by T S Paul
“Hold that thought a moment. Did you hear that?” Owl spoke, cutting her off. The giant bird cocked his head to one side as if listening.
Marcella waved her hands. “What am I listening for?”
Half the people in the temple shushed her. “Shhhh.”
Owl looked at the Satyr. “How powerful a Gate did you build, and did you leave it open?”
The lead Satyr motioned to the others. “Tell him.”
It was the Faun who spoke up. “We used what power resided there. It coupled well with what we had in reserve. Tying it to the local ley line was Phil’s idea. There remains but a small trace of it on both sides.”
Marcella came to life suddenly. “You tapped a ley line directly and combined its power? Are you insane? I’ve seen Witches fried alive for doing such things!”
“And how much practice did they have in doing so? I was alive and prancing across Palodes when those you call heroes walked the Earth. Two thousand years you reach, and we can have this discussion again. I do know what I am doing, youngling,” Philoctetes replied with a snort.
“Reopen the Gate,” Owl ordered. “Do it now. Someone is calling.”
The Satyr named Phil cocked his head and listened. Snorting again, he replied. “Smart. He calls for you and he speaks Her name at the same time. Not all humans are dumb.”
“Take my power if you need it,” Marcella offered.
“Why else use the ley line? There is power here enough. Much more than in the human’s temple,” Phil closed his eyes, holding his short stubby hands skyward. Smiling he spoke a single word. “Mellon.”
There was a flash of light, and the swirling Magick of a Gate between the worlds opened before them. Like a rip in reality, it brought with it dust and dirt from Earth.
“Mellon? Seriously? I thought your country didn’t have access to the modern world?” Marcella asked Phil.
“Some things such as books are allowed. It’s only this country and those far off that we haven’t visited officially. Tolkien is a master and should be accorded greatness for his work. Were he to come to Athenia we would raise him up to the highest peak,” Phil replied.
“But would he be allowed to leave afterward? Would anyone be?” Marcella asked.
Both Satyrs laughed but Phil was the one that spoke. “You have only to come and find out for yourself. Who she cross and find our caller, will it be you?”
I looked like a fool.
Here I was, walking in circles repeating the name of the Queen of Athenia. Halfway through the second lap, I took inspiration from the old man that keeps appearing to me, and I spoke the name Owl as well. The other Agents, including the ones from State, thought I was insane. I’m sure their reports would reflect it as well. Goodbye, Magical Division. And goodbye, Jack.
Whoosh!
There was a flash of light and a huge wind. Dust and debris flew everywhere like a small bomb had gone off. A man-sized hole just appeared in the air, smack dab in the middle of the hall. Just like Agent Asem had reported.
The acoustics inside the temple were still echoing the Gate’s entry into our world when I heard a commotion behind me. The State Department weenies were yelling at each other and me as I approached the hole. I can only imagine that they had forgotten that I represented the Magical Division and this thing was what I was here for. Without another glimpse or order to the contrary, I took a step inside.
Everything that I had read and what Marcella and Anastasia had told me of Gates and Portals was wrong. Traveling through them wasn’t a chore or like stepping into a room. No. It was like traveling through a wind tunnel while your hair was on fire. The colors and sights of that infinitesimal moment when I left Earth and traveled to Otherwhere was something that I would see in my dreams for the rest of my life.
“Jack! What did I tell you about Gates?” Marcella yelled at me as I appeared in what, to me, looked like a real ancient temple.
“Not to go into them without you. But you’re here and I’m sort of following directions. Are these the people I’m looking for?” I asked her. Asking was dumb on my part as I could see the Satyrs and other folk. True to the old man’s comments, there was a giant Owl there as well.
“Is this the human you’ve spoken of, Marcella?” Owl asked.
Marcella nodded. “He is. They didn’t know when they sent him. He has promise.”
The giant bird stared at me for a moment. “You are correct. Welcome to the Library, Jack Dalton.”
“Thank you, I think.” I looked around the room and could only see statues and books. Lots and lots of books. “Should I ask where this is, exactly?”
Marcella smirked. “No. Some knowledge is best left unknown.”
I gave her a nod and directed my attention to the party of diplomats. “Gentlemen and uh, ladies? My government sent me to find you. Did these…people here...did they kidnap or harm you in any way?”
“Humans. Always expecting the worst,” the lead Satyr snorted. “We are fine. This is where we wanted to go.”
Thinking on my feet, I quickly responded. Washington would want answers they could understand. “And you couldn’t get here from your own country or any of the others?”
“I mean, this mess could cause an incident my government doesn’t want with your Queen,” I went on. “Can you explain it to me and maybe go back through to Earth again?” Looking to the Gate, I noticed it had closed. “Or not.”
The Satyr looked at me and then the bird. Shrugging, he looked back at me. “We were sent here. It’s none of your business what we do here or who we speak to. Our Queen is aware of our mission. She acquired the transportation needed for this. But I do see your dilemma. Underlings are usually the first to be sacrificed for the greater good, and you seem to have some standing with those of greatness here. Tumnus will go with you.”
I only stared. All the players, the people in the room, stood stock still except for Marcella, who seemed to be chuckling. I was sure there was a joke somewhere, but names were not my strong point. “Who?”
Motioning to one side, the lead Satyr pointed to the smallest member of the party, the Faun. “Tumnus. He is my appointed representative and can speak for us with all the powers of our embassy. Is that enough for you?”
Bringing back at least one person would appease the State Department, at least. Getting them off the FBI and my back would help. “Sure. That will work, I guess.”
One of the humans in the room, a man dressed like an extra from a cheap Roman movie, stepped over to Marcella and whispered in her ear. My hearing wasn’t enhanced like a Were’s so all I caught was the word “wiped.”
“Mr. Dalton. Marcella tells me that you, a human, are in charge of policing the entire United States’ Magical community all by yourself. Is that true?” The giant bird asked me.
I sighed. “Pretty much. The cases I’ve handled so far have been interesting, to say the least.”
“Keep your eye on the prize then. Stay on the side of Light as much as you can and avoid temptation. There is much that one such as you can learn if he puts his mind to it,” Owl responded.
“Uh, ok,” I replied. The big bird thing was creeping me out a little.
“Are you ready, Agent Dalton?” The Faun asked.
I looked down. He barely came up to just above my knee. “Sure, Tummy.”
“It’s Tumnus,” the Faun replied.
“Tum tum. Got it. Is someone going to open the Gate back up, or do I have to use Marcella’s?” I asked them.
Marcella stepped closer to me and laid a hand upon my cheek. “Jack, you are a dear friend and for this I am truly sorry. Remember.”
Her hand felt cold on my skin but it sort of tingled a bit. “Remember what?”
Smiling, the Witch removed her hand and kissed me, then said, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get it.”
Okay. I shrugged and watched as the Gate surged open once again. Tunny went first and I followed. I could see Marcella speaking to the Owl as I looked back. The light sh
ow wasn’t as cool as the first time, but it was more sparkly if that was even possible.
Tummy and I emerged to a room full of cops and guns. The State Department weenies had called in the cavalry.
“Freeze!”
Tum Tum hit the floor with a screech and I jerked my hands up. “We come in peace?”
The next couple of hours went by in a blur. Agent Klarkson, while happy I’d found the diplomats, was very unhappy I didn’t bring all of them back. The State Department boys were even more upset.
“Reopen that gate thingy and go get them!” The tall man yelled at me.
“How am I supposed to do that?” I replied.
The man threw up his hands and said, “You did it last time successfully. Do it again.”
I shook my head. “No. You and your people watched me walk around and around inside, calling out a name. Did that look like Magic to you? I’m not a Mage. The Gate was opened from the other side. You have Tummy. He can explain.”
“Tumnus,” the man said.
“Right. Taun Taun. He came back with me. The Satyr said that Tommy would explain everything to you,” I replied.
“The Faun said his name was Tumnus,” the State Department man repeated.
“If you say so. I’m terrible with names. This interview is done. I’ve got my own reports to write and wire to the Director’s office. If you need something else from me, you can get it from Mr. Hoover.” I stood up.
“You can’t leave!” They yelled at me.
“Watch me.” I opened the door to the interrogation room and left. Agent Klarkson and his boys were still sitting in their little command center when I exited. All heads turned in my direction. “Can you direct me to your secured lines? I have to call the Director.”
“Use my office. Down the hall to the left, last door on the right. The phone is the only secured line in the building.” Agent Klarkson pointed.
Thanking the man, I followed his instructions. What a day it had already been, and I still had to call it in. Using Director Hoover’s name in vain was going to bite me in the ass one of these days but since nobody but the big man knew that Anastasia was my boss…I figured I was safe for a little while.
Dialing the number from memory, I accessed the ultra-secure line again and began my report.
“Why only one, Jack?” Anastasia asked me as I finished the report to her. My procedure in most cases, including this one, was to write out the basics of the report for filing purposes and leave the details to Ana. She would record any top secret or eyes-only information and take care of dissemination to other offices.
My cheek and face were still tingling from where Marcella touched me but the moment Ana asked her question my whole face went numb for just a moment. It was like a heavy weight settled down upon my head and all thoughts and memories erased. My mouth dropped open and my eyes glazed over. Only Ana’s voice roused me.
“Jack! Are you still there?” Ana yelled into the phone.
Reaching up, I massaged my cheek and jaw. “Yeah. Sorry, I had the strangest feeling come over me and now my head hurts. What was the question?”
“Why only one diplomat?” she asked me.
“Why only one diplomat what? I don’t understand the question.” I told her. Diplomats, why would I associate with those?
“Read the report in front of you. What’s the last thing you remember?” Ana asked me.
Looking down, I could see a complete report on a case that I apparently conducted not three hours ago. It even had my signature on it. No idea where it came from or even remember writing it. Concentrating, I didn’t recognize any of the names or anything at all. “Did I do this?”
“You said that Marcella Blackmore was there. Did she touch you in any way?” Anastasia asked.
Holding up the paper in my handwriting, I could read that Marcella was indeed involved. It made me wonder how she was doing. Thinking of her brought a memory of her kissing me forward. “I think she kissed me. Is it important?”
“Not really. File the report as usual and pack your bags. I’ve got a real doozie for you this time,” Ana replied, and I thought I heard her mumble something about keeping me away from Witches in the future.
“Oh? where am I going?” New assignments are always fun.
“The Pacific Northwest. There’s been a rash of Bigfoot sightings and we want you to find him,” Ana explained.
Jack Dalton, Monster Hunter
Book 8
My name is Jack and I’m a monster hunter.
Imagine walking into a strange office and confronting people you don’t know. They approach you, confused that they haven’t seen you before and instead of identifying yourself you ask them a question. “Do you believe in Bigfoot?”
Naturally, the reaction I got was a crazy one.
“What? Who the hell are you?” the San Francisco California FBI Agents yelled.
I stuck out my left hand. “Special Agent in Charge, Jack Dalton. Nice to meet you.” In my right hand were the credentials to prove it.
The trio of Agents in front of me only stared. I will admit that I didn’t look like what most in the FBI would consider a proper Agent. My clothing looked more like I was in the military than the Bureau. Khaki colored pants and shirt was my norm on most cases that I handled. Standard FBI suits and shoes just didn’t work for chasing paranormals through the woods. The Director was very firm about the dress code for all offices, but I wasn’t directly under him. Even though I reported to his assistant, Anastasia, Mr. Hoover had to make monthly reports to a small sub-committee of Congress and the president himself about my activities. As a result, I figured a few rules could be broken in the name of comfort and ease of motion.
“I’m here for your files on the entity known as Bigfoot? The main office in Washington was supposed to have called ahead a week or so ago for me?” I asked.
Two of the men in front of me snorted and the third laughed, “You’re on the wrong floor for that. You want the Agents for Humboldt County. Get back on the elevator and go up to the fourth floor. Just follow the signs.”
“Uh, thanks. You have quite the office here,” I replied.
The snorting men joined the other in laughter as they brushed past me, continuing down the hallway. Only the speaker remained. Shaking his head, he smirked at me. “It’s all a big hoax anyway. Ape men in America? This isn’t Africa, after all.”
“We have Werewolves and Vampires already, why not Bigfeet? There have to be paranormals that we have yet to meet,” I answered.
“If you say so. Here in California we have enough trouble with emerging crime and Demons. There were far too many of those things that slipped past the boys down in Conception. Good luck with your ‘Foot’ hunt,” the Agent stated as he walked past me.
For just a moment I could relate to what he’d said. I wasn’t a part of the law enforcement world in this part of the country. Only the internal gazette that all SAIC Agents received even mentioned events here. Organized crime was the big bad in this office. Unlike the East Coast, it wasn’t the Mafia. Here in California, it was Yakuza and Chinese triads. They controlled the ports and who or what traveled through them.
Finding the elevators, I went up to the proper floor. The building was huge. In my limited experience, it seemed that only the office in Washington, DC was bigger. The San Francisco office was responsible for more than seventy-three thousand square miles of territory, including more than a dozen federal parks and facilities. There were more than a thousand people reporting in to this building alone.
One such person was the elevator operator. Unlike Portland, there were still operators in the elevators and they were armed. It was a unique merger of security and maintenance that made a certain amount of sense. Why pay two people to do a single job?
“Floor?” the man asked.
“Fourth please,” I responded.
Moving his handle forward, the elevator man applied pressure and the car moved upwards. “You’re new.”
I gla
nced at him for a moment. “Jack Dalton, Magical Division. I’m just passing through.”
“Interesting. Too bad you’re not cleaning house, then. This place could use it,” he replied.
Dropping my head forward, I sighed. My reputation had preceded me. “Portland was an accident. If they had just cooperated as instructed, that mess might never have happened.”
The elevator man shook his head. “Nope. In my position, I see it all. Hoover up in his kingdom has created tiny little fiefs. None of these folks want to give up the power that he’s given them. Not even a little bit. You’re an outsider to them, a threat, someone outside their control. Watch yourself when you come into contact with them. Portland scared them. They won’t be as easy the next time...and here’s your floor. Good luck.”
The large metal doors opened with a slight screech and I stepped off. Looking back over my shoulder, I gave the elevator man a small salute. I was slowly getting used to strange advice coming from unusual places. Believing in otherworldly spiritual entities wasn’t a prerequisite for this job, but it was trending that way. I knew the Gods existed, because I’d met at least one already.
I followed the signs in the hallways and finally found the office I was looking for at the end of the hall. Since the door was already ajar, I didn’t knock. “Anyone here?”
Peeking inside, I could see two desks facing each other from opposite sides of the room. Filing cabinets lined the room, taking up all available wall space. Even the lone window was partially covered. Each desk had an agent behind it. But only one was awake. “What do you want?”
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Whipping out my credentials, I said, “Special Agent Jack Dalton. Washington sent me to you. I’m investigating the Bigfoot issue in Humboldt County.”
The scowl dropped off the Agent’s face to be replaced by mirth. It started as a giggle that turned into a bold-faced laugh. “Simon, wake up!”
Simon, who I assumed was the other man, didn’t budge. A faint snore could be heard from him.