room for everybody in one.
Andrew turned to Tungsten. "I just realized we've spent a lot of time together, but I don't know anything about you. How long have you been in the BPI?"
"Actually, I'm not an agent," Tungsten said. "I'm a contractor. They hired me just for this assignment."
"To teach martial arts to Charley and me?"
"And to protect you. I was an Army Ranger. I had just retired when I got the call from the BPI."
"Why did you retire?" Andrew said. "You're still in fantastic condition. You definitely look like you could fight a battle."
"Fifteen years of service seemed like enough, and the military bureaucracy was getting on my nerves. You can say 'yes, sir' to idiotic orders only so many times in a life."
"But if you wanted to retire, why did you agree to work for the BPI?"
"After a month of sitting on my ass," Tungsten said, "I was starting to go stir-crazy. The BPI promised me a different kind of mission against a different kind of enemy, and they delivered."
"That's true. If we find Blake, make sure to stay away, or he'll do very bad things to your mind."
"I'm planning to just shoot him dead if I see him."
"That works, too," Andrew said.
He spotted a small, blue sign which read, "Bureau of Physical Investigation." The car pulled into a spacious lot in front of a brown brick building. He had been here once before, but the idea of entering a top-secret, government installation still gave him a thrill. He felt like a secret agent.
After the car parked, he stepped out and looked at the headquarters building. It was really a fortress in disguise. The squat architecture and slot windows hinted at its true purpose. Plenty of surveillance cameras ran along the edge of the roof, and Andrew expected more were hidden. He also imagined concealed weapons were placed at strategic locations. All the security was designed to stop renegade sorcerers. It was supposed to be a place where normal people could feel safe.
The second car pulled up. Andrew, Charley, Tonya, Dan, and Tungsten regrouped. Four other BPI agents accompanied them as they entered the building.
The first checkpoint was at the entry. Everybody had to show proof of identity, even the BPI agents. The guards at the desk also took fingerprints and photographs of faces. All the data was sent to another office for verification.
Finally, the group was allowed to enter the building. The ground floor was just office space, and Andrew saw meeting rooms, cubicles, and private offices. Men and women in business attire were quietly working at computers or talking to each other. They glanced at the sorcerers with expressions of concern. Andrew didn't feel very welcome.
The group reached a second checkpoint at the center of the building. The entire authentication process was repeated, but this time, the guards were at a remote location. They interacted using a two-way video conference system. Two machine guns on robotic mounts emphasized the seriousness of the procedure.
The BPI agents had to go through an additional step. They stuck their forearms into a slot in a big machine and waited for a green light to flash. When the men removed their arms, drops of blood dotted their skin. Andrew had learned previously that it was a test designed to detect the influence of sorcery. Apparently, mind-control or any kind of mental magic left chemical traces in the blood.
When it was Dan's turn, the light flashed red instead of green. The machine guns instantly swung around and aimed for his body.
"Wait!" Tonya raised her hands. "Stop! This is my fault. He got a little too involved in one of our training sessions."
One of the guards looked at her through the conference system. He had gray hair and a sour expression on his face.
"What do you mean?" he said. "Agents are supposed to stay away during your training."
"I know, but it happened. He's not under any kind of nefarious influence. I'll vouch for him."
The guard frowned. "He can't go downstairs. He'll have to wait for
Andrew turned to Tungsten. "I just realized we've spent a lot of time together, but I don't know anything about you. How long have you been in the BPI?"
"Actually, I'm not an agent," Tungsten said. "I'm a contractor. They hired me just for this assignment."
"To teach martial arts to Charley and me?"
"And to protect you. I was an Army Ranger. I had just retired when I got the call from the BPI."
"Why did you retire?" Andrew said. "You're still in fantastic condition. You definitely look like you could fight a battle."
"Fifteen years of service seemed like enough, and the military bureaucracy was getting on my nerves. You can say 'yes, sir' to idiotic orders only so many times in a life."
"But if you wanted to retire, why did you agree to work for the BPI?"
"After a month of sitting on my ass," Tungsten said, "I was starting to go stir-crazy. The BPI promised me a different kind of mission against a different kind of enemy, and they delivered."
"That's true. If we find Blake, make sure to stay away, or he'll do very bad things to your mind."
"I'm planning to just shoot him dead if I see him."
"That works, too," Andrew said.
He spotted a small, blue sign which read, "Bureau of Physical Investigation." The car pulled into a spacious lot in front of a brown brick building. He had been here once before, but the idea of entering a top-secret, government installation still gave him a thrill. He felt like a secret agent.
After the car parked, he stepped out and looked at the headquarters building. It was really a fortress in disguise. The squat architecture and slot windows hinted at its true purpose. Plenty of surveillance cameras ran along the edge of the roof, and Andrew expected more were hidden. He also imagined concealed weapons were placed at strategic locations. All the security was designed to stop renegade sorcerers. It was supposed to be a place where normal people could feel safe.
The second car pulled up. Andrew, Charley, Tonya, Dan, and Tungsten regrouped. Four other BPI agents accompanied them as they entered the building.
The first checkpoint was at the entry. Everybody had to show proof of identity, even the BPI agents. The guards at the desk also took fingerprints and photographs of faces. All the data was sent to another office for verification.
Finally, the group was allowed to enter the building. The ground floor was just office space, and Andrew saw meeting rooms, cubicles, and private offices. Men and women in business attire were quietly working at computers or talking to each other. They glanced at the sorcerers with expressions of concern. Andrew didn't feel very welcome.
The group reached a second checkpoint at the center of the building. The entire authentication process was repeated, but this time, the guards were at a remote location. They interacted using a two-way video conference system. Two machine guns on robotic mounts emphasized the seriousness of the procedure.
The BPI agents had to go through an additional step. They stuck their forearms into a slot in a big machine and waited for a green light to flash. When the men removed their arms, drops of blood dotted their skin. Andrew had learned previously that it was a test designed to detect the influence of sorcery. Apparently, mind-control or any kind of mental magic left chemical traces in the blood.
When it was Dan's turn, the light flashed red instead of green. The machine guns instantly swung around and aimed for his body.
"Wait!" Tonya raised her hands. "Stop! This is my fault. He got a little too involved in one of our training sessions."
One of the guards looked at her through the conference system. He had gray hair and a sour expression on his face.
"What do you mean?" he said. "Agents are supposed to stay away during your training."
"I know, but it happened. He's not under any kind of nefarious influence. I'll vouch for him."
The guard frowned. "He can't go downstairs. He'll have to wait for
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