Agents Of Mayhem: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (Federal Agents of Magic Book 2)

by TR Cameron

  Rath accepted them reverently and spun them once in his hands. “Is good. Is very good.”

  The women both grinned. Diana asked, “Is there anything for his biggest form?”

  Kayleigh shook her head. “Ems and I have researched that angle for weeks, but the weight trade-off is too difficult. You’d have to carry the stuff for him, and there’s no way that makes sense. We’re looking into using carbon fiber, but so far, we haven’t managed to find a tight enough weave to avoid reducing the damage of the batons. The armor might be doable. The team is working on it.”

  “This is quite a haul, regardless.”

  “And last, but not least, the best thing of all.” The tech grinned and spread her empty hands wide.

  It took Diana a moment to realize what she meant, and excitement filled her reply. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Yep, I’m staying for a while. It’s a temporary assignment till y’all get your act together up here.”

  The smile that stretched Diana’s face was almost painful. “You said that wrong. I’ll fix it for you. Permanent reassignment to get our act together for us.”

  The other woman shook her head, but Diana saw the truth.

  One of us, my pretty.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  She was tired from the late night out showing Kayleigh the sights of the city. When Bryant had called at six AM to say he was inbound, she'd forced herself to get to the office by seven. Two duplicate versions of the coffeemaker and espresso machine from the fifth floor had been set up on the bottom level, and they both dispensed the life-giving fluid. She already had a tumbler in her hand, as always, with the logo of the Coworking space on it. "It's still a stupid name for the company," she grumbled to the empty room.

  Bryant arrived at eight, and the rest of the team stumbled in shortly after. He stood near the display table and flicked idly through reports from the local stations’ websites. The smarmy lawyer's face appeared on many of them, with graphics heralding the "Ultramax threat." Kayleigh waved as she passed on her way to the improvised workspace on the floor above. Once they were all gathered, he said, "I have new data for you. The regional PDA has run surveillance on this prick, and some useful information has come up."

  Tony lowered his mug long enough to ask, "Legally?"

  Their boss sipped his coffee before responding. "Yep. There are a few judges who give us a little leeway, but never for anything that outright crosses the line."

  The investigator nodded in satisfaction.

  "We piggybacked their feed and copied the raw data as it came in,” Bryant continued. “Our folks managed to dig some useful nuggets out of it. There's no sign that PDA has done the same, but that's okay because this is squarely in our area of interest."

  He pressed a few buttons and images of nonsensical emails popped onto the screen. "These are very heavily encrypted and required a magic computer tech to decode. They indicate that the lawyer will call for a major protest at the Cube tomorrow night, and they already have cells recruiting people to join them."

  Diana shook her head. "Well, that's concerning."

  "Very. Given what you found, it seems likely that this could be another cover action for the Remembrance. So, we need to figure out what they intend to do and how they'll do it." Bryant called up an aerial view of the city streets around the prison for several blocks, and they spent thirty minutes planning potential scenarios, including where they would gather and deploy to create maximum trouble for the enemy. When they finished, he checked his watch. "The warden's expecting a call from us."

  Diana stepped forward and activated the controls for the side displays to bring them online. A few moments later, she booted up the ARES custom video communication program. After a few minutes of negotiation, the Cube's leader finally appeared on the screen.

  Bryant greeted her with his usual smile. "Hello, Warden Murphy."

  She waved grimly. "Good to see you all."

  It didn’t take long to fill her in on the details they had acquired of the possible attack and potential counter scenarios they had devised. "We're ready,” she assured them. “This is a contingency we've planned for."

  "What's the response?" Diana hoped her unease wasn't obvious.

  The warden looked to the side, most likely to consult her notes or a handbook of some sort. "At the first sign of a crowd, we will abandon the upper levels and move underground. If it happens in the evening, like we expect, there won't be that many people in the building above, anyway."

  Cara asked, "Won't that leave your data vulnerable? They could simply make off with the computers."

  Murphy shook her head. "All the machines in the office are dummy terminals. Actually, that's all we use throughout the whole facility. They're all connected to a server or something down here. I don't understand it, and when they tried to explain, my life started to flash before my eyes so I made them stop. What I do know is that there's a physical switch we can throw that pulls two strips of connectors away from each other to physically disconnect the upstairs computers from the system."

  "Handy," the ex-marshal said, and the rest nodded their agreement.

  "The prison itself has independent everything and is strong enough to handle the biggest earthquake that's ever hit this area, so long as we're not at the epicenter."

  Tony shook his head. "Imagine if there were a magical who could cause earthquakes. That would suck hard."

  It was a sobering thought, and the warden resumed her explanation with a frown. "Anyway, we'll have all our drones out, but if there truly are civilians involved, we won't be able to risk using the weapons."

  "How can we assist?" Diana asked.

  Murphy shrugged. "Our plan is to turtle up. There’s no way they'll get in here, so we're good. But anything that gets the job finished quickly is worth doing."

  They said their goodbyes, and Diana exhaled slowly. "This could get really ugly."

  Tony nodded. "The Police Department and SWAT will be on scene or nearby. They'll call everyone in once the announcement goes out, so they don't bust our insider knowledge. But since the lawyer will claim it's a peaceful protest, they can't do much beyond basic crowd control. If something does break out, they face the same problem as the Cube's drones."

  Cara asked, "So, what's our role in all of this?"

  Diana checked with Bryant, but he deferred to her. "We'll be there in case the real bad guys show up. We'll hole up in the office building and try to surprise them if they come inside. Even though there's only one entrance, it probably makes sense to split up." Everyone nodded agreement. "So, I'll stick with Rath. Tony and Cara will pair together, and Bryant can be a free agent."

  He managed a half-smile. "Why is it that nobody wants to work with me?"

  "You're funny looking," she answered promptly,

  Cara added, "You have taco breath entirely too often."

  "Your raw attractiveness makes me look ugly by comparison," Tony finished.

  They all turned to stare at him, and he shrugged. "What? I'm sensitive."

  The stress diminished in a round of laughter. Once they recovered, Diana said, "We have an advantage. We know where they'll be, and we know when they'll be there. Between now and then, we get some rest, run some scenarios at the agency, and see if we can figure out what they might be going for." She tapped a fist into the opposite palm. "After that, we'll lie in wait. If all goes well, we can surprise these bastards and show them how we deal with assholes who make trouble in our town."

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Four PM

  The rally was at eight, and for safety’s sake, they added a substantial cushion. The equipping area at the ARES facility was quiet as the teammates focused on internal preparations. Even Rath was abnormally subdued as he donned his equipment. They had each retrieved their gear from the cabinets before they retreated to their own places on the bench to get ready. Bryant was near Diana and hauled his gear from a tall rolling case.

  She sat to don her own items. Kayleigh�
�s boots weren’t practical for the evening’s activities, so she abandoned them in favor of lace-up combat boots that rose to mid-shin. Tactical pants and a black high-collared shirt completed the base layer. She strapped on a set of shin guards, tightened them over her pant leg and boot, then did the same with the Kevlar thigh protection.

  That part of her ritual completed, she stood, stomped around to ensure her heels were set in the footwear, and added her heavy fabric top. It was also an unadorned black and somewhat blade resistant. She lowered her vest over her shoulders and pulled the straps tight before she twisted left and right to make sure it was seated properly.

  The utility belt wrapped around the bottom of her tunic and held it in place. She slipped her Ruger into the holster beside her spine and touched the grip of the Bowie knife that hung in the center. A cylinder was attached on the left of the pistol, appropriately sized for captured wands. Zip ties and a medpack completed the items on her belt. She holstered the Glock on her right hip and slotted two additional mags for it in the pouch on her vest. The rifle came next, and its replacement magazines went into her chest pouches as well. She stowed an extra spare for the carbine in a pouch on her left thigh-guard. She smiled as she stashed the tiny canister of pepper spray that Kayleigh had given her a long time before into the matching container on the other leg.

  She stood and slung her rifle over it all and checked to make sure the strap positioned it exactly where she wanted it. There were two locations for grenades on a short line that dangled where her holster would have been if she were left-handed. She slotted in a sonic and a flash-bang. They’d all agreed incendiaries were a bad choice to use in their own facility.

  Diana rolled her neck and glanced around surreptitiously. Bryant was pulling his vest on. Tony sat fully equipped and stared at the lockers. Cara tested the draw of her revolver. Rath twirled his batons in circles and lazy figure-eights in the space between the equipping area and the core. She reviewed her placements to be sure her hands knew where the two anti-magic magazines for her rifle and pistol were and where the spare standard carbine mag was, so she could find them by touch.

  Rath had two grenade holders on the bandoliers across his chest. Pepper grenades occupied both slots. The rest of the team had selected their additional devices and ammunition according to their own preferences.

  She drew the shock gloves on and flexed her hands to adjust the fit before she plugged the cables in. With deft movements, she twisted the connectors to lock them in place. She threaded them back along her arms to the vest’s connection points under her armpits. They had tested the new toys and found the cable distracting, so she wound a Velcro loop around each arm above the elbow to keep the line from moving.

  Bodysuits really aren’t a bad idea.

  Now that she’d finished suiting up, she turned to check on her team. They stood in a small circle with her at the center and waited for their glorious leader to direct them. She spoke quietly, since she was fearful of breaking the thick layer of confidence, real or projected, that they displayed. “Let’s go.”

  The agents and the troll filed out in a line to a pair of SUVs in the garage. They locked their carbines in the holders in the rear. Diana slid behind the wheel and Bryant took shotgun. Rath rode in the back and gripped the seatbelt where it cut across his chest.

  Booster seat. Right. I need to make it standard.

  She took the lead and led the other car from the parking garage to navigate the streets toward the north side and the Cube’s secret access. It was located along the river as part of a securely locked former manufacturing complex. The gate swung wide at a signal from Bryant’s watch and closed itself after they passed through.

  There was a total of five buildings, and they drove to the one nearest the water. The huge double door in the front was already in motion, and they pulled in without stopping. The cars swung in opposite curves to park facing the exit before the motors cut out.

  They piled out and retrieved their weapons from the rear of the vehicles, then crossed to the guard who stood nearby. He wore the Cube’s standard uniform with riot gear over it, minus the shield and helmet, and had a stun rifle strapped across his chest.

  If they get past us, you will all need a lot more than stunners.

  Diana didn’t speak. She only followed as he led them silently into the tunnel.

  The corridor was secured by heavy metal doors every ten yards or so and ran for almost a mile, according to the display on Diana’s glasses. The warden hadn’t been kidding when she’d told them during their tour that the exit was secured and could only be accessed as an entry if their route was enabled by someone from within the Cube.

  Finally, they entered on level three, which they hadn’t yet seen. The Warden had been truthful, as it was a carbon copy of the level above and the emergency exit was the only variation. The final barrier clanged shut behind them, as had each previous one as they passed it. A green light appeared above the door, and the guard raised the walkie-talkie attached to his vest. “Exit three, secure.”

  “Exit three secure, confirmed,” squawked the comm almost immediately.

  He led them to the elevators, and they rose to the ground level of the facility. Murphy waited at the top to wish them luck, and they exchanged a few words. The team crossed into the office building through the same security gauntlet they’d experienced during the tour, only in the opposite direction, and peered out the glass doors. There was nothing to see. Yet. Diana checked her watch.

  Three hours to go.

  She toggled the switch to temporarily isolate their comms from the channel they shared with the personnel in the Cube. She could still listen to them, but they wouldn’t hear her or her team. “Kayleigh, what’s your status?”

  The blonde’s energetic voice answered a moment later. “All good here, boss. I’m set up in the core. I have taps on the Pittsburgh Police surveillance grid, plus their comms and drones, which are ancient.”

  Diana shook her head and smiled. The tech took the use of non-cutting-edge technology as a personal affront.

  Kayleigh continued. “We’re in on the Cube’s sources, too. Drones and area cameras both, but nothing on the inside.” The Warden had only been willing to share so much, and Diana couldn’t blame her. The wider the bandwidth, the more likely the enemy would notice it. She made a mental note to have a hardwire established between the two facilities. “I have feeds from each of your glasses, and also our own drones.”

  Tony blinked in surprise. “We have drones?”

  Her voice was tinged with scorn. “Of course we do. I brought them with me. It’s stupid not to have them in the first place.”

  Diana shook her head again. “Well, I guess you’d better plan to stay awhile and get things set up right for us, then, right?”

  Kayleigh ignored the comment. “One of my drones is circling at a two-block radius. The other is holding position over you. They're each good for hours of flight time, and I have a spare ready to go up if it’s needed.”

  Cara asked, “Are they armed?”

  “Nope. Too dangerous.”

  “What if we put stun guns on them?”

  The tech sighed. “We’re not really into the whole urban pacification thing at ARES.”

  Tony weighed in with an audible grin. “What’s a little stun between friends?”

  She didn’t reply directly and instead, said, “Boss?”

  “Yes?”

  “You’d better add getting a lawyer to your to-do list with these folks around.”

  They all chuckled, and Bryant added, “No lawyer. Too expensive. You all need to behave.”

  Diana killed her mic. “It seems our original plan is still a good one. Bryant, Rath, and I will blunt the initial attack on the ground floor. If we’re lucky, they’ll split their force and try to get into the underground levels of the Cube, which won't work out so well for them. If we’re pressed, we'll fall back to the stairwell and hold them on it for as long as we can. When forced to retreat, w
e’ll head up to C.”

  She pointed two fingers at the remaining team members. “Tony and Cara, you be ready to ambush them if they make it to B. Otherwise, we can nail them from two sides between the levels. If they do engage and you feel the need to retreat, throw the grenades and get up to D. We’ll pop in and try to block them after you leave. And if they ignore levels B and C and go directly to D for some ungodly reason, we’ll attack from the rear.”

  They nodded, and she gave them a confident smile. “Ideally, we’ll kick their asses and saunter out the front door in an abundance of glory. Worst case, we go out the windows.” She toggled her mic. “Kayleigh, status of the helicopter?”

  “Standing by for liftoff at the air reserve base. It’ll take off the moment you say go and will be ready to evacuate you if needed.”

  Diana nodded and muted her comm. “Questions, anyone?”

  Tony raised a hand, and she gave him a withering look. “Yes, Detective Ryan.”

  “Ma’am? I was wondering what these assholes are actually after here, ma’am.”

  She laughed. “We’re simply taking our best guess here, Tony. It stands to reason that if their goal is to make a statement, which it seems to be, their best choice is to get into the Cube itself. But we know that won’t happen, barring something incredibly unexpected that we’ll have to find a way to deal with if it happens. That leaves them the option to cause trouble in here. They don’t know it contains nothing useful, so we’ll turn that to our advantage and eliminate those we can. If we can manage prisoners, that would be nice, but not at the cost of harm to the team.”

  Everyone nodded, and she checked her watch again. “Two and a half hours. Let’s get into position, just in case, and then we do the hardest part of the job—wait for the action to start.”