“Did you see who it was?”
I shook my head. “His hood covered his face.” Even if I had turned my night vision on, I wouldn’t have been able to see him.
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
I smirked. “Lead the way.”
The smell of soy sauce assaulted me as we stepped into The Fortune Cookie. I wanted to roll my eyes at the stereotypical name, but then I remembered who ran his operation from this facility—a warlock. Dragon motif decor covered the place with colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The dim lighting and red painted walls with gold pillars gave it the cliché feeling of a Chinese restaurant.
The place was empty and no one stood at the hostess podium. A wooden counter separating the entrance and the dining room was decorated with many Chinese symbols, with a bowl of fortune cookies, and a gold cat waving a paw on top.
“What the hell?” I said as I tapped the paw and it moved back and forth.
Cas chuckled. “That’s Maneki-Neko—the fortune cat. It’s meant to attract wealth and prosperity.”
“Uh…okay,” I quirked a brow. “I’ve never been to Chinatown. It feels like I’m in another country.”
He nodded. “I grew up here so I’m used to it, but a lot of this isn’t even Chinese culture. Just what Americans think it’s supposed to look like.”
“I’m not surprised. We tend to ruin everything.”
Instead of waiting for someone to assist us, I passed the threshold to the dining area and scoped out the place. “Isn’t it dinner time? Why is the restaurant empty?”
“It’s a front.”
“Hello? Anyone home?” I yelled.
“Patience, Mackenzie,” Cas said as he followed me in.
“Yeah, I have none,” I snorted. “Where is this warlock? Why does he operate from a Chinese restaurant? It seems unsanitary.”
“I doubt he's working out of the kitchen,” he rolled his eyes.
“Are you sure? You never know, Cas. I wouldn't eat here. I might grow an extra finger or some shit.”
“You should try the dumplings,” someone said to my right.
My neck snapped in the direction of the voice and there stood a man of Asian decent, around my height. His almond eyes pinned me in place and a smirk was splayed on his face. He had a mischievous look to him that made me feel uneasy.
“Are you the warlock?” I asked.
“The name’s Bobby Wu,” he grinned. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
He wasn't bad looking—a little on the scruffy side. He had a five o'clock shadow that needed a good shaving and his hair could use a cut. I would have never pegged him for a warlock. He appeared like a regular Joe, in jeans and a navy blue bomber jacket with a hoodie underneath. His gaze traveled from me to Cas and his playfulness disappeared.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Cassidy Chang. I’d heard you joined the SIU. From the looks of that badge on your belt, I’m guessing the rumors are true.”
Cas kept quiet and I wondered what their history was—it seemed like it ran deep.
Bobby cupped his ear. “Oh, what’s that? Absolutely nothing,” he laughed. “Don't waste my time Chang. I'm a busy man.”
“You know why we’re here, Bobby.”
“How silly of me. Of course you’d run your mouth the minute you joined the SIU. What’s the saying again? Snitches get…”
“Cut the crap. What’s your dealings with the humans?” I interrupted. If Bobby Wu was involved in the human black market, providing unsanctioned spells and potions, he needed to be stopped. It threatened our existence if we were discovered, but it also put humans in danger. It was bad enough we had to exile the Fae—I didn't know what would happen if humans found out about us.
He looked around the restaurant. “I provide humans with American-Chinese cuisine. Everything from shrimp fried rice to beef lo mein. That’s it.”
“Bullshit,” I spat. “You’ve been—”
“Prove it,” he purred. “Unless you have a warrant, you have no business here.”
I snarled. That was the problem—we had no evidence. All we had to go by were the whispers on the streets that if you needed something done that wasn’t completely legal, Bobby Wu was the warlock to see.
“I think it’s time for us to go, Mackenzie,” Cas grabbed my upper-arm. “Stay in town, Bobby. We’ll be back.”
The warlock perked up. “Mackenzie?” He strode toward me with curiosity and stared right into my eyes. “Oh yes. Mackenzie the revolutionary—the Freedom Princess. I knew you looked familiar.”
“C’mon, let’s go,” Cas urged. “All he does is play games. Trust me, I know.”
I shrugged. “I like games.”
Bobby grinned. “Word on the street is you’re looking for a…special concoction…a cure. I could help.”
Now my curiosity was piqued. I should have known that damn witch couldn’t keep a secret. I'd have to pay her a little visit later about keeping her trap shut. I eyed Bobby and was about to comment, but with Cas here I couldn’t admit to my extracurricular activities. I could lose my badge over it.
I straightened. “You should check your sources because they’re full of shit.” I turned away from the warlock and let Cas escort me out of The Fortune Cookie. My body shook with unrestrained energy and the urge to turn back around and beg Bobby Wu for his help. I would do anything for that cure—even if it meant breaking the law.
Bobby Wu’s offer was all I could think about once we returned to the station and I parted ways with Cas. Since I was off the serial killer case, I wasn’t needed. This was not the time for me to get sidelined. The nightmare plaguing my sleep for the last two weeks was sure to pay me a visit tonight. Maybe that’s why I ended up where I did.
I blinked a few times to get myself out of the haze I was in and looked at my surroundings—I was in Brooklyn. In my daze I’d walked all the way across the bridge.
Now I stood across the street from the infamous warehouse of the Brooklyn Pack. Like a pro, I went into the alleyway across the street and pulled down the ladder to the fire escape at the side of the building. I climbed up until I got near the roof. I reached for the ledge and pulled myself up with ease.
Once in a while when I felt homesick, I’d find myself here, on top of the roof, sitting on the ledge, listening. I might have been moon-bound, but my hearing still stretched and whenever Bash was near, I could hear him.
I missed him. At first I couldn’t understand how or why, but I stopped trying to figure it out and let myself feel. I hadn’t felt much in a while and he was the only thing tethering me to my humanity.
I settled myself onto the ledge, dangled my feet in the air and closed my eyes. The sounds of the city faded to the background as I concentrated on the voices inside the warehouse. There were a few upstairs that I tuned out and when I focused on the main floor, I zoned in on his voice. I would recognize it anywhere.
“Any luck?” He rumbled. “I want some good news, Bern, please.”
“Sorry, Boss,” Bern responded. “None of them accepted our offer…they want…you know who.”
“Yeah, like that will ever happen,” Bash said. “There has to be someone there, I’m almost positive.”
There was a pause.
“Why don’t we try calling—”
“No, damn it!” Bash yelled. I zeroed in on his heartbeat and it was racing. Not because he was scared or lying, but because he was frustrated. Whatever was happening was stressing him out. “The St. James’ family has been taken out, this is prime time for the Chicago Lunas. Send the Omega again.”
The urge to jump down and barge in was tempting—but I refused to get involved. It made me feel like a selfish asshole because of everything Bash had done for me, but I wouldn’t let myself get consumed by this world again. I was happy for the Lunas, and I didn’t regret a single action, but the price was steep. I wanted to be in control of my life again and staying away from Bash was key.
7
A week had gone
by and I was antsy at my desk. It was Sunday and the squad room was abuzz with the anticipation of the next killing. No new clues emerged and they were at a dead end. Since I was still off the case, there was nothing I could do but keep track of Bobby Wu who had been quiet this week.
“I want to rip my eyes out,” Finn rolled over to my desk. “I can’t remember when was the last time I slept.”
“Ditto,” Michaels hollered from his desk. “There is no rhyme or reason as far as we can tell. I don’t know how much more I can take of this. All these innocent people…”
I understood that desperation. It’s what I felt when the Lunas were murdered. That massacre was a memory so ingrained in my mind, I didn’t think I could ever get rid of the image of Blu’s lifeless body. All of that blood and carnage—I shivered.
I glanced over my computer to Briggs office and saw the door closed and the shades down.
“Let me take a look at what you got,” I whispered to my team. They peered over at the Lieutenant’s office and then waved me over.
Michaels turned his computer on and Finn rolled over the evidence board and flipped it to the back where there was a map of Manhattan. There was a red pin at each location we’d found a body drained of blood.
“The only pattern we’ve established is that for every two humans he kills, the third victim is always supernatural,” Michaels murmured.
“Nothing at the last crime scene?”
“Even with the attack, the guy left nothing. We still haven’t figured out what his motive for returning to the scene was,” Finn added.
“What about location?”
“I don’t see anything. It’s just a cluster.”
I went up to the map and began tracing the pins. I didn’t need them to tell me which was first, I had this case memorized. I followed the pins in order of death and they were right, there was no particular order, but something was familiar. I stepped back a few feet and gazed at the map.
“Gramercy to Midtown East, up to the Garment District. Those were the first three supernatural kills,” I mumbled. “They form a triangle.”
“What?” Michaels and Finn scrambled over to me to get a look.
“Holy shit, Grey,” the reaper exhaled.
“But what about the other pins outside of the triangle?” Michaels questioned.
I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my fingers on my chin in concentration. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” I went up to the map again. “Check this out,” I called them over.
They nodded as they stood on either side of me.
“You see the other two supernatural kills in the Theater District and Murray Hill? It looks like the start of another triangle—it’s overlapping and this time its upside down. Get me two rulers,” I called out into the squad room. I was on to something and it was the break we needed.
Michaels brought me what I requested when Briggs came out of his office.
“Grey!” He barked. “Get away from that damn board! You’re off the case!”
I ignored him and placed the rulers on the tips of the other two supernatural killings until the other ends met at the tip. The last two murders were humans, which meant the next one would be a supernatural. If my theory was correct…
“There,” I exhaled. “The next killing is going to be in Chelsea.”
The squad room was quiet for a split second. My gaze fell on Briggs and I pleaded with my eyes that he listen to me this one time. Something in my gut was telling me that this was it, I’d figured it out.
“What am I looking at, Grey?” Briggs demanded as he rounded the corner and stared at the map.
“The Star of David, Boss. That is the killer’s pattern.”
According to the map, the next murder would be around 6th avenue and West 23rd street. Briggs had no choice but to let me tag along; it was my collar if I was right.
“How the hell did you figure it out, Grey?” Michaels asked on the ride to Chelsea.
I shrugged. “I think I just needed to step away for a while. We’d been so obsessed with this case, we didn’t notice what was right in front of us.”
“What about the other murders—the human ones?”
“I don’t know, Michaels. Maybe it’s to throw us off? Either way, it ends today. We got him.”
With all our gear on, the radio clipped to my bullet proof vest started to crackle and I heard Finn come through the speaker.
“He’s here!” I turned the siren on and slammed my foot on the gas.
We swerved through traffic and my body shook with the need to get there. This was our only chance—the Star of David would be completed tonight.
I turned onto sixth and crashed into another cop car. I didn’t bother shutting the engine off. Michaels and I flew out of the vehicle and ran into the building where we heard the screams.
Gunshots went off and my shaking intensified. The last time we encountered this monster, he killed Liam. Who was his next victim?
“Continent anima, continent anima, continent anima,” the SIU witches chanted.
Michaels and I ran up the stairs and down a hallway and we halted before the doorway that led to the scene. I poked my head around the corner and saw the open space filled with SIU personnel. The killer was at the end of the room holding a woman by the neck against his chest. With one hand outstretched, he held up another invisible shield that stopped the bullets from hitting him.
We ran inside and ducked behind an overturned table. Finn was nearby, crouched behind crates with another officer.
“We’ve been at a standstill for the last twenty minutes. He’s not letting that damn guard down and we don’t know how to penetrate it!” Finn screamed against the sound of gunshots.
“Think Kenz, think,” I muttered to myself. What was I missing?
I unholstered my gun, and turned off the safety. I popped out from behind the table and Michaels grabbed the sleeve of my shirt to stop me.
“What are you doing?” He bellowed. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“If I get killed, you can have the box of expired protein bars in my second drawer,” I pulled away and he let me go.
I went around my cover and stalked toward the serial killer that had been terrorizing the city.
“You’re surrounded,” I told him. “Let the girl go. It’s over.”
He laughed. “It is far from over, Mackenzie Grey. This is only the beginning.” With a flick of his wrist, he snapped the girls neck and she slumped down to the floor with a loud thud. It was all too familiar and I found myself frozen before him—staring at the unblinking girl. Her bright blues faded and my shaking intensified.
“Mackenzie!” I heard Michaels yell, but I couldn’t move as I gazed at the girl who reminded me of Amy.
The killer knelt beside the girl and punctured her neck with a contraption I’d never seen before. It looked like a gun with two needles at the end. A clear tube connected to it led to a messenger bag that was slung across his chest. His free hand held the invisible shield while he drained the girl’s body of blood.
“Stop!” I screamed as I let the bullets fly, but all they did was bounce.
“It’s almost complete,” he said and released the girl. “No one is safe, Mackenzie Grey. The reckoning has begun.”
He put away the gun and I still couldn’t see his face that was hidden by the hood of his cloak. “Until we meet again,” he said. The killer palmed the floor before him and the ground trembled. The windows of the room burst inward and I ducked, covering my head as glass rained around me.
“Grey!” Michaels yelled as he ran to me. “Are you okay?”
I didn’t have time to answer because before we knew it, Ghouls crashed into the room, their beady eyes ravenous as if they were starving.
“Shit,” I growled and raised my gun, aiming behind Michaels. “Duck,” I said and shot the ghoul in the head that had been coming our way.
More Ghouls than we were prepared for entered the building and we had
to fight our way out. I ran out of bullets and never bothered to carry a spare magazine because I never used it. I extended my claws, and attempted a half shift before it became too painful.
I clawed my way through, with Michaels watching my six. Finn found his way toward us and we made it outside. With Cassidy on another assignment, it was just the three of us. The enclosed space was impossible, but outside we had a better chance of taking these Ghouls out. Many of our colleagues were either still fighting, or already down, with the monsters feeding on their blood.
Before I could react, a Ghoul jumped on me from behind, snapping its teeth around my neck. I whirled around, trying to shake him off to no avail. I felt the scrapes of its shark-like teeth, but he hadn’t punctured any skin yet. A bite from a Ghoul was nasty and nine times out of ten, led to an infection.
“Get off me, you freak of nature!”
Another Ghoul came toward me, its slimy skin dripping with fresh blood, and its sharp dirty nails ready to claw into its next victim.
“I’m hungry,” it growled and slashed me across my bullet proof vest. When that didn’t work, the ghoul that was still attached to me from behind, clawed at my face. My skin slit open and I tasted the metallic liquid that dripped to my mouth.
He groaned and got off me, licking his fingers like he’d just finished a bucket of chicken from KFC. I was bleeding so much, it momentarily blinded me. I stumbled around until I felt a fist collide with my jaw. It knocked me down on the ground and multiple feet began to kick me in the stomach and face. I tried to cover myself, but it was no use.
I screamed into the night sky until my voice was hoarse. My team must have either been taken out or they had their hands full. Either way, this was my fault. I wasn’t at my strongest and I couldn’t depend on them to keep me safe.
My body slacked and I no longer felt their hits. I was numb as I laid on the concrete in the middle of the road. My vision cleared and I let myself stare mindlessly—waiting for them to finish. I was done. I had no more strength.
The corners of my vision darkened when a pair of boots fell from the sky. She crouched before me and hissed at the Ghouls before leaping toward them and ripping them apart like tissue paper. One by one they went down.
OMEGA: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Mackenzie Grey Book 4) Page 5