Search and Devour
Pittsburgh Vampires
Vol. 14
By. B.A. Stretke
Copyright © 2020 by B.A. Stretke
Published by Superiorland Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person (living or dead), place, or event is purely coincidence.
CHAPTER ONE
He didn’t know where to go. It had been over three months since his life fell apart, and everything that he knew was gone. Running and hiding had become his daily routine, his daily trauma. Would his life ever be his own again? Little by little, as the days passed, he became less and less recognizable even to himself. His hair usually so carefully coifed now hung in dirty tendrils around his shoulders. His clothing nothing but threadbare charity items.
His identity was hidden, and now he was no one, and to survive, he had to stay that way, invisible. He’d kept his driver’s license tucked into an old tattered wallet that he’d found at a thrift shop. He couldn’t keep his designer wallet; it would have drawn attention, and attention was the last thing he wanted. He kept the license for the vain purpose of wanting to be identified if, in fact, the worst happened. Nobody wanted to leave this world as John Doe.
They were after him, and they would not stop until he was dead. What he’d witnessed that night was burned into his brain. The visions came back to him often to torment and leave him sick to his stomach. He had to keep moving. If he stayed anywhere too long, someone might recognize him, and that would be his end. With no money, he was stuck in Pittsburgh, and he was running out of hiding spaces and dark alleyways in which to conceal himself. He was getting so tired.
…
Sergio was just finishing his shift when Kash came up to stand beside him. “How about you join me for a quick cup of coffee before you head to your apartment?” Sergio was getting off at five, which was ten minutes away.
“Sure. Is there something you want to discuss?” Sergio could see stress in his friend’s expression, and he could also feel it in the air.
“Yes, it’s about the Ruby Light and the investigation into the previous staff,” Kash told him and waited for Sergio’s comment.
“Kyler and Gage dogging you about finding those dancers?” Sergio knew that Kash’s two beloveds were anxious to locate the two missing dancers from the Ruby Light. The two dangers, Keagan and Carlo, had suffered under the corrupt leadership of the manager Cruise and his henchmen and had disappeared one night never to be heard from again. Everyone feared that they would not be found alive if they were ever found at all.
The Ruby Light had become, after a couple of years of willful mismanagement, a corrupt cesspool of criminals. The situation had been dealt with and the guilty punished, but the damage was still being assessed. Kash’s beloveds, the twins Kyler and Gage, were given, as restitution for their mistreatment, the position of managers of the soon to be redesigned Ruby Light. They were tasked by Master Hadden with the duty of reestablishing the bar’s reputation and stature in the community, and they were doing an excellent job.
Their only constant concern was for Keagan and Carlo, two dancers who worked at the Ruby Light when they first started and disappeared soon after. Carlo had shared with them the cloaking mixture that allowed them to somewhat conceal themselves from vampires and shifters and to appear less tempting. They were less likely to suffer assaults at the hands of Cruise and his staff and allowed them to appeal primarily to the human customers. It had played a major part in saving their lives.
“Meet me for coffee, and I’ll explain,” Kash stated.
“Dining hall?” Sergio asked.
“No, my place.” Kash clarified.
“See you in about thirty minutes.”
“Thanks.”
…
In a couple of hours, he would have to find himself a place for the night. The shelter on the hill was a possibility, but it was a considerable walk. He’d stayed there a few weeks ago without incident, and the food and bed were both good. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday, and the hunger pains were getting stronger. His weight loss was significant, as was the decrease in his energy overall. This life was becoming unsustainable, and in a few more weeks, he wouldn’t have to worry about Cruise and his thugs because the street itself would kill him.
He pulled his knit hat down to his brow and dropped his gaze to the sidewalk as he headed up the hill towards the shelter. A decent night on a shelter bed would give him a chance to think. If he could just find a way out of the city, perhaps they would forget about him, and he could begin his life again.
His mind wandered to his apartment downtown. It was still there and still his because the rent came out of his account automatically an account he couldn’t touch without alerting his enemies that he was alive. How he wished he could go to his apartment even for a night to rest and take a shower, but that was an impossibility. They would surely find him if he went there, but the desire was strong for just one night of normalcy.
…
“They tracked Carlo Stanton to Idaho believe it or not,” Kyler informed them after they were all seated in the living room. Kash sat on the large sofa with an arm around each of his beloveds. He was a very happy and very lucky man in Sergio’s opinion. He didn’t have just one gorgeous man, no Fate gifted him with two. Twins who were formerly exotic dancers, but also kind and decent men, Kash really hit the jackpot.
Sergio shook his head, not sure who they were talking about. “Who is Carlo Stanton?”
“He’s the dancer who took off after Keagan Hahn, his dance partner, disappeared.” Kash filled in the rest with a look of impatience that was echoed on both Kyler and Gage’s faces.
“Sorry, I haven’t been working this case, so I didn’t get the specifics,” Sergio explained, but he should have gotten their names whether he was assigned to the case or not. His disinterest was in poor taste. “I should have known their names. I am sorry.” He admitted, and everyone seemed placated.
“He’s with his family in Idaho, so according to the search team, he’s safe and well.” Kash further added. “Master Hadden provided him monetary compensation for the way he was treated at the Ruby Light, which settles that. But he says that he has had no contact with Keagan. He doesn’t know where he went or if he’s still alive.”
“According to everyone present at the Ruby Light the night Keagan disappeared, he went to Cruise’s office to have it out with him, and he intended to quit,” Kyler explained. Both Kash and Sergio exchanged pained looks at the statement knowing full well that Cruise would not have abided such impertinence without grave consequences.
“No one saw him after he entered Cruise’s office?” Sergio asked the question that he already knew the answer to. Kyler shook his head and cast his eyes down to his lap.
“They haven’t found any sign of him anywhere. His apartment is still being paid for since he set up an automatic payment through his bank account, but it doesn’t appear that he has ever been back there. His cell phone, bank account, and credit cards remain unused since the night he disappeared.” Kash said as he hugged his two beloveds closer, giving them the comfort, they needed.
Sergio understood their desire to find this man and put their minds at ease, but the prospect of that happening was extremely unlikely. “He’s
been missing for several months, and no one has heard from him. His money remains in his bank, and his cards are stagnant. No sign of life.” He said it before realizing the implication of his words.
“Keagan and Carlo helped us survive the Ruby Light. We have to find Keagan even if he is dead, we need to have closure on this.” Gage didn’t talk a lot, but when he did, it was poignant.
Sergio was the one to drop his gaze to his lap this time, feeling like an ass for pushing the obvious and not understanding what they wanted. “Okay, what do you want me to do? I’m here for a reason I know that, so just tell me and I will do it.”
“We both have the day off tomorrow. I’d like you to accompany me on a city-wide search.” Kash stated and waited for Sergio to respond.
“Do you have a photo of Keagan?” Sergio asked.
“Cruise took pictures of everyone who worked for him.” Kyler pulled a small picture from a file folder and handed it to Sergio.
The picture was of a dark-haired young man with deep dimples. Sergio loved dimples on a man. He was a handsome man with eyes bright blue and filled with hope, which was sad considering Sergio knew his outcome. He was too young to have endured what he did, and he did not deserve his end. Master Hadden was rectifying the damage caused by Cruise, but not all damage could be rectified, and that was the pain in all of this.
“What time do you want to meet?” Sergio would do whatever Kash asked. He knew the man was attempting to ease the minds of his beloveds, and Sergio would help him; however, he could.
“Early, before sunup.”
“I’ll review Keagan Hahn’s file tonight and meet you at five out front,” Sergio stated, and the relief in the room was clear. He just hoped that they could find something during the course of their search to provide the closure these two men needed.
“Sounds good and thank you.” Kash reached over and shook Sergio’s hand. “If you have any questions about Keagan’s information call me, I’ve stayed on point with this investigation since the beginning.”
“I will, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize how personal this was to you all. I apologize if I seemed less compassionate than I should have.” Sergio was getting the importance of this now and understood.
“No, you’re fine.” Kash waved his hand as if dismissing the need for an apology.
“Yeah, this is our issue, not yours,” Kyler interjected.
“You didn’t know Keagan, but we did, and we want to help him or, at the very least, see that he has a proper burial,” Gage spoke soft and sure, holding Sergio’s gaze. The message was clear. They would find him.
…
It was close to sundown, and he was still out in the open, so he tried to hurry, not wanting to be out and exposed after dark. If he couldn’t make it to the shelter, he needed to find a dark place to hold up for the night. The dangers on the street were numerous. He’d discovered that over the first few days, he was out here.
Those days were a nightmare in the flesh. Luck had saved him those first nights, nothing but pure luck. Now he knew to make it to a shelter or find a place to hide that was dark and would cover his human scent. He wished he’d still had some cloaking mixture, but that was back at his apartment, and he couldn’t go there.
Dumpsters, alleys behind restaurants, all worked to cloak his scent from the things in the night that until a few months ago, he never knew existed. Now he saw them and sometimes they saw him. It has been a fight to stay alive, but he wouldn’t give up. He would find a way out of this town. It was the hope he held onto.
Cruise would never give up, nor would the men tasked with bringing him back. He’d spotted Jason several times, but again his luck won out, and Jason never noticed him. Jason wouldn’t have brought him back to Cruise, he would have just killed him on the spot like he did that man in Cruise’s office. He hadn’t seen Jason in over a month now, but he would never let his guard down.
He wasn’t going to make it to the shelter before dark. He spent too much time dodging a vampire who he thought had recognized him. He’d seen the man with Cruise in the past, and they’d appeared to be friends or at least friendly. Thankfully the guy didn’t pursue, so he must not have recognized him.
He started checking his immediate surroundings for a place to hold up for the night. There was a bar on one side of the street, and a rib joint a block down. He decided on the rib joint for the odors were more pungent. He found a hidden corner around behind the restaurant's dumpster and covered himself with some boxes and food-stained cardboard.
He’d have to be out of there by dawn because trash pickup in the area came early. His stomach groaned as he took in the delicious scents coming from the restaurant. There was a drop-in center not far from where he was where he could get something to eat in the morning. He kept that in mind as he fought to ignore his body’s needs. Gradually he drifted into a light slumber while his senses stayed alert.
He hadn’t been asleep long when something woke him, and he came immediately alert, it was movement and whispers close by. He held his breath and hoped that whoever it was moved on and didn’t notice him. His hopes were dashed as the dumpster was aggressively pulled back, and his cardboard covers fell away.
“Well, what do we have here?” Came the sickening sing-song tone that signaled trouble ahead. There were three of them, and they were on him before he could manage to scramble to his feet. They were human, he’d developed a keen sense and knew the difference between human and paranormal. Perhaps he would survive, he could survive an attack by humans.
As he was being beaten and kicked the arrant thought of, he should have made more of an effort to get to the shelter, flashed through his mind just as everything went dark. For all the terrors he’d survived in the past months, he was going to be done in by three humans. It didn’t seem right.
…
Sergio was out front just before five waiting for Kash. He’d reviewed the investigative file on Keagan Hahn last night and found very little new information. The man had completely disappeared, no signs of life, as he’d stated so callously last night. He found himself referencing the small picture that Kyler had given him many times throughout the night, and even now, he held it in his pocket.
Something about that infectious grin just made him wish for the young man to still be alive. His file from the club indicated no family, but that could simply mean no family relationship. The search team report revealed nothing as far as family, but Keagan may have been on his own for some time and may have altered his name.
The team tasked with locating him hadn’t given up, but their search had become less urgent as the weeks passed. After locating Carlo and learning more details as to the night Keagan disappeared, they seemed to hang up any hope of the young man being found alive.
“Hey,” Kash called to him as he strode out of the garage. Sergio had chosen a basic sedan so they could move about town unnoticed, and it was parked by the curb. “Lando’s beloved Thomas is going to accompany us for the first few stops on our search. He’ll be here shortly.”
“Lando okay with that?” Sergio asked with a smirk as they waited for Thomas to arrive.
“As long as we protect him with our very lives and personally escort him back to the coven when he’s finished.” Kash smiled.
“Are you planning on using him to sniff out something useful at Ruby Light?” Sergio probed further. Kash nodded but added.
“Also, Jason’s apartment. The cleaners have dealt with the place, but Thomas’ skills would still be able to pick up Keagan’s scent if he were ever there, and we’ll have him check out Keagan’s apartment. Obviously, his scent is there, but Thomas will be able to discern if Keagan has been there recently.” Sergio nodded his understanding and turned towards the car when Thomas came out of the garage with Lando by his side.
After a quick possessive kiss for Thomas and a hard stare for both he and Kash Lando released his beloved into their care. Thomas climbed into the back seat while shaking his head but also wore a broad satisfie
d smile. “He doesn’t like me too far away from him. It makes him edgy.” Thomas explained.
“We’ll keep you safe,” Sergio assured.
“I know you will.” He answered good-naturedly. “So, where are you taking me? I know that it has to do with Keagan Hahn, the dancer from the Ruby Light, because Lando gave me a shirt that the man had worn so I could get a base read on his scent.”
Kash turned around in his seat so as to speak with Thomas directly rather than over his shoulder. Sergio listened as he pulled away from the curb and headed for the Ruby Light.
“We’re going to start at the Ruby Light, it’s been cleaned, but we know you’ll be able to pick up scent no matter how old or how small. We’re interested in where Keagan went after he was last seen entering Cruise’s office.” Kash glanced at Sergio and then back to Thomas. “We know it’s a long shot, but it might give us some ideas or direction.”
Thomas nodded, and Kash continued. “From there, we’re going over to Jason Barton’s apartment to see if he ever had Keagan at his place. The team checked it out extensively and found nothing indicating he’d been there, but I know that you have perception ability far and above anything the team might have used. Then we’ll finish with a visit to Keagan’s apartment and see what you might be able to pick up.”
Thomas Casey, the beloved of Lando Ricci, a high-ranking Coven Guard, was a rare and mystical black jaguar shifter. His tracking skills were without equal, and there was magic in his bloodline, which gave his ability an extra boost. He hadn’t been brought in to track the young human because normally there was nothing on this earth easier to track than a human.
Then when time wore on and there was no resolution to the search, the team shifted their efforts to simply searching for a dead body, and Thomas’ skills were not required for that either. But Sergio knew that Kash saw it differently. He saw Thomas as a means to possible further information, however small and seemingly inconsequential.
Search and Devour: Pittsburgh Vampires Vol.14 Page 1
