Conjuring Quantico (The Federal Witch Book 1) (15 page)

“Agent... Nita, we would rather go to the first crime scene. We didn’t come here to take a vacation.”

“That works for me. Let’s get your stuff packed in my car. I have been meaning to ask why you two? What makes you so special? I’ve worked with magical people before.”

I started to answer and Fergus did it for me. “Oh my god the noise is finally gone! Hey can’t a man get a lift here?” I reached into my pocket and picked him up. Agent Nita’s eyes about bugged out of her face at the sight of him.

“Whoa! Aren’t you a big one? My name is Fergus. What is yours, pretty lady?”

“What is that?!”

Chapter 11

Nita was staring at Fergus like he was a demon from hell.

“This is Fergus. He’s sort of my familiar and my friend. Fergus, say hello to Agent Lowrey.”

“Hi there pretty lady, do ya like Unicorns?”

The agent peered at Fergus from all angles and then looked at me strangely. “So that is a real Unicorn? I thought they were like, bigger?” She held out her hands.

“He used to be.”

“OK.” She looked back at us and laughed. “I guess the Unicorn is what makes you special?”

“No, he’s just along for the ride. I’m special because I’m a Witch and an FBI trainee. The Director said they asked for me?”

“Yes, they did. You said something to those two Senators that put this whole investigation on its ear. Can you tell me what that was?”

I sighed. So nice to have communications all on the same page. I explained what happened back at the school while we loaded the bags into her Suburban. It, like most government vehicles, was a darker shade of black.

“Now wait a moment. I’ve worked with dozens of Russian wizards or witches. I don’t understand: they worked out just fine for me.”

I climbed into the back seat, Cat wanted shotgun. “Who gave them their instructions? Was it you?” I struggled with the seat belt. It was a five-point harness, the first one I had ever used. Cat had to lean over her seat to hook me up.

“It was my supervisor that gave them the orders. Hmmm. I don’t remember ever giving them instructions ahead of time. They just show up, do the job, and then leave.”

I nodded. “Someone in your field office knows the truth about them. That’s interesting. It was a complete surprise to Madeleine.” I looked around as we drove through the city. “Where are we going?”

“We know that there have been at least four kidnappings. These are politicos and diplomats. They hate both the press and the police. I’m taking you to the first crime scene out in Mount Vernon. Or at least what we think is the first. Senator Seymour Emery comes from old money. Really old money. There has been an Emery in the Senate for over a hundred years. His granddaughter was taken from inside his mansion while everyone slept. He has been the problem child in our investigation so far. He didn’t involve us, his daughter did. He set his own investigators loose and has been riding the SAC of the investigation like a horse.”

“Did we find anything at the mansion?” We had left the city behind us and were now headed down a country highway. In some ways the farms and fields reminded me of home.

“Our forensics team found nothing. The Magical team claimed they found traces of an intrusion, but the Senator’s own people had muddled it too much, or so they claimed. We’re stuck. The evidence, or rather the lack of evidence, has us stymied. What can you do that is different?”

I swear I’m going to make this my next lecture series. I could only shake my head. “What do you know about why the FBI uses Magical Mercenaries?”

Nita glanced back at me in the rear-view mirror. “I thought it was because the Witches’ Council recommended them, but I’m not so sure now.”

“You’re wrong about that.” I then gave her a short answer to her question. She glanced at both of us numerous times during the conversation.

“I hear what you’re saying, I really do. But I don’t believe you. I can’t. It invalidates everything I have come to believe about the FBI and what I have witnessed during my own investigations. But I will keep an open mind for the next few days. The victims are what matters, not my opinions.”

I nodded my agreement. Everyone was allowed to have an opinion. It was a mostly free country after all.

“Get ready: we are almost there. If you look to your right, you can see the roof of the house peeking over the ridge.” Cat and I peered out the tinted windows at a half-dozen chimneys sticking up over the grassy hillside.

The road curved around a large hill and what I could only call a mansion came into view. Large iron-wrought gates gave way to a cobblestone paved courtyard in front of a large southern style house. Even though we were still in Virginia, the house looked out of place here.

“OK ladies. Into the lion's den we go.”

I stepped out of the government vehicle and shivered. The temperature was at least fifteen degrees cooler than it was in the car. “Nita, do you need anything out of the car? I’m going to ward it. I have a few things in my bags I really need.”

“It’s a government vehicle; whatever is in there should be safe.” I shrugged and motioned toward the car. “Fine.” She reached inside and pulled out a small purse-like bag.

I pulled out a small piece of chalk and made a few marks on the stones and the tire of the car. Meditating for a moment I tossed a pinch of salt and herbs at the car and called upon Athena and Themis to protect the car from harm. Saying the word “gæta” I triggered my spell. Now if someone tried to tamper with the car, they would be stuck to it.

“Ready?” Nita was standing by the steps.

“Sure. Let’s go.” We climbed the short flight of stairs to the wrap-around porch. Large Corinthian columns framed the front door. All I could think of was ‘stately Wayne Manor’ as Nita rang the bell. I watched way too many reruns on TV with Fergus growing up.

The large front doors opened with a creak. Instead of Alfred we were confronted by a large - very large - man in a suit. “Yes?”

“Agent Lowrey and associates to see the Senator. Please.” The man frowned but invited us inside.

“Stay here. I will inform him.” The large man left us in a richly appointed foyer area. I took a moment to look around both with my eyes and my other senses.

“Agatha what do you see?” I opened my eyes and smiled at Cat.

“This house has wards; not real strong ones but they are here.”

“What else?” I could tell she was encouraging me to think.

“There are spell traces from at least four different users. The door over there has a similar ward to what I use. It won’t allow anyone in who wishes to harm the owner.”

A loud booming voice suddenly said. “What did you say?”

I looked up and an elderly man was making his way down the stairs. “I said the ward on the front door will bar anyone who wants to harm the owner of the house. It is a very specific ward. I can sense one on the house that prevents fire and random destruction. Do you have similar ward on other doors and windows?”

“Why would I need those?” The man was shorter than Nita but less muscular than I was. His age was starting to show on his body.

“This Ward is very specific, and it only covers this room. Anyone could enter another way and not be bound by this one’s rules.”

“Agent Lowrey who is this young woman and why are you back in my house?”

“Senator Emery this is Agatha Blackmore, she is consulting on this case. Washington requested that she be allowed to examine the sites of the abductions. She is just going to attempt to trace the magic and then we are gone. I promise.”

He nodded. “Fine. Just make it quick.” The elderly Senator turned toward me and glared. “Young lady I will have you know that I paid good money for that Ward you are making light of. It is supposed to cover the entire house. If you are lying, I will make sure you never work in this country again! Damn mercenaries.” He stormed up the stairs followed by the large guardian.

“Did he mean me or them?”

Agent Lowrey just rolled her eyes. She pointed to a door, and we opened it.

The door opened to a very nice living room or parlor. The layout was similar to my grandmother's house. Nita led us through to a hallway.

“The Senator’s granddaughter used this section of the house as a playroom and guest room. The old man didn’t like the noise or constant interruptions so he moved her down here. She was last seen in her bedroom. Most of her time was spent in the playroom.” She pointed at the doors to the right.

“OK. Don’t open either of them yet.” I reached into the pouch at my hip and pulled out a small handful of herbs. In my head I ran through the steps for a diagnostic spell and said the words slowly. Both doors lit up with a faint glow. I carefully sprinkled herbs in the hallway.

“Both doors have a specific protection ward on them. This one is to protect the occupant no matter who it is. A good one for a child. Whoever laid it knew what they were doing.” The door I pointed at was the bedroom door. It glowed with a faint green tint. “This other door is a problem. It has a ward but not one that protects a person. It is, so the room is not physically damaged. It’s a vandalism spell.” I reached out and opened the door to the bedroom.

Inside was obviously a child’s room. Toys and kid’s posters decorated the walls and antique furniture. There was a door on either side of the room. I held up my hands for everyone to freeze and I ran the diagnostic again.

Like before the inside of the door lit up as did all of the furniture. The window and doors remained unlit. “That is a problem. No wards on the window or those doors. The furniture is more of the vandalism spell.” I opened the door on the right and it was a walk-in closet.

“We examined in there very carefully looking for trap doors or another exit. It’s an old house, so we tried to be thorough. The windows showed no trace evidence and are painted shut from both sides.”

The door on the left concerned me. I opened it and looked inside. The playroom was filled with toys and games. A high-end entertainment system dominated one corner of the room. We stepped inside. I ran through the spell a third time. Only the vandalism spell. But I was detecting another more subtle spell coming from the toy box along with a trace of some sort of lure spell left in the air. That one was extremely hard to see. Too many people and spells had covered it with trace elements.

I walked over to the large toy box and kneeled down. Remembering my forensic classes I pulled on a pair of gloves. The lid of the box was covered with stuffed animals. I began to remove them. Cat appeared next to me, put on gloves of her own and began to help.

“I’m pretty sure we searched those for her.” I glanced over my shoulder at Nita.

Carefully I opened the lid of the box. It was filled with even more toys. Carefully I sifted through them. I felt a magical spark under my left hand and concentrated on that side of the box. Halfway down is where I found it. It was a finely crafted statue of what looked a bit like a dragon from a kids movie I once saw. It was about Hercules. Not wanting to touch it even with my fingers gloved, I reached into my pocket for a silk handkerchief.

Carefully I picked up the ‘dragon’ and slipped it into an evidence bag Cat held open for me. I looked up at Nita. “This might be our culprit right here.”

“What is it? Other than a dragon.” She peered at the statue through the bag.

“I’m not sure what it represents, but there is a spell embedded in it that acts as a lure spell. I sensed a trace of another similar spell here in the room. Too many people and other magic users have muddled it. All I can sense is its magic not what it did. This thing though is very insidious. It leaves you open to suggestion and messes with your belief in right or wrong. This wasn’t random. She was targeted.” Cat and I quickly refilled the box after taking a few pictures.

“How did our people miss this?” She was staring at the statue.

“It depends what they were looking for. I suspect they only looked for intrusion or teleportation traces.”

“Is that even possible?”

“My grandmother has always claimed that it is. She did tell me that only the most skilled can even hope to accomplish it. One of the reasons she never gave the spell to me. I might end up on the moon if I tried it.”

We found the Senator and a woman I assumed was his daughter waiting for us in the parlor. “Did you find anything?”

“Yes, Sir. We did.” I could tell that Nita didn’t want to answer him but he was a Senator.

The Senator sat up straighter. “What did you find?”

“Both rooms are protected by spells but only the one on the bedroom protected the child. The playroom only has the same vandalism spell that is on the furniture on it. The inner doors are not protected nor is the window. In the toy box we found a toy dragon with a coercion spell on it. Do you know where it came from?”

The mother covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped. “Which toy?”

I carefully pulled the bagged item out and showed it to her. “Please don’t touch the bag. The item is very strong and will mess with your sense of judgment and morals.”

“I have never seen that before. Where did it come from?”

“That is what we intend to find out. Senator does it look familiar?” The man barely looked at the bag.