CHAPTER TWO
798 Words
There is a rhyme to life, you take bullshit then you give bullshit. — Catch
Eloise
The guard paled, turning a sickly white, which would have amused me any other day — but Joshua Baker was already moving.
"Agent Bass, how are you," he said, ignoring me.
Then turning to the guard who seemed like he would throw up any moment, he said, "I'll assume you're new here but at the GBI we only check tags, press them against the sensor and you can tell if the individuals work here, those who don't will have appointments and their information will be sent to you priorly, understood."
"Yes sir," he huffed, hurrying away like his pants were on fire.
"We could have handled it," I whispered balefully.
"Ah, she speaks." I frowned, watching my father resist the urge to laugh.
"I heard you got a new case."
"How did you find out about that," I scowled.
"Is that a legitimate question, I'm the assistant director here."
My forehead bunched even further.
"We're late. Let's go Dave," I ordered.
"Come home for the weekend," he said. I smiled softly.
"I'll see what I can do."
"Bring Dave," he ordered, and I shrugged.
"That's up to him, though why you think he'd want to spend his weekend with us I don't know," I grumbled. Dave chuckled.
"I'll be there sir."
"Good man," he muttered, waving us off.
The drive over was quiet. Dave talked. I made the right noises.
"You could be nicer to him," Dave said as we climbed out of the car and strode towards the offices.
"I am nicer to him. Nicer than I am to my mom," I replied.
"We're going to dinner this week," he said, and I groaned.
"You said yes, I did not," I huffed, hands shoved into my pocket.
He nodded to the doormen even as I power walked through them.
"We're going, El, so prepare yourself."
"Yes daddy Dave," I mocked, and he laughed.
"Hello Elly, how are you," Claudia the receptionist said warmly.
"I told you I hate that nickname," I grumbled, and Claudia smiled.
"Of course dear, the forensic team sent this for you Elly," she said, handing us a file. But despite my annoyance I didn't snatch it — I opened the file, read through it, and frowned.
"What is it," Dave asked.
"There were no other wounds, just the holes in his neck and residues of a calcium like substance."
"And the inference."
"They think the substance comes from teeth," I said, and he froze.
"Like teeth." I nodded. He sighed with annoyance.
"This is becoming a mind fuck."
"Well I love mind f***s. Come on, we need to research," I said, already forging forward. He jogged to catch up.
"You know you could be nicer to Claudia," he said, and I groaned.
"Are you the niceness police? If I'm nice to everyone then who can I be mean to."
"You could be mean to the bad guys," he offered, and I scowled.
"Half of them aren't worth my time. Besides, Claudia gets me rude."
"Alright tell yourself that." He pressed his tag against the sensor, the door beeped, and he opened it, gesturing me in.
Two days of old lore and cold coffee later, I wasn't much closer to anything.
Three victims. Different species, different class, different gender.
The only constant was the neck wound and the fact that whatever had drained them wasn't in any species file I'd ever read.
"You really should stop with the coffee," Dave said from across the room.
"I do not share in your horrible fate so please let me enjoy my only comfort," I grouched, yawning widely.
Werewolves and coffee didn't go well together.
"Let's go home. We're tired and there's only so much old lore we can read before our brains spin," he offered, dropping some books on the table.
"I found some source of information that mentions the vampyre just after the Apocalypse," I muttered. Dave sighed.
"I get it, you're intrigued, and while that is good, we need you not breaking down. Go home, get some rest. We need to attend your father's dinner tomorrow, after which we can come back and burn the oil."
I sighed.
"We can't just slack off. We need to catch whatever this is."
"And we will, soon after you go home and shower," he muttered, nose wrinkling.
I straightened, sniffing at my armpits.
"You're a horrible person, why didn't you say anything," I queried, standing from my seat and tugging my jacket.
I grabbed my bag, my mind spiraling on what could be causing all this chaos.
A single word sat at the back of my mind.
‘Sleep well, my little red.’
I stopped walking.
He knew where I was.
- Writer
