Jaci Burton - Taken by Sin

Michael didn’t look up from the infrared sensors and whatever gadgetry the Realm had them using. “You just keep driving and let me worry about the technology.”

She shook her head. “Whatever. But there’s got to be a better way to do this. I say we hang out near the alley where I first saw the guy. It’s nearly the same time we were here yesterday. I might be able to pick him up again.”

“Drive over that way and see if you can spot him,” Michael said.

They were only two streets away. Mandy turned and headed in that direction, parking on the street this time. She got out and fed the parking meter, then climbed back in the car and waited, convinced she was going to see him again.

Michael kept his head down and scanned his laptop.

“Anything?” she asked.

“No. I don’t think I’m going to see anything on the scans here.” He looked up at her. “There’s nothing to see. There are no demons here, Mandy.”

“You want me to be wrong.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I do. But not for the reasons you think.”

“I understand.” She really did. She wished she hadn’t seen it, hoped it was an illusion. But she knew what she’d seen. It was real. She stared out the window.

And spotted him. She blinked, looked again, needing to be sure.

She grasped Michael’s wrist. “There he is!”

“Where?”

“Navy blue suit, pale blue shirt, red tie. He’s just crossing the street at a pretty hefty clip, at the light.” Mandy had her hand on the door handle, her backpack crushed in her hand.

“All right. Let’s cut him off.”

She slid her comm unit into her ear and slammed the car door shut. Michael climbed out on his side and met her on the sidewalk.

“I’m heading through the alleyway,” Michael said. “We’ll intercept him there. Stay in touch via the comm.”

She nodded and headed fast down the sidewalk, trying to appear normal, like she was late to work. Fortunately, the people she brushed by were intent on their own destinations. They were probably used to this morning rush of bodies zooming past them and didn’t even notice her fast pace. Even if they did, she didn’t care. Mandy’s attention was focused on the man, who was also in a hurry. He was about a hundred feet ahead of her. No way was she going to lose this guy. Not this time. She quickened her pace to a jog, her heart thumping with the adrenaline rush. Finally, she was beginning to catch up to him. Now she had to hope he didn’t turn around and notice her, though he kept his attention straight ahead, obviously with a specific purpose or destination in mind.

“I’m just inside the alley entrance. Where are you?” Michael commed.

“He’s about a hundred yards from where you are. I’m twenty-five feet or so behind him.”

“Hurry the hell up.”

“I’m not going to stroll hand-in-hand with him, Michael. Trust me. I’ve got the timing covered.”

For every one step the man took, she took two. The alley loomed closer and she knew she was only going to get one chance at this. Fortunately, the crowds had thinned. She’d have a few seconds at most to get this done, and hopefully no one would notice.

Almost on his heels, she slowed her pace, keeping her head down but her gaze fully on her quarry. A few more steps and he’d be at the alley. As soon as he crossed it she’d have him. She had to watch everything now. Nobody was around them as he stepped into the alley. She made her move, quickening her step as if she was going to pass him, then seemingly losing control of her backpack.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, knocking into him. As soon as he was off balance, bending over to reach for her fallen backpack, she gave him a shove, pushing him farther into the alley. He stumbled and fell and she checked to see if anyone had noticed, but no one was paying attention. Nothing like an eagle-eyed public keeping watch over one another. She almost laughed. She darted into the dark alley, where Michael was waiting.

The guy was on his hands and knees, glaring up at Mandy “What the fuck!” he said.

“You sure this is him?” Michael asked.

“Positive.”

Michael didn’t hesitate, just plunged a syringe filled with clear liquid into the guy’s neck. His eyes widened with surprise. He jerked a few times like he was having a seizure, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Finally, he went pale as death and dropped to the ground.

“Did you kill him?” she asked.

Michael shook his head. “No. Let’s get him out of sight.”

They dragged him into the darkness of the alley, behind some boxes.

“Hang tight while I go grab the SUV.”

Mandy nodded, pacing back and forth in front of the unconscious demon for what seemed like an eternity until Michael pulled in and popped open the back of the SUV.

Michael grabbed his upper body and Mandy went for his legs. Even through his clothes she could tell he was icy. “This guy’s cold.”

“He was that way before I injected him. As soon as I put my fingers on his neck I knew he wasn’t human.”

Mandy didn’t feel the need to mention she’d been right. They loaded the guy into the back of the SUV Michael threw a pile of clothing and bags on top of him and pulled the shield over the back, then closed the hatch. They climbed into the SUV and Michael took off.

“What did you inject him with?” she asked as Michael turned onto the highway heading out of town.

“A freezing agent. It’ll drop his temperature to a near coma state.”

“So basically he’s dead.”

“For the most part, yeah. But I don’t want him dead. Not yet, anyway.”

“Where are we going?”

“To a Realm headquarters. We’ve never caught a demon alive before. And since this one can wander around in the daylight, we need to find out more about it. And ask some questions.”

“You don’t really think he’s going to give you any answers, do you?”

Michael shrugged. “Having a live demon to examine will give us more than we have now.”

“Yeah, if we can keep him from disappearing into a mist.”

“We’ll make sure he doesn’t disappear.”

But they’d made it past the initial hurdle. They’d captured the demon. Mandy hadn’t been wrong. This could be a huge breakthrough for the Realm.

For the first time since Lou’s death, Mandy felt a spark surge inside her. She was working again, hunting demons instead of one of their own.

It felt good.

Dalton left Isabelle with Georgie that day, saying he needed to make a run into town for some supplies, which was fine with her. And fortunately, Georgie seemed to instinctively know she wanted time to herself, so she kept busy in another part of the house and left Isabelle alone.

Isabelle needed some distance after everything that had happened between them early this morning. Dalton had been pleasant enough, acting as if nothing at all had happened between them, which was nice of him, all things considered.

She just couldn’t handle being near him. It made her feel hot and itchy, like she constantly needed to take a cool shower.

There were a few magazines and books lying around, so she flipped through a couple but she couldn’t concentrate. She’d asked Georgie if she could help around the house, but Georgie told her to rest and relax. She didn’t want to rest. She always preferred doing something more physical rather than sitting around. She wasn’t a television watcher-not that there was one to be found even if she was. When she wasn’t out on a dig, she was typically on her laptop, researching. Right now she could do neither, which meant she spent the day pacing the house, bored out of her mind.

By late afternoon she’d had all she could handle of being cooped up inside. She wandered through the house in search of Georgie, but didn’t find her, so she headed outside toward the docks.