“So the first step of our plan is to gather intelligence,” said Jack. “Where do we

start?”

“We need to take a look at the bank and see if it has any magical thing going on

before we try to break in,” said Josie. “We know magic works here, and the elves at

least can use some of it.”

“And the rings,” said Jack. “Both Accordly and the Dark Rider had them as power

ups.”

“Once we are sure we can break in without causing problems, we need to get anything

that will point to locations and staff,” said Josie. “A master set of books would be

ideal, but anything like maps, or plans, could save us some time.”

“We need copies,” said Jack. “If we just take them, then they’ll know we’re onto

them. Right now, they just know that someone broke in and cleared that one

warehouse out, and cleared this place. I’m surprised no one has tried to take this back

from us.”

“I can make copies,” said Josie. “What if they can’t take this place back?”

Jack looked at her. He looked at Elaine. She seemed as perplexed as he was.

“Why wouldn’t they be able to take things back?,” asked Jack.

“Didn’t you say the guys living here was paying protection?,” asked Josie. “And Guin

was their protector. Maybe they can’t take the place back because they don’t know

what happened here yet.”

“If Guin keeps his word, the only way they will know is if they show up and can’t get

in and we explain it to them,” said Jack. “That’s a problem that will solve itself if we

take some of their guys out during our lookaround.”

Josie added inspectors with a question mark to the board.

“It looks like we might need to get a guard dog for when we’re out doing our things,”

said Jack. “So the main goal is to get into the building, copy their books and any

maps, and leave without exposing ourselves. Am I reading that right?”

“I think so,” said Josie. “I don’t know if it is wise to talk to anyone staffing the

building. They could turn us in for our interest as soon as we separate.”

“What happens if we’re wrong and the Exchange is not involved with the

Montrose?,” asked Jack. He smiled at their disbelief. “I like to have options to fall

back on.”

“If they’re not involved, we leave them alone unless they come after us,” said Josie.

“Until they cross us while we’re trying to cover this quest, then we can start doing

things to make them miserable.”

“When do you want to do this snooping?,” asked Jack.

“I think we should do it tonight to show we’re working on the quest so we don’t get

pulled out of here,” said Josie. “I have things the way I like them and I don’t want it

ruined because we’re not getting things done.”

“Can you stand guard duty until we come back, Elaine?,” asked Jack. “I don’t like the

fact that things could escalate beyond what we can do with our watches to stop them.”

“At this rate, we’ll have to put a wall around our wall,” said Josie.

“Any ideas on how we can communicate without phones?,” asked Jack. “I know you

did something when that bird flew into the training hall.”

“I created a magical homing pigeon,” said Josie. “I left it with Lorelei and Bob so

they could call me if they had problems with their new governmental positions. She’s

a duchess now instead of a princess, but she has to command the areas the Crown

seized from their rebels.”

“So it’s stable?,” asked Jack.

“The elf lands have a lot of magic running through them to fuel the bird,” said Josie.

“They might not work the same way here in Hawk Ridge.”

“But it is a way we can send messages in case of an emergency,” said Jack. He

smiled. “I’m so stupid. I thought so much about towers and satellites I never thought

about just creating a signal that works wherever we go. The homing pigeon was a

great idea. I wished I had thought of it.”

“I don’t like that look on your face,” said Josie. She crossed her arms. “What’s on

your mind?”

“That I am an idiot,” said Jack. “I could have had a phone network at any time if I had

just stepped outside the box like you did.”

“I don’t understand,” said Josie. She glanced at Elaine. Their assistant seemed to be

just as confused as she was.

“We never needed a tower to channel a signal when we always had magic to do it for

us,” said Jack. “When do you want to do the raid?”

“I think we should look at the building as soon as the Exchange closes,” said Josie.

“Sometime around sunset.”

“I need to think for a minute,” said Jack. “Then I need to check to see if this works.

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If it does, the girls will be able to call us any time they need us.”

“What are you thinking?,” asked Josie.

“I don’t know yet,” said Jack. “Could you give me some time? If it works out, we’ll

be able to call each other at any time we want. I need to talk to myself for a bit.

Thanks for the idea. You’re awesomesauce.”

“So we should get dinner together?,” said Josie.

“Yes,” said Jack. “I might need some kind of marker from the girls. If you could get

that too while I am still thinking, it would be great.”

“What kind of marker?,” asked Elaine.

“Some kind of symbol like Josie’s lightning,” said Jack. “Something that represents

them.”

“Like a pony mark?,” asked Josie.

“What?,” said Jack.

“My Little Pony?,” said Josie. He gave her a blank look. “Friendship is magic?”

“Yeah, like that,” said Jack. “Go ahead. I have to think. Then we’ll do the raid.

Elaine, you said you knew the adventurers on sight. The ones at the Bell Tower?”

“That’s right,” said Elaine.

“Do you know them well enough to describe them for a picture?,” asked Jack.

“I don’t know,” said Elaine. “Maybe?”

“That’s something else we can handle after the raid,” said Jack. He rubbed his hands

together. He went to the door. He opened it. “Number Two! Can you bring us some

water?”

He closed the door.

“Alicia is not Number Two,” said Josie. She squinted at him. “If you don’t watch out,

you’ll be stabbed before the week is done.”

“Not now,” said Jack. “I’m still having my moment. I need some paper. And a pen.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?,” asked Elaine.

“I don’t think so,” said Jack. “I just remembered something, and I think I can make

that work for us.”

A knock sounded on the door. Jack went to the door and opened it. Alicia stood there

with three cups of water in her hands.

“Do you know your way around the neighborhood?,” asked Jack. He took the cups

and handed them out to the women while keeping his.

“Not really,” said Alicia. “I came up from the South. My father wanted work here in

the city as a leather worker.”

“I’m going to be doing an experiment later,” said Jack. “I want you to think about

what you think of as something that represents you like a family crest, or something.

Josie has her lightning for instance. Can you do that? Then I am going to need you

to go out and walk around for me.”

“Walk around?,” asked Alicia.

“Yes,” said Jack. “Can do?”

“I can do it,” said Alicia. “Not a Number Two.”

“You can be my number two anytime,” said Jack. “Elaine is my Number One.”

“She is good for you,” said Alicia. “I have to go back to my study.”

“Wait,” said Jack. “Do you really think so?”

“Yes,” said Alicia. “You need someone to help you keep your loon inside.”

“And where did you pick that up, young lady?,” asked Jack. He grinned at her.

Alicia looked at Josie and walked away.

Jack looked at Josie. She hid her face with her mug of water. He looked at Elaine. She

was red.

“All right,” said Jack. “That was a reminder not to ask Alicia anything I didn’t want

to know. Do you two have anything to say before you start dinner?”

“I think I shall gracefully bow out until you are ready to show us your idea,” said

Josie.

She walked out of the office.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Elaine. She held her cup in both hands.

“I think you are good for me too,” said Jack. He sipped his water. “Blushing looks

good on you.”

“I think we should talk about this when things have settled,” said Elaine. She shook

her head. “Then we will have to think about what your Society will think about

anything like a marriage.”

“That’s fine,” said Jack. “I will be ready when you are.”

“Thank you, Milord,” said Elaine. She stepped out of the office. “Good luck on your

idea.”

Jack closed the door and sat under the lamps he had moved around. He needed to talk

to two of his personas to make sure he could actually do what he wanted to do. Then

he needed to test it for distance.

If he could get coverage for the city, that would be more than he needed for the

moment.

And if he needed to expand the coverage, he felt like his idea would be simple

enough to add on without causing problems.

He decided to talk to Magik first. That persona had been a big help against the Dark

Rider. That knowledge would be useful in spell work. He selected a net of spells and

translated that to the top paper in ink. He looked at his notes and nodded.

He called on Mister Fantastic and checked his idea and notes. He found a wealth of

design issues that he wrote down as fast as he could before the persona wore off. He

sat back when he thought he had everything right.

He just needed to build a prototype.

He looked at his watch. He needed to wait for it to recharge. Then he could build a

prototype that he could use to define his idea. Then once he had that, he could just

duplicate the prototype for all the girls, Elaine, and Josie.

He was almost ready to go.

What shape should the communicators be? That was the thing he needed to decide

before he did anything else. He looked at the notes from Mister Fantastic. He decided

on the wristband.

He would rather have gone with the implant, but doubted the kids would go for a

piece of metal stuck in their jaws. He didn’t understand how sci-fi could describe that

and not think how awkward that could be with a device hidden in your face.

The main thing was that the devices would work forever off of whatever energy fed

magic in the city. And the only thing he had to really worry about is if the girls

decided that liked to talk on the phones so much they ran the charge out.

He would have to lay out some rules for them.

He took one look at the design notes and decided he needed the marks so he knew

who was calling him.

Once he had that marked out, he could build something for them to use. Then he

could think about Harp’s new arm.

He left the office and headed downstairs. The girls were at the dining room table,

working on learning how to spell and read. He smiled when he saw them. He went to

the kitchen and saw Josie and Elaine cooking meat on a grill over the fire in the

fireplace.

“I should have come up with something that acted like a stove,” said Jack. He smiled

when the women jumped at his words.

“Don’t do that,” said Josie. “What’s up?”

“I’m almost ready,” said Jack. “I can make a prototype now. All I need is a symbol

to call.”

“I guess use the lightning bolt,” said Josie. “Elaine?”

“I think a quill would work for this,” said Elaine.

“I have to get what the kids want, then I can put one together,” said Jack. “I don’t

expect the range to be that great, but if we can cover the city, that should be enough

for right now. I’ll have to figure out how to add a booster if we need it later.”

“And you think this is the fix we need?,” asked Josie.

“It’s a step, but if we stay here long enough, I think I can add on to the basic model

until they will be like our phones,” said Jack. “I need to experiment with one to make

sure it does what I want before we swear by them.”

“What kind of experiment?,” asked Josie.

“I want to make sure that the kids can use them without losing an arm,” said Jack.

“The basic stuff.”