Burn, Baby, Burn

by R. J. Blain

We were within five minutes of leaving, but what should have been a standard inquiry had turned my already hectic morning upside down. If I hadn’t known about John Winfield’s behavior—and his grudge—I would’ve stuck to the protocols.

  But I knew, and knowledge was power as much as it was a dangerous weapon.

  “She didn’t show up for work yesterday, and no one has been able to get a hold of her. She was scheduled for work this morning, too. Commissioner Dowry had been informed right before I called him. Once she’s found, he’s going to approve the transfer, however.”

  My brows rose at that. “He doesn’t even know why she’s missing.”

  “He’s not a uniformed cop anymore, but he knows his business—and he knows Janet. He suspects foul play. And he has more than just some suspicions. He thinks he knows who. Janet filed an official complaint a week ago.”

  I tensed. “Against?”

  “Her chief. She was scheduled for a transfer. Dowry was going to ask you about her, ironically. Because of Bailey.”

  Right. “I don’t believe in coincidences like this. What was the complaint about?”

  “He didn’t tell me.”

  I forced myself to relax. “All right. I need you to call your wife about that prescription, because by the end of the day, I have a feeling I’m going to need it.” Even admitting that pissed me off, but I recognized when too much was too much, and I’d need something to calm me down without Bailey nearby.

  Bailey liked telling me how I was utterly incapable of handling threats to my people. She was right.

  Maybe Janet didn’t work in my station yet, but she was still mine. She’d been mine from the moment she’d gone up with Bailey into that wretched building on Wall Street. I smothered my territorial instincts, but I’d been considering raiding the Hamptons for several officers, and Janet topped my list.

  “All right. I’ll call her, and I’ll make sure we swing by a pharmacy. I’ll ask her for non-medicinal recommendations, too.”

  “She’s going to make me drink tea again, isn’t she?” I complained.

  Perkins laughed. “Probably. She’s good at that, and you have to admit, her tea blends help.”

  “She was probably spiking them with chill pills,” I grumbled. Once I had better control over my temper, I gave myself a shake and resumed herding the whelps out the door. “We’re getting laptops, we’re swinging by a station to get into the networks, and I’m going to ask Bailey for a favor.”

  “To find Janet?”

  “Yes.”

  “Even when she’s sick?”

  “If Winfield has anything to do with Janet’s disappearance, waiting for her to get better might be a lethal mistake.”

  Perkins cursed. “You’re right. Let’s get this show on the road. Dowry is expecting you to call him later.”

  “You drive, we’ll get laptops, and I’ll talk to him.” I turned to the whelps and crouched so I was at their level. “All right, kids. Things are going to be busy for a while, so I’m going to need you to read while we work. Is that going to be a problem?”

  Sylvester shook his head, and Beauty’s eyes widened. She hesitated, but then she asked, “Can we help?”

  Her offer startled me, and I considered her question. How had their father and hive raised them? Most gorgon children often became self-absorbed, focused on making sure they didn’t incur parental wrath—or break any of the rules. For all gorgons could give humans a run for their money in the humanity department, it was a learned trait, not a natural one.

  Her question made me wonder about them—and about the man who’d been so desperate for a surrogate he’d go beyond the limits of the sane for his children.

  I was beginning to wonder if I’d made a severe error of judgment about how I thought of their father.

  “If I can think of some way you can help, I will ask you for help,” I promised.

  “We know how to use computers, we can read maps, and we can do basic research,” Beauty announced.

  With their love of books, I bet they could research like champions. “I’ll keep that in mind. For now, I have to do basic footwork, which is something only a police officer can do. I also need to get jurisdiction permissions, another thing only I can do. But if you can help, I’ll ask you.”

  Beauty smiled. “Okay.”

  I thought about it, and then I grinned as an idea did occur to me, one that was open to public records—and would give me a better idea of how much data someone with a grudge and an internet connection could acquire. “Actually, kids, there is something you can help me with, but I’ll need to get you computers first. If research is what you like to do, I have a project for you.”

  Perkins narrowed his eyes. “What are you up to, Sam?”

  “I’m going to find out just how much information a pair of determined children can find on the internet. If they can find it, anyone can, and that can help us figure out just how compromised our security is—and how easy it would be for Winfield to accomplish what he’s been doing.”

  “You’re trying to recreate the crime.”

  “Something like that.”

  “I can’t tell if you’re just ruthless, brilliant, or both,” my friend muttered.

  “Go with both. I think it’s time we do a public audit, and who better to audit than a pair of determined children with a love of research?”

  “I’m not going to argue with that, but I’m not sure what good it will do. Winfield had access to our systems.”

  “Only for a while. So he’d have an edge on the kids, that’s true—but what I don’t know is how easy it would be for him to get information about specific members of the force outside of the system, and we’re quick to cut off access once someone is being fired. So, it’s a safe assumption that while he knows our infrastructure, his knowledge wasn’t as strong as a full officer’s, and he was restricted. He’d have to do a lot of research in the public system. The kids can work on building a profile while we work with our intel. They might find something we’ll miss.”

  Perkins sighed. “Maybe. Let’s get this show on the road. I have the feeling this just got a lot messier and a great deal more complicated.”

  I worried he was right.

  Bailey

  My phone rang, and I checked the display to see Quinn’s number. I groaned but answered, “I’m not dead yet.”

  “For which I’m grateful. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m not dead yet.”

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but there’s a situation.”

  Uh oh. “Situation? What situation?”

  “Do you remember Janet?”

  How could I forget Janet? Janet was the queen of badasses, and I wanted to be like her if I ever grew up. “Yes, of course.”

  “She’s missing, and I’m worried there’s a connection to the other issues we’re having. I want you to try to find her with your magic. I know you’re sick, but I think we need to locate her as soon as possible.”

  I sucked in a breath. “Perkette? Pull over. There’s a problem.” While I loathed leaving my warm nest, I uncurled from my position on the floorboard and slithered onto the seat, gently moving Avalanche, who didn’t even stir from her nap. “What happened?”

  “I was going to request for Janet to be transferred to the station, but she didn’t show up for work yesterday or this morning. We suspect foul play.”

  I coughed, wrapped the blanket around myself, and narrowed my eyes. “For the record, if Janet was kidnapped, I will use lethal force as necessary to recover her alive. This is not negotiable.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” my husband replied, his tone darkening. “If she has been kidnapped, especially by gorgons, I want you to ask Tiffany to give you one of her homemade concoctions. I want what you did to Audrey’s hive to pale in comparison to what you’ll do to anyone threatening Janet.”

  “Is that legal?”

  “If Janet has been kidnapped, lethal force is permitted during rescue operations. You need to con
firm, witnessed by an angel, that there were hostiles and that you acted in Janet’s interests.”

  Death in defense of another was a thin, narrow line shrouded in darkness, but as long as I could confirm to an angel and did it to recover a police officer in peril, I’d walk without a mark on my record. It wouldn’t even count as a premeditated murder despite going in knowing and willing to kill to secure Janet’s safety. “Noted.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Angry.”

  Quinn’s chuckle had a dark, sinister edge to it. “Good. So am I. When you get a trail on Janet, I want a direction, okay?”

  “Okay.” I eyed the roadside, which had an unfortunate amount of snow on it. “Tiffany? I need the map and chalk and other junk. I need to find Janet.”

  “On it,” she replied, killing the engine and getting out of the SUV to dig the supplies out of the back.

  “Here is how this is going to work, Bailey. Every time you cross a state line, I need you to let me know. I’m going to have every state you’re in added to your jurisdiction.”

  “My boss is a dick, I’m going to be a terrible cop, and I don’t even know why some idiot thought I’d be a good police chief.”

  Quinn sighed. “You were born for this kind of work. I wish I could ease you into this, but there’s just no time, not with Janet missing. I’ll be able to get you jurisdiction rights, but you’ll have to work with the local chiefs and captains—and the feds—on the case. Your job is to find her. If the situation looks critical, retrieve her. You can handle just about anything, but I’m going to worry anyway.”

  Huh. What happened to the Quinn who wanted to wrap me in a bubble so I wouldn’t even get a scratch?

  “I can handle anything from sticks of TNT to plastics. I could probably even handle a dirty bomb,” I announced, not bothering to smother my pride.

  “Please don’t eat a nuke.”

  “I can disarm them traditionally.”

  Silence.

  I smiled.

  “Could you repeat that?”

  “I can disarm them traditionally.”

  “You don’t mean eat the payload, do you?”

  The worry in his voice bothered me, but as he’d held my promotion close to heart, it was time I got a little of my own back. Being sick made me a bitch, but I’d teach him a thing or two about clandestine actions. “I’ve been working with the bomb squad behind your back because if something goes wrong and the bomb detonates, I don’t explode. I’ve been formally trained in the disarming of most bomb types. Tiffany helped me learn how to read the schematics, too.”

  My husband groaned. “I’m begging you, please tell me you’re not serious.”

  “I think we’re now even on the secrets score.”

  “You’re really serious. They had you on the bomb squad?”

  “If I couldn’t disarm it traditionally, I ate the payload. Also, we’ve learned I have accelerated regeneration when transforming between unicorn to human when I don’t reverse naturally.”

  “You were hurt?”

  I smirked. “You can’t kill the bastards. They’re already dead.”

  “Did you kill them?” he growled.

  “No. That honor went to the bomb squad backups. I would’ve been delighted to light them on fire, but bullets are faster than my flames as a general rule. Did you know the CDC has some damned good snipers? They usually sent one or two out with me when I had sketchy jobs. Also, we should recruit their snipers. I bet we could lure one or two to our team. The CDC pays for shit by incident, and they’re not salaried, either.”

  “Yes, I was aware the CDC had snipers. No, I wasn’t aware they were contractors without salaries. If you like them, I’m willing to bribe them away from the CDC. Who put you on the fucking bomb squad?”

  “The asshole in Washington, of course. Who else? The fucker probably wishes I’d fall over dead.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about him anymore,” my husband promised. “Your contract belongs to the NYPD now.”

  “Your tone suggests that I belong to you and the NYPD can suck it,” I replied, smiling despite feeling worse than shit.

  “You would be correct.”

  Perkette got back into the SUV with the required supplies for me to work my magic. “All right. I have the stuff I need to try to find Janet. I’m going to give the phone to Perkette and get to work. Neither one of us are responsible for any shit my magic does to me, because I’m not waiting to get better to try to pick up her trail.”

  “I’m aware of the risks, I do not like it, and I’ll talk to Tiffany about what to do if things sour on us. I will even take a chill pill if she orders me to.”

  “Who are you and what have you done with my husband?” I snarled. The harshness of my tone triggered a coughing fit, and I cursed at myself for getting sick, at the cold for making a mess of things, and I slung a few at Quinn for being a pain in my ass.

  “I just recognize when freaking out would be detrimental, and I’m fairly certain Tiffany’s diagnosis of separation anxiety is correct.”

  Poor Quinn. He hated when I was far from him for too long. I hated being separated from him, too, although I still believed a little separation did us both some good—at least for my ability to get a full night’s sleep. “Okay. I’ll get a lead on Janet, and you can chase me to her, and we’ll join forces, make sure she’s all right, and then have a spectacular fight.”

  “You want a spectacular fight?”

  “I like making up,” I admitted.

  Perkette snorted. “I told you you’re the reason you don’t get enough sleep.”

  I flipped my middle finger at my friend.

  “As do I, but we could just skip the fight and go straight to making up.” While humans lacked the ability to purr, my human-gorgon-incubus doohickey pulled it off with lust-inducing grace. “You just worry about finding Janet and making sure she’s safe.”

  “I will,” I promised. “I’m giving Perkette the phone.”

  She took my phone and put it to her ear. “Hey, Sam. Despite her whining, she’s doing much better. She curled up on the floorboard by the heater in a nest. It looks like the trick is to get her core body temperature up. Half an hour after she got tucked down there, her symptoms started to ease up, so you don’t have to worry about that. I’m keeping an eye on her.”

  I was about to undo all the good the heater had done, but Janet came first. I could land my stubborn ass in the ER for all I cared, but I was going to find out what had happened to Janet and why. If my magic knew what was good for it, it’d cooperate without a fuss. Getting out of the car, I slapped the map, blank paper, and jar of ink onto the hood. I popped off the cap, picked out a stick of chalk, and took my temper out on it. It crunched in my hand.

  I didn’t even need to vocalize my request; the instant the chalk left my hand, it erupted in a burst of golden light and formed a sparkling trail for us to follow. When it first appeared, it pointed due west, but then it altered its path to follow the road, which headed south. I frowned.

  As always, my magic seemed to opt for the most direct route, but it’d taken the slightest detour to inform me which way we were really headed.

  Huh. Maybe my magic had taken my unspoken threats seriously.

  Why was the trail headed west when Janet worked in New York? I got back into the SUV. “You’re driving, Perkette. Tell Quinn she’s somewhere west of us.”

  “West?” Perkette frowned. “But why would she be west of us?”

  “That’s what I want to know.” I snatched my phone out of Perkette’s hand. “She’s west of us.”

  “You just told me to tell him,” Perkette muttered.

  “I’m indecisive and incapable of following through with my initial plans,” I replied. “Catch that, Quinn?”

  “I did. What’s due west of you?”

  “Give me your phone, Perkette.” I held out my hand and wiggled my fingers until she obeyed. I pulled up her map app and zoomed it out, tracing a line d
irectly west of us. My brows rose. “Well, it’s not exactly due west, but possibly close enough for our purposes, and probably because we’re on a mostly westbound road, but I’d say Las Vegas.”

  “Probably something smaller between where you’re at and Vegas,” my husband replied. “But anything’s possible if she was taken by plane.”

  “Wouldn’t it be hard to kidnap someone and fly them somewhere?”

  “Yes. Or they have multiple drivers and are going without stopping.”

  Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. “What do you want me to do, Quinn?”

  “Find Janet and stay safe. No unnecessary risks. Please be careful.”

  “I’ll be careful,” I promised. “You be careful, too.”

  “I will. Get yourself a laptop if you don’t have one, go to a police station, and introduce yourself as Police Chief Bailey Quinn of the NYPD. They’ll get you set up with everything you need, and I’ll be able to reach you on our internal network with files, permits, and everything you need. I’ll get on the phone with the FBI and start processing jurisdiction expansion.”

  “Can we even do that?”

  “It’s one of the perks of being a police chief, my beautiful. We have a shit job, but there are limited numbers of us who can do our level of work because of the rating requirements. And when it comes to one of our own? Yeah. They’re going to give us jurisdiction. They’ll probably assign us agents to assist, too. If they offer you one, accept.”

  “Only if they’re babysitting my puppy and kitten,” I muttered.

  “I’m sure arrangements can be made. And Bailey?”

  “What?”

  “I owe you a spanking for working on the bomb squad without telling me. I’m so mad at you.”

  His tone promised I would enjoy my punishment. “I was shot three times and demand additional punishment.”

  His laughter warmed me even better than the brightest sunny day. “Consider your wish granted.”

  He hung up, and I pointed at the trail of glowing, sparkling light. “We’re on the clock, Perkette. First, to the nearest store with laptops, and then we have to go to a police station. We have work to do.”