The People v. Eleanor Warwick

Eleanor smacks her phone.

She knows it wouldn’t make any more bars appear, but she does it anyway. “Thanks for nothing, AT&T.”

Her attempts to call Henry a failure, she pockets her cell. By her best judgment, she was at least 45 minutes away from Beck’s pawn shop, and that’s assuming she can drive there straight away, which she cannot.

Eleanor woefully underestimated Beck. She can’t let Jessie pay for that mistake.

With a deep breath, she calms herself and focuses. Extending her arms, palms down, fingers spread, she begins to quietly chant a practiced verse of curious words.

Arcane waves flow from her and spread through the streets. They pass over the tallest buildings and down through the deepest sewers. Like gusts of wind, they reach out across the glitziest boulevards and the seediest back alleys. When they reach their destination, they plunge into their target and go to work.

The Hornet’s engine roars to life. Tires spin furiously as the vehicle dashes out into the streets. With sentient desperation, it sets a reckless pace for the Parkman Bridge and its master waiting below.

Discretion is not a big concern at the moment.

With a wave of her hand, Eleanor sends the door to Four Aces Pawn swinging open wildly, shattering the lock. She isn’t surprised to find the shop empty. Beck had to know she’d be back there as soon as possible. There has to be some sort of clue as to what the smuggler did with Jessie.

The door to the shop’s backroom provides even less resistance. Storage is the priority for the space. Shipping crates are scattered about and spare appliances line along the walls. It’s the small desk in the corner in which Eleanor is particularly interested. Sifting through the neatly organized paperwork within, the wizard plucks out a file titled DEEDS.

Flipping through the file, she nearly does a fist pump. Beck owns a small storage facility in Ferrytown, not too far away. She tries not to be discouraged by the fact she was actually closer to it before she came back here.

This must be where he took Jessie. Taking a moment to memorize the address, Eleanor slams the drawer shut and hustles back into the main room. She comes to a sudden halt when she realizes she isn’t alone anymore.

Standing across the shop stands a tall, bald man with a pierced everything. Eyebrows, nose, lip, ears, tongue, you name it. Making a tight fist, he pounds it into his palm. “You must be Eleanor Warwick.”

“Let me guess; Beck hired you to kill me if I came back here.”

A smirk answers the question.

Eleanor grimaces. She doesn’t need this. Every minute she spends fighting is another minute Beck can do whatever he likes with Jessie.

The metal-faced thug’s hands begin to turn a deep silver. When he strikes his palm a second time, a metallic clang rings out. Eleanor is barely able to raise an eyebrow before the pierced wizard launches himself forward.

Staggering backward, Eleanor avoids the first swing and the clumsy backhand that immediately follows. Dropping further back is not an option as she bumps into the wall. An overhand right is narrowly avoided, and the errant punch smashes a hole in the wall. Sidestepping her attacker, Eleanor moves alongside the glass counter and thrusts both palms forward.

Invisible forces slam into the pierced wizard, throwing him into the tall shelves of the shop. Car stereos and microwaves fall onto him like an avalanche. Turning her arcane powers to the floor, Eleanor rips linoleum tiles up from their arranged positions. The squares form into a horizontal stack. Pushing forward, the wizard hurls the linoleum battering ram toward her foe.

Beck’s thug recovers quickly. He drives his fist into the stack, smashing through every single tile in order. Flying shards of linoleum and plumes of dirt and dust prompt Eleanor to shield her face with her arm. When she lowers it, her opponent is already charging.

Bringing up both arms, the pierced wizard looks to drive Eleanor into the ground like a tent stake. He instead smashes Beck’s counter as Eleanor dives to the side. Eleanor rolls to her feet, but before she can launch a counter offensive, Beck’s goon sweeps his arms toward his target. Glass, bits of metal framework, and numerous display items fly into Eleanor’s face.

A surprised yelp escapes her as she covered her face with both arms. She doesn’t see the pierced wizard charge, but feels the thug’s shoulder slam into her gut. Both wizards crash to the floor, with Eleanor getting the worst of it.

Stunned, her head falls to the side. She catches a glimpse of the wooden box that had transported her miles away.

Metal-face hasn’t realized what he threw at her. He instead only seeks to press his physical advantage. Pressing one metallic hand down onto Eleanor’s throat, he lifts his other, equally metallic hand, preparing to put a splattering end to their brawl.

Thinking quickly, Eleanor summons a spell. A waving sheen covers her hand, coalescing into a small magnetic field. Pointing her palm at her foe, Eleanor’s field reaches out and seizes every piece of metal on the wizard’s face.

As the thug feels the gentle pull on his facial decorations, panic spreads across his face. “Oh, shit!”

Eleanor closes her hand into a fist and every single piercing rips out, clinging to her hand like a powerful magnet. The thug bellows wildly and clutches his tattered face with both hands.

Coming to his feet, Beck’s minion wipes blood from his eyes and begins to heal his wounds. His recovery complete, the formerly pierced wizard moves his hands to find his opponent holding a small wooden box.

Eleanor opens the box and blinding light fills the shop. Turning away from the flash, she closes her eyes and grits her teeth. Once normal lighting returns, the wizard cautiously glances around. She’s alone in the shop. Scrambling to her feet, she shakes bloody piercings from her hand. She ignores a strong desire to find some Purell and hurries out the door.

Time isn’t on her side. Jessie has been with Beck for well over three hours at this point. There’s no telling what he’s doing with her, but Eleanor is certainly going to find out. And once she does, the smuggler will tell her where the Stone is.

Her plan failed.

This time, they’ll do it Jessie’s way.