Black's Magic Part 5

Addison lowered her weapon back to her side and released it. "Excuse me?"

The man spun around to find Addison smiling up at him. His expression was one of confusion.

"You wouldn't be a love and tell me where I could find Marlene Tidwell, would you?"

Outraged, the guard pulled out his gun, aiming it at the soldier's head. "So you must be the Addison Black that Miss Brodie has been speaking of."

Addison shrugged. "Well, I don't like to brag..."

"Oh man, have you just made one huge mistake!" The overly confident man, who Addison had already identified as the one who had been standing guard at the southern entrance, laughed. "She knew you were coming, you know. She has just reinforced the men ten fold." He aimed his pistol lower. "You ain't ever gonna see the light of day again."

Addison pouted. "Does that mean no directions?"

"Only to the afterlife, lady."

"Well thanks," Addison grinned. The friendly gesture didn't reach her eyes. "But I haven't finished in this life yet."

Completely taking the stunned guard by surprise, Addison kicked the gun out of his hand. It skidded along the gravelled ground and hit a makes.h.i.+ft wall. As the man turned back, Addison slipped a hand to her back and drew a pistol on him.

"Want to play round two? Do you think you can remove this from my hand before I pull the trigger?"

For her answer, Addison received a pair of hands held high above the guard's head in surrender.

"That's good." Addison stepped closer. "Now get to your knees."

The guard did as he was told and Addison stood behind him. "One last time. Where is Marlene Tidwell?"

"Why don't you go f.u.c.k yourself?" was his only response.

Addison laughed. "Sure, I'd do a much better job than you ever could." And with that Addison sent her pistol slamming down onto the back of the guard's head. He collapsed to the floor.

Addison stood over the limp body. "And just for the record... I never make mistakes."

It didn't take Addison long to hide the body. Slipping uniformed trousers down his legs she deposited the unconscious form upon the toilet, locking the door and climbing over the temporary part.i.tion.

Once again finding herself in the narrowly dug tunnel, Addison ventured further into the earth. She thought about the guard's words, wondering whether they were true. She would have considered it a bluff except he knew within an instant just who she was. If they knew of her mission to rescue the presumed Marlene Tidwell, then Brodie's plans may have changed. That could bode dangerously unpredictable for Skyler. Addison was at least glad for the fact that it seemed they were as yet unaware they had the wrong person. Knowing now that she had to act faster, Addison readied herself. Taking the Spas 12 shotgun from her back holster, she increased her pace down the mineshaft.

Very soon the agent came upon a group of Brodie's men. They congregated in a large room, illuminated by several lanterns. In the far corner stood a large generator. Its mechanical hum and churning engine overpowered the men's conversation. Knowing the generator was responsible for the main power within the mine, Addison made a strategic decision. Removing one of Samuel's pens from her arm pocket, she stood by the door and peeked inside. There were eight men scattered around the room. Each was engrossed in conversation, Gaelic of course, and seemed to be preparing an a.r.s.enal of high-powered weapons. Addison realised the mineshaft was also being used as a storage facility.

a.s.sured that no eyes were upon the doorway, Addison pa.s.sed it by, halting on the opposite side. Taking the pen, she lodged it between two planks of wood that stretched out across the top of the doorway. They were obviously there to a.s.sist in the reinforcement of the constructed pa.s.sageway. It was a risk, but one Addison was willing to take. The soldier was confident her plan would work. She wanted to cause a minor cave-in of the mine's tunnel to block off access to the generator, but she didn't want to cut the generator's power - yet. A direct blast to the generator would be highly dangerous. The scent of its fuel was enough of an indication of that. Addison still, for the next few minutes at least, needed light.

Carefully, Addison grasped the protruding pen. "Okay, Addy," she whispered. "Get ready to run." Exhaling slowly, Addison tapped the pens cap... and ran.

She had just enough time to reach the end of the shaft and turn the corner before a resounding explosion shook the tunnel. Addison continued to run until the force pushed her to the ground. She covered her head, feeling loose rubble hit her body. Several seconds pa.s.sed before calmness eased into the air and Addison lifted her head. Though the artificial light remained, the room was filled with a cloud of sediment and dust. It momentarily impaired her vision.

"Well if they didn't know I was here before, they sure as h.e.l.l do now!" Readying the Spas, Addison covered her mouth with the collar of her coat as she rose to her feet. The dust was still floating in the already tainted air as Addison closed in on the eastern shaft.

Within a larger cross section of the mine, groups of men began swiftly rallying into action. They arranged themselves into seven groups of four as an enraged Brodie ran towards them. Holding several sheets of paper, twisted and creased within her hand, she began issuing orders.

"I want you to split up and search every square inch of these tunnels. If that was Addison Black you have my orders to fire at will." Agnes threw the papers to the ground. She had just received word back about the information Skyler had given her and her temper was already sky high. "I don't know how she managed to find us so fast but it's of no concern. She will not leave here... got it?"

The men answered with a chorus of 'yes ma'am'.

"And if by any chance you can manage to bring her back alive, do so." Brodie's voice lowered. "I welcome the chance to slit her interfering little throat." She cast a gaze upon her men. "Well, what are you standing around here for? Get to it!"

As the troops ran toward several narrow tunnels, Brodie, red faced and seething with anger, headed towards Skyler's confines.

From a crevice within one of the tunnels, Addison watched Brodie. She noted the pa.s.sage the Irish woman took, knowing she would be making her way to Skyler. Fast approaching footsteps closed in on Addison and she knelt close to the wall, hiding from view. She smirked as the men pa.s.sed her by.

"I hope these aren't your highly trained soldiers, Agnes," she mumbled and ran out into the empty cross section. Addison ran directly towards the eastern shaft.

There was no way Skyler wouldn't have been able to hear or feel the explosion Addison created. It shook her small cell like room, causing the roof to shake and small particles of rubble to fall from above. Skyler was instantly concerned. The blonde knew she was in some form of underground containment facility and that knowledge scared her greatly. Still... a small hope flickered within Skyler that just maybe she would get out of the room alive. What else did she have to hope for?

Hearing the door unlock Skyler rose from the rickety wooden chair she had been resting upon. Brodie pushed the wooden barrier open and strode purposely into the room. Skyler was unprepared and taken completely by surprise as Brodie caught her by the throat and pushed her up against the wall. She slapped her hard across the face. The impact stung greatly, breaking Sky's lip. She felt a warm trickle of blood flow into her mouth, followed by its tangy, metallic flavour.

Brodie held Skyler by the jaw. "I thought you would have learned by now that it isn't wise to f.u.c.k with me, Professor Tidwell."

"I...".

"Shut the f.u.c.k up," Brodie interrupted and struck her again. Skyler felt her head slam into the wall.

"Chocolate chip cookies? The Krebs cycle? Caffeine? Did you honestly think you could get away with a trick like that? I am beginning to believe you have no idea of just whom you are dealing with. Seems I have to show you once again." The words dripped from Brodie's lips like acid.

Skyler felt panic slice through her veins. "No..."

"I didn't say you could speak," Brodie shouted. She leaned closer. "From now on you will do exactly as I say... every moment of every miserable day of what could possibly be the remains of your life... if you don't co-operate. Got it?"

Skyler's lip throbbed, her head ached and her breath laboured harshly in fear. She remained quiet, not knowing whether she had been given permission to speak, but instead nodded her head. She was beginning to realise just how dangerous a situation she was in and wished she hadn't played with Brodie.

"Lucky for you, we require the data so we are giving you one last chance... and I warn you, Professor, screw with me again and I'll not only hurt you..." Brodie paused and smiled nefariously. "Don't you have a daughter?"

Sky's eyes widened as she was pulled from the wall.

"Right now we're leaving here and that means you are coming with me." Brodie turned around, Skyler still within her grasp, only to find Addison leaning in the doorway.

The government agent smiled. She paid little attention to Skyler, focusing solely upon Brodie. "Surprise!"

Brodie blinked, and looked past Addison. "Stevens?"

Addison looked down at the lifeless body lying several feet away from her. "I don't think yelling will wake him up!" She stepped further into the room. "Do you pay your men for lying down on the job?" Not waiting for a response, Addison took a good look at Skyler for the first time. "Professor Tidwell?" This was not the girl Addison was expecting to find.

Skyler nodded in confusion. She wondered who this woman was.

Addison turned back to Brodie. "Well, if you will excuse us... Agnes," she smirked, knowing full well the redhead despised her first name. "We really need to get going."

Eyes blazing, Brodie pushed Skyler away from her. She pulled a concealed knife from her hip, brandis.h.i.+ng the six-inch, silver blade towards Addison. "You will not be leaving this place alive, Black."

"Oh, a challenge!" Making a swift decision the agent dropped her shotgun and H&K. "Well, I only have a minute to play," Addison held out her arms. "Lets make this quick, shall we?"

Brodie flicked the knife in her hand. "It won't take long."

The women lunged towards each other. Brodie swung the knife across Addison's stomach but the agent twisted out of reach. She backhanded Brodie, impacting her face. Blood sprung from the redhead's nose.

"That one's for the shot I saw you lay upon the doc here."

Skyler backed up against the wall, bewildered by the events unfolding before her. Gut instinct screamed at her to run while she had a chance. However, not knowing exactly what was beyond the door, Skyler stayed put. This is Addison Black?

Brodie wiped the blood from her nose. She looked at the bright red substance upon her fingers before licking it off. Then she hit out, striking Addison across the face. "And that one's for my Ferrari that you totalled two years ago."

Addison rolled her eyes, unaffected by the strike. "You really do hold a grudge, don't you?" she taunted.

Growling, Brodie lunged for Addison. The agent, again, blocked her attack, knocking the knife clean out of her hand. It slid across the floor, only stopping when it collided with Skyler's foot. The blonde kicked it under her bed in fear.

The women fought, blows being traded and blocked, but it was Addison who easily gained the upper hand. The recent blow to Brodie's head had left her reflexes rather sluggish. Even Addison could tell that, for some reason, Agnes didn't seem at her peak. Not that she minded. Time was of the essence and her priority was getting Skyler out of the mine as expeditiously as possible.

Two swift blows by Addison, one of which effortlessly knocked Brodie's front tooth out, sent the redhead hurtling back against the wall. She hit her head once again and fell into an unresponsive heap upon the floor. Addison stepped towards her and kicked the b.l.o.o.d.y tooth lying on the dirty ground.

"Well, there's something else for you to hold a grudge about." Addison turned to Skyler. The doctor still stood against the wall, staring at Brodie's unconscious body. Addison addressed her carefully. "Skyler? Skyler Tidwell?"

Sky blinked, focussing her eyes upon Addison. "Yes."

"My name is Addison Black." While she spoke she inspected Skyler's wounds. "I was sent here to bring you home.

The blonde hissed as Addison touched her lip. She brushed Addison's hand away. "I'm fine. I hurt a little, but nothing is broken, believe me."

"Okay," Addison shrugged. She turned her back on Skyler and picked up her Spas 12, securing it to her back before reclaiming her submachine gun. "We have to move. Brodie's men are still out there. The lift at the other end of this shaft is incapacitated. Remote activated I think, so we need to get back to the main cross section.

"With all those men around?" Skyler shook her head. "Sounds like a mistake to me."

"I have a plan," Addison replied. "And trust me. I never make mistakes." Readying her H&K, Addison stood by the door. She checked both left and right for any approaching soldiers but found the coast clear. "Okay, lets go." Skyler stood her ground for a moment, bewildered by the sudden change in events. Addison addressed her impatiently. "We don't have time for loitering, Doctor, we need to move... now." The last word was spoken with force, encouraging Skyler to bite her tongue and abide to Addison's wishes.

They moved down the narrow shaft, Skyler close behind Addison. From the distance they could both hear the sound of Brodie's men. Addison switched her weapon to rapid fire as they entered the mine's cross-section of tunnels. The agent crouched down to her knees, indicating that Skyler should do the same. She looked around until finding what she was searching for. High above and fixed to the wall, was a s.h.i.+ny new, metal box. Addison knew it was the junction box and conduit for the mine's lighting. With a sly grin she turned to Sky.

"Okay, Doctor Tidwell, take this." Addison handed the professor her torch.

Skyler frowned. "What are you going to do?"

"Well..." Addison clipped a high-powered light to the sight attachment on her H&K. "I am going to do this..." Lifting the submachine gun to her right eye, Addison took aim at the junction box. She fired a rapid chain of bullets, each precisely making their mark. Sparks flew, followed by a large explosion of electricity. The mine fell into complete darkness.

Chapter 7.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Skyler cried as the last spark disappeared and the blackness descended. "What the h.e.l.l did you do that for?"

"Just evening up the odds, Doctor Tidwell," Addison explained. "They can't hit what they can't see."

"That's fine logic, Agent, but how are we supposed to see them? Funny thing about darkness, none of us can see in it!"

"Possibly we could if you would hand me back that torch." Addison's voice floated to her in the dark and Skyler extended the flashlight in the direction it came from. She misjudged the distance and her hand brushed across fabric covering a firm and well-developed upper arm.

"Sorry, forgot I had it," Skyler said a little sheepishly. She felt Addison's hand come up and touch her elbow. It traced a path to her hand where its warmth was removed as she relieved the scholar of the flashlight. A small click and the area they were standing in was illuminated with a steady beam.

"That's better. Now, Doctor Tidwell, let's get the h.e.l.l out of here, shall we?" Addison turned to head down the corridor but was stopped by the American's voice.

"Agent Black, can you do me a favor? For the last two days I've had to pretend to be my mother and frankly I'm tired of it. I want my own life back. Do you think you could you call me Skyler please, just so I feel like we both know who I am?"

Addison brought the light to bear on the recently liberated prisoner and saw she was still shaken by her recent experiences. "It would be my pleasure, Skyler," Addison said smoothly. "Now can we get the h.e.l.l out of here?"

Skyler did something she hadn't done in almost forty-eight hours. She smiled. "What are we waiting for?" Addison found she couldn't help but respond with a smile of her own.

"Not a thing," the agent said and turned again to lead the way. "Stay close. Do what I tell you the instant I tell you to do it and we'll get you out of here and back to your life soon." As Addison picked her way past pieces of the exploded junction box she felt a hand touch her back and grasp lightly to the material of her black jacket. She knew Skyler needed the contact and didn't complain. "If we run into trouble, I'll need that back but I'll loan it to you for now."

"Thanks," the scholar returned in a quiet voce. Skyler was grateful the agent understood and they moved along at a careful but steady pace. At each juncture of the main hall to connecting corridors, Addison would douse the flashlight and push a b.u.t.ton on her wrist.w.a.tch. The dial changed colors and Addison would wait a few seconds before indicating they should proceed. The first three cross-halls were traversed uneventfully. The fourth hall was different.

Addison slowed as she approached the next pa.s.sageway and doused the flashlight. Bringing her arm up she pressed the b.u.t.ton on her wrist.w.a.tch. The face changed colors but this time small dots appeared where it had remained blank before.

"d.a.m.n. Playmates ahead," Addison whispered. Snapping off the watch, she turned to Skyler. "Stay here and stay down. This won't take long."

"If you think you're leaving me here, Agent, you're crazy. I'll stay down but I'm not staying here." Skyler's voice held determination and Addison would have argued but she heard movement down the hall she had just scanned.

"It's a moot point now. They're here." Flipping the watch back on, the agent scanned the area again. "Four of them," she said to herself as much as to Skyler. Reaching out she grabbed Skyler and urged her against the wall of the corridor by placing her hands on the American's shoulders then slid her down to the floor. Leaning forward, she spoke to Skyler in a barely audible whisper, "Don't move and don't make a sound, I don't want to confuse you with our friends coming up the hall. It wouldn't be healthy for you." Skyler s.h.i.+vered at Addison's words as well as from the warm breath that blew across her ear. Good grief she thought out of the frying pan and into the fire. Brodie or Black, is one better than the other?

Addison had already moved away and reached to pull her pistol from the holster where it had been housed. If Skyler hadn't known the direction she moved away in, the tiny noises of Addison's preparations wouldn't have been noticeable at all. A sudden light from the cross-hall made Skyler squint in the return of stimuli to her starved sense of vision. As soon as the light appeared though, a sharp popping sound immediately preceded its extinguis.h.i.+ng.

Four more reports followed then silence reigned again in the tunnel. Skyler's eyes s.h.i.+fted back and forth in the darkness. She waited nervously for a few minutes then ventured in a low voice, "Agent Black? Addison?"

"I thought I told you not to make a sound," Addison said into Skyler's ear. The American jumped at the sudden noise and swung out blindly. Addison intercepted what should have been an almost perfectly placed blow easily.

"Easy, Skyler. I'm one of the good guys," Addison said.

"I was beginning to wonder about that. What happened just now?"

"There were four guards. They were an obstacle in the corridor we need to head into. I cleared a path." A tiny click and the flashlight was back on again. Skyler noticed the British woman wasn't even breathing hard.

"Look, before I go any further with you, I want to know a few things. You see, trust seems to have become a big issue for me in the last day or so." Addison considered the request then nodded.

"Fine, as long as we move while we do it. I checked those guards and they weren't amateurs. They were professionals right down to their equipment and choice of weapons. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"That's just it," Skyler began as she took her place behind Addison again. "Where is here? I know they wanted my mother, but why? Who are you exactly and though I won't turn down the a.s.sistance, why did you help me? Oh, and who the h.e.l.l is Agnes Brodie?"

Addison glanced back quickly before returning her attention to the route ahead. "When you ask questions you don't go halfway, do you?" She paused here to steer Skyler around the bodies of three men and a woman.

Skyler tightened her grip on the black jacket.

"They were professionals, Skyler. They would have killed us without a second thought."