The Lost Girl, part one

Magus Frummelt stood near the head of the table and gestured at screen behind him, which was currently displaying a girl's face. "Ladies and Gentlemen, you have your next assignment. This is Tabitha Lynn Carterhaugh, an exchange student from Scotland. She was staying with another student, Maggie Hargrave, and her family. Carterhaugh is missing, and the Hargraves are claiming that she was kidnapped and taken into the Grey. We don't have any soothsayers available, so take that with a grain of salt. Regardless, both families are requesting our assistance." 

He clicked a controller, and the photo changed. It was the same girl, though: a young redhead with pale skin scattered with freckles, this time in the company of a brown-haired girl of about the same age. They were on bicycles, and waving at the camera; both wore jeans and t-shirts. 

Chris studied them indifferently. He wasn't always good with names, but he was generally pretty good with faces and he would know these two if he saw them again. It would be better if he had their scents, but...

Elyssa shifted beside him, leaning gently into his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. She was still pretending to be his girlfriend, which was probably smart, but the casual physical intimacy... he didn't know if he liked it, disliked it, or just found it distracting. Some of all three, maybe.

They went through a half-dozen more pictures, and magus Frummelt continued talking as the images cycled. "The five of you will take a flight to Pennsylvania and check out the Hargrave household, then use their passage to enter the Grey. Peter, you're the Seeker so you'll be in charge of this. You're going to be breaking in magus Gillespie and her team on this one; it's their first time out."

"Sir." The word was an acknowledgement. Peter was tall and heavily built, with platinum-blond hair cut short and a matching goatee. He looked to be in his early twenties, a couple of years older than Antoinette, old enough to look like an actual adult to Chris. His partner was older and even more heavily built; she had a scar across one cheek, black hair cut short, and an expression that suggested that she was wondering just how easy they might be to break. 

"Do any of you have any questions?" magus Frummelt asked. He waited, then nodded. "You have about three hours to pack and pull any equipment you think you might need. Meet at the gate when you're ready, and you'll be driven to the airport with plenty of time to get through security." He took a moment to look from Chris to Elyssa and back. "Your magi know how these things work, so just follow their lead."

Chris nodded, and magus Frummelt said, "Dismissed. Keep in touch as you can."