SIX

Mike knelt down besides the sheet-covered body. It was found just a few hours ago lying in an alley steps from a popular underground club. But this was not some club-goer ODed on drugs; this body had been intentionally mutilated in order to hide its identity. After twelve years working homicide, the sight of a body missing its head and hands no longer made him queasy. He just wanted to get the bastard that did this, bring them to justice. The body was male and on the surface, it looked like a drug trade gone bad, but he would have to wait for the preliminary blood work before starting the investigation.

Nyte's pacing grew almost to the point of frantic as dawn grew near. Axel finally handed over the car keys and shoved her in the direction of the car, with a shake of his head.

"She always like that?" Vicki asked, watching the vampire all but dash to the car from the window.

"Yes and no. Vampires descended from Josephine Chevalier are notorious for the inability to stay in one place for long. Sometimes she's better, sometimes she's worst." Axel replied watching Nyte pull away. "This is actually one of her better moments considering the circumstances." He turned to face Vicki. "Nyte may come across as flighty but she's extremely loyal. She's known that pain in the ass for over a century and come hell or high water, she'll do anything to find him or his body." Axel added that as an afterthought. So far, the trail for Damion Prince was ice cold.

"I take it you don't like him" Vicki asked.

"He's an arrogant cocky son of a bitch. But he's my wife's arrogant cocky son of a bitch."

The blond vampire snarled at his captor as he was shoved to his knees. The bastard had bled him again. His ribcage burned as if on fire, but Damion would not give his captor the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. He was less then subhuman; lower then the slime growing on river rocks in Damion's mind. Eventually, someone would realize he was missing and come asking questions. Right now, he just had to wait him out.

"Are you certain about this?" Mike asked, looking at the report Mohadevan dropped in front of him.

"It's nothing I'll elaborate on in my official report, but yes I am very certain." She replied. "That's the second body with the same markers this week."

Mike sighed. Two dead vampires. Great.

"Thanks"

Mohadevan nodded her thanks and left.

Nyte was on edge and had been since she woke up. She had been alternating between pacing around Vicki's office like a caged animal to literally jumping every time she heard a car door. Currently she was looking out of a window, arms crossed, and her body tension speaking volumes about her state. She was itching to do…something. Anything.

"Hey Vicki, think Henry knows anything about the two dead vampires we have down in the morgue?" Mike announced as he came into her office, completely oblivious to the woman at the window.

Nyte turned suddenly, wheeling on her heels, "Two dead? Any ID?"

Mike blinked seeing the woman. He could have sworn a minute ago that she was not there. She looked familiar as well. His brain searched and finally made the connection. He looked to Vicki, "Where did she come from?"

"Been standing here all night detective. Now you said you have two bodies. How do you know they are vampires and were you able to identify either one?" Nyte quickly took charge.
Mike just continued to gape at the small woman.

Nyte sighed heavily and looked to Vicki, "Why do I think I have to do this the hard way?"

"He's just getting use to the whole vampire thing. Um Mike…." Vicki snapped her fingers in front of Mike.

"How did you appear like that?" Mike asked.

Nyte rolled her eyes. "Magic ok? I can perform magic now were you able to identify either of the two bodies?"

"No….they were…." He started to say they were decapitated and their heads removed but he remembered Ms. Chevalier had came to Toronto searching out a missing persons and if she was a vampire, chances are the person she was looking for was one too. "Left in such a way that dental and fingerprints were….unusable."

"Show me." Nyte snapped. She had to know. She did not need dental imprints or fingerprints to know if one of those bodies were Damion. She would just know.

"I have to warn you, the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition." Dr. Mohadevan said as she led Nyte, Vicki, and Mike into the sterile morgue. To Mike's surprise Nyte had police photographer credentials across the border. When this was all over, he was going to do a bit of background digging into this woman.

Mohadevan pulled back the sheet from the first victim's torso. Vicki shot a look to Nyte who simply shook her head. The body was not Damion's. Mohadevan moved to the second body.

"Mon Dieu!" Nyte cried out as her knees suddenly went out from under her.