Demigod Down

by Kim Schubert

  Moving around Logan’s crossed arms, I watched everyone track my movement in my black leathers. “So you guys got hacked, “I started gracefully.

  “Bullshit,” the one in the front sneered.

  “I do appreciate the healthy amount of the fear you boys have for us, but you are currently in my way,” I finished. I had tried to integrate with Mercer and that hadn’t ended well, so keeping them fearful was probably going to be a better solution this time. Unless they shot me.

  “You are in our precinct,” said the loud mouth.

  “What is your name?” I asked.

  “Travis,” he said crossing his arms lifting his chin.

  “Travis, have you ever seen what a pissed off shifter can do?” I asked, leaning forward my eyes dancing with trouble.

  “You don’t scare me,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

  Throwing my head back, I laughed holding my stomach, “That is comical, darling. Really.”

  I felt Logan’s anger relaxing behind me. “Emotions have scents, like sex, and shifters have amazingly enhanced sniffers, but even I can pick up on it without that advantage. You are scared, a few of you are terrified. The anger came later,” I said, tapping my lip with an index finger. “If I were to guess, someone got you riled up, said we were terrible monsters, blah blah blah, the demon word got thrown around, and then he or she left you to stew.” I ended very close to Travis.

  Travis’ face paled and I patted his shoulder, moving him aside, “I am going to need to know who that was,” I whispered in his ear, moving past them to Jerry.

  I found Jerry chatting up a young officer, who was totally unaware he had been duped. Sitting down on the desk next to him, I smiled, “What do you have for me?” I asked as the officer moved away quickly. Yep they thought I was a demon. I should just start calling myself that, maybe it would gain me more respect than succubus.

  “About damn time,” he muttered, dark fingers flying across the keyboard in front of him.

  “I was busy making friends!” I scolded him.

  His disbelieving look made me smile.

  “Where are the other two?” he asked warily.

  I shrugged unconcerned, “Probably still making friends.”

  “I can’t take you people anywhere,” he mumbled under his breath.

  “That’s accurate,” I agreed, leaning over to see the flashing computer screen.

  He sighed, “We are going to need their tech team to figure out where the hack came from.”

  “I’m not sure we can trust their tech team,” I muttered, looking back down where Logan and Darren were still in a heated debate. “But I think I know another way to find a lead.”

  Jerry turned to see the high tensions behind us before looking in disbelief at me, “You are going to need to bust out the big guns for that one.”

  “Just be patient,” I muttered.

  ...

  It took the rest of the day and part of the night before Travis left the precinct. Jerry had stayed with me for the long and tedious stakeout while Darren and Logan went to interview the family members of the missing shifters.

  “Here we go,” I muttered, starting the SUV.

  “There isn’t a guaranteed Travis will do anything but go home,” Jerry informed me for the hundredth time.

  “True,” I answered.

  “And home may have a wife and kids,” Jerry stated.

  “Maybe,” I muttered, “But he doesn’t seem like the wife and kids type.”

  My hunch played out to be accurate as Travis pulled into a dive bar. Pulling off my jacket, I slipped the dagger at my back under my shirt before turning to Jerry. “I shouldn’t be long.”

  Jerry shook his head. “Don’t kill anyone,” He warned.

  Quickly, I crossed the darkened street, fluffing my hair as best I could. I wouldn’t need much to seduce the information from Travis, of that I was certain. The worn wooden door creaked in my hand opening to a very small, yet well taken care of bar.

  The actual bar stood along the left wall decorated with bottles behind it. To my right were dimly lit booths, worn but not falling apart and at the end of the bar was my target Travis who as speaking to someone else. My plan had been to take him head on, but given that there was another party in the mix, I debated sliding in toward the front so I could keep an eye on him in the glass behind the bar.

  A salt and pepper haired man, worn by the sun and age stepped up to me and asked, “What’ll it be?”

  I’m not getting a margarita here, I thought. “Whisky on the rocks,” I ordered to his cool, disbelieving gaze. He filled my order, placing the glass on a napkin on front of me, watching me closely. Without breaking his gaze, I picked up the short glass taking a sip.

  He smiled when the amber liquid went down without causing me to cough or turn red. Bracing his hands on either side of bar, he asked, “You looking for trouble?”

  I smiled slowly, before leaning forward slightly, “What makes you think I am looking?” I murmured.

  He leaned forward and I inhaled the scent of pine needles and alcohol, shifter. “I am aware of who you are,” he whispered right back and I couldn’t help the widespread grin on my face.

  “So are you pro succubus or against?” I asked, watching him closely.

  His cool demeanor broke and he returned my smile. “Sweetheart, with what you have been pulling lately, I am pro all the way.” He turned serious again, “Although given why you were in our fair state of Oklahoma last, it does also worry me.”

  I nodded understanding. “I don’t think what I finished here is done with and I think that man down on the end has a name I need.”

  “Travis?” He asked softly, not needing to take a look down.

  “Yes, someone made sure the detectives and officers at the precinct were fired up when Logan, Darren, and I arrived. Not to mention that the missing person’s database is lacking those who were taken by the ring.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You think it was a cop?”

  I shrugged, taking another sip of whisky enjoying the taste, “It’s the obvious assumption. Someone riled them up and someone made sure those reports disappeared.”

  The barkeep nodded looking down when Travis yelled for another drink, smashing his empty glass against the bar. I watched his eyes flicker in annoyance as his beast made its displeasure known before he moved down to refill his glass.

  I had planned on seducing the information from Travis, but beating him was starting to sound like a fantastic idea. I would have to wait for him to leave though and I wasn’t in a particularly patient mood.

  The barkeep made it back down to me, “What’s your name anyways?” I asked, curious since I couldn’t keep calling him barkeep in my head forever.

  He smiled, “Anson and I think the man you are looking for is down with Travis right now.”

  It took all my considerable willpower not to march down there and haul his pathetic ass outside for a one on one. Anson raised an eyebrow at me as my hand tightened around the glass, “Patience is not one of my virtues,” I admitted.

  He looked down the bar as Travis and his companion grew louder, “From the sounds of it, they’ll be here most of the night.”

  I groaned.

  Thankfully Anson’s prediction wasn’t accurate as they left for a strip club a few hours later. Quickly, I paid for my drink and ran to Jerry who was waiting outside, sliding into the passenger seat.

  “About damn time,” he muttered.

  “Follow that cab. The man we want is in there with Travis,” I told him excitedly.

  “You smell like whisky,” he muttered.

  “I should, I did have a drink,” I answered, not bothered by my alcohol consumption.

  “I’m jealous,” Jerry said and sighed.

  “I’ll ask for a to-go cup next time,” I told him laughing.

  “For you, they would probably accommodate,” he informed me, carefully following the cabby in front of us that was making a quick right turn.
>
  Jerry did an excellent job following the cab driver. We pulled up down the street of a neon lit strip club as Travis and his friend stumbled out.

  I turned to Jerry uncertain of how to frame my request. “So, I bet they have whisky inside,” I tried with a fake smile.

  He turned to me, his dark eyes regarding me disbelieving. “You want me, a gay man to go into a strip club?”

  “It will be too noticeable if I go in,” I tried, explaining without whining.

  Jerry heaved a sigh, watching the entrance again before turning to me, “You are lucky that strippers love me,” he said grinning.

  I shoved him good-naturedly towards the door. “Now, give me your money,” he said, raising his eyebrows.

  I obliged him, handing over my cash reserves.

  …

  Have we discussed that I am not a patient person? Because waiting in the SUV for hours, was fucking painful. Luckily across the street was a twenty-four hour minimart where I stocked up on sour gummy worms, crackers, and soda.

  I ate everything within less than two hours and the only thing it gave me was a stomachache and a sugar high.

  Around two a.m., Jerry finally exited the establishment, drunkenly staggering to the passenger door. I watched him the from the driver’s side, silently laughing as he pulled himself up before roughly closing the door.

  “I got what you need, just take me to the hotel,” he pleaded, curling up into a ball.

  “You need to throw up, you better give me warning,” I informed him as he waved me off.

  “Where is the hotel anyways?” I muttered, pulling out my phone to call Darren. He didn’t answer so I tried Logan instead.

  “Hello?” he grunted.

  “Where are you staying at?” I asked him.

  “What could you possibly want?” Logan grunted at me.

  “The address of your hotel,” I told him, again irritated I had to repeat myself.

  He grunted and I could hear the sheets pulling over his body as he moved clicking on a light, “What the hell are you doing anyways?”

  “Trying to get a drunk Jerry back to the hotel,” I told him again tensely.

  “Why is Jerry drunk?” he muttered rummaging through papers.

  “Cause ‘trippers love me!” Jerry bellowed rolling the widow down.

  “Forget I asked,” Logan said, reading off the address. “Do you need your own room?” Logan asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll get one when I get there.” I answered, yawning.

  “Don’t bother,” Logan said, rolling again, “I have an extra room next to mine.”

  “Why?” I asked, my eyes narrowing as I made my way to the hotel.

  “I assumed you would need one,” Logan stated, “And it’s far easier to pay for your lodging directly than being billed triple the cost later.”

  I laughed. “Babysitting services are not cheap,” I informed him.

  “Don’t wake me when you get here,” he muttered before ending the call.

  …

  As in Miami, this hotel was by far nicer than anything I typically booked myself into. While I normally would have heeded Logan’s advice about not waking him, oh yeah let’s be honest, I enjoyed pounding on his door after I put Jerry to bed.

  “What?” he growled.

  “I need the key for the room!” I yelled back far louder than necessary.

  Grumbling met my demands as I tried not to laugh. A door opened behind me and I turned to see Darren.

  “Olivia, you sure know how to make an entrance,” he told me, leaning against the door frame.

  “Hey Darren,” I greeted him, smiling widely.

  “You get any leads?” Darren asked sleepily, as something thumped loudly in Logan’s room.

  I nodded as Logan’s cursing echoed out into the hallway, covering my mouth as I suppressed a laugh.

  The door I was leaning against was thrown open as Logan stood there stark naked. I could not resist, letting my eyes rove over his body as I took the key card he was handing out.

  “Thanks, stud,” I teased, picking up my bag and heading to the room next to his.

  He grunted a response before looking at Darren, grunting something unintelligible before he slammed the door.

  Jerry’s voice boomed out from the other side of Logan’s room, “Don’t slam that shit, you overgrown kitten!”

  I couldn’t hold back the wave of laughter as I quickly closed the door to my opulent room.

  …

  I was up too early based on the green glow from the nightstand clock. My body wasn’t tired and my mind was curious as to what Jerry had discovered, but I wasn’t cruel enough to wake him up, yet.

  I pulled my laptop out dialing Tommy’s user name or at least I think that’s how it worked.

  His empty room filled the screen before he ran in brushing his teeth and holding up a finger. I heard the water before he came back.

  “Hi, Olie,” Tommy greeted me.

  “Hey, Tommy, how are you doing?” I asked, needing a connection to home and needing to know something I did was worth it, even if I did promise to stay away.

  He shrugged, searching my face, “I miss you.”

  I smiled, “I miss you too.”

  “How long are you staying away?” he asked me and I could see the guilt in his face.

  “I don’t know, but none of this in your fault.” I told him, hoping he believed me.

  He shrugged and I saw the shutdown happening. “I was calling to see if you could help me,” I lied.

  He perked back up and asked, “With your case?”

  “Yeah, can you hack into the local police station here?” I asked him, certain the answer was no.

  He looked around the room before leaning forward, “Who told you that?” he asked seriously, a depth of intelligence shining in his eyes, far beyond the video game extraordinaire I was used to.

  “I need help and I don’t have anyone else that I trust,” I answered honestly, leaning forward.

  His fingers tapped the laptop as he was thinking.

  “Besides you can’t hide anything from me, by now you should know that,” I informed him, playing the all-knowing.

  He smiled, his good humor returning, “Yeah I can do that.”

  I smiled wider at him. “I hope you know, you are officially being put to work now,” I informed him.

  “What’s my pay?” He asked, crossing his arms raising an eyebrow at me.

  I laughed, “I’ll get you out of jail if you get caught,” I informed him.

  He cracked his knuckles, confidence radiating off him. He had just turned thirteen and he already had better tech skills than me. “I do not get caught,” he informed me smiling.

  “What are you looking for?” he asked, moving to his desktop computer.

  I gave him the run down and asked him to also look into Miami’s lack of a missing persons file.

  A voice called out in the background and Tommy ignored it, “Is that the last car to school?” I asked him seriously.

  “Yeah,” he answered “But I can…” he stopped, turning to look at me.

  “Please get on that car, I don’t not have time to save you and solve this murder and you know damn well which I will pick,” I warned him.

  He nodded swallowing. “It can wait, go,” I told him sternly.

  “Bye Olie,” he said, rushing out the door.

  “Later Tommy,” I said to the empty room, closing the lid to my laptop.

  I heard pounding on my door that quickly snapped me out of my thoughts. I padded to the closed door dressed only in my sports bra and shorts.

  Logan and Darren stood there both dressed in equally relaxed clothing.

  Logan raised his brows, “You’re awake?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  Darren smiled, “Free breakfast?”

  “Yes,” I agreed, grabbing my room key before following them out.

  “Do you even sleep?” Logan asked me as my room door closed.

  I shrugged and s
aid, “Occasionally but there is too much on my mind lately. I am curious as to what Jerry found out.”

  “How long are we letting him sleep?” Logan asked as we walked to the elevator.

  “At least noon. He really hit the alcohol hard with the strippers,” I answered, leaning against the elevator wall.

  “Strippers?” Logan and Darren asked in unison.

  “Yeah and Darren you are not allowed to go in there or near,” I warned him.

  Darren flashed a winning smile. “What, Logan is allowed to?” he teased.

  “If it helps ending his terrible relationship with Lorraine, than I will personally drive him to every strip club I can find,” I informed him.

  Logan’s mouth curled up a small smile as we entered the dining room receiving equal stares of interest and caution. I was aware of one man’s gaze following me, forgetting the newspaper spread over his table, as I stacked a plate high with bagels, fruit, and donuts.

  Logan turned to glare at him until he blustered under the fierce gaze.

  “Babysitting?” I teased, smearing cream cheese on my bagel as we sat down.

  “He was staring,” he answered, huffing down in his seat.

  “So are all the women at you,” I teased him as he looked around, taking in their glances.

  “Huh,” was Logan’s only comment as he busied himself with his food.

  After devouring a smattering of breakfast foods, I snagged a few bagels for Jerry as we headed back to the rooms. Checking my watch, I realized that he still had time to sleep. I sighed, wondering what I was going to do with myself now.

  I wasn’t going to find out as Jerry was waiting for us outside of Logan’s door holding a paper cup of coffee, his head leaned back as he snored.

  Logan cleared his throat, startling Jerry as he spilled his coffee all down the front of his wrinkled suit.

  “Motherfucker,” he gritted out at Logan scowling at him with blood shot eyes.

  Logan moved around Jerry opening the door and we all followed in. Logan and Darren sat on the end of the bed while Jerry and I took the chairs around the small circular table.

  Jerry looked down at his disheveled appearance, swaying slightly in his chair.