Will You Ever Return to Me?

Chapter 22.

After flying over the city several times, Harry decided to get back to his apartment. Megan's body hasn't washed up on any beach, the riot ended, and Hund was nowhere to be seen. He'd have to face Megan's parents tomorrow. He shuddered in his hawk body.

He landed in a secluded location near his residence complex and transformed, then headed into the building. One thing he intended to do now was get drunk.

"Mr. James Evans?" a voice asked out of the darkness.

Harry got his wand ready. "Yes?" he said.

"You're under arrest, Mr. Evans." A police officer appeared and handcuffed him before Harry could say anything. "You're a suspect in a murder case."

"What?" Harry was too shocked. Murder?

"You have the right to remain silent, Mr. Evans." The cop led him back downstairs towards a waiting car. Unable to reach his wand, Harry could do nothing as he was driven to the station and locked up.

Tired from the day, the duel with Hund, and flying, Harry stretched out on the cot in the cell. The murder charges weren't likely to stick, since he was innocent. Then he laughed in spite of what happened. The last time he was thrown in prison, he'd been innocent, too.

He fell asleep soon afterwards.

XXX

Once they were out of range of the attackers, Sherman slowed down. "We don't have much fuel," he said. "Where--"

"Look!" Hemmings said. "There's someone in the water."

Sherman headed where she pointed. Hermione and Anderson both held weapons at the ready.

It was Padma, and she was holding on to Sergeant Bloomberg's body. They pulled her in, and Hermione quickly cast a Drying Charm. "Is--"

"He's dead," Padma whispered. "He died before I got there. I think it happened so quick that he didn't have time to catch a breath before he plunged."

"How--"

"Gluing Charm on the anvil. I broke it, and got him to the surface." Padma shook her head. "Maybe if we got him to a Healer immediately..."

"You couldn't--" Anderson demanded angrily.

""We're still within the wards the MLEA set up," Padma said.

"Yeah. You people are real slick," Anderson said.

"Excuse me?" Hermione looked at him. "Just what are you implying--"

"He's implying nothing," Hemmings said. "Are you, Sergeant?"

For a moment, Hermione was afraid Anderson would raise his gun and shoot Hemmings.

"No, ma'am," Anderson said.

"Good. It's this sort of thinking that led to the riot in the first place. Padma and Hermione did everything they could--"

"Wasn't enough, was it? Larry and Sean are--"

"Larry would be just as dead if he was a wizard--he was hit with a Killing Curse. Sean might be as well, if he didn't hold on to his wand, when hit with that--"

"So it's their fault, right?! Well--"

"Stop. Now," Captain Sherman stopped the boat and rose. "Hermione and Padma had nothing to do with Larry and Sean's deaths. Nothing."

"Sir, what did we accomplish except getting two good men--"

"What did we accomplish?" Sherman asked. "We've distracted God knows how many of them from participating in their original plan. We've stopped God knows how many civilians from being terrorized. And we probably saved more people in the long run because some of them won't be so eager to do this again, knowing they could be shot at." He paused, and cut Anderson off when the sergeant started to speak. "Now, if you say that Larry and Sean's lives were too high a price for that, I agree, but there's nothing we can do about it. And we don't take it out on those who fought alongside us, understand?"

"Yes, sir," Anderson replied.

"If you'd like a transfer to another unit, we can discuss that when we get back to Fifty-One. I'd rather not have you do that, but I will not stand in the way. And this is the last we're going to have of this debate. Unless you have something to say directly bearing on the mission, keep silent. That goes for all three of you."

"Yes, sir," Anderson said again. Padma and Hermione nodded. She knew what it was like to lose a comrade in arms, the pain, the disbelief, the anger that followed. No matter how much she personally disliked Captain Sherman's order, she knew it was the only thing he could do to keep the team under control.

"I do have a suggestion," Hermione said.

"What?" Hemmings demanded.

"Head for Alcatraz. There's a Portkey station there."

"How do--"

"Stone told me once. Besides, the rioters are still there." She pointed back towards the city. "If we appear on the waterfront, we might get caught in again."

"All right," Sherman said, turning the boat and heading for the small island.

"Why there?" Hemmings asked curiously.

"Well, Stone said it was a place no one would go to on purpose.

"You--" Sherman began, but then was interrupted by Padma's yell.

"Stop!" she shouted.

Sherman did. "What--"

"There," Padma said.

Not ten feet from them floated a body. They approached and pulled it out.

It was a young black woman--that was all they could really tell, since she was covered in bruises and blood as to be unrecognizable. Not a single feature remained on her puffy, bloody face. Padma shuddered. One of her hands was firmly closed, clutching a wand. A ring with a large diamond sparkled on the other.

"Damn. What do we do with her?" Hemmings asked. "Any clue who she might be?"

"Who knows?" Hermione shrugged. "She sure wasn't carrying her documents in that dress, and we've got nothing else."

"The advantage of pockets over purses," Sherman said. The three women glared at him.

"You know, the ratio of dead to living in this boat is getting uncomfortable," Padma said.

"If her wand came from a registered wandmaker, the Department of Magic might have a record. When we get to Alcatraz, we can inform the MLEA."

"What happened to her?" Anderson asked as they resumed their trip. "I don't know any weapon that does that, and I don't think that magic like this--"

"It's not magic," Hermione said. "My guess is, she fell of the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Why'd you--"

"It's the only nearby place high enough."

"Fell?" Hemmings asked.

"Fell, jumped, or was thrown. Since we don't know what really went on there, we can only guess which. Speaking of which, I'm worried about Stone. If--"

As if on cue, Stone's voice boomed from the island they were approaching. "Attention, boat! Stop right there."

"Do it," Hermione said. She then there up red sparks twice, and then green ones.

The countersign--two sets of blue sparks, followed by green--was her reply. "All right," she said.

They approached the shore, where Stone, with a lit wand wand, waited for them. "Is everyone--" Then he saw the bodies. "What happened?"

They filled him in as they headed to the station. "I'll have someone from the MLEA pick her up and try to ID her. Looks like I was luckier than you, but not by much."

"Huh?" Hemmings asked. "What do you mean--"

"The bridge riot was the smaller one, right?" Well there were fewer people there, that much was true. But Hund himself showed up."

"Did--"

"If I got him, I wouldn't be here. No, I was too busy dealing with a maniac who was trying to kill me. The MLEA is dealing with prisoners now, but I don't think he's among them. We ought to get back."

Hemmings nodded. Stone tapped a rock with his wand, and it rolled away, revealing a passage. They entered into a brightly lit hallway.

A young wizard rushed up to them. "What's going on here? They look like Muggles--"

Stone flashed his MLEA badge. "We need a Portkey to Vegas. Now! And while you're at it, I have to make a Floo call."

"Uhm, yes, sir," the wizard said. "Take fireplace four."

They followed Stone, who, upon finding the assigned fireplace, took a handful of Floo powder from a nearby bag, threw it into the flames, stuck his head in, and yelled, "Bob Severs!"

Less than a minute later, he stood up. "Stand back," he said, and a fat wizard with the MLEA badge on his chest popped out.

"They wouldn't send me out into the field," he said. "So this is our body." He turned to Hermione. "You say you found her in the bay?"

Hermione nodded. "We think she fell--"

"We'll determine what killed her," Bob Severs interrupted. "I'll say this, no one would have expected this. Hund! My wife scares our children with Hund when they refuse to go to bed on time. A bogeyman, we all thought. And then... this. All over--"

"We have to go," Stone said. "Thanks. Send me a report, will you? Who she is, what happened, that sort of thing."

"No problem, Joe. Good luck." Bob Severs took the dead woman's body and vanished into the fireplace.

"Let's go," Stone said, holding out a Portkey. "Ready?" Hermione nodded, and held onto the large baton. Then, they were taken up by the swirl.

"I'll never get used to them," Padma said as they landed on the floor of a very similar hall--the Las Vegas Portkey Station.

Stone picked up the two bodies, Hermione took Hemmings, and Padma grabbed Sergeant Anderson's hand. "Let's go," Stone said again, and Apparated. The others followed.

Lydia was waiting for them. "You're back!" she shouted. "What happened? Oh, no--"

"Bloomberg and Earhart got killed," Sherman said.

"Fuck!" Lydia said. "We were--"

"Explain yourself, Jones," Hemmings said.

"Murphy's law in action," Lydia replied. "You want the good news first?"

"There is good news?"

"I located their server. It's in a Department of Magic building--that's why I was having trouble. The regional office of the Department of Magic in Phoenix. We can go there right--"

"What's the bad news?"

"We were conned. We were played for fools by Hund. We're still being played for fools by Hund. We lost two men because we were played for fools by Hund. And we let Hund play us for fools. That's the bad news."

XXX

Harry woke up when someone touched his shoulder. "Harry..." a familiar voice whispered.

He stirred and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was amass of red hair. Who'd-- he reached for his glasses. Ginny came into focus.

"Hello--"

"You!" Harry grabbed her, threw her on the floor, and jumped at her, reaching for her neck.

"Harry, are you mad?! Let--"

"Why? Why'd you kill Megan? Are you that jealous?"

"I never--"

"Don't lie!" He closed his hands around her throat and began to squeeze. "How long have you worked for Hund? How long since you sold out? Yaaaow!"

Ginny had kneed him in the groin and broke free. She got her wand out. "I came to get you out of here," she said.

"And take me straight to Hund? No thanks."

"I've never worked for Alan Hund. I have not killed Megan."

"Oh, yeah, I've been hallucinating this whole time. I've tried to kill Hund--ask him if you don't believe me. I'll kill you as soon as I get my wand back."

"Take it!" She tossed the wand at him. Harry caught it. "Stupefy!" Ginny shouted. "I'm getting you out of here, Harry. Whatever you think of me."