Temp Work: A Dresden Files Short Story

Twelve

Ebenezar retired to my bedroom in order to perform some healing rituals he picked up from Listens-To-Wind. Hopefully the rituals, combined with some much-needed sleep, would restore him enough to get him back into the fight. I was going to need him. And even if I didn’t need him, there was no way he would allow me to leave him out of whatever was coming next.

Murphy left for the office. She was going to tie up a few loose ends and then take a couple of vacation days. Evidently she learned her lesson after our little trip to rescue Molly. After that she was going to stop by her home and grab some stuff she thought she would need once we located Ba’al and made our move against him.

As for me, I waited patiently for Bob/Mister to return from their recon mission. Alright. Alright. Patiently my ass. I almost had a hole worn in my floor by the time Mouse started barking – alerting me to the fact that my rather unorthodox recon team had returned home. I dropped my wards long enough to get my front door open and allow Bob/Mister to get inside. I grabbed my heavy robe while the dynamic duo headed downstairs to my lab. Bob was back in his skull by the time I arrived.

“Bob, what have you got?” I asked.

Bob just looked at me for a second and then replied, “It’s not good, Harry. It’s not good at all.”

“What do you mean? Where is he, Bob? Where’s Ba’al?”

“He’s…he’s in the Nevernever, Harry.” said Bob, actually sounding a little frightened.

“Great. Just great. Alright. Who am I going to piss off, Mab or Titania?” I asked. Mab is the queen of Winter and Titania is the queen of Summer. Most of the territory that comprises the Nevernever belongs to them. It was a pretty safe bet that I would be trespassing on turf that belonged to at least one of them. And neither one of them particularly adores, or, hell, even likes me.

“Um…well…neither of them actually. That’s just it, Harry. Ba’al isn’t in the realm of Summer or Winter. He’s in an altogether different part of the Nevernever. A rather nasty part, I might add. No one that I know of knows its true name but some call it The Dark. It makes the realms of Summer and Winter look almost tame in comparison.” replied Bob.

“Oh. Okay. I guess I should have seen that coming.” I said. I seem to remember a song that says “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” Welcome to my world. I thanked Bob for his efforts and headed upstairs…to prepare for war.

I cleaned my shotgun, as well as my .44 Magnum revolver. I cleaned my staff and my blasting rod. I cleaned my leather duster and even used a few tricks that Eb had taught me to reinforce some of the spells that I had worked into it over the years since Susan bought it for me. And this wasn’t just “busy work” either. My gear really needed some maintenance and I needed something to occupy my mind for a while. Something other than the upcoming battle with Ba’al.

Sometime during all this activity, Eb woke up. I know this because I heard my shower running and was pretty sure that neither Mouse, nor Mister, was using it. He finally made it into the living room, fully dressed, staff in hand, just about the time that I finished my preparations.

“Hoss.”

“Eb. Um, have you heard of a place in the Nevernever sometimes referred to as The Dark?”

“Yes,” replied Eb, his voice low and somber.

“Can you get us there?” I asked.

“Is that where we need to go?”

“Yes, it is,” I replied.

“Then I can get us there,” replied the Blackstaff of the White Council.

“Great.” That was all that I could think of to say in response.

“Are you ready for this, son?” he asked.

“Hell, no!” I replied.

“But we’re going anyway, right?”

“Hell, yes!”

“I thought as much. Well…there isn’t much else to do, other than to just do it.” said Eb.

“Well said,” I replied. “Let me make a few phone calls.”

The Dark, Eb explained, isn’t tied to any specific location here on Earth, and therefore was accessible from any location. With that being said, we decided to link-up with the other members of our war party on the shores of Lake Michigan. We weren’t far from the point where I once ascended a mystical staircase that carried me into the middle of a battle between the forces of Summer and Winter…and where I set in motion events that led to the death of the Summer Lady.

Eb, Mouse, and myself all disembarked from the Blue Beetle. Mouse went to greet our companions while Eb and I retrieved our gear. Eb had his staff, as well as a Mossberg 590A1 Tactical Shotgun. Compared to me, he travels pretty light. But, then again, he is the Blackstaff of the White Council, and one of the most powerful wizards on the planet. We locked stares for a brief moment, turned around, and began walking towards the small group assembled near the water’s edge.

“Dresden,” said Marcone.

“John,” I replied.

“We’ve had this conversation before, wizard. I don’t like it when you call me John,” said Marcone, quite seriously I might add.

“I know. I just don’t give a shit,” I replied, also quite seriously.

Hendricks, Gentleman Johnny’s bodyguard, evidently didn’t like the way I was disrespecting his boss, and took a step in my direction.

“Take it easy, big guy. I’m not here to fight with you two. Not today. I know where Miss Gard is. I’m going to get her. I thought you two would want to help.” I said.

“I had guessed as much. Even though you annoy me to no end, you are one of the most honorable men I know. Mr. Hendricks, you may give the signal now.” said Gentleman Johnny Marcone.

I don’t know what Hendricks did. I know I didn’t see him move or anything. At least it didn’t look like he moved. But whatever he did, it produced the desired effect. As if out of nowhere there appeared two black, up-armored HUMMERs. Each HUMMER disgorged five men – a total of ten men in all. Ten very tough, very hard, and very dangerous men. They were most certainly mercenaries. They were dressed in black military-style fatigues as well as state-of-the-art body armor. And they were carrying a variety of very nasty-looking, and certainly very lethal, weapons. Marcone and Hendricks took off in their direction…and that is when I noticed Murphy.

She was dressed in a sky-blue, skin-tight T-shirt and incredibly skimpy, as well as incredibly tight, khaki shorts that left an awful lot of thigh exposed. On each hip/upper thigh she wore a tactical holster, each holster containing an HK45. HK stands for Heckler & Koch, a German-based firearms manufacturing company. Chambered for .45 ACP ammunition, the weapon was designed primarily for use buy elite United States Special Forces soldiers.

I immediately wondered if they were another gift from Kincaid. And what if they were? I didn’t have any claim on her. Far from it, as a matter of fact. But, truth be told, it did bother me. Anyway, back to Murphy and the rest of her new look.

She also had Fiddelacchius with her. The Sword was slung across her back by means of an improvised harness that allowed her to carry it that way – and still provided her with quick access to the weapon. And, for the first time that I can remember, she had her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

I walked up to her, and with as straight a face as I could manage, said “Lara Croft? You don’t know what a pleasure this is, meeting you like this.”

Murphy just looked at me, totally clueless.

“Lara Croft? The Tomb Raider? Video games, comic books, movies? Angelina Jolie?”

Once again Murphy just looked at me. But this time it was one of those looks. Then she called me an idiot and walked away. But before she turned to go I did see the smallest of smiles playing upon her lips.

I gathered up my little band of merry men and then nodded to Eb. Eb nodded back. I felt the tiniest whisper of magic as he opened a portal to the Nevernever. Our eyes met briefly before I stepped through…straight into a nightmare.