Episode 65: Warded Bunkers and Welcome Reinforcements
- Crystal Crawford
- May 16
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Trenchcoat Man snapped his fingers, testing his magic, then dropped his hands in disappointment. “He was telling the truth, the ward’s back up.”
A series of beeps emitted from Trenchcoat Man’s pocket, and his eyes lit up. “This could be our rescue!” He pulled out a little black object from one of his pockets, almost like a phone but without buttons. He held it to his mouth. “You got my SOS.”
“Got it and relayed it, boss,” a man’s voice spoke with a thick accent I couldn’t pinpoint. “By the time we got to the warehouse, you were gone, but Steve stayed back to check it out. Ang and I followed your trail, but you didn’t make it easy. Took us a while to figure out where you’d gone. Your signal’s pretty weak down there.”
I stared at him. “You sent an SOS to somebody? When?”
Trenchcoat Man looked at me. “Back when I first spotted Chloe at the warehouse. I knew right then something didn’t feel right. I sent a quick message to Rupert… and via him, a message to Anglemoor and another friend, too. I never go too far into danger without backup. In this business, you can never have too many friends you trust to have your back.”
“You had a walkie-talkie to call someone? Why didn’t you say anything about help coming?” Collin gaped at him. “I thought we were going to die down here!”
“We very well might have died down here, as far as I knew,” Trenchcoat Man answered him. “They hadn’t responded, and we’ve got a rule—never send an SOS more than once. We’ve had communications intercepted too many times to be flippant with them. We don’t reply unless we’re in range to encrypt things more securely. I knew if they got my SOS, they’d come, and if they didn’t, well…” He shrugged. “I was pretty sure we were on our own, but I’m very glad to be wrong.” He lifted the device to his mouth again. “Good to hear your voice, friend. What’s going on out there?”
“We can’t get in, boss,” Rupert said. “Vorcos has the whole beach locked down, and a whole team patrolling the perimeter. They’re setting up a line of lightning rods or something on the beach. It’s looking pretty shady.”
Trenchcoat Man lowered the device and groaned. “I should’ve traveled while I had the chance.” He lifted the device again. “We’re warded. I can’t travel out.”
“I can get in there with a wardbreaker, boss,” another voice said through the device. “I’d just need a distraction so they don’t notice the disruption.”
Trenchcoat Man smiled. “Anglemoor. Good to hear your voice, too. I’d love a wardbreaker, but even if you got through unnoticed, we’ve got a whole group down here. We’d probably only get one shot at traveling before they caught on, and I don’t think I could travel far with this many people. We’d land right in the middle of their blockade.”
“Then you just need a bigger distraction, right?” Rupert said. “Want us to try?”
Trenchcoat Man thought for a moment, then raised the device to his mouth again. “Not yet. Both of you, keep a safe distance, and give me one sec.” He turned to the cheer hawks. “Brain time, girls. What’ve you got? We don’t give up until it’s over.”
The girls stared at him.
“I’ve got nothing,” Jillian said, looking truly scared.
The other girls shook their heads.
“Me either,” Tory said.
Trenchcoat Man tangled his fingers in his gelled hair. “Okay. Okay. Think, Archibald, think…”
I turned toward Emery, who was between mom and Dad, each of them with an arm around her. “Em, there’s got to be something. This can’t be how this ends.”
She looked at me. “I don’t know, Aubrey, I—” She stopped. “Wait.” She spun toward the elementals. “Two of you are water elementals, right?”
“I am,” one of them said.
Another one nodded. “So am I, but our power is nil down here with the ward up. Plus I’m still stuck in this cell. I can tell we’re underwater, but I can’t do anything to get us out.”
Emery spun to me. “It’s a longshot, Aubrey, but if I’m right about why the extra water elemental was here…”
I suddenly got what she was saying. “You are right, Em. I’ve seen him.” I spun toward Trenchcoat Man. “Rupert and Anglemoor put that big elemental in the water back to sleep. Could they wake him up?”
Lockley gaped at us. “Are you crazy?” She turned to Emery. “Em, the first time we accidentally woke that thing, it tried to kill us!”
“Yes, he did,” I said, “but now I’ve met him. He won’t hurt us, this time.”
Collin eyed me. “Are you sure?”
“He won’t hurt us on purpose, that much I know.”
Collin stepped near me. “Then whatever your plan is, I’ve got your back. Tell me what you need me to do.”
Chloe looked at me. “Same here.”
Lockley drew a breath and looked between Emery and me. “If you think this will work, then I’m in, too. I trust you both.”
I turned to Emery. “His real name is Ryan,” I said. “He’s been waiting there for you this whole time.”
She gave me a sad look. “I was afraid of that.” She smiled. “But now we get to set him free.”
Dad looked at Emery and me. “I’m not sure I follow all of this, but whatever your plan is, it’s all we’ve got right now,” he said. “Let’s try it.”
Mom nodded her agreement.
“We’re right under that thing,” Jillian said with wide eyes. “Are you sure this is safe?”
Trenchcoat Man glanced at her. “Risks are sometimes necessary… like when you’re about to get blown up.”
“Noted,” she said.
“It’s not really a risk, anyway,” I said. “He’s a friend.” Then I backtracked a little. “Well, it might be a bit of a risk. But I think he can control himself, if Emery and I help him focus. Either way, he deserves to be freed.” I looked at Emery, letting her make the decision. “Right?”
“We all do.” Emery turned toward Trenchcoat Man and smiled. “Ask them to wake the elemental. He’s going to create our distraction.”
Trenchcoat Man nodded. “On it.” He lifted the device. “Anglemoor, head on in here with the wardbreaker so I can travel out. But be careful. Rupert, as soon as we confirm Ang’s with us, we need you to wake the elemental. Can you do that from the shore?”
There was a pause, then Rupert spoke. “I can, boss, you know how long a range I’ve got on that, but… are you sure?”
“He’s the best distraction we’ve got,” Trenchcoat Man said. “No one will be watching the docks once that thing rises from the water. With any luck, we can travel to just under the pier, then again to safety before they even see us.”
“10-4, boss,” Rupert said. “Ang’s on his way. Give him two minutes.”
“Wait,” I said. “If the elemental is the distraction, how is Anglemoor supposed to get in here before that to break the wards without being seen?”
Trenchcoat Man smiled at me. “Oh, didn’t I mention? Anglemoor’s a shifter. He’s only got two shift-forms, but his specialty is a fish.”
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