(Five Years Later)
A tall figure looked up at the glowing sign.
'The Dragon's Den'.
The figure sighed then approached the bouncer, a well-built Delta, who guarded the door. She nodded and let him in, no charge. Once inside, the deep bass hit him, as did the smoky incense-laced air. He paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, then moved to a booth near the stage. Wary eyes took in all the details as he murmured into a lapel mic.
"No sign of the target or the bait yet."
A voice crackled in his ear.
"Bait is in place. Just keep watch for the Pirate."
Electronica faded and changed to rock music. The announcer came on.
"Folks, give a warm welcome to the crafty little body known as Vixen!"
Cheers and whistles erupted, drawing blue-green eyes to the stage. The man gaped in shock. A tall, lean fox-hybrid strode out, shaking her ass enticingly and flocking her tail seductively. He watched as the lithe form moved easily, dancing and spinning on the pole in a naughty school girl outfit and heels that made her legs seem impossibly long. His pupils dilated. She locked eyes on him, bronze glittering mischeviously. He licked his lips, and she slowly walked to him and settled in his lap, placing his hands on her hips as She started to dance on him. She leaned in and murmured in an alto voice that sounded like a smooth dark Guinness and a dark forest in summer.
"Don't look now, but the Pirate is headed this way. Get ready."
The man's eyes widened and his hands flexed as the vixen ground and rolled her hips against him teasingly. He tensed, ready to move. Suddenly, the smell of ash hit him and he launched forward, taking the vixen with him. He landed on top of her and caught her scent. Pine, raspberries and jasmine mixed with sandalwood. He heard a snarl behind him, felt the woman grab the piece he'd held for her just as his gun cleared his ankle, and then two shots rang out. The target lay dead, knife laying by a lifeless hand.
Blue-green eyes searched the sea of cops that worked the scene, but the vixen was gone.
Three days later, Requiem sat at her desk in Homicide. Jack had retired and yet another captain had transfered out. Her last partner had quite Homicide, claiming she was too unstable to work with.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡut8beoKDZd
She was older now. Wiser, more jaded than five years ago. And far more reckless as well. The scars on her face proved that. She note five long scars on the right half of her face, rumored to have been caused by a fist fight with a cougar down in lockup. None of her colleagues ever spoke of it. But since said cougar couldn't walk now, she wasn't surprised.
"McCleary! Old Man wants to see you!"
Requiem sighed.
"Now what?"
Marcus, an Alpha, grinned at her.
"How long this one gonna last, Shadow?"
She flipped him off with a grin. She knew there was an office pool on how long her partners lasted. Hell, she was in on the one about the captains!
Requiem strode into Lieutenant Whitetown's office.
"You called?"
The old Kodiak Grizzly bear-hybrid and Alpha leaned back.
"Good news."
His growl intimidated most, but not Requiem. He was like a dad to get and she knew he was tough but fair, and a big teddy near to boot. She just waited with a scowl.
"Homicide has a new Captain. And you're getting a new partner. Try not to kill them, please."
Requiem grumbled.
"Not my fault he tried to fuck me in the elevator. How was I to predict that?!"
Whitetown sighed.
"Just... Play nice for now, okay?"
Requiem snorted, then nodded.
"Yeah, yeah. So. What's the new Captain's name?"
The lieutenant watched her closely.
"Captain Evaan Dorlan. He's an Alpha, but he's fair. He's also-"
"Robert's little brother. I know."
She turned and walked out.
Requiem returned to find the unit buzzing with whispers and glanced at the captain's office. She could see movement in there, but the door was closed. She joined Marcus and Anthony by her desk.
"He's a Dorlan."
Anthony choked on his coffee and Marcus gaped.
"Oh, fuck no... Please say it isn't the old bastard!"
She laughed.
"Nah. Robert's little brother, Evaan."
This time Marcus choked as he laughed.
"Oh, hell! Can't wait to see how you two hit it off!"
The man in question opened the door to his office.
"Detective McCleary? May I speak with you?"
She sighed, then walked into the office, the captain shutting the door behind them. Requiem turned around and immediately backed up with a low warning growl.
"You?!"
The man blinked at her. It was the Vixen from the undercover case!
Requiem glared at him.
"Like fucking me over five years ago wasn't bad enough, now you're my superior?!"
He blinked and frowned.
"Excuse me?"
She snarled and stalked forward before stopping, her nose twitching. Requiem blinked.
"You're not him... But you look identical..."
Bronze eyes narrowed and Requiem's ears flattened back.
"How can you look like him, and yet...."
She scowled while the new Captain waited patiently. Her eyes suddenly focused on him as her ears perked up.
"Of course, I forgot! Twins can look identical, and even have the same dynamic, but their scents are unique to the individual!"
Captain Dorlan frowned.
"Are you implying one of my siblings is tied to your kidnapping five years ago, Detective?
Requiem shook her head.
"I can't give a definitive answer unless I had a way to identify their scents. Anyways. You wanted to talk to me about something?"
The Captain blinked, then sighed.
"Detective, I'm here to oversee the Homicide division. That being said, I prefer to work the cases just like my detectives do."
Requiem shrugged.
"Okay. That's your prerogative. So what the fucks that have to do with my ass?"
He chuckled.
"You have no partner, are an unmarried and unmated Omega, yet are the best cop in Major Case squad. Your exemplary arrest record aside, the higher ups-"
Requiem snorted.
"You mean the political fuck-heads upstairs?"
Captain Dorlan grinned.
"The folks upstairs want you partnered with someone who can... 'Put up with you', so to speak. To that end, Lieutenant Whitetown has seen fit to assign me as your new partner."
The resulting shout of anger was so loud, the entire division heard it. Bets flew as to whether or not Whitetown would get a can thrown at his head later.
Meanwhile, in his office, the new Captain was trying to sooth an obviously pissed off Omega Feral. He spoke low and calmingly, his whiskey-and-scotch voice steady.
"I understand your anger. However, the Lieutenant had a point. He told me your past partners struggled to see you for the highly effective officer you are. They couldn't handle your energy, your way of viewing a crime scene, or your personality. I'm the only one he viewed as capable of keeping up and keeping you balanced."
Bronze eyes locked onto dark blue-green, full of anger and understanding.
"Basically, no one else will work with the mouthy rebellious Omega Fox from Homicide."
The tall man nodded.
"In a nutshell, yes."
He blinked as she stormed past and out the door. He walked to the doorway and watched in confusion as Requiem purchased three sodas, brought him one, then chucked another at the Lieutenant as he stepped into the Division bullpen.
"Bastard!"
Whitetown caught the can and cracked it open. He took a sip as he calmly eyed the pissed off Fox-hybrid, green eyes assessing her before wandering to Dorlan.
"Glad to know you picked your priorities, Captain. Hope you'll survive."
Evaan sighed and leaned on the door frame. The younger Alpha chuckled tiredly.
"A file and a lecture never prep you for reality, sir."
He took a sip of his pop and looked at it in surprise. It was a cherry coke. Blue-green locked with bronze.
"How did you know-"
"Your brother mentioned it once."
Requiem glared at Whitetown, but the old Kodiak just raised a brow.
"Need is for anything?"
He nodded.
"As a matter of fact, another one was found this morning in an abandoned building."
That made the Fox blink in concern.
"Same as the last one?"
Whitetown shrugged.
"I'm afraid I don't have those answers."
He gestured at Evaan.
"You can fill him in on the way."
Requiem nodded. She grabbed her energy pistol and knife, retrieved her jacket and keys and headed for her car. The Lieutenant looked at her.
"Shadow."
She paused and looked back.
"Yeah, Pops?"
The Bear-hybrid eyed her.
"I want you two there before the Feds get here."
Requiem scowled, nodded, then strode off. Her Captain took off after her.
Within minutes, they were on the road, the car's hover system whining at the strain of going over 90mph along the strip below most traffic. As she drove, Requiem called up the file and filled Evaan in on the case.
"I don't know if he gave you all this already. That being said, listen closely."
Evaan nodded as he sipped his pop.
"Six months ago, the serial rapist that disappeared five years ago reappeared here in the city. We found the first victim in Central Park."
Photos flashed on the screen in front of Evaan. Requiem barely glanced at then as she continued speaking.
"The media had originally dubbed him 'The Dockman' because his victims were found near the docks, whether near water, spaceport or long-distance hoverports. Five years ago, they were all merely raped and strangled. That's changed."
Evaan frowned at the Central Park crime scene photos.
"This is more sophisticated. How sure are you that-"
"It's the same guy?"
The Alpha nodded. Requiem gave him a bitter smile.
"He left DNA and semen at all the crime scenes."
Evaan scowled. He saw Shadow's hands flex on the wheel.
"We know he has a partner now. They know police procedure and refrain from leaving traces of themselves at the scene. But he raped and kills his victims. The unknown partner tortures them at a separate location. Two days after we find a victim, a perfectly typed letter arrives, giving the location of the torture site. There's no pattern, as of yet."
Evaan nodded slowly and finished off his pop.
"Judging from your timeline, there's two victims a month The second one is grabbed the same day the first one is dumped and called in."
He swiped to the call logs.
"Always anonymous. Always the same voice. The person calling in never sticks around."
The Alpha scowled again.
"So the rapist calls it in, takes off, picks up a new victim and disappears. All the victims last two weeks. They're raped repeatedly, tortures repeatedly, then manually strangledbto death."
Requiem nodded.
"The media still calls our rapist 'The Dockman', but they refer to his partner as 'The Doc', due to his ability to torture without killing."
The car pulled up to yellow tape outside an abandoned building. Requiem growled low.
"Speak of the devil..."
Evaan raised an eyebrow and followed her line of sight. Near the tape stood a blonde model-esque man, lightly tanned and regal looking. He was arguing with a man who looked like he could have been family.
"Know them?"
The Fox nodded.
"Brunette in the CSI jacket is Lucius Dominari. The blonde fucker with the notebook is his twin, Matthias. Bastard is an arrogant son of a bitch, a reporter, and an Alpha to boot. Lucius is an Alpha and one of my roommates. He's also gay, so try not to go caveman. Got it?"
She grinned on the last part, and Evaan chuckled.
"I know Lucius well, actually. Not his twin, though."
Requiem nodded.
"Fucker has an entitlement issue."
She got out of the car and locked it as Evaan rounded the front and walked alongside her toward Lucius. The brunette spotted them and his silver calico cat ears perked, tail twitching happily at seeing them.
"Shadow! Evaan, you sly bastard! You said you had a new partner, but I wouldn't have guessed it was the resident badass!"
Shadow three her head back and laughed, fangs glinting, as she hugged Lucius.
"Of course you knew you old alley cat!"
"My, my, Requiem... Bucking for promotion by screwing an Alpha, are we? If I had known-"
Evaan snarled and slammed Matthias against a wall, baring his fangs as he lifted the other Alpha off the ground. Requiem blinked, scowled, then muttered to Lucius, "Blyad'! Glupy bog-chert Stal'noy Volk!"
Lucius laughed.
"Relax, Tenevaya Lisa! Matthias asked for it, as always."
Evaan growled low and dropped Matthias.
"If I ever learn of you speaking to Detective McCleary in that fashion again, I will drag your ass to mail on discrimination charges! Now get the fuck away from our crime scene!"
Matthias quickly retreated to his car and climbed in with a parting shot to Requiem.
"We'll talk soon, pretty Fox!"
Shadow flipped him off and turned to Evaan.
"When Hell freezes over... Now, let me see the crime scene please, Lucius."
The Tomcat nodded and led the two cops inside. Evaan gaped in shock. Requiem barely flinched as she walked the edge of the crime scene, nimbly avaoiding CSI techs as they collected evidence. She watched the coroner examine the body there on scene.
"Well?"
The Coroner stood and removed his mask before looking at her, blue-green eyes impassive.
"My initial assessment is death by strangulation. Body was out here post-mortem. He was tortured pre-mortem and raped multiple times, both pre-mortem and post-mortem. I'll learn more when he's on my table."
Requiem nodded.
"Thanks, Aaron."
She jerked a thumb at Evaan.
"Look who the boys upstairs saddled me with."
Aaron blinked, then smiled warmly at her and Evaan.
"Then you're in good hands at work. I won't have to worry about a call to come collect you."
Shadow chuckled as Evaan smiled warmly at his younger identical triplet.
"Not as long as I'm around, little brother."
Aaron nodded.
"In that case, I'll take off. Report will be on your desks by tonight."
Evaan nodded, then focused on Requiem, who was now crouched near where the body had lain. Her eyes were closed and her ears were perked. What had caught his attention was the unnatural stillness of her tail. Evaan looked around and realized that everyone had had stopped moving. They were all watching Requiem, in what almost appeared to be nervous anticipation. The Alpha focused on her and watched closely as the Fox's fingers and ears twitched. Her eyes suddenly flew open and Evaan almost collapsed in shock as he was suddenly hit with a bombardment of images and emotions from her. He quickly blocked it all and focused on her eyes. Blue-green eyes widened in shock. Requiem's eyes had gone from a beautiful golden-bronze to irradecent silver. She blinked and they were bronze once more. Requiem grimaced.
"Sorry... I should have warned you."
She eyed him.
"I didn't know-"
"That he's a telepath and an empath? Few do officer!"
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