The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files Collector's Set: Books 1-10: Urban Fantasy Shifter Series

by Craig Halloran

  Smoke feigned a look of surprise. “Did what?”

  “You put that paper on my car, didn’t you!”

  “What sort of paper are you talking about? Notebook? Typing? News?”

  “Nightfall DC!” She pushed him sideways along her car.

  Chuckling a little, he let her. “Oh, never heard of it.” Giving her an all-too-knowing smile, he said, “You look like you want to hug me now.”

  Heart pounding, she reached over and squeezed his hand tight.

  His warmth raced through her.

  Throat tightening, she quickly released his hand and his warmth. “No.”

  Cyrus approached with a handful of men. “I hope you two enjoyed your little reunion, but now it’s over. I’ve got orders. Mr. Smoke, you’re going back. This investigation’s over.” Several of the armed men closed in. “Don’t try anything.”

  Smoke raised his arms over his head. “No problem, Cyrus.”

  “It’s Agent Tweel to you.”

  “Cyrus, what is your problem?” Sid said, watching the men cuff Smoke’s hands behind his back. “He’s put his neck out for you, and you treat him this way?”

  “You should have minded your own business, Sid.” Cyrus had a familiar mean look in his eyes that scared Sid a tiny bit.

  “What?” she cried. Numb from head to toe, she watched everything move in slow motion.

  Smoke was led away in cuffs. His eyes caught hers one last time before he was shoved into a black SUV.

  Cyrus got in Sid’s face, pointing at her with anger. “And you interfered with an FBI investigation and have at least a dozen other charges, too. And I’m not even sorry to do this. Agent Lee, cuff her.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Sidney sat on a cold grey metal chair bolted to the wall of a small solitary holding cell. The walls were stark white. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered. The room was stuffy and warm. She stared at the heavy metal door. There was a square portal at the top. The last time a head had gone by had to have been an hour ago. Maybe longer. Using her T-shirt sleeve, she wiped the sweat from her lip.

  Morning glory! What have I done?

  Elbows on her knees, she sank her face into the palms of her hands. It was real. She was arrested. Spread out and searched and thrown into the slammer. Her nails dug deep into her hair. Her arms flexed. She had to have been in there a long time. Three hours, she guessed. She was good with time. But inside this little room, things had gotten weird. The isolation threw her off. Worry beset her. She stomped her foot.

  “How stupid of me!”

  Megan. That was her concern. Her niece should be safe with Sam and Guppy, but no doubt the little woman-to-be would worry. Sid’s heart ached. She felt trapped. Helpless. More than a little scared now. She shifted in her chair. Got up and stretched her legs. Rose up on her tiptoes and peered through the portal. There was only the opposing wall of the corridor. She couldn’t see much at all from left to right. She hit the door with her fist. The blow made almost no sound at all.

  Keep it together. Don’t act like a criminal.

  Cyrus was right. She had interfered. If she’d kept her head down and lived the normal life, she’d be back home right now. Not waiting.

  She sighed. The processing of paperwork took hours.

  It might even run until tomorrow.

  She’d been on the other side of that heavy metal door many times before. Taking her time. Getting the paperwork ready. Not giving the person in the cell a single thought. Guilty or not, no one ever rushed for them. No one heard their pleas. Their screams. No one asked about their responsibilities, their families. They just left them. Let them rot until the system sorted it out.

  She sat back down on the bare-bones cot, pulled her legs up to her chest, and leaned back against the wall. All she heard was her own breathing. Her heart pumping in her chest. She swore her brain spun around in her head, running through every scenario and detail.

  I’m a fool.

  She had jumped into the action feet first, feeling justified. She had wanted to find Jake Miller’s killers. She had opened up a can of worms. It had gotten her cop juices flowing. She had abandoned her responsibilities because of it. All because she wanted to go out and play.

  Now Megan would pay for it.

  What if they stick it to me? What if they don’t want me out?

  What if the Drake was calling the shots all along and this was what they wanted? What if they stuck her in an orange jumper, released her into the general prison population, and let a bunch of burly cons with shivs come to kill her?

  Don’t think like that, Sid.

  Her stomach groaned. Above, the vent rattled as the air conditioner came on. It was icy cold. Chill bumps rose on her arms. Although she felt refreshed for a moment, it wasn’t long before her sweat-slicked body chilled. She started to shiver. She rubbed her crossed arms up and down. She moved away from the vent, but it didn’t do her any good. She couldn’t go far.

  Man, that’s cold.

  The temperature in the room must have dropped from ninety degrees to sixty in a minute. She stood up on the cot and stretched her fingers toward the ceiling vent, wanting to close it. She was at least a foot short.

  “Come on,” she said, teeth chattering. “This can’t last forever.” She rubbed her arms. Paced back and forth. She fought the urge to curl up under the cot like an animal.

  Come on, Sid. You’re tougher than them. Get mad. Don’t give in. Fight them.

  She’d trained in severe situations. Been through survival camps. Combat camps. Interrogation camps.

  This should be a cakewalk.

  Picking up her knees, she ran in place for fifteen minutes until the air shut off.

  Yes.

  Taking a seat and gathering her thoughts, she thought about Smoke. It stuck in her craw that he might not be getting out sooner because of her. Now he was gone again. Just when she had started to feel close to him.

  Why do I hate to admit that I miss him?

  The cold air kicked on again.

  “Damn!” She stood up. “Fine. I can take anything you can dish out.”

  The cold air went on again, off again, minute after minute, hour after hour.

  Finally exhausted, Sid let out a tormented scream.

  CHAPTER 15

  Exhausted, cold, and hungry, Sid huddled in the corner of her cell. A sound caught her ear. The cell door’s lock tumbled over, and the door swung open. Muscles stiff as boards, she pushed up into a standing position.

  A guard stepped into full view, an average guy in plain clothes, wearing an FBI jacket and ball cap. “Come with me,” he said, stepping back out of view.

  Sid headed out of the cell. The air in the hall was like a warm blanket. She followed the man down the hall and to the left, cutting across an office filled with a handful of empty cubicles. He cut into another hall, took a right, and opened a door. “Go on in. Have a seat,” he said, running his eyes over her disheveled body. He gave her a funny look. “Someone will be with you in a minute.”

  “That’s what they said last time.”

  “Sorry, I just came in. I’ve barely been briefed on it.” He smiled. “I’ll see if I can get you some coffee, but don’t count on it.”

  “Oh, I won’t.” She entered the room. It was a typical interrogation room. A hard table and chairs. A big mirror and a camera in the corner. She turned as the door closed behind her and the lock was turned into place. “Great.”

  Rubbing her hands up and down over her cold bare arms, she yawned and sat down, glancing up at the camera in the corner. The little red light wasn’t on, but that didn’t mean anything. Often, they’d watch without recording.

  Who’s watching me now?

  “Do you think I can get something to eat?” she said to the mirror. “Any chance I can make that phone call? I seem to have misplaced my phone.”

  Silence was the answer. She got out of the chair and walked around the table. At least the interrogation room was warm. That was intenti
onal. The hotter the better. They liked to make the guilty sweat. She’d conducted plenty of interviews in places like this. The FBI had little offices all over. She didn’t recognize this one, and she’d been inside many.

  How many things does the FBI do that I don’t have a clue about? Man, and they’re only one agency.

  The door popped open, and Cyrus Tweel entered. He was in a suit and looked refreshed.

  Right on his heels came Agent Lang. The petite woman in a snug pantsuit wore a sling on her arm and a frown on her face.

  “Sit down,” Cyrus said to Sid.

  “Good morning to you too, Cyrus,” she said, resuming her seat.

  He pulled out a chair for Rebecca then seated himself. “I’m sure you had a long night, but you know how paperwork goes.”

  “I know exactly how it goes! You can’t hold me like this. You threw me in a cage like a hardened criminal. Like an animal!”

  Cyrus held up his hand. “Don’t raise your voice. You’re in enough trouble already. Just so you know, I don’t have to be here. Consider it a courtesy.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sid scoffed. “Did I interrupt your morning? What’s the matter, no time for you and your little bird to snuggle?”

  “Sid, there’s no need—”

  Rebecca cut Cyrus off by whispering something in his ear.

  He cleared his throat. “Tell us everything you know about the Buffalo Brothers.” He pushed over a pad and pen. “Write it down.”

  She shook her head no. “Why?”

  “Because I said so.” He pushed his thick glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “You really need to do yourself a favor here, Sid. Things aren’t looking good for you at all. Do you know how hard it is to get a job with felonies on your record? And what about your niece, Megan? Do you want her going into a foster home?”

  “She has grandparents.”

  “That’s for the state to decide. Everything doesn’t always go your way, you know.” He tapped the table with his fingers. “The charmed life you led is finally over.”

  In disgust, she said, “What are you talking about?”

  His frosty eyes locked on hers. “Just start writing.”

  She slid the paper over and started to draw, humming as she did it. She lifted the top edge of the paper so that they couldn’t see it. “No peeking.” Like a schoolgirl, she bit on her tongue as she drew an obscene gesture on the paper.

  Cyrus and Rebecca glared at her.

  Finished, Sid tore the paper off the pad, folded it in half, and slid it over.

  “A little quick,” he said. He unfolded the paper in front of him and Rebecca and huffed. “Cute, Sid. Real cute.”

  “That’s for the both of your eyes only,” Sid said. “I’m sorry. You and your little bird look upset. Am I going to be additionally charged with insulting a federal officer now?” She leaned back in her chair. “I wonder if you can make that stick.”

  Cyrus wadded up the paper and tossed it aside.

  Rebecca whispered something else in his ear.

  He nodded. Rising from his seat, he said, “I gave you a chance. You blew it.”

  “What, you’re leaving me?” Sid said, rolling her eyes. “How disappointing.”

  The door opened and the agent from earlier came in with a cup of coffee in his hand. Rebecca slid into his path, plucked the coffee cup from his hand, and said with a smile at Sid, “Why, thank you.”

  Cyrus followed her out, saying, “Have fun in the hole. I hear it can be rather chilly at times.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Sitting in the cell with her knees bouncing up and down, Sid pondered her situation. Cyrus was using coercion. Trying to pick her brain for some reason. She didn’t really have anything, but she wasn’t going to let him know that. She leaned her head back against the wall.

  “Shoot.”

  She’d broken at least five laws in the last twenty-four hours. Sure, it was minor. Scuffing up against Rebecca while she sat in Smoke’s car didn’t seem like much, but it could be a problem. She’d seen things like this happen all the time. Agents getting out of control with their authority. It wasn’t a problem agent on agent. But civilian on agent? Especially with an agent who had a grudge against you? That was different.

  What cards do you have, Sid? Let them think you know something? Get them to drop the charges then exchange nothing? Maybe my unlawful imprisonment is a good example. No food. No visits to the bathroom. No calls. She slapped her head. Megan. I need to be taking Megan to school right now!

  She hit the wall, winced, and shook her hand. The air conditioning fan kicked on. She balled up. Her eyes started to swell and her chest tightened.

  I’m such a fool. Such a fool I am. Get it together, Sid. Don’t let Cyrus and that little twit win.

  She shuddered a breath and then recited the Serenity Prayer. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Her head sank between her knees. “Amen.”

  A moment later, the A/C fan kicked off. The cell door opened.

  She lifted her head and saw Section Chief Ted Howard standing there.

  “Sid,” he said, stepping inside and clasping her hands. “I’m sorry about this. I just got word and made it over here as fast as I could. Come on. Let’s get you sorted out and back on your feet.”

  She studied his face. Ted was a hard man at times. Tough. Old school. The hard lines on his face were softened by the sad look in his eyes. She took his hand. “No games, Ted.”

  “No, friend.”

  ***

  Sid was inside a small office furnished only with a desk and half a dozen chairs. There weren’t any decorations or evidence of personal effects. It was a typical satellite office, a place agents used when they went undercover. A place to meet. To plan. Off the radar from the main office. For the most part, the building was run by a skeleton crew that might consist of one field agent acting as a supervisor or guard.

  Ted sat behind the metal desk in an old wooden swivel chair. His navy-blue suit jacket hung on an old coat rack in the corner. He rolled up his sleeves, exposing his husky forearms, and loosened his tie. He helped himself to something from a box of donuts and shoved them over.

  Sid sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup that read Donut Connection. Ted had given her some time to get cleaned up and make a call. Megan was fine, thanks to Sam, and had made it to school. Starving, she eyed the donuts, reached in, and plucked out an apple cinnamon. “So, did you pick these up as you rushed to come and see me?”

  Taken aback, Ted said, “Well, I figured you’d be hungry. And it was on the way.”

  “Isn’t there always one on the way?” She bit into the donut and chewed. This is the best donut I’ve ever had in my life. Washing it down with coffee, she grabbed another. “Bavarian. Interesting variety, Ted. Looks like it might have taken some time to pick out.”

  “Oh, don’t start, Sid. I didn’t have to bring anything at all, you know.”

  “You’ve known I was in there since last night, haven’t you.”

  He looked her dead in the eye and said, “No.”

  She believed him.

  “Okay. So what’s happening now? Am I under arrest or not?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “Yes and no? What does that mean, ‘yes and no’?”

  “I’ve gotten word that they,” he said, making air quotes, “want you back on the Black Slate.”

  “Aren’t Cyrus and Agent Lang handling that now?” she said, easing back into her chair. She made a face and tilted her head sideways when she said Agent Lang.

  “Your sudden departure had consequences, Sid. Cyrus hounded me. Hell, he hounded everyone he could, trying to get into the Black Slate.” Ted shook his head. “He’d kill to be a shadow agent. I really think he would. Well, somebody above gave him the pass. They even let him pick his team. He picked Rebecca.”

  Sid hitched her brow. “His girlfriend?”

  “Act
ually, I think she has some connections that even I don’t know about. I’ve never seen an agent so young promoted so fast. Anyway, as I understand it, the powers that be gave Cyrus what he wanted. Part of the reason was his familiarity with John Smoke and you. They even apprehended somebody on the Slate already.”

  Sid sat up and scooted her chair closer. “What? Really? Who?”

  “I can’t say.”

  Suddenly, the office door was flung open. Cyrus and Rebecca stormed in.

  Cyrus slapped a document onto Ted’s desk. “This is not happening!”

  Rebecca, blue eyes smoldering like fires and arms crossed over her chest, huddled up to Cyrus’s side and added, “You better not do this, Ted. You need to butt out!”

  CHAPTER 17

  “Excuse me,” Sid said. “What is going on here?”

  “You shut up!” Rebecca shot back at Sid. “You washed-up has-been!”

  Sid sprang out of her seat, pinned Rebecca down on the desk, and growled in the petite woman’s ear, “Don’t ever tell me to shut up.”

  “Get off her!” Cyrus said, taking Sid by the arm.

  Sid twisted away and released Rebecca.

  “I’m pressing charges! I’m pressing charges!” Rebecca cried out. Adjusting her glasses, the mousy little woman practically screamed, “Arrest her, Cyrus!”

  Ted stood up with his fists on his desk and shouted over everyone in a thunderous voice. “No one is arresting anybody! Now sit down!”

  Scowling, Rebecca pulled a chair over to the left of Cyrus, who took a seat to the left of Sid.

  “I expect better from my agents,” Ted said, slowly sitting back down.

  Kicking her crossed leg, Rebecca said, “She’s not an agent.”

  “Agent Lang,” Ted said.

  “What?”

  He glared at her. “Call me Sir or Section Chief. Got it?”

  Rebecca stuck her chest out and saluted. “Yes, Sir.”

  Ted took a breath and picked up the document Cyrus had slapped onto the desk. Examining it, he said to Cyrus, “I have no problem with this. You shouldn’t either.”