Chasing the Red Star
1
Cory Chase looked out the window at Moscow. He smiled. His three thousand mile trip was coming to an end. He knew he was facing a temporary stop. He had to pick up the gem that went in his ring, and then he was moving on to the next one.
His companions probably couldn't wait to separate from him. He didn't mind that.
Being cooped up on a train with three Yeti had not been his idea of a nice trip. They had at least spent the time training their ice powers and improving their disguises.
He still had to show the Princess the ocean. He was a long way from there in Moscow. He would have to hire a car after getting his gem if he wanted to take her there so she could look at it.
Once his promise was fulfilled, she had promised the other two Yeti she would go back to their hidden land peacefully.
He didn't like it since she was facing an execution for fleeing the motherland, but it was her choice. It was the agreement they had worked out, and the two police Yeti were keeping their side as far as he could see.
"The station is coming up," Chase said. "I have to get off and take care of my business here in the city. Once I'm done with that, we can hire a car to take the princess the rest of the way to the ocean. Then you three can take the next train back home."
"Is the ocean close?," she asked.
"It's a few more miles north to the Arctic Ocean," said Chase. "St. Petersburg is the name of the city there."
"The ocean is cold and gray there," said Dmitri. "It is also closer than tracking south into warmer climes so you can see the ocean in one of those other places."
"And we won't attract attention," said Wi, Dmitri's younger partner. "And we won't have to fix our disguises so much."
"Could we go to this St. Petersburg?," Taz, the princess, asked.
"Yes," Chase said. "I have to take care of my business here first. Then we can hire a car to drive up there if you want."
"That sounds reasonable," said Taz. "We will tour the city. Where should we meet you?"
"I don't know how long this will take," said Chase. He looked around. "Meet me at the front entrance there. I will hire a van if I can so we can drive up to St. Petersburg and drive back. I'll pay for tickets for you guys to get back home after that."
"We will gladly do that," said Dmitri. "If you don't arrive, I will take the princess to see her ocean before escorting her home."
"That's good of you," said Chase. "Keep an eye out. There's a guy who likes to follow me around and cause problems. If you see him, get under cover and I will look for you."
"How will we know this hypothetical menace?," asked Wi.
"He likes to use monsters from playing cards," said Chase. "You can't miss them."
"Tarot cards?," said Dmitri.
"Yeah," said Chase. "Dealt with him before?"
"There was someone like that operating as an independent during the war," said Dmitri. "I doubt he is still alive if he is human."
"My predecessor killed one in the fifties," said Chase. "This one has been on my backtrail and I'm surprised he didn't try anything on the train."
"The Russians have their own ways of dealing with unwanted guests in their country," said Dmitri. "Don't worry. I will keep an eye out for this Tarot."
Chase nodded. He didn't trust Wi. Taz hadn't been on her own long enough to have a lot of street smarts. Dmitri seemed to have things together, and knew the lay of the land.
If anyone could keep Taz safe from a monster attack, it would be him.
Chase stored his bag before he walked out of the train station. He needed to find a place to do laundry too. He would check that when he found the gem that went into the empty slot in his ring.
He glanced behind him. The three Yeti were going the other way. They looked like any tourist you would see in a big city.
He smiled. He hoped they stayed out of trouble long enough for him to get a van and carry out his end of their bargain.
He definitely didn't need Dmitri and Wi freezing the city solid while looking for him and Taz fleeing away from them.
Chase walked along the streets, following the tugging of his ring. He sensed the jewel as he drew closer to it. He hoped it was somewhere harmless. He didn't need to break in to another mobster's residence to get the jewel and stir up trouble.
The last time had worked out okay, but it had been a close thing with those mercenaries and Tarot showing up to settle scores.
The last thing he wanted was a fight with his three companions in tow. He didn't need more people getting caught in the crossfire.
He really wanted to know who Tarot was. If he had a way to track the guy down, he could do to him what Hunt had done to his predecessor in Cutter Bay.
Chase hadn't blamed Hunt for what he had done. If someone had killed the love of his life, he might do the same thing. The fact that the man retired afterwards showed that he didn't feel like he could be trusted with the ring.
It didn't explain why he thought Chase could be.
And short of someone who could call the dead, he wasn't likely to get that explanation.
Chase worked his way south from the train station. He eyed the buildings. The gem was close by from the feel of it.
He spotted the river in the distance. His feeling was pulling him down to it. He frowned. Was the gem in the water? He didn't like that at all.
He wasn't ready to take a swim in frigid water and then find a rental car agency to get a car to drive back to the train station. Maybe it was on a boat on the water. That would be better in his opinion.
He laughed at his attitude. It didn't matter if the gem was in the water as long as he could protect his money and passport. His iron body should protect him from the cold.
And it would allow him to search the bottom as long as he had air in his lungs.
He reached the street bordering the river. He admired the stone walls and stairs running along it. He had to turn if he wanted to find his goal.
He examined the greenery, and thought he was in a park area like that of Central Park in New York. He liked it, but he had his mission to get done.
He didn't know what he was going to do once he had the ring assembled, but he hoped that he wouldn't have a lot of problems from people like Tarot. He was prepared to defend himself from trouble.
Maybe that was the ringbearer's job. You carried the ring until you were no longer needed. Then you passed it on to the next guy and he had to guard the ring to pass it on to the next guy in line.
Only Hunt had used it as a masked vigilante for a while to protect his home town.
Did Chase want to do the same thing? He wasn't sure about that. Maybe it was better to keep moving and not attracting any more attention to himself than he already had.
And he had Tarot to deal with when he did get all the jewels. He doubted his enemy would just give up after being roundly beaten at Kwan Lee. As long as his monsters did the fighting, he wouldn't stop.
Chase considered how to deal with the card dealer as he worked his way along the river. He spotted a small boat heading toward him. His ring glowed as he looked at the boat. The gem was on it.
So he had to board and look around, but he doubted that the pilot wanted that.
Police boats plowed after the boat with lights blazing. Chase spotted them in the distance as the first boat neared his position. He had to do something if he wanted to get his gem that moment.
Chase sprinted out on the water. He leaped at the last second and landed on the bow of the boat. He noted that it was a four man ride in red and blue stripes. Twin engines in the back lifted the bow up as it raced through the water.
The pilot looked at Chase in disbelief. He pointed a finger at the ringbearer. Water and ice soaked the traveler down before he could move. He glared at the pilot.
The man jerked the wheel to the left and sent Chase over the side of the bow. He looked behind him but didn't see the American as he headed for his escape point from the river.
Chase had grabbed on the side of the boat. He held on as the vehicle dragged him through the cold water. He sensed a pressure in the water. He took a deep breath. Water exploded around him. He hugged the hull as the liquid became a bubble that lifted the boat out of the water and placed it on a road heading east to west through the city.
The water rotated around the boat like a hamster ball. It carried the vehicle through traffic as the pilot steered around, or over, anyone not getting out of his way fast enough.
Chase punched a hole in the hull. He stuck his face to the hole and got a lung of greasy air.
He held on and wondered how he could stop the wild ride he was on. Maybe he could pull the hull apart. That should stop most of the boat, even if the villain was on foot.
Then he could take the guy out with a punch and leave him for the police minus the gem that belonged to his ring.
That would be the end of Chase's involvement and he could move on to other things.
2
The boat crashed down after running over a small car in its way. The driver jumped clear to let the boat keep going while he secured another ride.
Chase hit the street. He bounced and rolled. He pushed up and looked around. The pull on his ring pointed right at the man in the blue.
The water wizard didn't look back. He had made his escape from the river. He didn't have time for a hitchhiker dumped behind him.
Chase started after the man in blue. He had to get his jewel shard from the guy. After that, he had some yetis to take care of and send on their way.
The local cops could take care of the guy after he was gone. He didn't have a stake in recovering whatever else was stolen.
If he did happen to get back whatever else was stolen, he would be glad to hand that over to the local cops.
He didn't need the money and assembling the ring meant being able to travel. Dealing with the police was not the way to keep moving in his experience.
Chase suspected the man had a hideout close to the water. The man could manipulate it at will. Anyone showing up at his door was bound to get nailed.
The ringbearer paused in his pursuit. He didn't need to chase the guy all the way home. He could keep an eye on him from a distance with the help of his ring.
Then he could move in and take the jewel he needed from the guy.
He liked that better than an open fight in the middle of the city with a lot of civilians around. It would make him late getting back to the Yeti trio, but he could live with that.
He paused by the rail running alongside the road. He looked at the mess traffic had become. The water wizard had created a slide to help speed him along.
He walked after his prey. The ring allowed him to zero in on his enemy while letting him keep well back.
The water wizard jumped off the highway and headed toward a loading area of some kind. A gesture of his hand opened the door. He slipped inside and closed the door behind him.
Chase walked along the road, jumping the rail to land on a hill leading down to normal streets. He checked the signs, but couldn't read them. He kept going where the ring led him.
He paused when he was at the edge of the lot surrounding the building the wizard had entered. He looked around. Cameras covered the space. He wasn't getting in without being seen.
Did he wait for night fall and come back, or go in now?
He decided that he had to go in at that moment. There was no guarantee that the villain would still be there if he waited, and he didn't want to run all over Moscow looking for the guy.
And he had to keep his promise to Taz and her escort.
He ran at the building, skin hardening as he moved. He hit the wall and tore through it. He pulled some wiring loose as he crashed inside the building. He turned to run right at the water wizard staring at him.
The guy reacted fast to the home invasion. He gestured with a hand and water slammed into Chase. He hit the concrete floor and rolled from the weight of the hit.
"I don't know who you are," said the wizard. "But you made a bad mistake challenging me."
"I wouldn't say it's a challenge," said Chase. "I just want one thing that you stole. You can keep the rest of it."
"I'm going to keep all of it," said the wizard. "And I am going to drown you to boot."
"You can just walk away," said Chase. "Someone is going to call the cops to report what I just did to the side of this building."
"I can kill them too," said the wizard. "I am not afraid of the authorities."
"Really?," said Chase. He scanned the room for possible weapons. "I think you should be."
"And why is that?," said the wizard.
"Because the authorities are here," said a voice from the hole in the wall. "And I think you should spend the next few years in prison."
"I don't have time for you, Ivan," said the Wizard. "Go away."
Water struck out against Chase and the stranger. Chase stepped out of the way of the stream. He charged the wizard.
A bubble of water surrounded the ringbearer. He tried to force his way through but couldn't get any traction. He held his breath and looked for a way out of the situation.
Ivan came into the room, clad in dark red with a yellow star at one shoulder. His face mask didn't hide his frowning as he considered what he should do.
Water slammed into him. He floated in a bubble of the stuff as it bounced on the floor. He steeled himself as he glared at his enemy.
"I don't have time for this," said the wizard. "I will leave you two to drown while I find another bolthole, and then get out of Moscow when the heat has died down. Goodbye, Ivan. I'm glad that you are finally going to drown like the rat you are."
The wizard picked up the bag of loot and headed for the door. He took one look back before he left the building.
Chase concentrated on the bubble. He pulled himself to the spinning edge. He forced his hand through the stream. He grabbed the water and it yanked him out of the trap and slung him to the floor. His metallic body clanged when it hit the concrete.
He punched through the other bubble and grabbed Ivan by the arm. One pull was enough to let the masked man gasp for air as he tried to get his feet under him.
"Are you going to be alright?," asked Chase. "I have to go."
"Wait," said Ivan. "What is going on here? Who are you?"
"That guy stole something that belongs to me, so I'm going to get it back," said Chase. "Just take it easy. I'll call the police for you at the first pay phone I see."
"American?," said Ivan.
"My accent gave it away, didn't it?," said Chase. He smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I got this guy's number now. I'll leave him tied up somewhere for the police to find."
"I am the police," said Ivan. "I'm Ivan Kransky, the Guardian of Moscow. I can't let a civilian foreigner try to do my job for me."
"I'm doing your job better than you at this point," said Chase. He smiled. "I'll get the guy. Don't worry about that."
"His name is Yuri Vasilek," said Ivan. "He worked for the 17th Department with me before he turned into a thief and mercenary."
"The Seventeenth Department?," asked Chase. He went to the door Vasilek had used for his escape.
"It's the official arm of the state dealing with super criminals and other threats to the country," said Ivan. He followed the American. His breathing returned to normal after his near death by drowning as he walked.
"Sounds okay," said Chase. He looked around. He saw the Wizard heading back to the river to make his escape.
Chase paused. Should he just keep chasing this goon and endanger himself and the surrounding city? Should he just wait for the guy to quit running. He could track the gem anywhere. The only problem was if the gem and the water wizard were separated.
He decided to hold on. He didn't need to rush after the guy. He started walking after the fleeing criminal.
"Why aren't you in a rush to find your lost property?," asked Ivan.
"I'm waiting to see where he lands," said Chase. "I acted on impulse and it almost got you killed. I want to plan ahead the second time we meet."
"I assure you I had things well in hand," said Ivan.
Chase looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"This is not the first time Yuri and I have clashed since he has left the department." Ivan shrugged. "He has escaped prison through unknown means after being sentenced. We think someone in the administration is helping him for favors."
Chase thought about that. He could see it happen. Say you needed someone to dive for something, and say you had someone who could control water so well he could live in it in prison. How long would it take to make a deal?
He didn't think it would take long at all depending on the people involved and any security collateral that needed to be exchanged.
"Any ideas who?," said Chase. He followed the tugging from his ring. It led along the river. He checked visually every few seconds. He didn't want to lose sight of Yuri, but he didn't want his new friend blindsiding him either.
He hadn't caused that much trouble yet, and he didn't want to add punching a cop to his list of criminal activities.
On the other hand, he didn't plan to be in the country that much longer so he wasn't afraid of adding punching a cop to his list of crimes either.
"No," said Ivan. The lie pinged off of Chase's radar. He said nothing. He wasn't about to get involved in an internal struggle of a foreign security agency. "He has been brought to trial three times by myself or others in the department. He has a meeting with someone who can get inside the prison without leaving a paper trail. He is back to robbing places and hurting people days, weeks, later."
"So someone is granting him a pardon and cutting him loose," said Chase. "You thought about putting him on a plane and making him someone else's problem."
"No," said Ivan. "That's not the way I like to do things."
Chase understood that. Putting someone in prison to have them let go had to be galling. Letting them run loose on someone else's turf was out of bounds.
Chase paused. Yuri was out of the water and looking for a place to stay. He concentrated on the area. He didn't want to lose the guy if he stepped behind a building, or some other obstruction.
Chase started jogging down the riverbank. He needed to see which building Yuri was going for so he could sneak into the place later and take the man while he was off his guard. The guy moved down the riverbank in front of him, checking places as he went.
"He's looking for a place to settle in and get off the street," said Chase. "So far, he's staying close to the river."
"He'll want to stay close to the river so he can use it in case of a full scale raid," said Ivan . He kept up with the American without breathing hard.
"Makes sense," said Chase. He paused when he saw the other man look up at the front of a building that had the windows boarded over. "All right. It looks like he found a place."
Chase slowed to a walk as he watched what the other man was doing.
The water wizard pointed at the lock. Water filled the space for a second. The lock turned by itself. He tried the knob and the door moved aside to let him enter.
"He went inside." Chase kept an eye on the building. The guy could have gone inside to use another exit to go out without being seen. "He might stay there until he's sure your 17th Department isn't chasing him."
"How could we?," asked Ivan. "My eyesight isn't near as good as yours apparently."
"So he might think he made a clean getaway," said Chase. He liked that idea.
"He'll still be ready for someone coming after him," said Ivan. "He's been a fugitive for a long time."
"It's alright," said Chase. "I'm ready for him now."
3
Cory Chase kept an eye on the building ahead. His ring tugged at him as he walked closer. He didn't see any cameras, or reinforcement on the shutters on the windows. One move should get him inside.
He didn't like the Guardian of Moscow dogging him, but there was nothing he could do unless he wanted to take the man out before he went in. He decided that wasn't his problem.
If the masked man was killed while trying to get in his way, that wasn't his problem.
Chase walked around the building. He didn't see any special security. Maybe Yuri was confident in his ability that he felt like he didn't need any security.
That was confidence well earned since he had beaten both Chase and his companion and made his escape without signs of struggling. His water shaping had railed them before they could get started.
Chase wasn't allowing that again. He was going in, getting his gem, and leaving a broken man for the police to pick up and take back to jail.
He checked the building one more time as he tried to decide what would be the best way to sneak in. Punching through the wall was doable, but why bother when you could just open the door?
He hoped the Guardian would stay out of his way until he was done. He didn't want to fight two quick individuals that wanted to get in his way.
And he didn't want an extradition charge hanging over his head so he had to be on the look out for anyone who might want to bring him back to Russia to stand trial.
Chase moved toward the outer wall of the building facing him. He pressed against it and listened to it. It seemed solid. He could use it to get to the roof of the building.
He dug in with his fingers and scaled the wall. In a minute, he was on the roof of the water wizard's bolt hole. He looked around. A roof access door blocked him from entering.
He needed to act fast if he kicked down that door. The wizard would be on the run, and the river would help him from all the signs. He couldn't let the man make it out of the building.
Chase examined the door and smiled when it didn't have an alarm. He pulled the hinges off the metal door and leaned it against the roof access box. He descended inside.
He checked the top two floors when he reached their landings. Nothing moved as far as he could tell. He descended to the ground floor. He paused when he reached the access door. The wizard was there and on the phone.
He opened the door as silently as he could. It creaked in protest. He shook his head and slammed through it with all of his strength.
The wizard looked at him. Surprise and frustration crossed his face. Why do Americans always ruin everything?
Chase slung a piece of the floor at the man. His strength had allowed him to pull a fragment up as he crossed the room. The throw was to keep the man from reacting to him and keeping him moving.
Water batted the chunk of concrete away as the Wizard gauged his options. He didn't know what the American could do. He didn't know where Ivan was. He had to consider the two of them were attacking him at the same time.
The American came in from the right. He seemed to be made of metal. That meant more power would be needed to take care of the problem.
He pointed. A jet of water reached for his enemy. Once he had thrown the man into the river, he would drown him as a warning to the Department.
Chase leaped on the jet and pulled himself down the length in one move of his hands. He slid on the water like a penguin on ice. He hit a shield of water and hit the ground before he hit the wizard.
"I'm getting tired of you chasing me," said the wizard. "I think we're done meeting like this."
"I don't think you can stop me," said Chase. "Why don't you just give up? Your buddy told me that you have a deal going on where you can get out of jail any time you want."
"That is only if he has a job for me," said the wizard. "I don't plan to spend days in prison waiting for some bureaucrat to arrange for my release in exchange for committing a crime."
"Too bad," said Chase. "It would have saved us some trouble."
He charged at the wizard. At the last second, he split apart. His metal body took the brunt of a water spout, forcing the water away from him. His other body slammed into the wizard, flinging him into a wall. He followed through with a punch to the face to make sure the man stayed down.
Chase put himself back together. He looked around and found the loot from the robbery. He pulled out the gem and it flew into its place on his ring. He smiled at stopping the villain cold.
"What are you going to do now?," asked the Guardian of Moscow.
"I'm going show my friends the ocean and then put them on a train for home," said Chase. "Have a good time keeping him in jail."
"I would like for you to help me," said Ivan.
"I don't think that's possible, Ivan," said Chase. "I have places to go, plus I have to keep this promise. I think you can do the rest of the heavy lifting yourself. You seem capable. I like the way you waited until he was concentrating on me so you could rig an ambush."
"Luckily, I was not needed," said Ivan. "I would like to find out who Yuri's benefactor is and stop him."
"I don't see how I can help you with that," said Chase. "Yuri said he's contacted at random by the guy. It might be days before the guy makes his move. I don't have days to wait around for him to show up and talk to Yuri and discuss the job and free Yuri to do the job."
"What if he were to talk to you?," asked Ivan.
"I have even less time for that," said Chase. "I don't want to spend time in jail waiting on some mystery guy."
"I would appreciate it and take it as a personal favor," said Ivan. "It will make leaving the country easier for you."
"I have to take care of something first," said Chase. "As soon as I do that, I could help you maybe."
"I will hide Yuri until we are ready to carry out my plan," said Ivan. "Don't worry. We won't hold you for long. I just want the man who keeps freeing Yuri."
"I guess that's fine," said Chase. "He'll know I'm not the right guy as soon as he looks at my face."
"Don't worry," said Ivan. "I have a solution for that."
"I'll meet with you here in a few days," said Chase. "Then we'll see if your plan works out."
"It should," said Ivan. He applied cuffs to his former comrade. "How can it fail?"
"There are so many ways, I can't tell you all of them," said Chase. "Just make sure he can't use his powers to escape while we're doing this impersonation."
"Don't worry," said Ivan. "It's not his cell he escapes."
Chase walked out of the building. He had his jewel. Now he had to carry out his promise to Taz.
He wondered if she wanted to see the Arctic Ocean, or should he take her to the Atlantic. They were both going to be cold.
He headed back towards the train station. He still needed to get a car, or van, to haul them to St. Petersburg to look at the ocean.
Chase had grown to like the Yetis. He hoped Taz was wrong about the death sentence. He didn't want to hand her over for breaking such a stupid law.
He put those feelings aside. Taz had grown up knowing that her people couldn't talk to the people outside their mountains. The law was to keep the outside from wrecking their place in the world. They probably had enough experience with the Russians not to question such a law.
He didn't like it but he had promised Dmitri he wouldn't interfere. It was up to Taz to keep her word about going back.
Chase found a rental agency. He haggled with the agent over the price of a small van. He got the price down to something he didn't mind paying, signed the paperwork, and drove off the lot.
He drove around the train station, then checked further and further afield until he found the three of them walking along with food in paper wrappings in hand.
He pulled up beside the trio and opened the passenger door. He sat back in his seat as he waited for the Yeti to board.
"How did things go?," asked Dimitri.
"Not as great as I hoped," said Chase. "I'm going to take you three up to see the Arctic Ocean, and then bring you back to put on a train east. I have to impersonate this villain that I helped capture."
"You lead such an exciting life," said Dimitri. He settled in the back seat behind Taz. She had taken the front seat with her imaginary authority.
"It didn't used to be this way," said Chase.
"Once touched by strangeness, you're always touched by strangeness," said Dimitri.
"I guess that's not what I want to hear," said Chase. "Buckle up, we're heading to St. Petersburg. We'll get a look at the Arctic Ocean from there. Then it'll be time to put you folks on a train heading east from here."
"Thank you for helping me," said Taz.
"It's what I do," said Chase.
4
Cory Chase drove north with his Yeti friends. He kept an eye on the road as they went. He wouldn't put it pass the Guardian of Moscow to put a tail on him. He couldn't let Taz and her escorts get into trouble while under his watch.
From the looks of things, as soon as he showed Taz the ocean, he could put them on a train heading east toward their home from a station in the northern city.
He had the feeling the faster he got them out of that part of the country the better things would be. Ivan gave him the impression he would do anything to secure his goal. Holding hostages might be part of his bargaining process.
And he had given Taz his word that she could go wherever she wanted as long as he was around. Having the government finding out what she was would make it where he would have to take on everyone under their command. He didn't mind but he had promised to help keep their secret. That kind of exposure would send the Russians scurrying to find the hidden Yeti city.
He was not prepared to let that happen.
He picked the easiest path north and followed the signs. He spotted train tracks and figured he could drop them off at the nearest train station and let them make their way back.
Dmitri knew how to handle things. He might have only been out of the world during the war, but he seemed to have remembered everything he needed to blend in with the humans.
He would keep the younger generation in check in case of trouble.
"This is not going to be much of an ocean, Taz," said Chase as he spotted the dock area. "It's the best I can do from here, and keep my word to Dmitri."
"I understand," she smiled. "Anything is better than nothing."
Chase nodded. He wished he could do better, but he doubted the Yetis would like to travel in warmer climes to see the North Atlantic.
He pulled to a stop and urged his passengers out of the van.
Taz walked to the edge of the dock and looked out at the dark water roiling in front of her. She smiled.
"This is an ocean?," she said. She waved her hand at the expanse in front of her.
"It's a small one," said Chase. "It's called the Arctic Ocean. It bounds the top of the world and the Arctic Circle. I have pictures if you want to take them back with you."
"That would be nice, Chase," said Taz.
He went over to a tourist trap and bought a dozen postcards. He supposed sailors might want reminders of places they had been. He returned to the group and handed the cards to Taz.
She smiled as she flipped through them.
"It's not much," said Chase. "And it's not much of an ocean, but you came and you saw it when you could have just stayed at home."
"Thank you, Chase," said Taz. She tucked the pictures in her coat. "You have been a good friend."
"It's no big deal," said Chase. "If you need a hand with anything, I'm heading south from here from the feel of things. You might be able to advertise for me in the papers. It'll take a while for me get back to where we met."
"I hope that you find what you are looking for," said Taz.
"I'll be fine," said Chase. "Let me take you guys over to the train station and you can start heading back to the mountains."
"Thank you," said Taz.
Chase waved it away. He knew she was going to her own execution. He didn't like it, but he couldn't make her run away. She was the princess. There was always a chance they would give her a pardon.
If he interfered, it would just make it worse for her.
"We will look after her," said Dmitri. "It is our duty and privilege."
Chase nodded. The older yeti looked neat and put together in his blue suit and older male disguise. It was hard to believe he had fought in World War Two.
Wi's face was a little cracked. He fixed it with a swipe of his hand. He frowned at Chase.
No one should know about the Yeti city in the mountains. This human knowing they existed was a threat. But they couldn't do anything about it. Chase had shown he could do things to get away from them, hurt them if he tried. It was better to let him walk away than fight him.
Wi didn't like that conclusion at all.
He wasn't going to challenge his superior over it. Things had gone well and he had seen the nature of the country bordering his. Humans were strange, but they were just like Yetis in a lot of ways.
And they were unlike Yetis in others.
Chase got them back into the rental. He followed the signs to the station. He parked and led the way into the station. He went to the counter and asked for three tickets for Novosibersk.
"You'll have to transfer to a train heading out of Moscow to where you want to go," said the counterman. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal tattoos, and his mustache took up most of his face. "The transfer tickets are extra."
"That's fine," said Chase. He paid the money and took the tickets and transfer tags. He carried them over to the waiting Yetis. "These are your tickets, and these are your transfer tickets when you have to switch trains."
"We will manage," said Dmitri. "You can count on us."
Chase smiled. He waved at them as he walked out the door. He hoped that his small time dealing with the Guardian of Moscow hadn't exposed them to the government.
They deserved to be left alone.
Chase walked back to the rental. He looked around. He didn't see anyone that stood out as a government agent. He felt that the ring would let him know. He got in behind the wheel and drove back to Moscow.
Why was he helping the 17th Department again? He shook his head. He supposed he was doing it because he wanted to meet the man who had let loose a dangerous monster on his own people so he could get favors done.
A punch to the face would be just the thing for the guy.
He doubted the bureaucrat would stand trial in modern Russia. He would have to be a threat to the current power structure.
That didn't call for a trial. That called for a shallow grave in a field of trees.
He drove into the city and started looking around. He didn't see anyone following him as he drove around. He parked the car away from the meeting place and advanced on foot.
He didn't want to give his ride away if they didn't know he had one.
He might need a quick escape that only a car would give him.
He approached the building where he had captured Yuri the water wizard. Someone was inside. He could see the movement of shadows as he neared it.
He crept closer. He peered through the hole in the wall. He doubted that thing would ever be fixed. Ivan paced while a strange woman sat in a chair that didn't belong to the building.
"How's it going," said Chase. He might as well get things over with despite claiming he needed time.
"This is Agent Sharpov," said Ivan. "She is helping us with our ruse."
"How?," asked Chase. He already missed the Yetis. He should have gone back to the station where they met up at least in case something happened.
"Agent Sharpov is a master of disguise," said Ivan. "She can make you look just like Yuri."
"Really?," said Chase. "I would like to see that."
"Sit in the chair, please," said Sharpov. She stood and moved out of the way so he could obey her command.
Chase sat down. He noticed her face had a lot of markers for different faces. Had she made her own face?
He had seen a lot of things since he had become a ringbearer. A woman who had made her own face was not that high on his strange list now.
"All right, I am going to apply pieces to simulate the real Yuri's face," said Agent Sharpov. "Try not to move until I tell you."
Chase sat in the chair and counted silently. He lost all track of time as his face was gone over. He should have escorted the Yetis home.
"I'm going to hold a mirror up," said Sharpov. "I want you to tell me what you think."
She held up the mirror for him to look at the reflection. He nodded. It was almost a perfect duplication of face and hair.
"Will it pass?," she asked.
"I think it will," said Ivan. "Now we have to get him into the prison and monitor when he is contacted."
"That sounds okay, I guess," said Chase.
"It won't take long," said Ivan. "Yuri never stays in jail more than three, or four, days."
"So say it takes time for him to be told that you're bringing Yuri in, then a day, or two, to find a target, then Yuri's release the day after that," said Chase. "That sounds right."
"We will keep you in the general population until the visit," said Ivan. "You're going to have to defend yourself from the other inmates."
"Powers?," asked Chase.
"We put on cuffs to stop them," said Sharpov. "But some of the inmates didn't need powers to be dangerous."
"So if I have to take some of these guys on, I shouldn't hold my punches," said Chase. "Anything else?"
"We don't know what's going on," said Ivan. "Everyone is a suspect. Prisoners, guards, administration. Once the meeting is over, we will pull you out and put the real Yuri in a cell. We hope to catch this official with little problem, but keep your eyes open."
"Don't worry," said Chase. "I don't even plan to sleep the way this looks."
5
Chase eyed the convicts around him. He didn't like the look of any of them. His disguise as the water wizard kept most of them from trying to approach him. No one was sure if his powers were cut off since he seemed to be able to leave the prison at will.
The ringbearer wondered how much longer he would have to wait. How many people had Yuri killed to stay free from this place? He pushed away the temptation to kill the people around him.
He agreed to do a job, not act as a vigilante inside their prison.
If someone else tried to filch his food, they were getting broken. He promised himself that.
"Hey, Yuri," said Yacob Smirnovich. "The guard is looking for you. They said your lawyer wants to talk to you."
"Thanks," said Chase. He looked around. No one seemed to be paying attention. "Let's see what he wants."
"If he gets you out, see if he can get me out too," said the convict.
"I'll see what I can do," said Chase. He doubted any lawyer would be able to spring the short weasel of a criminal short of an official order from the Politboro. Being convicted of torching three buildings with people inside should preclude that.
On the other hand, if the FSB decided that they needed a suicide squad to do something stupid, Yacob Smirnovich was their man.
Chase looked around for the nearest guard. One stood by the door, keeping an eye on the prisoners. He carried his baton in his hand. They were always ready to lay a beatdown on a prisoner for stepping out of line.
He decided to wait. If they wanted him to talk to his lawyer, they would come get him.
"Someone is here to see you, convict," said one of the guards. He pointed at the door leading out of the general population room with a meaty hand. "Get moving."
"That's nice," said Chase. He walked out of the room. He paused in the corridor. Two guards waited to escort him down to the visiting room. He fell in between them and let them lead the way.
He didn't want to give the game away by not knowing where he should be going.
They stopped outside a metal door marked private. Chase waited for someone to open the door for him. He expected some kind of trick.
He still had his ring on his hand and he was prepared to fight his way out of the prison despite what he had told Ivan and Sharpov.
He didn't mind helping out, but when he wanted to go, he wanted to be able to go.
The guard knocked on the door with his fist. He waited, pulled out a key ring and used one of the keys to open the door. He stepped back so Chase could step inside.
Chase stood just inside the door. He sensed the man sitting at a table. The light was down to obscure the other's identity. He gave the man credit for not trusting the water wizard with his face.
The man waved at the chair on the other side of the table. Chase pulled it out and sat down. Was this the brains, or just a messenger? What should he do? He decided to wait. He didn't know what was going on yet.
"Once again we meet, Yuri," said the other man. He wore a suit. Chase could make that out in the gloom. "I told you that you should give up your criminal life."
"It suits me," said Chase. He tried to imitate Yuri's voice but didn't know if he had it right. "What do you want this time?"
"I need you to kill someone," said the other man.
"I can do more than kill people for you," said Yuri.
"I know, but all I need is for a nice accidental drowning," said the other man. "Do you understand? Quit attracting so much attention. I was tempted to leave you in here because of your glory grabbing. Do the job and vanish."
"I suppose if I must," said Chase. "Who do you want killed?"
"It's an American named Cory Chase," said the other man. "He has a ring that I want. Kill him and bring me the ring."
"I'm going to have to say no to that," said Chase.
"Do you really want to stay here in this hole?," asked the other man. He stood to loom over Chase.
"Not really," said Chase. He looked up. "I just have two objections to killing Chase."
"And what are these objections?," said the other man. He glared down on Chase through the shadow. The glitter in his eyes stood out against the shadows.
"First off, I don't like your tone," said Chase. "Secondly, I'm Chase."
"What?" The man stepped back at the revelation.
Chase pushed up, flipping the table over. The wooden top struck the man in the shadows. He grabbed the man by the neck and dragged him closer so he could see his face.
"Who are you?," asked Chase. "How do you know about the ring?"
"You can't kill me here," said the other man. "The guards would kill you."
"They'll try, but it won't matter to you," said Chase. "Answer the questions. The government already knows you have been springing Yuri to kill your targets. That's why I'm here. All I have to do is present you to them."
Chase tightened his grip. He let the man choke before he lightened up.
"How do you know about me and the ring?," asked Chase. "I might let you go."
"We've been watching you since you've been selected," said the man. "The community doesn't like random players on the field."
"The community?," said Chase. He realized this might be the source of the attacks from Tarot.
"The magical community," said the man. He pried at the fingers around his neck. He couldn't get them to move. "You have been causing us problems and we want it to stop."
"I should have expected something like this," said Chase. "Is Tarot one of your guys?"
"No," said the man. "He is another independent we are looking for to deal with."
Chase decided that whatever community was looking to deal with him was Russian only. Maybe they were only based in Moscow. This guy had been killing guys for a while according to Ivan. That spoke of someone making a play somewhere like a cartel making a hit on a local D.A. How did he deal with it?
This guy could be a point man, or he could be the whole community. Getting rid of him wouldn't do anything to the rest of the players.
Chase doubted he could torture a man for information. He didn't have that in him. Hunt's own experience tempered his decision.
"I'm going to hand you over to the Russians," said Chase. "It'll be up to them on what to do with you and your community. If I see you again, I will kill you. If I have to come back to Russia again to deal with you in any way, I will kill you. If I see anyone I think is your agent on my trail, I will come back here, I will find your community, and I will kill all of you."
"You can't be serious," said the other man.
"There can be peace, or there can be war," said Chase. "If I go to war with you, the government will help me. They won't tolerate a cabal operating against them like you have been doing."
"So you want peace out of this," said the other man.
"Yes, but you are going to have to take some lumps," said Chase. "I promised Ivan I would help trap you. You can escape during your trial if you want."
"I can escape now," said the man. "You can't hold Vladmir Punovich."
Force blasted across Chase. He didn't let go. When he hit the wall, he still had Punovich by the neck. He applied pressure, letting his skin harden to take more of the blasts.
Chase punched his enemy in the face with one hand while holding him with the other. That was enough to take the wind out of him. The ringbearer dropped the man. He tied him up with his tie and jacket.
Chase frowned at the mistake he had made. He should have waited to see if Punovich would lead him to someone else before he put his foot down.
Now he had nothing to give to Ivan but the man himself.
He wondered what Jack Dragon was doing at the moment. The magician might be able to help him out of this mess. He didn't like that a community was watching him do his thing. Did they know about Taz and Dmitri? He didn't like that the yeti could be in trouble while he was stuck in Moscow.
The room door opened. The guard stuck his head in. He frowned at the tied up man on the floor.
"This is some excessive behavior, Comrade Chase," said the guard. He mumbled something and the Guardian stood in his place. "We didn't mean for you to attack the man."
"He wanted to hire Yuri to kill me," said Chase. "I got offended."
"Really?," said Ivan. "We can charge him if we can get Yuri to talk."
"He said that he represents a community, and they have been watching me," said Chase.
"Then they should have known you were in prison impersonating Yuri," said Ivan.
"You would think so, wouldn't you?," said Chase. "What do you want to do about this?"
"Do you have his name?," asked Ivan.
"He said it was Punovich," said Chase. "Can you handle the rest of this on your own? I have to get moving."
"If this community is watching you, they will try to kill you again," said Ivan.
"I already told Punovich if I have to come back here, someone will be sorry," said Chase. "Right now, I have to fulfil my obligation first. After that, I might like to come back to Russia to commit some street justice."
"Vigilantism is not approved," said Ivan. "Still, it would be nice to know who the other members of this cabal are so we can round them up."
"Good luck with that," said Chase. "When is this disguise going away?"
"A couple of days," said Ivan. "Let's get Sharpov and the reserves down here to take our capture away."
"I have to take my leave, Ivan," said Chase. "It was a pleasure working with you."
"I'll have one of the men escort you out of the prison," said Ivan. "But not Sharpov. She'll want to violate our deal."
"Seriously?," said Chase.
"Any superhuman is a weapon for the state, or an enemy," said Ivan. "I doubt she went along just to find out who has been slipping Yuri out. And since I don't trust her, I would rather have one of our commandoes take you out of the prison and get you started across the border."
"I understand," said Chase. Someone willing to defy orders was not going to last too long in their job. He hoped Ivan was valuable enough to remain on the job after letting him go.
When Sharpov and the reserves arrived moments later, Ivan handed their capture over to her. He gestured at one of the disguised men to take Chase while they took the hurt Punovich.
The guard nodded. He waved his arm for Chase to follow. He led the ringbearer through the prison to the exit area. Chase's personal belongings were there other than his duffle. That was in a locker in a train station he planned to use to head south.
He changed and headed for the airlock formed to keep prisoners waiting for the guards to open the door for them. His escort waited on the other side.
"Come along," said the escort. "The Guardian wants you out of the way so we don't have to explain what we were doing here."
"I am for that," said Chase, trying to keep his face neutral at the lie. Something must have happened. Maybe Sharpov had told his escort to stop him.
On one hand, she must have called or radioed down the instructions. On the other, she might not know what he could do. He doubted one guard could stop him if he wanted to leave now that he was so close to the gates of the prison.
The guy might have a super ability that could take him down in one shot.
Sharpov must want his ring more than he thought. It would be a great weapon in their arsenal. He imagined that when he died that the jewels would scatter again so they would have to start gathering them again.
The airlock door opened to let Chase out. The guard raised his hand. A glow of light gathered at the fingertip of the Russian's index finger. The ringbearer jumped forward and grabbed the man's wrist. He jerked the hand to point at the man's face.
"I don't have anything to lose by making you kill yourself," said Chase. "It would be easy."
"You would never get out of the country if you did that," said the guard. The look on his face said cool professionalism. The tremor in his voice said he didn't quite believe his own words.
"Walk me through the gate," said Chase. "You won't get hurt. If you try to obstruct me, I will sink you. Don't think I won't."
Chase hoped his own manner was more threatening.
"Now turn around, and walk me out of here," said Chase. "If you try to shoot me in any way with your magic finger, I will rip your hand off and make you eat it. Start walking."
Chase waited for the guard to try to turn before he let go. He followed behind the man, watching the scene. The main door opened at the other checkpoint. Sharpov's agent walked out of the prison first, the ringbearer close behind.
"We will find you and kill you," said the agent.
"I punched the head off the last person who chased me around the world," said Chase. "I have no problem doing that to others who do the same. Tell Sharpov that I turned into a piece of metal and punched you in the face so she won't try to get rid of you after I escape."
"What?," asked the agent. He started to turn. A metal fist dropped him on the ground.
Chase propped him up so he wouldn't choke on the blood coming from his nose and mouth. He turned and walked away.
Sharpov would be mad, but he just added her to the list of people he didn't want to meet in a dark alley.
Chase started whistling as he went to get his duffle bag out of the locker so he could head out of the country.
Epilogue
Chase looked out the window of his southbound train. Taking the rental car didn't seem that practical. He supposed he could have made a bad decision. If the Russians came at him on the train, a lot of innocents would be in danger.
He thought he could jump from the train if he had to do that and head south on foot. He didn't know how fast he could run, but they would have to pull a heavier hitter than he had seen so far to stop him.
He wondered what Sharpov thought about him clubbing her agent and taking off. What would he do in her place? He supposed she would try to keep him in her country so she could take the ring from him.
He wasn't going to allow that. He had already fought his way halfway around the world. He wasn't going to hand over his hard work to some government stooge.
Chase saw the border up ahead. The train was supposed to stop on this side, let the passengers get off, then turn around and head back. He frowned at the amount of human guards he saw on the scene.
Was that normal, or additional troops to try to hold him in place?
He should have driven. They must have tracked him to the train. All they had to do was get in front of him. Now he was in a situation where he might have to hurt someone.
He took a deep breath. He didn't know if the concentration was for him. He just had to wait it out, and hope he could move on without too much trouble.
He heard the door of his compartment opening. He turned in his seat. The Guardian of Moscow stood in the door, red coat hanging on his frame, mask in place.
"Can we talk," Ivan asked.
"Go ahead," Chase said. He waved to the other seat in the compartment.
Ivan sat down. He straightened his fur hat. He seemed to marshal his thoughts.
"Agent Sharpov has declared you a security threat and issued an order for you to be picked up on sight," said Ivan. "Do you know why?"
"Her guide from the prison was asked to put a hole in my head and take my ring," said Chase. "I assured him that he would be all right."
"He will have to have some surgery to repair the damage," said Ivan. "I suppose that's in the definition of all right."
"He shouldn't have tried to use his energy beam on me," Chase said. "Sharpov ordered him to do it."
"Can you prove that?," Ivan asked.
"Not in a court," Chase said.
"Let's say you're right," said Ivan. "How would you explain things in court? It looks like you attacked an agent of the Federal Police and fled."
"I don't know," said Chase. "I hadn't thought about sticking around long enough to have to explain things."
"It would be a violation of my duty to let you flee across the border," said Ivan. "On the other hand, we did have an agreement with you. Wait here, please."
Chase watched him leave. Did he wait, or did he run for it? Ivan didn't come across as wanting to arrest him. If he had, he would have brought a lot more people. He knew what the ringbearer was capable of and didn't seem to be a man who took a lot of chances with things.
The ringbearer looked out the window. The train was stopping. He slid the window out of the way to look out. The train would stop short of the border station from what he could tell.
What was Ivan up to? Stopping the train short of the station didn't make sense.
Ivan reappeared at the door. He poked his head in and nodded.
"I am going to talk to my comrades about the unfortunate loss of power to the engine," said the Guardian of Moscow. "I would not be on the train when it is being cleared of passengers so they can be escorted to the border and allowed to board their next train."
"All right," said Chase. "Thank you."
"For what?," said Ivan. "This would not have been necessary if Sharpov had honored our deal like she was supposed to do. Now I have a colleague in the hospital, a secret manhunt, and a fugitive more than capable of causing an amazing amount of damage by accident. All this for a ring that supposedly grants mystical powers."
He held up his hands to put quotes around ring with mystical powers.
Chase smiled.
"I hope we meet again under better circumstances," said Chase. He grabbed his duffle and pushed it out the window. He looked out. No one seemed to have noticed what he had done.
"There will probably be problems if we meet again," said Ivan. "Safe journey."
Chase used the window to exit the train, dropping to the ground lightly. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. None of the soldiers were looking at him. How did he get past them to flee across the line?
He decided the best thing to do was get away from the train. They would be looking for him on the train, and the surrounding area. Once he was out of immediate danger, he could turn and cross the border in some way that didn't include getting shot at by the guards.
He walked away from the train, working his way leftwards. He tried to use trees and bushes for cover as he kept walking. He watched as the soldiers worked their way down the train. He needed to keep moving if he didn't want to fight the Russians. Eventually someone would try to box him in, and he would have to punch that person in the guts.
He saw a section of woods in the direction he needed to go. He didn't quite know where he was, but he had been headed into the Ukraine on the train. All he had to do was head south and cross over the border. Then he could keep going until he reached his next stop in Europe.
He would have laughed if someone had told him he would have to elude Russian soldiers while gathering the pieces of a magic ring.
He saw a fence in the distance. It didn't seem that well guarded. He moved toward it, keeping to cover where he could. He didn't need any more complications.
He paused at the fence. He didn't feel any electricity being given off by it. He threw his bag over the top. He found a tree he could climb. He dropped down on the other side of the fence. He picked up his bag and kept moving.
He didn't think he was in the clear. The soldiers might pick up his trail and try to catch him while he was moving southeast.
There was also the question of Sharpov's agents. She might send one of them to try and stop him. The fact that he had taken her gunslinger would not make her happier with his escape.
He hoped Ivan wouldn't get in trouble for helping him. He seemed an all right guy.
Chase walked along away from the border. He followed a river until he found himself in a town center. He paused to look around. He needed to get back on a train, or get a flight on a jet to get to his next stop with any speed.
He supposed he should thank the ring for carrying him along. He decided that he should get something to eat. Then he could ask for directions.
He was still too close to Russia. He expected the agents to show up at any second. At least the Yeti were safe separate from him. He didn't want to think about how things would be if he had to guard three disguised monsters traveling with him around the countryside.
Chase found a restaurant and settled at a table so he could watch the windows. He wanted some warning if they caught up with him while he was eating.
He talked with the waitress about what was on the menu. She seem surprised that he could speak the language but not read it. He explained it as being able to remember what people said better than being able to sort out what they wrote. She told him that her uncles was the same way.
Chase ate his meal quietly. He had his route picked out in his mind. He planned to flee to the European Union, then take the ferry, or Chunnel, to England to find the next jewel for his ring. Then he had to head southward from there to Africa.
He wondered what he should do when he had every piece assembled back in his ring. He supposed Hunt wanted someone to take up the fight again. He wasn't sure he was the right man for that.
He doubted he could carry on a fight for the rest of his life.
He shook his head. He had already involved himself with a fight with the Russian government. He couldn't make things worse if he tried in his opinion.
The only thing he could do was keep an eye out and try not to let any of their assassins kill him while he was sleeping.
He wanted to be awake to see the knife coming.
Chase finished his meal and paid the waitress for it. He asked her where he could get a train heading southwest toward Poland. She gave him directions to the next town on the road. They had a railroad station there where he could catch a train to the western border.
He thanked her, picked up his bag, and started walking. He could get on the train and ride in style to his next destination.
Once he was home, he could take a boat out and sail while he tried to enjoy the fact he didn't have to travel without something waiting on him.
He smiled. He doubted he would be able to sail for pleasure when he got back home. Too many people wanted to settle scores with him. He would be lucky to be able to settle down and have a drink without monsters wrecking it for him.
There was nothing he could do about that other than fighting them off.
The thought that he might be a monster magnet didn't quite fit with Hunt's last days. The man quit operating as the Ring, and nothing happened to him except old age.
Chase smiled. Hunt hadn't antagonized a whole government while he was carrying the ring.
Had Hunt antagonized a whole government? Had he antagonized more than one Tarot while carrying the ring?
Chase put that aside. He had to gather the jewels first before he could worry about more than one enemy. The current Tarot was still out there, still looking for him. He knew how to beat the man's creations, but that wouldn't stop an arms race.
If he knew where Tarot lived, he could have a talk and find out what the deal was with the man. When you could summon monsters from playing cards, why bother with a magic ring except out of some kind of greed?
Once he had his questions answered, maybe they could hammer out a truce. He didn't want to watch his back forever. He was more worried about Sharpov and her superiors.
What happened when he had to face agents in a populated area? He didn't want potential hostages getting in the way. And Sharpov had suddenly turned into someone he would have to take serious actions against to make her back off.
He might have to go back to Russia and do something harsh in the future.
He liked Ivan, but the guy wasn't in tune with his agency's handlers. That was evident from their meeting and the scheme to expose the water wizard's contact. Why pick a foreigner as the substitute when you had plenty of people inhouse that could do the job.
The only reason was you didn't trust any of the people in your agency to do the job.
That fit in with what he had seen so far. He wished the Guardian of Moscow the best of luck sorting things out. No one above him was going to be happy about missing their target on a sealed trap.
Chase found a cab rolling through the town. He asked to be taken to the train station. He sat in the back seat and tried to enjoy his trip. This might be the last time he didn't have to worry about people coming after him.
He smiled to himself. The last time he hadn't had to worry about people coming after him was right before he got the will and the ring. Everything else had been one run from one place to the next.
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