Chapter Twelve, Part Six
Rather than return to the Bureau, or going to the ambush they expect, the group heads back to their hotel. Bonnie has been chatting up Nathan, often mentioning how much she used to hate the British government, or how Terry is the nicest ghost she’s ever met, or that a skinny man like Nathan should learn to build up is alcohol tolerance.
When they get to the hotel, Robert, Nathan, and Scarpedin get packed and ready to leave in case the Bureau botches this case. John has nothing but what he carries, so he stays outside and smokes in the early November humidity.
“I know you have a problem with the Bureau,” Jenny says. “Several, probably.”
She walks out of the hotel lobby and stands beside him. John doesn’t look over. He draws on his cigarette, then exhales. The air is thick and dead, and the smoke floats around him.
“Which is it?” Jenny asks. “The secrecy, or the power?”
John bites in irritation, then pulls out his cigarette.
“I wouldn’t have a problem if you knew what you were doing,” he says. “How long have you been in this job?”
“A little over five years,” Jenny says.
“And, when your Chief was gone, you were in charge of the main office for coordinating a worldwide conspiracy to conceal the existence of magic?”
Jenny smiles. “I interview well. Actually, I’m one of the top-ranking field agents, for monster handling and such. Most of the logistical crew was on Gaia. But I’m not the problem, John. When I first was exposed to all of this, it was a shock to me too. The two main worries I had were the secrecy, and the power. I didn’t know if it was right to actively hide the truth from people, and I was worried that the Bureau might abuse its power since people can’t defend themselves.”
John drops his cigarette and stamps it out.
He chuckles. “I’m not worried about you abusing power. If you were smart, you’d have arrested Robert and just taken Terry.”
He turns to head inside, and Jenny leans back to get the last word.
“I’ll let the Chief know that you
wanted us to screw you over. I’m sure he’ll oblige.”
John says nothing as he heads back into the hotel lobby. Jenny is left in the still-lingering smoke.
* * *
“There’s a package for me?”
Nathan is surprised and worried. The hotel desk clerk hands over a small package, slightly bigger than a pocketbook, and Nathan accepts it gingerly.
Bonnie, who is still tagging along, asks, “Why so worried?”
He sends out his senses to see if there’s a bomb inside it, and he finds nothing.
“I’m not worried,” Nathan says.
He thanks the clerk and goes to see what he has just received, wondering how he can manage to shake the Irish bouncer woman. He sits down at a lobby desk which has no other nearby seats, and Bonnie seems to get the point, turning away to give him some privacy.
Inside the package is a cell phone. Remembering
The Matrix, Nathan waits for it to ring on its own, but after a moment he shrugs, opens the phone, and looks through the contacts. There is only one listed – “Virgin, Savannah.”
He hits Send.
* * *
“Bring Scrabburu,” Wiji-wiji says to Scarpedin.
Scarpedin, in a rare introspective moment, nods quietly. He is facing out the balcony window of his hotel room, toward the trees that dot Savannah and beyond them the wide river, but he is not watching those. He is watching the reflection of the TV screen.
Monty Python’s The Holy Grail is showing, and memory flickers in the back of Scarpedin’s mind.
He wants to get his motorcycle and ride, but he doesn’t know to where. Where does a knight go when he fails to protect his charge?
A knock comes at the door, and Robert peeks his head in.
“Hey, um, Scarpedin,” he says, “Terry had a question to ask you. It’s about magic.”
Scarpedin grins at the distasteful look on Robert’s face. But then Scarpedin shakes his head.
“Not in the mood for it right now, Robot.”
He turns off the TV, grabs the Scrabble game box, and heads out the room. Robert frowns at him as he leaves, but Scarpedin’s attention is focused on figuring out how to best track down the people who wanted Terry dead.
Robert and Wiji-wiji follow Scarpedin to the elevator. Ian, who Jenny had set to watch the hall for trouble, falls in with them, and chatter surrounds Scarpedin as he descends to the ground floor. He makes a note to figure out how to create a boom box with magic so he can have a dramatic soundtrack for moments like this.
The elevator opens to the lobby, and Scarpedin strides out, concealed firearm in his coat, mapcase with concealed sword slung across his back, cell phone and credit cards in his pocket. He takes a detour to the gift shop to buy sunglasses so he can finish the look. Robert, Wiji-wiji, and Ian head off to talk to the others, and Scarpedin takes the moment to himself to nod his head a few times, getting in the mood to kick ass.
He leaves the gift shop and head for the lobby exit. The others in his group – Robert, John, Jenny, Bonnie, Ian, and Nathan – stand between him and the exit.
As he tries to press through, Robert smiles and says, “What’s with the sudden bad-ass kick?”
“I don’t trust the Bureau,” Scarpedin says, “but I don’t want them to f*ck up capturing the guys who wanted Terry dead. I’m gonna go kick ass and shovel snow.”
Jenny frowns. “There’s no snow in Savannah.”
Scarpedin half-nods his head. “
Oh well. Make way.”
“Scarpedin,” Jenny says, “hold on just a minute.”
“Yeah? Oh yeah, a lady’s favor. I get it.” He holds out his hand to receive her endorsement on his quest.
The group sighs. Scarpedin maintains his composure, not letting them sense his confusion.
“Scarpedin,” Robert says, “Jenny just got a phone call. They got the guy.”
Scarpedin stands still for a moment, looking at the hotel exit through his cool new sunglasses. He cocks his head slightly to Robert and drops his voice, as if it’s an aside.
“They didn’t screw it up?”
“I know,” Robert laughs. “It surprised me too.”
Jenny interrupts. “We captured the man and his sniper accomplice. They’re being taken to the Bureau offices now for interrogation.”
“No casualties?” Scarpedin asks, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
“No,” Jenny says sternly.
A moment passes.
“Alright then,” Scarpedin says. “Terry, we-. Robert, ask Terry if he wants us to go rough up this guy for him.”
Robert says, “I assume you mean, ‘interrogate personally, with the Bureau’s blessing.’”
“Whatever,” Scarpedin says.
John says to Jenny, “Will they let us do that?”
Jenny says, “You don’t
actually intend to rough the guy up, do you?”
Robert takes on the burden of lying. “What do you take us for, Jenny? We just want a chance to look at this guy face to face, and we don’t want your ‘Chief’ or any of his cub scouts around to coddle this *sshole. He might’ve been responsible for killing Terry. We deserve a chance to look him in the eye and find out why.”
Jenny considers Robert for a short moment, then sighs and nods. “I’ll call ahead and see what I can do. Just the four of you?”
Robert glances at Scarpedin, John, and Nathan. “We’re taking Ian with us too.”
Jenny leans in disapprovingly. “Mind control and enchantment magic is
not allowed.”
“Sure thing,” Robert says. “I just need an extra set of eyes or ears or whatever telepaths use.”
Nathan grimaces slightly, his hand to his brow as if he has a head-ache.
“I think I’ll bow out. I have some other business to attend to. Bonnie, will you go in my place?”
“Did you have a vision?” she asks.
“Of sorts,” Nathan says. “I just sense it would be bad for me to be with the group at this time.”
He stands up and nods politely to the group.
“When you get back,” he says, “check your voicemail. Jenny, a pleasure.”
Jenny smiles to him as he departs. She even manages to keep the smile and her good cheer when she turns back to Robert.
“I’ll get you your private time with the man,” she says, “but we still have due process. I know you might think the man deserves it, but if you do anything improper to him-”
“It’s okay, Jenny,” Robert says. “Don’t worry. You know me. The
last thing I want to do is hurt anybody.”
“C’mon,” Scarpedin says. “We oughta get going.”
Robert starts to call a cab, and Jenny starts to call the Bureau. While the rest of the group are out of earshot, Robert leans in close to Jenny.
Grudgingly he says, “Tell the ‘Chief’ I’m proud of him.”
Jenny puts a hand on Robert’s cheek and shakes her head with amusement. Then she steps away to get back to business. Robert honestly feels a little bad about lying to her, because he’s fairly confident they’re going to kick the ever-loving sh*t out of this man.