by Olivia Black
“Take a seat, Toby,” Abram said and the kid followed his orders, sitting in one of the empty chairs around the table. “You can meet the team after our meeting.” There was a short pause before Abram nodded toward Axel. “If you’re ready…”
“Yes, sir.” Axel stood.
He pressed a few buttons on a hand held remote and a large screen lowered. Gruesome images appeared, littering the screen, and Evan cringed. He looked over his shoulder at Reyes and wished that his True Match wasn’t inside the conference room for this particular meeting. Reyes mouthed, I’m okay, and Evan nodded. He didn’t want Reyes to see the horrors that the team faced on a daily basis. He didn’t want the man to know all the things humans and paranormals did to one another. It was a fucked up world they lived in. But he wasn’t going to send Reyes away either. There would never be any secrets between them.
“There are some disturbing pictures and videos popping up all over the internet,” Axel continued and Evan focused back on the meeting, hoping Reyes wouldn’t be traumatized. “So far, I’ve been able to locate fourteen videos, and I’m pretty sure that there will be more.” He clicked the remote and a bunch of mini-screens popped up, each showing a different victim in each. “He tortures the men, playing out some sort of extreme BDSM fantasy, before killing them and watching them die.”
“What makes you think this killer is a paranormal?” Shaw asked the question Evan was pretty sure they all were thinking.
“The killer leaves the same marks on each victim.” Axel zoomed in and Evan could see claw marks—four perfectly even lines—tearing the skin to shreds. The marks looked as though they belonged to a large predator. Shifter.
“Can you trace the videos? Find the IP address of the computer he’s using to post the videos? Anything?”
“No.” Axel shook his head. “And believe me, I’ve tried. This guy is good. It does appear as though the killings started in Los Angeles and moved across the country.”
“We were working this case,” Toby interjected, his voice low and solemn.
Axel nodded. “When the LA team started investigating, the killer moved on.” A map popped up on the screen, showing a line of red dots from California to New York. “There have been three bodies dumped here in the city so far.”
“I want Axel to take the lead on this case since he’s been following this guy online,” Abram announced. “But he’s gonna need a lot of back-up.”
“I’m here if you need anything,” Reed said, raising his hand.
“Me, too.” Max nodded, volunteering. “We need to stop this guy. He’s a sadist. It’s obvious that he’s getting off on torturing these people. I think you’re right, Axel. There will be more victims.”
“We should probably check the local BDSM clubs,” Reed suggested. “There’s a good possibility that this guy started playing in clubs first and got too rough. He might’ve been kicked out of a few, maybe even black balled. If that’s the case, we might be able to get a few good leads.”
Evan studied the pictures a little closer, and realized that there were a few tell-tale signs of BDSM play—bruises around the wrists and ankles, perfectly straight lines running along the flesh, and other implement marks.
“I’ve been doing some digging and although the ages and occupations vary, the men all look similar. Blond hair, blue eyes, and physically fit,” Axel said.
Evan looked back at Reyes once more. If there was a way to lock his True Match away from the rest of the world, he would.
“This case is our top priority right now. We need to get out in the community and make our presence known. Stay vigilant and make sure to stay in groups. I don’t want anything to happen to this team,” Abram said, standing. “And keep me posted. That’s it for right now. Everyone’s excused.”
Pushing his chair out, Evan turned toward Reyes.
He held out his hand as his True Match took it, intertwining their fingers together. “Let’s go home.”
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia Black writes contemporary and paranormal gay romance with Siren Publishing. She lives in San Diego, California and spends most of her time writing and drinking coffee. Olivia is a hopeful romantic and believes everyone deserves to find their happily ever after. You can contact her at [email protected].
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