by T S Paul
Once again Bill laughed. “It’ll do. I was searching for my phone. My wife has it. She didn’t want me working. My team is gearing up for a new case. She knows me way too well.”
“As I said before, she sounds like a smart lady. What’s the other opinion that is causing you such grief?” Gen asked Bill, trying to understand him.
Bill shook his head and smiled. “You, young lady, would make a good investigator. I like how you got me to tell you both personal details and background on my career. The bosses upstairs in the bureau want me gone because they think I’m too old-school for them. They tried to make me quit by sticking me with a bunch of kids as part of a new program.”
Gen nodded and commented, “Interesting.”
“It was actually. Interesting, that is. My new boss is a Witch. The first one ever employed by the bureau. Her opinion of me is the exact opposite of the big bosses. She loves having me around. With just a bit more work I think she will make a first class director of the FBI if nothing kills her first.” Bill mused as he answered Gen’s comment.
Gen looked at Bill with wide eyes. “Killed? Why would she be killed? Is your job that dangerous? I thought the FBI dealt with mobsters and kidnapping?”
“We still do all that stuff, and more. The group I work for is the Magical Division of the FBI. Our team takes on the things that go bump in the night. I’ve seen things that would curl your hair. We have a couple of shifters, a Vampire, and the Witch on our team. They’re a good bunch of kids, and I’m proud to be a part of them.” Bill leaned back on his bed.
Gen looked at Bill with the smallest gleam in her eye. “You might be surprised by the things I’ve seen. Very little scares me anymore.”
Bill held up his hands as if to protest. Misunderstanding, he replied to her statement. “Hospitals are dangerous places. I’ll agree with you on that one.”
Gen looked skyward for a moment and nodded her head. She then looked straight at Bill. “I do believe we are going to get along just fine, Agent Bill Maxwell. Get some rest because tomorrow you are going to hate me.”
Bill shook his head. “I don’t hate anyone on the first day. Not usually.”
“Oh, you will. I predict it. Rest now. Tomorrow we’ll work up a sweat and get you on the road to recovery. It’s the only way they are going to let you out of here, after all.” Gen stood up and looked around the room again.
“Sure. Sweat. I’ll see you in the morning, Nurse Vogel.” Bill closed his eyes as the drugs the doctors gave him earlier started to kick in.
Gen watched him fall asleep. Closing her eyes, she said a silent prayer for the soul of a good and honest man. Shaking her head, she stepped out of the room carefully closing the door behind her.
The halls were dimly lit as the night shift took over. This was the recovery ward, and most of the patients here weren’t at risk of dying anytime soon. Only a couple of nurses sat the kiosk as Gen passed. Neither of them even noticed her passing.
Gen took the stairs rather than the elevator, it was the only way to get to the roof. Bill had managed to disable the lock the day before, but maintenance fixed it adding a louder and more high tech alarm. Gen heard none of that as she opened it. Most mortal and technological things often didn’t work or register around her kind.
The roof was empty when she stepped out onto it. A ladder sat near the door along with what looked like a toolbox. Looking up Gen could see several mounts for what she assumed must be cameras. Gen mused, “You really threw them for a loop, Bill. Too bad I missed that circus. It must have been a sight to see all the worker bees here running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Wouldn’t look good to have a highly decorated FBI agent completely disappear from your hospital without a trace. Not good for getting funding.”
Walking over toward the edge of the roof Gen looked out toward the parking lots and the city beyond. Austin, Texas was a fun town if you could handle all the walking and pedicabs. Not a place for the faint of heart when driving that’s for sure. People in cars were crazy. Too bad she couldn’t take in the sights. She'd seen a few good looking bars and restaurants downtown. Not this trip. No rest for the wicked and all that.
“Why am I here? This guy is healthy as a horse. Can’t you see he’s champing at the bit to get out of this hospital? He didn’t jump off the roof yesterday like you said he was going to. Just from listening to him talk he isn’t going anywhere except back to work. And he’s on the side of the light to top it off. We don’t kill the good guys, Herman.” Gen spoke as she looked up into the sky.
The roof and the sky were completely silent. All the sky offered was a slight twinkling of stars. Gen looked down at her feet and shook her head back and forth. “Stupid damn rules.”
Holding out her hand she said a single word. Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a sword appeared in Gen’s hand. Looking at it in the moonlight she smiled to herself. “Hello, my pretty little friend. Just a phone call tonight, no smiting or battle.”
The sword gleamed in the moonlight. Gen turned it back and forth reading the runes deeply engraved into it. Looking skyward again she spoke to the sky again. “OK. I have the sword. Now answer the questions, Herman.”
Again there was nothing but silence. Gen groaned to herself. “Fine. Please?” she asked.
“Why must you question every assignment? Don’t you trust in those that serve the greater good?” The voice came from behind her. Gen spun into a combat stance ready to confront any threat.
“Thinking of killing me, again?” The man speaking was dressed like he got lost on his way to a renaissance fair.
Gen replied, “just being ready. What do you have to say about this guy, Herman?”
“For the last time, it’s, Hermod. I have no idea who this ‘Herman’ person is. The FBI agent is important that’s all you need to know. Just do your job and stop asking all these questions.” Hermod looked at his charge sternly.
“Like I’ll do that. You know who gave me this job so I can’t be fired from it. Not even by you. Questions are what help me keep my edge. This world has gotten way too complicated to not ask stuff.” Gen waved her free hand at the parking lot and hospital grounds.
“You forget yourself, woman. I was around when Gods walked the Earth. What is to compare to that?” Hermod stated as he looked off the roof.
“Whatever. So, no hints about why I’m here?” she asked the former Viking Lord.
“What do you think? Do your job and be rewarded by the Gods.” Hermod snapped out as he vanished in a flash of light.
Gen sighed at the display of power and spoke toward the sky. “Always the showoff, Herman.”
She waved her sword a couple of times enjoying the feel of it in her grasp. “Not today my beauty. We will do battle soon. That is a promise.” Unlike Hermod, Gen’s sword and the woman holding it just faded out of existence slowly until there was nothing to show she had even been up on the roof at all.
A silent figure watched the entire episode in both the room and on the roof. His left eye gleaming he leaned upon his staff. “Everything in its time. War is coming, and we must be ready for it. All my warriors must be prepared.”
Chapter 3
“I want hay now!”
Opening my eyes after a short nap, I found Fergus standing on my chest looking into my face. Taking naps in the very comfortable chair in my office really isn’t advisable when the little hay-burning terrorist was on the loose.
Reaching down, I activated the button to return the chair to its upright position. This was the best present anyone could have given me. I have to remember to thank Chuck for it. Fergus scrambled around a bit as he went from horizontal to vertical really fast. Pretty quick footwork for the Unicorn.
“What did I say this morning?” I asked him.
Fergus released the hold he had on my shirt with his teeth and came up for air. “That we were out of hay. You’ve had time to find some.”
I shook my head at him and sighed. “The hay you like is Magickal
like you are. Not something I can just whip up out of thin air. Why don’t you make it? You’re a Wizard aren’t you?”
The little monster jumped off my shirt onto the desk and stared up at me. “No idea what you are saying right now. What’s a Wizard?” he asked me.
“Uh-uh. You don’t get to pull that crap on me. I have witnesses this time to your admitting that all blue-maned Unicorns are Wizards. No slipping out of that one. Fergus, you forget I can detect the Magick in you if I have to. Just chill about the hay. It died. Get over it. Grandmother is sending some, but it won’t be all that fresh. Have a nice salad. You can even order one from Juan's if you like,” I told him.
“Ooh. Taco salad for me! Where’s your phone at?” Fergus stopped moping and looked around the table for it.
“Go find Chuck and ask if he wants anything too. Might as well make it a big order for all of us.”
Fergus looked up at me again. “I don’t wanna share with stinky old cats!”
I shook my head and looked heavenward. Muttering, “Why me?" I looked back down at him. “Learn to share. If I have to put up with your bad attitude, I can at least order a good meal for the rest of us. Or would you prefer to eat Chuck’s cooking some more?”
“Fine. When does the human come back, anyway?” Fergus asked as he jumped off my desk onto the floor.
“That’s a good question.” I smiled and yelled for my best and only investigator. “Cat!”
There was the sound of someone either hitting the wall or falling down and then a yell. “Watch it you little pest!”
I stared at the entrance to my combination office and bedroom with anticipation. Either Catherine or Fergus was coming. The footsteps sounded heavy, so I assumed Cat.
“You bellowed?” Cat asked as she stepped into my tiny abode.
“Who hit the wall?” I asked her.
“Fergus did. I booted his little butt out of the way when he wouldn’t move. He’s indestructible after all.” Cat smiled at me and bounced on her toes.
“Please, don’t terrorize him too much. He already has a complex about cats in general. Did you want any Mexican? We’re putting an order together,” I asked her before I forgot about it.
Cat brought her fist up to her chest. “Ooh. That stuff gives me heartburn like you wouldn’t believe. Is it from that Juan's place again?”
“Pretty much. It’s Fergus’s favorite place. He’s in love with Jodi.” I chuckled and shook my head.
“All the women in the world and he falls for a waitress at an old gas station. Remember, he’s your Unicorn,” Cat pointed out to me.
“I know, but he grows on you after awhile,” I told her.
She chuckled and replied to me, “Like a fungus. So what’s up for real?”
“Fergus asked a good question. When’s Bill coming back? We are all missing his cooking around here. I know I’m getting tired of pizza and burritos.” Bill was ten times better at cooking on the bus than the rest of us. He owned a much smaller RV that he used as practice for cooking. Or at least that’s what he claimed. His loss was affecting the whole team.
“He managed to call me yesterday, but I thought you were getting reports from the director?” Cat replied with surprise.
I winced. “Sort of. Director Mills is incredibly busy right now, and all his reports are getting shunted to one of the Bs or even Melissa down at reception. They either are losing the reports or misfiling them. When I do get the report, it is several days to a week out of date. Does Bill himself have an ETA from the hospital?”
Cat pursed her lips. “That hospital is the worst. I had Chuck look them up. They have the most negative online reviews in all of Austin. Why is he even in there?”
“Madeline tells me it’s because of politics and government contracts. Not a whole lot we can do about it from here. At least he’s near his family. Did he say when he was getting out?” I asked her.
“Not anytime soon he thinks. They have him working with a physical therapist to walk better though. He says she won’t let him get away with anything. I did some research on leg breaks. It takes like eight to nine weeks for a human to heal so he should be out soon. Why else would they keep him that long?” Cat stated.
“True. After lunch, we need to go over our newest assignment. It’s a real doozie this time.”
Cat blinked at me for a moment then her face lit up. “What is it this time? Dragons? Trolls? How about Bigfoot? You know, I’ve always wanted to chase one of those down.”
It was all I could do to not laugh at her. Shaking my head, I replied, “None of those. It’s a rogue hunt. I’ll explain in a bit. Please order me the usual and find out what the others want. I think there’s enough money in petty cash to cover lunch.”
“Sure. But you will tell me first! I’m your best agent on this.” Cat turned and left my office. Cocking my head, I could hear her arguing with Fergus almost immediately about what food to order. Using my telekinesis, I closed and locked the door. Total security was one of the things I loved about this bus. Looking around the room, I sighed. When Anastasia returned, I would have to give it back to her. I pulled out my phone and dialed the Director.
“Agatha, nice to hear from you. How is your team holding up without the missing members? I can assign someone if you need them.” Director Madeline Mills was both a friend and my boss.
Nodding to myself I replied to her, “they’re doing well. Chuck was trained as an investigator as well as a forensic specialist. He’s just better with science than action. Any idea when we get either of them back?”
Madeline blew out a breath. “The Vampire leaders are being obtuse about Ana. They’re still pissed that she managed to hide all these years from them. Now that she’s agreed to help them they don’t want to follow the agreement. Two months a year was the deal they pushed forth. It’s been three already. I will allow some extra time for travel and acclimatization, but only so much. I’m supposed to brief the Security Council about the whole thing next week. The Treasury Secretary is a Vampire. I’ll be asking him about her. Don’t worry. Bill is another matter altogether. Did I tell you about the stunt he pulled at the hospital?”
“No.” I braced myself for the worst news. Grown men were like big children sometimes.
“He went for a walk outside. The trouble was he didn’t tell anyone, and instead of using one of the gardens or parks, he was up on the roof of the building. They think he picked the lock on the door.” Madeline stopped talking and let me react.
I snorted, then started laughing.
“That’s not quite the reaction I was expecting from you, dear. Is everything alright?” The Director asked of me.
“I’m sorry. It’s just so like him to do that. He’s been calling Cat and Chuck fairly regularly. He’s going stir crazy in that place. They took his phone and computer away from him,” I replied.
“That’s unusual. Did he say why?” Madeline asked.
“He didn’t, but I think it was a distraction. Chuck introduced him to first-person-shooter games, and he’s been playing them non-stop.” It was all I could do to not start laughing again.
“If his phone is gone how’s he calling you? Don’t answer that. I’m sure the answer isn’t something I really need to know about. Are you ready to get back into the field?” the director asked.
“We are. Is it the rogue case you mentioned yesterday?” We haven’t chased down a rogue yet, and I had told her then that we needed the experience.
“It is. The Memphis branch thinks he may be a serial killer as well. They’ve been pulling records from across the Midwest, and there are too many similarities between cases for it not to be something like this,” Madeline pointed out.
“And he’s a Were? Are we sure it’s a guy then?” I asked.
“Yes. All the evidence points to it. The regular FBI just isn’t equipped to handle someone like that. The measurements… well, you’ll see. Let’s just say his form is massive. I hate to dump this on you because of the location. There are othe
r assets I can call on if you don’t want it.” The Director sounded hesitant. Deep down, I really wanted to ask about the ‘other’ assets, but I kept my mouth shut.
“Where do they suspect he is?” I asked.
“Jackson, Tennessee. Our agents tracked him right to the door of the local Alpha Jacob Moon and his sister Gundi. He’s holed up at the Blood Moon Barbecue.”
As soon as she said it, I cringed. It was our first mission as a team. Bill was the one that took us there. Best barbeque in Tennessee he called it. Of course being human he had no idea that it was run by the local wolf pack and the Alpha was an asshat. “Nice place.”
Madeline snorted. “I read your report on that place. Just so you know, we did follow up with local law enforcement due to your experiences there. They took reports and interviewed the locals. According to them, it was all you and your team’s fault.”
Before I could think about it, I spoke, “Hey, we were…”
“Agatha, let me stop you right there. You and your team are federal agents. You were within the rules regarding Packs and agents. Don’t fret about it. No charges were posted against you. Moon and his people may only be the tip of the iceberg with this guy. Will you need extra help?” Madeline asked me.
I thought about the old case for just a moment. “I think we can handle it. Cat can take on anyone that pushes her too far, and my Magick is far better now than it was then. Last time I threatened to burn the place down around their furry ears. Hopefully, they’ve fireproofed it by now. We can take them. A serial killer takes precedence anyway. If they get in the way, we’ll just arrest them. Is there any facilities around that can handle supernatural detainees?”
“Hmm. Memphis or Nashville is where you want. I’ll alert our offices in both cities to make room in their facilities. I suspect you will be sending them business regardless,” Madeline mused.
“I don’t want to alienate the town like we did in Arkansas, but If I have too, we will. Does Jackson have a Geri on record we can talk to?” One asset we had in Arkansas was a town protector in the form of the Sheriff. He was the literal protector of the pack and called a ‘Geri.’