Agents, Agreements and Aggravations: In Her Paranormal Majesty’s Secret Service™ Book Three

by Anderle, Michael

  A shockwave took her body, and her face hardened. That demonic grin appeared again, uttering only a single word. “Attack.”

  Roman and Triton wasted no time in pulling their triggers, although they still missed their mark. The woman rose into the air, avoiding the bullets by a hair’s width. Roman’s and Triton’s bullets screamed past each other, narrowly avoiding hitting the two conduits.

  The possessed crowd rioted, dividing and going for whoever was nearest to them. Tanya screamed as flashes of white light indicated the clawing hands of the possessed.

  “Remain calm,” Feng Mian soothed. “I can hold them off. Their energy is weak.”

  Roman and Triton tried for another shot at the woman, but she was gone. They were unsure if she had soared over the buildings or simply vanished into thin air.

  Bodies flooded toward them. The conduits fought valiantly, their years of training conquering those who were being manipulated by the specter. They tactically avoided being cornered and surrounded and eventually made their way back to each other.

  Tanya ran toward them, knocking the enemy out of the way as she did. The shield held them all at bay, and soon they were all reunited.

  “Well, this has turned into a giant fustercluck,” Triton commented.

  “Later,” Roman instructed. “Back to the car, we need to get away from this before the cops come.”

  Tanya balked. “Surely the cops won’t think this was all our fault?”

  “I don’t know,” Ula replied. “But I’m not sticking around to find out. Remember, the King’s Court is young, still. We have no jurisdiction agreement with law enforcement around here.”

  They made it back to the car, but it was useless trying to drive. Abandoned cars littered the streets around them, and there was nowhere to go.

  Roman waved for them to follow him, sprinting toward a side street that led off and away from the market square. Tanya and the others kept up, managing to outrun the possessed easily enough. As warped as their brains were, possession apparently didn’t improve their stamina.

  They ran three blocks before they lost sight of the possessed. Six blocks after that, Roman finally pulled them to a stop.

  They gathered their breath. Even Ula and Triton, who maintained a healthy level of fitness, were panting. They listened for the cops. The sirens had stopped, but they didn’t know what that meant.

  “You think they’re okay?” she asked the others.

  “Who?” Ula replied.

  Tanya clutched her heart, where a spiking pain indicated her stitch. “The cops.”

  “Oh,” Ula replied.

  Roman’s face was set in a grim determination. “We need to find that poor woman. We need to expel that specter. We need to stop this before it goes any farther.” He turned to Tanya. “Any word from the others?”

  The last thing Tanya had been thinking about was her phone. She patted her pockets and realized that they were empty. She thought back to the scuffle, a sudden panic rising that she had dropped her phone somewhere in the crowd.

  “Shit,” she exclaimed.

  “Don’t worry,” Ula reassured. “I’ll take care of it.” She fired off a text to Jennie. “Let’s hope she sends assistance soon. Otherwise, we’re going to have to find our own.”

  Triton laughed. “But who? Who is there in this town who could actually give us a hand?

  Roman’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve got an idea, but I’m not especially fond of it."

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Baltimore, Maryland, USA

  Jennie and her crew were back in Hannah Drampton’s office, with the agent watching them expectantly. They had given her a brief overview of their situation, and Drampton had provided the equipment they needed to put a trace on Craig’s phone.

  They waited in tense silence as the phone began to ring.

  Even though it wasn’t on speakerphone, the dial tone carried around the room. Another note of silence followed a ring.

  Jennie wondered if Craig was going to pick up at all. He’d be smart not to, although would he suspect anything at all? Would he believe that Cassie could have betrayed the Seven? Would he see this coming?

  Just when the call was about to pass to voicemail, Craig picked up. His voice was rough and sharp. “What is it, Cass?”

  Cassie hesitated, for a moment forgetting her role. She picked the phone off the desk and held it to her ear. “Craig. Zhao is dead. I was checking in to see if you’d heard the news?”

  A beat of silence followed. “I know.”

  Jennie and Cassie exchanged a look. They hadn’t told anyone that Zhao was gone, so how could he have known? The only people Jennie had told were Cassie, Daggro and her people, and Tanya back in Richmond. There was no way their news could have already spread to Craig and the others.

  “You know?” Cassie nudged.

  Craig grunted. “The Dragon has informed us. All of us. Were you not in that string of messages?”

  Cassie held the phone away from her ear and saw numerous notifications at the top of the screen. In all honesty, she hadn’t checked anything since she’d converted to Jennie’s cause. Her cell phone had been off for the majority of the trip, wanting to conserve power.

  “No,” Cassie replied. “I must have missed them.”

  This seemed to raise alarm on Craig’s side of the phone. He let out a slow breath. “They’ve got you, haven’t they, Cass?”

  Cassie’s cheeks flushed. “I don’t know what you’re—”

  “The Dragon said you’d be the first to break. She was right.” He sighed. “Dammit, Cass, I liked you. More than your father. I thought you’d have something great to offer the Seven, but turns out you’re nothing more than a traitorous—”

  Jennie glanced at the technician tracking the call. He shook his head and tapped his wrist. They needed more time. On the screen in front of him, a map was slowly dialing in, reducing its circular perimeter to show the location of the call.

  Jennie waved her hands, indicating for Cassie to stall him.

  “Wait a minute,” Cassie exclaimed. “I’ve been in hiding. How dare you accuse me of slipping over to the dark side?”

  Craig cut across her. “I thought you were stronger than that, Cass. Enjoy life walking the straight and narrow. Lord knows you ain’t going to have as much fun as we’re going to have. Things get explosive on this side of the fence.”

  Before Cassie could respond, the line went dead. She was left with her mouth agape, her skin paling several shades.

  “They know,” Cassie declared. She placed the phone down and laced her fingers through her hair. “They know. Dear God, I’m in trouble. They’re going to come for me, I know it. They know!”

  Jennie did her best to calm Cassie, but it did little to comfort the woman. She made Cassie unlock her phone once more, then went through the notifications. There was a string of messages written in some kind of code between members of the Seven, their names saved under different aliases, but even these didn’t seem to contain the mysterious new Dragon directly in the conversation.

  Jennie’s throat constricted. Who the fuck was the new Dragon? This mystery was killing her, and she needed answers. She was fairly certain that learning the new Dragon’s identity would unlock this entire damn thing.

  Baxter leaned over the back of the technician’s chair and stared at the screen. “Did we get him?”

  The technician’s nose was nearly pressed to his monitor. He scratched his head, confusion written on his features. “I thought you said that Craig was going to be in Baltimore, no doubt planning to complete what he failed to do.”

  Cassie looked up, her brow creasing. “He is. That was the command. Baltimore was his.”

  The technician shook his head. “Well, either my equipment is fucked, or your man has been lying to you. I’ve narrowed him down to somewhere with a ten-mile radius, and it’s certainly not in Baltimore.”

  Jennie crossed the room and joined Baxter. “Where is he, then?”

 
“A little place you may have heard of, called Washington DC.” The technician tapped the screen. “According to this, he’s somewhere in our great nation’s capital.”

  Jennie turned to Cassie, who appeared just as confused as she was. She pushed out of the chair as a sudden inspiration hit her and advanced on Cassie so quickly that the woman recoiled a little. Jennie pushed her gently into a seat behind her and pulled up her own chair. They sat a foot apart from each other.

  “Craig mentioned the new Dragon.” Jennie spoke quickly, not wanting to lose the sudden clarity in her mind. “That means you’ve all been in contact with her, right?”

  Cassie frowned. “No. I mean, all of our conversations have been with the Seven, Zhao taking up that seventh slot. He never released that information to us. I guess he believed it was critical to keep secrecy.”

  Baxter cottoned on to Jennie’s thinking. “Surely if she contacted Craig, she contacted you all?”

  “Weren’t you listening?” Cassie asked. “I’m the traitor, okay? They know. And even if they didn’t, Craig’s no doubt going to tell her what’s happened. I’m marked. There’s a massive black X on my forehead, and my days are now limited. They’re coming for me.”

  “No,” Jennie reassured her. “They aren’t. They know I’m here. They’re not stupid enough to come for you under my protection. But tell me, why would Craig head to Washington? What would be there of note that would have him scarpering from Baltimore?”

  Cassie blew a mouthful of air, eyes darting back and forth. “I don’t know. Maybe…yes. Could it… I suppose the only thing I can think of is to complete the task that Ruben didn’t? Washington is a high-profile spot, and Craig needs to prove his worth. Maybe he’s gone there to accomplish that?”

  Jennie sighed. “Fuck.” She turned to her people. “I guess we’re going to be heading to Washington.”

  Carolyn sat on a desk, her legs swinging. “You’ve gotta admit, this treasure hunt is rather fun.” She smiled, somehow maintaining her air of excitement. “I’ve never seen so much of the country within such a short space of time.”

  Jennie chuckled. “I suppose there’s always a bright side.”

  Drampton cocked an eyebrow. “How can you find levity at a time such as this? Shouldn’t you be getting your asses moving? A bomb could be going off in Washington at any minute.”

  Jennie nodded but held her smile. “Without laughter, all we have is pain. Do me a favor, Drampton. Dial ahead and let Daggro know what’s going on. Tell her to pull back her reinforcements, if necessary. Make it clear that Rogers needs to be in on this information, too. The President could be in trouble.”

  Drampton nodded, immediately moving to her phone to make the call.

  “Er, Rogue?” The technician sat up straight in his chair and tapped the screen. “Is this of interest to you?”

  “What is it?” Jennie asked.

  The technician adjusted his glasses and ran his finger down a line of text on the screen. “I wasn’t able to triangulate Craig’s exact position, but I was able to pull up a history of his recent call activity. The man is old, right? No wonder he hasn’t remembered how to use burn phones. Anyway, there are a few calls listed here, locations that may sound familiar to you: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Trenton, New Jersey, Hartford, Connecticut, and Washington, DC.”

  “Okay,” Jennie replied. “Your point?”

  The technician tapped a highlighted line on the screen. “You said you guys were currently stationed in Richmond, Virginia, correct?”

  “Yeah?” Jennie’s Spidey-senses began to tingle.

  “Well,” he continued. “There was a call placed around the time frame that Craig indicated the call from the Dragon would have been. The location is listed as somewhere in Richmond.”

  Jennie’s skin went cold. The Dragon was near her new home base?

  Renminbi…

  Richmond, Virginia, USA

  Roman parked in the first available space on the street. They exited the car onto a quiet sub-section of Richmond. Storefronts sported colored awnings and took up the bottom floors while apartments took the upper levels.

  Roman led the way, Tanya not far behind. They passed a Chinese restaurant, a Seven-Eleven, and an exchange bureau. Tanya’s eyes were taken by the long list of numbers and foreign currencies that the dollar could be exchanged into. She had never understood why there wasn’t just a universal currency for the planet. Wouldn’t that make things easier for everyone?

  She hesitated a moment, studying the digital list, a lightbulb flickering in the back of her mind. For some reason, there was something significant here, but she couldn’t figure out what. It was as though her mind was several steps ahead of her, digesting information that she couldn’t quite process.

  “Tanya. Come on,” Roman commanded.

  “Coming,” Tanya replied, pulling her mind away from the exchange list. They had bigger fish to fry, so why had that caught her attention?

  A couple of buildings down, Roman stopped. The storefront was barred and looked like a prison cell. Firearms were displayed in the window. He pushed the door open, and the smell of gunpowder and sweat hit their nostrils.

  A large man in a thick black t-shirt raised his eyebrows and called to them from behind a desk. “Not so many in the store at once. Read the sign. Three people policy. Choose your favorites.”

  Roman selected Tanya and Triton to join them. Feng Mian followed behind, undeterred. Roman strolled over to the desk.

  The man smiled, only his lower lip visible thanks to his thick mustache. His stomach reached the desk, even though he was standing a few feet behind the counter. “How may I help you fine gentlemen?”

  His eyes caught Tanya’s as though he was trying to push her buttons. She refused to take the bait.

  “I’ve been led to believe this is where the local GOA meetings occur,” Roman stated. “Am I right? I’m in need of a favor.”

  “A favor?” The man chuckled, the sound a rattle in his throat. “You can’t be from around here. A favor is earned, my friend. Something that one does for a neighbor they’re familiar with. You won’t be getting nothing expecting something for nothing.”

  Roman stood up straighter, easily a foot taller than the rotund man before him. “We’re in need of…gunmen. We have a target that needs some attention, and my understanding is that other than firing your pistols into paper targets, your members don’t get to see much action. Am I right?”

  Despite Roman’s facade, the man was not intimidated in any way at all. Tanya supposed he shouldn’t be, given the profession he’d chosen.

  They stared at each other for a moment, the man’s eyes narrowing. After a beat, he moved out from behind the counter and flipped the sign on the door from OPEN to CLOSED. He locked it behind him, then motioned for them to follow out through the back door.

  Tanya could just make out Ula’s worried face before they trailed after the man.

  He took them to a back corridor and down a set of concrete stairs. The light bulbs were exposed, and the lower they went, the more sounds of pistols firing could be heard.

  They followed into a corridor, the windows on the left dirty and yellowed, but clear enough to showcase the gun enthusiasts honing their skills. The man didn’t so much as blink or flinch with each deafening roar, and finally found his way to a door on his right.

  They entered a large room with a circle of chairs in the center. Most of the chairs were accommodated. Twenty of so grimy men and a handful of women looked over to see who had entered.

  One man stood and kicked back his chair. “What the fuck, Grimald? You brought the cops?”

  Grimald furrowed his brow. “I’d be an idiot to bring a law enforcer down into our little slice of heaven.” He turned to Roman. “You ain’t cops, are you?”

  Roman shook his head.

  “See! No cops,” Grimald exclaimed.

  One of the women leaned forward in her chair, arms resting on her knees. She chewed gum as she spoke. “Then wh
at are they? I thought strangers had to be initiated?” She studied Triton. “Not that I’m complaining. Could do with some fresh meat.”

  Grimald waved a hand toward the group. “Our pride and joy, the committee of Richmond’s Gun Owner’s Association. You chose the right day, fellas. Today’s their weekly meeting.”

  Tanya scoffed. “What is there to talk about?”

  The woman laughed and sat back in her chair. “You’re kidding, ain't you, French Fry? We gots business. Members to look out for. Intel to manage. We gots to be ready to be called up into combat, able to blow our .45s into the heart of them goddam terrorists.”

  “We’re always vigilant,” a man with a deep voice and a rash of stubble added. “Always ready to put our skills to use.”

  Roman nodded, a pleased expression on his face.

  “Isn’t that the cops’ job?” Tanya asked. “Why go through all this trouble when there are people hired to help? Can’t you join the forces?”

  Roman and Triton closed their eyes. The committee erupted into a chorus of laughs and admonishments.

  Grimald turned to Tanya. “There ain’t enough cops out there, and they sure as hell ain’t as practiced with guns as we are. What’s going to happen if the town suddenly gets overrun? They’re going to need backup.”

  The deep-voiced man continued. “Who are they going to come crawling to when that happens? Damn liberals may not like us right now, but owning a gun is a goddam constitutional right. They can’t stop us down here, and when we’re called to duty, we’ll sure as hell be ready to go.”

  Roman nodded. “Good. Because your time has come. We need you.”

  Grimald’s eyes widened. A number of the committee shifted in their seats, their attention caught. Roman explained the situation at hand, ignoring the scoffs and chuckles he earned when he mentioned the involvement of spectral activity and possessed citizens.

  A skinny man with bones for arms and clothes that were ill-fitted tsked. “Bullshit.”