by Tom Keller
"That's great. Can you talk or are you in a rush?" I asked, my stomach tightening. Jay had used the word trek. That was a code word we'd set up when he and my daughter were young in case of trouble. Of course, Jay was an adult now, but if he'd used our code word something was up and it wasn't good.
"Well, it's kind of complicated. But if you have a minute, there's someone here that wants to talk to you," he replied.
"Put them on," I said after a moment.
"Mr. Hoskins, this is Agent Guerrier from the EAB in Los Angeles. Special Agent Hoskins and I are enroute to Las Vegas for a noon meeting in your area. I have been asked to request your presence at that same meeting. Is that agreeable?"
EAB? What the hell did that stand for? But there was no doubt as to what he was. They were polite, I'd give them that. But O'Malley had been right, they'd come at me sideways by inviting Jay along.
"Well, Agent Guerrier, you certainly have my attention. But let me make it clear that I do not appreciate my son being involved. You could have just called yourself if you wanted to meet," I said, trying to suppress my anger. "I expect that any differences we may have will not reflect on my son, or his career, for that matter."
My conversation with O'Malley this morning had apparently been a wakeup call, and now the alarm bell was ringing. I'd made a big mistake and now it was going to catch up with me. Although I hadn’t known it at the beginning, I'd later learned that just as the magic had manifested itself in me, it would eventually do the same to my children. There was no way to know just how it would do so, but I'd known I needed to talk to them about it. Like an idiot, I'd put it off, hoping to find the right time. Now it was probably too late. They were going to find out what they were from someone else.
I should probably mention that both of them have followed in my footsteps as to career choices. Nikki, my daughter, is a CSI at the local PD while Jay is a Special Agent for Homeland Security based in LA. As such, both had been involved in cases that brushed on the magical world even though they hadn’t known it at the time. There had been one case where several strange government agents had shown up to an autopsy that both the kids had been involved in due to jurisdictional overlap. Jay had heard of them before, as they were from the same agency, but described them as so secret that he didn’t even know who they answered to. He'd also called them spooks, and not the CIA kind.
"Mr. Hoskins, you misunderstand our intentions. I assure you, Special Agent Hoskins is a valuable member of our agency and this meeting is just to iron out a few simple issues. As to his involvement, well, let me just say that his exceptional work had already come to our attention and we just assumed he was aware of his, shall we say, genetic disposition. Unfortunately, we had already departed when we realized that that may not be the case."
"I see," I replied, not wanting to drag the conversation out. I could just picture Jay trying to process the part of the conversation he could hear. He'd either think they were all nuts or figure it partially out. Damn! I just hope I could fix any damage this would do between us. "Where shall I meet you?"
"We'll send a car," Guerrier said. "Shall we say 11:00 a.m.? Your residence?"
"Tell them to pull up on the street in front," I replied. "I'll be waiting."
"I look forward to meeting with you then," he said before disconnecting.
I'm sure you do, I thought as I backed out and headed back to the house. As I pulled through the gate I saw Charlie waiting again. I jumped out of the car before he could get to me.
"Danger?" he asked, following me to the door.
"Not exactly," I replied as I opened it. "Just one more thing I haven't had time to deal with." I threw my phone and keys on the table and called for Sendy.
"My Lord," she said as she appeared before me. "I have spoken to your Aunt and a few of the others, but have yet to complete your task."
"Forget about that for a moment," I said. "Can you find my son if he is travelling here from LA by jet?"
"Perhaps," she answered. "But even if I found him, I could not match the craft's speed."
"What do you mean?"
"Although I can transport to many places, once I arrive I am limited by the speed of my wings. Your human conveyances that fly through the air are much faster than I am," she explained. "Even if I could find it I would not be able to keep up with it, nor can I transport into a vessel travelling at such a speed."
"Ok, that's out then," I said aloud. I was probably overreacting, but I had thought that maybe she could snatch Jay and bring him here. That would get him out of the line of fire, at least temporarily, until I could meet with these agents and work out some kind of arrangement.
"I will find him," Charlie said, the fur on his back stiffening.
"I'm sure you would," I replied. "But I think I'd better handle this alone. I'll need you ready just in case. Besides, I don’t think anyone is in real danger. It's more a political game at the moment."
He didn’t reply, but I knew he hated it when I faced danger alone. He was, after all, descended from Fae hunting dogs and feared little. He also worried about me and fancied himself my protector. He had taken an arrow meant for me in my battle with the dark Fae and kept a Dragon busy until I could release her from a spell, so I guess he had the right to call himself that.
One thing I didn’t have enough of in my new role was information. In the human world, that's what I was best at. Hell, I researched everything before I took a step. That was what I did and how I earned a living. But nowadays things were different. I may be a Fae, but that didn’t mean I knew everything about the world I'd been thrust into. No, I needed to know more before I could decide how to handle things.
After changing into a suit, I walked back downstairs into the kitchen. I reached for my phone, then hesitated. Why did he offer to pick me up at the house? Maybe I was being paranoid, but I had a sudden Snowden moment. I turned off my iPhone, walked into my home office and pulled my new Sonim XP7 out of the box. I'd gotten it from Siegfried and Michael at the Neptune. They'd purchased them for their security team and top executives and given one to me as well. The damn things were near indestructible and featured high level encryption, just what I thought I needed at the moment.
Siegfried ran security for the Milagres, and Michael was his number two man. The two of them were probably my closest associates in the Fae worlds. Both were descended from Norse Fae and Siegfried had been there when I first learned about what I was. We'd since become close friends and fought in more than a few battles since all this had started. I still carried the Viking seax he'd given me when we'd first met. I turned my new phone on and punched the contact for Siegfried.
"Robert," he said as he answered. "I see you're finally using the new phone we gave you."
"Just started," I replied. "Hey, I need some information."
"Of course. What can I do for you?"
"I've just been invited to a meeting with the Feds I asked you about a while back. I need some heads up as to what to expect."
"Ah," he said. "Tell them you will honor the same agreement that Mrs. Milagre has. That should be sufficient. Did you wish to speak with her about any of the specifics?"
"Not necessarily," I replied. "But I was hoping for something a little different. It appears that Jay will be there as well so I'm anticipating a bit of additional… let's call it political dialogue."
"Oh," he said after a moment's hesitation. "And he still doesn’t know. That could be awkward."
"Tell me about it," I admitted. "If I were to guess, I'd say that someone isn’t happy with some of the things I've done, so they want to make a point. I doubt Jay is in any real danger, but I don’t want to make things worse, so I need to know if I should play nice or make a point myself."
"I see. Give me a moment, will you."
"Sure," I said. I could hear him talking to someone else and a minute later, Michael came onto the line.
"Gonna go play with the boys in black suits, eh?" he asked.
"Something like th
at. I need to know what to expect," I answered.
"Ok," he began. "Siegfried said they dragged your son into this, but don’t let that distract you. It's not like you're some rogue Fae that came here to start problems. This is more like they now know who you are and they want to make sure you're no threat to the status quo."
"Maybe, but pulling him in raises the stakes a bit."
"Robert, you're thinking too human," he replied. "I know you don’t look at him this way, but Jay is a Fae prince, even if he doesn't know it yet. But, trust me, they do. They're not going to risk a war by screwing with him. This is just about wanting to know what they're up against. They're guessing you're a friend. But what kind? Can they manipulate you, or are you equals? Remember what power is in our world. Not just politically like in the human world, but strength in magic, too. Look, you've done fine so far, so don’t let them distract you. It's just like the demonstration we pulled off with the Fae here. It's all a game. You know how to play this."
I mulled that over for a moment before replying. I really hated games. Well, at least the political kind. Why can’t anyone ever just play it straight forward?
"Ok, thanks for the advice," I finally said. He was right. I had to play this like anything else. Jay wouldn’t expect any less. Let's just hope I didn’t screw the pooch with this one.
"Oh, one more thing. They're probably pissed about the Lilin thing. I'm sure they would have preferred a heads up on that one."
"It's a little too late for that," I said.
"Yes it is," he agreed. "But that's life and it was your call to make. Just do me one favor."
"What's that?"
"There are rules," he answered. "So try not to kill anyone. That would be bad."
"Killing is bad. Got it." As if I hadn’t already figured that much out, I thought to myself.
"Ok, a few more things. Don’t take the Sonim, take your regular cell phone. They're going to take it from you. You want to keep the new one secure so it can’t be compromised. They don’t always play fair. Second, they'll take you somewhere where they think your magic can be muted. That means you're only gonna have what you take in. There'll be nothing you can draw from. Since you're of the Dryad that means no wood or plants of any kind. So you’re going to have to play it smart."
Michael was talking about magic. Many of the Fae had chosen Vegas originally because of the gaming. Magic was a finite resource and the wishes and dreams of the humans that came here were much needed fuel. Most Fae also drew their magic from the sources of their kind. Water Fae from water, Dryad from trees. Some even took it from humans themselves, like an Incubus or Succubus did. I was fortunate. Being a High Fae meant that I could draw it from anywhere. But I still needed either the elements themselves or living things to draw from. That was also what made it easy to tell what a Fae was. The magic that emanated from them was a telltale sign of their kind. Again, I was lucky. Being a High Fae also meant that they probably couldn't read me like a normal Fae. That had been an asset in the past, but in this case was probably part of the problem. Like the Mages I'd battled before, they weren't exactly sure what I was.
"How do you know all this shit, anyway?" I asked.
"You didn't think the EAB was only comprised of half-Demons did you?"
"Are you telling me you used to work for them?" I asked, incredulously. "And what does that stand for anyway? EAB, I mean."
"Let's just say I was associated with them," he admitted. "That was before I came to work with Siegfried. As for EAB, that's the External Affairs Bureau. It's just a Government acronym that doesn't stand out too much."
"I'll be damned," I said, shaking my head.
"Let’s hope not," he replied with a laugh.
"Hey, thanks," I said. "I'll let you know how it goes."
"Sounds good. Try not to give away the farm."
Next I called O'Malley. He didn’t answer, but I left a message on his voicemail. I turned to Sendy as I disconnected.
"Ok, here's what I need you to do." I said, putting down the phone. "In a few minutes I'm going to get picked up by some representatives of the government. I need you to stay out of sight but see where they take me."
"I will go," Charlie said, his fur still up.
"No, I need you to stay here unless I call for you. It's not my first choice," I said. "But I don’t anticipate any real danger. I'm just being my usual paranoid self. But I think it's better to go alone."
He didn't act happy. As a matter of fact he growled, but he soon backed down. For some reason, I didn’t think he went in for all this political posturing. No, I think he was more the tear their throat out and sort it out later kind. Not exactly what I needed at the moment.
"If Michael is right, I'll lose contact with you, so if I'm not back in, say… seven hours, then let Siegfried and O'Malley know. That's about all I can think of at the moment."
"I will know as well," Charlie chimed in.
"I'm sure you will," I agreed.
"It will be so. I will go now and watch for them," she answered.
"Excuse me," I heard a voice ask as she disappeared. I turned and saw that it was the Imp, Alf. I'd totally forgotten about him.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Am I to assume… not that I was eavesdropping, mind you? I mean I couldn't help overhearing. But did you happen to mention that you were meeting with the EAB?" he asked.
"Don’t tell me you worked for them, too," I said.
"Work? Oh, no, never. But we are, let's just say… acquainted," he replied. "So I was just wondering."
"Wondering about what?" I asked.
"Are you taking a weapon?"
"I hadn't really thought of it," I replied. Not that I ever went anywhere unarmed. But that was another matter. Still, why was I discussing this with a creature I hardly knew? And what the hell did 'acquainted' mean? "Do you think I need one?"
"That is of course up to you," he answered. "But in my experience, it is better to have two."
"Two?" I repeated. "Why do I need two? What's this about, anyway?"
"Just a thought," he replied. "One to hide and one to find, that's what I like to say.
"That's what you like to say is it?" I said with a chuckle.
"It is always better to let them find what is expected than to make them wonder if you have one," he continued. "A sword I should think, or any good blade should do it."
"Why not a gun?" I asked.
"Please," he said, drawing the word out. "Guns are so… human. A Fae Lord would carry a sword."
I wondered if there wasn't some hidden meaning in what he had just said. I mean, I did have a sword. The sword of Zeus, as a matter of fact. That one I did keep hidden, thanks to a trick I'd learned from an Angel. But I couldn't help but feel that there was a lot more to this Imp than he was saying. Maybe he really was a spy, no evil intent or not. But if that was the case, just who was he a spy for? Unfortunately I had other concerns at the moment. Whatever he was, I had to admit he had a point. I pulled my seax from its hidden holster.
"Will this do?"
"Ah, a Viking short sword," he said as he walked up to give it a look. "And well made. Yes, I think that'll do nicely."
"I'm glad you approve."
Before he could say more Sendy reappeared. "They have arrived."
"Okay, then. You know what to do." I grabbed my iPhone and looked down at the time, exactly 11:00. Yep, they were prompt alright. I hit the button for the gate and walked outside. Waiting for me was a black SUV with dark tinted windows. It looked a bit like Siegfried's Cadillac but without any manufacturer's markings. As I exited the gate, the driver's door opened and someone stepped out and walked around to my side of the vehicle.
"Mr. Hoskins," he stated as he opened the rear door. "I'm Agent Browne."
He had blonde hair and was wearing a black suit. I half expected to see a black tie and sunglasses, but instead his shirt was light blue and his tie a shade darker. Not that it really mattered, but I could tell from the cut that it wa
sn't off the rack. I was about to get in when he held up his hand.
"I must inform you that any weapons should be left at your residence, or, if you wish, I can hold them for you. They will be returned upon conclusion of the meeting," he said, dropping his hand a bit.
I smiled and reached into my jacket. I gently removed the seax and handed it to him, hilt first. I felt an almost imperceptible hint of magic touch me. Trying not to react I let my senses take it in and felt, not a demon, but something else. Human, but with magic undertones. Some type of Mage then. Probably a Wizard, or at least a practitioner. If the Fae could work with them, why not humans? At least I didn’t sense dark magic. But then, I really hadn’t expected to.
"Just the one?" he asked, taking it carefully. He seemed a little surprised, but I knew he'd sensed nothing else.
"I've got a phone," I replied, pulling it out of my pocket.
"They won’t let you take that into the building."
I knew that of course. Not just because Michael had mentioned it, but I'd had to turn it in before. Since every phone had a camera and recorder, they were now discouraged at many government facilities. That was also common practice at many law enforcement agencies, so it was nothing new.
"I understand," I said as got into the back seat.
I expected us to head downtown but instead we drove east, towards Nellis Air Force Base. A quiet half hour later, we pulled into what looked like an abandoned warehouse complex just south of the base runways. The driver took the SUV through the front gate and then drove to the back where he got out and opened the door for me.
"Nice place," I commented.
He just nodded as he gestured to a door at the back of the building across from me, so I stepped onto the gravel and walked towards it. Opening the door, I entered a small vestibule. In front of me was a door with a window and counter like you'd see in a bank or at a security entrance, so I stepped up to it. To the left of me was another door. That one was a heavy metal slider like the kind you'd see in a jail or prison.
"Please place any electronic devices on the shelf," said the guard behind the counter.