Reaching inside, she quickly answered the call, deciding on telling Chase he needn't come after all.
"Percy!" His voice was stressed, breathing rapid and shallow. From the sounds in the background she could tell he was in a vehicle.
"Chase?" She could tell by his tone that something was wrong.
"Percy, you need to get to Dr. Edwards' house, now!" Screeching tires and a roaring engine were reverberated in her ears.
"Chase, what's going on?" From the noise she could tell he was driving wildly, obviously headed towards Dr. Edwards' home. But she would need more information if he needed backup, though she was already moving to the front of the house to leave.
"I got a call from Lil... Dr. Carver. She said she'd found something at Dr. Edwards house and I needed to come over....Then not twenty minutes later I get another call. But it's just screams and ..and noise. I'm on my way now. Get here quick." He seemed to focus back on driving instead of talking, his harsh breath echoing in her ear. He was very worried, and that made her worried as well.
"On my way. Don't go in alone Chase...." There was no reply.
"Chase do you hear me? Don't try to do this alone!!" But the line was dead and the officers around her were looking at her with confused expression.
"Agent King, we are going to have to leave now." Her voice left no room for argument.
"You're going to need to call in an urgent situation for a Dr. Stephen Edwards residence. We are heading over their now. Leave a few officer's here to continue searching the house, but everyone else needs to come with us." Persephonii motioned with her free hand towards the door, as she swept her gaze across the officers present.
"Why? Was that your partner, Argent? What happened, we just can't leave the scene?.... Dr. Edwards?" The Agent was clearly confused but followed the small woman back out the front door as she spoke firmly, calling the other officers to get in their cars and follow. The Two officers already in the house were going to stay and stand guard until one of the C.S.I units arrived to process the house. Persephonii didn't feel bad taking over the officers as she knew something murderous must have gone down at the doctor's home. Waiting outside the passenger door of Agent King's S.U.V., she waited for the other woman to hit the key chain and unlock the door.
This was one of the few moments when she regretted not giving in and buying a car. Despite all of the baggage, emotional and otherwise, that came with her getting behind the wheel, it was times when her family needed her and she had to bum a ride off of someone that she intensely felt her limitations.
She was already calling Colton and Montgomery, giving them short sentences and telling them that something had gone down at the Edwards' house, Chase was there meeting an unknown attacker and that Dr. Carver had most likely been hurt or worse. They took the news calmly, and said succinctly that they were on their way. As a last minute addition she called Sebastian's cell, getting his voicemail she left a message. She had a feeling they might need all the backup they could get.
Home of Dr. Stephen Edwards. WA. 12:55am PST.
Agent King and Persephonii arrived to find chaos. The house was aflame, neighbors and onlookers loitering around the street, at the end of the long driveway. The distant wail of sirens said that someone had called the fire department. There was no sign of life in the house, but some commotion in the back, so the group converged on that area with caution.
There was an action scene, straight out of a movie, happening in the backyard. The front of the pool house had suffered severe damage, as if something had tried to bulldoze it from the inside out. The two figures dotted around the backyard, moving jerkily, both wounded. Rounding the house, Persephonii nearly ran into a figure that was clearly Dr. Edwards. The Vampyre was hurt badly, having been staked though the chest and from what she could tell, he had been close to the fire but dowsed himself by jumping, or landing in the pool.
Dr. Pike seemed to be in better shape, keeping ahead of the Vampyre enough to still be alive. But he was quickly succumbing to exhaustion and blood loss. Agent King was yelling for everyone to get down on the ground as the officers that had been following them circled around the house, wary of the fire but understanding that something more was going on.
Dr. Edwards quickly turned from heading to the front of the house, back towards Dr. Pike. The two men were clearly in the middle of a violent argument. Persephonii felt lucky that Dr. Edwards had apparently written her off as no threat. Instead, he went back to engaging Dr. Pike, both men adamant but clearly running out of steam.
Persephonii could feel the heat from the flames though she stood a good fifteen feet from the house. It appeared something had been thrown through one of the back patio doors into what had been the kitchen, starting a fire that now lit a few rooms. Running back around the way she had come, she remembered seeing the gas gage and main shutoff valve box for the house. It was of course locked but she picked up a hefty rock from the landscaping and brought it down on the latch and lock, breaking it open. If she had seen correctly from the light of the flames, the kitchen was not yet consumed by the fire, but it would be reaching the appliance side of it soon. Shutting off the gas would buy them some time and hopefully save them an explosion or two.
The imminent threat of any explosion was now left to the fire fighters, who were also circling the house, yelling for everyone to 'clear out' and get to safety. They paused in shock, finally finding the fight in the backyard, before moving on to fight the fire. Persephonii looked for Chase. She had thought she had seen his car pulled to the front of the house in the long drive way, but Agent King had been four wheeling the S.U.V through the brush beside the crowed drive, leaving behind the rubber-Necker's along the road.
Making her way around the edges of the yard, the fight still going on between the two despite the yelling and chaos around them. The pool house looked to have been damaged before the fire started, and the most likely place Dr. Carver or Chase would have headed.
It seemed like a long trek as she skirted around fallen trees and mangled patio furniture. The pool was littered with papers, and tinted pink with blood. She hoped it was Dr. Edwards and not Dr. Carver's. Finally making her way to the side entrance, she peered into the dark interior. Stepping through the casement of the broken glass door, she paused just inside the threshold into a rather plain looking office. Glass and papers littered the floor and counter surfaces. She could make out the darker shadows of furniture throughout the area. It was a study of sorts, desk and work tables, bookshelves lined the walls, in a ten by fifteen foot space. Two other doors were at opposite sides of the room. The nearest was open, she could see a hallway and what she assumed was guest quarters for the actual pool house. The other was beaten and nearly torn off its hinges but somehow still hung on its frame. The metal was scarred as if someone had been trying to peel it back by hand.
Grabbing her glow-stone she held it ahead of her; careful of the glass, she made her way into the room. One of the officers had clearly followed her and took a path parallel to her own. Gun ready and waiting. He seemed interested in her glow-stone, as it illuminated far more than a flash light, but his expression said he could wait until after the danger was over to ask any questions.
They made their way to the door, Persephonii pulling her taser gun from her holster under her jacket. Nodding to the officer, whom she saw was named E. Ryan, he kicked in the door, yelling the standard 'this is the police' lines. Already greatly abused the door easily tore from its frame, falling to the side as he stepped into the room. It was clear following him in that there had been quite a lot going on in the lab. From the looks of things, this had been where the fight started, as bottles, beakers, and equipment of all kinds scattered the floor and work tables. The officer headed toward a back door, looking to clear another room or back exit, while Persephonii made her way to the side door. It appeared to lead to an outdoor area behind the pool house proper. It was here that she found Dr. Carver and Chase.
Dr. Carver's body lay in the doorwa
y, her throat clearly cut. It was such a human murder in the midst of so much supernatural slaying that it struck Persephonii as odd. Chase lay not far from her, bleeding from a head wound but still breathing. He had clearly been struck from behind, though it appeared to be, again done by human strength. It now looked like Dr. Pike had a lot more to answer for.
Chapter 22: Maker:
The next level of hierarchical titles, above Chylde. Refers to those who have successfully Turned a human. Often used to refer to a Vampyre's lineage and is a symbol of status.
Home of Dr. Stephen Edwards. WA. 1:35am PST.
It was a relief to see he hadn't been killed, but she could have knocked him over the head again for coming into a situation, alone, where he knew danger was more than a possibility. Officer Ryan had apparently cleared the back room, though he looked extremely pale in the glow stone's light. They needed to get the paramedics and hope that the chaos outside had abated enough for them to make it back there unmolested. In the stillness of the back room, Persephonii's phone rang again, the "what does a fox say' singing in the air.
"Where are you?" No hi or hello, are you alright? Colton's voice clearly said he was in Agent mode and ready to bring in the big guns.
"We're in the back of the pool house. Chase is down with a head wound, Dr. Carver is dead. I have an Officer Ryan here with me...but we're going to need some E.M.T.s." Motioning towards Mr. Ryan, she headed outside to check the access around back.
A loud sigh came over the phone's speaker. It appeared someone had been worried about her. In spite of the situation and her concern, she smiled.
Colton's voice was calmer, with a hint of envy. "At least you're out of this mess."
"How bad is it out there?" Even with two whole houses between them she could still hear yelling and sirens.
"Your missing quite a show... Your Mr. Ardeal arrived to subdue the doctor, but Pike is dead."
"And the fire?" Persephonii could still smell smoke, but was hoping it was merely lingering in the air.
"Mostly out, but the Firefighters are searching the house for any other inhabitants." It was good to know that the fire was out, one less thing they needed to worry about.
"Is there a way to send an ambulance back here? There's a small access lane past the garage side of the house, it might be rough, but it's a straight shot to us." Persephonii had rounded the corner of the house, and could see a bit of the drive way at the far end of the small lane. It was lit up by the red and blue lights of the emergency vehicles, but it seemed unblocked.
"I'll try to move the ambulance on to you, it's stuck at the end of the drive, along with half the town, by the looks of it." Exasperation colored his tone, she guessed the front of the house was now the most chaotic scene.
Exchanging a few more words, she waited until the ambulance arrived, and charted Chase off to the hospital. She left Officer Ryan to secure the scene until other's arrived. With Chase injured, she texted Kyr, making sure that someone would be there if and when he came to. A quick reply said that he and some of the family were on their way. She felt a sense of relief, knowing that he wasn't alone in the hospital. She doubted she would be free to rush over there any time soon.
Retracing her steps from the backyard, Persephonii was coming around the side of the pool house when a small explosion rocked the area. Righting herself by grabbing onto the nearest tree, she looked up in enough time to see another tree falling; it's lower trunk shattered and aflame from the explosion. In the space of a heart beat she knew Montgomery was directly in its path; knocked to the ground and dazed he didn't see the danger. She was about to call out, not sure what she could do more than twenty feet away, when Sebastian, materialized out of the night, catching the tree in one hand, diverting its fall away from the struggling Detective.
There was a poignant pause as everyone looked on, then Sebastian was helping Montgomery to his feet, with Fitz making a fast B-line to his partner. The three talked softly, the two detectives shaking Sebastian's hand. He looked surprised, even from a distance, as Fitz slapped a hand across his shoulder. She must have been staring intently as the Vampyre Investigator looked up from the conversation directly to her. Smiling at the new found camaraderie, she nodded to the group, making her way toward Miklos and Nadia who stood sentinel around Dr. Edwards.
Severely injured the doctor clearly had little time left in this world. Walking towards the wounded Vampyre she noticed the arctic chill coming from him was condensed, focused but had a different flavor to it. Standing a few feet away she could see him muttering, shifting back and forth from one foot to another, trying to get comfortable despite the metal rod stick from his chest and severe wounds that looked like Dr. Pike had taken a machete to his coconspirator.
"He killed her... he killed her." His voice held equal parts rage and despair as his legs gave way beneath him, Dr. Edwards gasped for breath he no longer needed.
"And I killed him." Softly spoken, his voice was firm, but his tone said he was a broken man.
"Oh Lil." It was followed by a moan from a man whose heart was heavy. Persephonii looked to his watcher's asking permission to speak to their suspect before he succumbed to his injuries. There was a lot Vampyre's could heal from, but this was something else, burns from both silver and the fire, and multiple gashes; it looked like his left arm was hanging on by mere sinew alone.
"Dr. Edwards...I need you to focus..." She tried to modulate her tone, soft, reassuring, but assertive.
"Lillian?" It was bad if Dr. Edwards was confusing her with Dr. Carver. Despite the environment, they needed him to focus, to answer as many questions as he could before he succumbed to his wounds.
"Dr. Edwards....Stephen..the best way you can help Lillian and the innocents like her now, is to tell us about the Rogue Maker..." As others gathered at her back, she tried to continue, kneeling down to eye level. Dr. Edwards was slowly shaking his head.
"Who is your Maker?" Sebastian's voice was firm and insistent. It was clear that Dr. Edwards was not going to give up the name of his Maker. Weather he was withholding information because he still believed in this grand plan that they had, or if he was quite literally unable to go against his Maker's will, which clearly focused on keeping his name hidden until he was ready, she wasn't sure. Persephonii thought it might have been a little of both. Either way, Dr. Edwards was not going to give them the name which meant they had little time to gain even a small amount of information from the quickly fading doctor.
There was no point in trying to move him, the looks from the officer's around her said that even they knew he wasn't going to make it. But he was also now their only living lead to the Rogue Maker and she still had so many questions. The most prominent of them being Why? She knew that finding the Rogue was more important than her need for understanding.
Looking up to meet eyes with Sebastian, he sank to his knees beside her, voice softening but still commanding. Persephonii randomly thought that he would ruin his nice pants on the blood, ash and dirt stained concrete.
"Stephen." Dr. Edwards seemed to ignore Sebastian, stare focused on Persephonii.
"Mr. Edwards.....Stephen..." He seemed to respond to Persephonii's voice rather than her male counter parts.
"Dr. Edwards?" Even Colton had joined the group surrounding the doctor as other's busied themselves with cataloging the scene.
With only a few moments left, they needed to ask a question and get an answer. But Persephonii doubted they would get a long soliloquy like they all wanted. Instead she focused on what he might be able to answer about his Maker. If they couldn't get the Rogue's name perhaps they could get his Sire's name. If you couldn't get the name of the one they wanted, then perhaps it was time to go above his head. Voices above her asked questions, repeating similar lines, who is he? What is his name? From Dr. Edwards' expression he was in a great deal of pain and the questions about his Maker were only making him more agitated. Fitz and Montgomery stepped away frustrated. Colton and Agent King stood back away from th
e Vampyres, solemnly watching the interrogation.
"Who is your Maker's Sire? How did your line start?" Persephonii's quite voice caught the doctor's attention. Both Nadia and Sebastian looked surprised and interested in her shift of focus.
If they could get the name of the Rogue's Maker they could track him down and find his Chyldren until they discovered the Rogue.
"Did this line start with the House of Thane?" Sebastian asked the question he had clearly been thinking for a while. That the House had exiled or insulted some Vampyre that had then sought revenge.
"No... it started with...." With a final breath Dr. Edwards gave a name and clue, and those surrounding him hope.
"With.....Anton." With little more than a whisper Dr. Edwards, their greatest lead and witness was dead.
From what those present at the scene could gather about the situation, Dr. Carver had found something. Either in the house, or around it, that lead her to investigate the pool house, where she had been surprised and killed by Dr. Pike. Agent King had been there for the yelling match between Dr. Edwards and Dr. Pike. Which revealed a good deal of what led to both Dr. Lillian Carver's death and in turn, Dr. Pike's. Edwards had a change of heart after finding out that Dr. Pike had killed Lillian Carver trying to eliminate a loose end and a possible leak. Dr. Pike thought Dr. Carver had found the flash drive and lured her to the house to find out what she knew. It seemed that Dr. Pike had been aware that Carver was involving more authorities into Dr. Edwards' death, keeping the case open despite their attempt to make it look like a lab accident gone horribly wrong.
At First Sight (Persephonii Waters Book 1) Page 24