Snippet time. #06 From Special Agent in Charge.

Someone from the FB page named Jed asked for this.



 

<Unedited>


I heard the men before I saw them.

“…I still say he cost the team the world series. If he hadn’t run off the field and not touched the base the game would have been won and they wouldn’t have had to replay the game.” The speaker’s voice was deep and sonorous.

“But Merkel wasn’t the one that threw the ball to second. It was Chance’s fault. The ball he used was not the game ball. That one was tossed into the crowd by pitcher Joe McGinnity. If anyone lost the game it was him. Not the runner.” This voice was thin and reedy.

“But the game…”

“Stop! You two are seriously debating a game that has been over and done for a century! Please no more about baseball. Can’t we talk fashion again?” This came from a woman.

“Like that is anymore interesting Sims. I could have lived my whole life without knowing the eight ways to spot a fake Louboutin shoe. I’d never even heard what one of those was until you told us. Who even looks at the stitching or heel transition?”

“Women do. If you had a girlfriend you might know this. Doesn’t your wife tell you these things Jenkins?”

“My wife wouldn’t even know how to put one of those things on much less walk in them. She’s more of a flip-flop sort of girl. I’d show you a picture but … you know.” Jenkins it seemed was the reedy voice. Sims sounded a bit vain if shoes was all she talked about.

“OK. So let’s discuss something else then. How about disco?” The deep voice made the suggestion.

The other two made loud groaning noises. “That is exactly why you are still single Sloan. How can you stand to listen to that stuff?”

Sloan, Sims, and Jenkins were apparently the ones that were trapped. I could hear other voices but those seemed to be the support crew. I could see the hole in the fence as well as the speakers. The two men each held what looked to be a similar gizmo to the one I took last year. The woman was frozen looking over her shoulder.

“Uh, guys.” Jenkins was frozen looking in my direction and he saw me first.

“… I still say disco sucks!” Sims and Sloan were still arguing.

“Guys! You need to listen to me!”

“What! Jenkins you will get your turn. We all agreed to protocol here.” Sims yelled at him.

“There is a woman on the other side of the fence and she’s looking at me!” Jenkins sounded a bit frantic. I made a mental note to tweak the spell a little. It shouldn’t even be allowing them to speak. Could it be the machines they held?

The wards allowed me to reach through and take the small machine from Lieutenant Jenkins. I could see his insignia now. “Thank you lieutenant. This will go nice with my collection of these.”

“She just took the shield breaker from me!”

“Jenkins shut your freaking mouth! That name is Top Secret and you know it. Who took your machine? Describe her?” Sloan looked to be a Captain. Interesting.

“Hey we need some help over here! Help!” Lieutenant Sims yelled toward those on the other side of the fence.

The voices on the other side of the fence suddenly got louder. I needed to hurry. The ward and shield should prevent bullets from penetrating but I didn’t want to take any chances. I removed the shield breaker from Sloan and used my telekinesis to push the three officers back through the fence.

“We’re free!” Sims yelled.

“Somebody stop her she has the … thing I can’t talk about! Hey you, give me that gun I need to shoot a Witch!” Captain Sloan started arguing with an unnamed Marine.

Not cool. I held up my hands and muttered a repair spell. These little machines troubled me. They were able to penetrate the shield but not all the way. Mundanes shouldn’t mess with things they don’t understand. I walked back to my lab but in a roundabout  direction making ninety degree turns and watching the corner of the fence as much as possible. My protections should stop a bullet but I didn’t want to test them out that way.

My safe was in my office. It was original to the office and one of those incredibly heavy reinforced steel ones from the early twentieth century. Grandmother and I had used magic on it to change the lock and add some protections when she was here at graduation. Changing the make-up of non-living things was something I was gaining skill at and we actually used it to test out my magic. Why not get something useful out of it?

The door opened with a creak. I made a mental note to get some oil. Inside was the original device as well as more spell bombs and a few rare crystals. The spell bombs were something Grandmother cooked up. Too bad I had left them here on my probi mission they could have come in handy. They were transmogrification bombs.


~~~~~~

The day was ending and the sky darkening when I heard the whirring. Looking up I could see one of the Marine Corps new Ospreys. Jack, being a Marine himself, talked about innovations and changes to the military that could affect our service so I knew with only a glance what it was. The sky above my lab was protected but not disguised. They could see me as easily as I them.

“Step away from the vehicle and put your hands on your head!” I stopped washing the floor mats and stared up at the aircraft. The rear door was open and what looked like an assault team was about to descend. Shaking my head I went back to cleaning. This should be fun.

“This is your last warning!” Special forces black outfitted troops began sliding down ropes as the plane hovered about thirty feet of the ground. Stopping again I watched and winced as the first troop hit the shield.

New Merlin Pictures

When we moved and were in the RV many asked how's the Kitty?  Well the real master of the house is adapting well. 

Time for a Snippet! #05 from Special Agent in Charge!

Get your MUG today. (Sorry, the Unicorn doesn't come with it.)


<unedited>
This is a giant military base and preserve do people here not know how to read signs? The Magical Crimes RV is big. Almost forty feet long it can be a bit impressive when it pulls up next to you. The gate guard house at MY gate was occupied again. I know this because two large and beefy armed Marine guards stepped out of it to stop me.

“Sorry Ma’am but this road is closed.” Guard number one stood in front of the RV holding up his hands while Guard number two stuck his face into my window.

“It’s not closed to me. That is my laboratory.” I held up my badge and military pass. It was two years ago all over again.

Guard two looked at my credentials and gawked. “Ma’am that isn’t valid anymore. General Ney told us to refuse any of the older passes.”

“Regardless of that your General may say this is my lab and I will be going through that gate. So move or I will move you.” I took my foot off the brake and stepped on the gas gently. Everything happened in a split second. Guard one swung his weapon in my direction and Guard two reached for his. My bracelet shield snapped over me and the RV in an instant. Guard one found himself ten feet in the air along with Guard two.

I leaned out the door and looked up. “Now see what you made me do? Idiots.” I waved at the gate and it opened. The RV just barely fit in the parking lot out front.

“Fergus, want some special hay?” I called back to as I parked.

“Hay! Hay! Hay!” I stepped back and the little guy was prancing around in circles. I sniffed his barn for unusual substances. It had only happened once but I liked to check anyway.

“What are you searching for?”

“Just checking. Last time you acted like this someone slipped something into your salad.” I looked down at my little familiar.

“Mongo said that was a mistake and you know it. Besides that stuff made me feel good all day!” He pranced around in a circle.

“Mistake or not. He needed to remember this is the FBI Academy not spring break in Panama City! I’m just watching out for you that’s all.” I closed up the top of his barn and scooped Fergus up.

“Let’s go check on the farm and water the plants. We’ll worry about the Marines later.”

The weeds and grass around the lab had grown up and was waist high in some places. I made a mental note to borrow a weed-eater or something later. Maybe one of the Weres would like a few extra bucks. My lab looked the same as when I left it. The Director had mentioned that somewhere along here there were stuck CID guys. They had waited this long for me to come back a few hours more wouldn’t hurt.

My wards allow Fergus and I inside. I casually flicked on lights as I walked. The Director had been true to her word and left the power on. I checked the ‘farm’ first. Using a spell Grams came up with I put a slow-mo spell on the water system and grow lights. They worked as advertised but for each week I was gone only two days registered. Even though it sounded like a fountain of youth spell it was very dangerous to cast on creatures. Plants and inanimate objects were safe. Something about the way the blood and other fluids travel through the body was affected in a negative way. It was possible to do just not very practical. Grams had said parts of the spell were from the old country and may have been where the Sleeping Beauty legends came from. It was one of the reasons tampering with living creatures was forbidden.

I set Fergus down in his favorite field and he began eating and running at the same time. Unicorns. My herbs and flowers were all ready for harvesting. “Timing is everything. Such a nice job. I will have to thank Grams for that spell, Fergus.”

Silence.

I looked behind me and Fergus was sound asleep in the middle of the magic Hay field.

“I guess he’s had a hard year.” As I spoke into the air I thought I felt a response from the bracelet.

My laboratory and office were next door so I went there first. Time for a discussion.

When Grams packed me up she included all sorts of early scientific equipment. As herbologists and Earth Witches we used a variety of tools in our traditions. Many came from the early part of the twentieth century. So my desk was decorated with an assortment of magnifying glasses and jewelers tools. I couldn’t remove the bracelet but I could examine it.

I held the bracelet under the largest magnifying glass I had. Along the outer edge were what looked to be very faint hieroglyphics. Peering closer I tried to make out the pattern. “Are you Egyptian?” I spoke to the bracelet as if it was alive. The bracelet gave off a very slight vibration. If I wasn’t sitting I might not have felt it. Was that a yes or a no?

Grams didn’t send very many of either her books or mine when she packed the truck. What she did send were the almanacs and reference books. I had one Egyptian dictionary and it was one of the most boring books I owned. All I could do was groan. I bit the bullet and pulled it out.

Two hours later I still couldn’t figure out the spell. “What if I ask you what you mean?”

I shook my head. Talking to my Unicorn is bad enough. Now I’m talking to my jewelry. Deep down I knew that it wasn’t decorative but I couldn’t help but think it was.

The first line of the line of characters was the Udjat. Most people call this the Eye of Horus or if you like movies the Eye of Ra. Same concept different Gods. It stood for protection, healing, and Royal power. All the other lines were a continuation of the protection theme as well as that of healing. The bottom of the cuff held the final part of the inscription. It was almost worn completely off.

I could see a rearing cobra, a shepherds crook, and a mace in the hands of a warrior. There was a cartouche too but only the shape remained.

 “Are you really that old?” I stroked the gold bracelet on my arm as the slight vibration increased. The bracelet was purring!

New Audiobook for Born a Witch is Now available!

It just went up on Amazon this morning. Conjuring Quantico will follow very soon with Probi being recorded now.

Time for a Snippet! Here is #04 from Special Agent in Charge

<Unedited>



The badge still lay in my left hand. I blinked at it for a moment and pulled out my other badge, I kept it in a side pocket. Cat introduced me to cargo pants and now I wore them everywhere.  Two badges each complete with my information. One said I was an Agent the other a Special Agent. Advancement in the blink of a eye. Grandmother would say it was a trick or a trap. I had to wonder about it being either. The Witches Council had been trying for years to get closer to the human authorities. This I knew to be fact. Where Grandmother got her information was a mystery to me but she was always correct. Had all the work I did for the past four years been a sham? Did I get the promotion to further the Council’s agenda?

I raised my hand to my mouth and chewed on my knuckle. Grams says it’s a bad habit but it helps me think. What to do? On one hand it would boost my career in the FBI. But on the other I might be expected to return the favor to the Council. A pawn I would not become. That much was completely clear to me.

There was a faint knock on the door and Director Mills returned to her office. “Do you have any questions for me Agatha?”

I didn’t sense any bugs but I knew from experience that they could be anywhere. Concentrating for a moment I snapped my fingers and a shield appeared around the two of us. Most humans wouldn’t have seen or heard a thing but Mills did. Interesting.

“Is there a problem Agatha?” Director Mills glanced upward and to the side.

“I’m not sure. Is there some sort of motive behind this?” I held up the new badge and credentials. “Is the Witches Council involved?”

“I assume this is some sort of shield?” I nodded to her.

“As far as I know my office isn’t bugged but it might be. Before asking you here I did check with all of my sources. The offer is real. As to what influence the Council has on Washington? Your guess might be better than mine. Jack really is taking a leave of absence.”

I snapped again and the shield disappeared. “Sorry. I needed to be sure.”

“I understand Agatha. Do you want the job?”

“Do I have a choice?” I looked her in the eye.

“Not really no. Take it or leave it and the FBI. Not my idea by-the-way. They want complete loyalty in this.”

Still looking her in the eye I tossed a badge and credentials up on the desk. She barely glanced at them. “You won’t be sorry. I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep Madelaine.” The Director inclined her head to me. This promotion almost made us equals. Almost.

“Your team is almost all here. The second Magical Crimes Unit is being driven over from Iowa by the the head of your Technical team.”

“Why Iowa?” I tried to remember if we had a large FBI presence there.

“It’s where the RV plant is. This particular truck was built specifically for your unit.”

The timing was suspicious. “Was this the plan the whole time? I graduate then run this… unit?”

“No. Jack was supposed to be still in charge. We were going to have two teams. You and Jack would run the Division together. Or that is what I was told. This just moves up the agenda a bit and centralizes the team. I won’t introduce the others until they all get here. Do I have to mention the Jackalopes or do you already know?”

I blushed just a bit. “I sort of saw a couple out on the West Virginia, Kentucky border. I thought I was seeing things but did a little research.”

“Right. Fish and Game is keeping a lid on most of the spottings but they have spread across five states and counting. We aren’t sure how. Needless to say the Parks Department is not amused and are about to label them an invasive species and declare open season on them. Do you have any way of controlling them yourself?”

My blush deepened in color. “Uh, no? They were created by Magick so that makes them almost impervious to it. I’m afraid if I do anything more they could end up like Fergus or worse.”

“That’s what I thought. I’ll inform Fish and Game. They won’t be happy about it all. Your name has been excised from the record but expect some repercussions.” She held up her hands. “I am aware that it wasn’t your fault and that the Witches Council trainer is at fault.”

I rubbed my forehead feeling the headache coming in full force. “Am I in immediate trouble?”

“Not from me. The rest? We need you too badly to just throw away an asset. Don’t worry too much about it. The Hunt is scheduled for next week. We have them bi-monthly now. The thought of hunting while in school is actually attracting Were’s here.”

“At least that’s something. Has there been any trouble at my lab?”

“There has. I will let you take care of it Special Agent Blackmore. There is four or five counter intelligence agents trapped at the moment. Don’t hurt them please. I have spoken to the General about them but he is pretending they don’t exist. So just set them loose and forget they exist. Less trouble from upstairs that way. OK?”

“Politics?” I stared at her.

“Pretty much. No doesn’t mean no to some people. Watch yourself Agatha. Come back in the morning around ten. I should have the rest of your new team rounded up by then. Congratulations again, Agatha.” Director Mills gave me a big hug and saw me to the door.

“…I shook my horn at him and he froze sold right in front of me! Dragons are Unicorns natural enemies don’t you know. Nothing can stand up to the horn!” My Unicorn was prancing across the top of one of the Bs desks. He shook his head and horn as he talked.

I stopped and watched as he let the girls fawn all over him. Unicorns. Stepping closer I grabbed him and stuck him in my pocket. “Hey! What’s the big…mmmmph.”

“Sorry about that ladies. He’s a ham disguised as a Unicorn.”

Working away on the New book.

We have finally gotten settled in the new place and I'm hard at work on Special Agent in Charge. I'm 20,000 words into the book so far. Here is a tiny taste.  An unedited Sniplet to quote my Wife.

This will be a team effort from now on. A demon, a dragon, the Fae, and a cult are too much for one Agent to handle on their own. Even is that Agent is a kick-ass Witch.” She smiled at me and laughed. “You did good work this year Agatha you should be proud.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that. I still wish Jack were along.”

“Jack will be fine. He’s like that motorized rabbit. Nothing stops him. We, or I should say Washington, has assigned you a small team. In addition to your RV there will be a portable lab with techs to run it. They have assigned two investigators as well as a facilitator. The facilitator is an older Agent with media, public relations, and tact. He will be your liaison with local law enforcement and other Government entities. You however are the one that is ultimately in charge of the whole thing.”

I felt my mouth drop open again. If I can’t keep it closed something would start to nest in there. “How many people am I responsible for?”

All I could think of was payroll and accommodations. The RV could only sleep so many. Where were these people staying and how would I keep them fed?

New Video for Alpha Class

Building a New Empire is supposed to be dangerous, but training the next generation of leaders?

That's not supposed to be dangerous, right?

Follow us as we have the people in the Etheric Empire setting up a special academy to train the first set of teen's on a leadership track. They are supposed to learn about the different groups in the Etheric Empire and areas (including R&D, Weapons, Operations and others). Unfortunately, some of the members of those teaching teams tapped to train the kids don't realize how ... adventurous... the teen's can be.

Especially if the teachers are Team BMW.

Travel with us as we are introduced to Alpha Class, one of the teams in the new Etheric Academy as they merge human's and Wechselbalg (Were's) in a group of five young adults as they learn to become the first cohesive group on their first assignment.

With Team BMW as their teachers, nothing could go wrong, right?

***A Kurtherian Gambit Adventure for Younger Readers.... Or those who are young at heart.***