Chapter Two;
Karmic Revenge
Karmic Revenge
My eyes fluttered open to a sound of screaming. I sat up and looked around the dark room, the only light was that of which came through the window.
My cat was perched at the end of the bed listening to the sounds that I was hearing. I got up and moved across the room quietly to the window. I looked down onto the street and took in a sharp breath when I saw what was screaming.
That’s right ‘what’ not a ‘who’. I walked back over to my bed and reached under my pillow grabbing my gun. I walked back over to the window slowly so I wouldn’t make any unneeded noise. I looked out the streaked glass for the creature who was just below my window. They were gone.
I growled and kept my gun in my hand.
“They’ve been watching you for some time now?” A familiar voice said breaking the silence.
I looked up at the red head and nodded. “Every morning that I am home, I can hear the screaming.” I whispered.
She nodded and poured me another cup of coffee. “I still say that you should move in with Lucas and me.” She whispered sitting down across the table from me.
I shook my head and looked into the cup. “I need to fight them myself, I can’t ask for help from any one else or they will get killed.” I hissed. “They have pointed that out to me.”
She looked at me for a long moment then looked away. “You know, when Shinichi gets out of the hospital that he can not survive in your little one bedroom apartment.”
I nodded. “I know, but I don’t have anymore money to spend on the housing situation. I have to go to my own treatments or my body will go beyond my own reach.” I whispered. “That’s why I asked you to come here, I was wondering if my invitation could be my brother instead of me. I don’t want him to see how I am right now, not till I have fully healed.”
She nodded and sipped her coffee. “Of coarse it can.”
“Thanks Shelly.” I said with a smiled.
It was quiet for a short moment then was interrupted by my cell phones shrill ring tone.
I looked down and quickly recognized the number. “s**t,” I hissed.
Sally looked up at me and smiled weakly. “Is it work?” she asked softly so no one else in the diner could hear her.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be right back alright?”
She nodded. “Of course,”
I walked into the girl’s bathroom and locked the door before I answered it. “Hello?” I asked quickly.
“Rayne,” there was a lot of interference over the call, I could only make out a little bit of who ever was talking.
“Hello?” I asked. “Who is this?” I hated getting prank calls.
The line cleared up and a deep voice came over the air, a voice I had never heard in my life. “Rayne?” he asked.
“Yes.” I replied in a strong voice. “Who is this?” I asked again.
“You’re chasing after the wrong guy.” The voice went on as if I never spoke.
“Who the hell is this?” I hissed angry now.
“Peter’s dead.”
My heart almost stopped. “What happened?” I asked.
I didn’t know Peter well enough to actually call him a friend but I knew him, he was a Lycan working for the police department. He was a good guy, wife and two children. He was just a normal run of the mill guy except the fact that he turned furry once a month.
“Where was he found?” I asked looking underneath the stalls to see if anyone was in there.
“On the corner of 30th and mills,” He replied.
“Did you move the body?” I asked leaning against the wall once again.
“No, I know the rules.” He hissed sounding almost insulted.
“Alright I am on my way.” I said quickly before I hung up the phone. I almost about ran out of the bathroom and to the table where Sally was seated.
“Let me guess,” She whispered. “Another murder and you have to go right away, no don’t worry you can pay be back with another lunch on the-,” She looked up at the clock and smiled. “-13th of June, is that alright with you?” She asked standing up and waving the waiter so that he could bring the bill. “You’d better go before Strieber gets on my tail about it.” She said with a small chuckle.
I nodded. Some times Sally was so accurate that it scared me. She knew me a little to well.
I looked up at the sky as I made my way to the car. It was getting so dark and cloudy I had to get to the scene before the evidence washed away. I climbed in my car and blasted the heater. Even though it was about 55 degrees I was freezing, but that was only because of the blood that ran through my veins.
As I drove to the crime scene the rain started to come down in a soft dribble. I cursed and looked at the street signs as I passed by. ‘27th, 28th, 29th, 30th,” I whispered to myself. By the time I got to the scene I was blinded by the red and blue flashing lights.
There was a uniformed officer in the middle of the road with two orange flags in his hand.
I stopped and rolled down my window.
“Rayne, we have been waiting for you.” The officer said as he handed me my bags.
“Thanks Steve, make sure that no one else comes in behind me alright.” I said as I pulled to the side of the road. I stepped out onto the gravel and looked at my surroundings. It was definitely different from the last crime scene. I took a deep breath and crawled under the yellow tape.
“Err, careful miss.” A male voice said right as a hand landed on my shoulder.
I turned around to put a face to the voice.
“There is evidence all around this place.” He said as he pushed and piece of his shaggy black hair behind his ear.
I stared at him in flitting anger waiting for him to introduce himself.
He knelt down and picked up a piece of what would seem rotting flesh, and placed it into a baggy. He stood back up and looked at me. “My name is Raven Collins,”
I started at him then shook my head. “Rayne,”
“Hmm, so you’re Rayne Osaki? I’ve heard a lot about you.” He said with a smile.
“Is that right?” I asked as I looked around at the crime scene. There was blood absolutely everywhere. “Are you sure that there was only one killing here?” I asked as I carefully stepped through the debris.
“Yes that we know of, we found the head.” Raven chimed in keeping close to me.
“Hmm, there is much, much to much blood to be just one person.” I stated as I looked around for signs of another carcass. “This is not a Vampiric killing,” I whispered mostly to myself.
“Your right, Vampire’s wouldn’t leave this much blood lying around.” Raven chimed in once again.
I gritted my teeth together and turned toward him. “Do you mind? I am trying to work.” I hissed.
Raven just smiled. “I am too,” He said holding up his hands.
“Alright then go work over there.” I said tuning back around.
“Strieber told me to stay with you; he said that I am your new partner.” He said as if it was supposed to be good news.
I inhaled a sharp breath and didn’t open my mouth after that.
I studied the surroundings. It was a large field, one for corn I was guessing. But since it was so out of season they thought that it would be perfect if they dumped a couple bodies here.
I strong wind blew through the virtually empty field, blowing a different scent my way. I looked to the left from where I was kneeling over the torn torso. “There is another body.” I hissed as I got to my feet. “I knew it.” I walked calmly over to the second body and looked down. “Madison.” I whispered. “Oh god,”
I leaned down and held my hand over her body. Not an ounce of heat left in her. I looked up at her face and saw a paper nailed to her head. The name on the paper was written in blood. “Rayne,”
I grabbed it off the nail before I yelled for others to come and survey the body. As I held the paper in my now trebling hands I got a whiff of another familiar scent; a strong scent of musk.
I looked up and saw a pale silhouette far across the field. “He must have just been here.” I hissed. “How could I miss him?” I opened the note and read the contents.
Rangers 414, Park Avenue
That was it, an address. I stuffed the paper in my pocket and stood up. “Hey, Collins we have another victim.” I yelled. I wasn’t discussed anymore. I knew who was behind it and I knew that I could kill him now.
Raven was at my side almost instantly and looked down. “Did you know her?” He asked looking at my face.
I didn’t give him any satisfaction of seeing my emotion, I wasn’t friends with him, and so I didn’t have to show any weakness. “I knew her,” I whispered.
Raven looked at me. “Rayne,” he whispered.
I shook my head. “Look, I know what I am doing you should just leave.”
“Look here, I am not trying to undermine anything. I was just signed on as your partner when Strieber told me that I might know more then you do.”
I shook my head. “I really don’t think so. I may have only been working in this field for a year, but I didn’t take this up for nothing.” I took a pair of rubber gloves from the portable box in my pocket, and slipped them onto my hands. "I know a lot more of these said Races then our very own Strieber.”
I looked at the ground and took a deep breath and I leaned over a big chunk of flesh. “I believe it was a Rogue Lycan who did this.” I whispered. “You think that Gavin would be better at controlling his own kind.”
“Gavin,” Raven asked.
“The Pack Leader also known as a Alpha.” I replied looking over Madison’s torn corpse.
Raven shook his head and stood above me. “You sure do know a lot, a lot more then Strieber put on.” He looked up at the tree and then looked back down at me. “Why is that?”
I looked up at Raven without saying anything then stood up. I looked back at Raven debating if I should actually tell him that much about me so soon. “After my parents were killed I started to study the supernatural. I studied and studied so I could become as good as I am today about cases like these.” I paused and looked at the sky, I was about to go on when a unfamiliar ring tone filled the air.
I looked at Raven expecting him to answer his cell phone.
A smile grew slowly onto his lips as he pointed at my pocket. “It’s you,”
I looked down at my pocket and shook my head. “Oh dear,” I whispered as I pulled out the little black phone. I saw a blinking name and shook my head. “Nathaniel,” I hissed.
“The Super natural’s Maitre?” Raven asked astounded.
I ignored his question and answered the phone. “This is Rayne?”
“Rayne, I need to talk to you.”
I paused and listened to the tone in the voice. “Who is this?” I asked in a sour tone.
“I am Nathaniel’s second in command, my name is Pierce.” He had a heavy gentleman accent. You know the kind that every girl wants their boyfriends to have.
“Alright,” I said breaking the long silence. “When and where?”
Raven gave me a questionable look, but I held up my hand to keep him from talking.
“3rd and WaleRay, alright I know where that is at.”
“Please Hurry Miss Osaki.” Pierce added as a last line.
“A man of few words,” I said as I closed the phone and placed it back in my pocket. “I like that.” I said with a smile.
“Rayne,” Strieber called as he carefully walked through the crime scene.
I looked up and took off my gloves, making a loud snapping sound. “What is it?” I asked.
“This case, it’s a vampire right?” He asked with a smug look on his face.
I shook my head. “I don’t know why you are trying to out think me, it’s not worth it,” I hissed. “Besides this is a Lycan killing just as much as it is a Vampire killing.”
Strieber gave me a annoyed look. “Why do you think that this is a Lycan killing?” he pointed at Peter’s corpse. “There is a vampire bite and his neck has been broken.” He looked back at me and shook his head. “Besides it was not a full moon last night.”
I held my pointer fingers over my temples. “The Lycan that was here last night had to be over 40 years old in their years.”
Strieber and Raven both looked at me in need of explanation.
I took a long deep breath. “God I really don’t have time for this.” I looked at my phone’s LD screen. I had a good two hours before I had to be at the restaurant but then again if you really counted the minutes I had to get ready and get there I only had a good 15 minutes to spare.
I looked back up at the two men standing in front of me. “Lycans grow like Humans do, but our years to them are about a quarter of their years. So who ever did this had to be over forty in Lycan years which would make them-,” I paused and did the math in my head. “-160 years old,”
Raven’s eyes widened. But Strieber’s facial features didn’t move.
“Alright so you know a lot about Lycans Rayne, but that doesn’t tell me what I wanted to know.” He growled.
That was just like him, trying to grind up against my expertise. “You know why Peter’s body is still pretty attached?” I asked looked at the scattered pieces on the ground. “You want to know where all this flesh is from.” I asked a little irritated.
Strieber nodded. “Exactly,”
I gave him a tired look. “Lycans make a mess with their excess skin when they-,” I paused for a moment to think of the right word to use in this situation. “-Change,”
“Alright so there had to be more then one?” Raven asked chiming in.
“No there was only one.” I answered
.
“How the hell do you know that? Were you here?” He growled.
I smashed my lips together trying to suppress a growl. “No I was actually sleeping like a normal human being.”
“Then how do you know?” A calmer tone, I didn’t even have to look up to know that it was Raven.
I stepped about a foot away from Strieber and. “It was the work of both a vampire and a Lycan working together.” I twisted my pointer and middle finger together. “They had a task to move out that was given to them to kill this officer. Because he had a secret that he Harradine Gang didn’t want to get out into the public. Since we all know that Peter was indeed a Lycan.”
“Then what about Mad-“
I held up my hand so that Raven could not say anything more. I pointed to a smashed coffee cup on the ground, and then stepped out of the way so Strieber could see Madison’s mangled body.
Strieber’s mouth dropped. “Why did they attack Ms. Madison?” He asked turning his cold eyes on me.
I shook my head and went on. “Madison was on a coffee run, I am guessing. She was just here at the wrong time. She may not of seen anything but the tow gang members didn’t want to take any chances. So they offed her.”
Raven looked at me once again with a skeptical look. “How did you know what kind of plans they had?”
I pointed at my head. “You have to think like a criminal to catch a criminal.” I smiled and took a deep breath. “Besides the way that they tore into Madison’s body showed they really had no plans for her.”
Raven nodded and looked at Strieber. “Well she does her job.”
Strieber nodded and looked at me, but I had taken the distraction to start to walk back to my car. “Osaki, Where do you think you are going?” he yelled after me.
I looked back at him and stopped. “I have other business to attend too, besides I have been here long enough to figure out who and why they did this.” I tapped my watch, with that I started to walk away.
Raven looked at Strieber and shook his head. “You are just going to let her go like that?” he said a bit disappointed.
Strieber shook his head. “She is one of the best Homicide detectives we have in this area, if she said that she has the case already figured out. I believe that she already does."
Raven watched closely as I got into my car and took a deep breath. “I believe that she is hiding something.” He looked back at the body below his feet. “Not a lot of females come to work in this kind of area."
Strieber nodded. “I’d say.”
