*Note- This story is part of a series.
1. PsiCATs: Cale
2. PsiCATs: Olivia
3. PsiCATs: Tessa
4. PsiCATs: Wren
5. PsiCATs: Hunter
PsiCATs: Olivia
By: Chrystal Wynd
*****
"Seriously, Major?" I said, looking at the sign on the door. "A personal investigator? You really expect to find a member of your crack psi squad in a P.I.'s office?"
"Cale," said Hunter, gravelly voice rumbling, "there's more to covert action than field work. We're going to need good intel, and I want our own personnel for that. Or would you rather depend on government agencies outside our control?"
His one good eye looked at me questioningly. I looked away, grumbling. He was right. Darn eye-patched boss.
"Wait a minute," I said. "Olivia Trent? Where have I heard that name before?"
"She was a police officer before she became a P.I.," said Hunter, pressing the doorbell. "She was involved in several prominent cases. Too many, actually. She got railroaded out of the force by superiors who didn't like what she could do. So she went civilian, and she still pisses people off. I met her when she was a young cop. Don't underestimate her."
The door buzzed, and we walked in. I identified Olivia easily, as she was the only woman in the room. Brunette, early thirties, solid build. Standing between me and her, however, was a huge slab of meat.
"Stay right there, folks," said the slab of meat. "I have to ask you to keep your hands where I can see them. I will need to frisk you before we go any further."
"Lay one finger on me," I said, "and you'll be carrying your spleen home in your pocket."
There was silence for two heartbeats. Then the woman seated behind the desk laughed. "I don't know who would actually win a fight between Louis and your associate, Major," said Olivia, "but your associate truly believes her own words."
"Well," said Hunter, "she backs it up."
"I'm sure she does," said Olivia. "Let 'em pass, Louis. The Major's vouched for." She leaned back in her chair. "Besides, I'd know if they were here for trouble."
"You sound pretty sure of yourself," I said.
"I'm as good at what I do as you are at what you do, Cale," she said. "Or should I call you Beatrice?"
I narrowed my eyes. "And how do you know my name?" I said. Then I saw it.
She was wired hot.
I looked at Hunter. "She's a fucking mind spook, isn't she?"
Olivia laughed. "The secret to how I found out your secrets is just outside that door, sweet cheeks."
"We were just out there," I said. "There's nothing..."
"...except the sign that says, 'Private Investigator,'" said Olivia. "You know, someone who digs up secrets for a living."
Hunter and Louis stifled their snickering. The third man in the room- Olivia's other bodyguard, a thinly-muscular type with a black beret pulled low over his eyes- remained silent. Special forces, probably.
"So why so much muscle?" said Hunter.
"Louis works for me," said Olivia, nodding toward the huge guy standing next to me. "Someone owed me a favor. Seemed like a good idea, since there's a few people unhappy with me right now. I've even heard Marcus himself has been contracted to hit me." She nodded her head at the quiet one. "Tony there was sent over by Chrystal Heights' finest just before you got here. They want to make sure nothing happens to me before my testimony at a few trials of some importance. Nothing I can talk about, you understand."
"Marcus?" I said.
"Professional problem-solver, of sorts," said Hunter. "You might call him an industrial hitman. One of the best." He looked back to Olivia. "If Marcus is involved, you really should lay low," he said. "Marcus is no one to fool with."
"Not my style," said Olivia. "Besides, Louis and Tony can handle him if he shows up."
I looked back at Olivia. "All right, so you're not a mind spook," I said. "You're still wired hot. What do you do?"
Olivia looked at Hunter. "What's she talking about, Major?"
"Cale can sense ability in others," he said, "though not type or form."
"I see," she said.
"Yes," he said. "Cale's as good at what she does as you are at what you do."
Olivia laughed. "Fair enough," she said. She turned back to me. "I can sense if a person is being truthful or not. If you lie to me, I'll know it. When you walked in and told Louis you'd hurt him if he touched you, you meant it...it wasn't a bluff."
"That's it?" I said. "That's what you do?"
"She's a human lie detector," said Hunter, "a pretty valuable ability for someone gathering intel, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes," I said, grudgingly.
"Also," continued the Major, "she's a dually."
"A what?"
"A dually," he said. "Slang for a dualist...someone with two or more unrelated abilities. You have two known abilities, Cale...your mental shock and your ability to detect ability in others. Also, you have abnormally high mental resistance. That makes you a dualist. Olivia can detect truth or lie, and she's also a precog. That makes her a dually also."
"A precog?" I said.
"It's not exact," said Olivia.
"You mean it's useless," I said.
"It has its moments," said Olivia. "For instance, I can tell you that you'll be eating pussy sometime today. I can't tell you with who or where, however."
"I'm a lesbian," I said, "and I'm sure you already know that, Miss Private Investigator. That hardly qualifies as predicting the future."
Olivia shrugged. "I'm not guessing," she said, "I'm telling you. I'm not accurate a hundred percent of the time, but I'm not far below a hundred, either."
"My average is better," I said. "I kick a hundred percent of the asses that piss me off."
"Really?" said Olivia. "I heard your average was actually just below a hundred percent." She shifted her eyes to Hunter.
I felt my face flush. I was going to kill the bitch.
"Ladies," said Hunter, "can't we all just get along?"
"Sure, Major," said Olivia. "Why don't you tell me why you're here?"
"Two reasons," said the Major. "First...have you heard anything about someone named Charlie?"
Olivia's face darkened.
"I can't tell you anything," she said, "because I don't know who he is. I can tell you, however, that I have had several bad dreams that I never remember, but they always end with the same message."
"What message is that?"
"Charlie is coming," said Olivia.
"That's it?" said the Major.
"That's it," said Olivia. "I don't know anything beyond that. These are the strongest precog dreams I've ever had, though. They're actually...well, scary."
"All right," said the Major. "We'll drop it for now. My second reason for coming here involves you."
"I'm listening."
"We're hearing portents of the coming of this Charlie," said Hunter, "and there's other growing threats to Chrystal Heights as well. You know Bobby Beau escaped several weeks ago?"
"Yeah," said Olivia. "I heard you stopped him, though."
"I did," said Hunter. "It was touch and go, however."
"I'm not surprised," said Olivia. "Bobby is crazy. What does that have to do with me?"
"I'm putting together a team to fight these threats as they appear," said Hunter. "Cale is part of the field team. I want you on my squad."
"Hmmm," said Olivia. "That...is an interesting offer."
Louis spoke for the first time since we had entered. "Pardon my interruptin'," he said, "but camera three just went out."
Hunter eye narrowed. "Camera three?"
"Yeah," said Louis. "The back parking lot."
"I parked back there," said Olivia.
"So did we," said Hunter.
Tony started for the back door.
"Hold on," said Hunter. He looked at Louis. "Whoever took out the camera doesn't want us to know what he's doing back there. How about we go spoil his fun?"
Louis smiled. "I like the way you think, Mr. Hunter," he said. "Why don't we do that very thing?"
"You go out the back door," said Hunter, "and I'm going around from the front." He turned to me. "Cale, you stay here with Olivia. Do not let her out of your sight. Understand?"
"Yes," I said, not happy about playing babysitter.
Louis nodded. "Tony, stay with 'em, okay?" he said.
Tony gave a curt nod, obviously not happy either, but apparently willing to concede to Louis' greater familiarity with the property layout.
They wasted no time after that. Hunter went out the front door, and Louis went down the hall toward a back door, moving surprisingly quickly for such a big guy.
That left me, Olivia and Tony. "All right," I said, moving next to Olivia, "so we can't go outside to play. We can be ready inside in case anything starts." I looked at Tony. "You want the front door or the hall?"