by TR Cameron
The Drow held up her palms. “You have heard of pushing hands, I’m sure?”
Diana was aware of the game where two partners placed palms together and attempted to flow with the other player’s actions. She held her hands up, and the elf placed her elegant fingers a centimeter away. The woman began with a push—either force or telekinesis, but Diana couldn’t be sure. It was easy enough to resist with her left hand and press with her right.
Nylotte nodded, then switched magics. Shadows coalesced around the elf’s hands and stretched to encompass hers. Diana reached for the feeling she’d had the other times she’d controlled shadow and drew power from the Drow to reflect it back to her. The next change was to fire, and she yanked her hands back with a screech of pain. “Ouch! Damn, what the hell?”
The elf stood and looked at her with something between mockery and disappointment. “Don’t be a child.” She opened a nearby drawer and pulled out a vial filled with red fluid. “Drink this.”
The agent looked doubtfully at her, and Nylotte made a gesture toward the palace that lay beyond the walls of the room. She drank, and the liquid flowed through her in a cool surge to heal her burned skin and banish the pain. It cost her to ask, but she did it anyway. “Will you accept me as a student?”
Nylotte nodded. A serious expression graced her visage for the first time since Diana had known her. “Yes. I understand your schedule is challenging, but you must commit to both training with me and on your own if you wish to succeed—especially given what you face.”
Diana tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
The elf laughed and tossed her head-turning long hair. “Events are in motion, Special Agent in Charge Diana Sheen. You are well known among a certain set of individuals in the community. Individuals you might prefer did not know you so well. As I said, the sooner we begin, the better.”
“I'll do whatever it takes. Tomorrow?”
The elf nodded. “Noon.”
“How long?”
“Until you can no longer go on, of course.” She shrugged. “That is how it has always been, and that is how it always will be.”
She escorted Diana outside and closed the door behind her. They had not discussed a fee for the training, but she was sure it would be high in both treasure and effort.
And likely blood, based on the little I’ve seen of her.
To the others, she said, “We have ourselves a supplier. On to the next to-do item.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The team had survived the long walk back from the Kemana to the base and collapsed in the fifth-floor conference room to enjoy the day’s fading light. They were all seated around the big oval table, Diana on one side, Cara and Tony on the other, and Kayleigh and Rath on the ends. Max stretched out under Rath’s chair. Each had coffee, except the troll, who had a pineapple juice box. They had finished sharing information about the visit to the underground city with the two who hadn't accompanied them.
“Okay, let’s look at the to-do list.” Diana turned to face the tech. “Item one, force our newest member to stay, whether she wants to or not.” Sounds of agreement came from the other side of the table, and Rath declared, “No leaving. I am the law.”
Kayleigh grinned. “I told you, I’ll be here until you get your act together. Right now, it’s anything but. You don’t even have a proper lab, for heaven’s sake.” They nodded, having agreed not to pressure her in any serious way.
Cara said, “I withdraw my suggestion that we need a med tech right off the bat. Recent events have demonstrated that there are enough hospitals around that are well-equipped to handle trauma. Healing potions can only go so far. Unless we can find someone to specifically assist with injuries from magic, it’s probably not worth making it a priority.”
“Does everyone agree?” They nodded. Diana looked at Rath and thought again that they needed to learn more about how to take care of him.
Maybe Nylotte will tell me. She snorted inwardly. At the cost of one arm and half a leg, no doubt.
She crossed the med tech off the list. “So, what do we need next?” She wanted to let her team weigh in on the important decisions, even though she had the final call. “DC has a couple of long gunners and a number of general agents, plus a face.” She grinned as she remembered Trent’s first attempt to weasel his way in with her and Lisa at the bar.
Cara and Tony frowned. The detective asked, “A face?”
Diana nodded. “Someone who’s good at infiltration and who can slip in and out of a wide variety of situations to get information. And, of course, they need to be able to kick ass.”
Nods and murmurs of agreement passed all around the table. The ex-marshal tapped a finger against her teeth. “I wouldn’t have thought of this before our last adventure, but it might be good to have someone proficient in explosives.”
She hadn’t considered it either, but it suddenly made a lot of sense. “For offense, or defense? Like, demolitions expert, or bomb squad?”
Cara nodded. “Yes.”
They all laughed, and Rath interjected, “You don’t mess with the demolition man.”
Diana turned toward Kayleigh. “Thoughts?”
She shrugged. “It’s not a bad idea, and you're under no pressure to copy DC exactly. The needs are different here. At home, we have to assume the need to lock down areas, like at the hotel. There’s not quite so much of that here since it’s not the center of government.”
The others nodded, and Diana said, “Any counterarguments, speak now. Otherwise, we’ll look for experts in infiltration and making things go boom.”
None were forthcoming. “I’ll do some searches and find you some names. They’ll be ready tomorrow,” Kayleigh promised.
Diana smiled at her people. “Okay, everyone, get some rest.” She pointed at Tony and Cara. “Soak those legs. Who knows when we’ll be called back to see Lady Alayne?”
They groaned loudly at the thought of another trip to the Kemana.
Ninety minutes later, she steered the Stingray through the curves that climbed Mount Washington, possibly faster than strictly necessary. She hadn’t eaten at any of the restaurants that dotted its crest and looked forward to the new opportunity. The car slipped cleanly into a parallel parking space on a side street, and she walked down the sidewalk. Diana smoothed the constricting black V-neck dress that extended to mid-thigh, where her matching pants showed over her knees before meeting the high black boots that zippered closed below them.
Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she wore a silver necklace that matched the shining illusion detector on her wrist. The ARES smartwatch was hidden under her long sleeve, and she carried a sparkly clutch a little bigger than the Glock resting inside it. She laughed to herself.
I should look into a thigh holster for some flat knives or something. Having only one weapon makes me feel unarmed.
Bryant stood outside the restaurant and grinned at her approach. He was dressed in gray—another tailored suit with a black pattern flowing through the fabric. This one had no tie but a mock turtleneck that looked very attractive on him. He held the door for her, and she entered. The lobby was a reminder of times past. The elegant chandelier and wood accents painted a picture that would’ve been perfectly modern fifty years before. Windows covered the entire length of the far wall to reveal the cityscape sprawled below them. She turned and smiled. “Nice place.”
The host intervened and took them to their table, and Bryant sat with his back to the view so she could enjoy it. He grinned at her again. “You did say I owed you.”
“I had thought of a beer and a burger, not this.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Beauty deserves beauty. That’s a pretty dress, by the way.”
She laughed. “Did you have a good week out of town?”
“Not too bad.” He shrugged. “Things are moving ahead. We’ll be ready to put people on the ground in Buffalo next week, and the others are coming along.”
“It seems they pick
ed the right person for the job.”
“ARES is good at that, based on how well the bureau is working here. But how are you doing?”
She sighed. “Honestly, I knew I’d miss DC, but it’s harder than I expected. I recognized that Lisa was an important part of my life, but I didn’t realize quite how much I depended on her for relaxing downtime. It feels like this place is always hopping. Hopefully, things will settle down soon.”
Bryant shook his head. “That’s not likely. After all, you’ve been adopted by a troll.”
They laughed and chatted about non-work stuff over a good meal and a bottle of wine. Once they had shared a dessert, they stopped in the bar for a nightcap. Bryant raised his scotch and clinked her glass of bourbon with it. “To the successful launch of ARES Pittsburgh.”
“BAM Pittsburgh,” she clarified as she tapped his glass in return. He laughed.
He has a nice laugh.
She set her tumbler down. “Oh, before I forget.” She opened her clutch and scrabbled through the few items in it to find the folded sheet of paper. She slid it across the bar to him. “My team’s needs. Read away, moneyman.”
He unfolded it and groaned. “Okay, a lot of this makes sense. But you do not need a semi-trailer.”
Diana grinned. “Oh, yes we do. And here’s why.”
The story doesn’t end here. Diana and FAM’s adventures continue in Counter Ops.
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Author Notes - TR Cameron
March 28, 2019
Again, thank you.
Thank you for reading the second book in the Magic Ops series, and for continuing on to the author notes! I hope you had as much fun reading the story as I had writing it.
The response to the first book has been fantastic, and thank you especially to everyone who has left a review! Those are beyond helpful.
But I have a confession to make.
It’s difficult to admit.
It’s about Rath.
I mentioned in the notes at the end of Magic Ops that this series is my first author collaboration. I had the core of an idea, and then Martha and Michael got into the mix and made it so much better.
They added the troll. I would never have been so bold, after the abundant love for YTT. They also suggested he should be an action movie fan. I thought it was a great idea, of course.
What I didn’t realize was how much fun he was going to be to write.
Because, seriously, Rath is a hoot.
He’s more or less taken on a life of his own, and I don’t know ahead of time what adventures he’s going to get up to with his faithful steed, Max. I only know that he’ll find a way to win, because, as Thor has wisely shared, “That’s what heroes do.”
I’d like to be serious for a moment, if you’ll indulge me. Another truth is that I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to partner with such a creative bunch. The positivity they share is always amazing and occasionally overwhelming, and it’s all because of the attitude that underpins everything they do: we can all rise together.
I’ve always been a team player, and I believe in this principle right down to the core of my being, deep in the tasty marrow of my bones.
Wait. Ignore that last part. I’ve said too much.
So, Anyway…
The BAM team is coming together nicely. Book three will add a couple more agents and really dive into the trouble that awaits them all. I hope you’ll join me for that adventure!
Quick media notes: Captain Marvel, saw it with my daughter and we both loved it; Spiderverse, loved it; and Avengers: Endgame, am actively fearing the heartbreak that’s on its way. Oh, and Netflix folks, watch Love, Death, and Robots, “Three Robots.” You’ll be happy you did.
You know, maybe Rath should start asking Diana for a cat, too.
Until next time, Joys upon joys to you and yours – so may it be.
Author Notes - Martha Carr
April 8, 2019
I played my first game of Dungeons and Dragons this past Saturday night with a few author friends (and one civilian). Right up front I have to thank author pal, Charley Case for being the very patient Dungeon Master to so many newbies.
“Okay, tell me again, what’s this for?” And then about five more questions… He answered them all like a champ and without the slightest sign of irritation. He should have ten kids, at least, with a patience streak like that.
A few important things I learned about playing D&D… 1. If you’re 59 years old don’t start at 8 pm because it won’t end till 1 am at the earliest. Somewhere around midnight I realized I could fall asleep in my chair against my will. And my only narrative became, who can I kill to get out of this place. Although what other people started shouting when it was their turn was super amusing. Exhaustion and enthusiasm will do that to you.
2. A Ranger is a cool character to have unless you never leave the bar. Most of my skill set was for tracking or seeing in the dark. Not much to track in one room (where the game was set this time) and author pal, Claire Taylor kept setting things on fire, so that ruled out that dim light skill I had.
Despite any of that I had a blast! Can’t wait to do it again. It was like an urban fantasy novel brought to life and I wondered what took me so long to get there.
3. When I first bought this dream house, I thought it got that title because of its size and a lot of cool features. Turns out I was wrong. Sitting there, bleary eyed around the table, I realized it was a dream house because it easily holds so many people having so much fun, all the time.
Stay tuned – I’m determined to get out and do more things too since I retired from the day job. Next up, found an adult Easter egg hunt at night with flashlights. The Offspring is going, per usual, along with a few others. I’m also signed up on another day to make my own medieval sword. Seems I’ve found my inner nerdette and she’s alive and kicking.
More adventures to follow.
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
April 17, 2019
THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.
(I think I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)
Thank you to you guys for making this series such a phenomenal success. ;-)
FAN’S NOTES - Where a fan helps me out with THEIR love of reading and we learn a bit more about our fellow readers out here!
Fan Name / Pen Name and Location
Kurik from Darlington England
About how many books do you read a year, or total in your lifetime?
200ish a year. (ok, that’s more than I did when I read a lot - Mike)
Name your favorite LMBPN Series or Character(s) and what you like about them.
Barnabas, the quiet and satirical yet wholesomely violent one. (Mike: BWAHAHAHAHA! “Wholesomely Violent One” - That needs a t-shirt ;-) )
If you made up an LMBPN Character, what would be three attributes you would use? (For Example, Bethany Anne is Justice, Family (including friends), and Coca Cola. Brownstone is Keeping it Simple - Respect - and BBQ)
Honesty, fidelity and gin.
Tell us a few short sentences about yourself, and your reading hobby (When did you start reading, why, how much do you read and preferred genre's etc. (as ideas)):
Started in the school library at 7 and have not stopped. Fantasy was first then scfi and military stuff. I read when I can to relax. It's good if the book is informative and uses good English as I can learn as I enjoy! (Mike: Hats off, my cursing must make you crazy to figure out WTF I am saying.)
You can have my
Food. (Mike: That’s hard core.)
Place you have loved to read the most in your l
ife - best memories (mine was as a teenager at my grandparents house under the feather bed on cold days.)
On the Yorkshire Moors, in the sun listening to Sky larks, curlews and cuckoos whilst tucking in to a good tale. (Mike: I thought for a minute I was going to have to edit this one :-o )
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.
Five50 - Pizza Bar in Aria Hotel, Las Vegas
I just had to review hundreds of hot female warrior images from Google and Pinterest to find a pose for a new series… A bit embarrassing since I’m at the bar where all of the servers walk by and some of these images were NSFW.
Geez, my cheeks are red.
FAN PRICING
$0.99 Saturdays (new LMBPN stuff) and $0.99 Wednesday (both LMBPN books and friends of LMBPN books.) Get great stuff from us and others at tantalizing prices.
Go ahead, I bet you can’t read just one.
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HOW TO MARKET FOR BOOKS YOU LOVE
Review them so others have your thoughts, tell friends and the dogs of your enemies (because who wants to talk with enemies?)… Enough said ;-)
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Other series in the Oriceran Universe:
SCHOOL OF NECESSARY MAGIC
THE DANIEL CODEX SERIES
I FEAR NO EVIL
