by JL Terra
His two guys closed in on either side, protecting his flanks, three against one.
“You should take better care of your sister. She’s the only family you have.” It needed to be said. Even if, as she suspected, he didn’t care in the slightest about Bella or her life, or what was happening to her. Ricardo cared about exactly two things—Ricardo, and money. In that order.
He took a step back, so the others were between them. Gun by his side in a loose hold. “I want her in my room.” And yet, he wasn’t going to attempt to subdue her himself. He was going to have his boys do it. Ricardo, watching out for Ricardo.
Mei smiled. “There’s a reason he ordered you to do this. He’s scared of me.”
One laughed.
The other came at her.
Mei braced. When he was close enough, she attacked.
Chapter 3
There’s been a murder. Actually, a series of murders.” Malachi leaned back in his chair. On the screen, in front of him, a video call was in progress. Of the four windows, only one had loaded so far. Ben, the boss of the company, along with his wife, Taya, was conversing with him on the screen.
“And you want the team to get involved?” Ben asked. Taya looked like she was about to jump out of her chair and rush all the way to New York City to help out. To protect Mei.
“I’ll explain everything when the rest of the group shows up.”
Malachi hadn’t been working with the team for long, only about a couple of years. In the span of his life—compared with how long he’d been walking on this earth—that was just long enough for an inhale.
However, for the first time in a very, very, very long time, he could honestly say he felt at home with these people. Not just because they had, together, battled ancient enemies and overcome some seriously terrifying odds, making him aware they were more like him than he could have realized, but he also just straight-up liked them as people.
With them, Malachi didn’t have to pretend to be something he wasn’t. After all, they already knew he was different. Maybe not precisely how, but it was enough.
“Have you heard from her?” Taya’s question likely wasn’t supposed to be an accusation, but given she was Mei’s mother, it would always come across that way—as if he was at least partially responsible. After all, Malachi had agreed to watch out for her.
“Here and there.” He didn’t want her to know how sporadic the contact had been. Mei wasn’t exactly ghosting him, but it was close. Sure, they were in the same city. He might live less than a mile from her, but he also wasn’t sure she knew of these things. Or cared. Trying to pin down Mei was like trying to grab a handful of cloud on a foggy day.
He had sent a text to her a few minutes ago telling her about the staff meeting. Whether or not she replied, or showed up, was something different. If she hadn’t known he was in New York City, then she did now.
She definitely didn’t know the reason he was here.
The second screen loaded and the image showed Daire and Bryn huddled together on a gray couch. Both smiled as they greeted Ben and Taya. Malachi waved at them but said nothing as the third screen loaded. Remy’s red hair was all too reminiscent of a recent crime scene photo he’d looked at, but this woman in front of him was very much alive. Thankfully. The man beside her had a tattooed arm around her shoulders, pulling her close so that she leaned against his side.
“Hey everyone. Thanks for getting on so we can talk this over.” Malachi wouldn’t have bothered them unless it was serious enough to warrant this particular team’s unique skill set. The fact he wanted it taken care of in a way that didn’t distract Mei from whatever she was doing played into it, so maybe it was good that she was late. Or she wouldn’t show up at all.
He would rather see her, but that inclination had nothing to do with why he was here.
Malachi slid over to the mouse and clicked to a new window, then shared his screen with the group. “This was the first victim.”
He stared at her face for a minute—maybe only because he knew they couldn’t see him. He let down his guard and allowed the truth of his feelings to reflect in his expression. This young woman most likely couldn’t have prevented her own death. It wasn’t her fault. He didn’t have to care, though he found that he did a little, even after all this time. Moved, by a nameless victim.
Shadrach said, “Is there a reason you’re sighing into the microphone?”
“It’s not like she asked to be a victim, Malachi.”
And they thought he blamed her for being dead?
He stopped sharing his screen so she could see his face and perhaps interpret his sigh differently, because Remy was right; she didn’t ask to be a victim. “I know, it’s just that I’ve got something else I need to take care of. It’s why I asked you guys for your help on this.”
“Please tell me the “something else” has to do with Mei.”
On their screen, Ben reached over and affectionately squeezed the back of his wife’s neck.
Malachi nodded. “It’s a long-term project, but it’s high priority.”
Several of the team snickered. They were only doing that because Mei wasn’t here to smack Malachi upside the head. If she were, they would be laughing at that instead.
He sighed again. The team needed to take on the murder investigation so he could work on Mei and everything else related.
“A long-term project. That’s why she isn’t here?” Shadrach grinned.
Bryn and Daire both winced, and she said, “Bro, you’re not supposed to mention her absence.” To which, Shadrach just shook his head.
Remy said, “Whatever we can do to free up your time, we’re on it. No problem.” Her care for her friend was evident in her tone. Malachi was glad that Mei had these people in her life who cared about her as much as they did.. And it was more than that, wasn’t it? They weren’t just the typical coworkers, but a mixture of both friends and family. They were a family, and they had invited him to be part of it despite not knowing all that much about him.
“So tell us about the case,” Ben said. “You said murders as in, more than one?”
Malachi clicked so the gallery of victim photos filled the screen and shared that with them. He avoided looking at the last one for a few seconds, but he figured it was inevitable that his gaze strayed in that direction. Something about her was so familiar.
“There are eight in total.” He had to clear his throat. “All killed in the last four months in New York City.” Malachi looked down at his notes. “Actually, correction—the last two, so far, are only disappearances. Their bodies haven’t been found so they’re not even listed as open murder cases for the investigators. Just missing persons right now.”
“And all of them are natural redheads?”
“I figured you would catch on quickly to that, Remy.” She was one herself. “Though it does seem like he might have a type, I’m not sure how hair color plays into this whole thing.” Except for in regards to the prophecy, of course.
“You aren’t going anywhere near New York City right now,” Shadrach said.
Remy’s soft chuckle filled the speakers. “Good, because I like this house. Plus, I have no desire to be murdered.”
“We don’t joke about that.”
Daire said, “Too soon?”
“Yes.” Ben’s voice rang with authority. There were a few snickers, but no one actually laughed outright.
In the corner of his screen, a notification popped up. “Looks like Mei is here. The back door alarm just triggered.”
He clicked on the mouse to pull up the camera feed and there she was, making her way down the hall with a slight limp in her stride.
Malachi sat up straighter. Thankfully they couldn’t see him, or likely all of them would realize something was wrong just by his expression. She looked like she’d been in a fight. And despite the fact that, with Mei, it wasn’t entirely uncommon, he did know she had been working on helping people lately. At least, that was what she had yelled at him t
he last time he’d seen her. Right before she’d stormed out.
Ben said, “What is it about this series of murders that makes you think it warrants our particular team?”
“The police don’t have any leads. I think we should look into it and see if there’s anything here we can do.”
Maybe it was only instinct that drove him to this. But Malachi knew something was very wrong with the whole picture. He’d seen the changes going on with Mei, though all it seemed was that she’d been acting weird lately. Still, he knew it couldn’t be a coincidence.
And if it wasn’t, he would be here to help Mei and she would be forced to confront the truth with her friends and family. To let them in on what was going on with her.
As far as he was concerned, that would be a win-win.
He could help her. She would have support while that happened.
Malachi said, “Normally this would be a federal case, or at least a major crime investigation. For some reason, the police just aren’t seeing the depth of what’s beneath the surface on this. Something more is going on.”
Ben nodded.
Malachi was thankful no one asked him to elaborate. He couldn’t even really explain what it was about these women’s deaths that had settled on him this way. All he knew was that he wanted to find out who was behind it so he could stop anyone else from getting hurt. He just couldn’t do that and complete his mission at the same time. Which was why he needed the team’s help.
The door clicked open and Mei stepped in, eyeing him.
She mouthed, “Can they see you?”
He shook his head, then raised his brows at the bruise on her cheek. If he thought she needed sympathy he would have offered some, but that wasn’t what he’d learned to do with this woman. As for the rest of the team, they would want to hit back at whoever was responsible. If she hadn’t done it herself already. If there was still work to do, then he would help. Of course.
All she had to do was let someone in. Ask for help.
Mei grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and pulled up a chair next to him. “Hi everyone.”
As though nothing at all was wrong.
They each replied in their own way, and Mei’s mom asked him to stop sharing his screen so she could see her.
Mei was the one who replied, “It’s fine. You guys are in the middle of a meeting. Sorry I’m late.” She glanced at him, and he saw on her face the war of emotions. Guilt at hiding her injuries from her mom, and the fact he was witnessing it.
Malachi said, “I was just telling them about a series of murders that I think warrant looking into.”
Her expression darkened and seemed to freeze as understanding set in. “Redheads.”
To the speakers Remy said, “I’m staying put where I am, so you don’t need to worry about me.”
From the expression on Mei’s face, he wasn’t sure Remy’s well-being was what bothered Mei.
“Remy,” he said. “Can you get us an ID and a full background on each of these women? Maybe see if you can find out what, if anything, ties them together?”
“Sure can.”
Mei said, “I’ll pay a visit to all of the families and see what I can find out.” She glanced at him. “Do you want to get the case files from the police?”
Of course, it would be illegal for a private citizen to somehow obtain confidential police files. But he nodded anyway. “I can get them.” He already had a lot of the information contained there, but the full reports would be good to have, along with the coroner’s notes. “I think the team should do the bulk of the work on this one. You have a lot going on at the center.”
She conceded that with a shrug. “I was looking into one of the missing girls earlier.” She blew out a breath. “She is a redhead as well, although she’s highlighted her hair so much it comes off as blonde.”
“What’s the likelihood that she could be part of this?” Taya asked. “Could the two things be related?”
Malachi wanted to assume they weren’t, but it would be exactly that. An assumption. Until he knew for sure, he couldn’t say either way. He needed Mei to be forced—without his influence—to confront what was happening.
Still, he said, “Perhaps Mei should concentrate on finding her friend while the rest of us work the case.”
He wanted to offer to help her as well, but that would look entirely too suspicious. She would assume she was trying to babysit her. Or at least that he thought she could use somebody to protect her. That was only partially true.
The dance of how this was all working out made him tired and frustrated, weighing heavy on him like the act of carrying cinderblocks. But he wasn’t about to let on to any of the others that this was the case. No matter how close he was to resolving this situation.
All he needed was Mei’s cooperation.
“Well, let’s all get to work on this and everyone be ready to send an update first thing tomorrow morning,” Ben instructed. As team leader, he always had the final say.
Malachi might not understand Mei’s need to keep information from her dad. However, since he’d never had a family of his own, he wasn’t exactly the world expert on how those relationships worked.
Everyone signed off and the screen went dark. Mei clicked the mouse so that the women’s faces filled the screen again. “There are so many.”
“But even in New York City, far more people die every single day. It’s life.” She didn’t need to know how this related to her, or the fact that her stalling and refusing to confront the truth meant people had died.
“I think you mean, it’s death.” She eyed him, evidently not convinced at his attempt to brush this off.
“You know what I mean. Life begins and ends. At least, other people’s lives do.”
“Meanwhile, you have to watch it all happening around you.”
He didn’t want to talk about that. Only, the alternative was to look at the pictures of the women. If he considered them as more than simply a life that had ended on a certain day, then he had to face the fact that they were women with mothers and sisters, fathers and brothers, people they considered friends. More than just a name or police case number.
One of the photos drew his attention. The same woman who had caught his eye earlier. This time, though, he really looked at it, as if for the first time. Really looked at her. “She…”
“You know her?”
He shook his head. “I’ve met so many people in my life. Sometimes I think, every thousand years or so, I start to see the same faces.”
“Like God doesn’t have infinite imagination?”
“Well, I know that’s not true. Maybe it’s more like déjà vu, but it hits me all the same.” So many faces. Lives. Losses. He’d given up connecting with people or caring for them. Until this team. Until Mei came into his life, and he realized who she was.
Before she could continue the conversation, he said, “What happened to you before you got here? What were you doing?”
She sat up a little straighter in her chair. “So you can give me your opinion on my life choices?”
“That’s not what this is.”
“Good.” She nodded. “Just so long as we’re clear on that.”
“I may be older than the stuff in any museum, but that doesn’t mean I want to be your elder.”
“Sure thing, Grandpa.”
He shook his head and she laughed.
“So we’re really investigating murders now?”
“There’s something here the police aren’t seeing, or don’t want to see. Kind of like you not wanting to share where you got that bruise from.” He motioned with his index finger at her cheekbone.
She picked up the ice pack and held it to her face. “I’ve been shot before, and all kinds of other injuries. But why does a paper cut hurt so bad?”
“You got a paper cut?”
“You know what I mean.”
Malachi said, “Did the sword appear?”
She’d been in a fight. That was typically when
it appeared in her hands. During times of stress, or fear. Which one of those had been present today?
Mei bristled. She turned from him to occupy herself with shuffling papers on the table. “I should go look for Bella.”
“You won’t be able to put this off for much longer. Either the sword will appear at a time its existence will be exposed, or something else will happen to force you to confront the fact it is in your life now.”
“And then you’ll be able to say you told me so, with that grandpa look on your face.” She shoved the chair back and stood. “The one that says you’ve been everywhere and know everything.”
He stared at her, carefully watching her. “There’s plenty I don’t know.”
But he would be here until he found out.
Chapter 4
Malachi was good, but she was better. That was how Mei knew he’d been following her for a mile. Mostly she figured he was hanging around to get a glimpse of the sword. After all, he’d never seen it. It hadn’t appeared in front of him. He probably thought she was making the whole thing up, and that was why he was acting so suspicious.
Mei turned a corner into an alley, deserted except for trash that had been left against the wall on either side. Fire escapes for the apartment buildings, also on both sides. And she was pretty sure the stack of cardboard boxes on the left were infested with rats.
If he wanted to follow her, that was his business. She didn’t much care either way when he was only faking care for her. Out of all the team members, she and Malachi were the last two who hadn’t formed a relationship in the last few years. It didn’t matter how many times her mom, or anyone else, hinted at the fact they were both single. They understood the lives each other lived. That was it. Nothing was going to happen between her and Malachi.
If he cared about her, that was a whole other thing, but she was relatively certain he was only here because her dad had told him to watch out for her.
Just because they were the only two team members still single wasn’t a good enough reason to try to make something happen between them. As if she would go there as a matter of convenience. Relationships had never worked for her before. Why would a forced one work, especially since she was so set in her ways?
