“You can do that?” asked Agent Bryan.
Jeremy put an arm on his shoulder. “Dude! It’s not easy, but if anyone can do it, it’s Cleo. She will be able to tell you what kind of mages they were, what their powers were, and the spells they used. Some mages have signature spells that they created so it’s easy to identify them. Others use generic spells. Then it becomes hard. She can determine the potency of the spell, the power behind it, and then figure out which individual does what. We try to match all the information with our database to identify the individual behind a spell.”
Bryan looked thunderstruck. “You have a database?”
“Of course, just like the FBI. We have our own data that we have painstakingly collected on the hundreds of mages who live in the United States. We have a lot of information on foreigners also. It’s quite extensive.”
Amused as I was by the look on Agent Bryan’s face, I was already trying to figure out the methods I would use to ferret out the bastards who dared to attack our home. As far as I was concerned, they were history. It was only a matter of time until we found them.
I couldn’t wait for that moment to arrive.
Chapter Five
My mind grappled with possibilities as I juggled three apples in the air. We were in the library, and it was seven o’clock in the morning. I’d been up for the past two hours already. Bright beams of sunlight filtered in through the high pane glass windows and hit the table that was set up as a command center. Jeremy was viewing the screen of his laptop as if it would reveal some precious secret within a few seconds while Mark was dozing with his head cushioned between his arms on the table.
“Come on, guys. We’ve to find something.”
“There is nothing in the records,” Mark groaned as he raised his head. His bleary eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. He hadn’t slept the whole night. If there was anyone more incensed than me, it was he. Of course, our reasons were different; he was devastated because they stole precious artifacts and I was pissed off because they dared to attack my home and Augusta. “They were never caught before.”
“This was the work of professionals.” Putting the apples on the table, I paced along the length of the long, mahogany table. “How can they not leave traces of their previous work behind? There must be something; an arrest, some suspicion, a complaint…anything. Dig deep. Search through the juvenile records.”
Jeremy merely shook his head as his fingers moved fast on the keyboard. Picking up the apples, I juggled them again. “One last time, Cleo, and then we’re done.”
They weren’t done until I said the word. And I wouldn’t rest until I found the daring fools. No way was I letting the invaders go free without doing my best to chase them. I’d already identified the spells they used. How could there be no records? People who were so confident and cocky couldn’t have breezed through life without making a couple of mistakes. And if they were ever caught in the system, we would find them.
When Special Agent Bryan stepped into the room, followed by Augusta, Shelley, Dubey, and Myra, I glanced at them in surprise. What the hell were they disturbing our work for? And then I recalled that we were due to leave for Orlando in a couple of hours to see the museum that was broken into. Augusta plonked a tray on the table. “Eat. And let these boys eat also.” As if he was given a reprieve from hell, Jeremy dove for the steaming cup of coffee and the freshly baked croissants. “And how many times have I told you that these apples are not meant to be used for juggling?”
“Sorry.” I put the apples on the tray. My keen gaze detected a faint line on Augusta’s forehead. Something was brewing. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Augusta sniffed. “A minor hiccup, really.”
Dubey glanced at the coffee, sighed, and dragged out a chair to sit on it. “I wouldn’t classify it as minor.”
Now that breakfast was there, it hit me that I was starving. Picking up a croissant, I took a healthy bite. It was hot, buttery, and delicious. “What happened?”
“It’s Sanders,” said Shelley as she came to stand behind Mark who was still doing some research on the laptop. “He has changed.”
“Oh!” I couldn’t tell what the fuss was about. “Nothing new in that.”
Bryan flopped on the couch that was placed against a wall. “Where is he? I haven’t seen him since morning.”
This should be interesting. My eyes lit at the thought of entertainment. “Let’s call him.”
“He is headed this way,” said Augusta in a gloomy voice as she took a seat next to Bryan. “I told him to come down for breakfast.”
As if on cue, the door opened with a bang and in strode Colonel Sanders. He was wearing a wide brimmed sun hat on his head and held a carrot in his hand. As he came near, he took a bite of the carrot and munched it with relish. “Wonderful, fresh vegetables. Myra, you have outdone yourself.”
“Thanks,” said Myra with an amused grin. “Nice outfit.”
I surveyed his maroon pants, the yellow shirt, and the black cape with interest. Considering his personality, the outfit wasn’t too garish. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Bryan sit straight as he observed the new avatar of Colonel Sanders. Man! The FBI guy was too cute. I could just bite his lips, run my fingers all over his masculine, strong body…
The directions of my thoughts shocked me.
“Bryan, have you met our chief of maintenance in the commune?” said Jeremy in an amused voice.
Bryan cocked an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
I suppressed a smile. Jeremy was up to mischief. “Jasper, meet Special Agent Bryan. He is working with us on a case.”
Jasper turned to see Bryan. “Nice to meet you. When did he come in?” he asked Augusta. “And why was I not told? All guests need to be lodged in my visitor’s book.”
Augusta frowned. “Never mind about Bryan. Jasper, did you see a yellow folder that I placed on the reception desk yesterday? It’s missing.”
“I have no idea, dear.” Jasper waved a hand. “You know that I never interfere with your work. I am going to get my visitor’s book so we can log in this young man. How long will you be staying?”
I took a healthy bite of my apple. The bewildered look on Bryan’s face made him look all the more adorable, and my obsession with how he looked made me feel uneasy. Sure, the guy was hot. On an ordinary day, I wouldn’t mind spending some quality time with him in between sheets – oh hell, yes I had needs.
But he was a work colleague.
And FBI was always off limits.
We didn’t trust them. They didn’t trust us. Ours was a relationship based on mutual need and a respect for what each team brought to the table. Nothing more. Nothing less.
There could never be anything between Special Agent Bryan and I – and it was even foolish of me to consider the idea.
What’s more, I still wasn’t sure how much blame lay with him for bringing trouble to our doorstep.
Off-limits. Oh yeah. I got that. Too bad, my body refused to listen to the commands my mind issued. It was a good thing no one else could guess at the trouble that plagued me.
“He is here for a few days, but we will be in and out of the building. We are going to Orlando today,” I said in a bid to stop the outlandish thoughts in my mind.
Jasper curled his upper lip. “No one takes me anywhere.” After taking a bite of his carrot, he flounced out of the room.
I watched Bryan with amusement. He was opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Finally, he managed to get his words back. “What the hell was that about? Why is Colonel Sanders acting so strange?”
“He is not Sanders. That was Jasper,” said Augusta. She scratched her hair. “Colonel Sanders put my file somewhere and I need to take it to the lawyer’s office next week.”
“Which lawyer?” I asked.
“That property dispute I told you about. That file contained originals property papers. If I don’t find them, we could get into big trouble.”
No wonder s
he looked disturbed ever since she came into the room. It was rare to detect a note of panic in Augusta’s voice. I walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. He might change any day. You know how he is.”
“Would anyone please tell me what is going on with Colonel Sanders?” asked Bryan.
Bryan’s loud voice made me turn towards him. The baffled expression on his face was amusing beyond words. “We already told you that Colonel Sanders has multiple personality disorder. He can shift from one personality to another any time. The second one you just met, his name is Jasper.”
Bryan stared at me as if I was sprouting nonsense. “But…how is that possible?”
“Nothing is impossible.”
“But…” He sputtered. “But…he was so different yesterday.”
“Colonel Sanders thinks he is in charge of this commune. Jasper takes care of maintenance, and then there are a couple of other personalities that pop up now and then.” I waved a hand. Understanding Colonel Sanders was a lifelong process, and I didn’t think he would get the handle on the man so easily. We had work to do. “Mark, I think…”
“Bingo,” he said loudly.
The excitement in his voice told me that we were on to something. “What is it?”
“Here is one of your men. James Roswell. He is Irish, middle-aged, and very, very clever. Caught once only when he was fifteen, which is why we have his prints on record. And then he disappeared for a long time. Or at least, he didn’t do something that would raise suspicion.”
Walking over, I took a look at the data he pulled. The old picture showed a defiant, fifteen year old, but by now he must be forty-five. “How does he look now?”
“Let me do an age progression.” Mark was quick. After pressing a few buttons and fiddling with a software, he showed me a picture. “This is what he looks like now.”
“How can you guys do such things with so much ease?” said Bryan as he walked over to take a look. “It takes the FBI weeks to get this right.”
I waved my fingers. Magic, enhanced with technology, produced results faster and with a greater accuracy. “We’ve our resources.”
“You should share them with the FBI.”
“Right. And if we do that, the whole world would know about mages and there would be utter pandemonium.”
He pouted. “Shit. Yeah. I didn’t think about it.”
As amusing as his ignorance was, we didn’t have the time to enjoy it. “We’re going to Orlando, and then we’re going to chase this man down. Jeremy and Mark, while we are gone, see if you can dig up some information as to where he can be located.”
“I wanted to come with you,” said Mark. “Maybe he has knowledge of where the stolen stuff is, and we might be able to recover it.”
“You’re busy with the FBI investigation. If you don’t have time to handle it, please let me know so I can tell my boss to find someone else for the job,” said Bryan. I turned my attention to him. Did he really think he would find a replacement for us so easily? “I can totally understand that it’s important for you to find the men who looted this place so…”
I raised a hand, and he flinched. “Woo. Woo. Woo. What are you talking about?”
“If you are planning to chase this James…”
His tone and accusatory attitude pissed me off. Once on a case, I never backed down. “Sure, we are going to do that, but it’s all related to the investigation you and I are involved in. If you are not comfortable working with me, by all means, ask your boss to send a replacement. There are others in your department whom I have worked with before, and it would work out better all around.”
“This burglary in the commune isn’t related to our case.”
I didn’t have time to do this, but I had to. The man needed too many words of explanation, and damn it, it was annoying. Raising a finger, I took a step forward. “One, the burglary was done by people who possess magic. Two, at least one thief was present on both occasions, and that was James. Three, all the artifacts that have been stolen were Mayan. So given these three valuable facts, I have concluded that the burglaries are related.”
“How do you know that James was present in both places?”
I snorted. Clearly, he didn’t listen to anything we said. “I’ve read the traces of his magic in both places.”
He gulped. “But…we don’t know for sure if all the artifacts that were stolen from all the museums were Mayan.”
“Good point. Which is why we’re going to Orlando first to see if the artifacts stolen were indeed Mayan, and also because I need to read the traces of his magic there.”
“And if it’s not as you suspect.”
“Then we’ll think of another step. But right now, I am in charge and I say we do it like this.”
He frowned. “Who made you leader of this investigation? We’re supposed to work in cooperation.”
“Hey, hey, you two. Stop squabbling like children,” said Augusta in a firm voice. When she said something, I tended to listen. And she was right; I needed this man for practical purposes. It wasn’t just his cuteness factor that encouraged me to keep him around. He was our liaison with the FBI, and if he up and vanished, I would have to deal with someone else. It was better to accept the devil I already knew. “You both have a lot of work to do, so I suggest you get to it.”
“You’re right,” I said. “We do have work, and we should get to it.”
As I walked out, he followed me. “Is there anything special you have noticed about the artifacts that were stolen? I mean…apart from the fact that they were all Mayan.”
Damn it. He was sharp. I didn’t want to give away all the information I held close to my chest. In our line of work, information was sometimes all we had to bargain. But like or not, he was my partner, and I had to trust him – to a degree. “Yes. I know for sure that some of the artifacts had some writing on them, and I believe that the rest of them must have had it too.”
We walked towards the main door. My mind was already grappling with all the possible situations we would have to deal with.
Was I aware that this handsome hunk walked beside me and we were about to share close quarters in a car?
Hell, yes.
But that wasn’t paramount in my mind.
No way.
“What does that mean?”
I stopped and turned around to look at him. How could I forget that he wasn’t a mage, and it wasn’t so easy for him to connect the dots? The man sure had potential. If we’d time, and if I could forgive him for bringing this mess right to my home, I would have kissed him right then and there. Befuddled, he looked cuter than before.
Man! Why couldn’t I ignore his good looks? It wasn’t like me to be so besotted.
With an effort, I pulled my mind to concentrate on the job at hand. Soon, I would have to bid goodbye to Agent Hottie so it was better to stay on course. “It’s obvious. If indeed, all artifacts have writing, and if indeed they are all Mayan, then the mages who are stealing them are collecting them for one purpose.”
“What is that?”
Ignoring the hint of impatience in his voice, I smiled. “They are trying to collect all the words for a spell.”
“Spell?”
“Spells are the backbone of magic. We use them to channel our energy. Some of the time we can do stuff without using words, but for complicated endeavors, we need spells. I believe that these thieves are in need of a spell that has been broken down and written down on to separate artifacts. Once they get all the artifacts together, they will be able to assemble the spell and use it.”
“For what purpose?”
“I have no idea. If I can take a look at the partial spell, I might be able to glean something.”
We resumed walking towards the main door. The home that was always warm felt cold, alien. It was because it was violated, intruded upon – and the people who did that wouldn’t roam free for long. “But Cleo. If these people are going to such lengths to collect a spell, it must be s
omething…important. Something maybe even destructive.”
The smile that curved over my lips wasn’t warm. “You’re finally right about something, Special Agent Bryan. The Mayans had powerful magic at their disposal. Their civilization might be lost, but from whatever we have recovered, it’s safe to say that they knew some big secrets. So if these guys are really after the Mayan history then whatever they have planned is dangerous for us, and probably for the country.”
“Shit.”
I raised my hand and waved to Jasper who was mopping the foyer with a wooden broom. Wow. The fun never ended in this job. Like it or not, we were knee deep in trouble, and there wasn’t much we could do to avoid it.
A war was imminent, and I couldn’t wait to start kicking some ass.
As I opened the door, I stopped short. The sight that greeted me was so strange that for a few moments, my brain couldn’t make sense of what I saw.
Bryan tried to peer over my shoulder to see what made me freeze. “What’s wrong?”
“I…”
He nudged me aside and stared at the basket that sat in the middle of the driveway. “What is that?”
A bomb. A magical weapon.
It was potentially something dangerous, maybe lethal.
Clasping my hand around his arm, I pulled him back with a lot more force that I intended. “It’s possibly dangerous.”
No one was going to leave a gift in the middle of our driveway. The basket had a half cover. Basket? Not really. It was more like a… “It’s a bassinet,” said Agent Bryan. “Is there…no way…it can’t be…”
“Of course, it’s not.”
“What’s going on?” Jasper tried to nudge past me but I managed to block him. “What is that?”
“What is what?” said Augusta in a sharp voice.
I turned back to see the whole team as they crowded behind me. “It’s a basket of some sort, sitting in the driveway.”
00 Mayan Thief (The FBI Paranormal Casefiles) Page 4