Free Fix by Ferrett Steinmetz

fair.”
    The President had moved onto promising that America would be safe, their Unimancers would guard this broach to keep it from swelling further–
    Paul shut off the radio.
    â€œOK,” Paul murmured, his chin sagging to his chest. “OK. I guess our next step is… we have to get to the safehouse.”
    She pressed down on the accelerator, wondering whether the Appalachian safehouse was still there – wondering how long it would shelter them before SMASH’s forces rained down on them.

Eight
    â€™Til the Landslide Brought Me Down
    T he final road to the safehouse was a muddy ditch threaded around a mountain. Paul tried not to pay attention to their surroundings as Imani wrestled the wheel; to their left was a crumbling rock face, to the right a steep wooded slope. One slip and their car would tumble into a hundred-foot drop.
    â€œHow much longer is it?” Aliyah asked.
    â€œI didn’t memorize distances, sweetie, only directions.” Imani’s voice was remarkably even. “It’s at the end of this road, wherever that is.”
    Aliyah pushed her way across Valentine to peer out the passenger side window, shaking her head. “The seclusion is good, but what’s our exit strategy? If SMASH corners us on this mountaintop, we’ve got no retreat capacity.”
    Paul frowned. A thirteen year-old girl shouldn’t have to worry about such things.
    â€œHey,” Valentine chided. “Uncle Robert set this safehouse up. I’m sure it’s got a few tricks.”
    But was Robert still in charge there? As the road twisted in towards a thick forest canopy, Paul tried not to consider the possibility that someone working for the camp had betrayed them to SMASH, and now instead of a haven they’d find armed men with Magiquell darts…
    They rounded a curve to find the road blocked by a huge golem of teetering rock.
    â€œWhat the–”
    Imani slammed on the brakes – but as they slid to a halt, Paul took in the monster straddling the road. It stood higher than the trees, thousands of moss-covered rocks stacked roughly into a man shape, its clumsy hands reaching out to grab two tree limbs as it bent over the road protectively. The sunlight glimmered through the chinks in a torso formed of fist-sized crystalline rock and shale slates.
    Yet what stood out most was the grizzled old man standing on a ladder next to this faceless rock brute, reaching up to tend to his creation with deft care. His bushy eyebrows lifted high in surprise at their approach.
    He tapped the beast’s side, as if to get its attention.
    The great rock beast made an angry clattering nose as it dove for their car, breaking apart into an avalanche, banging on the windshield as the rocks flowed over their SUV, rolling beneath the wheels, trapping them.
    Valentine tried to open the door; it was stuck fast. Then she leaned forward to tap the windshield, which was miraculously uncracked, though covered with rocks with a jigsaw puzzle’s precision – allowing them absolutely no view outside.
    â€œWell,” she said, “I think we have our answer as to whether ’mancers still live at the safehouse.”
    â€œ Oh, shit! ” they heard from outside – muffled, but at great volume. “That’s Paul! Dammit, Yoder, I told you to stop anyone suspicious !”
    Whoever responded spoke in a low, slow, subsonic drawl, like an earthquake that chose to speak. The words were lost through the layers of rock and an impenetrable accent, but the gist was clear: Hold on, now, how was I to know these were your friends ?
    â€œLook, Yoder, when SMASH comes, they’re gonna be arriving in tanks, not a soccer mom special… oh, never mind. How long will it take to dig them out?”
    â€œBut a touch,” the rumbly voice said, trudging closer. His steps were well-paced, as if no fuss could make him move faster. “All I must do is pop this rock out,