“Jensen, analysis?” Agent Jay asked while we were still on the driveway-slash-wagon trail.
Not sure what she wanted, I gave her the full info dump.
“Family unit of werecats, species cougar. Adult male is right-handed, six feet three inches tall, weight approximately one ninety-five. Female is left-handed, five feet six inches, one hundred and forty pounds. Neither is clearly dominant in the relationship, with family leadership shifting between the couple. Two children, a male and a female, twins, stashed in the forest to the west of the clearing. They observed our departure from a pine tree at about thirty-one feet above the ground.
“Single Remington model 870 shotgun noted in residence. No other signs of firearms, also consistent with pureblood weres.
“Documents on tabletop work surface indicate that Helen Reis works online as a freelance copy editor. Additional documentation in family area indicates Robert operates a small business titled Reis’s Repairs. Invoice on table listed seven common household repairs for an individual named Ann Bronk, living at 16 Pine Avenue, Keene, New York.
“Open-concept living area allowed observation, both visual and olfactory, of the kitchen area. Primary diet is heavily carnivorous, leaning mainly to venison, but including rabbit, partridge, wild turkey, fish, both local and store purchased, as well as beef, chicken, and pork. Some greens, mostly leafy varietals, and dairy products were also present.
“Helen Reis made a Change from cat form to human in approximately one minute, twenty-three seconds, lending credence to likelihood that she is a full-blood were. Photos of individuals on bookshelf in rear of living room area show a strong resemblance to Robert. Mountain profiles in background of photos are a strong match with at least two Adirondack High Peak Mountains. Photos show males with large numbers of dead whitetail deer. Wounds present in photos indicate large cats mauled the deer. Surmise that Robert is also a full-blood cougar were, native to High Peaks region.
“Body language and micro expressions indicate that our argument to cease provocative social media posting was at least received and considered. Startle responses when addressed by Omega reinforce that conjecture. Also, they’ll likely be gone from this property within forty-eight hours.
“What else are you looking for, ma’am?” I finally asked, not sure of how far to continue.
“Really?” Mitch asked from the front seat. I think he was maybe shocked by the amount and detail.
“What was the phone number on the invoice for the handyman work done for the neighbor?” Jay asked.
“Five one eight, five eight three, nine, nine, five eight.”
“Is that right?” Mitch asked Agent Jay.
“I have no idea, but I’m guessing it is. You have an eidetic memory, Jensen? And extraordinary eyesight?” Jay asked.
“Have you seen my file, ma’am?”
“I have. I was also briefed on you by the director. But experiencing your abilities in person is much more educational than reading a file.”
“What can I say? My mother does good work,” I said, watching her reaction.
A microflicker of disagreement told me she wasn’t a fan of my mother’s gene editing and splicing work.
“You are unique,” was all she said.
“Those weights seem kinda high. No way that lady was a buck forty,” Mitch said.
“Weres are denser than regular humans. I add about fifteen percent to my weight estimates for wolves and cats. Twenty percent for bears.”
“Oh,” was all he said. “Why did you report whether they were right or left-handed?”
“There have been studies done to determine why any left-handed people exist in modern populations at all. Theoretically the trait should have died out long ago unless there was an evolutionary advantage. High numbers of successful professional athletes who are left-handed lend credence to this theory. It has been proposed that left-handed combatants have an advantage in hand-to-hand combat. It might be because right-handers are confused by the difference, or it could have something to do with the way their brains assimilate and process information during a fight,” I said.
“Which hand do you use?” he asked.
“I’m ambidextrous.”
He went silent, his eyes flicking to me in the rearview mirror a couple of times while he thought about that.
“Why did you say they’ll be gone in forty-eight hours?” Agent Jay asked.
“Because they’re weres, with a family, and have become known to the US government. Paranoia has been pretty much bred into almost all the species of weres.”
She didn’t say anything, turning back forward as she pondered my words.
“We have a new mission?” Mitch asked our boss a moment later, glancing at the phone she still held in one hand. Slick subject change, Mitch.
“We’ve been called back to Washington. Jensen and I have a meeting to attend,” was all she said.
Mitch gave me a glance in the rearview, raising one eyebrow when I shrugged. Our team is small, but other than Agent Chana Mazar, Mitch Allen is the only one who doesn’t seem bothered by my test tube origins. He just treats me as an equal, and he often asks my opinion and seems to value it. He may express surprise at some of my skills and abilities, but he never seems to let it change how he treats me.
Agent Chana Mazar, our borrowed Israeli intelligence operative and supernatural expert, treats me decently, but seems more fascinated by my origins than accepting of me as a person.
Nothing more was said about whatever this meeting was until we got to Plattsburgh and the little regional airport where we had left our government jet.
Not gonna lie—it’s pretty cool to fly around the country in an executive jet. I mean, it may not be as plush as what my ex likely flies in when he travels for Team Demidova, but it’s pretty cool. I’ve been in Tanya’s jet a couple of times and it’s a full-on private 747, but this Lear that we have use of is nothing shabby, and there’s only ever a handful of us onboard it, so it feels pretty private.
Once we were in the air, Agent Jay turned her attention my way. “What’s the best set of clothes you have onboard?”
“My second-best dress suit,” I said. We all had ready bags packed with clothes and gear with us because we could wake up in DC and go to sleep in Hawaii or Alaska. So my gear was packed for a wide range of conditions. The fact that I got to wear business casual much of the time was a bonus too. Lots of my regular clothing came from companies like 5.11, Blackhawk, and Tru-Spec, so being able to wear it on the job was great. But suits go with FBI like uniforms go with the military. I had four decent ones.
“Get cleaned up and spiffy. We’ll leave right from the airport.”
“Where are we going?”
“The White House.”
I shut up and put on my suit.