“Shit,” said Fay with some effort.
“Indeed,” Riya stated. “We’ve been after Fay the fae here for some time. She’s wanted in most of Europe, in fact.”
Fay and I were staring hate at each other as Riya stood over us both. Had my junk not felt as if it’d been used as a punching bag, it could have been kind of hot. Angry whoopie was fun, after all.
“She’ll never go for it,” Fay said, clearly reading my thoughts.
I winced. “I know.”
Could it be that Fay was my naughty counterpart in this world? Libido-wise, I mean. Wouldn’t that figure?
“What are you two talking about?”
“You don’t want to know,” I replied as I slowly pushed myself up.
Thank goodness I was a fast healer. Any normal guy would have been laid out for hours from that punch.
Fay shifted and I turned away, just in case.
“All right, Fay,” Riya said, “it’s time to pay the piper.”
“I don’t think so,” she stated.
The door swung open and a mass of guards poured into the room. They all had weapons drawn and pointed at us.
“Target Officer Dex,” the fae called out from the floor. “If the woman holding the gun shoots me, light him up.”
“Clever,” Riya said with a nod. “But it assumes I care enough about him not to shoot you.”
“Huh?” I said, blinking.
“You won’t shoot me,” Fay said, grabbing the edge of the table and pulling herself back to her feet with some effort. “It doesn’t matter how you feel about Officer Dex, either. He’s a fellow cop. It’ll go against your ethics.”
“She’s got you there,” I said, hopeful.
Riya pulled back the hammer.
I grimaced at her. “Nice.”
“Sorry, Ian,” she said without inflection, “but she’s got more potential to do damage than you have to do good.”
“What?” I lowered my hands and put them on my hips while turning to face her. “That’s bullshit. I do a lot of good.”
“Again, we’re talking potential here,” Riya pointed out.
“She’s right,” Fay said. “You’re just one cop, but look at all the bad guys I’ve amassed here. I’m clearly more dangerous than you are helpful.”
My grimace doubled as I looked at Fay as if she were a complete moron.
“You’re going out of your way to defend Riya’s right to shoot you, you know.”
“Just stating facts,” she replied, shrugging, though still looking to be in some discomfort.
That’s when I noticed that her hand was getting ever closer to the device on the table. If she got hold of it and pointed it at Riya, that’d spell the end of days.
“Damn it,” I said with a sigh.
“What?” the two women said in unison.
I launched myself at Fay while kicking out at Riya.
Chapter 7
Bullets were littering the room as the guards unleashed fury.
Fay was doing her best to damage my johnson again, but a swiftly executed head-butt caused her to pass out.
“I had her where I wanted her, asshole,” Riya yelled at me as the mayhem continued.
“She was about to grab the device she’d used against all these people, Riya,” I countered while pulling out my gun. “I couldn’t risk you falling under her gaze, too.”
“Oh,” she said, looking instantly confused. “Thanks…I guess.”
I was planning to shoot some legs under the table, but it was one of those solid bottom types. Besides, I really didn’t want to have to shoot any of these people, if I could avoid it. They were under a spell of some sort here.
“No offense, Riya,” I replied, “but I wasn’t doing it on your behalf. If Fay had put you under her spell, the first thing she would have you do is kick me in the giblets.”
“Probably true.”
The bullets stopped and I felt the air shift in the room. Someone had come through the door.
“Officer Dex,” came the sound of a familiar voice, “this is Chief Michaels.” The chief was here? “I’ve got Officer Cress with me.” What the fuck? “We don’t want to have to kill you, but we will. Just put your gun on the table and stand up slowly, hands in the air with palms facing us.”
“Chief, you’re not yourself,” I called back. “Neither is Rachel.”
“We’re fine, Ian,” Rachel said. “Do as the chief says.”
I slowly shook my head at Riya. Her eyes conveyed she agreed with my apprehension.
Lydia wouldn’t have told them where I was, so Fay must have tipped them off the moment I’d walked into the room. That meant that she had been having suspicions about the fact that I’d not been easily overtaken by her tech.
That reminded me of the device on the table.
It was the key to all of this. I had no idea how to work it, but if I could get it to Riya, maybe she could sort it out.
Why did everything always have to be a pain in the ass?
I took a deep breath and whispered, “I’m going to get the device. Stay low and keep her from kicking me in the berries, will ya?”
“Got it,” Riya replied, pulling out a little metal object and pressing it on Fay’s neck. A small pop sounded and Fay’s already relaxed form looked to deflate even more. “She’ll be out for about ten minutes.”
“That’s handy,” I said with appraising eyes. Then I glanced back at Riya. “Whatever happens, play along.”
Then I looked at my gun and moaned. I hated giving up my weapon, but sometimes it was the best move.
“Okay, Chief,” I said, “I’m going to trust you and Rachel.” I then sought to call on the memories of my partner. “You hear that, Rachel? I’m trusting you.”
“No tricks, Ian,” she replied flatly. “I will end you.”
“That’s a little dramatic,” I said, “don’t you think?”
“No.”
I reached out and put the gun on the table. Then I put my hands up and slowly began to stand.
“Where’s your shirt?” Rachel said as I got to full height. “You weren’t…”
“Well, I…” I cleared my throat as all of the judging faces grimaced at me. “Fay wanted to do the horizontal dance, okay? She’s the boss, right? What was I supposed to do?”
Rachel shook her head. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
“Jealous much?” I countered.
She pulled back the hammer on her gun. What was it with women doing that tonight? It was damned unnerving, I’ll tell you.
“Anyway,” I continued quickly, “we ended up trying to get it on, when the chick from the front came back and started waving a gun at us.”
“What?” hissed Riya.
“Play along, remember?” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth.
“So you’re with us, Ian?” asked Chief Michaels.
“Of course, sir,” I replied with a heartfelt look. “Mistress Fay’s plan for world domination is a thing of beauty.”
“Mistress Fay?” Rachel said, her eye twitching.
I nodded. “It’s what she asked me to call her when I came in the room.”
“That’s not important right now,” the chief interrupted before Rachel could continue her interrogation. “Our leader is in trouble back there.”
“Oh, no, sir,” I said sternly. “I have disabled the officer from Bombay.”
“Bombay?” Rachel said.
“Yes, the receptionist at the front was an undercover officer from the Bombay Paranormal Police Department.” As I spoke, I casually placed my hand on the mind control device and began pulling it toward me. “She was sent here to apprehend our wondrous leader.” By now the device was at the edge of the table. “Mistress Fay and I played a ruse and disabled the officer, but not before she had pressed some device into our leader’s neck.”
The chief nodded his head and went about returning his gun to its holster. Rachel did the same, and the rest of the guards all lower
ed their guns soon after.
Phew.
“You have about ten seconds,” I whispered as I dropped the device in Riya’s hands and reached for my shirt.
Rachel and the chief walked around the side of the table, heading back to undoubtedly check on Fay. I waved my hand frantically at Riya.
She rolled her eyes and turned away, studying the device while remaining shrouded and looking incapacitated.
“All should be fine in a few moments,” I said while helping to pull Fay up into a chair.
The chief and Rachel looked rather concerned for the fae’s wellbeing. This was disheartening, but I knew it wasn’t their fault. Hell, had it not been for my particular genetic make-up, I’d have put a hole in Riya’s eyes the moment she pulled a gun on Fay.
“She just needs a little time.”
Riya groaned, signaling that she’d figured something out.
“Can you help me get her locked up,” I said while pointing at Riya’s body.
Both officers moved over and knelt down while Riya clicked a button and a light hit them both in the eyes. I was right beside them, holding them steady as their bodies struggled to stay balanced.
“What happened?” Rachel said a moment later.
“Shhh,” I commanded.
The chief’s face was a canvas of dismay and confusion.
He looked…old.
I didn’t like that one bit.
“It’s okay, Chief,” I said in a soothing voice. “Nothing you two could have done about it. For now, though, we have to use this device and clear everyone else in the room.”
Riya showed me which button to push.
I stood back up and turned to the room. Then I looked back down while nodding as if Fay were giving me instructions.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. Then I turned to face the group. “Our illustrious leader requests that all of her flock be brought here immediately.” I pointed at one enterprising-looking young man. “You, get everyone right now!”
He rushed out of the room.
Chapter 8
As soon as he left, I clicked the button that Riya had pointed out and the room lit up with lights.
Seconds later, they were all standing around look utterly confused. They were glancing at each other and studying the guns they were holding. It made me glad that I didn’t have to shoot any of them earlier.
“Listen up, everyone,” I said, motioning for them all to move to the back of the room and away from the door, “you were all put under a mind control device by this fae here.” I pointed at her still unconscious form. “You have done nothing wrong, but I need you all to play along so that when the rest of those from your crew come in, I can undo the damage to them without a fuss. Understood?”
They nodded dumbly and the door opened, streaming in another group of victims, including Preston Banks.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he said, looking rather concerned. “What’s happened to her?”
“It’s a long story, sir,” I replied, “but it’s a tale that’s easily told by looking right here.”
I pressed the button and they all staggered.
“What…” said Mr. Banks while gripping the desk and shaking his head. “What happened?”
I spun to Rachel and the chief. “Are you good to explain things to them while I work with Riya to secure Fay?”
They still looked rather guilty as they nodded and moved out to address the crowd.
“I’d like to say it was fun working with you, Ian,” Riya said as she placed cuffs on the fae, “but it really wasn’t.”
“Hey, we did all right. It’s not like you got hurt or anything.” I sniffed. “I was the one getting punched in the tender vittles.”
“True,” she replied with a sigh. “I guess I’ve just been on this case so long that I kind of wanted to bring her down all by myself.”
I understood that. There were times when you’re just so close to finishing something that you want to do it by yourself. It’s like spending weeks working on a puzzle and some dipshit comes along and puts in the last piece for you. I mean, seriously, what the fuck?
“Sorry,” I said, “but it’s not like we intended to get caught in Fay’s web.”
“I know.”
“Besides, you’re going to need a place to hold her for the time being, right?”
“No,” she replied. “We’re prepared.”
“Which means you would have needed us either way…huh?”
“I have resources with me,” she stated.
“Oh, well, we could still go out and celebrate a little, right?”
She seemed to be weighing things.
“I don’t think so, Officer Dex,” she replied, going back to my formal title. “I’m not one for one-night stands, and I doubt you’re one for long-distance relationships.”
“Yeah…no.”
Her nod was sad.
Drag.
A few other hot chicks poured into the room and gave me the once-over. There was a fantasy in here somewhere, that was for damn sure.
Riya spoke to them in her native language and I backed off.
The now-groggy fae looked at me, smiled weakly, and winked.
“Shame,” she said. “Could’ve been fun.”
They shuffled her from the room.
Sadly, she was probably right.
“Thank you for your assistance, Officer Dex,” Riya said while shaking my hand, bringing me back to the moment. “While it’s against my better judgment, I’ll hang on to your card in case I ever come back to town.”
I raised an eyebrow at that. “I look forward to that possibility.” Then I frowned. “Wait, how did you know about Katie?”
“We both went to Cambridge,” she answered. “I turned to a life of law and she became a doctor, but we’re still very good friends.”
She then smiled and exited the room, leaving me with a wistful set of “what if’s.”
Chapter 9
“Have a seat, Ian,” Chief Michaels said as I entered his office. It was furnished with deep-brown woods and matching leather chairs. Imagine a study from the mid-fifties, including layers of dust that had been there since day one, and you’ll get the idea of it. “I have some troubling news.”
Uh oh.
“What is it, sir?”
“I’ve decided to resign my post as chief,” he said with some effort.
My throat went dry. “What?”
“I should have seen it,” he said, staring off into the distance. “In my younger years, I would have caught what that fae had been up to before she…” He stopped, looking rather aggravated with himself. “Anyway, it’s time for me to move on. I’ve been doing this job for more years than is right.”
“But, Chief—”
“No,” he said, holding up a hand. “It’s time. I no longer feel the passion I once did. Some days it’s all I can do just to drag myself in here.” He grunted. “Plus, Ian, I’m getting old…just like my connector implant.”
I felt that way too sometimes, but that was usually because I had a hangover or was sexed out. Knowing the chief as I did, I understood that these weren’t likely scenarios for the older man.
“So what are you going to do?”
“Well,” he said as a little light flickered in his demeanor, “the Directors have recommended me for a Director-level position in Florida. I’ll be at the Tampa PPD.”
“Oh…that’s…cool.”
“It will be slower,” he said. “The hours are much more reasonable, too. And the pay is better.” He drummed his fingers on the desk. “Not that the money ever mattered. Anyway, the point is that it’s time to move on.”
It suddenly hit me that he was only speaking to me. Was he bringing in each of the crew individually to make his announcement? It would be the classy thing to do, I guess, and the chief had always been a classy guy. A little rough around the edges, sure, but he had an air of sophistication about him, too.
“Does everyone else know?” I asked. “I
don’t want to say anything if you’re still—”
“They all know,” he interrupted. “In fact, that’s why I brought you in separately.”
“Huh?”
“When a chief steps down from the PPD, he or she makes a recommendation for who is to take over the position.” He pulled out a piece of paper from his top drawer and set it on the desk. “Usually this is done without the input of the other officers, but I’ve never been one to make unilateral decisions on these things, so I asked everyone what they thought.”
“I see,” I said, though I didn’t.
“The consensus is that you’re the right person for the job, Ian.”
Hadn’t expected that. I was the newest guy on the squad. Hell, Rachel had been here years before me, and Officer Benchley had been in the PPD even longer than the chief had been the chief!
I opened my mouth a few times to spew out my concerns and thoughts, but finally just said, “What?”
“Don’t go being humble, Ian,” the chief said with a partial smile. “It doesn’t become you. Besides, you’re a solid officer, and you have traits that, frankly, the rest of us envy. You’re the only one who wasn’t affected by that fae’s device, as you may recall?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“If it hadn’t been for you, this town would have been overrun.” I went to argue again but he shook his head at me. There was something about the chief that made you listen. “You’re the most logical choice, Ian, and your fellow officers agree with me on that.”
He pushed the paper across the desk and handed me a pen.
“Now, you can refuse the post, of course.” He then gave me a stern look. “I wouldn’t recommend it, though. As someone who has held this position for longer than I should have, I can say that it’s been the most rewarding years of my life.”
“But—”
“Take the position, Ian,” he said with encouragement. “You won’t regret it.”
Chapter 10
A week had gone by since the chief had retired, and things remained pretty quiet. It was as though all of the bad guys in the supernatural community got together and decided to give me some time to acclimate to my new job.
The Chief Page 3
