The wind was well and truly knocked out of me, a nasty throbbing in my chest. I turned my head to the left to see the hammer on the ground.
Please, don’t let there be a cracked rib.
Tessa’s face loomed over me. “You should have run faster.” The big triplet’s face replaced hers as she backed off. He had two different color eyes—one blue, one green.
I went to kick him, but he’d already grabbed me by the throat, his big hands engulfing my neck in a pocket of dry skin. His strength was incredible, crushing as he lifted me into the air. My head felt like it was about to come off.
He pulled me close, my chest screaming. Yeah, I think there was a cracked or bruised rib in there. Bollocking hell!
The big guy gave a menacing snarl as I looked around to try and spot Parker. Were these his minions? But I couldn’t see the knob head anywhere.
Over the other side of the lake, in the trees, I saw something red and white. It was moving through the shadows, the sun catching its color as it did.
What the hell?
Sirens were screaming in the air. I had to get away.
Before I could deliver a kick to the big triplet’s nuts, he head-butted me and sent me falling into the land of unconsciousness.
Seventeen
Dean
I was sick of the sight of police, of the coroner van—all things crime scene. The fact that this time it was outside my house made it a million times worse.
I tried Jake, got his voicemail. It wasn’t like his phone to be off. I sent a text and tried again. Bad signal? If he didn’t respond within the next five minutes, I was calling someone.
My living room curtains were closed, the front door too. Good. I looked upstairs and saw all of the other windows were appropriately covered. I didn’t want my daughter seeing this.
Max, the arsehole officer, came over to Lars and me. “No bones,” he said. “Skin is split in two halves.”
I released my bike’s kickstand and took a deep breath. It was so sunny and lovely, even if it was cold—a complete paradox to the horror waiting in the canal.
“Fuck this day,” Lars said.
“With you all the way on that one,” I responded. “Excuse me.”
I went up to my house, avoiding the body for the moment.
Sophie, Cherry, Luuk, and Louise were in the living room watching a kid’s movie.
My daughter, too engrossed in the film to notice me, sat in Sophie’s lap. Luuk got up, me slinking back into the hall. It might be best for Louise not to spot me seeing as I’d have to be back on the streets in a few minutes.
Sophie’s husband joined me in the hall. He was about my height of six-two, tanned, and chestnut-haired, his eyes a pale green. “Hallo,” he said quietly.
“Just wanted to make sure everything was okay here.”
He folded his arms around himself. “Louise didn’t see anything. As soon as things started to happen, we diverted her attention.”
“Thank you for that.”
He shuddered. “I did, though.”
“You saw the body?”
“Yes. I heard the scream first, then I saw it, floating in the water. It was horrible. What could have done such a thing? Is it the same as that poor woman? Were the bones missing?”
“Yes. And there was another one today again, found in Rembrantplein.”
“Oh, God!” He covered his mouth with his hand.
“Stay inside. I need to go.”
He nodded, not dropping his hand.
“If Louise asks, I wasn’t here.”
Luuk did drop his hand then. “She’s enjoying that film too much.”
“She does get really engrossed if she likes it. Okay, I’ll be in touch.”
“Goodbye, Dean.”
“Bye.” I quietly slipped back out of the house, making my way to the crime scene.
Max was talking to the coroner.
“You still don’t think this was a manticore?” Lars asked me.
“No, I really don’t. This is pod-born like I said.”
Why was he not past this manticore thing?
“We have some progress,” he added. “A witness. They saw a black van pull up and throw something in the canal. The van went tearing off, then the victim was spotted.”
“License plate number?”
“Not yet, but at least it’s something.”
I nodded and tried Jake again, seeing as he hadn’t called. Nothing.
“Lars? I can’t get hold of Jake.”
His radio buzzed, and my blood went cold.
When the police who’d been sent to Flevopark had arrived, Jake hadn’t been there to greet them.
I was on my bike before another word could be said, roaring away from the scene with my heart racing a mile a minute.
Not there? How could he not be there?
This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.
I tore through the streets, dodging vehicles, wishing my bike would go faster.
Shit!
If only I’d gone with him. If only I’d … my head was fit to burst. Sonny had called him. Sonny! And I’d let him go because that thieving scum had found a body!
What if they were at the body somewhere farther in the park, and the police hadn’t found them? That could be it.
Stupid! That was such a stupid fucking theory! Jake would wait, not go wandering off. Some trap had been set, sprung on my man. Brem? If it was that bloodsucker, I’d turn him to dust, burn that house of his to the ground until every trace of him was drifting in the cold December wind.
But I knew it must be those Conclave people.
Shit!
A car pulled out on me, and I had to swerve, almost coming off the bike. I scolded myself, demanding the best of every part of my body. I wasn’t falling off this bike, delaying myself. I had to get there, to search for him, to bring him home. There could be something they were missing that I’d be able to see.
Time was jelly, me sliding through it no matter how hard I pushed the bike. But I’d made it, roaring down the road to the tram stops where the police waited.
My bike crashed to the ground
