The Day Watch Part 4

"It will sleep until the evening for certain."

"Good."

She carried the mouse to her desk, shook the floppy disks out of a cardboard box and put the little creature in it.

"Buy a cage," Olga advised as she admired her nails. "Or an aquarium. If it runs away it will gnaw everything and leave filthy droppings everywhere."

Anna Lemesheva thoughtfully observed everything that was going on and then clapped her hands.

"All right, girls. That's enough distraction. The unfortunate creature has been saved and it has found a new home.

Things could hardly have been resolved more elegantly. Now let's begin our briefing."

She's a very strict boss, but not malicious. She doesn't make things hard for anyone without reason, and she'll let you fool about, or leave early, if necessary. But when it comes to work, it's best not to argue with her.

The girls all sat in their places. Our room is small-after all, the building wasn't intended for the present numbers of the Watch. All that could fit into the room were four small tables for us and one big desk, where Anna Lemesheva sat. The room reminded me a bit of a school cla.s.sroom in some tiny village, with a cla.s.s of four pupils and one teacher.

Lemesheva waited until we'd all switched on our computers and logged onto the network. Then she began in her resonant voice: "Today's a.s.signment is the usual one: patrolling the southeast region of Moscow. You will choose your partners in the guardroom from the available operatives."

We always go on duty in pairs, usually one witch and one shape-s.h.i.+fter or vampire. If the level of patrols is raised, then instead of ordinary operatives they give us warlocks or some of the junior magicians for partners. But that doesn't happen very often.

"Lenochka, you're patrolling Vykhino and Liublino..."

Lena Kireeva, who had stealthily launched a game of solitaire on her computer, started, and prepared to argue. I could hardly blame her. Two huge districts and a long way off too. Nothing would come of it, of course. Anna Lemesheva would insist on having her own way as always, but Kireeva couldn't help feeling indignant.

But just at that moment, the phone on Lemesheva's desk rang. We exchanged glances, and even Lena's eyes became serious. That was the direct telephone link with the operations duty officer-it didn't just ring for nothing.

"Yes," said Lemesheva. "Yes. Of course. I understand. I accept the detail..."

For a moment her expression went vague-the duty magician was sending her telepathic guidelines to the situation.

That meant it was serious. That meant there was work to do.

"To your brooms..." Lena whispered quietly. The brief phrase from a children's cartoon was a traditional saying with us. "I wonder who they'll send..." she said.

But when Anna Lemesheva put the receiver down, her expression was strict and tough.

"Into the bus, girls. Everyone. Look lively!"

This meant something very serious. This meant a fight.

Chapter two.

-?- The minibus was driven by Deniska, a young Dark magician so incredibly lazy that he preferred working in the garage among the vampires and other small timers. But his laziness didn't stop him knowing how to drive, and he knew perfectly a few spells that were essential for his job. We literally flew along the road as we made our way to the city center at a speed that the presidential cortege could only dream about. I felt the surges of Power when he examined the reality lines, made the militiamen look the other way, or made other drivers steer their cars off to the side. Sitting beside him was Edgar, a plump, swarthy, dark-haired magician from Estonia who looked nothing like a person from the Baltic, but possessed magical abilities that were almost second-level.

There were nine of us in the vehicle. I could hardly remember Anna Lemesheva ever leaving the Watch building before, but she was sitting in the chair by the door, monotonously reciting the guidelines: "Darya Leonidovna Romashova. Sixty-three years old, looks considerably younger, probably constantly nourished by Power. Presumably a witch, but could possibly be a Dark Sorceress. Under observation for the last four years as an uninitiated Other."

At this point Lemesheva permitted herself to swear briefly and obscenely, addressing her abuse to the members of the detection department. "Apparently she refuses all contact. She avoids conversations on mystical subjects, citing her religious piety! What has faith got to do with the abilities of an Other? It's a different question who that Christ of theirs was..."

"Anna Tikhonovna, don't blaspheme," Lena said quietly but insistently. "I believe in the Lord G.o.d, too."

"I'm sorry, Lena," Lemesheva said with a nod. "I didn't mean to offend you. Let's continue... Romashova has probably been earning a bit from small-scale magic. Love potions, hate potions, hexes, removing curses..."

"The standard charlatan's stockin-trade," I put in. "No wonder they didn't bother to check her seriously."

"And what about monitoring her results and finding out if she really did help people?" Lemesheva asked. "No, I'm going to write a report. If Zabulon thinks this is good work-then sack me! It's time for me to retire."

Olga cleared her throat in warning.

"I'm prepared to say it to his face!" Lemesheva was obviously worked up. "Well, I ask you, they suspect a woman is a witch for four years, but they don't bother to check properly! It's a standard procedure-we send an agent and monitor the discharge of Power... And the Light Ones did it, by the way!"

So that was it. Now I understood and I immediately gathered myself. What lay ahead wasn't just an incident with a crazy witch who had done something she shouldn't have. It was a fight with the Night Watch.

Vitaly growled indistinctly in his seat opposite me, more likely trying to keep his courage up than expressing delight at the battle ahead. He'd grown lazy standing watch, this brave mouse-hunter. I smiled spitefully, and the werewolf snarled and bared his teeth slightly. They had already started to grow, and his lower jaw was stretching forward.

"Vitaly, spare us the spectacle of transformation in the vehicle," Lemesheva said sharply. "In this heat the stink of dog will be quite unbearable!"

The trio of vampires on the backseat all began to laugh. I knew those guys quite well; they had been tested in action, and by and large, I didn't find them repulsive at all-not like most non-life. Three brothers, born a year apart, strong, well-built young men from an ordinary human family. The eldest had become a vampire first, when he was working in a regiment of paratroopers, and he'd done it deliberately, out of ideological considerations-his commanding officer, who was a vampire, had suggested the young man should become a vampire too. Their unit was in action somewhere in the South at the time. Things weren't going too well, and the young man had agreed.

Of course, after that the unit became incredibly effective in battle. Killing a dozen enemies a night, penetrating the enemy's rear line, walking past sentries without being seen-for a vampire, even an inexperienced one, all this is child's play. Afterward, when he returned to civilian life, the young man had told his younger brothers everything, and they had offered up their own throats for biting.

"Anna Tikhonovna, how many of them are there?" Olga asked. "The Light Ones?"

"A few. Four... maybe five. But"-Lemesheva ran her stern gaze over all of us-"you mustn't relax, girls. There's at least one second-level Light magician."

The oldest vampire brother whistled. Facing a magician, especially one that powerful, was beyond a vampire's abilities. And if there were two of them...

"And the girl shape-s.h.i.+fter's there," said Lemesheva, looking at me.

I clenched my teeth. So, Tiger Cub was there. The shape-s.h.i.+fting battle magician, as the Light Ones preferred to call her. An old acquaintance of mine... and a close one. I seemed to feel an ache in my left arm, which she had once pulled out of its socket. And I remembered the wounds on my face-four b.l.o.o.d.y lines from her claws.

But Zabulon himself had helped me then. He had healed me completely so there was no damage either to my appearance or my health. And I used to go into battle boldly and cheerfully, feeling his approving glance and restrained, patient smile.

It's over. That's all behind you now, Aliska. What used to he is gone now. Forget it and don't torment yourself. If they tear your face, you'll have to wear the paranjah all the time, until your turn comes for magical healing, and the line's six months long. And you'll be lucky if they consider you worthy of complete healing, including cosmetic magic...

"Everybody check your equipment," Anna Lemesheva commanded.

The girls started bustling about, and I patted my pockets, checking on the tiny packets, little bottles, and amulets. A witch's Power doesn't lie only in controlling energy through the Twilight. We also employ auxiliary means, which is what really distinguishes us from sorceresses.

"Alisa?"

I looked at Lemesheva.

"Do you have any suggestions?"

That was better. I had to think about the future, not about the past.

"The operatives can neutralize Tiger Cub. All four of them."

"We don't need any help, Aliska," the oldest vampire brother said good-naturedly. "We'll manage."

Lemesheva thought for a moment and nodded "All right, the three of you work together. Vitaly, you're with me, my reserve."

The werewolf smiled happily. What a fool. Anna Lemesheva would toss him into the fire like a splinter of wood.

Right into the very hottest spot.

"And the four of us..."

"Five," Lemesheva corrected me.

Aha, so the old crone has decided to do some work herself?

"The five of us form a Circle of Power," I suggested. "And we feed it all to Edgar. Deniska maintains contact with headquarters."

The minibus bounced over a few potholes and b.u.mps. We were already driving into the yard between the buildings.

"Yes, that's the only possible way to play it," Lemesheva agreed. "Take note, everybody! That's the way we'll work!"

I felt slightly excited that my plan had been accepted completely. I was still a genuine battle witch, after all. Even with all my personal problems. That was why I took the risk of speaking up and overstepping my bounds on the senior witch's final decision on how the group worked.

"But I would suggest summoning help in advance. If there are two second-level magicians there."

"All possible help has already been summoned," Lemesheva snapped. "And we still have an ace of trumps up our sleeves."

Vitaly looked at the old witch in surprise and grinned proudly with his wolf's fangs. A fool twice over. She didn't mean him. He was no ace, just a common low card... and certainly not a trump.

"Right, girls, let's get started!"

Our minibus stopped. Anna Lemesheva jumped out spryly and waved her left hand. A fine, dark dust swirled around her fingers for an instant and I felt a spell of inattention enfold the yard. Now, no matter what we did, ordinary people would take no notice of us.

We tumbled out of the minibus.

It was just an ordinary yard in South Butovo. Oh, what a dump... I'd rather live somewhere in Mytishchi or Lytkarino than be formally registered as a Muscovite and live in that terrible place. There seemed to be everything there should be: houses and stunted little trees trying to grow in the compressed clay, and wretched little cars standing at the entrances, but...

"Get on with it!"

Lemesheva gave me a kick that bounced me about three meters away from the minibus. I almost went flying into the sandbox, where a boy and a girl about five years old were discussing the mysterious art of building sandcastles.

But even the little children didn't notice me, although they're always more sensitive to the presence of Others.

The vampire brothers went das.h.i.+ng past me like three shadows. They surrounded the minibus, already in the process of transformation: Their fangs were growing out between their teeth, and their skin was taking on a pale, sickly tinge. The typical appearance of non-life...

"The Circle!" Lemesheva barked. I dashed across to the minibus like a bullet and grabbed Olya and Lena by the hand. Oh, the old witch was strong!

But there was someone standing in the entrance to the house, visible only to our sight as Others-a short, stocky guy... definitely a guy-you couldn't call him anything else-wearing worn Turkish jeans and a synthetic T-s.h.i.+rt, with a ridiculous cap on his head.

That was really bad.

The guy was called Semyon. And he was a magician of astounding power, even if he wasn't always quick to use it. Even more terrifying, he was a magician with immense experience of field operations...

I felt Semyon's gaze slip over me-firm, resilient, and flexible, like a surgical probe. Then Semyon turned and went back into the entrance hall.

This was really bad!

Then Zhanna grabbed Olga by the hand. Anna Lemesheva completed the circle-and all my emotions disappeared.

We became a living acc.u.mulator, connected to Edgar, who was already walking toward the entrance with a gentle, unhurried stride, at the human level of perception and in the Twilight at the same time.

Edgar walked up the stairs, just as his opponent had done. Of course, he didn't overtake him there. And when he reached the door of the apartment on the fourth floor, they were waiting for him. Fused into the Circle of Power, we were all perceiving the world through his sense organs now.

The door was standing open-at the human level of the world. In the Twilight, the doorway was blocked by a solid wall.

There were two magicians standing on the landing. Semyon and Garik. I couldn't feel any emotions now, but I still had my thoughts. Cold, calm, and unhurried. This was the end. Two magicians, each equal to or superior to Edgar.

"The entrance is closed," said Semyon. "There's a Night Watch operation taking place here."

Edgar nodded politely. "I understand. But there's also a Day Watch operation taking place here."

"What do you want?" Semyon moved aside slightly. Standing behind him in the narrow hallway of the apartment was a tigress. An immense beast with gleaming fur and its teeth exposed in a smug smile.

What is Lemesheva counting on? We can't handle this! There's no way!

"We'd like to take the person who belongs to us," Edgar said with a shrug. "That's all."

"The witch has been arrested and charged: magical intervention of the third degree, murder, practicing black magic without a license, concealing the abilities of an Other."

"You provoked her into taking this action," Edgar said coolly. "The Day Watch will conduct its own investigation of events."

"No." Semyon leaned against the wall and the blue moss crept convulsively along the surface, trying to get as far away as possible from the magician. "The matter is settled."

Garik didn't even say anything. He twirled a small amulet that looked like a cube of ivory in his fingers and glimmers of energy pierced the air. Most likely it was an ordinary magical acc.u.mulator...

"I'm going through and I'm taking what belongs to us," said Edgar.

He's incredibly calm. Maybe he also knows something that 1 don't?

The Light magicians didn't say a word. But such a piece of obvious stupidity seemed to have put them on their guard. The witch's fate now depended on who would conduct the investigation. If we could get her, we'd be able to defend her and make her one of us. If the Light Ones got her, then her life was over.

But better her life than all of ours! Two second-level magicians, a shape-s.h.i.+fter, and another two or three Others in the apartment! They'd crush us!