Page 12 of Blood Bearon
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“To the next crime scene.” The car started forward again.
“Can I ride shotgun at least? There is no room back here.” He tried to stretch out, but his large frame simply had nowhere to go.
“You’re under arrest,” she said, as if that explained everything. Then, when he continued to stare at her in the mirror. “No, absolutely not. You ride in the back.”
Khove sighed.
7
“Why couldn’t you have done this last time?” he grumbled as the detective hit the lightsandsirens.
“Fire’s already headed to the scene,” she snapped. “We’ll get there first, but my primary concern is ensuring it’s safe for them to work on the fire. Any criminals in the area are more likely to clear out before we get there if they hear police coming.”
“But…don’t you want to catch them?” he asked, confused.
“Priorities,” she explained, then wrenched the wheel to the left as they raced around a corner.
Khove went flying into the door head first, denting it. “Ouch. What happened to a seatbelt?”
“I thought you said you were strong? Hold yourself upright.”
He snorted. “I still don’t understand. Isn’t catching the bad guy the priority?”
“We’re overwhelmed,” she said plainly. “Too much going on, not enough responders. So, we’re going to have to play catch-up, unfortunately, but that’s just the reality of the situation. Yes, I want to arrest your accomplices, but my main priority is securing the scene so that Fire can stop the flames from spreading.”
“Where are we going anyway?” he asked, having only caught the address, not recognizing it. He respected the detective and her instant analysis of the best course of action, but still felt uneasy at her rushing to the scene. She wasn’t prepared to go up against what they might find there. No human was.
“Granted Holding Company,” she said. “It’s down by the docks on the river.”
Khove frowned. “That’s not right.”
The response was almost instant. “What’s not right? What do you know?”
“You’re positive that’s the name of the company? Absolutely positive?”
She reached out and spoke into the radio. Both of them heard the dispatcher confirm the business name and address. In the rearview mirror, azure eyes focused on him.
“What is it you’re not telling me?” she snapped when he didn’t immediately speak.
“This property isn’t one of ours,” he said calmly, brain frantically trying to understand.
“Whose is it? Do you know?”
“Our biggest rival,” he said, careful not to mention anything about House Canis. He would have to speak vaguely, avoiding specifics. “Something’s wrong.”
“Well, we had a call come in saying the building was going up in flames. We can’t exactlynotrespond to that,” she said as they turned another corner and sped into the industrial area surrounding the riverside docks.
Plymouth Falls was the last stop on the river system, and although it had a population of little more than 5,000, it fed much of the surrounding smaller communities via water transport. Therefore, its dock area was larger than most towns its size.
Khove barely noticed as they zipped through it. He needed to figure out what Korred’s plan was. Why was he attacking the Canim now as well? He couldn’t hope to take on both Houses. There had to be something else going on here. Could this just be random and totally unrelated?
It seemed unlikely, given the events of the rest of the night, but what other explanation could there be? His mind flashed back to the uncertain reports of problems at Moonshadow Manor, the home of the werewolves. Could this be related to that instead, and simply coinciding with Korred’s return?
It didn’t matter, not really. Whatever was going on here, it wasn’t good.
“You need to let me come with,” he said as the car slowed, lights dancing crazily off the various metal-sided warehouses and buildings nearby. “I can help.”
