Project: Phoenix (Neon City Book 3), Chapter 15
#15 of Project: Phoenix (Neon City 3)
Jack woke gradually and found himself atop something cool, uneven, and ... scaly.
Oh. Corona. He smiled. He kept his eyes closed, drew in a deep breath, and slid his hands around. His left hand found Corona's shoulder and his right brushed against Taura's slightly softer arm.
Corona released a quiet sigh. Her hands squeezed his ass cheeks and she giggled.
Finally, he opened his eyes and found her face directly in front of his. She smiled and kissed him.
"Good morning, babe." Her handcuffs clinked as she slid her hands up his back.
"Morning." He kissed her again and pushed himself up - but then her cuffed hands stopped him. He tried to duck under her arms, but she sat up and held him to her chest. He laughed and glanced at the bathroom door. "Honey, I need to take a leak before I get a piss-boner."
She burst out laughing and Taura twitched, yawned, and opened her eyes. "Oh. Good morning, my darlings."
"Morning." Jack leaned over to kiss her. Corona kept her arms around him but didn't try to inhibit his movements. As soon as he'd kissed her, Corona did the same.
"Never got out of those, huh?" Taura pointed at the cuffs and chuckled.
"Nope. Oh well, they weren't much of a hindrance." Corona grinned and finally let Jack go. "Mind if I grab the keys from your pocket?"
"Nah, go right ahead." He stepped into the bathroom, and when he'd finished, he found her returning his key ring to his pants pocket and holding out the cuffs.
"Here ya go, honey." She handed the cuffs off to him and grinned at Taura. "So, ready for your driving lessons?"
"Eh ... sure." Taura chuckled nervously. "Maybe after breakfast." She yawned again. "And coffee."
"Oh! I forgot to set the timer on the brewer last night." Corona scampered over to the counter and pushed the coffee maker's power button.
"Well, we were a little distracted." Taura smiled and stepped into the bathroom.
"So, what're we doing for breakfast?" Jack found his clothes and began dressing. "Here or a restaurant? Or delivery?"
"Hmm. Y'know, I'm in the mood for Chinese takeout again." Corona giggled, picked up her shorts, and took her phone out of the cargo pocket. She tapped the screen and smiled. "Our favorite one isn't exactly nearby, but I can get there and back faster than a car." She flicked her wings.
"Sounds good. I'll have my usual."
"Alrighty." Corona finished dressing and nodded at the bathroom door. "I'll head on out. Text me what Taura wants when she decides."
"Sure thing. See you in a few minutes." Jack kissed her as she took the stairs down to the ground floor. He finished putting on his clothes and smiled as she jogged to the fence, leaped over it, and ran off in search of a roof high enough to glide off.
Jack sat on the sofa, let the gurgling of the brewing coffee wash over him, and gave himself a moment to finish waking up.
The bathroom door opened long enough for Taura to make a quick exit. Jack caught the sound of the vent running at maximum before she pulled the door closed. She glanced at him, cleared her throat, and glanced at the floor.
"Um ... sorry. Might not want to go in there for a while."
Jack snickered. "Sure, no problem." He waved at the stairs and began composing a text message to Corona. "Corrie's gone to pick up something for breakfast. Chinese. What're you in the mood for?"
"Hmm. Think I'll go for a large order of Mandarin chicken with sides of fried rice, crab puffs, and shrimp egg rolls." Taura yawned again, stretched, and put her clothes on.
"Yummy." Jack smiled, let his eyes linger on her until she'd dressed, and then added each item to the message. "Any drinks?"
"No, I'll stick with water."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"I think that'll do." Taura sat beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. He sent the text off and placed his hand over hers. They held each other in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Jack almost started to doze off, but then he remembered the coffee and stood.
"Oh, coffee's done." He poured a cup for each of them and returned to the sofa.
Taura took her 'tool out of her pocket and activated the holographic interface. "Better see if we've got any messages."
"Good idea." He picked up his phone and opened his voicemail and text apps.
The phone rang and he fumbled it.
"Gah!" It slipped from his hand and bounced across the floor. Taura laughed as he lunged off the sofa and scooped it up. He sighed, accepted the incoming call, and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
Otto's voice snapped, "It's about time you answered your fucking phone!"
"Whoa, take it easy. We just woke up. What's going on?"
"Shakira and I need you to pick us up at the house before the cops take us!"
"Uh,what?" Jack shot a confused glance at Taura. "Cops? What the hell is -"
"Everyone_knows_! About me and Shakira, I mean. The guy who screwed with our minds had a camera with him. He recorded us doin' it and uploaded it!"
Jack nearly dropped the phone again. "There's a sex video of you and Shakira floating around the net?"
"What?" Taura gaped at him.
"We'll go over the details later. Please, can you pick us up and take us to your headquarters, or something? I don't want Shakira going to jail over this!"
"Okay, we're on our way." Jack motioned at the stairs leading from the loft to the warehouse floor. "Taura, we need to go pick up Otto and Shakira. It's an emergency."
Taura stood and rushed to the stairs. "I'll let Corona know."
Jack nodded and hurried after her. "We'll be there in a few minutes, Otto."
"Pacing isn't helping," Shakira muttered.
Otto stopped, took a slow breath, and shook his head. "I don't know what else to do." He hurried over to the front window and peeked out, hoping he'd spot Jack's monster hearse rolling up the street - and dreading the sight of a swarm of police cars. He found the street empty - for the moment, at least.
His heart continued pounding.
"Would you please just sit down?" Shakira waved a hand at one of the chairs. "I'm having a hard enough time holding it together without you making me even more nervous."
"Can't help it. I'm scared." He sighed and plopped onto the chair nearest the front door. He glanced at Kim and Dale, the former walking over to sit in the other chair and the latter plucking yet another can of beer from the fridge. Dale sauntered through the kitchen door back into the front room and popped the can open.
"_You're_scared?" Shakira pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "You're not the one who's going to prison."
"I won't let that happen."
"Kid, there's nothing you can do."
"Bullshit." Otto leaned forward. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Dale glanced around the room and plopped onto the vacant end of the sofa. Shakira immediately scooted as far over to the opposite end as she could.
"I always knew there was somethin' creepy going on with you two," he said before taking a swig from his can.
"Shut the fuck up," Otto snapped.
Dale belched.
"You inbred tub of fucking shit!"
"Otto, please." Shakira winced and held her hand up. "Getting into a fight won't fix anything."
"Not my fault this peckerwood is so irritating." Otto heaved himself back up and rushed over to the window again.
The door opened suddenly. Otto and Shakira let out a startled yelp, Kim twitched, and Dale burst into laughter.
Otto rushed over to Shakira and planted himself between her and the door.You'll have to go through me first! He remembered that moment during the assault on the Justice Foundation's headquarters, when he'd taken out one of the assailants with some sort of burst of energy from his hand, and wondered if he could figure out how to do it again.
The door swung open and Corona ducked through. Otto sucked in a deep breath and let it rush out.
"Jack and Taura are on the way," she said as she closed the door. "I flew here so I arrived ahead of them." She glanced at the bag of Chinese takeout in her left hand, glanced around as if looking for a place to put it, and shrugged. She kept hold of it as she walked over to Shakira, crouched, and reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll take you to our HQ. Machiko's been notified and will do everything she can to help. It's gonna be okay."
Dale glanced at Shakira and snorted. "Child molester."
Otto lunged at him and Corona flicked her free hand up to brace it against his chest.
"I'm gonna shove that beer can up your fuckin' dick-hole if you don't shut up!"
Dale pushed himself to his feet and swayed slightly. "Go for it. I'll knock you the hell out."
Corona narrowed her glowing eyes at him and bared her teeth. "Wrong."
His face turned pale and he stumbled back several steps. Corona kept her eyes on him for a few more seconds before turning back to Shakira.
"It'll be okay," she said softly. "We'll figure this out."
"Right," Shakira whispered. "Sure."
Otto nodded, smiled at her, and turned back to the window.
Something seemed to prod the edges of his mind. He'd noticed it a few times recently, but hadn't been able to pin it down. It was almost like a presence in his brain, or a remnant of something. Like a mental residue.
His eyes pointed toward a specific place outside the window, beyond the houses lining the street. Somewhere in the distance, far across the city. It was as if his attention had been pulled in that direction.
Corona stood and reached out to him. "Hey, are you okay?"
He shook himself out of it, glanced over his shoulder, and waved her off. He nodded toward one of the nearby wall-mounted cameras and said, "Later. Look, when Jack and Taura get here, I'm going with you. I have an idea."
Corona glanced at the door. "I hear Jack's car." She opened it and waited on the porch.
Shakira picked up her laptop bag, slung it over her shoulder, and stood. Otto grabbed his backpack and headed for the door.
Kim winked at him as he passed. "No humping in the back of the car."
Otto rolled his eyes.
Dale snorted. "You'll be lucky to fit your fat ass into it."
That's it. Otto lunged at him, but Shakira blocked his path.
"He's not worth it." She gave him a gentle push toward the door. "Let's just get out of here."
Corona snarled at Dale before ushering both of them out the door. Otto noticed the distinctive rumble of Jack's car as he stormed over to the curb. He turned to the left and spotted it coming around the corner two blocks away.
As he turned to face Shakira and Corona, he caught a glimpse of several neighbors peeking out their windows across the street. He sighed and fought down the urge to give them all the finger.
Almost every house on the street has at least one Gladys Kravitz in it.
The lifted hearse rolled up to the curb and stopped. The three of them piled in and Jack made a U-turn and headed back the way he'd come.
"Okay," he said with a glance over his shoulder, "care to fill us in?"
"When we get to the Foundation," Otto said. "We'll need to speak with your boss, too, so we'll tell you all at once." He reached over to put his hand on Shakira's shoulder. "I want to be sure the cops can't get to her."
"Holy shit." Jack slumped back in his chair and shook his head slowly. He glanced around at everyone else in the conference room. Machiko, Boiler, Ramirez, Hiro, and Montoya had been waiting for them.
"That sounds exactly like what happened to me and Hiro," Ramirez said. "Even the part about the video - although that was in someone's back yard and we're pretty sure it was faked to get me bounced out of the NCPD. I mean, neither of us remember it actually happening, but we do remember having sex in my bed right after we met."
"I remember you telling me about it, right before the reality-show thing came together," Corona said softly.
"This video wasn't faked," Shakira mumbled. "I remember it happening. All of it, every moment."
"Me, too." Otto tried to smile, but it didn't last long. "Would've been the best thing that'd ever happened to me if it'd been consensual - and if it didn't put Shakira at risk of being arrested."
"Whoever this guy is, it seems he can manipulate people's minds. Or control their bodies with his mind. Or something similar." Machiko drummed her claws slowly on the table. "There have been a number of cases like yours and Ramirez's. The good news is, judging by his pattern, he's not an assassin or out to blackmail anyone. He's just a pervert who makes people have sex and masturbates while watching them. The bad news is, his behavior is escalating."
"This is the first time he's uploaded a video of it," Ramirez said. "Before, all he did was watch. Or, if he recorded it, he kept the video to himself."
Machiko nodded.
"So." Ramirez sighed. "How long before he escalates again? He might start forcing people to have sex with him. Or make them hurt each other, or hump it out in a public place with hundreds of witnesses around them. Hell, the next stage could be almost anything."
"And if the wrong people find out what he can do," Montoya added, "and they convince him to work for them, we could end up with a weapons-grade problem."
"Terrific." Ramirez sighed again. "Shakira, I don't suppose you got a good look at him?"
"No. Everything went all fuzzy the instant I made eye contact with him. I'm pretty sure he was Caucasian, but that's all I remember."
"Same here," Otto said. "Our eyes met, and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital lobby and then heading up to Shakira's room like my body was moving on its own. I couldn't stop it."
"That's how it was with us." Hiro glanced at Ramirez. "Lola ran into him in the parking garage under her police station, and I bumped into him earlier that day. Everything turned fuzzy, I couldn't move, could barely think. Just waited for her to drive by, pick me up, and take me to her house. And then we had sex."
"While that fuckstain watched us and jerked off." Ramirez shuddered. "I'll never get over the thought of the bastard ejaculating on my bedroom floor."
"And we'll probably never catch him," Montoya said.
"Maybe we can at least narrow it down a little." Otto arched an eyebrow. "Do any of his victims have anything in common?"
"I've found very little information about the previous cases," Ramirez said. "About the only thing they all have in common is the genders involved. So far, they've all been hetero couples. Most were interspecies, but a couple others weren't."
"Hmm. What about their ages? With these last two cases - me and Shakira, you and Hiro - it was an adult and an underage kid. Were the others similar?"
"With the human couples, there weren't any significant age differences." Ramirez shrugged. "With the human-anthro ones, there wasn't an age listed for the anthro."
"Well," Corona said, "anthros have only been developed in the last few years, so all of us are a lot younger than any adult human. For example, I'm about seven months old, and physically I'm probably thirteen or fourteen years old."
Jack fidgeted.
"Huh." Shakira grimaced. "I guess it's possible this guy's developed a fetish and has started choosing his victims based on it."
"This last time, I guess I got lucky since I've wanted to bone Shakira since the day we met." Otto grinned, but again, it faded quickly. "I'm just pissed off about the way it happened. Like I told Shakira, I always hoped it'd be because she actually loved me, as far-fetched as that was. And if it really is a weird fetish this guy has, the next time he picks out a pair of victims, he could push it even further. If he decides to use a kid who isn't even old enough to have sex -"
"Oh, hell." Ramirez scrunched her face up and shuddered. "Or he could even take a little kid for himself. This piece of shit has to be stopped."
"If only there was a way to find him." Machiko arched a brow ridge and sighed. "Ugh. Someone will have to watch the entire video and see if this guy accidentally got himself on camera. Or maybe his voice. If he masturbated to completion before he stopped recording, it's possible that he grunted or moaned or whatever, and it might be enough for us to get a voiceprint."
"Eww." Shakira grimaced and shook her head.
Otto rubbed his hands over his face. "He was smart enough to send us to a skeevy motel. The sheets probably had jizz from a few dozen guys on it - and even if they didn't, we burned 'em because I didn't want anyone finding my cum on them. Didn't want anything proving Shakira and I were ever there together." He sighed. "Then the bastard uploaded that video, so it wouldn't have mattered." He frowned and glanced over his shoulder.
"I'll have Mickey check the traffic cameras around that motel and see if any of them got a good shot of him arriving or leaving."
Otto nodded distractedly and kept a puzzled scowl aimed over his shoulder.
"Otto?" Taura cocked her head. "You okay?"
"I keep feeling ... I don't know, a presence. In my mind, I mean. Like someone's brushing against the edge of it." He shrugged again. "I don't know how to explain it, exactly."
"Huh." Corona glanced around at everyone. "If this guy can mind-control people, maybe there's a residual link."
"Lola and I didn't feel anything like that after we regained control of ourselves," Hiro said.
"True." Boiler leaned forward and raised a brow ridge. "However, Otto has shown some rather odd abilities recently. It's possible this is another one." She glanced at Otto. "Maybe your brain is wired up in a way that lets you detect him."
"Maybe. I dunno."
Machiko gazed at Otto for a moment. "If that's what this is, do you think you could use it to locate him?"
Otto shrugged. "It does feel like I'm being drawn in a certain direction. I mean, for a while I've been feeling like there's someone nearby." He pointed over his shoulder. "That way, this time."
Ramirez glanced at Hiro and leaned forward. "I never believed in shit like this until it was done to us. The kid might be onto something, here."
Machiko pondered it for a moment, and then nodded. "On the off chance that this really is what we think it is, it's probably best if we act on it before this 'presence' fades away. If you three would like to take Otto with you, maybe he can lead you to our perp."
"That could be dangerous," Shakira said.
"I'll tag along." Boiler flexed her huge muscles. "I'll keep an eye on things from a distance. I'll load my gun with sedative darts. If you do find this guy and he gets the drop on you, I can knock his twisted ass out before he even realizes I'm there."
"You should probably stay here," Otto said to Shakira. "I don't want a cop spotting you and arresting you."
She stared at him for a few seconds before sighing and nodding. "I don't want to be stuck here indefinitely, but I guess there's nothing else I can do at the moment."
"I do have an idea for a long-term solution." Otto turned back to Machiko. "If someone here could look into something for me?"
"I've already got Rocky and Ralphie trying to find a loophole we can use."
"Maybe they could look into making me an emancipated minor."
Machiko nodded. "That would certainly help, if the paperwork goes through the system quickly enough. They're investigating other options as well." She smiled. "We'll figure something out."
"I hope so." Otto patted Shakira's hand and leaped from his chair. "Okay, let's see if we can run this bastard down."
"It's getting stronger." Otto pointed to the left.
Ramirez glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded as Montoya flipped on the turn signal.
"Got an estimate on the distance?" Montoya stopped and waited for the traffic light to turn green.
"Not sure. All I can tell is what direction it's coming from."
"Is it moving?" Ramirez tapped her fingers on her hand cannon in her hip holster. "I mean, if you can feel his presence, it's possible he could feel yours, as well."
"I've been worried about that, but he's not moving, as far as I can tell."
Ramirez nodded. Boiler's plan to knock the perp out was all fine and dandy, but if he tried his mental mojo on any of them, she intended to blast a twenty-millimeter round through his fucking thorax. There was no way she'd let him continue molesting people or escalating to something even worse.
The light changed and Montoya accelerated around the corner.
Kim's giggle-ringtone came from Ramirez's phone. She dug it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen.
"Oh, marvelous. Text from Kim. She said she just finished watching the whole video."
Montoya chuckled. "Well, she does appear to have a crush on Otto."
"That's been worrying me for a long time."
"Well, you can relax," Otto muttered. "Shakira's the one I've got my sights set on. I mean, I don't want to pester her about it after what she's been through, but I'm hoping someday she'll come around."
Ramirez continued reading the message. "Well, that's disgusting. She said about three-quarters of the way through the video, the perp shot his load and she saw it in the lower-right corner of the image. He also let out a pretty loud, drawn-out groan, so if this turns out to be a dead end, maybe we can get a voiceprint match."
Otto's face twisted into a death glare. "I'm really glad I don't remember hearing that."
"Yeah. I'll never get that image out of my head, now." Ramirez continued reading, shuddered, and dropped the phone onto her lap. "Or that."
"What?" Hiro reached over and plucked up her phone.
Ramirez rubbed a hand over her face. "Kim kept describing the video. Jesus Harry Christ."
Hiro stared at the phone's screen, laughed, and glanced at Otto. "She said it took you one minute and nine seconds to finish coming. She timed it, apparently."
"Huh. Sounds about right." Otto shrugged and pointed again. "That way. Make a right turn there, I think."
Montoya nodded and sighed as he made the turn. "Now I'm officially jealous. I'm lucky to get five or six seconds."
_What the hell?_Ramirez winced and stuck her fingers into her ears. "I _really_don't need to hear any of this."
"How the hell is Shakira not pregnant, anyway?" Montoya raised an eyebrow. "I mean ... seriously. God_damn_."
"Just lucky, I guess. We both dodged a bullet." Otto shook his head. "Shakira doesn't want kids, and I'm not ready for it. Not even_close_ to ready. Keep going straight ahead." He pointed again.
Ramirez groaned and glowered out the windshield. "I gotta have a talk with my kid. That video's incriminating evidence. And she shouldn't be watching crap like that, anyway."
Otto sighed. "It's probably all over the net by now. I doubt we'll be able to scrub every copy."
"One thing we'll need to check into is whether any pay-sites are selling access to it," Montoya said.
Otto gritted his teeth. "If that's happening, then Shakira and I are gonna get our cut of the royalties, damn it - before we have the video removed and the sites taken down." He pointed to the right. "Down that street. And guys, I really hope you let me kick this bastard right in the fuckin' nuts before you haul him in."
Here we go. Boiler landed on a rooftop across the street from the trailer park Montoya's car had just entered. She crouched, spread her wings to radiate excess heat, and drew her gun. The tranquilizer darts she'd loaded into it would keep the target down for several hours once the sleepy-juice took hold.
The car parked in front of the second trailer on the left.
Good. Right in front. I've got perfect line of sight from here. Don't need to hop to another roof.
Ramirez and Montoya got out of their car, followed by both kids. Ramirez turned to point at the car and grumble something at them, but Otto shook his head, pulled his stungun from his pocket, and marched up to the door. Ramirez facepalmed, sighed, and hurried to catch up with him.
Boiler took her visor from a vest pocket, strapped the headband on, and zoomed in for a closer look with its tiny camera.
Ramirez knocked on the door.
Ten seconds passed before the door opened and revealed a slim, middle-aged, bald dude in jeans and a plain gray T-shirt. He opened his mouth to speak, glanced at Otto, and froze.
Ah. Looks like he recognizes Otto.
The man turned his wide-eyed stare on Ramirez and Hiro. His mouth opened even wider and he took a step back.
And he recognizes his previous victims, too._Boiler smirked. _Gotcha, bitch.
Ramirez snapped her left hand out and grasped the front of his shirt while drawing her huge gun with her right hand.
The bald guy stared at her and suddenly her arms hung limp at her sides.
Montoya and Hiro lunged forward and grabbed him. They managed to drag him down the stairs before he glanced over his shoulder and made eye contact with Ramirez again.
Her face remained blank as she raised her gun slowly and aimed it at Hiro.
Montoya's eyes widened. "No!"
Boiler sucked in a deep breath. "Get down!"
Montoya tackled Hiro and shoved him out of the way before diving to the ground.
Otto threw himself to the side and Boiler adjusted her aim.
She pulled the trigger and spiked a dart dead-center into the guy's chest. He jerked backward and screamed.
"Ow!" He pulled the dart out, stared wide-eyed at it, and dropped it. He stumbled away from his trailer and managed to pass the curb before collapsing on the pavement.
Ramirez pivoted slowly to line up another shot at Hiro. Boiler gasped and shifted her aim to Ramirez.
"Lola!" Hiro flicked his left hand out, the motion so fast it was only a blur, and wrenched the gun from her hand. At the same time, he braced his other hand on her chest and shoved her away. He popped the clip out, ejected the chambered round, and tossed the gun aside as she staggered backward into the side of the trailer.
She shook her head, grimaced, blinked, and finally focused on Hiro. The realization of what had just happened appeared to sink in and she let out a soft, horrified moan as she rushed into his arms.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Hiro!"
"It's okay, Lola. It's not your fault." He wrapped his wings around her and held on for a long moment.
Montoya rushed over to the bald guy, patted him down, and pulled out a set of handcuffs. Otto joined him, gripping the stungun tightly enough to turn his knuckles white, and Boiler half expected him to follow through on his threat to kick the perp in the nuts.
Ramirez picked up her gun and magazine, and she and Hiro walked over to them as Montoya slapped the cuffs on.
Hiro gripped the man's shirt and started to haul him up.
A soft fwip sound came from somewhere off to the left - and the bald guy's head exploded.
Boiler stared, slack-jawed, as Hiro caught the full force of the splatter all over his face and chest. Some of it sprayed Ramirez and Montoya as well.
What the fuck? Boiler glanced to the left, gave the nearby rooftops and windows a visual sweep, but couldn't find a shooter.
"Get in the car," Montoya snapped.
Ramirez grabbed Hiro and shoved him toward the car. He wiped his hand over his beak, stared at his blood-covered palm - and then he hunched over and vomited. She dragged him to the car and threw him into the back seat.
Fwip!
A bullet drilled into the gravel inches from Otto's right foot. He bolted toward the car - and phased straight through Ramirez and the car door. His clothing bunched up against her and crumpled to the ground. She gaped at him as he slouched in the seat and tried to keep out of sight. She shook it off and jumped into the driver's seat.
Boiler tapped the comlink icon on her bracelet-phone. "Go! I'll find the shooter. Just get the hell outta here!"
Montoya scooted across the hood and dived into the passenger seat a split-second before the car launched off down the street.
Boiler ejected the tranquilizer clip and replaced it with a clip of armor-piercing rounds. She swept her glare over the nearby rooftops again, but again, she couldn't find any sign of someone with a sniper rifle. She snarled and braced herself for the impact of a bullet as she switched her camera to infrared. All the heat signatures appearing in her heads-up display looked like normal people doing normal things - sitting in their living rooms, puttering around kitchens, a couple of them sitting on toilets.
No one running across a rooftop or rushing out a door.
Boiler gripped her gun in both hands and released a quick, frustrated sigh.
Shit!