Blood Shadows Read Free Page B

name has been put forward for some rather significant achievement awards at next year’s ceremony.’
    ‘I don’t do this for personal accolade, Mr Carter.’
    He smiled again but just a hint this time. ‘Your dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed.’
    She eased her chair under the table, perched on the edge, her hands concealed in her lap so they couldn’t see the tremor.
    ‘Which is why I’m sure your temporary suspension has come as quite a shock to you,’ he added. ‘I can see it has caused you some distress.’
    She glimpsed across at Max as he took his seat beside Xavier, in full official role mode. She wouldn’t expect anything less. Wouldn’t want anything less. In this room, under these circumstances, Max wasn’t her stepfather, he was her boss.
    ‘Max warned me of the consequence if I proceeded with my course of action,’ she responded. ‘I chose to ignore it.’
    ‘So you agree with the suspension?’
    ‘Absolutely not.’
    Max shot her a warning glare as Xavier lifted his eyes from the paperwork. ‘You appear very resolute in your conviction,’ Xavier remarked.
    ‘I have a job to do, Mr Carter. My job is to track and detain vampires who breach the code of conduct established by the Global Council. Kane Malloy has proven elusive for far too long. As soon as I sensed that he was going to abscond, I proceeded to locate him and detain him. That’s what I’m paid to do.’
    ‘You are also part of a team, Agent Parish. You moved directly against my orders,’ Max reminded her. ‘You went in there unprepared and unsupported. You put yourself at risk as well as Morgan and Brovin. You’re lucky they turned up when they did.’
    ‘I hear Morgan’s doing fine.’
    ‘You’re fortunate Malloy only got one round in him.’
    ‘I was handling it.’
    ‘And if they hadn’t intervened when they did?’ Max asked.
    ‘Morgan wouldn’t have got shot,’ she finished. ‘Just me.’
    Max opened the package in front of him, took out the plastic bag, placing the gun it contained on the table between them.
    Her gun.
    Her heart thudded uncomfortably as Max slid it towards her, displeasure clear in his eyes.
    ‘Who made this for you?’ he asked.
    ‘Does it matter?’
    ‘Illegal customisation of VCU property? Yes, Agent Parish, it matters. The lab tells me the release pin was not only loaded with sedative but also a hefty dose of hemlock – an illegal weapon and an illegal substance. Who designed it?’
    Caitlin lowered her gaze.
    ‘Agent Parish?’ Max persisted.
    She sighed and reluctantly looked back at him. ‘I did.’
    ‘You?’
    ‘I wanted a backup plan.’
    He picked the gun up, held it by the barrel and squeezed the trigger. The pin sprang through the back of the grip with a powerful stab, hitting the air instead of the flesh of his palm as it was designed to – what it had succeeded in doing with Kane. ‘So anyone with pressure different to yours activates this and that goes straight into their bloodstream.’
    She shrugged. ‘Worked didn’t it?’
    Max placed the gun back on the table, unable to mask the disapproval and disappointment in his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.
    ‘Tell me again what happened,’ Xavier said, drawing her attention back to him.
    ‘Like I said in my statement and in every interview since then, when I saw Kane Malloy re-enter the building, I pursued him. I worked out that he was most likely to head up to the roof where he would be able to cross several buildings and enter any one of them to escape. There is a single corridor leading to the roof so I chose that one. I proceeded several metres and turned down a darker corridor when interference in my earpiece caused me to momentarily lower my guard. He came up behind me, took my gun and pinned me up against the wall. I advised him of his rights and suggested he give himself up. As I was disarmed, but knew Brovin and Morgan were not far behind, I resolved to keep him occupied for as long as possible. Malloy