Blood and Apples: An Annora Park Novel: Book One

Chapter Five: Articulated Arteries

Garrett was right...it was bad.  It was really, really bad.  Didn't mean I couldn't Tread, or that I hadn't seen some of this somewhere in my Treading history, but he was right to say that it was bad.  Actually, bad was probably a massive understatement, this scene was truly horrifically terrifying.
   "Wow, this is something right?" Walker kneels down and sticks a finger into a pool of blood.
   "Oh my God!" I shout at him.  "Are you kidding me right now? You can't just stick your hands into blood at a crime scene!"
   Walker rolls his eyes.  "Oh relax darling.  I didn't stick my hand in the blood, just a finger.  And I'm wearing gloves, you know these disgusting latex monstrosities that you insisted I wear." He holds up his gloved hand and wiggles the finger that is now covered in blood.  Before I know it, or can even stop him, he stick the blood soaked finger into his mouth.
   "Annora...there is no way I'm working with this certifiably insane person," Garrett spits out. He's staring at Walker like he's the devil incarnate. Then again...
I sigh. "Garrett, seriously...can we NOT do this right now. And trust me when I tell you that we don't have a choice here. Walker stays. End of story."
"Annora he's not even—"
Walker takes that moment to pull out his badge and wave it in Garrett's face. "You were saying, boy?"
"Don't call me boy, you nutcase."
"Hey, I call it as I see it." Walker shrugs and smiles. "And thank you for the compliment."
Garrett frowns. "What? I didn't compliment you."
"Oh but you did," Walker says, "...You called me a nutcase. I consider that not only accurate, but quite complimentary. I mean we nutcases are some of the best people out there, you know," and he shoots me a knowing look. "Not to mention we need to stick together, you know."
Oh but I was so not going there. "Children, children," I chide, "...do you think we can stop with the weird pissing contest until I've done my job?" God, I'm exhausted and I haven't even begun to Tread. If this is how I feel now, how bad is it going to be after I'm finished? I shudder at the thought.
"God, Ann...I mean, Annora," Garrett sighs, "...yes, of course. You're right." He shoots Walker a murderous look before continuing. "But this is far from over."
Walker chuckles and inclines his head. "Anytime kid...you name the time and place and I'll be there. We can hash this out the good ol' fashioned way, if you'd like. I'm assuming that's what you were referring to?"
"Yeah, sure we can—"
I cut Garrett off immediately, "—NO, oh hell no! Garrett you are NOT going to meet Walker anywhere, at anytime, at least not without me. You're certainly not going to 'hash things out,' no, no way!" Walker would fucking murder Garrett, and probably in the most violent and horrific way possible. Oh no, there's no way I'm letting the two of them anywhere near each other...alone.
"Oh sweetheart," Walker smiles, and places his hand over his heart, "...you're concerned for me? I'm so very touched, love."
"Hell no I'm not concerned over your welfare. What I am concerned about is having to do an excess of paperwork and haul your ass to jail after you kill my friend and partner."
Garrett frowns and then glares at me. "You're joking, right, Annora? You don't think I can take this guy?"
I swallow—hard—and clear my throat before answering. "Garrett, listen, you know how much you mean to me, how much our partnership means to me. And you know how capable and talented I think you are, right? Trust me then when I tell you, that no, and I say this as kindly as possible, that no, there is no way in hell you could win against the nutcase over there. And I want you to erase any iota of thought you may have about taking him on, okay?"
"Annora—"
"No. This conversation is over, do you understand? You said it yourself, we've been partners for nearly four years, if that partnership means anything to you, then you'll trust me when I say, stop...just stop, right now. And don't you dare think of meeting Walker without me, do you understand?" Garrett grinds his teeth together, but after a pregnant pause, nods his head curtly. "Okay, great. So now I need the both of you to move the fuck away from me and let me do my damn job."
"But of course, love," Walker says and takes several steps back.
"Garrett, could you please stand outside the door, just make sure no one comes in, or disturbs me?"
"Why doesn't the nutcase do it?" Garrett snarls.
"Garrett, God, please...just please..." The please must have done it, because after tossing Walker a murderous glare he walks to the door.  Walker opens his mouth to speak and I shake my head violently.  "No, don't you dare start on me now, too.  Just stand there looking maniacally handsome and keep your mouth shut, oh and don't move a muscle."
   "Sweetums...you think I'm handsome.  I always knew you were attracted to me, darling."
   Oh for fucks sake.  Me and my stupid mouth.  "I said maniacally handsome, Walker.  You realize maniacally isn't exactly complimentary, right? About ninety-nine percent of the time you look like a serial killer, dude."
   "Hmmm...I'm adding dude to our agreement."
   "Excuse me?"
   "I find I don't like you calling me dude.  There's nothing elegant about the word, 'dude,' I mean, really, who made up such an asinine word, they should be shot and put out of their misery for ever coming up with such a horrible word."
   I close my eyes and count to ten.  And when that doesn't work, I count to twenty.
   "What are you doing, sweetheart."
   "Contemplating your imminent demise," I spit out.
   "Now, now, darling, don't be like that.  And don't lie to me.  You know that you don't want to kill me.  And you know you'd miss me like crazy if I were gone.  We're like...hmmm what's that human show with the doctors in that stupid fictitious hospital...there are two female interns—I know, I know, only one of us is a female, but what is it that Asian doctor always says to the angsty angry one...the one where bad shit just seems to follow her around and hit her like a plague?  'You're my person.'  Isn't that what she says...that that angsty doctor is her person.  We're just like that.  We're each other's persons." Walker finishes with a brilliant smile and I'm not sure if I'm more shocked that he's quoting a popular TV show or that he thinks we're weirdly connected and one another's persons.  Both thoughts are equally deeply disturbing.
   "You think you can shut up now, Walker?  And stop quoting 'Grey's Anatomy'?"
"Ah-haaaa, you know the show, darling. I knew you were a secret TV aficionado."
Jesus Christ. "Again, shut up, Walker. I have work to do. And since you've already compromised my scene it's going to be harder." I'm startled when Walker suddenly strides quickly towards me and takes my hand in his—his unbloody one.
"Darling, when are you going to realize that there is a reason, and purpose for everything that I do. And yes, I may be a few monkeys short of a barrel, but that doesn't change the fact that I would never, never do anything to screw up your job, your work."
"Walker, you stuck your finger into—"
"Shhhh...after. I'll be quiet now. You do what you need to do, and I'll be a good little soldier and wait until you're finished. Then I'll explain everything to you. We are partners now, after all."
Partners. Oyyyy. I could barely handle the one I already had. "Fine, fine. Step back, Walker. And I mean it, don't say a thing, and don't move a damn muscle."
"Aye, aye, princess."
    Oh, now I was a princess. I roll my eyes. Once he's taken several large steps away from me, and I'm assured of the fact that he won't be bothering or disturbing me, I square my shoulders and take several deep fortifying breaths. I take in the body...or at least what's left of the body on the bed first. Frankly it can hardly be called a body, it looks like some shriveled up husk, barely even human in appearance anymore, hell, barely even skeletal. It literally looks like some odd gray, shriveled cocoon. Most disturbing of all is the fact that I know without a doubt that that husk on the bed used to be a human being, a living, breathing human being,
    It was time. I close my eyes and let it in. Like a hurricane, a tsunami of pain floods my body, filling my entire person with nearly debilitating agony. I breath, and fortify my shields and pray that they'll hold. This is bad, Garrett was right, this scene is really bad, and it's taking everything in me (I'm already slightly depleted from yesterday and not working at my best) to keep it all together and not collapse. The room narrows into a singular pinpoint and suddenly THERE IT IS! I see her, as she was, lying naked on the bed, a shadowy figure hovering over her. Clearly the victim thought she was getting laid and this was just another customer in what I'm sure was a long line of customers. She was a pretty thing in life.
    I gasp and double over as a fierce spear of pain shoots through me and nearly brings me to my knees. Oh my God. The power. The power here. The killer hadn't merely murdered this poor girl, he'd consumed her so completely, that's why this husk was the only thing left. But the blood, he'd left a little blood. Not like the other crime scene where there'd been so much more blood, this scene was almost ridiculously neat. Great, we had an OCD supernatural serial killer on our hands.
    My mind is spinning, and my heart begins to beat so fast I'm almost afraid it's going to burst out of my chest. Suddenly I'm being shaken, shaken hard. My eyes clear, and the fog lifts, and I find myself staring up into Walker's storm tossed eyes. And unlike his usual crazy, his eyes are filled with something soft, something almost...tender dare I say?
"I...I..." fuck I'm shaking. I try to gather myself together. "I...I don't like to be touched when I'm Treading, Walker."
"I know darling. But that was hardly a normal Tread. You were immersed and drowning in the Tread, my love. You needed to get out."
Fuck but he was right. I swallow and disengage myself from him. I take a few deep breaths and try to compose myself. God, that had been awful.
"Take your pills my love." Walker smiles a slight, genuine non snarky smile. "I mean, you've got plenty now, darling."
I nod. Pulling the pills from my vest pocket I attempt to twist the top off the case but find I'm shaking so badly it's impossible.
"Here, sweet, give them to me."
I hadn't let Garrett help me, why the hell was I even considering letting nutcase Walker help. Jeez, it didn't seem like I had much choice though, my hands were literally shaking and jerking, there was no way I'd be able to open the top. I hand the bottle over to Walker and watch as he easily twists the top off and pours four pills into his hands.
"Four?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, four. I saw you, darling. Take the four damn pills like a good little girl and don't argue with me."
I take the pills with shaking hands, pop them into my mouth, pool some saliva and swallow them down. Once I've taken the Quintinimime Walker puts the top back on the case and hands them back to me. I carefully place them in my pocket and pray that they'll take effect and soon.
   "Walker," I murmur,  "...this shit is bad, it's really really bad."
    "I know, sweetheart," and the expression on his face is almost a normal one.  "I tasted the blood, darling, remember."
   I roll my eyes, "Like I could ever forget that oh-so-disturbing image."
   Walker sighs and runs a hand through his hair , pushing the shaggy strings out of his eyes before addressing me.  "Annora...the blood, it's filled with magic."
   "What do you mean it's filled with magic?"
   "Exactly what I said.  The blood I tasted, it was imbued with magic...where potent magic...magic that I'm not all to familiar with.  It's not Coven magic."
   I frown, my mind working furiously.  "Walker, yesterday we saw a scene that was somewhat similar to this one, except the victim wasn't left in this condition.  And there was more blood, a lot more blood.  I Treaded and...and I was able to pinpoint two assailants, and one of them..." I take a deep breath, "...One of them is Tuatha de Danaan."
   "Oh well now that's a twist I didn't see coming," Walker scratches his chin and looks thoughtful.  "It would certainly explain the potent magic I tasted in the blood, and why I didn't instantly recognize it.  Tell me more about the last murder, darling."
   I shake my head.  "Not here, Walker.  I need...I need to get something to eat, maybe something to drink, of an alcoholic nature, and then I need some rest."
   "Well I was going to suggest we have our first date, but I see you're in no condition at present.  So...how bout' you let me cook you something, and trust me I have a fully stocked bar at my place.  And if you get wasted you can crash in one of the guest rooms, I have a dozen...oh and I promise I won't peek if you sleep naked, dearheart."
   "I don't think that's such a good idea, Walker."
   "Annora," and his voice hardens.  "You're still shaking.  The Quintinimime is going to take a little time to work, you are in no condition to drive, let alone be by yourself at this point.  And am I safe in assuming you'd rather not go home with that child that's guarding the door? Let me take care of you.  I swear, no funny business.  I'll be on my very best behavior."
   Oyyyy...his very best behavior.   And yet...
   Finally I nod slowly.  "Okay, okay, but if you serve me anything that has blood in it, or bites me, all bets are off."
   Walker laugh uproariously.  "Oh dearheart, what do you take me for? A heathen?"
   I snort.  "Do you really want me to answer that question?"
   Walker smirks and then takes my hand again.  "Oh dearheart...we are just going to have the best time together...some things are just meant to be."
Shit.  And that was what I was afraid of.