Scintilla Read online

Raul was surprisingly hot for his age, spurring Brandon’s personal fantasy along. To most people Raul appeared brusque but when Brandon got underneath the surface he found a man who was kind and caring.

  Right now, Brandon needed some kindness and the safety he imagined Raul would provide. He wished he’d sent those e-mails telling Raul how he felt along with the ones telling Raul his fears. Brandon thought he was letting his imagination run rampant when he was sure he was being followed. Or when he was sure he saw someone lurking around his car. Then his apartment had been vandalized. There was little damage, nothing had been stolen and the police took a report, but that was it. He could have thrown around his parents’ names and gotten more of an investigation, but he didn’t.

  Now the only thing that stood between five kids and three violent men was Brandon. All that was between Brandon and hopelessness was his fantasizing about Raul. He was determined to save these kids, get them to safety, or die trying.

  Brandon expected to die.

  ◆◆◆

  Raul killed the headlights of his pickup and glanced in the rearview mirror when the lights from Janey’s car behind him went dark. He let his vehicle coast along at a few miles per hour while he gazed into the night looking for names or numbers on the buildings that would identify them. Thanks to werewolf eyesight he didn’t need to use any spotlights.

  Something flickered to Raul’s right. He glanced over, nearly jumped out of his skin and barely stopped himself from fully shifting when Fahim appeared beside him.

  “Fahim! What the hell?” Raul’s voice cracked in a very unmanly way.

  Fahim blinked innocently. “What?”

  “Don’t do that! Appearing out of nowhere.”

  “I didn’t come from nowhere, I—”

  “You know what I mean,” Raul growled. He rolled his shoulders and tugged his jacket straight. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Tad thought you might need help,” Fahim said.

  “So, he sent you?” Raul was going to have to have a chat with Tad.

  Fahim grinned. “It would take too long for him to get here.”

  Raul rolled his eyes and groaned. Janey flashed her car lights on for a split second then off before the right turn signal sparked to life for a few beats. In less than half a minute the vehicle went dark again.

  “What did you find?” Raul gazed out the window while he talked to Fahim.

  He heard Fahim’s clothes rustle before there was a soft glow from a phone screen. “Too bright?”

  “No.” Raul shook his head.

  “We—Tad—found another layer of information. He still couldn’t find the owner or owners of these buildings, but the property manager is one Oscar Bisset. He’s got holdings in not only this country, but Mexico, China and Europe,” Fahim explained. As the light from his phone vanished Raul’s radio cracked to life.

  “He’s a known human trafficker. Mostly juveniles,” Janey’s voice announced through the radio speaker. “Slippery eel. The few times he’s been caught he was out in hours, and not just in this country. I don’t know what kind of connections he has but they have a lot of power and very deep pockets. I understand his… release wasn’t official.”

  “Your boy trafficker material?” Fahim asked softly.

  “Maybe. His look is a bit different and he’s in shape. I’m betting he’d be a hard catch and an even harder keep. He’s twenty-six, so not a kid,” Raul said.

  “Could’ve been a special order,” Janey suggested.

  “Or, snatched for other skills he has,” Fahim added.

  Raul loosened his grip on the steering wheel and wiggled his fingers a few times before wrapping them around the wheel again. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm and settle himself.

  “Either way it can’t be good.”

  “There must be half a dozen buildings here,” Raul grumbled.

  Fahim snickered. “My cue. B.R.B.”

  Raul turned to Fahim, but before he could say another word Fahim evaporated. He leaned to the side and watched a thin wisp of smoke curl through the air, traveling from one building to the next.

  Fahim’s phone was on the seat he’d vacated. It flashed, and a notification appeared on the lock screen. Text sent to Raul.

  Raul shook his head and smiled. Fahim was an effrit jinni, they excelled at manipulating electronic devices such as cell phones. Fahim seemed particularly fond of using his phone without actually touching it. Raul took his own phone out and read the text.

  “Building directly in front, nothing but vehicles. Two down on the right has what looks like cells, the one immediately to the left is the same. There is one right behind the building in front of you that has two parts. The front has food and a kitchen, the back half has one larger cell. Looks like they can hold eight, ten people. It’s locked down, I can’t get in from this side.” Raul forwarded the message to Janey.

  “I’m calling for back up,” she said. “Raul—wait—”

  Opening the truck door, Raul shoved out of the vehicle. “I’m going to check it out.” He softly shut the door on her objections. He stuck to the shadows as he ran around the building to the one behind it.

  He gave a thought to stripping down and shifting to his full werewolf form but decided against it. If there were people being held inside he could scare the hell out of them, particularly if they were kids. While most people knew werewolves existed, actually seeing one shift was a whole different matter. He’d have to be satisfied with shifting only enough to enhance his senses and give him a little more muscle power.

  Moving in near silence across the gravel, a skill he’d perfected as a teen, Raul crept around the side of the building and then sprinted to the one behind it. The rear building was smaller and shorter, one story instead of two as the others were. It was made of cinderblock and concrete with a sheet metal roof, which meant it would be sweltering hot during the day and cold at night thanks to desert temperature extremes. He didn’t see any sign of a cooling/heating system, or even ventilation fans. This building, and probably the others with cells, weren’t designed for comfort. They were meant for security. He shuddered to think why anyone would construct something like this in the desert.

  Pale, dark ‘smoke’ swirled close to Raul. Using two fingers Raul motioned to the back of the building. “See if you can find a way in, or at least a way to see inside.” He swore the ‘smoke’ nodded before streaking away. As Raul rounded the corner Fahim materialized in a shadow.

  “Find anything?” Raul asked.

  Fahim’s mouth was a tight, angry line. His fists were clenched, and his shoulders were rigid. Raul guessed he’d made an unsettling discovery. Fahim nodded then spoke, his voice low and terse. “There’s five kids and a young man I’m guessing is Brandon. The man is naked, the kids have underwear on. There’s one toilet and sink, mattresses on the floor. As far as I could tell they were all alive. There is one door, but not to the outside and only little vent windows in glass block along the outer wall near the ceiling.”

  “So, we’ll have to go through the front part of the building to get in?” Raul asked.

  “Yes, I think so,” Fahim confirmed.

  Raul turned around to get a better look at the layout of the place. This time he heard the very faint crunch of boots against the gravel before Janey appeared a few feet from him. She unholstered her gun and nodded. Like many cops, Janey was a prism, another of the four classes of magical humans. Her particular skill set allowed her to bend light and create short-lived illusions to mask her presence. In essence, she’d become invisible for a short period of time.

  “There’s a team on the way. They should be here in under ten minutes,” she whispered. “It doesn’t seem as if anyone is going anywhere right now, so no need to rush in. Being a vigilante won’t get us convictions.”

  Raul would’ve preferred to bash down the door but saw the logic of Janey’s plan.

  “Let’s scope out the rest of the buildings.” He glanced at Fahim. “Stick
with me.”

  Fahim nodded and followed a few steps behind Raul. They moved about the complex of buildings, checking what they could without going inside. The few vehicles that were parked outside were examined by peeking through the windows. Nothing opened, no fingerprints, no property damage, no unlawful entry. This would be by the book. They went back to Janey’s police car and waited. The buildings were dark, and no one moved around, so there was no reason to think anyone inside was aware of their presence.

  Finally, after what seemed like hours, but in reality, was only ten minutes, give or take, Raul heard the approach of engines. It took a few more minutes before three more police cars and two black SUVs rolled into sight. Janey’s lieutenant, Iva Ortega was first out, followed by other officers. One of the SUVs also transported people from Border Patrol and the US Marshal service. There were seven in all.

  “Lieutenant, we have confirmed there are five juveniles, ages—” She looked at Fahim.

  “Fahim Boulos, I’m a jinni.” Fahim stepped forward, bowed ever so slightly then shook Ortega’s hand. “I was able to get a look inside the buildings without actually gaining entry. The kids are teens, probably around fourteen or fifteen. There is an adult, I’d guess he’s in his twenties.”

  “Probably the man I was hired to find, Brandon Lynch,” Raul pointed out.

  “I don’t recall your name on our roster of bounty hunters or PIs,” Ortega said to Fahim. She sounded curious, not angry.

  “Oh.” Fahim waved one hand in the air. “I’m not nearly that exciting. I’m a partner at Green Valley Financial.”

  “You do taxes?” Ortega’s eyebrows rose.

  “I can yes, but that’s not normally what I do,” Fahim explained.

  “Iva, Fahim works with my cousin. They were helping me trail the money on this case,” Raul said. “I’m sure you’ve met Tadeo before.”

  Iva nodded, but didn’t say any more about Fahim. Raul had known Iva since grade school. They weren’t exactly friends, but they weren’t enemies either and had a healthy respect for each other.

  “These buildings are managed by Oscar Bisset,” Janey explained.

  “We’re still trying to get the name of the owner or owners,” Fahim added.

  Iva motioned to the buildings. “Which building?”

  “It’s behind this one.” Janey pointed to the front structure. “As far as we can determine there’s only one way into the section where the prisoners are being held.”

  Iva spent a few minutes coordinating with the other officers. Then they moved quietly to the rear building. Raul and Fahim followed behind. Raul realized Iva would readily admit Raul could help and the fact he knew Brandon could be an asset.

  Raul inched close to Iva and said in a low voice, “Brandon is a scintilla.”

  “Noted.” Iva used hand signals to move everyone into place once they were at the proper building.

  A battering ram was bought up and following the directions Fahim had given them they broke down the front door of their targeted building. Raul had only a few seconds to take note of what was where inside the space. He, along with the cops, rushed two men shouting at a ridiculously large, big screen TV from a long couch. Raul caught a glimpse of a hockey game. It must’ve taken the two men a second to register the crash and shouting from law enforcement weren’t part of their television viewing. Shouting obscenities, one man jumped over the back of the couch and into an oncoming crowd. He found himself quickly, and probably unexpectedly, face down on the floor. Despite his swearing and struggling he was cuffed and hauled out of the building while those remaining inside went after the other runner.

  The other man ran for the industrial type, no frills kitchen. Raul dodged around the computer equipment farther to the right, while Janey and the US Marshals darted directly after the man. He knocked over a shelf of canned goods and Raul saw that it covered another door. When he yanked it open he was stopped from escaping by a line of smoke streaking overhead. Fahim materialized in the doorway and grabbed the door jamb with both hands creating quite an effective barricade.

  “No!” Fahim barked. Raul’s jinni friend was big and looked menacing.

  “Hell no!” The fleeing man punched Fahim’s middle. With a grunt Fahim bent forward but didn’t go down or lose his grip on the door jamb.

  “Not another step,” a Marshal ordered. He stood to the side, where his drawn weapon could be easily seen.

  The guy put his hands up and grumbled at Fahim, “What the hell are you?”

  “My accountant,” Raul muttered and took the cuffs Janey handed him, quickly applying them to the man’s wrists. “Where’s the kids?”

  Predictably the man said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Iva and two officers were near a second, closed door. “I don’t want to use the battering ram if there’re kids in there.” She used two fingers in a ‘come here’ motion and Janey and the Marshal marched the man over to Iva. “What’s the combination?”

  Their prisoner spit at them.

  “That’s it. I’ve had it!” Raul snarled. A little bit of a scare tactic would convince this asshole to talk. Shoving past the others he strode across the room, he pulled off his jacket as he moved and threw it onto the upturned couch. His shirt split open, but the tougher material of his jeans strained and held as he shifted so he was more wolf than man. Pushing his snout close to the man’s face he let loose with a deep growl, pulled his lips up to show off all his teeth and snapped his jaws. Raul could look plenty frightening when he wanted to.

  “Whoa!” Iva jumped forward and with a hand on Raul’s chest shoved him back a step. “Dial it down.” She turned to the cuffed man and pointed at him. “I suggest you get us through that door or I’ll leave you and him alone.”

  “It’s a combination,” the man said.

  Iva looked as if she might punch the guy. “I can see that. What’s the code?”

  “Fingerprint sensitive.” This time the man smirked.

  Iva rolled her eyes and sighed. Raul reverted to human form but didn’t back away from their prisoner until Iva gave him another gentle push.

  “Back off, or you’re leaving,” Iva said in a low, level voice.

  Raul took one step back. “Brandon is a scintilla. He knows me, so you need me. Go busting in there could be dangerous if he panics.”

  “Know him or not, if you lose control again you’ll be sitting outside,” Iva warned.

  Raul believed her.

  More importantly their prisoner appeared to believe Iva was protecting him from Raul.

  Janey uncuffed their perp while the Marshal kept his gun on him. There were two more of Iva’s officers, plus Raul and Fahim. They surrounded the man while he entered the door’s code. The minute the door was open the man was re-cuffed and taken away. Iva went in first, Raul on her heels.

  Raul wasn’t sure what he expected, but the sight greeting them made his skin crawl. Fahim’s description had been watered down, that much was clear. There were five teens, three girls and two boys. They were all naked and huddled in a corner. One of the boys tried to pull a filthy mattress over them.

  Brandon was standing between them and the door. Bruises were scattered over his chest and a larger, fresher one bloomed across his hip. His hair was matted and greasy. Raul’s nose told him none of them had taken a bath or shower recently.

  Sparks cascaded through the air from a wave of electricity that rippled between Brandon and the cops. His eyes weren’t focused, he shivered, and Raul could see he didn’t recognize the fact he and the kids were safe.

  “Don’t go near them!” Brandon shouted. He spread his arms wide and the little sparks turned to longer, more powerful bolts of static. The wave separating Brandon from the cops changed from a bluish hue to whiter. The power he wielded was building.

  A freaked out, utterly panic-stricken scintilla was dangerous and without the right equipment a physical confrontation could prove deadly to the attacker. Maybe to others nearby as well.r />
  Raul darted forward so he was between Brandon and the others. Holding out both hands he spoke in a rush. “Whoa, easy, Brandon, remember me? Raul. It’s Raul. We spent a week together last year, been writing each other since.” He took a tentative step forward. “Sparky, remember that?”

  “You’re done stealing children,” Brandon screamed and leaned toward Raul. The electric wave brightened and rippled faster.

  Behind Raul Janey said in a soft voice, “I’ll get a rubberized blanket.” He heard her leave the room.

  Raul nodded, keeping his eyes on Brandon. “I just want to get them home, to their parents. Safe. I want you safe.” He swallowed hard and continued. “I don’t want to get fried, but I’m not leaving you or these kids here.” He bit his lip and took another step toward Brandon.

  Brandon didn’t lower his hands, but he didn’t power up the wave more than it was. He gulped and slowly looked at the other people.

  Raul took another tentative step to Brandon. “You gotta power down, dude, or we aren’t getting anymore pitchers of sangria.” He was close enough to the wave the hair on his body stood up and he felt tingling.

  “Don’t move!” One of the younger officers barked from behind Raul. He must have returned to assist with what was inside the building and probably hadn’t heard Raul’s statement about Brandon being a scintilla. Now he’d stepped into a tense scene.

  Brandon glared at the Taser and his hands sparked.

  He pointed his Taser at Brandon.

  “Stand down,” Iva ordered.

  “Crap!” Raul spat. He snatched the blanket from Janey the second she re-entered the room and holding it out like a toreador’s cape he went from a standstill to full speed in two strides.

  Brandon’s demeanor changed in a split second. He’d been sliding toward placid, but that was gone. The Taser’s prongs shot through the air straight toward Brandon’s chest. As they were about to make contact he swatted at them. The back of his hand connected with the charged weapon causing tiny bolts of electricity to explode outward and ricochet around the room. There were people diving to the floor, the kids started screaming and the air all around them popped and snapped as if they were inside a thundercloud.