Awakening - Book of Fire (Blood Heritage #1) (13 page)

Giving Rick a look of apprehension, and hoping this will not be a painful subject; James, ask the question that has led to so many of the other hints in the case. "Was Maggie adopted by any chance?"

"Yes, she was, when she was only a baby. She came to us from a poverty stricken war zone where many children either abandoned or orphaned were living in horribly crowded orphanages with not enough food or water. My wife petitioned for a child through a rescue agency that arranged to have them flown over to a holding facility where children could be viewed and chosen like puppies. The whole process was sickening but what else could we do? Had we waited for a child in the United States it could have taken years."

"The children were so crowded there were two or three in every crib with only one worker trying to keep things clean. The facility was horrible with dirt floors, and filth stacked up in the back of the room. Many of the children were underweight and under developed due to extreme lack of nourishment and socialization. Maggie was lying curled up in a little ball and when my wife laid eyes on her, she reached for her and smiled. There was no doubt from that moment on she was meant to be our daughter. My wife wanted to bring them all home with us, especially when she was told that if we did not find what we wanted here there were six other facilities where children were held. The ten thousand dollar paperwork processing fee was all we could handle, and had we taken another it would have doubled. Of course they would not admit they were selling babies, but to us that was how it looked. With ten thousand dollars American money they should have been able to care for the children better, but then who are we to judge what goes on in third world countries?"

James asks where Maggie came from, already suspecting the answer. "They told us she was born in a small village in South America. The details are unclear since like many of the children there she was found among the dead after a rebel attack on her village. She was brought to the orphanage with no birth records or even a family name. These children are unknown refugees of a war that no one will ever win. They belong to no one and many will just fade out of existence right there due to lack of love, care, or adequate food and medicine."

They told us the money was to establish the paperwork necessary to bring her to America with a birth certificate and all of the proper filing and legal documentation to make the adoption legal. We took her and paid gladly to have the family my wife dreamed of. She at least had lived to see her daughter turn sixteen. And thankfully had not been here to see her daughter's life cut short in such a senseless way. That little refugee made us so proud and happy that it is impossible to think of what life would have been like without her, and to imagine it now is such an empty thought I can't bear it. Every morning I wake up expecting to hear her singing in the kitchen while she makes pancakes or running around the yard with mud in her hair taking photos of anything and everything from the most peculiar angles. I expect her to come bursting through the door with some story about the latest animal that needs to be adopted or mended. But I never will see her smiling face, or her wild eyes again. She is gone. Just like her mother, and the rest of her original family, she is just another notch on the belt of whatever power feeds on desperation and misery. She is just another statistic to you, but to me she is all I had left that was good in this world."

"Thank you for your time, Rick, and I won't let her fade out of memory. I will find out what happened to her. She deserves that much, and so do you. I can tell she was something really special, and she will be remembered that way."

James walks back to the car feeling the weight of this man's burdens on his heart. This is the kind of day he dreads more than any other part of his job. He has allowed the photos on his wall to become so much more than three dead girls; they each have a life, a personality and a future to him now, and each is a tragic piece of a better world that has been taken away.

These are not just numbers, statistics or the latest pretty girl to lose her life to a serial killer. This is Elizabeth, Jennifer and Maggie. They are spirited and promising young women with hopes and dreams and interests. He feels the pain of their loss as sharply as if he knew them personally. James believes it is his personal responsibility to ensure each of these girls finds her peace, and her justice. An intense anger rises within him like a thundercloud ready to burst. He is a panther on the hunt and no jackal will elude him. He will tear at its flesh and rip out its throat tearing out its evil heart in one swift and terminating thrust. The madness of the world cannot beat him. There has to be balance. There has to be justice. His sanity depends on it.

Jackson knows his partner well enough to just let him think on the drive back in. He feels the darkness brewing within him and senses the challenge has been laid. This is a case he will solve no matter what the cost. He has seen James in this kind of mood one other time and he became a driven and dangerous man. He is glad he isn't on the other end of his partner's rage. James will be a force to be reckoned with and this bad guy had better run and hide, because with this lawman on his trail it is only a matter of time.

When he gets back to the office, James does something that has never been done during a case before. Underneath each of the girls photos he writes their full names, the names of their parents their dates of birth and death and a brief description of their interests and traits. He forces the others on the team to recognize them as more than murder victims. He forces each girl into the light of reality. The mood of the room changes drastically from its usual chatty workplace day to day casualness to a somber and reflective world where everyone focuses completely on finding answers.

Briefing the team on what he discovered regarding each of the girls adoptions and many details about each of their lives. He leaves out the South America connection and only alludes to the fact that it looks like the two adopted girls came from illegitimate adoption sources, and suggesting further research will be required to determine if there is a connection there. They discuss the plan of attack for the time being and some of the team is sent to seek out leads on the missing infants, using any information they have on illegal baby smuggling.

They are sending out feelers in the informant community but little is coming back in the way of information. James is not optimistic that anything will be found there, but he has to give it everything they have. He and Jackson intend to continue the interviews with the parents of the missing girls and determine if the current pattern holds. The primary, and only suspect seems to be the father of the three dead girls, and quite possibly the missing girls as well.

James and Jackson head to the bar for a beer to ease out of the day, neither has on call duty tonight so they take the opportunity to relax a little and reconnect as friends. The job gets in the way of friendships sometimes, just as it interferes with one’s love life. There is always work to do and never enough time to get every maniac off the streets. James is beginning to think good people are growing fewer and farther between and the bad people are killing them off before new ones can replace them. His usual optimism is beginning to dim in the light of these last few horrific months. These atrocities and the accident are making him realize he’s not indestructible and he too will eventually face mortality. He hopes he’ll be able to take down a few more of the really bad guys first.

Jackson lightens up his spirits with his usual jovial comments about the waitress’s beautiful behind; the pleasantly plump rump. No one can be moody around this man, with his easy humor and smooth lines. He’s an entertainer, that’s for sure. Though he too feels the weight of the current case, he knows it’s his responsibility to lift James out of the darkness. They’ve held this arrangement for many years and they balance each other out perfectly.

Light-hearted and loving Jackson is one of the best people James knows and he trusts his friend with everything, although he has not yet told him about his new girlfriend. He isn't sure if it’s because he doesn't yet want to share her with the rest of the world or he’s not ready for the ration of shit his friend will give him about it. Jackson has a way of finding the soft spot and jabbing at it just hard enough to get a reaction, and James likes his privacy when it comes to matters of the heart and home.

The two men enjoy a pitcher or two playing pool until the balls no longer find their way into the pockets. Spending the evening laughing and enjoying each other’s company, just letting go of their responsibilities for a little while. It’s a balance that has to be played out. In order to survive the work, you have to learn how to let it go when it’s necessary. This case definitely requires some down time to reset the mind and emotions.

If he doesn't take the time to reset he will be clouded by anger and miss what he needs to be clear-headed to see. His finely-tuned senses will fail him and that could mean that he will fail the girls and their families. There’s a reason most cops turn to alcohol in times of stress, and many lose control of it over the course of their careers. James knows he is not a drunk and he also knows he is damn good at what he does. There’s no guilt over time spent behind the bottle as it’s time spent living his own life and not that of madmen and their victims.

He hopes Amber will let him hold her tonight as he can really use her comfort. He feels a bit better, but his mood is still dark and somber and he’s not in the mood for another dream of losing her. He wants to feel her warm and alive next to him. He needs to see something good remains in the world, and she’s the light in his darkness.

The two men part ways and Jackson hops a cab home since he lives in the center of town and is a bit too loose to walk that far. James walks down the street to Amber's house, hoping she has not already gone to bed.

Amber and Rissa leave work together heading to the lake for a late afternoon walk. The sunlight glistens on the water and birds are everywhere. Rissa warns Amber that alligators might be lurking in the grasses by the water and to be wary of going too far off the pathways. The girls are planning a meeting with the members of Rissa's circle, or coven. There are five other girls in her order and Amber will make the total seven if the group accepts her. It’s a democratic society she explains, where there has to be complete unity. Each member will be given a chance to decide whether Amber is the missing piece. They are a natural order and Amber feels that their beliefs suit her well. Though she still does not know much about them, it seems she has been born to be a part of their number.

Each of the girls has a gift of sorts and each is different. Rissa has a sight similar to Amber, but far less detailed, Rissa is a healer by calling and her talent is in herbal remedies and knowledge of many shamanic arts. She is essentially a medicine woman. She presents Amber to her circle as she has been instructed to do by Aria. She wants Amber to find her own way to the calling and not to be forced into position as a watcher before she is ready or willing. Working with these younger and kinder sisters will ease her into the life without too much culture shock. The sisterhood will be good for Amber, she needs friends and support, it will take her time to learn to trust. What Amber does not know is that her destiny will be far greater than these naturals will ever understand, her power will be greater than all of them combined.

Amber is nervous meeting Rissa's friends, she doesn’t know what to expect. She has pictures in her mind of long black robes and candlesticks, and she has to laugh at herself when Rissa introduces her to a group of girls her age sitting around a campfire drinking soda and munching on s’mores. The tension rushing out of her body as she is casually introduced to the group and the girls chat casually about normal things. There is a generally friendly and accepting feeling and Amber relaxes into the crackling of the campfire and the delicious treats.

She nearly forgets it is an interview at all. The girls gossip and giggle and spend over an hour talking about nothing in particular. Dawn gives Amber a welcoming hug and actually walks her around the circle, engaging her in more formal introductions. Each girl puts a hand on her shoulder giving her a polite hug, as Dawn gives her their names. She’s curious about their gifts as well, but thinks it better not to ask any questions yet. She doesn't really know the etiquette of these things yet.

After the introductions each girl makes her way over to Rissa whispering in her ear. Then they say their good byes to Amber politely excusing themselves and walking away into the darkening twilight. Amber looks at Rissa with curiosity and confusion but remains in place waiting for the clarification she knows will come. Dawn is the last to speak with Rissa and the two have a bit longer conversation. Dawn smiling at Amber leaves quietly as the others have done. Rissa and Amber begin the walk back toward the shop where Rissa lives upstairs.

The girls stop at the door of the shop. Rissa turning toward Amber with intention, gives her a huge and happy hug welcoming her to the coven she places the necklace around Amber's neck.