Conjuring Quantico (The Federal Witch Book 1) (13 page)

“Why don’t you do that. I will email Grams and ask her. She might know a way to connect us together. It would really help if one of you were in danger.” They both agreed that was a good idea.

Chuck went back to his room: he wanted to study. The restlessness was making me crazy, so I pulled out some of my supplies and my sewing kit. Most of what I needed for the protection bands I envisioned was here in my room. I only needed a couple of things from my lab and hair from Cat and Chuck to make it work.

Finally, too tired to work anymore, I crawled into bed. My dreams were filled with panic and terror. Small child-like screams echoed through my brain. I woke with a splitting headache and more questions than answers. My foresight was raising its ugly little head again. I would need to call Grams and tell her. All active foresight users needed to be reported to the Council.

My classes were very subdued for the rest of the week. I was informed that the man that shot at me disappeared from police lockup before he could be identified or interrogated. All evidence including the video images vanished as well. My second Witchcraft class was moved to the following week. I was thankful for that. I think we all needed a weekend to relax and cool off.

My dreams were getting worse each night. I wondered if they were coming to me because of the mystery man or something else. Grandmother informed me that her mother had been one of the most powerful seers in her generation. Even though my potential for constructive use was very low, she thought I might be receiving something. She told me to check with the Director. Maybe there was something happening locally that was causing it. She said nothing was in the National news. One bright piece of news though was she knew of a way for me to tap into the Pack magic. Grams said she would research it further and send it to me.

Monday mornings Police Procedures class was actually interesting for a change. It was on arresting procedures and practice. I thought back to the events of the previous week and could pick out what was done incorrectly and what was right. Many of my favorite TV crime shows were nothing but fantasy from what our instructor just taught us. Maybe it wasn’t so boring after all.

I showed up for Martial Arts class dressed out but was told to go to the Administration building. The Director wanted to see me. I quickly redressed into my uniform and hustled to the main building. Unlike the previous week it didn’t give me that feeling of dread. The same mousy blonde was still behind the desk. She must have a cot or something back there.

“You again?”

“Yes? I was told the Director wants me.”

“She does. There are visitors from Washington with her so don’t start a war.” She pointed down the hall. “Go on.”

That was more words than she had spoken to me at one time since I first walked through the doors over a year ago. Briskly walking, I hurried to the Director’s office. Four very large and obviously Russian bodyguards stood in the middle of the room. They looked me up and down as I entered the room and dismissed me as no threat. I glanced at the new secretary. The old one didn’t pass the new HR tests. “The Director sent for me?”

The harried looking secretary glanced at me and perked up immediately. “Miss Blackmore! She has been waiting for you. Let me tell her.” He picked up the desk phone and called a number.

“Director? Miss Blackmore is here. Yes, Ma’am. I will send her right in.”

He looked at me and smiled. “Good luck. I think you know the way.”

I stepped over to the door, knocked and then opened it. Madeleine was at her desk. In front of her were two men in suits and a police Captain.

“Ma’am, you called for me?”

“Agatha, thank you for coming. Have a seat please.” I sat in the chair next to her desk, facing toward the three men.

“This is her? She’s a kid! How is she supposed to help us find them? Director I protest. We need to be doing something, not playing with toys.”

“Senator Payne, calm down. I said she could help, and I meant it.” She looked over at me and smiled.

“Agatha. This is Senator Payne from Georgia and Senator Owen from Massachusetts. The Captain is from the DC police. They are here to see if you can help them.”

“Help them how?”

The police Captain was the goat. He baited the trap for them. “Over a week ago there was a couple of high profile kidnappings in the DC area. Two children were taken from the homes of a Senator and the Mayor of Alexandria. Two days ago these two gentlemen's children also disappeared. We involved the FBI soon after.”

I looked toward the Director. “Because of the nature of the case the media hasn’t been told. They know something is going on but secrecy has held for now. The bureau has committed all of our resources to this. Including you. Can you help us?”

“Of course I can. What has been done so far?”

“Standard procedural forensics and they brought in several of the Russian teams.”

I groaned and rubbed my forehead. “They should have called me earlier. Those idiots will only mess up the crime scenes and blur the evidence.”

“Agatha, it’s political. The Witches’ Council hasn’t made any friends lately.”

I shook my head. “Once again, you don’t understand. It’s children. If you had told them, they would have helped. We do not sacrifice innocents. Ever.”

“Just who in the hell do you think you are, girly? I paid good money for some of those Russians! They do good work.”

I looked at the Senator from Georgia. “What do you pay them to do? What does the contract say?”

“I pay them to protect my house and act as bodyguards for me when I’m out in public.”

So stupid. “Then that is what they do for you. Exactly that. They protect your house. Not what is inside but the house itself? If you ask them directly I will bet they allowed the kidnappers to enter as long as they didn’t harm the house. That is the problem with Mercenaries. They are very literal.”

“The hell you say!” The Senator jumped up and stepped out of the office. I followed along with the others. This should be fun.

“Sergie, what do I pay you for?”

The large Russian looked down at the pudgy man from the peach state. “I protect the house and you when you are in public.”

“Did you let the kidnappers just break in and take my little Marcie?”

“Nyet. They didn’t break in. We protect for that. The house was not harmed.”

“I asked you to run scans and try to find my daughter! DId you even do that? You said you did!”

“Senator we did as you asked in the contract you had us sign. We ran the scans, but need a new contract to share the information. It is rules.”

“How much to tell the Senator what happened to his child?” I hated to interrupt, but I wanted to know.

The four bodyguards reacted at the same time. They had forgotten I was in the room. “Is small thing. Say five hundred American dollars. Up front.”

“OK, Senator, I know you must have some money on you. Cough it up. We need five hundred dollars to give the Russian man you hired.”

The money appeared and was given to the merc.

“Give.”

“Of course. Girl was taken through wards at weakest point, the roof. She was bound in zmeya charm and smuggled into a van. Van drove through gates and reengaged protections.”

“You just let them?”

“Of course. House protected. Is what money is for? No?”

Chapter 10

To say my meeting with the Director was traumatic was an understatement. The two Senators sat in shock back in her office. They could barely speak. The four Russian mercenary bodyguards still stood in the outer office. They didn’t understand why their primaries were so upset. To them a contract was a contract was a contract. You did the terms of the contract, nothing more. They were not paid to think outside of their set contract limits.

“Why is it when you get involved that things get so out of hand?”

“Director I can leave if you like. I just told the truth. I can’t believe that you people didn’t already know this stuff. What is the definition of Mercenary to you? To those four out there thinking outside the box is never an option. Why do something without a tangible reward?” I pointed toward the doors. We were back in Madeline's office sitting at the desk.

She shook her head. “I think as law enforcement: that if you are hired for a job, you do that job. We can’t imagine allowing a perp inside the house to kidnap someone and then letting him go and not doing anything. As long as the house was undamaged they wouldn’t act. It boggles our minds.” The Director looked very upset.

“From their point of view they did the exact job. Remember, they don’t have a leader anymore. Not one that they recognize. They only take orders from themselves or whatever the contract says. Ask any Russian businessman and they will tell you the same thing I just did. Do you still want my help?”

She looked at the two Senators. “Well gentlemen? Do you want the FBI’s help or not?”

“It can’t hurt. I don’t understand what is happening here.” The Senator from Massachusetts looked distraught.

“I need to speak to their Russians and to the FBI’s as well. Ma’am, I don’t know all the procedures yet. What if I screw up?” We were both standing and walking out to where the Russians were.

“Agatha, don’t worry about procedure for now. I think with you being involved that may go right out the window from now on. Besides, those are United States Senators in there. I think you are covered.”

The four mercenaries were now sitting in the chairs watching the door as we came out. I stood in front of them and asked. “Privet vy govorite po-angliyski?”

“Yes, we speak English. We understand much.”

“Good. Khorosho. When the girls were taken what did you see? I know that you only did your jobs. But what else did you see?”

“Why? You no pay for service. We owe you nothing.” He turned to the others and remarked “Sumasshedshaya devushka. Net platit' ne rabotayut.” The other three men all laughed.

“What did he say?”

“Just that I’m crazy.” I looked back at the men. Time to play my hole card.

I made a small motion with my hand and then addressed the ringleader. “Still no answers? How about I turn the lot of you over to the Witches’ Council for breaking contracts and causing problems?”

“You aren’t Council. We don’t have to listen to you.” He looked over at the others, they were frozen to their chairs. All that could move was their heads.

“Ivanov? Vasiliev?” He peered at the man on his left and poked his arm. Grabbing the man he gave him a shake. “Alexeev, wake up! Vstavat' len'. Chto ne tak s toboy?” Alexeev’s eyes were wide open and his mouth moved but no sound escaped.

The speaker jumped up and towered over me. “What you do?” He raised his hands as if to hurt me and I zapped him as well. He fell as if poleaxed onto the floor. With a wave I unfroze the group.

“Now. Is someone ready to help me? Or would you like to be statues from now on? Statui navsegda!”

Once they recovered from being frozen they all four spilled what they either saw or could trace in the houses.

~~~~

“How long have you spoken Russian?” Madeleine was staring at me as I watched the more trained FBI investigators interrogate the Russians.

I looked over at her. “Grandmother wanted me to know things. Russian, German, and Old Norse are the three languages I can speak fluently. I know and understand some elvish, troll, and selkie and can write in Sanskrit. When my mother had her… episode and couldn’t handle living in the real world anymore Grams took me in. She hired tutors and home-schooled me. None of the local mundane or Witch schools would take me. My family saw to that. They were scared of some of the things I could do. Most Witch children can’t do some of the large magics. It takes many years of study to get to where I am today.” I looked up at the ceiling and waved my hand. There was a series of loud pops. The Director glanced upwards as well. “Between you, me and the walls she has been training me to one day be her possible successor. Don’t worry, she has a great many years before we get to that part of our story.”

“The budget numbers from security are going to be astronomical this year aren’t they?”

“I’m guessing even you didn’t know about those cameras?” She nodded at me and I laughed.

“So what’s the plan, Director? I will need to see the crime scenes to trace the magic. I’ve only done a diagnostic a few times. The Council’s teacher was a little inconsistent but I think I know what I did wrong the last time.”

“You realize that doesn’t reassure me? Right?”

I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

“I will notify my boss that you are willing to help. I can’t leave the school but I have requested that one of my old partners assist you. Trust me, you’ll like her.”

“Is she a good agent?”

“She is. Her name is Tayanita Lowrey. She prefers to be called Nita.”

“How come you aren’t still a field agent?”

“I wanted a life with my husband and my daughter was growing up. I really didn’t want to miss being with her. I stepped down and took an administrative position. When this came open I took it.”

“Well I’m glad you’re here and not piss boy.”