Code Black (Paranormal Crimes Division Book 1)

by Tina Moss

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Blue Rock Warehouse, Calgary Outskirts, Alberta

  “Four hundred feet to destination.” The GPS spoke the directions like a call girl. Sera shook her head at it.

  “Gotta say Siri, I don’t feel so bad about giving your owner that headache now.” Getting around the hotel’s security hadn’t been easy, but a shot of her firepower in an empty restroom provided the perfect distraction for her escape. Procuring a vehicle had been a bit trickier. But when that jerk-off had hit on her in the parking lot and grabbed her arm, well...knocking him over the head didn’t seem as bad a crime. Besides, she only intended to borrow the car, not steal it.

  Sera slowed the Porsche to a crawl as goosebumps broke over her arms. Warehouses loomed in the darkness like spiders’ webs, waiting to capture prey. She flinched, imagining the monsters inside. “Easy. Steady.” She could do this. She had to. Leaving Talon behind with nothing more than a simple note for him to discover had been the hardest part. But she wouldn’t let him walk into danger for her. She couldn’t.

  Slowing the car to a stop, she put a single foot on the ground and scanned the area. Down a dusty trail from the main roadway, three buildings sat in the middle of an industrial park. The center structure housed a tin sign with the words Blue Rock scribbled across it. “That’s the place.”

  She closed the door, pocketed the keys, and walked in plain sight. No sense hiding when she wanted to be found. The agents’ lives depended on it. Her shoulders tucked back and her spine straightened. She made certain to keep her head high.

  “Let’s get this over with.” She spoke to the emptiness, but hoped Guy was listening. The little shit had a habit of tuning in and out—with far more out lately. It made her gut tighten.

  Her senses tingled as she passed the large construction yard. Rubble littered the vicinity while massive equipment hinted at another building’s assembly. Her boots churned the dirt, changing the black to ashen gray. Dark, empty windows stood in rows like silent guardians across the tops of the buildings. The wind beat against the grooved aluminum roofs, creating a howl that swept over the area.

  Her blood chilled, but she forced her feet to move. “Breathe, Sera. You’re not powerless. Breathe.”

  Foreboding gripped her, an icy hold that transformed her muscles into a tight mass. Pressure collected in the middle of her forehead and she pinched her nose for relief. The movement reminded her of Talon’s habit, and for a moment, she froze to the spot. What the hell am I doing? Guilt tore her insides in two. She’d bailed on him, leaving nothing more than a pathetic note. If she walked into that warehouse, she might not walk back out. And she hadn’t said anything to him. Nothing about her true feelings.

  And how DO you feel, pet? Guy’s words wafted over her psyche like feathers—far too soft.

  “Does it matter?” she said on a sigh. “And where do you keep disappearing to?”

  I’m always around. You just can’t admit it. A taunting laugh rolled around her mind. Not so good with the gooey stuff, huh?

  “And there’s the old Guy.” Even as her teeth crunched together at his irritating jibe, she smiled. She didn’t want to walk into that place alone.

  You’re never alone, pet. Never.

  She bit her bottom lip and shoved away the implication in Guy’s words. “Let’s shelf that convo, okay? We’ve got trouble.”

  Ha. As if that’s something new.

  “Stuff it.” The grinding notes of a Dio tune calmed her enough to approach the warehouse’s solid green doors. She pushed the heavy metal and squirmed through the narrow opening. Lights flickered from long fluorescent bulbs suspended on crossbeams. It took some blinks for her eyes to adjust.

  Row upon row of boxes rested on grated shelves and ran from floor to ceiling. The stacks blocked the high windows at the top, preventing escape.

  “Good thing I’m not claustrophobic,” she muttered.

  A faint shuffling drew her. She leaned forward, straining her ears toward the sound. It emanated a few rows from the entrance. Keeping her back to the door, she walked with soft footfalls. As she passed the first two, she glanced down the aisles for signs of life. The stacks on both sides rose like towering spires. She listened, looked, and even sniffed, but nothing revealed itself until she approached the third row.

  Scratch, scratch, scratch. The noise echoed over the corridor. She squinted, trying to identify its source. Five steps into the aisle, her boot’s rubber sole skid on the slick tiled floor. “Shit,” she cursed. Pausing and holding her breath, she glared at her shoes and debated on removing them. Needing to be found and getting caught in a trap were two far different things. Scratch, scratch. The strange scuffling continued; whatever creature made the commotion appeared undisturbed by her approach—or oblivious to it.

  She let out a long slow exhale. “Steady girl. You can do this.”

  Glancing at her watch, she counted five minutes until the official meeting time. If she wanted the advantage, she needed to get a move on. The scratching grew louder as she tread further into the aisle. Her senses heightened, prickling tiny flames along the back of her neck. A tide of heat rose from her core. Heavy steel grates blocked the end of the row, boxing it in. Her eyes locked on the dead-end, until the scratch, scratch started again less than a foot to her right.

  She blinked rapidly and reached toward the sound. Four cardboard boxes of varying heights and shapes stood on the lowest shelf. Her hands locked around the top left box and shifted it inches. Cursing her stupidity for not carrying a flashlight, she willed her eyesight to see in the dark opening. The scratching grew louder when she pushed the box further aside. She chanced leaning over the lower boxes to get a better look.

  Scratch, scratch, scratch. Her eyebrows shot up, the noise sounded over her shoulder. She spun around, ready to face whatever was causing it. Scratch, scratch. It rattled from the right. Scratch, scratch. Again to the left. Her heartbeat sped up. One after another, the scratching multiplied until it surrounded her on all sides.

  So, pet. Having fun?

  Shut up. Shut up. She screamed at Guy. “Enough,” she cried at the infuriating racket, feeling her blood rush through her veins in a swarm of molten lava. “Come out or I swear I’ll light this whole place up.”

  “Well, wouldn’t that be an ironic twist?” A man moved from the stacks, a figured dressed in black. His face remained in the shadows. His voice, though rough and hardened, gave her the strangest sense of déjà vu.

  As if reading her thoughts, he said, “A real déjà vu moment. No, Seraphim?”

  Her stomach clenched, the acid churning like a sea storm. She clutched her throat. What had sucked all the air from the room? Gods, she couldn’t take a breath. Her words fell hollow from her lips in a strained whisper. Only one man—no boy, really—ever called her that ridiculous nickname, angel. “Matt?”

  He emerged into the harsh warehouse light, a walking memory, a wraith from the past. The boy that had been her friend, the boy that had asked her for a date, the boy that had hurt her, the boy that she’d burned. Now, the boy existed no longer; the shell of this deranged man remained.

  “Dear gods above,” she said unable to hide her horror. Half his face drooped, covered with hideous scars. The skin puckered and sagged at awkward angles. The rest of his body remained hidden under a dark turtleneck, pants, boots, and even gloves. He stared at her with hatred in his brown eyes.

  “Attractive, isn’t it?” He touched the scarred side of his face with a gloved hand. “I consider it a war wound.”

  Sera reached toward him. Time rolled back to that fateful day so many years ago. She choked on a sob. Despite having gone too far, she never believed Matt truly meant to hurt her—she couldn’t believe it—and the guilt at how she retaliated tore her heart in two. “Matt, I’m so sorry. I never meant to—”

  “Save it.” He stepped away, hiding in the shadows once more. A sharp whistle rang through the air. Eyes cut the darkness, peering at her over boxes and be
hind stacks. “Eight years in a coma is a long time to dream, Sera. A long time to plan revenge.”

  Creatures emerged from every direction. Sera watched as their human facades fell away, unmasking the same monsters that killed the innocent people of Buckhorn. A simmer started deep in her veins as she glared at their wide snapping jaws, rows of long sharp teeth, and bulging eyes. The fire swam in her blood, igniting an inferno under her skin.

  “What do you think of my new friends?” Matt’s one remaining eyebrow rose while the damaged part of his lip curled.

  She didn’t respond, instead taking count of the creatures. When she tallied twelve flanking her on all sides, she shrugged and turned to Matt. “You keep some interesting company these days.” Her words steeled as if from another’s mouth. She pushed her emotions into a tiny ball, sealed far away.

  If you feel pity for this bastard, we’re dead, pet. Guy’s presence whispered in her ears. He’ll pounce on the weakness and use it to his advantage.

  “I know,” she said, gritting her teeth.

  “Beautiful, aren’t they? And the perfect servants.” He approached one of the creatures and patted its head. Apparently female, its brown hair curled around her extended jaw. Long lashes swept over her bulging eyes and pale cheeks like some nightmare Snow White. Matt continued, grabbing the female’s chin and yanking it forward. “Phage, they’re called. They obey their master’s every command, completely submissive.” He shoved the female to the ground and stepped on her back.

  Sera’s insides twisted at the display, but she held still.

  “If they’re very good, they can earn control over their baser instincts, and even their freedom.” He dug the heel of his booted foot between the female’s shoulder blades. “And of course, they’re rewarded with meat.”

  “Meat.” The female hissed between a mouth of fangs. The pointed teeth ran from the front of her lips all the way to the base of the jaw, and dug into her gums.

  “Yes.” Matt bent his head and cooed at the female. “Your dinner is right there.” He nodded at Sera and removed his foot, releasing the creature.

  “Meat. Meat.” The chant began and rose to the rafters. The female sprang from the floor, leading the charge. Phage stalked toward Sera, encircling her and cutting off any chance of escape. “Meat. Meat.”

  A wave of fire spread from her core to her limbs. Flames singed her palms. Her survival instincts warred with a twisted sympathy for these creatures. If Matt used them, if they couldn’t fight his control, how could she just kill them? She’d be no better than a monster herself. Her stomach churned. She sidestepped three feet to position a large crate at her back. Phage closed in, poised a breath from launching an attack. She yelled over their growls to Matt. The bastard had climbed atop a box and sat with a smile on his face, enjoying the show.

  “What about the PCD agents?” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Her worry trickled to the surface. “You have me. You don’t need them.”

  Matt’s laughter echoed a high maniacal cackle in the warehouse. “Oh sweet Seraphim.” He mocked the angelic nickname in a ridiculous singsong tone. “Don’t waste your energy on them. Selflessness doesn’t suit you.”

  The phage advanced. Their jaws snapped open and shut. The closest of the creatures drooled over her arm. Its eyes possessed an animal’s mindlessness, but behind that a glint of something more, something akin to...sorrow? As its teeth descended, she hesitated, holding the fire at bay. Sharp tips grazed her skin. Guy screamed in her mind. When she heeded his warning and let the fire free, tears stung her eyes.

  Cries and howls of pain filled the cavernous space. The phage threw their burning bodies to the floor, twisting and thrashing. Nausea clutched her stomach and she started to pull back the blaze.

  No! Guy said. He controls them. If you don’t end them, he’ll use them to kill you. A heartbeat of time passed. He dropped his voice to a harsh reprimand. Or worse, turn you.

  Sweat beaded her brow as she held the flames steady. She squeezed her eyelids shut to block the gruesome sight. “Gods forgive me,” she prayed as the creatures burned.

  A piercing cry broke her resolve and her eyes popped open. Matt walked between the flames. His face brightened in the fire’s glow, highlighting the deep grooves. He tore at his shirt, shedding it fast, baring his chest and the scars that littered his body. “Take a good look. See what you’ve done.”

  Her senses swam. Smoke bellowed and heat swayed the air into a gray haze. She locked her eyes on his battered body. The vapors transformed his scars to ripples like fractured water. She sucked in a breath and sputtered on the fumes. The phages’ charred flesh soured the air. “Matt, I-I never—”

  “Save your apologies and pity.” He stepped over a body—the same female he’d flung to the ground earlier. He spat at her, then fixed his blazing eyes on Sera. “I don’t need either, but I’ll take your tears.” His upper lipped curled back in a cruel half smile, half snarl. He lurched forward, wrapping his callused hands around her forearms. “Cry, Sera. Beg. That’s what I want from you.”

  His short nails dug into her flesh. She flinched at the contact. The contained fire heated her skin, but he didn’t let go. Dragging her in a circle, he threw her to the ground. Shocked, her hands shot out on instinct and took the brunt of her fall. She cursed as jolts of pain racked her from wrist to shoulder. He descended on her without a moment’s hesitation. His disfigured arm curled around her neck and yanked her head back. She clawed at his skin and struggled for a breath.

  Fire called to her, beckoning her. Even as she fought for air, she couldn’t bring herself to burn him, not again. Guilt cut her windpipe worse than his attack. Yet she valued her life enough to fight dirty.

  As she slammed a fist into his groin, a snort thudded across her mind. Low blow, pet. But nicely done.

  She crawled on hands and knees toward a row of boxes. Her fingers clutched the stack for support. She used one hand to massage her throat and the other to get on her feet. It took costly seconds to accomplish the task and standing proved a challenge as dizziness consumed her. The smoke thickened even in the vast room, making it twice as hard to breathe.

  As Matt recovered from her well-placed strike, she spread her feet shoulder width apart and prepared to face him. The rational part of her brain screamed at her to use her power. As he moved toward her with hatred in his stare, she couldn’t help feeling she deserved his anger. The thought of adding to his pain, after seeing the consequences of her actions in his physical and mental scars, stayed her hand. The heat fled from her skin.

  “I won’t fight you, Matt. I’m sorry you were hurt.” She put up her hands in a sign of peace. “I never meant for it to happen.”

  “Shut up.” His hands balled into fists as he drew closer. “I told you, I don’t want anything from you but tears.”

  A rush of sorrow swept through her, but not the way he wanted. Her inner turmoil had nothing to do with her own predicament, and everything to do with the boy she’d known, the boy who was lost. In a choked voice, she said, “Well, you won’t get those.”

  “We’ll see.” He swung at her head, but connected with the top of her ponytail. She ducked low, rolled forward, and sprung to her feet. He spun around, nostrils flaring. His fists punched blindly. She stepped backward with each swing, keeping her hands up to protect her face. One strike connected with her temple and she went down hard. He loomed over her, spitting vile curses. “I can’t burn you, but I can make you suffer, Sera. You deserve to suffer.”

  Red dots danced in front of her eyes and her cheekbone throbbed from the impact of his fist. She cradled her head. Matt’s face swam in her vision surrounded by the skipping circles. His breath, like stale coffee, stung her nose as he leaned close. Fisting a handful of her hair, he jerked her upright.

  “Now that the foreplay is over, it’s time to have some fun, don’t you think?” He clawed at her breast through her sweater and nudged his knee between her legs.

  Her lungs ceased to
function at the assault. She blinked, trying to focus. A horrible ache pummeled her head like a battering ram. He pushed her into the far wall and jerked at the waistband of her jeans. Not bothering with the button or zipper, he yanked. Her insides burned and her thoughts shattered. But as her pants caught on her hips, the flames rose in her palms. Grabbing his face with both hands, she let the fire bore into his cheeks.

  “You fucking bitch!” He swore a high-pitched cry as he stumbled back. “I’ll kill you.”

  “No, you won’t.” A woman’s voice floated from the aisle.

  Sera’s eyes widened at the new intruder, but she kept her gaze locked on Matt. Not about to be caught unaware, she ensured the fire remained at her fingertips.

  “This is none of your goddamn business.” He whirled around as a pair of high heels clicked along the floor. His hands clenched his cheeks. Red welts puckered between his fingers.

  Sera didn’t know how he still had the strength to talk. Her fire should’ve rendered him in agony. What the hell?

  “Actually, it is.” A tall blond with green eyes and long legs appeared through the smoke. Dressed in a burgundy skirt suit and black pumps, she looked ready for a day at the office, not a life or death meeting in an abandoned warehouse. “You’ve violated our agreement.”

  “I’m not giving her up. You promised me revenge.” He angled closer to Sera. She stepped back.

  “No, you see, I promised you justice.” The blond held up her pointer finger. “Big difference.”

  “Not to me.” He hissed.

  “Ah, but it is.” She ran a hand over her tidy bun. “Our arrangement gave you the use of my phage for your purposes. However, the girl, as you may recall, belongs to us.” She tapped her chin. “Alive.”