Chapter 161 – Influx

“So, my friend over in anchoring said that these new teams are clearing medium rifts in less than a day. Even large ones take less than 24 hours. The freaky part is that they are all new teams under some daemon or something.” – Agent talking to his team in medical bay while recovering from rift run injuries.

“Sir, the CSIS has reported that a team from the DSGE has landed in Toronto and seems to be setting up for something.” Robert Leeds said to the gathered leadership of MI6. “It appears that they are after someone in America.”

Simon Frish, the current director of the international interdictions branch of the organization, looked up from the presentation on his laptop screen. “Do we have any details?”

Robert shook his head. “Best we have, thus far, is that the target is in Michigan and they brought some serious magical tools with them.”

“Hmm, Michigan. Is that the state that looks like a glove or something?”

“A mitten sir, yes.”

Simon looked over to the other side of the table, making eye contact with the head of what he called the ‘Snatch & Grab’ group. “Erica, what do you think? Is this something we should be concerned about?”

Erica Hammond chewed at her lip for a moment while reviewing the condensed information in the presentation. “Perhaps. I think we can at least be safe by sending a team over to Toronto, so they are close. We can cover it by saying it’s a joint training with the RCMP.”

“I have concerns about the magical part of this.” Robert said, interjecting before they could make any more commitments. “We don’t really know what is going on but getting into a mage fight sounds like a terrible idea with our current lack of… ah, manpower in that department.” He should be concerned, magical talent acquisition was under his bailiwick after all.

“We have nullification devices though.” Erica countered. “Those should level the playing field.”

“Mmmm, perhaps.” Simon sat back in his chair and rubbed at the scar on his cheek, a nervous habit he had since he acquired it while in the SAS. “How big of a team can we reasonably get into the country unnoticed?”

“If we stagger it and have them loiter, we could probably do twenty-something people over several crossings.” Erica answered after studying the map. “We can send some across multiple crossing points, so they are less conspicuous.”

“Extraction? Both hot and cold.”

“Well, we could push for a local airport but that has a risk of air intercept.” Erica said and looked to her second in command, Adam. “What do you think?”

Adam had projected a map of the northern united states and highlighted the border crossings. “Assuming we can get the Canadians to cooperate and cover for us, we could exfil by cars. Perhaps doing a couple changes along the dual carriageways. That would help with tracking. We wouldn’t want to implicate a consulate if we can help it and the closest one to there is in Chicago.”

He continued after a few moments to consider. “If it is a cold extraction then we can use a local airport. We could also just drive back the leisurely way and have someone at border control wave us through. We would need a wave either way but one would cause less of a fuss.”

“Is anyone worried at all about the FBI or CIA? Homeland Security? Anyone?” Robert asked, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice. These people were all too greedy for his tastes and were snatching anything they could get their hands on after the veil broke.

“No, their agencies barely work together in the best of times.” Adam answered immediately.

“What if the target is a person who fights back?” Rob insisted, trying to be the voice of reason though it probably came across as wargaming.

“What can someone do against a snatch team with nullifying arrays? They render any magic pretty much useless, and guns take care of the rest.” Erica sounded very confident in her division and their newly enhanced capabilities. “But, if it makes you feel better, we can bring those two angels we have on contract.”

Seeing everyone else in the room nodding along, Robert just sighed and sat back, clearly accepting defeat. Still, the decision came down to Simon, as this level of operation would need the director to sign off, even if it was unofficial.

“Do it.” Simon said after a few moments to consider. “If the frogs want this guy bad enough to send teams, then we definitely want him too. At the very least, we will make sure nobody else can have him. Understood?”

Robert stifled a groan and mumbled his ascent with the rest of the gathered people. He then cleaned up his spot at the table and began walking back to his office in the intelligence section of the basement while everyone else began the climb back to the upper offices. He just hoped that this wouldn’t end with them all being fired… or worse.

*****

Kurt stepped back through the rift and into his hub to see a familiar sight. Just on the other side of the doorway was Penny, sitting behind her desk and working at her computer. The less familiar sight was Jay also sitting at the desk while reading on his tablet. The very unfamiliar sight was a human standing near the door and holding a briefcase, looking very uncomfortable.

“Oh good, you’re done.” The demon drawled as he stowed his tablet and stood up. “Any issues? We lost the camera feeds for a minute there.”

“Nope, all good, just creepy monsters this time.” Kurt said and handed a bag with the broken core to Penny. “It was good practice for us though since they were so weak.”

“Good, good.” Jay said absently as he gestured to the man with the briefcase who opened it and pulled out a stack of papers.

“Sign on the highlighted sections please.” He then handed the papers to Kurt and moved out of the way as the rest of the team streamed out of the portal room and toward the house.

“What’s this?” Kurt asked as he began reading. “Permanent annexation of established…”

“This is part of the settlement we got you for the whole FBI debacle.” Jay answered. “You would have had it sooner but apparently your government had to have a lot of meetings and multi-level sign off… anyway. All that state land back there is now yours. Map is at the end if you want to take a look.”

Kurt immediately flipped to the last page and found a map with his current property line, which included the farm, outlined in green. Then there was a yellow line showing what he would be gaining.

The yellow line ran along the road that his house was on, going north and south to the nearest crossroad in each direction. It then ran along those roads, through the state land and all the way over to a nature reserve and state park where it ended.

His new property would encompass thousands of acres with each border running for dozens of miles. Most of it was completely uninhabited woodlands with streams and rolling hills but it was still a massive amount of land that was now his.

“How did this happen?” he asked in wonder after signing and returning to study the map.

“Well, it’s pretty much a reservation. Or that’s how the government will see it. This isn’t United States territory anymore and is your own sovereign nation.” Jay explained as he took the signed papers and handed them to the strange man standing next to the desk who notarized them and sealed them in a manilla envelope.

“Who is that?” Kurt finally asked now that the man had done more than stand in the corner.

Jay shrugged. “Government representative to notarize the transfer. Had to be official and all.”

The man nodded and put the packet of papers in his briefcase. “Indeed. Congratulations on your annexation of territory mister Rosk. I will take my leave.” He then turned and made for the door.

“Ah-ah. Remember that the only thing you saw was Mister Rosk and a desk. That contract you signed has some steep consequences if you decide to share more than that.”

The agent’s face paled and he returned a shaky nod before hurriedly exiting. Jay looked back to Kurt and waited until he heard a car start and the crunch of gravel. “I just made sure that he will suffer for blabbing. I told him that there was a soul contract in place that would damn him for all eternity if he shared any secrets about this place.”

“You can do that?” Kurt asked, impressed that such a thing was possible now that he had some additional context about souls and how they can be bound.

“Gods, no.” Jay laughed. “But he doesn’t know that and he didn’t even see anything anyway since I put a glamor on him.”

“And this is it?” Kurt asked, looking at the packet in his hand. “No trials or testimony?”

Jay raised his eyebrows. “Did you want this to go to a trial? We got the impression that you didn’t and would prefer to not deal with it. As far as testimony, everything was recorded. Video and audio can be damning to a legal defense.”

“Well… no.” Kurt admitted. “I just kinda thought they would fight it more.”

“Kurt, this settlement won’t even be public information.” Jay said, leaning on the desk. “This was all handled at a special congressional committee, convened just for this. They want those records sealed for as long as possible because it is a matter of national security when they are in breach of our contract.

“We sent our legal vampires to extract concessions from them as well as compensation because they did damage to you, the Order and the paranormal community as a whole.” Jay finished.

Kurt raised his eyebrows. “Legal vampires?”

“Yeah, we have a few vamps on the legal team. It helps to scare the normies.” Jay smirked. “Really brings that stereotype full circle.”

Looking at the documents in his hand Kurt thought of a question. “And this is all we got for them breaching a contract and shooting me?”

Jay shook his head. “We also forced them to repeal all the anti-paranormal laws. They pushed for the supreme court to strike them down, so they saved face. That’s how the realm bridge reopened, remember? I told you that the Order would be using this to push their agenda too. You getting this sizeable chunk of land was an easy ask after that to offset the ‘personal damages’ you suffered.”

“Then that’s it? Nothing else coming from it?” Kurt wasn’t sure if this was a letdown or not. He wasn’t sure what he had expected but this was a little… underwhelming.

“Look, Kurt.” Jay adopted a softer tone. “At the end of the day, you are completely fine, no lasting damage. If this had gone to court, public or not, you would not have gotten that much in damages with public opinion being what it is. Handling this out-of-court was the best outcome.

“Now, if the feds or anyone else tries anything, we can take even more. It is easier to add to a previous settlement than to get a new one. This is a legal win for you, the Order and every supernatural person living in the US. It sets a precedent that we can and will use in the future. We are playing a long game here and this was a great way to start it.” Jay finished.

Kurt nodded. “Yeah, I get it. But why land? For me I mean.”

“Because money really lost its value for you. Currently, you have enough to acquire whatever you want and can get things they can’t give you.” Jay answered. “Also, I have a feeling that you will come to appreciate the extra space with your whole Lupus Rex thing you got going on.”

Sighing explosively, Kurt nodded. “Fair enough. It’s not like I am going to turn down land, even if I don’t have a use for it. Speaking of, I am going to go get cleaned up. I have to show Alec around the farm today.” Kurt said and made for the breezeway to the house.

“Have fun.” Jay called. “Tell the packs I said hi.” And with that he vanished through the portal to the Order.

Kurt just waved over his shoulder. He was still a little shocked by the results of the settlement and the parting comment reminded him that Ra had moved his pack into the farm, or rather under the farm, without telling him. It was something he was debating on if he would make a fuss over or not.

He would just have to see how they had set things up under the old barn. If they were living in squalor, he would have to intervene. He was thinking it might be the case since it had only been a couple weeks since even Jade had moved in.

His thoughts were interrupted as he made his way into the house as Jade was on her way out the door. He quickly filled her in on the timeframe that he would be stopping by before she left, that way they could at least clean up if needed.

After the pack left, the girls had a quick huddle, and it was decided that Rindi would use the shower first and that they would make a quick lunch. The plan was for them to swap before heading over to the farm to meet Alec.

“I’m going to go toss clothes in the laundry.” Kurt said after Rindi had left for the bathroom. “I am hoping this blood doesn’t stain.” He gestured to his boots that had a distinct fluorescent yellow hue over the normal brown color. He hadn’t managed to enchant them like the uniforms yet and regretted it.

“Can you toss the boots in the wash basin?” Val asked. “Let’s see if the blood comes off with just water or if we need to try more drastic options.” She and Kristi both stripped down to their underwear before summoning pajamas to cover up.

“Sure thing.” Kurt said and made his way for the utility room.

He saw Rindi enter the bathroom and thought she might want her clothes washed too, so he detoured after dropping the girl’s stuff in the washer. Kurt knocked on the bathroom door before calling out. “Hey Rindi, can I grab your clothes from the rift for the wash?”

Rindi’s voice could only just be heard over the sound of the shower. “Oh, umm. Yeah that- damn it.“ She cut off with the sound of things clattering to the ground.

Kurt cracked the door and averted his eyes from the mirror to the countertop. “You ok?”

“Yes, it’s just hard to navigate-”

“Hey!” Kurt cried as Val suddenly slipped under his arm and pushed her way into the bathroom.

“Val!” Rindi also exclaimed in a slightly too high voice. “What are-“

“OH, you poor thing.” Val said as she stood in the middle of the bathroom. “You can barely fit.” She then scooped up the clothes Rindi had left on the floor then shoved the pile into Kurt’s arms. “Go on, I got this.”

Kurt let himself be pushed out into the hall and thought he heard Val saying something about helping pick up. He just shook his head at the antics and dropped all the clothes in the wash before going back to the kitchen.

“What’s her deal now?” Kurt asked Kristi as she made a very meaty sandwich.

“No idea. She said something about ‘sensing a disturbance in the force’ before she bolted down the hall.” Kristi replied. “I try not to get too caught up in her antics.”

“Yeah well, sometimes those antics catch us anyway.” He grumbled while making his own sandwich.

Val popped back in a minute later and plopped down on one of the stools at the counter.  “We might need to remodel the upstairs bathroom.”

“What, why?” Kurt was surprised at the idea. He rather liked his bathroom and didn’t want to change it.

“Well, for starters it was built for people of normal human proportions.” Val said in a leading tone.

Krisit snapped her fingers. “And Rindi doesn’t fit.”

“Bingo.” Val made finger guns back at her and got an eyeroll for her efforts.

Kurt sighed as he took a seat next to Val while Kristi piled in on his other side. “And what exactly did you have in mind?”

“Glad you asked.” Val said with way too big of a smile as she pulled out a tablet and opened an app. “I had already thought of this eventuality after our… previous escapades in the shower.”

“Not to mention the fucking.” Kristi muttered under her breath.

Kurt snorted but took the tablet and looked it over. Val had definitely been busy with the design that she had come up with and even got the measurements exact, as best as he could figure.

Val’s design had really only changed one item, the bathtub. Her plan was to remove the large soaking tub and instead fill that space with two things. The first was a built-in cabinet that she had labelled ‘towels & accessories’, whatever accessories meant. The second thing was to expand the shower stall and move the door while making it larger.

The renovation would really only add a couple feet of length but would allow for a much larger sliding door. She had also changed the bench to an L-shape, making plenty of room for several people to sit or perhaps two to lay on it if they got creative with leg room. She even detailed where the ‘rock’ would go after the update.

“This is a pretty big reno.” Kurt muttered around a mouthful of tuna sandwich. “Do we really need that much space?”

“Well, we never really use the tub anymore, barely at all since I moved in.” Val reasoned. “Also, we know Rindi likes to be in her quadrupedal form and this would give her a lot more room. This was the other design to expand that space.” She flicked to the next tab in her design program.

Kurt winced. The layout was essentially redesigning the bathroom completely to put the shower at the far end and moving the toilet. Kurt didn’t exactly like the idea of moving the throne closer to the door and right across from the sinks, so he chose the first option.

“I am fine with changing things since all I will have to do is a little tile work and getting some new glass. It would probably take a few days if we can all put in the work.” Kurt began making a mental list of things he would need. “Then we can get another shower bench made that fits the longer area.”

“We could use the downstairs shower now that it is finished.” Kristi offered. “That way we don’t have to rush if we get stuck on one part.”

Rindi wandered in shortly after, her hair slightly damp while her fur was looking very sleek and shiny. “What are you talking about?”

“Just doing another renovation.” Val answered with a smile. “Making the bathroom more livable for all of us.” Kurt thought he caught a little extra inflection on the words ‘all of us’ but Rindi pressed on before he could decipher it more.

“You don’t have to do anything on my account.” She waved her hands like she was warding off a pushy salesman. “I can make do by shifting between forms.”

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t have to make do, it should just work.” Val insisted. “Besides, we all like to sit in there and relax sometimes and it’s a little cramped as it is.”

Rindi still looked unsure, but Val gave her a winning smile before hopping up from her stool. “Well, our turn. Eat up, Rindi.”

*****

An hour later the team was driving up the road from Kurt’s house to the farm so they could have a look around before Alec showed up. They were enjoying the warmer spring weather and even had the windows down while they made the trip.

Kurt pulled into the drive and had to stop after passing the tree line along the road once he had a look at the property. Everything was mostly how it had been before with the exception of a lot of cars parked on a gravel pad off to one side of the barn.

“What the hell is going on here?” Kurt wondered aloud as he pulled up along the circle drive and stopped in front of the house. “Where did all these cars come from?”

It looked like he would be getting an answer sooner than expected as both Ra and Jade came down the steps from the front door. They bowed as Kurt and the girls piled out of the car.

“Greetings, sire.” Ra said as he rose from his bow.

“Hey, hi. What’s with all the cars?” Kurt pointed to the fleet of nearly twenty vehicles that were split between vans and pickup trucks. All of which seemed to be newer models and in great condition. Almost like they were brand new. There were a couple of older cars off to one side but the majority were new looking.

“Sire, when the packs all came together, we decided to standardize on vehicles.” Jade answered.

“And why did you need twenty trucks and vans?”

“Well, when Justin came to-“ Jade was cut off as Kurt seized on that information.

“Justin is here too?” He asked incredulously, glancing to Kristi and Val who shrugged.

Jade and Ra both nodded. “Indeed.” He said. “They are moving in as we speak.”

“Everyone decided to just pool most of their money for the construction and having community equipment while keeping a small portion for personal expenses.” Jade gave some context.

“That’s some fucking hippie commie shit.” Kurt swore and crossed his arms over his chest. He did a quick turn around and saw that everything seemed to be very well taken care of. Even the bits of the house were cleaned up and the broken shutters repaired after several years of neglect from the older couple.

“Is that an issue, sire?” Jade hesitatingly asked.

Kurt sighed and pinched at the bridge of his nose. “No, I guess its fine. If that’s how you want to do things then that’s how you do things. I would have really liked the heads up, though.”

“Our apologies, Sire. We will inform you of any additions to our packs in the future.” Ra said, once again bowing low.

“Yes, I promise you will be informed first from here on out.” Jade added. “Would you like a tour before your friend arrives?” Both the alphas looked like they would have their ears and tails drooping if they were in their werewolf forms.

“Alright, show me around.” Kurt said and they began with the tour of the house. It was much as he remembered from the last time he had been there. The only real difference was the furniture was changed and the pictures were gone but it was still a large and mostly empty house.

Kurt figures that Alec and Na’ would like to live in the master suite at the end of the main floor hall. The only other tenants were a couple wolves that lived there to keep the place clean and running while taking the smaller rooms on the second story. Overall, nothing to complain about but there was still the rest of the property.

“Alright, let’s see this bunker.” Kurt said as they walked past the parking area that Jade promised would soon be covered with car ports.

“We are calling it the Den.” Ra said as he led the way to the barn.

“Like a wolf’s den?” Val asked.

“Exactly right.”

Kurt suppressed his sigh at the naming convention, following behind Ra and Jade. They led him to a side door to the barn which opened into a small entry way. There was a set of stairs leading down that looked rather new and another door that led further into the barn itself.

They proceeded down the stairs and Kurt noticed that the steps continued on past the first basement level. “What’s down there?”

“Mechanical mostly.” Jade answered. “We also needed a sump area and there is some storage.”

“What kind of mechanical?” Kristi asked as they walked through a rathe nondescript entrance off the first basement landing.

“Ventilation and waste septic are the main ones but there are also the pumps for the heat exchanger and water heaters.” Ra answered while holding the door open. “It’s geothermal heating with a forced air return to bring it up to a comfortable temperature and humidity.”

Kurt was about to ask how they managed that in the short time since they had moved in but the words died on his tongue when he saw the inside. They stepped into a large open area that looked like a large mudroom with several closets along both walls. The floors were a polished tile, and the drop ceilings were ten feet overhead.

The space then opened into a large communal area with several seating areas and a couple large alcoves that had TVs and couches within. Across from those was a dining area with several large tables next to an open kitchen that was filled with a host of modern appliances.

Further back Kurt could see a couple hallways leading deeper into the underground complex and to what he suspected were rooms and showers. He turned to a very smug looking Jade as his eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Welcome to the Den, sire. Let me show you around.” She said and began walking him through the open areas and then down the halls in the back.

Kurt was pleased to see that the rooms were rather large, and each one had its own bathroom along with ample space in the room for their single occupants. It reminded him of a barracks room but with nicer furniture and bigger beds. All in, the Den could comfortably house sixty people before they would have to double up in the rooms.

“As you can see, we even have room for the upcoming expansion.” Jade said after completing the loop around the back halls. “And that’s before we expand onto the rest of the property or build additional housing. I could see a whole neighborhood up there in one of the empty fields.

Caught up in what he was seeing, Kurt answered reflexively “I mean, sure if you rea- wait. Upcoming expansion?”