by T B Mann
He pushed past Kai, grabbed his laptop and the button cam, before searching the room for a place to work.
“Here.” Kai stood.
He nodded as he plunked his ass on the chair. His brain whirled in a hundred different directions.
Kai and Zale continued to talk behind him, and he listened with one ear, but most of his focus was on his screen.
“Did either of you know Sarah’s mother had been kidnapped and found murdered?”
“I think I heard something about it. Why?” Kai leaned over his shoulder.
“Because her case is listed in the FPU database.”
“What?” Zale spun the computer so that he could read it over Dylan’s other shoulder.
“A lot is redacted for some reason—”
“I can help with that.”
He nodded at Kai’s statement but didn’t stop paging through the documents on the computer in front of him. Kai’s voice spoke in the ear as he called their director to get Brock from the FPU to get them the unredacted case file.
So was Sarah paranormal? She didn’t seem to know anything about it. At least Kai hadn’t mentioned anything, and he’d been the one who’d received most of the scoop about Sarah from Kailee. If anyone would have known, Kailee should have, but she’d warned Kai that they shouldn’t mention anything in front of Sarah.
“He’s getting Brock on the phone. And he says that we can access any resources in order to bring Sarah home if she’s been taken.”
The hope they all carried in the back of their mind. Or at least he still did. He hoped with every breath that he’d hear Sarah’s footsteps enter the room. That she’d just found a hiding spot, needing some time to herself. If only she’d walk through that door. He’d wrap her in his arms, only allowing her to leave if she was with Zale or Kai.
He fingered the tracker necklace he had in his pocket. It had been one of the reasons for his visit. Despite Kai’s insistence that they not do anything to tip off Mr. Vodnikski’s security, he’d spent the last two nights working on the necklace and creating a computer program that should hopefully have not triggered anything with their security monitoring. He’d planned on talking Sarah into wearing it.
“How long?”
“Do we have any reason to believe that she hasn’t been taken?”
He felt the weight of both their stares on the back of his head. This wasn’t a call he should be making. This was more along the lines of a team leader call, but at the same time, he was the one with the fastest ability to put things together. To give himself some time, he flipped through the new analysis on his computer. With the idea of sex trafficking instead of serial killer, the number of women that fit the parameters rose astronomically and went further back than originally thought. Could the perpetrator be paranormal as well? It was a question that kept coming up. Or was this just a long-standing, well-run operation? Hard to believe anyone, paranormal or not, could have managed to avoid detection for so long.
Zale’s hand landed with a thud on the desk beside him. Kai snatched the edge while his body wavered. A pit in his own stomach opened, and he felt sick. But a glance at either side made him realize that his own issues were nothing compared to whatever his friends were feeling.
“Did you feel that?” Zale stumbled backward until he hit the side of the bed where he then slumped as if his legs could no longer support him. He hung his head in his hands.
“Fuck yes.” Kai moved to lean against the wall. He rubbed his chest. “Whatever that was it fucking hurt. I’ve heard of feeling when your mate is in danger, but none of us have completed the bond yet… correct?”
“Hey, I only kissed her, but then backed off since we’re on a case. Can either of you say the same.” He may not have known exactly what either of his friends had gotten up to with Sarah, but it didn’t take a genius to know that they’d gotten further than he did. Not with the way the two of them had been willing to rip each other apart only a few hours ago.
A few hours ago. Fuck. He already missed her. And with each moment that passed, he knew she’d been taken. He didn’t need any of his fancy analysis to inform him of that fact. He knew it in every cell of his body.
Zale and Kai wisely said nothing. He didn’t know if he could handle knowing just what either of them had gotten up to. It was easier to pretend that none of it happened. He, well really they, could deal with the fallout of this mate business once they had her back—between them where she belonged.
He motioned to the computer screen. “We can’t wait any longer. She’s been gone long enough.” They nodded, but then questions rose on their faces as he pulled the necklace from his pocket. “We need to search the island for her and to do that, I need to use my skills.”
“Their security? Can you get around it? We don’t want to tip them off since we don’t know who we can trust.”
“That’s what this is.” He held up the necklace. “I may not have completely listened to you.” Kai raised an eyebrow as Zale chuckled. “This is a tracker necklace that I’d planned to give to Sarah tonight…” His voice trailed away. The tightness in his chest threatened to overwhelm him. If only he’d finished it earlier and she’d been wearing it. They would have been able to find her with ease.
He straightened his shoulders. Life couldn’t be lived in the land of if only. A lesson he knew well from his days as a SEAL. “This bypasses all their security systems. I can use the same knowledge to sneak into their systems while masking myself.”
“Do it.”
He didn’t wait to see if Kai would agree with Zale. Not that he would have waited even if Kai didn’t agree. Every moment she was away from them, in the hands of her captors, was a minute too long. And time was of the essence if they were to get her back.
His fingers flew over the keyboard as he penetrated their systems. But while he worked, he listened to the plans and suspicions they discussed. Since her mother had been a potential victim, he prayed that Brock would get them the case file ASAP. Maybe with that, they’d be able to flush the case wide open.
But even without it, they’d get her back.
They had to.
Sarah squinted under the bright lights. Goosebumps crawled over her skin. Wherever she was now, she knew it was still underground.
A feeling of strength like nothing she’d felt before filled her. What the hell?
As she took a deep breath, she slowly opened her eyes. The small room appeared empty except for the two females staring at her through their glass cages. From this side, the cages weren’t closed at the top, reminding her of the back side of an in-wall aquarium.
“Where am I? What does he want?” Her gaze darted from cage to cage in the hope that one of them could understand her and would talk. It didn’t matter that one of them looked to be a mythological mermaid, and another like a human mashed together with an octopus. She’d deal with those visions later. The priority was to get out. Get out before her panic about being locked in an enclosed place took over.
She struggled to lift her arms, only to discover that they were restrained with just enough play to allow her to lift them a few inches. Fuck. How was she going to get out if she couldn’t even get off the table? Her heart began to gallop.
But it wasn’t just panic. Whatever that power was within her, it surged and bubbled, seeking a way to get free. She closed her eyes in an effort to calm her racing heart. There had to be a way. Maybe she could wiggle around on the table enough to loosen the bonds? Or maybe she could just rip them out in a burst of adrenaline? She would never know unless she tried.
Well, here goes nothing. She wrenched her arms straight up at the moment the power ball bubbled.
Her arms came free with a loud snap. The eyes of those in their cages widened. But still they remained silent.
She sat up and reached toward her feet to remove the straps only to discover that the straps lay in tatters on the bed. What the…? She shoved her raven black hair behind her ear before rubbing the back of her neck.
/> Raven black hair. She stopped, hand dropping to her lap. “What the hell?”
“Do you like it my dear? I thought it only appropriate for you to wear your natural colour.” Mr. Vodnikski stepped through a sliding door. And before it slid shut, she saw the room she’d been in earlier.
The fear inside her eased a little. While she didn’t know her exact location, she at least knew the way back out. If she could find and operate the doors.
She remained on the stretcher-like table despite everything—well not quite everything—inside of her screaming to get up and run away from him. There was another portion, the one she listened to, that seemed like a long lost friend and it told her to stay. That this moment wasn’t the one to flee.
“How did you know my natural colour?” She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged her legs. In this pose, she hoped he’d see her as non-threatening even if that was exactly how she was. She may have told Kai during one of their arguments that she knew how to defend herself—and she did—but she’d never put any of it to use. Even in her self-defence classes, she’d never returned to complete the practical test, too scared to actually hit the man even if he wore a suit of protection.
He ignored her question as he sauntered into the room. Each step brought him closer, picking up her heart rate. “Have you welcomed your new cellmate?”
The women, if she could call them that, shrank as he addressed them.
“Come, my pets. That’s no way to treat your new sister. She’s the one I’ve been searching for since her mother escaped my clutches twenty years ago. With her, my collection is nearly complete.”
“What did you want with my mother?” Despite her fear, her voice rang clear and indignant within the room.
He turned to face her. A smile that sent shivers up her spine and made her want to crawl away and hide covered his face. “Why, I wanted her power of course. With her mixed nymph and mermaid blood and ability to draw men, with her by my side, I would have been unstoppable in the world. I would have ruled it all.”
Her mother was a nymph and mermaid? But they are mythological creatures. Yet somehow, deep inside her, she knew he spoke truth. Her mother had been a nymph. Mermaid she wasn’t sure about, but a nymph, yeah. It all made sense. The way her mother tried to hide her beauty. The way, she herself, drew men when she wore her natural hair. But still. A nymph.
“Ahh. I can tell from your face that you know I’m telling the truth. That the world around is not what you thought you knew.” He stroked his goatee like some wicked character from an old TV show. “I must admit, your parents did a great job of hiding themselves and then you from me. It had only been luck that I’d spotted her that night. And when I did, I pounced, not wanting her to get away again. But I hadn’t accounted for your father and his skill.”
“Yo-you killed my mother?”
“Of course I didn’t. She killed herself.” He walked over to the console table against the wall and poured himself a drink. “Ahh. The finest single malt money can buy.”
She didn’t know what to think. Her mother killed herself? That didn’t make sense. When she’d been old enough, she’d contacted the police without her father knowing and had them look up her mother’s case. What she’d found out shocked her. Her mother’s body had been mutilated. That didn’t sound like the consequences of killing herself.
“I don’t believe you.” Her voice rang clear without a waver.
“It’s true, my dear.” He took a seat on the small sofa, patting the empty spot beside him. “Why don’t you come sit with me. I’m sure that stretcher is uncomfortable.”
She lowered her legs until they dangled off the side. With her shoulders pushed back, she sat straighter. “I’m good here. Thanks.”
“So defiant. Just like your mother.”
She clamped her lips shut, refusing to be baited. Obviously, this man had issues and she wasn’t about to get sucked into his delusions. Or whatever else this was.
When he continued to sip his drink without talking, she caved. “My mother?”
“Ahh, yes. Such a beautiful and smart woman. She was to be my wife, you know. I’d picked her out when she was only a few months old. But as she grew, her parents, and her grandmother, grew concerned with my interest.” He shrugged. “My power didn’t match hers at that point, and while I had some money, I didn’t have the reach nor the contacts I have now. There was no way to destroy your great-grandmother or even your grandmother and take what was mine, giving her the escape she needed. They disappeared, taking your mother with them.”
The mermaid and the octomaid—or whatever you would call the octopus looking woman—crept closer. Heads cocked to the side as if they were listening to every word he said. And she didn’t blame them. She found herself inexplicably drawn to his words even if the subject matter disgusted her.
“I’d searched long and hard, using that time to strengthen my power and amass a fortune. But all I ever caught were whispers. Rumours of witch involvement reached my ears, but I didn’t believe it. Your grandmother never associated with those upstart humans who managed to be blessed with magic. I learned the hard way it was true.”
As he talked, she examined the room, attempting to commit every nook and cranny, every item to memory. Knowing that a pair of ice tongs rested on the console table or a silver tray on the table opposite might help her out in the future.
“—so when I snatched your mother, my men searched her for weapons, never dreaming that the cute tattoo on her shoulder wasn’t just a tattoo, but a spell to kill her.”
A tattoo? A picture of an ink drawing of a beautiful nymph stretched out on a rock materialized. One she hadn’t thought about in years. But she remembered, as a little girl, being fascinated by it. Her fingers traced it every chance she had while her mother sat at her make-up table. She’d been filled with questions about the tattoo, and her mother told her fanciful stories about nymphs and witches and other creatures. Could all of that have been true?
Her hand dropped to her hip where her strange birthmark lay hidden.
“Yes, my sweet. You, too, have a tattoo courtesy of your father. From studying your mother’s before we disposed of her body, my witches were able to learn lots about the way your father does his spells. That one”—he pointed to her hip—“kept your powers hidden so that I couldn’t find you. When your mother killed herself, it triggered another layer of protection within your covering.”
She shuddered at the way he spoke so matter-of-factly, as if her mother’s death meant nothing. It made her angry, but angry was good. It kept her thinking based on facts and not emotion.
“Not that I knew who you were when I first sent the letters. No, that was just for my own stable of shareable playthings, not for here.” His arm swept, taking in the three cages. “My witch first brought you to my attention as a beautiful untrained witch. But once your protection started to lift, I was surprised to discover that you were the one I’d been searching for.”
Surprised him? Like she wasn’t surprised. Shocked. To know that her entire life was a lie. But sure, make it all about him. The thought had her biting her lip to keep from laughing. A sure sign of hysteria.
“While you were under, my witch examined you for any other hidden spells and removed the lingering protection since you haven’t completed your bond.” The door panel slip open with a soft whoosh to reveal a young male she recognized as the floral delivery guy. Her stomach dropped. This was one of the people Kai, Dylan, and Zale had questioned. It had taken them time, but they’d finally found him and her food delivery guy the week before they left for the island. How had they missed this? Mr. Vodnikski grinned at her discomfort. “Meet my witch, Chad. Oh, I forgot, you already know each other. He’s who you have to thank because he’s the one that suggested you’d make a fine plaything.”
Mr. Flower Delivery Man—she refused to call him by his name—crossed the room to lean against the wall between the mermaid and the octowoman. His arms crossed over his chest as his e
yes narrowed. “I can feel her power pulsing as it grows to fill her. You’re right. I’ve never felt something so powerful and so pure. She’ll be a great asset.”
Her own eyes narrowed in response. One thing she hated was when people talked about her as if she wasn’t in the room. Choosing to stay out of the limelight was her choice, but being treated as a nothing… that wasn’t acceptable. Dismissing him, she returned her gaze to Mr. Vodnikski. Let’s see how he likes being ignored.
Power and confidence surged inside her, filling all the empty nooks and crannies. The corners of her lips rose seductively as her body muscles relaxed. “So, tell me, how did I reveal myself to you?”
Mr. Vodnikski’s eyes never left hers. Delight flitted across his face. “See, look how she uses it. Something she didn’t even know she had. Amazing.”
Mr. Flower Delivery Guy shifted against the wall. From the corner of her eye, she watched as his body swayed toward hers even as he fought the pull. An inner satisfaction filled her. This was what the men had done during her rebellious period. So, this was the power they were talking about.
“Nice try, Sarah, but I have my own protections against your charms. I may not have been stronger than your mother at the time, but since then, I’ve grown a lot more powerful.” He snapped his fingers, and the witch straightened, shaking his head. “Think through the power and call, not with your dick, but with your brain, boy.”
Mr. Vodnikski lifted his nearly empty glass to his lips and swallowed what was left. “But I’ll indulge you, my pet, since the answer doesn’t matter. They’ll never see you again anyway.” He placed his glass back on the console table before crossing the room to the door. Mr. Flower Delivery Man followed. “You met your mate.”
The door slid open and then closed behind them, leaving her in the room as the mermaid and octowoman stared through their glass cages.
