17: Wrong Turn Pt. 4

Victoria made herself comfortable in the sand and watched as Derrick finished laying out the wood to prepare the bonfire. “I read that vampires aren’t very keen on flames,” she smiled towards him as he turned to look at her. Striking a match against the heel of his boot, he tossed it mechanically onto the twigs and watched the fire instantly engulf the wood and rise to the apex of branches.

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16: Wrong Turn Pt. 3

“What do they want Derrick?” Victoria asked watching the women move closer.

“I don’t know but whatever it is, just do it.”

Kneeling on the ground in front of Victoria, the older of the Nymphs chanted something over the corpse of their fallen sister and the remaining three lifted her body and carried her away. She stood; a somber expression on her face as she addressed the two. “The wolf that did this, where is he?”

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15: Wrong Turn Pt. 2

“Derrick?! What the hell are you doing here are you trying to get yourself killed?” Immediately she realized the absurdity in her statement and sighed as she lowered her weapon. He smiled at her, eyed the door frame and nodded.

“Do you mind?”

“What? Oh, yeah come in.” Derrick stepped over the threshold, closed and locked the door behind him. “How did you even find me?” Motioning toward her arm, Victoria’s eyes moved to the glowing red bracelet that she’d made several attempts to remove and frowned. “You put a tracker on me?!” 

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14: Wrong Turn Pt. 1

“I know you’re out here somewhere; just where is the question.” Victoria scolded herself as she again looked at the map trying to find her way to her family’s cabin. It had been ages since she had been out to Cedar Grove, twenty years in fact. The last time she’d seen the old place was right before the family moved to Chesterfield. She was ten years old at the time and remembered thinking she’d never get to play on the log swing near the lake again. “Stupid phone. So much for Global positioning! Where are you when I need you?”

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13: So, It Begins...Pt. 3

Victoria sat beside Mike as he continued staring at the grave. The service had ended over forty minutes ago but he couldn’t pull himself away from his brother’s side. It was a very nice Saturday afternoon. The sun crested high above the clouds tucked safely behind the trees casting just the right amount of shade in the area. If it hadn’t been for the somber occasion the light breeze that blew along the tent would have been more enjoyable.

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12: So, It Begins...Pt. 2

Victoria wasted no time storming off toward the metal door and into Derrick’s office. Stopping as she recognized Jake Foyers up close in person she gasped again. “What the hell is this?” she demanded as Perry moved behind her to shut the door.

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11: So, It Begins…Pt. 1

“Where exactly are you taking me?” Victoria asked as she slid off the back of Derrick’s motorcycle. He parked it behind a large office building and the two started walking toward the red-light district, a place that’s hosted a crime scene or three in her time. “Um…Derrick?”

Her head jerked at the sound of cans rustling behind her and she found herself staring at a bum pushing a shopping cart filled with cans toward an alleyway. “Relax, Detective. Your nerves are giving off a scent.”

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10: Murder in the First-Degree Pt. 3

“Here, birdy, birdy,” Victoria called as she set a bowl of peanuts, corn flakes and strawberries beneath her garage door. “Come on, birdy, I know you’re here.” She pulled a small ladder from the garage and climbed to the top rung. Peeking her head above the roof she checked for a nest hoping her little friend had started building a home. Victoria sighed in disappointment not finding anything and started on her way down.

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09: Murder in the First-Degree Pt. 2

“Have you seen the papers?” Mike asked slamming a copy onto Mason’s desk as he barged his way into the man’s office. “They are making Victoria out to be some kind of cop on an abuse of power trip; making up…all kinds of lies about her! I mean how the hell did they even get wind of this?”

“Rizzitello, calm down. I’m sure there’s an explanation for it.”

“Yeah, there is. Those bastards down at IAD are trying to put on the heat and make her do something stupid. They think this cheap tactic is going to scare her into confessing something that’s never fucking happened! I can’t believe it. I can’t believe how calm you can be just sitting there like nothing’s happening while a damn good homicide detective is being persecuted like this! This is bullshit, Captain!”

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08: Murder in the First-Degree Pt. 1

Two men dressed in neatly pressed, black business suits started toward Victoria and Mike as they stood near the posting wall delving into the new cases and pending notes from previous convictions. “Detective Carson?” asked the taller of the two. He was a medium built man of African descent with dark circles beneath his brown eyes. He wore a wedding band on his left hand with a matching gold watch. The hair on his face was neatly trimmed and from what could be seen he was athletic which spoke of a man who respected his body.

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