Clarity (The Admiral's Elite Book 3)

by HK Savage

  “What is this?” Thankfully her new friend found something else to shift his attention to.

  So did everyone else. To all eyes but theirs it appeared the colonel played the hero, saving the senator from some perceived threat. A lone man no one would remember speaking to when questioned, they didn’t see him come in. The guards not coming for Michael, blocked both front and rear exits.

  Pop pop pop

  Screams, feet clomped and clattered, dress shoes slipped, and bodies went down in the stampede for safety. All eyes went to the doors and windows, as if danger could not come from one of their own. Only Becca caught the light on matte black as Reyes’ aide tucked his subcompact sidearm inside his coat.

  “Kyle, we need everything you have on the colonel’s aide. He’s our shooter.”

  “Becs, are you hurt? What’s going on?”

  “I’m fine,” she was moving toward the side exit. She cast a questioning gaze at Michael.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll catch up.” His low reassurance, so close with the comm, was a caress.

  A reluctant nod, and she watched him step sideways just as one of the guards grabbed for him. They wouldn’t fire in a crowd like this and Michael would be fine with simple evasion. “Be safe.”

  He shot her a grin and darted into the crowd. Confusion would make his job easy. Hers, however, required concentration. Slick surfaces, heels versus flats, and a decent head start meant she had ground to make up. Fast.

  Hitting the emergency exit handle on the door at an almost dead run, Becca felt the impact all the way up her arms. The door whipped open and she stopped to get her bearings. Two forms were making good time to her right, she took a moment to pat herself on the back for choosing heels with ankle straps, and took off.

  Chapter 26

  Red paved sidewalk fell under their strides, pitfalls from centuries of settling carefully avoided as Gabrielle and Kenneth followed their prey through the streets of Georgetown. They had to pause, listening for the sound of pounding feet, scan for glimpses of their fleeing suspect to fill in gaps when the scent of early summer blooms, restaurant cafes, and city fumes threatened to hide the creature from them.

  That he was no human was a given. No human could see into the townhouse to make the shot he did, nor could he move like this one, managing to stay just ahead of them during a foot chase. But what sort of creature category he fell into was not yet certain. The sparing visuals and whiffs she’d gotten were teases only, none enough to offer anything concrete.

  That Kenneth was weaker than he should be, however, was now definite. Every vamp she’d run with could outpace her, but this one was nearly a block back and falling. What the hell? By her reckoning he’d been consuming steadily from humans since Black put him out to “mature.” Time should make him stronger, not weaker.Can a vamp catch diseases?She wondered yet again. Would they admit it if I asked?

  They turned a corner, cut down a half alley and danced over several outdoor tables in the courtyard patio of what smelled like a Pakistani restaurant. Several late night diners milled where they had scattered as had their dishes when what must have been peaceful meals were interrupted by a lone man racing through. Gabrielle planted a boot on the last table and pushed off to clear the back wall. The heavy spicy scent of paprika filled her nose, for a moment choking out the object of her pursuit. Landing on cobblestone, she shook her head. Spice was replaced by water, lapping waves on shores announced they’d reached the river. A second’s sensory scan and she followed downstream. Thud and scatter of loose gravel behind her, Kenneth was over the wall.

  “I said keep up,” she growled.

  “Letting you go first means you take the first bullet,” he sounded almost cheerful.

  “I’m not going to miss you,” Ryan offered dryly. “You’re getting down to the river district, gonna be a lot more late night traffic and transients. Careful what they see.”

  “Got it.” A breeze came up and waste, human and otherwise, hit her sensitive nose. She gagged back a burning chunk of lunch.

  “You okay?” Ryan sounded like he was laughing.

  Too busy concentrating on the trail as the route began to twist to come up with her usual does of sardonic wit, she muttered her reply. “Why does it always stink on the water?”

  “Because humans can’t seem to wrap their brains around the concept, ‘don’t shit where you eat.’” He sighed. “They gravitate to water because they need it, then where do they send all their shit and trash? Into the water.” He made a disgusted noise.

  “I suppose you were a card carrying member of Greenpeace when you were human?” Kenneth sneered.

  “Nope, I was as bad as any of them, Kenny.” Ryan admitted. “But time changes our perspective on a lot of things.”

  Isn’t that the truth?It’d been so long since she’d vowed revenge over her lover’s grave in some ways it felt like a lifetime, in others it could have been yesterday the wound ran so deep. But in that lifetime since Luc’s death she’d covered the wound so, though its scar would always be on her soul, it no longer bled as it used to. She made a new vow. When she stood over Almohad’s grave she would tell Ryan she loved him, make that leap again. See what happened.

  “Hey,” Gabrielle pulled up just as a two by four swung out from around the corner of a red brick building. Just before she went down she noted the way the grout between the brick was chipping.Good thing they don’t have earthquakes here.

  Shoulders hit just before her head, probably saving her a cracked skull but she definitely had a concussion judging by the ringing in her ears. One good shift and she’d heal that. It’d have to wait though, sounds of humans coming closer told her to keep the wolf at bay a little longer.

  Not giving her a second to regroup, the shooter was on her as soon as she was down. Too close to see much beyond wide set murky yellow eyes and dishwater blonde hair, she fought to flip him, get the upper hand. Fists were thrown, eyes gouged, nails drew blood on both sides.

  “His left side is open.”

  A quick glance, Kenneth, the little weasel, leaned, arms crossed, against the building.

  Blindly throwing a left hook she was rewarded with a grunt upon impact. “Thanks for the help,” she wheezed, wrestling to get out from under her only slightly larger opponent’s weight.

  “Anytime,” Kenneth giggled.

  I hate that fucking crazy laugh of his.

  “Help her, you fucker,” Ryan growled, threat of bodily harm more than gently implied.

  “She’s doing fine.”

  Gabrielle took two vicious body shots, then got pissed. People were coming closer but she needed more. “Keep them out of the alley.” Words sounded strange pushed through a throat not meant for human vocalization. Bones cracked, ligaments stretched, moan turned to roar and a golden wolf’s head sat atop human shoulders. With the half change came yet more muscle and one shove sent him flying. A snarl and she was up.

  Upon landing, the shooter performed his own morph and the alley held two half turned wolves squaring off.

  Snarling, he feinted left, testing. She snapped and dodged. Again he tested her defenses, again she dodged. The third time she followed the trajectory of her dodge and swung in. Crunching bones, his clavicle shattered and right arm went limp. With a whimper he turned and tried to run farther down the alley. Before he made three strides Gabrielle was on him. Bite, tear, shove. A rush of energy and he went back to human. Blood flowed, arm hung, his face contorted in pain. It would be another shift before he could heal. Gabrielle shifted back. She had her leverage. As long as she kept him from healing she had a way to make him hurt.

  “Who are you? Who do you work for?”

  “I can’t,” he panted, white with pain.

  The stakes were too high, she was too close for mercy. She struck.

  He howled, nearly passing out.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Her hand pressed down on bruised ribs. “It’s not going to stop until you give me a name.”

  “The
Unitarian,” he sobbed.

  “I know what he goes by on the street, I want his real name.”

  Blonde hair shook violently.

  She pressed again, this time hearing bones displace.

  An unholy scream erupted, frothy blood wetting his lips. “Please,” he pleaded.

  “Gabs,” Ryan called softly. “Honey, enough.”

  “No.” Between the adrenaline and frustration she was close to tears. “Give me a name or I keep pushing and you lose a lung,” she snarled, pressing as she did.

  His scream echoed hers. “Stop! Please,” his voice faded. Pain had him close to out.

  Revolted at how far she’d come from being an angel of mercy, she backed off. “Talk.”

  “The Unitarian, he almost never goes by anything else but I’ve heard him called Almohad.”

  “Almohad what?”

  “That’s it, just Almohad. I swear.”

  “Where does he live? Where can I find him?”

  “I don’t know, he lives here though. When he needs me he calls, tells me where to meet him.”

  “Where does he go? He isn’t a ghost, he has to eat. He’s a man, he has needs.”

  A shadow passed over the man’s pale face.

  “Bingo.” Kenneth leaned over her shoulder. “He smells good.”

  “What? Women? Where does he go? Kenneth, you’re supposed to be watching.”

  “I’m not supposed to go but sometimes, sometimes he goes too far and I have to help clean up.”

  “Where does he go?” Gabrielle felt her control slipping. Too much strain, too close to animal for too long. If she didn’t either shift soon or get the hell away from him she was going to tear him apart. An omega such as this one didn’t deserve that, not even Almohad’s omega. He was submissive, he had no choice if he was to survive in a pack.

  Still, logic only took her so far.

  Grabbing hold of his jacket collar she shook him. “Where?”

  Kenneth’s cold, unmoving chest pressed against the back of her shoulder.

  “Not far from here. Follow the water to the Mall, it’s by Jefferson.”

  “The monument?”

  He nodded.

  “Good.”

  Standing up, she had to push to get Kenneth off her. As soon as she was clear he was on the wounded man. The sounds of tearing and screaming would haunt her.

  “Be quick, we’re going to have witnesses any second.” Gabrielle moved to the mouth of the alley, the people here didn’t want trouble. They’d shoved off as things escalated. That bought them another minute or two but eventually uniforms would show up.

  Wet smacking sounds and all was quiet.

  “Gabs,” Ryan’s voice was strained. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Okay.” By the roughness of his tone she could tell he didn’t believe her, wouldn’t until he saw her for himself. “I’m checking police and hospital records for incidents involving prostitutes. We’ve got the usual reports of gunshot wounds, knives, bruises and broken bones, but a handful of, other stuff.”

  “What do you mean ‘other stuff?’”

  “He has a particular flavor, young men. Broken arms, bruised ribs, nothing unusual except one thing.”

  Her feet stopped moving, maybe her heart stopped beating. “He claws them up. Backs, chests, depends I’m guessing what else he’s doing to them at the time, but he carves them up.” Ryan stopped, wanted to say something else she could tell.

  “What is it? What else?” Her chest hurt. This animal needed to be stopped before he hurt anyone else.

  Vaguely she became aware Kenneth approached from behind her, wiping his face and hands on a piece of cloth.

  “Where did you get that?”

  Smiling, he inclined his head back to the shirtless body.

  Gabrielle felt sick. “What else, Ryan? Please.”

  “One was admitted to St Elizabeth’s an hour ago.”

  “I’m on my way.” She broke into a jog.

  “Don’t bother, he didn’t make it. Looks like he got too aggressive, disembowled him.”

  She felt the ground go out from under her feet, staggering to a standstill. “We don’t know when he’s going to get the urge again. And Kenneth just ate our in.”

  “Did he eat the phone?”

  “No.”

  “Bring it to me.”

  “Okay.” Exhaustion that went far deeper than a need for sleep made pushing words out a struggle.

  “Bring it to me,” he repeated softly. “I’ll find him.”

  Kenneth made a gagging noise.

  She was too tired to kill him so she went back to the corpse, wordlessly fishing his wallet and phone from blood and urine soaked pants.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 27

  Becca leaned against the cool limestone of the Conservatory in the shadow of the Capitol steps, grateful for the break to catch her breath. Shins and quads threatened to seize and buckle; heels are for pretty, not foot chases. They knew she pursued them, had kept just out of reach but a few blocks ago they’d begun circling back to the heart of the city. Counterintuitive if they meant to flee. No, Reyes was either luring her or waiting for someone.

  Reyes hovered over Reese who, beyond winded, collapsed on a wooden bench on the protected front lawn facing the Capitol.

  “Anything?” she whispered.

  “No, he’s still offline and there’s too much interference to isolate his signal,” Kyle replied. “Police channels are one fire, they’ve locked down a half mile perimeter searching for their suspect. They’re saying lone gunman.”

  “Where is he?” she muttered more to herself than expecting an answer.

  “One thing I’ve learned since I’ve met your boyfriend, Becs, He’s always got a plan. Don’t worry about him.”

  One thing I’ve learned about my boyfriend is he isn’t always in charge of his plan.For all she knew Black had him off chasing down another lead. Not that she needed him at the moment, but it would be nice to know he was okay and not sitting in a cell somewhere. He was right, of course, he wouldn’t have to sit there long, but it still wasn’t a great idea to put him in a potentially lethal situation. When someone shot him and he didn’t die it might lead to some awkward questions. Or what if they tried to interrogate him? Waterboarding is less effective when the detainee doesn’t require breath.

  Sirens blared, two squad cars blew past on their way to the party. Reese’s head popped up, Reyes calmly watched.

  “He’s so calm,” she muttered. Shadow hid most of the colonel, but something about his posture bothered her. It was just that little bit...off.

  “No way.”

  “What?”

  “I have to get closer.”

  “Is that smart?” Kyle sounded worried. “He’s obviously waiting for someone. I don’t want you too close when reinforcements get there.”

  “Don’t worry, he’ll never see me.”

  Eyes narrowing, she fixed on Reyes and jumped.

  ***

  Hammering heart beats, almost into the danger zone made it hard to hear. “Why aren’t we,” pant, “going to the police?” Reese wheezed, eyes lifted up to Reyes. Sour sweat overwhelmed the cedar and soap of aftershave and deodorant.

  The colonel was looking down, Becca noted Reece’s ruined tux. Sweat turned white translucent and she could see surprisingly thick brown chest hair swirled and matted against a soft breast.

  “Like I told you, they can’t be trusted. We wait for my people, they’ll take you to safety.” Reyes spoke smoothly, words unbroken by his efforts to catch his breath.

  Becca focused on the body playing host. Heartbeat slightly elevated, no more than if he’d just been on a brisk walk. Reyes’ respiration remained normal, no scent of sweat wafted from under his uniform. As a matter of fact, his skin didn’t feel all that warm from exerting himself.

  He’s not human.

  What was he?

  Becca wished Michael
would show up so she could ask him. Maybe he picked it up at the embassy, he hadn’t been all that close for that long though. Would he have been able to pick up his scent or whatever with all the interference of people moving around, cologne, food? So many other smells. Where was he?

  “I don’t get it, John.” Reese undid his tie and top button. “You said they were a rogue unit. Who are these people?”

  “They are, Chris. But their influence goes deep. The guy at the top scares the hell out of most of Washington.”