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The Alpha has already sent Avery a warning once, threatening her with a planted fingerprint on the drowned vic. This could just be Maddox’s past catching up with him. Proof of his guilt.
Or it could be a remnant of a fucking paper cut. Either way, the only one analyzing the blood will be Avery. The one who has the most to lose.
6
Monster
Avery
How much power should you give fear?
A little fear is healthy. It keeps you wary of danger, safe. Too much fear, and you’re endangering yourself. You become crippled by fear, catatonic. Unable to function in every day life.
I tip the little hourglass over on my desk. Watch the grains of sand trickle. It’s a relic, a knickknack—one that used to remind me of how precious time was. I got it the week I lost my parents in a car crash. I felt so lost then, but thinking back, the day I purchased the hourglass in their memory, I was stronger than I’ve ever been.
I pushed on through the loss and pain and loneliness to complete college, never taking a day on this planet for granted. Now, as the sand piles, I feel the crushing weight, the grains of fear pressing down.
Time is an illusion.
Time is not encapsulated in glass. Fear is.
Like an hourglass, fear closes you off from the world. The more power you give it, the more you claw at the sand, and the more it buries you. With every breath, I feel the grit scraping my lungs. The abyss swallowing me.
I’m smart enough to know the glass must be broken to escape. We all realize if we push through to the other side, our problems will be resolved. But it’s the fear of the process that paralyzes us.
I was fearful of the Alpha when I thought he wanted me dead. I’m petrified now that I know he wants me alive.
The lab doors bang open, and I press the letter underneath my desktop, storing it away in my hiding spot. I push away from my desk and slip on my lab coat before leaving my office, mentally slipping into a different frame of mind. Aubrey accepts a clipboard from the delivery crew as I glance at the package on the metal table.
After the crew leaves, I approach Aubrey. “What’s this?”
He peels back the masking tape on the box. “A rush delivery from Agent Rollins.”
My breath stills. I’m not sure if I’m more curious or worried, but I’m definitely feeling cautious. The ME lab gets bodies, not evidence. I’m questioning Agent Rollin’s process not to send directly to forensics until Aubrey reads the instructions, citing Detective Quinn requested the crime lab put a rush on analysis.
If Quinn sent me this package, then it’s dangerous. At least, it could be a danger if it falls into the wrong hands. Inside the box, a gold pen mounted to cherry oak wood is sealed inside an evidence bag.
Aubrey lifts the bag and lays the section of wood on the cart. “We should handle the processing personally. I’ll start on a swab.”
“It looks like part of a desk,” I say. “Was it mentioned where it was taken from?”
He quirks an eyebrow. “Will that impact the outcome?”
I release a heavy breath. “Most likely not. But I like to know what I’m processing first. Don’t you prefer to have all the variables up front? Certain conditions require different testing methods, or else any samples could be destroyed.”
My nails nearly puncture my palm, I’m fisting my hand so tight. I feel every bruise, every bit of punishment I put my hands through this morning. The pain centers me.
The FBI medical examiner accepts my logic with a nod. “Of course,” he says. “You’re right. We should get more information on the desk’s location before determining a method.”
The tension uncoils from my muscles. “I’ll put in a call to the detectives on scene.” I pull my phone from my pocket and walk toward the front of the lab, out of earshot. Quinn answers my call.
“I know what to expect for future anniversary gifts,” I say, keeping my tone low. “Although wood and gold are much further down the line for us.”
His gruff laugh is enough to ease
my nerves. “Relax. Just a precaution. Blood was detected on Maddox’s desk pen. I just want to make sure it’s handled with care from the best.”
I bite my lip. Quinn just gave me what I need to know in one smooth sentence without raising any red flags. “I’ll try to have something for you before the end of the day.”
