Authors: C S Winchester
Frankie nodded and sat down on the bed.
Will had known the Duty Sergeant, Ken Jacobs, for a long time and they were on friendly terms, so he hoped that would help his case. He asked for a private chat and was escorted into one of the interview rooms.
After a few pleasantries, Will launched into his argument.
“
I know she wouldn't take a breathalyser test but she has obsessive compulsive disorder. She hates touching things with her skin and the idea of blowing into a strange tube was unbearable to her.”
Ken's demeanour said that he didn't believe Will.
“
I'll bet she refused to be printed too?” Will added.
Ken nodded.
“
Then check the CCTV footage of her cell as well. A couple of minutes ago I forgot and touched her lip, she reacted as f I'd burned her.”
“
Okay, I'll take a look after we're done, but she was very belligerent to my officers. Why didn't she explain things to us?”
“
Because for her, the only thing worse than having OCD is having to tell people. She's incredibly proud and hates to appear weak. If you don't believe me, call her bosses at MI5; it's someone called Maxwell Holden, he'll confirm everything I've told you. I've known her since she was at university, she's spiky, rude and sometimes arrogant, but it's all a cover. She has no idea how great she really is. She's a good person, Ken, and she's brilliant at her job.”
Ken seemed to be softening.
“
What did she actually do?” Will asked.
“
She ran a red light.”
“
Oh come on, Ken, we've all cut it close at a light before. I'd also bet good money that her bosses will squash any attempt to prosecute her, so why not just save yourself some paperwork and release her?”
Ken regarded him closely. “Do you believe she was drinking?” he asked.
“
No. Her friend has gone missing and if there's one thing you can rely on, it's her loyalty. She would never drink while he was still in danger.” He was surprised as how easily the lie came.
“
Who's missing?”
“
It's not a police case, MI5 are handling it and I don't know most of the details. Please trust me, it's not in the British public's interest to pursue a case against her.”
Ken nodded. “I'll need to make a phone call.”
“
Aye. I'll wait here.”
Will perched on the side of the table as he waited for Ken to return, and wondered who Ken was calling. His boss? The Superintendent, perhaps? Frankie's boss?
Probably all three, he thought.
Just as he began to wonder what was taking so long, Ken returned. He looked worried.
“
What?”
“
She's free to go,” he said, gruffly, turning to leave.
“
Wait, what's wrong?”
Ken turned back and hesitated for a moment before answering.
“
She's Black Ops, Will. They won't tell us what she's doing and I don't like that she's doing it in my city.” He looked down the hall. “She might be tiny but whatever she's mixed up in is some serious shit, and you need to think about that.”
Will nodded. “Aye, I will. Can I take her home now?”
Ken nodded and Will followed him out of the room.
Will didn't feel good about lying to his friend, and he wasn't exactly happy with Frankie either. As he stepped into her cell, she looked up at him, with big trusting doe eyes and he mentally kicked himself as his anger abated once again.
He sighed heavily. “They're not pressing charges,” he said.
He wasn't sure what he expected but it wasn't for Frankie to be meek.
“
Thank you,” she said quietly but sincerely.
“
Come on, I'll take you home.”
The journey home was silent and Frankie was clearly upset. Once inside the apartment, Will set about making them both coffees. Frankie spotted the glass she had left on the counter and eyed it with equal parts longing and revulsion.
Will took the decision away from her as he tipped the contents down the sink and put the bottle away.
Frankie sat down at the breakfast counter and waited for him to say something. He placed a mug down on the breakfast bar in front of her and sat opposite. She wouldn't look at him.
“
Just tell me why?” he said.
Frankie shrugged.
“
You know you drink too much, Frankie, and you were lucky today. One of these days you're going to get into real trouble or worse, hurt someone.”
Frankie wrapped her hands around the mug and took a sip.
“
Don't sulk, it's not becoming.”
“
I'm not sulking,” she snapped, meeting his gaze for the first time since they left the station.
“
Then talk to me!”
“
All right! I was frustrated, okay? My friend is missing and God knows what evil things are being done to him, if he's even still alive. I can't find him and it's killing me, okay! Is that what you want to hear?”
“
No. We both know this isn't just about today, Frankie. You've been drinking too much ever since I met you, and it's only got worse with time. I'm worried about you.”
“
You don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself.”
Will was silent for a few moments, knowing how much she would hate his next remark.
“
Like you did today?” he said softly.
She glared at him but tears were shining in her eyes. Frankie was never vulnerable and the fact she had been today was bad enough. That her friend was now using that against her, hurt.
“
Fine. If you don't want to be there for a friend, then I'll get out of your hair.”
She got off her stool and headed for the door, but Will caught her arm and turned her back.
“
Don't,” he warned.
“
Don't what? I know just how little you think of me now,” she said, reminding him of his brief touch in the jail cell.
“
Frankie, I was upset and angry, okay? I don't want you to go.”
“
Too bad, because I want to go.” She struggled to get free but he gripped her harder.
“
Frankie... Don't throw away the one person you've got left.”
Her struggling ceased as she looked up at him, stung by his words. He thought for a second that she might start really fighting him but instead she threw herself at him and hugged him as she began to cry.
“
Oh, Frankie. Shh,” he crooned as she cried.
Will was used to Frankie being cool, calm and in control; she got angry of course, sometimes she became frosty, but she was never out of control. He could see now that it was only because she bottled everything up; eventually the pressure had become too much and she needed to vent. After to the fight with her parents, then her worry over Dante, he should have been expecting something like this to happen.
He had no idea how long he held her for, but his arms were starting to ache when she finally pulled away.
“
I'm sorry, Will. I don't want to lose you too. And I'm sorry I've been such an idiot.”
“
Hey,” he wanted to cup her face but he didn't have gloves on, so he settled for touching her shoulder. “You made a mistake, that's all. Everyone does stupid things sometimes. No one was hurt and no damage has been done, right, so stop beating yourself up. The important thing is to learn from this.”
“
You're right.” She nodded.
“
Good. Now go and have a shower, change into some fresh clothes and you'll feel much better.”
“
I can't use your shower,” she confessed. “Not without a new shower mat.”
Will nodded. “Right. Well how about a wash and change then?”
She nodded and smiled weakly. “That sounds good.”
“
You will eat eventually,” Pietro's smug voice assured Dante.
Dante could tell by the position of the sun that it had been about twelve hours since he had woken up and not only was he starving, he was in pain. He was equally certain that he would not eat any time soon.
“
Make me,” he laughed, though considering the state he was in, it sounded rather pathetic.
“
I don't have to. You won't be able to resist the smell much longer.”
“
Maybe you have no impulse control, but I do.”
“
You know that if you don't eat, the poison you ingested will eventually kill you.”
“
Yeah,” he said, smiling a little wider. “And you too.”
For the first time Pietro's composure slipped. “Then we'll do it like last time,” he said. “I have no objection to knocking you unconscious and force feeding you.”
“
Except that unlike last time, you didn't prepare for that eventuality and you'll have to do it in person; but you also know that as soon as you step foot in this room, your mind will be mine.”
Pietro gave an inhuman cry and threw something off camera that Dante couldn't see.
“
I'll start killing,” he said. “So far your blood supply is from a blood bank but if you keep this up, I'll start killing innocent people like I did last time.”
Dante's smile turned grave.
“
I know. But if I give in we'll just be here in another hundred years. If I stop you now, at least the killing stops forever.”
“
So that's your argument, sacrifice the few to save the many? You'll feel differently when you have to watch me killing someone.”
“
I am four hundred years old,” he said. “I've fought in eleven wars and seen atrocities you couldn't believe. There is nothing you can show me that I haven't already endured.”
Pietro smiled coldly. “Then you won't mind if I make you prove that.”
“
I always wondered,” Dante began. “Why not just turn, why this laughable half-life? You might be old but I'm still stronger and faster than you, and I can still control your mind.”
“
You are unclean. No vampire will be welcomed into the next life.”
“
If you're so worried about the next life, why not die naturally? Why this farce, this quest for eternal life?”
“
Because I have so much more to learn in this life.”
“
No,” Dante laughed. “You're afraid. Afraid the afterlife won't be the paradise you've been promised, that you'll be condemned to hell. That's why you don't mind killing or living off something so 'unclean', because you've already done something so much worse and you know Heaven will never be yours.”
Pietro didn't reply. In fact his face was frozen into such a twisted mask of hatred that for a moment, Dante thought that the image was paused. He knew he'd hit a nerve.
“
What was it? What did you do?” Dante sneered and the screen went dark.
Chapter Thirteen
Frankie felt better after her wash, though she hadn't particularly enjoyed trying to wash her long hair over the sink.
When she was done, she scraped her wet hair back into a ponytail, changed into her workout clothes and headed to the living room to find Will.
“
I'm going for a run,” she said.
“
Will you be okay?” Will frowned.
“
I'm fine,” she brushed his concerns aside.
“
Do you want me to come with you?”
Frankie shook her head. “I prefer running alone. Besides, don't you have to get back to work?”
Will nodded reluctantly and Frankie left before he could argue with her.
She made her way onto Roseburn Terrace and ran towards Corstorphine Road. She turned off at Western Corner and headed down Saughtonhall Drive, then turned left. At the end of Saughtonhall Avenue, she crossed the bridge over the Water of Leith and followed the footpath that ran alongside the river. The path came out in Roseburn Park and she jogged across the park, coming to a stop near the Roseburn entrance, not far from the maltings where Will lived.
She stretched her muscles then began her preferred Tai Chi workout. As well as being a martial art, which was always useful, practising Tai Chi required Frankie to focus all of her attention on the movements. That stopped the whirlwind of thoughts and worry in her head and allowed her to calm down and find clarity.
By the time she was finished, her muscles were aching from the exertion but she felt much better in herself. As she walked back to Will's she realised that she wasn't out of options. She had yet to hear from Dante's American friend, and it was still possible that one of the foreign agencies would turn up some related information.