“Is Nicholas okay?” I ask. The answer will determine it.
They don’t give me one. “Step away from the door,” one of them says.
I do as they say. No one has been violent or otherwise problematic until now, and I have no intentions of changing that.
Unlocking the door, they enter the cell one by one. “Face the wall and bring your hands behind your back.”
When I do, they cuff my hands again. “Are you taking me somewhere else? Can I just meet himonce?”
They don’t say anything, just push me towards the door. Sighing, I walk out before they decide just to carry me wherever they want to take me. The place was getting too crowded with two giant werewolves inside anyway.
They take me through the rows of cells, most of the inmates asleep. We turn before reaching reception, leaving the lockup behind for a quieter hallway lined with heavy metal doors, each marked with a plain sign. Meeting rooms. Kitchens. A bathroom. Interrogation rooms.
We stop in front of Interrogation Room 7. How creative. One of the agents pushes the door open with some effort. So a human like me doesn't stand a chance of escaping through it.
I spot a short woman already sitting on one of the two uncomfortable chairs. She looks up and smiles. Meena Srivastav. The LA WRB Head. Everything about her screams danger. Even that smile is trying too hard to be warm. It just reminds me I need to be careful.
That, and this being clearly an interrogation. If the subtle label on the door didn’t clear it up, the room does. A desk, a harsh fluorescent light, and glass walls make that abundantly clear.
The agents shove me inside and force me into the chair opposite Meena. They remove my handcuffs and cuff me tothe desk instead.
“Leave it,” Meena says, authority dripping from the two words.
The agents, on the other hand, undo my cuff and leave the room with it. I focus on the glass in front of me. If the head of the Bureau is here, who is behind that glass? “Didn’t you go a bit overboard with the precinct imitation?”
Meena snorts a laugh. “Weirdly enough, thiswasa precinct long before we got the building. In the sixties, I think.”
So, she’s playing the good cop. Do they even need a bad cop anymore? “How is Nicholas?” I ask before I start screaming in hopes someone with information will hear me.
She tilts her head. “He’s fine. Resting his injuries away.”
My body sags in relief. “That’s good.” My voice comes out weak.
Meena’s eyes narrow, the smile still firm on her face. It doesn’t fit. “He never let us meet. I wonder why. Not even after you were abducted, was he worried I’d clock you?”
I take a deep breath. The interrogation part of the meeting has clearly begun. “Must be a coincidence. He didn’t know anything about my side gig.”
Her smile gets wider. “I’m not going to question that even though I know you’re lying. You admit it, though? You killed all those werewolves by dosing them with Valmeron and Myocardiner?”
I nod. “I did.”
“You couldn’t have done it alone, though? We have this entire team, and we’re still having a hard time controlling the crimes.”
I shrug. “Guess I’m just that good.”
She laughs. “That you are.” Then she drags the file that I completely missed on the table towards her. “But you see, I don’t believe you. Andthistime, I can’t let it go. Your associate, Samuel Parker, was right outside the warehouse where we arrested you.”
“He drove me. I’m already doingyourjob aftermyday job. I like being chauffeured to places sometimes. Takes someload off, you know?”
Meena nods agreeably. “I get it.” Then scrunches her nose. “Except Samuel confessed to all the murders after he called me to inform me about my missing agents. He helped us find the best way to approach the situation, you know? Smart guy.”
What the fuck?“Where is Sam?”
She waves me off. “He’s fine. But our little chat was much quicker, let me tell you.”
My heartbeat picks up.Samcan’t be here. He was far away from everything. Why the fuck did he get involved? “He’s lying,” I say urgently.
“Yeah? So, he didn’t hack into all your victims' systems, help you stalk them for days and then hide all the evidence to protect you?”
