by D. N. Hoxa
He shook his head, smiling. “No, we don’t.”
Word on the street was that Xander Ramos organized some of the biggest heists in the country. There was never any evidence tying anything to him, but those rumors had to be based on something. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to steal the dragon blood from the ECU. In fact, I’d be glad. That blood had been Julian’s, and though I’d had to return it to keep the whole world off my back, it didn’t mean I liked to know the ECU board members had it.
Five
You know why it sucks for a paranormal to go to a coffee shop full of humans?
You have to remind the waiter what you ordered at least five times.
I was sitting at a corner, my phone in front of me, and the same waiter came to ask me what I wanted for the fourth time in the last five minutes.
“Do you have a pen?” I asked.
The guy nodded. He was young and probably new at his job, too. Sweat covered his forehead.
On a napkin, I wrote my order down: black, large. Really easy to remember. I should have just written it down the first time and spared both myself and the waiter. When the coffee finally arrived, I felt a little bit better.
Finn’s number played over in my mind as I drank. Calling him was never easy, especially since I needed to ask him for help. The last time I’d done it, he sent me right where I came from—only four bomb stones richer.
With that thought in mind, I dialed the number.
“Finn speaking,” he answered after the second ring.
Clearing my throat, I sat up a bit straighter in my chair as if he could see me. “It’s Winter Wayne,” I said, then rolled my eyes to myself. The guy knew my last name very well.
A second of silence. “What do you want, Bone?” Finn said.
“Can’t I just call to say hi for old times’ sake?”
Finn laughed. “Absolutely. But we both know that’s not what you’re calling for.”
“So why haven’t you hung up yet?” I grinned at myself and sipped my coffee.
“Because I want to know what you’re up to,” he said. “What are you up to, Bone?”
“Nothing. In fact, I’m enjoying a cup of coffee in a human coffee shop.” He could hear the grin in my voice.
“I hope it isn’t as boring as it sounds,” Finn said, but it was. I was one of four people in the place. There was hardly any noise, even. “So what is it?”
“I’m working on a case,” I started. I didn’t exactly need to be careful with what I said to Finn because he already knew as much as I did—probably more. But there was still that feeling in my chest whenever I spoke to him. I’d only ever known him as my boss, and that feeling wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.
“Is that so?”
“You can’t tell anyone about it, though.”
Another laugh. “Nothing’s ever easy with you, is it?”
“Where’s the fun in easy?” I said and let him laugh it out for a second. “But seriously, nobody can know.”
“I already know. I talked to Peterson earlier.” Well, that definitely took the edge off the pressure.
“I need information.”
“We all need information. It’s a hopeless case, Bone. Drop it. I would if I could.”
“I’m not going to drop it.” Was he kidding me? It was my first case!
“Nobody’s got anything on those werewolves. I’m telling you, it’s hopeless. They’ve disappeared, and nobody can find them. I’ve had all my agents on it for days now, and we haven’t been able to come up with a single decent clue.”
“Damn it,” I hissed, more at myself than at him. There was always the chance that Finn was lying to me, but I didn’t think so. It didn’t sound like he was lying. “How is this possible?”
Finn sighed, and the speaker of my phone whistled. “No fucking idea. Whoever they are, they’re very good at erasing their tracks.”
“You’re not just saying this to get me off your back, are you?”
“Unfortunately not. I could use a favor from you in the future, but I got nothing.”
“Thanks for nothing,” I mumbled.
“Hey, wait a second. Since I picked up the phone and actually talked to you, I’m going to need half a favor in return.”
Oh, that old werewolf. “Only half?”
“Yeah, just half. As soon as you find anything, give me another call and let me know.”
This time, I laughed. “Will you do the same?”
“Probably not.” At least he was honest.
“In that case, I’ll call you with the first thing I find. The first thing only.”
Finn didn’t hesitate. “Good enough for me. Good luck, Bone.”
I was definitely going to need it.
Calling the waiter back to pay the bill meant wasting another five minutes so I left enough money on the table for the coffee and a tip, and walked out. The sun wouldn’t set for a few more hours. With Turtle, I would have more than enough time to get to Delaware. Since nobody would give me any useful information, I was going to have to go get it myself.
***
According to the file Peterson had given me, pretty much all the houses around the River were full of Green witches. I had to wait for a good half hour in my car before leaving it on the main street and continuing on foot. A car like mine would definitely attract attention, and I was not supposed to be seen anywhere near the coven. I had to steer clear of the pathway and hide in the trees that lined it, just in case someone passed by.
The trees were dense and too green for January. They made getting closer to the houses very easy, but I was still on edge. This was my first mission, and if somebody saw me, it would all be over before it even began. I had to learn to handle the pressure and stop sweating like my ass was on fire, and fast. The smell of wet wood and menthol hit my nostrils hard as I grew closer to the community, which was sealed shut tightly by countless Green spells. Cursing under my breath, I stopped walking and assessed my surroundings.
Trees on both sides. The moonlight couldn’t pierce through all those branches and leaves, so it was very dark, too. The only lights I could make out were at least twenty feet away. Probably the lampposts around the driveway. Cursing under my breath, I made my way towards them. The only way I was getting through all those spells without ringing any alarms was if I was with a witch who had access. Which meant I had to wait for someone to pass by with a vehicle I could climb on unnoticed.
I’d done worse while I worked for Finn, but these things annoyed the hell out of me. Hiding behind a tree trunk two feet away from the dirt driveway, I waited. This wasn’t going to take long. Somebody was going to drive by any second now…
An hour later, I was ready to call it quits and just go home already. Three cars drove right by me, but they were just cars. Nowhere to hold onto if I didn’t want to be seen. The headlights I could see approaching didn’t look very promising, either. My legs were numb from sitting on hard ground for too long so I stood up. Whoever was coming was my last chance.
A truck. A white and ugly truck with more than enough space for me in the back. Hallelujah.
But the white, ugly truck was moving fast. Too fast for me to run after and jump on.
“Goddamn it,” I hissed and raised my left arm without a second’s hesitation. My beads shot forward, lightning fast. With my fingers, I stopped all but one. Just as the truck passed me, my bead went through its front tire.
I didn’t want to cause trouble, but it was the only chance I had. The truck stopped five feet away from me. Two men came out, cursing loudly like they didn’t care who heard. Slowly, I walked closer and closer until I could clearly see them. The tire was almost completely flat already. I grinned at my beads, swirling around my hand. Good job.
The two men did not stop saying fuck for a whole minute. It took them a few more to change the tire and throw the old one on the truck. When they turned the ignition on again, I got my chance. Without hesitation, I ran forward.
The truck was already in
motion when I grabbed the back panel. A second later, the driver hit the gas, and my feet were knocked from under me. There was no time to try and hide from the rearview mirror and the side ones. If I was going to get in the truck, I needed to push my body up as high as I could. If they saw or heard me, I’d be screwed, but until then, I pulled my body up with all my strength, then fell forward.
When my face hit the bed of the truck, it sounded to me like the whole world heard. There was fur inside my mouth, and though I was disgusted, I didn’t dare move before making sure that I hadn’t been spotted.
But the truck didn’t stop. It didn’t slow down, either. With a loud sigh, I pushed up with my hands, just a bit. The smell of wet wood and menthol filled me from head to toe as soon as I raised my head. Where there had been just trees a moment ago, now there were houses. Big and small, lots of them, on all sides. And witches. Witches were everywhere.
I should have definitely thought about this more. As it was, I lowered my head again and laid down on the piece of dirty fur that covered the bed of the truck. No time to be disgusted. No time to think of a better plan, either. It was just time to wait—again—and hope nobody saw me.
By some miracle, the truck stopped moving two minutes later. No lights around but then again, I couldn’t see very well. The two men climbed out of the cab, talking to each other about some witch they both wanted to bang.
Please, please, please, I thought. Please don’t look in the back.
Seconds passed, and the sound of their voices faded. I didn’t hesitate. As silently as I could, I jumped to the ground, then hid behind the truck for a second to catch my breath and see if people were around me.
I was in between two houses. There were lights on front and back, but not the sides. All I needed to do now was move without being seen and figure out where house number twenty-four was. When I was sure that nobody was looking my way, I pulled up the hood of my jacket, and I walked out into the main street.
Taking in deep breaths, I managed to somewhat calm my racing heart. Getting caught was out of the question, so I kept my head down every time a witch passed me by. All the houses had large blue numbers mounted above their doors, so I found Austin Marshall’s house in less then ten minutes. The three-story building looked sad somehow. Out of all the houses on that street, this was the only one with not a single light on. The grass on its front yard wasn’t as green as the neighbor’s either, and the single tree in it looked dead. Grief was written all over it, and I wondered if someone even lived there anymore.
After looking around the street and making sure nobody was watching me, I approached the tall black gates running. No smell caught my nostrils as I approached, which could only mean that there really wasn’t anyone in there. Maybe the Marshalls had moved out? Not unlikely after having their son disappear into thin air.
No one stopped me when I pushed the gate open and walked into the front yard. The eerie silence almost made me turn right around and leave, but I held my ground. With a deep breath, I slowly walked up the driveway and to the front door. Nothing moved around me. A bad feeling gripped me by the throat as I tried the knob. Locked. Part of me still wanted to turn around and run, but I was already there, and I wasn’t leaving without taking a look around. So I took a step back, and I raised my left hand just a bit. In response, my beads buzzed with excitement. I sent them flying fast to the knob.
The sound of wood breaking and metal bending was deafening against the reigning silence. Heart in my throat, I turned around to look at the street, sure that someone was there, watching me. But I was still alone.
Without wasting another second, I pushed the broken door open and walked inside the house.
Half an hour later, I walked out, cursing under my breath. There wasn’t a single damn thing out of its place in that huge house. Everything was made of marble, and expensive decorations layered in dust filled every corner of every huge room. It was uncomfortable how perfect everything in there was. Perfect and lifeless. I’d just wasted my time. If there ever had been a clue that could lead me to the kidnappers, the ECU had probably found it a long time ago.
Next on my list was Cara Hughes’s apartment, but now that I’d seen Austin Marshall’s house, I didn’t expect to find anything there. This was the first time in my life that I had no fucking clue about what to do next, and let me tell you, it felt like the end of the world.
“A little help here would be nice,” I mumbled at the dark sky like I’d lost my mind. I was that desperate. But help didn’t just come to you when you needed it. You had to make it happen yourself.
With my head down, I closed the gates and walked out on the street again. Getting out of the community wasn’t going to be as difficult as getting in because I wasn’t going to trigger any protection spell. I didn’t need a Green witch to be with me.
I rushed my steps until the houses became a blur to my sides. I was so deeply lost in thought, panicking over what I was going to do if I found no clues, that I almost missed the three huge werewolves in front of one of the houses to my left. I stopped in my tracks. House number seventy-one. If I wasn’t mistaken, this was William Peterson’s house.
The ECU werewolves had their arms folded in front of them, their crisp black suits with not a wrinkle on them. Not only that, but behind them, sitting on the porch, were two other men. Probably Green witches. They were guarding Peterson’s children.
I should have just turned around and gotten out of there, but my gut wouldn’t let me. It was telling me that I needed to get inside that house, see Peterson’s children, try to figure out what the kidnappers were after. Was it power? Money? Good looks?
I’d gone all the way to Delaware, hadn’t I? Since I was there, it couldn’t hurt to take a look. I just needed to find a way to get in without alerting the five guards. Shit. This was going to be really tough.
Spells were out of the question. They would trigger alarms I didn’t want to trigger, but my beads weren’t spells. Technically. They weren’t going to get me in trouble—unless I wanted them to. Using them to distract those guards was my only chance. I was well aware that this could backfire, I could get caught and everything would go to hell once the ECU imprisoned me, but I had to do it. I had to see the people those kidnappers were after. If I could figure out anything unusual about them, I’d have my next clue.
Two black trucks were parked in front of Peterson’s house—the only thing keeping the guards from seeing me across the street. With shaking fingers, I sent my beads over to them, slowly, steadily, until I had them all where I wanted them: three under one truck, and two under the other. My fingers were stretched out and with my heart in my throat, I pushed them up once.
Thump.
The noise coming from under the cars echoed in the silent neighborhood. I crossed the street as fast as I could without running, and jumped into the front yard of the house right next to Peterson’s. The two Green witch guards had stood up, and they were looking at the trucks, same as the ECU werewolves. I pushed the beads up again, and they hit the bottom of the trucks, harder this time.
The werewolves drew out their guns. The Green witches stepped down from the porch. This was it. I pushed my beads up for the last time. The guards ran forward. I took my chance, and I jumped over the low fence of the neighbor’s house. Looking back to see if anybody saw me wasn’t going to do me any favors, so I didn’t. I just ran to the side of Peterson’s house until the shadows swallowed me. With my back against the wall, I took a second to calm my breathing and see if somebody was after me. My gun was in one hand and a knife in the other. My beads were ready, too, just in case somebody saw me, but when nothing around me moved for half a minute, I did.
Peterson’s house was two stories high, and I was at the side of it. I had no doubt that more guards were in the back so if I wanted to get in, I was going to have to use the flowering vines and the panel that held them together. There was a window I could see right under the roof and with any luck, I could fit in there and get insi
de without anyone seeing.
Climbing up the vines was much harder than I thought it would be. My fingers slipped and the fear of breaking the panel and falling was always there, breathing down my neck. But the vines only covered the first floor of the house. The window I was aiming for was pretty far. Reaching it was impossible—unless I managed to shove a knife into the wall and pull myself a little farther up.
By the time I managed to get close enough to the window to break it, I was no longer concerned about the noise. Screw the guards. I was tired, sweating like a pig, and my hands and arms were shaking like mad. I hadn’t exercised in a long time, and it was showing.
My fingers were completely torn and bloody from all the broken glass. When my torso was inside the window, a cry escaped me. My muscles were burning, and I was pissed off, but I was inside. I was inside, and nobody was after me yet so I was fine. I took a moment to catch my breath and get the small pieces of broken glass out of my fingers.
The attic was dark and full of dust. Wooden boxes of every size filled the small room with a very low roof and left very little space to walk around. No smell other than dust I could detect, but that didn’t mean that the door wasn’t spelled on the other side. Getting out of there was going to be tricky, but it was a necessary risk. I had to see Peterson’s children.
Searching the floor for the door was easier than I imagined. Smiling, I rushed to it as soon as I saw it, careful not to accidentally knock over any of the boxes around me. But when I was a foot away from the door, I had to stop in my tracks again.
To my left, a small space was lined in a perfect half circle with same size wooden boxes. It was so dark, I could barely see. In the center was the smallest table I’d ever seen with three little chairs around it and lots of plastic dishes on it. Two of the chairs were occupied by dolls, and the third, by a little girl who was looking right at me.
My whole body froze, and suddenly, every horror movie I’d ever seen came back to my mind in a rush. Shit. Was this a fucking ghost? My luck couldn’t suck that badly, could it?
