Hunters in the Night by Ramsey Isler Page B

the task at hand,” he said as he turned his attention back to the
sensor package and poked at a few loose wires. “What’s your nightcrafter
detection range?”
    “I’m
not sure,” I said. “It’s probably good enough. Probably . But if they’re not using any magic, I won’t be able to
find them.”
    “I
guess we’ll just have to hope somebody’s feeling frisky tonight,” Newton said.
    “We’ll
see,” I said. “When do we start?”
    “In
just a few minutes, if you’re up to it. I just need to finalize some settings
on the sensors.”
    Newton
went back to his typing and I finished my hot chocolate. It was a simple drink,
but it had a dusting of cinnamon on top of the whipped cream. It was just like
my mom used to make for me during winter holidays. A sudden wave of
homesickness hit me. I could have pushed it aside, but I didn’t. I missed home.
I missed my parents. Thoughts of them were welcome, even if they were
bittersweet.
    After
a few minutes, Newton jumped out of his chair and handed me a plain blue
baseball cap. “I don’t usually wear hats,” I said.
    “You
do today,” he said. There’s a mini-camera in there with a wireless Internet
connection. Whatever you look at, I’ll look at.”
    “Okay,”
I said. “Typical spy gear, I guess.”
    “Remember
that we’re not supposed to engage anyone you find,” Newton said as he walked
over to a large case near the window. “We’re just here to observe, and
identify. I’ll also be visually monitoring the situation from up here.” He
opened the case and pulled out a fancy digital camera and a telephoto lens
longer than my forearm.
    “Nice
gear,” I said. “Pricey, though. I assume the government paid for it.”
    Newton
nodded and said, “Uncle Sam is the best sugar daddy there is.”
    “Do
you know how to use that thing?”
    “Photography
is one of my hobbies,” Newton said as he started setting up the camera and a
tripod. “A hobby that you and I share, I believe”
    I
paused, and tried to remember if I’d ever mentioned that to him. “How did you
know about that?”
    “It’s
in your file,” he said.
    “Exactly
how much information is in this damn file? And why do you have access to it?”
    “I’m
allowed that kind of clearance for all of my research subjects,” Newton said.
    “Well
now I feel like I’m at a disadvantage,” I said. “When do I get to see yours?”
    Newton
gave me a mischievous little grin.
    “Your file , you perv. When do I get to see it?”
    “You
probably have access to it now,” Newton said. “Team leaders always have
clearance to access the personnel files of their squad members.”
    “Wait,”
I said. “So . . . I’m the team leader?”
    “Technically,
yes. Dominique made it official this morning.”
    “Why
didn’t anybody tell me this earlier?”
    Newton
smiled. “I wanted to take one last opportunity to push your buttons before you
assumed command.”
    “Payback
is a bitch, you know.”
    “I
look forward to seeing what you come up with,” Newton said. “But right now, we
have a job to do.”
    “Yes,”
I said. “Let’s get to it.”
    Newton
took the sensor array, stuffed it into a simple off-the-rack backpack, and
pointed to the door. I got the hint and turned the doorknob, only to find
several large men waiting in the hallway outside. It was the field team, and
they were dressed like tourists.
    “Where
are they going?” I asked.
    “They’re
going with you,” Newton said.
    “Oh
no they’re not,” I said. “I can’t do this job with a whole squad of armed goons
following me wherever I go.”
    “Dominique
wants to keep an eye on you,” Newton said.
    “Is
she afraid I’ll jump ship?”
    “I
think she’s just trying to protect her investment,” Newton said.
    “She
can protect her investment by not driving me crazy with a bunch of James Bond
wannabes breathing down my neck.” I turned back to them and said, “No offense,
guys.”
    Newton
said, “I don’t have the