Seeing Blood (The Augur #2)

Chapter One

“Why is it that Sunday afternoons always come around way too fast?” Bryn Ashton sat cross-legged on the floor of his bedroom, leaning back against the bed. “It’s not fair.” He shoved the last chunk of his candy bar into his mouth.

“Are you talking to yourself or me?” Gunnar Ericson, Bryn’s lupine partner in the Gene Control and Research investigation team, loomed in the doorway.

Bryn balled up his candy wrapper then tossed it at the trash can. He missed. Gunnar snorted his amusement. Bryn glared at him. “Hey! Gimme a break. It’s not easy aiming from down here, and I guess I was making a general statement of discontent.”

“You couldn’t hit a full-sized dumpster from three feet away and how many times in the last four months have we had a Sunday off?”

“Twice.”

“Exactly, so be grateful that Warden was feeling generous and gave us today.”

Bryn didn’t want to think about their enigmatic, workaholic boss. “We could be doing something a lot more interesting. In your bed. Naked.” Bryn eyed his partner’s broad shoulders and long hair. His cock stirred. “I think we’ve mastered the art of kissing. Isn’t it time we got to second base?”

“All in good time. As I keep telling you, a bit of anticipation doesn’t hurt.”

“That’s a matter of opinion. You know I touch you all the time, right?” Bryn’s augur abilities worked through touch and, from the start, Gunnar had never avoided it.

“Sure.”

“So I know what your future intent is.”

“Yeah.”

“Gunnar!”

Gunnar chuckled. “Okay. Full disclosure. I’m not trying to tease you.”

Bryn huffed. “Sure you’re not.”

“I don’t want our first time to be here at headquarters. I can’t wait to get my hands on you, but not here, where we work. It needs to be special.”

“Oh my…you’re a closet romantic!” Bryn scrambled to his feet.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing.” Bryn closed the gap between him and Gunnar. “It’s sweet.” He walked into Gunnar’s arms.

“I am not sweet!”

Bryn tilted his head. “It’s not a bad thing, even for a big bad wolf.

” He parted his lips. Gunnar took the hint and they were engaged in a satisfying kiss when his cell sounded.

The ringtone was the theme from Jaws. Bryn rested his forehead against Gunnar’s chest. “You have got to be kidding me. Warden.”

“That man never takes a day off,” Gunnar muttered, fishing his cell out of his pocket. “Ericson.” He listened for a few seconds then the call ended. “In a shocking new development, we’re wanted in the conference room.”

“Well fuck. You gonna give me any more of a clue?” Bryn asked.

“He said, and I quote, ‘get your asses downstairs now’. I don’t know any more than you do.”

Bryn sighed. “Let me grab my boots.”

Five minutes later he was stomping down the stairs after Gunnar.

He hadn’t bothered with gloves or dark glasses because everyone in the building was used to his glowing eyes and knew better than to touch him.

When they got to the conference room, Warden was waiting.

Their admin assistant, Emmett Salisbury, hustled toward them from the direction of the staff entrance at the back of the building.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” He shrugged off his yellow raincoat to reveal a red sweater vest and white shirt paired with blue jeans.

Bryn shrugged. “No idea but I think we’re about to find out. No bow tie?”

“I was in a rush. I had plans to go out for tacos with Talbot.” Talbot Dunne was Emmett’s roommate and worked on the GCR’s tech team.

“Bummer. Gunnar and I had plans too.” Bryn grinned. Emmett blushed.

Bryn didn’t know if their boss had another name to add to Warden, but he’d never dared ask. Warden sat at the head of the table dressed in an immaculate black suit, white shirt and subdued gray tie. He glanced at Bryn and frowned.

“Mr. Ashton, why do you always dress like an attendee at a goth rock concert?”

Bryn glanced down at his ripped black jeans and My Chemical Romance T-shirt. “Not sure I’d call this band goth rockers, sir…more like…uh, never mind.” He sat his ass down before he got himself in more trouble. Warden’s piercing stare was enough to curb even his tongue.

“Thank you for coming in, Emmett,” Warden said in a much softer tone, bestowing Emmett with the trace of a smile. Emmett blushed even more then ducked his head. He pulled a notepad and pen from his satchel.

“No problem at all, sir.”

“What’s going on, boss?” Gunnar took the seat next to Bryn.

“Yeah, tell us, Warden. I had a fun evening in planned for my God-given, long-overdue day off.” Bryn cast a sly look in Gunnar’s direction.

“You need to readjust your priorities, young man. There are training courses for that,” Warden replied.

“Why does that sound like a threat?”

“Because it is. Now shut up and listen.” Warden’s laser glare could have drilled a hole in sheet metal.

“You’ll all be aware that some gene-affected individuals spend time at The Facility undergoing a range of tests and personal development, mostly if they have chosen a career path in law enforcement or the military. ”

Bryn pressed his lips together in a tight line to stop yet another sarcastic remark. His own stay at The Facility had been lengthy, unpleasant and not exactly voluntary. Would be so justified.

“In the last six months I’ve been receiving disturbing reports that some of these individuals have been experiencing varied levels of psychosis.

In the first instance, our scientists were concerned that this might be an effect of a new gene mutation but tests showed that was not the case.

Blood samples, however, did reveal the presence of a narcotic.

A new synthetic drug that we haven’t come across before. ”

“Sounds nasty,” Gunnar commented.

“Indeed. None of the people concerned were habitual drug takers so we weren’t, and still aren’t, sure how this got into their systems, but the effects can be catastrophic.

Enhanced abilities specific to both lupines and sanguines were found and, to start with, it appears that this is the only development but, after time, other traits begin to manifest.”

Gunnar frowned. “Such as?”

“Paranoia, blood lust, increasing aggression and eventually hemorrhaging in the brain leading to death.”

Emmett glanced up from his note taking, white-faced. “Who would do that to people?”

“Someone with no morals and zero compunction about using people for his own ends.” Warden stood and clasped his hands behind his back. “Someone like Salvatore Russo.”

“Wonderful,” Bryn said. “The Hammer. Our favorite mob boss. Had to be him, didn’t it. Only worse option would have been our neighborhood psycho pen pal, Dr. Templeton.”

“Thank you for that observation, Bryn.”

“How do you know it’s him?” Gunnar asked.

“A better contribution, Detective. We know because last night, Boston PD raided what they thought was a meth lab. What they found was a production facility for this synthetic drug that the people they rounded up were calling Thanacrine. Several of those arrested have confirmed links with Russo.”

“In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the personification of death,” Emmett contributed. “He was a minor figure, often referred to but rarely appearing in person. That could be the root of the name.”

“I thought Thanos was a Marvel character,” Bryn said.

“Thanos was a warlord from Titan, whose objective was to bring stability to the universe by wiping out half of all life at every level no matter what it took…so he’s a possible inspiration too,” Emmett conceded.

“Thank you, Emmett,” Warden said.

“So production has been stopped?” Gunnar asked.

“No. This was one small place. Russo isn’t stupid. It’s better to spread the risk across multiple facilities than concentrate efforts in a single location. Less of a financial hit if one place gets raided. There will be more.”

“And he’ll have another one up and running to replace this one before we can blink,” Gunnar said. “So what’s our interest?”

“Boston PD is handing the investigation over to us. We are better placed to make the connections between the people who’ve been affected, and it falls within our remit. They’ll continue to support when manpower is needed.”

“That’s a big case to take on.”

“Which is why I’ve drafted in an additional resource to assist. Someone with first-hand knowledge of what’s been happening.” Warden avoided meeting Bryn’s curious gaze.

Bryn leaned forward in his seat. “Tell me you fucking didn’t…Warden…”

“Am I missing something?” Emmett asked.

“I really hope not,” Bryn replied.

“This case demands the best we can offer.” Warden stared at the door and, without raising his voice said, “You can come in now.” He rifled through a manila folder with the kind of forced casualness that set off every one of Bryn’s finely tuned warning signals. Bryn braced for impact.

Giles Delacourt made his entrance. The sanguine moved with the kind of fluid grace that made catwalk models look clumsy.

He was all long limbs and perfect posture in a charcoal suit that probably cost more than Bryn’s monthly salary.

His dark hair, shot through with elegant streaks of silver at the temples, was swept back from high cheekbones.

He looked like he’d stepped out of a Renaissance painting, all aristocratic features and knowing eyes, with the kind of face that made people forget to breathe.

The bright lighting should have made him look washed out.

Instead, it seemed to create its own shadows around him, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw and the subtle curve of his mouth that always suggested he knew something Bryn didn’t. Bryn’s stomach knotted.

Warden actually stood up when Giles entered, like he was greeting nobility.

Bryn remained exactly where he was. He’d learned the hard way that beauty could be the deadliest weapon in Giles Delacourt’s arsenal.

Gunnar was also on his feet, a warning growl rumbling in his throat.

Bryn reached for his hand and tugged him back into his chair.