City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood Read Free Page B

was cop-talk for a shipment of live bodies meant to be
food
. While it wasn’t a crime for Kin to eat their own, it was a crime to engage in Human flesh trading. And generally when there was a Kin destined for
feeding,
there were Humans close behind.
    “Are they giving you a problem?”
    “You could say that.” Bauer’s eyes bounced around the room, unable to meet her gaze, which meant those two Males downstairs were probably doing something really embarrassing.
    Haley let out a sigh and shook her head. Sometimes it sure would be nice if her people could make a little effort to behave themselves around the Humans. It most certainly would make things easier. But then, if things were easier, she wouldn’t have a job.
    She stuffed the day’s assignments into a folder and dropped it on the desk. “Let’s go before they give someone a complex.”
    Bauer made a sound that suggested it was too late for that.
    The drab green walls of the PD holding Tank replaced the lighter gray paint job of the causeway. It was an ugly color, really. But olive green didn’t show ichor stains, and some days that came in handy.
    There were a total of eight rooms in the Tank, four on each side, even on the left, odd on the right. At the end of the hall stood a guard. The guard was a new addition. Someone upstairs decided they needed to keep a set of eyes on the place just in case a detainee decided to walk out. Why anyone thought a solitary Human was going to do more than a six-inch carbon steel door, Haley had no idea.
    Room Two was at the end, right next to the man on duty. Haley tossed him a sideways glance. His face was unfamiliar. While she wasn’t friendly with every cop here, most had taken her class.
    Haley not recognizing him meant he was new. Really new.
    Bauer stopped in front of the door, popped open the viewing window, and took a peek inside. By the look on his face, Haley had a pretty good idea what was going on. And Bauer did not approve.
    But then Humans rarely did.
    With his eyes still on the Kin inside, Bauer said, “I’d like to know as much as you can get from them. If they didn’t come off a chuck-wagon, I want to know why they were outside of the Dens. We ran their Nevus, and neither one is in the database for a city pass, and they don’t have any papers.”
    Kin, as a rule, didn’t have fingerprints. Fingerprints, like belly buttons and body hair, were often left out when they designed their forms. But all Kin had a Nevus, and like a fingerprint, each one was unique. If the two Males in question weren’t in the database, it meant they were most likely dumped.
    Groups like Mankind for Kin took it upon themselves to relocate Submissives from less hospitable cities to the Georgia capital. Some of them were going as far as luring them from target Dens, tranquilizing them, and bringing them to designated safe havens. Lucky for Atlanta, it was second on the list. Only California was higher.
    Just another new and ever-growing problem for the City.
    Haley put her hand on the door handle. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
    “Wait…” The officer on guard stepped up to Bauer and jabbed a thumb at Haley. “You’re not letting her go in there, are you? Seriously, sir, she could get hurt.”
    Bauer eyed the guy’s name tag. “Officer Donald, I think you need to step back to your post.”
    When Bauer tried to turn away Donald stepped in front of him. “Sir, I really don’t think sending her in would be wise.” And
sir
came out sounding like a stand in for the words, “Hey, stupid.” The cop said, “Those things in there…”
    Bauer’s face tightened, but not just because he was getting pissed. Haley could scent the change in him. He’d pushed himself coming down the steps and walking the long hallway, and a conflict was the last thing his heart needed.
    Haley cleared her throat. “Detective Bauer, why don’t you go ahead and take care of the paperwork on these two, and let me explain things to Officer