by T S Paul
“Not on any form or document we have. You might check with Robert Moore and his Were Alliance. They might have some records you can use,” Madeline smiled into her phone.
I was silent for a moment. “How do you know about them?”
“Secrets are like baseball cards. Some people collect them. You would be shocked at the information and secrets that I’ve come in contact with. Trust me on this. Anything else?” Madeline was a friend, but she scared me sometimes.
“I don’t think so. If you can send me whatever files you can about this guy, we’ll dig into it. Has the BAU looked at this guy?”
Madeline replied to my question. “They have. Because he’s a wolf, they don’t want it. That part actually surprised me. I’ve seen that teamwork some really freaky cases, but they shied away from this one. It might be they don’t want to take on the Blood Moon Pack. You can call and ask them if you like.”
The Behavior Analysis Unit was the elite of the FBI. They usually took on all serial killer cases as well as kidnappings. My little division was child’s play to them. I’d met their lead agent at the Academy and had his number already. “I’ll think about it. We’ll start packing up. Just send the files to my workshop. The Marine guards can receive them.” That was something new I had to deal with. The Marine Corp was a pain-in-the-ass again. They just never give up. My token to them was to allow them to run my gate, but they still couldn’t penetrate the actual circle. It was sort of like opening a porthole on a ship. You can see in, but getting through is an impossibility. It didn’t help that I regularly erased their documentation out of spite.
“That will work, Agatha. You be careful out there. If it comes down to losing you or the bad guy, let him go. We need you too much. Call me if you need anything. Expect one of the Bs in a little while.” Madeline hung up her phone.
Closing my eyes, I meditated on the subject of this situation for a moment. My Magick really was more powerful and focused than it was last time we went to Jackson.
Concentrating I could hear Defender and Pathfinder speaking to each other. That was one thing I’d been working on the past couple of months we’d been without our fellow team members. I can hear them, but understanding is another issue. The language was interesting. To me, it seemed like a mix of Coptic, Latin, and Arabic. Emesh claimed he could understand it, but he failed to tell me what it was! It’s just one more warning to never ask a God a direct question.
Grandmother told me to ask either Glock or Calvin in the other dimension, but I’ve resisted going back there. The Badger Hole Bar was where I met Zhanna and her familiar. It was my own damn fault for getting pulled into that mess and fighting a local war with people from somewhere else. Just thinking about it reminded me I needed to tell at least Cat about it. I felt guilty keeping it all inside.
“Hey? Are you two listening to me right now?” I could feel both bracelets stop communicating and turn their attention toward me.
“Do you understand me when I speak to you? Or am I just talking to myself again?”
The bracelets stirred. I could almost hear the individual words this time.
“Power… Work. Trust. Training.”
Somehow my brain translated whatever that language was into English. Or I think it did. “Are you telling me to work on my training and trust in myself? Is that the message?”
A feeling of intense warmth crept up my arms all the way to my heart and head. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
The conversation started up again between the two artifacts. Listening for a moment, I found that I could pick out one word in twenty. Not quite there yet.
<<<>>>
Madeline handed Beatrice a pack of hard-copy files and a data drive. “Take this over to Agatha’s lab and give it to one of her team only. The Marines are guarding her place again, but they are NOT to be privy to any of this. Understand? The last thing we need is them getting involved. If you need help to get inside just call me.”
Beatrice looked at her boss with arched eyebrows. “Really? I’m not that rusty.”
Madeline held up her hands in protest. “I never said you were. Try not to kill anyone then.”
Watching Beatrice leave the Director turned her attention to the other B. “Did we get a report from Arcane about Sicily yet?”
“No, Ma’am. The Vatican is supposed to update us as well as them within the hour. My sources in Rome tell me there is a Demon infestation in the mountains near the town of Montemaggiore Belsito. Think south of Palermo and you will be close to where this is. It’s inside of a monastery complex. According to Rome, that particular church was closed in the fourteenth century and never reopened. Records show it was sold to a Norman baron. Less than a century after the sale, the country changed hands from Normans to Spanish. We cannot find any other mention of the place in any records except taxes. Much of the country was occupied during the Demon War, but there is no record of any battle near that particular location.”
“Nothing modern? What about the local gendarmes in this nearby town?” The director asked.
Betty looked down at her tablet’s screen. “My source says no. Everyone there has always thought it was a Catholic monastery. Clergy goes in and out all the time. The locals have always been told the monks there are all under vows of silence or are ascetics.”
Madeline ran her fingers through her hair in a nervous habit. “So a fake monastery. Do we have any suspicion as to who controls it now?”
“It’s not official, but it fits the description of what we know about the Strega and the Missionaries of Death. It might be their base of operations. Our operatives never suspected this particular church. They assumed like everyone else did that the church was operating it,” Betty replied.
“Pass your information along to Mr. Left at Arcane. They may already know, but you never know who or what they have operating over there these days. Stay on top of this one. Demons are a big freaking deal in this modern age. Way too many cameras around now. We could get away with so much in the past without them. If Arcane activates a strike team, tell me immediately. We might have to fill in with Agatha and her team as a backup. Good work, Betty,” Madeline thanked her.
“They don’t have my sources over there. A girl has to have some secrets, but I’ll tell them. Do you want us to be ready to drop if they call?” Betty asked the Director.
Madeline pursed her lips and looked at her assistant sharply. “A Demon drop isn’t like dropping in on a nest of Chupacabra or that Echidna in Russia. Demons can steal your soul. I’d rather you stay here, but you have to follow your heart. You can tell Beatrice that I included her in this. They still tell stories about you two over there, you know.”
Betty snorted. “They'd better. I’ll think about it. Thanks.”
Madeline watched the best assistant she’d ever had step out of the room. Muttering to herself, she gave a more accurate statement. “They’re scared to death of you two over there as well.”
Some operatives are better off in the real world rather than that of the supernatural one.
<<<>>>
Three cloaked figures stood before a room full of masked men and women.
“... this concludes our quarterly meeting. Trust in the organization to bring truth and justice back to this great country. Many plans are in the works as well as some to rid us of our enemies once and for all. Not since our great founder, Heinrich Kramer has the world been in so much danger. We will overcome and triumph.” The Master on the left pounded a large mallet into a block of wood in front of him.
The crowded room began chanting. “Pound them. Pound them.”
All three Masters secretly smiled. Everything was coming together according to plan.
As the membership filed out of the room taking communion on the way out of salt and ashes, the Masters watched in silence. It was their job to watch and observe the ritual. Those that didn’t partake were singled out and interrogated under suspicion. It wasn’t the first time they caught a spy or two in here. Few surv
ived the process.
“Only one this time.” The Master-of-Arms remarked to the other two.
“He may be innocent. I have it on good authority that man is extremely loyal to the cause. He’s on a funky drug regime for his cancer. How much do you want to bet he avoided communion for that reason?” Vice President Montfort commented.
The Grand Master eyed his Master of Intelligence and shook his head. “No bets. If he has a true condition, then he will be protected. Is our man ready for insertion?”
Montfort smiled. “Yes. He’s one of our best operatives in the FBI. We briefed him and swore many oaths. He knows what is at stake as well as some of our future plans.”
“Which plans?” the Master-of-Arms asked.
The American Vice President and Master of Intelligence replied, “Nothing vital. Just the basics about the future of the FBI and some basic job openings. I’ve found that presenting a carrot rather than a stick is more effective when dealing with these people. Just make sure your end is carried out. I’ve spent a lot of favors getting him into position to make a real difference out there. Don’t screw it up.”
“Gentlemen,” the Grand Master held up hands and stepped between the two men, “we are all on the same side. The side of humanity is more powerful than your petty differences.”
The leader shook his head. “Is everything set up in Texas?”
“Of course. I have several backup teams in place as well. It will be done as you asked.”
The Grand Master threw back his hood. “Let’s commence then, shall we?”
Chapter 4
“Agatha, you’ve got to be kidding us.” Cat replied after I showed her the file from Director Mills.
I shook my head. “Not so much. It’s the assignment. We’re going back to Jackson. Too bad it’s not Jacob Moon we’re hunting.”
“Yeah… I never told you, but I reported him to dad. He told me it wasn’t the first time they’ve gotten a report about Moon. He has a certain reputation among the Packs. A bad one,” Cat replied.
“So the Pack Association knows about him? The director actually suggested I contact them about Jackson. She hinted that she knows more.”
Cat gave me a sharp look. “Does she know about Them? I mean the fact that the leader is your grandmother?”
I shook my head. “No idea. There’s something strange about Madeline. For some reason, my Magick doesn’t work on her. It doesn’t work on the Bs either.”
“Weird. Is it all Magick or just yours?” Cat asked.
“Some of my spells. I haven’t had the chance to experiment. The shield works against them, but most of my spells don’t. I can’t figure out why. Her background information stops at five years though,” I told her.
“What do you mean?” Cat asked.
“Grandmother checked her out. According to official FBI records, she graduated and was assigned to her first post. Then nothing. She vanished into the system until five years ago. Whatever she was doing is classified at a higher level than anything I’ve ever seen. I have to assume the Bs have similar records,” I explained.
“Wow. This is getting to be like that cheesy FBI TV show we used to watch. Too many secrets. Remember that one?” Cat asked.
I looked at her warily. “What do you mean by that?”
“Just that the Director has secrets, and so do we. We cannot tell her about the World Species Council or any of the Pack politics we encounter. You still haven’t told me about how you amped up your Magick so suddenly. Don’t try to lie and say it’s the bracelets. I know you too well, sister.” Cat pointed her finger at me and shook it.
Taking a line from Fergus, I tried to play dumb. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Cat shook her head. “Not going to work this time. Let me start it. How is it you are suddenly an expert shot with your weapon? I have trouble finding range time. How did you? Plus your hand-to-hand is way better. Where did you practice? It’s not like your buddy Cappy is an expert in Mui Thai all of a sudden.”
I could feel my face heating up as the blush started. Cat was making my decision for me about my summer vacation. I sighed and began to talk. “It’s like this, Cat. Last summer I went home to see my mom and spend time in Briarwood. Do you remember what I’ve said about the Garden?”
Cat cocked her head to one side and thought about it for a moment. “Do you mean the part where it’s alive?”
“Not quite. There are portals inside the Garden to other places. If you know where they are, you are able to use them. I accidentally fell into one of them while walking. It took me to a place called the Badger Hole Bar. It’s not really just a bar. There are a library and a whole town inside this pocket universe. I met a Russian Witch named Zhanna there, and we both became involved in a local war,” I explained.
“A war? What kind of war?” Cat asked.
“Time moves differently in other universes. In there, three months passed. But out here, it was only three days. Zhanna and I swapped spells and trained with the local militia. She and two of her friends had a similar experience to mine and ended up there accidentally,” I continued to explain.
“Still not hearing about the war. You said there were humans in this bar place?”
I smiled at her. “All sorts of people, even aliens were there. I learned so much about tactics and warfare. It was a major ego boost and trained me to be a better leader and fighter.”
“Aliens? Like…” Cat pointed upward.
“Yes. Those kinds of aliens. It was intense. You would like Zhanna, she’s our kind of people,” I replied.
“Are you still in touch with this woman?” Cat looked at me funny.
“No way. Can you imagine the Bureau’s reaction to that one? Fergus got a package recently from Dascha, Zhanna’s familiar, but it came round-about to get here. We both could be in big trouble with our governments just by talking. You know how shaky our relations are with the Russian Empire,” I told her.
“I can see that. Especially since you’re the reason, our government stopped using their mercenaries officially.” There was a loud clunking noise below us that made her stop talking.
I looked down at the floor. “We need to wrap this up. Dig into that file and start mapping out a plan. He’s going to kill again, and we need to be there to stop him.”
Cat stood and started to walk away, but she stopped. “You just Fergus’ed me! I can’t believe I even fell for it.”
With a straight face, I replied to her. “No idea what you’re saying right now.”
“Humph. We will be discussing this some more, missy. Just you wait.” Cat turned and left for real this time.
Just talking about Zhanna made me wish I could check up on her. Maybe when Anastasia came back, I could talk to her about it. Since she came from Russia, she might still have contacts there.
<<<>>>
“The deal was for two months out of the year with my people and the rest with my team in the States. It’s been more than that. I want to go home. Now!” Anastasia was mad. So mad she cracked the table in front of her when her fists hit it.
“Aeliana, you cannot go.” The voice came from the end of the large wooden table.
“That name is no longer mine. Call me Anastasia or Ana now. Aeliana is a girl lost to time. She died a very long time ago,” Ana stated.
“So you took my name and lived a life free and clear while our people died. Why is it she is here again Alukah?”
Ana turned her head to address the older woman to her right. “You were not the only one with that name. It was popular due to you, but it was not yours alone.”
The older woman sat bolt upright with fury showing on her face. Her eyes practically flashed as she returned Ana’s statement to her. “I will have you know that I am a Queen! I controlled a continent for half a century. What did you do in that time? What progress did you make for the betterment of Vampire kind?”
Ana shook her head and looked at the woman once known as Tsarina Anastasia Romanov. “
All I see is a mere child of the people. I order you to sit down and shut up.”
The former Tsarina thrashed around in her seat making “mmft” noises.
“Aeliana, must you cause trouble? We are only trying to help you.” Ana’s former Master waved at the struggling Russian Tsarina.
“Master, she doesn’t want your help. I’ve been saying that all along. Just cut her loose and be done with it.” Lord Clearchus was still a bit peeved that Ana had cut him off at the knees and ordered him around.
Alukah glowered from the end of the table but refused to speak.
“Lady Ana. Your Master wishes for you to stay with us here for now. Our oracles have seen chaos and destruction in the world’s future. According to them, it will change the way we live our lives on Earth forever.” Lord Jiangshi intoned from the center of the table.
“That’s more reason for me to go. Helping the humans has been my greatest gift. It’s what I enjoy the most. Why deprive me of that?” Ana replied.
Alukah leaned forward and glared. “We want you to be safe.”
“I can take care of myself!” Ana exclaimed.
Ever the voice of reason, Jiangshi made calming motions with his hands. “We understand that. All of us are in similar situations in our own cities. Now that you have returned we don’t wish to lose your experience and knowledge. This could be the start of another purge.”
Ana snorted. “That was all of your faults, to begin with. You should have stopped it before it reached so far.”
“Stopped it? How could we have affected the human’s choices? They hated us, so they killed us. It is that simple.” Anastasia Romanov slapped her hand on the table to make her point.
Ana looked incredulously at the other Vampires. “How is it she doesn’t know? Did you tell any of them at all?”
The room was filled with the Elders of the Vampire Nation. While Ana was the newest one, she wasn’t the youngest one. Many of those were lining the walls of the room. A select few were regular Vampires rather than Royals.