Chapter 15

(Chapter song ‘Danger Zone' by Kenny Loggins **** ‘Harder To Breathe' by Maroon 5)

PAISELY “Car 18. 10-15 in progress. Lower East side." Dispatch reports over my radio.

“10-4 Dispatch. Car 13 on the way.” I say over the CB.

“Archer, finish your patrol. When we need you, we’ll call.” Dispatch says.

“I’m three blocks over, Dispatch. Come on.” I whine.

“That’s an order, Car 13. Dispatch out.”

I hang my radio up in frustration.

It’s been three years since a body has been dropped by the Lycan Attacker. In that time, I’ve made level 2 patroller.

What this means is, I basically drive around all day, making sure everyone on the street behaves themselves. It’s not what I want, but it’s closer.

Casey has been frustrated with his cold case. The killer dropped a few more, then disappeared just after Liam left the city.

I know he’s the killer, but Casey insists he’s not.

There’s also been a rash of people losing time. Walking into the hospital or being found in alleys with no memory of how they got there.

At first it was 3 to 4 people a week, but even that’s dried up.

The description is weak at best. Large man, black hair and strong. No one has any more information than that. Forensics is coming up with squat. It’s like he knows what we look for.

Since being a patroller, I’ve been searching for any sign of the Lycan bloodsucker. Yeah, that’s my name. I’m pretty proud of it.

Against orders, I pull onto a small street on the east side by the warehouse district.

I turn my car and block traffic as my fellow Enforcers go in. The call is on the second floor.

A TV came crashing out the window and I flinch back in shock. “Jesus. What’s this goof hopped up on?”

Moments later, the Enforcers have him in cuffs.

“YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES! YOU HURT MY GIRL, I'M TAKING ALL YOUR ASSES!” He screams as he lead down the stairs.

He’s angry, large and dressed in Alliance military cargos with no shirt. Guaranteed, he’s a vet.

The Enforcer holding him looks him square in the eyes. “Seeing what you did to that little girl, it’s not us she has to worry about. Get in the car.”

He's thrown into the car and the girl is lead to a medic truck.

I wince at the sight of her. She looks like he went 20 rounds on her.

“OLIVE! I’M SORRY! BABY, I DIDN’T MEAN IT!” He screams from the car. She doesn’t look at him. I don’t blame her.

Unfortunately, come tomorrow, after he’s slept off his drunk, he’ll be released and she won’t press charges and go back. I’ve seen it way to many times. I wish we could do more, but these guys have to help themselves. We can only do so much if she won’t charge him.

The patrol cars pull away and I continue my patrol.

As I cruise up main street, a small girl wanders out into the road. I have to slam on my brakes to not hit her. My heart jumps into my throat as I yelp. My eyes go wide as I watch the woman head to the other lane of traffic.

My chest is heaving from the fright. I slam on my lights and get out. She’s looking around in a daze and her shoulder is bleeding. Her scent tells me she’s human.

‘Dispatch. This is car 13. I need back up and medics to 2nd Main Street, south of Tokendale. Lycan victim just wandered into the street.’ I link.

’10-4 Car 13.’ Dispatch responds.

She blinks at me. “Where am I?” She says quietly.

I cautiously walk up to her. “You’re safe. Let’s look at that shoulder, ok?”

She slowly looks to her injury. “Ok.” Her face is void of expression. Typical of mind wipes.

I peel back her bloody shirt and look at the wound. It’s not a typical shifter bite. It’s bigger and it looks like there’s four canines instead of two. Yep. The Lycan Bloodsucker struck again.

I grab my first aid kit and put a compress on it so she doesn’t bleed out. “What do you remember?”

“Just walking to work then you.” She says in a dream like state.

“You don’t remember anything else?” I look into her eyes to keep her attention. She completely bewildered.

She furrows her brow. “A pair of glowing blue eyes.”

I smile. “Ok. That’s good. That’s great.”

Sirens come up the street and the area is filled with Enforcers.

I point. “She came out of that alley.”

Investigators ran down the alley and Enforcers tape it off.

The medics take her and assess her wound.

I walk to the tape and watch them gather evidence. What I wouldn’t give to be on the other side of this tape. I know I could break the case wide open.

****

Another few weeks of nothing and I’m starting to think this guy has other hunting grounds.

I’m on the night shift and have parked so I can search my computer for other reports of mindless victims.

There were a few from years ago across towns to the east, but it’s not really an amount that stands out. There’s lycans all over the mid west of the country. It’s possible it’s a travel pattern. That a Lycan was eating his way over here, but it’s just not conclusive enough to take to Casey.

I clicked a few more buttons and nearly jumped out of my skin. A crash came from up the street. Like a dumpster got dumped over.

I get out of my car, shut the door and look around the dark, empty street.

I step onto the walk and head to where I heard the sound come from.

I pop the snap on my holster and turn on my flashlight.

As I get to the entrance of the alley, another small crash of cans or something echoes through the alley.

I pull my weapon and place it under the flashlight.

I step slowly down the alley. I try to calm my heart, but it’s getting harder as I go deeper into the dark.

Then I see him hunched over a body.

“FREEZE! SCUMBAG! PCE!” I shout.

He shoots his head up and shields his eyes from my light.

He starts to rise. “What?...No,I…” He puts his hands up to me.

The blue eyes got me first. The chiseled, stubble covered jawline had me hold my breath. He stood and his body took more of the air out of my lungs.

Get it together, Paisley.

I holster my weapon and put my light in its hook on my belt. I rush him, grab his arm and shove him to the wall.

I’m hit with a scent that makes me have to shake my head. It’s like musky oak smell. It seems to get right in my head and make me light headed.

“Whoa! Hey, Come on!” He protests as I twist his arm behind his back.

I push the button to my radio. “This is Enforcer Archer. I have the Lycan Bloodsucker in custody…”

“What?! No! You got the wrong…The guy went that way!” He’s trying to distract me. It’s not gonna work, Slime ball.

I push on him more. “Yeah, right. I caught you. You’re going to prison, criminal bad guy.”

His blue eyes meet mine and he scowled. “What?”

I have to speak to his shoulder, he’s so tall…and dark…and handsome…Paisley!

I get myself back into Enforcer mode. “You think you’re so tough. So smart. Well, you’re not outsmarting this gumshoe. No sir.” I fiddle with my cuffs as I twist his arm more. He grinds out the pain.

“Gumshoe?” His exotic looking eyes flick to mine as he tries to talk his way out of this. “No, I…”

The girl on the ground moans like she’s just waking up.

“So, what? You get sick kicks killing young girls, killer!” I grind at his back.

“I didn’t kill anyone!” He yells to the wall.

The smell of blood on his lips was thick.

His blue eyes pleaded with me to let him go. Not happening, big boy.

He smelled of his crime. He smelled of oak, but he also smelled of something else. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. The longer I held him, the stronger it got. The stronger it got, the more I started to forget why I was there.

I had to shake my head to clear the cobwebs forming and stay in the game.

“Yeah, right. Like I believe that for a second. I wonder what our friend here can tell us.” I look to the girl on the ground and back up at him. “You’re going downtown, my friend.”

“We are downtown!” He yells.

“Whatever!” I growl. “Give me your wrist.” I put my hand out and crook it to the hand he has on the wall.

“This wrist?” He wiggles his fingers.

“Yes. Give it to me.” I insist.

“Alright.”

I just see his perfect lips smirk when I’m grabbed by my thigh and flipped to the ground.

“UGH! OW!” I groan loud. He runs down the alley.

“Shit!” I slam the pavement and pull my weapon.

“STOP!” I yell as he gets to a fire escape ladder.

He stops and our eyes lock. I see a smile build on his lips. I almost feel myself smile back then I remember. He’s the bad guy!

“I SAID STOP!”

I fire my weapon, but I miss and the bullets ricochet off the ladder by his head.

He tosses me one last look and runs up the ladder.

I run to the ladder and climb it as fast as I can.

When I get to the top, I look around to roof with my weapon drawn. After walking around, I admit defeat. He got away.

Damn it!

The Enforcer cars show up just as I walk back to the girl and squat down to her. She’s in pain and crying. I look at her wound. It’s not bleeding as much as it should be.

“Hey, you’re safe now.” I say as the investigators move in.

“Thank you.” She chokes.

“No problem.” I smile.

I make room for the medics and step back.

“Paisley?”

I turn to Casey walking briskly up the alley.

“Hey, Casey.” I breath.

“You saw him. You had him.” He says. He stands in front of me.

I nod. “Yeah. At least 6 foot 3. Black hair, sweet blue eyes…” I turn to the back of the alley as my words trail off.

“What?”

I turn back to Casey. “Uh…nothing…um…he took off up to the roof and I lost him.

“Did you get a name?” He asks.

I shake my head. “No. He got away before I could get one.”

“Ok. Was there anything special about him? Tattoos, piercings, an accent…”

My eyes meet Casey’s. “His eyes.”

“What about them?” Casey asks.

“They’re blue, but they have a brown ring around them.” I inform.

He nods. “Ok. Good. Good job, Enforcer.” He smiles.

“Thanks.” I smile back.

****

“What do you mean he’s not the guy?! Casey, I caught him red handed!” I lean on Casey’s desk as he tells me the sexy criminal I busted isn’t the guy we’re looking for.

“He’s not the guy, P. The victim gave us entirely different description. She doesn’t know who this other guy is.” Casey leans back on his chair.

“Maybe she’s confused…from shock or something.” I stand up and cross my arms.

Casey shakes his head. “Nope. The perpetrator she described is this guy.” He tosses a file to me. “Wade Vinelli.”

I open the file to a dirty blonde with medium length, blue eyes and a stare that looks very familiar. The shivers are back.

“Vinelli. Liam.” I look up at Casey.

He nods. “His brother. If he’s in the city, I know who's dropping the bodies. He was interrupted by your weird eyed suspect.”

I look back down at Wade’s picture. “Interrupted. He saved her.” I mumble.

Casey sits up. “Looks like it, P.”

I close the file and toss it back to him. “I gotta go.”

“Where you going?” He calls to me, but I don’t answer.

Twenty minutes later, I’m parking at the dome. I walk over to the park. I knew he looked familiar.

I stand at the edge of it and scan all the people. I don’t see my loiterer.

“Where are you?”