~~
Rawlynne
~~
"Raw, I need you on this ASAP." My boss, Director Harris, threw a file onto my desk before slouching into the chair across from me.
"What's this?" I asked as I grabbed the manilla folder.
"Serial kidnapping in Colorado Springs. They've had eight kids go missing in the course of two weeks." I could see him itching to grab the pack of cigarettes from his pocket, but he wasn't allowed to smoke inside so he just had to push past it.
"Eight?" I felt the shock settle on me when I heard what he had said.
"Yeah, and there is crap for evidence. Half the kids even disappeared from their homes and nothing." There was tension in his voice and the set of his shoulders.
"Any suspicion of the parent's?" That's always the first place to look at a case like this, but the fact that there were so many of them made that a little less likely.
"No, it all seems to be clear that it was done by someone else. The kids came from good homes, no abuse, nothing that sticks out at all. But the fact that we have nothing to go on is pissing me off." His voice was full of anger and barely controlled rage. Harris had a soft spot for kids and he knew I did as well. "You're the best I have for a case like this Rawlynne. I need you on it right away."
"No worries, Harris, I will head out immediately. Do you have some contact info for someone I need to make feel very uncomfortable now that we're stepping in?"
"It's all in the file, so do your best to get this settled as soon as you can."
"No worries, I will get it done, boss. I've never failed yet."
With that Harris left and I could already see Jackson making his way toward my office. Jackson McIan was my partner, a year younger than me but fiercely loyal and protective of me. Jackson was the brother I never had growing up.
"So, do we have somewhere to go?" Jackson was a sweet guy that was often misunderstood by others. His light blonde hair and warm chocolate colored eyes were all innocent looking, but his bodybuilder's physique and imposing six foot two stuature worked against him.
"I was thinking of going alone." I told him as he flopped into the same chair that Harris had been in a few moments ago.
"What? No way, Where you go I go." I knew that he was going to insist on that. He always insisted on going with me.
However, there was a reason why I wanted him to stay home this time. I knew that the place I was going was crawling with wolves. I had no pack and was considered a rogue. Ever since my parents died I decided not to be involved in the whole thing. But if this was exactly what I was expecting it to be then there was no staying out of the wolves' territory this time.
I suspected a strong supernatural force behind these kidnappings. They weren't the first and they wouldn't be the last. Harris knew about me, about what I really was, but he had known me for a long time. Jackson didn't know, and he didn't need to know. But what I was, what I am, that let me crack these types of cases wide open.
"Come on Raw, we go together, you know that. I have to keep an eye out for my little sister."
"Jack, I'm older than you." I reminded him for at least the thousandth time.
"Semantics. I'm bigger so you're my little sister." He was grinning at me. When Jackson and I met a few years back he had just lost his sister in an accident. He seemed to latch onto me then, and not really knowing that I was missing that whole family essence I latched onto him as well. We made the perfect team, always in sync.
"I'm going with you." He insisted, leaving no room for arguing.
"Fine, but no one else, we will handle this alone, just the two of us."
"Sure, no prob." He was grinning now, all seriousness washing away from him in an instant. "Soo." He dragged the word out a little before smiling at me again. "Where are we going?"
I put my head in my hand, shaking the laughter from me before I made fun of him. He would have insisted on going with me without knowing the destination, and he would never back out after finding out. He was always like this.
"Colorado Springs."
"Another kidnapping?"
"Serial." I handed him the file. "Eight kids in two weeks. We need to stop the bastard."
"Damn, what do you think they're after? Trafficking? Sex ring? Or a child killer?"
"I don't know yet. I won't know until I review everything they have and that we have."
"How soon do we leave?"
"Tomorrow. I want to get this over with soon."
I looked at my watch. It was still early so we could get it all planned out now. Too bad that the local office in CS was out of commission. They had a bombing suspect who had wanted to make an impression. Thankfully no one was killed, but there had been quite a few people hurt in the explosion. And unfortunately the office was not back up and running yet. It would have been easier to use their facilities while we were there.
Calls were made to the proper people. And I couldn't help but notice that one of the names and numbers in my file was not police related. Though the person did have a private investigator's license, this man was actually a CEO of a massive company. The kind of company that is passed down through the generations and is very selective on who they hire.
This was the company that was owned by Reece Gray, Alpha of the Red Springs wolf pack, the largest pack in the country. This was going to be touchy, he probably would not take kindly to me investigating on his territory.
Shortly before I was due to leave the office, I got a call on my cell phone. A call from someone in the Colorado Springs Police Department.
"Hello?" I answered as I shut my door, something that earned me a curious look from Jackson.
"Is this Agent Otsana?" A rough man's voice answered on the other end.
"Yeah, who's this?" I could hear my prickly nature already rising in my voice.
"My name is Detective Masterson with the Colorado Springs Police Department."
"You're calling awfully late, aren't you Detective?"
"Well, I assume I had a busy day, same as you usually do." He chuckled a little, at least he seemed to be an amiable guy.
"What can I do for you, Detective Masterson?"
"I hear you're on your way here for a visit. When might we be expecting you?"
"I already told your Captain this. I will be there tomorrow afternoon."
"You know how it is, they never communicate very well." He was laughing again. "I will be working with you primarily when you get here. Just look for me and I will set you right up."
"Oh, speaking of. I want to have a meeting with Mr. Gray." I was pretty sure I knew why this Detective Masterson had reached out to me, if he reacted how I expected now, then I know I was right.
"With Reece?" Bingo. He didn't just know that man in question, he was on a first name basis with him. That meant that Detective Masterson was one of them too. Heh, I wonder what they will say when I finally show my hand. I had my ways of hiding my true self even among my kind.
"Yes, Mr. Gray's name came up in my investigation and I would like to talk to him. I hear he even went to question the victim's families."
"Mr. Gray is a very good man that cares about his town. He's no suspect here." He was definitely loyal to his Alpha.
"Still, I'd like to meet him for myself. You know, just to be sure."
"Yes ma'am. I will set up a meeting for tomorrow for you."
"I would appreciate it." This was going to be interesting. "Have a good night, Detective Masterson." I hung up then, smirking to myself. The good detective there had called to snoop out info on me, most likely he had been informed of my visit but not the arrival so he called me to find out all just so he could pass along all the details to his Alpha.
Oh, this was going to be interesting indeed. I just hoped that when they find out who, what, I really am that things don't go too bad. I usually never reveal myself to the Alpha's of territories that I investigate in, but then again most of them don't run packs that are the largest in the country. This man, this Alpha, was not someone to trifle with. I had to tread carefully, that's for sure, but I was still betting that it was going to be fun.
