The police put a tape barrier around the major mall entrances, but there weren't nearly enough spare officers to guard the perimeter. No one was allowed inside. The evening twilight dimmed as Detective Drake pulled up to the front entrance and was stopped by an officer at the parking lot entrance.

"Sorry detective, not even official vehicles. Chief's orders." Agent Wessel leaned over and flashed his FBI badge.

"Where's Drake?" Agent Wessel asked, pinned to the wall by his own suit. The woman in PVC laughed.

"Don't worry about him. If I'm not mistaken, it's you and I that have something to discuss." The figure waved a hand at a rack of scarves. They came to life and slithered through the air like snakes. "You're FBI, right?" Wessel nodded. "Well, what's your professional opinion of all this?"

"My profession doesn't allow me to have an opinion, miss--"

"Sir, we've got movement from one of the barricades behind the door." The officer lent his binoculars to the lieutenant.

"Might be Drake and the FBI clearing us a path," The lieutenant said, peering into the lenses. He watched as the barricade tore itself apart. The double doors opened, and outfits began pouring out of the mall. Four. A dozen. Thirty. "Oh shit...Tanner?"

"Sir?"

"We need to get Captain Willis and the Chief on the line. Now."

"No move," Wessel said. "You have to make this very clear. Understand?"

"You can trust me, sir. We'll get it right; we always do."

"It's very important, Becker. All units have to be clear that no targets are to be engaged. No offensive moves of any nature can be seen by our targets. They will take it as a signal and they will overrun us. Repeat: This is Federal Agent Wessel, Jason M. I declare with extreme certainty as an intelligence operative that our current forces will be overrun, even if assisted by the National Guard in this precinct. My recommendation is to allow the incoming civilian science teams to commence research under the command of the FBI.
"The targets are not immediately dangerous. In this agent's direct experience, contact with the targets was unnerving but not uncomfortable. The objects that take human form, i.e. the clothing, commonly displays tactile curiosity. It should be noted that some of these behaviors