A team rolled up as I walked into the parking lot. They backed their truck to the loading dock, and then went inside.
Once I was alone, I took a few deep breaths. Things were not supposed to turn out like this. Gremlins and centaurs were manageable, but a vampire? The scene downtown replayed itself in my head. Was there something else I could have done?
My vision got blurry and tears ran down my face.
A noise came from behind me and I whirled around to see Rider standing close behind me. He was worriedly looking at his cell phone.
I turned away and wiped my eyes. “Everything okay with your phone?” I asked without facing him.
“It is-” he stopped. “I do not-”
Once I was sure my face was dry, I turned to him again. “What's up?”
Rider hung his head. “The office gave me this, but I do not have your home number.”
“Why do you need my home number?”
“I wanted to call your grandmother.”
“I can give you her number.” I held out my hand and Rider passed me the phone. His head was still down and he wouldn't look me in the eyes. “She may not be home right now. Do you need something?” I punched in the generic security code that all office phones started with and pulled up the contacts list.
“I wanted to know the social convention.”
I punched in Gran's name and her cell number along with the home phone, and then I went ahead and entered Logan’s and mine. I started to type in Vincent's name and stopped. I stared at the phone trying not to let fresh anguish carry me away, and after a few moments, I was able to force myself to back out of the contacts.
I made myself concentrate on the conversation. “Um, which social convention?”
“You. And the tears. And with Vincent.” He couldn't finish a whole sentence. The pain in his face pulled at my heart.
“It's-” My voice cracked, forcing me to clear my throat. I moved closer to him briefly and held his arm. “It's not an easy one.”
We stood in silence. I was unsure of what to say or even if I should say anything.
Scraping metal caught my attention. The truck at the loading dock rocked side to side.
I raised an eyebrow and looked at Rider.
“Should we see what is causing the rocking?” He asked.
“If the truck is rocking...”
“It is rocking.”
“Right,” I said and pulled my comms back up to my ear. “Hey, Hank.”
“Logan's on his way out.”
“Yeah. You might want to radio the team that trundled the gremlins up. Make sure they used the zip strips and not the handcuffs.”
“Son of a bitch,” Hank replied.
“Yeah, you may want to send someone out to gas the truck before we have to catch them all again.” I pictured the gremlins turning the truck inside out. Hank hollered directions to someone and I broke our connection.
“I've never seen a gremlin,” Rider said. “Are they tough?”
“Tough?” A loud screech of scraping metal on metal filled the air. “Not really. They are about four times the size of a fairy, but almost as fast. The thing about gremlins is that they can work wonders with metal, just not the wonders that you may want them to work. If they used metal cuffs on them, they'd have them off as soon as they woke up. Plastic stumps them, though.” I kept an eye on the truck. The loading dock opened up and someone hooked something to the door of the truck. Soon the rocking stopped and the noise died away.
“How do you think they caught the gremlins if they are so fast?” Rider asked as the person on the loading dock left.
“Everything has its weakness. Gremlins can't resist metal. Throw a few metal strips out and wait for them to come. It wouldn't be that hard once they knew what they were dealing with. They probably got in a hurry and accidentally cuffed a few.”
“The vampire, what is their weakness?”
I rung my hands together unsure if I wanted to continue the conversation. In the end, I decided he needed to know. “Vampires have a weakness for blood. If we needed to lure the one from this morning, we could have pricked a finger or something. They are extremely vicious and tough, though. You have to have a good plan before trying to lure one out.” I looked around, hoping Vincent might appear out of nowhere. Could we have made a plan?
“I am sorry about Vincent,” Rider said. Something in the way he said it made it sound so final.
“He's not dead,” I said with emphasis. “He'll be back.”
Rider nodded but didn't say anything.
“What about fairies? What are their weaknesses?” Rider asked.
Fairies were a safer topic. I could handle fairies. “Trying to butter up Cici or Essy?” Rider blushed a little but didn't respond. “Fairies are a little more complex, but they love new things, especially exotic things to eat. They don't travel far from home so you can share something that's hard for them to get. The bad side is that they may think you're trying to poison them. Better to bring more than one so they can see you eat it first.”
“What do fairies eat?”
I stretched a little in an attempt to ward off some of the tiredness that remained. “Cici is already spoiled,” I responded as I opened the truck door to sit inside. “Normally, they eat grubs, worms, or whatever fruits and nuts are in the area. They really love fireflies. Cici likes kiwi, which normally doesn't grow around here. To win her over, I would suggest an almond or maybe a star fruit. It's probably the same for Essy.”
I looked over at the front door wondering if I should go back inside.
“What about you?” Rider asked. “What is your weakness?”
That was a surprise. I kept my eyes on the door for a moment longer before looking at Rider. “My weakness?” Vincent was the first thing that came to mind, but I shook the thought away. “That's insider information.”
Rider looked confused, “What do I have to be inside of to get that information?”
That forced a half grin from me. I really needed to remember that Rider was not from around here.
Rider glanced up. Logan walked toward us across the parking lot.
“May I pick this conversation up later?” Rider asked.
“Sure,” I replied.
The radio sprang back to life as Logan neared us. Another team neared their target.
Hank's voice came through the earpiece. “You all are going to want to come back to the office. Your prisoner is awake.”
We sat stunned. Seth. The man who attempted to kidnap the sphinx and the fairy.
He's awake.
We can finally get some answers.
Chapter 23
Reading the Path wasn't necessary to feel this man's anger. When I stepped into the room, his fury stirred the air.
“Let's get down to it. I want a deal.” His eyes bored into Logan's.
Logan, looking good-natured, sat down in a chair across from him and brought up his cowboy drawl. “Now what makes you think we're in the habit of cutting deals?”
The man was cuffed to the table, but that provided me no comfort when I slid into my chair.
“You're going to deal or you get nothing from me.”
“We don't even know you have anything.” Logan leaned back in his chair, looking at ease. “In fact, I think you're just a little pawn in a bigger man's game. Pretty sure my friend rattled your brains around. You even have anything left upstairs?”
The man remained still. His eyes narrowed at Logan.
“Probably don't even remember your own name,” Logan said.
“You're not getting my name until I get a deal.” The man leered. “Stupid elf.” The man spat out the words like a curse.
I raised my eyes in interest. He remembered Logan from the night we picked him up. He knew Logan was an elf without being told.
Logan remained unaffected. He pushed back his chair from the table. “What makes you think we don't already have your name?” Logan stood and tipped an imaginary hat before leaving the room.
I followed behind quickly. We went behind the interrogation glass and watched the man. Logan no longer bore any trace of a smile.
“We don't have his name,” I said. “Not his full name anyway.”
“Yeah, but we got something from him.”
I swallowed hard. “He knew you were an elf.”
“He did, which means he has to have an elf, or at least have been familiar with them.”
“No missing elves have come across the desk.” I frowned and watched as Seth glared at the glass.
“Let's double check. Leave him to stew a bit.” Logan left the room without another look back.
I watched the man for a minute before heading back to the control room. He had the answers and there had to be a way to get them out of him.
Back in the control room, things were chaotic. Barry was back. He looked worn from his short foray into the field. He stood at the monitors with Kyrian, watching for more portals. The tech had a display of where the portals had arrived. Nothing new was showing.
Hank, too, looked like he had run a marathon. His tie was undone and he slumped in a chair shuffling paper work.
“We need a list of the missing Lost,” Logan said as we walked up.
“It's in the file,” Hank said without looking up.
“We think someone might be missing from the file,” Logan said.
I sat down at the desk next to us, logged into the system, and started looking up the information.
“There's no one missing from the file,” Hank said.
“The man knows an elf when he sees one. Gotta be something there that we missed.”
Hank looked up at Logan. “No offense, but you have giant ass ears. If I had never seen an elf, I'd still guess you were one.”
“He knows we exist,” Logan looked intense, “and he hasn't seen my ears. It's not like I go around wearing them in public.”
Without thinking, I drew up the Path. My head pounded and blood rushed in my ears. They must have had the portals up and running in the basement levels. Even from the main floor, two stories above, I could see the Path curve down. Individual Paths were dragging low to the ground as if gravity affecting the Path had increased tenfold.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The pounding stopped and I opened my eyes to look at my partner. Logan's anger was muted by worry. Outwardly, he kept himself in check, but I could see his anguish over the thought of a missing kinsman.
“Logan,” I said, “I'll work with Hank. Will you call Jonathan and ask him to look in on Gran?” Hopefully hearing his family would calm his nerves.
Logan nodded and walked away. Hank and I watched him leave. Looking back at Hank, I saw his concern reflected in the Path.
“We haven't seen anything about missing elves,” Hank said quietly.
“I see that most of the Lost in the area have been contacted.”
Hank nodded. “MyTH helped us out there.”
Something else stirred in Hank's Path as he opened a file on his computer. I watched as gray streaks stretched around him. Looking around the room, I saw that others had similar traces in their Path. Barry had dark gray wrapped around him as he talked to Kyrian. As Kyrian left the room, I saw that she had thin tendrils of gray so dark that they appeared black.
Two men from another team approached Hank. They too bore the marks. Guilt? Anxiety? Over the day’s work, no doubt. Not for the first time did I wish I could read my own Path. How much guilt was I wearing from the day? We lost Vincent today. I told myself repeatedly that he'd be back, but he was still gone. Nothing could change his sacrifice.
Hank cleared his throat. “It's, ah--- well, I'm sorry about today.”
I took another deep breath and dropped the Path. The only response I could muster was a nod. I turned my attention back to the computer and started poring over the notes from MyTH.
“We should call and check to see if MyTH has found anything new.”
Hank cleared his throat again. “Yeah, I'll follow up. Make sure they've heard from any elves in the city.”
Logan walked up with Rider while Hank was on the phone.
“Everything okay at home?” I asked.
“Yeah. Jonathan, Susan, and Gerald are over at your place. They're going to sit tight for the day.” Logan was visibly relieved. Now that he knew his family was safe, he'd be better off.
“Everyone else is accounted for,” Hank said as he got off the phone. “Listen, I probably shouldn’t say anything, but we have to consider this.”
“Consider what?” I asked.
Hank looked uncomfortable. “The timing of the guy downstairs waking up.”
We stood staring blankly at Hank, waiting for him to fill in the blanks.
Hank sighed. “I told Barry about the prisoner. He remarked on the timing of Vincent disappearing.”
“No.” I shook my head. I wasn’t even going to entertain that thought. “Vincent said it would be days before he woke up. It’s been two days.”
“I thought you all would want to know,” Hank said watching Logan.
“Thanks for the heads up,” Logan said. He watched as Barry headed our way. “Time to head back down to interrogation, then.”
“I'll go with you,” Barry said. “Did he give anything up when you went down there?”
“He knew Logan was an elf,” I said. “That's the only thing we got from him.”
Barry nodded. “I'll go down there with you. Rider, you help Hank out.”
The three of us ran into Kyrian as we headed to interrogation.
Barry frowned and pulled Kyrian aside. “I thought I asked you to oversee portal transfers.”
“I'm on my way down to sub level two now.”
Barry nodded and watched her leave before heading once more to the interrogation room.
“Cassie, let us know if you see anything in there,” Barry said. “Maybe it will throw him off guard.”
That was not what I wanted to hear. Reading the Path would drive me to collapse, but I nodded. I took a few deep breaths and opened myself up. Barry didn't know of the changes to my power, and I wasn't about to offer anything. I did want to make sure that I held back the roaring tide of the Path before we faced Seth.
Logan didn't bother with the fake smile when the three of us entered the room.
There was no preamble. “I want to walk,” Seth said.
Logan laughed, leaning forward in his chair. “That doesn't happen here. We can make sure you see the light of day every now and again, though.”
“And if I get to prison and tell the world what they've chosen to ignore for so long?” Seth said.
“You'll look like the cell block crazy,” Logan said.
“And if I tell you where the freaks are? Where they all are?” the man asked. “I'd say that's a fair deal for a walk.”
“And you want us just to let you go. Let you at them again?” Logan's voice rose.
“Cell block crazy it is, then,” Seth said.
Logan's laugh became condescending. “You getting to see the light of day was the deal. You tell us nothing and we're sticking you in a deep hole.”
This was getting us nowhere. The Path only showed that the man was pissed off, but we could tell that by looking at him. I brought up a feeling of safety and trust and I struggled with the emotion. It didn't pour out of me so much as seep out. The emotion pushed at Seth’s anger. The new emotion wrapped around the man and clung to him. Logan looked at me. I nodded.
“Let's start with your name,” Logan said.
“Henry Smith.”
Muddy sparks popped into the man's Path. I took a guess at their meaning.
“He's lying,” I said.
Logan raised his eyebrows at Seth.
“Great. Another freak. It's Seth Grouse,” Seth said.
I didn’t comment when Logan looked my way, unsure if he was telling the truth or not this time.
“This is what happens when freaks and demons get involved in business,” Seth said.
�
��Let's talk about that involvement,” Logan said.
Seth leaned back as far as his cuffed hands would allow. “You're not getting anything else out of me.”
Logan kept talking, but got nowhere. I worked myself into exhaustion trying to make the guy trust us. Nothing worked.
Dragging myself out of the chair was difficult. I uncuffed Seth from the table, ready to take him back into a holding cell. Barry opened the door.
“Excuse me, Director.” Kyrian was walking up the hallway. She looked us over. “Did things go well here?” She glared sharply at our prisoner.
What was she doing here? My brain was foggy from lack of sleep. A sharp pain erupted in my lower abdomen. Seth elbowed me in the diaphragm and delivered a strong uppercut straight to my chin. I toppled over. He pulled my tranquilizer gun.
Logan reacted quicker than Seth expected. I could see Seth's face, but not Logan's. Seth's face paled and his gun wavered as he turned to shoot my partner. I’m not sure what he saw in my partner’s face. The fight would be over almost as soon as it began.
A deafening shot filled the room. Seth fell to the floor. Loud whistling in my ears, caused by the gunshot, muffled out the voices.
I pushed myself upright against the wall. Kyrian held her gun. She looked too afraid to drop it. Barry calmly talked to Kyrian. He slipped in beside her and took her gun. Logan didn't bother to look at Barry or Kyrian. Instead, he came over to me. He handed me my gun and looked me over. He nodded and then checked Seth's pulse. I could tell by Logan’s reaction that the man was dead.
What happened? Oh, shit. Is this my fault?
Chapter 24
The blood pooling on the floor would never reach me, but I wanted to get away from it all the same. The ringing in my ears quietened as I pulled myself from the floor. Barry and Kyrian were talking outside the door.
“Call the cleaning crew to come down here,” Barry said.
“I killed a witness.” There was fear in her voice. “Did you get anything out of him before...”
“We got a name, but nothing else. We'll spin it for D.C. It will turn out.”
A.I.R. Shattered Soul Page 19