“Your power is horses?” said Maitho, walking alongside Epona.
“Ye git a problem with that?” she said, throwing him a glance that meant she was prepared to summon horses just for making fun of them.
“They saved us and I owe them,” said Maitho, offering a smile that he hoped conveyed the gratitude he felt inside. “Plus, I’m no expert on horses. But they were quite majestic.”
Epona looked like she was at a loss for words. The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She answered it. “Where are ye?”
The two of them had escaped the narrow confines of the alleyway and had entered the busy streets. Human traffic at this time of the day had increased, but not to a point where it would warrant the label of ‘crowded’. Maitho spotted a few tourists, some of them hovering in front of establishments, having animated conversations. Others discussed among themselves while checking a local guide. While still others just enjoying a stroll while pointing at the many sights they came across.
It was an ideal situation. He knew that Epona and him wouldn’t stand out. They might appear as tourists themselves.
Epona's phone rang and she immediately picked up the call. After listening for a second, she responded. “We had tae deal wit a problem,” said Epona. “Bit we are on our wey tae ye.”
Maitho scanned the people around him. It would be easy to assume that since they had faced opponents with a strong physique earlier, they should be on the lookout for those with similar bodily dimensions. But Raiden could have anyone working for him. Maybe it could be someone with an average build. Perhaps it could be someone who looked inconspicuous up until the last minute, when they might draw a hidden weapon and strike without warning.
It seemed that in the end, Maitho’s efforts should have been on vehicular traffic instead.
Because that was when he spotted the unmarked van. The vehicle was part of the incoming traffic, and was moving towards them in the opposite lane. The van was moving within the speed limit, which made it seem like just another vehicle. But Maitho noticed the speed carefully, as the vehicle was slow enough to allow the occupants inside to look at anyone outside.
Maitho looked at Epona and she gave him a quick nod. She had spotted it as well. “Ah dinnae think it's a guid idea tae come tae us.” She spoke into the phone. "We seem tae have a lot of company here."
When the van was close enough, Maitho turned his head away from it. He pointed to a nearby restaurant. “Pretend I said something funny and shake your head.”
Epona gave a short laugh. It was a sound filled with genuine mirth. For a brief second, Maitho wondered if she was even faking her reaction. She then shook her head, letting him know that she had understood his instructions. Well, he knew that if the Guardian gig didn’t work out, then she might just be able to make a living as an actress.
Using the reflection of a nearby store window, he spotted the van moving past them. It did not slow down or perform any maneuvers that might raise suspicions. Maitho did not turn his head to watch the van’s passage. Whoever was inside might instantly lock their sights on him if he revealed that he was watching them. Instead, he allowed his sense of hearing to take over. He tried to ignore most of the sounds bombarding his ears; people talking, footsteps, doors opening, and winds rustling the leaves of trees. His focus was not on the ordinary. He was listening for any sound that might let him know that their cover was blown, whether that was the sudden application of brakes or tires screeching on asphalt.
There was nothing to indicate that they were spotted. “I think we are clear.” He spoke aloud.
“We haed a close call.” Epona spoke to the person on the other end of the line. "Ah think we're good now.”
Maitho remembered his fight with the group in the alleyway. He had been so focused on what was in front of him that he had not paid attention to the threat from behind. It was only because of his power that he was able to stop an attack at the last minute. Just out of curiosity, and realizing the risk of his actions, he turned around.
The van that he had spotted earlier was parked to the side of the road. Its doors were opened. Two men and two women were jogging towards him.
But that wasn’t the only thing that caught his attention.
Another similarly unmarked van was approaching them on their side of the street. It moved as close to the sidewalk as possible. The door that was facing the sidewalk opened a few inches wide. Whoever was inside didn’t want to open the door entirely, not until they were close to someone. It was perhaps to grab the person or, if required, chase them. But neither did they want to waste time opening the door completely. They wanted to be ready, able to act at the last minute.
Maitho didn’t wait. He grabbed Epona’s arm and began sprinting. She did not resist. Pretty soon, he let go of her, noticing that she was matching his speed.
A quick glance behind him showed the second van speeding towards them. The four attackers were still on foot, but they were now running at a pace faster than either Maitho’s or Epona’s. It didn’t take complex math to figure out they could easily catch up to him.
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“Quinn, ye need tae pick us up now. We're headin towards the junction.” Epona practically yelled into her phone, her tone leaving no room for discussion.
Up ahead, the vehicle traffic had come to a halt for a red light. That would offer a small sliver of opportunity, as the second unmarked van will be forced to wait in traffic behind the last car. Maitho was past that car, heading for the junction. Another glance behind him showed the foot crew gaining up to them, as they were just a dozen feet away.
When the second unmarked van was forced to stop in traffic, the door opened completey and three women emerging from the inside. They were behind the first group of pursuers, but nevertheless, they brought strength in numbers.
Maitho was nearing the junction. He heard Epona yell beside him. “Where are ye?”
No sooner had she said that than a black sedan pulled up at the end of the street. The rear door opened, but there was no one sitting in the back seat. That was definitely Quinn.
“Ah see ye,” said Epona and she disconnected the call.
Epona gathered a burst of speed and Maitho let her. If he was captured, the at least one of them would be able to get away. When she was close to the car, she practically leaped into the backseat, her head bent low to avoid bumping into the doorframe. Her hand clutched the door to balance herself. With agility that was more noticeable in a four-legged feline, Epona entered the backseat and quickly turned around. In her hands was the revolver Brigid had given her earlier. She was pointing it straight at Maitho.
Understanding her reaction, Maitho stepped out of her way. Instantly, he heard footsteps come to a stop behind him. Using the little advantage he was given, he entered the car. Before he was even fully seated, Quinn took off. The door closed on its own.
For a moment, the only sounds inside the vehicle were those of heavy breathing from the two sitting in the backseat. Maitho noticed that he was leaning on Epona and pushed himself away. “You okay?” he asked. She nodded.
“Where are we heading Maitho?” asked Quinn. “Because we haven’t lost them yet.”
Spinning around, Maitho spotted through the windshield two unmarked vans following them. “He really does have an army doesn’t he?”
“And we need to get rid of that army. You know this area. Where can we hide?” Brigid spoke from the front passenger seat, looking at him through the rearview mirror.
Maitho ran through the list of locations he knew in this area. His mind automatically started going through all the public places he could recollect. But then it occurred to him that perhaps, they shouldn’t focus so intently on hiding. Even if they could find a crowded place, they would only end up confined by the flow of human traffic. Their pursuers could easily surround an entire building with the manpower that they had. Then it would merely be about waiting for the team to exit into an eventual trap.
No, Maitho needed to figure out another way. “There’s an old industrial complex not far from here. With your skills Quinn, I think we might be able to lose them there completely.”
The digital map on the navigation system began to move. It stopped just a few seconds later, an inverted triangle dropping into an empty square bordered by yellow lines. A blue text within the box revealed the name of the location.
“Have I gotten it right, Maitho dear?” asked Quinn.
“That’s the one,” said Maitho.
“Then hang on.”
Quinn took the next exit, turning sharply and causing the occupants of the car to grab on to anything nearby for support.
“This is not the way,” said Maitho.
“I know. But trust me on this.”
When Maitho turned around to check outside, he noticed that the two vans hadn’t lost sight of them. If anything, it seemed as though their pursuers were closing the distance.
Quinn increased his speed. When it seemed as though all he was attempting to do was outpace his pursuers, he made another sharp turn, entering into a two lane street. Maitho had to grip the overhead handle to avoid falling into Epona.
This time, Quinn didn’t just turn. He immediately skidded around until the car was facing the opposite direction. His maneuver lasted for a few seconds before coming to a stop. When Maitho looked through the windshield, he noticed that Quinn had stopped perfectly within a parking spot by the side of the road. Outside, the car’s hood began to change color, turning from black into a shiny white. The window tint disappeared. The shape of the mirror changed slightly, making it seem as though it belonged to a different car.
“Lower your heads everyone,” said Quinn.
No one argued. Maitho lowered himself to the seat, ensuring he was hidden beneath the level of the bottom of the window as much as possible. No sooner had he done that than he heard two vehicles zip past them.
For a few moments, no one spoke or made any sudden movements. It wasn’t until Quinn spoke that they relaxed. “We lost them.”
Maitho sat back up, noticing the others doing the same. “That was some quick thinking,” he said, patting the back of the driver’s seat in front of him and knowing that Quinn would feel that.
“I’m more impressive than I look. You haven’t seen all my tricks,” responded the car. Maitho laughed, allowing the reaction to relax him a little. “I don’t think we’ll need to head to the industrial complex," Quinn continued. "We’re out of here right now.”
Saying that, Quinn exited the parking spot.
A couple of seconds later, he braked hard. Maitho grabbed the driver’s seat to prevent smacking his face into it. “What happened?” he asked, caution flooding into his voice.
He received his answer a second later. Outside the front windshield, he saw a blonde-haired man in the middle of the street. Raiden.
But that wasn’t all that caught Maitho’s eye. In his hand, Raiden held a hammer that was easily three feet long. The body of the hammer was an intricate design made of silver. Its head was a large block that was as big as a man’s head and twice as long. Arcs of electricity swirled around the hammer and the one who wielded it.
“Is that?” said Maitho, leaning forward.
“Yes,” said Quinn. “That’s Mjollnir. Thor’s hammer.”