Night of the Unicorn (The Federal Witch Book 5)

by T S Paul

  "Tir Na Nog? Where is that? It sounds Celtic." Bill looked up from the briefing documents.

  "You would be correct. It's located in a pocket universe only accessible through a portal in Cornwall. The Spagyric Corporation discovered the open portal in the 1700s. Purchasing the land from the crown, they built a structure over the spot and ran the English part of their company from it. It kept the secret for almost a century until the great reveal in 1914. They then began construction of a replica of Tintagel Castle on the site of the original which coincidentally is where the gate is. Today that part of Cornwall is the world headquarters for the company."

  Chuck's voice, interspersed with traffic noise, came over the screen. "Tintagel. Why does that sound familiar?"

  "It's where King Arthur and Merlin did their thing. Don't you read anything?" Cat snapped at him.

  "You mean like the real Arthur? The guy with the round table that Arthur?"

  "Yes, Chuck. That Arthur. Inside the portal is supposed to be where his kingdom was located. Merlin's cave and the original herd of Unicorns are there too. Grandmother claims that only company executives are allowed inside. My family has been stockholders in Spagyric since the birth of the stock market, and even they have never been inside it." I was completely blown away when she filled me in on that place. It drove home to me the existence of the doorways and how much they affect our world.

  Cat turned to me. "The Arthurian legends talk about many people and places. Are they in there too?"

  "No idea. The Magnus family keeps a secure lid on the entire place. Grams said there are a lot of deals and other things linking them to the British Government as a whole. No surprise that when something started to affect their business in Montana, they got us to help. That is Britain. Montana is our assignment. Ana, can you put up a map of the area on the big screen?"

  The big screen at the end of the room lit up to reveal a map with lots of green splotches. "Now. Montana is filled with parks and native reservations. About half the state is national park land surrounded by native American reservations. Be aware, even though we represent the US Government, we have zero authority on any of the reservations. Many treaties exist with those tribes.

  When the Were reservations were dissolved, and laws changed, the Native Americans forced the Government to live up to the treaties they had with them too. Significant changes came about during that time. Consider these areas to be small countries of their own. If we have to enter them, we need to ask first. They can shoot at us, and we cannot shoot back in any situation. Understand? Director Mills was very clear with me about this. We cannot invalidate treaties that took dozens of years to put together just to arrest someone. They are no-go areas.

  "The parks are a different matter. The Parks Department has a well-armed and organized police force that, if needed, can back us up. The ranch is located near Goldstone, along the Milk River basin. Wild and untouched are the terms you might use when discussing the area. It's very rural. Fortunately, there are a few hotels in the area and a resort or two. Until Chuck and Ana get here, we have to stay at one of the more inexpensive hotels."

  "Uh, oh. You say inexpensive, and I hear fleabag. Am I right?" Bill smiled at me.

  "The Big Horn Hotel and Executive Suites is supposed to be very nice for the price. Don't worry about it. I have a spell that will kill any and all vermin." The map on the screen disappeared and a run down looking hotel with cabins surrounding a large mud-filled hole popped up on the screen in its place.

  Cat and Bill cast dubious looks in my direction. "Thanks, Ana. I didn't need that much help." That got me laughter from all of my team.

  "What is different about the ranch here and the one in Canada?" This came from Anastasia.

  "Yes. The meat of the situation. Magnus Ranch might be a problem for us. When Fergus showed up in Briarwood and came to live with us after my accident, Grandmother got him to talk about Unicorn history as he knew it and the ranch itself. According to him, humans made a deal with the Unicorns. They would protect the herd from Dragons and other dangers, in return some members would sacrifice themselves.

  Grandmother tried researching that claim in several of the libraries that she has access to. She told me that Unicorn materials first became available in the fifth century. That is also the time the Arthurian legends are supposed to have taken place. Royalty in Europe prized the horn and other parts as a cure-all, for water purification and universal poison antidotes. The Vikings helped perpetuate the myth by selling Unicorn horns to gullible kings and traders. Many of those horns turned out to be from Narwhals. However, there are drawings and other antiquities that show them all over the world. Her research showed they were entering our world from somewhere. No written record exists of a pact with them, at least not in any accessible library."

  "Agatha, what do you mean by accessible? What library did she use, the Vatican's?" Cat cocked her head.

  "No, not that one. This might come as a shock to you, but the Library of Alexandria still exists and is usable for those that know the way in and out. I have been there myself and spoken to its librarians. There is information there that could break half the governments of this world. Before you ask, no, I won't take you there. Sorry. It is our belief that the pact that was made if there was one was with the Magnus family. There are spells that will allow you to speak to animals. They are not as effective as many would wish, but they do exist." Cat looked disappointed, but Bill was totally engaged.

  Pointing to the map on the screen Bill asked. "Why is Magnus Ranch a problem?"

  "Sorry, I got off track. It's a problem because even though it's part of the corporation, it is run separately from them. Current US law forbids international corporations to control United States businesses. They must have a corporate entity here.

  The owner of the record of the ranch is Robert Magnus. His sister owns Ultra, the Seattle-based shipping and receiving company that Spagyric uses for US distribution. Separate, but equal, is the phrase you want. They don't follow the same sort of rules as the main group does. My family name holds a certain amount of sway with the Europeans, but here I have zero pull.

  Camilla purchased Fergus from Robert Magnus. In Europe, you cannot buy a male unicorn for almost any price. Only females are sold." I cringed when I said Camilla's name.

  "So how did she buy him?" Bill nodded. "I see. OK, so we need to investigate the corporation too."

  "I'm already on that. As well as collating reports from the locals. I am also looking for historical files on the Magnus family and any black sheep they might have in the area." Ana piped up from the screen on the table.

  "Good. It's my hope this is just rustlers or a pack of wolves or something. We don't need another Chupacabra hunt."

  Cat shuddered visibly.

  "Hey, that one was fun! Didn't you like chasing that thing through Miami, Cat? I had a blast on the beach." Chuck was laughing as he talked.

  "You might have, but I went crashing through that beach lotion factory, remember? It took me weeks to get the grease out of my coat. Besides that thing almost ripped you a new one."

  Chuck laughed again. "It was definitely pissed at me. Where did it end up, anyway?"

  "The National Zoo took if off our hands. First one ever captured in the United States. I believe they credited the FBI and not us specifically for the capture. Remind me, and we'll go see the exhibit sometime. Does anyone have any Unicorn questions?" I looked around the table. Cat and Bill were studying the documents Ana sent along with us.

  "OK. We should be on the ground in less than an hour. The ranch is about an hour or more drive. Let's get ready to work."

  Chapter 3

  Fort Benton was way nicer than the countryside around the Magnus Ranch. We had got only the briefest of look at the Bighorn Hotel before we were forced to rush away to the ranch. Montana gives you the impression of green plains interspersed with hills and low mountains. This part of the state not so much. The grass was dead and brittle, without any life. The hills
looked like lumps of seared earth rather than green rolling hills.

  "I thought Montana was supposed to be green and lush?" I directed my question toward Agent Zusteller, the local FBI agent who was our temporary tour guide.

  The stout agent looked over his shoulder at me as we bounced down the barely paved road. "This part of Montana's been having a drought for years. It rains, but the ground stays like this. The only part of the area that isn't like this is where you're going. The locals think it has something to do with the Unicorns. Most stay as far from anyone named Magnus as they can."

  Once again we were at the mercy of the local FBI office. Without our vehicles, we had to allow their agents to lead us around. Fort Benton didn't rate an local office. According to Washington, the Parks Department did a pretty good job of things. Great Falls was the closest FBI office, at less than forty miles away. Agent Zusteller was happy to pick us up at the airport but didn't like the idea we were taking over his case.

  Cat leaned over to him. "Do you know why that is?"

  The Agent glanced at her and nearly drove off the road. Cat was blond, beautiful, and right next to him. "Uh. Uh. What was the question?" He yanked the wheel to the left suddenly.

  We could hear a loud thump as the SUV hit a huge pothole at too fast a speed. The entire back end of the car lifted off the ground and slammed down suddenly, bouncing us around. If Bill hadn't had his seatbelt on, he might have been tossed through the rear window. I quickly muttered the spell I came up with for Jack.

  "Everyone OK back there? These roads are a real mess. The further out we go the worse... It." He paused and stared at the wheel for a moment. "Gets. Hmm. That's weird. The road smoothed out suddenly. I could almost swear it was worse yesterday."

  "Imagine that." Cat looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. I returned it. You just have to love Magick.

  "Agent, do you know why the locals are afraid of the Magnus family?" Cat repeated the question.

  Agent Zusteller scanned the road before looking at Cat. "We asked them the same thing. According to the tribes, they're Skinwalkers. We investigated that claim when the mutilations started. If they were renegade sorcerers or something, why attack their own livestock? The other ranchers dislike them because of alleged water rights issues. The locals claim the Magnus people put a spell on their lands to keep the Magnus farm green. We couldn't prove it, either way, so we asked for help. I assume that is you three?"

  Cat leaned closer to the man and proceeded to fill him in on our duties. The thing about a possible curse was interesting. Some forms of Earth Magick could be used to drain the land. Blood Magick could do the same thing and would be a lot harder to repair. But the Skinwalker comment was what caught my attention. Almost every native people on the planet has or had some form of Shamanic belief system in their culture. The word shaman is a Siberian word. I stopped for a moment and looked out the window. Shamanism was something I had recent experience with.

  My new friend Zhanna recently told me a story about what happened to her country of Russia. With the Russian government in shock and turmoil at the end of the Demon War, ethnographers swarmed into the country. They were searching for clues to ancient paranormal cultures as well as that of the humans. The death of so many Magickal leaders left a giant hole in the societal structure of many of the cultures that made up the country. Even today, nearly eighty years since the start of that awful war, Russian culture was still a mess.

  Grandmother had taught me that Shamanic Magick was just as powerful as what we did as Witches, just different. There were very few native cultures left in the world. Those in the United States were scattered as were the ones in Europe. Progress was the death of the past.

  If you could trust a Vampire to give you an exact answer, they might be the clue to what the past was truly like. But who could trust them and how many real elders were left in this world? I made a mental note to speak to Anastasia about it. She has yet to give me a straight answer on her true age beyond a couple of hundred years. To have the powers she has demonstrated to me she would have to be in the least a thousand. So, if the natives around here suspected Skinwalkers, they may actually be here. It would explain the disappearances and the mutilations.

  "Agent Zusteller? Which members of the tribes are saying that Magick is involved? Do you know?" I tapped the man on the shoulder.

  The Agent looked up into his rear view mirror and acknowledged me. "The tribes? I think it came from either the council or the Reservation cops. We don't have any authority over there so we can't cross the line."

  I nodded. We would have to try and get our own answers. Looking forward, I could see green hills and more trees than this wasteland area we were driving through. "Is that the ranch?"

  "It is. Big difference isn't it? Our Magic detectors didn't show anything wrong, but maybe you can sense something. It's got our office puzzled for sure."

  Magickal detectors? "Agent, what detectors are you talking about?"

  "Something new. They came in the last shipment from the central office. You haven't seen them yet? Remind me when we stop. I have one in my kit in the back." He laughed. "That's kind of funny that Magical Crimes doesn't have one. I'll have to tell my boss that one."

  Bill poked me and looked at me with questioning eyes. The gizmos I recovered from the Military were either with Grandmother or locked very securely in my vault back in Virginia. I never mentioned retrieving them to the team. "No idea, Bill."

  The entrance to the Magnus Ranch was an ornate gate decorated with Unicorns. Agent Zusteller stopped the SUV at the entrance. Turning in his seat, he spoke. "I interviewed the owner Robert Magnus. He's an either really smart or really crazy. We haven't figured out which yet. Unicorns aren't a protected species, but after seeing this place, I think they should be."

  Cat frowned at him. "What do you mean by that?"

  He looked at her. "If you get a chance, go in the house and look around. That's all I'm saying about it. My boss made me remove it from the official report, so it has to be seen to be believed." He turned back and entered the property.

  My shields and those of my Guardian bracelets slammed down around me suddenly! The shock of them suddenly snapping into being caused me to jump.

  "You OK Agatha?" Bill tried to pat my knee and stared at his hand. It was resting a good six inches above my knee.

  "No. There is something here alright. My shields snapped down as soon as we entered the gate. Watch yourself and trust in the protection I gave you."

  Cat turned to her left looking over the seat. She nodded. Freaky Weres and their hearing. This was going to be a major challenge. I could see it now.

  "Hey look, Unicorns." Cat pointed to a small herd of the creatures in a field near the front of the farm. It was funny to see full sized ones after being with Fergus for so long.

  "Most likely females. They are the only ones they sell to the public. The males are usually kept in more secure areas." I could see Agent Zusteller looking at me in the mirror.

  "My Grandmother used to be in business with the European branch of the Magnus family. She filled me in on how they raise the Unicorns." The Agent nodded in understanding. Now was not the time to explain Fergus.

  Agent Zusteller pointed out the window. "That's the main house over there. Just beyond are the guest cabins. The field we found the last body in was a couple hundred yards beyond that."

  We all watched out the windows. It looked like a horse ranch until you saw the stock. Looking closer I saw that the Unicorns looked a tiny bit different than Fergus. While he was white with a blue mane, the ones in the paddock were white with red, yellow, and green hair. That was interesting. I wondered if Fergus knew why that was.

  "My boss told me to drop you off here. I'm not supposed to stay, but if you need me to fill you in on who's who I can do that." The local agent looked at me in his mirror again.

  "I think we can handle it. I don't want your supervisor to get upset with you. Can you show me the magic detector you were given?
"

  Looking relieved, the Agent nodded. "Sure. It's in the back."

  Zusteller hopped out of the car and opened up the rear hatch. Someone must have a severe case of OCD at his post because it was one of the cleanest equipment storage areas I had ever seen. Everything had a proper place.

  He reached into a canvas bag and pulled out two camera-sized boxes. There were dials and readouts on the side as well as a few LED lights. "This is what we were given. The instructions said to point it at the potential magical item or site and if it was present the green light would flash."

  Taking one of them from him, I followed the basic instruction and aimed it at my bracelets. The machine hummed for a moment and the red lights came on. Interesting. "Agent I'm going to hold on to one of these." I held up my hands. "Tell your boss Magical Crimes is requisitioning it from you. I will send him the proper paperwork don't worry. The world will stop spinning if we don't file our FD 258 forms on time and in triplicate."