Queen of Avalon (Broken Throne Book 3) Read online

  She walked back out of the concession stand and onto the gravel grounds. She looked around. Cleaver’s men had brought a couple more carts and hand trucks. They were wheeling the final crates across to the employee gate, where she saw the panel truck parked beside their car.

  Winnie waited for the last of them to leave before shutting the door behind them and walking back to the car. She deposited the final bag of cash in the trunk next to the others.

  “Do we have a tally of the cash?” she asked.

  Danny shook his head. “Tris and I both tried to estimate what each bag could hold, but we didn’t have time to count all of it. Bills are bundled in different denominations from 20s to 100s, so each bag is different. Still, I think it’s safe to say it’s more than a million here.” He smiled. “Not too bad a haul for one day’s work.”

  “No, not bad at all,” Winnie agreed, then turned to Cait. “All the crates accounted for and tallied?”

  “Yep. The more dangerous pile is stacked so that we can unload it first. Have you thought about how you want to handle that?”

  “I have,” Winnie said. “Cricket, do we have a safe house we’re willing to part with? Maybe one that the Red Legs might already suspect?”

  “I think so, Boss.” He took off his cap and scratched his head. “There’s one back in Baltimore, and another one or two we could use here in Philly.”

  “Use the one of the ones up here, then. That will help with the rest of our plans. Going all the way to Baltimore then bringing the rest of it back up here makes the chance of getting pulled over by the Red Legs twice as likely.”

  “Agreed.” Cricket nodded. “I’ll make a few calls and get an address for you soon.”

  “Make it quick. I want this all done by tonight. Before our meet up. It wouldn’t do to keep Colten Sico waiting for us.”

  The crew laughed, including Cleaver’s additional men. Winnie felt good. The operation had gone off without a hitch.

  It was time to put the rest of her play in place.

  Time to take over Philly.

  CHAPTER 3

  Cricket came through as usual, and they were able to offload Cait’s cache of dangerous crates.

  Tris continued to argue all the way to the abandoned safe house and throughout the unloading. Winnie finally had enough and pulled her angry friend aside while the crates were unloaded and stashed inside a row home on the outskirts of Philly. It was dark — neighbors knew better than to pay too much attention to what happened outside at night.

  “Tris, you need to trust me.”

  “This is a mistake, Winnie. It’s wrong for two reasons. First, you’re naive to believe that the military will retain control of these weapons long enough to destroy them. Kane will want to use them against us at some point in the future. Second, why shouldn’t we take the initiative and use the weapons for our own gains? It’s time we took the fight to the Red Legs.”

  Winnie shook her head and gathered her thoughts. She didn’t want to alienate Tris, but was increasingly alarmed by her friend’s militant leanings.

  “Tris, you’ve seen what using that kind of harmful magic can do to the world. You’ve had to repair damage to the magical matrix supporting our cities. That happened because of our overuse of magic. The ends don’t justify the means here. It just isn’t worth it.” Winnie tried to hold her friend’s gaze, hoping that her words would sink in. But Tris turned away as the final crates on Cait’s list were taken inside.

  She looked back at Winnie, her eyes full of sorrow. “I hope I’m wrong, Winnie. I really do. But I strongly believe that this will turn against us all. You can’t fight a war half way. We’re battling for the lives of every chanter in the world. If we don’t use the weapons at our disposal, they’ll be turned against us in the end.”

  Tris walked to the car, climbed in the back seat, and closed the door. Winnie shivered, wondering what would happen if Tris were right.

  Cait and Cricket approached, breaking her train of thought.

  “Everything’s loaded,” Cait said. “What’s next?”

  “We have Cricket drop an anonymous call at the armory about the weapons here.” Winnie looked over toward Tris. “Hopefully, the army will have enough sense to take them into custody without alerting the Red Legs.”

  Winnie checked the time on her way to the truck. It was going to be close, but she thought they could probably make their meeting in time. They had to make the most of this opportunity.

  “Load up,” she said.

  Cait and Cricket started calling to the men, ordering them back into the truck before they joined her by the car. Danny was waiting, ready to drive them to the next stop on their list.

  He hooked a thumb toward Tris, sitting in the back. “What’s up with her?”

  “She and I have a slight disagreement.” Winnie opened her door and changed the subject. “You know where you’re going?”

  “I do,” Danny said, climbing into the driver’s seat. “This is the big one, Winnie. You nervous?”

  She laughed. “I’ve been a nervous wreck all day, Danny. Even though everything’s gone fine so far, a thousand things could still go wrong.”

  “Don’t worry, Boss. We’ve got your back.” Cricket clapped her on the shoulder from his spot in the back seat.

  “Good to know, Cricket, and stop calling me ‘Boss’ like I’m some old guy you work for. I have a name. Use it.”

  “Not gonna happen, kiddo,” Cricket chuckled. “I’m old school. And besides, it sets the tone for the guys in the gang. They need to see me giving you proper respect so they know to act right and not go against you.”

  Winnie winced. Cricket had added that last bit for Tris, and she’d surely caught the snipe.

  Dany started the car. They were onto their big move. Soon, they’d be confronting Colten Sico himself.

  ———

  The deserted warehouse where Colten had chosen to hold the meeting was off the main highway to Philadelphia from Baltimore. It was dangerous to meet on his turf this way, but Winnie had to offer a show of faith. Despite its proximity to Baltimore and Winnie’s home region, Colten Sico had resisted her previous efforts at enticement. This was her final play to convince Colten to join her before she resigned herself to a takeover by force.

  After the car and truck pulled up in the alley outside the warehouse, Winnie got out and looked around.

  No sign of anyone didn’t mean that they weren’t being watched.

  “Grab the bags from the trunk and one of the smaller crates from the back of the truck,” Winnie instructed her crew. “Once we have everything, we’ll go in.”

  She kept a watchful eye on the rooflines while everyone gathered the bags and crate. She recognized Garraldi from the New Amsterdam crew on the truck, hefting the small olive crate. Cricket, Danny, Cait, and Tris each had a large duffle full of money. She gave one last check, then motioned for the others to follow her.

  She knocked on the door. There was no immediate answer so, after waiting a minute, Winnie made a fist and pounded three times on the wooden door. Again, she waited. This time, she heard a voice on the other side, then the door opened wide enough for her to see the face on the other side. A bearded man looked at the crew behind her, then stepped back to let them all through.

  The door opened into the warehouse interior. Winnie saw three black sedans parked in the middle of the open space. She kept walking without checking to make sure her crew was behind her. Of course they were following — she didn’t doubt any of them or their loyalty.

  Colten stepped out of the lead car, levering his bulky frame out of the back seat while one of his men held the door. He was short, round, and red-faced. He walked to meet her, dozens of his men filing behind him.

  There was no time to be timid. Winnie waved over one shoulder, gesturing with a finger for her crew to come forward. They stacked the bags and crate on the floor between Winnie and Colten, then returned to their positions behind her.

  “I figured you’d
be missing this,” she said. “So I’m bringing your property back to you. There’s more in the truck outside.”

  Colten gave Winnie a curious look and waved one of the men forward to check the pile. He opened the topmost bag, pursing his lips in a silent whistle as he reached inside and pulled out two bundles of cash.

  He returned the cash, then took out a knife and used it to open the crate. Inside were the unmistakable shapes of grenades laid in rows. The henchman stepped to one side and cleared the view for Colten.

  The boss’s eyebrows climbed in surprise. He turned to Winnie, his expression stern. “Miss Durham, I have to say it’s a strange way to start a negotiation.”

  Winnie forced a laugh. “I needed to get your attention, seeing as you’ve refused all my previous offers to talk.”

  “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.” Colten pointed to the pile. “I suppose you expect me to believe that you’re going to give all this back to me out of the kindness of your heart?”

  Winnie shrugged. “It was meant to show you some of the many holes in your defenses, not to steal from you … though it would be easy enough to do that if I wanted. We did pull some of the more dangerous military gear from the stash, and you’ll not be getting that back.”

  “So you get to keep the good stuff, that’s it?”

  “No one gets to, Colten. Those weapons will be destroyed by the military like they should have been years ago.”

  “Alright, you’ve made your point,” said the Philly Sable boss. “You have a solid crew behind you. So what?”

  “It isn’t just my crew, Colten. You recognize Cricket from New Amsterdam. I also have agreements with Angelo ‘Iron Man’ Izzy from Chicago and Tyson Bizzell from Atlanta. Others are lining up behind me. So why aren’t you, Colten? You must have a reason.”

  “We have it relatively easy here in Philly. We get along with our Red Legs. We have an understanding. As long as they honor their side of the bargain, I plan on honoring mine. That means not taking sides in this conflict.”

  Tris stepped forward, pointing at the Philly boss, her finger shaking with anger. “You stand by while they round up your people, and you do nothing to stop them. You’re worse than they are. You’re betraying your own people!”

  Colten stared at Tris. Cait and Danny stepped up to pull her back into the small group standing behind Winnie.

  Colten turned to Winnie. “You seem to have some dissension in you ranks, my dear. Do you usually let your subordinates stand in your way?”

  “We’re a team, not an army. My people are entitled to their opinions. Anyway, she’s not wrong. You are betraying your people, and worse, you’re being betrayed right back.”

  Winnie held out her hand. Cricket pulled a thick manila folder from his jacket and handed it to her. She held it out to Colten, waiting until the boss stepped forward to take it.

  He did, then flipped up the end to look inside. “What’s all this?”

  “Proof that your ‘man on the inside’ with the Red Legs is planning to take you out in a raid in the very near future. I particularly like the part of his conversation with Director Kane where he says that you’ve served your purpose long enough.” Winnie gestured to the gear and money between them. “What good is all of this and your so-called agreement with the Red Legs if they plan on turning on you? You need to get in front of this. We can help you, provide you the additional support you’re going to need and the resources to stand up to the Red Legs in your city.”

  Colten was scanning some of the documents. His face had drained of color, turning pale as he read through the papers.

  “If you need more proof, there’s a data chip with a recording of the conversation with Kane in there, too.”

  “How did you get this?” Colten asked, looking up at Winnie.

  “You aren’t the only one with sources within the Red Legs. Mine are just more highly placed than yours.”

  The warehouse was graveyard silent for several long minutes while Colten considered what Winnie had handed him.

  She watched and waited, knowing what was in there. The contents were damning, not just of Colten’s Red Legs contact, but of the Philly boss himself. It was her ace, the card she’d hoped to keep hidden because it had the potential to expose Red Legs Inspector Victor Holmes as her source inside the DMC. He’d taken a big chance recording this then gathering copies of the other docs she’d handed to Colten. An inquisitive person with the right resources might be able to piece together where they all came from.

  But it was worth the risk, especially after Tris’s outburst. Winnie hoped to bring Colten to their side without releasing the information, but her friend’s angry accusations had dashed that hope.

  With the Philly boss in the fold, the East Coast would be united. The Chicago boss had signed on early, and without any coercion. Winnie had the chance to unite the entire nation. Given how pressure from Red Legs was continuing to grow, it was only a matter of time before Kane moved forward with the next step in his insidious plan. Victor had no idea what that might be, despite his digging, but there was no doubt it would be something terrible. He could only tell Winnie that Director Kane had a new Project X that purportedly dwarfed the scope of that first one. That was enough to scare the crap out of her. She had to be ready for the chanters — all the chanters — to finally fight back.

  So, she waited for Colten, feigning patience while he considered this new information. She needed him more than he knew, and more than she was willing to let on.

  “All right.”

  Winnie cocked her head. “All right what?”

  “All right, I’m in, Miss Durham,” Colten said.

  “Call me Winnie. It’s time we worked together as friends and equals.” She held out her hand and took a step forward.

  Colten met her step and shook it. “Equals, eh? I guess as long as I acknowledge you’re the boss of bosses, right?”

  “There can be only one,” Winnie agreed. “But you’ll retain full control over Philly.”

  “Fair enough.” Colten turned to one of his men and gestured to the line of cars. “Go fetch the Scotch from the back of my car. This deserves a toast.”

  Winnie took a step back and waited while the liquor was brought along with two crystal glasses. She took the one Colten offered her and held it out while he filled their glasses. It was vintage — actual Scotch from Old Scotland, expensive and terribly rare.

  Winnie hoped it was a good sign as she clinked her glass against his, raised it, then downed the shot of fiery amber liquid.

  The deal was done and Philadelphia hers.

  CHAPTER 4

  Though Winnie tried to keep her elation for the day’s events in check, she couldn’t. It was the team’s best day in a while. Things weren’t good for chanters in the United Americas, despite the middlings wanting their charmed items and Sable more than ever. People could feel the time coming when there wouldn’t be any more magic for anyone.

  Though she was mostly silent, the drive back to Baltimore was full of excited chatter. Getting Colten Sico and the Philly charm runners into Winnie’s outfit had been key to consolidating her power on the East Coast. It had been their overarching goal for the last several months. The lull in chanter roundups would resume at any time. Victor said it wouldn’t be long. The government had to respond to the continued unrest and infrastructure failures it kept blaming on chanters and their improper use of magic. The majority middling communities demanded answers and action.

  Danny looked over at Winnie, reaching out with a free to squeeze her hand. “Want to share?”

  “Sorry,” she said. “I was just thinking about what we had to do next.”

  “And?”

  “It’s time to start preparing for the next step to counter Kane’s plans. You’ve seen what Victor’s shared. There’s a new, bigger Project X. We know what that means more than anyone. It spells death for hundreds, maybe thousands of chanters if we don’t figure out what it is and how we can stop it.”
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  “I guess it was foolish to think we could sit back and relax after landing Philly,” Danny said.

  Cait chimed in from the back seat. “What do you mean? We have to keep pushing back against the Red Legs, make sure they know we control the Enclaves and not them. It’s the only way to make them think twice about forcing chanters to do what they say.”

  Tris snorted a short, derisive laugh. “You mean bide our time while the enemy gets stronger and stronger until they finally overwhelm us.”

  “What’s crawled up your ass, Tris?” Cait asked. “I know you’ve gone all radical, but what’s up with the constant doom and gloom? That’s my job. You’re supposed to be the optimist.”

  “That was before I spent the better part of last year trying to hold together the tech that keeps our city running. My colleagues and I are about finished. We can’t do much more. Failures will continue to worsen until we have another Boston or Miami or New Orleans. Those cities will never recover, and their surge of refugees into neighboring cities is adding additional stress to the systems.”

  Winnie winced. Boston had been the first city to collapse after the magic began to fail, caving into a giant sinkhole under the city that no one had known about or predicted. Death and devastation had been absolute. Miami and New Orleans had been consumed in tsunamis that came out of nowhere and without any warning. Now both of those cities were barren wastelands, buildings and streets rapidly consumed by the surrounding badlands. Each time, it had been a failure of key parts of the city’s tech infrastructure preceding the cataclysm.

  “You think something like what happened to those cities will hit Baltimore or New Amsterdam?” Cricket asked.

  “Who knows?” Tris shrugged. “Those of us fighting to repair the systems feel like we’re all one mistake from the next disaster. The pressure’s too much. I’ve had two friends commit suicide because they couldn’t face the stress. Something has to give. We’re running out of techs. Once they’re gone, everything fails.”