I relearned how to breathe thanks to Dad and Pop’s timely arrival. Pop took charge and ensured that we could apprehend Amy One. We didn’t learn very much, and whatever had caused that explosion was certainly going to put the town into a panic. A car bomb? Who does that?


    Mom doubled over; her face flushed with exhaustion. Everything had spiraled out of control. We were out of immediate danger, but we weren’t in the clear. Dad and Pop sped away and I figured Mom was counting the seconds in the hopes that there were no sirens to spin the situation into a highspeed chase. I didn’t hear any sirens, and I wasn’t sure if Tony had caused any distraction. Whether he had or not, the police were going to regain their footing, and it wasn’t going to take long for them to make their way to the back. It was time for us to clear the area, and fast. The only small obstacle was to work our way around the far side of the store and offer a convincing story as to why we were back behind the line of stores to begin with.


    “We’ll use the badges as a last resort,” Mom said, “we’re back here because we were hoping to find a recycling dumpster or something.”


    I wiped the sweat from my forehead. “Not the best story, but there are weirder-”


    A noise hit my ears, and I tensed, worried that I was about to hear, “Freeze! Or get your hands up.”


    Instead, after the clinking of some glass the rustling of some boxes, and the crunching of weeds, I heard a voice say, “Here, kitty!”


    Mom and I exchanged glances, and then we found the source of the sound. There beside a dumpster sat a pet carrier, and sitting in a crouch was Melanie Black gently stroking a cat, and she looked eager to gently coax it to get inside the carrier.


    “Has she been hunting for stray cats?” I whispered.


    “I think it’s something else,” Mom replied. “Ah! I should have realized it sooner.”


    “Oh,” I said, making the connection. “I get it. Mom, follow my lead. I have an idea.”


    I pulled out my badge, but Mom grabbed my wrist. “Emma, she’s a witch.”


    “I know,” I said, and Mom released my hand. “This will work, trust me. It was now or never.”


    “Melanie Black.”


    I held up the badge, and she glanced in my direction. The cat in her arms hissed at me. Not something unexpected, but it was a reaction I was actually happy to see. The cat recoiled into Melanie’s elbow, who pulled the animal tighter in a defensive manner. Melanie was an activist first, and a witch second. She was here looking out for stray animals and it seemed logical that her immediate reaction would be to soothe the wayward animal instead of engaging her abilities to question my legitimacy.


    I cleared my throat. “I''m a M.A.G.E/C.O.V.E.N liaison tasked to protect the wild and untethered familiars.”


    Witches have a thing for cats, and I knew there were situations that other Fosters had written about involving witches and their familiars. I didn’t quite understand the lore, and the name sounded ridiculous in my head; M.A.G.E and C.O.V.E.N were not known to get along. Yet, surprisingly, Mel pursed her lips and kept her expression blank, which told me that while the name might sound bogus, the alleged idea behind it was something. I masked my surprise and from the corner of my eye, I could see Mom had recognized it as well. If the name meant something to hear, we had an opening, but it was a narrow one. The police would come around the corner, and Melanie wouldn’t be eager to stick around.


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    “Congratulations!” Melanie spat sarcastically. “All it takes is the world to nearly come to an end and now you spooks are paying attention.”


    “Lasting progress takes time,” Mom said with some reproach. “You, of all people, should know that we can’t rush things. Otherwise, we just end up in trouble and have to start over.”


    “So then why talk to me?” Melanie asked in a demanding tone. “Are you annoyed that I''m doing your job, or have you decided they''re better Then oh? What''s the phrase? These are obnoxious murder muffins.”


    Obnoxious murder muffins? I actually felt stunned by that. People have a love-hate relationship with cats, but I thought I coined that name, and I had done so due to the unrelenting interest cats had taken to my ankles.


    Melanie stared down her nose at me and continued in a huff. I assumed my reaction was visible on my face.  “I can see it in your face. You have your title, position, office, and badge, but all you do is the necessary paperwork, and make everything look good on a pie chart. But nobody cares what''s going on in the streets or behind stores. No one knows that more things could be done for these miserable and misunderstood creatures.”


    Melanie looked down at the cat and puckered her lips. When she clicked her tongue, I refrained from rolling my eyes and maintained what I hoped was a professional. And official body language, vocal tone, and overall persona to hopefully keep the distraction enforcement active. I didn''t know if it would affect her. Occasionally, I admit people with magical abilities, but no one on the level of a Coven witch. Even a mediocre one.


    “I''m sorry. Are we talking about familiars or magical creatures?”


    Cats were stereotypical animals for witches to take care of. However, the interest had turned more mainstream and modern over the past several decades. Melanie scoffed at my comment. And pulled the cat closer to her chest.


    “Both, it seems like,” Melanie countered. “No one cares about what familiars did for us. Today, so many idiots just love to dress them up to take pictures or make stupid videos. Did you know that many creatures still live in dismal squalor because they can''t integrate into society as the other beings have done? Everyone has their uses, as long as they''re not abused by certain people.”


    Mom put a hand on my shoulder, indicating to me that I needed to take charge and steer the conversation. I gave a small nod in acknowledgment. Melanie had a score to settle and she hadn’t questioned my badge, but she might if she perceived Mom to have the malicion.


    Melanie gingerly helped the cat inside the carrier, who purred and settled in on a soft blanket. “I’m surprised you’re so speechless. Cat got your tongue?”


    She was dancing close to hostility. Her eyes moved to Mom. We needed to placate her if we were going to get anywhere. I had to be careful because she already had a sour attitude towards authority, and now my face fictionally represented what she hated. I didn''t want to sound overly empathetic, but I needed to garner a little trust if we would get any information.


    “You are right; things aren''t perfect, and while I’m not the best at my job, I’m at least trying to do it. I know it’s a challenge, but you can make things worse because not everyone is your enemy, for example. I know you were in the area when the Main Street businesses were attacked. Are you aware of anyone who might have done that?”


    “Of course, I figured that would be coming up. Why wouldn’t an activist give the finger to the agents hiding in plain sight” Melanie rolled her eyes and rolled her shoulders. At that moment, I could tell she was fatigued and probably hadn''t slept well in the past several days.


    “No, it wasn’t me or anyone involved with my movements,” Melanie said, and she actually smiled as she reflected on some past event. “The Main Street strike, that’s what C.O.V.E.N refers to it. They were ready to smash heads together when they realized there was the slightest change Suzy was in town. They were idiots for not dealing with her years ago.”


    Suzy? And remember the name from my chat with Bianca. At that moment, Melanie assumed A grim expression and pulled a few steps away from me.


    “Yeah, you better believe it, and trust me when I say that you might be way over your head.” Melanie secured the cat in the carrier and then picked it up. “The attacks were swift and packed a punch. That is something Suzy is known for if she is angry, and I mean really angry. If your investigation has to take you anywhere close to the Main Street attacks. If I were you, I''d pack up and ask for a different assignment.” Melanie turned to leave, crunching some dirt beneath her shoe. “Nothing good ever happens when you have to cross paths with a dark witch like Suzy Sourblood.”