Chapter 20: Shadows of the Network

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The snow drifted deep outside Ravenshollow House, blanketing the town in an illusory peace. Inside, the light from the living room felt a fragile screen against the weight of my grandmother's letter and the task it had assigned us. The finding of six other New England supernatural binding sites had been a frightening prospect, but first on everyone's mind was the sudden appearance of the federal agents and the stranger from the Department of Extraordinary Events. Their presence meant that our endeavor was no longer a private affair—it had caught the attention of authorities beyond Ravenshollow.

Patricia filled us in on what was happening in the living room. "They arrived yesterday morning, inquiring about the children, the home, and your activities in Salem," she whispered, not wanting to scare the children remaining in the kitchen. "The FBI agents are investigating the missing children cases, particularly Lucy's, and they're looking into why so many children have been sent here. The ones in Health and Human Services are concerned about the 'unconventional treatment setting.' But the guy in the Department of Unusual Events—is he the one who scares me. He didn't say much, just sat and listened, but I believe he knows more about this house than he's letting on."

James's jaw worked. "Who is he?"

"Agent Daniel Warrick," Patricia replied, glancing at a notebook where she'd jotted down details. "Mid-forties, sharp suit, sharper eyes. He asked about you specifically, Elena, and mentioned something about 'anomalous activity patterns' in Ravenshollow going back decades."

I exchanged a look with James. The mention of "anomalous activity" was too precise to be coincidence. This Warrick understood something about the supernatural compuctions, or at least had an inkling that they might be real. Whether he was friend, threat, or somewhere in between, though, remained to be determined.

"We need to know what he's seeking," I said to him. "If the government is snooping, it will complicate our plans at the other sites. We don't want federal agents in our hair while dealing with players like in Salem."

Emma, who had been quietly seated on the couch, said something. "What if they don't come to stop us? What if they're here to help us? Or... use us?"

My words were echoed in hers. A government agency aware of supernatural bindings was both fascinating and terrifying. If they were aware of the Voss and Blackwood legacies, they may see us as resources—or liabilities to be imprisoned.

"We'll talk to them," James replied, his detective instincts kicking in. "But we do it tactfully. No mention of the bindings, the Hollow Man, or Salem unless they bring it up first. We're simply a therapeutic community for traumatized kids, nothing special."

Lucy, who had been unusually quiet, tugged on my jacket. "Elena, I dreamed last night. About a man in a suit, standing in a room full of files that went up to the ceiling. He was reading one with your name on it, and there was a map with red pins in places I don't know."

My stomach tightened. "Did you see anything else?"

"There was something behind him. Not a man, not the Hollow Man, but... something waiting. It wasn't happy he was there."

James and I looked at each other again. Lucy's visions were never just visions—they were photographs of the otherworldly currents that flowed beneath reality. If this Agent Warrick was being watched by something more than the ordinary, he might be in as much danger as we were.

"We'll go investigate this right now," I decided. "Patricia, do you mind looking after the children? I don't want them listening in to something that will scare them."

She nodded and was already heading across the room to herd the children together for a spontaneous arts project. Emma, Lucy, and Tommy lingered, their faces indicating they wanted to be part of whatever was happening.

"You three wait with Patricia for now," I told them firmly. "We'll fill you in later, I promise."

Emma frowned but didn't argue. "Just be careful, Elena. Adults who show up out of the blue usually have an agenda."

Trailing the others to the kitchen, I experienced a surge of pride and worry. These kids had survived horrors most adults couldn't even imagine, and their radar for detection was superior to most. If Emma was uneasy, I had to trust that gut reaction.

James and I entered the study, where the agents stood. The room felt altered with strangers inside—less our refuge and more a battlefield. Two FBI agents stood at the window, their suits fresh but their positions tense, as if ready for a fight. The woman from Health and Human Services sat at the desk, flipping through a file with a skeptical expression. And then there was Agent Warrick, lounging against a bookshelf with a loose attitude, his sharp gray eyes taking in every detail of the room—and us.

"Dr. Voss, Detective Blackwood," Warrick said, his voice even but with a touch of command. "I'm Agent Daniel Warrick, Department of Extraordinary Events. These are Agents Carter and Nguyen from the FBI, and Ms. Helen Travers from Health and Human Services. We appreciate you taking the time to see us."

I smiled, my expression not showing. "What do you have here?"