Sam spun back around in her chair, facing Sid. “My door’s always open when you want to talk about it.” She turned back around.
Behind her, Smoke was chuckling. Sidney turned and punched him in the shoulder.
“Ow,” he said, flatly.
“Now what’s this bloodwork all about?” she asked.
“Just a second and I’ll tell you,” he said.
Guppy drew blood from Smoke’s arm then proceeded to inject the blood into a large glass vial of solution. He was stirring the blood in with a clear liquid when the most bizarre thing happened. It started to shine in the light.
Smoke’s face turned grim.
“Yep, you were right,” Guppy said to him with a frown. “They’ve got the Glow in you.”
Smoke smacked his fist on the kitchen counter.
Wham!
CHAPTER 20
“The Glow?” Sid asked. “What is that?”
“It’s a tracking serum,” Guppy said, disposing of the syringe in a biohazard bag. “Experimental stuff.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“Well, don’t be surprised. It’s relatively new and not used very much. Mostly tested by the Department of Agriculture on animals.”
Sidney thought about the letter from the Bureau. We’ve got eyes on him. She had wondered how that could be, and now it made perfect sense.
“It’ll wear off, Smoke,” Guppy said, trying to sound reassuring. “And it’s never been proven effective.”
“Are there any side effects?” she asked.
“Don’t know.” Guppy rubbed his chin. “Are there, Smoke?”
“Aside from headaches, blurred vision, and nosebleeds, I’m perfectly fine.” He shrugged. “Of course, fighting for your life causes some of that.”
Sid wanted to reach out and touch him. She couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to be used as someone’s lab experiment. She noticed a sad look in Sam’s eyes. Behind her was a clip of Cyrus’s face. Has he known all along where Smoke was? Where I was? The bastard!
“I’ll get more tests done and see how diluted it is. Maybe it’s down to the final days.”
“Apparently, it’s lasted for months. I feel like a collared dog.”
“How does this Glow work?”
“It’s a bit like the dye they put in you for bloodwork. It spreads through the body and can be picked up like a radio signal. It has a frequency. They tune into it.” He snapped up the lab kit. “But, just because it’s in you doesn’t mean that it works. Remember that, Smoke.”
He nodded. “I’ve made it this far. I’ll be fine.”
Sidney yawned. She had another dozen questions that she’d like to ask, but she’d had enough. Their knowledge of the Glow impressed her. How did they know about it? What kind of access did they have? She had a last name now, and it was time she learned a little bit about them. “It’s been a pleasure,” she said, picking up her things. “But I’m going home to get some shut eye.” She opened up the door. “I’ll swing by tomorrow, assuming you’ll still be here.”
“Uh, bye,” Sam said, waving her fingers with a funny look on her face.
Smoke and Guppy weren’t even looking as Sid closed the door behind her. She felt a load fall from her shoulders when she fired up the Hellcat’s engine. She needed space. Time to settle herself. She wanted to look into a few things on her own. Who they were and what the Glow was. She dropped the car into gear and sped off down the road. Need to make sure they aren’t all full of bullshit.
***
Sidney tossed all night in her sleep and woke up with a slight headache. Fully dressed, she sat on the sofa watching the TV and sipping coffee. The local news was on. She laughed a little. The lead anchor wore a burgundy tie and had a caterpillar moustache. What a clown. I bet everyone’s seen the movie but him.
She soaked it in for almost thirty minutes, getting updates on traffic and weather before she turned the TV off. It was a habit, watching the news, but Guppy’s words gave her another perspective that she hadn’t given much thought to before. Plenty of conspiracies, so little proof. Or is there? She took a seat behind her laptop at the counter and punched in her password. Her FBI mailbox had a few canned messages and something else.
Yes!
Her shadow authorization access had come through. She began clicking through various websites, setting up passwords and entering authorization codes. After about thirty minutes of answering security questions to various sites, she sat back in her seat.
Who shall I look up first?
Being an agent of the FBI, there wasn’t much you couldn’t look up about an ordinary citizen. It came with the job. But any inquiries fed into the system, and those checks were reviewed by someone else in the agency. She didn’t want anyone else knowing what they were doing. I wonder what database Sam is hacking? Crap, I didn’t get her last name. Way to go, Agent Shaw. She typed Gilligan Guppy into the database.
Guppy’s face, social security number, and birthday popped up. His work history was nothing out of the ordinary. If anything, it was too ordinary.
“Service Manager at Walmart?” She shook her head. “He’s not working at Walmart. Auto Zone maybe.” She felt a little guilty doing research on him. Clicking from link to link and place to place, she found everything she could. It was clean, all the way down to the bank records and credit cards. Guppy was just an ordinary citizen living his life day by day. Not married. Next of kin all deceased. “That’s odd.”
She gently rubbed her aching shoulder that itched a little and took a sip of coffee. She thought about some of the things that Guppy had said. “They only show you what they want to show you.” Huh, they could be FBI for all I know. Great. She plugged in Angi Harlow. Nothing popped up remotely close to the pictures she’d seen.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The knocking sounded familiar. Smoke? She made her way over and looked through the key hole. A courier in a blue uniform stood on the other side, holding a package. She opened the door.
“Are you Sidney Shaw?” he said with frosty breath. He had freckles, and dark red hair spilled out from underneath his cap that was almost pulled over his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Special delivery. Sign here, please.”
She eyed the box. The cardboard was solid black. “Does it say who it’s from?”
He looked at his digital pad. “Mmmmm, an M. Carlson.” He shrugged. “I guess you weren’t expecting it. Do you want me to return it?”
“No.” She signed the pad and took the package. “I know him. Thanks.”
“Have a nice day.”
She closed the door in his face, staring at the package. There weren’t any postage markings on it at all, but a letter was slipped inside a sealed plastic bag stuck to the box. She shook the box. It had some heft to it. She put her ear to it. Is that ticking? Her fingers went numb. She closed her eyes and put her ear to it again. Phew, nothing. She peeked back through the keyhole. The courier’s van motored out of the parking lot. It was black with white stripes along the side. The lettering on the van read Jebco Deliveries, in red.
She set the box down on the coffee table and took a seat on her couch. She tore the letter off and opened it up. The typed letter read.
Agent Shaw:
Looking forward to meeting you soon. I’ll let you know when I’m available. In the meantime, take advantage of the contents of this package. You’ll need it … soon.
Regards,
Mal Carlson
CHAPTER 21
“What could this be? And who is Mal Carlson?” she said, opening the briefcase-sized package. Inside was a black case with a latch on it. There was a note attached. It read:
Hold onto this case. I’ll need it back.
“Sure thing, buddy.”
She clicked open the clasp and lifted the lid. The inside was filled with black foam, like many gun cases she had seen. There was a knife in a case about eight inches long. The grooves in the hilt perfectly fit her hand. The
curved edge was as keen as anything she’d seen. In another slot were two loaded fifteen-round magazines, fit for her FBI-issued weapon.
“Interesting.”
She pushed out a bullet. It had a unique full-metal casing that had a blue sheen to it. The tip was pointed and tipped with a tiny red dot. Sidney had seen plenty of ammo in her days. It reminded her of a tracer round, but it was still unlike any ballistic she’d ever seen.
“Guess I won’t know until I shoot it.”
In the middle of the case was a folded shirt that felt like a thin sweater of some kind. It was dark gray, tightly woven, and flexible, if a little heavy. Its waffle texture reminded her of long underwear. Dark copper stripes ran up and down the middle and around the arms.
“What the heck is this for?”
The longer she stared at the shirt, the more compelled she felt to put it on. Why not? She took off Smoke’s T-shirt and slipped this on like a second skin. The flexible top hugged the curves of her body. It felt warm, almost like a part of her. It breathed well too. I like it. Her body became more alive. The throbbing inside her stitched shoulder eased. She felt energized. There was something inside the fabric. Copper or magnets maybe. She picked the knife up. Hmmm? She ran it across the sleeve of her arm. It didn’t cut the odd fabric.
“Wow.”
Inside the box she noticed a pair of pants, the same make-up as the shirt. She shrugged, switched out of her jeans, and slipped them on. Her blood tingled. She wanted to run a hundred miles.
What is this stuff made of?
The heightened sense of her body was exhilarating but natural. She slipped her clothes on over the outfit and laced on her boots.
Time to go … somewhere.
She snapped up the briefcase, grabbed a new bag out of the closet and transferred her gear, got her travel mug, and headed out the door. The bite of the icy air was muted by the suit, nipping at only her fingers and nose. She was firing up the engine of her car from the outside when she noticed a man walking down the sidewalk with his hands inside his jacket pockets. Her eyes met his. It was Smoke.
“Ah, I see you got one too,” he said, looking at the briefcase. He jogged in place with high knees. “Tell me you got a suit too. It’s amazing. I’ve heard about them but never believed they existed.” He stretched his arms. “Man, I feel great in this.”
An image of Smoke in only the suit flashed through her mind. I bet you look great too. “Did you drive?” she said, opening her door.
“No.”
“And Sam and Guppy are?”
“Doing their thing.” He rubbed his hands together. “Do you have any more coffee inside?”
Don’t tempt me in close quarters. “No. Get in, let’s go.” She got in.
Smoke eased in beside her. He had a piece of paper in his hand. “Some places we might want to check out first. Philanthropies tied into Drake.” He set it on the dash. “Fat Sam and Guppy are on it too.”
She put the car in reverse, started to ease out, stopped, and shoved the car back into park. She turned and looked at him. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean?”
“You? Here? Now? Tell me why.”
“I just happened to be in the —”
“Don’t bullshit me!” She wasn’t sure why she let it out, but it felt good. “The man I read about in your file is a lone wolf. Independent. Bucks authority. But here you are, completely out of the ordinary. What are you up to?”
“I’m changing my ways.”
“I don’t buy that.”
“Why does it matter?” He slid a knife out of his jacket. It was like the one she’d received. “Did you get one of these, too? It’s made of a unique steel alloy I haven’t figured out yet.”
“Listen, dude. I can’t count on you one minute and not the next. I need you to be accountable.”
“Well, I’m here,” he put the knife away, “so I’m accountable. And being unpredictable is kind of my thing.”
The muscles in her jaw tightened. The military and the Bureau were all about teamwork and reliability.
“I know what you’re thinking, Agent Shaw. ‘The machine breaks down, we break down.’ Man, we used to love to watch that movie. Good stuff.” He cleared his throat. “But too much blind loyalty also creates vulnerabilities. The element of surprise can escape us, and sometimes that’s the edge you need when taking on an unknown enemy.”
It made sense, but it wasn’t satisfying. “Fair enough.” She put the car back into reverse.
Smoke put his hand on top of hers and looked her in the eye. “You can count on me.”
His words seemed to have a deeper meaning to them that penetrated her to the heart. She swallowed. “We’ll see.”
CHAPTER 22
They spent the better part of the morning and afternoon chasing down dead ends. Restaurants. Hotels. A couple of local stores. Angi Harlow was a gorgeous woman. Her stunning looks would make an impression on anyone. Not one person was forthcoming with anything. No surprise. Not a flinch.
Sitting in traffic waiting on a stoplight, Sidney sighed.
“It’s only the first day,” Smoke said. He drummed on his knees. “In time something will reveal itself.”
“What leads did Sam and Guppy take?”
“Probably the good ones.”
“Great.”
“I’m joking.”
“No,” she said, “you’re probably right. I’d do the same thing.” Her stomach groaned.
“I know a great place nearby called Pancakes and Butterflies.”
“What?” She looked at him. “Really?”
“Yes.” He shook his head. “No.”
“Why’d you say that anyway?” The moment in the clutches of AV the werewolf popped in her mind.
“It was a joke. Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
She could still feel the wolfman’s hot breath on her neck, her will caving in. “No, it’s fine. Your annoying words saved that day. It wouldn’t be so bad to talk about it, maybe.”
Smoke straightened up in his chair. “Really?”
Why not. After all, I don’t know a lot of other people who have met a werewolf. “Let’s check off the last place on the list, and then we’ll go grab some chow.”
“Sounds good to me. Chowabunga.”
Sidney shook her head. Please stop saying things like that.
The last stop was the Hilton Renaissance Hotel. She pulled the car into the front. Smoke rolled down his window and flagged the valet. “I’ll handle this.”
“Sweet ride.” The valet was Indian, pleasant faced with a broad smile. “Lots of horsepower. It would be my pleasure to park it.”
“We aren’t checking in.” Smoke held up a picture. “Have you seen this woman?”
The valet’s eyes lit up. He said, “Have I seen her. I’m pretty sure I have. You can’t forget a face like that. Wowza!”
Sidney looked at Smoke, shaking her head. I can’t believe it. I’ve been asking questions all day to nothing, and he only asked one.
Smoke shrugged.
“This is serious,” Sidney said.
“I’m being serious,” said the valet.
“When’s the last time you saw her?” Smoke said.
“Can’t say for sure,” the valet replied, rubbing his white-gloved thumb and fingers together.
“Do you mind?” Smoke said to Sidney, “I left all my cash back at home.”
“I don’t have any cash either. It’s the digital age, you know.”
“Aw, that’s too bad,” the valet said. He tipped his cap. “See you later.”
Smoke’s hand shot out of the window, grabbed the man by his coat collar, and jerked his head inside the car window.
“Hey, man! Hey, Man! Hey!” the guy squirmed. “We can Square up on my phone?”
“Shut it,” Smoke growled in his ear. “Now tell me what I want to know, unless you want me to bite your ear off.”
Smoke’s dark tone put a shiver through Sid.
Morning glory.
The man went stiff, his eyes boggled in his head. He said, “Like Mike Tyson?”
“Exactly.”
Sidney stuck the picture in his face.
“Yes. Yes! That’s the bird lady. Very hot. Very hot. Good tipper.”
“How long since you last saw her?” Smoke said.
“She like to party. She like to party,” the valet sang in a jingle. “And wiggle that thang.” He bobbed his head. “Can you let go of me please?”
“No.”
The man made a pleading look at Sidney.
“When?” she said.
“Aw, these people are heavy hitters. She’s got a serious crew. I’m talking spooky.”
Smoke shook him.
“All right. They checked in last night. Went out a couple of hours ago and haven’t been back since.” He grimaced. “Please don’t screw up my uniform. It’s all I got, mean guy.”
“Where’d they go?” Smoke said.
“Clubbing down the road. Took a black Jaguar. Black wheels rolling behind her. Park City Nights. You know, right? Park City. Park City.”
“Never heard of it. Why don’t you fill us in?”
“The underground. You know, the old place. I’ve been there once. They go there. Bad crews. Bad crews.”
Smoke glanced at Sidney then said to the valet, “There better be a place, or I’m coming back for your ear.”
“You’d really bite it off?”
Smoke held his knife up to the man’s eye. “Nope.” He pushed the man away.
Sidney accelerated back into the street. “A little dark, don’t you think?”
“Didn’t have much of a choice without any cash.” He eyed his knife. “Besides, a little fear in the belly never hurt anyone. It’s better than a knife anyway.”
“I just never figured you for the tormenting type.”
“Good. Let’s keep it that way.” He tucked the knife away and pulled something else out. A smart phone. He started texting. “Let’s get something to eat.”
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files: Special Edition Fantasy Bundle, Books 1 thru 5 (Smoke Special Edition) Page 22