MYSTICAL DETECTIVE AGENCY

DARKNESS AWAKENS
A MYSTICAL DETECTIVE AGENCY NOVEL
BY J.W. REED
 
CHAPTER 1

“Why did I agree to do a double just before my vaca-tion starts?” He mumbles to himself as he walks out of the brewing plant. He scans the parking lot as he walks to his car, thinking of the things he was going to be doing while he was on vacation. Fishing, fishing, and more fishing. I guess I can do a few things around the house that needs to be done. His head jerks around as he hears a sound.
“Hey, anybody out there?” He scans the area, thinking somebody stayed to behind to pull a prank on him. “Come on guys, this is not funny anymore.”
He sees movement in between the buildings. Two yellow eyes staring out at him, and was watching his every move. He slowly moves towards his car, trying to make no sudden moves. Damn, if that is a dog that is one big ass dog. It starts to run at me, before I could get to my car it lunges at me. I automatically put up my arm to try to protect my face, and it clamps down on my arm. I try to beat it off with my fist, but it just jerks me around like a rag doll. It feels like hours have gone by, but it is only a matter of minutes. All of a sudden the attack stops, and the thing runs off. I don’t know what made it run off, but I sure am grateful. I slowly pull myself to my car, lock myself in and call 911.
I hear the sirens and I start to black out. There is a tap on my window, I open my eyes and see a paramedic and a police officer shinning a light into my car.
“Sir, if you could unlock your door we can help you.”
I nod my head and release the locks. They open the door and help me to the gurney. They pull away the bloody edges of my torn shirt away from the bite and start cleaning out the wound. It sizzles and burns from the peroxide they use to clean the wound. I look down and see that my forearm looks like a bloody mangled piece of meat. They finally get it cleaned, and the other paramedic gives me a shot of antibiotics to try to fight any infection.
“Sir, we are going to wrap it, but it looks like you will need stitches for that arm.”
I just nod my head, for I seem to be unable to speak. I turn my head when an officer starts talking to me.
“Sir, can you tell us what happened to you? Dispatch told us that you were bit by an animal?”
I nod my head, and start to speak. “I was on my way to my car, when I heard a noise. I looked around and saw glowing yellow eyes in between those buildings.”
I point across the parking lot in the direction that the attack came from. The officer looks in the direction that I indicated, and makes notes on his pad.
“What did you do then sir?”
“I start to go toward my car, trying not to make any sudden moves. The thing runs towards me. Before I can get to my car it lunges at me. I throw my arm up to try to protect my face and throat. It clamps down on my arm and jerks it around. Then suddenly it stops and runs away. I am not sure what made it stop, but I was sure glad it did. I then pulled myself to my car and called 911.”
“Mr. Danvers I believe that is all that we need at the moment. Someone will come by the hospital and check on you before they release you.” He shakes my hand and lets the paramedics load me into the ambulance. I slowly start to pass out, and remember no more.
*
I look out the window and see life going by, and wonder what this day holds in store for me. You are probably wondering “Who is this crazy woman?”
Well, let me tell you. My name is Sydney Fox, and I am a witch. You are probably saying to yourself that I am crazy and there is no such thing as a witch. Well, let me disillusion you of that thought. In my world there are witches, werewolves, vampires, and a whole other realm of paranormal beings. My life is kind a like a soap opera. I run Mystical Detective Agency, where I investigate any and all paranormal occurrences. I am currently investigating a case of dog bites.
You are scratching your head and saying “Dog bites, where the paranormal in that is?”
Well, it could be a bite of a werewolf or any number of shifters. I won’t know until I talk to the person who was bitten and see the marks for myself.
“Syd, you ready to go?” Kensie calls out from the other room.
“Yes, I’m just putting some paper work away.” Did I mention that I also run the agency with my friend Kensie and that she is a werewolf?
Well, she is. She is this petite brunette with lighter blonde streaks in her hair. She is one tough bitch, no pun intended. Me, I am tall, curvy, with black hair, green eyes, and an attitude. Some would even call me stubborn.
“Syd, will you get your butt moving. We don’t have all day for you to daydream.”
I walk into the next room and pick up my jacket. “Why are you in such a rush Kensie?”
“No, rush.” She smiles at me.
“OK, keep your secrets. You do know I will find out everything later.” I point at her with a mischievous grin.
She throws her hands up in the air and replies. “OK, you win. I have a date later with Tony.”
“I swear you go through men, like a prostitute at Mardi gras.”
“At least I’m dating, unlike some people.” She looks at me with a raised brow.
I reply over my shoulder. “I date.” As we walk out the front door and lock it behind us.
“Pull the other leg will you, this one’s getting sore. You haven’t dated since, what’s his name.” She snaps her fingers as she tries to recall the name. “Jake.”
“I have dated since Jake.” We walk towards my yellow truck.
What? You thought I was driving some sporty vehicle. In my line of work you need a vehicle that can take a beating and be able to haul several bodies at once. Yes, I said bodies. Sometimes you have to knock out or stun shifters after you catch them. Plus, I store any extra weapons or spell making supplies I will need.
“No, you have had hook-ups.” She slaps her hand on top of the hood of the truck.
“I can’t help it if I am particular in whom I date.” I jerk open the driver side door and climb into the truck.
Kensie opens the passenger door and hops into the seat. “Don’t give me that line of bull shit! I think you are just afraid of getting close to anyone.”
I start the truck and we head out to James Danvers, our latest victims house.
“I’m close to you.” I glance over at her, even though I know what she really means.
“Really, are you that dense? I am talking about men.” She looks over at me with an exasperated look.
Some days it is really fun yanking her chain, like today. “Yes, I know what you mean.”

The houses get further apart as we leave downtown and head into the country. More trees start to dot the area as we leave town and get closer to the rural areas. Dogwood, sweet gum, and pine trees are getting ready for fall. Some of the leaves are slowly turning colors.
I think to myself that the werewolf community is only five miles from here. Could we be dealing with a rogue wolf?
“Kensie, has there been any word of any rogues in the area?”
“I haven’t heard of any, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t one in the area.” She turns to me with a questioning look.
“I’m just thinking that if this is not a dog bite, then we need to look into other leads.”
“As soon as we talk with the victim James Danvers, I’ll talk with my Alpha and see if he can call a meeting with the other Alphas and see if there has been any trouble with rogues.”
“What do you think would bring a rogue to the area?”
“We will have to talk with the shifter community and see if they have had any problems lately. We haven’t had any trouble with rogues in five years.”
****

We pull up to the house, and get out. The house was your standard ranch style layout. The landscape was clean with trees on the sides and out back. Neatly ordered flower beds were laid out on either side of the walkway. I knock on the door and wait for an answer.
The door opens and a petite red head asks us what we want.
“We are from Mystical Detective Agency, and we are here to talk to James Danvers.” I hand over one of my cards to the woman.
“Come on in.” She steps back and lets us in. “James is in the kitchen. I’ll take you to him.”
We follow her into the living room to the kitchen, where James is sitting at the table nursing a cup of cof-fee. He looked like he was in his mid-fifties, with black hair, square jaw, and beak like nose.
“James, the detective from the agency is here to see you.” the woman announces.
“Mr. Danvers?”
James Danvers looks up and rubs his arm where he was bitten. “Yes.”
“I’m Sydney, and this is Kensie. We are from Mystical Detective Agency.”
“Yes, please have a seat.” He waves us to the other chairs surrounding the table.
“Can you tell us what happened the other night when you were bitten?”
He fiddles with the handle of his coffee mug as he replies. “I was on my way home from work. I had worked a late shift, because Ralph had called in sick.”
He pauses and takes a sip of his coffee. “I was walking to my truck, when out of nowhere this animal comes out from between the adjoining buildings. It pauses and looks at me. It then charges, and bares his teeth at me as it approaches.”
He sits back and runs his hand through his hair. “I don’t think it was a dog. That thing was way too big to be any dog.”
I look at Kensie, and we both know that we are dealing with a werewolf case. I turn back to James Danvers and continue with my questions. “Mr. Danvers, can you tell me what caused the animal to leave you after it bit you? Usually with animals they cause a lot more damage then they attack.”
Mr. Danvers grips his coffee cup and replies. “I’m not real sure what made it stop. All I know is that I was trying to keep it from killing me and then it just ran off.”
“Do you remember anything else from that night?”
“The last thing I remember was making it to my truck and then waking up in the hospital.”
Thank you for your time Mr. Danvers. I get up out of my chair and shake his hand.
“If you think of anything else,” I handed him my business card. “Don’t hesitate to call me. We will catch this thing and take care of it before anyone else is harmed.”
He takes the card and lets us out, and watches as we leave.







CHAPTER 2
We make our way to Fifth and Lexington to check out the scene of the attack. Danvers was right that there was not a lot out here, but a few warehouses and on the outskirts nothing but forest. We walk up to the building parking lot where Danvers said he was parked. I turn to Kensie, and I watch as she takes in the many different scents and filters through them to try to get a clue about the wolf we are dealing with.
She slowly makes her way towards the gap in between the buildings. She turns to me and replies, “This is no wolf from any of the packs in the area. I believe we are dealing with a rogue.”
“I guess it is time to let Caleb know what is going on.”
“I’m already on it.” Kensie starts to talk with someone on the other end of her call.
I watch her as she talks with her pack Alpha Caleb, to get things going to set up a meeting with the others in the area. She hangs up the phone and turns toward me. “We have a meeting set for tonight at seven.”
“Well, looks like your date has been canceled.”
“Shit and I was so looking forward to tonight.” She turns away from me as she calls her date to reschedule for another day.
“We need to find out who is doing this. We don’t need any one else getting hurt.”
We get back in the truck and head back to the office to do some research and wait for our meeting with Caleb and the other Alphas in the area. The drive back to the office is quiet; I know that Kensie is pondering the dilemma of a rogue in the area. We arrive at the office with no new leads.
We walk into the office and Kensie sits in front of her computer. If Kensie only knew that I was a shifter, the last of my kind. I have to be careful with who find out, for they might be behind the ones who want me dead to prevent a prophecy from becoming truth.
I walk around my desk and sit in front of my computer. I stare at the walls, and ponder the dilemma that we are up against. I really need to put up some pictures and paint the walls. That pea soup green doesn’t really scream confidence. It just makes you nauseous. Business has been hectic since we have opened a month ago, that painting has been the last thing on our minds.
Our first day here, and we had to find a loose gar-goyle terrorizing the neighborhood. It took us a few days to track it down. In the meantime, a few small pets disappeared. We really haven’t had a chance for a day off since we opened.
I swing back and forth in my chair, trying to go over what we have on this case. It’s not much.
“The scent of the wolf is familiar, but I cannot for the life of me recognize it.” Kensie leans back in her chair as she runs her fingers through her hair.
As I look at Kensie, I see a look come over her face as a thought occurs to her. ”Kensie, did you remember the scent?”
“No, but what if the wolf is one of our own. Could someone be manipulating them in a way that they can’t re-member what they did? They would have holes in their memory that they can’t explain.”
Kensie leans forward and rests her arms on the desk. “I think Caleb likes you.”
“What makes you think that he likes me?” I turn around and look at her with my hand on my hip.
“He lately has been asking about you more, he has never done that with anyone else.”
“That is hard to believe, because when I am around him I feel like he is holding back his hostility. For the life of me I cannot figure out what I did to him.”
“I don’t think it is what you did to him, more like what you do to him.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
“Come on.” I throw my hands in the air in disbelief.
“It’s true. If you were a shifter, you would smell the pheromones coming off him.”
“It can’t be, because every time that I am in the room he is giving me a scowl.” I look at her with disbelief.
“I think he does that because he knows that nothing will come of it. For he knows a relationship between a shifter and a witch would not work. Now if you were a shifter he would be all over you.” She smiles at me as she leans against the desk.
I feel my face flushing as I turn towards my desk and pick up a folder. “Still I think you are wrong.”
She looks at me and wiggles her eyebrows and smiles.
My stomach starts to growl, and I glance up at the clock on the wall. It’s fifteen after two. No wonder my stomach is growling. ”Kensie?”
She looks up from her computer and replies. “What’s up Syd?”
“You want to grab a bite at Sharky’s?”
“Sounds great.” She shuts down her computer, grabs her jacket and we head out the door.

We drive up to Sharky’s and there are a few cars still out front from the lunch rush. It is run by the Ozark Pack members. They mainly cater to the Were community, but they also have the occasional witch and human come in. Everyone knows that Sharky’s is a neutral area, and that no fighting is allowed inside or on the property.
Sharky’s was an old warehouse building converted into a restaurant. Inside, the booths line the walls and bisects the down the middle of the room. A bar was located on the left side of the room. Hardwood floors were installed and memorabilia hung on the walls interspersed with framed signed pictures of celebrities that have visited Sharky’s in the past.
I scan the booths and tables for anyone that I know. We sit at a booth and wait for our server.








CHAPTER 3
“What did I do last night?” I think to myself, as I slowly lever myself up off the forest floor. The last thing I remember was having drinks at the Brown Goose and shooting the bull with my buddies. I shake my head to try to clear the cob webs out. I look around trying to see where I am at, but I don’t recognize any landmarks. I hear the river off in the background. Damn, I also am going to have to try to find some clothes. I look around the area, hoping that maybe I took them off close by.

I start walking towards the river hoping that I can find some clothes soon. A few hours later I come across some camper’s camp site. I take a quick look around, and no one is around. I find a pair of pants and a shirt. I quickly put them on. The shirt is a little snug across the chest and the pants are too short and loose around the waist. At least I won’t be walking around anymore in my birthday suit. I leave the camp site and head upstream, hoping that I come across civilization soon.


I kneel at the bank of the creek and splash cold water on my face to clear the cobwebs from my head. How can I lose a whole night, I had only one beer and that is usually out of my system within a few minutes.
I get up and continue my walk to the main highway where I can hitch a ride home. Maybe somebody can fill in what happened last night.

***

My experiments are coming along very well. Subject A has shown no indication that he remembers anything from last night or previous nights that I have used him. The combination of drugs and herbs seem to be working on any inhibitions or free will that subject A has. I am still refining the spell to bring out the shifter’s animal. Once I complete more experiments on different subjects, we can continue with the plan and start an attack on the witches.



Chapter 4

I never really knew my mother; she was killed when I was six. She was killed by hunters when she was out running in her Lynx form. Oh, did I mention that my mother was a shapeshifter? So that makes me half shifter, and yes I do turn into a Lynx. My father is a powerful witch. So I have the best of both worlds. It was a blessing that I had gone through my first shift when my mother was still alive, for my father would have had no clue what was going on.
I stare at the photos on the mantle, wondering what it would be like if she was still alive. I am the last of my kind. Hunters had killed us out to prevent a prophecy from coming to into play. They had killed any and all wild and captive lynx shifters. They did not care whether they were shifters or not. They wanted to stop the prophecy from ever happening.
I keep my shifter status a secret. Only my dad knows.

Shifters start coming up dead. There is no sign of physical trauma. The local shifter medical examiner has done a tox screen on the shifters before any signs of chemicals or herbs are filtered out of the blood. Three of the shifters tox screens show up clean, but the last two show signs of herbal and chemical components.
The components were meant to sedate ad reduce cogni-tive memory. It would also produce aggressive behavior in some shifters.








Chapter 5

“You don’t know how a shifter thinks or feels. How can you be objective on this case?”
“That is where you are wrong.”
“NO, I am right about this.”
“Just because you have known me for the past three years, does not mean that you know who I am.”
“That does not matter you are not a SHIFTER. You do not smell like a shifter, you smell of witch.”
“You are wrong again.”
“Are you telling me that I cannot trust my nose?”
“I am telling you that you could not smell a shifter, if she was part witch.”
“That is not possible. A shifter and a witch cannot mate and produce offspring. That is impossible. Their magic repels each other.” He looks at me in disbelief.
“Try to smell for shifters now.”
“There is one in the room now, but we are alone. How…..”
“When a witch mates with an almost extinct species, they will and can mate and produce offspring. That is what happened in the result of my birth.”
“What are you? What is your animal? I have never smelled your kind before.”
“My mother was the last of the Lynx shifters. They were hunted and killed to extinction. My mother was killed by hunters when she went out for a run. I was six when this happened. I was with my father training to be a witch; otherwise I would have been killed with her.”
I walk towards the fireplace on the west wall; it is not cold enough yet to merit a fire.
“So, don’t tell me how a shifter would think or feel in this situation. Kensie and I will continue to investigate this case. If you want to help, that will be fine also. My secret will not leave this room.”
“I am sorry. In all of shifter history, there has never been a witch shifter. So I apologize for jumping to conclusions. And for the record, your secret is safe with me.”
“Apology accepted. Now let’s get past this and find out who is taking shifters and experimenting on them.”