Page 69 of Drift

“Darkness requires a whole new skill level,” he said quietly. Raif brought up a map of London and broke some of the areas down for Gray. “During the day, like with any major city and cells trying to exploit its market, you get your turf wars. East London alone has up to six different Day-walker factions fighting to pick more than a pocket or two.” He divided East London for Gray to see where each was based. “Good feeders can bring in up to three thousand a week each.” He slipped his phone away. “But away from the turf division during the day, there’s only one Feeding crew who own the night when it comes to the whole of London. The Night-walkers.”

“And the relevance?” asked Gray.

Raif held up his phone a moment later. “Get Simon to try, you won’t find mention of why on here. We’re talking kids younger than this lass here with the Night-walkers, but we’re talking the really ill kind.” He frowned. “I knew a Day-walker kid about ten years back. Sketch. About twenty, but looked older, also lived to, well, sketch.” Raif smiled. “Mostly on concrete slabs, but he was really talented with it and lived in his own world. Well he must have done something to piss off a Night-walker, because he was found with his hands and feet cut off, and that was before he was set on fire in a disused building.” Sickness hit his stomach. “You never forget images like that, how his hands and feet were strung up like a wind chime, tapping against a broken window.” He focused back on Gray. “That’s what Night-walkers do. Limbs left swinging in the wind, they’ll stand back laughing at the screams. No trace of DNA was found to be really sure, but that kind of confirmed it for me, because some bright spark took acid-burning of fingertips to the streets, teaching them how to mask DNA. These bastards really own the night.”

Something shifted in the blackness still running through Gray’s eyes, and he eased back. “These Night-walkers…. They ever been known to cross over into daytime to play in the park?” he said flatly.

Confused, Raif shook his head. “They’re the kids with twisted souls who are only comfortable playing in darkness. It’s where most of them were torn apart themselves.”

“And Red here preferred the night when she followed you.”

Raif nodded. “Break point for me. I have Lucy at home. Ash too. I’m old guard night-walker. The streets are just less chaotic for my kind at night, or they used to be. These lot started creeping in about twenty years ago.” He’d also gone into night-walking to keep an eye on his wife after their own kid died. She’dhad a breakdown and only found solace in the night, watching over the likes of Lucy when a working mom was forced to work through the night in order to feed her and keep her clothed. “I can’t have this level of ill around Lucy, Gray. I’m sorry. Because these lot, they’re fucking twisted.”

“No apology needed.” That was surprisingly gentle. “Neutral ground was established, but so was the way here and the shift into my handling.”

Raif flicked him a look and the sharpness behind Gray’s eyes didn’t disappoint. Yeah, if the girl had followed him to neutral housing, then it stood to reason she’d keep tabs and follow him here. It was why Raif hadn’t been home in a month, but here?

If Red was as smart as he thought she was, she’d be close now. Here and seeing Raif report back away from a neutral ground. A home nest where Gray was used to luring killers to.

Gray reached for his intercom and left it ringing for a moment.

“Boss?” came the eventual reply off Ray.

“Oval.”

“On my way.”

Gray flicked the comms off, then went around his desk. He tugged out a notepad, scribbled something on it, then handed it over. “Get your head down there a few days. Make sure your tail’s clear before going back to the MC psych unit. Take Simon’s Merc. Leave the stolen one here.”

Raif frowned at the offer. Something had Gray on guard as well, enough to offer a safe house. He read it, then let Gray burn it in the ash tray. “Ash and Lucy?”

“I’ll let Jack know Ash will be on lockdown, working from the MC unit. I’ll have an extra security guard on the flat for them both. But you?” Gray handed him the pad. “Whilst you’re away, note down names, places… every case you’ve witnessed or heard over the grapevine when it comes to these Night-walkers.” He tapped the pad. “Get me a profile. Get me a name of anyone who might call them in and have the medical knowledge over acid-burns to fingers to mask why they’re possibly teaming up.” He also tugged out his phone, and Raif caught a notification a few moments later.

When he looked, his bank balance had been added to.

“Extra-curricular activity,” Gray said flatly.

Raif eased away from the desk. Yeah, Gray’s snout had been working its way towards the Night-walkers even if he hadn’t seen it yet. “You suspect they’re bleeding through into Day-walker time.”Fuck. Some animals were best kept chained in the dark.

“Keep to the safe house.” Gray didn’t commit to conversation. “Get your head down.” A smile, the smallest offer of one. “It’s mine from here on in.”

Raif nodded. “And you want me to tell Jan what?”

Gray flicked him a look. “Nothing. I’ll tell them both in a minute I’m working with the manor being possibly compromised.”

Raif nodded.

“But you heard nothing on Jude?” Gray said that almost distractedly, but that confirmed it was Jack who hadn’t wanted Jude finding. Gray rarely bothered with white noise.

Raif shook his head. “Maybe it’s for the best for all concerned,” he said quietly. “You don’t want a kid mixed in withthis level of… illness, especially Martin’s with Cutter’s bloodline in the mix. But Red here? If she reacted to Jude’s name, she might be the one to know what happened to him.”

Gray nodded, taking the intel in.

A knock came at the door, and they both looked its way. “Come,” said Gray.

Ray came in a moment later and nodded Raif’s way before heading over to Gray. “Problems?”

“Precautions.” Gray moved back around his desk as Raif slipped the notepad in his pocket. “Run these security details by Simon after we’ve spoken. Get his input on it.”

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