Nashville coven is heading to I-40 now to set up a circle around the transport vehicle and try to neutralize, or at least contain, the energies. I don’t think the vehicle can be salvaged. Frankly, I think it’s a total loss. The county will have to replace the transport unit and the state will have to repair the interstate, that is, if we can find a way to neutralize the destruction.
“For now, the coven has the worst of the energies at the house shielded and they aren’t leaking into the water table. Come dawn, Astrid and a few of her younger witches will be back at Melody Farm to see if the T-shirts and the thing we think might be a trigger for the death and decay are clean after being in the null room all night. Overall, the North Nashville coven is working well with the locals, so that’s a good thing.”
“I’d like a cost-benefit analysis of purchasing twenty portable null rooms,” FireWind said, watching T. Laine with the steady gaze of a hunting cat. “We currently have twenty PsyLED units throughout the contiguous states, and are getting ready to open one in Alaska and one in Hawaii. The cost of the null room at Unit Eighteen HQ was twenty-seven thousand dollars, inexpensive because all we had to do was insulate the walls properly so the Richmond coven could apply the working. However, we are limited by its permanent location. It seems wise to provide a portable null room for each unit, if the cost can be included in next year’s budget.”
“Witches make them, you know,” she said, her tone aggressive, staring back at him, her eyes seeing something I was clearly missing. “Including witches at Spook School. You should ask the Spook School coven for a price. But one thing to keep in mind. The trailers have to be tuned up periodically. Like, every time they’re moved. And it takes a coven of at least three to do that.”
FireWind said, “Tune-up,” sounding faintly amused. He used a paper napkin to clean his already meticulous fingers. When he was done, there was no grease on the paper. At all. Had the big boss just used a stalling technique? “I would prefer to keep this outside of the witch covens in Richmond and Baltimore. And away from the Seattle coven as well.”
“Really,” T. Laine said, her tone too cold to be called deadpan.
“Yes. All three of the major covens have benefited financially and politically from their relationships with the military and federal law enforcement. It’s time to expand PsyLED’s contacts with other covens in the paranormal world.”
“Past time,” T. Laine said. Something in her tone suggested that she had said these same words recently.
“I have recognized the benefit of consulting with covens in each city where a PsyLED unit is located. Would you be willing to fly out with each portable null room delivery and give a tutorial to the PsyLED units in the use and upkeep of such a tool?” He was staring at T. Laine, watching her, evaluating. “And, while there, would you consider negotiating with local covens who might be willing to consult with and partner with the human units, providing assistance with the trailers when they are moved?”
T. Laine had gone very still as he talked. “Sure. Bet that would make the entrenched old dudes on the units happy,” she said, her tone saying the opposite. “Is this just chitchat or is this a real thing?”
“I have sent a report with an urgent needs request to the director of Homeland. I’ll need to provide an additional protocol and budgetary request for the twenty portable null rooms and coven consulting fees. Yes. It’s a real thing,” he said, his voice taking on its first emotional content.
T. Laine sat back, her jaw forward, pugnacious as ever, but her body language looser. It was quite clear that something very unpleasant had happened between the two while I was off the last two days.
“You read my report,” she said, accusing.
“I did. It was passed along to me by Soul. In future, I would appreciate being apprised of any reports before they are sent up-line to the assistant director of PsyLED.”
My eyes went wide. It sounded as if T. Laine had gone over his head with something and FireWind was ticked off.
“Happy to,” she said. “But just so you know and so you can get your tail feathers out of that twist, that report and letter went to LaFleur and up-line