Courts and Cabals 2 by G.S. D'Moore (warren buffett book recommendations TXT) 📗

The Director nodded, and hit a few keys on her computer. “I want to offer you an opportunity, Mr. Dupree,” she regarded me carefully, like she was lady justice with her scales. “First, I want to give you the opportunity to be a part of our New Initiates program. We do this for novel supernaturals as a way to study them and make sure they acclimate well with society.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” I replied. Afterall, I had a lifetime of experience.

She smiled. “It requires a technological and magical combination to study your biology, habits, reaction to external stimuli, and other aspects the doctors say are important, but I honestly don’t know much about. If you were to participate in this program, we will let the judge know, and it is highly likely that he will be lenient with your sentencing.”

“And boom goes the dynamite,” I could read between the lines. I cooperated, or the judge screwed me over. Frank’s fingers up my ass would be the least of my problems.

“What do I need to do?” I asked.

“Sign some paperwork, let our mages work a few spells on you, and swallow a big pill that will attach to your intestine and record your bio data for the next year,” she explained.

“That’s it?” I didn’t like that the government would have me Lojacked, but a year on probation was a lot better than however many years they were going to throw me in the slammer.

“That’s it. If you sign the paperwork now, we’ll get everything underway before you see the judge,” she picked up a folder and turned it for me to see.

It was dense and in very small print. “Shouldn’t I have my lawyer look this over?” I asked.

“Sure,” she didn’t act like that was a problem, but something flickered in her eyes. “However, there is a time limit attached to this deal.”

“Of course there is,” I found myself in between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

“How do you know I’m even telling the truth about anything?” I asked, making no move toward, or away, from the paperwork.

“You were given a truth pill before you came up,” she replied like it wasn’t a gross violation of my privacy.

I didn’t say anything, but I was starting to see why people didn’t like this woman. I got the sense she knew that, but didn’t give a shit how I, or anyone else, felt.

“I have another question, if you’ll enlighten me?” she asked.

I nodded, not sure where this was going, and not sure if I’d like where it ended up. “It can’t hurt to hear her out.”

“If I told you that I could make this all go away like that . . .” she snapped her fingers, and I jumped in my chair.

“Fuck, get a hold of yourself, man.”

“. . . would you be willing to tell me about what you saw while you were with Venus Venitas in Las Vegas?”

“No,” the word erupted from me. Now that I knew what was going on, I felt the truth pill in action. It didn’t make me talk, but when I opened my mouth, nothing but the truth came out.

“That’s a pity,” she sat back, but I swore I saw begrudging respect in her eyes.

“And our New Initiates program?” she inquired.

“I think I’ll have my lawyer look it over,” I made my decision.

She might be a tough old biddy I did not want to fuck with, but she had her angle, and she was pushing it hard. If she was pushing it hard, she might not have enough to get me. That might explain why Vernon was pissed.

“But then again, they might just be fucking with me,” I wouldn’t put that past them; but if they were offering an olive branch, and I turned them down . . . “Argh!” I wanted to pull my hair out. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on how the next twenty minutes went, a commotion outside the door caught both our attention.

Vernon opened the door and peeked his head in. “The kid’s attorneys are here demanding to see him.”

“Time’s up,” the Director slammed the file closed with a loud slap.

I gulped as I looked up at her, and for the life of me, I couldn’t tell if I’d made the right decision. I did know one thing for sure: I never wanted to be in her office again.

***

Vernon pulled me out of the chair and marched me out the door and toward the elevator. He didn’t look happy, which made me feel like I’d made the right decision. He pushed me into the elevator in front of him, but when Becky hot-stuff tried to get on behind him, he shook his head, and the doors closed with just the two of us.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up just before the big shifter pushed the stop button. With a jerk, the elevator halted in between floors. I gulped as Vernon turned to regard me.

“Is this the part where you kick the shit out of me?” I glanced up looking for cameras, but didn’t see any.

The shifter started to growl, but cut it off, and turned it into a sigh. I watched his face transform from frustrated anger to just plain tired.

“I want to talk to you?” he deadpanned.

“Like when you roofied me with a truth pill and sent me to talk to Madame Satan,” I fired back.

He grunted. “Not my idea,” was his defense, but I didn’t buy it.  “And that doesn’t change the fact that I want to talk to you man to man.”

“Now you want to talk to me man to man,” I laughed in his face, which didn’t help the situation. “You know,” I put irony aside