Demons are Forever Read online

  The one photo he located was grainy and showed little more than the top of her head as she stood with a group of people outside the County Seat. If she hadn’t been blonde, he wouldn’t even have seen that amidst the suits.

  Okay. Dr. Lian Herrick was a real person and that was her real name. She was affiliated with County so that checked out too. But as far as anything other than her professional persona, he had zip on the lady.

  “Marlene?”

  “Yes, my sweet?”

  “I need you to go take a nap now.” Buck’s fingers darted over the keyboard.

  “You’re going to be naughty, aren’t you?”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  “Can’t I watch?”

  “No, honey. Not this time.”

  “We’re not going looking for those erotic sex sites tonight?”

  “Nope.”

  Marlene’s image pouted. “You never let me have any fun, Buck.”

  “Next time, okay? Now go nap, sweetheart. A man needs his privacy from time to time.”

  Marlene snorted. “Like I’ve never seen a guy jerk off before.” A sigh echoed through the speaker system. “But if you say so…” She faded from the screen, leaving it black and empty.

  He drew a breath and then typed in a series of meaningless numbers and symbols. The screen remained blank after he hit Enter, then a large warning image appeared, threatening all sorts of dire consequences if he continued along his present path.

  He grinned. Let ’em try.

  He typed in a few more characters. He hadn’t hung around his commanding officer’s desk for nothing. Leave it to the captain to write his passwords on sticky notes and smack ’em on the underside of his blotter. Sometimes people were too damn predictable.

  He hadn’t used this information more than once. But he needed this access now, not just for personal satisfaction, but for information that might just be pertinent to his case.

  If he was going to sneak stealthily around highly classified federal databases, he might as well make it worth his while.

  After a few more warnings, one outright threat and a cute laughing skull thrown in by some bored programmer, no doubt, he got to where he wanted to be.

  In the upper levels of secret information.

  And there he found her.

  A dossier, easily accessed by those who had a need-to-know. Dr. Lian Herrick was laid bare, cybernetically speaking. Her academic qualifications were there, all the way to the D+ she got in Modern Dance in high school.

  Note to self. Don’t take the good doctor dancing without sturdy shoes. Buck grinned and accessed the background file, passing over the scholarly GPA scores and honors earned. She was smart. He already knew that.

  A red asterisk marked the top line of Dr. Herrick’s personal history. He read the paragraph with interest.

  Dr. Lian Herrick is a direct descendant of Xi Ling Wu. Wu was destroyed in 2147 after being identified as Gui Lian—pronounced shu-lan. When Wu manifested signs of paranormal ability, he became Gui—demon. Discussions with Hong Kong historians confirmed the legends of its existence. Unfortunately, this rare Chinese demon proved uncontrollable. His victims were slaughtered with excessive unpleasantness. See File 43-7-47-slash-049. It is not known whether Xi Ling Wu’s DNA was a scientific fluke or a strain that may emerge again. Suggest watching entire Wu clan for further evidence of contamination by this entity. If observed, subject is to be terminated immediately.

  Buck leaned back in his chair and blew out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. The entry was dated nearly seventy-five years ago. There was no further mention about this Gui Lian creature, so he figured it hadn’t cropped up in the Wu family or their descendants since that time.

  They’d moved on quietly, apparently, with a preponderance of scientists appearing in various spots on Lian’s family tree. Not surprising, all things considered. The Wu family would probably want to either research or eliminate the demon gene that had placed their name into this particular file and maybe the legends in the places they had lived.

  It explained her fervent devotion to her work. Was she driven by her own demon? A fear it might reoccur in her? Icy chills slithered down his spine as he thought about it.

  Dear God in Heaven, had it reoccurred already?

  He quickly opened the file on the demon killings. What he found was a series of reports and photos that made him blink and swallow down the harsh taste of that last beer as it threatened to come back up.

  The photos were explicit. Not that they’d been taken with that particular goal in mind—they were simply crime scene shots saved forever in a combination of pixels that assembled themselves into something that he could only describe as fucking appalling.

  A dart of relief shot through his brain. This wasn’t done by the creature who’d devoured the victim he’d seen so recently.

  This was—different. And clearly sexual. The remains showed careful and considerate violations. The face was gone, gnawed to the skull which showed whitely amidst the tattered flesh.

  The breasts were also gone, torn away, leaving gaping bleeding ruptures in white skin. Further down the genitals had been similarly mutilated, a gash of meaty horror left gaping between the thighs.

  At first glance, Buck’s thoughts drifted to the old unsolved mystery of Jack the Ripper. It could have been that kind of crime or even one of Jack’s victims. The sexual fury was pretty clear. Putting his emotions into a box and clamping the lid shut, he glanced over the forensic report.

  Fourteenth victim. Female. Hong Kong resident. Similar injuries to others, leads investigators to conclude one perpetrator responsible for all homicides.

  Jesus. This was a serial killer with a serious grudge against women. He browsed the file, learning that all the victims had been in the Far East, which probably explained why the file was locked away. There had never really been a state of full disclosure amongst nations, peace treaties, accords and general international backslapping notwithstanding.

  Theory: ancient demon is now manifesting in afterglow DNA mutation. Further information requested from Chinese experts.

  There was little else. Apparently this had been the last victim. And whatever it was had either died or disappeared off the map. Which was probably a good thing for every woman in Asia.

  He leaned back in his chair. So Lian Herrick was distantly related to some sub-human Chinese demon. Perhaps that explained her eyes, although he couldn’t see her transforming into some ravenous beast. That was more his line of interest, at least when he had a willing woman in his bed.

  He grinned at himself, then sobered. This went way beyond sex, and joking about it didn’t make it any better. But it was what cops seemed to do. He shook off the uncomfortable feeling that he was treating this crime with a lack of respect.

  He wasn’t. It might have been a couple of hundred years ago, but the evidence was still there, on his monitor, as freshly gory as if it had happened yesterday. And he knew the images would join the others that haunted his dreams on a regular basis. It was what happened in a cop’s brain. Part of the job that never got advertised by recruiters.

  This’ll teach me to poke around in restricted files.

  He clicked his way back out of the report and noted as he left there was one recent file titled Current Status of DNA Mutation Situation (Afterglow). It was authored by a scientist whose work Buck had read. Reputable and not given to hyperbole, this dude knew his stuff and presented it clearly, without all the technical babble that made it incomprehensible to anyone without a Ph.D.

  Out of curiosity, Buck opened the folder and read the summation paragraphs.

  As of the above date, our researches show that the DNA Mutation Effect from Afterglow is increasing in frequency and intensity. More subjects are presenting symptoms of mutations and a variety of new or hybrid personalities are emerging.

  We have seen banshees, trolls and gargoyles, some evidence of a leprechaun mutation and one possible centaur. Abilities such as l
evitation and telekinesis are on the rise. We continue to monitor and evaluate humanity’s adaptations. At this time, we cannot predict what may emerge next.

  To our surprise, we observed that the control of the human host is weakening. While it has been the accepted norm that AG characteristics are under the control of the human possessing them, this assumption is weakening in the face of increasing events observed by our research team. AGs are now beginning to retain their alternate forms for longer periods of time. The transition is occurring more frequently and occasionally when not expected, anticipated or desired.

  Where this will lead our species has yet to be determined. Whether it will result in humans becoming co-residents on our planet with their mystical brethren, we cannot say. Further observation and evaluation is required before a preliminary assessment can be made.

  Buck thought about this for a while. It was something he’d not realized, nor expected. AG people not being able to control their AG mutations? Sheesh. That would be so not good. A housewife changing into a werewolf in the meat section of the supermarket? And what about vampires and the night? If they switched during the day by accident, it would really not be a good thing for them. Not even a can of diet Bloodsi would stop them from burning—maybe not to death, but it would be nasty either way.

  And what about him? Would he find that door in his brain opening wide and staying that way? Fuck. He didn’t know if he’d be able to survive with a constant parade of images bombarding his head all the goddamn time.

  The mere notion of not being in control of what he looked at as his gift made him nauseous and he closed down his investigation, relieved to see Marlene’s sultry face smiling at him.

  “Was it good for you, Buck?” Her lips pouted and shone as she spoke.

  “No, baby. Not this time it wasn’t.”

  And ain’t that the truth?

  Chapter Four

  It had been more than a week since Lian had walked into the precinct. She’d spent most of the time hunched over her computer and in her own private world of research, drowning in legends, facts, fantasies and crime scene photos awful enough to send a normal human being screaming from the room.

  And still she hadn’t managed to fully identify those damned eyes. She was angry—at herself for what she perceived as her failure and also at a certain detective who lingered in the back of her thoughts a lot more than he should have. He was a distraction she didn’t want and apparently couldn’t avoid.

  She wasn’t certain he’d accepted her “Fae” mutation either. He’d looked skeptical. Of course, taking a wee trip into his head probably hadn’t helped matters any. But she’d needed to know what he’d seen and felt.

  Telling him she was a cognitive would have established a bond she didn’t want. Telling him she was so much more—that was out of the question. If he ever found out she was in the zero-point-two percent of the population that fell into the “uncategorized” section of the AG roster… No. Not a chance in hell.

  For most of her life, she had carefully controlled her emotions and her abilities. From an early age, her teachers had instructed her, given her exercises not dissimilar to mental yoga, taught her to meditate and finally to co-exist with her AG talent.

  It was a damn good thing too. Once she’d manifested, her family knew where the gene had come from. She was Gui, demon. But not, thank God, a killing demon.

  No, Lian Herrick was what people a thousand years ago would have called succubus.

  Her eyes, her body, her scent were all a lure to men. When she got one in bed, she could invade his mind while accepting his body. She could, if she chose, enslave her lovers for life. She did not choose. She did not date, indulge in casual sex or even consider herself attractive. She knew that to betray interest in a man was to begin the process of reeling him in like a fish on the end of a line. It would end in bed and then she’d have to prowl around in his head to wipe out the memories of the sex unless she wanted him in her life as a permanent fixture.

  Thus she hid her AG nature behind a veil of mental control. It wasn’t until she’d met Detective Buck Shand that her veil had started to weaken. A dream of her own had featured a very naked version of him and she’d awoken sweating and shivering on the edge of an orgasm—something that hadn’t happened in longer than she could recall.

  She’d meditated right afterwards, pushing down the sexual hungers, the need for something hard deep within her body. She’d restored her mental balance for a time, at least.

  But seeing Shand again was going to be a challenge to her restraint. Which was odd, because she didn’t even really like the guy. He was abrasive, a little rude, abrupt and showed signs of condescension. Whether it was because she was a woman, she was short or just that she wasn’t from his precinct—maybe all of the above—she didn’t know.

  Didn’t matter that he was possessed of all the physical attributes she found attractive in a man. She was going to ignore the eyes, the body, the fingers that looked elegantly out of place on a cop—nope, didn’t matter.

  Not to her. She was so not going to fall into Detective Buck Shand’s bed. It would be very bad for both of them.

  Lian chuckled to herself. He had no idea what a narrow escape he’d just had.

  Heading for the detective’s meeting room, she tucked her folders tighter beneath her arm and mentally prepared herself for the information she was about to deliver. It wouldn’t satisfy anybody, of course, but it was at least a place to start.

  She’d push Shand out of her head and other places. Ignore those blue eyes and focus on her job. As she always did.

  But for some reason a lingering sense of disappointment wriggled at the back of her mind. He might have had a narrow escape, but she couldn’t rid herself of the feeling she might be missing out on some hellaciously fine sex.

  Oh well. She’d passed on sex before. She could do it again.

  However, when the door swung shut behind her and she looked at the detectives assembled, only one pair of eyes drew her gaze. Hot need rippled through her pussy and she cursed beneath her breath as incredibly erotic images flashed across her mind for a microsecond, making her shiver.

  She could do it again. She could ignore Buck Shand and her sexual response to him. She absolutely had to.

  ———

  “So that’s it.”

  Buck dragged his eyes away from Lian to glance at his notes. She hadn’t given them much, that was for sure.

  The captain seemed to agree. “Not a lot to go on.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I accessed every database there is.” Lian nodded. “I’ve got requests out to international groups, scientific research centers—you name it and I’ve been digging around in it.”

  “And we appreciated it, Dr. Herrick.”

  Nods greeted the captain’s diplomatic acknowledgement.

  “So you think it’s an Asian male?” Buck shot the question at her, wondering if she’d drop her mask of professional efficiency for a second or two.

  She didn’t. “Yes. As near as I can tell from what I’ve learned, this particular killer bears close resemblance to one that cropped up a few generations ago in the Far East.”

  He tilted his head in acknowledgement. It verified what he’d dug up himself during his unprofessional prying.

  “But there are differences.” She tugged absently on her lower lip. “That perp was sexually motivated. All his kills were violently sexual. Genital mutilation, that sort of thing. He was incredibly savage and never apprehended. But the technique differs from what you’ve got here. That demon wouldn’t have left a sexual body part untouched. This one—well, obviously he did.”

  She shifted and glanced at the ever-present crime scene photos, one of which featured that carefully positioned breast with its rigid nipple.

  “So if it’s not about sex, what is it about?” Buck had to ask.

  “The kill?” Lian lifted one eyebrow. “I’m not a profiler, Detective Shand. My expertise isn’t in getting into the perp�
�s mindset. I leave that to you guys.” She stared at him. “You specifically, I believe.”

  “Now and again.” He waved off the comment. “Nothing in any database about a killer who’s invisible?”

  “If you mean the lack of DNA at the crime scene? No.” She sighed, a movement which did rather nice things to the breasts beneath her black shirt. “With our state-of-the-art DNA files and current rules and regs about testing and so on, we should have a DNA sample on record for pretty much everyone on the damn planet. And even if there’re a few people out there not in the database, there should still be unknown DNA present. This whole business of a total lack of anything to identify the perp? Well, that’s a real puzzle.”

  Buck shrugged and mentally stopped stripping the good doctor. She had one hell of an effect on his libido. It was really starting to piss him off, since he wanted to focus on his job, not her body.

  “Okay.” The captain spoke. “So how do we go about catching this monster? Grab every Asian male afterglow off the streets and see if they turn invisible?” He spread his hands helplessly. “I’m open to suggestions here.”

  The conversation thrummed around the room, comments and ideas being thrown into the pot only to be discarded as others chewed over them. It was how they worked, Buck realized. Using each other as sounding boards, trusting in each other’s strengths and skills to think a concept through and determine its worth in regard to the current case.

  Which fell into the category of a bitch and a half.

  Everyone jumped as a loud chime sounded and one wall lit up with the image of a communications tech. “New call. Just came in. Sounds like your guy.” The tech was stuttering in her nervousness. “Fourteenth Street. Corner of Maple. It’s in the Bogs, guys. One DB. Or at least they think it’s only one. The caller’s hysterical. Talking about the blood…”

  There was a microsecond of stunned silence. Then the captain moved. “Shand, Fisher—take the lead.” He glanced at another detective. “Thomas, take your team and get out there now. Canvas everyone. Talk to lampposts if you have to, but get us some kind of witness.” Looking back at the tech he tilted his head at her. “Call the ME’s office and Forensics. Get me a squad en route ASAP.”