Detective Spring Ch. 05

My phone rings its obnoxious tune, startling us both out of our almost kiss.

Fuck my life. I grab it and answer it roughly, I almost crushed in my hand instead.

"Hello." I say irritated, maybe sexually frustrated is the real term I should be using.

"Detective Spring, sorry if I woke you but there's been a murder that I believe is connect to your case. A Marcus Hadden, his body was just found near the warehouse you sent us to pick up that vampire this afternoon, and there's more..." I rubbed my eyes and sighed, well I guess my night is shot.

"We'll be there in fifteen, you can fill me in on the rest then." I said and hung up the phone as I stood, I turned to Arden who had also stood, "I guess you heard all of that."

"Yeah, I'll go change and break up the love fest downstairs." He said and tried for a smile but I could tell the last thing he wanted to do right now was go investigate a murder. Then dashed down the stairs yet again. I rushed into my closet, threw on the jeans and ankle boots I had been wearing earlier in the day and switched out my sweater for a simple black long sleeved v-neck shirt. I threw my hair up in a messy bun and found my black half trench jacket and pulled it out, it would be considerably colder out now the night had fallen. I grabbed my shoulder holsters and threw them on and then the jacket, I'd grabbed my micro once I got out to the car, I had left my purse in it by accident.

I rushed down the stairs and found the three of them standing in the living room, Arden had changed into a pair of jeans that hugged him perfectly, but still wore his button up white collared shirt, just had rolled up the sleeves. He also had a black leather jacket in one hand. John and Cadence were straightening their clothes and I nodded to Cadence, most would just think I was saying hello, but she knew what I meant even if the boys had no clue. I needed to know if she had slipped up with John or if we were still in the clear. She nodded back with no reason to worry as usual.

Fifteen minutes later we were pulling up in front of the warehouse we had rescued John from earlier that day, but now that the sun had set this was a very different place, dark and eerily quiet, my guards were up and I had to actually remind myself that the murder had already been committed. I took a deep breath and walked around the building to find the police cars parked in the back and the warehouse doors to the next warehouse wide open. One of the officers came running up to me, I assumed it was the one who called me only minutes ago.

"Detective Spring, the body is just inside. But the other information I had to share was that Marcus Hadden owns or owned not only these two units but also the next five in this row. We checked both of these and their clear but I don't have the man power to send anyone to check the others. Not at this hour anyway, maybe in the morning but we both know by morning any useful information could be gone." He said as we walked over to the open doorway, Marcus's body was spiralled out across the cement. No blood just like the other murder, this one though had two large slashes across his chest instead of one in the shape of an X. I had to wonder if this was part of some kind of spell or if the twisted psycho just liked to label them with which count in the murders they were.

I slid on a pair of gloves and investigated further, I picked up the hands, skin under the nails once again. Some kind of oil type substance on his jeans and his phone next to him, were the main similarities I noticed, I picked up the phone and swiped it open, it was the same as the girls phone just before he called 911, he was on the phone with Mark but even curiouser still, the number dialed before that was Mark's mother. Arden came to stand next to me and I stood showing him the three numbers on the phone.

"Who is the one before Mark?" He asked and knelt down next to me, looking over the body.

"That's Mark's mother, the one to put me onto the case. She thought our vic was the one that may have murdered her son, but that would have taken place over two weeks ago and she came to me only last night. She would have no reason to call him, unless she was involved somehow...time stamp places the call an hour before death." I trailed off in thought.

"We should go talk with her in the morning, we'll have to see what her reaction is to letting us see her phone." Arden said, I guess he had been at this a while.

"Right, we also need to find a good address for Mark before he turns up dead too. We should check the other warehouses, while we have probable cause and before someone forces us to warrant them." I said standing and moving over to Vini, who was looking over some samples from the crime seen. "Got anything for me Vini?"

"Pretty much the same as the other vic. Except for the oil which I will have to identify back at the lab and I put time of death between eleven, eleven thirty. I'll give you a call when I get more information." Vini said and started loading up his car.

I walked back over to Arden, who was breaking down the case to John and Cadence. "Alright, lets get to the search. What do you think, we check out each one together as a group or break up into pairs, but I think it would be to dangerous to go it alone." I said and checked my guns, for placement, bullets and that they were working properly.

"I suppose it would be a ridiculous idea to just let John and I handle it?" Arden said rubbing the back of his neck, looking a little frustrated.

"Your right that is a ridiculous idea, Cadence and I are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves, have been for a very long time before you two came along. Now lets get to it, if we're lucky we won't find any trouble only information and then we can go grab some breakfast. Now, Arden since your so concerned with my safety, your with me, Candence with John." I said and moved to the first warehouse past the two that had already been checked out, "You two check out this one, we'll get the next one and then work our way on down." I said and Arden and I moved on to the next unit as they went into the first.

We entered the warehouse through the side door, the moment we entered I knew there was no one inside and no scents to be found, the place had been empty for quite a while. But we could find paperwork on other properties maybe, that might give a decent lead.

"There's no one here, no scent either. I don't think anyone has been here in a long time, it's unlikely we will find any answers or leads." He said lowering his gun as we walked a little further inside.

"Well do you want to run around and check paperwork real quick and then we can move on or shall we do this the slow human way?" I said smiling over at him and he smiled back. "I'll wait here for you, just yell if you need me." I said and winked at him.

He winked back and sped off in a hurry, I took out my phone and acted like I was timing him. It was weird, one minute I felt like Arden and I were old friends and then the next like we were strangers. I felt like there should be more to us, less complication more simplicity. But how could it be less complicated without telling him my secret and how could I do that without knowing he was meant for me. I wonder if he knows...

I felt warm, soft lips, searing into the skin just below my ear, it was like a thousand nerves firing off all at once, goose bumps sprouted all down my spine, I was caught so off guard I gasped and moaned softly, there was nothing I could have done to stop it and I don't know that I truly wanted to anyway. I knew it was Arden as his delicious scent washed over me, so earthy and male with a hint of spice, it was enough to make any girl swoon. I felt him tense behind me.

"Twenty-eight seconds, I'd say you made the all varsity track team." I breathe turning with a soft smile. He had that dark look in his eyes once again, that one that beckoned of a deeper calling. It made me want to fall into his arms, let him take away all my pain and truly let him know me, what I am, what I've had to endure...I sighed deeply and looked down at my phone. Cadence had sent me a text saying that the first was clear and they were moving onto the third, I sent her a text back stating that the second was clear and moving onto the fourth. "Come on, we need to catch up." I said trying to sound up beat but it wasn't working very well.

Arden gently grabbed my arm and turned me back to him, "Is your secret so bad?"

I could feel tears trying to well up in my eyes as they met his, "It would kill us if the wrong people knew." I said quietly, as if just saying that would condemn us.

"Who, tell me and I'll..." He started but I laughed sardonically.

"You'll what, take on the entire vampire council by yourself. I think it's a little more difficut than you think." I said without thinking, "Damn, what is it about you that makes me want to tell you the truth?"

He moved closer to me, "Because, I would only be hurting myself if anyone found out. Your not the only one with a secret that could get them killed." I heard a sound, from maybe a block over, he must have heard it to because his head turned.

"This is not a good place to talk about this, you never know who could be listening." I said and interlocked my fingers with his as I pulled him out of the warehouse.

No sooner had the cool night air kiss my cheeks did Arden pull me back to him and lightly brush his lips against mine, sending tingles shooting down my body.

"This is not over!" He said firmly and then as if nothing had happened we moved on to the forth warehouse in the row. At this point I am so sexually pent up, I feel like I'm about to explode, he better watch how much he teases me or he might just get raped.

I look down at my phone once again it has a text from Cadence. "Their on their way to the fifth and last unit, the other two were clear, but they found no useful info either." I said to Arden just before we opened the door to the fourth warehouse.

We walked in and again sensed not a soul inside, but off to the left was a make shift office, "I'll check the desk and what not if you want to see if you can get a better time." I smiled at him and he sped off once again, I moved over to the desk and started riffling through the paperwork on it. I heard a noise from behind me. "Damn, that was alot faster than last time." I said and shuddered as a chill crept up my spine.

"Hello, Alys." An eerily calm voice said from behind me, I spun, gun out and at the ready.

"Mark? Where have you..." My eyes went wide and I fought to keep my whole body from shaking, the darkness seemed to envelope me, steal my breath, I could feel the cold sinking in.

"I have to admit, you did a very good job hiding from the council. You and your sister, who we will have in moments. But you are an abomination and must be destroyed and I am certain the council will agree." He droned on, they were closing in on me, at least nine of them, they always traveled in packs.

"They are the abominations, you are an abomination. You kill without reason or calling, I have only tried to do good in this world and only done otherwise because of what your kind have done to us." I ground out trying to maintain consciousness, I knew I didn't have long. Where was Arden, I didn't want him to come charging into this head first but I could really use the back up right now.

"Ah yes the havoc you reeked upon all kinds before a lovely little witch bound you. You can't even fight us now can you? You would die even sooner if you tried." He chuckled venomously.

"Better to die fighting then let a bunch of leeches that think they know anything decide my fate, they are but a bug under my boot and so are you." I said and fired, four times directly into his chest. I started feeling light headed and staggered back into the desk. They were still coming at me, swallowing me whole, I had no escape and I was out of time. And then I saw Mark standing back up, he didn't say anything just started waking towards me wiping off his clothes as if the bullets were just a bit of dirt. There were holes in his shirt I was positive I hit him. He grabbed me by my shirt and yanked me towards him, my feet dangling off the ground.

"You can't kill me Alys, not with your mortal weapons." He slithered out.

Suddenly I was being dropped to the floor and I felt an enormous wave of power float over me and it wasn't mine and my sister has never held that kind of power, I looked up and they had been pushed back and Arden was knelling over me, pulling me into his arms and cradling me to his chest. Then they were gone and I was being carried out of the warehouse, he carried me back to my car and set me down on the hood of it. I was still shaking, lightheaded and had to breath a little harder than usual, I probably would have felt embarrassed if I could get my head on right. Arden stood protectively in front of me as he called John, I vaguely recognized him warning them about the intruders and tell him where we were. A moment later he was knelt down in front of me, a hand on each leg, looking up into my eyes. I'm sure they looked glazed over or something to that effect. My heartbeat was in my ears and I expected him to say something that I wouldn't be able to hear correctly. But he just sat there, staring up at me, I wonder if he's letting me recoup or waiting for me to explain. Then again he also had a bit to explain.

I took one of his hands in mine and rested it back on my leg and rubbed my eyes with the other. He seemed to relax a little, he thought I was scared of him or going to reject him, funny, he'd be singing a different tune if I wasn't bound. Scary things hide behind that locked door. Now if I could just stop shaking.

Cadence came running to my side, she pulled my face up to meet hers, "Tell me they didn't touch you?" Her voice was firm but filled with fear.

"No." I barely whisper.

"You know what they were?" John asked sounding confused, as he walked up behind her. I had put my head back down to look at Arden who was still staring up at me.

"The Shade." She said solemnly.