01 Serial Killer (FBI Paranormal Casefiles)

by Sabine A. Reed

  Weird.

  “I thought the purpose of the White Council was to ensure safe relations with humans.”

  “Ah no, my dear,” he contradicted me in a gentle, calm voice. “The purpose of the White Council is to ensure the survival of our races. We exist to serve ourselves first. Right now, we are few in numbers, weak in power due to the overwhelming population of this weaker race, but one day we will emerge victorious, and we will rule this planet, and we will get what we deserve.”

  There was a fanatic light in his eyes that I didn’t quite like. “Which is?”

  “Peace, of course.”

  Yes, good idea to be absorbed in a deep, global discussion with a werewolf while so much was going on. At least it took my mind off the danger Aaron was in.

  “So White Council wants peace?”

  “Yes, peace from this murderous race that is systematically destroying the planet, the flora, the fauna, the environment.” He sighed. “One day we’ll have to do something to rid the world of them.”

  It was hard to believe that we were standing on the pavement of a street in an urban suburb, calmly discussion the reasons why the human race needed to become extinct.

  Where the hell was this coming from?

  And did I really need to listen to this lunatic?

  “I guess…”

  He leaned closer. “Yes?”

  Shaking my head, I cleared my mind of the images he planted. “I guess Aaron is done.”

  Something flickered in his eyes. Disappointment? Regret? “I see that you’re your father’s daughter. He was always against such notions also.”

  The blood froze in my veins. Time stood still. Nothing moved. No sound penetrated the deep silence that enveloped me for a few brief seconds. That moment was suspended to an eternity as I gazed at him. “You knew my parents?”

  “Careful, Ms. Mathews.”

  With a start, I realized that I’d seized his arm and my nails dug into his skin. “I’m sorry. It’s…It’s been ages since I found someone who knew them. You…knew my parents?”

  “Their murders aren’t a secret,” he said. “The White Council keeps a tab on these things. We don’t take kindly to our people being killed.”

  “But they were killed by mages.”

  “Perhaps.” He shrugged. “Or maybe some magic was used.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You were right.” He turned his head and looked at Aaron. “He is done, and we should move.”

  “But…”

  “We’ll talk later.” He strode towards the house along with the others. “Come now.”

  Determined, I raced after him. I’d every reason in the world to keep him out of harm’s way. Ever since my parents died, I never found a scrap of information about their killers. This was the real reason why I worked with the FBI, and today my decision to bind myself to the Paranormal Defense Intelligence paid off.

  Sebastian knew something; and he was going to tell me whether he liked it or not.

  But first, I needed to deal with a very naughty wayward human who had done more than his share of damage already.

  Chapter Seventeen

  If Mark was dead, my world would fall apart.

  I couldn’t afford to lose another family member – and he was that. Everyone in the commune was part of my family, and I was committed to keep them safe.

  He could be dead somewhere even as we ran around like headless chickens.

  No. I wouldn’t accept it.

  He was alive.

  No other thought was permitted in my head.

  While the FBI team surrounded and secured the building, we entered. The front room was empty. Aaron led the charge, and I was close behind. Men with guns strode in behind us, sweeping through the rooms in their usual style. For us, the process was simpler. A mage gave off certain energy when he expended it. If there was an attack, we would feel it before the spell actually hit us.

  We were prepared.

  How could I have missed Smith’s powers? It never happened before. Maybe I was losing my touch. It was possible that Aaron did something that affected my ability to concentrate on my case?

  “What?” He caught the glare I shot at him.

  It wasn’t fair to target him just because I was pissed off with my ineptness.

  “Nothing,” I muttered.

  After signaling him to take the stairs, we moved up. The ground floor was empty, and there wasn’t a sound from the first floor also. The building was deserted. And yet Mark had to be there. According to Aaron’s sources, he was driven here and never got out.

  What if we missed something?

  What if Smith smuggled him out somewhere else?

  No, he had to be here. We swept through the empty first floor and then the second. There was no sign of life anywhere.

  Shit.

  We met again on the ground floor. “Nothing,” reported Augusta. She had gone to the basement with Shelley. “It’s all empty.”

  “Where is Mark?” I muttered. “Where could he be?”

  Aaron dialed on his phone. “Anything you could have missed? There is no one here.” Someone talked on the other end for a long time. Aaron shoved the phone in his pocket, looking more agitated than I ever saw him. “They’re sure that Mark never exited the building. Smith left and came back every day at the same time in the afternoon. He came today also. We missed him by an hour.”

  Walking over the wooden floors, I circled the room. It wasn’t furnished. None of the rooms were. A thick layer of dust lay everywhere. It was clear that this was an abandoned building. No one had lived here in a long time. The kitchen was through the living room, and it was also deserted. Walking over to the counter, I peeked outside the window.

  “We could try and talk to the neighbors to see if anyone has seen anything?” said Aaron.

  I turned to look at him. Even if he led us on a long goose chase, this wasn’t the time to argue. “You take the ones on the left with Jeremy. I’ll take the ones on the right with Shelley.”

  He nodded, looking a little surprised by my quick acquiescence. We split up. Canvassing the area proved to be more difficult than we imagined. The building on the right was empty and for sale. The one on the left had a real estate office where staff kept odd hours and clients came and went. They didn’t know who owned the building next to them and if anyone ever came to visit.

  “No luck?” said Sebastian as we came back to the front door of the office building. A part of the broken door hung morosely. “This is indeed a pity.”

  Resisting the urge to tell him to shut up, I turned to Jones. “We should hunt Smith down and question him.”

  “Of course. Already on it. A team is tailing him. He is in his office and they will be on him if he moves.”

  One thing about Jones; he was thorough. “I’ll go there now.”

  Jones rubbed a hand over his face. “When you do interview him, try to keep in mind that we invaded his office space and destroyed it without any warrant.”

  “We’d sufficient reason,” I protested. “You saw the video.”

  “I did indeed, and that’s why we are here. But I don’t want him creating legal trouble for us so handle it with care.”

  “I’ll go with her,” said Aaron and Bryan at the same time.

  Nonplussed for a moment, they both stared at each other. Jones tapped a finger on his chin. “Hmm. Mr. Fine, you don’t have an authority to interview a suspect.”

  “I’ll be a silent bystander, lending support as needed. In any case, you will be showing him the video, won’t you? And let’s not forget who acquired it.”

  The man had a point.

  As always.

  Jones waved a hand. “Might if I join?” said Sebastian in his characteristic drawl.

  We all turned to look at him. Him? Take a member of the White Council to interview a subject?

  Were we that desperate?

  “Of course.”

  Bryan looked a bit taken aback by my agreeable
tone, but Aaron Fine chuckled as if he understood my motives.

  He didn’t.

  The man thought he knew me but he didn’t.

  Or perhaps he guessed.

  If Smith harbored some magical ability, he would know about the White Council, and if that didn’t frighten him to spill the beans, nothing else would.

  Marching over to Jeremy’s car, we sat in. Dubey didn’t join us. We exchanged glances, and he nodded. He would use his considerable hunting skills to hunt Mark in the city. There were certain shady parts of the town where much went on, and sometimes information could be gotten for a price, in currency, favors, or kind. He would do whatever needed to be done to find out if anyone knew anything.

  Since Sebastian sat in the front, it left Aaron, Bryan, and I to fight over space in the back seat. I chose to sit on the side and maneuvered Bryan to sit with Aaron. The men looked as uncomfortable with the arrangement as I imagined.

  “Something wrong?” I asked in a sweet voice as Bryan squirmed, trying his best to not wedge into Aaron.

  “Plenty wrong,” he said. “This whole thing stank from the beginning. We’ve been on the wrong track from day one, chasing after hypnotists. Nothing has made sense.”

  Aaron’s voice was calm, smooth. “I don’t think we have been on the wrong track.”

  “We?” spat Bryan, clearly coming unhinged as the whole thing blew up on our face. Turning he jabbed a finger at Aaron. “There is no we here. You’re not part of the FBI team. You’re not from PDI. So back off. We’ve already wasted enough time because of you.”

  Bryan didn’t lose his cool often. This would be fun. If I couldn’t be the one to take down Aaron Fine a notch or two, I didn’t mind anyone doing so. Gleefully, I shifted slightly so I could keep them both in my line of vision. The men were similar and yet there were strong differences between them. Bryan was tall, rangy, and well built, but he had the aura of a kind, gentle man who respected women, embraced authority, and thought well before taking an action. He was a sweet guy; one you could take home to and introduce to your family without a qualm. He would fit in and everyone would fall in love with him.

  Aaron Fine was also tall and built like a tank, but there was a hard, raw edge to him. Even his handsome face was chiseled, almost set in stone. His gaze was bright but predatory. I would be scared to take him home because he was unpredictable, capable of extreme violence at a moment’s notice, and eschewed authority. He reminded me of a panther; strong, watchful, silent but deadly. He could explode into action without a warning.

  I was weary of him.

  I didn’t trust him.

  And yet here he, squished into a car with us on way to interview a suspect.

  How did we even come to this point?

  “There is a lot of blame going around,” said Aaron as he stared straight ahead, ignoring both of us. “And I don’t mind accepting a part of it. Perhaps I should have told you the truth about my connection with the victims but to me defense, I have never trusted the police or the FBI. They rely too much on data, evidence, and not enough on instincts.”

  “Instincts have led us to this stupid turn,” said Bryan.

  “I believe Cleo was right; Smith is the one. We just haven’t found a solid evidence.” He shrugged. “If it was up to me, I would tie him up, beat the shit out of him, and he would spill everything.” Bryan blanched. Aaron’s lips lifted in a smile. “But we will do this your way…for now.”

  “You will not do anything to the suspect.”

  “That’s just what I said.”

  Bryan’s teeth clamped down with a visible noise. He blew through his nose, trying desperately to hold on to his temper. I was annoyed at Aaron, but he still believed that my theory about hypnotists were right. Apart from my hunches, we didn’t have anything on Smith. Oh well, except for the video Aaron produced.

  Mark was last seen with Smith.

  That was a big piece of evidence.

  We couldn’t ignore it.

  Sebastian chuckled. “Children, children. Let’s not fight. We must present a united front to this willy suspect.”

  With a huff, I settled back in my seat. Annoyingly patronizing as he was, Sebastian was right. We couldn’t afford for Smith to realize the dissent within our ranks. This case was turning out to be more complicated than anything we’d ever done. Mark’s life was on the line, and I couldn’t help but blame myself.

  I shouldn’t have asked him to take up surveillance on Smith.

  He would still be safe if I hadn’t done so.

  Drenched in guilt, I bit on my nail, a habit I picked up only in time of great distress. With an effort, I clamped my hands together. Mark was gone for a day already. If we didn’t find him soon, we may never see him alive. What if he was already dead in some clearing?

  No. I wouldn’t even harbor the possibility.

  Jeremy came to a stop outside Smith’s office. Aaron got out and looked around. His surveillance team must be nearby but I couldn’t see any sign of them. He’d a good team. No doubt about that. And he kept a calm head on his shoulders even in a crisis. It was kind of assuring to have him with us.

  In a battle, I wouldn’t mind having him by my side.

  Not that I would ever admit this to him.

  And not that I wanted to work with him ever again. The man was a snake. He was a liar, a cheat, and had an ego the size of Manhattan. As soon as this case was finished, I would make sure he stayed well away from us.

  Straightening my jacket, I strode to the office. The secretary was sitting at the reception but we swept past her without a word. “Hey, hey.” She chased after us. “You can’t just barge in.”

  Opening the door to his office, we walked in. Smith was on the phone. Seeing us, he leaned back. “James, I’ll have to call you back.”

  “Sir, these people just came in and I…”

  Bryan flipped his jacket and revealed the badge. “This is an official FBI visit, Miss. I would request you to kindly go back to your seat. We have some questions for Mr. Smith.”

  Her mouth opened, closed, and she glanced at all of us. I guess there must have been something intimidating about four hulking, determined men, one of whom wielded a badge, and a woman who looked as if she would kick ass if she didn’t back off, the secretary didn’t wait for an answer and trundled off, closing the door firmly behind her.

  So much for employee loyalty.

  Clearly, he didn’t pay her enough.

  Smith sneered. Gone was the affability and the strict sense of professionalism with which he treated us the first time around. “What do you guys want?”

  Sebastian took a seat. “Sebastian Theodore, White Council.”

  Something flickered in Smith’s eyes. It was gone before I could decipher it. I exchanged glances with Aaron, drew the chair out, and sat. “I don’t know what gibberish you are sprouting. Get to the point; what do you guys want?”

  “We want to know where Mark is.”

  He leaned forward and pinned me with a wicked glare. “Ms. Mathews. We have been over this. I don’t know what and whom you are talking about.”

  I gestured to Aaron. Taking out his phone, he tapped a few buttons and then pushed it on the desk towards Smith. “Maybe this might recollect your memory.”

  Smith let the video play till the very end. He crossed his arms. “This must be some kind of a joke. I have never seen this man, or talked to him, and he has never gone anywhere with me.”

  The man had nerves of steel. “Mr. Smith. We have clear evidence that you allowed Mark to get in your car and you drove him to your office building in Mclean. You left him inside, and he has never been seen again.”

  “You’re fucking joking, right.” He thrust the phone back. “I admit I own an office building in Mclean which I am renovating soon. The plans are being finalized. I often visit it with the interior decorator to decide on changes I want to make. My business is thriving and I’m thinking of moving out.”

  “I don’t care about your renovation
or career plans,” I snarled. He was an obstinate bastard. Didn’t he realize that we had him? He better come clean or else I might forget about my resolve to maintain restrain and beat the shit out of him. “Where the hell is Mark and what did you do to him?”

  “Get a grip on yourself,” he said in a sharp voice. “I’m sure you are upset about your friend but this doesn’t give you the right to harass ordinary, innocent people.”

  “You’re not ordinary or innocent, you bastard.”

  His smile lit his face in a way that reminded me of a jackal. “You’re right that I am not ordinary. Not ordinary at all.” He took a moment to let his words sink in. “But I am innocent. This video proves nothing. Where did you get it from?”

  His question made me look at Aaron. I turned back. “It is video footage from nearby cameras.”

  “I think it’s doctored,” he stated in a flat voice. “You guys took the video, made some changes to look as if I talked to your friend, and then drove off with him. This could well be me talking to a friend or my interior decorator and then having him sit in my car.”

  “You’re joking, right? Why the hell would we do that?”

  “I’ve no idea. I’m sure you want to catch the person who kidnapped your friend, and not someone who has no inkling about what’s going on in your complicated life. I’ll ask you again; how did you get the video? I’m sure you went about it the usual way and got a warrant and accessed the records, right?”

  I squirmed. “That doesn’t matter.”

  “Yes, it does.” He put his elbows on the desk and rested his chin on his folded arms. If I lunged across the table, I could drag him over, put my elbow on his neck, and end his miserable life. But he’d Mark. “Let me make it very clear. You all seem to be very determined to find this young man, and in your zeal, you seem to have acquired evidence through a source that is not strictly legal. The trouble with that is it is not admissible in a court of law. No one would believe your claims on evidence that has been accessed through illegal channels. I say it’s doctored. You’re trying to frame me.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Maybe you don’t care about your friend, and you want to close the case to get the accolades. This gives you an easy way out.”