“Are you saying she was involved somehow?”
“Leave it to the police to jump to conclusions. Escort them out,” he told the butler, turning to leave.
Drisy began descending the staircase slowly, catching their attention. “What is this about?”
Her father’s face slightly flushed with aggravation, he roughly grabbed her elbow, intending to steer her back upstairs.
One of the detectives stepped forward and spoke loudly, “We have a few questions to ask you about Tanner Greyson. It won’t take long.”
“Is he ok?” Drisy asked, staring into her father’s narrowed gaze until he released her arm.
“It’d be best if we speak somewhere more private,” the man suggested.
Approaching, she swept her hand toward the nearby archway. “This way, gentlemen. Harold, please, have some tea brought to us.”
Their butler bowed his head and left while she led the men into a nearby sitting room. Shutting the door behind them with a soft click, she motioned for them to have a seat on the dark leather loveseat and settled down in a matching chair across from them.
Pulling a small tablet from an inner jacket pocket, the larger man with a dark mustache spoke. “I’m Detective Hammond and this is Detective Ramos. We understand you had an early dinner at Florentine with Mr. Greyson on your orientation day at Meroq Corp on June 30th, around 5PM?”
“That’s correct. He said he had a few days off from patrol and we happened to run into each other. He sat and chatted with me while I enjoyed an early dinner.”
“Did he happen to tell you anything personal?” Hammond prompted.
“Just that his sister was very ill and he’s having a difficult time keeping up with the bills.”
“Nothing more in depth than that?” Ramos asked.
“Not really. I offered to give him a loan to pay it all off. Initially, I thought it was why he approached me, but he ended up being too proud and refused.”
“How well do you know Mr. Greyson?”
Drisy noticed their present tense wording and felt slightly relieved. It was a good sign that Tanner was still alive. “We served in the same unit until I was recently transferred to the labs. Honestly, I didn’t even know he had a sister, let alone an ill one.”
“Even after so much time spent together patrolling outside of the sectors? Surely, casual conversations were had,” Hammond grilled.
Scoffing, she eased onto the edge of her chair. “Being outside of the sectors isn’t a picnic, sir. Every moment is fighting for our lives, whether against the zombies, vampires, or the elements. Not much casual conversation can be had when you’re trying to safely lead your unit through a minefield, so to speak, and expect them to get home to their families.”
“You’re very right,” Ramos quickly amended, standing and reaching into his pocket. Withdrawing a crisp, white business card, he held it out. “Call, if you think of anything else.”
Drisy rose as the door to the sitting room opened and the butler entered carrying a silver tray. White porcelain decorated with light blue flowers adorned the large teapot and three matching cups and saucers.
Accepting their contact information, she nodded. “Harold, please, set the tea here on the table and see these gentlemen out.”
“Right away, ma’am,” he replied, approaching and gently easing the tray down. He took a moment to neatly align the small spoons beside the glass bowl of sugar cubes before ushering the detectives from the room.
Tossing the card onto the table, Drisy poured herself a steaming cup and dropped a couple of cubes into it. Settling back into a chair, she slowly stirred the liquid while worst-case scenarios involving Tanner plagued her mind. What if the loan sharks had beaten him up or even killed him? How could he protect his sister then?
Footsteps approached from down the hall, shattering her thoughts. “I’m good for now, Harold,” she called, noticing him peek into the room.
“You have a visitor, ma’am.”
“Send them away. I need some time alone.” Drisy took a tentative sip of her tea as a familiar redhead pushed into the room.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Vivian stated, her tan heels softly clicking on the hardwood floor as she advanced. Her legs seemingly went for miles in blue jeans and her green blouse complemented her eyes.
“Sorry, Viv. Didn’t know it was you.”
Setting her brown purse down, her friend settled onto the loveseat. “Why were detectives here?”
“They were checking up on a conversation I had with someone,” Drisy said. “Care for some tea?”
“Yes, please. Was he in your unit?”
Drisy nodded, placing aside her cup to serve Vivian. Adding one sugar and stirring, she handed it over. “He came across me having an early dinner at Florentine and stayed to chat a couple days ago. Apparently, he’s in some kind of trouble, but they won’t drop any hints as to what. I have a bad feeling it’s to do with the loan sharks he mentioned.”
Vivian sharply inhaled, slowly lowering her cup from her glossy, red lips. “‘Loan sharks?’” she repeated. “What is his name?”
“Tanner Greyson.”
Eyes widening, Vivian said, “It can’t be!” Using her free hand, she tapped the watch on her opposite wrist. “Show news on a man arrested for murder yesterday morning in Sector 3.”
A few seconds later, a hologram screen materialized a few inches above her wrist and began playing a video. Dozens of flying robotic recorders surrounded a black prison van as a small unit of guards encircled the van. Upon opening the rear doors, a young man dressed in a blue jacket and khaki pants stepped out with black metal cuffs latched around his wrists.
“Holy shit,” Drisy muttered. “That’s him.”
They both watched for a few moments longer as he was carefully led through the crowd gathered along the sidewalk. Vivian cut off the hologram with a tap once the video flashed back to the news anchor.
“No wonder the detectives were here to visit. Did Tanner say anything to you?”
“He just said he was having a hard time paying off the loan sharks for his sister’s medical bills. I offered him a loan, but he refused. Maybe if I had been more insistent…”
“No one can foresee the future, Drisy,” her friend declared firmly.
“But if only--”
“That kind of thinking will only eat you alive. You mentioned his sister having medical bills? Did he mention where she’s being treated?”
“No, he has always kept to himself. I didn’t even know he had a sister until he mentioned it that day at dinner. Her name is Ria,” Drisy replied.
“Well, between our connections, I’m certain we can find her. If it’ll ease your mind, we can pay some of her bills down until we can look into it further,” Vivian stated matter-of-factly. “For now, let’s enjoy the tea and get to the movie theater on time.”
Nodding and smiling appreciatively, Drisy retrieved her teacup from the table.
“Wow, what a terrible remake,” Vivian commented, leading the way back up the galaxy carpeted aisles.
“Can’t believe you chose this film to begin with,” Drisy teased, holding the door for an older couple exiting behind them.
“The commercials misled me! I thought it would be better. It doesn’t matter now. We survived it. You get to pick the next one.”
“Deal. We should wait for some reviews to come out next time rather than rushing to see it right after release,” she chuckled.
As the two stepped out into the balmy afternoon, several people shoved roughly past them to get inside.
“People are always in such a damn hurry around here,” her friend mumbled, readjusting her purse strap.
“Are you ok?” a deep voice questioned. His white t-shirt did nothing to disguise his broad chest and thick arms.
Drisy found herself tongue tied as she met his blue eyes, sending a small jolt of electricity down her spine. She felt Vivian nudge her arm, but couldn’t tear her gaze away f
rom the stranger as he smiled down at her. She had the sudden urge to press herself against him. Reaching out, he gently rubbed her left shoulder before brushing past to enter the movie theater.
“What was that?” Vivian teased, tugging her to the side of the doorway as more people trailed out.
“I-I have no idea,” she said, slightly breathless.
“Could you be any cornier? You were around plenty of handsome young men in your unit. Why do you look so gobsmacked?” the redhead demanded.
“Let’s just go,” Drisy groaned, walking toward Vivian’s blue sedan.
“Do you know him?” Vivian asked once they were strapped inside.
“Never seen him before in my life.”
Her friend dramatically gasped, “Could this be love at first sight?”
Drisy resisted the urge to reach over and smack the grin off Vivian’s face. “Just drive me home, please.”
“Did you want him to sweep you up in his arms and carry you off to his lair?”
“Damn it, Viv, stop it!” Cheeks flushing red, she turned toward the window and watched the buildings flash by.
“Sorry, but this is so refreshing. I hardly ever get to tease you about anything.” A short silence ensued. “Is this your best attempt at ignoring me?”
“Viv, I love you to death, but can you let it go? What if something had gone wrong at that moment? I let my guard down completely and it wasn’t just embarrassing; it was dangerous and against all of my training. Please, drop it.” Feeling Vivian glance her way, Drisy pointedly continued sightseeing.
“You can’t always be in soldier mode. Maybe it’s just from stress working with your sister in the laboratories. It’s nothing to worry this much over. I’m sorry for the teasing. It was meant to be funny.”
“Just listen when I say stop. You have a habit of continuing to plow through like a rogue media robot.”
“That’s a terrible analogy,” Vivian giggled, accidentally snorting, which opened the floodgates.
They both laughed until they could hardly breathe.
“Some lady you turned out to be,” Drisy said, slipping off her seatbelt as they arrived at her mansion.
“I know. My parents have said you’ve been a terrible influence all these years,” her friend said, parking the vehicle.
“Sure, blame it on me!” Leaning over, Drisy gave her a partial hug, wincing slightly as pain zipped along her left shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, might have just pulled something. I’m heading in now, but thanks for the awful movie. It really took my mind off of Tanner’s situation.”
“Anytime. Plans for next weekend?” Vivian called out before Drisy could close the door behind her.
“Of course. Message me later!” She waved before heading inside.
Heading straight upstairs to her room, she slipped off her shoes and went into the bathroom. Starting the hot water in the garden-style porcelain tub, she stripped out of her clothing and edged close to her full-length mirror. Running a hand across her left shoulder, she tilted around in the light, but saw no bruising or marks of any kind. She thought his touch had been gentle, but perhaps it had been the right amount of pressure on a nerve. That meant he'd known what he was doing. A cold chill raced up her spine as she shuddered. Maybe she was overthinking, but she had been trained to listen to her instincts.
Easing into the rapidly filling tub, she slowly massaged her legs until the water reached her chest. Turning it off, she settled back and closed her eyes. Her mind drifted back to the hunky stranger as heat began seeping into her shoulder, rapidly trailing down her left arm, all the way down to her fingertips. Opening her eyes, Drisy jolted upright, sending water over the edge of the tub in her haste. Blood pounded in her ears as she held her arm away from herself, not registering the scaly grey appendage as hers. Flexing her fingers, the sharp black talons moved in sync.
“Just a dream. Just a dream. Dozed off in the tub,” Drisy softly said, easing herself back and shutting her eyes again.
Focused on breathing, her heart rate started to slow and the heat dissipated from her arm after what seemed like an eternity. Cautiously peeking through her eyelashes, her smooth skin had returned.
“See? It was just a dream. Likely stress from work, like Vivian said,” she reassured herself, freeing her hair from its braid.
“Stress from work?” a voice called out as footsteps neared.
Drisy’s head jerked toward the door. Her frowning twin appeared in the doorway with arms crossed. Releasing a shaking breath, she began lathering her hair.
“Why do you constantly let yourself in?”
“I had something to tell you.”
“And it couldn’t wait, as usual,” Drisy muttered. Not even a bath could bring her a moment of peace from her family.
“We’re needed in the labs tomorrow, so you’ll need to cancel any plans you’ve made.”
“Did something happen?”
“No emergencies, but they’ve brought in more dragon shifters and it’s all hands on deck as a preventative measure,” Delia said. “The car will be ready to leave at seven.”
“I’ll be there.” It took great effort to keep the irritation from her voice.
Satisfied, her sister drifted back out as quickly and quietly as she’d entered. For carrying the persona of a proper lady, her twin seemed to think some rules, such as privacy and common courtesy, didn’t apply to her.
Drisy scoffed, beginning to rinse the suds from her hair.
After a restless night, Drisy dragged herself to the car on time and appreciated the silent ride to Meroq Corp. Collecting her weapons and white armor from security, she entered the nearby locker rooms. Pulling the custom fit mesh shirt over her head, she adjusted the long sleeves to fit comfortably. Slipping on matching pants, she tugged on flexible knee-high boots and reached for her elbow-length gloves. Turning to her weapons, she buckled the sheath for her Zashiwak sword around her waist along with the holster containing her stun gun. Strapping a knife to her right outer thigh, she also placed one securely into sheathes hidden within each of her gloves.
Prepared to report to her guard station, Drisy came to a sudden halt as a sharp alarm fractured the typical routine.
“Alert! Escaped shifter near Cell Two,” a mechanized voice, from speakers overhead, declared loudly. “Alert! Escaped shifter near Cell Two.”
Exiting, Drisy glanced up and down the hallway. She noticed a female whitecoat rush past with a guard hot on her heels and rapidly pursued them. Along the way, all of the doors clicked as locks were engaged. The deafening screech of crunching metal echoed and two halves of a flying drone smashed into the wall ahead of them.
“Get back!” the guard ordered, shoving past the scientist as a figure skidded around the corner.
Dressed in a red jumpsuit, the broad chested man wasn’t the scaly monster Drisy had been expecting. The female scientist hovered nearby, quaking and watching the scene unfold.
“Stay where you are,” the guard ordered, aiming his gun.
“You can’t shoot him,” the scientist shrieked.
“Would you rather die instead?” he retorted.
Drisy withdrew her state-of-the-art stun gun, double-checking the green light along the side, which signified the pellets stored inside were fully charged. Flicking the safety off, she stepped up beside the guard and fired repeatedly. The escaped prisoner barely managed to sidestep the first shot, a black pellet catching on the edge of his sleeve. The next shots caught him all across the chest and in his right arm, but the full body jumpsuit protected him.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Laughing deeply, he started at a run toward them.
“Retreat,” the guard yelled, turning to flee.
Drisy remained in place and calmly said, “Power surge.”
The prisoner’s maniacal laughs morphed into a scream and groans as the pellets electrocuted him. Paralyzed, he collapsed to the white tiled floor, his limbs violently twitching.
“How?” the guard’s voice asked from behind her.
She glanced back to see the helpless duo staring at her with wide eyes and held her weapon aloft. “I’m guessing you don’t have the SG357. Call for a hover gurney. I’m not dragging his ass back to the cell myself.”
Drisy holstered the stun gun while the guard radioed as requested, stumbling over his words. She strode up to the prisoner, still stiff and silent, to ensure he remained unconscious until help arrived. The pellets automatically disengaged once the safety was flipped back on.
“Is he dead?” the female scientist demanded anger rising in her tone.
Crouching down, she gently peeled back one of his eyelids, a sigh of relief escaping her. “Still alive.”
“Attention, threat has been neutralized,” the intercom overhead declared repeatedly. “Resume regular activities.”
Nearby doors lining the hallway unlocked and curious faces peeked out.
Drisy rose to her feet. “Keep them inside,” she told the guard. “There’s always a possibility he’ll suddenly and unexpectedly revive.”
Two drones whizzed into the hallway. One hovered over the prisoner and the other projected a small hologram in front of Drisy. A small image of her sister from the waist up appeared.
“Report. Any injuries?”
“None here,” Drisy said, motioning toward the guard and scientist. “The escapee smashed a drone.”
“How did you incapacitate him?”
“SG357 at full power surge.”
“Damn it. He’ll need medical attention before he’s returned to the lab. The hover gurney should be arriving any moment. Load him up and bring him to the exsanguination hangar. Let the drones guide you,” Delia instructed.
“Roger that.”
“Good job, sister.”
The hologram dissipated just as the metal hover gurney eased into sight and came to a halt beside the prisoner, lowering to rest on the floor.
“Sister?” the woman sputtered.
Between Drisy and the guard, they managed to get the beast of a man rolled onto the gurney and strapped in.
“Go give your reports,” Drisy instructed as the hover gurney slowly rose to waist height. “I’ll take it from here.”
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