Priceless

case, there was literally no evidence there had even been a kidnapping other than the fact there was a child missing. No footprints, cloth samples, or eye witnesses to be found, despite the fact she went missing at sunset, just before dark, under her own mother’s care at a busy park. It was exactly like Berget.
    Like being transported back in time, I could see my sister on the swing, laughing and squealing, the fading sun turning her hair into a golden nimbus around her head. I was lying on my back, reading my book, glancing up from time to time. Between one pump of her little legs and the next, she was snatched. I closed my eyes against the guilt and pain swelling through me. I wouldn’t let India face the same fate as Berget.
    Pushing the memories aside, I thought about the case I was working now. I was definitely going to need some outside help on this one. With Milly out, the closest shaman with any actual ability was in New Mexico. A bit of a drive, but I really had no other choice in the matter.
    “You think you can find this kid, even though it’s the same as your sister’s case?”
    Kyle’s question caught me off guard. “Yes, I can find her.” I had to believe it. Giselle told me there was time. Scanning the screen, I read through her case. Not a single hint as to what had taken her. Nothing. Yet, if it was truly the same as Berget, I had an idea of what it might be, though not who. Why would the FBI be brought in? Just because there was money involved? Was there a slew of kidnappings going on? A chill ran down my spine. Or maybe there was another reason entirely; maybe they were starting to wonder about the crimes that couldn’t be solved, the ones that were impossible unless supernatural reasons were taken into account. Not that they thought like that.
    I pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills and laid five on the table, Kyle’s usual fee. I laid another ten on top, almost half of my deposit from India’s parents. “Can you get me into the FBI’s files?”
    Kyle stared at the money, and looked up at me. “Maybe, yeah, I could. But what do they have to do with this? I can’t go hacking the FBI just because you want me to.”
    I leaned forward, my hands going to either side of him and effectively pinning him up against his desk. Kyle’s eyes widened and not in a good way.
    “I always have a good reason, kid. That doesn’t mean I can always tell you. You don’t get to know everything just because you’re my hacker.” I was always good at the bitch eyes—you know, the drop-dead and leave me alone eyes that every girl acquires at some point or another—and today was no exception. The air crackled between us and I shifted my body so he got a glimpse of one of the blades on my hip.
    He nodded and turned around, completely silent. I felt like an absolute bully, but that didn’t mean I’d apologize. I would make up for it another time. Maybe bring him a new video game.
    It took Kyle close to ten minutes and some serious typing to get into the FBI files, but he cracked the codes. “You’re only going to have a few minutes to find what you’re looking for before I get traced.” His voice was all business now.
    He gave me his seat. And I started searching, hoping my proximity to the computer wouldn’t crash it. Today was my lucky day. There was a file under India’s name, and one under Berget’s. A large file under my own that I scanned quickly, but there was no mention of supernatural abilities.
    “You’ve got two minutes left,” Kyle said from behind me.
    “Okay, I’m almost there,” I said
    I did a search for ‘supernatural,’ and then ‘unexplained,’ with no results. “What’s another word for unexplainable or magic?” I muttered to myself.
    “Arcane.” Kyle grumbled at me. He was still pouting from being told to butt out.
    I typed in the word and the computer screen flashed before taking me to a section I hoped I would never see. The Arcane division of the FBI.

~7~
    “Y ou have got to be freaking kidding me!” Kyle exclaimed over my shoulder.
    “Damn it, kid, don’t you ever listen?” I snapped. “Forget it, just print this off, or save it for me, or do whatever you can in the last bit of time you have.”
    Kyle sat and the printer started up. “I’ve printed the entire section for you, but it’s over three hundred pages long so it’s going to take a while.”
    “How long’s ‘a while’ and are you going to have enough paper?” I sat back in the