Madness Unhinged: Dragons of Zalara

by ML Guida

  He focused on Agnes. “Frank and I think the women were psychics or had some kind of special ability. Did Betty possess this?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never encountered a spirit this powerful so soon after their death. I–” She held up her hand as if to silence them. “Betty says sometimes things would fly around when she was angry.”

  Frank put the photos and reports in a folder. “That’s an understatement.”

  The captain burst into the room. “We found another body.”

  “Where?” Frank demanded.

  “Lutheran Hospital’s north parking lot. The body was found underneath a large pine tree near the victim’s truck.”

  The captain hurried out of the room, barking orders. Frank straightened his tie and cracked his neck. He clasped Agnes’s arm. “I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

  Before she answered, he left. Hoss tipped up Agnes’s chin. “Maybe your brother’s not such a bad guy.”

  “I never said he was. I just wanted him to believe in me.”

  “I know.” Unable to resist, his lips brushed over hers, allowing himself to indulge in the moment at her sweet taste. The nausea roasting in his stomach lessened.

  Agnes put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “What are you doing? Not now.” She breathed hard, and her voice was thick with passion, not anger.

  Hoss put his hand on her lower back. “Let’s go.”

  They left together while Frank went with his partner. Agnes insisted on driving and despite his male pride, he allowed her. He wasn’t sure how great he would have been at driving a car anyway.

  She turned out of the parking lot, the siren on top of her car screaming. “Do you think Frank’s apology means he believes what we’ve been telling him?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe.”

  She gripped the wheel tight, her knuckles turning white. “Figures. I was an idiot in thinking I could trust him.” She circled her head around as if trying to get rid of tension.

  “Don’t write him off yet. Here, let me try.” He reached over and rested his hand on the back of her neck. “Your muscles are bunched up tighter than a constricting plake.”

  “What’s a plake? Another creature on your planet?”

  “Yes, its an eight-legged creature that can curl up into a tight ball.” He massaged his fingers, and she immediately raised her shoulders, as if to ward him off.

  “Relax.”

  “Not going to be able to until we catch the bad guy.”

  He pressed his fingers deeper into her flesh, trying to work out the bunched up knots. “Listen. While you were gone, I confronted Frank about always putting you down for your abilities.”

  She glanced at him. “You did?”

  “Yes, I’d had enough of him bullying you.”

  Gratefulness flickered in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.

  “You’ll be surprised on what he said.” The tension in her neck began to unravel. He needed to get her alone and do a deep massage that made her forget everything but his fingers.

  “And?”

  “He claimed that both he and your dad constantly worried about you. They were worried you’d get hurt by using your ability and that’s why they wanted you to stop. In their strange domineering way, both he and your father were trying to protect you.”

  “I never got that feeling.”

  “Maybe you weren’t listening.”

  She jerked, knocking his hand off her shoulder. “You weren’t there, Hoss. You don’t know what it was like… The rejection, the pain, the humiliation…”

  He flinched at the anger storming through her voice. She turned the car, the wheels squealing. He had to grip the door handle to keep from bashing his head onto the dashboard, and his heart slammed against his chest.

  For the rest of the three minute ride, they were silent. A distant gulf formed between them, and he was powerless to stop it. He thought she’d want to know that her brother and her father had really cared for her, but he’d guessed wrong. He stepped right in the middle of a stinging set’s hill.

  They drove into a parking lot, swarming with cop cars. She parked the car without saying a word and got out, slamming the door so hard the car shook.

  He slowly got out, not sure how to handle her anger, but he immediately inhaled the stench of death. He hurried over to Agnes, who didn’t turn his way.

  Agnes headed for a group of officers, who were huddled around a truck that was parked next to a large pine tree.

  Agnes whipped out her badge. “Detective Malloy. Lead investigator.”

  The officers parted. A tarp covered a body.

  A tall dark officer flicked up his lapel. “Officer Jameson.” He tilted his head. “She’s over here, Detective. It’s pretty gruesome.”

  “I need to see her,” Agnes said.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He led them over to the tarp and peeled back the tarp. Hoss’s stomach tightened. Agnes released a small gasp.

  “Lord of mercy,” Agnes whispered.

  Hoss reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.

  Daidhl must have been in a frenzy of hate. Betty’s throat was savagely cut six or seven inches from left to right. She was disemboweled, her intestines lay over her right shoulder. Unfortunately, the intestine was nicked, spilling fecal matter behind her shoulder. Unlike Reese and Nybo, who had straight cuts, Betty’s cut were jagged as if Daidhl had released all of his anger. He was getting worse, more vicious, more ruthless.

  Betty’s face was ghastly. The bastard had cut triangles below each eye, peeling back the flesh. They reminded Hoss of arrows pointing to the eyes. He mumbled underneath his breath, “Was there a significance to this?”

  “Devil worship, possibly,” Officer Jameson answered. “Never seen anything so barbaric.”

  Betty also had cuts on her eyelids. The left one was at least a half-inch long.

  The ground was soaked with her blood. From the waist down, she was naked.

  “Did you find her pants or underwear?” Agnes asked.

  Officer Jameson shook his head. “No. We haven’t found anything around the body.”

  Agnes glanced at Hoss. “I’m betting he took some organs.”

  “Can I talk to you in private?”

  She nodded and allowed him to lead her away.

  “Did Betty tell you what was missing?” he asked.

  “No, but I can see why she’s so angry. I wished he’d gone after me rather than her.” Her voice was soaked in guilt.

  An image of Agnes having her face carved up, organs slashed out of her body, and her throat grisly cut, flashed in his mind, sucking the air out of his lungs. Anger and fear surged through him like an exploding star. He gripped her arms tight, not caring who saw. “Never. Never. Say that.” He shook her hard, trying to knock some sense into her guilt ridden soul.

  “Hoss, stop.”

  He growled, the dragon threatening to burst through. “Do you hear me? I won’t lose you.”

  “Hoss, please.”

  Suddenly, he inhaled the sharp smell of sour milk. He abruptly stopped, but wrapped his arm around her waist pinning her to him. Several officers gave them strange looks.

  Officer Jameson approached them. He gave Hoss a dubious look. “Detective, is anything amiss?”

  Agnes gritted her teeth. “Hoss, will you release me? You’re embarrassing me.”

  “Sorry.” He reluctantly obeyed. The sourness was growing stronger. “Do you smell it?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “Daidhl’s definitely here. He could be anybody, or he could be invisible.”

  “Stay close.”

  Frank and his partner, Jeff Holmes, arrived, and hurried over to the crime scene.

  “Oh God, Jeff. I smell spoiled milk.” Frank pulled out his gun.

  “So?”

  “The killer’s here.”

  Jeff looked around, his steely gray eyes scanning the parking lot. “Are you sure? I don’t see anyone suspicious.”

  “I told y
ou, he smells like spoiled milk.”

  “And I told you you’re crazy.”

  But Frank wasn’t looking at Jeff. He was staring over Agnes’s head, his face pale.. “Shit, Agnes! Move!”

  Officer Jameson’s brown eyes turned gold, and he opened his mouth to reveal sharp, jagged teeth. “You’re dead, Detective.”

  The evil voice was loud enough to catch the officers, who all pulled out their police specials.

  Jameson lunged for Agnes, his hand turning into a claw. He scratched Agnes, his talons ripping through her shirt and flesh. She cried out, holding her arm. Blood seeped through her fingers.

  Hoss yanked Agnes out of the way, shoving her behind him.

  Hoss growled. “You’ll pay for that, Daidhl.”

  Jameson released a mechanical laugh, stirring Hoss’s rage. Puffs of smoke exhaled out of his flaring nostrils. He tried to transform, sweat rolling down his face, but his muscles and bones wouldn’t move. He was trapped in humanoid form. It had to be the damn human blood.

  “You’re too weak to stop me.” Jameson swung, his fist hitting Hoss square in the jaw. He fell to the ground, smashing his head against the pavement. The world swam around him.

  Frank roared, “No!” He ran toward Jameson, firing repeatedly.

  “Don’t!” Hoss yelled as pushed himself up. “You’ll only make him mad.”

  Frank stepped in front of Agnes, shielding her with his body. Ignoring Hoss, Frank continued blasting Jameson. The noise was deafening, blocking out Hoss’s pleas for Frank to stop.

  Bullets riddled Jameson’s body. He released an angry shriek, then vanished.

  “Die, Agent Malloy.”

  Frank flew back almost twenty feet.

  “Frank!” Agnes screamed.

  His gun fired into the air, and he crashed into his car. Blood gushed down his nose like a wild river. His eyes fluttered shut.

  Realization slammed into Hoss. While everyone else was stunned, including Frank’s partner, Frank hadn’t panicked and had jumped into action, sacrificing himself to save his sister. He really was a hero.

  Hoss managed to pull out his eruptor and aimed it where Jameson had last stood, but if he wasn’t there, he’d kill the stunned officers.

  Blood drained from Jeff’s face. “Holy shit!” He whirled around, waving his gun in search of a visible target.

  “Get control of yourself!” Hoss glared, afraid the idiot would start shooting wildly.

  Agnes ran over to her brother’s crumpled body. “Frank! Frank!”

  Her tough exterior shattered into a thousand pieces.

  Hoss swayed as he followed her. “Stay calm. Terror is what Daidhl wants.” He tightened his grip on his eruptor ready to blast Daidhl into the Netherland if he made another ugly appearance.

  Jeff rushed past Hoss and pulled out a radio. “Agent down. Send the paramedics.” He gestured toward the shocked officers. “Fan out.”

  They came out of their stupor and followed his orders with guns pointed ahead, slowly moving across the perimeter of the parking lot.

  Hoss fell next to Agnes. “I’m sorry.”

  Tears streaked her face. “I can’t believe it. He risked his life for me.”

  “I know.” He’d never forget what Frank did for her. He hadn’t been lying. He really did care for his sister.

  “He can’t die. He just can’t.”

  “You need to stay calm. Daidhl could be lurking, ready to attack again.”

  She shook her head. “Betty says he’s gone.”

  “Why didn’t she say something earlier?”

  She wiped her cheeks. “I told you. She’s frightened, afraid that Daidhl can still hurt her.”

  Her voice was calm, but frustration flickered in her eyes and her jaw was set taut.

  “She damned well could be right,” Hoss muttered.

  “Frank, Frank! Can you hear me?” Agnes clasped her brother’s hand. “Please, don’t leave me.” She bowed her head.

  Although he felt like he’d been just thrown around in a black hole, Hoss’s senses were on red alert–his ears keen, his eyes eager, his fists ready… Ready to protect his mate at all cost. What if he couldn’t transform into a dragon? Daidhl would be unstoppable. Hoss needed help.

  A siren shrieked and rotating red lights lit up the dreary lot.

  “The place is secure,” Jeff stated, but his voice shook. Obviously, the man wasn’t totally convinced.

  Hoss hid his bitter laugh. The idiot didn’t know how wrong he could be. Daidhl could be watching, despite what Betty’s ghost said. Betty wasn’t exactly stable.

  The paramedics rushed over to Frank with a stretcher, while Agnes was still holding his hand.

  “Excuse me, ma’am.”

  “Yes, of course.” She released Frank’s hand.

  She watched them examine Frank and check his vital signs with a sorrowful gaze. Hoss wanted to tell her words of comfort, but none came to mind. She clasped Hoss’s hand with her shaking one. He squeezed hers, hoping to send her comfort.

  She raised her chin. Tears and anger glistened in her eyes. “We need to end this.”

  “I promise you we will.”

  He frowned. There was no weapon on Earth that could kill a Mistonian. He needed to contact Taog. He recalled another Mistonian invading Earth and mere humans had destroyed it, but he couldn’t remember how they had done it. Studying history wasn’t his forte. The creature hadn’t possessed the same great powers of Daidhl, but it would be a start.

  Agnes’s captain approached them. Hoss didn’t remember him being here. Was this the captain or was it Daidhl again?

  He spotted the brown sedan and thought perhaps it was the captain’s, but wasn’t sure. He thought that Frank had been driving that car.

  The captain looked down at Frank as the paramedics worked on his still body. “Agnes,” he said softly. “Go with Frank.” He gestured toward Betty’s corpse. “For now, there’s nothing else you can do. Go with Frank. He needs you.”

  Agnes bit her lip. “Thanks, Captain. You’ll keep me in contact, especially with what the coroner finds?”

  “Of course. And I am sorry, Agnes. Frank was one of the best.”

  She puffed out her chest. “He’s a Malloy. He’s not dead yet, Captain.”

  The captain bowed his head. “Yes, you’re right.”

  Hoss sniffed, but didn’t detect anything sour, but then again, he hadn’t detected the scent earlier until it was too late. He wasn’t sure if this person was the captain. He had get Agnes far away from him.

  Daidhl had said she was next.

  “Come on, Agnes.” Hoss forced himself to keep his voice normal. “We’ll follow behind the ambulance.”

  Agnes glanced over at Betty’s exposed body. “If Frank dies, I’ll kill the bastard.”

  Death reflected in her eyes. She meant it. And Hoss would be at her side to rip out the Mistonian’s black heart.

  18

  Agnes clutched Hoss’s hand in the dreary waiting room. The smell of antiseptic and anesthetics nearly choked her lungs. The buzz of the television that nobody watched made her want to scream. People murmured among themselves. The emergency doors opened as more people filed inside. Each time she held her breath, wondering if Daidhl had slipped inside to finish the job of murdering her brother.

  He was winning, and they were losing.

  The horrific scene in the parking lot replayed over and over in her mind–Jameson’s eyes turning gold and opening his mouth to reveal sharp teeth, Hoss being thrown to the ground like a rag doll, Frank rushing to protect her with his life, her being helpless. Now, Frank lay in the hospital struggling to live.

  She should have reacted faster and shot Daidhl rather than being a too-dumb-to-live-heroine. It was her fault Frank lay dying.

  Pain throbbed in her arm where Jameson had scratched her. He clawed her like a demon, nails ripping into her flesh so deeply they required stitches. She shivered uncontrollably.

  Hoss glanced at her. “Are you cold
?”

  “A little,” she lied. Terror had turned her blood to ice.

  He wrapped his arm around her, his warm body fighting the fear threatening to take her over. She was a cop like her father, a Malloy–bred to laugh at the enemy.

  But not this time.

  She hated this place. The hospital only reminded her of death and pain and misery. Hoss had survived the attack, but he was an alien. Frank was strong, but he was only human. He might not make it because of her. Her chest hurt as if it were being crushed.

  She looked around the room. Daidhl could be anywhere––a staff member, another admitting nurse, an Hispanic family huddled in one corner, an elderly woman surrounded by two younger women, or a mother with two young children… Any one of them could be Daidhl in disguise, just waiting to look at her with those deadly golden eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

  She dragged her iPad out of her purse and flicked through the pictures, trying to figure out a clue. Anything that they’d missed. Usually there was a pattern, but the victims had different color hairs, different positions, different social status. What was the connection?

  Hoss hugged her tightly, distracting her. He kissed the top of her head, sending chills down her spine. “Are you okay?”

  “Such a silly question. No.”

  He hung his head, his dark hair hiding his face.

  “I’m sorry. For the first time, I feel the killer is slipping through Justice’s fingers. And now, he’s gone after my family. Frank’s all the family I have left…”

  Her voice trailed off as a well of pain swelled in her throat.

  The victim’s hollow pictures and grisly crime scene failed to prickle anything with her. “This is so damn frustrating. I’m not getting anything from these photos. Usually, I do. Why when I need my abilities to work they’re on vacation?”

  “I don’t know.” He rubbed her knee. “Frank seems to be a tough agent. He’ll pull through.”

  “Will he? People told me my dad would. They were wrong.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s hard to lose someone you love.”

  The hardness in his voice caught her attention. She really didn’t know much about him except that he was an alien shape-shifter and a member of a space Confederation and had the best six-pack of abs she’d ever seen.