The Quest (3 page)

I stared into her evil eyes.
Because I want to see you charged for all the murders. I want the world to know you are a destructive bitch who deserves to burn in Hell.

“Your father is a powerful man, not to mention wealthy. You could be living the high life on a beach, or wherever you wanted. So, I have to wonder why you want to work for me.”

“What can I say?” I shrugged. “I’m a liberated woman trying to survive on my own.”

She glowered at me. Good thing I couldn’t read her mind. I imagined curse words dancing in her head and on the tip of her tongue.

“I know what you’re doing.” She shot a laser-sharp gaze at me.

I kept my eyes focused on her and my lips pressed tight together while hiding the slight touch of panic that accelerated my heartbeat. Did Sal tell her my plan? Did the demon inform her I didn’t have any memories? No, she couldn’t know. Else, why all the questions? If this was a game to her, I refused to let her win.

Leaning forward, I rested my elbow on her desk and my chin over my fingers. “What am I doing?”

She glared at me with her devilish eyes. “I know you want my position. You think that if you can get close to me, you can somehow get rid of me and take over. Well, I have news for you, you can’t have it.”

Laughter bubbled within me, wanting to break free. The bitch actually thought I wanted her job. At least her logic made for a good cover.

“Don’t worry.” I scooted back in my seat. “Getting close to you is the last thing I want to do.”

The lines near her eyes tightened. “I could dismiss you and tarnish your employment record.”

“Then do it,” I said, calling her bluff. “Like you said, I don’t need a job. I can call my father and let him know you fired me.”

If my father truly were powerful and wealthy as she suggested, then he would have some influence over her. And he probably would disapprove if Galluzzi terminated me. I really needed to find out who my father was sooner rather than later.

Face turning red, she directed her attention to the monitor at the corner of her desk and hit the spacebar on her keyboard. “Morgan!” She snapped.

Behind me, I heard the click of the door as it opened.

“Yes, Senator?” Morgan asked.

“Take Ms. Baxter to the cage and inform Lizzy she needs to train her,” Galluzzi said without so much as a glance away from the computer screen.

“Yes, Senator.”

I stood and faced Morgan. “What’s
the cage
?” The two words made me wonder if I should quit on the spot.

“It’s the subbasement of this building where all the clans keep their records.”

“Do you mind?” the Senator asked.

“My apologies.” Morgan grabbed my arm and ushered me to the door. Lucky for her, I didn’t mind the urgent need to get away from the Senator.

“Oh, and Shelley,” Galluzzi said, stopping Morgan and I before we stepped into the hall. “When I talk to your father, I’ll be sure to let him know just how helpful, or not helpful, you have been while working for me.”

I glowered at her with pure hate in my heart. Did the wicked witch of the Midwest think she could scare me? The demon part of me yearned for release.

“You do that,
Senator
, and I’ll be sure to fill him in on your little secret.”

She leaped from her seat and pointed at the door. “Get out!”

Smiling, I strolled out of her office and into the hallway. After everything I’d lived through, losing my memories, fighting gargumen and demons to save my friends, I’d never let the bitch’s tactics get to me.

Morgan pulled on the knob and shut the door behind her. Eyes wide, she escorted me down the hall. “I’ve never seen her that angry before.”

“She doesn’t scare me,” I said, grinning.

Morgan slowed and then stopped in front of an elevator. She pushed the tiny button. “Who is your father?”

Keeping my gaze lowered, I said, “No one important.”

“That’s not what I gathered back there. He must be pretty important for her to get that upset.”

Following a ding, the doors opened. Morgan strolled in first and stepped to the side. I headed straight for the back and waited with my hand clasped over my wrist. My purse dangled from my fingers, in front of me. Once the doors closed, she faced me.

“Did your father get this job for you?”

“No, he didn’t,” I replied, meeting her direct gaze.

“All of us work hard for the Senator, and she treats us well. One day she might become president. She gives us hope that we can achieve greatness.”

I bit my tongue to stifle the laugh yearning to burst free. First off, I’d find a way to stop her from
ever
becoming president. Secondly, that evil, manipulative, self-gratifying, murdering beast didn’t inspire one shred of hope within me. Was Morgan blind?

“No offense, but she’s the last person I’d support for anything.”

Morgan gaped at me as if I told her the world would end soon. Fortunately, the ding of the elevator jolted her from her shocked stance. The minute the doors opened, she strode out of the elevator.

Morgan led the way down a long hall. The gray concrete floor matched the walls, and the air smelled musty. Pipes and cable wires clasped together ran along the ceiling. Unlabeled steel doors remained closed. As we rounded the corner and reached a set of double doors, I had a feeling of déjà vu. I slowed my gait and stared at the crack between the doors. Bright light peeked out, and I picked up a slight chemical smell. A chill ran down my spine.

“Are you coming?” Morgan asked.

Turning, I saw her at the end of the hall. I jogged to catch up to her. After rounding another corner, and another, I spotted an open set of steel doors halfway down the hall.

“This place is like a maze,” I said.

She chuckled. “It can be. Lizzy will show you around.”

I followed Morgan past the open doors and into a room with rows of floor to ceiling shelving. Boxes, folders and paper covered every inch of the metal shelves. The smell of dust, decay and staleness clung to the air, tickling my nose to the point I nearly sneezed. A few feet from the door, a long, waist-high desk blocked us from going any farther.

“Hello, Lizzy,” Morgan said, stopping at the desk.

The young female shifted her gaze away from the computer. Her round face, blemish-free skin and pinned-back hair gave her a youthful look. Glasses covered her bluish-gray eyes. “Oh, hi, Morgan.”

“This is Shelley Baxter. The Senator wants you to train her.”

“Oh, great, we need more help around here, especially if I get that new position the boss is thinking about creating,” Lizzy said, cheerful. She met my gaze. “Nice to meet you, Shelley.”

I smiled. “Hello.”

“Lizzy will be your contact point from now on. If you need anything, let her know.” Morgan shifted her gaze to Lizzy. “Take care of her.”

“Sure will.”

Morgan left without so much as good-bye or good luck. Maybe my comment in the elevator had ticked her off. Oh well.

“Are you ready to get started?” Lizzy asked.

“Yeah, sure.” I glanced around the large storage facility. Evidence had to be here. How lucky was I to land a job in the records room? Did Galluzzi think she could keep me hidden down here so I wouldn’t steal her job? I laughed silently at the idea. She just brought me closer to fulfilling my plan. “Do you have a place where I can store my purse?”

“Yeah. Come around the counter. I’ll buzz you back.”

I walked up to a gate the same height as the counter. At the sound of a loud buzz, I pushed the gate open and stopped a few feet from her.

Lizzy finished typing, then rose from her stool. She spun around and faced me. Unlike Morgan, Lizzy wore more casual clothes–khaki pants, sneakers and a polo shirt. She directed her gaze at my feet, then slowly lifted her eyes.

“Uh, you might want to wear slacks and flat shoes from now on instead of a skirt and heels.”

“Why?” I stared at her. The absence of red rings in her eyes and the burning scent associated with full-blooded demons signaled to me she wasn’t one. Actually, she didn’t have any kind of burning scent. If she were an ordinary human, why would she work for the Senator?

“There will be times when you need to climb on a ladder and lift boxes. Plus, it’s kind of dirty back here.”

“Are jeans okay to wear?”

“No. The Senator wants us to look presentable to the people who come here. Slacks or khakis are fine.”

Great. I’d have to borrow more money from Boss and go shopping soon. Most of my wardrobe consisted of skirts and a few pairs of jeans.

I lifted my purse. “You said you had a place to hide this?”

Lizzy pointed to the small black filing cabinet. “I keep mine locked up in there. The key is in here.” She pulled out a drawer from underneath the counter, withdrew a pair of keys and jingled them in front of me. “It’s the one with the white dot.”

“Easy to remember,” I said.

After she unlocked the cabinet for me, I dropped my small purse next to her brown bag.

“I’ll give you a quick tour before we get started,” she said, relocking the file cabinet.

“Sounds good to me.” I rubbed my hands together. I couldn’t wait to dig for evidence. With all the papers and files, something I could use had to be here.

She returned the key to the drawer before facing me. “Have you ever worked in a warehouse or records room before?”

I shook my head. “No, but I’m confident I can handle it.”

She waved her hand through the air. “Oh, I’m sure you can. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. Especially when people come in and they don’t know where to look. We have to help them find what they’re searching for.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

She chuckled. “It’s not easy. We have everything sorted by year. If the person doesn’t know what year to begin looking for their records, their search can take them months.”

Holy cow. “Really?”

“Yeah, follow me.”

I trailed behind her, down a walkway with metal cabinets on both sides. Boxes were stacked on top. I paused in the middle of an aisle and saw no end in sight for the warehouse.

“How many years worth of records are stored here?” I asked, rushing to catch up with her.

“Someone told me there are records that date back to the sixteen hundreds.” She waited at the end of a row. “Every clan holds their records here.”

“Really?” slipped out of my mouth.

“I’ve seen documents dating back to the eighteen forties. Werewolves come in frequently to check on items.”

I stood in awe at the wealth of information housed in one centralized location. Speaking of werewolves, I wondered if Jackson had ever come in search of a record. The stunningly hot, werewolf cop had helped Jonas and I after a demon cop tried to kill Jonas. Jackson had told us his Alpha and a few pack brothers had gone missing the same time the demon clan leader and councilman disappeared. I informed him about the dump and how the Senator had orchestrated the mass murder. Believing his Alpha and brothers were victims, Jackson offered to help and provide protection for me. The last time we met was three weeks ago to exchange information. To my regret, our date ended poorly, and I hadn’t spoken to him since. I had decided to keep a distance from the attractive werewolf until I proved Galluzzi was responsible for all the deaths at the dump.

“So any clan member can come here?” I asked.

“Not exactly. Law enforcement, elected officials, leaders and state employees can view records. Sometimes leaders will send their assistants to search for records. We have to ask for written proof from their boss before we can let them look.”

Note to self, the records were not public domain.

“Has Sal been here?”

“A few times.” She pointed down the hall. “Bathrooms are on the left. There’s a small break room with a refrigerator, microwave and a sink. We have snack and pop vending machines too. If someone stays throughout the day, we let them use the facilities.”

“Can I ask how long you’ve worked here?”

“I’ve been here about a year now. It’s okay.” She shrugged. “I’d like to advance to another position, but until the right opportunity comes along I’ll stay here.”

A
ding-ding-ding
from the front captured our attention.

“Oh, that’s for us,” Lizzy said. “Come on.”

I followed her fast steps.

“I have a bell at the counter in case someone shows up when I’m away,” she said from over her shoulder.

“That’s a good idea.”

“Yeah, I bet it’s the two werewolves who came in before you arrived. They’re probably ready to check out.”

“Lizzy?” said a familiar male voice.

I slowed my pace. Surely, the werewolf couldn’t be who I thought it was. God, I hoped not.

Ding-ding-ding.
“We have to make a run, Lizzy.”

Recognizing Jackson’s voice, I came to a quick stop. Running into him couldn’t have come at a worse time. For starters, when we first met, I hadn’t known my real name, so Jonas told him my name was Stephanie. I had yet to tell him my real name because I knew the detective in him would push him to ask questions. Secondly, to explain my knowledge of the massacre at the dump, I told him I worked as an investigator for the WWOPP and I survived because I arrived late. Sure, it was a small white lie, but I intended to explain the truth to him one day. I just hadn’t planned to tell him today.

Lizzy rushed around the corner. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“No, not yet,” Jackson said. “We have to run.”

“Who else is with you?” said a male voice unfamiliar to me.

“A new gal started tonight.”

“Someone new?” Jackson asked. “Let’s meet her before we leave.”

Shit!
I couldn’t hide now.

“Shelley, could you come here please,” Lizzy said.

Fuck!
She said my name. I was doomed.

With a deep breath, I stepped past the metal cabinet. Both uniformed officers stood near the gate with their attention directed at me.

“Jackson and Louis, this is Shelley,” Lizzy said. “Shelley, meet Jackson and Louis.” She pointed to each as she said their name.

Jackson’s gaze narrowed. “So you’re
Shelley
?” He stepped away from his partner and drew closer to me. “Well now, I thought your name was Stephanie. I think you owe me an explanation.”