Federal Agents of Magic Boxed Set

by T. R. Cameron

  Rath grinned. “Ready Player One. Great film.” She gave him a grin and a nod, and Diana realized she’d probably need to schedule more movie time to keep up with the troll.

  The blonde pushed the hair out of her face. “So, what do you want to talk about—defense or equipment? And where are the other three?”

  Diana was more excited about the gear, so she decided to do the less fun part first. “Defense. Tony and Cara are out on a consult, then going after a level-two. It shouldn’t be a problem.” The security consulting and bounty hunting agency slowly gained traction, and Tony did a fantastic job as its visible leader. His detective skills made him good at reading people. Sloan would have been a valuable addition, too, if they didn’t need to keep him off the radar. “Our Face is out doing Face things, I presume.”

  Kayleigh nodded. “Defense it is.” She gestured toward one of the tables and retrieved a black box with a large lens on the top from a cabinet. Once she’d positioned the device on the worktable, she pressed the activation button. A holographic projection appeared in the air above it, and the tech manipulated the image with gestures.

  Damn. I really need to get some of those sensors.

  Diana laughed inwardly as she looked at her hands. But first, I have to quit breaking my nails in fights, I suppose.

  The picture zoomed in on the parking area. “Okay, we’ve added a suite of detectors at the entrance to the base’s level of the garage. Our cars will have a transponder inside to allow them to enter without setting off an alert. If anyone else drives in, we’ll all know about it.”

  Anik asked, “Won’t that lead to a slew of false alarms?”

  Kayleigh shrugged, and the projection shifted a little in response. “Probably. But the cameras are easily checked, and any one of us can clear the signal through the AR interface.”

  “That’s good, but what happens if we do find an enemy in the garage?” Diana pressed.

  The picture zoomed to show the tunnel. “I arranged for some surplus military drones—older models—to be shipped in a while ago to play with.” She wiggled her fingers to manipulate the image and another image appeared, looking like a 3D blueprint. “I stripped the weapons, mounted them on a pan-tilt head and tripod, and attached the drone’s optical equipment to a motion sensing suite.”

  Diana put the pieces together and smiled. “You’ve created automated turrets.”

  Kayleigh nodded. “The systems will register our watches, of course, so we don’t trigger them. I'll have them installed in the tunnel later today, tomorrow at the latest.”

  “Stun?” Anik inquired.

  “The ones nearest the garage, yes. Probably four of them, based on the time available and materials at hand. The last pair will be drum-fed NATO 5.56.”

  The demolitions expert whistled. “Nice. We could rig claymores in the passage, too, if you wanted.”

  Kayleigh grinned. “We can talk later.” Anik nodded and matched her smile. “Anyway, that’s the tunnel. Our security that prevents those upstairs from getting down here is already strong, and nothing short of a rocket launcher will penetrate the stairwell door. The coworking spaces above…well, they are a different matter.”

  The schematic vanished and the image of the building rotated. “Given the need to keep up the cover business, there are people in and out at all hours. Over the next week, I’ll have techs up from DC to install better sensing gear throughout. Cameras, sniffers, and whatever they have in storage. I’d also like to blow our entire existing bankroll on anti-magic emitters.”

  Diana shook her head in regret rather than negation. She put a whine into her words. “Do we have to?”

  The tech nodded. “I think so. There's no one we suspect of being magic-reliant on the list, so it shouldn’t be a big deal. We’ll need to offer an explanation, so we could say that we heard the other office building was brought down by magic and corporate has overreacted. We can put something official out on the website, that sort of thing.”

  Anik frowned. “Won’t that seem like discrimination?”

  “Yes, that’s the main problem. It could easily be taken that way, which would look bad for the shell company and really rotten for us if the connection to ARES goes public. Still, it’s the safest route.”

  Diana sighed. “I have to say no to this. It’s not a good look. Plus, that's not what we’re about. We don’t have anything against the people using magic legitimately, only those who feel the desire to screw over others with their powers.”

  Kayleigh expelled a breath. “God, I really hoped you’d say that. I didn’t want to do it either, but someone had to make the suggestion.”

  That’s it. You’re staying. I will find a way. That’s exactly the kind of commitment I need on my team.

  Didn’t we already say that?

  Shut up, me.

  “Well done, people. Good thinking. So, any other thoughts on the floors above?”

  “More guards and better guards,” Anik suggested,

  Kayleigh added, “We stop using it entirely. If no one sees us up there, they won’t be able to put the company together with ARES.”

  Diana nodded. “Those are both good ideas. Let’s make them happen. We can do offsites if we need to meet people.” She paused and snapped her fingers. “Anik, you're now our vehicle supervisor. Congratulations. That’s a huge honor. Give those folks a call and have them do tinted windows all around. We’ll try to keep a lower profile everywhere—and other options rather than governmental black, too.”

  “Got it, boss. Consider it done.”

  “I have thoughts on the cars, too,” Kayleigh added. “If it’s cool with you, we’ll add more than transponders and tinting. I want to increase their sensor range and store a few of my toys in each.”

  That sounds like fun.

  “Your wish is Anik’s command, oh mighty chief technician.” The demolitions expert shook his head with a laugh.

  “Good.” Kayleigh nodded. “I think that’s all we are able to do defense-wise inside. There will be more surveillance on the outside as well. I'll send a continuous feed to DC, where one of the staff can help us keep an eye on things. The delay is minimal, and it means we don’t have to vet another person up here yet.” She shut the projector down and returned it to the cabinet, then closed the door carefully. “Okay, let’s move on to the fun stuff.”

  The tech crossed to the next locker, retrieved a new version of the stun gun, and tossed it to Diana. She caught the weapon and was immediately impressed. “It’s maybe half as heavy?”

  “Fifty-two percent of the original weight, with a thirteen percent increase in power. It probably still won’t work on Kilomea, though, unless they’re small.”

  The troll said, “Stupid Mirennas.”

  Kayleigh grinned. “I took your idea and ran with it, Rath.” She pointed to a switch positioned where the trigger group on their carbines were located. “Up is standard. Down is spread beam. That will make it easier to catch bouncy things and maybe even get a few at once.”

  Diana sighted down the barrel and lined up the targeting bump. “Damn, girl. Nice work.”

  She laughed. “I’m awesome. I know. It’s a heavy burden, but I make it look good.” She took the weapon back and stored it in the cabinet. “I don’t want to take your current gear offline while I do the mods, so expect it to be a week or so before I have the replacements ready.”

  The next item she revealed looked a lot like a metal collar. “This is something entirely new. I thought about the comms problems you had in the museum and about our increasing need to add a technological edge to your missions and eventually made this.” She turned the ring over in her hands so they could view it from all angles. The object appeared to be nothing more than a circle of metal with a slight bulge where the pieces joined.

  Diana grinned. “It’s pretty. I think it will go with almost everything I own. It’s nice of you to be concerned about the team’s fashion sense, and speaking of which…”

  The blonde rol
led her eyes. “No, the boots aren’t ready. Relax about the footwear, woman.” She continued to turn the metal circle in her hands. “This little beauty does several things. First, it pairs with the repeaters that you’ll wear to increase signal output locally and in general. It feeds your earpieces and should be a better microphone than the one currently installed in them. Second, the device will send your biometric data back to me—fully encrypted, of course. Third, it interfaces with your AR glasses. But best of all, the collar has a basic AI built in, meaning you can interact by voice when needed.”

  Diana couldn’t hide her amazement. “Holy hell. You got all of that in there?”

  The tech nodded. “Yes. And it wasn’t easy, let me tell you. I’ll need to map each of your necks because it has to lay perfectly so all the sensors are able to do their jobs.” She turned to the troll. “Except for Rath, since I have your three-foot size fully imaged. Yours will be held magnetically to break away if you grow. But please pick up the pieces if at all possible. This stuff is expensive.”

  They laughed, and she stored the prototype in the cabinet before turning back to them. “You can choose male or female voice for your AI and give it whatever name you like. Each collar will be backed up in an individual quarantine on a real-time basis.”

  Anik beat Diana to the punch. “Male. Jarvis.”

  “Damn. Jerk. Okay. Female, Friday.”

  The tech laughed. “Don’t you have any original ideas, people?”

  Diana put her hands on her hips. “What’s yours?”

  Kayleigh went from triumphant to abashed in an instant. “Male. Alfred. I get your point. Shut up.”

  Rath grinned. “Female. Gwen.”

  She groaned. “Another Marvel fan. Honestly, you people. Get a grip. We’re a lot closer to Batman than we are to any of the others.”

  The troll shook his head. “Iron Tech.”

  Kayleigh laughed and looked at Diana, who nodded and gestured for her to continue. “Rath, we’ve talked about making you part of the surveillance team for the building. What do you think?”

  The troll’s voice was guarded but carried a hint of excitement. “Is good. Different. New. More learning. What is needed?”

  The team had discussed how to inspire Rath, and all the answers came with risks attached. They’d agreed that he’d be most useful doing what he did best—keeping an eye on the city. Still, Diana’s tone reflected her uneasiness with the plan. “We want you to do a security sweep for us as often as it fits into your other activities. We have surveillance, but you can totally spot things the cameras and algorithms would miss.”

  He cocked his head. “Here? Home? University?”

  She nodded. “All of those and more. The security agency, too. Basically, learn the place to identify problems before we see them in any other way.”

  “And,” Kayleigh added, “I’ll have some new gear for you to use while you do it. That should be ready in a week to ten days.”

  Rath grinned. “Is good. Rath and Gwen will patrol. And sometimes Max.”

  Diana nodded. “Is good.”

  Anik looked at them all like they were crazy, then shrugged. “Keep an eye out for stuff that needs blowing up, my friend.” He raised his fist for a bump, and the troll obliged.

  “Will. Boom. Big Bada Boom.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Damn it to hell.” Diana threw up her hands in frustration as the portal she tried to create failed. Again.

  Nylotte shook her head slowly. “You’re close. Don’t let the emotion win. While some magic is enhanced by strong passions, most is not, including portals.”

  She used her fingers to comb her hair out of her face. Offensive and defensive magic came easily to her, something the Drow mocked her about relentlessly.

  As motivation, no doubt.

  In any case, it was true that she was much better at throwing force around than at bending the universe to her demand to connect one place to another. Helpful internal-Diana added, Or illusion. You’re terrible at that, too.

  Shut up, you.

  Diana expelled a breath and focused, using the silly ritual phrase Nylotte had taught her. “Betwixt and between, I will go.” She marshaled her power on the statement of intent, and a wobbly oval appeared. The attempt looked like it might crumple at any moment. She froze and locked her gaze on it, then imagined energy flowing from her hands as she outlined the shape in the air. The rift solidified to reveal the upper floor of the shop in its wavering boundaries.

  Nylotte reached over to the collection of objects that sat beside her cushion. While Diana had worked herself to exhaustion to summon the portal, her teacher had maintained an inscrutable expression, seemingly removed from the experience. Only her occasional comment, whether correction or encouragement, showed she was present in anything other than physical form.

  She’s probably astral projecting or some other thing I’ll never be good enough to do.

  The rift wavered and Diana refocused. The Drow hefted something that looked like an apple but was a beautiful glimmering purple that the earthly version of the fruit had no chance of ever achieving. She threw it underhand toward the portal.

  It happened almost too fast to see. As the produce passed through the barrier, a tentacle whipped out and intercepted it, accompanied by a wicked shriek. The spell failed, and Diana stumbled back in surprise and fear.

  Those bloody damned mother-loving tentacles suck.

  For once, her inner voice stayed silent, apparently agreeing with her feelings about the disgusting appendages.

  Nylotte shook her head. “You’re closer but still not there.”

  Diana sighed, dropped onto the cushion across from her teacher, and caught another of the apple-like fruits the woman tossed to her. She took a bite and enjoyed the strange taste that was a blend between peach, plum, and apple. Most of the foods in the kemana were safe for humans, and the Drow had promised not to deliberately poison her.

  But that doesn’t mean I’ll leave my healing potion at home, either.

  The weight of the metal container on the back of her belt was reassuring. “Every portal risks the World in Between?”

  The woman nodded and her pure white mane fell across her face. She tucked it behind a dark, pointed ear. “The key is creating barriers that prevent interference. In time, you will do that part automatically. But at first, it is a difficult challenge to overcome.” The unspoken, “For you,” was nonetheless clearly present.

  Yes, I know, children on Oriceran can do it, blah blah blah…

  “Try illusion again.”

  Diana closed her eyes and cleared her mind as best as she could. She opened them again and raised a palm. She pictured a flower on top of it, as Nylotte had suggested, then whispered the nonsense words that were supposed to bring it into existence. “What I see shall be.” Nothing happened. She concentrated harder, but her focus was elusive and finally escaped entirely. She lowered her hand and shook her head.

  The Drow grinned at her. “You’re not used to challenges.”

  Diana blinked. “What? Of course I am. My life is nothing but challenges, one after the next.”

  The smile widened. “Ah, but there are challenges, and then there are challenges. Things that oppose you but that you are adequate to contend with are not real challenges, only obstacles. You are so often sufficient without really trying that when you find something that requires you to reach beyond your limits, it causes your mind to shrink and hide.”

  “It does not.”

  The woman simply held her smile and raised an eyebrow.

  “Okay, maybe a little. Sometimes. But hiding isn’t the right word.”

  “Okay. Would you prefer cowering?”

  “Stop. Can we move on to combat please?”

  “Avoiding? Redirecting?”

  “How about departing?”

  Nylotte’s laugh was a joyous thing, which continually came as a shock to Diana and probably always would. It was entirely contradictory to her teacher’
s general demeanor. “All right, we can return to your comfort zone, my student.” The woman rose in a slow turn that uncrossed her legs and gestured to send the cushions spinning away. Diana settled into her preferred combat stance, with her weight pushed slightly back on a bent rear leg and her front knee pointing at her opponent. The Drow stood normally and her hands grasped her elbows lightly as she awaited Diana’s readiness.

  She nodded after a moment, and her teacher spoke. “Fire.”

  Dammit. Is it too much to ask to start with something I’m actually good at?

  Seems like, the other Diana replied.

  Diana focused and searched inside for the pool of power, then imagined it burning through the lines of her body, weaving through Chakras, and emerging in a wash of fury from her hands. Nothing happened. She conjured a force shield by reflex. It would have been adequate against a cone of flame or a fireball, but her teacher had lied. Time slowed briefly as her innate talent took over, but she’d spent too long in her own head for it to be of any use. The balls of ice slammed into her above and below the buckler. The impact, the temperature, and the magic encapsulated within the objects all hurt in different ways.

  She shouted in anger as a red haze washed across her eyes and banished her modified vision. Without thinking, she extended her hands, and the chill that had invaded her body coalesced and traveled smoothly down her arms to emerge as a blizzard of ice shards that whirled at her teacher. The Drow generated a shield of the same element that reached from the floor to above her head in a protective oval to weather the storm. Diana slumped, suddenly exhausted, and Nylotte stepped forward to guide her down to the hastily summoned cushion that spun into place beneath her.

  The world swirled in her sight, and she concentrated on not losing consciousness. A glass vial touched her lips. “Drink—quickly.” She complied, and energy flowed down her throat and into her body, enough to stabilize her. Confused, she gazed into her teacher’s concerned face.