“What poison did you use to kill them?” I asked.
“Poison?” He wheezed out the word, straightened, and leaned against the wall. “I didn’t use poison.”
What else did this freak have access to?
“What was it then?” I asked.
“It’s this.” He tapped a finger on his temple. “Hypnotism. Nice and simple. They do anything.”
The bright gleam in his eyes freaked me out. “What do you mean?”
“Once they are listening to me, I just…I need to tell them to stop breathing, and they do.”
Insane.
Bullshit.
“Please. Are you telling me that you ask them to stop breathing and they…they just do what you tell them?”
“Their heart stops,” he said. “Instant death. Painless. Quick. Merciful.”
No man could have so much control over another human being. It didn’t make any sense. But he’d no reason to lie.
“How does that work?” said Aaron.
I crouched next to Smith. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s just something I do. Hard to explain it. But I’ve got to have the subject under control, and then they are mine.”
Taking a deep breath, I resisted the desire to break his nose. I would love to see him bloody and bruised on the floor, but Jones wouldn’t like it. He frowned on unnecessary use of force even when the villains deserved it.
This didn’t make sense.
“Why?” asked Aaron. “Why kill them? You already got their blood.”
“They would have told everyone. I couldn’t let anyone stop me. Just trying to get back what should have been mine. You would have known if you were the only one in your family who didn’t have the gift.” He gasped. “Listen, I screwed up. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Just…please forget about this. You guys want money? I can give you a lot.” As I raised my hand to hit him, he scampered back and tried to press himself into the wall. “Ok. Ok. Maybe something else. I’m a good hypnotist. Maybe you can use my services. And the spray works. It does. You can take that too.”
I wouldn’t use my magic; it would be disrespectful to my gift to waste it on this snake.
With my bare hands, I could kill him.
But no. That wasn’t our way.
“I don’t want anything from you but to see you rot in jail.”
Sebastian cleared his throat and all of us came to the realization that he was still in the room. “Cleo and Aaron, you’ve both done a fine job. A fine job, indeed. The case is closed, right?”
“It is, but I’ve to haul him off to Jones…” I said.
“No need, my dear. No need. You must have read the Magus Agreement.”
What in the name of Goddess Ura was he talking about?
He strode and stood in front of Smith. “I’m sure you also know it, you sniveling bastard.”
Smith’s tongue rolled out to lick his lips. He stood. “I…just…”
“The Magus Agreement is between the White Council and those selected members of the world who know about the paranormal and the unusual. All units of government who work in this field must abide by it, as does your PDI unit.” Something hitched in my throat as memory flashed. “The White Council reserves the right to be the judge and jury in any event that pertains to our kind.”
“But I…”
Sebastian was a blur as he moved. Since his arrival, this was the first time that I realized the extent of his power. The muscles bunched on his shoulders as he grabbed Smith, twisted him around, clutched his neck between his hands, and twisted it violently. I gasped as Smith’s body shuddered. He let go and the man lay dead on the floor. “Verdict delivered and justice served.”
Aaron and I stared at the dead man.
It all happened so fast, without any warning.
“I don’t…what did you do?” I gaped. “That’s not right.”
Adjusting the collar of his jacket, Sebastian smiled. I couldn’t believe that he just killed a man. “Anyone commits a crime against our kind doesn’t go unpunished. Don’t worry. I’ve already talked to Jones. It wouldn’t be a problem for you.”
That was far from my mind.
I could kill someone if I was attacked and in danger, but I couldn’t just kill someone like that. This was also cold-blooded murder.
“What about the body?” asked Aaron.
“Hmm. Good point. We don’t want anything linking it back to us. The humans tend to frown on such things.” Drawing out a thin, silver tube from his hand, he pushed a button on the side. The tip glowed. It looked like a vape, something people used to smoke, except the light looked bright red, fiery. “Here we go.” Bending down, he touched Smith on the arm and took a careful step back.
The body burst into flames.
I jumped. “What the hell is that?”
“One of Aaron’s innovations. Very handy to get rid of undesired bodies.”
The flames reduced in intensity moments later. The wooden floor didn’t burn but the corpse shrank. The fire smothered out but the body was pitch black now. It kept shrinking until it was the size of a walnut. The walnut burst open and ash flew out. Smith’s corpse was gone and in its place were a few specks of ash, no more than handful. Not a single scratch embellished the floor.
Creepy.
Smith was gone forever, obliterated from the world.
“What the hell is that?” I pointed at the tube. “If it gets into the wrong hands…”
I could imagine creative killers putting this to good use to hide evidence against them.
“It wouldn’t. There are only three in the world, and the White Council has them all.” He shifted on his feet as he put the tube back in his pocket. “Right, Aaron?”
“Of course.”
Sebastian beamed. He was also insane. I didn’t see much difference between him and Smith except that Sebastian had the might of the White Council behind him. “Good. We’re done here, then. Oh yes, another thing.” He held out a hand. “Don’t you have something else for me?”
Aaron drew into his pocket and drew out the cylindrical device he’d used earlier to scan the door. “This is a prototype. I’ll deliver the rest when they are ready.”
“Seven of them, please.”
“Sure.” Aaron nodded. “So the deal is done?”
“Yes, yes, of course. The contract is off.” Sebastian turned to me. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Cleo. Perhaps we shall meet again soon.”
I sure hope not.
Never would be best.
I couldn’t reply. He scared me. It wasn’t the power, but the sudden and brutal use of it. There was no thought behind it, no wrestling with the conscience. He’d always known that he would kill Smith but he never said it before. For him, it was a matter of his right, but for me, it felt wrong.
Taking a life, unless it was for self-defense, wasn’t ok.
The White Council couldn’t hold such power and vest it in one individual. If Smith was dragged before them, put on trial, it would male sense. But here Smith was witness, he was jury, he was judge, and he was also the executioner.
There was no one to question him, second guess him, or stop him.
He was Death.
Sebastian winked at me and walked out. I was rooted to the spot, staring at the flecks of ash that dotted the floor. “What about his family? They wouldn’t ever know what happened to him.”
Aaron put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s the way with the White Council. That’s how they operate.”
I shook my shoulder free. “You knew he was going to do it?”
“I suspected,” he admitted.
Fair enough. Fine. What else could I do? Smith’s family would be as a loss about his disappearance but the man was a murderer – and the world was a better place now that he was gone.
“What did he mean when he said the contract was off?”
“We should go and check on Mark,” said Aaron. “He must be at the hospital now.”
I held m
y ground. “Aaron, what did he mean?”
With a long sigh, he faced me. “The White Council has some influence with the assassins. I requested him to ask them to break their contract about you. Of course, it still means there is someone out there who wants you dead.”
“And you gave the White Council your latest gadget in return?”
“I did.” He raised a shoulder. “I would’ve given it to them anyway so it’s not a loss.”
No. It wasn’t.
He wasn’t a total loss.
And I hated to admit it.
“Thank you.”
If I had kicked him in the groin, he would have been less surprised. “You are not mad at me?”
“No. I’m grateful. It would be nice to not look over my shoulder all the time, expecting an attack. They are deadly dangerous. I couldn’t have kept fighting them off.”
He stood still, apparently still struggling with my words. “Great. That’s wonderful.”
“Let’s go then. I’ll drop you off somewhere. I’ve to go to the hospital.”
“I’ll come with you, see this to the end now that we have come so far.”
“Sure.”
Why not?
He earned the accolades, the pleasure of closing the case. It was always nice to do so. No more killing for now. Smith was gone, and all our people were safe. Till another case showed up, we could rest in peace.
We strode out of the building. I looked forward to some downtime at the commune. Not weeding, of course. I would have to find something that wasn’t so banal.
Until the next case, that was.
It would come soon enough.
Evil never rested for long.
“So what about that date?”
Opening the door of my car, I shifted inside, and pulled the seat belt. “It’s never happening.”
“But we’re so good together. Did I tell you how you tick all the right boxes?”
“Shut up.”
“You know I don’t like it when you say that.”
A smile hovered on my lips as I drove away with him sitting beside me. “And I don’t really care, so do shut up.”
“This is not fair. And fairness is very important in a relationship.”
“We’re not in a relationship.”
“We would be if you gave it a chance.”
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. Mark was back; Smith was gone, and hopefully Sebastian was out of our lives. So far, so good. I couldn’t ask for more. “Just be quiet.”
“Why do I have a feeling we are talking in circles?”
Laughing, I sped up. As far as I was concerned, life was good – and for now, I was content with what I had.
----The End---
02
Devil’s Agent
Chapter One
Sometimes life handed you lemons and you decide to be practical and make lemonade – but when life punched you in the face, you couldn’t just take it lying down.
Oh no.
No way.
“This is for your own good, Cleo,” said Jones, my boss, the director of PDI, the Paranormal Defense Intelligence Unit, the department which handed all of United States of America’s troubles with the weird, the mighty, and the paranormal.
Yes, yes, mages lived in the world. Yes, we had gifts and powers beyond human comprehension. Werewolves and other shape-shifters roamed the earth, and vampires were real.
Shit happened around us.
But the naïve humans didn’t know – and it was the job of consultants like me who were attached to FBI’s Paranormal Defense Intelligent unit to keep them clueless. That, and solving homicides, thefts, kidnappings, and other strange events triggered by or involving those of us who had magic.
With a firm shake of my hand, I hoped to make an important point. “This is not good for me. Not at all.”
“He will support you in all cases.”
Glaring at the man who was the subject of this conversation, I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t need or want his support.”
Why him?
And why the hell me?
The subject of this discussion merely smiled as if he was already aware as to how this would end.
I hated him.
Hate was too mild a word.
I abhorred him.
Jones drummed his fingers on the desk. “Take a seat, Cleo, and be reasonable. You know very well that if Aaron didn’t help us during the last case, we still would’ve been chasing that serial killer.”
Flopping on the seat, I gave this some thought.
Aaron Fine, a great mage, a successful businessman, a good-looking guy, a resourceful ally – but a supreme liar and cheat.
So yes, he did gave us some useful leads while we were trying to catch Smith Kline, the hypnotist, who killed a mage and a werewolf and kidnapped my friend Mark, but the same Aaron Fine also lied about his connection with the victims and pretended to have feelings for me so that he could get more information about that case.
Memory Flash: I found him in his office, a brunette wrapped around him, her lips hot on his, hours after he asked me out on a date.
He claimed she initiated the kiss – but I so didn’t believe him.
“I don’t trust him.”
“Ouch,” said Aaron as he took the seat next to me. “Pray tell me why? I fought beside you. I helped you nab Smith. What is this about?”
Really?
Did we need to talk about this anymore?
“In this line of dangerous work, I need to partner with someone who has my back, and you don’t. You wouldn’t ever,” I fired back.
If I backed away now, I would get stuck with him – and that I couldn’t afford.
Leaning back a little, he surveyed him. He was a handsome devil. The chiseled, strong face, full lips, and those dark, broody eyes, not to mention that well-built body belonged on a stage or film, not in an office. And he was a damn powerful mage who acted instantaneously in response to threat. In a battle, I would want him as an ally, never as an enemy – but then that was neither here nor there.
He could be charming when he desired, and he could be persuasive. But he was also cunning and calculated.
I didn’t trust him.
Bottom line; I didn’t want him anywhere near a hundred feet of me.
Or more, if I could get that.
He pursed his perfect lips. “Why do I have a feeling that this isn’t about your work?”
“It is,” I insisted.
“It’s personal. I told you Victoria and I don’t have a relationship,” he whispered in a voice that surely reached Jones who looked intrigued.
That’s it.
I’d had enough.
Rising to my feet, I addressed Jones. “I cannot work with this man, sir. I would request you to assign me with Special Agent Bryan.”
“He is on another assignment.”
Special Agent Bryan was my partner in the last two crimes, and although we had a slight history, it didn’t move beyond a kiss or two, and we repaired our relationship well enough to work together as an effective team.
“Agent Greenhorn? Ah…no…what’s the name of that young, red-haired agent who is new? I’ll take him.”
Anyone but Aaron.
Jones put his hands on the desk. The steely, determined look on his face told me that I was about to get bad news.
“I’m afraid that the brass has already approved Mr. Aaron Fine as a civil consultant with the FBI, just like you. He has committed to assist us, and we would be fools to turn down his help, given that he has a network of connections and resources which would be immensely useful to us in our line of work.” He paused. “You have to accept it.”
“Why can’t he work with someone else?” I whined.
The cough that exploded out of Jones’s throat told me that he was hiding a thing or two. “Mr. Fine has expressed a desire to work with an experienced and canny consultant who can quickly bring him up to speed with our procedures and rules, and that’s yo
u.”
Yeah, right.
Procedures and rules? My foot.
He was behind this manipulation.
I shot Aaron a filthy look that he ignored. “Laura and Assad both have a better track record,” I protested.
“Sit, Cleo,” Jones ordered.
Damn it.
Stay or go?
I didn’t want to lose my work, and hell, if I was going to allow this man to make me walk away from it.
I sat and crossed my arms. Jones sighed. “We’ve a case already, and it’s bad. This might require a lot of cooperation between a lot of people – and I mean, political people here – so please tell me you both can work amicably together.”
“Yes,” said Aaron.
“No,” I said. Seeing the pained expression on Jones face, I caved a little. “Ok. Alright, I will try, but if he steps out of line just a tiny little bit…”
“You’ll throw me over your knees and spank me?” said Aaron in a hopeful voice.
“See.” I waved a hand at him. “This is why I can’t work with him. He’s never serious.”
Aaron raised both hands. “Sorry. I apologize. It was out of line. What’s the case about?”
I didn’t say anything, and Jones stared at both of us for a full minute. When he both avoided looking at each other and remained silent, he picked up his remote and switched on the screen on the right wall. Tilting my chair, I turned to take a better look, acutely aware that Aaron could see my profile, the nape of my neck, and the curve of my shoulders.
No. I wasn’t going to think about that.
The sexual chemistry that sizzled between us was a thing of the past. I was so over him. And that was just how it was going to stay.
“Who is that?” said Aaron.
If he could focus on work, so could I. “Carmen Wilson,” I answered before Jones could. “Bad boy. Werewolf.”
“You know him?”
I remembered a drunken brawl at a club a few years ago. Shelley and I went for a girls’ night out and witnessed a man punch another on the face. They were both thrown out of the club minutes later. As we walked out, one of them was calmly smoking against the opposite wall. Carmen Wilson. And he was a werewolf. I realized as we walked closer to him. We didn’t exchange words and moved away. Since Jones was interested, I retold the story. “What did he do now?”
01 Serial Killer (FBI Paranormal Casefiles) Page 21