Tom Dowd - Burning Bright

"You did that in the lobby of the Tower too," she said. "Are you looking at things magically?"

Smart girl, Kyle thought. More so because he hadn't caught her noticing what he'd been doing.

"Yes, I am," he said. "Magicians have the ability to perceive the energy wavelength that magical and living items emanate. You can learn a lot from that."

She nodded. "And the two guards?"

"Both human and unAwakened. No sign of magical talents, though it's always conceivable a magician could mask his aura. In the case of these two, I seriously doubt it. AU that cyberware would keep them from being able to use magic."

"Could you tell what kind?"

Kyle shook his head. "Not really, except for certain guesses based on the location and appearance of deformities in the aura. I'd say Facile and his man are fairly standard muscle-boys: enhanced reflexes and maybe some neuromuscular augmentation and combat cyberware."

"You come pretty close on Facile," Uljaken said appreciatively. "I've seen his file. He's got a Richmond series-twelve neuromuscular accelerator, a Fuchi MPX-R headware comp and data-access package, Mitsuhama-Zeis ocular light-amplification systems, and a recent upgrade to level two for his Ares smartlink combat system."

"Quite a package," Kyle said, "for a lieutenant."

"My sentiments exactly," she agreed. "Facile is part of the team that's been attached to Truman ever since Knight Errant bought out Winter Security's contract with Truman Technologies about three months ago."

"That's unusual."

"Very. It seems Knight Errant has decided to magnify its profile here in Chicago. The city's law enforcement contract with Eagle Security comes up for renewal in eighteen months…"

"And KE would love to pick up that juicy contract, so they're jacking up their local presence and commitment."

"Precisely," she said.

"Interesting. And Mr. Truman was agreeable to having KE buy out Winter's contract with Truman Technologies? Couldn't he have just voided the contract?"

"Our contract with Winter was nontransferable. But I think Mr. Truman was flattered."

Kyle paused a moment before changing the subject. Now that Hanna Uljaken seemed more willing to talk about her employer, he was leery of any big questions that might make her clam up again. But he had no choice. "How would you characterize Mr. Truman's relationship with his son?" he asked. "Good, bad, indifferent…"

Hanna Uljaken blinked and glanced away before answering. "I'd say that things have been pretty dismal lately."

"Mitchell bucked under the authority and demands of his father?" It was a reaction Kyle understood all too well.

"Yes, but it goes deeper than that," she said quietly. "Mitchell is bisexual, and it's been a strain on his relationship with his father ever since Mr. Truman found out"

"How long has that been?"

'Two years. The truth came out after an unfortunate incident in London."

"Then why is Truman so opposed to his son's involvement with this Linda Hayward?"

"She's supposedly older than I am."

Kyle grinned. "Damned if you don't and damned if you do."

She grinned back. "Looks that way, doesn't it?"

Kyle took off his suit jacket and tossed in on the sofa. "Well, now that we're here, we'd better get this started."

Hanna Uljaken showed some surprise at the sight of the Ceska light pistol tucked into the holster under his left shoulder. He grinned again and shrugged as he unslung the holster and tossed it next to the jacket "So you have no reason to believe or suspect that Mitch Truman has done anything other than run off with this woman?"

"No, I don't."

"And there've been no ransom demands or mysterious contacts with the Truman family that you know of since Mitchell was last seen?"

"No."

"Then my first step is to try and locate him. Did Mr. Truman tell you anything about the techniques I'll be using or how I tracked down his niece?"

"No, but I did read the Omni and Popular Mysticism articles on the subject."

Kyle laughed. "Well, don't be surprised if reality is a tad more boring than what the press makes out."

"But you were with the FBI section described in the Omni article, weren't you?"

"If you know enough to ask the question, you already know the answer."

Uljaken smiled slightly. "KE's background check was fairly exhaustive."

Kyle looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Have you ever seen ritual magic performed up close, Ms. Uljaken?"

She shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"Then I'd like you to assume, unless I tell you otherwise, that everything that happens is intended and expected."

"All right."

Kyle turned and looked up slightly, shifting the focus of his thoughts. "Come to me," he said softly to the air…

In that instant a swirl of gold light appeared next to Kyle, and Hanna Uljaken jumped visibly. The light quickly coalesced into the figure of an Amerindian man of just past middle age. He wore black denim pants and a wide tan leather belt with a bold silver and turquoise buckle. Over his clean white cotton shirt was a tattered blue denim jacket with the sleeves torn off. Two silver bracelets hung from his right wrist, and a wide band of brown leather circled the left. His hair, its glossy black touched with silver, was bound into a single, unbraided pony tail that hung down from under the wide brim of his black hat. Tied around the hat was a band of cloth woven in red, white, and black. The man's appearance was striking, even handsome, but his eyes were translucent and tinged with gold. Somewhat incongruously, he was also wearing black canvas sneakers.

Kyle turned toward her. "Hanna Uljaken, this is Seeks-the-Moon. Moon, this is Ms. Hanna Uljaken."

"I know," the spirit said, bowing gracefully, "and I am charmed."

"Seeks-the-Moon is my sociare spiritus-my ally spirit"

The spirit looked askance. "I see your Latin is still quite lacking."

Kyle ignored him. "He will be assisting me in the ritual."

Uljaken nodded, but had maneuvered herself slightly away from Seeks-the-Moon. "Will you need me to do anything?" she asked.

"No, but I'd like you present to verify any information that develops."

She pointed to a chair in the far corner. "Can I sit over there?”

Kyle nodded, then turned to his ally spirit, who was standing with arms crossed over his chest.

"Interesting earring," the spirit said quietly in Sioux, and Kyle could see Hanna Uljaken react though she kept on walking. He scowled at the spirit. "Yes, but it's not a concern," he told Seeks-the-Moon in English.

The spirit shrugged slightly in deference. "As you wish."

Just past the spirit Kyle could see that Uljakgn had settled into her chair and was studying them intently.

"How are the boys?" Kyle asked Moon.

"Complaining as usual."

That's good. It's when they start saying nice things about me that I'll be worried." He paused and looked over the room. "This will be a simple direct-progression ritual. I need to locate and tag a missing boy, Mitchell Truman."

"Should be simple enough," Moon said matter-of-factly.

Til be using a Kellehoff circle as the basis."

The spirit shrugged. "You say that as though my opinion on the matter would carry any weight"

Kyle chuckled. "I just thought you'd like to know."

"Very thoughtful."

Kyle reached for his jacket and pointed at the small, round black lacquer table in the center of the room. "Would you move that and the rug under it for me? That's where I want to build the circle."

The spirit rolled his eyes skyward for a moment, then complied. "Moving furniture is, of course, the eternal aspiration of all ethereal beings."

"Good. I knew you wouldn't mind," Kyle said as he pulled two flat leather cases out of his jacket's special pockets.