by Fitz Molly
“Oh, no, where is Alistair?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, I found him,” she said, digging into Ulyanna’s front pocket. She pulled out a key fob and clicked a button. The trunk of Alistair’s car popped open. We both ran over and there he was, tied up with duct tape covering his mouth, mumbling and looking very unhappy.
I ripped off the duct tape in a fast swoosh to which he screamed out in pain.
“Why would you do that?” he asked.
Wasn’t it obvious? “I’m here to save you,” I said.
“Oh, goody,” he said with that same debonair eyebrow raise.
Chapter Ten
The next morning, Ava, the cats and I all headed into the police station to give our final debriefings.
The Clover Creek Police Station was small, quaint, vintage and homey. The matching gas lamps out front gave it a black-and-white TV era vibe, along with the steep flight of steps that led up to the front double doors. Someone was already taking down the Halloween decorations. Faux spiderwebs, plastic pumpkins, jack o’lanterns and a scarecrow were all huddled together in a big storage bin to the side.
After we recounted everything for Wesley’s police report, he led us to the community conference room where an entire team of Interpol agents awaited us.
“Thank you for helping us capture Ulyanna,” said the bossy Interpol agent who sent the text message without my approval earlier.
“Don’t you mean: thank you for doing our job and single-handedly taking out Ulyanna with zero assistance from any of us, on account of we were all unconscious?” I retorted.
The Interpol agent grumbled his reluctant concurrence. An older Interpol officer I hadn’t met before stepped forward and shook my hand. “On behalf of the entire European division of Interpol, we’d like to thank you for your generous assistance in arresting Ulyanna Yerkovich. She’s been on the agency’s Most Wanted List for more than ten years now.”
“Thanks, I was only doing what anyone else would’ve done,” I replied, which was true. I expected any other ultra-empaths with inside knowledge of a future assassination and the ability to tap into their covert operative hand-to-hand combat training in a millisecond would have done so. “Wait, what about Alistair? Won’t the person who hired Ulyanna simply hire another person when they find out she failed?”
“He’s safe. The redhead who hired Ulyanna was Alistair’s ex-wife. Ulyanna cut a deal as soon as we brought her into custody. The ex-wife is being arrested as we speak. With Ulyanna’s testimony, the ex-wife will be going away for a very long time,” he said.
Ava and I both exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Not that I felt it was my duty to keep Alistair alive forever but knowing that this was now over helped.
“One more thing,” the Interpol officer said as both turned to leave. “There was a ten million dollar reward for Ulyanna Yerkovich’s capture, dead or alive. We’ll make sure to start that process right away,” he said.
“I retract what I said earlier about this not being our thing. This is one of your best payouts yet,” crowed Werewolf. Why would a cat care about money? It could only buy so many cheesecakes and cupcakes, the latter of which we now had for free forever, thanks to Ava.
The last thing I needed was more money, especially after the guilt that was overwhelming me from the money that I stole, pre-amnesia.
“I don’t need the money,” I said.
“But think of all the good things you could do with that reward money,” said Ava, nudging me with her hip.
“Like what?” I asked. Since this clearly wasn’t a dream, I was now faced with the fact that I’d never worked a day in my life. I had no college degree. And not only was I a high school dropout, but I’d also been ousted from a place called the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was officially unemployable. Plus, I was already loaded to the max. The bank account balance showed well over ten million in both of my accounts. And even if that money were spent, I could easily eBay my closet, the cars or the whole house.
“Can you give us just one minute alone?” Ava asked the Interpol agents and Wesley. After they all filed out of the room, Ava closed the door. It was just the two of us and the cats.
“What couldn’t you do!” exclaimed Ava. “You’ve been claiming how guilty you feel and how you want to make things right. Now you have the means to do that with honest, good money.”
“But the right thing to do is to give back all of the money and with my amnesia, I have no idea who I stole it from,” I argued. At this point, I was afraid to regain my memories. Ten years and twenty million dollars equaled a lot of blackmailing. Who knew how many lives could have been saved just like Alistair’s if I had done the right thing all along with my powers?
“Then use the money for something good going forward. Trust me, you’ll find a way to help people with it,” she said, squeezing my hand. The same swoosh of air and white lightning flashed in my brain. I saw all of the charity events that Ava hoped to throw to raise more money for endangered animals, homeless pets and the local community.
She was right. I couldn’t help everyone I’d hurt over the last decade, since I had no idea who they were, but I could help out the entire community of each town I’d visited. Surely, that would somehow help out someone I’d hurt by proximity association. And I did have some recent GPS activity in my phone that I could follow up on.
When the senior Interpol officer came back into the room, I announced that I had changed my mind and would be happy to accept the reward money.
“Great. Thank you again, Miss Decker and Miss Decker. We have your contact information and we’ll get that check in the mail to you right away,” he promised.
Sending a check for such a large amount seemed dangerous. Sensing my concern, the Interpol officer winked at me and said, “It's just an expression, like the check is in the mail. Don’t worry. We’ll wire the money directly into your bank account.”
I giggled, feeling silly now. First, I didn’t want the money, then I did want the money, and now I was worried about making sure I got all of the money. I was giving Good Samaritans everywhere a bad reputation. Once Interpol left, I proposed a big brunch full of endless pancakes and waffles to celebrate.
“I’m so down with pancakes and waffles and then some,” said Werewolf, already licking his kitty chops. “Let’s go.”
Wesley and Ava smiled and agreed with the idea but not Alistair, who dumped all of his business cards into the trash.
“What are you doing?” I asked, fishing them out. They were too pretty to toss. Plus, they were velvet! Anyone who went to that much trouble to create such attractive business cards loved them and his business.
“I’m a private detective or at least, I’m supposed to be. I was duped by a hitwoman on Interpol’s Most Wanted list. Who would bother to hire me now?” he asked.
“That is true. He’s a pretty big loser. I would never hire him in a million years to do anything,” said Werewolf.
I shot Werewolf one of my daunting but ineffective looks of disapproval he so liked to ignore. For once, I was glad no one else could hear him.
“An entire team of international fugitive experts couldn’t find her or take her down. It’s a compliment. You’re just that awesome that your ex-wife had to hire a world-renowned assassin to take you out,” I said. “She didn’t hire any old killer-for-hire. She went out and found the very best to take you down.”
He shrugged his shoulders, still unconvinced.
“Or maybe his ex-wife is dumb, too, and overpaid. Maybe that’s why they were married. They were too dumb to realize they weren’t right for each other,” said Werewolf.
“Or maybe some kitties are going to be left behind and not able to join us for brunch,” I whispered, directly at Werewolf.
“Oh no, Cousin Sakara. Don’t leave me behind. I like pancakes,” whimpered Lucky. “And waffles, too.” Lucky crawled up my leg and nuzzled against my ear.
“Oh no, sweetie. I would never leave you behind,” I said, rubbing
Lucky under his cute little kitty chin.
“Plus, you’re a nice guy who takes in stray cats and feeds them his entire office party dinner. Who else would’ve done that for Werewolf?” I asked, even though I knew the answer was anyone Werewolf sneezed on but I still sensed there was a good side to Alistair.
“Perfect. I will seek out a career at an animal shelter,” he said, slouching his shoulders down in defeat. “Go ahead and have brunch without me. I don’t really feel like celebrating.”
Ava cleared her throat noisily and touched my arm. I heard her thoughts loud and strong so I reiterated her words back to Alistair.
“I don’t think it’s your detective skills that are so much at fault as it is your choice in women. Maybe take a small break from dating for a while?” I suggested.
That did make him laugh. “Touché. On the plus side, I now have a pretty good case for no longer having to make alimony payments to my ex-wife.”
“Silver linings all around!” declared Ava. “Now you have to come out for brunch. We saved your life so the least you could do is celebrate with us. Plus, Sakara’s paying now that she’s extra, extra rich.”
Alistair seemed to ponder this over and then finally relented. “Alright, I’ll go.”
“Hooray!” exclaimed Ava, pulling us all into a big group hug.
“What are you going to do with all of that money?” asked Alistair, as we headed out of the station.
“Start a charity foundation to help people in every town I’ve ever lived in or visited,” I said.
“What would this foundation be called?” asked Alistair, visibly perking up.
“How about The Wicked Witch Gone Good Foundation?” I asked.
Ava shook her head no. “We’ll work on the name later.”
“You could call it W.W.G.G.F. for short,” suggested Alistair and then shook his head no, upon hearing how long and silly it sounded. Apparently, naming foundations wasn’t a skillset any of us had.
“Oh yeah, punish the cat for calling Alistair stupid. I was so off-base,” said Werewolf.
“You’re riding in the trunk,” I said to Werewolf.
“You wouldn’t dare,” he said, already fanning his kitty talons.
“Then be nice,” I said.
“No one can hear me but you,” said Werewolf.
“That’s not the point,” I said.
“Is she talking to herself?” asked Alistair and Wesley both at the same time. “Or the cat?”
“Both. It’s a Decker thing. I do it, too,” said Ava, turning to talk to Lucky.
This time, it was my turn to pull Ava in for a Decker style family hug. I loved knowing I had such an awesome cousin I could count on and who supported me no matter what, even on my ability to talk to cats.
Want More?
Want more from Sakara and the rest of the Frosted Misfortunes gang?
Get started with BOOK 1 CUPCAKE & CHAOS or catch up with the full series HERE!
Learn more about the author and see her other awesome books HERE.
Blackjack Crossing
F.M. Storm
About This Single
We all take for granted that we’re going to wake up tomorrow morning. But one Boston cop certainly wasn’t expecting to wake up as a cat. From the mean streets of Massachusetts to the magical beats of Maine, this black cat has a mysterious crime spree to stop as a newly summoned witch’s familiar. Is this his new destiny or was there a mix-up in the ritual? Find out in Blackjack Crossing!
Where It Fits
BLACKJACK CROSSING can be read as a stand-alone, but chronologically it fits before the events of THE WHACKED WITCH and FURRED-UP FOISTING … Enjoy!
Chapter One
I came to on the floor of what looked like a gigantic, cavernous basement. I didn’t see any lights, but it really wasn’t dark. I pulled myself to my hands and knees and then tried to pull myself up to standing. I wobbled for a moment and fell over. There was a weird feeling, all over, like I was ten pounds of beef shoved into a five-pound sack. My head was swimming and I reached up to rub my temple, only to find a cat’s paw instead of my hand.
“What’s goin on here?” I shouted to no one in particular. I needed to find someone. It was important. There was… Something. What was it? I felt like I was trying to recall a dream just after waking up.
“You’ve been summoned,” a quiet voice said from behind me.
Spinning around, I saw a young woman dressed in a simple white dress. She had an odd necklace and short, greenish colored hair.
“Who are you?” I demanded. “And what do ya mean, summoned?”
“I’m Valeria Mason,” she said. “And you’ve been summoned to be my familiar.”
“Whoa! No, no, no, no, no,” I said, backing away from her. “I’m your total friggin’ stranger, lady. I don’t know who you are or what I’m doing here, but I’ve got to…”
What did I have to do? There was something nebulous at the back of my mind, struggling to come out.
“It’s over, Davis. I don’t wanna have to shoot you.”
It was like a memory, but after an all-nighter at Rosco’s Pub over in Southie, like a blurry echo.
“I understand the transition can be jarring,” the crazy chick said. “But I can explain more, if you just follow me upstairs.”
She got up walked to the stairs, and for a moment, I considered just sitting there stubbornly. Of course, that was no closer to getting me out of here or finding out what had happened. Reluctantly, I followed this Valeria lady up the stairs and into a well-lit posh space. Full of books and leather chairs.
It looked like the club Scavo ran. Scavo… Where did I know that name?
“You betrayed us! And for what? Dirty money from a sleazeball like Scavo?”
I glanced all over, the memory rattling around in my head. Why couldn’t I remember anything? And who was I?
Something black caught my eye, and I turned to come face to face with a black cat. I leapt backward, doing a half twist in the air and landing perfectly on my feet. Dread filled the pit of my stomach as I realized a horrible truth.
I was looking in a mirror.
Chapter Two
“I see you’ve managed to summon a familiar,” an old lady said, getting up from one of the leather chairs. She had a similar necklace to Valeria and also wore a white dress.
“Who’s this broad?” I asked, kind of as an aside to Valeria. For her part, she looked shocked. Didn’t know what her problem was—she wasn’t a cat.
“He’s a Bostonian, I see,” the lady continued. “Tell me, cat—”
“That’s officer to you,” I retorted, more on reflex than anything else. Was I a cop? Yeah. That felt right.
She smiled. “Okay then, Officer Cat. Tell me what you remember?”
The dark bricks of the alley whizzed past as I chased… someone.
“Not much,” I said, not sure if I could trust these crazy people.
“Hmm.” She rubbed her chin as she wandered through the room and grabbed a large, and obviously very old, book. “These sort of things can happen. In a few days, you’ll be more at home in your new form and your memories should return to you.”
I looked from the old lady to Valeria and back. “Is anyone gonna start makin’ sense around here? What are you people? Satanists? Communists?” I sniffed the air cautiously. “Hippies?”
The old woman laughed. “Valeria, you have your assignment.” She looked down at me again and then back to Valeria. “Good luck.”
And with a wave of her hand we were dismissed. Valeria turned to leave, and I trailed after her without giving it much thought. We walked through wood-paneled hallways and passed other white-dress-wearing women who would stop and say things like “Blessed Be” and “Goddess watch over you.” If these broads weren’t hippies, it was definitely some sort of cult. I made sure to note any exits I could see, just in case they were about to go all Helter Skelter.
Valeria went into one of the rooms and began undressing.
Now, I know everyone was saying things like familiar, but this was bit too familiar for me, so I slipped out the door before it closed and waited in the hall. I watched everyone as they passed, some with cats or birds following them around.
None of them seemed to pay me any mind, which was good. Until I could get a handle on this situation, I didn’t want any undue complications.
“You took an oath, Davis. We all did! And you betrayed us!”
I shook my head, trying to dislodge whatever memory that was. Everything was so strange, but there was something right about it as well.
After a few minutes, Valeria stepped back out into the hallway, now in all black—tank top, jeans, and a leather jacket. And… Well, all black except for her hair, which was now an electric shade of blue.
“That was quick,” I said. She must’ve had a hairdresser hiding in there.
“You didn’t have to wait outside, you know.”
The fur on my back rippled of its own accord. Was that how I blushed now? That was weird. Or weirder than the rest so far.
“Yeah,” I replied. “But, you know, I was standing guard. I don’t know what kinda crazy cult you’re mixed up in, but you seem decent enough. I wouldn’t want someone offing you.”
She smiled. I don’t know why, but I was suddenly overcome with a warm fuzzy feeling, like after three beers. She started walking again and I dutifully followed.
This time, rather than a meandering stroll through the large house, we walked briskly to the front door and out into the muggy nighttime air. I smacked my mouth a few times.
“Ugh. The air is so thick here it’s like trying to breathe chowder.” I felt stifled. It was night and it still wasn’t a decent temperature. “Where are we?”