Agent Doug Stark and I am honored to be a guest here at the first annual International Conference of Monster Hunting Professionals. It is my goal to usher in a new era of cooperation between public sector and private sector Hunters.”
“That’ll be the day.” Earl slid in next to me. He had neglected to bring me more snacks. “Why’s that jackass talking?”
“That’s the new MCB director.”
“You’re messing with me…Oh shit, you’re not. Him? ” Earl’s eyes narrowed. “God help us…I should’ve killed that son of a bitch when I had the chance.”
After Director Stark’s incredibly self-aggrandizing speech, we broke for lunch, and the first thing Earl did was track down and corner Agent Franks to get an explanation. I followed along, mostly because I wanted to see what happened when the unstoppable force ran into the immovable object. We found the big agent in the hall outside the main room, frowning at the multitude of passing Hunters, surely bummed that he wasn’t allowed to hit them. “Franks. We need to talk.”
“Harbinger.” Franks didn’t seem surprised to see us. “Pitt.”
“What the hell happened to Myers?”
“I’m unable to comment on personnel matters.” He said the words like they were memorized. I had a sneaky feeling that would be the standard line from any member of the MCB.
“Come on. We both know this is a bad call. I can’t stand Dwayne, but he’s a strategic genius compared to Stark. What did they do with him?”
The wheels turned, but apparently Franks had something to gain by not being a totally uncooperative dick. “Transferred. Agent Myers is over the Special Response Team.” To the best of my knowledge, the MCB’s Special Response Team were the ones that came swooping in with all of the big guns. It was a job that seemed a little too militaristic for Agent Myers.
“That’s a demotion. Why in the world would they do that? Are their heads that far up their asses over there? Stark’s a coward and a moron. We both know that.”
Franks looked around to see who was listening, and for the very first time ever, I think he might have been uncomfortable. “I’m unable to comment on personnel mat—”
“Cram your personnel matters. You unable to comment about what happened in Copper Lake? Or the Arbmunep? Or Lord Machado? Or all the other shit popping up around the world since then? Things are speeding up everywhere and your boss was throwing a fit about it. I know about you stopping something big in California recently.”
Franks scowled, suspicious. “He told you?”
“A little, because as much as me and Myers hate each other, that son of a bitch at least knew what was at stake. We had an understanding. Something’s coming. We can all feel it, and they put fucking Stark in charge? The man spent half a werewolf siege trying to throw children out of a bomb shelter so he could take a spot. What is wrong with you people?”
Franks glanced around again, apparently didn’t see any of his men, then surprisingly, reached into his suit and shut his radio off. “Agent Myers was…opinionated.”
“Dwayne rocked the boat.”
Franks shrugged. “Over my pay grade.”
I couldn’t help myself. “You get paid? I figured you were in this for the perks.”
Franks had a real talent for ignoring me. “Agent Myers had some…disagreements…with the administration. Agent Stark…”
“Is a bootlicking bureaucrat paper shuffler who’ll roll over and do whatever he’s told.”
“I am unable to comment on personnel matters,” Franks said again, but I could’ve sworn that one sounded like a yes . “Agent Stark was cited for valor for stopping an outbreak in Michigan.” It was so very hard to tell when Franks was being sarcastic. “He likes you, Harbinger.” Okay, that time I could tell.
“I bet he does…I’m the one that broke his fat nose. So someone in the government wants their strongest entity for dealing with the supernatural neutered and
“That’ll be the day.” Earl slid in next to me. He had neglected to bring me more snacks. “Why’s that jackass talking?”
“That’s the new MCB director.”
“You’re messing with me…Oh shit, you’re not. Him? ” Earl’s eyes narrowed. “God help us…I should’ve killed that son of a bitch when I had the chance.”
After Director Stark’s incredibly self-aggrandizing speech, we broke for lunch, and the first thing Earl did was track down and corner Agent Franks to get an explanation. I followed along, mostly because I wanted to see what happened when the unstoppable force ran into the immovable object. We found the big agent in the hall outside the main room, frowning at the multitude of passing Hunters, surely bummed that he wasn’t allowed to hit them. “Franks. We need to talk.”
“Harbinger.” Franks didn’t seem surprised to see us. “Pitt.”
“What the hell happened to Myers?”
“I’m unable to comment on personnel matters.” He said the words like they were memorized. I had a sneaky feeling that would be the standard line from any member of the MCB.
“Come on. We both know this is a bad call. I can’t stand Dwayne, but he’s a strategic genius compared to Stark. What did they do with him?”
The wheels turned, but apparently Franks had something to gain by not being a totally uncooperative dick. “Transferred. Agent Myers is over the Special Response Team.” To the best of my knowledge, the MCB’s Special Response Team were the ones that came swooping in with all of the big guns. It was a job that seemed a little too militaristic for Agent Myers.
“That’s a demotion. Why in the world would they do that? Are their heads that far up their asses over there? Stark’s a coward and a moron. We both know that.”
Franks looked around to see who was listening, and for the very first time ever, I think he might have been uncomfortable. “I’m unable to comment on personnel mat—”
“Cram your personnel matters. You unable to comment about what happened in Copper Lake? Or the Arbmunep? Or Lord Machado? Or all the other shit popping up around the world since then? Things are speeding up everywhere and your boss was throwing a fit about it. I know about you stopping something big in California recently.”
Franks scowled, suspicious. “He told you?”
“A little, because as much as me and Myers hate each other, that son of a bitch at least knew what was at stake. We had an understanding. Something’s coming. We can all feel it, and they put fucking Stark in charge? The man spent half a werewolf siege trying to throw children out of a bomb shelter so he could take a spot. What is wrong with you people?”
Franks glanced around again, apparently didn’t see any of his men, then surprisingly, reached into his suit and shut his radio off. “Agent Myers was…opinionated.”
“Dwayne rocked the boat.”
Franks shrugged. “Over my pay grade.”
I couldn’t help myself. “You get paid? I figured you were in this for the perks.”
Franks had a real talent for ignoring me. “Agent Myers had some…disagreements…with the administration. Agent Stark…”
“Is a bootlicking bureaucrat paper shuffler who’ll roll over and do whatever he’s told.”
“I am unable to comment on personnel matters,” Franks said again, but I could’ve sworn that one sounded like a yes . “Agent Stark was cited for valor for stopping an outbreak in Michigan.” It was so very hard to tell when Franks was being sarcastic. “He likes you, Harbinger.” Okay, that time I could tell.
“I bet he does…I’m the one that broke his fat nose. So someone in the government wants their strongest entity for dealing with the supernatural neutered and
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