We continued to drive out Route 1. As we passed Wake Forest, I knew we were coming to a less populated area, and I guessed it was after 10 PM. One of the plans we had discussed was that Daedelus or Eric could kill the power to the van, and I could break the chains and free them. I concentrated on increasing the strength in my arms and chest, feeling Reality nip me back as I did so. Ah well, a little paradox for a good cause.
I was about to catch Daedelus' eye and tell him to kill the van when I noticed the flashing lights of a police car drawing nearer to us. The police car pulled up alongside, and looking through the window, I saw a huge, hulking figure driving that could only have been the Ogre fellow the others had met at the Mall. I guessed the smaller blonde was Betsy, who appeared to be the brains of the outfit. The driver of the van tried to speed up, but Ogre forced us off the road. We bounced to a stop, with the only person who appeared hurt being the driver, who was bent over the steering wheel, dazed. The Marine-looking cop told us to stay where we were and went out the back of the van. After a moment, we heard gunshots, then a cry of, "Oh my God!"
The driver sat up and shook his head, looked at what was going on outside the van and got out, taking with him a gun that looked more like a squirt gun than a projectile weapon. I decided it was time to move. I strained, trying to break the chains, but pulled up short when I sprained my wrist. Ouch, dammit! I shifted my grip and succeeded in breaking one of the links of the chain, freeing myself. I went over to kick open the door of the van, and fell on my ass when Betsy opened the doors at the same time as my foot would have connected. Betsy told us to be quiet, then climbed in and freed Daedelus, who quickly picked the locks on Eric's and my chains. Betsy led us to the edge of the woods about twenty yards away from where the van and the police car were parked.
We were looking at a nightmarish scene, as Ogre tossed the Marine-like cop around like a rag doll and the driver tried to take aim at him with his squirt gun thingy. The driver was only a few yards from us. Before we could do anything, he pulled the trigger, but cried out as the gun fell from his hand and reptilian spine burst through the back of his jacket. He started to go for the gun again, but Eric looked up, then at the driver, and a small bolt of lightning hit within yards of the driver (opposite us, thank heavens!).
Ogre finally succeeded in subduing his opponent, handcuffing him to the van. Ogre took his shotgun and covered the driver while he picked up the squirt gun. Ogre gave the squirt gun to Betsy, who eyed it with suspicion and passed it to Daedelus. Ogre handcuffed the driver and covered them both with the shotgun.
Now a new voice joined the fray, coming from the police car. The apologetic police officer who had taken into Raleigh walked out and introduced himself as Ray. He wanted to know what was going on, and why had the driver grown spines, and who the hell were we, anyway? He asked these questions as we walked back to the police car, and Betsy handed Eric, Daedelus, and I each a package containing our possessions which the police had taken from us. Daedelus went off to change clothes for some reason, then talked briefly with Betsy. I was getting awful nervous about what we were going to do with the mage (he had to be a mage, 'cause the spines were one of the better textbook examples of a paradox backlash I've seen lately) and the jarhead. Daedelus returned to assure us that he had a way to wipe their memories, which was good because I was still not ready for indiscriminate killing.
We drove back into Raleigh, Daedelus driving the van with Eric, myself, and the two prisoners. As we drove, I eased away the strength augmentation I had called earlier, but as I did so felt an odd tingle in my left arm. In the passing streetlights, I was shocked to see that my left hand and arm were now a deep, chocolate brown. I shrugged and put my hand in my pocket.
We stopped about a block north of the Dunkin Donuts on Capital Boulevard. Daedelus took about five or ten minutes and stared into the driver's mouth (too weird, but he said it had to do with tracking the driver down again if we had to). Then he got out of the van and Betsy got in and shut the doors. As we stood around waiting for her, Ray started to ask questions. Apparently, when he tried to find out what we had done, there were no records - not a trace. When he went to check drivers' licenses and other routine ID, we didn't exist. Poof! Gone. I shivered - this was a very bad sign of who we were up against. One thing was certain after all of our conversations, though - Ray was a sleeper.
Betsy opened the doors of the van, stepped out, then shut them quietly. She said that they would forget what happened tonight. By all that's sacred, I certainly hoped so - I wouldn't want to wake up with that jarhead hanging over me ready to beat me to a pulp. Ray took Eric over to the chantry, which was just a mile away, and Eric picked up his car, noting that no one was home at the chantry. When he got back and told us, Daedelus called the pager he had given Kasee. After a moment, his cel phone rang, but it wasn't Kasee calling, it was Renee. They were at Rex Hospital - apparently Nathaniel and Kasee had been driving on I-40 going to Forteau's when a massive pileup occurred, and Nathaniel flipped the car. Nathaniel was fine, but Kasee was in bad shape. We jumped in the car and headed across town to the hospital.
Daedelus went into Immediate Care facility with Renee while Eric and I brought Cab up to date. I "borrowed" some ice and an Ace bandage, and in a matter of minutes had cured my sprained wrist. I need to remember the wonders of coincidental healing in a hospital...
After we determined there wasn't much we could do there, we headed back to the chantry. Dog met me at the door. I was exhausted after the bizarre day I'd had, but still too keyed up to sleep. As we lay in bed, him holding me in his lap, I commented that I knew of a great way to relax. He looked innocent and said he couldn't imagine what that might be. I laughed, shut off the light, and reached for him.
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Tuesday, 29 October, 1996
We were all slow to get up the next morning. I didn't wake up until 10, and suggested to Dog that there were more entertaining things to do in bed than out. Daedelus called around noon and asked that someone come pick up him and Kasee from the hospital. When they brought her in, she looked like hell - on crutches, bruised on her arms and face, and more than a little out of it. I helped what little I could, but I finally figured out my help wasn't needed. Once Kasee was settled, Daedelus did some more poking around and found that Ray had been right - electronically speaking, the three of us didn't exist any more. Not only that, but Eric's lease on his apartment in Raleigh had evaporated, and my place in Chapel Hill had been condemned.
I wanted to at least get my tools from my apartment, so I suggested to Eric that we go to Chapel Hill. Once I got there, it was a simple matter of breaking a window, climbing in, and getting what little of my stuff I needed. We headed back to Raleigh without incident.
I was nervous about the approaching Halloween party, and since Dog was intently absorbed in reruns of "Mr. Ed," I decided to do something else to calm myself - cook. I set to work on one of my favorites, baked crespelle with a sauce Bolognaise with Asiago and Parmesan. While I was chopping onions, Kasee hobbled out to sit at the counter and watch me work. She asked what it meant if there was no sound in the spirit world whatsoever. I thought about it, and asked what it meant when you walked through the woods and didn't hear a single bird or see a single squirrel. Something bad is going to happen. She just said, "Oh" in a small voice and hobbled back to her room.