KnightForce Tres (La Patron KnightForce Book 3) (11 page)

Chapter 20

Countdown clock: 54 hours remaining

Asia, Mope, and several other KnightForce trainees searched Anita Trant’s home. Nothing seemed out of place or hinted that a child had been on the premises. The floral print sofa and loveseat created an L shape in the small living area. Brightly colored pictures graced the walls. Small craft objects from students were placed in positions of honor on the mantle and in curio cases. Asia looked at the pictures of Trant and her students in the classroom and on trips. Hints of vanilla, savory seasonings, beef, and cantaloupe lingered in the air.

The doors and windows remained intact with no signs of forced entry. Had something foul happened to the woman? Asia had no idea and spoke to the men assigned to watch Trant.

“Every hour at a quarter past, I scanned the house to be sure she was okay. At 4:15, there was no heartbeat. Both of us scanned and then approached the house. We knocked, there was no answer. We searched the perimeter. All the windows were locked except one, we entered the house through that window.”

“And it was like this?” she asked looking around.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Asia watched the two men speak to a member on the forensics team before heading out front to talk to Angus.

“Still no word on Armin Bret,” Angus said.

“Bret?” Asia asked.

“The last parent on Mope’s list. Jacob Myers went to spend the three-day weekend with his grandparents in Chockly, our team met up with him and asked a few questions. He simply didn’t like her, thought she was stuck up since she didn’t say hi when he spoke to her.” Angus shrugged.

Asia nodded, she didn’t think any of the kids at school were involved. “Trant’s car is still in the garage.”

“Yeah.” He looked at her. “What’s your gut feeling about Trant?”

“She loved kids, loved her job, I don’t see her involved in this.”

“Me neither, but everything, or the teaspoon of information we’ve found, says she is involved. I get why someone would frame the teacher, but they aren’t leaving enough clues for us to take her down when we find her.” He looked at the house.

Mope walked toward them. “Sir, Ma’am, there is another scent in the house, it’s faint, but it’s there.”

Angus and Asia followed him inside to the area near the window that had been unlocked. “Right here.”

Asia inhaled, nothing. Shutting out everything else, she caught it and looked at Angus. His brow rose and then a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

“Masculine,” Mope said. “But there was something else, I can’t place it.”

Asia agreed it was masculine but that made less sense. “Perhaps the scent is old, maybe she had company earlier this week or something.” She looked around, hating these small but critical delays that could lead to a major clue.

“This scent reminds me of someone,” Angus said. “I need to make a call.”

Asia nodded and moved to the side. A few moments later Angus inhaled again and then met her gaze. “Velris Fresm, works at the Hellhound bar in town. Nice guy, always smelled like mint and roses, weird scent I always thought.”

Asia never visited the place. “What was he doing here?”

“He’s on vacation, was supposed to return to work yesterday, never showed up. That’s the first time he ever missed a day. They sent someone to his place and he’s gone, just like here.”

“There was only one heart beat last night, Trant left alone, maybe she went to meet him somewhere? Think they left together?” she asked Angus.

“That’s a possibility. I ordered a full background report on Velris, we should know more about him soon. I sent a man over to take statements from his co-workers and will send a team to his place to see if there are any clues to explain his being here. Hopefully her scent is at his place as well.”

Asia placed both index fingers against her lips and then looked at him. “So why leave during the night? Because of security, or was she afraid?” Asia called Mope over. The clock was ticking.

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Take a few men and canvas the area. She would only walk so far, either someone picked her up or she had a car stashed. Start at the apartment building two blocks over. That would be the place I’d leave a car. Talk to everyone, see if anyone saw a man or woman get into a car between 3:15 and 4:45 this morning. Let me know what you find.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Mope waved to two men on his team in gold uniforms and they took off running in the direction of the apartments.

Asia searched in several directions, wondering what Ms. Trant did or thought when she left through the window.

Coerced?

Possibly, even though there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle. Her stomach clenched over the idea of such a nice woman being in danger. Asia returned to the front of the house to meet with Angus. They needed a break soon.

Her head throbbed with a potent cocktail of anger, guilt, and a thousand memories of Sarita. Unclenching her fist, she walked to the garage, where a team went through Ms. Trant’s car and sent hair and skin samples to the lab as well as fingerprints.

“Anything from Rese on the staff?”

Tyrese had remained at the compound to oversee the trainees pour through personnel records searching for anything out of the ordinary. David’s remark from Grandfather had set off a witch-hunt and La Patron required everyone be researched.

“Not yet,” Angus said. “The team interviewing people in town and at the hotels are going over guest registers and running background checks. I’ve granted them clearance and we should have some information on them soon. I never realized so many people visited from out of town and stayed at the hotels.”

“Maybe we should send these trainees into town to help since there are two hotels. One chain and the other privately owned.” She knew about those from her days working with the Liege. She and other operatives always stayed at the chain hotel. A full-blood owned the other and was too nosy for their needs.

Angus faced the house and 10 trainees strode toward them. “They need help in town interviewing hotel guests. Make sure you document and record each interview, send the feed to the training center so we can review it later.” He looked at each one. “The clock is ticking and La Patron will shut this program down and remove your status as Alpha Trained if we fail in this assignment. I don’t need to remind any of you how important it is to be thorough in everything. Do not abuse pack members, but be firm with your questioning, apologize for any inconvenience in advance, and offer refreshments for those who are awakened from sleep. Keep it professional, but never lose sight of our goal. Is that clear?”

Hawke had mentioned La Patron’s promise to dismantle KnightForce if they couldn’t produce Sarita before Tuesday morning when school started, but hearing Angus tell the trainees made it more real.

“Yes, Sir,” they said in unison and turned to her. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Her heart clenched at the show of exceptional support. These men would do everything within their power to find her daughter, if she was different, more emotional perhaps, she’d hug them. Instead she nodded, accepting their pledge.

They left and she blinked fast to clear the extra moisture. “The team in town heard the same message?” Unable to link with anyone but Mistress and Hawke, Asia appreciated Angus giving that speech so she could hear.

“Yes, they’re setting up stations in the conference rooms, Tyrese sent cameras and additional laptops. The extra hands will help, but the space will limit how many they can see at a time.”

Asia nodded. “And we’re providing a breakfast buffet?” The hotel would be happy and it was good PR.

“Yes, Rese took care of it.” Angus paused and tilted his head to the side before looking at her. “Seems your idea of canvassing the apartment first hit gold. Mope talked to someone who saw a man early this morning walk from this direction and drive off in a car. Mope’s getting his statement now while the others continue talking to people.”

Asia’s inhaled and then released it slowly. More strings to pull and unravel this mess. She prayed to the Goddess for Sarita’s safety and for one hour alone with the person responsible.

Chapter 21

Elyria sat at her desk flicking through channels on the monitor.
Nothing
. La Patron had muzzled the news so that the kidnapping at the elementary school wasn’t reported. She sat back, surprised the underground stations that supported “full-blood only” agendas didn’t report his most recent failure to keep the pack safe. Disappointed no one knew of her great achievement, she checked the feed on her security monitors for uninvited guests or KnightForce. After a few seconds she exhaled in relief that no one found them yet.

Falling asleep earlier had been risky, just like this whole plan, but she had needed to recharge to think clearly. The world hadn’t ended. She survived. The Goddess smiled on her again.

The most powerful pack members on the planet were unable to stop her as she pulled off the coup of the century. Her smile brightened. Taking time to study and learn how to merge elements from the earth paid off.

Mam would be proud.

No longer fearful of anyone storming her den, she stretched and made plans to train, maybe work on Trant to learn why she hadn’t died with the transference. The message to her contact seeking a safe haven went through a series of security checks, he’d receive it today and respond. Regardless of his response, they’d leave tonight, to do otherwise would throw the Goddess gift of safety in her face.

Her stomach growled and she wondered if Sarita was awake and hungry. Standing, she took a quick glance in the mirror. Trant’s body remained perfectly in place. When she released Sarita from Cyndy’s body, the child wouldn’t react negatively to the teacher as she would a stranger.

She opened her strong box and pulled out a small piece of jewelry. Just in case Sarita developed any mind-speak gifts, Elyria would place this dampening necklace around Sarita’s neck. That would stop anyone from finding or communicating with her once she separated from Cyndy.

Elyria had added a new crystal to the necklace which prevented blood contacts from locating or communicating with her wolf. Any family members searching for the child would only sense if she lived or died, nothing else. She placed it in her pocket and relocked the box.

Dressed in a pair of shorts and tank top, she secured her basement and walked upstairs to the kitchen. From the sound of Sarita’s even breathing, she still slept. Elyria glanced at the clock, almost noon.

She warmed the leftovers, ate, and then headed to the guest room with Trant. The woman lay board stiff, but breathed on her own, and her skin held onto its elasticity, was cool not cold to touch. Elyria added nutrients to the drip and touched Trant’s forehead.

The chameleon bracelet tingled as energy flowed into Trant. Elyria searched for reasons the woman hadn’t died and found nothing. “Can I reverse this?” she murmured, and sent pockets of information to the woman for a few moments and then stopped.

Staring at Trant, Elyria wondered if she’d been successful. As far as she knew returning a person’s memories or identity couldn’t be done. In all Elyria’s prior experiments, the person’s body shrunk as if vacuumed from the inside, leaving them dry, brittle and dead. But Trant’s body did none of those things. Smaller but not emaciated, she struggled to breathe, on occasion her limbs twitched.

Trant’s reaction to the chameleon mystified Elyria. Could the added different crystals and ground herbs to this version of the bracelet have played a role? Or had she finally created a bracelet similar to Angus’? Smiling at another success, she threw her fist in the air and whooped. With this version of the bracelet she’d be able to infiltrate places without raising alarms since there wouldn’t be dried out carcasses left behind.

After making sure Trant remained securely locked onto the bed, Elyria left the room, locking it behind her.

Elyria peeked in Sarita’s room, watching her stir.”

“Good morning, Ms. Trant,” Sarita said, looking at her.

Seeing Cyndy in her home rubbed Elyria wrong. She preferred Sarita, whose history of abuse at the hands of the Liege made her a fellow survivor. Her subsequent union with her father and Asia notwithstanding.

“Morning pumpkin, did you sleep well?” Elyria stood in the door with her arms folded.

“Yes, Ma’am.” She looked around. “Daddy said I would stay with you until he comes back from out of town. I promised I’d be good.”

“You’re always a good girl.” Boring but good. Right now that’s what Elyria needed. “Hungry? Ready to eat?”

Cyndy slid off the bed. “Yes, Ma’am. Where’s the bathroom?”

Elyria pointed to the door next to the room holding Trant. “Right there. There are new toothbrushes and toothpaste in the top drawer.”

Cyndy walked past her. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

A few minutes later Cyndy walked into the kitchen holding her head with one hand. “My head hurts.”

Alarmed, Elyria moved closer, placed her finger beneath Cyndy’s chin and stared into her eyes. Nothing happened. But just as Elyria relaxed, Cyndy’s eyes flashed. Colors changed from Cyndy’s mud-brown to light gray and back again. Sarita fought the chameleon and tried to re-emerge.

Elyria pulled the necklace from her pocket, placed it on Cyndy’s neck and then secured it, all the while watching her eyes. Once the necklace was in place, a low hum vibrated for a few seconds and stopped.

Gray eyes flashed and then receded.

“Thank you, this is pretty and my head feels better,” Cyndy said, fingering the necklace with a soft smile.

“You’re welcome, come, sit down…eat.” Elyria waited for Cyndy to start eating, and left the kitchen to grab her cell phone from downstairs. When she returned, the child continued eating as Elyria checked both the necklace and chameleon bracelet. She had expected the bracelet to lose some energy, but not as much as it had. Fortunately, the necklace would help keep Sarita from detection, but she’d be removing the chameleon in a few hours. It wouldn’t last the full 48 as she hoped.

Perhaps Sarita’s connection to the Black Wolf clan lessened its power. Black wolves had a high tolerance against the effects of the chameleon, for some reason the crystals never worked long on them.

Elyria watched Cyndy a few minutes longer to insure the necklace worked. Relieved she wouldn’t need to kill the child, they left for the underground garage to the gym.

“Would you like to watch TV?” Elyria turned the panel so Cyndy could watch.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Once they settled on a program, Elyria stepped into her modified gym and set the program for a mock fight. Over the years she’d secured marketing videos from the Liege of Asia in the field.

After Asia left Mélange to die in the explosion, they created an interactive video based on the ones from the Liege to train for the day they met the bitch again. Their training to date had been her and Mélange against Asia.

After seeing Asia’s mate, Elyria doubted their dream of both attacking Asia would ever happen. Now she’d face the assassin alone. Through the years Mélange had trained extensively and was damn good. Elyria had been her one weakness, now someone else held that honor. Pushing thoughts of her lover aside, Elyria inhaled and waited for the program to queue. Cyndy looked at her through the glass and smiled before returning to the screen.

Elyria exhaled slowly and found her center. Eyes closed, she sought the heartbeat of her ancestors, caught their rhythm, and moved to the right, avoiding what would have been a death blow from her opponent. Next she leapt into the air, caught her opponent’s foot, twisted and flipped them to the ground. Before she landed on her feet, her rival had leapt high in the air, flipped and landed across the room.

Elyria and Mélange had been in awe of most of Asia’s moves as they studied how to defend against them, but that leap-twist in the air always impressed her. The challenger flew forward and clipped her on the chin. Elyria ducked missing the brunt of the blow and managed to connect with a kick to the back. And on it went for the next two hours. She fought the computerized image of Asia, repeating defensive moves that would save her life and a few offensive ones to remain competitive.

Elyria knew it was a matter of time, today, next year, or 20 years from now, she would meet Sarita’s mother, and only one of them would walk away.