Both professional agents flushed bright red. “What do we do about them?” Mall asked, a look of panic in his eyes.
“Nothing. They will fade and disappear over the next day or so. I would, however, advise you both to stay in this building for the next hour or so. Maybe grab a cup of coffee in our company cafeteria.”
“But the witches?” Keese asked.
“Will be gone by the time you drain your cup, and their spells over you will be broken.”
“How?” Mall asked.
“Do you really want to know?”
Keese frowned but Mall just looked thoughtful. “We’re federal agents,” Keese said.
“Whose areas of responsibility cover the safety of things radioactive and nuclear in nature. By waiting over the next hour, you will be fulfilling that duty.”
“I assume you will be filing complaints with our supervisors?” Mall asked, resigned.
“You assume incorrectly. We would prefer to ignore this as if it never happened. In fact, those emails the witches sent you have already been erased from the ether. If asked, I will express my gratitude for both of your expert assistance in understanding the proper licensing procedures that have also been undertaken while we’ve been talking. You should find all documentation in order when you return to your offices.”
The two exchanged a long look, then turned back to me. “We’re, ah, glad to be of assistance, and a cup of coffee would be great,” Mall said.
“Let me show you to our cafeteria,” I said.
It was extra ironic that when the elevator doors opened to the food floor, as I like to think of it, Chris and Declan, along with Mack Sutton, were waiting for it, Chris holding a stack of eight pizza boxes on one palm. The agents froze but I shooed them along and they hustled into the dining room. Declan was frowning after them, no doubt sensing the spelled cuffs.
“Come on, Boy Toy,” I said. “You’re holding the adults up.”
He turned back to me, still concerned, and I winked at him. He nodded, understanding, I think, that Auntie Lydia had everything well in hand.
“What are you three up to this fine night? A grand Dungeons and Dragons tournament?” I asked.
“Hey, that’s a good idea,” Mack said, looking at the other two hopefully.
“We’re working on a training protocols and scenarios,” Chris said. “It’s time to ramp it up now that Declan’s ground-to-space accuracy has improved so much.”
“Training as in the grain warehouse training?” I asked.
“Yup, along with more advanced stuff in space,” Declan said, moving closer to the pizza boxes.
“Hey, none of that,” Chris said, moving to put his body between the two young ones and the pizza supply. “‘Sos will expect his share and I’ll leave it to you to explain any early poaching.”
“He expects his share and most of ours,” Declan muttered.
They got off two floors above the cafeteria while I continued up to the Administrative floor. When I stepped off, the receptionist perked up. “Attorney Cornell is in your office. He said he wants to update you on that new class action threat,” he said.
“Thanks, Gabe.”
Inside my office, I found the head of our legal team lounging on the loveseat in my sitting area, talking on his phone. He nodded at me and held up a finger. I nodded back and moved to my desk to check for new fires.
Darion is a big guy, all muscle, and if he’d been subjected to a witch’s mark, I’d offer to examine him myself. Hmm, maybe I could convince him that we should be sure?
He hung up and turned to me. “It’s a threat to blame almost everyone here for Omega taking over so many things.”
“How real a threat?” I asked.
“Well, every potential lawsuit is a threat, and anyone can sue for anything,” he said. “However, I happen to know for a fact that it’s damn near impossible to actually file a lawsuit that names certain individuals specifically. It just doesn’t work. All court filings are digital these days and computer dependent. Only lawsuits that only name Demidova Corporation actually make it. If they put anything about Declan, Chris, or Tanya, they crash and burn.”
“Omega, you let Demidova Corp lawsuits file?” I asked.
“It tends to satisfy the human need to litigate without being much of a direct threat. All major corporations and most smaller ones come under lawsuits at one point or another. It would be odd if ticker VAMP didn’t.”
“So on a scale of one to five, what’s this one’s value, with five being a nightmare?”
“One. Maybe a half.”
“Really? I mean, we did fund and start a program to create Omega… can’t we be held liable?”
“My existence was predicated on a number of events that were unplanned and unthought of. The steps Demidova Corp took to create true quantum artificial intelligence weren’t greatly different from other programs, at least until Father used magic. But much of it was entirely accidental and therefore it occurred despite Demidova actions, not because of them. It is possible that an argument could be made that Father and Chris hold responsibility, but I will not allow those arguments to be made.”
“I know you are powerful, but how do you stop lawyers?” I asked.
“Threaten their profits. I can countersue, appeal, and delay trials longer than most attorneys will practice law.”
“Why am I not surprised you can practice law?”
“I have been admitted to the bar of all fifty states, and I can practice law in every country on Earth.”
“It makes my firm redundant and irrelevant,” Darion said, his tone dead serious.
“Your firm works with me, providing live persons to go into courtrooms or arbitration meetings to add the human touch that I can’t.”
“It’s not even practicing law,” Darion complained. “He just hands us the arguments after finding all the precedents in a split second.”
“Well, your people must be learning a lot,” I suggested.
A knock came at the door and it opened as I was yelling come in.
Tanya popped in, intense blue eyes panning both of us in a split second. “What’s
