He aimed his suppressor at the row of marching machines. From where she stood, Lucy could see him desperately trying to rez a trigger-like device. The weapon glowed hotter. A beam of paranormal radiation struck the clockwork weapons, one after another, but it had no effect. The queen, the soldier, and the carriage reached the entrance. The queen’s head moved from side to side, seeking a target. She found Westover.
He tried to retreat, but the queen had locked onto his vibe. He realized he was in danger and tried to scramble out of range, but he went unnaturally still. He dropped the machine and fell to his knees and stared at the lethal toy in disbelief.
“I know the feeling,” Lucy whispered. The memory of the cold sensation that had swept through her when the queen had fixed her gaze on her in the Ghost City was going to haunt her for a very long time.
The machine that Westover had dropped was still glowing, albeit more faintly. Unfazed, the soldier and the miniature carriage continued past Westover and went into the casino, searching for other targets. There were shouts and yells of panic.
“The tunnels,” a man screamed. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
Gabriel signaled the two Arcane guards. They de-rezzed their control boxes. There was an ominous silence inside the casino. The machine finally stopped glowing.
Gabriel checked his mag-rez. “We’ve got power again. We need to move fast. Their weapons will be working, too.”
Chief Hopton signaled the assault team. They emerged from the fog at the side of the casino and went through the doorway.
There was another moment of silence before the team leader appeared.
“Under control, Chief,” she called.
Gabriel, Hopton, Aiden, and the Arcane security guards sprinted for the doorway. Otis leaped off Lucy’s shoulder and raced after the others. He was sleeked out and showing a lot of teeth.
Lucy hurried toward the entrance. The scene inside the casino was reassuring. Officers were collecting weapons and handcuffing people. Aiden was busy stripping amber off the ex-Guild men and snapping photos of the cops in action.
“We’re missing two guards,” Gabriel announced.
The door at the far end of the room opened. Two sullen-looking men in well-worn khaki and leather marched into the room. Their hands were in the air and their holsters were empty.
Jared and Joe followed the guards into the room. They both held flamers.
“These two made it into the tunnels,” Joe said. “No one else, though.”
“Good work,” Gabriel said.
Dillon Westover was on the floor just inside the entrance. He was not moving. An officer was in the process of handcuffing him.
“Is he dead?” Lucy asked.
“No, ma’am,” the officer said. “The doll knocked him out, but he’s still breathing.”
Dillon opened his eyes partway and tried to focus on Lucy.
“Should have told Tuck to get rid of you when we had the chance,” he said. His voice was hoarse and blurred. “But I was afraid that if you died in the clinic there would be even more media attention. Couldn’t risk it.”
“So you told Tuck to give me a few more doses of the drug instead,” Lucy said. She crouched beside Dillon, rage spiking. “The same drug you used at the wedding reception. Tuck and his merry band of cold-blooded mercenaries kidnapped me, but things went wrong when I escaped.”
“Figured you’d never make it out of the tunnels,” Dillon said hoarsely. “Shit, what were the odds? Nobody gets out of the Underworld without nav amber. But the next thing I know the local cops are calling in a Guild agent who has some special talent for tracking people down below.”
“You must have panicked when Gabriel brought me back to the surface.”
“I knew there was a crowd gathering in the Storm Zone. Big media event. I sent Tuck to monitor the situation. He was able to give you an injection before you were taken to the clinic and a couple more once you were inside. And then you disappeared again, you crazy bitch.”
“You were afraid to make any more attempts, so you settled for ruining my reputation. You made certain everyone who worked in the Underworld concluded I was unreliable and unstable.”
“It worked,” Dillon said. “Until Jones came back to town as the boss of the new Guild. It’s been one disaster after another.”
“Depends on your point of view. From my perspective, it’s been one close call after another.”
Gabriel crossed the room and looked down at Dillon. “You tried to steal the clockwork doll because you were afraid the Old World technology might be impervious to your new weapon. You were right.”