by T S Paul
"I think so. At least that is what Anastasia calls it. She said it was very rare."
"The Vampire? She would know. Yes, it's extremely uncommon for our kind. If Kassandra were still among us, I would have you speak to her about it. If you are, in fact, dream walking, you must be very careful. The dream world is a mirror of our own. Think of it as an alternate dimension. Things that happen there can be mirrored in our own world. To the mass of dreamers what happens there isn't real, but to a Dream Walker, it is. For someone with proper training, they can alter dreams and even kill. The Vampire Nation had a cadre of dream walkers under its control. It was one of the many ways they ran their Empire. Be very cautious who you tell. First chance you get to come home we will try to explore this new talent of yours. Our coven has only had one Dream Walker in its history. I will dig into the library and find something to help you."
"Thank you, Grams. How is mother?" I asked since Grams had sounded worried.
"Teegan is fine. She is starting to respond to Sybil's herbal treatment. She asked about you just yesterday. You made quite an impact upon her last month. Be careful and call me if you need anything." Grandmother hung up the phone. She seemed in a hurry. I suspect she was off to inform the elders. Leaning back in my chair, I took a deep breath. We had a new mission to complete, and it didn't concern dreams. I needed to concentrate on that, not this new wrinkle.
Chapter 2
"This trip is against my Genevieve rights."
Cat and I were discussing the logistics of our trip when we heard Fergus. We looked down and saw him standing on the coffee table looking up at us.
"What rights would those be?"
"The ones against Cruella and punishment. Those rights." Fergus paced back and forth. I glanced at Cat, and we both started laughing.
"The Geneva Conventions are rules that take place in a time of war. We aren't at war right now, and you're not a soldier. Technically, you are my familiar so where I go you go. Sorry Fergus, but Montana is where we're going whether you like it or not."
He started jumping up and down. "I can't go back. Sacrifices don't ever come back! They won't believe it's me." He stomped over to the edge of the table and jumped off.
"That's the first time I've ever seen him be serious about something." Cat pointed to the table.
"He has his moments. We talked about this trip a couple of times. Grandmother filled me in on what he told her when I was seven. According to her, the Unicorns believe their ancestors made a pact with humans centuries ago. The deal was that humans would protect them from Dragons and the Unicorns would sacrifice themselves for the greater good."
Cat leaned back in her chair. "Sacrifice how?"
"Not sure. The Unicorns believe that whenever one of the herd disappears, it means they were sacrificed. Since they, according to Fergus, don't understand human speech they don't differentiate deaths or being sold. Grandmother believes that someone in the herd must understand human speech though. Where else do the stories come from? Fergus knew quite a bit about the ranch he came from including the proper names for things. How did he learn that?"
"Interesting. Is he going to help find the thieves? I mean, they are his people."
Arching my eyebrow, I looked at her. "Maybe. Cat, he hates being tiny, and this trip will only remind him of it."
"But you said he would help us, didn't you?"
"I did. He really won't have much choice. We are going to Montana, and we are staying near the Magnus Ranch whether he likes it or not. We'll get into this more during the briefing on the plane." I glanced over my shoulder out the window. We should be there soon.
Cat winced at me. "We aren't taking one of those cargo planes, again are we?"
"Us, no. Chuck and Ana are driving to Montana. There isn't a plane big enough on this side of the world that can haul this bus. The rest of us have a plane waiting for us at Otis."
"Otis Naval Station? That Otis?" Cat's eyes widened a bit.
"Yeah, why?"
"That's where the Mer sisters work. You remember Thelma, Molly, and Geia don't you?" She smiled at me.
The Mer sisters. Oh, boy do I remember them. The FBI Academy for Paranormals accepts all species as long as they can prove themselves of some worth to the US Government. Most Americans do not understand the actual number of paras that exist, and we like it that way. The Mer folk are unusual. They only recently came out to the public. A diver off the coast of Nova Scotia in the Dominion of Canada accidentally bumped into a group of them. They were caught on camera as he fled from them. Scientists and others flocked to the area soon after, but the Mer were gone. They relocated to warmer waters near Cuba but were once again spotted. The American Witches' Council made the announcement, at I'm assuming, the World Council's behest that Mer folk existed. Ambassadors were sent, and treaties were made. Imagine my surprise to find three Mermaids and a handful of Tritons at school with me. Humans are very inquisitive, and the world is growing digitally. Hiding is becoming harder and harder to do.
"I remember them. I thought the sisters were going to return to their city. How did they end up here?"
"Funny story. Thelma and Molly liked the world too much. Geia wouldn't go home without them and neither would the Tritons. So, they made another deal. The original plan was for them to patrol the waters off the coast of Florida watching for smugglers and pirates. Now they are officially FBI Sea Scouts. They will work with the Coast Guard to patrol all our coasts. They are based here at Otis until their command center is constructed in Florida. Too bad Mongo had to quit, they were sweet on him." Cat laughed.
"You should tell Chuck. They liked him too. Grandmother told me that mermaids were hardwired to like men, all men. Especially really big men. It's where the Siren legends come from. Tritons can't keep up with them, um, sexually." I felt my cheeks heating up.
"I will tell him. Thanks, Agatha." She hopped up and went forward to the cockpit to terrorize poor Chuck, leaving me to stare out the window. I felt the pressure of way too much to do and so little time to do it in. Just when I thought we eliminated one threat, it comes back to haunt us. Literally.
"It's not that bad Agatha." Ana's voice made me look up. The Vampire was standing in the shadow near the computer station.
Waving at the windows, I said her name. "Ana!"
"Eh. The team knows I wasn't completely straight with them. No one has asked yet, but they will. Bet on it. If it worries you so much come back to my quarters." Opening the rear door, she stepped inside. I carefully followed her in.
Ana's room was small. Just scarcely enough room for one person to move around in. There was a nice king style bed with compartments for storage underneath. One part of the wall was the bus engine compartment, but I knew there was an escape hatch too. As she had said earlier, Vampires always had an escape plan. I sat on the bed next to her.
"I'm not worried about the case itself. It's everything else! The Strega, the Dragons, the Witches Council, will it never end? Just as we finish one enemy, another pops up. The whole idea of more and more enemies is totally stressing me out Ana. What do I do?"
"Just take it one day at a time. I know it's an old cliche, but it is a Vampire creed. We never know who or what will attack us from one day to the next. All we can do is cope. Plan for the best, expect the worst. Until the Purge, the Vampire Nation was worldwide. We controlled entire countries. The humans had no clue about us. We hid in the shadows and cautiously led them from one technological achievement to the next. Wars were an inconvenience. The World Council negotiated most conflicts. Yes, there was still conflict and death, but it was controlled. Few clashes slip past the Council. Only in this country were things out of control. To be a Vampire here was to see death on every corner. The Church, Hunters, other races, and law enforcement were obstacles in our way. It was a constant balancing act of the risk of discovery against survival. I'm genuinely surprised we lasted as long as we did. Your job is the same, Agatha. Take all your thoughts of the danger ahead and pack it away. It will be there when you
are ready to tackle it. Worry about the current situation first. If it bothers you so much, we can talk it out and find a solution. What else are friends for?"
"But what about the Strega? They are haunting my dreams." I still didn't know what to do.
"Are you sure they're your dreams? You have never seen their place of worship or even knew it was for Set. It sounds to me as if you are inside of their heads, not the other way around. We once controlled Dreamwalkers. They were weapons to be used to protect those that needed protection. While I am not one, I worked with one many, many years ago. She liked to say dreams are like trails. Take the wrong one, and you end up somewhere else. Dreams are tricky. Be sure you are concentrating on the right people."
I nodded my head in understanding. How would I know what their place of worship looked like? Sometimes it took someone else to see what was right in front of my face. "Thank you, Ana."
"You're welcome. Are you sure you don't want Chuck and I to fly with you?"
Raising my head, I stared at her. "Ana, your secret?"
"The others haven't asked, but I assume they will. I can't keep it forever." Ana leaned back on the bed using her elbows to prop up.
"No. I promised to keep your secret and I will. You said yourself that the number of daywalking Ancients is very few. I would rather keep you as a secret weapon than allow everyone to know."
I felt a hand fleetingly graze my back. "Thanks, Agatha. I wasn't sure. Revealing my secret after so long was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but like you, Cat is my friend. I just couldn't sit on the bus and watch her burn. Her healing powers might have saved her, but I have seen ... Let's just say I've seen things and leave it at that." Memories of torture and war filled Ana's brain. Her eyes shimmering with tears reflected her thoughts.
"Cat is like the sister I never had. For that, I owe you much." I told her. "There was nothing in that RV that I can't replace. Even Fergus's barn." I chuckled at the remembrance of him finding out about the barn.
"Did he like the replacement Chuck found for him?"
"He says no, but I saw him stretched out in one of the rooms the other day. He still wants me to 'pimp the barn' as he puts it, but the new phone I got him is bigger, so he's happy for now. Fergus doesn't want to help us with this new case." I could only shake my head.
"Knowing his history, I can understand. My people were part of the Unicorn trade once-upon-a-time. Is the Magnus family still involved?"
Turning my head, I stared at her. "They are. How long have they been around?"
"If it's the same family, centuries. I remember buying individual items from a member of that family in the 1700s. But they predate even that. The Unicorn trade is varied. Step warily when dealing with them Agatha. They are not dumb."
"No. That I knew. Grandmother has had to deal with them. At one point, my family was investors in the corporation. Let me save that for the plane. If you actually wish to leave the bus, I can't stop you. But we will need the resources here." I waved at the walls.
"Take the plane, I'll drive with Chuck. Enjoy the plane. I hear it's one of the newer ones."
<<<>>>
Anastasia was right. We stood on the flight line at Otis looking at our new plane. The one the FBI acquired for us was a newer model Learjet.
"We get to fly in that?" Cat grinned staring at the gleaming white aircraft with the blue stripes.
I smiled at my team. "Yup. This is a Learjet 36. The military calls it a C-21a, but this one has been modified slightly. It is now permanently assigned to us unless someone else in the FBI has a higher priority. It has a fight range of three-thousand miles, can carry all us and our gear if needed. Director Mills told me it's been upgraded with all new electronics as well as special features just for us."
"It looks different from the ones I've flown it before." Bill walked around the aircraft. He ran his fingers down the sides of the wingtip fuel tanks.
"Bill, the engines, and avionics are military grade or at least that is what I was told by Washington. When did you fly on one of these?" I watched as he checked the underside of the plane.
"I told you I have a recreational pilot's certificate, right? I sat copilot on one of these a few years ago. It was the R-21 version of this one. The big difference was the wingtip tanks and some undercarriage mods."
"That's cool Bill. Could you fly this one? If you had to, I mean." It might be good to have a backup pilot on hand.
"It would depend on the avionics. Do you want me to ask the pilot about changes to the aircraft?" The older Agent had a big smile on his face.
"I bet you were planning to do that, anyway. Go ahead. We can always use a backup pilot, but I've been assured that the two driving are some of the best in the service."
A couple of loud horn blasts made me turn. Chuck and Ana were taking the bus off for the long drive to Montana. By road, it would take around thirty-five hours, provided they didn't stop along the way.
"Let's get loaded. We have a lot to talk about." The stairs beckoned.
It really was a nice plane. The FBI initially acquired this particular aircraft for the use of senior Agents to supervise and schmooze with the upper crust of Washington and elsewhere. Budget cuts and other political maneuvers almost lost the use of it to others. But our success with the Strega and Dragon cases got us priority use of the plane. Or at least that is what I was told. Taking Jack's advice, I watch my back cautiously when dealing with Washington. Even though I trust Madeline, I still watched her. She may be a Director, but she's also a politician.
Cat immediately plopped down in one of the leather chairs and smiled at me. "How did we rate this? I was expecting another cargo plane!"
"Some of that was Jack. According to the Director, he loved traveling that way. The bus just won't fit on what we have available. This is ours for the foreseeable future according to her. Success has its benefits. Enjoy it. We have a ton of work to do though."
Bill stepped inside. "I bet we do if they want us to get there this fast." Glancing behind him he watched a member of the crew secure and lock the door.
"Guys, this is Cliff Murdoch. He's the steward and all-around go-getter for anything we might need on the plane. Direct questions toward him as we fly. Our pilot is Captain Tom Tuttle, and Jack Chester is the copilot. They tell me it's a short hop of about three hours to Fort Benton." The steward greeted my team and did whatever stewards do.
The interior was arranged like a boardroom. Seats off to one side with a table and chairs on the other. Video screens were built into the table and the main viewing walls. The rear of the plane was taken up with a small restroom and equipment storage bay.
<<<>>>
We were sitting around the table shortly after take off. "Finally. Sorry, it took so long to get here, but I really needed to see my mother."
"Agatha, we understand. Family is important."
"Thanks, Bill. It just makes me feel guilty. While I took time off, several more Unicorns were lost. According to Washington, about a half dozen Unicorns have vanished mysteriously. At first, they thought it was rustlers, but the body of one turned up butchered in a nearby farmer's field. Wild animals found it before the authorities so the local CSI units could not find anything conclusive."
"Why are we being called in? This sounds like a local issue." Anastasia popped up on the table video screen.
"It is. But the Corporation owns this specific farm, and they are huge supporters of the current administration. This one is politically related. I made a promise to Director Mills to solve it regardless of political pressure because of Fergus. This ranch is where he came from. He's going home whether he likes it or not."
"Agatha, you mentioned the Spager Corporation?" Cat stumbled over the word.
"Spagyric. In Greek, it means to collect and extract, Early alchemists used the name to mean all of alchemy. Today it's used by herbal practitioners. The ancient remedy process was salt, mercury, and sulfur."
"Mercury can kill you! That
was a remedy?" Chuck's voice came from the video screen on the wall, but the picture was blank as he was driving.
"Alchemy is fun that way. Almost nothing is literal when it comes to most alchemical remedies. Salt is an earth element, sulfur is fire, mercury represents the life force that binds them all together. If you know the key, the recipes are helpful and can lead you to greater power. Take them at face value and die a horrible death. As I said. Fun." I had to laugh at their expressions.
"The Spagyric Corporation has been in the business of Unicorns and alchemy for centuries. Anastasia remembers dealing with them at least two-hundred years ago. My Grandmother claims they have been around much longer than that. The Magnus family controls it all. If it has to do with alchemy, they are involved." Pressing a button on my tablet, a map with marked locations popped up on the screen. "Here in the US, they have the Magnus Ranch in Montana, our destination. Several of their trading houses, as well as a distribution center, are located in Seattle, Washington. In Canada, they run the Alicorn Ranch. It is British Columbia's premier Unicorn ranch and resort. According to Grams, it's the best in the world even rivaling the facility in Tir Na Nog."
