The Lost Ones (Here Witchy Witchy Book 12) Read online

  He nodded. “I know, I’ve studied your files. I’ve seen your close rate, your questionable methods. I’ve read of the death and return of your partner, and in your last case they tortured you and forced you to translate a dangerous spell.”

  “Actually, I went in as bait, rescued a hostage, and yes, they tortured me, but really, we got the bad guys, so it was a win.”

  “So calm in the face of containment.” He chuckled. “We found evidence that you wiped out some blood-starved using magic.”

  My stomach fell. It was well over a year ago, and they were blood-starved. I had been on a case with Levi in Romania as one of his people. I stayed silent.

  “Which would count as killing with magic, but because the evidence shows it was self-defense, that spared you an automatic death sentence.”

  I didn’t know what to say other than fuck. “Well, I look forward to hearing from my lawyer.” I’m sure Levi would find one to represent me. But I didn’t think there was enough to convict me. Those weren’t the only blood-starved I had killed, but all the other ones had been on the job. In the last five years, I’d been forced to kill the suspect a few times.

  “What are you thinking about Ms. Collins?”

  “Just thinking through the last few years, Agent Daniels. Trying to figure out what might have landed me in this position.”

  He let out a snort. “If you can’t figure it out, Collins, then you can wait until tomorrow.”

  I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the van as it started moving. “Right. I guess I can wait.” Exhaustion ate at the back of my mind as the van rocked on the road.

  “You’re mine, Abigail.” Ira’s voice was right next to my ear. I opened my eyes to find myself in the throne room he had set up when he planned on changing me.

  “Fuck you,” I ground out.

  The scene changed, and I stood over Ira’s dead body, his chest shredded by my bullets.

  “Abigail, oh Abigail.” Samuel’s voice came from behind me. “Soon you’ll be mine. Levi can’t stop me.”

  I woke with a jump, yanking on the cuffs a little.

  “Nightmare?” Agent Daniels asked.

  I didn’t answer him. There was no way I was going to admit to it. “Are we almost there?”

  “So eager to get into your cage?”

  I cringed when he said it like that. “Eager to get these cuffs off me and stretch my legs a little.”

  The van lurched to a stop, and Daniels smiled. “We’re here.”

  A moment later, the back of the van opened, and a SWAT member climbed in. He unhooked me without a word and motioned for me to get out of the van. I got out and Daniels followed me. He grabbed my cuffs and shoved me forward.

  I realized why they chose the night to come get me. There was very little activity around the big stone building. There weren’t any other agents coming in and out, and the lights inside were low. It seemed damn ominous to bring me in under the cover of darkness.

  We walked into the section made for bringing in criminals. The moment we stepped into the building, magic snapped around me, making me cry out. It was worse than the cuffs. With the cuffs, I could still feel some of it. The magic around the building blocked any feel of my magic.

  “Welcome to your new home, Abigail.” Daniels whispered in my ear and it sounded terrifying.

  I wasn’t completely helpless though. If something were to happen, I could still defend myself.

  We walked up to the desk, and he checked me in as I stood with one of the SWAT guys. I was going to stick to my word. I was going to come peacefully, but if this ended up being a paperwork fuck up, I was going to kill someone.

  The clerk looked over at me and then down at the list. “We have her in the magic wing. There’s already a room for her there.”

  Room. Not a cell. Something weird was going on. I bristled. “Do I get a phone call?”

  Daniels glared at me, and I took that as a no.

  “Tomorrow morning, tonight we’ll show you to your room. Tomorrow the PIB Commissioner will come and brief you.” The clerk looked up from the screen.

  I glanced at Daniels. “Brief me?”

  He looked as confused as I did with the situation. A steel security door to our left opened and two guards came out. They stood to either side of me.

  “Thank you, Agent Daniels, for bringing her in. We have her booked.”

  One guard put his hand on my shoulder and gently moved me forward through the security doors. I didn’t hear what Daniels said as we walked out, but I was more confused now than I was when I’d left my house.

  The security agent said nothing as he led me down the dark gray halls line with rooms that had small windows in the doors. Panic ate at my throat. They were going to lock me up like a stray dog because of false charges. I tried to control my panic with deep breaths, but each one was shaky.

  He turned the corner and swiped his card at a set of double doors that led into a separate area. I stepped past the doorway and the magic binding loosened a little. Odd.

  We walked through new halls painted a muted yellow, and strangely enough, it eased the panic in my throat as we passed doors with larger windows. I tried to peak in at one, and the glimpse I caught looked more like a small apartment than a containment cell.

  We stopped and the first guard unlocked a door. It swung opened and the second guard nudged me in.

  I swallowed as I saw the small room. A bed, a nightstand, and a small dresser. Off to one side was a partial wall, and I assumed behind it was the bathroom. One saving grace of the room was there was a large window on the other side that looked out over the isolated forest that surrounded the building. I could see the moon shining. I assumed the window was magically enhanced, or at the very least bulletproof, but it also told me they weren’t considering me a dangerous criminal.

  I turned back to the guard at the door. “Can I get a cup of coffee?” I tried. “Or a book?”

  “There are books in the dresser. They serve breakfast at seven.” He unlocked my cuffs, and I waited to see if I would get a rush of magic back. I didn’t, but at least I wasn’t completely cut off.

  “Great, a building full of early birds.”

  He actually cracked a smile, but neither of them said anything as they left, locking the door behind them.

  I sat on the bed and looked out the window. The truth was, I didn’t want coffee or a book. I was just testing to see what freedoms I would have. I pulled my knees up to my chest and studied the forest outside.

  Pausing, I tried to force my eyes to focus as I thought I saw a wolf in the trees. It could have been a werewolf, but we weren’t near pack lands, or it could have been a wild wolf, but I didn’t think they’d been reintroduced this close to anything civilized.

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and did the only thing I knew how to do in this type of situation. Meditate.

  I must have fallen asleep while I was meditating, because I woke up when a guard opened my door. I stared at him for a moment, and he gave a small smile.

  “Breakfast time, Ms. Collins.”

  I wrinkled my nose. I rarely ate breakfast. I wasn’t sure what to expect for breakfast here, but of course it seemed like I was in a low security part of containment. “Okay.” I stood. “Um, lead the way?”

  “Just down the hall, follow the others.” He jerked his head to the left of my door.

  Oh good, so they weren’t going to escort me everywhere. I walked out of the room, turned to my left, and found a few other people walking down the hall. I shuffled with them, trying to keep my head down and not make eye contact with anyone. I wasn’t sure if anyone here was someone I put away on a case. I was pretty sure most of them ended up in the high security area, but I didn’t really want to risk it.

  Someone nudged into me and I looked up at them. There was a smile on their face that wasn’t nice. I blinked once. Twice. Then I realized who it was. Loraine.

  She was a witch that used to own Loraine’s Doll House. Sh
e and her father had made living dolls out of their victims. She let out a loud laugh. “Abigail Collins, never thought I’d find you in a mental hospital.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t even known I was in the mental hospital wing of containment. I didn’t know why I was here, but I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. “Loraine, I’m surprised you aren’t in high security.” I kept my voice even.

  “Good behavior and a plea deal after I confessed and turned my father in for his crimes.” She sized me up. “What are you in here for?”

  I shrugged one shoulder. “Fuck if I know.”

  “You should tread carefully, Collins. Most people here don’t like PIB, and most of us are going crazy from being cut off from our magic. It’d be a shame if something were to happen to you.”

  Raising a brow, I crossed my arms. “Is that a threat?”

  “If it is, what are you going to do about it? You’re just as powerless as the rest of us.” She shoved passed me and followed the flow.

  I was fucked if that was any indication of how this whole thing was going to go. Hopefully, I’d be out tonight.

  The cafeteria was at the end of the hall. A line of about fifty other women stood in front of a serving area. I glanced around, trying to find out if there was any coffee. I spotted a lady across the room serving it. Thank the goddess for small favors.

  I made my way over there, passing a few guards on the way. She handed me a Styrofoam cup. “You’re new here.”

  “Yeah, first day.” I tried to give a smile. “Kind of like the first day of high school. Met the mean one already, waiting to see who the meanest teacher is and what the principal is like.”

  She laughed. “Cream and sugar are over to the left. Try to avoid the mean girls and don’t get yourself beat up.”

  That was the plan, because I didn’t want to make my situation worse by defending myself. “Thanks. I’ll try.” I got my coffee and headed toward the exit, but a guard stepped in front of me.

  “I’m just going back to my room.”

  “No food or drink out of the cafeteria.” He shook his head. “Go get some food and sit down.”

  I tried not to growl and turned back around. I found an empty table and sat down with my coffee. Trying to assess the crowd, I didn’t see anyone other than Loraine that looked familiar to me. That was a small favor. I took a sip of my coffee and cringed. It tasted more like sludge than coffee, but at least it was caffeine.

  Loraine sat across the table from me and put her tray down. “Not hungry?”

  “Not a morning person,” I offered. “Just going to sit here and drink my coffee.”

  She studied me for a moment. “You’re going to get eaten alive in here.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t plan on being here for very long.” I forced myself to choke down another sip of coffee.

  She laughed. “If you’re in here, you aren’t getting out until a doctor says you’re well enough. You’re in here because a doctor thinks you’re crazy or you’ve lost control, Abigail.” She smiled and there was something a bit crazy about it. “So I guess the question is, how good are you at faking?”

  I didn’t like what she said. Combined with how the higher ups wanted to reevaluate my psych test and the strange way they treated me when I got here, I was wondering if the whole thing wasn’t a ploy from O’Donald’s higher ups.

  I finished my coffee and tossed the cup in the trash. I didn’t get stopped this time as I left. I found my room and walked back in.

  “Hello, Abigail.” A woman sitting on my bed made me reach for my gun, but it of course wasn’t there.

  She stood, standing at my same height. Her black pinstriped suit was tailored to fit her perfectly. She pulled on the jacket as she smiled at me. “I’m Commissioner Ross. You can call me Agent Ross, or Valerie. I’m here to help you.”

  I raised a brow and shut my door. “I was told you’d be stopping by today. I just didn’t think it’d be this early.”

  “Early, Abigail? It’s a little past eight.”

  I nodded. “I tend to crawl into bed about midnight and get up at eight to get ready for my day, sometimes nine.” I moved and sat on my bed. “I’m hoping you’re here to tell me this has all been a big mistake and I’ll be out of here in an hour.”

  The smile left her face. “I’m afraid not, Abigail.”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  She walked over to the bed and pulled out a tablet from a bag sitting there. She unlocked it and showed me the screens. “These are some videos an anonymous source sent to me.”

  I looked at the screen of the tablet and hit play on the first video. I’d seen it before. It was the video Boss Man had received that made him realize I was an elemental. I was trapping a suspect in a fire circle after he’d escaped from PIB’s containment. “Boss Man knew I was an elemental. O’Donald did as well. It wasn’t a secret, and it’s also not a crime.”

  She nodded. “I know it’s not, but we could consider this next one a crime.” She slid the video to another one.

  I didn’t hit play this time. I knew what it was. “I’m not sure how you got this footage, but this was a situation with the King of Vampires in Romania. A hundred blood-starved hybrids surrounded us.” I swallowed. “I had no other choice.”

  “Self-defense.” She nodded. “We’re working through the evidence of the case, but a lot of it is sealed because it belongs to the vampires.”

  I didn’t respond.

  She flipped the screen again to pictures of me on Ira’s experiment table, and I about threw up.

  “There’s no crime in this picture.”

  “Oh, I know there’s not Abigail.” She flipped another one. Ira’s dead body showed up, and then the young warlock Oliver cursed to lure me to Ira’s castle.

  My heart pounded. “This case is sealed. How do you have these pictures?”

  “Because Abigail, I’m trying to figure out if you’re suited to go back to work with PIB. Meanwhile, you’re here because I believe you’re a danger to yourself.”

  “Are you a psychologist?” I kept my voice even and met her gaze. “I don’t belong in a high security mental facility.”

  “You’re here so you don’t hurt yourself.” She put the tablet away. “I’m not sure how you passed your psych test, O’Donald seems to vouch for you, but…”

  “But what?” I rubbed my eyes. “Stop dancing around the bush. You’re PIB. PIB wouldn’t put me in here without a good reason.”

  “You’re right. We found evidence that you are using your elemental ability to kill.”

  I raised a brow. “I’m sorry, what? I’ve been in recovery for the last three months. I have names and numbers you can call to verify it. I was under surveillance for the entire time.”

  “We think that you’re suffering from blackouts, a… Jekyll and Hyde situation so to speak.”

  “You think another part of me is out there killing people?”

  “I think Ira mixed your blood with a vampire’s and that is the part taking over when you go out to kill.” She picked up the tablet again. Showing me a picture of a burned body in a circle. I wrinkled my nose.

  “Do you know who this is?”

  I shook my head. “Should I?”

  “This is Agent Torrid. He worked with Agent Grayson, who disappeared after the case with Ira.”

  Interesting that she didn’t seem to have the information that I confessed to killing Grayson. I wasn’t going to point that out. “I’m not familiar with him.”

  “He was trailing you for a while, making notes on your cases.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “That’s good to know.”

  “Agent Grayson’s body showed up recently, and they brought you in for the death. Your bullet matched the one they found in his body.”

  I nodded. “If you unsealed the Ira case, you know why. I’m not going to sit here and relive my entire career. If I was really in trouble, it’d be my lawyer in here talking to me, not you. O’Donald wouldn’t have considere
d bringing me back.” Not to mention that Liz would have known. “So, Agent Ross, try again. When was this murder? Was my DNA found anywhere on it? What motive would I have to kill a man I’ve never met?”

  She put the tablet down and seemed to bristle a little. “I told you, Abigail, you’re in here because you’re a danger to yourself.” She got up and walked out. I went to the door and tried to walk out as well, but found that they locked it.

  I pressed my lips together. I couldn’t even call anyone to check on what was going on. I rubbed my eyes. The fact that she didn’t have, or wouldn’t give me answers to my questions made me worry more.

  I swore I had worn out a pathway in the room's floor. I did nothing but pace back and forth. I had nothing to keep me entertained, and I didn’t dare summon a fireball to toss back and forth in my hand to keep me busy. They’d probably transfer me somewhere else that would block that ability and my magic.

  The clock on the wall told me it was almost lunchtime. So I was hoping I’d be let out soon, at least to eat. There was a knock on the door, and I rolled my eyes. They could see me through the window. “Come in?” I offered.

  The key clicked, and the guard walked in. “You have a visitor for lunch, follow me.”

  Oh, thank the Goddess, I wouldn’t have to face Loraine for lunch.

  I followed the guard, trying to think of who would visit me. My mind went to Simon and my heart warmed a little. Out of all the crazy things I’d been through, he’d always been there. It would brighten my day a bit to see him.

  The guard led me back into the gray halls of the normal containment building, and I felt the tighter spell snap over me. “Why are we going here?”

  “Our visiting rooms are in this part of the building so that no one can try anything.”

  I nodded, but when we stopped at a small room, my heart sped up. This didn’t look like a visitor room, it looked like an isolation chamber. There were no windows on the door that was shut.

  Another guard came down from the other direction with Liz walking with him. She clutched a fast-food bag in her hand and I felt a little relief until the guard opened the door.