morning. Other
than that, there wasn't much else to do at the moment. Grabbing another coffee
and restarting the pot, I went upstairs to shower and change before things got
hectic.
I was barely got out of the shower when the phone beeped a
text message. It was from Jay. "You're about to get a call," was all
it said. Sure enough, a moment later, the phone rang. I didn’t recognize the
number.
"This is Robert, I said as I answered.
"Agent Theno here, Mr. Hoskins. I was told you were
expecting my call."
Theno was the Agent in Charge of the local office of the
EAB. The same bureau within Homeland Security that my son now worked for.
"I just got the message," I replied. "What
can I do for you?"
"It's what I can do for you," he replied. "Our
agents are at a location of interest in yesterday's incident. I have been told
that your presence is requested. Are you available?"
"Of course," I replied. "When and where?"
"Agent Browne will pick you up shortly," he said.
"Fine. I'll want Charlie to come as well," I said.
"Your dog?" Theno asked.
"Fae hunting dog, actually," I said, as if he
didn’t know.
"Of course," he replied. "I'll let Browne
know to expect another passenger."
The External Affairs Bureau, or EAB, was the agency tasked
with dealing with the Fae and other magical beings that lived within the U.S.
When they discovered what we were, Jay, a Homeland Security Agent, had been
transferred and now worked for them. Nikki had been fortunate enough to stay
with the local PD, but now served on a task force that was comprised of Fae
members of both agencies. For the most part, they left us alone to manage our
own affairs, but when problems arose, they weren't shy about getting involved.
As government agencies went, they really weren't that bad. They
seldom tried to take over and were more than willing to work with the local Fae
on issues. But, as a former local cop, I was a little hesitant to trust them
completely. Since Jay worked for them, and I trusted him, it was a little
easier to deal with them; not that I had much choice. Besides, I'd met their
top guy, a fallen Angel by the name of Samson, and we'd hit it off. But guys
like Theno had a habit of rubbing me the wrong way at times. It's not that he
was a bad guy, he just had that everything's a secret kind of attitude.
Even when he was trying not to.
I got dressed, grabbed my weapons and went downstairs to let
Charlie know what we were doing. A few minutes later, the gate beeped. I keyed
the opener and we went outside to catch our ride.
"Mr. Hoskins," Agent Browne said as I walked
through the gate. He was holding open the back door of the SUV. Browne had been
my driver the first time I'd met with the EAB. This time, he was a lot
friendlier.
"Agent Browne," I replied as Charlie trotted up
behind me. "Good to see you again. This is Charlie."
"Good to meet you," he said as Charlie jumped in.
As I got in the back with Charlie, I saw that there was
someone in the front passenger seat. It took a moment to register his presence
beyond what I could see, as he exhibited all the signs of not being there. Let
me rephrase that. He was there, he just didn't register with my senses, not the
magical ones, anyway. He was somewhere between 30 and 40, with close cropped
brown hair that had just a tinge of grey at the sides, and brown eyes. He was
dressed in what appeared to be standard tan military camouflage with blacked
out patches. He looked human enough, but I knew it wasn't that simple.
When I talk about other Fae not being able to sense what I
am, I'm talking about the magic part. They think I'm just another human. But
this guy wasn't radiating anything. It was like he was a black hole. I could
see him, but nothing leaked out to explain what he was.
"He is a Null," Charlie said.
"Your dog's right," Browne said as he started the
SUV. "Allow me to introduce SGT. John McDaniel. He's attached to the
office as a military liaison."
"Mr. Hoskins, Charlie," McDaniel said as he
than that, there wasn't much else to do at the moment. Grabbing another coffee
and restarting the pot, I went upstairs to shower and change before things got
hectic.
I was barely got out of the shower when the phone beeped a
text message. It was from Jay. "You're about to get a call," was all
it said. Sure enough, a moment later, the phone rang. I didn’t recognize the
number.
"This is Robert, I said as I answered.
"Agent Theno here, Mr. Hoskins. I was told you were
expecting my call."
Theno was the Agent in Charge of the local office of the
EAB. The same bureau within Homeland Security that my son now worked for.
"I just got the message," I replied. "What
can I do for you?"
"It's what I can do for you," he replied. "Our
agents are at a location of interest in yesterday's incident. I have been told
that your presence is requested. Are you available?"
"Of course," I replied. "When and where?"
"Agent Browne will pick you up shortly," he said.
"Fine. I'll want Charlie to come as well," I said.
"Your dog?" Theno asked.
"Fae hunting dog, actually," I said, as if he
didn’t know.
"Of course," he replied. "I'll let Browne
know to expect another passenger."
The External Affairs Bureau, or EAB, was the agency tasked
with dealing with the Fae and other magical beings that lived within the U.S.
When they discovered what we were, Jay, a Homeland Security Agent, had been
transferred and now worked for them. Nikki had been fortunate enough to stay
with the local PD, but now served on a task force that was comprised of Fae
members of both agencies. For the most part, they left us alone to manage our
own affairs, but when problems arose, they weren't shy about getting involved.
As government agencies went, they really weren't that bad. They
seldom tried to take over and were more than willing to work with the local Fae
on issues. But, as a former local cop, I was a little hesitant to trust them
completely. Since Jay worked for them, and I trusted him, it was a little
easier to deal with them; not that I had much choice. Besides, I'd met their
top guy, a fallen Angel by the name of Samson, and we'd hit it off. But guys
like Theno had a habit of rubbing me the wrong way at times. It's not that he
was a bad guy, he just had that everything's a secret kind of attitude.
Even when he was trying not to.
I got dressed, grabbed my weapons and went downstairs to let
Charlie know what we were doing. A few minutes later, the gate beeped. I keyed
the opener and we went outside to catch our ride.
"Mr. Hoskins," Agent Browne said as I walked
through the gate. He was holding open the back door of the SUV. Browne had been
my driver the first time I'd met with the EAB. This time, he was a lot
friendlier.
"Agent Browne," I replied as Charlie trotted up
behind me. "Good to see you again. This is Charlie."
"Good to meet you," he said as Charlie jumped in.
As I got in the back with Charlie, I saw that there was
someone in the front passenger seat. It took a moment to register his presence
beyond what I could see, as he exhibited all the signs of not being there. Let
me rephrase that. He was there, he just didn't register with my senses, not the
magical ones, anyway. He was somewhere between 30 and 40, with close cropped
brown hair that had just a tinge of grey at the sides, and brown eyes. He was
dressed in what appeared to be standard tan military camouflage with blacked
out patches. He looked human enough, but I knew it wasn't that simple.
When I talk about other Fae not being able to sense what I
am, I'm talking about the magic part. They think I'm just another human. But
this guy wasn't radiating anything. It was like he was a black hole. I could
see him, but nothing leaked out to explain what he was.
"He is a Null," Charlie said.
"Your dog's right," Browne said as he started the
SUV. "Allow me to introduce SGT. John McDaniel. He's attached to the
office as a military liaison."
"Mr. Hoskins, Charlie," McDaniel said as he
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