by Tom Keller
"Go ahead in," she said, pointing to the inner office door. "He's waiting for you."
"Son of a bitch, Rob! You did it," someone who looked like O'Malley said as I walked into the office. This was not my O'Malley. First off, he called me Rob, secondly, in this world, he'd gone completely Druid. He was sporting a full beard and his arms and neck were full of tattoos containing what I knew to be runes of power. He got up from behind the desk and gave me a fist bump. "I just got off the phone with the DA. The jury came back. Guilty on all counts. You nailed the bitch, Rob! It's an automatic death sentence. You nailed her right and proper! "
"Uhm… thanks, Captain," I said, not knowing how else to respond.
"Sheriff's going to give a press conference in an hour or so," he continued. "He wanted you there, but like always, I told him we didn’t put our folks on the tube unless absolutely necessary." He walked back to his desk. "One of these days that excuse isn’t going to work anymore. But for now, you’re in the clear."
"Okay," I replied. "I appreciate it."
"No problem," he said, then looked down at his watch. "For Zeus' sake, it's after six. Get the hell out of here! You've done enough damage for one day."
"I was just getting ready to head out," I replied, hoping he didn't notice my wince at his use of Zeus' name.
"Good," he said, shuffling some papers on his desk. "Get out of here then. Sheriff wants me to write a few things up. I've got to get this done before the press conference."
"Anything I can help with," I asked, hoping he wouldn't want something I had no clue how to answer.
"No," he replied, sticking a cigar in his mouth. "I got it covered."
I left his office, nodding at Donna before I headed back down the hallway to my own. I closed the door behind me, leaning against it as I tried to make sense out of what was going on. I had to get out of here and think. I willed forth my bident. Shit, nothing happened. I tried my sword, once again, nothing. Then I tried to use magic, any magic, but it was useless. Whatever powers I'd once had were gone. Which meant that Gaea hadn’t just stuck me in some alternate universe, she'd also made me human again. No wonder she'd said if I survive as she shed a tear. If I was human, that meant I could die here. Well didn’t that just suck!
"Okay, Gaea, you made your point," I said aloud. I called out to her a few more times, but as I expected, she didn't answer. I tried reaching out to Sendy, my Aurae, but she wasn't there either. Damnit! I took a deep breath.
What about the Robert from here? Was he in my world just as confused as I was in his? No. Wait. I couldn't think about that possibility. It would drive me crazy. Moving on then. I wasn't about to panic. Even here there had to be an afterlife and that was one thing that I wasn't afraid of. What it was I didn’t know. Of course, I'd need to do some checking. But if O'Malley was calling out to Zeus, then how bad could it be? Hell, I ran Hades. I might even be able to beat the Reaper with everything I knew. Okay, it was a last resort, but what the hell. Maybe I could reset and go back. Probably not. But if I wasn’t going to hide, I needed to figure out what this place's rules were.
I was wearing a suit. Which made sense if I'd been in court, but I was also wearing a bulletproof vest. Sure, I'd worn one back when I was in uniform. But as a detective sergeant, I'd only thrown one on when I was going on a raid. Why would I be wearing one around the office? I was also carrying my Sig Sauer in a shoulder holster and my PPK on my leg. The Walther looked the same, it even had the same serial number, but the oak tree crest that had been on the one I'd gotten from my Aunt was missing. Both carried rounds that looked similar enough to the magic loads I carried back home to make me relax a bit. I holstered them both and then reached into my jacket pocket, pulling out a black leather badge case.
Hmm, what do we have here? I asked myself as I opened it. Son of a bitch! I really had been promoted! Seems like I was a lieutenant on the L.V.P.D. The letters MAD were located on a rocker at the top of the gold badge. MAD? I looked at the picture on the I.D. MAD stood for the Magical Affairs Division. I'll be damned. What did that mean? Was it like the Government's External Affairs Bureau, or something else?
I went over to my desk and started rummaging through it. In the top drawer, I found a file. It was my court case file. I read through it and then sat back. Apparently, I'd been instrumental in taking down one Dark Mage by the name of Marissa Aiken, AKA Mary Aiken, the majority stockholder of the RED, a local hotel/casino which, due to her assets being seized, was now in the control of the State Gaming Board. She'd been indicted for Murder, Money Laundering, Terrorist Acts, as well as several other charges. It was the other charges that caught my attention. Illegal distribution of black magic artifacts and spells, as well as other magic related offenses. The enclosed news reports were full of references to magic as well. That answered one thing. Marissa had been a Dark Fae and my arch enemy back in my world. I'd beaten her there and apparently done the same here. So Gaea wasn't lying. Some things don't change. That was a plus, I hope.
I closed the file and leaned back in my chair. Okay. First things first. I now knew that magic existed here and everybody knew about it. Not that I knew what that meant yet, but it was something. Next, I needed to figure out just who I was and where I fit in here. I know, I know, I'm a cop. But that's not what I was looking for. I knew that from the pictures on the wall. But there was more to it than that. I needed to know how to interact with people here. How close to the other world was this version of me? Was I a nice guy or an asshole? Assuming Gaea was going to keep me here for a while I had to find out. I figured I'd start with my station file. I'd check the computer and Internet after that.
A station file is like a mini personnel file. Only official records went into your personnel file. But your station file could hold notes and little things that weren't considered official. Attaboys and Ohshits that didn’t rise to the level of official notice were often kept there, as well as personal contact information. I strolled back into the Captain's outer office and smiled at Donna.
"Need to look at something in my file," I said. I was hoping the file would be in the same place as it had been in the other world.
"You get another award?" she asked, smiling back. Then she nodded toward the file cabinet next to her desk.
"Not today," I jested, walking toward it and opening the drawer. "But it's still early. No, just looking for a name on an old letter. Mind if I take it to my office for a while?"
"Go ahead," she said. "Just bring it back when you're done.
"Thanks," I said, and then walked back to my office and shut the door.
I placed the file on my desk and started to go through it. Damn, the Attaboys included an impressive list of commendations. But that wasn't all. There were a few Ohshits as well, including a copy of a three-week suspension I'd received some 20-plus years ago for failing to follow a lawful order and terminate a pursuit. That one had cost me three extra years in a uniform assignment back in my world. Not that it mattered in the overall scheme of things. If you're not getting in trouble you're not doing your job, my old Sheriff used to say. Of course, he'd still slap you with the suspension and send you into limbo until he felt you'd atoned for your sins. But at least when your bad boy time was over he'd offer you a cup of coffee and tell you to get your butt back to work and kick some ass. He was a great leader. He never held a grudge, that one. But times were different then, as they were here. Still, I missed him.
According to this, I'd done well enough to get promoted a couple times and now headed up the Magical Affairs Division. No surprises there, but I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. In this world, I'd taken out a long of list of bad guys on my way to my current assignment. Mostly Fae and Demons, but a few Witches and Mages as well. I guess that wasn't so different than back home as a High Fae and the God of Hades, except that here there was a short synopsis of the coroner's report with every kill. Some seemed kind of iffy, but they were all justified according to the reports. There was even a price on my head thanks to a few of
my higher profile cases. Apparently, several high ranking Demons had a hard-on for the Fae. They're not very happy with their role in this world and they're not so fond of cops, either. No surprise there, but still? Only a half a million? I had to chuckle. Surely I was worth more than that. Scary, now that I was human again, but at least it explained the bulletproof vest. Oh well, I was never one to back down from a fight. The whole thing seemed weird and a lot more violent than my old cop days.
It was the other parts of the file that really interested me. Apparently, I'd been drafted into the army during the eighties. That was something that hadn’t happened in my world. I'd thought about joining up but the military had been downsizing ever since the end of the Vietnam war and I'd decided to become a cop instead. Things had happened differently here. It seemed the Vietnam war hadn't ended in '72 as it did back home. Here it lasted until '91. We didn’t even get officially involved until the early '70s and even then it only ended because we’d dropped a nuke on Hanoi. Try to put your arms around that!
That wasn't in my file, I learned it later, but it's worth noting now. There's a lot of similarities to my world here, but a lot of differences too. For one thing, this was a world that used nukes after World War II. What did that say about the place? Anyway, there was little other information about my time in the service. Only that I'd been hired and immediately taken a three-year hiatus from the Department before being returned to duty. There was one other interesting thing. My military service time counted towards my police retirement. Something that wouldn’t have been possible back home. I'd also been on the PD for over 30 years, which meant I could retire any time they pissed me off. Now that was something that was good to know.
Then there was my personal history. I'd been married to the same Kathy as before. The file said she worked in finance in this world too. Apparently, we were still divorced. There was even a notation that said it was amicable and that we remained friends. Interesting. Nikki and Jay were here too. Jay was listed as a Special Agent working for Homeland Security in Los Angeles, the same job he'd had before he was recruited to the EAB, the Federal Agency that had regulated magical creatures back home. Best I could tell from what I was reading, that agency still existed here, but through an agreement, they didn’t operate in Nevada. They left that magic work to us, at least within the border. Nikki was still a CSI. Although according to this she was married to a cop named Keegan and her last name was now McManus. There was nothing about anyone being a Dryad or Fae. My best guess was that they were as human as I was.
I rummaged through my desk some more and found my Division roster. It looked like a fair mix of Fae and human. Some of the names I recognized, others were new to me. I took a quick look through the printouts to see who was doing what, then put the paperwork away. Okay then. As long as no one asked me about my time in the military I could bullshit my way through most of this. Now to find out what else was different here.
I returned the file and fired up the computer, stopping myself before trying to log in. The screen had a notice that reminded users that all computer use was subject to monitoring and that all searches were logged. Probably a generic warning, but why take a risk? I'd find another way to get what I needed.
Chapter 3
I headed out of my office and into the hallway. The place was similar to my old offices back when the PD's headquarters had been located in City Hall. Passing several locked doors and one that was gate guarded, I made my way to the elevator. Noting that I was on the Seventh floor, I punched the button to the garage. Hopefully, I'd find my car down there.
Then again, that might be a problem, I thought as I pulled out my keys. There was no key fob and the only thing that looked like a car key had an Omega symbol on it. But I needn't have worried, I saw my name on a parking place across the drive as soon as I exited and walked up the ramp. Not that I recognized the car that was parked there. It was dark blue and fast looking, with a futuristic body that was totally out of character considering the hardwired computer and telephone back in my office. The windows were tinted with a gold tinge. The rear of the car sported the Omega symbol in the center with the words Omega Interceptor running across the back of the trunk. I looked around to see several similar models parked down here as well. Probably a custom police version then. Even so, I had to admit it looked pretty cool.
I popped open the driver's side door, doing a doubletake when I saw the interior. Wow! This was no standard police car. The cockpit looked like something you'd see in a luxury car magazine. The seats were plush and even included calf supports. The cockpit was filled with dials and gauges, including a bank of switches that had a light above and below each one. I had no clue what they were for. I sat down and sunk into the leather seat. Damn, this was nice!
I opened the glove box to look for the manual, instead, it housed an old-fashioned police radio complete with a corded microphone, just like the ones we'd used back in the old days. What is it with this world and old fashioned tech? Wait… maybe it was a technology vs magic thing. That at least made sense. I started to insert the key then figured I might as well check out the rest of the car. The back seats were almost as nice as the front. Somehow I doubted I'd be carrying a lot of suspects back there. Then I walked around to the trunk. I inserted the key and heard a series of metal sounds, like several locks disengaging before it opened. Inside was a trunk organizer that held a heavy-duty bulletproof vest that had gold mesh added with external pouches and holsters for weapons. I found out later that the mesh held anti-magic properties. There were also gloves and a windbreaker, as well as a change of clothes and several other items, including several pairs of glasses. Both the vest and jacket had the letters MAD on the back. Since they were on a tray, I lifted that up to see what was underneath. Holy Shit!
Guns. Lots of them. All perfectly seated in their own molded spot in the organizer. I recognized what looked like an M-16 with an M-403 grenade launcher, an HK G36, a couple shotguns and a long rifle with a scope. There were several handguns with extra magazines and even some type of grenades. They'd thrown in a few daggers and a well-made short sword for good measure. There was also a… hell, I don’t know what it was, let's just call it a super gun or something. It looked like a cross between a shotgun and a blunderbuss, without the external hammer. It was about two and a half feet long and made of some type of ceramic. There was a short grip with a double trigger on one end and a flared barrel on the other. I picked it up to examine it. The manufacturer was listed as Dwarven Industries. There was a short serial number and the words Thunder Hammer –Specialized Law Enforcement Use Only. Fortunately, it was small enough to conceal if you were wearing the right clothing. I put everything back as I found it and closed the trunk, leaning against it as the locking mechanism reengaged. What the …? Were we expecting a war here?
I got in the car and put the key in the ignition. Then I had a thought. Getting out I went back to the trunk and retrieved the Thunder Hammer. Then, just for shits and giggles, I grabbed the short sword and the dagger with the most prominent religious symbols and tossed them onto the passenger seat. I mean, come on… why take chances? That done, I turned the key and fired up the engine. I could feel the vibration through the seat as it purred. I flipped open the glove box and turned on the radio and then backed out of my spot. I made my way to the east entrance, careful not to overdo the pedal as the vehicle felt like it was a race car on steroids.
I turned right onto Las Vegas Boulevard and headed toward Fremont street, listening to the police chatter as I took in the scenery. Red lights flashed on the dash and I looked to see what was up. I flipped the indicated switches and they all changed to green. The last one caused the gold tint on the windows to flash briefly before settling down to a barely visible glow. I could see some kind of mesh wiring visible that was interlaced within the tint. Damn… I needed to find the user manual for this thing.
Downtown Vegas looked like it had back in the '70s. Okay, at least as far as buildings and infrastructure we
nt. There was no doubt this place was something different. Fremont Street wasn't covered anymore and what I could only guess was magic-induced advertising was evident both on and above the streets and sidewalks. Traffic moved up and down Fremont just like it had back when I was a kid. But now, Fairies and other magical creatures flew above the street and sidewalk pointing out the sights. Some walked up to cars and held up banners, others just waved and smiled. There was still a lot of neon, but even it was enhanced with magical fireworks that burst out every so often. It was quite a show, but to be honest, it was a little overwhelming, so I made the left onto Third Street to get away from the noise. That's when the radio traffic caught my attention. It was an officer needed help call near Ninth and Clark.
"This is Hoskins. Show me arrived in 30 seconds," I said, grabbing the mic and using my old cop vernacular. I'd hesitated for a second, not knowing my call sign, but then I figured my last name would have to do. I gunned it and turned down Carson, heading in their direction. The car covered the few blocks in an instant and I locked up the tires as I arrived on the scene. I skidded up to one of the marked patrol units and stopped in the middle of the road. Grabbing the Thunder Hammer and both blades, I kicked open the door and ran up to join the officer who was crouched down behind the front of the car.
"What do you got?" I asked as a flash of blue fire hit the hood of the car. Both of us ducked as flames roared over our heads.
"Shit, Lieutenant. I don’t know," he said, his eyes wide as he answered. He stuck his rifle over the hood and then popped his head up and fired a few rounds, ducking and looking back at me a moment later. "It was just a suspicious circumstances call. There's two of them. They just started lobbing fireballs when we arrived. Shields held for a while, but both the cars are toast now. Dave got a little burned. I think he's okay since he's still shooting back but he's not answering the radio. We've got them pinned down but I can’t get to him with that kind of magic flying around. More units are en route but I don’t know how long it'll take for them to get here."
