Code Black (Paranormal Crimes Division Book 1)

by Tina Moss

  “I could have killed him.”

  “But you didn’t.” He tucked her head under his chin and stroked her back. The sensation sent a rush of pleasure down her spine. “When I was sixteen, I’d shift at the smallest provocation. I always feared hurting someone. Sometimes I did.” He shifted back. Their eyes met. “It took me years to control the urge. You’ll learn to handle your power.” He flashed a devilish grin as the firelight licked along the wall. “You already seem to be doing quite well.”

  “I’m more confident,” she admitted with a shrug. “I mean it’s like the fire flows through me and makes me feel stronger. I can control it better.”

  “That’s good.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

  “But I can’t take that chance with your life, Talon.” She sat up. “What if I hurt you?”

  He laughed low. “I’d happily be burned by your fire, Sera.” He pulled her into his arms. “In fact, I think I already am.”

  The fear faded as he left a trail of kisses across her neck. His hands grazed her skin, leaving a tingling sensation wherever they touched. Her pulse quickened. Sizzling heat whipped through her.

  “Talon,” she said. Her heart smacked against her ribs. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Finally, she’d be with a man she wanted. Consequences be damned.

  As their hands tore at each other and desire raced to a fever pitch, a siren whined from the house’s sound system.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Safe House Beta, Secret Location

  “Seven hells.” Talon jumped from the couch and sped to a console on the far wall, swearing six ways from Sunday. He punched in the code to retrieve the alarm’s message.

  The security system’s computerized feminine voice rang through the house. “Incoming call from Special Agent Megan Foster. Identity code P-S-one-four-three.”

  “Accept.” Talon crossed his arms over his bare chest, trying to tramp down the lust burning his body. His blood churned like a windstorm. He didn’t dare look at Sera. A primal ache coated his words. “Meg, what’s the situation?”

  A computer monitor emerged from the wall. It displayed a still picture of Meg and her badge number along with a voice recorder showing the incoming call. The house’s speakers played the transmission in the living room while a hidden microphone picked up Talon’s responses.

  “Well, hello there. You live. It’s a miracle.” Meg’s chiding taunts touched on his raw nerves. “Enjoying the splendors of Beta House?”

  “Not now. Do me a favor and save the reprimands for another day.” He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the long black strands from his face. “What do you have for me?”

  “Okay. Well, you know of my unsurpassed skills on the tech hunt.” Meg’s bubbly personality returned to the forefront.

  Talon grinned despite his frustration. “Yes. You going to give me the lowdown or a report about your genius?”

  “Ha ha. Very funny.” Newspaper clippings appeared on the screen, highlighting two murder cases in Buckhorn, and a car accident in Phoenix. “See all these. First one is a couple killed in Buckhorn days before the murder spree. Second is the code black. Third is the attempted kidnapping of our witness.”

  “Yeah. The witness is in the room by the way.” Talon kept his attention glued to the monitor, but he could hear Sera’s sharp intake of breath as she came up behind him and stared at the screen.

  “Hi there, Ms. Benenati.” Meg’s voice brightened. “Glad you’re okay. And nice to meet you in digitized form.” She broadcast a quick pixilated image of herself on the screen, then flipped it back.

  Sera cleared her throat. “You too.” When the articles reappeared, she moved closer, studying them with narrowed eyes. “The first clipping with the couple from Buckhorn is the one I was researching.” She fingered the screen, scanning the article. “I’d gotten a call from someone who claimed to be a family friend. She encouraged me to interview the victim’s sister.” Her skin paled. Sadness washed over her face. “I hunted down some information from the coroner’s office and I tried to interview the sister. I used my connection with the Arizona Hornet, but I was hoping to sell the story to a real paper.”

  “Ms. Benenati,” Meg said over the intercom. “I have some news that might upset you. Are you sitting down?”

  “Meg, don’t reveal anything our witness shouldn’t know.” An underlining threat turned Talon’s words cold. The hair on his neck stood like hackles on an animal’s fur.

  “I’m not a child, Talon.” Sera spun on him. The heel of her hand smacked him in the chest. “I may not be a special agent, but I am a reporter. I’m good at getting to the bottom of things and I can handle a helluva lot. So, since this obviously has to do with me, I’d like to hear what Agent Foster has to say.”

  Talon looked her over. A fire of determination crossed her face. Fear for her safety tore at him, but the strength in her eyes caused a sense of pride to boil to the surface. How long since he’d felt anything for anyone other than his team? He’d have to show some courage too. He crossed the room without a word and pulled one of the large chairs close to the computer screen. “Sit.”

  Open-mouthed shock crossed her features, but she clamped it down. A small smile softened her fiery resolve. She sat without protest.

  “Okay, Meg,” Talon said as he sat on the arm of the chair and held onto Sera’s shoulders. “We’re ready. Lay it on us.”

  “So here’s the scoop. The cases are all connected. The common denominator is Sera.” New articles about a senator popped up. Sera winced. “I was correct about the recommendation. It came from Senator Marsh’s office as a safety precaution.”

  “Wait a second.” Sera hopped off the chair. “Reginald Marsh is not winning any Father of the Year Awards.” Her hands clenched into fists at her side. “We’ve talked on the phone a few times, but we don’t have a real relationship. So why the hell would he send you anything about me? What could he send? He doesn’t even know me.”

  Meg coughed. “Ms. Benenati, someone broke into your sealed police file from the incident in high school. I believe they tried to use the information to blackmail your father, and he sent us the file on you so we could protect you.”

  “The damn voicemails.” Sera swore. “He wanted me to call him. Claimed it was important.” She curled her fingers into fists. “I figured it was more of his bullshit. I ignored him.”

  An awkward silence filled the air. After a moment, Meg said, “Well, I don’t know how to say this, but I think the person blackmailing your father is responsible for leading you to that first case and for the murders. The crimes were an attempt to get to you. The first murder was meant to draw you out. The suspect killed the couple, then called you as a family friend of the victim to draw you to a specific location.” A map of Buckhorn appeared on the screen.

  Talon kept a firm hand at the nape of Sera’s neck, easing the muscles there as she stiffened under his touch.

  Meg continued, “Then, the suspect used his puppets. The second murders were probably meant as a kidnapping, but went wrong.”

  “They weren’t trying to kidnap me. They were trying to kill me.” Sera’s voice cracked. “Besides isn’t that a little far-fetched? Why would they want me?”

  Talon slid behind her, dwarfing her petite frame with his larger body. He forced her to relax into him. “Shh. Easy.”

  “I’m so sorry. I know this is hard.” Meg’s voice echoed through the line, shaking. She pulled up a call log from the senator’s office. “I have some possible addresses for the blackmailer. I traced all the calls from the senator’s office and private phone. One unregistered number kept popping up, so no firm address, but the calls bounced along the cell towers. I triangulated the position within a five miles radius.”

  “Good work. Where’s the central location?”

  “It’s not far from the Senator’s office in Calgary.” A local map of the city flipped onto the screen. A red dot marked the office building. Within a few miles, a black
triangle denoted the investigation area. “It’s in District Eight’s jurisdiction. I’ve informed Val. She’s got her team staking out the addresses.”

  “I’m sending our guys too. Tell Valkyrie if her team finds even a hint of trouble, they’re to wait for us.” His body rippled with tension.

  “Valkyrie?” Sera shifted to face him.

  “Agent Valencia Nunez. Tag name’s Valkyrie. She’s team leader for District Eight and a stubborn pain in the ass,” he said to Sera. His concentration shifted back to the computer. “You tell the hardhead it isn’t her call.”

  “I already told her you’re heading up the investigation.” Meg bounced the damnable smiley face across the outer edges of the screen. “She knows not to step on any toes.”

  “Good. I’m going to have Bull haul Drake’s ass up there too. I want the bastard under heavy guard. Preferably in one of District Eight’s holding cells.” He grabbed the chair’s arms in an iron grip. Sera fidgeted further from him but remained silent. “I don’t like bringing him, but we can’t afford to leave anyone behind. This area is too wide and we need our whole team on it.”

  “Of course.” Meg laughed. “It has nothing to do with territorial posturing.”

  He tapped his fingers over his jeans, ignoring her remark. “Text all the intel through an encrypted message to my cell.”

  “You got it, but,” her voice lost all its cheeriness, “Talon, there’s something else.” She chewed on her lip and the sound traveled over the line. “I have an idea of why the murders have so many perps.”

  Sera’s leg touched the inside of his thigh. She trembled, but kept her chin held high. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. His heart beat loud, thumping inside his chest and against her back. He felt her relax into his arms. He placed his lips at her ear and whispered, “You okay?” She nodded once. He dropped his tone an octave lower. “All right Meg, tell us.”

  “Well, the blackmailer may be the puppet master behind all of this, but the murderers might be just that, puppets.” The screen flickered, revealing a new article from a scientific journal on newbie vampires. Next to it, a paper marked CONFIDENTIAL appeared about newbie phage. “Newly made vampires and these phage creatures have some common characteristics.”

  Scanning the articles with a quick eye, Talon said, “Brief us on your findings.”

  “Okay, so new vampires and new phage can’t endure sunlight for the first fifty to sixty years or so of their lives. And all of the attacks took place at night like Sera said.” Meg switched the screen back to the three original articles. This time a yellow highlighter showed the times of the attacks. “New vampires are under direct supervision from their makers. They have complete brain function, but they have to follow orders. If they don’t, they suffer physical pain.”

  “What a way to live,” Sera muttered.

  “Yeah, but usually the vampires endure this for a half century, then their maker starts to lose a hold on them. Phage, from what I’ve gathered, have a similar tie to their makers.” A movie poster from a 1970s thriller appeared on the screen, entitled ZOMBIES. Talon didn’t recognize the film and snorted at Meg’s analogy. “But apparently, they’re more like zombies. They don’t have rationale thoughts, only a deep hunger and a need to obey their makers. The phage are super secretive about their newbies, but it seems they don’t achieve higher brain function again until their maker gives it to them through a direct command.”

  “And if their makers never give it to them?” A stab ran down Talon’s spine, killing the last echoes of his desire, even with Sera resting in his lap.

  “They stay puppets. Creepy, huh?” She flicked to a phage press release. “Definitely not something they’re spreading around.”

  “So you think the blackmailer is responsible for directing newbies, either vamps or phage, to do his dirty work?” Talon pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s a good theory, but hell if you’re right.”

  “Tell me about it.” Meg’s furious tapping clicked along the computer’s speakers. “And it gets worse. I went over some M.O.s with Slick earlier. Phage have political motivations for blackmail since they’re trying to get government recognition of their kind. However, they also have some problems amongst their own kind. Civil unrest, disputes, yada yada.”

  “Seven hells, how many potential suspects are we dealing with?”

  “Not done, I’m afraid. Veritas aren’t unmotivated either.” She flashed a picture of Strife and an article condemning Veritas as a violent secret society. “Turns out Veritas has a long history with phage. FYI we’re talking a major bitter war between the two. So it wouldn’t surprise me if Veritas tried to sabotage the phage coming out party.”

  Sera rose, threw up her hands, and screamed, “What the hell does any of this have to do with me?”

  Anger pulsed like a living thing from her every pore. Talon felt it flowing off her in hot waves. He clamped a hand around her wrist, dragging her down to the chair. “Sera, I’m here. You’re not alone.” She shook. “We’ll figure it out. This is what we do.” He lifted Sera and placed her against the chair’s pillow. Standing, he put in the decryption sequence and scanned his cell. “Meg, I’m going to text you orders along the same encrypted channel. Forward it to the team. I want them in District Eight ASAP. Then, we’ll track down this blackmailer.” He looked up into a web cam in the wall, so Meg would see the command reflected in his eyes. “I’ll be meeting them there once I can ensure Sera’s protection here.”

  “No.” Sera caught his arm and tugged at him. “I’m not staying here while other people are put in danger.”

  “You are in danger, Sera.” He seared her with a hard stare. “And I won’t have you in the crossfire.”

  “I haven’t seen my father in a long time, but I could get more information from him than your agents,” Sera said. Her hand trailed up his chest to rest over his heart. “If it’ll help with the investigation, I want to go.”

  “Sera.” Talon’s tone shifted low, a bear’s cautionary growl. “That’s not acceptable.” He rubbed his jaw. A light stretch of stubble scraped his roughened palm. “If the Senator is being blackmailed, he may be in more trouble than we know. I won’t put you in harm’s way.”

  “You can’t keep me from seeing my father. I’m not a prisoner here, am I?” She raised her hand higher to tangle in his hair.

  “No,” he admitted. A strong surge of desire raced through him at her touch. He stifled a groan.

  “Good.” She tugged his black mane, causing him to bend and meet her eyes. A slash of gold cut across her deep chocolate gaze. “Then, I’m going.”

  The growl escaped him. “I’m not leaving you unprotected.”

  “Glad to hear it.” She released him and stepped back. “I was willing to go on my own. But if you come, I’ll be well protected. And you’ll have no reason to say no.”

  A high-pitched laugh bounced off the walls. “She’s got you there, Talon.”

  He scrubbed a hand along his chin. “I don’t like it, but,” he held up two hands in defeat, “Meg, send us the location of her father’s office and inform District Eight’s team of the plans. I want a heavy arsenal of backup in the vicinity if we need it.”

  “You got it.” His cell buzzed again. “A turbo plane will meet you in the airfield. Our team will need the jet this time.” She flicked a countdown clock onto the screen. “I’ll make the arrangements. Let’s set it for oh-eight-hundred hours. Better get some rest ‘til then.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” He powered down the computer and re-engaged the system.

  A simmer curled along the shutdown unit. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Meg.” Talon’s eyes shot toward the hidden webcam. Her fading laughter provided a musical background.

  “I like her.” Sera wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest. He stared down at her, desire burning through him as if it never left. A shy smile lit her face. “So...what do you want to do for the next six hour
s?”

  His mind raced with images of what he wanted to do. But emotions crawled at him, shattering the erotic thoughts. Feelings were a liability and the consequences too costly.

  “Just stay in here. Don’t move.” His mother implored, her voice breaking on unshed tears.

  “Okay, mama. I promise.” Talon crouched in the corner beside his bed. His muscles ached as long minutes of silence stiffened his resolve. He would not move. He would not scream. Mama told him not too.

  Talon pulled Sera’s arms free of his waist. His lust had gone cold with the memories. “You’ve had a crazy couple of days. I don’t want to take advantage of your feelings.” He put more distance between them, extracting his shirt from the couch cushions. “Besides, I have a responsibility to protect you. We can’t have...” He fumbled for the word, buying time by pulling his shirt over his head. Lust, desire, attraction. Anyone of them would fit, but he feared it just scratched the surface of his emotions. He couldn’t go down that road. Ever. “Distractions.”

  “No. Wouldn’t want that.” The fire in the hearth died out. It swept the room in darkness as night descended.

  He heard the strain in her voice and a weight pressed on his heart at the thought of hurting her. He reached out for her in the darkness, but stopped before he reached her. “Engage lights,” he said as he wandered back to the panel. Without looking at Sera, he headed for the stairs. From the bottom step, he called, “I’m going to take a shower. Food’s in the kitchen. Your bedroom is above, third from the left.”

  She didn’t say anything. As he climbed the elegant staircase, he felt like a coward running from the one thing, the one person he wanted more than anything. His past chained him worse than any prison bars.

  Once atop the second floor, he strode to the bathroom and put the shower on full blast. He’d been to the safe house on several occasions and had reveled in the home’s sleek amenities. Today, he was merely grateful for the ice water pouring down in sheets from the shower’s silver spout. He shed his clothes and cursed as he stepped under the punishing spray.