Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton and the Berkley
Publishing Group do not authorize this author. All characters that you
recognize belong to Laurell K. Hamilton except for the ones created by the
people in this group. This is solely for entertainment purposes.
Rating: R just to be on the safe side. Just a few bad words.
Author’s Note: I would like to take this time to thank my beta for being so patient with me. Also without whom I would be lost and nothing would ever get done. Thanks also need to go to my cheering section that wouldn’t let me give up on this story even if that had been my inclination. You guys are the best! Now without further ado on with the show….
The sound of a buzzing alarm woke me up. It took me a few more minutes before I remembered why I’d even set the thing. When I did remember I didn’t feel a damn bit better. I so didn’t want to go to work this morning but I couldn’t see any way out of it. Besides it would look really bad if I didn’t show up today. I was in enough trouble as it was. I didn’t need for my attendance to become an issue. Finally gathering up the energy, I turned over and shut off the alarm.
I laid there in the sudden silence and wondered what to do now. Oh I knew that I needed to get up, eat, and get dressed, not necessarily in that order. Running my hand over my face, I blinked the sleep away and rolled out of bed. My feet hit the carpet and I froze. The floor was ice cold. I don’t care what any one tells you. Carpet can be cold too.
Padding across the short distance to closet, I retrieved my slippers. With them on I made my way to the bathroom. After taking care of the personal necessities I began to brush my teeth. I mentally picked out the clothes I would wear that day. I had a pair of black polyester/cotton blend pants that flared down to the ankle that should do quite nicely. I had an ice blue crew neck sleeveless sweater with a matching cardigan. It was a sweater set. Not only would I be fashionable I’d be able to conceal my weapons.
I walked back into the bedroom, laid the clothes on the bed and went for the kitchen. I need to get some caffeine in my system before I did just about anything else. This was my apartment. You’d think that I would know where the hell the stuff was around here, right? Wrong. I’d been a coma that was almost unheard of in a lycanthrope. So my colleagues had taken it upon themselves to not only unpack, but also stock the apartment with necessities.
After rummaging around in my cabinets for what felt like forever I finally found what I was looking for, coffee and the filters. I got the coffee going while I found a decent travel mug. I set it on the counter and added the cream and sugar to the cup. All I had to do when I came back in was pour the coffee in the mug.
I dressed quickly because a glance at the bedside clock told me I was running behind schedule. I was pulling on my boots when the smell of fresh brewed coffee assaulted my nose. It made my mouth water. Walking down the hall, I holstered my gun and checked the draw. Perfect, or as perfect as I could make it. Pouring the coffee into the cup and taking a moment to stir it I snapped the lid on. After grabbing my purse and keys I was ready to go.
I hit the front door and once again froze. It was freaking cold. I grew up in sunny southern California, so this was not something I was used to at all. Trudging back into the apartment I grabbed my black leather trench coat out of the hall closet. I put it on while walking and juggling the coffee cup from hand to hand along with my keys and purse. For a blonde I thought it was an amazing feat.
Closing and locking the door I made my way to Igor. With one hand I stroked the hood of my most favorite vehicle. Of course it being my favorite could have something to do with the fact that it was my only vehicle. I unlocked the driver’s side door and climbed into the seat. Now the dodge wasn’t a little car by any stretch of the imagination. However I’d gone one step further and put a three-inch lift in it. Which doesn’t sound like much until you’re trying to get into it.
I put the keys in the ignition and started the engine. While it was idling I was rummaging around in my purse looking for my cigarettes. Spotting them at last, at the bottom of course, I pulled them out along with a lighter. Taking the time to light it I stared out my windshield. This wasn’t really a bad place. It was on the fringe of the district, but close enough to the squad house to be convenient. I could have probably walked to work, but I don’t walk, not anywhere, not unless forced to.
The short drive to the station was pleasant enough. There’s nothing like your favorite band playing on the radio as you head into work. I pulled around to the back of the station and parked. Collecting my stuff I shut and locked the doors on the truck. I’m from California, and in California you never left your car unlocked unless you wanted it to be stolen.
Scanning the parking lot as I made my way to the back door, I realized something. This was the first time, in a long time, that I would be on my own. I mean really on my own. I had family here yes, but they lived about an hour from me. Which could be worse I guess. But it would mean that there would be no more yelling across the fence for mom and or dad.
I opened the door and was instantly surrounded by an almost eerie hush. Now it shouldn’t have mattered what time of day it was, at a station there is always some kind of activity, and the noticeable absence of it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was sheer force of will that kept the Browning in its holster.
However the further I walked the more the silence eased, allowing me hear the muffled voices of both prisoners and officers alike. It let me breathe a bit easier. I briefly wondered if that entrance had some sort of spell on it. I quickly discarded that notion, because if that was the case, wouldn’t Detective Tammy Reynolds have noticed it long before the spell had been complete? Or she might have even set the spell herself, but for what reason? A turn brought me even with the front desk and the duty sergeant. His eyes hardened the moment he noticed me.
“Can I help you?” His voice boomed through the nearly empty room.
I wondered whom he was trying to impress because it sure in the hell wasn’t me. Especially if the look he was giving me was any indication. I fished around in my purse for my badge. It was damn stupid of me not to have put it. With it being my first day I was willing to be forgiving and say that the sergeant had a rough night.
Whipping out the badge I slung it around my neck. Noticing the look of utter hatred in the man’s eyes, I simply replied. “Nope, not at all.” I strode across the foyer to the stairs and began to climb. I wondered what his problem was. I hadn’t done anything to him and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why he disliked me.
I’ll say it now. I’m used to people liking me, and the fact that the duty sergeant hadn’t bothered me. I pushed those thoughts aside as I entered the bustling squad room. Scanning for Buchanan I found him by the coffee machine talking to another detective. He either was waiting for me or he had ESP because our eyes met and locked. I could feel heat climbing up my face but I refused to look away first. The other man saved me as he waved his hand in front of Buchanan’s face.
Buchanan was an attractive man; I’d give him that. The other man with him was only slightly shorter. He was bulkier than Buchanan. He had a light brown complexion that screamed Hispanic. He was dressed in black dress slacks. Do they all own a pair, I wonder briefly. He had a maroon button down shirt that made his blue eyes and black hair stand out for some reason. They both strolled over to where I was standing. I gave a polite greeting to the men and was treated to a head nod from Buchanan and an intense scrutiny from the new man. I arched an eyebrow at him when his eyes met mine. “So do you always treat your fellow officers this way or am I a special case?”
He had the decency to blush but stuck out his hand. “I’m going to be your new partner. I’m Rudy or if you prefer Detective Lopez.”
I shook his hand. His grip was firm without trying to impress me with his strength. Either he knew what I was or he was secure about who and what he was. There weren’t too many men like that. “Well, I don’t really have a preference about what to call you. So if Rudy works for you it works for me. You’re going to have to explain this partner’s thing to me though. Is it standard policy to have partners in a juvenile division? I would have thought that this was just pretty standard work we were doing. Is there something I’m missing?”
Standard policy was that you were assigned a certain amount of cases depending on your schedule and the rotation that was in place. The only time you ever took backup or a partner was when the juvenile was a known violent offender. It would be damn stupid to go out and talk to someone like that alone. Don’t get me wrong. You often consulted with your fellow officers about cases; sometimes it was just to get another point of view, other times it was to figure out a better to approach to a client.
Crossing my arms over my chest and I gave both men dead eyes. They shifted uncomfortably but never said a word. The silence was beginning to feel strained and I’d be damned if I would break it first. The noise in the squad room began to quiet down as more then one set of curious eyes turned toward us. Finally it was deadly quiet in the room and still none of us had said a word.
I’m guessing that the absolute silence is what brought Dolph out of his office. You could feel his annoyance from yards away and when he spoke his voice was like a whiplash through the now silent squad room. “Would someone mind telling me why the hell you’ve all decided to take a coffee break now?”
The simple question snapped many of the onlookers into action. They went back to filing and answering phone and the variety other things that needed to be done. Still that wasn’t enough to make me speak. Silently I seethed at these two men. I mean I’d just asked a simple question and been given the silent treatment.
Dolph towered above me looking none to pleased. His mouth was turned down and the lips were compressed tightly together. As if he was itching to make some comment but knew that he couldn’t. He glared at the three of us his body vibrating with suppressed energy. When he finally spoke his words were short and clipped. “Would someone mind telling me what is going on here?”
Oh yeah he was pissed; there were no two ways about that. I shifted from one foot to the other. His glare had weight to it. It made me feel like a school child being taken to task by the teacher. Trust me it was not a way to make me pleasant.
Buchanan either realizing that I wouldn’t break the silence or tired of it himself spoke. “I was just introducing Bastion to Lopez.” That much was true but it left a lot unsaid like why we’d been staring at each other like adversaries rather than co-workers.
Dolph turned his dark eyes to me an unasked question in his gaze. I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. I needed to be calm and rational about this. Otherwise they were likely to call it PMS which would piss me off more than anything. “I merely asked why I was being assigned a partner.” I jerked my thumb in the direction of Buchanan and Rudy. “Then these two clammed up. So I don’t know what the deal is.”
Dolph then turned his eyes to the two men, his frown deepening. Buchanan cleared his throat nervously his eyes shifting to Rudy. Rudy for his part seemed unaffected by his superior’s gaze. I wondered briefly if he was a shapeshifter. However I didn’t sense any of that other worldly crap. Of course that didn’t mean much. He could be an alpha. Rudy’s voice was deep and rich. It was like caramel for the ear. “Bastion, here is correct. We had just been introduced when she began shooting questions at a rapid fire pace. I didn’t know which to answer first so I didn’t answer any of them.”
Dolph snorted apparently unsatisfied with the answers he was getting. “I don’t know what’s going on and since you’re not sharing there’s not much I can do. Lopez, show Bastion her desk and get back to work. Buchanan, follow me.” The small storm known as Detective Sergeant Storr turned on his heels and headed for his office. Buchanan following obediently looking a little like a naughty boy going to the principal’s office.
Rudy turned and with a follow me motion moved off through the maze of desks. He finally stopped beside a fairly barren desk. It had a nameplate along with a phone and a blotter for the desk. Rudy looked from me to the desk and back to me. A small smile played around his lips. It took me a moment to realize why he was smiling. All along the boarders of the blotter were little rubber duckies in varying outfits.
A laugh bubbled out before I could stop it. Walking around Rudy to stand behind the desk I looked down at the blotter. It could be worse I supposed. Casually I threw my jacket on the chair and dropped my purse on the desk. Looking out I noticed that I had an audience. Among the onlookers was none other than Zerbrowski. I could probably thank him for the blotter.
Turning to Rudy I beamed at him like a child on Christmas morning. “Thank you. I don’t know who to thank for the blotter but I appreciate the effort.” Sighing I became more serious. “Okay. I really don’t have the time to get thoroughly settled in. I think we should take a look at the scenes and see if we can’t find a pattern.”
He nodded solemnly. Opening my purse I pulled the files out and laid them on the desk. Going through them and setting them in chronological order we began going through them individually. The first thing that struck me was that all of the victims were Caucasian, in their early to late twenties. All were in relatively good health and all were human with some psychic ability. There was no discrimination between males and females or socioeconomic status. There was no indication that these victims were anything other then what they appeared.
After two hours and too many cups of coffee to count, I stood suddenly. I needed a break and I needed it now. Excusing myself I left. Moving quickly down the stairs and out the front door I stood in the bright sunshine and felt a chill that no amount of sunshine could ever cure.
Looking at those crime scene photos I was forcibly reminded that I was no longer human, not by any stretch of the imagination. I’d wished I been there to lap up the blood, to rip pieces from the dead, and eat until I was too full to move. It had both thrilled and sickened me. I could feel the tears rolling down my face as I stared into the sun.
The door opened behind me and the sound of shoes scuffing on the pavement reached my ears. I didn’t turn to look at who had come out. I was trying to regain some of my composure. The deep rolling voice of Buchanan reached me though. “Needed a break,” he asked conversationally. Nodding seemed like the best idea. I didn’t know if I could trust my voice.
Finally curiosity got the better of me and I turned to look at him. He stared out across the parking lot his hands clasped behind his back. He’d removed his tie and the first couple of buttons were undone. He in no way looked unprofessional just more relaxed. He turned his dark brown eyes to me and there was an intensity that I’d never seen outside of animals in the zoo or in the wild.
In that moment I knew he was like me, something so very not human. Earlier he had seemed animated, almost as if he wore his emotions on his shirtsleeves. I realized that it was just an act. That was how he’d been before he’d been turned. A million questions whirled around my head. Before I could stop myself I asked. “Do they know?”
He cocked his head as if listening to music I couldn’t hear. Except in a way, I could. I could feel the pull of the moon only two days from full. I could feel that part of me, that part I called my beast, dancing around just waiting to be released. Turning to look at Buchanan, we had a moment of enlightenment, a moment of perfect understanding. We might not always see eye to eye but there would always be a camaraderie that we’d never be able to explain to the rest of the squad.
Clapping a hand on my back he turned us back toward the station. “Ready?”
Taking a deep breath and nodding slowly we made our way back up to the second floor. The normal hum of an office hard at work was a sort of healing balm. No one even seemed to notice my abrupt departure. Rudy never remarked on my absence just got back to what we were doing before I’d left.
By the end of the day we were still no closer to having answers to our mountain of questions. Rolling my shoulders and neck I tried in vain to relieve the mounting tension. The only thing we’d been able to establish was that if the current time line were kept it would be twenty-four hours before we had another assault/homicide victim. It was not encouraging news.
In the end Buchanan, Rudy and I decided to continue to work on the case first thing in the morning. We gathered up our stuff and made our way down to the back parking lot. I noticed that Buchanan seemed to be a bit apprehensive about the back door in much the same way I had earlier. I wanted to ask him about it but since he’d never answered my question about whether or not the rest of the unit knew I kept silent even though it bugged me to do so.
We said our good-byes and went our separate ways. As I was pulling out onto the street I noticed a non-descript car swing away from the curb and pull into the moving traffic. I was instantly suspicious and I couldn’t have said why. When I changed lanes so did the car behind me. Well it wasn’t actually right behind me. It was always careful to stay two to three car lengths behind me.
It reminded me of Dayla’s game she played wherever she went, Super Spy. That’s what she called it. She would casually check to see who if anybody was following her. She’d had a brief scare when a car had followed her from her house in Hesperia onto the 15 and onto the 10 but it had zoomed past the exit she was on and she was finally able to breathe.
I didn’t know if the car was truly following me and to be honest I’m not sure that I really cared. There were things I needed to get done and I wasn’t going to let paranoia keep me from doing them. The first grocery store I saw I pulled into. Either I had a very active imagination or the car wasn’t following me as it drove past the store continuing on its merry way. More than anything I needed to get some Pepsi and other microwaveable food. I could cook but most of the time I didn’t feel like it.
Forty-five minutes and a truck full of groceries later, I was heading back to my apartment. When I pulled into my parking space I wondered how I was going to get all this stuff up to my apartment. I thought to myself that I should have asked the grocery store if they had some cardboard boxes that they didn’t need. Well there was no help for it now I would just have to make at least two trips. I gathered up all the bags and actually made it into the apartment without any of the bottoms falling out.
The last trip was just the cubes of Pepsis that I’d needed, yes needed. As I was going up the stairs to my apartment the car that I’d thought was following me was slowly cruising the parking lot. Almost as if the driver was looking for something, or someone. I didn’t stick around to see what was going on. Once inside I talked myself down, saying that it was merely a coincidence that the car was here and that it had been near the station house. Maybe, just maybe, there was a tenant that was having trouble with an overzealous boyfriend or girlfriend.
Thus dismissing it from my mind I began the tedious chore of unpacking the groceries. I had just gotten the last of them in the fridge and pulled an MGD from the six-pack when there was a knock at my door. Setting the beer on the counter and cautiously approaching the door I drew the Browning. Trying to keep most of my body to one side and peer out through the peephole in the door is harder than it sounds.
At first I didn’t see anything. Then all I could see was the top of someone’s head done in neat cornrows. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. No, it couldn’t be, I thought. But as the figure moved back and allowed me to see who was at the door, I went from apprehensive to angry in the space of a heartbeat.
I opened the door just wide enough to show my face and the face of my unexpected visitor. Without warning or preamble I spoke in short clipped voice. “Go away!” Then I promptly shut the door and retreated back to my living room on my way to the kitchen. The door crashed with a resounding thunk. He’d shoved the door so hard that a moment later it slammed behind him. I turned to face him the gun firmly aimed at his chest.
Staring into that handsome face only served to make me angrier. Jamil stood there vibrating with energy, anger of his own, if I had to make a guess. His waist length cornrows had blue and silver beads on the ends. His navy blue tank top clung to him and his black Levis looked painted on. His beauty not with standing, I was still madder than a wet hen. I’d told him to go away. Why didn’t he do just that?
His voice was a deep with an edge of a growl to it. “Why did you shut the door on me?”
Realizing that I wasn’t going to shoot him I put the gun up. Cocking an eyebrow at him I said. “Because I distinctly remember telling you to go away. I don’t know what part of that you didn’t understand but in case I slipped into Swahili and didn’t realize it, I’ll say it again. Go. The. Fuck. Away!”
Instead of getting angrier he smiled. I didn’t know what he was up to and if that smile was any indication I was betting I wasn’t going to like what I was going to hear. He calmly folded his arms over his chest. “Well it seems that your Nimir-Ra wanted to make sure that you hadn’t given her some bogus address. So she asked if I would mind checking it out for her.”
He was lying. He had to be. If Anita had really wanted to know if the address I’d given her was bogus or not she’d have gone to Edward not Jamil. “You lie,” I spat vehemently.
It was his turn to cock an eyebrow. “Are you so sure about that?” His voice was calm as if he had all the time in the world.
He wasn’t sweating. I couldn’t hear his heart accelerating. All in all, I’d have to say he was telling the truth. However he could just be an accomplished liar and those things wouldn’t matter. I was tired, irritable and wanted nothing more than to drink a beer and unwind in front of the television, watching something mindless and entertaining. Lost, as I was, in my own thoughts I had forgotten that he was there until he’d cleared his throat. I could feel the heat burning up my neck and face. “Sorry. To answer your question. No, I’m not sure about that. However until I decide to talk to Anita I guess we’ll never know.”
Jamil chuckled. “Well at least your honest.” He walked further into the apartment. Looking for something was my guess. But what? I didn’t have much and what I did have he couldn’t possibly need. Completely catching me off guard he flopped down on my couch and immediately pick up the remote turning the TV on.
I guessed he was staying a while. I couldn’t really complain. I didn’t like to be alone. I really didn’t, last night had been forced on me. I had no longer felt welcome in Anita’s home, not that I could blame them. I mean if the shoe had been on the other foot would I have been able to stay objective? Shaking those dreary thought off I strolled back into the kitchen calling out my question. “Wanna beer? MGD is all I have though.” His affirmative answer floated back to me. I traded the beer on the counter for two cold ones.
Popping the tops on the beers I wandered back into the small living room. I handed Jamil his as I took a seat on the couch, curling my legs under me. I sat there in the comfortable silence watching the mindless images play. I don’t know why I didn’t stick to my guns and make him leave but maybe my loneliness was getting to me. It probably was, more than I was willing to admit.
We finished off the six-pack by the time Raw is War came on. Jamil thought the show was rigged. I grinned broadly and told of course it was. I watched for the eye candy and the soap opera like quality. He chuckled at my antics as we watched the two-hour program. As they were signing off he stood stretched and turned to me. “Well I guess I should get going. I think I’ve kept you up long enough.”
The thought of being alone another night bothered me more than it should have. I mean I’m a twenty-six year old adult who has been living on my own for the last four years. Maybe it was the stress of the case, or the fact that I had all these newfound abilities and not a clue how to use them. Or it could be the fact that the only family that I did have out here was in the hospital. “Do you have to?” My voice was soft, oh so soft. I’m quite sure that if he hadn’t had enhanced hearing he might not have heard it at all.
He looked at me in shock. Then his face clouded over with some emotion, but before I could define it, it was gone. “No Luna, I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”
I could feel my face flush yet again. I dropped my head and stared at my hands. Tears were beginning to gather in my eyes. I felt like a complete and utter fool. He’d obviously misunderstood the reason I’d wanted him to stay. But in my embarrassment I couldn’t tell him that all I’d wanted was to not be alone again.
The air moved as he strode over to me. I was caught unprepared as his hand pulled my face up to his. His face held concern and something else I didn’t want to see, pity. Roughly I pushed his hand away. If he wanted to stay I wanted him to do it because he wanted to, not because he felt he had to, out of some misplaced sense of duty. My voice was angry but I couldn’t help that. “Never mind. Forget I asked. Just get out!” I pointed to the door to emphasize my point.
“Now why are you mad at me? What did I do?” His tone as well as his face carried his confusion clearly.
I didn’t bother to explain it. Hell I didn’t think I could explain it to myself, let alone Jamil. Standing abruptly caused him to take a quick step back but he’d forgotten about the coffee table behind him and ended up doing an ungraceful roll over it and onto the floor. It looked awkward not to mention painful. Somehow it just struck me as incredibly funny and much to his mortification I began to laugh. I laughed so hard I had tears streaming down my face.
Jamil didn’t find it as funny as I did however and he stood looming over me trying to intimidate me. That only made me laugh harder; it was such a Dayla move, trying to intimidate me with their fierce scowls and impressive height. Well I’d been the littlest kid on the block for way too long. So you needed something better than a good scowl and height.
When he realized that his tactics weren’t working he gave in and began laughing with me. It was such a relief. I’d had all this pent up tension and no outlet for it. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and you know what? They’re right. Our laughter died down to giggles and finally quieted all together. He looked at me, not quite serious, but the look on his face was enough to let me know that he wasn’t joking. “Did you still want me to stay?”
I could have jumped for joy, shouted from the rooftops, but all I could manage was an enthusiastic nod. He beamed at me and motioned for me to lead the way. Which I did, glad that at least for tonight, I wouldn’t have to be alone. Once we were in the bedroom I walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of red silk men’s pajamas. Throwing the bottoms at Jamil, I apologized about the size. They were big. I’d bought them that way on purpose.
Taking the top I retreated to the bathroom. Not because of any sense of modesty but because I didn’t want to send him the wrong message. Dumping my dirty clothes in the hamper and after taking care of business I returned to the bedroom to find that Jamil had already climbed into bed. I made my way around the bed and climbed in. Scooting back into the circle of his arms, his warmth was a reassuring presence at my back.
As I was drifting off I thought I heard him speak. It sounded suspiciously like, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”