Crisis Alert (Divine Justice, 3)

by Mary Abshire

  “I don’t know.” He closed his eyes. “My head hurts too much to remember.”

  Silence drifted between the two. Anna stared at Brandon while he kept his eyes shut. As the stillness lengthened, Zale wondered if she were reading his mind. Brandon eventually lifted his lids.

  “Can I get some water now?” he asked.

  “You’re tired. Rest. When you wake up, you’re not going to remember being here. You’re last memory will be of the party. You drank too much and blacked out. Nod if you understand.”

  His eyelids lowered and he gave a barely noticeable nod.

  Anna stepped away from him. Gaze lowered, she grabbed her jacket on her way out of the room.

  Zale stared at the door, waiting for her to walk in. Following a click, she returned to the recording studio with her jacket. She set it over the back of an empty chair. Impressed by what she’d done, he gazed at her with wide eyes. He didn’t know what to say or where to begin.

  “I started to get the feeling he wasn’t going to answer any more questions, so I slipped into his mind to get the answers I needed.” Her low tone indicated something was wrong.

  He stepped closer to her. The dark circles under her eyes seemed darker. “Are you okay?”

  “The sun is rising. I feel the pressure to rest. I’m not sure I can last much longer.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  “Type up what I’m about to tell you and send it to Aziel. Alert your boss too. There is a gathering tomorrow at three in the morning. I don’t know where or who will be there, but Reggie is the one who brought this demon over this past evening and told him about the gathering. Leon brought him to Reggie. I think Leon may know more about the gathering. I need to question him first thing tonight.”

  Zale pointed. “That young man became possessed this past evening?”

  “Yes. Reggie performed the ceremony. I saw it in his memory. I now know with certainty we have two masters. Rodney is the other one who brought over a demon into Derek, a seventeen-year-old boy we picked up a few days ago.”

  “What kind of gathering do you think they’re going to have?”

  She rubbed the side of her face. “No idea, but my gut tells me it’s going to be a big one.”

  “Why did you ask if Reggie or Rodney liked you?”

  “Before I exorcised Derek’s demon, he said his master liked me. He could’ve said it to rattle me, and it did. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, especially since Jamal’s friend, Tim Willoughby, broke into my home looking for me.”

  “Wait, you didn’t tell me someone broke into your home.”

  “I didn’t think it was important to mention. Tim went to school with Jamal, the demon who committed suicide and was in the Hell and Back gang with the others.”

  “Fin, Rodney, and Reggie?”

  “Yes.”

  “They knew where you lived?”

  “I don’t know how they found out, but they did. Our addresses are kept very secure here. Somehow they found out about Glenn’s address too. He triggered his silent alarm. They waited for us to arrive. It was a trap.”

  Zale ran a hand over his mouth and hairy cheek. He tried to think of vampires he’d had a run-in with recently. “Did you know a Robert Galloway, Mark Renaut, Scott Campbell, or Tim Landers?”

  “No, none of those names ring a bell. Who are they?”

  “Robert killed a human while trying to find his girlfriend Bethany. He worked with Mark, Scott and Tim in a section of the state transportation department. Demons showed up at Mark’s house while my partner was there. They killed my partner and destroyed Mark. I went to warn Scott and demons arrived minutes after me. It’s my belief demons obtained addresses for vampires from Robert’s girlfriend. Her body was one I’d found at a warehouse. It appeared to me the demons had tortured her.”

  “Did this Bethany work at a bar downtown?”

  His eyes widened. “Yes, a popular one.”

  “Shit.” She lowered her gaze. “That’s it.”

  “What?”

  “Glenn knew her well. They were good friends. I’m pretty sure she knew his address.”

  “And your partner knew your address.” He put his hands on his hips.

  “Yes, but he wasn’t tortured and his demise occurred after Tim broke into my home. I guarantee Glenn would not have mentioned where I live. I only met Bethany a few times, so she couldn’t have known my address.”

  Zale turned his gaze to the sleeping human. The connection to Bethany seemed too much of a coincidence. There had to be a detail missing somewhere.

  “I can’t help thinking she knew something, enough for the demons to find you,” he said.

  Her legs wobbled and she started to pass out. Zale quickly grabbed hold of her arms, preventing her from falling. She flung her lids open as she leaned into his body.

  “You’re warm,” she said as she straightened.

  “And you need to rest.”

  The door clicked behind her and opened. She slowly stepped away from him and spun. A tall vampire with dark hair walked into the room with another man. The shorter one wore glasses and carried a computer bag on his shoulder.

  “This is Steven Hemmings,” the tall vamp said. “He’s here to watch the humans.”

  Steven offered his hand to her. “You must be Anna Collins.”

  “Yes, thank you for coming in,” she said while shaking his hand. “This is my partner, Zale Wallace.”

  Zale accepted Steven’s greeting. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Is the human ready to be moved to a room?” the tall vamp asked.

  “Yes, he can be transferred. Rachel took the other one to a room earlier,” she said.

  “I’ll move this one and show Steven to his room too,” the vamp said.

  “Thank you,” Anna said. “Nice to meet you Steven.”

  “Likewise,” Steven said, and then followed the vamp out.

  Anna twisted to face Zale. She swayed slightly on her feet while she struggled to keep her eyelids up.

  Zale fought the urge to take her in his arms and care for her. She looked so fragile in her current state. “Tell me where your room is. You need to lay down.”

  “Go left out of this room and then take another left. Keep going until the end and then turn right. My room is BR04.”

  “Left. Left. BR04.”

  She fell against him.

  “I’ve got you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

  He escorted her to the door. Clinging to his body, she walked on unsteady legs while her eyes were shut.

  “I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” she said, her words almost a whisper.

  He held her close as she took slow steps. “You’re an incredibly strong woman. You can’t help this. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

  They made it around the corner and then her legs buckled. He quickly lifted her into his arms.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  He carried her down the hall. Her body seemed light in comparison to the weights he lifted at the gym. He guessed she weighed maybe one hundred and ten pounds. Yet, the thin woman in his grasp kicked powerful ass, exorcised demons, and removed a bullet from his body. On top of that, she had a pure heart and wanted to save human lives. And he couldn’t forget she rode a motorcycle. Without a doubt, Anna was a good woman for him.

  Following her directions, he located the room she’d indicated. Once he managed to get inside, he laid her on the small bed. She didn’t move. As he took her hands and placed them on top of her stomach, he noticed how cold she felt. Careful not to disturb her, even though he doubted he would, he tugged the blankets underneath her until they were free. Then he covered her.

  For a minute, he stared at the sleeping beauty in front of his eyes. She was a remarkable creature and unlike any he’d met. He longed to know more about her. He yearned to kiss her and show her the type of love that would last forever. The vamp
ire had captured his attention and he planned to give her more. One way or another, he’d prove he was more than a good working partner for her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Anna sat at her desk, drinking a tall glass of warm blood while she read a long email from Zale. He’d summarized the findings from Anna’s interrogation of the demon, per her request. He’d also speculated how her home had been broken into. The message had been sent to his boss and Aziel. The sun had set forty minutes ago and so far neither leader had responded. Regardless, she believed Aziel had read the message.

  Employees trickled into the office. Since Anna had slept on the premises, she had an advantage over everyone. All she had to do was dress and leave her room to start work. While staying in the office offered a few benefits, she missed the coziness of her home. She missed her cat too, but she knew Wesley would take good care of Scarlet.

  The preset alarm on her phone had gone off five minutes past sunset. She didn’t recall plugging in her phone on the nightstand near the bed or leaving her jacket on the chair, but she did remember passing out in the hall with Zale holding her. She presumed he’d carried her to the room and returned her items for her. Thinking about the considerate and compassionate werewolf brought a smile to her face.

  She sipped more of her drink and then set it on the desk. Within minutes after she’d woke from her rest, she’d gone to the break room and had downed a bag of blood. Her normal routine was to drink before going to sleep and again in the evening. She hadn’t had time to replenish her system in the morning since she’d run off to help Zale. Then, she’d interrogated the demon. Needless to say, her body craved nourishment by the time the sun had set. The first two doses of nutrients had given her enough of a boost to shower and dress. After she’d prepared for work, she’d fixed a third glass. Filled with energy and strength, she was ready to take on any demon or master.

  The cell laying on the desk buzzed. She lifted her phone and found Zale’s name and number on the screen. Grinning, she answered his call.

  “I just read your email,” she said.

  “Any responses?”

  The sound of his voice warmed her insides.

  “None yet, but I’m almost certain Aziel has read your message,” she said.

  “I’m sure we’ll hear something soon from one of them. How are you feeling?”

  “Good. Much better. And thank you for taking me to my room and hooking up my phone to the charger.”

  “You were exhausted. Did you sleep well?”

  “I always do.”

  “Do vampires dream?”

  “No. When we sleep, our brains don’t function at all. If anyone wanted to harm us, the daytime would be the best time. It’s almost impossible to wake us. I’m surprised demons haven’t tried destroy us during the day since they want to wipe us off the planet.”

  “I’ve always thought the same thing. Maybe they like the challenge.”

  “Maybe.” Even if she questioned one about it in an interrogation, she doubted she’d get any reliable answer. Demons lied, loved to create havoc, and lived to destroy lives.

  Rachel strode into the office dressed in black slacks and a pink button-down blouse. A similar color tinted her lips, eyelids, and the purse under her arm. She smiled at Anna as she approached.

  “So, what’s the plan for this evening?” Zale asked. “Are we still going to try and check for a master before the gathering since we don’t know where it’s at?”

  Anna lowered her phone and mouthed Zale’s name to Rachel when she paused near her desk. Rachel gave her a nod before continuing on to her office.

  “No, I don’t think we’ll have time. I want to interrogate Leon soon. If I can get specifics about the gathering from him, the DS can coordinate with the UoJ on how to proceed. I have little doubt Aziel will want us to put a large team together to interrupt this gathering,” she said.

  “Would this team include us?”

  “I’m not sure, but probably. We need more details about this gathering first. How soon can you be here?”

  “I’m in my car now. I can be there in twenty minutes.”

  “Great.” A message from Aziel popped up on her computer screen. “Aziel just responded.” She moved her cursor over the email and then clicked on it.

  “What did he say?”

  She skimmed through his reply. “He said he is going to place the office on high alert. He called the Louisville and Cincinnati offices minutes ago and asked for more help. Agents will be on their way within an hour. He plans to talk to your boss after I interrogate the human we have in holding. If a location to the gathering is obtained, immediate planning of resources will begin. UoJ agents will be needed. However, the risk of capture and possession is a concern. He’s going to recommend UoJ agents stay back and let the DS agents lead. If a location can’t be identified, both agencies should use satellite surveillance, drones, and have agents patrolling the streets. Basically, I need to question Leon and we’ll go from there.”

  “Sounds like he’s not taking any chances. If this is big or small, the demons are in for a surprise.”

  “We will manage. We have before.”

  “Did he mention anything about my theory regarding the break in of your home?”

  “He did. He doesn’t know how Bethany would’ve known my address, but your theory is the best one right now. He thinks any vampire who had contact with her might be at risk. The UoJ should question the management at the bar and speak with Colin so he can alert the community.”

  “I told Colin when my boss and I met with him a few nights ago, so he knows. And the UoJ sent agents to talk to the bar owner and staff the night before I met you.”

  “Great.”

  “Would you like me to check on the results?”

  “No, we have our own priorities right now.” Although she’d like to know how Tim and demons learned of her and Glenn’s addresses, the best answers would come from either Glenn or Bethany. Since both were gone, she doubted she’d ever find out the truth. Regardless, her focus was on finding the masters.

  Rachel reappeared at the side of her desk. This time, she didn’t have her purse with her.

  “Okay, I’m on my way to your office. I’ll try to hurry,” he said.

  “And you have the code I gave you to get into the garage, right?”

  “Yep, still have it.”

  “Great. Be careful.”

  “Always. See you soon.”

  Anna lowered the phone.

  “So you have to question Leon right away?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes. The name of the young man I exorcised this morning is Brandon. The demon alluded to an event. Of course, he wouldn’t say much. He gave the usual spiel about how we’re all going to be wiped off the Earth. I pressed him, but he still refused to give me any useful details. I exorcised the demon and found out Brandon had met Reggie and Fin that same night. His memories revealed Reggie had performed the ceremony to bring the demon into him.”

  Rachel’s eyes widened. “Now you know for sure he’s a master and Rodney is too since Rodney put a demon in Derek.”

  “Yes, and before Reggie had placed a demon inside Brandon, Fin had told Brandon about a gathering. I couldn’t find anything else about this meeting from his memories, so I have no idea where it is or how big it’s supposed to be.”

  “Maybe Fin didn’t tell him much since he was a new kid on the block, so to say.”

  “Perhaps. Brandon said he went to school with Leon. If my suspicion is right, Leon is the same one Fin’s girlfriend mentioned when Victor and I visited her. She said he’s eighteen. Brandon told me he was nineteen. I’m hoping the two are close friends and Leon has information for us to stop this gathering.”

  “Leon Taylor?”

  “Yes. Did you create a folder on him? Is there a picture of him in it?” The words flew out of her mouth.

  “I created one and it has a picture from his driver’s license, but I gav
e everything to another agent who was going to follow up. I thought the kid looked familiar when I was taking him to his room this morning, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him. Now it makes sense.” She crossed her arms. “Did the demon say anything about his master liking you?”

  “No, and I asked too. He only said his master was looking for a female vampire.”

  “That’s strange.”

  “Oh, and his master will enjoy shredding me to pieces.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “You know how demons love to talk crap.” From her experience, demons said horrific things as a scare tactic. She believed Brandon’s demon had done just that. In reality, no master would look for a vampire unless the master planned to destroy the vamp.

  Rachel nodded. “Has anyone checked on Brandon?”

  “No. I cleaned up, grabbed a drink, and came to work. I haven’t been back to the recording studio either. I met Steven, our human help, before I passed out this morning.”

  “I’ll check on the equipment and set it up for interrogating Leon. When I’m done, I’ll bring Leon up to the room for you.”

  “Perfect. Zale will be here soon.”

  Anna began typing a reply to Aziel.

  Rachel lowered her arms and twisted to walk away, but she didn’t. “How are things going between the two of you? He seems really nice.”

  “He is. He’s a lot different than I thought he would be. I mean, he’s very much a commanding type of person—“

  “Well, he is a werewolf.”

  “Exactly, but he’s more than that. He’s very considerate and kindhearted. And he seems very protective of me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, when I was in the clinic and the nurse was cleaning the wound above one of my breasts, Zale growled at him and grabbed his wrist.”

  Rachel’s eyes bugged. “Really?

  Anna nodded. “Before that, there was a moment when Zale had been in his wolf form and a nurse entered the clinic. Zale moved in front of me and bared his canines. He scared the poor nurse.”

  “Anna, I think he’s claimed you as his mate.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I can’t be his mate. I’m not a werewolf,” Anna snickered.