Case 0

by May Freighter

  “Damn,” she muttered under her breath and started chasing Todd. She picked up her pace, slowly gaining on him.

  He dove into a pitch black alley, and she nearly missed the turning. There were no lights to illuminate where he could have gone.

  Mavel’s dying. I have to do something…

  Her laboured breathing was the only noise that bounced off the brick walls. In the distance, faint music played from the clubs. They were too far out from anyone to hear them—or help them.

  Reaching out, she planted her palm firmly against the brickwork as she advanced into the shadows. With her vision taken from her, her mind screamed, “He could be anywhere.” She struggled to ignore her fears and press on.

  A basilisk could only poison once a day, or so they taught at the Academy. He wouldn’t be able to kill her with his bite. But, if she didn’t find an antidote, Mavel was as good as dead.

  “Mr Green, if a member of HPD dies because of you there won’t be a district where you can hide. You will be wanted for the rest of your life and, when found, immediately incinerated,” she shouted into the shadows.

  She closed her eyes and strained her ears. Her foot hit something solid, and she bent down. Her fingers fumbled with the metal object. She propelled it to her left. When it bounced off a wall with a clang, she heard a gasp from a dozen feet ahead.

  “If you heal my partner and answer some questions, you can continue drinking until your liver bursts.”

  “Why should I trust a HPD officer?” Todd hissed.

  He was much closer than she originally believed, so she stopped advancing. Annalise placed her other hand in front of her, searching for anything solid.

  “We uphold the law in this city. We only care about preventing the crime from happening again.”

  Shuffling footsteps drew closer, and she held her breath. On instinct, she bent her knees a little, ready to act if he gave her any more trouble.

  He stopped a few feet away, and she heard him clicking his tongue. “What if I just kill you here and now? No one will know what I’ve done. A lot of officers go missing in this district. You and your beast won’t be the first.”

  She swallowed hard. It was too dark to be able to see anything properly, but he would be in the same situation. Being a basilisk did not give him night vision. One wrong move and one of them could have their head split open on the concrete.

  Annalise drew back a step, making her leather jacket ruffle. “All of this has been recorded and transmitted to the HQ. Do you think you can get away with it?”

  She knew it was a lie, but he didn’t necessarily know how the DPD worked. Her heartbeat kicked off again as she waited for his response.

  His hand landed on the wall above her head and his booze-infused, hot breath fanned against her face.

  “I will answer your questions, officer,” he said, making droplets of his saliva land on her cheek.

  She wiped her skin. “Antidote first.”

  Todd snorted and headed for the entrance of the alley. She followed close behind, her palm firmly pressed against the wall. After a minute, she could see his silhouette under the scarce streetlight.

  Annalise quickened her steps. She tapped her wrist comms and cursed. Three minutes and Mavel’s heart would stop—if it hadn’t already.

  “Hurry up!” she said, impatience seeping into her voice.

  They jogged back to the location where her partner was. Mavel’s face was pasty grey with blue veins climbing up his cheeks. Her heart sank when no reaction came from him upon their approach.

  Am I too late?

  She checked his neck for a pulse. Nothing. She sucked in a calming breath to soothe her panic and pressed her ear to his chest. A barely audible thump vibrated through his ribcage as it expanded with his shallow breathing.

  Annalise grabbed Todd by the collar and jerked him to kneel next to her. “Help him or I will get you incinerated.”

  He eyed her with suspicion as he drew out a switchblade from his pocket.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, scooting away.

  “The anti-venom is in my blood. He needs to drink it,” he said, slicing his palm. Todd let his blood fall onto Mavel’s bluish lips.

  Determined to keep an eye on the suspect, she moved Mavel’s head so it rested on her lap. She kept his mouth open, and Todd continued with the disgusting procedure.

  Done with the task, the basilisk sat on the footpath and licked his cut. The healing chemical in his saliva clotted the blood, stopping the bleeding in seconds.

  “Why do you care about what happens to this beast?” he asked. “You can contract another servant any time you want.”

  Annalise brushed her fingers through Mavel’s hair, pushing stray locks from his face. The colour of his skin didn’t improve. She grasped his wrist, checking his pulse. Again, it was next to impossible to find it.

  She glared at Todd. “Why isn’t he getting better?”

  “It could be too late for your friend here or he is giving up the fight. Either way, I did what I could.”

  “You’re not leaving until he is back on his feet!”

  He burst into laughter. “Are you an idiot? Your partner is knocked out and I’m the only one with a weapon here.” He dangled his knife. “I’m only staying out of goodwill.”

  She snorted. “I’m sure that’s the reason.” And not the fact that you don’t want me to file assault charges the moment you turn your ass around.

  Todd settled against the wall and rested his elbows on his bent knees. “While we wait, we might as well talk. Didn’t you have questions?”

  She gave him a complete once-over. He was fully sober, at last. This fool had gone from assaulting an officer to pretending to be a concerned citizen in less than five minutes. There was no way she could trust his answers. Nonetheless, she reactivated the comms recording behind her back.

  “Did you know Robert Fern?” she asked, her voice came out calm even though the pallor of Mavel’s face kept her heart aching.

  “Yes, I knew the guy. I worked with him for a bit.”

  At least, that was the truth. “Your co-workers said you were on friendly terms with him in the past couple of days, why is that?”

  His lips twitched, but his expression remained blank. “We had a meal or two together during lunch.”

  “You ate lunch with a pureblood, just like that?”

  “Not everyone is as prejudiced as you.”

  Her fingers massaged Mavel’s scalp. When she realised what she was doing, she withdrew her hand. “What about his servant? Do you know anything about her or her whereabouts?”

  He shrugged again and didn’t bother gracing her with an answer.

  Taking a deep breath and praying for patience she had little left of, she looked him in the eye. “Do you have a family?”

  Todd crisscrossed his arms over his chest. “I thought this was about Robert.”

  “And I thought I would make you see things from his perspective. His wife is rather distraught because of his death.”

  At the word ‘wife’, his expression darkened, and he trailed his tongue over his lips. What is going on between Todd and Terry?

  “Do you know her?”

  He shook his head, seemingly indifferent. “No. Never met her in my entire life.”

  Annalise frowned. He didn’t seem to be lying, but, at the same time, there was something he was withholding.

  Mavel coughed, and her attention diverted to him. Two half-opened silver eyes tried to focus on her face.

  “Hey,” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

  Todd rose to his full height. “He’s going to live, and I’ve answered enough questions.”

  “I’m not—” she began.

  “I’m done,” he replied, strolling away.

  Biting her lower lip made the pain radiate through her jaw. Right now, getting Mavel checked out by a doctor was more important.

  Annalise turned off
the recording. “Can you sit up?”

  “I don’t think I can move without help.”

  She helped him into a sitting position and draped his arm over her shoulders. “On three. One. Two. Three…” she forced out the last word between breaths as she lifted him up.

  Mavel stumbled a little, and she wobbled with him. To anyone else in that district, they must have looked like a drunken couple.

  At a pace of a toddler, she led him to their car and assisted him into the passenger’s seat. As she was closing the door, he grasped her wrist.

  “Just don’t crash the car,” he whispered.

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s what the auto-drive function is for.”

  “The navigation in that is as bad as your driving skills.”

  With a laugh, she punched him in the shoulder and regretted it right after, when he cried out in pain.

  “I’m so sorry…”

  He chuckled through his teeth. “…s…fine. Let’s go home.”

  “We’re going to the hospital first. We need to get you checked out.”

  “I told you… I’m okay.”

  “But—”

  He sighed. “Just listen to me this once, Anna. Home… Take me home.”

  Nibbling on her swollen lip, she got in the car. She studied his exhausted face, unable to contain her worry for much longer. He was acting too tough for his own good. Since she still owed him for today, she had no choice but to activate the car’s directional holo-screen that lit up on the windscreen to help guide her to the Towers.

  This was one of those days when she thanked the architects of the Towers for their design. The lift from the car park led the residents directly to the apartments, bypassing the shopping and the services floors—inadvertently allowing them to enter without anyone seeing her attire. If only my father knew…

  At the front door, she let the scanner read her wrist comms. It held a copy of her encrypted key. The door unlocked, and she helped Mavel to his room. She guided him to his bed where he dropped like a log. Straightening up, every muscle in her body ached.

  Mavel’s eyes closed the moment his head hit the pillow. His breathing evened out and his colour began returning to normal. Relief washed over her as she sat next to him.

  So much had happened today. So many new places, new people—it was overwhelming. She took a peek at the time. It was already past midnight, and she had no way of entering the HPD office without her badge. If anyone found out she left it at a worker’s house willingly, she would be fired on the spot.

  Rubbing her tired eyes, she went into the bathroom and gathered the bandages and antiseptic from the cupboard. Todd’s bite was still fresh on Mavel’s arm. The only good thing was that it stopped bleeding sometime when they left the Red District.

  Annalise bandaged the swollen bite marks and checked his temperature. He grunted when her cool hand touched his burning skin. His heavy eyelids lifted, focusing on her.

  “How are you feeling?” she whispered.

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “Honestly? As if I was run over by a train, a car, and then was thrown into the Sapphire River with my hands tied.”

  “I’m glad you’re joking again. Guess you’ll live to see another day.”

  Mavel nodded and fell back asleep. With a weak smile, she planted a soft kiss on his sweaty forehead. He was the only constant in her life. He never judged her or expected her to be a certain way like her parents did. She couldn’t lose him.

  Annalise went into her room and sat at her personal terminal where she imported all the voice data from the night’s events and began typing up her report. With her bad luck continuing, tomorrow may as well be her last day at the HPD.

  7

  The Storm

  The smell of hot coffee reached Annalise, drawing her out of peaceful slumber. She peeled open one eye and found her favourite sky-blue mug resting on her desk next to her elbow. She must have fallen asleep after sending off her report.

  She yawned, stretching. They had to collect her badge from Christine’s place in Green.

  As she took a sip of her heavenly drink, she checked the time on her personal terminal. It was 7:30 a.m. Her shift didn’t start until nine. She glanced at her clothes. She forgot to change out of the rags Mavel’s mother gave her. The skirt rode up all the way, revealing her underwear.

  Annalise grunted and stripped. After a speedy shower, she changed into a pair of jeans and a black shirt. She meandered into the living area, spying Mavel who rested his hip against the kitchen island as he watched the news.

  “How are you feeling?” She sat in front of the food he’d cooked for her, still unable to figure out how early he had to wake up to prepare her breakfast. Not to mention, she had never eaten a full meal with him at the table. Did he not like eating in her presence?

  He faced her. His complexion was better but remained pale. “I’m doing fine. Don’t worry about me.”

  “How about taking the day off, maybe two?”

  Mavel ignored her and took another sip of his coffee. He inclined his head towards the holo-projection with the latest news broadcast. “Looks like the politicians are finally making headway with their ramblings. The pro-modded purebloods are seeking to have us get voting rights and possibly equal status in Divinity.”

  “I don’t care about politics. I only want you to be well,” she replied.

  “Stop it, Anna. I feel fine, and I can’t let you go outside of Silver alone.”

  Taking a mouthful of her salad, she grimaced but not because of the taste. No one cooked better than Mavel.

  “And don’t think about ordering me to stay behind,” he added.

  Annalise sighed. This man was driving her crazy. So much for being an obedient servant… She shook her head and stuffed her mouth full of food.

  The buzzer chirped, and her father’s voice filtered through the intercom at the front door. “Annalise, open up. I have a lot to discuss with you.”

  She glanced at Mavel who gave a nod and headed for the hallway. Oh, now he listens!

  When he unlocked the door, she heard her father grumble something before zeroing in on her. William Storm was dressed in one of his many bespoke charcoal suits. His dark hair was trimmed short to his scalp. She was surprised that at his age he managed to retain most of his hair. His vehement eyes reflected the arrogance that rolled off him in waves.

  “A week from now there will be an important gathering at the City Hall. You will attend. Your mother will bring you the clothes you’re supposed to wear so you can’t ruin them,” William said sternly.

  Still chewing, she grumbled, “No, ‘ello? Just straight to businesh with you, Will.”

  Her father smacked the back of her head, and she nearly choked on her breakfast. “For a young pureblood, you behave like a worker wench. Don’t speak with your mouth full!”

  Behind him, she found Mavel staring at the ground. His hands balled into fists, yet he said nothing. Was he upset or annoyed? She couldn’t tell. The only thing she was thankful for was that her grandmother was kind enough to leave her with a massive inheritance. She could afford to pay Mavel’s wages without having to rely on her father who demanded she cut him off the second William became the leader of Anti-Modded Party four years ago.

  She finished chewing and finally swallowed. “What gives you the right to assault an officer of the law, Mr Storm?”

  “You are barely a fledgeling on the force,” William hissed. His face grew redder and his body radiated anger.

  “She is still a detective, sir,” Mavel said.

  Her father’s eyes narrowed on Mavel. “I did not request input from a servant. Keep your lips pressed together, for if I hear another thing leaving that filthy mouth of yours, you will find yourself incinerated.”

  “Will!” she yelled, drawing his attention back to her.

  “Do not call your father by his first name! It’s disrespectful,” William shouted back.

 
“Is everything alright?” another masculine voice joined in on the happy family reunion.

  A tall, athletically built man entered the room. The new arrival wore a slim black suit. A snow-white shirt peeked out from under his unbuttoned jacket. He studied everyone present with a pair of sapphire-blue, deep-set eyes which eventually settled on her. Both of his hands were tucked into his pockets as he stood there in a laid-back manner. His raven hair was trimmed as short as her father’s. Annalise returned his curious stare. He was too good-looking to share the fate of a politician.

  She forced a smile and shot a questioning look to Mavel who shrugged.

  “Everything is fine, Devlin,” her father said, his voice softening.

  Annalise couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Was William James Storm kissing up to a guy who couldn’t be more than thirty? This was a sight to behold. She was tempted to whip out her wrist comms and record the event for future reference.

  “Perfect timing, actually,” William said. “This is your date to the gathering, Annalise.”

  She glared at him. “I never said I was going.”

  His lips strained into a smile, revealing a bleached set of white teeth. “I didn’t ask. I told you that you will be attending.”

  “But I have work!”

  “I shall speak with your Chief then.”

  “Don’t you dare do this to—” She was silenced by the hand he positioned dismissively in front of her face.

  Rage bubbled inside of her and, if she didn’t have to uphold the law, she would have throttled her father without a second thought.

  Mavel shifted closer to her side and tapped his wrist comms, showing her the time. “We have to go.”

  Devlin, or whoever this man was, winked at her and placed his hand on her father’s shoulder. “We also have a meeting to attend.”

  William pointed his finger at her. “If you are planning to escape this meet, I will personally hire beasts to drag you there.”

  Ah, my father, always the caring type.

  She plastered a fake smile on her face and waited until he and his friend left. This morning has to be a blessing from the heavens.