Let's Talk or Not (Monica)

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

Monica felt her scalp crawl as the power grew ot got heavy enough to slow her like she was moving through sap. For shoting her slow was still fast enough and every time one got close to a line of power and she had a kill shot without hitting a witch she did.

Their back up caught on and paired up one shooting for heart the other head. Nothing was allowed to break through though it got dicey once or twice for a witch standing to close. When all ten were dead completely the circles release made her and the cop that was a witch shudder.

To be sure they coulf burn and scatter them in the river. They also had to retrieve Mariano the two they had dropped pre witch and the men off the roof. The one on the ground they had bagged and tagged when tac had arrived wjile setting up perimeter.

[Bhaskar Yatri]

Six hours passed quickly in the search and investigation of the building. The witches of the coven seemed drained yet their eyes all held a manic affect that made sitting with them difficult. A command van had been commissioned as the scene took precedence over the others across the district. The calls didn’t stop coming in of things which may or not need their attention. Bhas forwarded everything to his Assistant and stayed on scene. He tried broaching a conversation but he witches were well and truly tapped out whatever they’d done was effective but draining.



As they made another tour of the building he asked Davis, “Have you seen anything like what that coven managed?” Having the bulk of the moment to themselves he felt secure enough to go share notes between them. He’d paid careful considerable attention and even accessing the national database found nothing like that on record. Sharing power yes tapping into anothers circle of power and drawing the life out of fire and vampires not even close. He ran his hands over the stone as he examined the area the nearest fire had burned. The surface was brittle as if a portion of the structural integrity had been sapped away. Curious indeed.

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

They were thorough and she didn't find the vials she expected so the witches had mimiced the drug.. intresting. While the coven rested on site but not in the way, the bodies had been exsamined pictured then destroyed.

Thinking at his question,"those with a hold over death can manipulate it after its occurance. Like making a zombie rise or vampire do what its told. Its a force of will you will it to do as its told but theres a cost. For them to not only use another practioners magic and then add and blend it took alot out of them."

She sighed" had it been their created creatures they wouldn't have been so taxed because then its already your will contributing. They had to draw anothers will into them selves as well as any manifestation of that will though I've never seen it smother a flame or eat away at building like the building and fire were dead things. That's a bit more strange but probably not unheard of"

She dusted off her hands, thinking breifly that samuel should be where ever it was he was off to by then. She'd call him once she was released home for the day. Though it was almost going to be sunrise in like four hours.

[Bhaskar Yatri]

Bhas ran down the legal precedents he could call on. He had an idea as to what the next steps were but how to dance the tune and not lose his feet in the process.



Bhas simplified the thoughts in his head slowing them down to enunciate clearly, “So what they did is something not on the books yet they were not only able to do the impossible but they weren’t responsible. Do you believe they have an idea as to who was responsible? We can’t march them in front of a judge without getting a kill order but we can lean on them if we must. "



He looked at the chalk on his gloves form the wall thinking on how to right the idea that they stole the very life of the fire and the walls themselves. Then it occurred to him. " Wait they leeched the life of the fire and the area as a whole and while the floor is a small bit more brittle its stone solidly it never had a real life so to speak." His mind was working at the puzzle of what they did synching things together tossing what didn’t fit. The coven had been practicing stealing the life of things the power of the circle already in creation. The unlife of the vampires. The life of everything in their modified circle the ramifications of which terrified him. If they were working, no practicing leeching other spell-users abilities and taking the life of everything inside it made him worry like no ones business. He however wouldn’t speak it now not until they were secure on all fronts. He didn’t like the idea of the ramifications let alone what could actually be. Too many threads he and his security counsel needed to sit down and hash probabilities.

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

"No its legend but not documented till right now me and you and if we spook them or we could be in trouble. Get their info and arrest them later for info and maybe they will rat on who they think did it because they know who..it was on their faces and auras"

She shrugged and knew it would weigh heavily." Ive got a really good private detective friend he could help us out. Hes delt with supernatural beings before."

Glad to be leaving the building after they snapped pictures of the floor building and any thing else that lent to proof.

[Bhaskar Yatri]

"Legend? Legend made reality. That is not good and they were prepared to break someone elses spell or at last use it. We need to get access to that legend and see why they would have been preparing that might be a way to find those responsible. That’s one of the reasons I poked Whistler we need the coppers on our side just in case." As they walked out he nodded for the CS techs to get in and gain as much as they could.



As they neared the car Davis had driven he slid into the passenger seat. "I’ll guide you in to where we’re staying but this means we are working concurrent cases its going to get hectic. Tomorrow this scene aside we need to work the reason I’d come for you. Your friend how close are they and how soon can we have them boots on the ground here?”

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

Getting in they were looking beat but thankfully it was just them arnold had been taken for care after the attack earlier. The witches had also given all their names and addresses to be contacted later for case file or help.

Monica glanced at him. She modded but knew shed be wanting her clothes or some clothes to change into for the next day. " depends where he is currently but normally hes not to far away.if hes close maybe two hours,more if hes elsewhere."

Fallowing his guidance to the place they would be hold up for a bit. Shed remebered het charger at least in her purse and some other things so she wasn't totally lost. Plus she needed to contact her lion and make him aware of their latest up coming issue.

[Bhaskar Yatri]

He resisted the urge to pull out his cell but kept time by gauging the ebbs and flow of their conversation while his mind raced. Two cases limited resources but in the end he had a feeling they dovetailed into one . He couldn’t put his fingers on the particulars and yet Mariano turning into whatever that was and the others how was someone strong enough to make that happen.



‘Merde’ he thought as he put a few pieces together. It was interesting intellectual and yet the horror was almost enough to make him want to pack up and leave. “Stop here.” He said directing her into a parking spot in front of the motel bar. “ I need a drink and we need to get your friend here as soon as possible. Is this friend a witch?” He asked as he pointed at the second floor. “those rooms are ours and there is a bigbox store around the corner for personals. Lets get a bite and a drink.” He said getting out of the car as she eased into the slot.

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

Pulling in where he pointed she looked around then sighed. Shed go to the big box after food and drink and grab some clothes and toiletries." Not that I am aware of he just knows alot about lot of things and is hard to spotvwhen he doesn't want to be."

She shrugged and left it at that. Fallowing him in she looked around at the bar it was divey as all get out but passable. Getting lude looks she did up her jacket but she knew she looked a bit dusty and probably smelled like gun powder and smoke.

They found a booth that the door could be watched from and she angled her self to see it and the bar. Her back was sort of to the window but that couldn't be helped. When a server came by she ordered an old-fashioned sweet and a normal arnold palmer.

The menu was as unsophisticated as you could get. Burgers, steaks poppers fried things and melts. The idea if a melt sounded good but the amount of cheese made her decline she ordered a 8 oz medium rare strip with fried onions, compound butter, shoe string fries and the steamed broccoli.

[Bhaskar Yatri]

Sliding into the booth he waited until she’d ordered to begin speaking. Him being mostly a vegetarian he ordered a salad, and tomato soup, grilled cheese with no bacon. Once they were as alone as they would be he started in. " A knowledgeable person is worth their weight in gold. Though in this case whatever help we can muster is a good thing a witch would be better. I get the feeling that because of all the errant used magic that every thing is connected."



He had a lot of things on his plate including an appropriation bill. Actually, a redefining of an appropriation bill the DEA was using. “But heres the question that keeps coming back not the how of what Whistler and her coven did but the why. Why were they preparing practicing to subvert anothers spell for their own ends. To my way of thinking it doesn’t smell right. It’s a corner piece of the puzzle but we don’t have the box so there is no road map here. Any ideas?”

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

Listening to his order she frowned briefly but said nothing to it. Monica was secure in the fact that her body liked and craved meat always had probably always would. Odly enough dating samuel had changed the temperature at which she liked her meat cooked but other than that she was the same in that regard.

She nodded at his assent to her possible help. Though she didn't agree with witch being better because why give someone who was practicing stealing magic a magic user? Then the matter at hand 5he why.." magical arms race.they are trying to prevent someone else from being able to do it to them by getting there first? Or with the massive unrest in the shifter community climate recently maybe there's a power struggle so the witches arnt edged out"

Those were her best guess and sounded plausible.

[Bhaskar Yatri]

He shrugged as she tossed him a softer but still very familiar look. He wasn’t a militant vegetarian and nowhere near even an accidental vegan. He even ate meat though he only ate it at the close of a case or during celebrations. Having a mother that had such a restrictive diet and had beaten cancer twice due to her diet he simply shied away from meat as an everyday feast especially when he could go hunting and assure the purity of his meal.

Digging in with gusto as the waitress brought their meal with a smile for Davis. He took a few bites of the salad and one of the grilled cheese. Ooh the was good he thought as he chewed both the food and the ideas.

She nodded at his assent to her possible help. Though she didn't agree with witch being better because why give someone who was practicing stealing magic a magic user? Then the matter at hand 5he why.." Okay I know I don’t have to but let me explain. We need a witch who is still boots on the ground and hasn’t been indoctrinated into our way of thinking so new witch better than simply new mind unless that mind has danced and is dancing with the devil that is the preternatural community. So Witch better but mind good. Next… lets not split hairs Whistler stuck me as basically a good person. Which meant she naturally would fall to defense first offense only if she’d been attacked. Her coven were mostly softer than soft. Powerful and learned clearly but soft no thousand yard stares and Whistler is an elementary school Principal so… There’s that."

Taking a bite he let that buildup settle before going on allowing Davis mind to work at the angles in time with his.

“So defense first means definitely an arms race and a power struggle element with hmm maybe a reprisal aspect as well. Maybe we should have another SPECODIS run on deaths of known witches or hell any ten-nintey-sixes in the last what six years compare and contrast while we work at the arms race angle. I know we can break Whistler if we have to but I would prefer playing on her better nature as that seems to be her strong suit. She had gotten her coven together to help before even being told they could. I’m sure that’s an angle you can pursue.”

Thinking and nodding at a thought that had occurred to him. “Well count today as your shooting qualification and use your SPECODIS time as a portion of your book hours provided you don’t try to milk it. How’s the steak?”

Sliding his phone form its holster he dialed in and had a rig out prepared for Davis as well as a launch of an expedited SSBI. She would begiven access pro-tem but if her SSBI came back with anything but stellar she would be busted from SPECODIS use he would then use exigent circumstances as justification for her access this far. Of course it would seal her fate if she couldn’t be approved she’d be capped at Deputy Marshal and any career movement would fall away like leaves of grass after a mowing. If she wasn’t drummed out due some internal investigation. He thought of his predecessor and went back to eating placing his phone away.

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

The world was spinning faster somehow and as shev listened to explained reasoning she mostly agreed but then she looked at him interjecting slightly" I understand what she looks and feels like to you and your right mostly from what I saw but don't forget that there are people who look like milk and cookies grammas in shawls who've done horrible atrocities that no one saw coming because..oh she was such a sweet old thing or wouldn't hurt a fly. Case in point..the senora"

He should know well who she meant. The scariest female Vaudun since marie Lavoie..that had suspiciously gone missing after getting into it with a certain marshal." But yeah I can kid gloves lets be pals her until she clams up."

The steak was cooked perfect and shed rested it talking to him so that first bite was ironey salty and crunchy from the onions. She sighed happily and chewed but almost choked with him expaditing her.

She didnt worry bout the investigation because monica if nothing else was a departmental darling. If they listened to rumours they would find bitter and ir jelousy mostly but that couldn't be helped." Really really good..um reaching out we could try nola as they have a thriving witch community and um cali, seattle you know places where hipsters are into new ageish things or place we know have real practioners"

Her hands itched to text samuel he was her worry stone. Fingers absently went to her train pendant. The briefest touch before cutting more steak.

[Bhaskar Yatri]

" True enough there are monsters that can hide for awhile but eventually everything comes out. Some of that darkness slips." He said as he fixed her with a look that spoke of his having seen certain things happen he wished he shouldn’t. Pausing he really considered Davis. She was blithely sitting eating as they considered the ramifications of a real witch preternatural war. She was as calm as he was which said very bad things of the both of them. He was okay with it but very much aware of it all the same. He’d text his plant in records and make sure no one read Davis SSBI but him. It was border line illegal but the protocol was that she’d have to have one done not that anyone read it.



He doubted anyone would uncover anything of record or she wouldn’t have made it this far. Sadly, he was able to think around corners and find ghosts so while nothing actionable would show he was sure; he didn’t want to risk it. No one was this calm without there being ‘dirt’.



“Do you have any CI’s we could approach her obtusely is the question here. We need to double our involvement with this. And those are good ideas we’ll spread our search beyond the second district and see if anything pops up, any slow moving storm we may have not noticed because of jurisdictional blindness.”



Catching the self-touch he smiled small things were windows to big ones he thought. “Excuse me moment,” he said rising as he daubed his mouth with the napkin.” I’ve to give you a second to make that call or text. Two-minutes,” he said knowing he’d be back in five. Heading first to the restroom then back to the bar.

[Monica Davis-banks walker]

Thinking on that informants, not really she had erick but he was more shifter than witch but as he could speak with spirits and dead maybe it would be close enough. As bhas got up she blinked and then remembered her private investigator is who he meant.

She smirked and opened a text to samuel " long day major crap storm can you chat? If no ill check back later kinda need to borrow abel" then sending. She also texted erick and told him shed call soon.

A few more bites taken as she waited.