“The last site where the robbery took place is only an hour’s drive away. We should be back soon after inspection,” I said. “We might have to travel to all the locations during this week to understand any similarities between the cases.”
Bryan turned to face me. “Ms. Mathew, I implore you. You’re not allowed…”
“Oh, right. Sorry. My mistake.”
We walked out where Colonel Sanders was pacing with an air of impatience. Special Agent Bryan went to get his car from the parking lot that adjoined the driveway.
“Cleo, don’t badger the poor fellow. He seems so earnest.” Augusta patted me on the cheek. “You be a good girl now.”
“I’ll try, Augusta. See you at night.”
As they drove off, I busied myself with a study of the documents. It shouldn’t take long to wrap up this case. A week, I estimated – and then back to the boring routine of the commune.
Oh! But it did promise to be a fun week.
Chapter Two
With my eyes closed, I stood in the middle of the square, low-ceilinged building that contained well-lit glass cases containing ancient artifacts. I was running a verification spell. Invisible threads of magic originated from my body and stuck the walls at odd angles. Magic hummed through my veins blood. It was a rush like no other.
“What’s she doing?” I heard Bryan mutter. Sanders and he were standing against the door, away from the magical activity I initiated.
“She is checking for the breach.”
“What breach? That’s the frustrating part. There was no breach. The security system didn’t show as much as a blip. The cameras showed no activity. Nothing went in or came out of this building, and yet, the artifact disappeared.”
I withdrew my magic. Poor guy! How much he needed to learn. “Two people and they came through that wall. You can come here now.” I pointed my finger at the wall at the far end of the room. “What’s behind there?”
“Woodland. And beyond that is the boundary wall of the estate.” Bryan stepped on the floor after deep consideration. “How do you know? And how the hell would they sneak in through a solid wall?”
“Bricks come from earth.” I stepped towards the display case from which a single codex style cylindrical vessel was stolen. After reading the place card that depicted a picture and a short description, I ran my hand over my jaw. Hmm. Interesting.
“And that explains what?”
I directed my attention towards him. Hmm. Right, he wouldn’t know what I meant. “Someone who possesses earth magic can walk through walls made with bricks and wood as easily as he can walk through an open door, and if they are suitably skilled, they can make others come along for the ride.”
“Crazy! How the hell is that possible?”
Colonel Sanders pulled at the lobe of his ear. “The other one must have been an air mage.”
“Naturally.” I ran her hand over the edge of the display case. It hummed with a low frequency as I applied my magic.
“So it’s two people,” he said.
“Three, I think…and maybe more. They would have needed a water mage to breech through that other museum which was sealed under a swimming pool.”
Sanders rubbed his jaw. “It could be a coven.”
The door burst open as a man strode through. Mid-sixties, white hair, streaked with silver, and dressed in a beige suit; I pegged him to be a businessman, probably the owner of the museum and the estate that housed it.
Bryan jumped to attention. “Mr. William, sir. How are you?”
“Who are you?”
“FBI, sir. My superior called to make an appointment.” Bryan held up his ID. “We are here to examine the scene of crime.”
“Where is the rest of your team?”
Bryan raised his hand towards Sanders. “These are my…colleagues, sir. They’re consultants with the FBI.”
“Colonel Sanders here,” barked Sanders. “Served in two wars and have been apprehending criminals for the past twenty years. You need not worry while I am on this job.”
William turned to glare at Bryan. “This is your team? I demand a proper investigating force. The item that was stolen cost me fifteen thousand dollars, and if you idiots had caught the criminals earlier, they wouldn’t have been able to make this theft.”
I turned to face him. “How do you know about the other jobs?”
William sputtered. “I’ve connections in the police force.”
Men who boasted of their power irritated me, but I ignored the faint tugs of frustration. My job was clear, and I was determined to finish it. “Mr. William, was this stolen cylinder the most expensive item in your museum?”
“Of course, not. I’ve artifacts that range from three thousand to over a hundred thousand dollars. See that scroll there, it cost thirty thousand dollars. It’s one of a kind. And that stone panel cost me ninety thousand dollars.”
I strolled to glance at the scroll. “How did you buy these items?”
“None of these have been illegally acquired, if that’s what you mean. I have bought them at private auctions and from personal collections of friends and acquaintances,” he huffed.
I walked over to the stone panel. It showed a seated king and queen. “You only collect Mayan art and artifacts?”
“I’ve a special interest in Mayan culture. You can call it my hobby. I can read a bit of Mayan language. Did you know it’s the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas. They were also extremely adept at Mathematics and had developed the concept of zero by themselves.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said in an off-hand manner, my mind preoccupied by other information. “Not that it matters.”
William drew himself to his full height. “I find you most rude, Ms…what did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t say. Tell me, Mr. William, what was so special about this cylinder that it was the only one out of your vast collection that was chosen by the thieves?” I raised my hand and pointed at the display cases that occupied the space. “You seem to have no less than a hundred other artifacts, many of them more expensive than the cylinder. Why did the thieves break into the museum to steal this particular piece? Did it have any special writing or image?”
He opened and closed his mouth. “It was just an ordinary Mayan cylinder. It depicted a supernatural beast found in Mayan myths. You can find more like that in other private collections.”
“So there was nothing special about this cylinder? You must have studied it in great detail.”
“Of course, I studied it.”
I turned and leaned towards a display case that showcased a stone tablet. “Hmm. Curious!”
“Why do you think it was stolen?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but it would be interesting to know the answer to that.”
William turned towards Bryan and raised his hands. Bryan shrugged. “Would you like to review the video tapes or talk to the security team?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“I would like a copy of the tapes,” Bryan cut in. “We will need to review them back in the office. And if you don’t mind, I would like to talk to your security guards.”
“I’ll stay here.” I bent and touched the bottom of the display case nearest to me. Immediately, an alarm went off.
William punched in a code at the security panel that was located near the door. “If you touch anything, the alarm would go off. I don’t know why that day it didn’t work.”
I didn’t bother to answer. For mages of average caliber, normal security measures were no more than pesky nuisances. This was the work of a specialist team. It wouldn’t have taken them more than a minute to render it silent.
Sanders stomped over to the panel and peered at it. “Did you give your password to any one?”
William looked positively insulted. “Of course, not.”
“Do you suspect anyone?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Mr. William, could y
ou please lead me to your security team?” Bryan gripped his arm, looking desperate. Clearly, he wished to lead William off before he discovered that he was talking to a bunch of lunatics.
“Of course. Come on.”
“I would like the name of the supplier from whom you bought that cylinder?” I stated as he reached the door along with Bryan.
“I’ll give it to Special Agent Bryan,” he said.
I’d already turned to peer at another display. “You do that.”
I heard him hiss. “What’s wrong with her?”
Special Agent Bryan cleared his throat. “Actually, I am not sure, sir.”
I wandered over to the wall from which the miscreants had gained entry. “Colonel Sanders, would you come take a look at this? See if you can identify the spell they used?”
Together, we went over every inch of the place. After a thorough examination, we sat on the steps outside the museum to study the file Bryan had passed to us. It included a detailed account of the last four robberies, including pictures and recorded interviews with victims and security guards.
“FBI has become better at record-keeping.” Sanders rubbed his jaw as he compared pictures of two robberies. “See how they have managed to catch all angles of the rooms. Fantastic work!”
“Yes.” I closed the file. As I sat on the steps and mulled over my theories, Sanders wandered off to examine the back wall and the surrounding acres of land.
Special Agent Bryan strode out from the house. “Nothing. The guards saw nothing, the cameras recorded nothing. I can’t fathom how it is possible?”
He looked too adorable. “I can’t fathom how you manage to keep this suit on in such heat?”
He bestowed me with a haughty look. “It’s important to hide my weapon so as not to alarm the civilians.”
“Ahh! That explains it. Come on, let’s go. Tomorrow, we will visit the Orlando museum from which the stone tablet was stolen.”
“It would be a waste of time. I’ve already interviewed the owner and the guards. They saw nothing, they know nothing.”
“I would prefer to take a look.”
“I don’t see how this would gain anything new.” He followed me as I strode towards the car. “Where is Colonel Sanders?” Alarm licked his words. Clearly, he didn’t trust both of us.
Too bad.
I didn’t give a shit.
“He’ll come around.”
“That man cannot absolutely be allowed to trespass on this property. He is insane. Mr. William doesn’t want him around, and if he saw him…”
“Relax! Are you always this uptight?”
“Uptight?” He sputtered. “I’ll have you know…”
“There you are. I was looking for you.” Colonel Sanders came into view. “They have some organic farming going on in the back. I believe I detected a plant or two of weed. We must report this man immediately.”
“Shh!” Bryan all but dragged him to the car. “Are you mad? We are going to get into trouble. You can’t just wander into someone’s private property without an official warrant.”
Colonel Sanders drew himself to his full height. “The FBI is full of pansies these days. Why, in my days, we could arrest people without as much as a by the by.”
“What the hell is he talking about?”
“Never mind! Colonel Sanders, please sit in the car, sir. We must depart.”
“Alright.”
He took his seat in the vehicle. I rolled my eyes at Bryan and took my seat in the back of the car. “See how easy that was. Just give him a little love…”
While I couldn’t be sure, I thought I heard him whimper before he sat and drove the car out. My mind was occupied with some details. An interesting case this was. A firsthand look at the scene of the crime always managed to divulge more than pictures and videos. It would be fascinating to learn more.
A piece of cake.
The mages, whoever they were, no matter how smart, couldn’t evade us for long. We were experienced and skilled, and we would find them. But until then, the chase was fun. As I glanced out of the window, my mind already occupied with the task ahead, my gaze settled on the thin, still girl who stood next to a tree. The brown dress she wore was torn and shabby and streaks of mud caked her oriental face. Even before I could think as to what she was doing here, she turned and fled into the forest.
“Who was that?”
“Who? What?” said Colonel Sanders.
I blinked. Had I imagined her? “No one. I thought I saw someone…never mind.”
“We will find the thieves,” said Colonel Sanders. “It’s an easy case.”
Yep. I agreed with him. The thieves wouldn’t elude us for long. We’d solved harder cases before, and this shouldn’t take so long. I was game to see where the trail led us.
It was better than weeding any day, and that was all I cared about.
Chapter Three
The case was intriguing.
As the car sped over the highway, I raked my mind to figure out the thing that bothered me about this case. It was evident that it was the work of a group of mages, but what the hell were they up to? Why break into a museum and steal a few items that were not the most expensive or the most coveted? I couldn’t understand the motives of the thieves. And without knowing their motive, how the hell would I catch them?
I didn’t like mysteries, and I detested failure even more. Hence, it was imperative to figure out this case as soon as possible and send the yummy special agent on his way. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be good for his health to hang out with us for too long.
As we neared the farmhouse, Agent Bryan slowed the car and turned into the driveway. The gate was wide open but the car stopped barely inches away from it. He pushed down on the accelerator but it felt as if the car was up against some invisible barrier. The tires made a screeching sound. Agent Bryan switched off the engine.
“What the hell?” he muttered.
But I was already out of the car. I stopped at the gate. As I suspected, my eyes caught a glimmer of light around the open area of the gate. A spell bound the farmhouse. Raising my arms, I opened them wide. My magic lit the barrier. The crisscrossed web of spell illuminated for a second and I could see that it extended far and wide. It wasn’t just covering the gate; it was wrapped around the entire estate.
This was a protective spell. One of our own mages put it in place. What could have been the reason to do so?
Colonel Sanders joined me. “It’s Jeremy’s work,” he said. “Someone attacked the farmhouse.”
Anxiety coursed through my veins.
Was anyone hurt inside? I didn’t want to break the seal until I was sure it wouldn’t hurt anyone.
“Who would do such a crazy thing? I mean, it’s not like we have anything valuable inside?” Aghast, I stared at Colonel Sanders. “The museum,” I said the two words.
Taking out my cell phone, I dialed Dubey’s number. “It’s me. Is everything alright?” After listening for a minute, I hung up. “Jeremy is going to remove the spell and let us in. It was merely a protection in case they were attacked again.”
“Who did that?” said Bryan.
He was standing a little back, looking flabbergasted as we checked the spell.
“Come on.” The air sizzled for a moment as the spell was removed. Quickly, we sat in the car and drove up to the main door. After jumping out, I opened the door and stepped into the reception. The sight that met my eyes horrified me. Augusta was trapped behind a cage that was made of some kind of shimmering, silver beams. “What the hell is this?”
“That’s what we are trying to figure out,” said Jeremy who was huddled in a corner with the rest of the residents. I saw Dubey, Myra, Rose, Shelley, and Mark. “It seems to be an energy field but we’re trying to figure out if there is a trap if we attempt to break it.” I gnashed my teeth. Shit! Whoever had done it was an expert. Striding over to the cage, I pushed my face close to it. “Are you mad? It might burn you,” yelled Jeremy.
&n
bsp; I ignored him. Augusta’s terrified gaze followed my movements as I shuffled to the side. The magic was powerful and I could feel the heat of it on my face. The magic burned and sizzled with bridled power, but it was a little comforting to know that Augusta didn’t appear hurt although she didn’t talk or move. “It’s connected to the force of her body. Ingenious really! She is herself sustaining the spell.”
“How is that possible? And how the hell do we break it?” said Jeremy as he walked over to join me. “You are the expert in this.”
“Indeed I am.” Folding my arms, I surveyed the spell. It was quite a complicated piece of magic. Each bar in the cage was barely an inch apart from the other, and it connected to Augusta with thin threads of magic that were nearly invisible. They were so fine, so delicate, that it made them almost undetectable.
Beads of sweat shone on Augusta’s forehead but she remained as still as stone. She was a prisoner of the magic that birthed from her personal energy. The people who made her experience this trauma would pay for it with their blood. Even though rage ripped through me, I controlled it behind a wall of calm.
Now wasn’t the time to give vent to the fury that undulated in my veins.
“Why isn’t she talking?” said Colonel Sanders as he joined us.
“She might be scared that it would hurt her,” Jeremy opined.
I tapped a foot on the floor as I studied the spell to make sure that I wasn’t wrong in my assessment. “No. It’s not that. She can’t speak because the magic holds her captive.”
Agent Bryan strode through the door. His keen gaze took in the scene. I saw him recoil as Dubey bared his fangs at his abrupt entry but he didn’t flinch as he walked over to stand next to us. “What the hell is going on here?”
I barely glanced at him. “Stay out of it. This is way above your league.” Marching forward towards the cage, I raised my hand. “Augusta, I am going to remove that spell. Until I am done, don’t move a finger, alright.”
Without hesitation, I put my hand next to the cage. Instead of doing something to the cage itself, I sent thin tentacles of my magic flying through the holes in the cage. My magic turned into a blade. Each wisp had to be minutely directed to cut a strand that attached Augusta to the cage. It was a mind-numbing work. The magic itself didn’t require much energy, but I had to make sure that each cut was delivered at the right place where the strand was the weakest.
00 Mayan Thief (The FBI Paranormal Casefiles) Page 2