He waited a full minute before calling Andrej. “Did you get that?”
Arial watched Fedya wince as he heard Siminof cussing through the receiver. “No, Andrej. Bring her in. I’ll send Marcos to assist. We cannot be waiting.”
The call disconnected, Arial moved to go back out the window after Fedya handed him a piece of paper with an address. “They are at Miss Dr. Scott’s home.”
“And the other person?”
“Harkeneed will have to surveil without us for the now.”
***
Arial was gone a moment later and Fedya moved to sit behind his desk. Jotting notes, he wrote what he could remember of the quick debrief. A flash of realization stayed his hand mid-word. Both Harkeneed and Marcos had said that Ergas was looking for or waiting for someone…What if?
Jumping to run, he couldn’t breathe for the lump of panic that blocked his windpipe. He would have given everything to have been able to travel as an elemental for just one trip. He couldn’t. Peeling out of the parking garage, he flipped the lights and raced for Mercy Medical. It was the only thought in his mind.
TWENTY
Fedya was out of breath as he barreled onto the unit from the stairwell. He raced past the nurse’s station toward Marietta’s room, praying to the Goddess that he was wrong. Rounding the corner, he knew that he wasn’t. The lacey gown was on the floor, as was one of her slippers. Everything else was in disarray. Spinning on his heel, he charged back to the station. “Where is she?” he demanded to a male named Travis.
“Who are you looking for?” the man asked politely.
“My witness,” Fedya shouted.
“She was in her room about ten minutes ago. I had her up walking. She was quite worn out.”
“She is not in her room now.”
“She didn’t go past me.”
Fedya heaved for breath. “Is there other paths out of her room?”
“There’s a stairwell at the far end of the hall,” he pointed. “But, you have to have a security badge to access it. She couldn’t have gone out that way.”
“Alone, you are meaning. She couldn’t have gone out that way alone.”
Travis canted his head sideways in consideration. “Yes, that’s what I mean.”
With no alternative, Fedya rushed to the wall near the lift and pulled the red handle on the firebox. The alarms blared immediately.
“What are you doing?” Travis shouted as he covered his ears.
“I’m trying to lock this places down before she is gone.”
TWENTY-ONE
Marietta flinched away from the hand that cupped her cheek as she woke. She didn’t need to look to know where she was, and with whom. The sickly-sweet tone he reserved for when others were around said everything she needed to know as the floor swayed beneath her. She was back on the boat. She steeled herself for what would come next…after everyone else was gone. For the moment, the two words she heard, were enough.
“Hello, wife.”
Next in the Making Waves Mini-Mystery #2
OVERBOARD
A Paranormal Dating Agency story
Federal Paranormal Unit World
Thank you for reading my contribution to the Federal Paranormal Unit World!
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Other Books by Savannah Verte
The Custos Series
Book of Time
Book of Change
Book of Mysteries
Book of Revelations - 2019
Flip-Flopped Fairy Tales
Imposs-i-Bella
Twelve
Tales in 13 Chapters
Immortal Deflagration
Immortal Alchemy
Veil Break
Una-Mor Trilogy
Rogue
Black Guard
MAKING WAVES
Paranormal Dating Agency
Baiting A Berserker (Book 1)
Grow Some Gills (Book 2)
Kiss My Splash (Book 3)
No Wake Zone (Book 4)
Federal Paranormal Unit
Elemental Protector (Book 5)
Ancient Protector (Book 6)
H.E.A.R.T. Flights
Liftoff
Downdraft - 2019
Stand alone titles
C.A.S.E. Revelations
Gravedigger
Viva Zapata & the Magic 8-Ball
Georgia Roots Revealed
Devil’s Kitchen – 2019
LINKS CAN BE FOUND AT www.savannahverte.com/books
Baiting a Berserker
Mini Mystery #1
ONE
Gerri turned the envelope over and back again in her hand before opening it. It was curiously rigid. Removing the folded pages, she found a DVD tucked between them marked, ‘Eyes only.’ She set the kettle on to boil and spread the pages on the counter. The handwriting was distinctly masculine.
Ms. Wilder,
We need your help. Addian Hevir is the sole heir and chief to the Hevir clan. Unfortunately, if he does not find and take a mate soon, the number of challengers for his post is incalculable.
Yes, he is aware that I am reaching out to you. (He’s not happy about it, but is aware.) Whatever efforts he has made to find a mate have not worked. Please watch the enclosed video to understand more fully the magnitude of our dilemma. There are no females of our kind, so consequently, finding a mate is challenging at best.
I am hoping you can help us. I have heard from multiple others that you are our best option. I am enclosing Addian’s contact information as well as my own on the additional page. Please copy me on anything you send him and I will make sure that he is wherever you need him to be.
The hope of our clan is in your hands.
Respectfully,
Omen Brander
Gerri’s curiosity was piqued. The whistle of the kettle pulled her attention from the pages. Pouring herself a cup, she left it on the counter to steep, moving to the player to insert the disk. Her eyebrows arched at the still image that loaded before she pushed play. Addian Hevir was huge. She would watch, but just at a glance, was nearly certain she knew exactly what she was dealing with.
As the video started, she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped long, well-manicured fingers against her elbow as she took in the scene. As suspected, she was watching a berserker. But, she couldn’t guesstimate his overall size by the background, it was filled with mature trees that gave her nothing to gauge from. Her eyes widened and squinted as she watched him become even larger still when the berserker took over and the orange glow lit his eyes.
Sitting down, she flipped through her mental Rolodex of possible potential matches. Her thoughts paused as he changed again. Over the course of the next several minutes of video, he shifted forms multiple times, at least a half-dozen that she noticed. While certainly no expert, she knew enough to know that this berserker had a big problem. If he did not find a mate, the beast within would soon take over, and his humanity would be lost for good.
As video concluded, he was returned to his more human form. The exhaustion was evident across his face at the effort required to do so. She would need to work quickly. Luckily, she knew just the female he needed. The only question was if it could work. They were from dramatically different worlds. Though their paths could easily cross professionally, the chances of them getting together by any other means but her, was slight. She would make it happen.
Tapping her nails against the tabletop, she debated. It took less than a moment. Grabbing her phone, she moved to the counter to get the number. By the fourth ring she was preparing to hang up. She would not leave a voicemail about this. A g
ruff voice nearly shouted into the receiver.
“Hevir!”
“Mr. Hevir,” she said pointedly. “It’s Ms. Wilder. Have I caught you at an inopportune moment?”
She could hear his surprise easily through the line.
“My apologies.” He said at a more respectable volume. “No, now is fine.”
“Excellent. I received the note from Mr. Brander with the video. He indicates that you are aware, but unhappy about this development. I need to know from you if you are actually open to this process, or not. It will not work otherwise.” She directed sternly.
He exhaled forcefully, though it was muffled as though he covered the phone. “I suppose. I don’t see that I have other choices, and he will badger me mercilessly if I don’t try. If he trusts you, then I will also trust you, and be open to the process.”
“Excellent. I wonder if you could tell me a bit about yourself. The video shows clearly what you are, and the challenge you are facing, but doesn’t tell me much about you as a person.” She said sweetly.
“What do you want to know?” He hedged. “Like what?”
“For example, what do you enjoy? What do you do to relax? What do you do in your free time? What are you looking for in a mate?”
He scoffed. “Relax? Free time? I’m not sure that I know what that is. I don’t make time for anything like that.”
She could hear him scratching the rough of his chin and smirked to herself that it shouldn’t be a difficult question. She was preparing to prod him again when he spoke.
“I suppose the water calms me. I am usually relaxed by the sway of a boat.”
“That’s a start…” She forced herself to wait for him to say more, shaking her head by his next comment.
“Uhmm... Yeah, no. That’s it.”
“Your hesitation tells me that there is something else.”
She could hear him grumbling under his breath, though again it was muffled. She snickered to herself that he somehow believed that would dull her ability to hear it.
“I can’t believe you are wanting me to tell you this.” He said, the sound hitching as he obviously fidgeted on his end of the call.
“Would it be better if we met and you told me in person?” She challenged. “Or, I could ask Mr. Brander.”
She heard him snort harshly. “He would be more than thrilled to share it with you. No, I’ll tell.” He groused. “I like bubble baths. The static-y sound of the foam as it settles clears my head.” He finally admitted.
“Bubble baths.” She repeated softly, considering the sound he was referencing. It had not occurred to her that the sound was soothing. “I see. Well, if that’s all, I will be back in touch soon. I may have someone for you to meet.”
Ancient Protector Page 7
