by T S Paul
The Master at Arms and the Grand Master both shared a smile and nodded to each other. Everything was going according to the plan.
<<<>>>
“Has one escaped California?” Director Madeline Mills demanded.
The voice on the other end of the line was obscured, but she thought she knew who she spoke to. Such was the life of a former Black Ops officer.
“No. The Hellmouth is locked down tighter than President Talbot’s budget. Nothing and I do mean nothing, has gotten loose since the late 1950s. You know that as well as I do. This is something new. At least that is what the eggheads believe.”
Maddie pulled the phone away from her head and stared at it. Old habits die hard. Screw it, she said to herself. “Thomas, I need you to be straight with me here. What did they say about it?”
The voice on the other end sighed. “Damn it, Maddie. If this line weren't secured, it would be over. You know that, right?”
“Yes, Thomas. I do. But I have to know. The Magical Division was given to me to control and operate. How am I to protect my people if demons are flying around out there?” Maddie replied.
“You don’t. Demonic activity falls under our jurisdiction. President Long established that before either of us were even born. The FBI and its agents have no control over anything from that plane of existence. Not even the Witches Council is supposed to interfere with us. You might remember that from your time in the field. I’m breaking a half dozen rules and regulations, but I’ll give you the basics. Only you. This is beyond Top Secret, Maddie,” Thomas directed.
Maddie cradled her phone in the crook of her neck and gestured with her hands. “I was in the field with you more than once, too. You might remember that Thomas.”
“I do. And that is the only reason I answered your call, Maddie. The picture that popped up on the news media outlets was taken in Italy. The Vatican Guard intercepted it from the station that uploaded it to the web about an hour too late. They claim it was taken in the hills outside Palermo by a wandering tourist. Our agents are en route to locate this tourist and confiscate his equipment. For now, the photo and all trace of it are on lockdown. But it got out.” Thomas replied.
“And the demon? Did the Italians locate it too?”
“No. Only the Vatican would even touch something like that. Italian SID is supposedly on top of it, but you know how they are. If it’s real, we will act. It would be good to have you along on that mission if we have to drop. You were one of the best scouts my unit ever had. Feel like giving up on the FBI and returning to our service?” Thomas asked.
Shaking her head Maddie replied. “No. I’m happy here at the Academy. It provides a good cover for some of what we do with the FBI, and I really like working with our first Witch. I’m too old to be dropping with Arcane Corps. I’ve gotten soft.”
“That I doubt. Sorry, I was so harsh before. Security is paramount for this sort of thing. I’ll try to keep you in the loop, but you know how it goes. We need to get together and swap stories sometime. Unclassified ones that is.”
“Next time you’re in Washington give me a call, and we will do that. Take care of yourself, Thomas,” Maddie replied.
“Not Thomas anymore Maddie. Just call me Mr. Right from now on.” The phone clicked on the other end.
Maddie stared out her office window for a moment before securing the phone in her safe. A demon sighting could mean a lot of things. None of them good. Making a note, she decided to direct one of the Bs to investigate. No field operatives yet. That job she would leave to the OSS and Arcane. Less paperwork that way.
<<<>>>
The man formerly known as Thomas secured his phone. “She is going to be trouble.”
“Why?”
“She won’t leave it alone. It was before your time with us, Mr. Left. Madeline Mills was one of the best agents we ever had when it came to tactical investigations. She was essential to the operation of my team in so many ways,” Thomas said.
“Why was she allowed to leave then?” Mr. Left was a stocky man with sharp black eyes.
“We aren’t slaves to the system here, Mr. Left. Her term with us was up, and the FBI beckoned. She came to us under a cloud of suspicion and trouble. Service with the Corps can make or break a career. In her case, we fixed the problems and made them disappear. She’s a better resource for us as a Director than an agent.” Thomas pointed out.
Mr. Left blinked. “But didn’t you just say…”
Thomas shook his head and gave the man a stern look. “Forget what I said. We will watch her for now. She’s not stupid and may discover more than we do. Her people are very well trained. I should know since they were students of mine. Just as you were.”
“Anyone I know?” Mr. Left asked.
“The Bs.”
Mr. Left raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “Forget I asked. Those two are scary.”
“That they are, Mr. Left. That they are.”
Chapter 7
“What’s the point of having a beach house if you never leave it?” I spoke into the night air. This was getting old. Staring out at the beach and the waves, I tried to not remember my home in Sirmium. It wasn’t on the beach like this, but we did have what father called the summer home there. It wasn’t even close to as magnificent as this modern home was, but I enjoyed our time there.
<<<>>>
“Demetrius do we have to study all the time? I want to enjoy myself here.” The waves were practically calling me by name as they crashed and danced upon the shore.
“We discussed this. Your father gave me a deadline. The basic core of this curriculum needs to be completed before he leaves for Rome in less than a month. He intends to leave the estate in your hands. You understand that, right? For him to even consider leaving means a drastic shift in both his beliefs and his trust in you. If you fail… I don’t think he will ever trust you again. Believe me in this, Aeliana.” Demetrius replied.
“I know. My heart tells me one thing and my eyes another. Why did the Gods give us desire?” I asked.
“So we can better understand our own souls. Use this.” Demetrius touched his head. “Not this.” He touched his chest. “When it comes to all conversations and situations. With it, the world might become a better place than it is.”
“Brains, not the heart. Is that what you are saying?” I asked.
“It is as you say. Now, what were we discussing?” Demetrius asked.
“Geography. I asked you about the Parthians.”
“Yes. That is appropriate to know. Your father will be traveling there soon on orders of the Emperor. It is rumored that he wishes your sire to construct some sort of monument to show Rome’s establishment of a government there. Without our help, the natives there would have descended into barbarity and chaos. The Emperor’s conquest of Nisibis will ensure new trade and a much-needed boost to our economy.” Demetrius pointed out.
“Why?”
Demetrius looked at me in surprise. “Why what?”
I gave my tutor an exasperated look. “Why does conquering Parthia boost our economy? I understand that the Empire must expand to survive. That much you have taught me. But why there? Why Parthia when there are former Roman territories to both the east and the west that might be easier and better controlled?”
Looking skyward Demetrius crossed himself in the manner of the Christians. I straightened in my chair. Christians were unusual in our province. Technically, their cult was outlawed, but Demetrius was a trusted servant of my father. I was supposed to be able to trust him explicitly. “The Empire is the largest it’s ever been at the moment. That was begun with Julius has been continued by Trajan. By opening up trade routes to the East, the Emperor hopes to enrich Rome. If merchants wish to trade with far-off Chin or even India, they must use intermediaries. Intermediaries such as the Parthians or Persian. The Mesopotamian valley is prosperous. Gold, silver, crops, and slaves are what Rome will cull from it. Only Parthia stands in the way. It must yield.”
Stu
bbornly I persisted. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Demetrius shook his head. “No, I didn’t. Ask your father why and see how he responds. There isn’t a good or bad answer for everything, child. Sometimes God places the pieces in front of you and allows you to build the house. It’s all about seeing the world for how it truly is.”
That is one of my best quotes from Demetrius. It’s one that followed me through the centuries. “See the world how it is.”
<<<>>>
Maybe I should change my attitude about this mess outside. I peeked through the drapes again. With so many paranormals packed into one place, my scent might be diffused. I can make myself invisible to most small groups of Were, but this would be an even larger test. I wanted to go outside and relax. I will do that no matter the consequences.
<<<>>>
As bad ideas go, this was one of my worst. Why is it drunken Were’s have to smell so badly?
“Hey, babe. How’s about a little sugar?” The Were in question looked as though he’d been drinking for days and he probably had been. Funny thing about paranormals and alcohol. Sometimes it works and other times not. I knew from experience that they had to drink five times that of a regular human before getting the same effects.
“Not in this lifetime or even the next,” I replied to him.
The drunk laid his furry hand on my shoulder and spoke again. “Don’t be that way. I’m a nice guy. A girl like you…”
He gave me a long sniff and pulled away from me with a puzzled look on his face. Looking away from me he started to yell at the bartender. “Patrick! Check out this chick for me.”
Shaking my head, I turned to leave.
“Weres. Always sniffing things.” I muttered under my breath. So much for that bar. It was cool too. Named after the guy that drives the Mystery Machine. I like the way it was up on stilts.
Pensacola Beach has become so much more than the out-of-the-way little island I read about in the 1950s. I was at Sauley Field with J Edgar Hoover at that time. The main part of the Naval Air Station was off limits to us so landing at the less used training field was easier. Hoover was on a recruiting mission that year. The Demon War was over, and the Bureau needed new blood to keep going.
I chuckled to myself. New blood. The remembrance of all those fresh young Navy airmen made me smile. Now I was feeling a bit hungry.
<<<>>>
The moon was full the night we flew in. J Edgar was anything if not accommodating. He needed my help but tried his damnedest to protect me at the same time. Too bad I didn’t trust him enough to tell him the sun wasn’t an issue for me.
“Ana are you OK?”
“I’m fine, Director. Just getting a feel for a new place. I haven’t been to this coast before.” I sniffed the air again casting my Vampire senses outward. I wasn’t just smelling the ocean. I was looking for others like myself and any nearby threats. Not sensing any gave me ideas that I left percolating in my brain.
“Good. I know the flight is a hardship for you, but we desperately need new agents. The war weakened our country. Many foreign governments have already begun sending their agents against us,” Hoover answered.
“Why aren’t you using those psychics we picked up in Virginia? They can do the same thing I’m doing. More actually,” I said.
Edgar shook his head. “Psychics. I’ve instructed that they only are used for local non-sensitive cases. We just can’t trust them completely, Anastasia. They show loyalty to that leader of theirs first. There are too many secrets in my head and yours to trust them with. Better to stick with what works.”
I nodded that I agreed. Edgar might not be able to block them out but I could. The day a Vampire Elder couldn’t block out a human was the day the Vampire race ended. I did understand his reasoning. He had way more to lose than I did. “I don’t think Cayce demands that much loyalty from his people, sir. He has serious health problems.”
“That may be true, but we still can’t trust him. There are too many questions about his loyalty. Most of it relates to his membership in the Theosophical Society.” J Edgar opened and closed several files and documents as we spoke.
“Blavatsky’s group? Weren’t they wiped out in the war?” I asked.
“They were. Some of the members of the Thule Society were followers of Blavatsky. Since they were the ones that we suspect brought that beast into being in Berlin, any connection to them is bad. It shows the intelligence of those beings we call Demons.”
I looked at Edgar. His head was cocked to one side, and he was gazing upward. “Why do you say that?”
“Many have said they were ravening beasts or entities without purpose. Those people would be wrong. The Demons had a purpose, a method to their madness, that is only now starting to come to light. The reason they invaded so many countries at once was to eliminate those that could stop them. Blavatsky and her society were in Russia. Many of the quasi-secret magical societies were the first to fall in the war. Masons, Rosicrucians, and members of the Golden Dawn are few and far between in Europe today. They were eaten to prevent returning the prince to his domain. Why else persecute the Jews so virulently? Practitioners of the Kabbalah could have prevented the destruction too,” Edgar remarked.
“Maybe. But why go after the public groups rather than the private ones then? If the Volkhvy hadn’t had acted, we all might not be here today. If they were organized in any group, we haven’t discovered it yet. As it was, they were practically wiped out in the process of stopping the incursion,” I answered. Demon studies was a hobby of mine. I was still a bit pissed they outed me and destroyed my home.
Edgar gave me a long look. He shook his head. “Did you realize we’re sitting here arguing about creatures we may never see again? Let’s get back to work. The night is wasting.” Edgar, it seemed, had secrets too.
He may have had trust issues, but he was a good man. He truly wanted to protect the county from harm. Working for him gave me more insights into humans and their society than all my years before I became a Vampire. That was the only time I was here before now. Vampires make plans. This place was one of mine, and now it’s filled with dogs. Irony sucks.
Feeling a vibration, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Yes, Ivan.”
“Mistress I’ve been frantic! Did you know it was daylight out?” He asked.
Looking up at the sun I laughed. “Yes, actually I did. It feels good. Calm yourself, Ivan. I will explain in a little while.”
“But you said…” He stopped talking for a moment. “Why did you make me cover all the windows then?”
Ivan has his moments. He used to be much smarter and cadgy until I claimed him. His Witch powers were weak before I made him my Thrall, but afterward, they were gone or not reachable to him. Something about the process dumbs the Thralls down. My Master always told me to find the smartest servants possible. That way they would at least understand the orders I give them. Starting out with dumb gets you unusable servants. “Because I told you to. Stay at the house. I will return soon.”
Crossing the street, I spotted one of the many surf shops dotting the shopping center landscape. I needed a hat, glasses, and suntan lotion if I was going to play my part around here. Besides some of the lotions might disguise my non-scent for me.
Chapter 8
“Agatha, we’ve got something.”
Agatha looked up from her computer and turned toward Chuck. “What’d you find?”
Both Cat and Chuck were hunched over his computer. “We completely forgot about someone. It’s completely our fault too.”
Agatha stood and crossed over to her friend’s workstation. “What is our fault?”
Cat stepped back from the computer and answered her. “That little Russian Witch we picked up in North Carolina. We completely forgot about him.”
“You’re talking about Ivan, right? I sent him to Grams. He wanted to work, but not for us. Remember?”
“According to your Grandmother, he never showed up there. She sends her
regards and encouragements by-the-way,” Bill answered his boss.
Agatha looked at the three. “You called Grams?”
Cat sighed, “Sweety, I know the thought of having to chase down one of our own seems wrong to you, but she could have come to us first. Would you rather it be us catching her or one of the special hunter teams Spec Ops uses? They play a lot rougher than we do.”
Spec Ops used special teams to hunt down what they called threats to National Security for the military. The team only knew about them because Jack knew about them and recorded the information in his private files. Those notes were fascinating reading.
Agatha looked at her friends and nodded. “Yes. I want it to be us. Now, what’s this about Ivan?”
“You might not remember, but when we were chasing after those wolves, we left Ivan in Anastasia’s care. For a short while, it was just the four of us. Chuck, Ivan, Ana, and myself alone in the RV. But then you and Cat ran into trouble, and the rest of us needed to respond. We didn’t know that Ana was a Daywalker at that time,” Bill responded.
“She wasn’t alone with him for long. A day maybe. I really don’t remember.” Agatha replied.
“Aggy, none of us have ever seen her feed. She can eat regular food. We’ve all seen her eat pizza and chicken wings with us. But when does she drink blood, do you know?” Cat asked.
Agatha winced just as Fergus popped out from under the main computer console. “Pizza? I heard pizza! Where is it? What kind did you get?”
“Fergus where did you come from?” Agatha asked. She looked over toward his barn. It was sitting on its own special podium near the cockpit.
The miniature Unicorn hopped around like a rabbit before answering. “Did you get me a salad with extra olives? I like the black ones, not the kilometer ones. They make my tongue all gooey.” He stuck his tongue out and made funny noises.
“I think you mean Kalamata olives.” Agatha looked at her watch. “It’s not even close to dinner time.”
“So. Every time is pizza time.” Fergus ducked back under the console table.