The Siren's Call Ch. 3

Valerie was gasping for air as she looked up at her boss. Caitlyn stood looming above her, pistol pointed, and a sinister smirk. "Y-you shot me…?" she wheezed. Beneath where her hand rested on her hip was a painful hole that oozed blood between her fingers. "Wh-why?"

"Because you're a disappointment. You call yourself a cop? A real cop doesn't hide behind their desk. A real cop is in the field, risking their lives for the safety of others. You're no cop. You're just a nerd playing pretend."

The Sheriff pulled back the hammer again, leveling the barrel between her eyes. "No! Please," Val begged. "Don't kill me, please don't kill me. Cait, please."

"What, you don't want to be put out of your misery?" she asked.

"I'm not miserable," she countered. "I love working for you. We do so much good for this city, and I...I don't want to feel useless. Please let me live."

Caitlyn swayed flirtatiously as she approached her assistant. Taking the gun, she tossed it on the ground between her knees. "You are so, so, so sad and pathetic. But you do have your...advantages. For starters, those horrible frumpy sweaters and those thick glasses you wear make me look much better by proxy. And it's always nice having a little pet to run errands for me."

She reached out, stroking Val's dark auburn hair. The hacker was shivering like a rabbit staring down the jaws of a hound. It was a suitable analogy for the two of them. Caitlyn was a wolf, strong and brave. Val only saw herself as a meek creature, only useful for being hidden away.

"Face it, love. You exist solely to make me happy. And that's all that matters, isn't it?" The sheriff's hand slid to cup the timid girl's cheek. She didn't dare move away from her hand. Even if she wanted to, her body was paralyzed in fear. "Don't worry, my sweet. I know how to make you happy too."

Val's eyes widened as her boss kissed her on the lips. She wasn't really into girls, but something about the soft skin against hers and the odd taste of licorice on her lips kept her complacent. Soon, she even pressed back against her boss, a gentle moan escaping her lungs.

Just as she attempted to slip her tongue into Caitlyn's mouth, the sheriff pulled away with a haughty giggle. "Such a greedy little thing, aren't you?" Taking Val's free hand, she placed the gun into it. "I tell you what. You want me to kiss you again, don't you?"

The shy girl nodded her head.

"I'll kiss you all you want, Val. Under one condition. I want you to take that gun, put it up to your head and squeeze the trigger. If you do that, I'll kiss you anytime you ask." Leaning closer, she placed a light peck on her forehead. "Go on, my pet. That's it. Good girl."

Val's hand shook fiercely as she tried to resist. Every word of positive encouragement in her ear, however, weakened her resolve more and more. Soon, she placed the cold metal barrel against her temple and pulled back the hammer.

"That's it, Val. Just one more little *pop* and you'll be free."

Valerie shut her eyes tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "STOP!" A heavy object slammed hard on top of her, grabbing her wrist and wrenching it away. The two struggled over the gun but her attacker was physically stronger. "Val? Val! Can you hear me?"

Her glazed eyes blinked away the tears that had blurred her vision. When it cleared, she was looking up at the defense attorney that had visited the previous afternoon. "It's you…" she murmured. "What are you doing? Caitlyn...Caitlyn is going to be...I have to make Caitlyn happy."

Kiba turned to look at the Sheriff who now had a copy of herself at gunpoint. "She's been drugged," the real Cait said. "I'm going to lock this one in the cell."

"What should I do with Val?" he asked.

"I have a spare set of cuffs in my desk. Handcuff her to something so she can't get into trouble. She should be fine in a few hours."

"Thank goodness for that," he murmured. "Come on, Valerie. Let's get you taken care of, hmm?" Just as he went to stand, he noticed the sticky blood on her hand. "Caitlyn!" he called out. "She's been shot. It looks like it may be pretty bad."

"Bad enough to take her to the hospital?"

"Bad enough she may not make it to the hospital. Do you have a needle and thread? I can suture her up to stop the bleeding for now."

"Second dr-drawer," Val slurred, her eyes starting to close. The stinging pain of a slap to her cheek woke her up quickly.

"Stay with me. Do not go to sleep!" Kiba tore the drawer open, grabbing the sewing kit and a lighter to sterilize it. When he returned, he had to pry away Val's hand to get a better look at the wound. "You're lucky," he told her. "It went clean through. Barely missed your kidney by the looks of it."

He took his jacket off and laid it under her head as she rested on her back. He then took a pencil and placed it between her teeth. At first, she struggled to understand what it was for, but the moment she felt him thread the needle through her flesh, she learned quickly.

A hiss escaped through her teeth as she bit down on the wood. The pain was unbearable. Almost worse than having been shot. Without anaesthesia, she could feel every movement of his hands, and they were moving fast, not gentle.

Cait returned from the holding cells, kneeling down beside her assistant and taking her hand. "How is she?" she asked Kiba.

"In a lot of pain, I'm certain. But she'll live if we can get her to a doctor."

Val squeezed tightly on the Sheriff's hand for comfort. "Shh, it's going to be okay. Don't worry Valerie, you're safe." Her free hand ran through her hair, doing her best to keep her calm and still.

After what felt like hours, the stitches were finished. Kiba snipped the thread with a pair of scissors and placed a clean square of gauze on her hip. "Apply pressure," he instructed, taking Val's hand and guiding it to the spot.

If there was one benefit of the pain, it was that it had brought lucidity to her once more. "I'm so sorry, Sheriff," she whispered. "I thought it was you and you said such awful things to me. I should have known it wasn't you. I'm sorry."

"Save your energy," Cait replied. "It's all water under the bridge."

This time, Val just nodded. The ambulance arrived quickly, and as they wheeled the hacker out on the gurney, Cait sat on her desk, eyes glued to the floor tiles. Kiba, seeing her expression, sat beside her. "She's going to be okay," he assured her.

"I know. Thanks to you, Kiba. If you hadn't been here, she'd probably be dead now."

"It's not as if I could have let her die," he replied. When she didn't say anything he nudged her with his elbow. "Hey, cheer up. We won. We caught the bad guy. We saved the damsel in distress."

Caitlyn managed a weak smile, but still she was worried. "She said that the fake me said terrible things to her. I can't believe she honestly thought that I'd want her dead."

"In both of your defense, she was tripping on super heroin. Paranoia is one of those symptoms you know."

"Yeah, I suppose so. Anyway, I should probably get started on the paperwork. It's going to be a long one. Escaped prisoner, officer injured in the line of duty, deputized defense attorney, three bodies…"

"Nope," Kiba interjected.

"Nope?"

"Nope. You're going to take a nice long rest."

"I'm fine," she argued. "The sooner I get started, the sooner I get done."

"She's not going anywhere, Cait. You're exhausted."

"I am not!"

"Let's compromise then," he offered. "Let's go get a cup of coffee. Just the two of us."

The sheriff regarded him suspiciously. "Coffee? Like a date?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "If you like."

Caitlyn punched him in the jaw as hard as she could, sending him toppling off the desk. "Nice try," she growled, leveling her rifle at him. "Kiba isn't the sort to do the dating thing. How did you get out of your cell?"

"Are you kidding me?" he snapped at her, rubbing his cheek. "It's me, Caitlyn! I am the real Kiba. And yeah, I know I don't normally do the dating thing, but Gwen's been hounding me lately and…"

"Save it, bitch."

"Look, she's still over there in the cage, see?" he tried, but when the Sheriff looked, all she saw was a duplicate of the attorney shaking the door.

"Cait! Let me out! She managed to trick me. Please!"

"Fuck," he hissed under his breath. "Today has just not been my day. Look, is there any way at all I can prove to you that I'm the real Kiba?"

"It'll be difficult," Caitlyn huffed, not lowering her weapon. "Kiba's always been a bit of a loud mouth. There isn't much information about himself that he hasn't released to the public. You'll just have to tell me something only the two of us know. Something that no one else would."

He pondered it for a moment, struggling to come up with something. That's when an idea popped into his head. "I remember where I took you on our first and only date," he said. Her cheeks flushed.

"Oh yeah? And where's that?"

Stepping towards her, he whispered into her ear. "Dinner, followed by a movie. Then we went ice skating and burned down the rink."

It was official. That was something only four people knew of. It was her, Kiba, Vi and Thane. No one else. Still, if she was going to be embarrassed, he'd have to be embarrassed too. "And then what?" she challenged.

"And then?" he repeated. "And then nothing. That was the end of the date."

"Are you certain?" she pressed.

"Let's see...we ate at the restaurant. We went to see your favorite movie. We went ice skating. You got mad, nearly bailed, and then I had to bring you back. We spent some time dancing on the ice...or trying to anyway...and that's it."

The smile on her face slowly faded. Had he forgotten? Her disappointment was palpable, but she tried her best to play it off. "Very good. I was just testing you. Sorry for the suspicion." She slung her rifle over her shoulder and looked back towards the prisoner. She'd now returned to her true form and was pouting on the bench.

"So...do you still want to get that coffee?" he asked. "Even if you say no, I'm making you come anyway."

"Sure," she agreed. "It's a date. And that means it's on your dime. You are a fancy lawyer after all."


Gwen tapped her toe nervously as she waited for the train to arrive. She wasn't sure what to tell her Dad, so she simply said she was going to spend a week with some friends and not to worry about her. With luck, he wouldn't check his credit statements to see that she'd used her For Emergencies Only card.

Two hands suddenly covered her eyes and she was enveloped in a soft fluffy texture. "Guess who?" a female voice asked.

"Vix, what are you doing here?" Gwen demanded, pulling her friend's hands away. When she turned around, she found Vul also standing there, his cheeks bright pink. "Vul's here too?"

The boy frowned and swatted his sister with his tails. "Told you she wouldn't be happy to see me."

"Hush, she's just surprised," Vix argued before wrapping her arms around Gwen in a tight hug. "And we're obviously here to help you, duh. That's what best friends are for, remember?"

"Yeah, but…" Gwen began before the fox cut her off again.

"You're going to Kumungu, right?"

"You already know that."

"Mmhm, and I don't take it your dad paid for you to have fighting lessons, did he?"

Gwen's silence was more than enough to give Vix her answer. "And I assume you don't know any magic either," Vul chimed in. "Kumungu is a really dangerous place, Gwen. We couldn't let you go there by yourself. Sorry if you didn't want to see me again."

"It's not like that," she promised. "I'm glad you're here. Just...has Vix explained things to you?"

"In detail."

"So you can understand then why this is awkward for me."

"Of course. But we're behind you a hundred percent. Right, sis?"

"Right," Vix agreed.

"Thanks you two. You really are awesome friends." She wrapped her arms around both of them, drawing them close to her. She cherished these two friends more than anyone else in the world...except her dad.

A shrill whistle echoed through the station, signaling that the train had arrived. The three friends parted and together stepped aboard. As they took their seats, Gwen couldn't help but wonder out loud, "What do you think Nidalee is like?"

"We've never met her, but I've heard things," Vix grinned. "I've heard she commands an army of wild tigers that patrol the jungle. If anyone trespasses RAWR, your face gets ripped off before you can even step on a twig."

"I don't think the League would let her murder everyone that goes into Kumungu. Besides, how would people even know about her tiger army if they kill everyone who sets foot in the jungle?" Gwen asked.

The only boy of the group's ears twitched in excitement. "Actually, I know a little bit about her. I'm excited to meet her."

"Really? Why's that?"

"She's an expert in a special kind of magic. The kind that only comes out of Kumungu. She calls it the magic of the wilds, and she's one of the only people in all of Valoran who have mastered it. She may not have an army of tigers at her disposal, but she was raised by them."

"Wow. I can't believe that Dad dated somebody like that." The young blonde practically had stars in her eyes at the thought. Not only would this give her a chance to become closer to her father, but this was the closest thing she had to meeting her mother. If things had turned out differently, Nidalee could very well have been her mom.

"I can," Vix smirked. "Did you see her in that video? That's one dynamite body. And that pole dancing? I'd kill to be able to put on a show like that." She shot a playful wink to her brother. "I bet someone else would kill for that too."

Vul turned a bright red, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. The train lurched forward, taking off from the station and out into the wild countryside of Valoran. Gwen watched with amusement as the twins went back and forth teasing one another.

She had to admit, the whole incestuous feelings thing hadn't bothered her as much as it would bother a normal person. It wasn't difficult to recognize that. But the reason Gwen was so accepting of it was because of these two. She'd witnessed first-hand the love between them, and if she could have a relationship like that with her father...well, it'd make her the happiest she'd ever been.

"Oh! I just thought of something," Gwen exclaimed. "Do you guys think we could make a stop by the League on the way home? There's someone I'd like to talk to."

"Who's that?" Vix asked. "Did you find another lover that your father had?"

"No, but the person who brought over the wine last night was named Morgana. If not for that wine, I wouldn't have gotten to kiss my dad the way I did. I just wanted to thank her."

The twins tails fluffed up the moment they heard her name. "I don't think that's such a good idea," Vix said.

"Yeah, what she said. She had a less than stellar reputation. I mean, we could always talk to her sister. That'd be a safer bet, and we could ask her to pass the message along."

Gwen considered it before nodding in agreement. If this was someone that even scared Vix, it was best to steer wide of her. The fact her dad was friends with someone like that, too...just how much of him did she not know?


As the waitress went to put in the order for the two cups of coffee, Caitlyn was still staring at the menu. "You know we agreed on coffee, not on you treating me to breakfast."

"Who said I'm treating you to breakfast?" Kiba teased. "I just came here because I'm hungry. No one told me you'd be eating, too. I guess I can't let you starve though, so yeah, I'll cover it. I owe you one anyway."

"For what?" she asked.

"For everything. I don't forget my debts, Sheriff. You've broken so many rules for my sake, it's a wonder you haven't been reprimanded."

Caitlyn brushed her dark bangs from her eyes as she lifted them towards her friend. "Well, what can I say? You can be pretty useful sometimes. Sticking my neck out every now and then in exchange is the least I can do."

"So, what's the story with Val anyway? I was shocked not to see Vi the other day. Did she retire?"

"Something like that," Cait murmured. "She ran off with our boyfriend to join the League. When she left, I was by myself, so I needed another deputy. I met Val while investigating into some white collar crimes. She'd been hacking into a company's system, reversing the money they'd steal from their customers. I was impressed with her skills, so I asked her to work with me."

"She seems to respect you a lot."

"As much good as that did her. Thanks to me, she's laying in a hospital bed with a hole punched through her."

"Hey, you can't think like that, Cait. She chose to work for you. She knew the risks involved with the job. Besides, she's your friend, right? I'm sure she knows that you got there as fast as you could."

"Not exactly," the Sheriff replied.

"What do you mean?"

She took off her hat, setting it in the booth beside her. "Vi leaving was harder for me than I like to admit. I try to distance myself from Val as much as I can. Strictly professional relationship."

"Are y'all ready to order?" the waitress asked. "I could give you squirrel feeders a few more minutes if you like."

Cait looked at Kiba in confusion over the bizarre description, but he shrugged in shoulders. Pushing the comment aside, she cleared her throat. "Erm, yes. I'd like the eggs benedict, please."

"Okydoke. And what about you, sugah?"

"Just pancakes and some scrambled eggs for me, please."

"Understood. I'll be right back with your orders."

When the two were alone again, Caitlyn decided to change the subject. "So what about Gwen? How are things going with her?"

"Confusing," Kiba admitted. "She's so much like her mother, it's uncanny. Honestly, I know every parent thinks their child is perfect, but I couldn't have asked for a better daughter."

The sheriff laughed. "Well, you realize that your parenting plays a big part in that, don't you?"

"Hardly. I mean, yeah I was a stay at home dad for a while, but I've very rarely had to discipline her. She has a good head on her shoulders, and an even better heart. I wouldn't be surprised if she became a reporter like I did."

"She's very lucky to have you," Caitlyn assured him.

He smiled to himself. "She recently got accepted into Piltover U. I'll admit, it will be lonely when she leaves for college. I know every bird has to leave the nest, but…"

"It's still hard to let them go. I understand completely."

"Speaking of which, I should probably call her. I don't want her to get too worried."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to talk on your phone during a date?" Caitlyn teased.

Kiba waved her off, still smiling as he held his phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey kiddo, it's Dad."

"Oh h-hi Dad. Is something up?"

He blinked in confusion. That wasn't a typical response for her. "Umm, no. No, I'm just checking in on you. Did you find yourself something to eat?"

"Yes, sir. I'm perfectly fine."

There was a loud whistle through the phone causing Kiba's heart to race. Was she… "Honey, are you on a train?" he asked.

"A ferry actually," she said. "Vix invited me over, so I'm going to Ionia to visit."

"Without telling me?" he repeated. "Gwen, you can't just go running off to another country without talking to me first."

"I left a note at home," she protested.

"That's no excuse," he lectured. "You have my cellphone, Gwen. You should have known to call me."

"Sorry Daddy, it won't happen again," she promised. "So can I go?"

"It's a bit late to turn around now, isn't it?"

"Now arriving at Shurima Station," a mechanical voice called through the line.

"Shurima?!" he boomed. "You're in Shurima!"

"Oops, got to go, Daddy. Bye!"

"No, Gwen! Do not hang up on–" The line went dead. "Damn it!" Kiba angrilly punched the numbers back into his phone again. "I swear, you are so grounded," he growled. As it began to ring, he held it to his ear and drummed his fingers on the table. "Pick up, pick up."

"Hey there, it's Gwen. Leave a message after the tone. Byeee! *Beep*"

"Guinevere Elunal, you answer your phone this instant. You are in big trouble, do I make myself clear? You are to turn around and come straight home!" He snapped his phone shut, and if not that he needed it for when she called back, he'd have hurled it across the room. "I can't believe her! Leaving without permission, lying to me? This is so unlike her."

"Hey, calm down," Caitlyn tried.

"Don't tell me to calm down," he snapped before realizing his tone. "Sorry, Cait. I didn't mean to shout. I'm just so stunned she would behave like this."

"She is eighteen, Kiba. She's legally an adult. She doesn't need your permission to leave anymore." If looks could kill, the one he shot her would have made her drop dead. "All I'm saying is, even Orianna rebelled against her father when he tried to control her. I understand you're worried, but you need to calm down. Otherwise, you may just push her away more. Can you think of any reason why she may have lied to you?"

"No. I can't think of anything. It's not like her to leave like this."

"Is there a boyfriend, maybe? Someone she thought you'd disapprove of?"

Kiba's eyes widened. "Oh Gods. I know what she's doing. She's running away. Son of a bitch."

"Running away? Why?"

"I...I can't tell you."

The sheriff was stunned. Now Kiba was hiding things? "Why not? I'm only trying to help."

"I know, and I appreciate that, but I promised Gwen we'd keep it between us. Anyway, I should probably go. You stay, enjoy your breakfast. I've got to catch a train to Shurima."

Cait quickly grabbed his wrist, slamming one end of the handcuffs on to it before clipping the other side to herself. "No, no, no. Not a chance, Kiba. That's a bad idea."

"Sheriff, so help me Gods, if you don't unlock these handcuffs right now, you and I are going to have a fight on our hands. My daughter is out there, and she could be in danger. I can't just…"

Caitlyn jerked the handcuffs hard, pulling him back into the booth. "Kiba, I need you to trust me on this."

"You wouldn't understand. You're not a parent," he protested.

His words hurt her, but still she was resolved to keep him here. For his own good of course. "I didn't want to play this card, but you're giving me no choice," she sighed.

"Card? What card?"

"You think I'm not on to you, doppelganger? Huh?! There's no way I'm going to let you escape justice."

"...You can't be serious," he groaned. "We've already been through this. I already proved to you I am who I say I am!"

"Hmmph, a likely story. You could have heard us talking about our date before hand and that's how you knew I'd believe you."

"What?! We've never even spoken about that date until today!" Caitlyn just raised her arm and jingled the handcuffs to show she wasn't going to let him go. With no other option the attorney fell still in his seat. "Fine. I'm staying. Happy?"

"Sometimes. I'm still not undoing these handcuffs though. You don't need your left hand to eat."

When the waitress returned with their food and saw the handcuffs, she looked at the sheriff inquisitively.

"Flight risk," she explained nonchalantly.

"Amen, sister," she mumbled under her breath.

To be continued...