by Tl Reeve
They grabbed their gear then made their way over to the pile of debris. Natalie and Gabriel joined Maxwell while Shax, Rafe, and Caim met up with Raum. Rafe watched as Gabriel spoke to the other man. Their conversation was subdued. He’d expect nothing less. They’d lost two important people.
“Did you find out anything,” Raum said, dragging Rafe from his thoughts. “Or are you going to continue to stare at Gabriel’s ass?”
He flipped Raum off. “I did, asshole. They haven’t done this kind of job for long. Hauser and Max are their superiors. The sister is pretty strong, psychically. If we don’t watch her, she’ll work herself until she passes out.”
“Hence the scene in the forest?” Shax put his hands on his hips. “Gotta tell you, that shit scared the fuck out of me. I’ve never heard a scream like hers before.”
Rafe nodded. “I agree. Apparently, it’s quite common.”
“Fuck.” Raum rubbed the back of her neck. “Why do it then?”
Rafe shrugged. “She wants to help. She put together a piece of the puzzle we missed—er, well, we didn’t know about.”
“Oh?” Raum grew more interested. “What?”
“Well, it seems PRA has a sort of underground railroad setup for shifter or psychic or both types of children, teens, and adults to get to safety. It could also be how Aurin and Bane were found.”
Raum whistled. “Shit.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. They were going to put the call in to their aunts to change up the routes, just in case.”
“What’s the deal with this whole family operation?”
“It appears their aunts and father were all, at one point, hunted by PBH.” Rafe huffed out a breath. “It’s some fucked-up stuff. Their aunts were almost killed. Their father was raped and tortured. It’s why everything is run through Window Rock. It’s a safe place.”
Rafe glanced over at Gabriel near one of the rubble piles. For whatever reason, he couldn’t stop looking for the other wolf. The guy grabbed a visceral part of his soul, forcing him to seek the other man out. Gabriel climbed over a pile of rubble, while Natalie stood next to Max. She smiled up at the man then laughed.
A few seconds later, Gabriel reappeared. His face was an ashen color. His eyes were a little too big for his features. He wobbled on unsteady legs before he sat down hard on the burned remains.
Rafe rushed to his side. His heart pounded. Adrenaline seeped into his system. The wolf he battled with since seeing Gabriel at the clearing, pushed to the surface, and he had to force the beast back down, so not to do something stupid. When he got to the man’s side, Gabriel already had his phone out and was talking in rapid sentences.
“Yeah, another body,” Gabriel said. “No, not sure who they are. Probably some fucking PBH lacky. Or some unfortunate soul who happened upon the scene. Fuck, Uncle Kalkin. It’s a mess here. Yeah, yeah, she’s good. We’re fine. No, no, you don’t have to pull us. We’ve got this. I-I didn’t realize I’d be seeing, you know.”
Rafe eased away from Gabriel to give him some privacy. When he turned to face his team, he pointed to the piles. “Looks like we have another body. Might as well prep it while we continue to search this place.”
Once they grabbed the body bag out of the back of their SUV, Gabriel was off the phone. He helped Natalie down the pile where he’d been sitting, making sure to keep her and the baby clear of the body he’d found, Rafe suspected.
They processed the scene in tandem, clearing it methodically. At one point, Natalie handed the baby to Max then stood in the middle of one of the danker sections of the burned-out carcass of a building. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands behind her back. For several seconds she didn’t move. The stillness of her body was a bit unnerving to be sure, but it also fascinated Rafe as he watched her work.
A few moments later, Gabriel joined her, taking her hands in his. She inhaled deeply, and her eyes flashed open. Like when Gabriel’s eyes turned white-blue, hers became an eerie shade of white-green. She then began to speak rapidly. Max held a digital recorder in front of them, recording everything she said.
“That’s freaky as fuck,” Shax whispered coming up beside Rafe.
“It works though. Look at them.”
“It’s hard to. Do you see their aura?”
Rafe did. “It’s incredible.” It’d been the first time since their fall from grace, they’d been able to see anything, including a person’s aura.
“She’s got me tied in knots,” Shax muttered.
Rafe understood. He’d been in the same predicament with Gabriel. “Good luck with that.”
Shax snorted. “Tell me about it.”
“What are we staring at?” Raum asked, coming up behind them then gasped.
“Gabriel and Natalie. They’re—”
“Like golden phoenixes,” Raum said a bit in awe.
“Yes,” Rafe agreed.
“Caim found some undamaged documents if you want to see them,” Raum stated, unable to stop looking at the twins.
“Perfect.” Rafe stared for a second longer then followed Raum over to where Caim stood next to a dumpster bin full of printouts. “What the hell?”
“I’m thinking they forgot to light this on the way out,” Caim said, standing up in the dumpster. “There’s gotta be at least a year’s worth of data here. If not more. We’re going to move the whole dumpster offsite, just to be sure no one comes back to finish the job.”
Rafe grunted. “I’ll get us an open site to work out of.”
“Also, I found some information on a drug called Éviel.”
Rafe felt the air rush from him. The twins were right once again. “What does it say?”
“Boss, you don’t look so good,” Raum said grabbing Rafe’s arm.
“Too much partying,” he grumbled. “Shouldn’t have taken downtime.”
Shax laughed. “You always were a lightweight.”
Yeah. Sure. “Grab what you can safely transport when we’re finished here and secure the rest of it. I’ll make the call to have a flatbed out here to carry the dumpster to our processing lab.”
He needed to catch his balance. Since he’d woken up that morning, he’d been in panic mode. Though he couldn’t catch any of the human diseases, having seventy-two hours ripped from his memory wasn’t fun. He stepped away from the group of fallen angels and made a call to Kendrick.
“What do you have for me?” The man didn’t even say hi when he answered the phone.
“It’s a shit show.”
Kendrick chuckled. “When isn’t it?”
True. All of their cases at one point or another became a fucked situation. “I need a flatbed and a separate location where we can hold evidence.”
“Give me twenty, and I’ll text you the location,” Kendrick stated. “What are your first impressions of PRA?”
“They’re good. A little on the young side, but they’re sharp, prepared, and they’re efficient. They have a shitload of information we’ll need to solve this case. There’s also a snag.”
“Oh?” Surprise filled Kendrick’s tone. “What?”
“There was a baby at the scene. She’d been hidden from whoever killed the two PRA agents and the others. Gabriel has claimed the child for his own, however she is a Nephilim, sir, and a wolf.”
“Interesting,” Kendrick said.
“I need to tell you something else as well.” Rafe peered over his shoulder, to make sure no one was paying attention him. “I’ve been going over the other cases and asked Natalie and Gabriel to take a look at them as well.”
“Did you?”
“I’m glad I did.” Rafe pressed on. “Natalie connected them to the route Keeley Raferty uses for these kids. They follow the main highways.”
“Shit. That complicates things.”
Rafe agreed. “I’ll have Natalie refine her findings first thing tomorrow morning. I doubt she’ll have the energy to do it tonight. She’s expending more energy than should be natural for shifters.”
&nbs
p; “Do that. Lix called about fifteen minutes ago. He said they’re waiting for you at the morgue to start the autopsies. When you’re done there, head over to the coroners’ office.”
“Will do. We also have another body here, too. So, we’ll be bringing it in with us.”
“You were right about the shit show,” Kendrick mumbled. “Get to work, call me when you have more information.”
Rafe nodded. “I will.”
After he hung up with his boss, Rafe strode over to where Max stood just outside the building. The man had an expression of awe on his face while he stared at Natalie and Gabriel.
“You know, I’ve known these two since they were pups, and they continue to surprise me,” Max said. “What Natalie found a few minutes ago is incredible.”
“Wouldn’t be willing to give me a brief overview, would you?” Rafe hedged.
Max blinked. “Oh. Yeah, sure. Sorry. This is not the only facility. Each one does something different. There is another one in Florida, where they run a black market for shifter and vampire parts.”
“Parts?”
Max nodded. “Blood. Claws. You know, like a normal black market. They also sell rhino horns and shit because humans are stupid enough to believe they have healing properties. Well, I guess vampire blood does, but not without a bite to go with it—I think—er, whatever. I’m still learning about all this stuff.”
Rafe stared at him for a second. “That’s some fucked-up shit.”
“I called Kalkin. He’s dispatching a group now to intercept the warehouse where all this shit is going down.”
“Good. I called Kendrick. A Flatbed truck to transport the dumpster, and an off-site location will be ready in twenty,” Rafe replied.
“Perfect,” Max answered. “I’ll check in with Gabriel and Natalie see how much time they need.”
“Sounds good. Also, Lix is waiting on us for the autopsies.”
Max nodded as he rubbed the little girl’s back.
Shit, they probably shouldn’t continue to call her little girl. Rafe frowned. “Did Gabriel tell you if they named the child?”
“No, why?” Max quirked a brow.
“Call her Halo.”
The guy grinned. “I like it, I’ll inform Gabriel of your choice of names when I grab the twins, so the three of you can head to the morgue. We’ll keep this site on lockdown until the flatbed arrives.”
“I’ll inform my team of the plans.” Rafe started for Raum, Shax, and Caim. When he stood before them, he filled them in on his conversation with Kendrick. “I’ll be with Lix for the duration. If you find anything else, text me. I’ll send you the address of the facility as soon as Kendrick sends it.”
Shax grunted. “What a fucking day. We’ll keep you posted. What about the baby?”
He could say that shit again. “She’ll be with us. From now on call her Halo. It’s her name.”
Shax grinned. “Halo. I like it. So, what do we call you?”
Rafe flipped him off.
“Fitting for a Nephilim,” Raum added.
“At least we don’t have to call her baby,” Caim said.
“Whatever,” Rafe mumbled. “Keep me posted.”
Rafe ran his fingers through his golden hair then headed for the SUV he’d driven over. Natalie and Gabriel were already there. Both looked exhausted. They were pale, and the tight lines around their eyes gave Rafe pause. He should take them back to the hotel to sleep.
“You don’t have to go with me. I can bring you the preliminary report as soon as Lix is finished,” Rafe said.
Natalie shook her head. “No, we’re fine. Promise.” She peered down into the sling where Halo lay. “I love her name—Halo.”
“We look worse for wear, but it’s temporary,” Gabriel added.
“Well, if you need a power bar or something, they’re in center console of the SUV. You’re welcome to them.”
Gabriel gave him a tired grin. “Thanks. We’re starved. We burned through a ton of energy and could use the pick-me-up.” He opened the back door for Natalie then helped her onto the seat before closing the door. “Halo is a strong name for a little girl. I also like it.”
“Sure,” Rafe said, not sure why his chest tightened the minute Gabriel approved of the baby’s name.
Mate.
Fuck, not that again.
Chapter Five
They arrived at the county morgue twenty minutes later. Natalie had fallen asleep on the drive over, giving Rafe and Gabriel a moment to talk. The twins were unique, different from what Rafe had ever encountered. Their ability to draw from one another gave them a slight advantage over everyone, and in Rafe’s estimation, it also made them a target.
If, like they believed, PBH was behind this new operation, the likelihood Gabriel and Natalie were on PBH’s radar were high. It could have been why the bodies of Aurin and Bain along with the children were left out in the open as they were—to lure the twins in. The thought sent a bolt of rage through Rafe.
“You okay?” Gabriel gave him a side-eyed look of curiosity.
“Yeah. Thinking is all.” He lifted his chin in Natalie’s direction. “Should we wake her?”
Gabriel snorted. “If we don’t, she’ll be pissed as hell.”
“Can’t have that,” Rafe muttered, and Gabriel chuckled.
“Hey, brat,” Gabriel said, giving her shoulder a shake. “Wake up, we’re here.”
She sucked in a breath, and her cheeks pinkened. “Sorry. I was having the most wonderful dream.”
“I don’t want to hear about it,” Gabriel grumbled.
She shook her head as she lifted Halo out of the car seat then got out of the SUV. “So, this is the place then?” She stared up at the ten-story building. “Interesting. Not what I was picturing.”
Rafe held the door for them to enter. The sterile environment smelled of cleaning supplies along with a hint of the sickly-sweet scent of formaldehyde. He bristled at it, hating the idea he’d smell like death when he walked out of there. Across from where they stood, a door swung open, and Lix joined them. He wore a weary expression. His mouth was set in a grim line. His eyes were shadowed in sorrow, and his shoulders were slumped in resignation.
“It’s not good,” Lix said and motioned for them to follow. “Hauser is talking to Kalkin now.”
They walked into a smaller annexed office off to the side of the autopsy room. A few pieces of paper sat in the tray of the printer near the door. On the desk beside it, sat a small laptop with a blood centrifuge and an analyzer. Lix grabbed the papers waiting for him then turned to the group as he read over them.
“There is a drug in his—Aurin’s system—”
“Éviel,” Gabriel said.
“Yeah, what is it?” Lix continued to read over the page.
“It’s hard to describe, unless you’ve seen someone under the influence of the drug,” Gabriel replied. “It lowers inhibitions, though. Stimulates arousal and the need for sex. It can also cause a false mating of sorts.”
“It is the combination of GHB, Muira Puama, Yohimbine, and Ginkgo Biloba along with different animal-based pheromones. Each derivative of the drug is created for the specific shifter,” Natalie added.
“Well, that explains the GHB levels,” Lix stated.
“For wolves it’s much more potent than say lions or bears. Wolves had the most heightened response to the stimulant,” she added.
Rafe swallowed hard. Could whoever tagged him with the patch, have known about his dual nature? If they did, they’d also know about his team, which put all of them at risk. His hand tightened on the strap of his go-pack. He couldn’t wait any longer. He had to show Lix and Gabriel the small patch he’d found on his body earlier that morning.
“Uh...” Rafe cleared his throat, “if you need a better sample.” He unzipped the pouch where he’d placed the square before he’d left home. “I think this will work, or you could take blood from me.”
Lix sucked in a breath when he took the evidence from Rafe.
“Is this?”
Rafe nodded. “I wasn’t on vacation. I can’t even remember the last time, other than this morning, I showered. Shit. I can’t remember the last seventy-two hours.”
Lix blew out a breath. “Fuck.”
Gabriel looked at him. Sadness filled his cobalt gaze. “I’m sorry. No one should have to endure this type of betrayal.”
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Natalie asked.
“Going out for drinks,” Rafe said.
“Then my hypothesis was right,” she replied. “They’re trying to refine Éviel to produce it for mass distribution. A-a new type of designer drug.”
Gabriel stared at Rafe. The man looked like hell. His heart broke at the idea of another living shifter and whatever else Rafe maybe, enduring what his—their father did every month. While Lix drew Rafe’s blood, Natalie went to Hauser to tell him what happened with Rafe.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Gabriel hedged. “I can help you understand what you’re experiencing.”
Rafe shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t trust what you have to say. I can’t process it.”
“Would you rather talk to my father then?”
“Just what I’d need, someone telling me what I’ve been feeling is normal after being date raped.”
Gabriel winced. “Sorry.”
Rafe sighed. “Don’t be, kid. You didn’t do it. The only thing tying you to this is a familial connection.”
“It might be good to know the symptoms and reactions,” Lix said, removing the needle from Rafe’s arm.
“Fine.” Rafe wouldn’t meet Gabriel’s gaze. “Tell him, kid.”
Gabriel sighed. “It’s a long list.”
Rafe snorted. “We have time.”
“The first thing a person who ingests the drug would feel is dizziness accompanied by double vision, flushed skin, and sensitivity to light and sound. When the drug is fully activated, the person becomes painfully aroused. For women, they’re excessively wet, and for men, they produce copious amounts of pre-cum.” Gabriel shifted in his chair then cleared his throat. “The sensitivity of their genitals allows for simple touch to cause orgasm in the beginning, and by the end, painful erections that can’t be relieved. Then there is the dehydration, hallucinations, and irritability. In the end, it takes up to forty-eight hours for the drug to fully clear the body.”
