have to pretend I did this alone,” Helena said. She gave her friend an apologetic smile. “Sorry Lyudmila.”
Lyudmila sighed. “Right.” The green haired witch turned to Camila. “Keep her safe please.”
“Sure thing!” Camila said. “I’ll kill them before they kill her.”
Helena hoped that the boastful jiang-shi was able to take care of herself, but she held her peace for now. “I’m going to get the inspector to come too. And any other police I can gather.”
“I’ll help with that,” Aoi said. “Assuming he hasn’t gone with the team.”
Helena paused. A while ago she would have assumed Kilduff would be there handling matters himself. But having seen him at work she thought she understood his thinking a little better. “He probably won’t,” Helena said. “He prefers situations where an arrest is possible. Not big shootouts. In the end he’s a cop, not a fighter.”
“Good luck then. We’ll tell you if anything changes at either location,” Kseniya said.
Lyudmila nodded. “And if things start looking bad, I’m helping whether you want it or not.”
Helena smiled at her friend. “I’ll see you later Lyudmila. Count on it.” The mirror returned to normal as Lyudmila released the spell.
As the mirror’s image faded Camila hopped towards the door. “Now the hardest part.”
“Somehow I think talking to the Inspector will not be the most difficult task you face today,” Aoi said.
“I was talking about getting down the stairs without flying,” Camila replied with a grin.
Aoi gave Helena a questioning look. “I thought you gave her some of your magic, not your sense of humor.”
“It’s not nearly as dark as my sense of humor,” Helena replied as she began walking to the gathering grounds. Though it was a good try, she silently admitted.
The strike team was in the large meeting area Helena had seen them last time, checking their weapons under Kilduff’s watchful eye. Captain Jacobs was there rubbing his hands together and occasionally asking nonsensical questions. Helena considered her options and decided to hold back. The Captain’s stubborn cowardice wouldn’t help.
Fortunately the man quickly stormed off towards his office. Helena waited until Inspector Kilduff pulled out a cigarette before walking up to him. “Inspector, could we have a word?”
The man closed his eyes and sighed. “What disaster is it this time?”
Aoi stepped forward. “We know where the Living and Undead Dragons are actually hiding. Helena was given a clue by Gold Rat Wizard Hsu, and we followed up on it.”
Kilduff took a long draw on his cigarette. “Then where are all these lively fellows heading off to?” he asked as he pointed back at the police team. “I know for certain that’s the brother’s current headquarters. Spent a lot of time double checking it personally.”
“Exactly,” Helena said. “Your team is about to hit his mafia headquarters. Long Zhou Di and his brother are elsewhere. He doesn’t need the Triads, or even the goods. He’s only interested in money, and that means everything else is expendable. He’ll let you clean out the warehouse, then steal another and start over again.”
“Why do you think he’s going to run instead of fight?” Kilduff asked. “He’s the big dog now, at least in his criminal mind. You and I know the lads can beat him, but does he know?”
“That-” Helena was interrupted by a pulse of power, but when she tried to see if someone was contacting her there was nothing. She tried to sense what the magic did, but it was too faint. Strange. Maybe a hedge magician was performing a work somewhere nearby.
Shaking it off she returned to the conversation. “That doesn’t matter. Why take the risk? He only cares about what other magicians think of him. And they understand he lost because of numbers. Only a formal challenge will keep him in place.”
Kilduff shook his head. “Which, of course, has to come from you.”
Kseniya’s voice whispered in Helena’s ear. “The people inside the warehouse have started moving out goods, and setting up traps. They know the police are coming.”
Aoi stepped forward to cover for her. “Any magician’s challenge will probably suffice. But you lack magicians. If I were to hire a youkai hunter-“
“No thank you. I’ll get a priest before that,” Kilduff said.
“By the way your raid’s been compromised,” Helena said. “My friends tell me they’re removing goods and preparing for a fight.”
Kilduff dropped the cigarette and smashed it out. “Then you can help my men get past those traps.”
“The SWAT team getting blown up would kinda be bad,” Camila said.
“Aoi can ask Kseniya to tell them what she sees,” Helena said. “But if you want to solve this case Inspector, come with me to the old fish cannery and help me end this.”
“I’ve told you this before lass, we have laws.” Kilduff looked down on all of them. “That’s the point of the police. So people aren’t just dueling in the streets! So that there’s some semblance of order. Without that what’s the point of law?”
Helena stared into Kilduff’s eyes. “I know. I understand. That’s why I’m asking you. Because I need you to find out how to make this legal. To keep this from being more than just a street duel. You have to know you need my help.” She pointed to Camila. “You need our help. You’re facing two people with the power to destroy a city, and the ability to just teleport away in an instant. And we’re two of the twenty people in the city who can stop them.”
Kilduff frowned but the sharp gleam in his eyes was gone. The Inspector pulled out another cigarette and looked towards the wall, deep in thought.
After a long moment Aoi said, “Inspector, the streets are about to burst. If this were just a gang war they’d just lock their doors and pray. But with the jiang-shi hunting people are afraid that keeping their heads down won’t be enough. You know how hard it is to keep control when people are panicking. I can keep Japantown from rioting, but Chinatown and any other areas Long Jian Han starts hunting in…”
“Give me some time to think girl,” Kilduff muttered. “I’m stretching the rules as far as they go here.”
Helena felt a thrill run down her spine, and Camila clapped her on the shoulder. Finally they were going to be able to act.
Aoi nodded. “In that case I’ll go meet with your team so I can warn them about the traps.” She bowed then turned to Helena and Camila. “Good luck you two. And be careful.”
“We will Aoi,” Helena said.
“Thanks,” Camila chirped.
As Aoi flew out Inspector Kilduff pulled out a notebook. “Right. Camila, you’re a target for Long Zhou Di. Are you willing to help the police in a sting operation lass?”
“Sure thing,” Camila said.
“And that means your magical energy source has to come with you, am I right?” Kilduff said looking at Helena.
Helena nodded. “It will help her considerably.”
“It’s a poor ruse, but it’ll hold when the devil comes to check the bill.” The Inspector checked his side arm. “Let’s stop by my desk and we’ll have the paperwork done. After that… well remember you’re working with the police here. If you can make an arrest, then we’re going to arrest them.”
“If someone manages to lose a magical duel and survive, the Moirai have obviously given them their favor,” Helena muttered.
Camila shrugged. “One of the guys is already dead. I figure it won’t end ’til both of them are.”