in order to find and rein in Andrei.”
* * * * *
Heads popped up over the tops of walled cubicles as Reggie
stormed through the offices of the Paranormal Investigations Agency. When she
reached Blake Tanner’s office, she marched in without knocking, slinging the
door open so fast it crashed against the wall. “Where’s Madison?”
She’d been by their apartment before she came to the
station. No amount of calling raised Madison on her cell phone. Reggie’s last
hope was that she’d made it back to the station in the time it had taken for
her to get from Yuri’s penthouse to the station.
Tanner rose from the chair behind his desk, a phone pressed
to his ear and scowl on his face. “I understand, sir. We have our best people
on the case and hope to have it wrapped up by tonight.” He nodded as if the man
on the other end of the line could see him. “Yes sir. I understand how
important the safety of the city is to you. Yes sir, I’ll keep you informed.
Thank you, sir.” The line clicked loud enough that Tanner jerked the phone away
from his ear with a wince. Then he set it back in its receiver and turned his
full attention to Reggie. “Have a seat.”
“I don’t need a freakin’ seat. I want to know where the hell
my sister is.”
Tanner looked her square in the eye, one of his better
traits. He didn’t waste words or hold back on the truth. “She never came in
after the mission went south. I have ten people out combing the streets for
some sign of her, and so far I’ve gotten no reports.”
He walked around the desk and reached out to pat her back,
the movement awkward but well-intentioned. The man was typical type A and
didn’t know an emotion until it slapped him in the face. But not a man or woman
on his team had any doubt he’d give his life for every one of them. “I’m sorry,
Reggie.”
“Well, sorry ain’t cuttin’ it.” Brushing away a tear, she
glared at him through watery eyes. She would not break down in front of this
man or any other, for that matter. “She’s my sister,” she whispered, biting
hard on her lip to keep it from trembling.
“I know, and we’ll find her.” He turned away, his motions
jerky. The man probably wasn’t used to tears on a team consisting predominantly
of men. If she and Madison hadn’t gotten in his face and more or less worn him
down, they would never have been allowed on the team. “We recovered Macias and
Jones where they’d set up audio surveillance.”
Reggie gulped back her tears, her breath caught in her
throat. “Dead?”
“Didn’t even have a chance. Necks broken and both drained.
Looked like the work of vampires. Up until you walked in the door, we though
you and Madison were going on our list of missing women.”
He didn’t complete the thought. Instead of both of them
going on the missing women list, Madison would be the only one unless she
miraculously appeared in the next few hours. Where the hell was she?
“I have people out looking for you both. I’ll let them know
at least you’re back.” He sighed and sat behind his desk, rifling
through the stack of files until he unearthed one. He glanced across at her. “I
take it you’re not going to get any rest after being up all night?”
“You got that right. I can’t rest until I know where Madison
is.”
“Good, then you can follow up on a lead we just got. An A.
Skirko owns a warehouse on the waterfront. Word on the street has it that he
might be involved somehow with the disappearances. I want you to take Humberto
and check it out. And this time, don’t lose your partner.” His words weren’t
said with malice, but he meant it nonetheless. The rule in this business was to
fly with a wingman and never let him out of sight.
Reggie understood, but her reckless sister didn’t always
play by the rules, and sometimes that came back to bite her. Hopefully, this
time the bite wasn’t from a vampire.
“By the way, where were you? Why didn’t you report
* * * * *
Heads popped up over the tops of walled cubicles as Reggie
stormed through the offices of the Paranormal Investigations Agency. When she
reached Blake Tanner’s office, she marched in without knocking, slinging the
door open so fast it crashed against the wall. “Where’s Madison?”
She’d been by their apartment before she came to the
station. No amount of calling raised Madison on her cell phone. Reggie’s last
hope was that she’d made it back to the station in the time it had taken for
her to get from Yuri’s penthouse to the station.
Tanner rose from the chair behind his desk, a phone pressed
to his ear and scowl on his face. “I understand, sir. We have our best people
on the case and hope to have it wrapped up by tonight.” He nodded as if the man
on the other end of the line could see him. “Yes sir. I understand how
important the safety of the city is to you. Yes sir, I’ll keep you informed.
Thank you, sir.” The line clicked loud enough that Tanner jerked the phone away
from his ear with a wince. Then he set it back in its receiver and turned his
full attention to Reggie. “Have a seat.”
“I don’t need a freakin’ seat. I want to know where the hell
my sister is.”
Tanner looked her square in the eye, one of his better
traits. He didn’t waste words or hold back on the truth. “She never came in
after the mission went south. I have ten people out combing the streets for
some sign of her, and so far I’ve gotten no reports.”
He walked around the desk and reached out to pat her back,
the movement awkward but well-intentioned. The man was typical type A and
didn’t know an emotion until it slapped him in the face. But not a man or woman
on his team had any doubt he’d give his life for every one of them. “I’m sorry,
Reggie.”
“Well, sorry ain’t cuttin’ it.” Brushing away a tear, she
glared at him through watery eyes. She would not break down in front of this
man or any other, for that matter. “She’s my sister,” she whispered, biting
hard on her lip to keep it from trembling.
“I know, and we’ll find her.” He turned away, his motions
jerky. The man probably wasn’t used to tears on a team consisting predominantly
of men. If she and Madison hadn’t gotten in his face and more or less worn him
down, they would never have been allowed on the team. “We recovered Macias and
Jones where they’d set up audio surveillance.”
Reggie gulped back her tears, her breath caught in her
throat. “Dead?”
“Didn’t even have a chance. Necks broken and both drained.
Looked like the work of vampires. Up until you walked in the door, we though
you and Madison were going on our list of missing women.”
He didn’t complete the thought. Instead of both of them
going on the missing women list, Madison would be the only one unless she
miraculously appeared in the next few hours. Where the hell was she?
“I have people out looking for you both. I’ll let them know
at least you’re back.” He sighed and sat behind his desk, rifling
through the stack of files until he unearthed one. He glanced across at her. “I
take it you’re not going to get any rest after being up all night?”
“You got that right. I can’t rest until I know where Madison
is.”
“Good, then you can follow up on a lead we just got. An A.
Skirko owns a warehouse on the waterfront. Word on the street has it that he
might be involved somehow with the disappearances. I want you to take Humberto
and check it out. And this time, don’t lose your partner.” His words weren’t
said with malice, but he meant it nonetheless. The rule in this business was to
fly with a wingman and never let him out of sight.
Reggie understood, but her reckless sister didn’t always
play by the rules, and sometimes that came back to bite her. Hopefully, this
time the bite wasn’t from a vampire.
“By the way, where were you? Why didn’t you report
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