by Sydney Addae
“There were no bodies we could identify at the trash site, Sir,” a trainee told Angus. “We searched through the recycled boxes, most had been emptied and their contents incinerated. She’s not there.”
After five long hours, 20 trainees returned to the compound, filthy, without any additional clues.
“Good work, get cleaned up, grab something to eat, and file your reports. We meet in the training room in five hours at two a.m.”
“Yes, Sir.” The men grabbed their bags and left his office. Tyrese and Angus stared at the monitors, reviewing information. “What are we missing?” Angus asked. “She couldn’t have just disappeared.”
“What does “it’s one of us” mean” Tyrese asked, rubbing his forehead.
“Someone who works in the compound I guess, an inside job?” He glanced at Tyrese. “Jacques is running checks on communication logs, leave requests, anyone who’s left the compound. We’ll split up the information, start an electronic board on anyone with a pattern. Silas orders, we start in-house and with the school staff before looking outside.”
Tyrese nodded.
Byte growled and lifted his head as Crescent Blue approached the console. “After reviewing the tapes, the only way to have left the school would have been in the box and then in the truck. No one entered or left the building.”
Angus nodded, wondering where Blue was going with this.
“I’ve checked the records, there is a period of time unaccounted for between when the truck left the school and arrived at the trash station.”
Tyrese and Angus stared at him.
Blue placed a flash drive into the computer. Time schedules flashed on the overhead monitors. “These are the times the truck has made the drive between the school and the station.” Several pages scrolled across the screen. “Over the past three months the times have been consistent with the exception of this past week. Note the variations. It starts small but has grown. Today there’s 10 minutes unaccounted for.”
Angus stared at the screen. “I’ll be damned.”
Tyrese stood. “I’ll bring these drivers in myself.” He looked at Blue. “Let’s go.”
Crescent nodded and followed him out. Angus updated Silas.
“The past three months? Good work. Has Jacques sent the files over that you need?”
“Not yet. But we don’t meet for another four and a half hours. Did you want to listen in while we talk to the men from the truck?”
“Maybe, keep me informed.”
An hour and a half later, Tyrese, Blue, and the two full-bloods from the truck, entered their offices. Twenty-eight KnightForce trainees stared at them from behind monitors instead of going through timesheets and employee files.
Angus had the drivers sit in front of their impromptu audience as he waited for Asia and Hawke. Damian had been one of the trainees who returned early to see if there had been any new developments, and worked alongside the others filtering information. Questioning the workers would be a nice break from the tedium.
Asia and Hawked walked in and stared at the two men. Angus wanted Asia to verify the truth of whatever the men had to say. She strode forward, took the hand of the first man and asked his name.
“Grady Beef.” His hand shook and then she released it. Taking the second man’s hand, she asked the same question.
“Phil Rooks.” Asia held his hand a little longer and then stepped back. She looked at Hawke, and they left the room.
“Asia said they made stops but it had nothing to do with the boxes and they don’t know anything about Sarita or what happened,” Hawke told Angus.
Unsurprised at their findings, Angus never thought it’d be that easy, but he’d had high hopes. Now they’d discover why the change in pattern. Angus stood in front of the trainees.
“Crescent Blue noticed a discrepancy in the times,” Angus said, and went on to explain what they found and the reason the two men were at the front of the class. “If your ID number ends with the number 5, step forward.”
Three men approached him.
“During the next hour you’ll take turns asking questions to discover what happened. They don’t know why they’ve been brought here, so you have the element of surprise.” He looked at those seated. “Everyone pay attention, we’ll discuss and evaluate this interrogation later.” Angus stepped aside and the three trainees approached the two men.
Asia stood just outside the KnightForce training area and leaned against Hawke. He rubbed her back, offering comfort while his heart raced and turbulent emotions battled in his chest.
“Still no luck?” she asked.
Hawke’s hand paused and then continued. “No, I can’t sense her, it’s like she vanished.” He rubbed his chin against her forehead. “I’ve no idea what happened or how.”
Half listening to the impromptu interrogation, she wondered how the trainees would react when they learned the men made a stop so Rooks could visit his mother. The full-blood broke her leg while hunting in the forest and the healing was taking longer than he thought it should. That stop, while on the clock, made him a brief suspect and shouldn’t take long to discover the truth.
Asia looked at her watch and groaned. Eight hours had passed since her daughter went missing and they had no clues.
“Let’s go to the main office and look at everything that’s come in with a fresh pair of eyes,” Hawke said, taking her hand and leading her toward the entrance across the hall. When she stepped inside, Mope sat at the desk. He stood and nodded.
“I’m going over the pictures of everything to see if I missed anything, Ma’am,” he said.
Asia appreciated his dedication and stepped around the desk to see the large monitor. “Did you?”
Mope released a sigh and shook his head. “Not yet, Ma’am. But Blue is on the right track even if the drivers don’t present a solid lead. She was taken from this building, if not by that truck, then by someone else leaving.”
He touched a button and the security feed played. “This is the first time anyone left this building all day, other than the trash. I’ve searched outside, there are no blind spots, every inch of the outside is covered. La Patroness believed she was still in the building as we searched, and I agree.”
Asia bent forward and watched as parents entered the building or students were in line waiting to be picked up outside. There was no bus service for elementary students and upperclassmen could not access the lower floors without notice. The cameras and alarm system would’ve triggered anyone attempting to use the stairwells to change floors.
“So someone walked her out the building? Carried her? How did she leave?” Asia asked staring at the screen.
“I don’t know, yet, Ma’am,” Mope said. “There are 10 students who responded indifferently to what happened to Sarita, I’ve watched them leave the building.” He zeroed in on each student and their parent or caregiver who picked them up. For the next three hours they watched tapes and looked at pictures of the school. Asia noted worried looks on the faces of the staff, not guilt.
Asia pointed at the screen. “Who’s that?”
Mope looked at the photos of the students lying on the desk in front of him and then back at the screen. “Jacob Myers.”
“Who’s that picking him up?”
“Not sure, Ma’am.” He handed her a folder. “Here’s the information we found on his family. When KF went to his home, we were unable to locate them to answer questions.”
“Questions? What kind of questions?” Hawke asked.
“How he felt about what happened in school? Did he and Sarita get along? Did he know anyone who disliked her? Those types of questions, Sir,” Mope said.
Hawke nodded. “As long as we’re not punishing pups.”
“No, Sir, just general question and watch how he reacts, smell if he’s lying.”
“Jacob got into that car, but I can’t see the tag, can you blow it up?” Asia strained to see, but there were too many other cars in the way.
“No, Ma’am, I wrote down
the first three letters.” He held the page up so she could see.
“Have you run it?” she asked.
“Yes, Ma’am, but there are 8,178 vehicles of that make, model, and color with those three letters registered.”
Asia and Hawke sat side by side, reviewing more pictures and tape, comparing notes and coming up with nothing.
Two and a half hours later, the door opened and Angus walked inside. “Trant is gone.”
Chapter 20
Countdown clock: 54 hours remaining
Asia, Mope, and several other KnightForce trainees searched Anita Trant’s home. Nothing seemed out of place or hinted that a child had been on the premises. The floral print sofa and loveseat created an L shape in the small living area. Brightly colored pictures graced the walls. Small craft objects from students were placed in positions of honor on the mantle and in curio cases. Asia looked at the pictures of Trant and her students in the classroom and on trips. Hints of vanilla, savory seasonings, beef, and cantaloupe lingered in the air.
The doors and windows remained intact with no signs of forced entry. Had something foul happened to the woman? Asia had no idea and spoke to the men assigned to watch Trant.
“Every hour at a quarter past, I scanned the house to be sure she was okay. At 4:15, there was no heartbeat. Both of us scanned and then approached the house. We knocked, there was no answer. We searched the perimeter. All the windows were locked except one, we entered the house through that window.”
“And it was like this?” she asked looking around.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Asia watched the two men speak to a member on the forensics team before heading out front to talk to Angus.
“Still no word on Armin Bret,” Angus said.
“Bret?” Asia asked.
“The last parent on Mope’s list. Jacob Myers went to spend the three-day weekend with his grandparents in Chockly, our team met up with him and asked a few questions. He simply didn’t like her, thought she was stuck up since she didn’t say hi when he spoke to her.” Angus shrugged.
Asia nodded, she didn’t think any of the kids at school were involved. “Trant’s car is still in the garage.”
“Yeah.” He looked at her. “What’s your gut feeling about Trant?”
“She loved kids, loved her job, I don’t see her involved in this.”
“Me neither, but everything, or the teaspoon of information we’ve found, says she is involved. I get why someone would frame the teacher, but they aren’t leaving enough clues for us to take her down when we find her.” He looked at the house.
Mope walked toward them. “Sir, Ma’am, there is another scent in the house, it’s faint, but it’s there.”
Angus and Asia followed him inside to the area near the window that had been unlocked. “Right here.”
Asia inhaled, nothing. Shutting out everything else, she caught it and looked at Angus. His brow rose and then a thoughtful expression crossed his face.
“Masculine,” Mope said. “But there was something else, I can’t place it.”
Asia agreed it was masculine but that made less sense. “Perhaps the scent is old, maybe she had company earlier this week or something.” She looked around, hating these small but critical delays that could lead to a major clue.
“This scent reminds me of someone,” Angus said. “I need to make a call.”
Asia nodded and moved to the side. A few moments later Angus inhaled again and then met her gaze. “Velris Fresm, works at the Hellhound bar in town. Nice guy, always smelled like mint and roses, weird scent I always thought.”
Asia never visited the place. “What was he doing here?”
“He’s on vacation, was supposed to return to work yesterday, never showed up. That’s the first time he ever missed a day. They sent someone to his place and he’s gone, just like here.”
“There was only one heart beat last night, Trant left alone, maybe she went to meet him somewhere? Think they left together?” she asked Angus.
“That’s a possibility. I ordered a full background report on Velris, we should know more about him soon. I sent a man over to take statements from his co-workers and will send a team to his place to see if there are any clues to explain his being here. Hopefully her scent is at his place as well.”
Asia placed both index fingers against her lips and then looked at him. “So why leave during the night? Because of security, or was she afraid?” Asia called Mope over. The clock was ticking.
“Yes, Ma’am?”
“Take a few men and canvas the area. She would only walk so far, either someone picked her up or she had a car stashed. Start at the apartment building two blocks over. That would be the place I’d leave a car. Talk to everyone, see if anyone saw a man or woman get into a car between 3:15 and 4:45 this morning. Let me know what you find.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Mope waved to two men on his team in gold uniforms and they took off running in the direction of the apartments.
Asia searched in several directions, wondering what Ms. Trant did or thought when she left through the window.
Coerced?
Possibly, even though there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle. Her stomach clenched over the idea of such a nice woman being in danger. Asia returned to the front of the house to meet with Angus. They needed a break soon.
Her head throbbed with a potent cocktail of anger, guilt, and a thousand memories of Sarita. Unclenching her fist, she walked to the garage, where a team went through Ms. Trant’s car and sent hair and skin samples to the lab as well as fingerprints.
“Anything from Rese on the staff?”
Tyrese had remained at the compound to oversee the trainees pour through personnel records searching for anything out of the ordinary. David’s remark from Grandfather had set off a witch-hunt and La Patron required everyone be researched.
“Not yet,” Angus said. “The team interviewing people in town and at the hotels are going over guest registers and running background checks. I’ve granted them clearance and we should have some information on them soon. I never realized so many people visited from out of town and stayed at the hotels.”
“Maybe we should send these trainees into town to help since there are two hotels. One chain and the other privately owned.” She knew about those from her days working with the Liege. She and other operatives always stayed at the chain hotel. A full-blood owned the other and was too nosy for their needs.
Angus faced the house and 10 trainees strode toward them. “They need help in town interviewing hotel guests. Make sure you document and record each interview, send the feed to the training center so we can review it later.” He looked at each one. “The clock is ticking and La Patron will shut this program down and remove your status as Alpha Trained if we fail in this assignment. I don’t need to remind any of you how important it is to be thorough in everything. Do not abuse pack members, but be firm with your questioning, apologize for any inconvenience in advance, and offer refreshments for those who are awakened from sleep. Keep it professional, but never lose sight of our goal. Is that clear?”
Hawke had mentioned La Patron’s promise to dismantle KnightForce if they couldn’t produce Sarita before Tuesday morning when school started, but hearing Angus tell the trainees made it more real.
“Yes, Sir,” they said in unison and turned to her. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Her heart clenched at the show of exceptional support. These men would do everything within their power to find her daughter, if she was different, more emotional perhaps, she’d hug them. Instead she nodded, accepting their pledge.
They left and she blinked fast to clear the extra moisture. “The team in town heard the same message?” Unable to link with anyone but Mistress and Hawke, Asia appreciated Angus giving that speech so she could hear.
“Yes, they’re setting up stations in the conference rooms, Tyrese sent cameras and additional laptops. The extra hands will help, but the space will limit how many they can see at
a time.”
Asia nodded. “And we’re providing a breakfast buffet?” The hotel would be happy and it was good PR.
“Yes, Rese took care of it.” Angus paused and tilted his head to the side before looking at her. “Seems your idea of canvassing the apartment first hit gold. Mope talked to someone who saw a man early this morning walk from this direction and drive off in a car. Mope’s getting his statement now while the others continue talking to people.”
Asia’s inhaled and then released it slowly. More strings to pull and unravel this mess. She prayed to the Goddess for Sarita’s safety and for one hour alone with the person responsible.
Chapter 21
Elyria sat at her desk flicking through channels on the monitor. Nothing. La Patron had muzzled the news so that the kidnapping at the elementary school wasn’t reported. She sat back, surprised the underground stations that supported “full-blood only” agendas didn’t report his most recent failure to keep the pack safe. Disappointed no one knew of her great achievement, she checked the feed on her security monitors for uninvited guests or KnightForce. After a few seconds she exhaled in relief that no one found them yet.
Falling asleep earlier had been risky, just like this whole plan, but she had needed to recharge to think clearly. The world hadn’t ended. She survived. The Goddess smiled on her again.
The most powerful pack members on the planet were unable to stop her as she pulled off the coup of the century. Her smile brightened. Taking time to study and learn how to merge elements from the earth paid off.
Mam would be proud.
No longer fearful of anyone storming her den, she stretched and made plans to train, maybe work on Trant to learn why she hadn’t died with the transference. The message to her contact seeking a safe haven went through a series of security checks, he’d receive it today and respond. Regardless of his response, they’d leave tonight, to do otherwise would throw the Goddess gift of safety in her face.
Her stomach growled and she wondered if Sarita was awake and hungry. Standing, she took a quick glance in the mirror. Trant’s body remained perfectly in place. When she released Sarita from Cyndy’s body, the child wouldn’t react negatively to the teacher as she would a stranger.
