Page 42 of Any More Questions for the Corpse?

The group hurried down the hill after Mal with a breathtaking speed. Not breathtaking in the sense of shock and awe, but breathtaking in the quite literal sense that very quickly, barring Des of course, they all lost their breath.

“I can’t get hold of Walters,” Des said, scrambling around with her phone. “I’ve sent him a text, but nothing. That stupid headquarters must not have any signal. You sure it’s a trap?”

“As sure as I can be without being there,” Mal said, wheezing through the pain of a stitch.

They trundled down the path, leaving their stakeout hill and starting up onto the hill with the tower. Quickly, they crested its peak and got to the tower’s front doorstep. As they got there a concerned-looking Elaine opened it, seeming confused and surprised by their presence.

“How long has he been disappearing?” Mal said, folding in half, out of breath from the run.

“What?” Elaine said.

“Just this last month or so, right?” Mal said. He found his tone to be more combative than usual. Des began to protest, but stopped as Hala put a hand on her. They watched Elaine’s face change from confusion to shame.

“Six times in total?” Mal said. “Well, you were with him for one of them, weren’t you?” Tears crept into her eyes. Tears that told the group Mal was right.

“Is he still here?” Mal huffed out. “Has he already gone?”

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Elaine said, stifling the tears. “He’s just confused.”

“IS HE STILL HERE?” Mal yelled.

“He just disappeared,” Elaine said with a sob.

“Did you see him go?” Mal said. “Was it like smoke? Or did he pop away?”

“Like smoke,” Elaine said, confused.

Mal turned away from Elaine to the group. “We’re too late. We need to get to that meeting now.”

“Mal, explain what’s happening,” Des said, planting her feet. Mal knew how stubborn she was; he got a flash of her stomping right up to the door of that vampire commune. Hala and Yu moved forward in anticipation.

“We’ve been staring at the murder weapon’s house all day,” Mal said. “Remember what you said to my parents about your first year on the job?”

“Yeah, drunks and old people,” Des said.

“You made that joke about how it’s harder to help old people when they can shoot fireballs at you.” Des nodded. “Well, what happens when that old person is one of the most powerful wizards alive?”

“That’s a big fireball,” Hala said.

“But with Taran it would be …” Mal said.

“Lightning,” Des and Yu said at once.

“Big enough to blast a hole in your chest.” Mal mimed the area Murray was missing from his stomach. “Now imagine someone ‘warped’ that person against their will. Taran arrives in an unknown place, dazed and confused, in agony from the warping. What happens then?”

“Oh shit,” Des said.

“We need to get to that meeting,” Mal said.

“It’s not his fault,” Elaine said from behind them.

“You need to come with us,” Hala said, looking at Elaine. The others turned to her, confused. “We’ll need someone to calm Taran down.”

“Good thinking,” Des said.

“But why the meeting?” Yu said, as Elaine and the group started off down the hill toward Avalon.

“Because someone wants the Order gone,” Mal said. “I just hope we’re not too late.”