The Alphas Game - Complete Set (20 page)

“What kinds of tools?” Grey asked, forgetting his attempt at humor. He was peering down the hole, trying to discern some details in the impossibly dark hole. There was nothing for him to see. “Something smells strange down there.”

“Definitely, I think it’s coming from over there.” Kevin indicated the direction of the metal crate.

“Well, you might as well check it out while we figure out a way to get you out of there.”

Kevin moved closer to the open metal crate, it held a collection of metal tools. As he looked down on them he couldn’t help but to feel a shudder slip up his spine. “It looks like there’s blood on them.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a rubber glove. It was dirty, just like the rest of him, but he turned it inside out and used it to shift around the items in the bin.

The stains were thick in some areas and just a minor discoloration in others. He carefully shone the light on the various saws, knives, hammers and other instruments that were normal in a woodworker’s toolkit, but he couldn’t help but wonder why a woodworker would keep their tools in a place like this.

Chapter7

Kevin was a filthy mess when we managed to get him out of the hole. He found a few items to stack up so that he could climb out through the hole that he had fallen through. There had been another exit, but it looked mostly collapsed. I wondered if anyone still used this place, or if it was just an old hunter’s place, somewhere where the hunters would bring their kill in order to skin and care for the flesh of the beasts that they used to feed themselves. I knew that the thought would have to stay in the back of my head. I had much more interesting things to watch. Kevin was trying in vain to remove the sticky swamp mud from his clothes and hair. He was a mess and the mud caked on his cheek could have made me laugh out loud if I had wanted to insult the pride of the lion.

Grey’s eyes twinkled with unrealized laughter as he watched his partner try in vain to save his cheap suit from the damaging effects of the swamp. “Do you need some help with that?” He dug through his pockets in an attempt to find something to help the man. “I don’t have anything.”

Shooting the wolf a dirty look, Kevin continued to work with the tiny napkin that Rosie had happened to have in her pocket. “I’m doing the best I can.” He turned to Rosie. “Do you have any more?”

Rosie pulled her pockets out, and reached into her back pocket. As she reached into her wallet on the off chance she had shoved another napkin from some fast food joint in there, she frowned and shook her head. “That’s it, sorry. Don’t you guys have some more in the car?”

“We keep the car pretty clear, but there might be a few in the glove box.” Grey tried to remember if they had done that, but he couldn’t.

“Damn.” Kevin cursed, carefully studying the damage.

“I don’t think you’re going to be able to save it.” Rosie looked grim.

Kevin studied the woman carefully, wondering if she was making fun of him. He decided that she wasn’t before he sighed. “This was my best suit.”

“How long have you had that thing?” Grey asked, a teasing smile on his face.

“I’ve only had it for five years.” Kevin groaned. “I don’t like shopping.”

“Hey, at least it will give you an excuse to buy a new one.” Grey couldn’t keep his smirk from expanding into a full grin as he fought the laughter.

“Ha, ha, very funny.” The sarcasm echoed through his voice. “You know I hate shopping.”

“I know, but don’t you think those suits are getting a little old. This will give you a reason to start replacing them.”

“I hate shopping for clothes.” Kevin groaned once again.

“I’ll take you, I’m sure we can find you something really nice.” Rosie offered, but they both knew that neither one of them would ever take advantage of the offer. Kevin and she had ended and they dissolved into awkward silence.

Grey looked from one person to the other and knew that something had to change. “Why would someone use a place like that?”

“Do you think that hunters might have used it?” The psychic asked as if she already knew the answer. She was reaching for any explanation other than the hideout of a vicious killer.

“Those sure didn’t look like fileting knives.” Kevin shook his head.

“Hunter’s don’t just use filet knives.” Rosie corrected the lion. “They use all kind of tools.”

“I know.” Kevin snapped slightly.

“Just checking.” The detective smiled, trying to ease the tension.

Kevin sighed. “The tools looked like they had been used recently.” He explained it once again. “There was brownish staining on all of the blades.”

“Just the blades?” Pleased with the change of subject the detective dove into the new conversation.

“No, not just the blades, but it was primarily there.” Kevin continued to wipe his pants until his head snapped up and his eyes darted into the darkness.

“What’s going on?” Rosie looked from Kevin to Grey, both men seemed to be paying careful attention to their surroundings. She was shushed and Grey started to stalk off into the darkness, slipping into the shadows and away from the group. She peered into the darkness, shielding her eyes and trying desperately to see what the sharp senses that the shifters had. She knew that if they couldn’t identify the noise, she would have no chance to help them in their search.

Kevin and the psychic waited in silence, carefully watching and waiting for some sign of what was happening. Grey returned. “It must have just been the wind.”

“I’ve never heard the wind sound like that.” Kevin shook his head in disagreement. “But it might have been that guard.”

“That guy was pretty creepy.” She glanced over her shoulder, but didn’t see anything. The guard outside of the crime scene was nowhere in her field of vision.

“That’s because of what he is.” Grey’s voice was dire. “He’s a vampire.”

“What would a vampire be doing working with the local cops?” Kevin asked, wrinkling his nose at the sulfur swamp smell that was coming from his suit.

“This isn’t a big enough town to have a separate department. More than likely he’s the only one of us on their force and the higher ups know it and send him out when he’s needed.” Grey explained.

“He’s not one of us.” Kevin warned. “He’s one of them.”

“Not all vampires are evil.” Rosie told him. “I know several that actually want to help people.”

“Those are the exceptions to the rule. Most of them are sneaky bastards that smell like death.” Kevin defended his point of view.

“Wow, can you really be that narrow minded. They have a range of temperaments, just like everyone else.” Grey looked at him.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Kevin felt like an idiot for bringing up his personal problems with the undead. “They just smell.”

“Like death, I know.” Grey agreed, wrinkling his nose as well, imagining the lingering scent of rotting flesh that always surrounded members of the dead that walked the earth.

Rosie decided that it was time to change the subject. Vampires made just about everyone uncomfortable and even the good ones seemed to like the mystique that they carried. She examined Kevin closely, bringing the conversation back to the muck-covered suit.  “A dry cleaner might be able to save it.”

“I hope so.” Kevin’s face was contorted into a pained grimace. “I really hate shopping.” He was still examining his suit, trying to find some hope that would mean that he didn’t have to buy another one, but his voice was growing hopeless as he noticed more and more damage, rips and tears hidden under the staining muck.

Grey’s head shot up once again. “You’re right, that wasn’t the wind.” His voice was a harsh whisper and everyone grew still, trying to hear what the wolf had. “Hide.” The order was directed at the detective, a woman who wouldn’t be able to withstand a physical assault from a supernatural creature.

Not wanting to start an argument, Rosie slipped into the trees and hoped that she wasn’t going to be visible to everyone in the area. She sank into a sitting position, peeking back into the tiny clearing that the men were standing in, and shuffled leaves up around herself. She fought the urge to giggle as she realized how silly she must have looked, sitting under a tree half-covered  in leaves, but instead she listened, carefully considering the sounds that she couldn’t hear. She didn’t know what was happening, but her psychic senses started to tingle and she knew that there was going to be blood as her vision blurred, but when it cleared she realized that the universe was telling her that they would succeed, but she wondered what the cost was going to be. Visions like this only came once in a long while, and they always signified times of great challenge.

Rosie shuddered as a cool breeze shifted the leaves around her and she continued to survey the scene, not really knowing how she would communicate her vision to her companions even if she could, so she remained silent, contemplating whether everything had led to this moment. She waited for something to happen and it felt like it was taking forever for the action to start. She waited, trying desperately not to attract attention to herself, but she wanted to move, to do something, anything to end the tension.

The two agents stood in defensive postures, guns at the ready as they waited for whatever was near them to reveal itself. “I smell him.” Grey clenched his fists, ready for a fight. “That’s not the guard.”

“Not just him.” Kevin whispered back to his partner, agreeing. “Blood, someone else is with him and they’re hurt.”

“They’re being dragged.” Grey nodded and shifted a little to left, standing in a heavily shaded space under a tree. It wasn’t exactly a hiding space, but it was out of sight.  He watched carefully, trying to catch sight of the violent killer that was slowly dragging something through the trees. He waited and waited as he peered into the darkness.

The detective was always in awe of a shifter’s senses. She listened carefully, watching their silent motions and hand signs and wondered if Alfi’s senses were as good as Kevin and Grey’s. Hoping that they hadn’t been spotted she burrowed herself a little deeper in the leaves and noticed that Grey glanced in her direction to make sure that she wasn’t being grabbed out of her spot and taken by a violent killer.

Kevin made a few hand signals, indicating that he had seen something in the direction that the darkness to the right of his position. Grey squinted, and noticed a flash of what looked like gold in a shaft of sunlight. It was moving closer and whoever was with the fairy seemed to be struggling against him, moaning and fighting against her bonds and gag.

Rosie could hear it now and it disturbed her as the pained groans and crunching muddy footfalls came closer to where they were. She squinted in the direction that they were coming from, but still her human eyes refused to reveal any details of the man.

Alfi entered into the clearing, dragging a person behind him. He was covered in mud and the body that he was dragging was in even worse shape. The mud made it almost impossible to identify the person in the ropes and Rosie squinted, but all she could see was a vaguely human shape. She hoped that the fairy would move out her way, allowing her to sneak over to his captive and save whoever it was.

Kevin and Grey stepped out of the shadows as the fairy emerged from the darkness. The evil creature smiled at them and Rosie couldn’t help but shudder at the sight of his violent smile. He knew that they were there and that bothered her. They hadn’t exactly been watching out, instead they all had relied on passing perceptions, without any careful searching.

She peered out as well as her eyes could see from the place where she was hiding when she heard the man start to speak. “Where’s your little pet human?” The fairy was taunting the men, but there was something that bothered them. They were certain that the man already knew that Rosie was there, but the shifters were hoping that the serial killer didn’t know her exact location.

“That’s none of your damn business.” Kevin raised his weapon, pointing it at the murderer and Alfi flew into action, pulling the body out of the shadows and using his prisoner to shield himself.

“Hope.” The startled gasp made its way out of Rosie’s throat without her realizing it. She stood, squinting to get a better look at the situation.

Alfi’s eyes landed on her and she gulped, knowing that she had just made a mistake as the evil fairy’s entire body started to morph and change into a different form. The wings started to burst out of his back and he groaned in the pain of shifting. The scales formed and the violent smile grew in the venom dripping fangs.

The FBI agents followed suit. The men’s bodies shifted and twisted, changing shape as they morphed out of their human forms and into their more animalistic ones. Kevin’s body grew short light brown hair, except for the hair on his head, which extended, creating a large mane that flowed in the wind. His snout formed, elongating the lower part of his face into a blocky flat lion’s mouth and nose. His muscles stretched and strained and his clothes shifted with him, accommodating the bulk that the man was gaining.

Agent Randolph shifted with his muscles popping and shifting his skeletal system into a different shape. His knees changed, facing the other direction as the grey fur started to grow and morph over his body. He nearly screamed, it had always caused him pain to change, but when it was necessary he always found the strength to initiate the bone jarring shifting process. His nose grew more pointed and his canines grew large, the dripping mouth of a hungry wolf.

Rosie watched them change, her body fighting back the fear at the sight of three monsters in front of her. She didn’t have another form and felt a little alone because of it. She didn’t have a way to stand up in this fight and while her magic could help her in many places, she wasn’t made to fight alongside full grown shifters who had years of combat training behind them. Knowing that her physical fragilities wouldn’t help them at all, she tried to stay out of the way, but Hope was there and she needed help. Rosie was torn between doing what was right and doing what felt right. Her mind knew that the FBI agents would do everything in their power to save Hope, but her heart wasn’t willing to wait for the tactically sound time to act.