Blood Shadows (6 page)

The door handle turned, and Xavier’s frame soon dominated the open doorway. He looked first to Max then Caitlin. ‘Are you all right, Caitlin? Max was worried you’d be shaken up.’

‘I’m fine,’ Caitlin declared, shooting Max a glower at even suggesting the possibility. She handed Xavier the papers. ‘When will he be released?’

‘Now that he’s signed, within the next couple of hours.’ He looked across at Max. ‘I’d like a few moments alone with Agent Parish please, Max.’

Max glanced from Xavier to Caitlin, his frustration clear as he reluctantly conceded, closing the door sharply on his way out.

Xavier indicated for her to take a seat. ‘I must say, I’m impressed. That was quite the performance in there. That whole helpless-female-on-the-table routine must have had Kane’s pulse reaching almost human rates. You nearly got us a conviction in one simple move.’ He pulled a chair from the wall so he could sit adjacent to her. ‘If I had any doubt you could do this, it’s well and truly quashed. I think you made the best decision of your career tonight.’

‘I wish Max would see it that way.’

‘You said the family connection wouldn’t be a problem.’

‘It’s not. But he’s still my boss. And I’d still like my job back at the end of this.’

‘Don’t you worry about that.’ He paused. ‘I know you’ve not had it easy in the unit, Caitlin. I know you’ve had a lot to prove both in living up to your father’s reputation and proving you’re not just here because of Max. You’re the only shadow reader to get out of the interrogation room. You should be very proud of yourself as I’m sure your father would be.’

‘My father never wanted me to come into this line of work, Mr Carter. He didn’t want me to use my shadow-reading at all.’

‘I think he might have changed his mind after tonight. You’re an exceptionally talented young woman. We’re lucky to have recruited you.’

‘I appreciate you saying so.’

‘And clearly I’m not the only one to have noticed. Did Kane give you any more clues as to what he might want with you?’

Caitlin held his gaze as steadily as she could. ‘No. Nothing.’

Xavier contemplated her in the silence for a moment. ‘Are you sure, Caitlin? It’s very important I know before I send you in on this case. If there is anything I should be aware of, now is the time to tell me.’

‘If he does want me for something, he’s not going to let it slip until he’s ready. You know that.’

‘Indeed I do.’ He leaned back in his chair. ‘For over forty years I’ve been trying to get my hands on him. I’m not ashamed to say I will have a lot of personal satisfaction when he’s finally brought to justice.’

‘I read some of your early reports on him. They’re very damning.’

‘He’s done some damnable things. Some of the worst crimes I’ve ever come across. Sadistic. Cruel. Twisted. I’ve seen some vicious cases of torture over the years but I’ve never seen the process seemingly enjoyed as much. Some of those people, those vampires, he’d kept alive for days. One of them – an agent who couldn’t have been much older than you when you started – he’d torn a tooth out every hour before starting on the fingernails, then the toenails. The mess he made of his face, I…’ He lowered his gaze for a moment before looking back at her. ‘Sometimes you see it – the anger, the hatred. Then other times he’s so terrifyingly detached. I don’t know which I despise more.’

She’d read every one of those reports. Every one she’d managed to get her hands on. Some substantiated. Many not. Witnesses were in short supply. So were survivors. ‘They got worse after Arana died, didn’t they? The incidents. As if what happened to her was a catalyst. ’

He frowned a little, a hint of disapproval in his eyes at the suggestion. ‘It’s more likely he just stopped caring about covering his tracks when he didn’t have her to protect anymore.’

‘From what I managed to find out over the years, she was the only thing he ever cared about.’

Xavier raised his eyebrows slightly. ‘I read the insightful piece you wrote about that in his profile. It was quite brilliant. But the death of a loved one is never an excuse to inflict the kind of pain he has.’

Death was the kindest part of what Kane’s sister had been subjected to. Caitlin remembered having thrown up after reading the details of her murder. She remembered the sleepless nights. It was the only time she’d had second thoughts about being an agent.

‘When you’ve lost someone you care about under such brutal circumstances, excuses are irrelevant.’

‘Your empathy is admirable. But Kane is Kane. He’s done far worse than those lycans did to Arana. The only difference is someone he cared about was the victim that time. He’s never spared a thought for his victim’s loved ones – wives, husbands, sons, daughters. The only difference is those lycans had no control over what they were doing. Kane knows what he is doing every step of the way. And he enjoys it.’

‘Really? I still think a lot of those crimes were committed when he was looking for answers.’

‘And if we’d told him, he would have torn every one of the lycans in Blackthorn apart. We would have had lycans from every other locale inciting revenge and had an inter-species war on our hands within days. I don’t need to explain how many human lives could be lost in the crossfire in Blackthorn and Lowtown alone. Shared vampire and lycan communities like ours would implode and we don’t have the resources to deal with it. We bring him in and we guarantee safeguarding this community. We need to protect human lives first and foremost, Caitlin. That is why we exist.’

‘I understand that. And I appreciate your faith in me.’

‘Faith I don’t give out freely. He’s up to something and I’m not afraid to admit to you that I’m worried.’

‘Do you think he’s found out lycans were responsible for Arana?’

‘There’s no way for him to know.’

‘But his conversations with Jask have you worried, right?’

‘The fact Jask is still alive is reassurance enough. But nothing good can come out of communications between them. The vampire and lycan communities in Blackthorn may have to share the same district, but ensuring they maintain separate areas sustains the peace. We can’t let anything jeopardise that.’

‘So what now?’

‘You get yourself home,’ Xavier said. ‘You get a good meal in you. You sleep. You rest and you wait until he comes to you. Keep to your normal routine. Make yourself available. My guess is he’ll lie low for a couple of days. I suggest you reserve as much strength as you can in the interim.’

‘Maybe I should go to him. I can go to some of his more popular haunts. If I put word out I’m looking for him, he’ll have to come. He won’t be able to abide people thinking he won’t face up to me.’

‘I think more provocation would be a bad idea. You’ve already humiliated him enough. I don’t want him making this personal. As much as it goes against your nature, I would acquiesce at this stage. As far as he’s concerned, he’s got the upper hand. And we need to keep it that way.’

‘And when I come into contact with him again?’

‘It’s going to be purely down to your intuition. Obviously we can’t wire you or set you up with a tracking device. If he gets a hint of an inside job, there’s no saying what he’ll do, whether he needs you or not. Provoke him as little as possible, but ascertain whatever you can as quickly as you can and then you do what you can to get the hell out of there.’

She frowned. ‘You do know that my chances of finding anything out are minimal, sir?’

‘Minimal is better than impossible, because that’s the alternative we’re facing. The only reason I am letting you do this is because you’ve survived already. The only conclusion I can make is that he’s handpicked you because he needs a shadow reader for something. If you can defer whatever that is until you can find out more, that’s what you need to do. Keep yourself useful to him. Do not aggravate him. Do not challenge him. I want you back alive and intact.’ He took a card from his inside pocket and slid it across to her. ‘That’s my personal number. Memorize it. Use it and we’ll find you wherever you are.’

She nodded as she examined the card.

‘Caitlin.’

She looked back up at him.

‘I would not ask you to do this if I had any other option,’ he said. ‘There are huge risks involved, and I won’t deny it. If you are having second thoughts, I would rather you say now.’

‘If I wanted easy options, I wouldn’t have taken this job, Mr Carter. I want to do this.’

He nodded, stood and held out his hand for her to shake. ‘I admire your tenacity and your bravery. And I look forward to your success.’

Caitlin accepted his handshake, before stepping over to the door. Her hand hovered on the handle before she turned to face him again. ‘Do you think my father was killed by a rogue vampire, Mr Carter?’

He kept his gaze squarely on hers. ‘The evidence certainly pointed that way, Caitlin.’

‘And my mother?’

‘I wish we could have found out more.’

‘You personally oversaw the two cases, didn’t you?’

‘I had a lot of time for your father. Rick was my best VCU agent. But things happen, Caitlin. Things beyond our control. Agents like you stop things like that happening to other people the way it did to your family. Many would run and hide after what you’ve been through. And that’s why I can say, in no uncertain terms, that your father would be proud. Vampires like Kane Malloy, with the damage they do, need to be brought down. Brought to justice. And agents like you are just the ones to do it.’

Max paced the corridor, stopping abruptly to spin on his heels and face the opening door behind him.

Caitlin stepped out, her gaze immediately meeting his. Standing under the stark light, she didn’t just look tired, she looked exhausted. He wasn’t sure the last time she would have slept properly. He’d spent enough time kicking her out of the office the last month, and even then he knew she was going home and working.

She was tenacious and stubborn – always had been. But he’d never seen determination like he had these past few months when she had believed, convinced herself that Kane was finally within her grasp. And she’d been the only one to believe it. Because, as effective as she was, as proficient, he had believed alongside everyone else that her pursuing Kane was just a continuing waste of resources.

He’d hoped that night would have finally convinced her to fuel her energy elsewhere. Instead, the worst scenario had occurred, and he had been a party to it. He had always sworn to Caitlin’s mother he’d protect her precious girl. If she’d still been alive, if she knew what he was letting her do, Kathleen would never forgive him. But the power was out of his hands. With Xavier Carter involved, the power was always out of his hands. At least Caitlin’s father would have understood that, though he wondered if even Rick would forgive him for this.

‘I’m still doing it,’ Caitlin said, determination brimming in her eyes, tension in her hands –hands he had first held when she was only two years old. The same hands that had clenched and trembled when he’d told her about her mother seven years before. It was news that he thought would break her, but instead it had filled her with a muted determination that she was going to join the unit.

She was a success in the interrogation room and a success on her assessments, and had subsequently gained agent status. But those first few months in the field had been tough. They had all been waiting for her to fall. They’d goaded her, belittled her, but never once had he seen that composure break. She could catch and convict a hundred more vampires and each time they’d say it was a fluke, or luck, or down to the team. It was an all-boys’ club and they were waiting for her to mess up. Now, as far as they were concerned, with Kane being let free and her partner under medical care, she finally had. But those reserves were still coming. And he knew, more than anyone else, that they kept coming because she had nothing else. Nowhere else to go. Nothing else to live for.

But this had to stop. And he’d do whatever it would take. And she’d hate him for it.

‘I know,’ he said, with a gentle nod. ‘Then you go home and get some rest. You hear me?’

Caitlin nodded. And as she stepped past, she didn’t need to meet his gaze again for his heart to ache any more than it already did. He still had that one option, one more chance to convince her otherwise – and he was going to use it whether she liked it or not. He’d let her get some sleep, and then he’d do the only thing he had left to do to get her to change her mind.

He watched her walk away before stepping back into the room with Xavier.

Xavier stood at the table, flicking through the papers, no doubt checking the validity of the signature.

‘This is wrong, Xavier. And you know it,’ Max said from the doorway.

Xavier turned to face him. ‘What is, Max? Using the best agent you’ve got to do the job the rest of your team has failed on year after year? I’m telling you, that girl’s got talent. She reminds me of her father.’

‘And he’ll be turning in his grave over how you’re manipulating her. Just like you manipulated him.’

‘What’s made you so righteous all of a sudden, Max? You put her on the case, remember?’

‘She’s my best agent. I had no legit reason to justify declining. Or, believe me, I would have.’

‘Are you saying we made a mistake in appointing her?’