In Search of Justice

by Katie Holmburg

  “So let me make sure that I understand what you’re saying. Because their land is dying from toxic waste, the dryads have been forced to pawn their treasures to stay alive. The land is dying because the killer is poisoning it in order to get them to pawn this statue so he could steal it and find his way to the hidden grove that contains the Hesperides and the golden apples.”

  “As far as I can understand it, yes.”

  He scowled, standing up so he could pace. “Unfortunately, that all makes sense. We need to bring in the statue and Miss Malus right away. He won’t stop until he achieves his objective.”

  Leta rubbed her eyes. “The statue is already in the vault here at the department and agents are on their way to fetch Miss Malus. Right now, we’re at the waiting part. Hopefully Miss Malus will be able to point us in the right direction when she shows up. Either that or Cass will show up with the decoded disc containing the answers to all of our questions.”

  As if saying her name had summoned her, Cass chose that moment to enter the library, a spring in her step. She was a petite pixie, but what caught Lirim’s eyes was the violent violet shade of her hair. She skipped past him as if he wasn’t even there and sat down next to Aletta.

  Aletta eyed her hair and grinned, “Cass, I love the shade of your hair. It brings out the color of your eyes.”

  He watched in disbelief as the women talked about hair and hair colors for several minutes. He had no idea that there was so much you could do with your hair, and he had a sinking feeling that they weren’t even touching the tip of the iceberg. He just prayed that his partner didn’t show up with hair in some bright, flashy color. It would make discreetly investigating cases much harder.

  After chatting for several minutes, Leta prodded gently, “So Cass, what brings you down here? Were you able to translate the CD?”

  “Ah yes, that.” She held out a stack of printed pages. “Most of it was the ramblings of a conceited, narcissistic woman who thought that the world was out to get her and that she deserved to be the queen of the world because she was so amazing and incredible.” The sarcasm fairly dripped from her voice before she shook her head and continued. “It was really boring and repetitive, so I just kept that part out, although I still have it if you really need it.”

  Aletta shook her head.

  “Oh good, I’m glad. Anyway, she did name her accomplice. Turns out, his name really is Edmund Druery. He erased his name so he could become a shadow agent, but kept just enough remnants of his old life that he could provide the necessary paperwork when needed. The problem is, I can’t make out who he’s working for. He’s been off-grid for several months now, which I find quite worrisome. Whatever he was up to during that time was not good.”

  “Did she say what he was trying to obtain?”

  “She rambled on about that too, something about statues and golden apples. Miss Valens said that he’d never said exactly what he wanted the statue for, but that they’d both be rich from it – them and his boss. There’s nothing really there about the boss; apparently Druery didn’t trust her with the information. Anyway, that’s not what I came down here for. Leta, you’re in danger.”

  She took a sip of her lukewarm coffee and shrugged, “And?”

  Both Lirim and Cass stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

  Aletta scoffed, “I was deliberately targeted by a moon-mad ogre, which occurs in only one in every seventeen thousand ogres, and has the intellect of a mentally challenged two year old. I am then assigned Agent Bosk for my partner, a man known around the office for his insanely good combat skills, and if Cy thinks that I don’t notice him or one of the pack escorting me to and from work, then he’s as crazy as you two are. What I don’t know is why I’m being targeted.”

  Cass giggled at her deadpan expression. “Apparently, you’re a thorn in Druery’s side. You have a knack for messing up his carefully laid plans when you investigate cases. You seem to have derailed several of his pet projects already and put him behind schedule. His boss is not happy that he’s failed to deliver the goods so far.”

  “Ah, that makes sense. I only wish that I’d done it on purpose, but I suppose I can’t have everything. I’ll have to go through my old cases and see if I can find a common thread. Did you give the information back to Ian so he can work his magic?”

  “I sent it to him before I came down here. Wanted to give you time for the coffee to take effect.”

  Aletta growled, “I’m not that bad.”

  “Says the woman who just growled.”

  Before she could stick her tongue out at the smirking pixie, an intern entered the library. “There you are, Agent Sheridan, Agent Bosk. Miss Malus is waiting for you in the conference room.”

  “Thanks.” Shooting to her feet, Aletta gathered several books and shoved them into her messenger bag. “C’mon Lirim. I have the feeling that she’s the key to our case and finding the mysterious Mr. Druery.”

  Lirim watched as she sprinted out of the room. Sighing, he nodded to Cass and followed Aletta at a more sedate pace.

  * . * . *

  Lirim’s footsteps behind her signaled his arrival right as she reached the conference room. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to straighten her appearance, making sure that her clothes were neat and no unruly curls had escaped. Stepping into the room, she saw the girl standing next to the window, basking in the sun. Even if Aletta hadn’t known what she was, she would’ve guessed that the girl was a dryad. She was willowy with wavy pale green hair that reached her knees. The young dryad turned, and warm brown eyes met Aletta’s. Aletta gave a small frowned; the girl was too pale and there was a weariness in her eyes that she’d never seen in a dryad before.

  Setting her pen and pad on the table, Aletta spoke softly, trying to not frighten the girl, who looked like she was about to bolt. “Please be seated, Miss Malus. Thank you for coming in and speaking with is.”

  The dryad woman murmured, “Please, call me Anthea.”

  Aletta could hear the faint rustle of wind through leaves when the dryad spoke, but simply nodded her acceptance of the woman’s request.

  Anthea sat, but remained perched on the edge of the seat. “Have I done something wrong?”

  Aletta soothed, “Not at all. I am Agent Sheridan and this is Agent Bosk. We were hoping that you could help us with a case that we’re working on.”

  Anthea glanced nervously at Lirim, who was leaning against the wall by the door. He didn’t move but did offer her a slight smile, which seemed to reassure her.

  “So I’m really not in trouble?”

  “Well, you might be in trouble, but not the kind that you’re thinking of. Your tree is one of the ones that’s been poisoned, isn’t it?”

  She started, “How do you know about that?”

  Aletta poured a glass of water and slid it over to the dryad. “It’s our job to keep on top of any problems that affect the supernatural or human community. Why didn’t you go to the police when you realized that your grove was being poisoned?”

  A tear trickled down the girl’s cheek and she whispered, “They threatened to burn down our elders if we went to the authorities.”

  Aletta straightened at this new information. “Who did?”

  “We don’t know. They left the note with the barrels of waste that they used to poison our land. They demanded that we hand over our treasure, but we don’t know what they want. We don’t collect material things. Dryads treasure the earth and our groves. As it is, we may lose several trees if we can’t get the money to finish clearing the waste, both saplings and ancients.”

  “Do you still have the note?”

  Anthea’s hand was shaking as she gave it to Aletta, who promptly turned and handed it to Lirim. “Don’t worry, my partner and I are going to fix this.”

  Aletta was shocked at the change in the dryad’s expression as hope and desperation warred in the girl’s eyes. “You know what they want?”

  “You know the statue that you pawned with Mr. W
illiams? The one that guides saplings to different groves?”

  Anthea frowned. “That’s what they want? But it is only useful for dryads.”

  “We believe that they want to find the grove containing the Hesperides.”

  Anthea shook her head emphatically. “No, you don’t understand. The statue only works for dryads. It is true that outsiders can steal it when it is not on dryad land, but its magic will not work without a dryad using it. There have been no dryads missing since this has started and it is taboo to take outsiders to the groves without council permission. If they try to, the grove will refuse entry and the dryad will wither away. It is the way that our people stay safe.”

  Aletta paused for a minute so she could absorb this new information. “Well, that changes things. Did you know this, Lirim?”

  He shook his head.

  Aletta turned and smiled reassuringly at the dryad. “Give me a minute; I’ll be right back.”

  She stepped out and Lirim followed her. “I need to talk with a few people. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be right back. Can you stay with her?”

  “I don’t like you being alone.”

  “I’m not leaving the department. I’m perfectly safe here, I promise. I just need ten minutes.”

  “Five.”

  “Seven and you can come looking for me if I’m not back by then.”

  He glanced pointedly at the clock and crossed his arms. “Done. Get going, your time is ticking.”

  She grinned at him and took off, making a beeline for Ian’s office.

  * . * . *

  Lirim resumed his position next to the door, keeping an eye on the clock. Miss Malus returned to her position by the window, sipping at the glass of water that Aletta had given her. He noticed that she seemed to be holding herself together by sheer force of will. Everyone thought that dryads were flighty, weak supernaturals, but they were actually one of the strongest types. They were strong, calm people, deeply rooted in their traditions and their groves. Family meant everything to them and they would walk through fire to help one of their own. For a gentle species, they didn’t do confrontation or danger, and fire was the ultimate danger for them. It spelt certain death for a dryad, but for family, they would walk through it without flinching.

  He could only imagine the agony that the slow poisoning of their trees was causing the dryads. Now that HSI had discovered the situation, agents would have to work fast to prevent any more harm from coming to them.

  Glancing at the clock again, he saw that five minutes had passed. He knew he was being unreasonable, that she was perfectly safe inside the department. But after all that had happened over the past few days, he felt better when she was where he could see her. As it was, he was stunned that she’d known she was in danger. He chuckled ruefully, making a mental note to not underestimate his partner’s intelligence again.

  His heightened senses caught the sound of several sets of footsteps headed towards the conference room. Glancing at the clock, he saw that six and a half minutes had passed. He grinned and shook his head, wondering if whoever she spoke to was actually able to understand her as fast as she must have been talking to meet his deadline. Still, he was rather impressed that she’d managed to do it.

  Aletta burst into the room, checked the clock, and cheered. She smiled at him cheekily and he grinned back at her. He then turned his attention to the other people filing into the room. Tala, Ian, Cass, and Capt. Jones all entered and sat around the table. Aletta walked over and talked to Anthea softly before urging her to sit next to the Lycan.

  Sitting down on the Cy’s other side, she invited, “Sit down, Lirim. You’re part of this war council.”

  Pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the table so he could see his partner better, he asked, “War council?”

  She shrugged. “He started it, now it’s time for us to finish it.”

  He felt a tendril of dread start to creep through him. He knew he should have questioned her regarding exactly what her plan was before she’d dashed away. Now he could only wait and see what she’d come up with.

  Eight

  “Absolutely not!” Lirim roared. “You’ve lost your mind.”

  Aletta scowled at him, feeling her temper rise. She stood, slamming her fists onto the table. “You know that it’s the best chance we have. If he realizes that we’re onto him, he’ll disappear and we’ll never catch him.”

  “You’re not playing bait! He’s already attacked you once and it was only luck that you weren’t killed. What’s going to stop him from succeeding the second time?”

  “That’s what you’re for! I’m not totally stupid. You’ll be with me the entire time. Besides, Capt. Jones and Cy agree that it’s worth the risk.”

  Cy rumbled low in his throat. “You leave me out of this; this is between you and Bosk.”

  She switched tactics, trying to get him to understand how important this was. “Please, Lirim. I know that we can do this. This is the only way to stop him. If you’re with me, I know that I’ll be safe. I’m an agent for a reason; please don’t take that away from me.”

  Lirim started pacing, running his hand through his hair. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. But this man is a cold-blooded killer, you know that.”

  She straightened, softening her posture. “If we don’t stop him, he’ll kill again. Whatever it was that made you decide to be my partner, has that changed? Do you want to dissolve the partnership?”

  He stopped and whirled to face her, his hands clenching tightly. Ignoring the other occupants of the room, he said, “I chose you because you’re tenacious. Because you don’t give up on cases, no matter how little you have to go off of.”

  “Then why do you expect me to just walk away from this case, from the dryads and their troubles, from two murdered people?”

  He seemed to struggle for words.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked over and stood next to him. “I know that you’re worried about my welfare, and if you really don’t want me to do this, I’ll walk away and let someone else do it.

  “But if you want me to do that, you have to give me a valid reason other than I might get hurt. I’m an agent, and I knew when I joined the department that I might get hurt or even killed on the job. It’s a risk that I accepted then and one that I still accept now.”

  He said roughly, “I can’t. I can’t give you a reason. I know that you’re right, it’s just...” He trailed off, unable to adequately articulate what he was thinking.

  “I know that it upset you when I was attacked. But you’ll be right with me, and this time you’ll be ready. And you know that the other agents will have our backs. That’s why they’re here. Nothing is going to go wrong, I feel it in my gut. This is our best chance to catch this guy.”

  He looked closer at her and she nodded minutely. He sighed in defeat and made his way back to his seat. She rested her hand briefly on his shoulder before returning to her seat as well.

  Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Does anyone else have any problems with the plan?”

  They all shook their head no, although Cy and Lirim still looked mutinous. She gave them a minute to think it over, but when no one spoke, she continued.

  “All right, let’s recap then. Cass, Cy, and the pack will go with Miss Malus and take care of the dryads and the poisoning. Capt. Jones and Ian will stay here and coordinate the different operations as well as being prepared to send backup our way if necessary.”

  They all nodded their understanding.

  “Lirim, you and I will take a package with an object that Miss Malus will imbue with dryad magic so that it feels the same as the statue. We’ll cut through the park with the package on the pretense that we’re delivering it to a safer place to be analyzed. That’s where I think that he’ll try to intercept the package. I’m sure he’s been watching us. That has to be how he found the pawn shop in the first place.”

  Lirim spoke up, “What if he just got the address from Miss Valens’?”

&nbs
p; She nodded. “I thought of that. But he just happens to show up at the shop while we’re there? I think that he trailed us and was waiting for us to leave with the object. When he saw my bag, he assumed that Mr. Williams had given us the package. If you remember, he hit the side with my bag. I think he was trying to do a snatch and run.”

  Lirim seemed to think back over the encounter. “You’re right. I hadn’t noticed that before.”

  “Well, you were kind of busy pounding on him to keep him off of me. Anyway, I think that he’s trailing us and will follow us to the park.”

  Lirim muttered, “This is insane.”

  Aletta ignored him and went back to outlining the plan. “We’ll be wearing radios and Ian will be able to mobilize our backup in moments if there are more attackers than we anticipate. We’ll be armed with magic cancelling cuffs, so he won’t be able to teleport. It’ll be as easy as pie.”

  His shoulders were tense, but Lirim nodded along with everyone else.

  “All right everyone, let’s move. Operation Dryad starts in four hours.”

  * . * . *

  The hours flew by and before Aletta knew it, it was time to put her plan into motion. She sat in the front seat of Lirim’s car with the small package in her lap. They drove towards the park, the interior of the car filled with strained silence.

  Knowing that they were headed towards a dangerous situation that required all of their wits about them, she decided that she’d have to sort this out. She reluctantly breached the silence. “Lirim, I know that you’re angry with me. What I want to know is why.”

  He sighed, his frustration clear in the sound. “He’s fast and he’s strong. He was keeping up with me and that’s no mean feat. Right now, you’re extra vulnerable because you are coming into your gift. That’s why new users are guarded so zealously. The magic drains them and makes it hard for them to defend themselves. He hit you before I was even aware that he was there. What if it happens again, only this time you die?”