Chapter 7

Shadow gently pulled the blanket aside, expecting to see the partially decomposed body of a little girl. What he did see surprised a laugh out of him. "It's not her," he called, holding up the wrapped up teddy bear that had to be almost as big as the girl they were here to find.

Angel went to reach for the bear.

"No," Callie said. "Don't touch it."

Angel drew back her hand as if the bear was ready to bite her. "Why not?"

"It's bloody," Callie said, swallowing hard. "I can smell that and the violence on it. She didn't leave it here. Someone else did."

Angel went to the truck and grabbed a couple of bags out of the back end. The blanket went into one and the bear in the other.

"What else, Callie?" Shadow said.

"It's all confused, but they were here after our lab techs were."

"Can you scent the girl?" Shadow asked.

Callie walked back to where the cans had been pulled out, stooping down. She sniffed the air, closing her eyes to try to make sense of the chaos of smells that she drew in. The trash which contained leftover take out from some Italian restaurant, gone bad, hot dogs, cabbage and diapers. Then there was the crime scene smells, chemicals and blood, the scent of the different techs, the humans that had been in the area.

Just under it, she caught the faintest whiff of baby powder. "Shadow," she called.

"Yeah."

"Our techs and the cops' techs, their gloves, what do they use inside, is it just talcum or is it baby powder?"

"Talc, I think. I'd have to call and find out."

"Don't bother. I think I've got it," she said, rising and moving toward the dark area of the alley. She'd given Shadow her flashlight so she hesitated a minute to let her eyes get used to the dark. Then she was off walking with a steady gait toward the other end of the alley.

"Marcus, get in the truck and follow us. Angel, stay with him, I'm going to follow Callie." Shadow gave neither of them time to argue, heading off to trail after here, though he gave her plenty of room.

Noises assaulted Callie's sensitive ears, but she ignored them, her brain figuring out what they were even as she worked to keep that faint scent of child. "How long has she been out here?"

"The body was found two weeks ago. If she's not with somebody, she could have very well starved to death."

"No, she's not dead. She's not with the vampires either." Callie stopped moving, motioning for Shadow to stay back. Crouching down, she spoke softly to someone that Shadow couldn't see. "Hi there, little one. Was it your bear we found back there?"

Shadow missed what was said as Marcus drew closer with the truck. He held up his hand for Marcus to stop, hearing the two doors opening.

"What's she doing?" Angel asked, coming up to stand beside him.

"I think she found her. Stay right here." He walked toward the shadowed side of the building and disappeared. Angel squinted, trying to find him in the brick.

"How the hell does he do that?" she muttered.

"I'll tell you the story some day when we're lying in the crypt together." Marcus put his hand on her waist, only smiling when she brushed him off, giving him a dirty look.

Callie kept her voice low, soothing, trying not to scare the dirty child. "I bet you're hungry. I think I have a candy bar if you'd like it," she offered.

"M-my momma said not to take candy from people I don't know."

"Your momma is a very smart lady. Do you know where she is?" Callie asked.

"She comes and sees me some night," the girl said, her voice taking on a sing-song quality that frightened Callie. "She holds me when I'm sleepy. It only hurts for a minute."

Callie's eyes closed tightly as she tried to control her emotions. Her mother was a vampire, she was feeding off her own daughter. "What's your momma's name, sweetie?"

"Kendra," the little girl said.

"Kendra, what a pretty name. I bet she gave you a pretty name too," Callie said, moving just a bit closer. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Stephie."

"Stephie? It's a pretty name for a pretty girl. My name is Callie."

Stephie nodded her head, the little curly haired girl holding onto another blanket with her hand near her face. She rubbed her eye with her fist and yawned.

"Would you come with me?" Callie asked, holding out her hand. "We'll take you somewhere that you could get a bath and a place that's nice and warm to sleep with a real bed. We'll even give your teddy a bath so you can put him to bed with you. Would you like that?"

"Can my momma come too?"

"Do you want her to?" Callie asked, scooting a bit closer. She could reach out and grab Stephie now if it were necessary. But she didn't want to. She wanted the little girl to trust her.

Stephie looked around then slowly shook her head. "She's cold and she scares me."

"Okay, we won't let her come with us then," Callie said.

"Who's going to stop me?"

Stephie gave a little scream, moving deeper into the small space between the wall and the dumpster. Callie stood, staring at the woman who came out of the deepest shadows of the alley.

She was pretty, though she looked like something out of a bad Vampire movie. Her hair was blonde streaked with black chunks, ratted and sprayed. She wore a black dress that was cinched at the waist with a corset. Bright red lipstick outlined her full lips and looked almost like blood against her pale skin.

The dress was low cut, showing off an impressive cleavage. Her waist was tiny, her hips full, shown off by the flare of the skirt. It came to mid thigh, her legs encased in fishnet stockings. She wore heels that gave her an impressive height and moved with a grace that showed what she now was.

"Kendra, I take it," Callie said.

"You take it right. What are you doing with my daughter?"

"Keeping you from bleeding her dry," Callie growled, her silver eyes swirling. "If you want to continue your undead life, you'll leave right now."

"NO!" Angel growled, stepping forward and glaring at the other Vampire with eyes that told of her distaste. "You won't let her go, she might know where my father is."

"You're Angel," Kendra smiled, her fingers moving over the front of her dress, tracing the neckline with a brightly painted nail. "He said you'd look down on us, that you wouldn't understand."

"Who said?" Angel growled. "Who's doing this? Who changed you?"

"He's had his eyes on you for a while, Angel," Kendra said, the nail going to her lips, her white teeth biting teasingly against the red paint. "You are just his type, and a pure blood. You're not half like the rest of us." She moved quickly, almost quicker than Callie's eyes could track. When she appeared again, she held her daughter in her arms.

"You want her?" she jeered at Angel. "Come and get her."

Then both mother and daughter seemed to disappear even as Shadow came out of the wall and tried to grab them. "Angel!" he shouted.

"I'm on it," she called.

"I'm behind you," Callie growled, throwing off her uniform and changing into the wolf before anyone could stop her.

She took off at a ground eating lope, following the two vampires by the scent of the little girl. There was no way she could move with the pace or the ease of the two female vampires, but she was determined to get to the little girl while she was still relatively unharmed.

"Dammit!" Shadow ran past Marcus just as he turned to head for the truck. Pulling out his communicator, he called for back up even as he slammed the front door of the truck closed behind him.

"Shadow to ASP," he repeated. "Agents are in pursuit of fleeing suspect. North on Dixon. Need backup."

"Ten-four," the female voice said. Shadow heard her calling out for their back up.

"There's Callie," Marcus said, pointing down the street just as Callie ducked across an alley. "She's turning left on Oak." He made the turn, hearing the sound of brakes squealing as he cut off a Honda. The car skidded, almost hitting them before stopping. Shadow reached up and grabbed his seatbelt, clicking it on.

"Where is she?" Shadow growled, looking for the black wolf.

"There," Marcus said, pointing at the edge of another alley. "She's heading down there."

Shadow heard Callie's howl, knowing she'd found what she was looking for. "They're down there."

Marcus cut down the alley, the lights on the truck illuminating the two vampire woman and the wolf, who paced back and forth in front of Kendra. She still held her daughter, stroking her dirty hair even as she bared her fangs at Angel.

Slamming the truck into park, Marcus and Shadow both jumped out, moving toward the standoff at the end of the alley.

"Move again and I'll break her neck," Kendra hissed, her hand against the back of her daughter's head.

"You'd do that?" Angel asked. "You'd kill your own child?"

"She's a human child. Humans are little more than food." Kendra sneered at them. "I've heard of you do-gooders and how you protect the cattle. I've been told of how you drink out of plastic bags. We're hunters. We own the night. The humans can never understand what we are. They don't know what it's like. They've never felt the air the way we can. Or feel the dark as it pulses against your skin. They'll never understand the seductiveness of walking into a room full of humans and taking your pick. I can have anyone," she scoffed. "Anyone!" she repeated.

"Then put the girl down and take me," Angel growled. "You think you know, you think you have half a clue of how it feels to be a true blood? You'll never even come close to knowing. Come and feed off of me," she taunted. "I'm a pure blood." She lifted her hands, taking one nail and slicing into her skin with it. Her blood rushed to the surface, filling the gash, the scent of blood, the coppery metallic sweetness of it tempting Kendra.

"No, Angel."

"Shut up, Marcus. Let her talk," Shadow said to the distraught warrior.

"Shadow," Marcus growled, ready to argue.

"Shut up, Wings. I got this." Angel didn't even look back at him. "Put the girl down, Kendra. You know you want what I am. Come on, have a taste." She waved her hand back and forth, letting the scent carry into the breeze.

Shadow could see the vamp was salivating. Keeping his eyes on the woman, he backed into the wall, walking through it and around. He took on the color of the trash bags as he walked through them, getting closer and closer to Kendra and the little girl she held so tightly.

"Let her go, Kendra. Let Callie have her and I'll let you feed."

Slowly, her eyes locked on the blood that dripped from Angel's arm, Kendra bent, letting Stephie find her feet. "Go to the big doggie," she ordered her child. "Now, Stephie, do as I told you. I'll be back for you in a little while."

Callie stepped forward, putting her furry body between the child and her mother. She felt the tiny hand tangle in the thick hair at her neck, walking away with her. A tormented scream sounded from behind them but Callie kept moving, nudging the little girl to keep her walking when she wanted to turn.

Passing Marcus, Callie whined at the winged warrior. He turned and picked up the little girl, smiling winningly at the tyke. "Come on, cutie. Let's go check out the truck and see if we can find that candy bar Callie said she had."

Stephie nodded, her hand reaching over his shoulder to play among the softness of his feathers. "You have wings like the pictures of the angels my momma used to have in our house.

"Yes I do," he said, glancing back at where the action was happening before he kept moving, speaking softly to the little girl. "That just means I'm a really good guy and you can trust me."

Shadow struggled to contain the fury of the woman in his arms. She fought him, using her nails against his arms and digging in deep even through the leather uniform. Angel moved forward quickly, feeling Callie's fur brush against her as she went into the battle as well. Between the three of them, they finally managed to subdue the woman, hearing her screeching and yelling.