Our Bureau jet landed at Reagan International and a government car was waiting for us as we stepped off the plane.
SAC Jay didn’t say a word as we rode in silence. My internal mapping function tracked our progress, comparing compass bearings and travel time, automatically plotting a course on the map in my head. With regular updates from any road signs I spotted as we drove, so I knew when we got close.
We didn’t actually go to the White House, but pulled up to the US Treasury building next to it. A Treasury agent met us—well, met SAC Jay as we exited the vehicle. “Right this way, Special Agent,” the woman said, completely ignoring me. I followed closely, which earned me a few glances from the Treasury woman, but she kept her mouth closed and ushered us into an ancient vault that was housed in the wing of the building closest to the White House. Before we were allowed in, we were relieved of cell phones, smart watches, and Agent Jay’s iPad. Signs everywhere indicated electronics were forbidden, and a security guard swept us with an EM detector, ignoring our firearms but getting a curious look on his face when he scanned my shoulders, neck, and head. Most of my nanites cluster around and in my brain, although some are always circulating through my blood vessels. Even at their densest, they only just slightly set off his detector and after a moment’s hesitation, he waved me through.
Inside, the vault was set up as a meeting room, and the main table was loaded with big brass. I recognized Michael Arnold, Director of the CIA; General Tobias Creek; Charles Knowles, Director of the NSA, and sitting next to him was our own boss, Tucker Tyson, who caught sight of Jay and waved us to sit behind him. Chairs lined both walls, and many were already filled with aides to the big shots. Across the table I spotted Nathan Stewart, Director of Oracle, his right-hand aide, Adine Benally, seated ramrod straight directly behind him. Stewart spotted me almost instantly, giving me a smile and head nod before turning to listen to the three-star Air Force general next to him.
The room was just settling down when a pair of Secret Service agents entered the room, looked around, and then spoke into their wrist mikes. I wasn’t the only one to notice as the room instantly quieted. One of the agents listened for a moment to his earpiece and then spoke to the room. “The President of the United States,” he said, backing against the wall.
Everyone stood and President Lyndall Polner entered the vault, two agents a step behind him on either side. The original agents stepped out of the room and the big vault door was pulled shut. I noticed that neither agent alongside the president had any discernible electronics visible on them.
President Polner took the chair at the head of the table. “Please be seated.”
We all sat in unison.
“Okay, what’s the status of the Vorsook conundrum?” the president asked.
“Mr. President, all signs indicate that Russia and China are preparing as requested by the Omega AI. From what we can tell, Omega itself is producing new weapon systems at a prodigious rate,” General Creek answered.
“These new systems use the captured alien technology?”
“Yes, Mr. President. The drones achieve speeds and conduct maneuvers unmatched by any current Earth-based aeronautical technology,” Creek said.
“And our own efforts to reverse engineer the Vorsook tech?”
“We are making major strides but are way behind the computer, Mr. President,” the Air Force general next to Nathan Stewart said.
The president grimaced. “I talk to the damned thing every day, but I don’t know that I’m happy it has such an edge on us. Where is it sending the finished drones?”
“The first group all headed to Burlington, Vermont, sir. The latest batches are heading up into space and setting themselves into geosynchronous orbits,” the general said.
“How many did it send to Vermont?” Polner asked, eyebrows up.
“Ah, we think ten, sir. They moved out of the production facility at extreme speeds and they don’t show up on radar. Three independent observers each agreed on the number ten, sir.”
“Ten super drones to Burlington? Nathan, any comments?” Polner asked.
“Yes sir. Team Demidova was dealing with that incarnate demon. Declan O’Carroll was hurt. Omega reacted very strongly, sir.”
“What did ten of those things do after the fact, Nathan? That horse was out of the barn?”
“Nine of them took up protective positions. One was sent through a portal to Fairie to persecute the Summer Queen, who was responsible for arranging the demonic incursion to kidnap O’Carroll, sir.”
“You know that last part for a fact?” Polner asked.
“That the Summer Queen was responsible or that Omega punished her? The answer is the same in both cases, sir—yes—we have confirmation. Gina Velasquez was present in the room with Gordon and Demidova when Omega presented a rather eye-opening display of the new technology. The single drone was able to put the Summer forces on the run, Zinnia was forced to take shelter with her sister, Morrigan, and it will take years if not decades for her to be free of the debt she now owes the Winter Queen,” Stewart said.
“And those nine are still on station in Vermont?” the president asked.
“No sir. They’ve left… at the same time that O’Carroll and Stacia Reynolds left.”
“And went where?”
“There was local political pressure for him to remove himself as a target from the Burlington area. He decided to comply, but we don’t know where he is currently. I was rather hoping to ask that question of the one person in this room who likely has better information than I do,” Stewart said.
The president sat back, eyes wide, then looked around the room. “Enough with the suspense, Nathan. Who here would have better intel than you?”
“Tucker’s junior agent, Miss Jensen,” Nathan said, turning and looking directly at me. Every set of eyes in the room turned to me, most curious, but some hostile like General Creek, and one outright angry glare from my own director.
“Where is she? Oh, there you are. Stand up please, Agent Jensen,” the president said to me.
I shot to my feet. “Yes Mr. President.”
Polner looked at me for a moment, then chuckled. “At ease, Agent. You’re not in the military.”
Cursing myself, I relaxed from full attention into parade rest. I don’t think I was capable, at that moment, of anything less. The President of the United States was talking directly to me.
“Is that true, Miss Jensen? Do you have better intelligence on Declan O’Carroll than Nathan?” President Polner asked me.
“It’s possible, sir. I have regular contact with many of Declan’s closest friends. They likely know more than Director Velasquez or any other, ah, assets Director Stewart might have at Arcane,” I said, instantly regretting saying too much.
“Assets? Nathan do you have assets in Arcane?” the president asked.
“Ah, yes sir, I do. I was under the impression that that fact was a secret,” Stewart said, directing a raised eyebrow of his own in my direction.
“Miss Jensen, before we delve into the matter of where Mr. O’Carroll is, perhaps you could tell us how you’re aware of Nathan’s agent or agents?” the president asked in a very reasonable tone.
“Declan figured it out, Mr. President, and came to an arrangement with the ah, asset. He provides accurate information about himself to the asset and the asset keeps out of Declan’s way. I’m close with Jetta Sutton and Ashley Moore and on pretty good terms with several of the witches, as well as the school’s Alpha werewolf. Everyone pretty much knows about it.”
“He found out we planted a spy and then turned the spy?” Polner asked, his expression serious as death.
“Yes sir, although I would stress that the information the asset receives is all very accurate, just not fully complete. I’m not sure if turned is the correct term, but they have reached an agreement. Omega has helped the asset’s family become settled and secure here in the United States, sir.”
“So he finds out about this person and then helps him?”
“Yes sir. It’s a very Declan thing to do,” I said. “Any of the other witches would likely do something far more negative to a spy, but that’s kind of the way he thinks, sir.”
“Mr. President, if you’ll recall, Caeco dated Declan for over a year and attended Arcane for the first year it existed,” Nathan said.
“Tucker, you’ve had a close associate of O’Carroll’s on staff for how long and you’ve done what with her?” President Polner asked, tone flat.
“We’ve been working to assimilate Agent Jensen into the Bureau, sir. She’s been part of the Special Threat Response Team since right after it was formed. Sir,” Tucker Tyson said, his body language uncomfortable.
“I see. And you, Nathan, put a spy on the boy and didn’t tell me? A spy that everyone but me knows about, especially the spy’s target. And I’m literally the last to know? It doesn’t appear to me that we are using our resources very effectively. I’m disappointed,” the president said, looking at Directors Tyson and Stewart with a deep frown. Nobody said a word as the president glared at both men. Finally he turned his head back to me.
“Miss Jensen? Do you have any idea where O’Carroll and Stacia Reynolds are?”
“My understanding, Mr. President, is that they are traveling the world, seeking out Earth’s elementals. Declan is trying to forge alliances to draw on when the Vorsook attack again. I don’t know their exact location at the moment, but I could ask Omega.”
“Ask Omega?”
“Ah, yes sir. He’ll generally tell me where the team members are unless it needs to be kept secret.”
“You just ask the computer and it tells you where his creator is? I know he helps people all over the world, but this seems a bit too transparent.”
“I’ve known Omega almost since he was born and I helped when he was under attack by the Vorsook AI,” I said.
“And have you told anyone in your chain of command about this?”
“I have sought to share my insights into Declan and Omega, as well as Chris Gordon and Tanya Demidova, with my previous team leader on multiple occasions. She listened a few times, just not the most important ones. I’ve only worked with Special Agent-in-Charge Jay for a few days, but she’s already asked my opinion more than Agent Krupp ever did. Sir.”
“Agent Jensen, why are you with the Bureau? Seems to me you would be better utilized on Nathan’s team?”
I paused to collect my thoughts and Nathan Stewart jumped in. “Mr. President, Caeco was raised in a very hostile, militant environment. She and I have had many discussions about her choice and I think she’s trying to make a break from her past. Law enforcement as opposed to the darker aspects of some agencies, as it were. Is that a fair summation, Caeco?”
“Pretty good, Director Stewart,” I said.
“I see. Forgive me, Agent Jensen, but I think you’re completely wasted in your current role. Tucker, I want this young lady at every briefing that we hold on this topic. She’s to be brought in for consultation before any action or contact with any of the PMDs is initiated. Got it?”
“Yes sir,” Tyson said, jaw clenching.
Polner wasn’t done though. He turned back to me. “Miss Jensen, are you familiar with the acronym PMD?”
“No sir.”
“It stands for Person of Mass Destruction. Any thoughts on who we mean?”
“Well, sir, obviously Declan, as well as Chris Gordon, Tanya, Tanya’s grandmother Elder Senka, and probably both Queens of Fairie, I should think. And Omega.”
“You would include the Elder Vampire?” he asked.
“Yes sir. Just based on how Chris talks about her.”
“You seem very comfortable with this idea… that individuals have personal destructive power equal to small nuclear devices?”
I shrugged. “I’m not certain that comfortable is how I feel. It’s more like it’s just how things are. Plus I’ve known them for a quite a while now. And I would hardly classify Declan and Chris as a small nuclear weapon, sir.”
“You don’t believe them that dangerous?”
“Oh no, Mr. President. I know they’re much more dangerous than that. Declan talks to elementals sir, and they often do what he asks. Only the Queens of Fairie do that. He and Chris talked the Yellowstone volcano out of erupting, sir. That would have exceeded the yield of any known weapon, sir.”
“You don’t seem bothered by an individual having that much power?”
I paused, looking around at all the big shots who were staring at me with various expressions. Then I took a breath.
“Have you ever wondered why, sir? Why a handful of people have suddenly appeared with such crazy personal power? A demon hunter and a natural-born vampire who are possibly angels incarnate. A male witch who has the power of at least several circles, if not more. Who is also the first witch to talk directly to elementals in recorded witch history. A computer so far beyond other computers that it’s like a paper airplane to an F-35. Showing up now? At this moment in time? Just when an even more powerful threat appears out of nowhere? I’m a numbers person, sir, and the odds are incalculable, even by Omega. I know because I asked him to run them. He couldn’t, or at least he didn’t want to. He said it would tie up too much computing power. Sir.”
His eyebrows were up, and based on some of the expressions I was seeing on his cabinet members, I had apparently overstepped my bounds.
Then he looked around the room. “Well, I asked her, didn’t I?”
Most of the room laughed, that tension-releasing thing that groups of people do in the presence of a powerful leader.
“What if they abuse it?” he asked me.
I almost snorted out loud. Almost. Something must have shown my face because his eyes widened like he was about to be offended. “Sir, I think you’ve met them, right? I can’t think of anyone less likely to abuse power. Chris and Tanya are leading the world against both Hell and the Vorsook while raising a family and running one of the most successful businesses ever, yet what do they do in their spare time? Set up clinics to cure incurable diseases. And Declan… sir, do you know what he does when he gets cut off in traffic? He curses, sir. Not witch curses, but swear words. Not even really good ones, sir. Then he gets embarrassed at his outbreak and lets the whole thing go. He’s been trained from birth to avoid any abuse of his power. I think the reason that Omega didn’t decide to destroy mankind in the first instant he was born was because Declan put his own life on the line to make that birth possible. Think about that, sir. He put his life at risk to protect a computer, to defend an infant sentience from the NSA’s killer algorithm,” I said, waving at Director Knowles as I did so.
“He assaulted an entire group of law enforcement personnel, yourself included,” Polner stated.
“Ah no, sir. Weapons were drawn and pointed at his team members, including his current girlfriend. His first instinct was to shield them. But some of the weapons carried spelled rounds that made it through his shields. So he warned us off. Had he assaulted us, truly assaulted us, everyone would be dead or wounded.”
“Yet, the spelled ammo defeated his shields,” Polner said.
“He didn’t know about them. I’m certain he immediately adapted his technique to account for them, sir.”
“He’s that good?”
“Yes sir.”
“And he’s your ex?” President Polner asked with an odd little smile.
“Yeah. We… we weren’t really the right person for each other, sir. I’ve got a whole set of baggage that comes with my upbringing. Declan has his own issues, but despite our breakup, we aren’t completely hostile to each other,” I felt a frown form itself on my face. “Not to say it was a smooth breakup, but, well, I’m told that these things happen. But we’ve each helped the other, several times, in fact. But still, even if I hated him, I wouldn’t really want anyone else to have his power, sir. The same with Chris. And Tanya.”
He looked at me silently for a few moments, then nodded. “Thank you, Miss Jensen. You’ve presented interesting information for us to think about. Next time, we’ll skip all the other stuff and just jump right to you. But one more question?”
“Yes sir?”
“Do you really think the Vorsook are as big a threat as Gordon, Demidova, and Omega make them out to be?”
“Worse, sir. Worse.”
He held my gaze for a moment and then finally nodded.