Memory Zero (Spook Squad 1)

Gabriel’s hand touched her knee. Warmth and strength seemed to flow from it, fighting the chill suddenly encasing her body. She glanced up and saw the concern in his eyes. Fear suddenly slammed into her heart. She could see his eyes, see him, as clearly as if it were light, not pitch black. What the hell is happening to me? She had a sudden feeling that Finley’s tests, and Gabriel himself, might be able to provide an answer, but now was not the time to ask.

Biting her lip, she turned her gaze back to the two men entering the room. Dressed in black, they almost merged into the darkness. One of them carried something over his right shoulder—a sack of some kind. Both of them stopped just inside the doorway, their gazes scanning the darkened room. If they were vampires, how could they not see her and Gabriel? Or hear the beats of their hearts? How could these men not know they were here?

Because they obviously didn’t. They moved as one, walking silently across the room to Jack’s drawer. For some reason, she wasn’t entirely surprised. The weirdness had started with Jack. Somehow, he was the key to it all.

Gabriel squeezed her knee lightly and motioned to the left, holding up three fingers. She nodded. Placing her cup on the floor, she silently counted to three, rose and scooted around the edge of the room, coming on the two men from the left.

They were so intent on trying to bag Jack’s body that neither man became aware of their assailants until it was far too late.

“Police,” she said softly, grabbing the arm of one of the strangers and twisting it behind his back. “Don’t move.”

He was obviously hard of hearing, because he not only moved, but came out swinging. She ducked under his blow, and then hit him. Not exactly ethical, but hey, he was possibly a vampire, and she was already suspended.

He went down like a sack of potatoes. She frowned and glanced at her clenched fist. She hadn’t hit him that hard. She looked across to Gabriel. He had the second intruder

by the neck and was holding him slightly above the ground.

It took a lot of strength to do something like that—more strength than most humans possessed. But then, Gabriel Stern worked for the SIU. They weren’t big on employing normal humans.

“Remind me never to tackle you when you’re angry,” he said, his expression grim. But as he met her gaze, a slight hint of amusement touched his eyes.

This, coming from a man who appeared intent on choking his suspect to death? “Ah … hadn’t you better loosen your grip at little? Don’t want to kill him before he can answer a question or two.”

He glanced at the felon for a moment and shook him a little. The man made an odd sort of gagging sound and Gabriel smiled grimly. “He can breathe,” he said. “He’s just a little blue around the edges. Nothing to worry about with his type.”

“What do you mean by ‘his type’? Are they vampires?”

“No. Thralls.”

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and made a call for backup. Given no chance to ask what a thrall was, she glanced down at the man near her feet and toed him lightly. Still out cold. She obviously packed quite a punch. He hadn’t even twitched.

“I guess I’ve landed myself in a shitload more trouble,” she said, once Gabriel had hung up.

He met her gaze, his eyes intense, thoughtful. Once again she was left with the distinct impression that Assistant Director Stern was a man with his own agenda.

“Maybe,” he said after a moment. His gaze went back to the felon. Not releasing his grip in any way, he asked, “You going to talk?”

The man gurgled.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He let the felon’s toes touch the floor. “I’m about to release my grip a little. Twitch and you’re dead, understand?”

Jack had nothing on Gabriel Stern when it came to menace, that was for sure. Though he’d kept his tone light, the threat hung like a noose in the air. She had no doubt that he meant it. Obviously, neither did the felon.

“Who sent you?”

The felon took several deep breaths, and then croaked, “Sethanon.”

The name meant nothing to her, but it was one Gabriel obviously recognized. His expression was grim as he asked, “Why?”

“To collect Kazdan’s body.”

Gabriel’s expression was somewhat skeptical, and she wondered why.

“Why do you want Jack’s body?” she asked, keeping her voice soft. The man was in a bad enough state as it was. If they threatened him too much more, he might just faint.

“I don’t know.”

Gabriel tightened his grip again. The felon flapped his arms in agitation, a frantic look of fear twisting his face. “I’m telling you, I don’t know! I’m just a runner. I do what I’m told. They don’t tell me nothin’!”