Page 82 of Guardian

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Virginia had found a lost portal a little over one hour north of San Francisco that was remote enough that an explosion wouldn’t attract undue attention. Blowing up the portal located inside the BART station in the middle of the Mission district wasn’t an option. It would destroy the station and kill innocents. Logan understood and accepted that. It didn’t make the drive up north and his impatience any easier to bear.

He was in the car with Wesley driving, Virginia riding shotgun. A second car was following them: Quinn and Ryder, both well-versed in explosives, had packed the trunk of their car with everything they could possibly need to literally send Logan to hell.

Logan knew what he was doing was madness, but he couldn’t give up. He had to get to Winter. Whether that meant his certain death, he didn’t know nor care. He needed to see Winter. He couldn’t let her believe for one hour longer that he’d betrayed her. Her words still echoed in his mind.

I hate you.

They had sliced through his heart and shredded it. He couldn’t let her believe that he’d callously killed her grandmother. He needed to explain to her that he’d had no choice. But first and foremost, he had to snatch Winter from Zoltan’s claws, no matter the cost.

The portal was located in the woods of Sonoma. Wesley had used it once, and it was too far away from any homes or other structures for an explosion to be seen, though the sound would travel. But with some luck anybody who heard the explosion would attribute the sound to a supersonic plane passing or a car backfiring.

The hut in the middle of the woods was really a lean-to. There were only three wooden walls and a roof; the forth wall was a massive boulder into which a Stealth Guardian dagger was carved. This was the portal.

Quinn and Ryder unpacked the heavy bags they’d carried the two miles from where they’d parked the cars, and started setting up their equipment.

“Can I help with anything?” Logan asked, hoping to speed up the process.

Quinn looked up. “I know you’re impatient. I get it. But working with explosives is an art. It’ll take the time it takes.”

“Don’t worry, we’re good,” Ryder assured him. “We’ll make sure this explosion releases the energy you need. The rest is up to you.”

Logan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate all you’re doing.”

“Hey, Logan,” Wes called out to him.

Logan pivoted and walked to where he and Virginia were standing, a safe distance away from the explosives.

“So, this is it,” Wes said.

“You sure about this?” Virginia asked. “You can still change your mind.”

He gave her a regretful smile. “There’s no going back. I have to go get her. It’s my mess. I have to clean it up.” But it was more than that. He loved Winter, and he’d rather die saving her life than not try at all.

“Okay, then.” Wes dug into his backpack and pulled a rectangular item from it that was no larger than his palm. “Thomas gave me this from our vault at Scanguards. It’s the strongest GPS transmitter on the market. We figured if you actually do manage to land in the Underworld, we might as well test this thing and see if we can track you. Might give us an indication as to where Zoltan’s lair is located.”

Logan reached for it. “Okay. Though I doubt that it’ll work down there.”

“So do I,” Virginia admitted, “but we might as well try. Got nothing to lose, right?”

“Right.”

“In any case,” Wes added, “If and when you make it back, it’ll help us find you and pick you up wherever you land.”

“Sounds good.”

“Best put it in your boot, in case you get captured and they search you,” Wesley suggested.

Logan crouched down and stashed the slim device in his boot, then rose.

“How many weapons do you have?” Virginia asked, looking concerned.

Logan opened his jacket. His inside pockets were loaded with daggers, two on each side. “One strapped to each ankle, one on my hip. I think I’m good.”

Virginia nodded, satisfied. “And the map?”

He patted his pocket. “Right here.” He’d had the foresight to bring the tunnel map Winter had drawn from the compound. He didn’t know how accurate or how useful it would be, but maybe it would help.