gaze met Carl’s but Jamie didn’t answer the question. Carl knew what he was thinking. That’s the man Sammi overheard . Carl glanced at Sammi, who was sitting nearby on the family room couch, her eyes wide and her mouth forming a startled oh .
“Um,” Carl said, “is this guy that big of a problem?”
“The White House seems to think so. Cage’s targets used to be low-level diplomats or representatives of international corporations, but he’s been hitting higher value targets lately. We’re worried that he might be working for someone who’s looking to destabilize relations between certain countries in order to advance their own economic and political agendas.”
“Who would do that?”
“We’re not sure. He has worked for lots of people. Whoever can afford him. We believe that his fee has gone up considerably since he changed his methods.”
Nova twisted the end of one dreadlock between her thumb and finger and said, “How many people has he targeted so far with the witch’s potion?”
“Twenty or more. We’re looking over some other cases to see if there’s a connection.”
“So, your job is to stop this guy?”
“Right,” Terry said. “Apprehend him if we can. Kill him if we can’t.”
“Kill?” Rachel said. “Is that really necessary?”
“Those are our orders. But our other field agents have had no luck at all. They can’t even get close to him, and a few have been killed. When the agency found out about the possible link to witchcraft, they turned the assignment over to us.”
“But we need to determine if he’s really using magic, first,” Eric said, “and we need another witch to help us figure that out.”
“Witches don’t exactly advertise their services,” Terry said. “At least the real ones don’t, if there even is such a thing.”
Eric slumped back in his chair and let his arms hang loosely by his sides. “I don’t know why we’re telling you all of this.” He glanced at Terry again and frowned.
“Don’t look at me!” she said. “I’m talking as much as you are.”
“We could get fired, Terry.”
“Nobody will know that you told us anything,” Jamie said reassuringly. “We give you our word on that.”
“It’s just….” Eric scrubbed the side of his face with one hand, and he suddenly seemed much older, and tired. “It’s just that we’re running out of leads on where to find a real witch. After that week in Salem, I was ready to give up. But then we got a tip about the two witches from Thibodaux, and that looked really promising.” He rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling. “We just can’t find them. Their house looks like it’s abandoned and none of their friends know where they went. That’s why we decided to contact you.” He looked across the table at Fred, who tucked her lips into her mouth but said nothing.
“Didn’t you spend over a week with them?” Terry asked.
“Yes,” Fred said quietly and turned her gaze to her lap.
“Do you know where they are?”
Fred closed her eyes and nodded.
“Can you help us?”
Fred turned to Jamie and said, “What do you think we should do?”
Jamie looked at her for a long time, then he asked Carl, “What do you think?”
“I think we should help them. Phillip Cage sounds like a serious threat.”
“They’ll have do the oath.”
“What oath?” Eric said.
“It’s an oath that keeps you from telling anyone what we’re going to tell you, especially anyone at the CIA or NSA or whatever.”
“I don’t know if we can honor that promise.”
“It’s much more than a promise, it’s a binding vow. But if you don’t do it, we won’t help you.”
“Can you really help us?” Terry said.
“Yes. More than anyone else can, I believe.”
“Jamie, this probably isn’t a coincidence, is it?” Nova said. “These two guys coming here?”
“I doubt it.”
Eric and Terry stared at each other for several seconds before Terry finally shrugged. “I don’t
“Um,” Carl said, “is this guy that big of a problem?”
“The White House seems to think so. Cage’s targets used to be low-level diplomats or representatives of international corporations, but he’s been hitting higher value targets lately. We’re worried that he might be working for someone who’s looking to destabilize relations between certain countries in order to advance their own economic and political agendas.”
“Who would do that?”
“We’re not sure. He has worked for lots of people. Whoever can afford him. We believe that his fee has gone up considerably since he changed his methods.”
Nova twisted the end of one dreadlock between her thumb and finger and said, “How many people has he targeted so far with the witch’s potion?”
“Twenty or more. We’re looking over some other cases to see if there’s a connection.”
“So, your job is to stop this guy?”
“Right,” Terry said. “Apprehend him if we can. Kill him if we can’t.”
“Kill?” Rachel said. “Is that really necessary?”
“Those are our orders. But our other field agents have had no luck at all. They can’t even get close to him, and a few have been killed. When the agency found out about the possible link to witchcraft, they turned the assignment over to us.”
“But we need to determine if he’s really using magic, first,” Eric said, “and we need another witch to help us figure that out.”
“Witches don’t exactly advertise their services,” Terry said. “At least the real ones don’t, if there even is such a thing.”
Eric slumped back in his chair and let his arms hang loosely by his sides. “I don’t know why we’re telling you all of this.” He glanced at Terry again and frowned.
“Don’t look at me!” she said. “I’m talking as much as you are.”
“We could get fired, Terry.”
“Nobody will know that you told us anything,” Jamie said reassuringly. “We give you our word on that.”
“It’s just….” Eric scrubbed the side of his face with one hand, and he suddenly seemed much older, and tired. “It’s just that we’re running out of leads on where to find a real witch. After that week in Salem, I was ready to give up. But then we got a tip about the two witches from Thibodaux, and that looked really promising.” He rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling. “We just can’t find them. Their house looks like it’s abandoned and none of their friends know where they went. That’s why we decided to contact you.” He looked across the table at Fred, who tucked her lips into her mouth but said nothing.
“Didn’t you spend over a week with them?” Terry asked.
“Yes,” Fred said quietly and turned her gaze to her lap.
“Do you know where they are?”
Fred closed her eyes and nodded.
“Can you help us?”
Fred turned to Jamie and said, “What do you think we should do?”
Jamie looked at her for a long time, then he asked Carl, “What do you think?”
“I think we should help them. Phillip Cage sounds like a serious threat.”
“They’ll have do the oath.”
“What oath?” Eric said.
“It’s an oath that keeps you from telling anyone what we’re going to tell you, especially anyone at the CIA or NSA or whatever.”
“I don’t know if we can honor that promise.”
“It’s much more than a promise, it’s a binding vow. But if you don’t do it, we won’t help you.”
“Can you really help us?” Terry said.
“Yes. More than anyone else can, I believe.”
“Jamie, this probably isn’t a coincidence, is it?” Nova said. “These two guys coming here?”
“I doubt it.”
Eric and Terry stared at each other for several seconds before Terry finally shrugged. “I don’t
Similar Books
