Alaskan Magic: Shadows of Alaska Book 1

by CC Dragon

  “That is very odd,” Fred said.

  “It is, but the missing kids and bodies are still happening. You’re close enough that you might have some ideas. Information on what’s going on,” I said.

  “No benefit for us. Kids may have purer blood, but we don’t focus on that. It’d be more of a cult thing. The kids have less blood, so what’s the point?” Fred asked.

  “We don’t mean your group. Do you know about any weird groups around Deadhorse? Anyone looking for kids?” Mason asked.

  “Sick humans? I’m sure. But there aren’t that many kids this far north,” Fred said.

  “Exactly. Either they’re feeding a demand up here, or it’s a hidden enough place where business is being done away from a lot of humans or a lot of paras. The southern part of the state is more populated, and paras down there are more mixed in,” I agreed.

  “You can get away with a lot of things in the middle of the Alaskan bush. You might float the idea that you have kids for those interested. See what kind of response that you get. Human perverts or magical, who knows what,” Fred said.

  “I was part of the raid. They’ll recognize me,” I said.

  “I wasn’t,” Mason said.

  “This is the creepy sort of thing that’s probably better from a man anyway.” I nodded.

  “I’m creepy?” Mason asked.

  I smiled. “Not really. But statically speaking, whoever takes the bait is more likely to be male.”

  “So, you two need a place to crash tonight?” Fred offered.

  “No, this seems like a late-night effort. Grab a room in Prudhoe and start getting the word out,” Mason said.

  “Whatever you think is best. Feel free to come back if you need a safe place to hide out. But understand, not all the vampires will love having you here,” Fred said.

  Fred showed us safely out of their little town. We headed back to the lines and magically transported ourselves to the back of the motel. Mason got the room while I stayed out of sight. He texted me the room number. How unmagical.

  I knocked on the door, and he opened it.

  “One room, two beds. Hope you don’t mind,” he said.

  There was a rush of warmth behind my ears, but I waved it off. “We’re adults. The FBI would never approve, but I’m not really caring about their picky rules now. We’re either chasing nothing or something very magical and beyond their control.”

  “I’m going to head down to the bar. Get that started. Can you make yourself invisible?” he asked.

  “I’ve never tried it for any length of time,” I admitted.

  “The boost of the Fae line should help. But don’t waste your powers,” he said.

  He left, and I felt like I should be backing up my partner, which was how things should be. However, my being recognized would put him in far more danger.

  He was gone in a blink, and I felt oddly alone. I tossed my bag on a bed and looked at myself in the mirror.

  My magic amped up stronger. The lines weren’t something I’d paid attention to. The Fae powers in me spiked the closer I was to them. I snapped my fingers, and my reflection vanished for the mirror.

  Another snap, and I was in the bar part of the motel, a few feet from Mason. He was drinking at the bar and quietly talking to the bartender.

  A group of men at one end of the bar who looked straight out of Ice Road Truckers began to talk amongst themselves. A lump formed in the pit of my stomach—this wasn’t good.

  One of them went over and tapped Mason on the shoulder. “What are you selling?”

  “No, nothing,” Mason lied.

  “Damn right nothing. If I find you got a kid stashed up here for sale, I’ll drag you behind my rig,” the man threatened.

  His buddies stood up ready to back up their friend.

  Mason dashed for the door, and I snapped myself back to the room. He and I both arrived within seconds of each other.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “You were there?” he answered my question with a question.

  I nodded. “At least there are some decent men still alive in the world—even this far from civilization.”

  “I’m relieved, and now afraid we’ve created a bigger problem, or perceived problem,” he said.

  “Nah, if we get called out. We just flash the badge and say there was a tip, and we created a sting operation to flush out any predators. Like Vice puts officers, you were undercover.” I resisted the urge to hug him.

  Mason nodded. “That’ll explain it away, but we need the right lead or we’re just grasping at snowflakes. Humans are easier to catch.”

  “That’s why we flush out a human lead. Plenty of them know about us. We just need one solid trail to follow,” I said.

  We both jumped at the sharp pounding on the door to our room.

  Chapter Twenty

  MASON CHECKED THE PEEPHOLE and motioned for me to get out of sight. I hid in the bathroom as opposed to wasting magical energy by going invisible.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” Mason said.

  “No, we’re not with those guys. We mind our own business. Not much as far as women or anything else around here. Better be careful,” said one man.

  “Why are you here then?” Mason asked.

  “Gotta take what you can get,” another guy said.

  “What are you looking for?” Mason sounded casual.

  Another guy cleared his throat. “If you’re a cop, you better tell us.”

  “Not a cop. I have to be careful because a group that was trafficking women around here got busted,” Mason said.

  “No kidding. We lost a lot of hot hookers,” replied the first guy.

  “We paid. We didn’t traffic anyone,” added the second.

  “And we’re not really into kids. I want to see what else you can get up here,” said the third guy.

  “We or you?” Mason asked. “Either way. It’s too dangerous to move women in here in any numbers. Let the heat calm down a month or two.”

  “You know where to find us,” said the first guy.

  I felt a tension in the air and waited.

  The door closed firmly.

  “You’re not looking for prostitutes?” Mason asked.

  “I know you’re not some random human. Those guys in the bar are no threat. We need to talk,” the remaining man replied.

  “I’m not doing any serious business right now. I need to know you’re serious and what you’re looking for. Plus, one and two aren’t going to make me what I need. If you know people looking, have them text their requirement to this number. I’ll text them when and where to show up. Also, I’ll tell them how much to bring. Cash, nothing Canadian,” Mason said.

  “Damn, you’re no-nonsense. I like it. But up here, phones can be unreliable,” the guy replied.

  “Yet somehow, my stuff works like magic. I know what I’m doing and why. Thanks for your interest. You know what to do next,” Mason said.

  I heard them walking to the door. Finally, the door slammed shut.

  I exited the bathroom and found I’d been holding my breath. “That was creepy, and you were oddly good at it.”

  “I had to work some awful cases. I’ve done undercover before. The burner phone will work. No reason we can’t take down a few pedophiles while we’re on a magical case.” He shrugged his shoulders as if trying to get the creepiness of this operation off his back.

  “True, I feel like there is so much to fix. Once you uncover this ugly side of the world.” I shook my head.

  “That guy was a para,” Mason said.

  I nodded. “He’ll be back.”

  “He knew someone was in the bathroom. He probably thinks it’s a kid. But I’m not sure what that guys wants with them.” Mason sat on the bed.

  “Make a magical imaginary kid,” I suggested.

  “That is beyond my magical skills,” Mason admitted.

  I frowned. “I’m never tried. It wouldn’t be something that we could touch, but the illusion might be enou
gh if we need to entice or convince them it’s a real offer.”

  Mason’s burner phone beeped.

  “Male warlock aged under ten.” Mason held up the phone.

  “How are there such sick people in the world?” I shuddered but waved my hand and created a dark haired and dark eyed version of Joey Wallis.

  “That’s freaking impressive.” Mason grinned.

  The little boy waved, but I could feel it sapping my strength. I ended the spell.

  “That takes too much energy. I’m too tall. I don’t think I could change my appearance and make myself that much smaller,” I said.

  “Either of those will be a last resort,” Mason agreed.

  There was a knock on the door.

  I slipped behind the door so I couldn’t be seen. Mason checked the peep hole.

  He opened the door. Mason let the guy in.

  I stayed quiet, and the guy had his back to me.

  “Look. I didn’t want to sound like a perv earlier. I like the women but young, not creepy kid young. Just that barely legal young sweet spot. I don’t ask questions. I’m not going to request ID. I’ll pay whatever. If you’ve got anyone in that range, hell...there aren’t many women up here. Not young pretty ones anyway. I’ll take what I can get,” he said.

  “Gross,” I said.

  The guy swung around and pulled a knife from his pocket.

  “Please.” I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “You will go to the nearest Trooper outpost and confess that you’re one of the Johns who paid for trafficked women. You’ll have no memory of us at all.” I snapped my fingers again.

  The guy backpedaled and ran out of the room.

  Mason laughed. “You snap your fingers instead of casting spells?”

  “I’m not a witch like that. But I’m not really a Fae like they are either. I do what works, but I’m open to suggestions,” I said.

  As we checked the phone again for the requests coming in, there was another knock on the door

  “Word does get around,” I said softly.

  Mason went to the door and checked.

  He opened the door to the magical guy who wanted a kid.

  “I knew you had an accomplice. I hope it’d be a subject I could use,” he said.

  Mason closed the door behind him. “I always have backup. This is crazy stuff.”

  The man nodded. “I sent my request. How long?”

  Mason looked at me. I shrugged. “We can try, but we need more details. How magical?”

  “It’s fun if they’re strong,” he said.

  I grimaced on the inside. This guy wasn’t that strong. He was a shifter with little actual magic beyond shifting.

  I waved my hand and latched the door.

  “Dot,” Mason said softly.

  “Who supplied you before?” I asked.

  The man went for the door.

  “Relax, we’re not police. We just want to know about the competition. Is it gone with the women traffickers, or is it still around? We don’t want trouble,” I said.

  He tried the door and failed. I pinned him to the door and flipped him around.

  “You will tell us everything you know, or you will find yourself in a human prison, a convicted pedophile with your powers stripped, and you’ll be serving life. Do you know how awful that would be?” I asked.

  “No, I didn’t do anything like that,” he said.

  I pulled him from the door and threw him on the floor. “Gravity is a wonderfully easy thing to manipulate.”

  Mason smiled at me. “Don’t go too far. We want him to talk.”

  “Oh, yes. I do tend to go too far.” I sat on the bed and pressed our captive to the floor firmly. “We want answers. Screaming won’t help. Shifting won’t help.”

  “Why would I tell you? You double-crossed me?” he asked.

  I smiled at Mason. “He thinks I won’t torture him?”

  “You really shouldn’t,” Mason said.

  “If he was strictly a human, I’d agree. He’s not. He’s trying to use kids for some reason. Why?” I asked.

  “Could be a pedophile,” Mason said.

  “I’m not. Not really,” the guy replied.

  “One man or shifter who is victimizing children isn’t enough. We need to stop this. How do I get the rest of them?” I demanded.

  “They’ll text the phone. You can set them up like me,” he shot back.

  I squeezed him harder. “Please, stop, please!”

  “Where can I find them? The ones dealing in kids, not just the people who want them,” I clarified my question.

  “You know the place where they found the women?” he asked.

  “We do,” I replied.

  “Not there. There is a trade shop a couple of blocks away. It looks like a little swap or flea market where you can buy or sell stuff. Random stuff people might need. No guarantees of supply, but you can find stuff. One of the guys works there. He worked both ends of it. He showed up again. Got out of jail, I guess. He might be starting stuff up again when things cool down,” the man replied.

  “If you’re lying...” I pressed him so hard, I heard a crack.

  “My toes!” he shrieked. “I’m not lying. I couldn’t wait for him.”

  “Dot, let’s just secure him,” Mason said.

  I shrugged and let up. Mason knelt and said a spell over the man.

  A few minutes later, Mason levitated the man into the closet. He was bound tight.

  “He can’t shift. He can’t escape. We just need to avoid housekeeping.” Mason closed the closet door.

  “We need to stake out the place,” I said.

  “Tomorrow morning, we’ll do a drive-by to see the set up, and if we can stakeout safely during the day,” Mason said.

  “Or we just go now,” I suggested.

  “You’re high on magical energy from the line. We need sleep,” he replied.

  “Fine, but if they get tipped off and get away with it, I’m blaming you.” I looked at the closet and wondered what sort of shifter he was.

  Early the next morning, we began the stakeout. It’d be easier if we’d brought a car, but we borrowed the cab of a semi and put just enough of a glamour on that it looked like a trucker was napping.

  “You should go in,” I said.

  “Are we going rogue or still working with the FBI?” Mason asked.

  I shrugged. “Do we care? Neither one of us are in it for the pay or benefits.”

  “The line power is getting to you. If the case gets shut down, what will we do?” he asked.

  “Solve it anyway. The problems aren’t going to fall easily into human categories, so Green or Lewis might shut it all down tomorrow. The punishments won’t fall into human methods either. The powerful paras will just escape,” I replied.

  Mason nodded. “We can do our best.”

  My phone rang, and I checked the number. “Green.”

  “Ignore him, and it’ll be worse later,” Mason warned.

  “Fine.” I accepted the call and put it on speaker. “Hello, sir.”

  “What the hell are you two doing up there?” Green asked.

  “Currently, we’re staking out a tip. There is demand for kids. It’s creepy,” I replied.

  “Really? What evidence do you have of that?” he asked.

  “We just started the stake-out,” Mason added.

  “Mitch is getting worse. His infection has spread,” Green said.

  My stomach knotted up. “I’m sorry. What happened?”

  “Hell, if I know. Hospitals are germ breeding grounds. They’re doing everything they can.” Green used Mitch to try and reel me into his control, but there was nothing Mason or I could do for Mitch.

  I heard what he wasn’t saying. Mitch was in real danger. Green hated being out of control.

  “We’ll give this one day and head back. We can rotate another team up here,” I lied.

  Mason shook his head but kept quiet.

  “Good. You’ve been up there long enoug
h. Your case is small potatoes compared to the group of women. We need to focus resources.” Green sighed.

  “Missing children should be an ongoing concern. I think if you change the scope of the task force—” I got cut off.

  “Not now. We’ll talk about it later. There will always be missing, we need to hit the high-profile case hard—prove our worth to the state, and you need to look in on your partner.” Green tried to guilt me.

  I shook my head. “He’s not my husband. I care about him as a friend, but I won’t have him dying for nothing. He has kids, and we’re trying to save kids. Solving this case is the best thing we can do for him—the medical staff is doing what’s right for Mitch.”

  Mason pointed at the building.

  I recognized the man walking in. “Crap, when did Indigo get out of jail?”

  Green stuttered at first. “Um, he bonded out. He’s up there?”

  “He is,” I replied. “I’m looking right at him.”

  “We told him not to leave Anchorage,” Green said.

  “He did. He slipped right through your fingers.” I snapped a picture with my phone and sent it to Green. “We need backup to raid this place. He’s starting another ring or bringing up his backup players to take over.”

  “Just arrest him and bring him back,” Green said.

  “You think he’s doing this alone? He probably has another group doing this. He waited it out in jail but had another group working another angle. We need the manpower to secure this and leave a team here, if you want me back in Anchorage,” I had to negotiate what I could.

  “Fine. But we’re having a serious talk when you get back here. You’d better have Indigo in your custody,” he said.

  “Yes, sir. Update us with info on the raid team. We’ll keep you posted, but your team let him loose. Good-bye,” I ended the call.

  “Seriously, he gave you what you wanted, and you still blamed him.” Mason shook his head. “We wait and watch.”

  “Hell no, we take Indigo now. He’ll sense I’m here soon enough. Go in and distract him. Knock him out, please. What I told Green was true. They let him out on bail!” I wanted to strangle someone.

  Mason nodded. “Breathe. Give me a few minutes.”

  I waited—I wanted to kill Indigo, but he was the one thing that had the FBI’s attention. He’d been booked. He’d been charged, and he’d bolted. If he was part of a magical ring messing with kids for whatever reason—I had to use him as the key to find those people.