13. I’d inadvertently played a game with a cat.

THIRTEEN

I’d inadvertently played a game with a cat.

Sunday, May 6, 2057

Cauldron City International Airport, Precinct 113

Cauldron City, Nebraska.

Within five minutes of setting foot back in Cauldron City, all hell broke loose in the airport. In a world where the weird and weirder could transform, summon firearms at their whim, and otherwise break the normal rules of physics, I expected things to go sideways.

Most days, I had a reasonable expectation of my bulletproof vest doing its job. However, when Lance and Rubella enchanted something or someone, it stayed enchanted. In the time it took for me to register I’d taken a round to my arm, I realized something sounded wrong about the gunfire. Rather than take a bullet to my arm, the sight of a tranquilizer dart greeted me.

I recognized the bloody thing as a preferred brand used by local law enforcement, illegal for public sale and requiring a special license to obtain.

It could take out even an elephant shifter in a minute flat. In mundane humans, it took less than ten seconds to kick in. As a magicker, I had just long enough to understand what had happened to me before the mix of magic and medicine knocked me out.

Unlike standard drugs, combination sedatives tended to take longer to wake from. While more resistant than the average human, the magical component inevitably created problems for me. As part of my training, I’d endured several rounds with the tranquilizer so other officers knew how I tolerated it.

The first time I’d undergone the test, I’d landed in the hospital.

It had taken me four times longer than average to begin waking up, and once I’d regained consciousness, I’d needed almost ten hours to fully recover. Exposure had helped somewhat.

My last bout with the tranquilizer had taken me only twice as long to wake up. I still needed the ten hours to return to being functional, however.

As I could think, at least a little, I judged myself to be on the brink of being able to make sense of the world around me. One day, I might understand why I always recognized what had knocked me on my ass. One of the tests had been done as an ambush to test a sniper’s aim with the darts, and when I’d woken up, I’d comprehended one of my co-workers had gotten me good.

Satisfied with having identified the why of my situation, I attempted to piece together the how of it all. Vague memories of disembarking the plane with Pumpkin bouncing around my feet taunted me. After that, everything became a blur. I supposed someone bold, armed, and dangerous had taken a swipe at Miranda and hit me instead thanks to Lance and Rubella’s magic. Later, I’d have to thank them.

If Paul had been hit, he would have had a full minute, maybe longer, to react before the tranquilizer downed him. The elephant shifter could do a lot of damage in a short period of time, which might have bought Miranda time to react.

Once I got myself back to where I belonged, I’d be protesting until the woman went through her firearm training and given authorization to carry. Then again, none of us had been armed due to the flight.

Paul had brought a weapon, but it had been stowed in cargo. I hadn’t brought one at all, aware my partner had opted to accept the hassle and paperwork for us. I gave the attackers credit, though.

Given three more minutes, we would have been to the luggage carousel, and he always went to check his firearm first. It occurred to me we’d been after security at the airport, at the short gap from where passengers exited and could meet with family and friends.

I always questioned the baggage area of many airports. Cauldron City had two, one for national arrivals and the other for international arrivals.

Had we entered through the international arrivals terminal, it would have been difficult at best to stage an ambush.

With the how of it likely guessed, I moved on to the who of the equation. I doubted Dr. Lerrans had anything to do with the situation. Poisoning us would have better served his needs. While he could have had one of his associates do the work, I could only think of one benefit to such a scheme: testing his concoction on a strong practitioner.

On second thought, Dr. Lerrans could have held responsibility if his goal was to experiment to see how his toxin metabolized within someone like me. That unsettled me, as the last thing I needed was to be one of his test subjects.

I’d seen photos of Roger before his rescue in New Hampshire.

If Dr. Lerrans wasn’t the culprit, there were a few other groups in the Cauldron City necropolis who could hold responsibility, and all of them wanted Miranda either dead or alive. If she had been the target, the dart hitting me instead of her would have been the result of Lance’s warding, likely throwing a kink in their plans.

In their shoes, I would have transformed Miranda into dead weight with the tranquilizer, occupied me and Paul, and grabbed her during the resulting chaos. As that theory made sense and better fit the narrative than someone who’d recently been in New York killing people, I decided to pursue that mental path first.

Why kidnap Miranda? Were her secrets important enough to launch an attack in an airport? Their choice of location bothered me for more than a few reasons.

Even Paul would hesitate from rampaging in a busy airport, aware of the risk of life to those around him. While he viewed property as expendable, people were another matter altogether. Tranquilizing Paul first would have left me free to work my magic, and I had gone to the airport with a pocket full of pain for anyone who might cross me .

Eliminating Miranda first would have made her possible to grab.

Eliminating me first would have removed the largest of the threats.

Assuming, of course, the culprits were aware of our abilities.

As I tended to fly under the radar, I doubted I would have been chosen as the first target due to my magic. Most viewed me as the one who contained the elephant, generally gentle and quiet in the public and serving as a calming hand for most situations.

The combination of drug and magic made it challenging to think, and I struggled to come up with a solid theory on which one of us was best to eliminate first.

Miranda could shift into a small, agile animal, and if she had any warning, she stood a solid chance of escaping.

Paul could shift into a massive, aggressive animal with an inclination to do harm when provoked.

I couldn’t shift, but I packed a punch when I needed to work my magic.

Then there was Pumpkin, and if anyone had hurt my puppy, they would pay.

The thought of the small wolf-dog woke me better than my mental meandering, and I began the tedious process of forcing awareness of my fingers and toes, a requirement if I wanted to get the rest of me mobile. As moving my fingers might draw unwanted attention, I focused on my toes first. Determining if I still wore my shoes and socks would help ground me. At the point I could identify textures, I would be able to open my eyes and be better able to evaluate my situation .

As it always did when I was drugged, time stretched, dragged, and warped on me, leaving me with zero idea of how long I’d been kept in a semi-conscious daze before my toes finally registered some form of fabric against my skin. I eliminated it as my socks; while comfortable enough, I didn’t wear microfiber socks. As I preferred a microfiber blanket in the depths of winter, I recognized the texture. However, my microfiber blanket was thinner and harsher on the skin.

As hospitals didn’t use plush microfiber blankets and I didn’t own one, I determined I’d been transferred somewhere. The fabric confused me enough I wiggled my toes some more in an attempt to squeeze out a little more information on my surroundings.

Something tiny but with sharp teeth and claws latched on to my foot. The pain did an excellent job of piercing through the fog enveloping my brain. The drug and magic did an excellent job of sparing my assaulter from being kicked.

Someone nearby, with a feminine voice, laughed. A moment later, the sensation faded. “Good evening, Detective Lovell. So kind of you to join us. Do take your time waking up. The invitation I issued to you can be quite rough. I do apologize for that, but we need to have a word, and I needed to make it clear to your friends that I have a long reach despite my benevolent nature. Don’t try to talk quite yet. It wouldn’t do for you to bite your tongue.”

It really wouldn’t, and I appreciated her concern, as a bitten tongue could result in a great deal of discomfort and bloodshed. The bloodshed could lead to choking before I regained sufficient control over myself.

A weight settled on my legs, and the vibrations clued me in that I’d inadvertently played a game with a cat. I went through my regular routine to jar myself to functionality, and to my relief, I blitzed through the tail stages of recovery, managing to force my eyes open.

An older version of Miranda lounged on a nearby armchair, and she held a cat on her lap, a purring beast with long, silky white fur. A second cat used my legs as its throne, a match for the other one except for its fur color, which was a silvery gray with black markings on its face, ears, paws, and tip of tail. Aware of the risk of biting my tongue, I swallowed as a test before testing if I could speak. Once confident I could without injuring myself, I said, “If you’re not from the outfit that wants Miranda alive, we’re going to have a problem, ma’am.”

The woman tossed her head back and howled her laughter. “Oh, you’re a delightfully spunky detective. I think we’ll be getting along just fine. Let’s see how good you are. Who do you think I am? Why do you think you’re here?”

While it sapped me of strength, I managed to sit up. Someone had removed my vest and had wrapped my arm where the dart had pierced me. The dress shirt I tended to wear under my vests so I maintained professionalism even when my vest was off remained on, but I’d been relieved of my pants. To my relief, I still wore my underwear.

I questioned what had happened to my pants, but I would dance with the woman before finding out what had happened to my gear.

At least I didn’t need to worry about my firearm.

“May I ask what happened to my puppy first?”

The woman grinned at me. “Your puppy is fine. My little girl snatched her and guarded her while your elephant friend played guard dog. Your partner is fine, but he’s more than a little angry he had to choose between my little girl and you. With you down for the count and the number of boys I’d sent on the job, he had no real chance of victory. You all passed, however. Well done!”

“I passed out. That’s hardly counts.”

“Ah, but you reached for your rune stones. Had you gotten a hold of them, you would have been quite the challenge. I’ve answered one of your questions, so I think it’s fair you answer one of mine.”

That seemed fair. “I’ll start with the who question. Clearly, you’re Miranda’s mother, who disappeared following Miranda’s flight from her home. Either you followed her to Cauldron City or you beat her here. Upon finding out she’d learned how the maintenance tunnels work, a kill bounty showed up. That would have been when you set a live bounty for her, one higher value than the kill bounties on her head.”

The woman clapped before stroking her cat. “I do love a smart man. Fair is fair. Ask a question.”

“Are you behind the corpses showing up?”

Miranda’s mother sighed, and her expression became a neutral mask. “In part. I’m not the only one doing that work, but I am the primary driving force behind it. I am the one responsible for the baby’s discovery. Some things cannot be allowed to stand, and the instant I had uncovered that body, I acted. No parent should ever have to wonder about their child’s fate. I have heard whispers of what you have done to help that poor family. Can you confirm what was done?”

I wondered how separation from Miranda had changed the woman—and why she hadn’t pursued a reunion with her daughter. Rather than ask that, I detailed most of what we’d done to return Lancaster Perrol to his father and mother. I described the casket and the flowers within.

Then, because I valued my integrity, I said, “I had no idea what had been done to his body before opening the casket. All I’d been told was that the body had been restored enough to be viewed. That was a gift from the Cauldron City unicorns.”

“For that, I will give them a gift back,” she promised. “And they are in need of a kind hand. I carry bad news, done at the hands of Mercy.”

“Those bastards. Where did they strike?”

“They went after the unicorns at the main hospital in Precinct 153.”

I sucked in a breath, and my heart raced in my chest. “Please tell me there were no casualties.”

“They are your friends, and that makes them your family.” There was no doubt in her voice.

I swallowed and nodded. “You are correct.”

“None have died, but a few lurk around death’s door. But as they are owed a gift, I will ensure they all live, although at least the one will be a while healing.” Reaching over to a small table beside her chair, she picked up her phone. “Deliver the package. Make certain you visit the white one first.” She hung up and stared at me, waiting.

Jace. If Mercy had hit the hospital at the same time Miranda’s mother had targeted the airport, law enforcement in Cauldron City would burst into chaos. While I tended to slip under the radar, just about everyone adored the white unicorn, and that had been before his species had gone public.

“You have an antidote. ”

“We stole the recipe from Mercy after we found out about New York. Most of their operations are empty because their people are there, starting their mission of murder and destruction. We didn’t learn about how extensive the attack on New York was until after, but we have found some of their plans, and we’ve taken some steps to stop the next attacks.”

“Thank you.” While I would have preferred to have met with someone from the other organizations in another fashion, I would keep the door of communication open. “I’ll be blunt with you, ma’am. I’m siding with a serial killer right now because anyone who can get me even a step closer to crushing Timothy Lerrans is my friend. And those who work with him, knowing of his sins, will burn if I have anything to do with it.”

Confessing the truth of my feelings lifted a weight off my shoulders.

I was an officer of the law, but even I had limits and lines, and I would bend every rule in the book to make certain that bastard could never hurt someone again. Failure would loom, as I had no doubt there were more bodies left to be found. There would be future waves of terror and tragedy. I would do my best to stop them, but I would lose some of the battles.

Those losses would scar my very soul, but I would continue to wage war against the bastard until I won, securing peace for those I served.

“I see you have learned his name. Good. Do you know why he does as he does?”

I took my time thinking through my theories, and I settled on one as my favorite and most likely to ring of truth. “ This is just my speculation on the matter based on the little I know. Dr. Lerrans has a child, a son. The child has something wrong with his heart, something that is requiring him to perform heart transplants at a terrifying interval. He struck recently because his child needed a heart and needed it now. And it can’t just be a heart. It has to be the perfect heart.”

Miranda’s mother regarded me with a somber expression, and some old sadness touched her eyes. “How did you learn about the son?”

“We found out because of the baby, Lancaster Perrol. He had been born several days after Dr. Lerrans’s son. They likely have the same blood type. I suspect Lerrans’s son would have died, so he did the unthinkable. He kidnapped Lancaster and took his heart. He had just lost his wife, and to lose his son as well when all he needed to do was take another’s baby?” I allowed myself to scowl at my speculations. “I understand a father’s love for his child. I can even sympathize with his situation. But he has left a trail of bodies, and I’m guessing he has to strike every few years to provide a new heart for his child. And judging from the condition of the newer bodies, he’s teaching others how to extract organs for transplant for the black market.”

“I would do far more than just murder someone for my daughter’s sake, Detective Lovell. But I would never steal another’s baby for that purpose. But if someone were to hurt my daughter? I would burn their world until only ash remained.” Her expression hardened. “Ask two questions, as I asked two.”

“Why did Miranda leave?”

“My daughter has always been spirited, and I underestimated her pride and drive. Rather than bend to my will, she decided to go at it on her own. We—her father and I, that is—made more than a few mistakes. Our other sons and daughters have enjoyed our growth as parents to say the least.”

I wondered how Miranda would handle learning she had a bunch of siblings. “Why didn’t you grab Miranda?”

“A good question. It’s simple. I wanted to see how far she will go for your sake. I know she is staying at your home. I’ve determined you would go the extra mile for her, to the point you had your arm warded to best protect her while you help guide her to a new life. I’ve learned she is willing to clash with an opal dragon over you, which is an excellent start. Please don’t get me wrong. I approve of her choice to pursue law enforcement. She always clashed with us because our nature is not hers. She saw some of the things we’ve done, and she could not abide by them—not until she walked alone in the world and began relying on our tricks to survive.”

“And she doesn’t like those tricks.”

“Stealing even food enough to survive would bother her, yes. Her light is currently shuttered with her belief she is a daughter of darkness. But one day, she will shine.”

I sucked in a breath. “You have the sight.”

She shrugged. “Some of us burdened with such things don’t turn to extinguishing the darkness. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I do at times. Some souls should not be loose. Timothy Lerrans is one of them. But I choose to offer a sanctuary to the darker souls of the world and work to lighten their spirits. There is nothing more satisfying to me than bringing brightness to someone who has always been lost in the shadows. ”

“Are you sure you should be telling me that you kill people? I am a detective, after all.”

She laughed. “And as long as I help you hunt Mercy, you’ll embrace me with enthusiasm.”

I would, and I shrugged. “And once Mercy falls, I’d probably be forced to sniff at your trail, and how close to the line you skirt would influence how carefully I looked at the clues you leave behind.”

“My name is Zenna now. Once upon a time, it was Julia, but there’s nothing threatening about Julia.”

Some would say the same about women named Maria, but I’d learned more than a few unicorns had the name Maria, as did dragons—and unicorns and dragons with the name Maria defined what it was to be threatening. “Do you have a last name?”

“Not now.”

Like mother, like daughter. “It’s your turn for a few questions. I asked more than two.”

She smiled and petted her cat. “What do you think of my daughter?”

I took my time thinking about that. “She’s beautiful, intelligent, and clever. I think given the opportunity, she’ll make an excellent cop. Assuming you don’t kill me off, I’ll be helping her acquire her diploma and pursue her education.”

“That is my sole true regret. I had wanted so much more for her.”

Good parents did, even when they made mistakes. “That already puts you way ahead of Dr. Lerrans. You view your daughter as a person.”

Zenna narrowed her eyes. “What are you implying?”

“Take a guess. ”

While it took her a few minutes, the moment the woman realized what I was implying, she sucked in a breath before snarling vehement curses. Her cat fled her lap and joined me in bed, taking over my lap. I stroked the animal, discovering silky soft fur I could spend hours petting.

“What proof do you have?”

“We’re having corpses exhumed and DNA tests done. But if you were to spread that rumor around to help motivate everyone to bring this group to its knees, I wouldn’t complain.”

“For someone with as bright of a spirit as yours, that is a ruthless suggestion. Deserved, however. There are no shadows of a lie to you. You believe this man has done this act. Killing and stealing hearts for the sake of his son is evil, but what you suggest goes beyond anything I had even considered. What led you down that dark path?”

“Dr. Lerrans took special interest in a serial killer. It turns out the killer’s victim was probably his daughter. She had a child, which the serial killer helped to hide and protect. The child is… damaged. The serial killer in question also has the sight, and the child is a bright spirit he wishes to protect.”

“That monster.”

I nodded. “That’s all the pieces we have so far, at least until we get DNA test results. At this stage, my only goal is to make certain Dr. Lerrans is no longer able to stage attacks, kill people, and find justice and closure for the victims.”

“You are bold sharing this with me. I could damage your investigation.”

I shrugged. “This investigation isn’t about getting Dr. Lerrans his day in court. It’s about stopping him. If our goal was to get a conviction, you would be right. The investigation would be damaged. But that’s not what this is about. Would I like this to go to court? Honestly, I don’t even know at this point. After the attacks in New York, where would we even find a non-biased jury? Once word hits the wire about his daughters…”

“That poor little girl.”

I nodded. “And worse, we would have to convince everyone that the sins of the child aren’t the sins of the father. If there’s a son out there in constant need of hearts, it isn’t his fault his father did the unthinkable.”

“So many lives, gone.” Zenna sighed. “You have choices to make.”

No kidding. After being kidnapped out of a busy airport, my every action would ripple through to Zenna—and Miranda. As Captain Farthan would catch me in a lie, I’d take a path I’d never considered before.

I would walk the straight and narrow, one hand held out to a criminal organization while the other clung to everything that had driven me to join the force. Once it was all said and done, I’d flee back to the comfort of my work, keeping as far from the line as I could.

The experience would forever change me.

Then again, I’d already changed the instant I’d beheld Lancaster Perrol’s tiny body. “Tell me about the attack on the hospital.”

“There isn’t much to tell. Ten members of Mercy entered the emergency room armed with dart guns and shot anyone who looked like a doctor or nurse. The white unicorn was hit three times protecting others. In addition to the antidote, the dead bodies of those behind the attacks will be dumped in the lobby. We are being bold about it. There is a motivated red dragon making the delivery. If all has gone well, the antidote should be being administered. Anyone who can use a needle can treat the victims.”

Having seen how much damage one dart of the toxin could do, it amazed me that Jace still lived.

Captain Farthan would be in a mood to take bodies, and every opal in the city, with the possible exception of Captain Dupont, would be riled. In a way, I pitied the target of their wrath.

Dr. Lerrans had signed his own death certificate, and he didn’t know it yet. If the opals didn’t tear him to pieces, the Black Dragon of New York would give the world a demonstration of why he was not to be crossed. Worse, there was the issue of Alicia.

The dragoness reminded me of a stick of dynamite, harmless enough until shaken or someone lit her fuse. I expected explosions, and I worried she would prove more than a match for her grandfather.

Jace had hovered over his dragoness, and unless I was far off my mark, she’d more than match him in the upcoming days.

I sucked in a breath. “Is the red dragon Timothy Lerrans’s father?”

She raised a brow. “You’ve been digging deep into the rabbit hole, I see.”

“Did he leave because of the sight and to prevent Dr. Lerrans from becoming a dragon?”

“You are correct. He cannot abide by his son’s choices. He knows of his grandson but not of his granddaughters. He will before this day is done, and that old wyrm will begin a hunt of his own, first for the grandson, to see if he can be properly and truly saved. But should that girl have a bright spirit, she will have a protector of stone and fire, forged of true unconditional love.”

“He’s going to end up fighting with a serial killer over her,” I predicted, wondering how someone like Roger could take such a turnabout face.

Having a family that would cherish her would make a world of difference to a little girl born out of true evil.

I would spend many a day reminding myself that the sins of the father were not the sins of the child. If I had anything to say about the situation, none of Dr. Lerrans’s children would be aware of the depths of their father’s depravity.

“Good. A little competition is good for the soul. The white unicorn should pull through, but he’ll be in the hospital for a while. The antidote, as far as we can tell, helps with organ regeneration. That should keep him alive until the black unicorns are back on their feet. Mercy made a few mistakes. Dr. Lerrans never worked in Cauldron City and doesn’t understand how many unicorns are in the area. Yes, he sickened most of the prominent doctors here, but every last unicorn in the city rallied to save everyone.”

“Has anyone died?”

“Not among the medical staff. Some of the ER patients perished, unfortunately. Had you not given me the answer I was looking for, I would have texted him to act if any of the unicorns coded.”

“Their conditions?”

“Most are in critical but stable.”

“Do you know if Dr. Erik was poisoned?”

“Yes, he was.”

The need to wrap my hands around Dr. Lerrans’s throat and wring the life from him surged, but after a few moments, I pushed the emotions back. “And his family?”

“Most of them were working when the attack happened. I’m sorry. I understand this is difficult for you.”

“He attacked the heart and soul of Cauldron City. He is going to find the city itself will rise up against him and make certain he comes to a brutal end.” I scowled, debating if I could get out of bed without disturbing the cats or falling on my face. “I don’t suppose I can stage an escape now, can I?”

“Soon. I want to see what my daughter does first. Right now, your captain has her and your partner under the equivalent of lock and key, and he becomes downright surly if either leave his sight. You can expect similar treatment upon your return. I think we will give law enforcement another delivery of bodies, and this time, they’ll have a living one to contend with. And when you tell them Momma Zenna sent you back as a gift, they will be delightfully confused. They know nothing of me—and my little girl is the only reason they know of the existence of my merry little band of rogues and scoundrels. But we will offer enough gifts law enforcement will ignore us for the moment. In fact, your captain will even like us.”

“What are you going to give him aside from even more bodies?”

“The recipe for the antidote, a full set of samples of the ingredients, and access to Mercy’s labs. Most importantly, we will hand over the collection of organs suitable for donation along with the identifiers of who the organs belonged to so the families can decide how they are used.”

“Most are organ donors nowadays, but the improvements to the medical system mean the organs never get used,” I muttered.

“Their deaths will not be in vain or go to the highest bidder. I foresee a great deal of life and light coming from these sacrifices. Anything to foil Dr. Lerrans. I will extinguish that void even if it is the last thing I do.”

I believed her, and because I did, I worried.