00 Mayan Thief (The FBI Paranormal Casefiles) Read online

  “Yep, you got it. How do you think all these tales of ghosts come around? It was a complete loss for years to concentrate on time travel,” said Mark. “It would have been better to concentrate on some other aspect. If you want to go back in time, I can send you. Doesn’t take much effort, trust me. You can go back for up to a month. You want to experience the Victorian ages, see the world war, and maybe be with your parents as you grew up?”

  Bryan stared at him for a minute as if he was fighting with temptation. “No…I mean, if it doesn’t achieve anything then what’s the point?”

  “It has some entertainment value,” Mark assured him. “I went back one time to my college days and convinced myself to take on extra computer courses. That worked.”

  “You could tell yourself…and you, in the past, didn’t react to the presence of a shadow?”

  Mark laughed. He turned to face Bryan. “I’m a mage, and it’s easier for us to accept these realities. And in any case, those of us in the magical world have known that time travel exists so I wasn’t really surprised. I suppose it’s kind of useful to give yourself that kind of advice.”

  “Yeah, but what about the two weeks of insomnia, dizziness, and weakness that follows,” asks Jeremy. “It’s not a pretty picture.”

  “You were sick for two weeks afterwards?”

  “No gain without pain, dude. You’ve got to pay the price of using magic,” said Mark. “But it’s not that bad. Yeah, you might have to take time off work as you would end up throwing up a lot when you come back, but’s really bearable.”

  Bryan waved a hand. “I’m better off not experiencing it.”

  “I’d a feeling you might say something like that,” he said. “So anyway, we’re working here while you guys go and visit the lady. As soon as we get something, we’ll tell you guys.”

  “We’ll do the same if we find out anything of value,” I said. Bryan followed me.

  As we walked out, I saw him look at Dubey who was engaged in animated discussion with Jasper. Bryan nearly cringed.

  “Don’t worry. He never hurts anyone, unless of course you annoy him. Then he simply kills.”

  He glanced at me. “You’re trying to scare me.”

  “But of course. You’re too easy.” We got in the car, and this time I was behind the driving seat. “You’ve to realize that every person who is either magical or wields magic is dangerous, but it doesn’t mean that they are incapable of exercising control. Even Jasper has enough magic to kill you, but he wouldn’t ever use it against you.”

  “But there are bad mage who can hurt and kill people.”

  “It’s a waste of time and energy. If a mage is found to have killed or injured a human without justifiable reason, they can be – and are often – killed on the spot. We don’t give mercy to those who don’t spare the innocent and the weak.”

  For a moment there was silence in the car. “But people do get away with murder?”

  I didn’t look at him. The image flashed through my mind; my parents’ bodies and those of my siblings. Yes, it had been the work of someone who wielded magic and that person was still out there somewhere. “Yes, they do. But...justice might be delayed, but it is always delivered.”

  Although he kept quiet, I could almost sense the working of his mind. He must be wondering as to why I had such a strong faith in the system that didn’t give me answers for so many years. But if I didn’t hold on to the belief that those killers would be found, I’d no hope – and without hope, life was impossible. Someday, somewhere, someone would give me a clue about those who murdered my family, and then vengeance would be mine.

  But until that day arrived, I would work on this case as passionately as I could manage.

  “Where are we going?”

  A smile curved over my lips. Special Agent Bryan had seen much in the past week, but what he was about to witness was something spectacular, amazing. He was in for a shock, and probably I was too. Oh well, beggars couldn’t be choosers. This was important work, and we needed to get it done. “We’re taking a detour before we visit Bella Singer.”

  “Why?”

  The suspicion in his voice was all too clear. “You’ll know when we get there.”

  “I don’t trust you.”

  The laughter that sputtered out of my lips was all too genuine. The man had learnt fast over the week. “Special Agent Bryan, I don’t blame you for that statement.”

  He sighed and closed his eyes. I concentrated on the drive, and all that I had to say and do. I would need a sweet tongue in order to get through the next ordeal, but it was the only option we had, and I was willing to take it despite all the risks. Even though I discarded the option earlier on as too crazy, there wasn’t much to go on. Bella Singer wasn’t likely to give up easily any information she held, so I wanted to take this chance. But luck would have to favor us if this detour was to yield any meaningful results – and that was not all, I would need my wits also.

  Whatever happened next, I was up for the challenge, and I hoped Bryan was also.

  Chapter Nine

  The curving, twisting road led us higher and higher up the mountain. I’d come here once before, and I still remembered the vow I made not to come back. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and this was indeed something we needed to do.

  Bryan peered at the GPS. “So who is this guy we’re going to see?”

  “His name is Walter Smith. He is a mage, a very powerful one.”

  “But why are we going to see him?”

  “He is a master of information. In the olden days, he used to work with the FBI. He’s quite renowned in the department. Have you heard about him?”

  I glanced at him. If he’d heard of Walter, he would probably refuse to go. “Can’t say I have.”

  The sigh of relief escaped through my lips but I didn’t give him any indication of the way I felt. We were here to do a job, and of course, I planned to keep his safe. I would do so. When the car came to a stop, I got out. “Bryan, I need you to stay here.”

  “Here? Why?”

  “Walter doesn’t like humans, and he especially doesn’t like the FBI. His retirement was forced…and well, he still holds a grudge.”

  “But will you be safe alone?”

  “Believe it or not, I managed to keep myself alive without your assistance all those years,” my voice was brusque, deliberately so. I needed him to do as I told him. If his ego was a little bruised, he would refrain from following me. “I think I can manage even now.”

  “Fine, fine. I’ll wait here,” he huffed.

  Without looking at him, I started up the trail that led to Walter’s cottage. The path had fallen into disrepair. It was obvious he didn’t use it much. I hopped and skipped over vines, plants, and shrubs until I reached the cottage. The place appeared deserted. Not a leaf stirred. There was no wind. The cottage’s pale blue door was closed.

  Hmm. The deserted look didn’t appease me.

  Walter was likely up to something.

  Where was he?

  Tentatively, I took a step forward, and something snapped and clicked. The split second it took for me to realize the direction from which the danger arose was all that was needed for the trap to close around me. The invisible spell snapped shut, lifted me off the ground, and hung me in the air.

  Damn.

  Not again.

  This was the third time Walter got the better of me in the past two years.

  I touched the barrier of the spell he’d used. It surrounded me, stiff and yet elastic. As I touched, the surface of it turned a pale green.

  “Who dares to disturb my peace?” growled Walter.

  He came out from the side of the cottage. There must be another door in there, or most likely, he’d heard me approach a while back and hid there just so he could see me walk into the trap. “Walter, it’s me, Cleo. I came with Dubey and Augusta a few years ago. I live on the commune.”

  Walter’s hair was a mess. It was long, curly, and in complet
e disarray. It stuck out at odd angles. His skin was peppery and wrinkled, but his eyes were a bright shade of green. The mad gleam of insanity that shone in their depths didn’t disturb me as much as the calculating look on his face. Walter was officially insane, but he was a mean, cunning, and devilishly intelligent man who could use his gift as if it was a honed knife. “What do you want?”

  “I came here to talk to you. It’s important.”

  “Did you bring food?”

  Shit. Food. Yes, I should have brought some with me. If my plan wasn’t hatched at the last minute, I would have remembered to do so. The commune provided Walter with a lot of basic food and supplies. He didn’t pay us for them, but we did it anyway in order to maintain peace. A well-fed Walter was unlikely to venture far from his cottage. In return, on occasion, we asked him for help when it was really needed. Of course, I’d never come here alone without Augusta. She was the only one he respected.

  “No, but I will tell someone to bring it right over.”

  “I need fresh fruits and vegetables and grains.” He raised a hand. “And some milk too. Call now.”

  Calling Augusta now was a bad idea because I didn’t discuss this plan with her. “Ah! Why don’t you let me down?”

  For a few moments, we both stared at each other. Was he likely to kill me? Yes. Magic pulsed at the tips of my fingers as I prepared to defend myself. If I had to kill him to escape, Augusta wouldn’t ever forgive me.

  The FBI would probably be happy.

  The only reason they didn’t do him in was because Augusta kept them at bay. She’d an odd relationship with the guy; perhaps she remembered the legend he’d been in his hay days and wanted him to live in peace in retirement.

  She would be really mad if something bad happened to him.

  Still, if it came down to a choice between his life or mine, I would have to choose my own hide.

  Walter raised a hand and the bubble that surrounded me pulsated. Shit. I had a feeling that if he so wanted, he could make that collapse around me. I would probably die from lack of oxygen.

  “Fine. I’ll make the call,” I relented.

  Damn it. This I didn’t anticipate. Now I would get into an even bigger pile of shit. Taking out my phone, I called Augusta. “Hey, listen, I need someone to deliver fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and milk to Walter. As soon as possible, please.”

  “What are you doing there alone?” she shrieked in my ear. “Have you gone mad? Do you know what that man is capable of?”

  I glanced at the balloon that still pulsated, its color shifting from a nasty orange to a pale yellow and then back to the original green. I felt as if I was trapped inside a living, breathing organism. Walter sure put up a magnificent show. “I’ve some idea of his capability,” I admitted.

  “You stupid, moronic…”

  “Thanks Augusta. He is waiting for the delivery.” Snapping the phone shut, I shoved it in my pocket. “It’s done. They will bring the supplies as soon as possible.”

  “Good. Then I don’t need you.”

  “Hey, that’s not fair.”

  “All is fair in love and war,” he sang the words as if it was a song. “See you, sayonara, take care.”

  “Hey, hey,” I yelled as the balloon began to shrink around me. “Augusta knows I am here. She will be mad if you kill me. You won’t get any more supplies from the commune.”

  He raised a hand and the balloon stopped shrinking. “You’ve made an excellent point. I think…”

  “Put her down right now,” said a voice.

  Damn him. I craned to look at Agent Bryan who stood not too far away. In his hands was a gun that was aimed at Walter. Of course, it was of no use against a master mage. Would that man ever learn? It probably made him feel confident to hold it in his hand but that overconfidence might one day be the death of him.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I hissed.

  “Saving your ass,” he hissed back.

  If I had something in my hand, I would have thrown it on his head. The man was a moron. He’d ruined a perfectly good conversation. “I don’t need your help. Go away.”

  He cocked his head. “Excuse me, but from where I am standing, you seem to be in a lot of trouble.”

  “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “It looks as if this guy plans to kill you.”

  I hissed. “Shut up, and go away.”

  “Hey, hey, you two. Stop it.” Walter took a step forward. His eyes narrowed. “This guy isn’t a mage.”

  “He is helping me on an assignment. He is no one, nothing. Don’t worry about him as he is going to walk away.”

  In response to my statement, Bryan took a step forward. “FBI. Let the girl go.”

  Walter let out a wild scream. I yelled. The next moment I was down on the ground, and the bubble flew over, wrapped itself around Bryan, and lifted him off his feet. Startled, he let go of the gun. It slid right through the membrane and fell on the ground. “FBI. FBI. You dared to bring an FBI agent in my home?”

  Walter was foaming at the mouth as he hopped on his feet.

  I raised my hands in an attempt to appease him. “Technically, we’re not inside the cottage.”

  “I’ll kill him. He deserves to die.”

  I jumped ahead so that I could divert Walter’s attention towards me. “Please don’t hurt him. He is new. Just started this year.”

  “It doesn’t matter. They are all evil, bad. I’ll kill him.”

  I primed my magic and it snapped at my fingertips, ready to be unleashed. It looked as if we were about to get into a major battle, and knowing Walter only one of us was likely to come out alive. “Walter, come on. You like Augusta. The commune helps you. We’re always there for you. He wasn’t supposed to come here. It was a mistake. Let him go, and I’ll tell Augusta to send a box of her yummy, soft chocolate brownies along with the other supplies.”

  His hand lowered just a tad bit. “The ones with caramel topping?”

  My fingers itched as I balanced the power that was about to unleash. It seemed if my words had some effect, and yet I couldn’t relax now. “Yes, those ones. She could bake and send fresh today, but you’ve to let him go. He is collaborating with us on an important case, and it will be difficult to explain if he died or disappeared.”

  He waved his hands, his magic swirling around him in a wild gust. “FBI is not allowed on my property. They are conniving, manipulative people who don’t care about anyone except for their silly rules.”

  “And I quite agree, but they are a necessary evil. They keep the humans in control, don’t they? And think of the brownies, Walter. Brownies. Fresh. Warm from the oven.”

  There was a wistful look in his eyes. I’d no doubt he was dreaming about August’s brownies. “Call her right now,” he ordered.

  Shit.

  And double shit.

  Augusta would likely skin me alive when I got back home. But right now, Bryan was in danger, and I’d to protect him. Why the hell didn’t the idiot stay in the car as I told him to do? Taking out my phone, I called Augusta.

  “Good to know that you’re still alive. We’re getting the supplies ready. Tell Walter he will receive them within a couple of hours,” she huffed out the words.

  “Hmm. He has another request. It would be nice if you could send twelve of your chocolate brownies, the ones with caramel topping.”

  Her loud cry had the power to nearly break my eardrum. I moved the phone a few inches away from my ear.

  “You know that he isn’t allowed any chocolate?” she shrieked.

  “I’d to make the promise. It’s kind of an emergency.”

  “What have you done?” she hissed.

  I gulped as I looked at Bryan. The bubble was pulsating around him, and he was vainly trying to poke it. But every time he did so, the speed of pulsation increased. “Ah. Bryan is in a sort of a jam.”

  “YOU TOOK BRYAN THERE?”

  I winced. “I told him to stay in the car.”

&n
bsp; “Cleo, I don’t have what has happened to you. You’ve always been reckless, but ever since this attack on the commune, you’ve been acting with scant regard for your safety or that of Agent Bryan who is your responsibility. If something happens to him, it’s going to be extremely difficult to work with FBI again, and you know that we need them as much as they need us.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said in a voice that was meant to soothe her. “It won’t happen again.”

  “Yeah, right. Fine. I’ll send the brownies but you’re the one who will have to clean up the mess he makes after he consumes them. Chocolate isn’t good for him at all. At all, Cleo.”

  I cringed. Knowing Walter, he could do some serious damage if he was high on chocolate. On him, it acted much like alcohol did on a normal person. “Why don’t you lace them with some sleeping pills?” I whispered. “He might just sleep for a few hours, or days, if we’re lucky.”

  “Hmm. Sometimes you amaze me, Cleo. Your mind is a vibrant mine of nasty ideas. But this one might just work. Fine. He will get the brownies, but you better make sure that nothing happens to that FBI agent.”

  “He’s fine.” I shoved the phone in my pocket. “Ok, Walter, your brownies are on the way. Now please, let him down, slow and easy.”

  “It wasn’t fair for you to bring him along.”

  “It was my mistake, Walter.”

  With a quick spin of his hand, he sent the balloon a little higher up. It began to turn round and round. “Why did you come here anyway?”

  “Walter, please…”

  “Talk,” he ordered. The balloon spun faster and Bryan began to retch. “Now.”

  “Fine. Fine. There have been a number of thefts in the country. Mages have stolen Mayan artifacts. We have identified one of the mages as James Roswell. Do you know him?”

  His lips twitched. “Maybe.”

  Bingo.

  And yet we weren’t done. I would have to finagle more information out of him if this trip was to be of any real value.

  “Do you know anyone he has worked with before or anyone who can do this kind of a thing?”

  “There are many who can break into a place. It’s not a big deal.”