James Swain - Dark Magic

“He sees us,” Liza squeaked.

“Maybe not. Just be still,” Snoop replied.

The four FBI agents got back into the van. As it drove away, the chopper rose into the sky, and was swallowed by the dark clouds. The air trapped in Liza’s lungs slowly escaped. She wouldn’t have believed this if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.

“Sorry I doubted you,” she said.

They emerged from the alley. Liza checked both ends of the street. Something didn’t feel right, only she couldn’t get a handle on what it was. The city seemed almost too quiet.

They headed up Second Avenue, ducking raindrops.

“That was intense,” Snoop said.

“I really didn’t mean to get you involved with this.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

She squeezed his arm. “Thanks.”

They had reached 62nd Street. As they came around the corner, they both stopped dead in their tracks. The black Terrain was parked by the curb, and the four FBI agents stood on the sidewalk, wearing laminated badges around their necks. The man in charge pointed an accusing finger.

“You’re both under arrest,” he declared.

“Shit,” Snoop swore. “Busted again.”

Peter had walked from the Lower East Side to his brownstone uptown in the rain. It had given him time to think about what had happened outside Lester Rowe’s apartment. As a kid, he’d never been much of a fighter, preferring to talk his way out of tight situations, or take off running. So how had he managed to beat Wolfe to a bloody pulp? And how had the walking stick flown out of his hand like it had a mind of its own? He didn’t know. But Max did. He’d sent his teacher several texts, and had not heard back. Max was avoiding him.

The front door to his brownstone opened. Peter bounded up the steps, thinking it was Liza. She’d sent him several texts, and he needed to apologize to her for not responding. A man built like a baseball umpire came out, his body thick and solid.

“Who are you?” Peter asked.

“Special Agent Garrison, FBI. You must be Peter Warlock.”

Peter froze. What was the FBI doing inside his house? He decided to make light of the situation, for no other reason than he didn’t know what else to do.

“That’s right. I’d invite you in, but I see you’ve already made yourself at home.”

“Cut the comedy. I’m not in the mood.”

Garrison looked as mean as a junkyard dog. Peter entered the brownstone, and the snarling FBI agent slammed the door behind him.

“Start walking,” Garrison said.

Peter went down the hall with Garrison on his heels. He entered the kitchen to find Liza and Snoop sitting at the breakfast table with three grim-faced FBI agents hovering around them. His friends flashed brave smiles.

“You guys okay?” Peter asked.

“Not really,” Liza said softly.

“Having the time of my life,” Snoop replied, his voice filled with false bravado. “You’re not going to believe this, but one of these agents actually arrested me when I was in college.”

“That’s amazing. Which one?”

Snoop pointed at the lone female in the group. “Special Agent Nan Perry. We’re buds.”

Garrison stood in the doorway with his arms folded. “Both of you, cut the conversation. Your friends have been illegally accessing classified information, and are in serious trouble.”

“What kind of classified information?” Peter asked.

“The Order of Astrum.”

Peter glanced at Liza and Snoop, and saw his girlfriend lower her eyes. This was her doing. Damn, Peter thought. Liza knew about the Order, and now the FBI were here. He needed to regroup, and figure out a way out of this mess.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going upstairs to throw on some dry clothes,” Peter said. “Help yourself to some coffee and whatever’s in the fridge. I’ll be right back.”

“Not so fast. I’ve got some questions to ask you,” Garrison said.

Peter went to the doorway where Garrison stood. “This is my home. I’m not going to be told what to do by you, or anyone else. If you don’t like that, arrest me. Or, you can let me change my clothes, and then we can have a nice, friendly conversation. It’s your call.”

Garrison scowled at him. He looked like he just might take Peter up on his offer, and haul him off to jail. Then his face softened.

“All right. You can change your clothes, but I’m coming with you.”

“I can change myself. Really.”

“Shut up, kid.”

Peter walked out of the kitchen with Garrison breathing down his neck. The other three agents remained behind, and continued to watch his friends as if they were dangerous criminals.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Peter pulled fresh clothes from the closet, and went into the bathroom to change. Garrison stood by the window, looking down at the courtyard.

“Make it fast,” the FBI agent said.

“Are you going to time me?”

“I just might.”

Locking the bathroom door, Peter sat down on the toilet, and buried his head in his hands. This was bad. He didn’t want Liza and Snoop to go to jail. He loved Liza, and Snoop was the closet thing to a brother he’d ever had. He was ready to fall on his sword before he let anything happen to either one of them. After a minute had passed, Garrison banged on the door.

“Hurry up.”

Peter got undressed. In his pocket was the DVD he’d taken from Lester Rowe’s apartment. If Garrison did arrest him, he didn’t want the FBI agent seeing what was on the DVD before he did. He hid the DVD in the cabinet beneath the sink.

His cell phone sat on the washstand. It began to vibrate, and he picked it up. Max had sent him a text. It was about time his teacher got back to him.

U OK?Max asked.

YEAH WHERE R U?

JFK JUST PUT ROWE ON PLANE

FBI IS HERE

!!!!!!! SAY NOTHING!

HAVE TO TALK TO THEM

WHY?

LONG STORY

TELL ME!

MY GIRLFRIEND KNOWS ABOUT ME

THIS IS BAD

NO KIDDING

“What the hell are you doing in there?” Garrison said through the door.

“My hair,” Peter called out.

“Fifteen seconds before I break the door down.”

Peter told Max he’d talk to him later, and folded his phone. Throwing on dry clothes, he opened the door to find Garrison standing outside. The FBI agent pointed at the doorway.

“Move,” he said.

They returned to the kitchen. Garrison added a chair to the table, and told Peter to sit down. Peter parked himself in the chair while staring at Liza and Snoop. They both looked petrified. It was now or never if he was going to save his friends.

“I have a proposition for you,” Peter said.

Garrison stood at the head of the table with his arms crossed. “How come you keep talking when you’re not supposed to?”

“Sorry. Want to hear it?”

“Go ahead.”

“You obviously want to talk to me. If that wasn’t the case, you would have run Liza and Snoop to the station house, and booked them. Correct?”

“Correct.”

“I’ll be more than happy to talk to you, but you have to let my friends go.”

“I don’t think so. They’ve already admitted to hacking our computer.”

“That’s half the story. I told them to.”

“Doesn’t matter. They still broke the law.”

“They both work for me. I would have fired them if they said no.”

“Is that so? Why did you do that?”

“Let them go, and I’ll be happy to tell you.”

Garrison did a slow burn. “I don’t like your attitude.”