Zee stood before the closet, looking at the cacophony of colors in there. He picked an orange shirt out, threw it back in. What was he doing?
Eight hours of questions, three hours flight, two hours in the shower finally letting himself feel. The first five hours had been an interrogation, the police demanding to know what he and Marcus had been doing in Kansas City, and never happy with his answers that there were pursuing a lead in the Cardinal Killers. They never believed him when he told them Marcus had been murdered. The coroner had called it suicide on site, and Zee couldn’t contradict him without explaining the existence of magic.
Finally, a local FBI agent had arrived, and the next three hours were more a conversation, but one that still asked the same question in the end. Why would Marcus tie him and then take his own life. Zee had raged then. Marcus would never do such a thing. He stopped himself before saying Damian had used magic on his husband. Even in his grief, he couldn’t betray Denton.
They told him to stay home, to rest.
How could he stay home when Marcus was in a frozen box with half his head missing? He reached for a pink shirt, and felt the bile rise. He slammed the closet door shut.
He had to get out of the house. He had to go into the office, mobilize everyone to search for Marcus’ killer; that meant getting dressed, no matter how much he hated those jovial colors.
He reached for the door again, but stopped, looking at Marcus’ closet. Her wouldn’t mind, would he? Hand shaking he opened that door, and looked at a sea of grays. Various shades, from dark to light, but no white or black.
Zee smiled, the discussion had lasted hours in bed, were black and white colors, or grays. They’d argued their sides with passion, even cheating by using sex, but in the end they’d never reached an agreement, so had decided neither would ever adorn their bodies.
He pulled a medium gray suit out and breathed in Marcus’ scent. With came images. The two of them in bed, in the morning, sweaty from sleep. Zee burying him nose in his husband’s neck. Marcus smelled so masculine at that time. How many times had such an action resulted in his husband turning Zee over and burying his cock in him?
Grief swelled. He would never be held again, fucked like that, hard and lovingly. Marcus would never again tell Zee how wonderful a man he was. How grateful for the mule deer’s stubbornness, how insane he had been for picking the red deer out of all possibilities back then.
Zee fought the grief and carefully laid the suit on the bed before showering. He would give into it anymore. He would get justice instead. He would find the tiger and wring his neck off himself.
* * * * *
His phone buzzed as he entered the elevator. Stares followed him as soon as he signed into the building. Marcus’ suit did hang loose on him. A glace at the display told him what he expected. Denton trying to call him again. He let it go to his message center; he couldn’t deal with his friend right now, and the secrets he kept for him.
In this moment, Zee needed to be Zikabar Malhotra Bodenman, Agent in Charge of the Denver office. Not, ally of Denton Brislow, elder in a magical secret society, definitely not grieving husband. He needed to do, not be done onto.
He stepped out onto the bullpen and the already hushed tones became softer. Again he was stared at. He ignored them, fixed on the dromedary in his office. He strode to it, glaring at the agent seated behind his desk, accessing the bureau’s database that were linked to it.
“What are you doing, Johanson?”
The dromedary startled, kicking the chair as he hurried to stand. Zee took a perverse pleasure in scaring the junior agent from Quantico.
“Zikabar, I was told you weren’t coming in.” He stopped and stared at Zee, his eyes doing from his head to his feet.
“So, you decided this would be a perfect time to pilfer my bureau’s cases? Is this still about the Skinner? I have told you, I do not have any extra files on him. I’m as perplexed as you as to how he vanished and why he hasn’t struck again.”
Johanson shook his head. “Of course not. I apologized for my outburst. You know how it can be when we spend more than a year hunting down someone. Missing them by an inch is infuriating.”
“Then what are you doing at my desk? And who gave you access?”
“That would be me.” A man said behind Zee.
Zee turned. A beagle in a gray suit stood there. “Director Patterson, what are you doing here?”
“I should be asking you that, Zikabar. Toby, could you give us the office?”
“Of course sir.” The Dromedary left, and the beagle closed the door.
“You should be home, Zikabar, resting. You’ve had a trying few days.”
“What I need to do, sir,” Zee said through gritted teeth, “is go after my husband’s killer.”
The beagle’s lips became a tight line. “Zikabar, I know it’s difficult to accept, but the coroner’s report makes clear that—”
“It’s what Damian wants everyone to think!”
The director frowned. “Who is Damian? I don’t recall ever hearing the name before.”
“He’s the man who murdered Marcus,” Zee snapped. “He’s also behind the Cardinal Killers. We were pursuing a lead regarding him when.” Zee couldn’t continue. Marcus was lying on the ground, blood spreading around his head. Zee voice was raw from screaming his name.
“How do you know that?” the beagle asked, suspicious. “And why isn’t that in any of the reports?”
Zee cursed himself. “From a confidential source, sir.”
The director shook his head. “You’ll have to do better than that, Zikabar. You and Marcus take off for Kansas City without informing anyone, using a third party to get there. Don’t think I don’t know about your relationship with the owner of Steel Link. This is feeling more like the two of you were doing work for him, than going there on Bureau business.”
“No sir.” Zee controlled his tone. This was the director; he couldn’t just scream at him with impunity. “I used his jet because Damian could have had a mole within the Bureau.” Marcus was his mole. How had Zee missed that?
“And a civilian operation, was more likely to be mole free?”
“Denton and Damian have a history, he’s careful none of the tiger’s agent can slip within his company.”
“And how does a civilian do such a thing, when the Bureau has access to the best background search there is?”
“Magic!” Zee yelled, tired of the director’s smug expression. “Just like what Damian used to murder my husband!”
The surprise gave way to snugness again. “Really, Zikabar? Magic? Are the stories of you fraternizing with the basement true then? Don’t you see this is why you need rest. I get this isn’t something you want to accept, but Marcus—”
“I have proof!” Zee pulled the leather amulet out from under his gray shirt and showed it to the beagle, but he didn’t hear response. A cheetah exiting the elevator caught his eye.tor.
“Zikabar?” the director called.
“Sorry?” Denton was heading for his office.
“How is that proof that magic is—” the beagle stopped as the door opened. Zee hurried to return the amulet under his shirt as the director turned in time to watch Denton Walk by him. “Who?”
Denton wrapped his armed around Zee and squeezed him tightly. “I am so sorry, Zee.” Zee held onto Denton as the grief threatened to overwhelm him. “I should never have brought you two in. I knew something like—”
Zee shoved the cheetah, his anger back. “Do not take this away.”
“Zee, if I hadn’t—”
“We are not children! You are not my mother, to decide what I should and should not know. We made the choice, Denton. Me and Marcus. We chose to enter your world, do not dare make our choice your responsibility. I am enraged, Denton, but not at you. Insist on making this your fault, and I will show you that an angry Zikabar is capable of.”
Denton raised his hands. “Alright, point taken. You’re an adult. I apologize for acting like you aren’t.”
The surprise at the straightforward apology dampened Zee anger, and Director Patterson’s words wished it completely away.
“So, you’re Denton, the sorcerer?”
Denton raised an eyebrow, and Zee couldn’t stifle the groan.
“I’m sorry,” Zee said, “I was angry, it’s slipped out.”
Denton chuckled. “I can see that.” He looked at the glass wall and door. “Is there an office with blinds we can use?”
“And why can’t we continue this discussion here?” the beagle asked.
“Trust me, you don’t want witnesses for what’s coming.”
The director bristled. “Is that a threat?”
“No, I’m just pretty sure you want privacy for this demonstration.”
“Denton, you can’t.”
The cheetah grinned. “That’s the thing about being the champion, I actually can. I’ll get screamed at, but what else is new.”
Director Patterson watched them, looking confused.
“The office at the back of the bullpen has blinds, and better insulation.”
“Good.” Denton motioned for the door. “Zee, if you’d lead the way. Director, please follow him.”
Defiance flashed in the beagle’s eyes, but was replaced by curiosity. Zee walked through the bullpen, ignoring the looks they received. The office was empty, it should have been his office, spacious with the best sound insulation so he could scream at his agents at his leisure; but that wasn’t him.
He closed the door behind Denton, then the blind.
“Not going to use magic to close them?” the director said with derision.
“I don’t have the finesse needed for it. I’m hoping to have a friend drop by soon so I can add his ability. I hope I can mix his control with the strength I already have. Fred says I shouldn’t hold my breath, but I figure we won’t know until we try it, right?”
Zee was worried with how free Denton was with the information.
“Why shouldn’t I be?” Denton asked. “It’s not like I’m going to stop with that.”
Zee realized he hadn’t voiced his concern, when the beagle asked “stop with what?”
“Just talking.” Denton raised a hand and the director flew to the ceiling wit a scream to put Zee’s girly ones to shame. He covered his muzzle to keep from laughing. “This is telekinesis. I’m sure you've read about it in science fiction novels, or on television.”
“It’s impossible!” squeaked the director.
“Says the man held to the ceiling by nothing but my will.” Denton placed his hand behind his back. “The gesture’s just to be clear I was the one doing it. Bottom line, sir. Magic is real.”
The beagle’s trashing slowed, and he tried to push himself away without results. “How is this possible?” he asked, more his controlled self.
“That’s way too long of an explanation for now.” The director lowered to the ground. “Please don’t run, I’d rather not demonstrate something else I can do.”
The beagle patted himself. “You can do more?” his voice rose.
“A lot more.”
“How many more are there? Where are you hiding? Dear god, are you the Illuminati?”
“Exactly like me? None, as powerful as me, I one know of one other, although I suspect there have to be a few more. The fear in your voice is why we do our best to remain hidden, we have enough problem keeping the church off our back to want to deal with a witch hunt.”
“The church?”
“A story for another time. And no. We are not the Illuminati. We do have businesses and wealth and we use them to cover our asses, but we don’t run things, at all.”
The director looked at the ceiling, straightening his suit. “Then why tell me?”
“Mainly because I’m not going to have you think Zee’s crazy. Damian did indeed murder Marcus using magic.”
The beagle looked around the empty office and settled for leaning against the wall. “That’s insane. Do you expect me to just write that up in the files?”
“No. Me telling you doesn’t change the fact we need to stay hidden. You panicked just the at seeing what I can do. One on one I had the time to let you calm down so we can talk. There’s no way I can do that with a crowd. None of us could deal with that panic. We don’t want to cause that kind of panic.”
“You said that was mainly the reason. What’s the other?”
Denton let out a breath. “What’s going on right now, it’s going to change the landscape for us, which has the potential to change it for the whole world. The church’s been keeping us in check, I’ll explain another time, and that’s going to end by the time this war’s over.”
“The church’s war on gays?”
“It’s not the whole of the church, just a faction that’s been co-opted by Damian as an army against my group. But I know that my group, and others, will not allow the church to have that kind of authority over us again.”
“So you want the FBI to keep all of you in check?”
“No. We can to that as a whole, but we can’t be above the law. We need an organization capable of keeping us accountable.”
“And you think we can do so? What if the criminal decides to zap me through a wall?”
Denton sighed. “I don’t have all the answers, but I believe that it starts with you being aware of what’s out there. I think that once knowledge spreads that you know, you’ll have people who do magic interested in helping you, possibly even working for you. I was a cop before the church cost me my job. There are plenty of people who want to see justice done, we just done have the chance to do it officially right now.”
“And you’re okay with that, Zikabar?” Director Patterson asked. “If I believe him, you just lost your husband to magic, and you’re fine working with him?”
“Magic did not kill me husband. A man did, using a tool he had at his disposal. One we currently cannot defend against because we didn’t even know it’s out there.”
“Knowing someone’s driving a tank up the street doesn’t mean we’re equipped to handle it,” the beagle said. “Shouldn’t you be talking to Homeland Security?”
“If someone else had made the decision possible, but I know Zee, he needed my help and you were here. Sometimes things happen as they happen, but now you also now someone who keeps a tank in his garage who is willing to help you. To keep your analogy going. I know others with tanks, and we can lend a hand while you recruit your own tanks among those out there.”
“And you expect me to keep all this to myself?”
“I’d appreciate it. You’re the director therefor you don’t report to anyone else.”
“I report to the Attorney General.”
“Do you trust him to—”
“Her,” Zee corrected.
“Do you trust her to take in what I told you and not nuke Denver?”
“Would that stop you?” the director asked.
“Sir,” Zee exclaim, unable to believe the man would even consider that.
“It would stop me, and those who live in the city, but we are all over the globe. And that’s the kind of reaction I’m hoping to avoid, by making you aware.”
“And you trust me to decide who else should know?”
“Zee has had nothing but good things to say about you over the years, and I expect you don’t become director by making harsh decisions. I will respect what you decide, but, and this isn’t threat, you have to understand that I don’t speak for everyone, not even within my group.”
“But you’re a champion, whatever that means.”
“It means that the force behind my group pick me to protect it. That’s another discussion for another time. But there’s historical baggage that erodes at my position. I still think I can get them to see things me way, but I can’t speak to any of the other groups.”
“I see. You realize I can’t make that decision right now, and that in five years I’ll have to step down as director. I will have a say in who replaces me, but the president makes that decision.”
Denton smiled. “That’s five years down the line. I’m not even sure what’ll happen tomorrow at this point. I can see how things are by then.”
“All right. I will consider the situation. I expect I’ll have questions.”
“Zee can get in touch with me. And once we’ve dealt with this war, I should be in a position to arrange contact between you and others within the magical community.”
The beagle nodded. “Alright. That will work for the time being.”
“That’s a dismissal,” Zee told Denton, indicating the door.
“Zikabar, once you’ve escorted your friend to the exit, please come back we still have things to talk about.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That sounded ominous,” Denton said on the way to the elevator.
“I did withhold vital information. How is telling him what you did affect your relationship with the other families?”
“Oh, it’s going to piss them off. Some of them are already envisioning a day when they can be the Illuminati. I’d rather avoid that. But don’t worry, that’s my mess, I’ll deal with it.”
The elevator doors closed behind them.
Denton took Zee’s hand. “I know I’m a hypocrite to ask this, but don’t shut me out Zee. I’m there whenever you need me.”
“I won’t. I promise.” Zee’s voice trembled. At least, he wasn’t utterly alone.
