by Dena Christy
“Roger,” he said, his voice gruff as he reached out to grasp her arm.
“Thanks for not cuffing me, Roger. And thanks for letting the doctor take me to the infirmary to have my wrists looked at. You can’t know how much your kindness meant,” Simone said.
Her visit to Kate at the infirmary had assured her that at least she’d done something good while working at that warehouse. At least one woman had gotten away, and Lee seemed confident that she would survive. Dany would have to pay for what he’d done to her, and Simone would use her last breath to do it.
A flush crept up Roger's face as he cleared his throat and led her from the cell. They walked down the hall and up the stairs. he held her arm in a loose grip, one she could have broken free of easily. She was not even tempted to run. The best place for her was here since the Order didn’t intend to have her killed. If they did, they would have slaughtered her along with the rest of her coworkers. Perhaps she could turn things around and leave here a free woman. That would depend on how well she did in her interrogation.
Roger brought her to a room with a solitary table with a chair on each side. She walked in and took a seat, and Roger stood outside the door. She didn’t have long to wait for her interrogator to arrive.
He walked into the room, and immediately her stomach clenched into a sick, nervous ball. He was tall, well over six feet and his light blond, closely cut hair and his icy blue eyes projected an aura of coldness around him. He was dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, and it fit him to perfection. She swallowed hard as he sat in the chair across from her, and his eyes flicked over her. She gave a cautious sniff, and didn’t know what manner of creature he was, but he wasn’t a werewolf.
“I’m Cadric, and I’m the head of this branch of the Order of Odin. I’m sure you know why you’re here. I don’t think I need to tell you the seriousness of your crimes, but if you cooperate, I may show you leniency.”
Simone snorted and quickly put her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant for that to come out, and he looked at her, his eyes narrowing as he elevated one eyebrow.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But what bad cop show did you watch to get your terrible interrogation technique?”
She fought to keep a smile from spreading across her face as she watched a dull flush bloom on his cheeks. Perhaps he wasn’t as cold and aloof as he pretended to be. Her smile was quickly forgotten when he straightened in his chair, and the temperature in his eyes went down a few degrees.
“I’d be very careful if I were you. If I choose, I can order anyone in this building to kill you, and they will do it.”
“But you won’t,” she said as she leaned back in her chair. “Since your team slaughtered all of my coworkers and I’m the only one left who can tell you anything. As for my crimes, the only thing I’m guilty of is having a job as a nurse in a facility that was doing some scientific work, helping poor women who’ve been bitten by werewolves survive the change.”
“I think you’re involved a little more than that, don’t you Simone?”
She jerked her head up, startled when he said her real name.
“Yes, I know that your real name is not Alicia. I know quite a bit about you, and I know that a year ago you were human. And you’re right, on the surface it only looks like you're guilty of working for bad people. And that may be true, but I don’t think it is. So why don’t you tell me where we can find Dany Cavanaugh.”
“I’m afraid I can’t help you with that, I have no idea where Dany Cavanaugh is. Why would I? I’m just an employee, and he has had nothing to do with me,” Simone said, sure that most of her statement was the truth. If he wasn’t a werewolf, hopefully he wouldn’t be able to smell the tiny lie in there. Dany had a lot to do with her current situation, but she was telling the truth when she said she didn’t know where he was. She would give quite a lot to know that tidbit.
“So you’ve had no contact with Mr. Cavanaugh? He’s just your faceless boss?”
“If you know my history, I’m sure you're aware that I was in a relationship with his son when I was human. I met Mr. Cavanaugh once during that time and let’s just say he was less than pleased to meet me.”
“But you’ve had no recent contact with him?” Cadric asked calmly as he sat relaxed in the chair across from her.
“No,” Simone said as she too relaxed. This interrogation would be over soon, and hopefully once they knew she wasn’t heavily involved in Dany’s business she would be free to go.
“Then you won’t mind telling me the pass code for your phone?” he asked as he calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out her phone, placing it on the table between them. Simone stared at it like a snake prepared to strike her as the bottom fell out of her stomach. She closed her eyes as she remembered the phone call she’d made to Dany when the Order showed up at the warehouse.
“You already know what’s on there, so why would I need to give you the passcode,” she said as she folded her hands on the table top and awaited her punishment.
“Actually I know nothing about what’s on your phone, but you’ve just confirmed for me that you have had recent contact with Dany. So why don’t you tell me about that.”
“I called him when I saw your agents in the parking lot,” Simone said, wishing she could go back and undo that one temptation to find out where Dany was. “I told him the Order was there and asked what we should do. He told me that we were on our own and hung up on me.”
“Do you know what your warning did? It let him know that we were on to him, and he kidnapped Kate Townsend,” he said, his voice deep and cold as he watched her closely. Guilt pushed down on Simone’s shoulders, and Cadric's image swam in front her for a moment. She drew in a deep breath and tried to shrug off responsibility for Kate’s troubles.
“You can’t put that on me,” she said. “I had no idea that he would take her. I saved her, I made it so she could escape from that place, so she wouldn’t be used in a puppy mill. Why would I do that if I wanted her harmed? I know now that she’s my sister, and I’m very sorry that she’s hurt, but I didn’t stab her and you can’t lay that on my doorstep. That blame lies firmly with Dany Cavanaugh. The only reason I called him, the only reason I was working there at all, was so I would find him and kill him.”
“You expect me to believe that the only reason you were involved with Dany Cavanaugh was out of revenge? That doesn’t really seem credible does it? As far as I know, Dany wasn’t even the one who turned you into a werewolf.”
Simone's breathing sped up as she felt the heat of anger rushing in her blood. “He sent David O’Connell to do it for him. He wanted me killed, and David attacked me. He probably thought I wouldn’t survive the change.”
“And why would Dany do that? You were his son’s lover. Why would he want to harm you? Your story seems a little unbelievable Miss Moore. I think you were working at that warehouse because you wanted to help make more women like you.”
“No,” she said as she stood in agitation. “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
“Sit down Miss Moore,” Cadric said calmly as he looked at her with a neutral expression on his face.
All the fear and anger she’d felt in the past twenty four hours crashed together inside her. How could he think that she would willingly work for Dany? He’d ruined her life. The guilt she harbored for taking part in the activities at the warehouse, for her part in turning other women into werewolves like herself, and her guilt over what happened to her sister slammed into her. The man sitting across the table became the target of the emotions churning inside her. She picked up her chair and hurled it at him.
He dodged to the side but the leg of the chair caught him in the side of the face, opening a cut and drawing blood. He was up and out of his own chair before her projectile had clattered to the floor. He picked it up and held the chair by the leg in his hand.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly as he came around the table. He grabbed her by the arm and put her chair back down on th
e floor and forced her to sit in it. He went back to his side of the table and sat in his own chair again.
“I trust there will be no more outbursts, Miss Moore,” he said as he reached into his right breast pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He wiped it across his bloody cheek and mopped up the mess she’d made of his face. Already the bleeding had stopped, and the cut looked to be knitting itself together. She looked at him closely.
“What are you?” she asked.
“That really isn’t your concern right now. I think you have to worry more about convincing me that you are telling the truth about your involvement with Dany Cavanaugh,” he said as he tucked his bloody handkerchief back into his pocket.
“I don’t know how to convince you. A year ago I was attacked by David O’Connell. Dany Cavanaugh sent him to kill me. I honestly don’t know why. I only met him once, and he offered me money to go away. I refused it, but I left Lee anyway. I didn’t want to cause problems for him. David was sent to kill me, and maybe it was because Dany didn’t want me to come back to Lee, I honestly don’t know.” Simone said as she looked down at her hands. Her life depended on convincing this man that she was telling the truth. “They ruined my life. It would have been better if David had killed me outright, instead of turning me into this… thing. I swear to you that the only reason I was in that warehouse was because I had some foolish notion that I could get close enough to kill him.”
Simone looked him in the eyes, hoping he could see the sincerity in their depths. He contemplated her for a moment. She swallowed hard when he stood, but he didn’t come toward her, instead going to the door and opening it.
“Take her back to the cells please,” he instructed Roger, who still stood outside the door.
Roger came in and took her by the arm. She looked at Cadric, who straightened his cuffs and would not look at her.
“No, please, don’t make me go back there,” she said as she dragged her feet on the floor. “I swear I’ll do whatever you want. I’ve told you all I know, please just let me go.”
“I’m afraid that can’t happen,” Cadric said as he walked past them. He glanced at Roger. “Take her back.”
Chapter 3
Time passed, and she had no idea what day it was, or even if it was daytime at all. There were no windows in her cell, and the only thing to mark the passage of time was when they brought her meals. They’d left her in here to rot, but at least they fed her and provided her with clean clothes. A female staff member escorted her to the showers once a day to wash, and she'd learned to cooperate after the first day.
She’d gotten a foolish notion in her head to run, and had gotten stung by the business end of a stun gun, which put paid to any thoughts of escape. She’d also had her shower taken from her that day, so she’d behaved for the next four showers. Which told her that she’d been locked in the cell for at least five days. She wondered when or if she’d ever go free. She’d only seen Lee once more since her first night, when he’d come down to check her wrists. He’d been perfunctory and business like, and wouldn’t tell her anything about what would happen to her. He avoided looking in her eyes.
She turned her head when she heard the key turning in the lock. The door opened and Cadric stood there, looking as cold and impressive as he had the last time she’d seen him. Her eyes darted to his left cheek, which was just as flawless as his right. Apparently getting hit with a chair hadn’t damaged his handsome face.
“Come with me, please.” He motioned her forward, and normally she would have hesitated, but she wanted out of the cell and would do anything to accomplish that.
“My story hasn’t changed since the last time we talked. I still don’t know where Dany is,” she said as he took her arm and led her out of the holding area.
“I know. I’m realizing that you aren’t as useful to us as I’d first suspected.”
“Are you going to kill me then?” she asked and risked a glance at his face. A smile crossed his lips for a second before he smoothed his features out.
“What a brave little wolf you are. Few here have the guts to be so direct with me. I like that. I must keep it in mind when I decide what to do with you. That’s not why I’ve brought you out of your temporary home. There is someone who wants to meet you.”
Simone racked her brain. Who could it be? If it was Lee, he wouldn't send Cadric to fetch her. “I’m drawing a blank here, so would you mind filling it in.”
“Kate Townsend is ready to go home, and she would like to talk to you before she leaves. She’s been made aware that you are here and that you are her sister. Please don’t tax her or upset her, she’s been through enough in the past few weeks.”
She nodded her head, having no desire to upset the woman she’d only just learned was her sister.
Cadric took her to a small room with a table and two chairs. He opened the door, led her inside and turned on his heel and left the room. Simone stared at the woman who she’d only seen a few times, and she still hadn’t gotten used to how much they looked like each other.
“It’s like looking in a mirror, isn’t it,” she said as she walked into the room and sat in the chair across from Kate. “I must admit I was startled by it myself when I first saw you in the warehouse.”
“Why were you working for him?”
Simone looked at the other woman, and for a moment she suspected this was all a ploy. Cadric had set this up, using her sister to get the information he wanted. He was on a fool’s errand, because she had nothing more to tell him.
“Lizzy, won’t you talk please,” Kate said, her face earnest. Simone looked at her and supposed there was no harm in talking to her. Perhaps Cadric would realize he’d learned all he could.
“I don’t know who Lizzy is, I haven’t been her since I was three. That’s not even my legal name anymore. I would prefer it if you called me Simone. As for why I worked for him, all I can tell you is that Dany Cavanaugh ruined my life. It was his fault that I was turned into something I despise, and I guess I had some foolish idea of avenging myself.”
“What will happen now?”
She couldn’t tell her sister that she suspected that with her usefulness at an end, they would most likely kill her. She didn’t want to upset the woman who looked at her with such concern.
“I’m not sure,” Simone said as honestly as she could. Her sister was a werewolf, and she didn’t want her to smell any lies. “I guess it’s a good sign that they haven’t killed me yet. I’m sure the fact that I enabled you to escape has helped redeem me in their eyes.”
“Wasn’t it Dany’s plan to let me go?”
“I’m sure that’s the spin he put on it,” Simone said, sure that Dany wouldn’t want to admit to any weakness, and Kate’s escape would be a sign of weakness. “And it may well have been his ultimate plan. Dany shared little information with those of us on the ground, and at the time I was acting on my own.”
“Why did you do it?”
Simone had asked herself that question many times. Sitting in the cell had given her plenty of time to think, and she now knew why.
“I may have gotten into this for revenge and was prepared to go as far as I needed to get it, but I couldn’t let them do what they planned for you. I felt connected to you, in a way. Not because we looked the same, and I wasn’t aware that we were sisters but because like me you were forced to become something other than human. I had to help you get out as much as I could without blowing my cover, so I set things up so that you could.”
“That’s why your locker wasn’t locked.”
“And David’s too. I knew he always carried cash in his wallet and I’d hoped you’d find it and take it.”
“It’s actually a good thing you did. I saw his ID, and that’s how I could identify him when he came after me. And I really have to thank you for helping me get out of there. You’ve done more for me than you can know.”
Simone was glad she’d given her sister a chance to get away from Dany and provided her with the in
formation she needed to arm herself against David.
There was a movement from the door, and Cadric stood there with the man Simone had seen sleeping in the chair beside Kate’s bed during her midnight visit. The love in his eyes when he looked at her sister made her heart ache. Lee had looked at her like that once, and now he wouldn’t look at her at all. He was probably as disgusted with what she’d become as she was.
Simone got up from her chair and was startled when Kate reached out and embraced her. She held herself stiffly for a moment, unsure what to do, but after a second she relaxed and returned her sister’s hug.
“Thank you for everything,” Kate said as she released her. “If there is anything I can do to help you, you only have to tell me.”
Simone nodded and walked toward Cadric, who took her by the arm. He led her back toward the holding cells.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and he looked startled for a moment. “You didn’t have to let me talk to her, and at first I thought it was because you wanted her to get more information out of me.”
“I let you see her because she asked and I owe her for letting Dany Cavanaugh get to her.”
Simone said nothing as she walked beside him. He took her to the cells, and she walked back inside. The door locked behind her, and she went over to her usual place against the wall and sat down.
The time in the cell had given her too much time to think. Seeing Kate made her realize that Dany still needed to be stopped. The Order didn’t know where he was, and he was still a threat. He needed to pay for what he’d done to Kate, to the other women in the warehouse, and most of all for what he’d done to her. She was locked in a cell, most likely awaiting death, all because Dany Cavanaugh hadn’t wanted her dating his son. He’d destroyed any hope there was of her and Lee getting back together.
As Simone sat with her head resting against the wall, a plan formed in her head. As she turned it around, studying all angles, she realized that she didn’t need to give up her revenge. This stay with the Order only derailed the plan a little. She stood up, her tiredness and dejection forgotten. She knocked on her cell door to get her guard’s attention. She fought to keep the smile from blooming across her face when she saw it was Roger.
