Author: A. L. Kessler
Category: Paranormal
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/a-l-kessler/page,19,597824-the_lost_ones_here_witchy_witchy_book_12.html
“You bitch. You said you didn’t know where that file was.” Nick snarled at me.
I’d never heard such malice in his voice before. “I didn’t. Not when you asked about it. But when I asked you about it, you failed to mention that you had a signed confession from your father in there.”
He snapped his mouth shut and took a deep breath. “So you looked at it.”
“I did. Why were you trying to hide it?”
Nick shook his head. “I don’t owe you an answer, Collins.”
“Actually, you do.” I kept my voice calm. “You damn near got me killed for something my parents were trying to solve, because you were under your father’s control. You were hiding a signed confession from the person who killed my parents in cold blood. I lost so much that night, and you’re going to stand here and tell me you don’t owe me an answer for this?”
He tensed. “You’re right, I owe you an answer, and that answer is fuck off. You don’t know what battle I’m fighting. That file…” He took his badge off his pants and practically threw it at O’Donald. “I resign.”
He stormed out of the room, and I followed him, ignoring O’Donald calling after me.
“Nikolas Avarin get back here and give me a fucking answer.” I followed him down the hall, damn near stomping after him.
“I’m leaving Abigail, so I don’t owe you an answer, and so I don’t do something insanely stupid,” he snapped back at me.
He reached the stairwell, and I lost it. I shot a purple circle around him and stalked up to it.
He kept his back to me but gave a deep sigh. “I’m going to disappear again, Abigail. Don’t try to find me. Don’t come after me. Just don’t.”
“Just like that? You come back, almost get me killed, save my ass, and just walk out again?”
He nodded. “Yeah, just like that. Look, you were right. I want that file to disappear, because without it, my dad gets out of containment.”
I cringed at that. “He still has power over you.”
“He does. It’s personal, and don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” He turned and faced me. “You need to take care of yourself and figure out what world you’re going to walk in.”
I met his gaze. “Why not both?”
“Because trust me, Abigail, walking in two completely different worlds is hard and exhausting. Eventually, it comes back to bite you in the ass.” He put his hand against my circle and took it over with his own magic, breaking mine. “Goodbye, Abby.”
He walked into the stairwell without looking back, and I bet that if I went after him again, he would be gone. Disappeared, just like the night at the morgue.
I stood there at the end of the hall, trying to digest what just happened. Merick came up behind me.
“Abby?”
I swallowed and turned away from the stairwell. “I’m okay.”
“Collins, my office, please,” O’Donald called from down the hall. I took a deep breath and walked back to the office. Merick seemed to linger around the stairs, almost as if he expected Nick to come back up.
I walked into O’Donald’s office and took a seat. “I’m sorry for the outburst, sir.”
“It’s okay, Collins. It’s hard to handle when our partners, current or otherwise, seem to go AWOL. Now that Nicolas has… resigned, I need you to go to containment and get another confession signed. I can’t turn one in with an agent’s name on it who quit suddenly.”
I nodded. “I’ll head there now.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to have put you in the middle of this.”
“We just lost a good agent over this situation,” I muttered.
“He’s not a good agent if he wasn’t planning on actually turning it in,” O’Donald pointed out. I knew he was right, and if Nick was planning on disappearing with the file, he wasn’t a good agent. He was a coward.
Merick and I were in the lobby about to head out to containment when Liz caught up with us. “So, I heard Nick rage quit.”
“Yeah, something like that. I have to run to containment to get a new signed confession, then we can tackle the Peterson issue.”
“Yeah, about that. Mason went there last night, and they kicked him off the land and said he needed to get a warrant to come back. I have a feeling they know we’re on to them.”
Interesting. “The person who escaped the facility needs to look at the picture of the man in the video. That might give us a better starting place. If we can link him and the Petersons together, or something there, then we can get that warrant and go in.”
Merick cleared his throat. “If Liz has your back at the containment center, I can go talk to Remington about the man.”
They wouldn’t let Merick into containment anyway, so that wasn’t a bad idea. “Liz, can you send him the image?”
“Yeah, I took a picture of it this morning. I meant to send it to you.”
I had been asleep most of the morning, so I wouldn’t have noticed if she sent it. She pulled out her phone and a moment later, Merick’s beeped.
“I’ll see you ladies later then.” He walked out of the building.
Liz looked at me. “O’Donald said that you and Nick had words.”
“There were a lot of words exchanged, and then Nick resigned and told me he was going to disappear again.”
She crossed her arms. “Back to the underground?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. I shook my head. “Hopefully, he doesn’t appear again and try to kill me.”
She snorted. “Hopefully. Come on, let’s get to containment and get that confession. I’d like to see that case closed.”
“I’d like your name on the confession. It’ll be more credible if I’m not the one signing it.”
“Just like Nick shouldn’t have signed it in the first place. You both had conflicts of interests. It was rough to get the judge to even let us put Christof into containment.”
I’m glad they did because I wasn’t sure if I trusted myself not to hunt him down at this point. I took a deep breath and pushed that anger aside.
Liz looked at the Hummer and then at me. “I’m driving.”
“The Hummer survived,” I pointed out.
“And I’m taking that as a sign of the end of times. Get in my SUV.”
I rolled my eyes and walked to her car. “I’m not going to get the Hummer destroyed.”
“You’re right, because Levi would kill you. He loves that damn thing.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know why. He doesn’t drive it.” I climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up.
Liz jumped in and started the engine. “Are you going to be able to control yourself around Christof?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m worried about your emotions after what happened when you read his confession.” Her voice was quiet as she pulled the SUV out of the parking lot.
I considered her question for a moment. My knee jerk response was to tell her ‘of course,’ but I really thought about it. “I’ll keep myself in check, and if I can’t, I’ll leave the room.”
“Okay. Call containment and let them know we’re on our way.”
I pulled my phone out and did as she asked, giving them the information from the case file that they needed and our reason for visiting.
I disconnected the call and leaned back in the seat. “I didn’t think I’d be going back to containment this soon.”
“At least you’re not going there for an extended stay,” she pointed out.
And that was the truth. I watched the scenery go by as she drove. It wasn’t long before we pulled up to the concrete building, and I shivered.
Liz parked the car and sighed. “Ready?”
“I guess so. Hopefully, he’ll sign the confession again.” Though I had a feeling he wouldn’t. Especially since Nick failed at what he was supposed to do.
I got out of the car and grabbed the folder. Liz and I walked in and checked in at the front desk. A guard came to escort us to Christof.
H
e smiled at me, and I realized he was the one I’d seen when I’d been there. “Ah, Agent Collins, glad to see you’re on the correct side of the bars this time.”
I resisted rolling my eyes. I hadn’t had bars on my room, but I knew what he meant. “Back to doing my job. Amazing what happens when your false charges are looked into.”
“That it is, and now you’re coming in to talk to a killer.” He led us to a room where Christof was sitting at a table, his hands cuffed to it, and his legs cuffed to the chair.
Liz and I walked in, and I felt the temporary binding spell snap into place. I shook off the shiver that climbed over me at the sensation, knowing that it was for protecting everyone in the room.
“Abigail, I see PIB has let you off your leash. I was wondering when you were going to show up and start demanding answers.”
Liz was the one who responded. “Actually, she’s here to observe. I’m the one here for the answers. Though it seems that Agent Avarin already got those from you.”
I glanced up in the room to make sure the camera was on. It blinked a couple times, letting me know it had power.
“Ah, so my son has failed me.” He leaned back. “The Cult will get him.” Christof met my gaze. “And I hope you get the case. He admired you in so many ways, Abigail. It almost broke him to find out that I had every intention of handing you over to Samuel.”
I kept my face blank. “Nick showed me that when he helped me escape. He’s a good man. Morally confused sometimes, but he has my back.”
“Does he really?” Christof laughed. “Do you know why he came here to get my confession?”
I didn’t say anything, and neither did Liz.
“He knew that if it was his signature on it, it would most likely get thrown out of court. He didn’t want me going down for the death of your parents. He knows why we had to put them down. He even agrees with it.”
I felt that anger and grief bubble in me, but I wasn’t going to let it win.
“So you are confessing to that murder then? The murder of Elizabeth and Tobias Collins?”
Christof actually smiled. “Yes, and I’ll even sign another confession. I won’t be seeing trial.” He jerked his head in my direction. “Just like little Abigail here. I have friends in high places.”
I was sure he was bluffing. Liz pulled out a clean copy of the confession that O’Donald must have put in there while I was chasing after Nick.
“Then by all means, please read this thoroughly and sign and date it when you’re done.” She slid it across to him with a pen.
I watched him as he slowly read over it with a sick grin on his face. He signed it and handed it back to Liz, who also signed it.
“You think this is over, Abigail. You think you’ve won, but this is just the beginning.”
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of an answer. Liz and I walked out, and she tucked the new confession into the folder.
“I’m going to talk to O’Donald about getting Christof moved to a maximum-security facility. There’s no way I want him to make an escape.” She snapped the folder shut and looked at me. “We got him.”
I snorted. “We got him. Let’s hope we can keep him. Thank you.”
“I told you, I take care of my team.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Merick was sitting in the lobby for us when we got back. Luckily for us, he had lunch bags sitting right there.
“I’m starving.” I grabbed a bag and Liz followed. We sat in the lobby and ate.
“Phillip knows the man in that picture. He wants to meet with you after lunch to chat about it.”
I frowned. “Didn’t want to give you the information?”
“He agreed it would be best if it went straight to PIB. I don’t disagree, and since I’m part of your daytime security, I’ll get to hear the explanation, anyway.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about needing to see Phillip just to get a name for the face, but maybe he had other sensitive information to give to me. “Okay, let’s eat then so we can head out. I’d like to get a nap today before I have to handle vampire stuff tonight.”
“While you do that, I’ll look into what I can about the land the Petersons live on. They may not let us on without a warrant, but there’s always information somewhere.”
I nodded. “If, for some reason, I’m not back before nightfall, talk to Agent Torrid about it. He’s been looking into the Petersons as well since that’s where the blood-starved vampires were.”
She sighed. “Okay, I wasn’t aware there was a case around that.”
“Vampire king case. I’m supposed to be helping with it as princess.” I laughed. “I’m not a lot of help with it.”
I finished eating and threw my bag in a trash can. “Merick and I will be back in a bit. I’ll let you know if I learn anything.”
“Hopefully you’ll learn a lot and we can close this case.” Liz stood and took care of her trash. “Call me when you get out, and I’ll meet you in your office.”
“Deal.”
Merick and I walked out of the building, and he led me to his truck. I got in at the same time he did. “Phillip is scared because apparently the man has something to do with the safe house.”
“Is that why he didn’t want to give you the information?”
He nodded. “There’s a rule about that kind of information. That’s why he only gave you first names earlier.”
Yet Titan had given me the first and last name of the children and the employees. Talking to Phillip confirmed what Titan had sent me before. “Interesting.”
“The man who funds them set up particular rules.”
Oliver. Of course he set rules. Titan knew Oliver had sent me, but Phillip hadn’t. Maybe that was the difference there. “I won’t be able to help if he only gives me part of the information.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m hoping he talks to you. I don’t like my members being hurt, and I also can’t help him if he doesn’t give me the information.”
I had expected Merick to take us to the clinic, but instead, he took me to a small house in one of the older neighborhoods. We got out, and Merick and I walked up to the door.
He knocked. “Phillip, it’s me and Abby.”
The door opened, and Phillip looked at us for a moment before letting us in. He sat down on the couch, looking just as exhausted as the night before. “Hello again, Agent Collins.”
“Nice to see they released you from the doctor’s care. How are you feeling?”
“Sore, tired, I may not gain complete use of my arm again, but I suppose it could be worse. I could be the poor person in that photo you sent me.” He motioned for me to sit down. “I’m assuming that didn’t end well.”
I shook my head. “It didn’t. Did you know the victim?”
“Couldn’t see their face. Now the guy you asked about, his name is Aaron.” He hesitated for a moment.
I tried to think back to the list of people that Titan gave me. “Aaron Liner?”
He nodded. “Yeah, he works at the house, but that doesn’t make sense. Why would he be killing people?”
“I don’t know. But if I can find him and bring him in, then I can find out.”
Phillip nodded. “You have to stop him. He can’t ruin what we’ve all worked so hard for. Those kids, they weren’t wanted, and we’re their only safe place now. If someone ruins that…” He shook his head.
The kids would have no place to go. “I’ll do what I can,” I promised. “I need to talk to Titan and see what he can tell me about Aaron.”
“Titan is a good man. He called to make sure I was doing well. He made sure my wife and kids had meals while I was gone.” He smiled a little. “We’re all a big family.”
It almost sounded like a dream. “Good, I’m glad you had that.” I stood up. “Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?” It seemed odd that he had Merick bring me just for a name, especially a first name that I had to verify.
“You need to shut the facility down. I don’t care how
you get into it, or who gets killed. If another kid ends up there, you’ll have a small group of experienced elementals going after the people running it.”
It sounded like a threat, and it probably was. “Don’t worry, I intend on shutting it down.”
I swore I heard Merick mutter, ‘or blow it up,’ but I let it go. I’d gone three months without blowing anything up, I planned on keeping it that way.
I texted Titan on the way back to the PIB building asking to meet with him. I got the answer just as Merick and I were pulling up. Nothing but an address and ‘meet me asap.’ I was tiring of car rides these last few days, and there was a moment when I thought being a vampire and popping in and out was ideal, but I pushed it away quickly.
If I worked on it hard enough, I could master the transportation spell and do the same thing. I texted Liz, so I didn’t have to climb the stairs to go get her.
Merick leaned against his truck while we waited. “So Levi’s coming back tonight?”
“Supposedly.” I nodded. “We’ll see how it goes.”
“When do you leave then?”
I took a deep breath. “A month from when Levi and Mario return.”
“You just took three months off work. You’re going to lose your job.”
“I hope Levi puts the request in for me to go on a mission for the King.”
“And the recovery when you come back?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m not going to resign right now.”
“Why?”
I glanced at him. “Because Nick just resigned, and I want something to look forward to when I get back.”
Merick didn’t respond, but I sat there and thought how sad it was that it was work I would look forward to.
“Don’t think about it too hard, Abby.” He nudged me. “Focus on the now.”
I nodded. “I’m trying, I really am.” I pushed off his truck when Liz came out.
She shoved her hands in her pockets. “Got the confession filed and turned in. O’Donald says good job.”
I smiled. “Yeah, well, it helped that I had a partner who could take the lead.”
“Now, let’s go.” She looked at Merick. “I’ve got her from here.”