“I hung out waiting for him. He asked me to come over, saying he needed help with something. I don’t know what; he wouldn’t talk about it on the telephone.” It had all been the truth. Let the detective chew on those facts for a little bit. Lailah had nothing else to give them. Plus, she couldn’t bring herself to offer Jimmy to the cops on a silver platter no matter what he did to her. Although she should, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t kill him herself if the cops had him. “I fell asleep on the couch and woke up in the middle of the night. Jimmy never came home, so I left.”
The detective made notes and Lailah chewed the inside of her cheek. The detective looked up at her twice, making her nervous. But Lailah had basically told him the truth; everything besides the fact Jimmy had been in the apartment, had drugged her before he left to do whatever it was Jimmy was doing, and left her unconscious. She had luckily woken up before he had gotten back and escaped.
“Is that all you have to say?” he asked. Lailah sighed. He was so good looking and she thought it was too bad he was a cop. Otherwise, she would have fallen for him. But the last thing she needed in her life was the complication of dating a cop. “It’s the truth, so yup. It’s all I have to say.” Lailah threw in one of her hundred watt smiles, hoping he would take the hint and leave it alone.
“Okay then.” He folded up his notebook and slid it back into his back pocket and returned her smile. “You’re good friends with Mr. Dell.” He paused and Lailah smiled again, letting him know she was good friends with Jimmy. “So I don’t have to tell you Mr. Dell is involved in things he probably shouldn’t be and people that don’t have his best interests at heart.” Lailah barely kept herself from snorting with laughter. If she said it once… “If you hear from Jimmy, you should let him know the police are looking for him. I am looking for him. And it would behoove him to get in contact with me at his earliest convenience.” Banner then pulled a card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Lailah.
Lailah looked at the card, Lincoln Banner, Chicago Police Department Detective. “Yeah next time I see him, I’ll give this to him,” Lailah said. Lailah couldn’t help the sarcasm bleeding over into her words. The last thing Jimmy would do was call some cop. Jimmy avoided all types of authority figures and police of any kind.
“Make sure you do,” Detective Banner said.
The detective stood there not moving as Lailah nodded and then closed the door, thinking it had to be the strangest interaction she had ever had with a cop. Flopping down on her couch, she stared at the card the detective had left and wondered what the hell Jimmy had gotten himself involved in. If the mortal cops were involved then it wasn’t good.
Knowing she would regret it, she pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed Jimmy’s number. It immediately went to voicemail.
“Listen up, dumbass. I’m not sure what you have gotten yourself into, this time, but you better be prepared to pull your ass out of the fire because the police were just here at my place. Figure your shit out. Because after what you pulled last night, I’m not speaking to you and I’m not sure if I’ll ever speak to you again.” Then she hung up, hoping he got the message. It would probably mean he would be in hiding for longer than the week or so he would have been, but whatever.
* * *
She was running.
Light surrounded her, but the shadows were coming and she knew if they caught her they would consume her. She didn’t understand why she knew it, she just did. They were just behind her and, if she didn’t move now, it would take her over. Lailah scrambled to move with the light surrounding her. She knew she had to stay within the light or die. It was taking everything she had to stay within the circle of light and she felt her breath leaving her. She sucked it in, with great gasps. But it wasn’t enough.
When she faltered, the darkness touched her and it burned, making Lailah scream in pain. Lailah pulled herself up again and ran with the light. When the landscape changed, she realized she was in the neighborhood where she and Jimmy had grown up. Lailah looked around. The bullies from their childhood were there. Maybe they were the darkness? When the darkness caught up to her again, she recoiled from it. But it still folded around her. Lailah called out for help and, this time, a hand reached down to offer help through the darkness. Without thinking, Lailah took the hand.
She was pulled from the darkness into strong arms. But the pain the darkness had caused was still wrapped around her. Lailah cried out. The arms holding her released her immediately and she was falling again. Lailah scrambled for purchase again as faces flashed by her and fingers pointed at her, but there wasn’t anyone willing to help her and her screams went unanswered.
Finally strong arms and a man with crystal clear blue eyes reached out to grab her. Lailah grabbed at him for dear life.
“Don’t worry I have you,” he said to her. But as he wrapped his arms around her, his chest seemed to open and swallow her. Lailah tried to push away from him but it was too late. He was already wrapping her up in his darkness. She wrestled with him, only to be wrenched away by another powerful man with gray eyes and a horrible scar bisecting his face.
He should have terrified Lailah, but she flew into his arms as he beat away the darkness soaking her up. When not a trace of the darkness was left, he just stood looking at her. Then slowly disappeared.
Lailah sat up in her bed, a scream dying on her lips. She reached over and flipped on her bedside lamp. Lailah searched the dark corners of her bedroom then flopped back onto her bed, trying to get her breath back. She couldn’t remember the last time she had had such a vivid nightmare before. Rolling over on her side, she grasped one of her pillows to her chest. Lailah tried to pull up the vision of the grayed eyed man who had saved her. There was something about him; that pulled at her heart strings.
“Who are you?” Lailah whispered to herself. There was something about this dream man. He calmed her and she fell back to sleep, feeling like this dream guy was watching over her.
Chapter 2
“Thanks for coming man. Something hinky’s been happen mortal side.” Skylar explained to Hunter as he led him down a flight of stairs. “Thought the Reapers should know about it.” Hunter didn’t reply. The Trackers seemed to always be involved in strange things. But Dante had told Hunter to answer the call so here he was.
Skylar led Hunter into a brightly lit room with several metal tables one of the tables had what looked like a body on it with a sheet covering it. Skylar walked over to it and with a flick of his wrist he threw the sheet off. It might have been human once but now? Hunter couldn’t explain what had happened to it.
“What the fuck am I looking at?” Hunter asked stepping closer to the body he tried to figure out exactly what had happened to it. It was a husk of a body, it had been beaten and bleed dry. And frankly the sight of it turned Hunters stomach.
“It used to be a body,” Skylar explained. “But I didn’t just bring you here for a show and tell, on this weird and creepy body.” Skylar pointed at something. “See the shoulder? That’s what I want you to look at.”
Hunter leaned over the body. “What is it?” It looked like something had been burned into the skin.
“It’s a brand. And this is the fifth body we’ve found like this with that mark.” Hunter leaned over the body and he and Skylar inspected it. “What does it look like to you?”
Hunter leaned closer, and then stood up and looked at Skylar. “It looks like a Celtic T.”
Skylar gave Hunter a big smile. “See, I knew you looked smarter than your brothers gave you credit for.” Skylar laughed and slapped Hunter on the shoulder like what he said was the funniest thing Hunter had heard all day. Hunter rolled his eyes and shrugged Skylar’s hand off.
Hunter ignored Skylar’s goading. “What in the name of the gods is the Tribunal up to now?”
“Gods only know.” Skylar threw the sheet back over the body. “We were hoping you and the Reapers would know something. Have you seen anything with the souls you’ve reaped lately?”
Hunter shook his head, “No, nothing out of the ordinary. I need take this information back to Dante, keep us informed if you find anything else.”
“Will do.” Skylar nodded.
Hunter Flashed away. He wasn’t looking forward to giving this information to Dante. The Tribunal was heading into some dark shit in their quest for power and to take control of the Infernos from Dante. The war that was brewing was going to claim many lives, it wasn’t something he was looking forward to. And he knew the Tribunal could care less for the mortals and Others they destroyed in their quest for glory.
Hunter Flashed to Dante’s fortress and went straight to his father. When he was done giving his father the news he left with a pounding headache and wishing his father would scream or rail at him and his brothers when he was upset. But that wasn’t Dante’s way. No Dante was calm and spoke quietly with intent. Hunter was to find who was branding the mortals, and bring him to Dante for punishment. There was no room for argument or mercy, Hunter knew exactly what he had to do. Now Hunter was waiting in Treachery for news from the Trackers. Hunter didn’t doubt the Tribunal would strike again it was just a matter of time.
* * *
Hunter knew where he wanted to go, so why did he end up at that damn apartment again? Sometimes fate just fucked with you, and now he was standing there in the twilight with his preverbal dick in his hand, and feeling just as ridiculous. Hunter let the shadows wrap around him, his mind wandering to where Lailah might be and what the hell had happened to her. He had been back here several times in the last couple of weeks but there had been no sign of her, which didn’t surprise him. After all, it was James’ apartment. But it just left Hunter wondering, if she were all right.
Hunter allowed himself to Flash into James apartment. It smelled like treachery, and mildew and he wondered how long it had been since anyone had been here. Hunter pulled his phone from his pocket and clicked it to update. One of the many things about popping in and out of the Infernos, the time difference. Shoving the phone back into his pocket, Hunter wandered around the apartment, kicking at the pile of mail scattered around the front door. With the amount of mail piled up, it spoke of more than a couple of days. Lailah hadn’t come back, it was probably for the best. James wasn’t any good for her, it didn’t matter whether he was her Guardian or not.
A beep from his phone notified him it was done updating and Hunter pulled it out of his pocket. It had been two weeks since the last time he had been on the mortal plane, and she could be anywhere. Hunter shook himself. This was a fool’s errand and he was wasting way too much time. He had more important things to work on, and Dante would have a strip off his back if he found out Hunter was even here. He was about to Flash out when the doorknob wiggled.
Hunter let the shadows wrap around him. Nothing but his brothers or Dante could detect him, and he stepped back into the corner of the room.
* * *
Lailah looked around the street. She had a feeling Detective Banner was around, but she couldn’t see him. He had been in the bookstore two different times in the last couple of weeks, asking if she had seen or heard from Jimmy. And Lailah had to admit, she was getting a little worried about Jimmy herself even though the jerk had drugged Lailah the last time she had seen him. He should have shown up by now.
Jogging across the street, Lailah stepped into the alcove of Jimmy’s apartment building and waited a few minutes before sticking her head out, looking both ways. But Lailah still didn’t see anything. No Jimmy and no Detective Banner. Nevertheless, Lailah still felt like she was being watched. This wasn’t a good idea, but Lailah had come all the way over here and she wasn’t going to turn back now.
Taking the stairs two at a time, Lailah rushed up to Jimmy’s apartment. She was gasping for air and her head was pounding to break the band by the time she got to his door. Lailah promised herself she would finally go see a doctor about it when all this shit with Jimmy was taken care of. These damn headaches, and bouts of flu were getting old fast. But she couldn’t just go to any doctor. Jimmy always found an Other doctor to see her. Said with her ‘special’ abilities, going to a normal doctor was a bad idea. This was another reason Lailah needed to find the dipshit. Lailah was swearing under her breath as she silently slipped her key into the door and clicked the door open.
Lailah had to shove the door open because of all the junk mail piled up on the floor. Not a good sign. Lailah kicked mail out of the way as she made her way into the apartment. The apartment smelled dusty and unused.
“Shit,” Lailah muttered to herself. “Jimmy what the hell happened to you?”
Lailah looked around, her skin crawling. She spun around and glared at the living room half expecting to see someone standing there. If she didn’t know better Lailah would have sworn she was being watched. She peeked into the small kitchen dust was collecting on everything. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Lailah moved down the hall, everything looked the same as when she had stumbled out two weeks ago.
When Lailah made it to Jimmy’s room and found everything exactly the way she had left it a couple of weeks ago, she knew Jimmy was in real deep shit. But what was she supposed to do? Report Jimmy as missing? The police were already looking for him, weren’t they?
Lailah sat down on the bed and rubbed her neck trying to ease the feeling of being watched and her pounding headache that was only getting worse. “Shit, Jimmy you’re in real trouble and I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do about it.”
Lailah shrieked, but just as quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, when there was a knock on the front door. And slipped off the bed falling right on her butt on the floor from shock and fear. For a moment, Lailah just stared down the hall at the front door, pretty sure she knew exactly who was pounding on the front door. He just had a way of knocking with an authority that rankled Lailah straight through to her marrow, which gave him away.
Pulling herself together Lailah climbed to her feet and tiptoed down the hall, she leaned forward and peeked through the peephole.
Detective Banner stood on the other side of the door. His broad shoulders seemingly larger than usual.
“I just knew it.” Lailah whispered to herself and kicked the mail at her feet. It scattered across the living room and into the small kitchen. Lailah immediately felt bad about that and rolled her eyes throwing her hands in the air. Lailah said a few more choice words to herself stomping her feet and turning in a circle as she tried to figure a way out of her current situation.
“I know you are in there Miss Robertson, you should open the door now.” The detectives voice seemed to boom and it shook her conviction.
Lailah looked around continuing to swear quietly and profusely. Lailah wondered if she could get away through the fire escape. And if she did if Detective Banner would chase her down like a common criminal.
“Open the door Lailah,” The detective said as if he knew exactly what Lailah was thinking. “I have a police car coming if you are thinking about running it will pick you up on the street.”
“Shit, shit, shit.” Lailah swore. She really didn’t have a choice, and she didn’t like the idea of being arrested. Throwing the door open she glared at the detective. “Are you following me?” Lailah demanded.
“Should I be?” Banner asked. Pushing past her he looked around the apartment his lip curling in disgust. “Have you heard from Mr. Dell?”
“No,” Lailah said defiantly crossing her arms over her chest she leaned against the side of the door.
“Then why are you here?” Banner asked.
“Why are you here?” she asked him.
“I’m looking for Mr. Dell. Now you answer my questions,” he said pulling his little notebook out. Banner walked over to the kitchen and stuck his head into the room and turned back to Lailah he raised an eyebrow in question.
Lailah shrugged, “I’m looking for Jimmy too. Like I said last time I came over here he wasn’t home. I haven’t heard from him in a couple of w
eeks which is weird for Jimmy. I’m actually thinking about reporting him as a missing person.”
The detective jotted down something in his notebook and then put it away in his back pocket. “So you think he might be missing?”
Lailah was starting to think she might dislike this man, regardless of how good looking he was. “You’ve been looking for him. Have you been able to find him?” Lailah asked unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “I mean you’re the police and all, I mean as a detective have you been able to detect him anywhere?”
The detective clenched his jaw together, and a vein in his temple throbbed. “I’m not at liberty to discuss my investigation with you.”
“Well since you’re here asking little ole me where Jimmy is. I will assume you have no idea where the hell Jimmy is. And since I don’t know, you might want to move on to your next victim. I’m actually worried about my friend.” Lailah threw in the last just to get under Banners skin.
Detective Banner shoved his hands in his pockets and gave Lailah a sideways look, “I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Lailah…” he paused and gave her a smile. “May I call you Lailah?”
Lailah wanted to kick him in the shins, but she wasn’t in the mood to go to the poky today. So instead she nodded.
“Lailah, I think something horrible may have happened to your friend Jimmy. I only want to find him and ensure his safe.” If anyone else had said it Lailah would have believed it, but coming from Banner it sounded like such bullshit. “Don’t you think we can… I mean. Don’t you think we should work together?”
The warning bells this guy gave off were off the chart. Lailah’s head was pounding so hard at this point she was sure she would agree to just about anything in order to get away from him. “Sure whatever, I haven’t heard from Jimmy. I came over to see if he had been here, he hasn’t. Have a look around, it looks exactly the same as it did the night I was here.” Except for the drugs I took from his place that night. But Lailah wasn't going to tell Banner about the drugs. Lailah would never tell the good Detective Banner about the drugs.
Reaper Dreaming: A Reaper Novel Page 3