James looked at me. “Ready?” I steeled myself, nodded, and we headed over.
Ma’am stood near the edge of the collapsed walls and directed the activity. As we reached her, she turned to a scrawny fifty-something woman whose scraggly salt-and-pepper hair flowed freely to her shoulders. If she’d been wearing a flowing dress rather than her agent suit, she would have looked like the traditional version of a witch. “Are you ready?” Ma’am asked. The agent gave a nod. “Give me ten minutes, and you can start.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Ma’am turned to me. “Lily, I’d like you to document the scene before we remove the bodies. I’ve had one of our team take some photos, but I want a backup, just in case.” The meaningful look in her eyes told me all I needed to know, and besides, if she hadn’t called me here to use my talent, what had she called me here for? Anyone could take a normal photo, and they already had.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Before I could step towards the crumbling structure, Ma’am spoke to James.
“I’d like you to accompany her, please, Agent Bianchi. Make sure nothing falls on her.”
He gave a quick nod. Then we headed for the debris. I bit my lip, hoping I didn’t accidentally see any dismembered body parts. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we don’t give our emergency service personnel enough credit for what they have to witness.
I warily skirted the perimeter of the disaster. With each normal shot I took, I also took a second magical shot. My quiet request each time was “Show me who caused the explosion.” Nothing unusual turned up until I had rounded the far corner of the building and was facing back towards Ma’am. A man wearing a black coat and balaclava appeared, feet spread and arms reached out above his head. Was it the same man I’d captured all the other times? I took a couple of wide shots and then zoomed in to get more details. I also walked a bit closer, but I didn’t want to get too close, or people would wonder what exactly I was photographing. The quality of the image would be high, so there would be no problem zooming in even further on the computer to get a look at his shoes, the only factor that could really tell us if it was the same guy.
I lowered my camera and said to James, “I’m done.” We returned to Ma’am. She took a quick look at the photos, angling the screen so no one else could view them. When she finished, she handed my camera back and addressed the grey-haired agent next to her. “Agent Novak, please start.”
Agent Novak took a deep breath and called upon her magic. The raw power of it surprised me, as did its dark undertones. But it wasn’t evil… I didn’t know what to think of it. It didn’t creep me out, but it wasn’t comfortable either. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, and she was making grabbing and pulling motions. The rubble shifted in one spot and collapsed in a puff of dust. A mangled body appeared on a white sheet of plastic laying on the ground to the right of Agent Novak. I gagged and turned the other way to avoid seeing more. A bit of warning would have been nice.
Each time the clink and scrape of bricks falling against each other came from behind me, I cringed. I’d counted four so far. How many people had died, and did I really have to stand here for the whole recovering-of-bodies thing? I shuffled backwards until I was facing my brother. His face tense, he gazed at the whole nightmare-inducing operation. I whispered, “Can we go now?”
He blinked and looked at me. “I’ll check.” He went to Ma’am and had a quiet conversation, then returned. “Yes. I’ll take you back to headquarters.” Just as he made a doorway, another man had appeared at our landing spot. Dressed in a dark suit but with a dark shirt rather than the white PIB shirt, he strode towards us, purpose and authority in every footstep, malevolence pulsing from him. Weirdly, he was wearing a black top hat.
James looked from the man to Ma’am and back again. “Come on, Lily. Let’s go.” Before I could object, he’d grabbed my hand and pulled me through his doorway and into the blessedly fresh air of the reception room, which was free of cloying smoke that leached the scent of burnt buildings and charred bodies. I took the first non-shallow breath I’d had since we left.
I fell into one of the chairs, put my elbows on my thighs and head in my hands.
“Are you okay, Lily?”
“I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.” I looked up and gave him a wan smile. “I’ll be okay after a night’s sleep. And what was with that guy? You got us out of there pretty quickly.” James regarded me with a closed mouth. His lips twitched as if he were about to open his mouth and tell me, but he stopped when Gus opened the door and poked his head in.
“Hello, Agent Bianchi, Miss Lily. Do you want to come out, or would you like a moment?”
I knew the conversation was over. Whatever was going on was beyond my knowledge, at least until tomorrow—nagging required more energy than I had right now. I hoisted myself off the chair with a grunt. What an effort. Had my body doubled in weight since before we left? I knew it hadn’t, but fatigue had its mean little claws in me, trying to drag me down. James cocked his head to the side, his eyes concerned. “Maybe I should take you home. You don’t look the best.”
“I’m fine, really. Just exhausted.”
James turned to Gus. “I’ll be back soon. I’m just going to take Lily home.”
“Good idea.” Gus winked, pulled his head back out, and shut the door.
“Come on. You’re no use to anyone when you’re like this.”
Too tired to argue, when he made his doorway, I gladly shuffled through.
Chapter 10
After getting home late yesterday afternoon, I ate some cheese on toast—the easiest thing to make with my non-witch skills—I fell into bed and slept until the next morning when Will gently shook my shoulder. “Lily, wake up.”
I reluctantly squinted my eyes open. “What time is it?”
He sat on the edge of the bed, already dressed in his uniform. “Eight.”
Although he was ready for work, he looked like he should be going back to bed. The dark puffiness under his eyes was clear, even in the dim light. “What time did you get in last night?”
“Midnight. We’ve got too much on. That’s why I’m getting you up now. Emergency meeting’s been called at your brother’s, seeing as how last night’s was cancelled.”
My eyes opened all the way, and I sat up so quickly, my head spun. “What happened? Is everyone okay?” Gah, it was too early for a racing heart.
“I have no idea. Just hurry up and get ready. Wear your uniform, just in case, and bring your camera.”
“Okay.” He stood so I could get out of bed.
“I’ll see you downstairs. I’ve made coffee.” He smiled.
“You’re the best.” I quickly dressed, washed my face, brushed my teeth—the usual things—then hurried downstairs. At least I’d had enough sleep, the fatigue of yesterday gone, shame the same thing couldn’t be said about the heavy sense of dread tightening my shoulders and jaw.
Ma’am was downstairs already, and had, in fact, finished her tea and breakfast. As I walked in, she was shutting the dishwasher. She turned around. “Good morning, dear.” Dressed in her usual perfectly pressed uniform, her hair in its tidy bun, the only sign of the latest stress was… well, there wasn’t any. How did she hold things together so well? I was betting she was like the duck who looked calm on top of the water, but her mind was as busy as those little webbed feet under the water. That made me think of Will’s car. Despite the potentially dangerous or depressing day ahead, I couldn’t stop the grin.
“Morning.”
“What are you so happy about,” she asked.
“I just remembered the quackmobile.”
Angelica smiled. “At least we have something to smile about.”
Will handed me a green to-go coffee cup. “You can drink this on the way.” Wow, so he still couldn’t smile about his car.
“It’s not like the Range Rover won’t be changed back as soon as Angelica has her powers working properly. I’ll be sorry to see the duck go. I feel
like we’ve bonded.” All I got for my efforts was a bland stare. I snorted.
“Okay, children. Time to go.” Angelica led the way outside to her car. Oh, another gloriously freezing day of drizzle. At least winter couldn’t last forever, and it was February. Spring would soon be here, and hopefully better times with it.
The drive to my brother’s was a fairly quiet one, Angelica giving no hint as to what we were about to discuss. Several times I opened my mouth to ask but then remembered we didn’t have a bubble of silence. Ultimate-patience mode activated.
As we drove, my stomach rumbled. I’d finished my coffee, but my lack of forethought about breakfast was a mistake I was paying for. The last thing I’d eaten had been at about six last night, and one sandwich wasn’t really much of a dinner. Thankfully, as soon as we walked into James and Millicent’s, the fragrance of bacon and eggs enveloped me along with my sister-in-law’s hug.
After greetings and breakfast, Millicent magicked the plates away, and we got down to business. Apart from Will, Ma’am, and me sitting at the table, Beren, Liv, James, Millicent, and Imani were there. My heart vibrated with warmth at being surrounded by those I loved most. It was a miracle we were all safe and well, considering what we’d been through in the last ten months. I was taking that as a win.
I looked to the left at Ma’am, who spoke from her place at the head of the table. “I’m sure I don’t need to say this, but what we speak about and do here today is to be kept under the utmost confidentiality. Am I understood?”
We all answered, “Yes, Ma’am.” It normally went without saying. What had gotten her so spooked that she required an extra promise? I was betting that man from yesterday as James and I left had something to do with it.
Ma’am met my gaze, but I wasn’t sure what she was thinking as she briefly stared into my eyes. She broke eye contact and looked towards the foot of the table at Millicent. “We’ve had an extremely generous offer from Millicent’s father, Robert. Last night, he agreed to look into the curse for us. He and Beren have been working on a cure all night.” We all looked at Beren. Dark circles dirtied the skin under his eyes. His tie was missing, and his shirt was open at the collar. He gave a wan smile. “Thanks for your commitment, Agent DuPree. They haven’t cracked it yet, but by all accounts, they’re close. Our plan is to cure those around this table first, but I don’t want anyone else knowing.” She turned to me. “And before you ask, Lily, I don’t want anyone finding out. There’s a mole at headquarters, and the criminals we’re trying to catch will be at a disadvantage if they don’t know we have our powers back. Let them stay cocky and make a mistake. Once we’re at full power, it will be much easier to close in on them. They would never have gotten this far if they hadn’t disabled us.” That was definitely something I could agree with.
Ma’am smoothed her hair with her palm, then settled her hands in her lap. “Because we can’t use our mind shields, we’re also going to avoid being around other agents at all costs, except for Millicent and James, who, of course, aren’t affected.”
Damn. How was I supposed to unearth the culprit’s mole at the PIB? I’d only gotten halfway through my search yesterday. I raised my hand.
“Yes, dear?”
“How are you going to stay away from the PIB? I mean, aren’t you the boss?”
As calmly as you pleased, she replied, “Not anymore, Lily. I’ve been suspended, as of yesterday.”
My mouth dropped open, and there were several loudly sucked in breaths. At least I hadn’t been the last to know this time. Small consolation, really.
Anger simmered in Will’s eyes. “That’s ridiculous!”
James looked at Will. “One of the directors was there yesterday.” He turned to Ma’am. “I’m right, aren’t I? That man in the top hat. Which one is he?” Wow, seemed as if their identities were super top secret. But why had he then waltzed on in, in so public a fashion?
She lifted her chin and sniffed. “I only know him as Mr Brosnan. He came yesterday, took me to their secret offices. I was given my suspension by the big boss, Mr Moore, then taken to headquarters to empty my desk. Brosnan supervised my clean out, then escorted me to my car, and that was it.”
I put up my hand. My question was stupid, but I couldn’t help it; I had to know.
“Yes, dear?”
“Brosnan and Moore… are they fake names? They sound like actors who played James Bond.” It was ridiculous. I mean, who would do that? It was so cheesy—working for a spy organisation and wishing you were 007.
Ma’am’s smirk was particularly vicious. “Yes. Their egos are way bigger than their reputations. But make no mistake: as stupid as they seem, they are powerful witches who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Being in the powerful positions they are takes more than hard work and intelligence. Politics and power are just as tied up in their jobs as any huge organisation. They have connections we can’t even imagine—criminals, royalty, heads of governments, and wealthy corporations. I’ve suspected a couple of them have wanted me out of the way for a while, but I made my predecessor look good, so they kept me. And when Agent Pembleton died, I was the first choice because of my experience. But James and I are too honest to be in charge for long. Whoever’s making the PIB look bad has played into their hands and given them the perfect excuse to ditch me.”
“So James won’t be promoted in your stead?” asked Millicent.
“I doubt it. If he was, it would be better for all of us.”
Mill and James shared a worried look. My brother drummed his fingers on the table. “Who do you think they’ll get? Will it be someone I can work with? Maybe I should go undercover, pretend I’m happy you’ve been let go. When are they going to make the announcement?”
Ma’am shot her flinty gaze over each of us in turn. “The rumours have likely already started. Quite a few agents saw me marched through headquarters yesterday. I can see them parading someone in there today and announcing they’re in charge. Prepare yourselves. James and Liv can go, but the rest of you are to call in sick. Not only are we fighting the PIB’s enemies, we’re fighting for the survival of the organisation. Something’s going on, and we’re going to discover what it is.”
Crap. Now there was no way I could find out who was helping the curser. And as if we needed something else to figure out and fix. Why couldn’t we just walk away from the whole thing? Oh, that’s right—without the PIB’s resources, we likely would never find out what happened to my parents or bring those responsible for their disappearances to justice. We could probably ask the PIB to investigate, but without Ma’am or James running things, they were likely to say it was such an old case and they didn’t have the resources. RP was powerful too, and if we tried to take them down without agency backup, we’d lose. I was sure of it. Not to mention the moles in the PIB. It was essential that we had people on the inside.
Plus, my brother, his wife, and my friends needed jobs.
“Anyway, I’m not fired yet, and I won’t make it easy for them. I have an idea who on the board of directors is pushing for my demise, and now I’m not required at work, I have time to untangle this mess, which is their first mistake. But having my magic—and all of you having yours—is essential to solving my problem, and to bring the perpetrator of our curse to justice. I’m sure I don’t have to ask, but who’s with me?”
I smiled and shot my hand in the air. “Me!” Liv did the same, and everyone else answered in the affirmative but without the vigorous arm actions.
Ma’am grinned. “Thank you. I knew I could count on all of you. Now, let’s get on with this.”
After the meeting, we drove home and spent the rest of the day discussing, researching on the net, and planning for when we had our magic back. It was with great frustration that Will, Angelica, and I sat on the Chesterfields and listened when James visited that night with news.
James sat opposite Angelica. He rubbed a palm up and down his thigh. This wasn’t going to be good. “They’ve replaced you with a g
uy from the US—Agent Chad Williamson the Third.” His hand stilled on his leg, and he looked as if he was holding his breath.
Ma’am’s jaw clenched, the muscles bunching. Her chest expanded with a large, slow breath. It went on for so long, I wondered whether she was going to explode. When she finally reached capacity, she opened her mouth and spoke… loudly. “That moron! What were they thinking? He botched that case last year in New York. Ten of our best agents died because of his incompetence. He wouldn’t know how to run a cake stall let alone an agency headquarters. Are they trying to insult me?” Her nostrils flared. “And what’s wrong with our own agents? Why did they have to import someone? It’s not like I don’t have a whole bureau full of agents who could do the job better than him.” She waved a hand in my direction. “Lily would be better than him, for goodness’ sake.”
I opened my mouth to protest the unfairness of that statement—even though I hadn’t the slightest idea of how to run the PIB—but Will shook his head. I narrowed my eyes. I understood she was upset, but why did she have to insult me every chance she got?
She looked at me. “Sorry, dear. I was just making a point. You’re wonderful, and we couldn’t do without you, but you running headquarters would be ridiculous.”
I rolled my eyes. Whatever. Time to get the focus off my incompetence. “Why would they do that… replace you with someone so terrible?”
Angelica folded her arms. “Either they’re even more moronic than I thought, or someone has an agenda.”
“I’m voting option two. Notwithstanding his incompetence, if they’d chosen an agent from here, they’d risk having someone in charge who was faithful to you.” Will rested an ankle on his knee as he relaxed back into the couch. “The better question is, what are we going to do about it?”
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