Federal Agents of Magic Boxed Set

by T. R. Cameron

  When she came out of her tumble, she stopped on one knee and focused her eye along the iron sights on the top of the weapon. It’s a waste of good anti-magic ammo. She pulled the trigger twice, struck the man in the chest with both, and he fell. As she shifted her aim to the second target, a trio of ice bolts stabbed deep into his torso and hurled him into the wall before he, too, collapsed.

  She stood and strode to the door with a questioning look at her teacher. The Drow brushed some dust from the shoulder of her fine jacket, checked the locator, and nodded. Diana disintegrated the barrier and stepped forward, a full-size force shield leading the way. There was nothing on the other side except a corridor that extended in both directions and a featureless wall in front of her.

  Nylotte stepped beside her. “She’s moving. We need to hurry. Go left.”

  Diana ran and the Drow kept pace behind and called orders. They cut through a dining room and another hallway. Their path was blocked by another door but she ripped it from its hinges with her telekinesis and hurled it aside before she darted through the opening. Lisa was there and appeared mostly unharmed although her arms were bound at her back and a man’s hand latched in her hair. No, an elf’s hand. There were two humans with him, and in the moment, they didn’t react but kept their guns aimed at the floor.

  The elf grinned, and she recognized his voice from the phone call. “You are too late. Make a move, and she dies an instant before my friends here shoot.” Lisa’s head rose and Diana was elated to see the anger and determination in her friend’s eyes. She focused on the band securing the captive’s wrists and pictured exactly where she would apply her magic to snap it.

  Nylotte stepped through the door. Her tone was ice and exasperation. “Nehlan. I knew you were an idiot, but this far exceeds my expectations.” She extended her fingers, and the pistols jerked out of the humans’ hands and clattered into the hallway beyond.

  The elf sputtered and yanked at Lisa’s hair at the same moment that Diana broke the bonds around her wrists. His former prisoner transformed into an immediate threat as she reached up for the hand that held her, grabbed the wrist, and spun. The sound of the elf’s arm fracturing as she snapped and twisted the limb downward was a pleasure to hear. Lisa kicked him in the side of the knee and toppled him before the men near her lunged to defend their employer.

  In a move far too fast for Diana to see the details, Nylotte summoned a portal, reached out with her magic to grab Lisa, and hurled her through it. She let the rift close, then folded her arms and nodded. “So, Lisa is safe at my store. I believe you might have some business with these people, no?”

  Diana cracked her knuckles and looked at the two men who had apparently discovered their courage and interposed themselves between her and the elf who whimpered as he pushed himself to his feet one slow inch at a time. She pointed two fingers at the humans. “Surrender?”

  The goon on the right gave an arrogant laugh. “To you, princess? No thanks. Let’s see what you’re made of.” He raised his fists like a boxer, and she couldn’t help but snort at the scene.

  She pulled her right arm back and thrust it forward in a punch, and a blast of force lifted the man from his feet and propelled him into the wall behind him with a satisfying crunch of breaking bones. The other used the moment to attack, and Diana stepped forward smoothly at an angle and chopped her hand across at throat level. His block protected his windpipe and saved his life, but the blow still threw him off balance. She pivoted and landed a jab in his ribs, then delivered a left hook to his temple. It connected, and her foe went down in a heap. It was all over in ten seconds from start to finish.

  The wizard rose with a snarl on his face. “You have been in my way for far too long. Die, woman.”

  Magic exploded from him, a combination of shadow and flame that she had never seen before. Together, they rippled in an ethereal wave as they washed toward her. The fear that shadow magic always inspired in her appeared, but she welcomed it as a familiar companion and relegated it to the back corner of her mind. Diana summoned a force shield and maintained it as the attack flowed around her.

  The raw power of the elf’s assault was unexpected, and she weakened under the barrage. Her mind went to the energy potion in the metal vial in her back right pocket, but she was uncertain that she could get to it without allowing the attack through. She turned her head to look at her teacher, whose expression showed a complete lack of concern.

  Diana mustered her strength and pushed against the magical barrage. Her shield shifted forward, but it was too much. She’d never get to him before he battered all her energy away. The voice in her mind sounded exasperated. Since when are you about power, anyway? Remember who you are, stupid. She grinned. You’re right. And when you’re right, you’re right. And you? You’re always right. Her grin still in place, she flicked her fingers at the mage and yanked his damaged arm, and his assault floundered and vanished in a cry of pain.

  Tears streamed down his face as he raised the undamaged arm to attack her, and she jerked the wounded limb again and brought him to the ground. She walked over to stand beside him and stared with a cold expression. “You crossed the line when you attacked my friend. I am justified to end you, right here and right now. You have one chance—one—to survive beyond the next minute.” He nodded, and she reveled in the fear that shone in his eyes. “Tell me why you did this.”

  His words were interspersed with sobs of pain and mental anguish. “Ordered to. Council. Remembrance.”

  “Why three hours?”

  “Wasn’t told.”

  “Take a bloody guess, you idiot.”

  He coughed, and blood stained his lips. “Probably…timed with attack.” He managed a disgusting grin. “Your people…dying by now.”

  Diana turned to Nylotte. “I have to go.”

  The Drow nodded. “You do. I will deal with him and watch over Lisa. Go, and remember that you’ve already used some of your power.”

  She didn’t react to her teacher’s words as she cast a portal to headquarters and raced through it. Hang in there, y’all. I’m on my way.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Her comm crackled to life with the sounds of her team discussing logistics as soon as she arrived, Bryant’s deployment orders chief among them. Alfred gave driving directions, so she assumed she wasn’t that far behind. When there was a gap in the discussion, she asked, “What’s the status, people?”

  Bryant’s voice was full of relief. “Is Lisa okay?”

  “Yes. Thanks for asking. Nylotte is a bloody treasure. Now, status.”

  He chuckled once before he sobered. “There’s an attack underway at the Cube again. We’re en route and are waiting for an update from Warden Murphy. The attacking force portaled in on all sides and are gathering at the moment. It’s unlikely we’ll make it before the fun kicks off.”

  Kayleigh added, “They have drones up now.” A window opened in her glasses to show the scene. Mixed groups of humans, witches, wizards, Kilomea, and what looked like dwarves were visible as they closed in on the area in a rush. Another pair of drones swooped into view and fired stun blasts at the oncoming enemies but they were absorbed by magical shields. “They’re planning to deploy lethal ones shortly.”

  Rath sounded far more serious than she liked to hear him be. “We all felt this coming.”

  Diana nodded. This had to be the event they’d been waiting for. Which means that Sloan’s in that mess somewhere. “Glam, warn Murphy that we have a friendly among the attackers. She should limit her lethal attacks to non-humans when possible, but not to make it too obvious. We don’t want to compromise Face’s cover either.”

  “On it.”

  Diana banged her locker open and changed faster than she could ever remember doing, leaving her other clothes in piles on the floor wherever they landed. She pulled the vest on and tightened it, then slipped her AI collar over her head. Next came the gloves, and she spent a moment making the necessary connections between her equipment. She
popped the partially used magazine from the Glock and replaced it with a full load of anti-magic rounds and stored it in its holster. As she sat to buckle on the armor pieces, she asked, “Why do they think this attack will go better than the last?”

  Tony replied, “I asked the warden that at the start. She has no idea but imagines that given all the talk inside, they’re hoping for a riot or something. Based on that, she put the Cube in full lockdown the moment this all began. Barriers are in place to separate the levels from one another, and the prisoners are all locked away in their cells.”

  She fastened the last strap, stood, and selected her grenades. She chose sonics and fragmentation on the assumption that if she needed fire, she could use her magic. The energy potion went into her belt beside the healing potion that was already there, and she set the spare health draught into her locker. I’m sure I’ll need it eventually. She slammed the door closed and moved to the weapons wall. “How long until you’re on site?”

  Alfred replied “Three minutes, twelve seconds.”

  She shook her head at the prissy AI. “Excellent. What’s the plan, Hannibal?”

  Bryant put a trace of the A-Team leader into his voice. “That depends. Will you join us?”

  “I’ll be there before you.”

  “Okay. We’ll go in together. Meet at the East side behind the enemy, near the far wall of where the office building used to be. We’ll approach from that angle and see what the situation is. If we’re able to identify Face, we can direct the Warden’s drones so they’re more efficient.”

  “Roger.” Diana slipped her Colt M4 carbine strap over her head and slotted the spare magazines into place, exclusively anti-magic rounds. She stared at the versions loaded with armor-piercing ammunition with a distinct longing but shook her head. Too dangerous. There will be guards and prisoners who aren’t part of this. I can’t do it. “Glam, what else can we do here?”

  “Not a thing, boss. The PD is blocking traffic, emergency services are on standby, and the Air Force reserve has choppers inbound.”

  “Armed?”

  “Yep. I’m assured it’s merely a backup plan in case things go to hell.”

  She imagined the scene of a mini-gun opening up inside the city limits and shuddered. “Let’s make sure they don’t, then, shall we?” She opened a portal to a location near where Bryant had set the rally point and strode through.

  Diana jogged up as the others bailed out of the SUVs. She stepped beside Bryant and together, they looked ahead toward the prison. Searchlights swept the grounds and revealed the enemies encircling the building. A low hum persisted behind the general noise and seemed to come from the center of the circle. Flaming wreckage from several drones was scattered around the perimeter. She shook her head. “What are they waiting for? And what happened to the drones?”

  Kayleigh was the first to reply. “Fireballs took them out. They’re not all that nimble, all things considered. They’d probably be better with an AI on board for defensive maneuvering.”

  Tony snorted. “And six months later, Skynet. No thank you.”

  Warden Murphy’s voice joined the channel. “We have a situation inside.” The earth trembled beneath Diana’s feet, and she noticed that the humming had increased. She put it together an instant before it happened and yelled, “Get away from the cars.” The team scattered as she dashed to the side and the ground heaved and dirt erupted in random explosions. Their vehicles bounced, then settled.

  The humming noise had built into a shriek, and their earpieces dampened in response. She could still hear the warden shouting something but couldn’t make out what it was. Another heave convulsed like the earth tried to throw them into space, and a fissure appeared at the border of where she knew the Cube to be.

  She read Bryant’s lips as he cursed, and she nodded. The enemy troops scattered as the tear in the soil grew and spread toward the ARES team’s location. It ended about halfway to them, and Diana launched forward as the nearest opponent leapt into it. The sounds had stopped and the comm was audible again. Warden Murphy sounded apoplectic. “That stupid pirate is behind this. He set up some sort of resonance between his magic and the stuff outside, even though we took his wands away. And he’s on the bottom floor, where there aren’t any anti-magic emitters.” Pieces that had gnawed at her subconscious like square shapes she had tried to force into small round holes finally assumed their proper configuration.

  Diana now saw clearly how extensively and effectively she’d been played. The scenes flashed before her—how easy it had been to track the Prince of Plunder and how calm he’d been when they’d discovered him. He wanted to be captured. And if he’s doing magic without wands, that means the bastard has pretended to be a wizard and used the wands like I use my bracelets when I’m bounty hunting. For a moment, she was actually in awe of the masterstroke that had gone exactly as the enemy intended. Their plan had been to literally break the Cube apart in order to free their people with one of the most unusual forms of magic generated simultaneously from inside and outside the prison.

  The moment passed, and anger surged. “Okay, people. I’ve had it with these assholes, one and all. Any prisoner who resists, eliminate them. Every person you see inside who’s not in an inmate jumpsuit or a guard uniform is fair game.”

  Kayleigh interrupted, “Except the warden. Please don’t shoot the warden.”

  Cara snorted angrily. “Tell her to keep her scrawny ass upstairs and coordinate, then.”

  Diana nodded in agreement as she raced downward into the split in the earth. Ahead, the formerly underground structure of the Cube towered over her. The fissure ran down at a steep angle to the bottom floor where the not-actually-a-wizard pirate had been housed. All five stories were visible above and a crack through them opened each level to the newly created canyon. On the top level, guards fired into the mass of onrushing enemies, but the Remembrance troops had already penetrated the middle levels. She assumed the Prince of Plunder had made his escape shortly after he’d blasted the place open.

  “Okay, folks, we’ll have to split up. Rambo, Hannibal, and I will go in on the fourth level down. You all go in on three. Our primary targets are the people we put in here. The main target is the male wizard leader. Second is the man he had leading his human followers. I’m sure the witch is around here somewhere, too. If you see her, don’t hesitate and pound her with every single thing you have. You do not want to play with her.”

  She received a chorus of affirmatives from everyone. “Glam, can you give us feeds from inside?”

  “Negative. The place wasn’t built to handle having one of its walls blown out, apparently. Everything is down. Main and backup power are both gone.” There was a pause accompanied by clicking keys. Diana slid to a stop and found a rough ledge to climb on that would lead her toward the fourth level. Ahead, several enemies took position in the gap, their rifles and wands facing outward. The tech sighed. “I have no eyes, no ears, and no access. Our own drones are inbound.”

  Cara said, “Be sure to have someone waiting outside the escape tunnel. They should probably bring stunners and shoot everyone who emerges, regardless of what they’re wearing. Sort it out later.”

  “On it.”

  Diana considered that the prisoners might subdue the guards and take their uniforms, then decided it didn’t really matter. She’d trust no one, and she’d recognize the targets they were after on sight. Anyone else who got in her way…well, they’d better lay down fast or they were in for a world of hurt.

  “Stay safe, people. If they escape, it’ll suck, but we’ll catch them again. Now, get in there and kick some Remembrance ass.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Cara led the way up the side of the fissure, then stopped and knelt. The men trailing her did the same. “Upstairs. Let’s clear those idiots out.” They’d all loaded anti-magic magazines into their carbines on the drive over, so it was about to be an expensive barrage. But a necessary one if any reinforcements are going to get in there t
o help us. Also if we want to avoid getting killed on our way in, which would be nice.

  She sighted through the compact scope on the top and aligned the green reticule with the chest of the witch on the right side. She threw fire at a target on the surface level, presumably at guards the Cube had called in or the Police Department. If someone up there is smart, maybe the Army. She squeezed the trigger three times, and the woman staggered. No blood flowed, which indicated the enemy’s intelligent decision to wear vests, but she stood close enough to the edge that she fell and bounced down the steep slope to land a couple of feet behind Bryant, who looked up and tipped his hat to Cara.

  “Watch out, they’re wearing vests.” Tony and Anik opened fire, and she chose her next target. Before the enemy realized what was happening, they’d wounded, killed, or driven back everyone who’d stood on the first-floor gap. She let her carbine fall against her chest. “Let’s go, double-time.”

  Her arms pumped as she ran up the incline and alternated between keeping her gaze forward in search of enemies and down to preserve her footing. Halfway toward the opening, an enemy appeared on their level, and she had zero time to react before the bullet struck her chest and she staggered into the dirt on her right. Thank God that hit me on the wall side. She threw darts of fire at the shooter, and they struck and burned through his leg, vest, and face.

  Cara willed away the wooziness that accompanied the use of her power and ran on to vault into the Cube through the giant V that had replaced its east wall. She crouched and raised her rifle, traversed it through a one-eighty-degree arc while her teammates joined her, then rose. “If I remember correctly, there are cells around the corner to the left and right, and a guard post ahead, with the recreation area beyond it.”

  Tony replied, “I recall the same.”