The Last Dainv-Chapter 128

The Last Dainv-Chapter 128

Snow covered everything outside the SUV windows. Snowflakes fell from a gray sky, covering the pines and carpeting the highway with a thin blanket. Gale leaned against the back window, watching the snowstorm blow almost horizontally.
"Snow in mid-November," Rachel said. "This far north already got hit?"
"First big storm of the season," Ollie said from behind the wheel. He kept both hands at 9 and 3, leaning forward slightly as he navigated the slippery road. "Toronto won't see this for weeks."
The wipers squeaked against the windshield while uncovering the snow that built up in mere seconds. They'd been driving for about two and a half hours, passing through suburbs and small towns. Now all they could see was just wilderness and the occasional gas station with an american style diner on the side.
Rachel turned to the back of the car from the passenger seat, "I've got sandwiches. Egg salad, tuna, or chicken?"
Gale nodded.
She looked through the cooler, the plastic wrap making a crackling noise. "There's also fruits. Apples, bananas. And some hotdogs I can heat up if you want something warm."
The SUV hit ice, causing the car to shake a little. "Jesus Christ, guys. This isn't a damn picnic. We're driving to investigate some secret coordinates that might be full of people who want to kill us."
Rachel continued looking through the cooler by her feet, "We still need to eat." She passed a water bottle back to Gale. "Drink this."
"He can wait until we stop," Ollie said.
"He's a growing boy," Rachel said. "Look at him. He's skin and bones."
"I'm not a kid." Gale took the water bottle. He opened it and drank. "But I'll take an egg sandwich. You got any apple juice in there?"
"Of course." Rachel smiled and handed back a wrapped sandwich and a juice box.
Ollie looked in the mirror. "I cannot believe you're drinking from a juice box right now."
Gale stabbed the juice box and sipped on the straw. "I'm still growing though."
Rachel turned to Ollie, unwrapping and passing a sandwich to him. "Here. Being hungry is making you angry."
"I'm not hungry!" Ollie said, taking the sandwich anyways. "All I want from this little expedition is the tech," he said while chewing. "We get in, steal whatever fancy equipment they're using to make artificial rifts, and get out. No heroics."
Rachel pulled out an apple from the cooler, wiping it on her sleeve. "There might be more worth investigating. My family never paid much attention to the Silver Lions as long as they stayed in their lane."
"Do families run everything in Aur?" Gale asked, taking a big bite, taking out half of the egg sandwich.
"Not everything," Rachel said. "But there are six main families in North America with significant influence." She bit her apple and chewed a bit. "The Ann Estate, that's us. The Silver Lions. The Salem Family started as actual witches back in the day, completely separate from the Blue Witches Lily runs. Ollie's master is notoriously a member of it."
"Wait," Gale said. "Like Salem witch trials Salem?"
"That's the one. Then there's the Cloverfield Family on the west coast that specializes in sea warfare. The Bentley Estate focuses on magical engineering. And finally, the Baker Family in Central America, who excel at divination."
"All of them are a pain in my ass. Too old-fashioned. Too secretive. And they don't give a damn about money, which makes them impossible to deal with." Ollie snorted. He side eyed Rachel. "Even the one beside me is now having a picnic in the middle of a snowstorm."
"Whatever, not my business," Rachel said dryly.
"Plus they've all got their own stupid conflicts with each other." Ollie sped past a slow minivan. "Did you see that garbage in the New Aurian Times last week? The Bakers and Bentleys are at each other's throats again."
"What happened?" Gale asked.
"The Bakers got offended by something the Bentleys haven't even done yet." Ollie laughed. "Divination problems, right? 'You're going to insult my granddaughter at a party three years from now, so I hate you now.' Completely stupid."
Rachel took the last bite of her apple. "The Ann Estate stays out of those conflicts."
"Yeah, weirdly enough," Ollie said. "Your grandmother's the only one who doesn't play those games. But I know she's scheming something. Something I can't smell and taste, and I'm willing to bet a kidney on it."
Rachel turned her body to look at Gale. "My grandmother and I are different. Anything between us stays between us. You get what I mean, right?"
Gale nodded. Of course he got it. He's not an outsider to her, but maybe to her grandma. Weird that the butler calls him 'master' suddenly after calling him a literal hobo before. He looked down at his outfit. A hoodie that actually fits him, slightly on the looser side and also finally jeans that weren't ripped, provided by Rachel. Only bad thing about this was that the jacket was a bit too puffy for his comfort. It said Canada Goose, but it smelled and tasted nothing like the geese he'd hunted and eaten before. A bunch of liars, that's what they were.
"Wait a minute!" Ollie said. "I'm trustworthy too!"
"Selling information is literally one part of your business," Rachel said.
"I prefer 'strategic business intelligence broker,'" Ollie said.
Gale took a second big bite of the sandwich, finishing the whole sandwich, then crumpling up the wrapper. "Thanks for the food."
"There's more if you want it," Rachel said.
Ollie pointed ahead. "Gas station coming up. We need to fill the tank."
They pulled off into a small gas station with a mini-mart. Only two other vehicles were there, a rusty pickup truck clearly from the '80s and a dented sedan. Snow continued to pile up in the corners of the lot not covered by the outside ceiling of the station.
Ollie parked near the pumps. "I'll fill up. You two can stretch your legs if you want."
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Gale put on the Canada Goose that definitely didn't have goose and opened the door. Stepping outside, he was met with a satisfying crunch of the snow under his boots that was also somehow branded with goose and, also definitely not containing goose. Couldn't complain though. They were a perfect fit and easy to move in despite being boots.
She came out of the car as well, zipping up her jacket that was the same brand.
"We should grab some more snacks, the more the better," Rachel said. "The next stretch won't have many places to stop."
Before they could walk toward the mini-mart, another car pulled up with loud exhausts, enough to hear before the snow finally parted to reveal a large black SUV. It pulled up at the pump across from them.
"Shit," Ollie said, his hands reaching quickly for the pumps. "Gale, Rachel, get in the store. Now."
"What?" Gale looked at the car. The license plate read "TWINS22" in blue against a white backdrop.
"That's the twins, get in quickly!" Ollie whispered harshly.
"Come on," Rachel whispered, grabbing his arm.
The large black SUV driver side door opened, and a familiar tall figure came out. Kyle zipped up his jacket, breath fogging up as he breathed, and smiled at them. "Relax, guys. Ollie, we're coworkers, remember?"
"Coworkers?" Ollie gripped the gas pump tighter. "Not after you shot me up a bunch of times at the airport. You knew damn well I was using non-lethal."
The passenger side door opened, and Clyde came out, looking as relaxed as his brother. He wore the same black tactical pants and navy blue jacket as Kyle, with the identical messy haircut.
"Just water under the bridge," Clyde said.
Kyle closed the door behind him and leaned on it, eyes turning from Ollie to Rachel, then to Gale. "What brings Path's golden boy and his friends out this way? Bit far from the city, aren't you?"
Ollie didn't reply. His eyes stuck on the gas pump numbers instead.
"46°49'45.3"N 80°57'40.9"W, these numbers ring a bell?" Kyle smirked.
Clyde smirked as well. "Looks like we're coworkers for this bout, just like old times, eh, Ollie?"
Coworkers just like old times? That was new. Didn't realize Ollie had worked with these people before. Also acting too comfortable with Ollie for Gale's comfort. He could strike now if he needed to. Left hand already in his left pocket, ready to bring up Weber blade.
Rachel smiled and clapped her hands. "Would you two like some sandwiches? I've got plenty. One each if you want!"
She walked back to the car without waiting, opening the door to get the cooler.
"I'll take chicken if you've got it," Kyle said.
"Tuna for me," Clyde said.
Ollie pinched his nose and muttered something that sounded like "unbelievable."
Rachel's in danger.
Right hand twitched. These guys were literally just shooting at him and her butler just several days ago.
"Relax, Sword Boy," Kyle said, eyes on Gale's right hand. "Like we said, water under the bridge."
"Yeah," Clyde nodded. "That woosh-woosh sword action of yours at the airport? Very impressive."
Kyle laughed. "Also, nice job getting away from Hound. Not many people manage that."
Gale frowned. "How does everyone know about that?"
Rachel returned with two wrapped sandwiches for the twins. "Harrison Hound. The guy literally used his last name as his call sign. He's in the Path's custody right now thanks to you and he isn't exactly smart in keeping his mouth shut. He's been ranting to anyone who would listen about how he almost caught the 'invisible sword wielder' but lost him in the lake."
Kyle unwrapped his sandwich. "Thanks!"
Ollie finished filling the tank and put the nozzle back forcefully. "We should get going."
"You guys want anything else from inside?" Rachel asked, pointing to the mini-mart. "Gale and I were just about to get some snacks."
"Thanks! But we're good," Clyde said with his mouth full, chewing. "Hey Ollie, turn on your walkie-talkie app. Keep comms up. We're coworkers for this mission, and you already know what that means."
Ollie closed the gas cap. "Let me guess, you want to steal some shit too?"
Kyle's eyes lit up. "Just like the old times?"
A moment passed, and then Clyde, Kyle, and Ollie started laughing for a full half minute.
"Fuck you," Ollie said suddenly. "Both of you."
"Fuck you too, eh," Kyle said with a grin.
What the hell was he even watching? At one point, they were all acting comfortably. Then they laughed together. Then now they're cursing each other. Adults will never be not weird. That's a fact of life.
Rachel pulled on Gale's arm. "Come on, let's get those snacks before we hit the road again."
Inside the mini-mart, Gale kept looking through the windows at the twins and Ollie talking outside. "Should we trust them?"
"Trust is a strong word. They're Path agents… but not Path agents. It's hard to describe, but they won't try anything in broad daylight if they're also after the same thing." Rachel picked up some chips, vinegar and salt, ketchup. She then went to the drink fridge and grabbed a couple of Arizona iced teas. "99 cents. Amazing how they've kept their prices down all these years."
Gale got a few more snacks and a chocolate bar, then joining Rachel at the register. "They tried to kill us!"
"Welcome to Aur," Rachel tapped her phone on the terminal. "Grudges and last week's assassination attempt often get discussed over the same dinner table."
Leaving the mini-mart, Kyle and Clyde were already in their SUV. Ollie stood by the car, clearly with a frown on his face, arms crossed, tapping his index finger.
"All set?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah." Ollie opened the driver's door. "The twins are heading to the same coordinates."
They got into the SUV and pulled back onto the highway, the twins followed close behind as the snowstorm limited visibility.
"Are you three ok?" Gale asked, opening his chips.
Ollie kept his eyes on the road. "We used to run ops together. We were a good team. Too good. Then they backstabbed me to climb the ladder. They aired out my closet, told everyone, just to move up one rank."
"So why work with them now?" Gale asked.
"Because they're useful. And predictable in their treachery." Ollie adjusted the heat down. "Plus, this way I can keep an eye on them."
Rachel turned in her seat, adjusting the heat back up. "Is the plan still to steal whatever tech they're using for artificial rifts?"
"Yes," Ollie said. "Not sure what the twins want, but they'll probably steal stuff too, arrest everyone, if any, and take all for the bust. Not that I care, since I get to steal what I want."
Gale ate a chip. "Sounds like you're planning to backstab them."
Ollie laughed. "What gave it away?"
"What about you, Rachel? What's your experience with the twins?" Gale asked.
Rachel looked back at Gale. "I closed a rift with them once. Remember that time I mentioned I was used as a candle in the darkness? That was my first time seeing them in actual action. The way they sync together was mesmerizing. They're not 1 plus 1 equals 3. They're more like 1 plus 1 equals 6 when they fight together."
Ollie mumbled something quietly.
"What was that?" Rachel asked.
"Nothing," Ollie said. "Just agreeing with your assessment of their combat abilities."
Gale looked to the side out the window. The landscape had become more remote. No more farm fields, now just becoming full of trees. Signage warned of wildlife crossings, and they hadn't seen another vehicle except for the twins behind them.
"I still don't get it," Gale said. "You guys were shooting at each other, next you're giving them sandwiches and having a laugh together."
"Welcome to Aur," Ollie said. "Today's enemy is tomorrow's asset, especially when you're both after the same thing."
Rachel pulled out a notebook and started writing. "We should establish a signal in case things go wrong. Something the twins wouldn't recognize."
"Good idea," Ollie said. "Let's think about that."
Static came from Ollie's phone, then Kyle's voice came through: "Testing, testing. You hear us, Ollie? Pssht over."
Ollie sighed and pressed a button. "Loud and clear, unfortunately."
"Weather says the snow gets worse up ahead," Clyde said next. "We thinking of stopping somewhere or pushing through? Pssht over."
"Pushing through," Ollie said. "I want to reach the site before dark."
"Roger that," Kyle said. "And use standard radio etiquette please, say over when you're done. Pssht over."
"No thank you. Pssht not over," Ollie said.

Chapter 128