Red Alert (Paranormal Crimes Division Book 2) Read online

  RED ALERT

  By

  Tina Moss

  Copyright © 2020 Tina Moss

  Edited by Yelena Casale

  Cover Design by Tina Moss.

  All stock photos licensed appropriately.

  Published in the United States by City Owl Press.

  www.cityowlpress.com

  For information on subsidiary rights, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior consent and permission of the publisher.

  For Bird.

  Who fostered a love of reading

  and showed me the true value of books.

  Praise for Tina Moss

  “Moss’ CODE BLACK, a near-future tale of paranormal humans living under the repressive Northern American United Government, chugs steadily along with occasional fireworks… A cast of vampires, psychics, and shape-shifters delivers…witty quips that round out this solid example of the genre.” - Publishers Weekly

  “The introduction to the Paranormal Crimes Division (PCD) promises to be entertaining and tense. Humor is never far from the surface, which comes in handy because the world they patrol is treacherous and fear-inducing.” - RT Book Reviews

  “The sexual tension between two supernatural special agents, one a feisty shape-shifter, the other an aristocratic vampire, spices up the excellent second Paranormal Crimes Division romance, RED ALERT. A combination of flirtatious banter, sizzling chemistry, and edge-of-your-seat storytelling make this a sure bet.” - Publishers Weekly Starred Review

  “Moss is one of those authors who stay with you long after the book is over. A total must read.” - Examiner’s Women in Horror Author, Danielle DeVor

  “Tina manipulates words and phrases the way an artist manipulates a brush, creating the background with shadows and dimension while weaving the foreground into spicy and emotive splashes of color & texture, and just as in a stunning painting, I get equally lost in Tina's world.” - Author and Artist, Nikola Vukoja

  “A fascinating new concept to urban-fantasy. Definitely worth a read!” - Emmeline, The Book Herald

  “A different take on the supernatural. I was entranced by this storyline.” - Loves 2 Read

  “A keeper with a great and unexpected ending you don't see coming. An enjoyable reading and good start for the series.” - Top 500 Book Reviews, Douglas C. Meeks

  “A TOUCH OF DARKNESS rockets you along a pulse-pounding story and sucks you into the characters. You'll want to cheer for Cassie's feisty spirit and loyalty and you'll come to love Gabe and all his wonderful flaws.” - Award Winning Fantasy Author, Heather McCorkle

  “A thrilling and well-crafted debut novel…a full throttle ride, complete with several twists and turns.” - The Book Chick

  “This new paranormal urban fantasy series is a mesmerizing and intriguing read. The Key Series is a fascinating world of angels, fallen angels and demons with some unique elements and surprising twists.” - Evampire

  “An imaginative twist on the concept of angels and demons, complete with the requisite conflicts between duty and love, as well as the issues of loyalty and betrayal.” - Night Owl Reviews

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek of Clawed & Cornered

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  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About the Publisher

  Additional Titles

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  Want more paranormal romance? Try CLAWED & CORNERED by City Owl Author, Heather McCorkle, and discover more from Tina Moss at www.tinamoss.com

  A novella beginning the Children of Fenrir full-length novels. Read how it all starts!

  Sonja Michaelson has a monumental taste for bad men. So, when an alpha male in motorcycle gear walked into her bar and snatched a dart aimed at his head, she fell so fast and hard her impact could have leveled a small city.

  Whether the connection would turn into love or remain lust didn’t matter. The damage had already been done.

  Raul Anderson’s mission was simple: find the girl, convince her to turn, bring her back to Hemlock Hollow, and in doing so, save his sister’s life. His target had been primed by a father who loved the lore of their culture and kind, so it should have been easy.

  He expected a half-Swedish, half-Cherokee princess used to having everything handed to her, one who would jump at the chance of quintupling her lifespan by becoming a werewolf.

  But when he saw the black-haired beauty, holding her own behind the bar and working her butt off to pay her way through med school, it threw a wrench into his plans. And hooked him deep in the heart.

  Would love surmount the divide between them or damn them before it even began?

  BUY NOW!

  Chapter One

  Capitol Building, Washington, DC

  “Whoever did this has some brass balls,” Jame muttered, surveying the area with her shifter eyes. The subtle changes to her pupils and irises allowed her to view the scene with a hawk’s acute sight. Normal hazel and gold faded until only the bird’s deep yellow remained. Her gaze swept the white dome of the Capitol building. The behemoth structure rose like a colossus into the cloud-covered sky. Green lawns stretched over the eastern plaza, leading to an underground visitor center. “How are we gonna keep another code black from the press? Just look at this place.”

  “Hell and a half,” Slick said. “No joke.” Her best friend and newly appointed second-in-command rubbed the back of his neck. He stood over a foot taller than her and bent to meet her eyes. His thick brown hair curled to the middle of his ears. He had been growing it out since last year, but Jame preferred the short strands to this debacle. Not that she would tell him, of course. She wasn’t that mean. He squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Boss. We’ll think of something
.”

  “Slick, it’s not like you can hide a multi-homicide for long. A code black isn’t a thing to…” Her brows rose. “Wait, Boss?”

  “Yeah, we’re in District One. You’re head honcho now.” He winked.

  She ran a hand through her black hair, smoothing down flyaway platinum streaks. A cool spring breeze whipped them forward again as she started toward the Capitol. “Boss,” she mumbled. How did she get herself into this mess? Nice cushy job as Talon’s second in District Thirteen, but no. Needed to be the top dog. Damn, she never should have taken this job. The Paranormal Crimes Division didn’t need some half-cocked agent who thought herself a team leader. Especially not the most volatile district in the entire country. What the hell had the unit leaders been thinking when they agreed to give her this spot?

  The rest of the team fell in step behind her as they made their way to the security entrance. She lowered her voice so only Slick could hear. “I feel like a damn fraud.” Her teeth clamped on the inside of her cheek. She clicked her tongue against the pain. “It’s been a month, and I still don’t have the hang of this leader stuff.”

  His hushed tone matched hers. “Give it more time. You’ll get there.” Popping her gently under the chin, he forced her head up. “You’re Jame ‘Got game?’ Bradshaw. A PCD special agent, and a kick-ass, confident shifter. Don’t forget that.”

  Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath and straightened her spine. Enough wallowing. She had wanted this position. Hell, she all but bullied her former boss, Talon, into recommending her for it. Dealing with bouts of paranoia and nightmares over the-incident-that-must-not-be-named didn’t excuse her. Don’t punk out. She met Slick’s wicked grin with one of her own. “Thanks.”

  The guards eyed the team as they entered the checkpoint. Jame stepped ahead of the others and flashed her badge. “PCD agents here to review the crime scene.”

  “Remove your weapons, step through the metal detector, and someone will escort you.” A man, as big as a grizzly bear, looked down his nose at her. His order seemed harmless enough, but the smug expression on his face brought up her hackles.

  She cast him a twisted smile, then pulled a six-inch military knife from her boot. Next came her Glock .22 out of its shoulder holster, a can of pepper spray from the pocket of her fatigue pants, and a small foldable knife from her leather jacket’s inside compartment. After her brush with death less than a year ago, she decided being fully prepared meant a few extra pounds of raw steel and firepower.

  The guard cocked his head. “This everything?”

  “Well unless you found a way to disarm my shifting ability, sweet cheeks, then yes.” She choked back the memory. That god-awful day someone had found a method to eliminate her natural weapon and make her…helpless. A shiver captured her breath and turned it frigid. Happily, that bastard was rotting in a jail cell. Never again.

  Slick caught her elbow and nodded, catching her thought trail. He had shared that day with her, ensnared in the same trap by that sick phage son of a bitch. Phage. They don’t deserve to live. The group of flesh-eating supernaturals claimed to be innocent, lawfully petitioning the government for citizenship, but Jame discovered the hard way that their declarations of goodness were a damn lie. The nagging sensation had filled her mind as she and Slick investigated a lead on the serial killer case last year. As they climbed the back steps to an innocuous looking porch, an oily scent had filled her nose at the last possible second, and the fireball hit them like a two-ton hammer. The blast had knocked them unconscious, and they awoke to a worse fate. No chains, no rope bound them. Noxious gas had filled a closet-sized room instead and paralyzed their muscles. Hard to shift when you couldn’t move.

  Lucky for them, a vampire had saved them from that torture chamber, carrying them to freedom. Drake. Her blood heated as her thoughts turned to the cocky vampire. After the incident, PCD’s former civilian liaison spent months going through the academy to become a full agent. For three years before that, he’d enjoyed tormenting her with dirty pick-up lines. When he pulled her free of that death trap, however, things changed. She took a steadying breath. He should be here soon. He would be on a plane even now to join the team—her team.

  The Old Man and Dee Two, the original remaining team members of District One, walked to the table and started unloading their weapons. The motion brought her focus back to the task at hand. Code black, Jame. Get it together. She watched her team as they disarmed. You’ve got a multiple homicide at the damn Capitol building. Stay alert. A lump in Dee Two’s short red leather coat caught her eye. The quiet special agent could decipher codes and patterns faster than anyone she’d ever met, but those psyke abilities didn’t give her the best chance in a fight. Psykes used advanced brain functions, not raw strength and speed. Jame hissed. The bulge went flat as Dee Two took out her silver Taser and placed it on the table beside her gun.

  “Why not let her keep that, fellas?” Jame said to the guards. “It’s not gonna kill anyone.”

  “Sorry agent. All weapons need to be checked here.” The burly guard sneered at her. His voice remained even, the hint of disdain masked in his deep timbre. “Don’t want any more trouble.”

  “It’s okay,” Dee whispered. Her hand shook as she pushed a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. Those coffee-colored eyes pleaded with Jame to let the issue drop. “Don’t worry.”

  “Let’s get a move on. I want to get a whiff before the blue boys mess up the scene.” The Old Man’s brow wrinkled, matching the deep grooves across his face. His skin looked like waves of desert sand, same color and endless lines. He gave up his black hunting knife. Turning out the pockets of his tan fringed coat, he showed the guards the empty interiors. Yet the metal detector beeped as he strutted through it. “What now?”

  Jame held back a laugh and pointed at his belt. “That buckle’s probably the size of Texas.”

  “New Mexico, chickie.” He grunted, snagged off the snakeskin belt with the thick brass buckle and walked through the machine again. It blasted an alarm. “This is ridiculous. Wave the stupid wand, and let’s get on with it.”

  The Old Man had a way of demanding compliance but held no interest in the leader spot. Lucky for her. The guards sprang into action, brandishing the detection rods over the team’s arms, legs, torsos, and chests. When the burly guard lingered a little too long over Jame’s breasts, she coughed. He shot her a leer that had her screaming inside. No fighting. Gotta set an example for the team. She fought down the shifter buzz threatening to break through and settled for narrowing her eyes at the disgusting guard.

  “See ya later then, honey,” he called as a secret service agent took over leading them to the crime scene.

  “Son of a—” Jame spun on her heel, ready to sock the guard in the mouth. All males were the same. Her mother had that bit right. Before she could get too far, Slick grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

  “Easy,” he mumbled. “You’re not a field agent anymore.” He lowered his voice. “Too bad. I would’ve loved to see that dickwad with a black eye.”

  Jame clamped down the shifter energy. It seeped into her muscles like a shot of adrenaline. She struggled to bring it under control. He’s right. No more kids’ games. I’m a leader now. She half smiled, patted Slick on the back, and took point behind the secret service agent. The man’s stoic demeanor, after her encounter with the security guard, provided a balm to her irritation. She took note of hidden corridors where an attacker could lie in wait for a victim as they walked the halls. “This is a logistical nightmare.”

  The Old Man huffed his agreement behind her.

  At the end of a particularly long stretch, far from the building’s famous dome, men in black suits had sealed off the area. Large metal barricades held reporters and camera crews, hungry for a story, at bay. The secret service agent spoke something unintelligible into a hand mic. The men in black moved aside to allow her team into the next room in single file.

  Jame entered first.


  “Damn it all.” Her stomach dropped to her feet. The acids reminded her that she hadn’t eaten all day. Lucky break. If she had, she wouldn’t have been able to hold it down. Blood coated the floor, turning the black and white square tiles into a dark red carpet. Three men and two women lay face down in the crimson pool, their limbs contorted at unnatural angles. One of the women, a blonde in a navy-blue Burberry skirt suit, had lost a shoe.

  “Dee, start snapping photos and see if anything in the details gives away our perp. Search for the patterns.” Jame walked the perimeter of the scene, avoiding a series of chairs and two large desks. The secret service agent had told them this room functioned as a gathering space for private congressional meetings. Curious. Her eyelids contracted to slits, and her brow furrowed in concentration. The victims each dressed in business attire, likely senators. A backroom meeting amongst likeminded politicians made sense. The woman with the lost shoe didn’t fit. Her designer suit and single Prada pump appeared notably out of place. Too highbrow.