Onyx Moon Rising
A Nefer Investigation Force story
Taige Crenshaw
Published 2007
ISBN 978-1-59578-370-7
Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2007, Taige Crenshaw. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Liquid Silver Books
http://LSbooks.com
Email:
[email protected]
Editor
Charlet Thomas
Cover Artist
April Martinez
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Dedication / Acknowledgement
To my mother who has always been my number one fan although you are no longer with me I know you are smiling down at me every time I get published. To Marilyn my sister and second mother who has always believed I would be a success. To my lunch buddies who listen to me ramble on about my writing ideas. To the real Tashana who lent me her name this one is for you.
Chapter One
The whispers reached Tashana Rennix first. After six days of tracking surprisingly cunning criminals, she was shocked to find them without much fanfare. They had led her on a trek through the swamps of Louisiana, heat of the Nevada Desert, and cold of Alaska. She cocked her head and tried to hear what they were saying. Their words weren’t clear enough for her to understand, the wind and trees in area seemed to be muffling them. On silent feet, she walked closer to them. Peeking through the foliage that hid her from their sight, Tashana counted them.
She frowned when she counted ten. Intel had said there were only four. This was unusual. Jaynat was rarely wrong. Shrugging, Tashana grinned. It didn’t matter. She would neutralize them and take them in alive as per her orders. Adrenaline pumped into her at the thought of the upcoming battle. She was used to action. The tracking over the last several days had tested her nerves.
What the hell are they doing in Naperville, Illinois? Where is the woman?
A glance around mentally compared the faces with the image she had been given. Bingo.
She saw a face that matched the image. The woman she had come to save tilted her head back and cackled.
“Shit,” Tashana said, then quickly waved her hand and stifled the sound.
Looking at the woman again, Tashana felt pity well up inside her. They had turned her. Pushing it aside, Tashana focused on the task at hand. Not one to go for the subtle approach, she stood, put her hands in her pockets, and sauntered into the clearing.
“I’m tired, pissed and dirty. Are you going to make it easy on yourselves and surrender or put up a fight?” Tashana continued to walk toward them.
She almost laughed at the shock on their faces. It was evident they hadn’t heard her before she stepped into the clearing. The man closest to her, who she had already pegged as the leader, looked at the two men to his left side. His hands flashed out and the men went flying across the clearing. Their bodies left a path across the forest floor.
The man’s eyes glowed as he growled. “What good are you?”
Tashana rocked back on her heels, waiting to see what they would do next. Shifters were unpredictable. Maybe they would beat each other to a pulp and save her the task. She sincerely hoped not; she was actually looking forward to it. The orders had said nothing about them being banged up. This could be the only fun she got to have.
Fury washed over the faces of the men on the ground but was quickly suppressed. They looked at her. Whistling, she smiled at them. They stood in a graceful yet boneless motion and nodded their heads at the leader in deference.
Tashana hid her surprise. She didn’t know any winged shifter that would defer to an earth shifter. Looking at the leader in interest, Tashana saw that he was watching her with an arrogant look on his face. He was devastatingly gorgeous. Too bad he was a criminal or she would have been tempted.
He waved his hand a graceful gesture. “Join us Atenous Sentinel. Power awaits all.”
Tashana only grinned at him and shook her head.
The man laughed an ugly sound. “Very well then. You die.”
At his words, the others moved in. Tashana felt a cold calm fill her. With a smooth motion, she pulled her hands out of her pockets and drew her laser. She flicked it to stun and zapped the woman she had come for. The woman dropped, bucked and then went still. With a thought, she made the laser disappear and then raised her hands up over her back and pulled out her swords in a smooth motion. She brought them to rest, sword points crossed in front of her on the ground.
They stopped their advance.
“Fuck, she’s a Nefer Guardian. I’m out of here,” one of the men said, fear plain in his voice.
“Shut the hell up. You’re not going anywhere. She can’t do anything against this. “The leader’s tone was smug.
Tashana looked at what he was holding. Light bounced off the teardrop-shaped stone hanging from the man’s fist by a gold chain. It looked black but as it twirled, Tashana saw it was actually shades of gray with streaks of the darker color. She didn’t know what it was but it was irrelevant to her task. She couldn’t believe he was trying to hold her off with a piece of junk jewelry.
“Oh stop, please don’t hurt me. “ Tashana’s tone was dry as she watched the man.
Fury spread across his face like storm clouds during a hurricane. “Get her.”
They came at her and Tashana waited. When they were close enough, she brought up her swords, lashing out in a blur of motion. She hit the first man between the ribs with her sword. Then using his body as leverage Tashana walked up his legs and chest, and spun, bringing her free sword down on the other man. Both men collapsed.
Seven to go. Four of them rushed her at once, two men, one wolf and a leopard. Hearing a screech, Tashana looked up and realized that the other two flyers had shifted. One was a falcon and when her eyes fell on the second one, her heart stopped. His iridescent scales were crimson red and he was huge. A fire dragon. To those who didn’t know the destruction he could cause, he might seem majestic but all Tashana wanted was him dead.
Fury licked up her spine and spread through her blocking out all rational thought. Striding forward, she cut a path through the rest of them. A swift movement of her sword cut one of the men and dropped him. She threw a sword at the wolf hitting him mid-body. He flew across the clearing with the force of her throw, then dropped with her sword pinning him to the ground. Seamlessly, she pulled out her stunner, turned it on high and zapped the other man. He stood wavering and she decked him for good measure.
Using her weapon, she stunned the leopard and while he was incoherent brought her arm down in his head. Using her power, she punched him, sending him straight across the clearing. She flung her stunner away and jumped onto the leopard as it flew through the air and used it as a springboard to flip up. Holding her arm up with her palm outward, she took out the falcon shifter with a blast of power. Dropping back to the ground, she slid her left leg out and looked up.
It was just her and him. The dragon dove for her. Smiling grimly, Tashana put her left palm down on the ground and murmuring she pulled power from the elements into her. In her right hand she held her sword, and watched as it turned into a lightning whip, crackling with power. Swinging the whip over her head in a fast circular motion, s
he used her left hand and pushed off the ground. Flying through the air, she flicked her whip out and felt it extend and wrap around the dragon. The wind rushed by Tashana as with each turn of the whip she went around him.
As the whip wrapped around the dragon, he roared in pain and fury. He extended his wings and tried to break free. Focusing, Tashana held him with her will. With the last rotation of the whip, she dropped on his back and punched him.
The wind rushed by as they plummeted from the sky. He hit the ground with a loud thump and dust filled the clearing like a blanket of ash. Breathing hard, Tashana stood calmly, withdrew her whip and flicked it to wrap around her. She took off in a run along his back to his head, then flipped off him. Hitting the ground, she strode away without looking back, knowing he was dead.
Suddenly, a noise to her right alerted her. Grabbing the handle of her whip, she flicked it out and threw the tip into the gloom. She heard a roar as it hit home. Tightening it, she opened her mouth and blew out a cold blast of air. The area cleared and she narrowed her eyes as she watched the leader trying to get free of her whip. Pulling it tighter, she drew him to her as he struggled. When he was right in front of her, she looked at him, fury still bubbling deep inside of her, waiting for another outlet.
“What the fuck are you doing with a dragon?”
The man watched her, contempt on his face. “Fuck you.”
She smiled, a deadly twist of the lips. “Wrong answer, asshole.”
Drawing back, she punched him and felt his nose give. He reared up and tried to head butt her. Punching him again, she didn’t hold back. She loosened her whip and watched as he flew across the clearing and hit the leopard. He slumped against it, out cold.
She pulled her com unit off her belt. “Nefer Sha, confirm subject contained. Need prisoner evac, medical and clean up crew at my coordinates.”
“Nefer Sha acknowledged. Do you need medical?” a voice on the com unit replied.
“No, the prisoners. I will find my own way with the package.”
“Report immediately to Headquarters, Nefer Sha.”
She stifled a curse. Tashana already knew what was awaiting her at headquarters. “Acknowledged. Nefer Sha out.”
She returned the com unit to her belt. Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, Tashana turned and went over. Glancing down, she realized it was the teardrop chain the leader had held. She grabbed it, took out an evidence pouch and dropped it in. A rumble reached her ears and she watched as her bike slid from behind the foliage coming to her. It roared up to her without stopping and she swung onto the back. Taking over the controls, she drove over to the woman and used her power to bring the woman to rest face down on the back of the bike. The woman moaned. Reaching back, Tashana touched the back of the woman’s head.
“Sleep,” Tashana said.
The woman went boneless. Flicking her hand, she brought up her shades and put them over her eyes. She sped out of the forest. The air in front of her wavered, and she drove through. Behind her, she heard the teams arrive.
Ten minutes later Tashana pulled up in front of the gleaming tower of glass and chrome that was Headquarters. Getting off the bike, she picked up the woman and threw her over her shoulder. Using her power so she wouldn’t feel the woman’s weight, Tashana strode up the stone steps.
She really hated this part of her job. Being called to headquarters like a naughty child. Even if it was deserved. Her black boots carved with symbols rang loudly against the steps. She nodded curtly to other agents passing her on the stairs. Pushing open the doors at the top of the steps, she stepped into the grand reception area and continued on. The space looked like any other bustling law enforcement agency, except for the various supernatural and not so natural beings. This wasn’t merely a law enforcement agency for regular crimes; this was the place where those things-that-go-bump-in-the-night, and day, were handled. It wasn’t just another glass and chrome building. This was where the real defense of the Earth realm and the other dimensions happened.
The Nefer Investigation Force Headquarters may have seemed like any other place from the outside but once you stepped through the doors, you had to get past the reception area to see the reality that was Nefer. It was high tech, ruthlessly organized and only the elite were a part of the Force.
Nefer agent’s tracked any problematic supernatural, handled inter-dimensional issues, and anything else that popped up with the supernatural communities. Since supernaturals were now known to be real by mortals, and the regular police or other governmental agencies couldn’t handle them, they needed the Nefer Investigation Force to create order.
The supernatural communities had a knack for getting in trouble. The mortal community had a way of exploiting what was different for research, greed or just because they could. They both needed a neutral party to solve any issues that came up. Thus, the Nefer Investigation Force was created with both humans and supernaturals. The best of the best, strictly screened and trained. Like any agency, there were many different divisions and areas.
At the thought of the various departments ice went up Tashana’s spine at what she believed was coming. She knew they would want her to take a psych eval but it wasn’t happening. Tashana snorted. The Paranormal Psychiatrists Investigators—PPI—wasn’t getting anywhere near her. She would admit it only to herself, but they freaked her out, with their silent looks like they knew everything. They didn’t know crap.
To be a Nefer Agent, there was no room for error. When on a case, the agent was the judge, jury and executioner. Tashana was a Nefer Agent, and more specifically, a Nefer Guardian. She was descended from beings older than earth itself. She carried a heavier burden. She hunted the criminals and, when necessary, eliminated the problems. She was an assassin sanctioned by the mortal and supernatural government.
Reaching the elevator, she pushed the button. Someone came and stood beside her. Without looking, she knew who it was.
“Your Intel was wrong, Jaynat.” Tashana looked at her.
Jaynat Sligh’s classic, honey-toned face was grim, her dark brown gaze furious. Tashana was cautious as she watched her. Jaynat was usually calm and if she was this out of sorts, she could be unpredictable.
Jaynat motioned to the men standing silently behind her. They came forward.
Tashana handed them to woman. “She was turned.”
Jaynat watched her. “To what?”
“I don’t know. They were all shifters. Wolf, falcon, snake, and leopard.”
“Dragon.” Jaynat’s look was pointed.
“Stop fucking around in my head.”
Jaynat stared at her and then threw back her head and laughed. Looking at her, Tashana stifled her own laugh. Jaynat looked back at her the laughter fading. Tashana couldn’t understand what was taking the elevator so long.
Looking at Jaynat, she narrowed her eyes. “Stop messing with the elevator.”
Jaynat shrugged, a graceful movement of her shoulders. “I may be a seer but I still have all the same powers you do, Shana.”
Tashana knew she was right. As a Nefer Guardian, Jaynat, in addition to her seer abilities, had the same powers Tashana did. Only their close friendship made Tashana not tell her to go the hell away.
Jaynat read her perfectly, as close friends do, and chuckled. “I’m not that easy to shake off, Shana. Now go upstairs and play nice.”
Tashana snorted. “Whatever.”
The elevator arrived and she stepped in. Jaynat’s hand on her arm stopped her. She stilled feeling the tension in Jaynat’s grip. A glance at her showed that Jaynat was still furious.
“Be careful, Shana,” Jaynat said, then let her go.
Tashana didn’t even ask what she meant, knowing it was useless. Stepping into the elevator, she turned, pressed the N for the top floor and faced Jaynat.
“I’ll try. See you tonight,” Tashana said.
They had plans from weeks ago to meet at her house for drinks and a catch up session. She was tired from the case but knew
she would need someone to talk to after her session in headquarters. Jaynat, besides being her good friend, was a wonderful listener. Except for when she was trying to read your aura, that is.
Jaynat nodded abruptly. “I’ll pick up the tequila.”
Tashana grinned. “I’ll bring the scotch.”
Jaynat groaned. “Christ, you’re trying to make me drunk.”
“Yep. I like when you get all freaky and channel spirits.”
Jaynat scowled. “Shit last time I had a hell of a time trying to get him out of me. No scotch.”
“We’ll see.” Tashana grinned letting go of the power she was using to hold the doors open.
“Be careful, Shana.” Jaynat warned again as they closed.
The smile faded from Tashana’s face. She closed her eyes. She was tired. Not only from the case, but the power she used. Frowning, she knew what was coming and wasn’t looking forward to it. Striding off the elevator, as the door opened she nodded abruptly at Killian, the guard for this floor. He nodded to her as she passed him. Her leather coat swished, hiding the weapons she was carrying. Shoving open the door at the end of the hall, she strode through the waiting area, with only a nod at Alaina at the outer desk in front of director’s office.
The doors were closed but, as usual, she opened them and sauntered in. Going right up to the desk, she silently watched her boss.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t take your weapons and strip you of your powers, Shana.” Zaila Manthey asked, her silver eyes steady.
The calmness with which she asked made Tashana’s heart stop beating for a moment. Of all the scenarios she had expected, this wasn’t one of them. She knew it wasn’t an idle threat. Zaila was serious. Tashana went with the only thing she knew-attack.
“I don’t appreciate being called in here like a wayward child, Zaila. I deserve-no, demand-more respect than that.” She unclipped the evidence pouch from her waist and took out the teardrop pedant, tossing it on the desk. “You maybe the Nefer Guardian leader and the director of this agency, but if you want my weapons and power you’re going to have to fight me for them.”
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