by CC Dragon
I watched the two men, still bound, and expected them to be pulled in within minutes. Mason and two Fae women returned instead.
I stepped back. My presence wouldn’t help things.
One of the Fae women turned bright pink in rage and spun cocoons around the men before shooting them down into the Underhill.
She followed them, and Mason smiled at me.
“You are Dorothy Foster?” the other Fae asked.
I nodded.
“I am Secana.” She held out her delicate hand.
I shook it and felt a jolt, but not a negative one.
“You are strong but not fully Fae. We thank you for capturing these bad men, and we will punish them. You cannot join us, however. It’s not safe for you without protection or family there.” She turned to Mason and nodded.
“Thank you,” he said.
The Fae vanished, and the access point closed up.
“What the hell was that?” I asked him.
Mason shrugged. “I wanted to know for myself that it wasn’t you blocking your access.”
“The people who raised me were Fae, but they were afraid I’d be killed as a threat. Partial Fae without a solid family are considered dangerous. All my time with humans doesn’t help,” I explained.
“I’m sorry. I thought there was a chance. Like your magic, you talk badly about it, but when you need it, it’s there for you. Stop putting yourself down, and it might grow.” Mason shook his head.
“Maybe. I just wish we’d found something to do with our case,” I said.
Mason led the way back to our plane. “It might have something to do with it. An outpost in the middle. That cabin may have been used to hide magical beings far from humans and from the sight of anyone.”
“Either way, it’s good we found it.” I climbed into the plane.
Mason got behind the controls. Both our phones were beeping.
“Two more kids went missing in Anchorage,” Mason said.
“Three bodies found north of Coldfoot but south of Prudhoe.” I sighed.
“That narrows it down,” Mason said.
“It’s ramping up,” I replied.
“Or we’re just noticing because we’re looking for these patterns. These bodies in the middle of nowhere. Let’s get back down to Anchorage and get to work. This is why I hate FBI work. People are awful.” Mason slammed the door shut.
“Hiding out in your village forever sounds a lot better now.” I fought the urge to grab his hand and make sure we were both safe. I shouldn’t need the reassurance, but I stared at him more than I should.
Hall briefed the task force, minus the mundane humans—the non-paras were busy with a press conference led by Green and Lewis.
“Both of the new kidnapping cases happened while the family was out hunting, hiking, or otherwise in the bush. But both have magical family members,” Hall explained.
“Seems like it’s a fringe thing. Not completely magical families, but those with some paras, and the magic appears to be secret or suppressed,” Thorn added.
I nodded. “We just turned a warlock and a Fae hunting Native people into the Fae. Perhaps there is some weird thing for hunting kids from partial magic families. Wipe out those who don’t belong to a group.”
“Possible. Or recruit them. If they refuse or put up a fight, kill them rather than return them,” Hall suggested.
“Fae won’t take partials. I’m proof.” I tried to make my voice sound normal, but it was a depressing fact that made me ashamed of those people—they weren’t even my people.
“With family support...it’s complicated,” Thorn stopped before he dug too deep of a hole. “We’ve been researching.”
“That’s great. Any chance the new reports are connected to the new bodies found up North?” Mason asked.
Hall shook his head. “Not likely. Those bodies are being flown down, but they had to be chipped from a snow bank that froze up. Wicked weather blew in. We can’t ID any of them until we thaw them out, but being frozen for that long...the kids haven’t been missing long enough.”
“Unless it’s magic,” I said.
Thorn sighed. “I think we’re all thinking that, but if so, this task force is going to blow up. We’ll have to find lots of covers and lies to put some guys in jail who won’t stay.”
“Is Indigo still in jail?” I asked.
“So far. One of the witches bonded out and vanished, but that’s not our case anymore,” Hall said.
“I got the tip. It’ll always be my case. Credit or not. Assigned or not,” I replied sharper than I meant to.
“I’d like to talk to the woman who tipped you off. Maybe meet Indigo?” Mason suggested.
I frowned at Mason. “Maybe we should keep you as our secret weapon—at least as far as Indigo.”
Mason shrugged. “Your call.”
“Let’s meet with the initial tip while we wait for the bodies. If we don’t get a new break there, it’s back to square one,” I said.
“Maybe.” Mason nodded. “Or we shake a magical tree or two.”
We found Kim at her home, after making sure her hubby’s work truck was gone.
The look of dread on her face was enough. She nearly closed the door, but I let my magic nudge it open.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“This is my partner, Mason Hunt. He’s new to the case. He wanted to ask a few questions,” I said.
“Come in. This better be done before my husband gets home. He’s had a headache with all the questions about what happened there,” she said.
We sat on the beat-up sofa.
“Kim, why did you bring this to Dot?” Mason asked.
“What? She’s always at the diner. The people that work there said she’s law enforcement. I didn’t want to get me or my hubby pulled into a police station. People don’t want a handyman they’ve seen get taken in. They’ll think he’s a thief. Who wants a handyman who might steal working in their house?” She shook her head. “There are plenty of capable men around here. He needs the work.”
Mason nodded. “But you could’ve left an anonymous tip with the police or FBI. They both have phone numbers for concerned citizens.”
“Anonymous, please. We’ve all got caller ID. You can’t block out the government from getting phone records. No pay phones anymore. With all the video surveillance, even if I used a phone somewhere else—I’d be on security footage or getting a friend in trouble.”
“So, you expected trouble from this? Why?” I asked.
“This is why people mind their own business. You’re a suspect if you say anything.” She glared at us. “Out of my house, please.”
“Wait, Kim. Did you feel the magical residue of the location?” I asked.
Kim stared at Mason. “Is he one of them?”
“Them?” I asked.
“Like a witch or something? They said you knew about those things. Those people. I was worried they were doing some tribal stuff or pagan crap. I don’t need my husband getting cursed or haunted on a job,” she said.
“You’re not magical. We get it.” Mason stood up. “How did you sense it?”
She shuddered. “My aunt’s husband was a shifter. I saw him once. So unnatural. My mom was freaked. My aunt swore us to secrecy, because he wanted to live as a human. I don’t know why. I don’t care why. They lived far away, so we only saw them a couple times after that.”
“You must be very sensitive to feel that secondhand from your husband,” Mason said.
Kim sat back in the arm chair. “I don’t know. I was a kid, so maybe I was more open to it. I was just confused. That stuff wasn’t real. But I guess it is. I felt that same off sensation whenever my husband came back from that location. I don’t know anything more.”
Mason looked at me. I had no idea what to say.
“Were you worried about the women or your husband?” Mason asked.
“Both. I asked my husband about the location because of what I sensed. Then I was w
orried these women were being exploited. An anonymous call might’ve gotten the women help, or it may have gotten a bunch of police officers killed by some evil magical beings. Do you know what they are?” she asked.
“That’s all need to know info for people working the case right now,” I replied.
She frowned. “I don’t want to be in an area where I have to worry about paranormal things hurting people or endangering my family. My husband’s work. There are a lot of kids around Anchorage.”
“Do you know of any issues with kids locally?” I asked.
Kim shook her head. “No, but I’m not a meddler. I don’t get nosy about other people’s things. My hubby was bringing that magical vibe home.”
“I think that’s all we need. Just wanted to clear up the magical angle. Of course, you can’t talk about this,” Mason said.
She shrugged. “Fine.”
“Thank you,” I said.
We left, and Mason snapped his fingers.
“What was that?” I asked.
Mason smiled. “Erased this from her memory. Also, I removed the magical information on the cases. We can’t trust her.”
“Agreed.” I got back in the car and checked my phone. “Bodies are here. Crap!”
“What?” Mason asked.
“One of them is clearly Joey Wallis.” I held up the picture on my phone as I fought off my sadness.
Chapter Nineteen
“How could he do this?” I shouted in my office.
Zel and Mason were trying to quiet me down, but nothing was working. My body vibrated with rage and betrayal.
“Dot, Lewis wants all the credit,” Mason said.
“Joey is dead. What credit? You found a body? We made contact with the family. I need to talk to Green.” I barged toward the door.
Zel blocked the doorway. “I get it. It sucks because Lewis is a jerk. But the family can have closure. Lewis wants that credit. It’s creepy and crazy, yes. Insensitive, sure. But you need to focus on getting the bad guy and not the politics of it all.”
“It’s not about credit. I feel bad for the families. At least we’d already talked to them. More strangers talking about their now dead child. We should’ve done the death notification.” I shook my head.
“Lot of missing kids and bodies. Let’s find out who did this,” Mason said.
“How? We’ve done every lead. Unless you can get a track on the magic, I’m out of ideas. We’re just interviewing people who don’t know. It feels like trafficking. They just vanish. A lot of kids are still missing, but these bodies are dumped.” I didn’t want to think about what they might be doing to these kids, but none of the autopsies had indicated abuse.
“Shake the paranormal tree. Someone knows something. There is at least one shifter group and a vampire town I know of near Prudhoe. They avoid humans and stay hidden, but they might know something. I know a couple of them. The groups won’t be friendly but given the added police presence due to the cases, they might be willing to flip on some bad paras in order to get rid of the annoying humans,” Mason explained.
“How do you sell that to Green or Lewis?” Zel asked.
“That’s where the kids are showing up. The bodies. Joey is the link. He disappeared here and was found up there. We go shake down every registered sex offender, felon, or anyone connected with the trafficking case who isn’t in custody. The rest of the team can handle the ones who were arrested. Those are most likely to have info, so they’ll want to interrogate them,” I said.
“But the crimes are still occurring, so those men aren’t involved,” Zel said.
“They may be. The system will continue. Just like drugs being moved in and out of countries, the chain remains if a few people disappear. They don’t stop.” Mason nodded. “I’ll speak to Green. You pack. We’ll be in Prudhoe by tonight.”
He left, and Zel frowned. “He thinks I’ll find a bush plane prepped and ready for tonight?”
I folded my arms tightly. “I don’t think we’re trying to do things the human way anymore. It’s not working.”
My phone beeped. It was Mason’s sister, Lily.
Lily: Hope you guys are having fun. I’m guessing still working since he hasn’t returned. Researching bad guys.
Me: Alaska is big. Lots of room for the bad guys to hide. We’re working on it. Mason is safe. Just worry about school.
“Hot guy texting you?” Zel asked.
I laughed. “No, Mason’s sister. I think she’s worried about him.”
“Awww, but doesn’t want to bug him. That’s nice. Well, you don’t need me, other than to support your going up North if Green or Lewis start to waffle. A few comments and a little magic boost of confidence, and men settle down.” She winked.
“Thanks. I guess I need to pack. Keep an eye on the house?” I asked.
“Sure.” Zel shook her head as though unconvinced.
An hour later, Mason drove us out of the city to an empty field.
“What’s the plan?” I asked.
“Fae lines boost natural strength. I’m hoping with that, I can move us both without a plane or a vehicle.” He led me to the spot.
I felt a surge of energy. “Fae line?” I asked.
He nodded. “Ley lines exist on this side, but I can work with any lines. In the Fae world, lines exist as well, so we call those Fae lines, and those should make it easier for you.”
I nodded. My magical education had been horribly hit or miss, and at times like this, I wanted to hide. I should know more about Fae, but the parents who raised me didn’t want me to fool myself into thinking I’d belong to the Fae world.
He held out his hand. “You don’t know where the villages are. They’re hidden. The last thing we want to is to get separated. Or show in the middle of that shifter town.”
“Okay.” I took his hand, and strength and peace flowed.
The jolt of electricity was all to do with the line boosting my magic, I could hear Zel teasing it was chemistry or something with Mason. I actually felt the lines.
“You have to trust me, follow me.” Mason closed his eyes.
I did the same and channeled my powers to link with him. Seconds later, we were in a snow packed field in the middle of nowhere, North Slope.
“Still on the line?” I asked.
“We are. Not too far from the two villages though. They built them near the power sources. Even part Fae, you should be able to boost your powers because of the line proximity. It’s stronger in the Underhill, but those lines are purer.” Mason took a deep breath.
“Not that I’ll ever know that power. Are you tired?” I asked.
He chuckled. “You’re not? Interesting. Let’s start with the vampires. I know someone there. It’ll be safer.”
“You don’t want to go magically?” I asked.
“I don’t want to waste the energy. Store yours up, because you might need it,” he said.
We walked the not too far distance to the vampire town.
“Makes sense. In the winter, they get days without any sunlight. They can roam freely,” I said.
Mason smiled. “Yes, but with so few humans around—meals are rare.”
“We’re the meals?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, they exist on one feeding per year. They’ve conditioned themselves. Not the most aggressive vampire group in Alaska, but they like being left alone too. They’re violent with strangers, and joining their group is hellish for any vampire.”
A vampire appeared as the magic hiding the town vanished, and I could clearly see a cluster of homes.
“Mason, you bring a stranger to us?” The man glared at me.
“Dot, my father, Fred. Dad, Dot. FBI, it’s a case. We need a bit of help,” he said.
“Your dad?” I asked. “I know you said he was dead.”
“He is.” Mason laughed. “Sort of.”
Fred shook my hand. His icy fingers and lack of coat were odd. “I’ve never spent much time with vampires. Sorry.”
> Fred smiled. “Nothing to be sorry about. You’re an odd witch.”
“Part Fae.” I shrugged it off. People often made that mistake thinking I was some form of witch hybrid.
“Interesting. I thought my son was done with the FBI. The human world is limiting to us.” Fred led the way toward a wooden building.
“We can be dangerous to humans though. I know every para group wants to hand out its own punishments, but some don’t think harming humans is a crime,” I replied.
Fred nodded. He looked every bit as young as Mason. It was freaky, but clearly, he’d been turned younger.
“You want to protect humans, how sweet. Most of them don’t deserve it.” Fred held the door open.
I walked in and found an empty meeting room lushly furnished. The ornate conference table and chairs put the FBI set ups to shame.
“Please, have a seat.” Fred sat down. “We have water. Some food, some of the vampires eat for amusement. Generally, it’s after they’d drained a hunted animal of blood. We dry the meat so it’s not wasted. We try not to harm humans,” Fred explained.
“How kind.” I sat down in the middle of the table. “I’ve heard of vampire cults, but this is more like a hippie commune.”
Fred laughed. “Don’t fool yourself. Many of the individuals here would drain you happily. The magic is a bonus to the blood few would pass up. But my son is safe, so you are as well. What sort of case are you here about?”
Mason sat next to me. I sensed an odd tension between the men.
“Dot was part of a group from the FBI that broke a human trafficking ring around Deadhorse. Seems like some of them had kids or kids have been found near Prudhoe. Frozen solid.”
“Drained of blood?” Fred asked.
I shook my head. “No. Just frozen. No animal activity. Not as much decay as we’d expect to see.”
Fred rocked his red velvet upholstered chair back. “Not vampires then. Shifters would shred the body, mostly likely, and eat the meat.”
“We have kids that are still missing as well, haven’t found bodies. We’re not sure if it’s human trafficking, because there is magical residue over all of it. But it’s so subtle, I can’t track it,” Mason said.