Blood on the Moon (The Federal Witch Book 7) Page 11

  Robert looked at Jack, who looked at Adam. “I’m pretty sure I loaded and lit it.”

  Gundi held up her hands. “Pretty sure? You do realize this is a business, right? Without those pits, we’re up the creek without a paddle.”

  Adam didn’t look like he was listening. Staring at LJ his eyes narrowed. “Austin. Are you related to Josiah Austin?”

  LJ nodded then spoke. “Yes, sir. He was my father.”

  Adam’s eyes widened. “Was he now? Interesting. He never mentioned you to me. Who’s your mother?”

  “Bethany Pepin. She’s dead,” LJ replied.

  “If I weren’t I would tan your hide you worthless excuse for a wolf!” Bethany’s voice echoed in his head.

  “Yes, I know. Did Joshua know the truth about you?” Adam asked. The other men in the room all kept their attention on the conversation.

  “He found out officially the day I turned eighteen, Bethany told him. But I think he suspected long before that. I don’t smell of Pepin.” LJ replied.

  Adam laughed. “No, son, you don’t. Just like the Reverend to pull something like that. If he still lived, it would be funnier.”

  LJ stayed quiet looking down at the floor. Silently he cursed his mother yet again. His life had been hard, but it was way worse after that horrible day.

  Gundi looked at her brother and the embarrassed newbie. “What’s the joke here?”

  “This pup is one of Reverend Josiah Austin’s. He was raised by his mother who was married to his half-brother Joshua Pepin. Joshua thought he was the father, not the brother. Get it?” Adam barked out another laugh.

  “I always hated that reverend. He didn’t smell right to me. Do you need to sit down?” Gundi asked LJ.

  “No thank you, Ma’am,” LJ answered and stood up straighter.

  Adam nodded his head. “I remember you now. The Pelts, the Paws, and the Valkyries sent recommendation about you. Pretty unusual for those boys. You must have made one hell of an impression on them.”

  LJ thought for a moment. He remembered the fights, the shooting, and riding like it was just yesterday. A faint smile formed on his face. “Good times.”

  Adam and the rest of the men started laughing. Gundi only glared at the group.

  “We have alliances with the gangs, Austin. They fight the good fight for us,” Adam told him with a smile. “You didn’t think all of this just comes from barbeque, did you?”

  “Adam, I don’t think you should say…” Gundi tried to shut her brother up.

  “Not right now, Beta.” By stressing Gundi’s title, he shut her right down. She might be second in command of the pack, but Adam, Adam was Alpha.

  “We took this place during the war. We keep it by raiding. The strong rule the weak. It’s the way of things. You’re a strong one aren’t you?” Adam asked.

  LJ nodded as he cut his eyes toward Gundi.

  “She’s a whore just like all the others. You’re no better than your father!” Bethany’s voice haunted LJ.

  “Trials start tomorrow. I want you to be one of the top picks, but you have to want it. Do you want it? Is being a member of this pack your goal?” Adam asked.

  Blocking out his mother’s voice, LJ looked away from the female and into Adam’s eyes. “It’s the reason I’m here. I want it.”

  “Good. Be here at seven tomorrow morning. Now get out of here.” Adam pointed to the main kitchen door.

  Bowing, LJ backed out of the door without looking behind him. The leaders of the pack could hear his distinctive motorcycle start up and ride off.

  “That man scares me just a bit,” Gundi remarked. “He’s too cool about things.”

  Adam looked at his sister. “Couldn’t you feel it?”

  “Feel what?” she asked.

  “He has a touch of Alpha potential in him. If it doesn’t come to the front, he will make a strong Beta or even a top enforcer.” Adam pursed his lips. “It would figure given who his real daddy is.”

  Adam laughed and shook his head. “That's pretty funny what the Reverend did. I can just see him doing something like that. He was a spiteful man.”

  Gundi pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. “Did the affiliates actually give him good references?”

  “Yes and no. They wanted him gone. He was too violent and dominant for them to handle without killing him. If he didn’t come to us they were going to send him to the Demon Skulls,” Adam replied.

  “If he passes, I’ll take him. We could use a new brute on the enforcer squad.” Nate smiled at Adam.

  “I plan to be extra hard on him. This is his fourth pack. He should be settling by now, not bouncing around. Is everything ready for the trials and the hunt?” Adam asked.

  “My boys have the track all set. We put in some water hazards this year. What I don’t have is the fox.” Robert looked at Gundi. “Did you find us someone suitable yet?”

  The lone female leaned back in the chair. “I can’t use who I wanted, not with the FBI looking over our shoulders. Give me a day or so to arrange things. We might have to just grab a tourist or a stranger like last time. Unless you want to use the Witch or one of her team?”

  Adam could envision using the high and mighty Agatha Blackmore as the fox. For just a moment he smiled at the thought of her torn and bloody body, but then he shook his head. “No, that one is way more trouble than she’s worth. Be careful which tourist you grab though. Last time it brought down way too much heat onto the pack. Speaking of Magick. Did you call that Rusky like I asked you to do?”

  Nate spoke up. “I called, but when I explained about the Witch, he kept telling me night. Night. Night. That’s all I could get out of him. Why does he only work at night? Is he a Vampire?”

  Gundi barked out a laugh. “Did it sound like nyet? He was probably telling you ‘no’ in Russian.”

  “Oh. Well, that sucks. Do we know anyone else?” Nate asked.

  “That is your job to find out. Check with Eli Weinstein over at the bank. He might have someone you can call. Tell him I sent you. Velvet gloves, Nathan. If you piss off that man and he leaves… “ Adam growled as his eyes shifted from blue to a deep yellow color. It was the color of his beast’s eyes.

  Nate bared his throat in submission to his Alpha. Carefully raising his hands, he made a calming motion. “Right. Gotcha. I totally understand to not injure or scare the banker. Why am I going to him though?”

  Idiot, Gundi thought to herself. She glared at her brother’s chief enforcer baring her teeth in the process. “When the bank opened a few years ago, they warded it both inside and out using a human mage. Before you freak out, yes, there is such a thing. They’re very rare, but each year a few humans are born with the ability to use and work Magick.”

  “You mean like Fenn and Heller? We saw those guys in Vegas remember?” Jack spoke up.

  Gundi rolled her eyes. “No, numbnuts. Those guys are stage magicians. If they even have magick, they would rank really low on the scale, like maybe a class one. That Witch that almost burned us out was at least a class three or higher. Most regular human Mages rank in the class one or two range. Merlin and Taliesin were class three Mages.”

  Adam cleared his throat. “Listen to her boys. I’ve had her studying this stuff since the last time that Witch was here.”

  “Oh,” Jack looked at Gundi with a tiny bit more respect. “How screwed are we?”

  “We’re not. According to Joseph, she’s here chasing a serial killer. We,” Gundi pointed at the group around her, “haven’t broken any laws. At least not recently.”

  All the men at the table laughed.

  “We need to be careful, that’s all. I know how important ‘the hunt’ is to our pack. Especially this year. This is the largest group of inductees we’ve ever had. If all of them make it, we might finally be able to expand legitimately into Brownsville, Lexington, and Humboldt. We need the resources and markets that those towns represent. The gangs can only help us so much. Our days of lying low under the human's radar are
almost over. From here on out, we need to stay on the side of the Angels,” Gundi pointed out.

  “She’s right. It’s on her advice that I’ve charted out the next couple of years. We’ll push out new recruits into the surrounding towns. They’ll join up with the ones we’ve sent ahead of them. Our lifespans and the backing we can provide will ensure that we control this entire corner of the State. If the Witch comes here, do not provoke her. We’ve done nothing wrong. At least not until after the hunt.” Adam looked at his chief lieutenant, Nate. “How does security look on the plantation? Fences and cameras all in place and ready?”

  Hearing his name, Nathan looked up from the game he was playing on his cell phone and blanched. Everyone at the table was staring at him. Dropping the phone he spoke, “Uh, sorry. Yeah, security. We put in all new twelve-foot high fencing around the entire preserve. The deer should still be able to get in and out, but any prey will be trapped. We put a new batch of thick hedges along the Ashford Road side of the estate. It’s the only section that can be seen by the public without crossing onto our property. Some of the boys dug a series of fake gopher holes and tangle traps just in case someone does try to get in from outside. We’ve got infrared cameras with battery backups scattered all along the fence line as well.”

  Adam nodded. “Good. What about from above? Did you secure a man at the regional airport?”

  “Yes. A member of the pack has a son that just graduated flight control school. He’s got the late shift which is perfect for us,” Nate replied. “His name’s Felix.”

  “Good.” Adam looked at Gundi for a moment. “Sis, find your first alternative and prep them for the hunt. This year it needs to be long, intense, and bloody.”

  Gundi tapped her finger against her lips for a moment. “If that’s the case… I’ve got just the right one. I’ll need some of our best and fastest runners for the capture.”

  “Then you’ll have them. Good. Let’s get to work then, barbecue doesn’t cook itself.” Adam stood and began unwrapping the supplies on the table.

  Gundi watched the men for a moment before walking into her office. She had calls to make and a kidnapping to plan.

  <<< >>>

  LJ rode away from the restaurant cursing both himself and his bitch of a mother. Like some sort of hateful conscience, her voice had haunted him for years on end. The woman of his desire would just happen to be the Beta of the pack he was trying to join. He’d heard rumors about Gundi Moon that were almost legendary. The MC’s all said she was a succubus that stole men’s souls and on the darkest night of the New Moon ate them in a secret ceremony. Her black widow status gave her legendary ranking among others of their kind. She would be the most challenging kill yet. It would be like killing his mother all over again. LJ savored the chill that rolled down his back.

  The upcoming hunt might be his chance to get her alone, he thought to himself.

  All the leaders of the motorcycle clubs he’d been in had described the induction process to him. It seemed pretty simple. Showing up, and requesting membership got you in the door. Recommendations from affiliate packs helped get you an interview. The games sealed it for you. Each year was different, but the one thing that was a constant according to the other Alpha’s was there was a hunt at the end. Survive the night, and you were in, was what they all said. Just survive. The leader of Satan’s Pelts called it the most dangerous game. LJ was good at games. His father used to play them on him all the time growing up. If he could survive those, he would survive this.

  Chapter 12

  My first impression of Agent Blake was that he was cocky. His suit, while within regulation, looked as though it was handmade and finely tailored. Even his shoes looked as if they were shined to perfection. How someone could take a face plant into a field and still come up looking that good was interesting. Using my mage sight, I scanned him. There was a dirt-repel spell somewhere on his body. It would be interesting to find out where he got something like that. Those weren’t available at the local five and dime.

  The look he gave both Cat and me was comparable to a pickup artist at the local bar. He was trying to use his looks to his advantage. Frowning, I stared at him. “Cut the crap, Agent Blake. This isn’t a fashion show. This division is nothing like the Sea Scouts, we actually work. All three of us went to school with the Mer sisters, so we are very familiar with their antics.”

  Blake’s sweet smile dropped off his face suddenly. He wasn’t used to being dressed down on the very first day.

  “We’re in the middle of a serious investigation here in Jackson. As you might know, we are missing two members of the team. You are here to take the place of one of them. His shoes are way too big for you to fill alone so don’t even try. Here’s the operational file,” I handed Blake a copy of the investigation. “The locals have all clammed up on us. Take that suave look and face and see if you can get someone over at city hall to talk to us. There is a serial killer in town, and he’s going to kill again.”

  The man actually stood in front of us with his mouth open, as both Cat and I turned our backs on him. There was only so much time in the day, and we were going to need every minute of it. I smiled when I heard Chuck silently laughing. That little bit of a pack boost allowed me to hear it.

  Finishing up my research I looked over my shoulder. Agent Blake had his coat off and was sitting at Bill’s old desk. He had the file open and was trying to log into the computer. Turning around, I spoke his name. “Blake put in your social as your name and use ‘newbie’ as the password. Feel free to change the password. Chuck’s our webmaster so if you have issues let him know. We’re pretty informal around here. If you need something, just ask.”

  The newbie nodded and punched in the required information. I knew I was hard on Blake, but we were still pretty raw about Bill’s loss. Running this investigation without him and Ana was going to be hard.

  “Boss? I think I’ve got something.” Chuck spoke up from behind his computer console.

  “Put it up on the main screen,” I ordered.

  The screen on the wall lit up with a news article. Leaning forward I could read 1957 in the header. “What do I see here?”

  “This town used to have a newspaper. One of the big New York chains set it up post-war to provide news to the farmland and advertising revenue for the big shots. Most of the issues are about farm news and crop futures. But in 1957, they had a staff change and gained a couple of hotshot investigative reporters. The two of them dug into the affairs of the Moon Pack and wrote several expose-style articles. They were cutting edge for the time period. Remember, the Magical Security Act didn’t come about until 1959,” Chuck pointed out to me.

  I frowned and stared at the headline. “So, they investigated. What did they uncover that was so controversial?”

  “The fact the pack even existed here for one. The reservations weren’t dissolved until the late 1960s. They weren’t supposed to be any ‘loose’ packs at all. They wrote about how Adam Moon and his sister controlled more than half the town, and they dug into how the pack recruited new members. That was their last article. Both men vanished the day the paper went out, and all the copies of that issue were destroyed,” Chuck explained.

  “If all the copies were destroyed, where did this come from?” Agent Blake asked.

  Chuck smiled, “A good question. When I dug into the archives, there were no records in the state of Tennessee from the Jackson Times. But there were copies in New York. Whoever destroyed the paper in Jackson in 1957 missed the fact that a single copy was sent from each issue to the main office for archiving.

  “There isn’t any record of whether or not the original owners of the Times were compensated for the paper. So many records from that time period were never transferred to digital. These were due to the sale of the New York Sun to the Times in 1975. All the old records were dug out and turned into microfiche that same year. The new owners were philanthropists and donated all their historical records to the New York library system. That
system is where I found them.”

  “What did they find that was so bad?” I asked him.

  “Once a decade the pack has a recruiting drive. They call it ‘The Induction.’ Potential pack joiners come from all over to compete for the chance to join. Each year, the tasks they have to perform are different. The only constant for all of them is something they call the Hunt. This article alludes that they hunt humans during the event,” Chuck pulled up the article.

  Cat spoke up, “Chuck, wait a minute. When I asked Dad to fill me in on the Moons, he didn’t mention any of this. This paper may have gone under because they were telling lies.”

  “I took that into account and pulled the State Patrol records from 1957,” Chuck explained.

  This was getting complicated. “State Patrol?” I asked.

  “Roundabout logic, boss. I assumed if the local police were compromised then someone from outside the state would try to have the state itself investigate for them. Inside the patrol records, was a request from the New York State Patrol to investigate the disappearance of the two reporters. There aren’t any follow up reports associated with the initial report. Either the station didn’t investigate, or someone killed it. Its very existence proves though that the reporters were there. I did find missing person reports every decade originating from Jackson and corresponding with the induction years,” Chuck replied.

  “So how does your ‘roundabout’ logic help us here, Chuck?” I asked.

  “It gives us something for the pretty boy over there to ask about. You have to know the terminology to get the best answers.” Chuck pointed at Agent Blake and smiled.

  I smiled along with him. “Good thinking. Print those out for Blake, Chuck. He’ll need to bone up on them. Now, knowing what you do, find me something recent.” I turned toward Blake. “Try City Hall first. They were starting to work with us, but found out we participated in the Arbor, Arkansas takedown. At least that was their excuse. The post office might be a good source of information as well.”