Skin Deep (A DarkWorld Novel - Book 1) (The DarkWorld Series)

by Ayer, T. G.

  When she tried to touch the still tender spot she found she was bound and buckled to the bed. She struggled, pulling frantically at the soft, warm leather straps buckling her to the iron rails circling low around the bed. The large, thick straps only made Lily want to struggle to get free. She sensed the action futile. She was no match for the strength of the leather, and the buckles clanked loudly against the iron railings.

  She froze again, fear gripping her muscles. The metallic notes of her struggle echoed around the room. Her first instinct was to create a thunderous racket, but then realized it meant she would be confronted by her captors far too soon. The echoes petered out into the darkness and all was quiet again.

  The silence was as frightening as the dark, and far more terrifying was the noise she had made. She strained to listen for movement, and sound to confirm she was not alone.

  Lily's mind filled with questions. Who were the two men, and what would anyone want with her? Anjelo had warned the whole clan to be aware of any suspicious people. To keep an eye out. So far one Skinwalker was killed and another was missing. She dreaded the thought she may be the third person abducted by the killer.

  Hot tears filled her eyes and overflowed at the side of her face, falling into the hair by her ears. Now she wished she had listened to Anjelo. Her body still craved the drug, but she was now in control of all her faculties. The cold light of post Synthe clarity was filled with pain and regret.

  ***

  "Wake up, beautiful." Niko nudged Lily in the arm, impatient to get some answers from the girl. She had been under far too long and he wasn't prepared to wait any longer.

  While she slept he'd taken the liberty of drawing a few vials of blood and running a batch of tests on the samples. Niko had immediately stopped cursing the two fools who'd brought her to him.

  Her blood had been swimming with those freakish alleles. And it certainly did not hurt to have another Pariah to experiment on. Besides, she could provide two important things: information which was vital to him and a living, breathing source of fresh blood supply for his serum.

  "Yoo-hoo, pretty girl." Niko coaxed her out of her haze.

  Lily blinked and tears filled her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered and she seemed barely able to open them. Niko glanced at the bright lights blazing down on her. The darkness would’ve been replaced with light so bright it no doubt sent shards of stabbing pain into her eyes. A thought Niko enjoyed.

  She squinted against the glare and turned, searching for the voice that had been calling her.

  And stared up at Niko.

  The girl trembled, swallowing uncontrollably.

  Niko could smell her fear with his inner Panther. Bah. Who needed the ability to smell things like fear and desire in another Walker when the ability to Change was non-existent?

  "Who...who are you?" Her voice cracked on the words, her throat probably parched from Niko's drug.

  "Now, my dear girl, don't worry your pretty little head about that." Niko smiled down at her, baring his yellowed teeth.

  The girl's eyes widened, her gaze moving to Niko's mouth and he watched as a shiver of disgust rippled through her. His benevolent smile dulled, barely reaching his cold, flat black eyes.

  "Why are you keeping me here? What do you want with me?"

  "Information, my dear girl. Start by telling me who you are." He aimed to sound fatherly, so kind. And for a short moment she looked tempted to confide the information. But then she fell silent.

  Niko lost patience with her. It was time to show her he meant business. He started by grabbing her forefinger and jabbing the scalpel under her fingernail.

  She gasped and tugged against the grip. She'd be regretting that, Niko thought as he shoved the scalpel deeper. The girl gasped and sobbed.

  "Lily...Lily Marks," she whispered the words, each syllable thickened with agony, and peppered with harsh sobs.

  "Are you a Skinwalker?" Niko applied the tiniest bit of pressure on the scalpel. He had the grace to feel a shiver of guilt pass through his body. Of course he knew what she was but it always helped to lay down the ground rules.

  Niko watched a moment of defiance flit across her expression. She would refuse to rat on her friends and give him any more information that would endanger not only herself but the entire city clan. She was a smart girl. Admitting to her species was a dangerous thing.

  "What? I don't know what that is?"

  Niko edged the scalpel further under her fingernail with a slow, precise movement and soon blood dripped from the wound. Bright red droplets on the pale sheet.

  "Okay. Stop. Please stop." He was breaking her down. Shame bloomed red in her cheeks as tears fell from her eyes. Niko knew shame. It would be burning deep inside and she'd hate herself for her lack of courage. Yes, Niko knew shame very well.

  "Are you a Skinwalker?" he asked again, more firmly.

  "Yes." She turned and looked up at the bare ceiling. Her face tight, her expression resigned and angry.

  "Species and clan?"

  "Lynx. I'm not from around here." She said, the words tripped off her tongue automatically. She struggled to remain unemotional about her betrayal, and Niko felt a tiny bit sorry for her

  "So who do you hang out with then? Who's your Alpha?"

  "I don't have an Alpha. I'm my own woman, thanks." Still she didn't look at him, even though she knew he'd react to her moment of defiance.

  He jabbed the scalpel further and with a sharp tug, yanked her nail off her finger. The flesh was red, raw and dripped blood. The nail landed on the concrete floor without a sound.

  ***

  Waves of agony wracked through Lily's finger, shooting up her hand with vicious speed. She screamed with the pain, breathing hard as the agony hit her, over and over again.

  "We'll have none of your smart talk my dear. Answer the question, please or we start with the next fingernail."

  Lily was deathly afraid she'd begin to cry and would be incapable of speaking through the sobs. If it happened she'd be in worse trouble than she was now. Who knew what this sadist was capable of?

  "Anjelo, he's not really an Alpha, though. But I answer to him."

  "Are there a lot of you? How many?"

  "What business is it of yours, creep?" Lily knew she was delaying the inevitable by denying him the knowledge he desired. But the voice inside her - her Lynx or her conscience, she wasn't sure which - screamed not to reveal anything to him. It spelled danger.

  He inserted the scalpel under the nail of her second finger and waited.

  "About twenty...please stop."

  "Tell me about this Anjelo. What is he?"

  "He's a Panther."

  "A Panther you say? Then he is perfect." He rubbed his hands together.

  "What do you want with him?" Despite the pain, fear for Anjelo's safety waged war with fear for herself.

  "Never you mind, my dear. I have my reasons. He's potentially quite important to me."

  Lily was stiff with fright. She wondered what this crazed man wanted with Anjelo because he was a Panther-Walker. On an impulse and in an instinctive effort to protect Anjelo she said, "He isn't the only Panther in the city. There are more. Why don't you leave Anjelo alone and take one of them?"

  "There are others?"

  "One I know of, and she's an Alpha." Lily spoke gasping with pain.

  The man seemed happy with her answers and looked at her with narrow, contemplative eyes.

  ***

  A Panther Alpha in the city. How helpful.

  The door soughed open and Brand strode in. Niko wrinkled his nose. Brand reeked of blood and Death. The least he could do was consider his personal hygiene. He remained silent as Brand walked to the gurney. The girl stared at Brand with eyes filled with horror.

  Brand was in partial transformation. Something Niko hated simply because Brand and his gang were able to gain it and then turn it back. They were not Pariah like Niko.

  Niko watched as Brand softened his features and returned to his fully hum
an form. The girl sobbed, more horrified now she recognized the Walker standing over her.

  "It’s you," the girl stammered, her eyes round with horror. Few people knew how strategically placed Brand was.

  "This one is mine, Niko." He glanced over his shoulder. "Make sure you take good care of her. She is mine when you are done with your little experiments."

  With that he left, in a hurry. Niko suspected he had to get to his base of operations. Synthe dealing was a lucrative business. And Walkers like Lily depended on Brands generosity.

  Her blood test had detected residual particles of Synthe. Amazing how his pet project had developed into such a lucrative little side business. Since she liked the drugs, Niko decided she may as well have more. It had been a while since he had a Walker to test his new adaptations on.

  He'd keep her. Brand could find another plaything; he always did. This girl would stay with Niko.

  Hopefully she wouldn't crumble under his ministrations. Hopefully she would provide a little more information on these 'other' Panther-Walkers in the city.

  ***

  Chapter 24

  Sully did a double take when Logan, Kailin and Anjelo walked into his office. They caught him unawares as the morning sun streamed through the windows set into one long brick wall.

  Logan had wondered if Kailin would wait for him, and was surprised to find she did. He hoped it meant she'd open up a bit more. More. What was it really that he wanted more of he wondered. Was it the heat and passion that sizzled between them each time they were alone together? He clenched his jaw.

  "I seem to have won a popularity contest." Sully smiled, though his attempt at pleasantry was stiff and cold at the corners of his mouth. Murdoch had been forthcoming with a file on Sully. But the man before him seemed different to the images it held. Lighter, perhaps from the sunlight highlighting strong cheekbones and a stubborn chin. Friendly, yet preoccupied.

  "Mr. Sullivan. I'm Agent Logan Westin." Logan tacked on a smile. "We're actually here to ask you for a favor."

  "Sure. What can I do for you?" Sully's smile gleamed, bland and unpromising.

  "We're looking for someone. A young girl named Lily Marks. I believe she frequents your club." Logan walked to the glass opposite him and surveyed the now empty dance-floor. A lone bartender was sweeping the wooden surface of the lower dance floor, ultra careful. Probably painfully aware the boss watched from above. Something glittered in the pile of dust and dirt he was about to sweep up, and he watched as the bartender bent over and picked up the object.

  He examined it slowly, and threw a quick look up at the window. Had he not seen Logan watching he would undoubtedly have slipped it into his pocket, for his hand stopped in a mid-air and he straightened with a jerk.

  He left his pile of dirt, probably decided he was better off bringing it up now. He had no idea who Logan was, but friends of anyone's boss could endanger a guy's job, or his life, and Logan had a feeling the latter provided stronger incentive. Sully had a deadly air about him that wasn't just a threat.

  The bartender bounded up the stairs and knocked softly at the door. He entered as Sully turned to the door. The young man drew close and whispered to Sully, slipping the object into his employer's palm. He left soon after, beads of perspiration dotting his shaven head.

  Sully twisted the little silver charm within his fingers as he waited for Logan to continue. The interruption had been untimely for him, but important to Anjelo who said, "Can I see that?" Recognition flared in his eyes.

  Sully, regarded him for a moment, then tossed it to Anjelo who caught it with shaky hands.

  "It's Lily's. I got it for her birthday." Anjelo's palm shook as he tipped his hand toward Logan and Kailin so they could see the tiny silver charm fashioned into a little dancing girl.

  "This, at least, confirms Lily was on that dance-floor at some point after Anjelo left, the catch is broken. It may have come off in a struggle." Logan pinned Sully with a glare. "Do you have cameras focusing on the dance floor?"

  Sully nodded

  "Could we have a look at your tapes from last night?"

  "Happy to help, but I'd need to know, what for? All this talk of charms is confusing. And who is Lily?" he asked as he walked to a small closet at the back of the room.

  "The young girl who was with us yesterday. She's missing. Never came home last night. And she was last seen here in the club." said Kailin avoiding eye-contact with Anjelo.

  "Are you trying to imply something?" Sully's shoulders were rigid, his face flushed.

  "No, not at all." Logan shook his head reassuring the Club Don they had no such intention. "We want to find out what happened to her, just following every lead possible. And your tapes might be crucial in our search."

  "I should insist on a search warrant you know." Sully mumbled. "But I'm a nice guy."

  "It's good that you are assisting us, Mr. Sullivan." Logan smiled. "I do have a warrant if you would like to see it."

  Sully's jaw tightened and he waved Logan off, then proceeded to replay the tapes from the previous night. Sully's muscles tightened, tendons straining, no doubt he forced himself to maintain a friendly face. Logan stood aside, making space for Kailin and Anjelo to view the bank of monitors replaying the tapes from the various cameras around the club. There. One screen held the moving images of Lily and Anjelo, displaying their argument for all to see. Logan didn't need sound to tell him the nature of argument was volatile. He followed Lily's movements through the club after Anjelo left. She stood at the edge of the dance floor, fists clenched, anger and disappointment gleaming on her face. Then she turned and elbowed dancers aside as she disappeared into the restrooms.

  While she'd had her little tantrum, she'd been observed by two men. Scruffy types with baseball caps shoved tight onto their heads, who took up position outside the toilets after she entered. When she left it was clear they'd been waiting for her. The positioning of the camera and their caps had hidden their faces as they stalked her, until they followed her onto the dance-floor.

  Logan glanced at Anjelo who remained deadly silent while they watched the blurry black and white replay. Even when Kailin flinched as the two goons grabbed Lily in the middle of the roiling ocean of dancers, Anjelo had continued to watch, unblinking.

  They half carried, half dragged the now unconscious girl to the door. The bouncer at the exit nodded to them and opened the door before they could request it. As if he knew them. As if he had expected them to be dragging an unconscious woman out the club door. Logan wished he could’ve gotten a look at Sully's face, but the Club boss faced away from him, staring at the monitors, a large vein throbbing at his temple. This video implicated his employee in Lily's disappearance. It wouldn't be a great leap of imagination to assume Sully was in some way involved. But they still needed his help.

  At Kailin's direction Sully stopped the tape there and rewound it until the minutes after they left Club Wylde, isolating the camera focused on the Japanese bouncer. The goons spoke to him before heading to the restrooms.

  "What his name?" Logan asked

  Sully remained silent.

  "Sully?" Kailin prodded.

  "Hiro Mishima." The name scraped cold through gritted teeth. "He's been with me about two months. Just great. I need to find out who he's working for. Will you excuse me? I need to make a few calls."

  A ferocious scowl contorted Sully's face as he turned to Logan while Kailin and Anjelo continued to scan the tapes. Logan looked at him, and in the instant their eyes met he saw a violent, angry nature within their depths. His expression sent shivers up Logan's spine.

  He'd allowed them to look at his tapes, but clearly he didn't like it at all - there were things going on in his club he seemingly had no idea about. Or maybe he did know and wasn't thrilled with being investigated. Now he retreated to a shadowed corner, speaking on his cell phone in low tones while keeping one eye on the cameras as Kailin and Anjelo studied them for clues.

  Logan remained unsure why Sully would bo
ther to help them at all, especially with the glares he sent their way. But the tapes were exacting proof of how slack he was in keeping his staff in line. A woman had been abducted right out from under his nose and he'd gone about his business totally ignorant. If word got out, his Club, his livelihood would be in serious jeopardy. If he cared at all about his reputation. Logan had the niggling feeling he didn't give a damn that he could have blood on his hands.

  ***

  Hiro wasn't hard to track. I mean, a gang of Walkers was like having a team of sniffer dogs on hand 24/7.

  Anjelo had surreptitiously sniffed the area where Hiro had stood at the exit. "Fox-Walker. I have his scent. This one's strong around the club. I'm sure we can follow it."

  I glanced at Logan. He'd never be able to keep up with us at Walker top speed. My mind whirled to come up with an excuse and I opened my mouth, then closed it as Logan's phone buzzed. He stepped away, returning a few moments later with a scowl on his face. "I've got to go. You think Anjelo will be fine talking to Hiro?"

  I nodded.

  Logan hesitated then nodded and walked off, already on his mobile as he disappeared around the block.

  Anjelo and I followed the scent for a few blocks. At last we came to a drab apartment house. The scents of other Walkers mingled and confused the trail. We followed it up a darkened flight of stairs. The spike of stale urine and rotting garbage assaulted us, worse with our Panther noses on full blast. Up to the third floor, we turned left and tracked the pungent aroma of fox to the third door on our left. He was home.

  Anjelo knocked. I couldn't have held him back, even if I wanted to. If Lily had meant as much to me as she did to Anjelo I would be in the same permanent state of hysterical fear and fury.

  He knocked again and the door cracked open. Anjelo shoved the door onto Hiro and pushed into the room. Hiro turned, stark fear swam in his glossy eyes. He tried to make a run for it. Too late. Anjelo swiped him hard across the side of his head and the Fox-Walker went down. Three lines of blood marked the fox's cheek - Anjelo had transformed his hands to claw-tipped paws.