Shape of Things to come

Shape of Things to Come

Part 2:Times they are changing

Chapter 12

Let me speak, sir,
For heaven now bids me; and the words I utter
Let none think flattery, for they'll find 'em truth.
..........(Henry VII Scene 5 William Shakespeare )

Since Tempus became the Source of all Evil, part of his strategy was to claim the souls of mortals who had made Faustian pacts by sending them into battles with witches, then have demons kill them during the fighting. It was win/win for Evil as witches were left explaining to police and other agencies how the mortal bodies got to be dead and Evil collected their souls. Good suspected but could never prove that many lost souls targeted this way were ones who were having second thoughts about their deals with Evil. Generally, the easiest solution was for the whitelighters to fix the scene so that the witches had deniability of ever being there. Over recent years, however, technological advances made it that much harder for witches to deny their presence in difficult situations. As so many places recorded everyday happenings it became difficult for whitelighters to delete all evidence of magic confrontations and Elders usually opted to let the mortal law follow its course, rather than expose magic.

Over ten years earlier a distraught whitelighter had a witch charge caught in just such a situation, and she was facing a prosecution determined to convict, in a country where innocence had to be proven, not guilt. In a casual conversation, her whitelighter had asked Mark how he protected his witches and Mark had asked Cole for some help with the case. As there was no way to prove the witch was innocent to the satisfaction of the legal system of that witch’s country, Cole had no qualms tripping the case against the witch with some magic, leaving Mark heard, some bewildered and concerned Elders who had consigned the witch to her fate, to protect magic.

Phoebe and Piper had been inclined to be outraged that the Elders had failed the witch. However, when they expressed this to Francesca on one of her visits, she had closed their outbursts down by claiming that good magic had prevailed.

“What if Cole had not been asked?” Piper demanded. “The damned Elders would have let her rot.”

“Her whitelighter did not, he sought and found help for her” Francesca pointed out. “You know very well the path of the Elders is to protect Good, the notion, the ideal, the essence, not the individual. The path the individual travels is…not always the same direction as the Elders. An individual whose calling was justice protected the witch, the whitelighter acted humanely and has the satisfaction of a clear conscience, magic is preserved and the balance maintained. And do not start asking ‘what ifs’,” she told the witches severely “That is what happened.”

Cole had repeated this scenario several times over the last ten years. His actions were not completely altruistic because Cole’s calling as a Guardian gave him a strong sense that there was no justice in convicting witches of murder because law-enforcers could prove they were at the scene of the deaths. Cole generally fixed the problem, sometimes with magic, mostly with clever lawyering, or advising other clever lawyers.

Much as the Guardian Hilma had protected witches at heresy trials in the early reign the previous source, or eased their passing if nothing else could be done, Francesca told Cole.

“Neither could she” Francesca answered sadly. “If their passing is written, it will happen.”

Finally, however, the frequency of magic being exposed to law courts around the world finally convinced the Elders to act. They ordered as approved practice what many whitelighters were already doing, orbing their witch-charges somewhere distant from the scene of any conflicts when mortal lives were lost, somewhere that phone records or security cameras or credit card purchases proved their alibi. Provided a whitelighter was able to orb them, witches' provable presence a long way from the scene of the demon encounter meant even a not particularly clever lawyer could make a case for reasonable doubt, no matter how much evidence there was or how certain witnesses were of what happened. To the annoyance of some law authorities, the Charmed Ones policeman friend Darryl Morris informed them.

Therefore, the Charmed Ones who were at extra risk during public confrontations with Evil, always ensured that they had an alibi that created reasonable doubt about their presence, despite security cameras and other technology indicating they were there. As a matter of course, they always turned their phones off when they battled Evil. For the same reason, if they could not avoid security cameras then they wore clothes that made identification harder, even though sensible choices often offended Phoebe’s sense of style.

If they took a car, the witches avoided highways that had tolls and cameras, and did not speed or break road rules where there was a risk of recordings. Mostly the charmed witches considered the precautions an accursed nuisance, but every now and then they were reminded what could go wrong and were very glad they had taken precautions.

Because of these precautions, after the demon massacre in the university’s HR building, Paige knew exactly what to do. Still shocked and a little disbelieving the battle happened, she took her sister Phoebe to her car and after taking charge of Phoebe’s credit card, Paige did what she knew was the best for magic and her family, which was to protect both from exposure.

Firstly, Paige orbed home. There was no one in either house, Piper was still at the club, Leo did not respond to any yelling and Paige had no time to wait. She hastily threw off the green hoodie, changed to a fashionable black jacket, brushed her hair out, orbed to Phoebe’s room and located a black hat with quite a noticeable rainbow-covered head band.

Then she went to a shopping mall where her presence would be recorded by cameras and credit card records could create evidence of time and date. The witches had discovered several malls around the edges of San Francisco that were a longish drive from the Manor. One was Wrest Peak, an upmarket shopping mall in Stockton, where Paige materialised as close as she could to a fashionable drug store and with Phoebe’s hat pulled low, used Phoebe’s credit card to buy her sister’s favourite lipstick. As she left the shop, she turned slightly away from the security camera trained on the doorway, keeping the hat fully visible. It was barely ten minutes since she had orbed Charlie and Phoebe away from the massacre.

Paige then orbed into a ladies’ room. She took off the hat and jacket so that her distinctive pink blouse was clearly visible to security cameras, then she orbed to the other end of the mall where she bought herself a scarf using her own credit card, less than three minutes after the first purchase. She also turned her phone on and called Cole. Clarissa answered saying he was in court. Paige explained that they needed him at the mall and then turned off the phone and orbed back to the Manor.

It was a few minutes before Phoebe or Charlie arrived home, both parking their cars in the Manor drive. Phoebe changed into the black jacket and hat, moaning Paige could have chosen clothing that better suited her style while Charlie got rid of her red cap by burning it in the yard and put on a bright blue sweater. Then Paige orbed them to the mall. Less than half an hour after the dramas of the demon fight, all three witches were very obviously drinking coffee in a café at the Wrest Peak Mall in Stockton knowing they were covered by security cameras. Charlie paid for coffee and muffins using her card.

Sitting around the table, for the first time three disturbed witches could finally consider what happened and the consequences of the demon massacre.

“What a huge risk to take in public” Charlie commented her voice shaking because the dangers of a mistake when swotting demons in mortal form always frightened her.

Paige agreed. “It’s had never been Tempus’ way before.” she said “I mean what happens about all those demons that vanquished each other. Half of HR will be missing tomorrow.”

Paige snorted. “I just bet they can,” she answered. “So, no disappearing staff.”

“It wasn’t even about us. They could’ve got us ten times if they hadn’t been in a murder frenzy at each other.” Charlie swallowed and her eyes became a little weepy “We were only ... they were fighting each other… we were the…” Paige put her hands on Charlie’s.

“Catalysts for a demon war” Phoebe finished “Welcome to the big-time magic” she told Charlie a touch sarcastically. “That was a battle between demons, not really about witches. What set it off? Who set it off?”

“Someone really dumb” Charlie sniffed. “No-one in magic wants open warfare.”

“Or someone really smart, who does” Paige answered after considering the problem. “Just the usual thing really, getting rid of the opposition, and leaving a few bodies to get witches blamed. Only that battle was on the grand scale. So, no chance the whitelighters could cover it up. All that damned goo, and exploding demons. Must have scared the non-combatants witless. Watching what they thought was colleagues blown up.”

“So, we’re looking for some ambitious, stupid/smart demon who thinks in terms of short-term gains,” Phoebe told them.

Phoebe shook her head. “Observation. Just thinking” she mused. “If you were a demon what would piss you off most about Tempus? I think it’d be all that careful planning and subtlety.”

“So, Tempus opens up the playground, just to keep the minions a little less worried.” Phoebe mused. “Leaving us with the bodies. So, if you could get around the grunts disappearing, just some witches in a fight and a few mortal bodies.”

“Where the hell is Cole?” Paige demanded. “I hate this cursed waiting around. I need another coffee” she told them. “Anyone else?”

Charlie finished the remains of her muffin, thought about another one and then shook her head “Those muffins cost a fortune here. Cost of magic sucks,” she murmured regretfully.

“Yes” agreed Paige. She came back with three more coffees and two more muffins. She pushed one to Charlie who took it gratefully. “Sugar is good for shock” Paige told her then shared the other one with Phoebe.

After finishing the muffin, Charlie asked “Who are the browns and grays? Vanquish fodder?”

“Grunts. Higher up the food chain.” Phoebe suggested “You know getting grunts into institutions takes a while, years sometimes. Someone will be pissed off their plans were wasted. Why would some accursed demon want to expose magic and destroy years of work?” She stared at her coffee clearly perplexed. “Where the hell is Cole?” she asked looking at her watch.

“Stuck here for at least a couple of hours” Paige told her “Its well over an hour to drive back. And we need to leave the phones on.”

“How about we just turn off the phones for the rest of the day. And go home?” Charlie muttered. “Nothing here for me. Too expensive.”

“We can look at graduation dresses” Paige told her firmly. “Yes, I’m buying it” she added. “Yes, I can afford it,” she insisted as Charlie started to protest. “Got a pay rise on the last merger. Only good thing about them” she stopped talking, then exclaimed loudly “Ah ha. Got it. Demons are like the employment agency.”

“Don’t think so. Maybe a little” Paige mused “Most workplaces would rather contract hiring than deal with it. They really don’t care who they get because they spit people out. Keep moving new employees through. All those mergers at the employment centre over the last few years were because there’s money in contract hiring for grunt work, low paying jobs. Those contracts are pretty good money once the structure is in place. But getting the structure to do it is… huge, expensive. Easiest way is to take over infra-structure that’s in place, call it a merger, then gut parts that don’t suit you.”

“Parts like helping people get an education that gets them out of minimum wage jobs.” snorted Phoebe disgusted.

“Not just minimum wages jobs, use graduates the same way,” Charlie told them. “Donald is scared shitless he’ll be out on his ear after a year. Accountants hire new graduates because they’re cheaper than paying for experience. Kick most out when they are due for a pay rise. Donald says.”

Phoebe and Paige made sympathetic noises, then all three jumped as Phoebe’s phone rang.

“You need to come” Phoebe told him “Why do you think something went wrong?” she asked curiously.

Cole arrived some ten minutes later, accompanied by Leslie who was slightly green because she found shimmering nauseating but had decided it was worth it to check her sister was all right.

“So” Cole said asked sardonically as he looked at the faces of the witches opposite him. “Its operation be-somewhere-else. What went wrong?”

Phoebe started to answer and then observed the people behind the counter glaring at them. “You better get a coffee” she ordered him. “We’ve been taking up space.”

Cole shook his head but did as he was told. “So, what went wrong?” Cole asked at his driest after he and Leslie ordered coffee.

“Near the door,” Paige told him, indicating where they were with a slight finger movement. “There’s a record of us being here.”

Charlie nervously played with her phone while her big sister rested a hand on her arm.

“We’ll fix it,” Leslie told Charlie reassuringly and got a watery smile for her trouble.

Paige told him “Pretty sure the bodies were lost souls but…” she shrugged.

“And a lot of missing staff.” Phoebe added. “Unless they can replicate mortal form for quite a lot of grunts.”

“Probably can” Cole answered unconcerned. “And you got here when?” he asked.

“I spent some money and used a phone here about ten minutes after” Paige informed him.

With patience that Phoebe suspected Cole was not feeling, he asked Charlie “Did you murder anyone? Anyone who was not a demon?”

“Then what we’re doing is making sure you don’t get charged with anything” Cole told her. “Don’t worry. Paige can give you a long list of things that got stuffed up by the Charmed Ones” he added with a wry smile.

“Anything to connect you to it?” Cole asked skipping all the what-the-hell happened conversations. “Anyone see you? Anyone recognise you?”

“Security cameras, pretty certain” Paige replied “but it was all hectic. They won’t get the best images. Phones were off.” she added. “We had faces half-covered. All dressed…well not recognisable.” Cole just nodded. “We didn’t start the fight. We were just walking through so we were not worrying about cameras. Demons started it. We were trying to get away, not battle.”

“Back of the carpark, student no security. Not in buildings?” Phoebe explained.

“Then you weren’t there” Cole told them. “And you’re not talking about this with anyone else or each other after this. Leslie and I can claim privilege. The rest of the family can’t. Better they haven’t discussed it.”

“If you weren’t magical, and saw a demon blown up” Cole asked her. “Would you believe it? If you’re asked the answer is always ‘I wasn’t there’.”

“Deny it” Cole ordered her firmly. “If it gets out all you say is ‘I wasn’t there’. And that is all. No explanations, additions. Nothing.”

“Why don’t we just tell them the truth?” Charlie whispered. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Two dead bodies and you were fighting. A nasty D.A could talk about felony murder. I assume you were fighting?” Cole pushed “Sure your honour. I was killing demons in a fight with evil magic. No felony there. Better to lie” he told Charlie.

Charlie swallowed hard and tears came in her eyes. “You didn’t commit a felony” Leslie told her catching her hands. “But better not to have to explain.”

“It’ll get out” Phoebe told Cole. “Sirens and security everywhere, and the place was a mess.”

“Can’t help that one,” Cole answered “Magic will have to deal with it. We just follow the law. And that says if anyone wants to make consequences, they better prove you were there. And we can prove you were here what half an hour later. They can guess, they can know but that isn’t proof. We have reasonable doubt.” Cole insisted. “You say you weren’t there. You have security cameras and credit cards here. You did use them, didn’t you? They have to prove you weren’t here.”

Cole grinned at the question. “Federal I’ll bet and maybe local. Both have an interest. If they trace you” he added.

“Chances are good you’ll be traced then” Cole explained. “But you weren’t there” he insisted “which is all any of you say. And only if that’s impossible say ‘I won’t speak without my lawyer’.”

“She saw someone she thought was you and the person nodded.” Cole told them “Ever been mistaken for someone and not bothered to argue, just nodded and kept on walking? Anything else?”

“Paige and I had coffee at the student café. Didn’t see anyone but could have been seen” Phoebe answered.

“They’re confused” Cole grinned. “When people see other people in the same place regularly. They get confused about when.”

She, still weepy, shook her head. “Parked in the carpark that was nearer HR and Phoebe parked the other side.”

“Charlie and I left, then came back. Neighbours may have seen.” Phoebe told him.

“Or they will be by the time Cole’s finished with them.” Leslie insisted. “Look, people get dates, times and places mixed up all the time unless there is a trigger to remind them. If the neighbours saw you drive in, we ask them if they saw you yesterday, the day before last week and can they describe what you wore each time. Then we get Phoebe to point out she was wearing blue not red last Wednesday. Reasonable doubt is all we need.”

“I may be a problem” Charlie admitted. “I bought gas on the way. Really low. They usually have cameras on the pumps.”

“They’ll need a subpoena” Leslie answered. “But nothing suspicious on them?”

“Give it to me” Cole ordered. He glanced back at the security cameras focused on the café. “Under the table. Is it your work one?” he asked.

“No fortunately, you going to destroy it?” Paige asked and then glared as he nodded. “Damn it. What if they subpoena?”

“Annoying” Cole agreed, “but better ‘they’ don’t see it. How long did it take you to call me?” he asked Phoebe.

“That’s not … what if they know we’re lying?” Charlie sniffed anxiously.

“Charlie” Cole explained gently, “they’re going to know you’re lying. Prepare yourself for it. We just want to make it impossible for them to prove it. No matter what anyone suggests, you weren’t there so you don’t know. Nothing else. You went shopping. No story unless no choice” Cole warned again “And only if Leslie or I are with you. Yeah, I know all about truth” he acknowledged “but trust me, the truth will not set you free.”

“Unless they get forced onto a lie detector” mused Leslie “Tell the truth then. It’ll confuse the hell out of ‘them’ and reasonable doubt will look like a great outcome.”

“I should have been in class” Charlie asked nervously. “Why did we come here? If ‘they’ ask me.”

“Shopping” Cole told her. “And only if they have traced you here. No volunteering anything. The only thing you say is ‘I wasn’t there’.”

“And why go shopping instead of class? You bought some gas but you were upset returned home. Paige and Phoebe took you shopping to make you feel better.” Leslie told her.

“Lack of boyfriend issues,” Leslie smiled slyly. Charlie rarely lacked boyfriends. “We went dancing on Saturday. You danced with your big sister” Leslie added.

“That was because you wanted to dance and did not like the pickups” Charlie snorted, forgetting to be frightened, annoyed by the implication she had lack-of-boyfriend problems more than she was scared.

“Through your teeth” Cole ordered “But all you say is ‘I wasn’t there’. Short and sweet, nothing else.”

“Leslie and I go back to work” Cole answered, standing up. “Could be lucky. They won’t catch up with you.”

Cole and Leslie got ready to leave, Leslie making a face at the prospect of a nauseating shimmer. Before he left the café however, Cole turned around and very carefully asked “Piper wasn’t there, just checking.” he asked his voice uncomfortable.

“Just making sure” Cole answered awkwardly shuffling uncomfortably as he always did when forced into half-truths. “Nothing unusual?”

“Apart from just walking through a building and getting caught up in a demon massacre?” Paige asked sarcastically.

“Demons lower-level ones threw some horrible potion and chanted, and we got smoked” Charlie told him when Paige and Phoebe exchanged wry glances but did not reply.

“Good” Cole muttered uncomfortably. He hesitated. Then asked again “Piper wasn’t there?”