The Somerset Series: A Box Set: Books 2-4

by Isadora Brown

  "But each person has a different start time," Danielle pointed out. "5:58, 6:01."

  "Right," Aubrey said, nodding her head, "because in order to get into this department, you need to swipe your badge. The badge will record your identifying features and the time you swiped in, like a timecard."

  "Okay." Danielle blinked, trying to wrap her head around what Aubrey was attempting to tell her. "So, judging by the different id numbers, we have six people who work in this department." She gave Aubrey a sideways glance. "What department is this, again?"

  Aubrey shrugged her shoulders. "Classified," she said. "But, if I had to guess, I think it has something to do with the biological makeup of supes."

  "And what makes you say that?" Danielle cocked her head to the side so she could look up at Aubrey.

  "Look at the times," Aubrey said, using her index and middle fingers to point at the two columns of numbers. "The last time you see checked out is 23:59, which is military time for midnight. They start at 0600. This department isn't twenty-four seven like their sworn agents or their dispatch. Even their records department is twenty-four seven. It isn't their public operating hours either, which is seven thirty to five thirty. This has to be some kind of research department. And considering it's classified, I'm going to assume it has to do with supes."

  "But biology?" Danielle furrowed her brow. "Isn't that a leap?"

  Aubrey had a ghost of a smile on her face as she pushed her brows up. Danielle thought it was the cockiest she would ever look.

  "Look at the top of the page."

  Danielle did as she was told. "091," she read and then shot her eyes up to Aubrey. "It's a three-digit id number."

  Aubrey nodded. "See where it's placed?" she asked before pointing. "The first number usually indicates seniority level, especially since these numbers aren't numerical by any means. Which means a sworn agent head's this department. Now, if you look at the schedule, everyone works 4-10's, which means four days a week, for ten-hour shifts, even the supervisor."

  "Except on Friday," Danielle said. "The supervisor came in."

  "Exactly," Aubrey said. "And I have the last three years of schedules in one of these stacks of papers, and let me tell you, that never happens unless there's a special training. If they did come in for training, it would indicate on the schedule whether that training was flexed - where they took another day off in favor of coming in on their off-day - or overtime."

  "But this doesn't indicate either," Danielle said.

  "And notice anything else?" Aubrey asked, perking her brow. Danielle glanced at the paper before shaking her head. Aubrey pointed to the blank third column. "No clock out time. Which means this id badge didn't leave the building. At least, it wasn't swiped to leave the building."

  Danielle shook her head before pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. This didn't make any sense. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked, furrowing her brow and placing her hands flat on the surface of the table.

  "Look at the date," Aubrey said.

  Danielle looked at the top of the page, dead in the center. September 22.

  Danielle blinked. "Okay," she said, still confused. "I'm not quite sure how this is relevant to me. It happened a couple of months ago, the weekend before I started class."

  Aubrey let out an exasperated groan. "Come on, Danielle," she said, now tapping the paper with her finger. "September twenty-second. The day your father was reported missing."

  Danielle felt like she had been slapped across the face. Of course. How could she have forgotten so easily? God, she was a shit daughter. Instead of helping the police in any way possible or posting up flyers across campus, she had slept with a vampire and threw herself into school. Hell, she pushed her father to the back of her mind and didn't think about him. Her faith in the NDS was strong and sure, but really, that was just an excuse for her not to worry. Why worry, when no news was good news? Why worry, when Luke Foyer checked in with her every week? Just because he never had anything new to say didn't mean anything. Things were progressing.

  Except they weren't.

  And Danielle didn't even care. She hadn't even fought, hadn't even demanded to get something more. What was wrong with her? Was she really that cold?

  "And this" - Aubrey pointed at the three-digit number at the top of her screen - "this is your father's id number."

  Danielle's eyes shot to Aubrey. "How do you even know that?" she asked. She pushed her chair back with her feet and stood, running her fingers through her hair. "Why are you telling me this? What does this have anything to do with me?"

  "He's your father," Aubrey said slowly, her voice low but distinct. Her hazel eyes were focused on Danielle and in that moment, Danielle wished she could be the kind of woman Aubrey was: maybe she was awkward and determined but she also knew when to push and when to let it go. "You have a right to know."

  "How?" Danielle snapped. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a breath. "I'm sorry, I... How did you get this? And why haven't you gone to the NDS with this? And what does it even mean, anyway?"

  "It means," Aubrey said slowly, "that your father went to work at six like normal but he never left. At least, he didn't swipe out to leave."

  "So?" Danielle asked. "Maybe he forgot his keycard."

  "It's a timecard too, Danielle," Aubrey reminded her gently. "Everyone is supposed to swipe it when they come and go, even supervisors. The fact that he didn't tells me he was taken while at work. Very possibly by the NDS. An inside job."

  "Why would the NDS even want to take my dad?" Danielle said. "It doesn't even make sense."

  "Actually, it does," Aubrey said, "and I'll tell you why."

  6

  It was early November. The sky was overcast but the sun peeked out from the grey clouds, casting an odd light in the sky. It almost looked like a soft, grey lavender color, if Danielle had to name it. Or maybe it was because she was still reeling from everything Aubrey told her the previous night.

  Aubrey told her everything she knew about the NDS and she had the documentation to back it up. The NDS was much more corrupt than anybody thought. Aubrey couldn't prove it, but there was a conspiracy theory that the NDS was controlled by some unknown supe race, trying to take out the vampire race and get information on the two registered wolf packs in Somerset. It sounded ridiculous, to be honest, especially considering Aubrey had no clue just what this unknown supe race was. Mermaids? Griffons? Gods? Who knew?

  "How does that have to do with my dad?" Danielle had asked, perking her brow. "Why would the NDS kidnap my own father and hold him hostage? They haven't made any demands."

  "That we know of," Aubrey pointed out.

  "How do you know all of this anyway?" Danielle asked. "This is highly classified, top secret stuff. How could you even get your hands on this stuff?"

  "I have an ex who's an agent," Aubrey said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Sometimes I think this is his way of gaining redemption because he knows that what he's doing is wrong - which is why we broke up in the first place."

  Danielle furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" she asked.

  "You've seen the news recently, right?" Aubrey asked, pushing her brow up. "You've heard about the Lone Wolf Pack, right? How they're rumored to be genetically engineered werewolves and how they're terrorizing the Black Forest. Why isn't the NDS doing anything about them? Seriously, they have their own compound like those crazy people in the forest waiting for the end of the world. They have humans and other werewolves living with them. If anyone even attempts to mess with them, they kill them and they cite wolf pack by-laws, even though their pack isn't recognized as an official wolf pack. They've been around for a few months, right? Three known deaths, brutal too, beaten with an aluminum baseball bat before ripped to shreds. Why hasn't the NDS done anything about them? Why are they protected?

  "And then you have the Big Bad Wolf, the Lone Wolf, probably also genetically enhanced, going around, taking out NDS agents," Aubrey continued. "I can't prove i
t but I swear, he's taking out everyone involved in changing him."

  "You think he took my father?" Danielle asked.

  "I don't know," Aubrey said with a shrug. "But it would make sense, wouldn't it?"

  Danielle shrugged. "Doesn't that guy just kill people?" she asked. "He killed that NDS agent who recruited him for that classified program by walking up to the agency and waiting for him in the parking lot. Why would he kidnap my dad, whose research is possibly responsible for what he is, and kill the agent who recruited him?"

  Aubrey blew air into her cheeks and tilted her head to the side. "I don't know," she finally said. "I'm still trying to piece this whole thing together, to be honest."

  Danielle glanced up at her, furrowing her brow. "Can I ask how you even got involved?" she asked. "Not that I don't appreciate you telling me because I do but I just don't get why you would get involved when this has nothing to do with you. I know you're an investigative reporter, I just didn't think this would be of interest."

  "Like I said," Aubrey said, "I dated that agent and I found out some stuff completely by accident. And now, I'm just trying to figure out what's real and what's not and what matters. Plus, when news broke of your father's disappearance, I recognized the name. I knew it was your father. I wanted to reach out beforehand but I'm pretty awkward and didn't know what to say. So I tried to figure out what was going on and tell you that way."

  "I..." Danielle shook her head, shrugging her shoulders. Why would Aubrey be so nice to her? They had a bunch of core classes together freshman and sophomore year and were even part of a group project together. Investigative journalism and Literature were related majors that used a lot of the same classes. Danielle wasn't exactly sure if she would call Aubrey her friend but she was definitely someone Danielle knew and respected. Aubrey was different and maybe a bit awkward but she had grit that wasn't really around anymore and Danielle admired that. "I honestly don't know what to say. Thank you."

  Aubrey shrugged. "It's no problem," she said. "Luke has hinted there has been some corruption within the agency but that was all he would say. He knows what I do, I know what he does, so it definitely didn't work out between us, but we're still friends. Plus, the bad stuff, the stuff we should be able to do something about, the stuff that is bad, he lets me know about so I can do what I can do."

  Luke?

  Why was that name so familiar?

  Danielle brushed it off, promising she would think more on it later. Instead, she smiled. "It's cool you have a relationship like that with your ex," she said honestly. "Mine is a prejudiced asshole."

  "Who, Ryder?" Aubrey said. It wasn't surprising Aubrey knew who she had dated. They had been together for the past few years on campus and hadn't made it a secret that they were together. "Yeah, he's an Education major, right?"

  Danielle nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Why?"

  "It's probably nothing," Aubrey said, "but I heard he got an internship with the NDS over the summer. Which is weird if he wants to be a teacher."

  Danielle furrowed her brow. Ryder got an internship with the NDS over the summer? Why in the hell would he do that? He didn't even like cop television shows, claiming they were terribly inaccurate and how he didn't want to waste his time with formulaic bullshit. Danielle loved them, by the way, and still watched the shows regardless of Ryder's opinion. She loved trying to solve the crime before the big reveal took place and even though there were times it got rather predictable, she was always on the edge of her seat. Her favorite shows was Bones and she could watch reruns over and over again without any worry of getting bored.

  "Yeah, that's what I said," Aubrey said. "Listen, I'm going to leave you that timecard sheet but I'll get all of this stuff out of your way. I'm sorry for overwhelming you with my... my incessant need to figure things out." She ran her fingers through her hair before dropping them to the table so she could start collecting her things. "Thanks for letting me in. And sorry for barging in on you, by the way. That was kind of rude of me. My bad."

  "No, no." Danielle waved her apology away. "I actually really appreciate the fact that you took the time to even come over and tell me all of this. Much better than the NDS agent that visits me every week to tell me..." Danielle's voice trailed off as something clicked in her head. "Did you say you dated an agent named Luke? Is he tall with black hair and blue eyes and looks like what I imagined a Greek god to look like?"

  Aubrey giggled. "That sounds like Luke," she agreed. "Kind of reserved. Very serious. There's something about him that you can't quite put your finger on about him, something that draws you to him. I swear, he's secretly supernatural in his own way."

  Danielle grinned. "Is he?" she asked.

  Aubrey laughed. "Not as far as I can tell," she said. "I was only with him for a few months. We never got serious but..." She shrugged. "He might be, if the rumors are true."

  "About there being more than just vampires and werewolves?" Danielle asked. Aubrey nodded. "Do you believe in them?"

  "I think there's always merit to rumors," Aubrey said. "Have I actually done any research regarding a new supernatural species? No." she shook her head. "But I'm not opposed to the idea. In fact, it would make sense, wouldn't it? There can't just be humans and vampires and werewolves. There would have to be more. What do you think?"

  Danielle pushed her brow up. "Honestly, it's too much for me to wrap my head around right now," she admitted, "but I'm not opposed to the idea. I think there might be some merit to it. Anyway, I think your ex is my case agent."

  Aubrey furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" she asked.

  "He's the agent who gets in touch with me once a week to keep me updated about my father and about any progress that's being made in his case," Danielle said. "Luke Foyer. Chiseled face. Butt simple. Sharp cheek bones. The most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen contrasting nicely against his pale face and black hair. And he looks really good in a suit. Why did you break up with him again?"

  Aubrey chuckled. "I thought you had a thing for tall, blond, and vampire," she teased. When she caught the panic in Danielle's face, she pressed her lips together in what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I won't tell. Eriksson is very attractive but I like my guys a little bit broken."

  "Is that why you guys broke up?" Danielle asked, tilting her head to the side.

  Aubrey stopped for a moment, pressing her cherry-red lips together, tilting her head to the side as she glanced up to the ceiling. She was clearly in thought, as if she could see her memories dancing on the popcorn ceiling.

  "We broke up for a lot of reasons," she finally said, returning her hazel eyes back to Danielle, "but not because he was a bad guy or I was a bad girl. His job and my job weren't compatible. I want a guy I can come home to and have conversations with about the stuff I uncover. I want to complain about the world to a guy who knows what's going on in the world. I want no barriers, no walls, no secrets between us. The guy I'm with is supposed to be my best friend. There's not supposed to be secrets, even if it's justified."

  Danielle nodded. "I can understand that," she said. "My mother has told me something similar about why she left my dad. I also think that's why he chose to stay away, so he wouldn't get too close. It would paint a target on my back." She flitted her eyes back to Aubrey. "At least, that's what I like to think."

  "I would imagine that that's true," Aubrey said. "It's why Luke felt we needed to break up. He didn't want anyone to use me against him."

  There was something in her tone that caused Danielle to pause. "You don't believe him?" she asked, perking her brow.

  Aubrey shrugged. "It's not that," she said. "Sometimes, I think that's a convenient excuse. I should be worth the risk."

  Danielle nodded. "He is gorgeous, though," she admitted.

  Aubrey threw her head back and laughed, a real, raw sound. Danielle found herself chuckling along with her.

  "Yeah, he really is," Aubrey agreed.

  It wasn't long after that when Aubrey finally left.
Danielle hadn't seen or heard from her since then but Danielle felt as though Aubrey was one of those people who, when swept into a mission, nothing and no one could distract her. But when she was ready to come back to the world and socialize, it was as though she never left in the first place. Maybe, when Aubrey was back, Danielle could introduce her to her friends and they could go out together. Maggie was the type of person who got along with anyone and the rest would open up.

  Right now, she was focusing on one of her arguments outlined in her thesis, trying not to think of Alek and putting her focus into her paper.

  Which, honestly, was biting her in the ass considering it was Jane Austen and sex and Alek kind of reminded her of Mr. Darcy, reserved, judgmental, and incredibly rich. Not that Danielle thought of herself as Elizabeth but he fit the bill quite well, and when looking for quotes in the text or rewatching the various television and film adaptions, she couldn't help but feel hot and bothered.

  Danielle would often relieve herself of the feeling by going to bed and touching herself. She tried not to think about Alek, but just remembering their night together, it would push her to her peak and she welcomed the fall.

  She really needed to go out again and forget Alek for once and for all.

  7

  Friday finally hit the week, and Danielle was ready to go back to Vampyre. Maggie insisted Danielle wear something a little more risqué, a little more appropriate for the theme of the club and not something innocent like the sundress she had worn last time. The closest thing to risqué Danielle could find in her closet was a deep purple spaghetti-strapped dress with a sweetheart cut that reached mid-thigh and hugged every curve she had to offer. She straightened her hair and left it down, and did her makeup thanks to three makeup tutorials on YouTube that emphasized the perfect way to get the smoky look on her face without looking washed out.