Blood Sins

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Special Agent Bess Jane was pacing around the conference room when I arrived. The SCF worked out of the police station’s conference room while we waited for funding to get our own headquarters. She was taking the brunt of all the backlash that came with vampires being made public and the attacks and murders that led to the whole thing.

She was my age and had a whole department riding on her shoulders, I didn’t envy the woman and mostly felt sorry for her in the sense I wished I could help.

“What’s going on now?” I asked while she continued to pace.

Chase, my best friend, sat in one of the chairs watching her. He was the co-commander of the task force and her right hand. I suspected there as feelings between the two of them but as far as I knew and believed nothing ever happened.

“I don’t know.” Chase answered, his eyes continuing to watch her. “She’s been like this since I got here.”

“That’s not a good sign.” A familiar voice answered.

I turned around and found Gavin at the door. We had broken up three years ago and I still couldn’t get my heart not to race at the sight of him. “Do you know anything? Did Matthew call with more bad news?”

“Don’t say that bastard’s name.” Bess erupted, cured of her silent trance.

“What did that bastard do now?” Gavin asked flatly about his brother. Apparently he, his brother and Bess go away back and he was used to and tired of their arguments. What I did know about them reminded me of my relationship with Chase and Jake except Bess didn’t seem to be all that close with either of them.

Bess faced us with her hands on her hips and pure anger lacing her blue-green eyes. “He wants to come to Celestin.”

“That’s not good.” Gavin said as the only one who understood why that would piss her off.

“No shit Sherlock.” She cut her eyes to me then back to Gavin. “Any ideas?”

“We’ll see.” He walked away looking like a man on a mission.

I asked, “Um why does this sound like the end of the world?” I wasn’t good at keeping my curiosity to myself.

Bess walked around the table and sat instead of pacing anymore. “It’s hard to explain and we have a meeting to get ready for. Where’s Jake?” she was used to us arriving together and suspected there was something going on between us but I had never given her a reason to. Jake and I were strictly professional at work.

“No idea. He has a state exam he’s been studying for and probably got caught up with it. How’s tonight’s caseload? Anything worth checking out in the million complaints we get?” now that the public had a number to call and a form to fill out about their vampire worries there were tons of them coming out of the wood works and most of the time it was just a neighbor the other person didn’t happen to like. Rarely there was a vampire in the neighborhood and we had to explain we couldn’t ask them to move or arrest them without cause. Being undead wasn’t a crime.

“Yes,” she moved a stack of files aside and looked through them until she found the one she wanted. “That’s why I asked about Jake, I want you to cover it.” she didn’t know about his werewolf status, he was my SCF partner.

I took hold of the file and looked for the basic facts. “A nest? It’s been awhile since I’ve heard of one.” I kept reading, when I reached details about the MO my blood turned cold. The file fell from my hands back to the table.

“What is it?” Chase asked and took the file.

“Women and men with the same psychical traits have turned up missing. One woman escaped and filed the report with the SCF, the facts and MO are familiar.” I spoke on automatic. My head was somewhere else.

Chase found the page I had been reading and cursed, “Shit.” He crumpled the file in his fist.

“Lance.” I whispered painfully.

“I didn’t realize.” Bess spoke up. She had been helping Chase try and track Lance Myles for months after he reappeared. The trail went cold and we had stupidly hoped he fled town. He was one of the few vampires to escape my axe and one of the most sadistic bastards to ever roam this planet, human and undead alike. “I’ll assign it to someone else.”

“No.” I pushed my momentary break down away and met her with hard brown eyes. “This is mine.”

“Ours.” Chase didn’t lose his temper as quick as the rest of us. When he showed emotion and anger the problem was big; now was one of those times. “You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you face him alone after he almost killed you.”

I looked into his pale blue eyes. “Jake is the best partner I could ask for. It’ll be better if you stay here and help from afar as backup if we need it. Lance already knows we’re a weakness to each other and wouldn’t think twice about using it.” Chase and his daughter were the only family I had.

Bess jumped in. “If this is as bad as you say then it would be good to have a team ready and waiting once you take control of the situation. I need you to run the team Chase.” She didn’t want him on the front line either and didn’t do a great job at hiding it. I saw the fear in her eyes as she looked at him.

I agreed with Bess. “You’re a genius at planning so plan and I’ll call Jake and tell him to get his ass over here.”