Fade Into Black - Shadows of the Night 5

Chapter 38

Hi,

It's refreshing to use a different POV from time to time, so, once more, we're getting chapter 38 from Andy, who turns out to be quite the adrenaline junkie... ;-)

And, I've got a question for you: What's the head vampire's "game" in this one? 

Lara

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Chapter 38

ANDY

Fact: The Brotherhood attacked the Invisibility Cloak. Fact: Victor Crawford's coven home was assaulted that night as well. No one seemed to have a clue about what really happened – neither the human police force, nor the Circle.

The human police arrested some of Marrok's wolves, but let them go after a while. The Circle did make a fuss about me stepping out of line, when I stormed to Victor's mansion without official authorization. Watson threw a fit – just as expected. My supervisor in the Force was an asshole. An accredited one, mind you, and a powerful fire user, which was why I met his fit with demure silence. In the end Brown calmed the waves, just as expected.

All rogue witches vanished before the Forces could get their hands on them, apart from two that were currently in a coma from which they probably wouldn't awake, and one that had refused to talk so far. Fifteen rogues had died, four of them committed suicide when circled by the Force and, I suspected, the Death Squad.

When questioned by the Force, Marrok and his wolves said they were tracking Raphael Medici and his rogues after they got a tip from a 'secret source'. Anna didn't tell me much about her deal with Marrok, but it looked like it was part of their understanding that Anna's name wouldn't be mentioned. A happy coincidence, as it concurred with what I told them. Force members were not obliged to disclose secret sources, no matter which case.

Victor Crawford said exactly what Alexander said. I was pretty sure the head vampire told Crawford what to say. Probably gave him a film script to study and follow. According to the vampires' version of events, the coven house was attacked by Raphael Medici and his rogues without provocation or warning. After I saw what the place looked like in second sight, I wasn't so sure that was the truth, though. Twenty-six of Victor's vamps died. Too many, for a divided attack of the Brotherhood. Unless there was something I didn't know.

And there it was, the biggest question of all: What had really happened?

I turned my head. Radulf appeared in the mass of Force members and human police, his face grim. The shape shifter caught my eye and nodded. He knew something.

Blaze had gone missing ever since the attack. No one had seen him. Blaze still had connections to the "Fade pack" and Marrok's wolves – people he once called his own pack. He crossed lines for Anna. Sometimes I wondered why exactly he did it, but I never asked.

Marrok, the Fade Pack's Alpha, didn't give a fuck about Blaze or where he was. I tried talking to the Alpha. Not a chance. As soon as someone was out of the pack he was as good as dead to Marrok. Good bye and good fucking riddance. Apparently Radulf thought differently.

Radulf was walking bare-feet, torn jeans, biker shirt and all. Here he stuck out, a stray wolf in a room of well-trained dogs. He slipped his hand in his jeans pocket, drawing out his phone. He met my gaze and nodded grimly, then slipped his phone back inside.

I returned the gesture with a nod of my own and pulled out my phone. Discussing delicate information in the vicinity of shape shifters and vampires was not a smart move. Not here anyway.