FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter -10- San Francisco's Finest

_ _

September 5, 10:00am PDT San Francisco, California Homicide Division Offices ...

** Nichole Parker placed her palm against** Reno Nevada's chest and, with a smile, gave her fiancé a playful shove. "Why are you staying in homicide? You would rather figure out how someone died than to stop the influx of drugs to keep people alive?"

"That's not very fair to say. And not all murders are drug related."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just messing with you, babe." She ran her thumb over the new business card on his desk and read aloud, "San Francisco Inspector Reno Lee Nevada."

"No R. Lee Ermey jokes, please."

"Who?"

Reno shook his head with a chuckle. "Never mind."

She glanced over at the new ID card by his keyboard. "This picture of you is pretty good. Maybe you should use it as your Facebook profile pic."

"Yeah?"

She offered Reno a smile. "I still say you'd have been better off coming with me to the DEA."

"I love you." Reno reached up and cupped the side of her face. He traced his thumb over her lips. "Every little part of you."

"Even the part of me that badgers the hell out of you for not living up to your potential?"

"Every part." His thumb traced back to the far corner of her lips. "Even your Jewel Tooth."

"My Jewel what?" She brought her hand up and touched a crooked tooth adjacent to her front teeth.

"You have a Jewel album on the front seat of your car."

"Very astute, Reno. What's that have to do with my crooked tooth?"

"I heard she's proud of herself and doesn't change, because she won't let anyone make her feel bad over something as simple as a crooked tooth. It's endearing. You come from money and you didn't get it fixed. I love that about you. You're beautiful just as you are. I love you, I love your smile."

She stared at him for a moment. Her hand dropped to his shoulder. "You changed the subject, but..."

Reno tilted his head and waggled his brows at her.

"God dammit. You charmer. Fine. I'll take you loving me for who I am over living up to your fullest potential." She offered a weary grin. "No, babe. I'm kidding. I love you for who you are, too."

Inspector Nevada lifted his hand up and tucked a strand of his girlfriend's hair back behind her ear. "You look tired, Nicky Marie."

"I am."

"Besides, if I wanted to follow you into the DEA, I'd be unable to see you nearly as often as I do now. Let's face it. We wouldn't be working together; we wouldn't be able to take lunches together. They might even transfer me. You know how Government stiffs get about dating on the job."

She stared at him for a moment.

Silence.

Nichole folded her arms. "But homicide? You couldn't get on Dick Tracey's squad instead? Why homicide?"

Reno grinned at her. "Funny. Trust me, baby, this is where I belong right now."

"Just so long as you don't have it set in your head to settle on this forever."

"If I have a higher calling, that's fine."

"People say that, but they rarely mean it. People like to settle into something that they're comfortable doing. I'm sorry I seem so grumpy today. You just got a raise and I'm happy for you, babe."

"Did you work last night? You look exhausted"

"Good deduction, Sherlock." Nichole shook her head with a tired, thin smile. "Reno, I'm glad you got a raise and a promotion. I just don't understand why you're staying in homicide. This was your chance to get out, branch out and grow. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad you're making more money than before. I'm glad you get more prestige than before. But you could really go places. Why stay in homicide?"

"I'm good at it and I know I can really help make a difference," he said, adding, "Okay that was corny. I know, I know. But nothing feels better, at least for me, than calling up a spouse or parent and telling them we cracked the case. That their loved one has been avenged."

"Avenged, huh? I don't recall any cops in The Avengers."

"Luke Cage was a Private Investigator."

"Pardon?"

Reno grinned. "Super hero detectives are more of a DC thing. Crimson Avenger, Batman and his sidekicks. That sort of thing."

"DC?"

"Yeah, babe. DC - Justice League; Marvel does Avengers." He saw the goofy look on her face. Reno grinned. "DC does Green Arrow, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern..." Reno tilted his head in reply to her blank expression. His grin broadened. "What?"

"Boys and superheroes, I swear. My brother collects that stuff and he's almost twice my age. What is the big deal?"

Nevada offered a dry grin. "Big breasted super-babes in tights."

"Oh Jesus."

Reno chuckled. "Truth is, I'm better at what I'm doing than in the field of drugs where I'd have to memorize a whole new list of stuff."

"I cannot believe you still know all that comic book crap, though. And for me, it's much easier to memorize information about drugs. Besides, I can Google anything I don't know. I don't like examining dead bodies, nor do I like investigating blood spatter and all that nonsense."

"Okay, okay. Well, leave it to me - it doesn't bother me."

Nichole placed a hand on his arm. "Baby, what do you want to do this weekend? We both have off a whole weekend, at the same time, for the first time in six weeks. Let's do something together. You and me, Reno." She gave him pleading eyes.

"You know what?" Reno stood up and took her hand into his, kissing her knuckles. "Why wait until the weekend to go away? Wanna call out for the rest of the afternoon and get started on packing?"

Nichole raised her free hand and sifted her fingers through his tousled dark hair. "Forget packing. Let's just go. Boom, just like that."

"That's kinda' hot. No planning, just ... boom."

Nicky nodded with a grin, which spread across her lips, evolving into a brilliant smile. "If we have no choice, we'll take that old ass Monte Carlo of yours."

"It's a 2003 Supercharged TAZ pace car model!" He grinned in reply.

"You said Chevy didn't offer supercharger models until 2004, and it wasn't with the Pace Car model."

Reno stared at her.

Nichole's smile broadened. "See? I'm a good fiancée. I listen when you ramble."

He offered a confident smirk. "I added the supercharger aftermarket. I had the interior restored recently. I had the chip reprogrammed so it gets better gas mileage and more torque off the line."

"You and cars. You're just like my brother."

"C'mon, you know I love that car. It's sexy the way it's done up. It's in perfect condition, except for the mileage."

"It's ... okay," she teased. "For a V-6."

"The thirty-eight hundred engine is a workhorse. It's twenty years old and purrs like a kitten."

"Jesus, okay. Enough about car porn. I don't know how you got the department to let you use that dinosaur junker. We can always take my convertible."

"Your car has no backseat. How can I take my girl away for the weekend without a backseat?" Inspector Nevada put his hands on her hips and stepped out from behind his desk.

"You talk a nice game. I hope you plan to make good on it."

"You'll see." Reno grinned. "Let me go tell the Lieutenant I'm leaving for the day. You've convinced me. I don't know how you got away from your office so easily, but around here ... well, things are more ... you know ... formal."

"Oh, are they, now?"

"...Sometimes."

"Mm-hmm."

Reno chuckled. "Okay, not really. Come to think of it, Lou takes off more than most. I don't know how Captain Sanders deals with it. All right, sit tight and I'll be right back."

He walked away from his semi-cubical, crossed the large room full of desks, and stepped into an office on the far wall. Moments later, he returned, closed the door behind himself and gave her a discrete 'thumbs up' gesture.

The two made it through the precinct and headed out to the newly-constructed employee parking garage. The paint was fresh, the concrete was exceedingly clean.

Nichole glanced around. "I'm glad to know my tax dollars paid for a very nice garage. It's nicer than what we have at my office."

Reno grinned at her again. His Chevy was the second car from the exit.

He held the door for her; she eased into the passenger seat.

Reno went back around to the driver side, slid in and took the wheel. It looked new. Two-tone grey and black, the leather seats smelled fresh, like a brand new leather jacket or baseball glove.

Nichole eased the backrest forward so that it was less reclined. "So what's the most bizarre homicide case you've ever heard of, Reno?"

"That's out of the blue, babe."

"I was just thinking about a job I did last night in L.A. ... it was a weird one. It got me to thinking - what's the most bizarre case you've ever worked?"

Nevada rested his right hand on the shifter and gazed at the pavement in thought.

The Monte Carlo rolled forward, throaty for a V6.

Reno shrugged. "It actually wasn't one I was assigned to. My brother was attacked by this mugger about six weeks ago. Mid July."

"Wait, your brother was involved in a homicide case?"

"Yeah." Reno nodded. "The guy was going to kill Vincent, and you know how I feel about the kid - he's got a good heart and all. But he didn't do it."

"So how was it bizarre?"

"Well, you know how Vincent all-but-refuses to protect himself?"

Nicky nodded. "That's the type of person he is."

"Exactly. Well, the guy that picked on Vincent wound up dead. So, I asked the boss to tag along with the inspector put on that case."

"Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

Reno shook his head. "I didn't work the case. I just tagged along so I could see how they treated Vincent."

"So they thought your brother was a suspect?"

"They questioned Vincent, because he was one of the last people to see the bully alive. Anyhow, the Inspector who got Vincent's case was stumped to hell. It's technically still an unsolved case."

Nicky furrowed her brows.

"But yeah, Vince didn't do it, regardless of motive. He wouldn't hold a grudge with a bully unless it was to save an old lady, you know?"

Nicky chuckled. "Yeah, he's a sweet kid. So what made the case weird?"

Reno shrugged. "The guy died of really strange causes. But since the attacker died in a position of self-defense, it's being investigated as a homicide."

"What do you mean?" asked Nichole. "I'm not following. Your brother got mugged, and then he died of strange causes, but with defensive wounds?"

Reno ran his fingers back through his hair. "The mugger was killed by something related to radiation. He died with extremely serious skin burns from some sort of rare acidic form of peroxide. It's a long story, but basically the suspect in the mugging had some of his limbs melted for lack of a better term. He was burned to a crisp in some parts, and his body was stuck with his arms up, over his face."

"Holy shit."

"I know, right?" Reno shook his head. "Now the guy's death is headed towards Cold Cases."

"Okay, I admit, that is pretty bizarre, Reno."

"Yeah, you're telling me, right?" He shrugged his shoulders and added, "The attacker had a buddy who also died a few days later."

"What from?"

Reno cut the wheel, pulling out of the parking garage and onto the main road. "That guy had a really, really severe case of sunburn the day he came forward, claiming my little brother, Vincent, killed his pal in self-defense during the mugging. Furthermore the autopsy showed no blunt trauma to the mugger - just the melted skin, which the witness claims had manifested later on."

"How'd the second guy die?"

Reno shrugged again. "He felt like we weren't doing anything to bring Vincent to justice. So he tracked down my brother at work and attacked the kid."

"Jesus, Reno. Why didn't you tell me?"

"We've both been so busy, it just ... yeah. Anyhow, Vincent didn't have any money that night, and the second mugger scared him, so he ran. He got away. That much is on security footage from Vince's job. The guy ran after him. We found the body of the second guy later on, a mile away. There wasn't much left."

"What?" She glared at her fiancé. "Why haven't you ever told me about any of this?"

"I don't know. Vincent wanted the whole story to stay in the past because it really bothered him. I respect my kid brother, so I left it alone. He said he didn't want people talking behind his back, you know?"

Nichole ran her fingers back through her hair. "What caused the second suspect to die?"

"He, uh..." Reno's voice lowered. "Exploded." Reno cleared his throat. "Lab reports showed that a beam of gamma rays, I think the element was called 'Cobalt-60,' bombarded the second attacker. From the high water content of his body, he burst apart. He wasn't radioactive or anything, however it looked like he was nuked by a microwave but none of the flesh or muscle tissue appeared to have been cooked. He just ... burst. So to speak."

"Jesus Christ, Reno."

"If you ask me, those guys had a really bad run-in with the Karma Police."

Nicky glanced out the passenger window. She turned back to Reno. "Sounds like something out of a B-movie, or maybe one of your comic books..."

"I have a theory," said Reno. He brought the car to a stop at an intersection, flipped on the turn signal, and then made a right turn.

"Let's hear it."

"I think these thugs may have somehow been involved in something else. And a few days later their symptoms caught up with them after trying to attack Vincent. Both of them died from radioactive related causes, although neither of them suffered from radiation sickness."

"It's not like you can hold up a nuclear power plant."

He offered his fiancée a smirk in reply. "No, but maybe you can try and attack a science lab. Or ... maybe these attackers crossed paths with a military weapon research team. The Navy has nuclear stuff all along the coast."

"You're really reaching for answers, hon. I hope you don't do that very often."

Reno rolled his eyes.

"Good detectives use realistic methods of..." Nichole trailed off in reply to his glare.

"Give me a break, Nicky. It makes more sense than some guy claiming my brother attacked his mugger buddy with radiation. I might have a big imagination, but it doesn't make me a bad cop."

"Okay, okay. I know you're a good cop. But I also know you love action movies and all that stuff. But Cobalt-60 is used in a lot of things. From X-ray machines to dirty bombs. Have you considered that these guys might have been mixed up with a terrorist cell?"

"That was the angle the lead investigator tried. But he hit a dead end. How do you know about Cobalt-60 anyhow?"

"I'm a federal investigator, Reno. We attend terrorism seminars. Cobalt-60 is a by-product of nuclear reactors. It's also used to pasteurize food, because it kills bacteria without damaging the food. But it can be used for a dirty bomb, so there's that."

"But for it to cook those guys, how much Cobalt-60 are we talking?"

"I don't know. A lot." Nicky shrugged. "Enough to alert the Government and the media. Like you said earlier, bizarre. Either way, I'm glad Vincent is okay. He's a good kid and he really looks up to you."

Reno reached his right hand over and took ahold of her left. "Yeah, he's a good kid. A little lacking in confidence and grace, but he's got a good heart and a good head on his shoulders, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Do you ever tell him that?"

"At the risk of sounding gay? Hell no."

"Find a masculine way to word it, and tell him from time to time." She gave his knee a firm pat and changed topic. "So what did you have in mind for this weekend? Somewhere quiet preferably. Seclusion sounds nice."

"How about," he blinked and hit the brake. Car horns blared from behind. Two sedans passed him on the left. "Jesus!"

Nicky looked at Reno in confusion. "What's going on?"

Reno put Monte Carlo in reverse much to the displeasure of angry drivers behind him. "Look!" He pointed down an alley where several men in black uniforms unloaded a box truck.

A motionless person lay face down near the back wheels of the box truck. Reno saw another person dragged away by a man wearing black combat gear. "That looks serious." He narrowed his gaze. "They've got guns."

Nichole's eyes widened. "Reno, the DEA has been trying to follow a guy who has been employing mercenaries in black gear. This IS serious." She reached for her purse. She withdrew a handgun and an extra clip. "Do you have anything in the trunk? Pull around to the other side. Let's block the truck from being able to pull through."

"Hell yeah," he murmured softly and floored the accelerator.

Nichole smirked at his exuberance. "Call it in."

"I will in a second." Reno made an abrupt right, went to the end of the block, and made another right. He slowed down on approach to the alleyway. "I need this break in my case," Nichole mused. "God I hope this is related to Aris Falcon."

Reno inched the Monte Carlo forward until his car blocked the other end of the alley.

He popped his trunk, pocketed his keys, and quietly opened his doors. He made his way behind the coupe. He opened a gun safe, and pulled out two Sig forty-fives.

"Matching P220 Combat models?"

"You like?"

Nicky nodded.

"Don't go getting yourself shot, now."

"You got cuffs on you?" she asked. "Call this one in, Reno. I'll take this side." She closed the passenger door gently and hip-bumped it into place.

Reno shut his trunk.

Nicky moved to the wall of the alley's opening, back against the bricks and nodded over at her betrothed. "You wanna draw straws for who goes in and who covers?"

He pushed a set of cuffs into his back pocket, moved to the other side of the alley mouth, and shoved his tie into his shirt. He switched off the safeties on his guns and nodded back to her. "We advance together," he said. "We'll use the front of the box truck as cover then I'll move around the driver side and you follow. Take off those heels."

She kicked off her shoes and switched off the safety on her gun. "This is kinda' exciting, Reno. Never had the pleasure of going into a gunfight with my man before. Don't go getting yourself shot. You're not getting out of our vacation this weekend."

"Same goes for you," he replied with a grin. "Stay behind me. I'm still wearing my vest under my shirt."

"What?" she asked with a hiss of her voice. "Why'd you have a vest on today?"

"I had to question someone in the field a few hours ago. Haven't taken it off yet."

She rolled her eyes. "Jesus. We need to work on our communication skills. I asked you to tell me when..." Nicky stopped abruptly, took a breath, and then sighed. "Okay, sorry. I'm good."

They spoke simultaneously. "You know I worry," she told him over top of him telling her, "I know you worry."

They smirked at one another.

"Okay," she said with a firm nod. "You first. I've got your back, hon. How about I climb up the front of the truck? I can cover you better from atop the box."

"No," he said.

"Why not?" she asked, glaring at him.

"Sorry hon, women aren't always right."

"The hell I'm not," she replied with a smirk.

"Don't argue with me."

"You tell me why not? My plan is sound."

"One of these days, Alice. Zam-Boom, straight to the moon."

"Reno, I'm going over the top of the truck."

"No," he replied with a serious expression. "The tops of box trucks like those are usually translucent. They let in sunlight. That means they might see you and shoot you from beneath."

"Shit." She paused for a moment. Nicky nodded sideways. "Just move. At this rate, backup will show up and bust these guys before we do."

Reno took the lead and headed into the alley with confident steps.

Behind him, Nichole followed with care and caution, walking in her stockings. She kept her pistol pointed forty-five degrees downwards.

Reno kept one gun pointed up and the other pointed forward.

They made it to the front of the truck.

Each went to the far corner and peered down either side.

Reno nodded back at her. He made silent gestured, despite having a gun in either hand. He made his way around the driver side quarter panel.

She followed.

He glanced beneath the truck.

Silence.

Reno continued forward alongside the box truck. He came around the corner, pointing his left pistol into the back of the truck and his right pistol towards one of the men moving boxes. "Everyone stop, stay cool and show me your hands."

Everyone froze.

Reno smirked. "I saw you guys moving bodies and I want an explanation." He paused, and then added, "Also, I want to hear why you guys are wearing military spec gear. Flak jackets and the like."

No one spoke. Everyone froze.

Nicky whispered from behind, "Did you call in?"

"No," he replied from the corner of his mouth. "I thought you did."

Nichole swore softly. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed her fiancé's office. "I'll do it. Dammit."

"Okay, listen up," Reno addressed the group. "We're going to do things nice and slow. I have places to go and people not to see today."

He noticed one of the perpetrators on the left reaching slowly for the gun on their hip holster.

Reno raised his voice. "So help me God! If one of you makes a move for the guns I see on your hips, I'm going to shoot all of you, fill out the paperwork, then, guess what? I get to take a whole extra week off work. See that? If I shoot you guys, I get a paid vacation, and coffee with the office shrink. So don't give me a reason by doing anything stupid."

The first man moved his hand back away from his weapon. The other two remained still.

Nevada cleared his throat. "This is the part where you guys put your hands up, preferably on your heads with your fingers interlocked."

Slowly, the three men in black uniforms raised their hands.

Reno cut his gaze from left to right. "Okay, so the two guys who carried the bodies out of the alley. Where are those two at, and how many more of you are there?"

"Just the five of us that you saw," said the man in the back of the truck. "Listen, buddy, let's talk about this. You a vigilante? A cop? What?"

"Yeah, I'm a cop alright. Inspector, pal. Now, all of you, get on your knees real slow. After that, we're gonna have you boys get on your stomach. Nobody go for their gun; I'll get'em myself. If you move, I'll put rounds into those vests you boys are wearing and it'll hurt. If you move more, well ... I just told you how much I look forward to that paid vacation."

"Just calm down," said the guy in the truck. "We're doing everything you're asking, so just keep it cool. Talk to us, and we'll talk to you, and everyone lives to see another day. Okay, Inspector?"

"Wow, nice negotiating skills." Reno smirked. "Who the hell do you think you are? Don't you know how this works? Ever heard of_ Ernesto Miranda vs. Arizona_? It's called, 'you have the right to shut the hell up.' Talk later, after you've been processed. It's not that difficult."

Silence.

Reno moved around to one of the two mercenaries on the ground. He engaged the safety on the handgun in his left hand and put it into the back of his belt.

No one moved.

Reno pulled out his handcuffs, keeping his right pistol pointed at the man in the truck. "You guys have the right to remain silent. All three of you pecker-heads. If you give up your right to silence, anything you say can-and-will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney and to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you free of cost. During your questioning, you may decide at any time to exercise your rights to not answer any questions nor make any statements. Do you three understand these rights as I have explained them?" No one spoke. "Great, I'll take that as a yes. That's great news. Now ... you in the truck, knees. You, other guy, knees."

Reno put the cuffs on the man in front of him. "C'mon, hands behind your back. There you go." He took the man's other wrist back from his head and put the cuffs on. "I need another pair. So you boys are going to stay down until backup arrives. Then we're going to..."

A metal door up near a dumpster swung open. Two men walked out with a pallet jack.

Reno turned to face them, pulling his other gun back out. He thumbed the safety and kept it trained on them. "Welcome to the party! I guess you boys need your rights read too, huh?"

The nearby kneeling mercenary drew his sidearm and fired off a shot. He scrambled to his feet.

The bullet hit Reno in his vest.

Nevada stumbled with a groan.

The man in the back of the box truck withdrew his gun and fired off a shot, also hitting Reno in the chest.

"Bullshit," Reno quipped with a winded mutter. He held his hands out to steady himself, dazed but fueled by adrenaline.

Another gunshot rang out from besides the truck.

The man who fired first took a round in front of his right ear. The force of the bullet spun him about on his left heel. The gunman hit the side of the alley, staggered, and dropped onto his back. His weapon discharged a round into the brick wall.

The two men coming from the building dove back inside. The pallet jack rolled into the alley.

Reno fired twice on the man in the truck, hitting the gunman in his shoulder, followed by his knee.

The mercenary fell flat on his face with a cry of agony. His gun skittered across the floorboards of the trailer and bounced out of the truck.

The weapon hit the pavement causing Reno to shy away.

The gun landed harmlessly atop its slide with the handle sticking up vertically.

Another crack of a pistol filled the air.

Reno turned around in time to see a body slump in the doorway. The wounded mercenary fired off two shots towards Nevada, and two more towards Nichole. All four missed.

The mercenary brought his right hand over his torso, favoring where he'd been hit. He pointed his weapon towards Reno again. He lined up his sights, glaring at Nevada. "Just couldn't stay out of it, could you? Couldn't leave things alone."

"You going to tell me who you work for before you shoot me?"

The mercenary smirked.

Nichole called out from her defensive position behind the truck. "We know you work for Aris Falcon."

The mercenary scoffed. "He's just a name. I don't even know if that guy is real or not. You want a name? It ain't Falcon. I'm not supposed to take on any cops."

"Yeah?" Reno saw the gun pointed at him - it was aimed at his face. "So this means you're not going to shoot me then, huh?"

"You're interrupting operations, cop. I don't think Monroe will care if I shoot you. She doesn't like being investigated. Sorry, cop. You and your partner put up a pretty good fight, but vests won't stop headshots."

Reno smirked. He kept his own gun trained on the man slumped against the wall. "You're wounded. Why don't you put that down and let me call you an ambo."

"Not gonna happen. This shit is bigger than you, and it's bigger than us. It's bigger than my paycheck, cop. You turn around and walk out of here, or you're going to have a really bad hair day, Inspector."

"If you wanted me dead, you'd have shot me already."

"Jesus Christ, you're stupid." The mercenary shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way."

Reno pursed his lips together. "Shit."

Without warning, the gunner threw his pistol to the ground and shouted in pain.

A similar yelp came from just inside the doorway, punctuated with the clattering of metal on asphalt.

Nichole came out from alongside the truck. She exchanged confused glances with Reno.

Nevada tilted his head in confusion.

The mercenary against the wall cradled his trigger hand as though in excruciating pain.

Nevada headed for the doorway.

Nichole followed. She turned to the man in handcuffs and said, "Stay down."

"What the hell," Reno murmured, adding, "I saw that guy throw his gun to the ground, up there by the door. You didn't shoot him in the hand did you? I didn't hear your gun go off while we were talking."

Nichole shook her head. "It didn't. I took cover," she told him.

Reno knelt down by the two men in the doorway. Both of them appeared to have severe burns. "Jesus. They're both going to need an ambulance. They've got third degree burns on their palms. The skin is bubbling."

Nichole blinked. "You mean like how you described those guys that attacked your brother?"

Reno's eyes widened. "Back up."

"What?" Nicky kept her eyes on the injured attackers. "Reno, back up where?"

"Just get back. The guys who attacked my brother were irradiated, remember?"

Nichole took two steps back.

The man in the doorframe looked up with intense pain in his eyes. "My goddamn hand; what the f-"

"Quit your bitching," Reno scolded. "You're alive. Don't push your luck." He engaged the safety on one of his guns, put it into his belt and pointed the other one into the doorway. "How many more?"

"There are five of us," said the fifth mercenary behind the man slumped in the doorframe. "Jesus Christ. Jesus H. Christ. I can see the bones sticking out of the skin!"

"Shut up." Reno turned back to Nichole and said, "Did you get a hold of my office?"

"Yeah, here." She pulled the cellphone up and handed it to him.

Reno blinked. "You've been on the line this whole time?"

"Answer it," she said softly.

Reno clenched the phone between his shoulder and cheek. "Yeah, this is Inspector Nevada..." He paused to listen to a voice on the other end of the line. "Captain Sanders? You- ...I just..."

Reno grimaced. "But they... Sir, they shot at us! If you'll let me just... but sir, I..."

Nichole grimaced with empathy. "I didn't know he was going to chew you out."

"FRANK! Let me talk!" Reno paused to see if his boss had anything else to say. He took a breath and sighed. "Okay. Listen. I saw perps dragging bodies in an alley. I was just driving by, and there they were, loading up dead people. I came around the block and blocked their way out of the alley with my car."

Reno paused, listened to a brief response from Frank Sanders, and then he continued. "I ordered everyone down on their knees with their hands on their heads. I put cuffs on one guy. Then, two more came out from a side door. Next thing I know it's a battlefield out here. I took two to the torso."

Reno shifted the phone to his other shoulder. After the brief pause, he continued. "DEA Agent Parker covered me and called ...yes sir, I know you just spoke to her on the phone."

Reno rolled his eyes, took a deep breath and sighed through his clenched teeth. "Anyway, two of these guys appear to have stuck their hands in front of a Bunsen burner. They're going to need serious medical attention."

Reno grew silent, listening to a response from his superior. "Sir..."

Another pause. "But sir..."

He listened to Frank Sanders ramble for a moment longer. "You'd be a much better boss if you cared more about your men than the goddamn politics. You're supposed to have my back. How can I do my job if you don't have my back."

Another pause, then, "Yeah, I'm 'done mouthing off.' Thanks." One more pause. Finally, Reno scoffed. "Here's Agent Parker. I need more handcuffs and more suits. I'll fill out my paperwork then I'm taking Nicky on a trip to..."

Reno's eyes widened. "But sir!" Yet another pause. "What?! Administrative leave?!"

Reno raised his voice. "How long?!"

Silence.

Reno stole a glance back at his fiancée. "Wait, is it _paid_leave?"

A smirk crept across Reno's face. He handed the phone back to his fiancée and said, "Nicky, he wants me to finish the paperwork on a case that went cold, and then, after I've finished handing off everything to a new lead, I'm on paid administrative leave until the first of October. Here, hon. You talk to him."

Then gunman slumped against the wall offered Nevada a smirk. In a soft voice, he said, "Told you this was bigger than you."

Reno leaned closer to the man, but kept his distance just in case the man was somehow irradiated. "What did you just say to me?"

"Nothing, Inspector. Nothing at all."

Reno glanced up, brows furrowed. "Who the hell is that...?" His eyes zeroed in on someone entering the far end of the alley.

A woman walked up the alley, alone, hands behind her back. She wore a kimono and a soft smile.

Reno stole a glance back at Nichole.

Nicky shrugged, bringing the phone to her ear. "Captain Sanders? Just for the record, they opened fire and we subdued them." She turned away from Reno, facing the man in handcuffs. "You, over by your buddies. Now." She corralled the attackers.

Reno glanced back at the woman in the kimono at the opposite end of the alley. "Ma'am, this is a crime scene. I'm going to need you to turn around and head back the other direction for your own safety."

The Asian-dressed woman continued walking towards Nevada. "Nonsense. You needed my help, Inspector," she said with a slight Japanese dialect. "These last two men would have shot at you had I not burned the guns from their hands. Although I am not sure how you could take two bullets in the chest without dying. Very impressive, Inspector. Are you a supernatural?"

"A what?"

"A Special. Are you one of the Specials? That would explain why Nathan suggested I find you."

Reno blinked at her. He shook his head and opened the top two buttons of his shirt, beneath the knot of his tie. "Lady, I'm wearing a vest."

The woman tilted her head in reply.

Reno tapped his fingers against the Kevlar beneath where his shirt. He pulled his tie from between the buttons. "You shouldn't be back here."

"Ah! Armor! I did not realize that armor protects against gunpowder projectiles. Very good!" She smiled brightly.

Reno stole a glance back at Nichole. They shrugged at one another. He turned back to the woman in the kimono. "If you want to make a witness statement, you're going to have to wait until I have all of these guys in custody."

"Sinopa Crevan is my name. It appears you did not need my help. Just the same, I was glad to assist."

"It, uh ... they were firing small caliber rounds; I got lucky. Wait, back up. Just a minute ago, did you just say you caused these two men to have their hands burnt to a crisp?"

"There are certain things you do not understand, but there is no shame in such." Sinopa offered Nicky a smile. "Your lady-friend seems familiar to me."

Nicky brought her cellphone to her chest and studied Sinopa's face. "She shook her head in a slow, somewhat reluctant manner."

Sinopa nodded. "Perhaps I am mistaken." The kitsune approached Reno and bowed, regardless of the fact she didn't outwardly appear Asian.

"You act like you're Oriental and you dress like it, but you don't..."

Sinopa lifted her hands in a gesture to stop him mid-sentence. "Asian people dislike the term, 'Oriental,' Inspector. Rugs are 'Oriental'. Furniture is 'Oriental.' People of Europe are European. People of Africa are African. Until you can locate the continent or nation of 'Orient', call the people of Asia 'Asians'."

"I ... sorry. You're right, I learned that in sensitivity classes. I know better."

"Apology accepted," Sinopa replied. "Now, you may see that I do not appear Japanese outwardly, but that is of no matter - it is my nationality." She changed the inflection of her tone along with the topic. "I am here to help you, Inspector. Do you know from where these men originate?"

Nichole said into the phone, "The situation is under control now, Captain. I'll have Reno call you with details after the written statement. I've gotta go." She ended the call and pocketed her phone.

Reno turned to face the attackers.

Nichole approached Sinopa and said, "Ma'am, I suspect they're connected to a person of interest to the DEA. Do you have any information on these men that might help me with my case?"

"Hai. They apparently work for a man calling himself, 'Aris Falcon.' I have learned he is smuggling illicit substances and trafficking them for use in experiments and for financial gain. Miss, if your agency is tasked with the arrest of this man, I would appreciate it greatly if you find him and remove his freewill by any means necessary. He is doing far more harm than good."

"That's about all we know of him thus far." Nichole felt strangely comfortable around Sinopa. "One of them said they worked for someone named Monroe, and claimed Falcon was just a myth."

"Perhaps this Monroe person is one of Dr. Falcon's lieutenants."

Nicky nodded in understanding. "So how did you know these men work for Falcon?"

"I have seen them. Men dressed like this have recently attacked me."

"Do you have a police report of the attack? Where did it happen?"

Sinopa frowned. "I am deeply sorry if it has broken your laws, but there is nothing left of these attackers."

Reno glanced back at Sinopa, brows furrowed. "Nothing left? What's that supposed to mean?"

The kitsune replied with a nod. "The attackers managed to kill an innocent man in my presence. I could not stand on the wayside and abide such an act. I did to them what I did to the hands of your attackers. I am afraid there is little evidence to prove anything at this point. My flame burns quite hot when I am angry."

Nicky and Reno exchanged glances. They shrugged at one another.

Reno drew out a business card and handed it to Sinopa. "I'm a homicide Inspector. Where was your friend killed?"

"I am afraid it is beyond your jurisdiction. However, I appreciate your offer to help. You are both quite courageous. I must take my leave for now, Inspector Nevada-san."

"No disrespect, Ms. Crevan, but you can't just confess to homicide and walk away."

Sinopa offered a sly smile. "It would be best that you did not report 'an Irish-looking Japanese lady set men's hands afire from the end of an alley.' I would loathe for your superiors to judge you unfit due to a lack of faith in your word.

Nichole frowned. She eyed Sinopa again, finding the woman's face to be oddly familiar.

Reno sighed.

Nicky remembered something her brother once said, cleared her throat, and said, "She's right, Reno. It's best we just stick to physical evidence."

Sinopa perked. She glanced over her left shoulder. "Your friends have arrived. Several police cars and ambulances are nearing; the sirens are quite shrill. I should go. I promised Jules I would not take long. I thank you for the business card you have given me."

Reno tilted his head. "Nicky, do we cut her loose?"

Nichole nodded. "These guys must have burned their hands on chemicals or something. This lady is innocent, babe. Let's stick to our evidence chain and work our leads."

"I'm off this case, remember?" He glanced back at the box truck in the alley. Reno narrowed his gaze and spied a presidential campaign sticker on the back. "Heh - 2024 can't get any weirder than this."

Nichole frowned. "Right. Well, you're still my hero cop, Reno." She turned back to the men by the wall, keeping an eye on them.

Sinopa moved closer to Reno. "A wise woman once told me something that you should remember ... with great ability comes great responsibility." She offered a soft smile.

Nevada eyed Crevan. "Are you quoting Voltaire or Stan Lee, Ms. Crevan?"

Sinopa's smile broadened. "Inspector Nevada-san, you knew you would likely be shot, yet you stood with confidence in the line of fire to ensure that your mate would not be harmed. That proves chivalry is not dead. I was beyond impressed when you then took two without going to the ground."

"Well, uh ... no problem." He glanced back at Nichole, grinned a bit, and subconsciously rubbed his chest due to the pain of bruised ribs. He turned back towards Sinopa. "I don't hear any sirens."

"I have good hearing. Give it a moment. I cannot be here when they arrive. I will only be in the way."

"You're a witness," Reno said.

"And you have my statement. However, I will not lie, and my story will be disregarded. It will hurt your case."

Nicky grimaced. "She's right. We can't claim some woman magically set people's hands on fire. Unless she's willing to offer a public demonstration."

Sinopa shook her head. "It is against the rules. Now, both of you, take care of yourselves. I will eventually see you again in the future. I am sure of it." She bowed respectfully, turned about, and left the alley.

Sinopa Crevan made her way up the street.

Several blocks west, Sinopa spied a youthful blond girl speaking to Jules Guillot. She quickened her step instinctually. Sinopa approached the two and announced, "Jules, my love, who is your friend?"

"Here she is now, m'amie." Jules turned from the blond towards the red headed vixen kitsune. "Chère! This here lady 'sa lookin' for ya, m' belle!"

Sinopa blinked. "Looking for me?" Her amber eyes shifted to the brilliant green hues of the teenage-looking beauty queen. "And you are?"

"Karla Howard," the young lady said. "Nate told me I might run into you. I've been watching to see if I could trust you."

Sinopa tilted her head. "And what did you see?"

Karla grinned. "I saw you turn that group of guys into ash - fastest cremation ever. Then I saw you rescue the cop and Nicky Parker. You kept those two from getting gunned down. I watch out for Nichole when I can - she's the little sister of a friend of mine."

Sinopa nodded with a frown. "I am afraid I have memory troubles. The girl, Nichole Parker - she seems so familiar to me, as does her name. Have you known her long? Or perhaps, do you know of this man, Aris Falcon?"

"Falcon used to work as a logistical coordinator for Nicky's brother, JC, back in the late 80's and early 90's. He went by Sokolov back then. Then Aris dropped off the radar for a few years."

"What does he look like?"

Karla shook her head. "I can't remember if I've ever met him face-to-face. Anyway, he popped back up for a while in 1999, then disappeared again for a while. Fast-forward to 2023 and bam. Aris is back and starting trouble in San Fran. I was surprised to find out he's behind all this nonsense."

"I see. Do you believe one man could be responsible for the death of a hundred thousand supernaturals?"

Karla shrugged. "With twenty or thirty years of planning, inside help, and a lot of science..." Karla shrugged again. "Anything is possible."

Jules cut in. "You seem t' know an awful lot, Ms. Howard. Perhaps you know a man named Nathanial Carrington?"

Karla waved for them to walk with her. "Nate, yeah." She grinned a bit.

Jules and Sinopa came alongside of Karla. The trio began walking up the empty San Francisco sidewalk.

"Yes, I know Nathan. He's the one who said to look for you." Karla glanced around, surprised by the lack of people in the area. "Hmm, interesting how a few gunshots will clear out a fairly busy street. No one would have flinched over in Oakland."

"So you know Nathanial?" Sinopa asked.

"Uh-huh." Karla smiled. "He and I fought side by side in Tunguska. Leveled the forest that day."

"M'amie, surely if you leveled an entire forest, that sorta' thing would'a been in the paper."

Karla tittered softly. "Oh, darling, it was! The whole world spoke of it; they still do - there's documentaries and stuff."

Sinopa glanced at her boyfriend. She canted her head back to the teenage-looking girl. "When was your battle, Ms. Howard?"

"Well, that depends on the calendar you're using. It happened June 17th, unless you're going by the newer calendar - then it'd be..." Karla reached up and pushed a lock of blond behind her ear. "I suppose it would be the 30th."

Jules furrowed his brows in confusion.

Karla glanced back at them, saw the look in their eyes and added, "1908, darlings. Well over a hundred years ago."

Jules scoffed. "Now, ma'am, I'm meanin' no disrespect here. But Tunguska? Like, in Siberia Russia? A hundred years ago?"

"Mm-hmm."

He shook his head. "That was from'a comet or maybe an asteroid, y'know? And the reason I din' jump to that as a conclusion was because you're far too young to have been alive when tha' happened."

Karla laughed again and shook her head. Her blond locks bounced from shoulder to shoulder. She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. It came to rest over the center of her back.

"What's so funny, Ms. Howard?"

Karla continued walking with the couple. "Meteors that cause a blast that large, and that infamous, would leave space rocks, dearie - debris. And craters."

"Pardon?"

Karla's smile broadened. "Comets? No, I assure you it was supernatural. I was there. I'm no spring chicken, sweetheart. But thank you for the compliment."

"M'amie, I assure you, it was a comet."

"Trust me, darlings, I'm not proving nor disproving your 'heavenly body' theory, nor will I explain the disinformation fed to the public. I'm just telling you what _really _caused Tunguska to be flatted."

"Which was?"

Karla grinned at Jules. She cut her eyes to Sinopa, and then back to Jules. "Civil War between factions." The teenage-looking blond smiled again. "Sinopa was it? Were you not there for that?"

Crevan shook her head. "I am afraid I was not privileged to information on that subject, or that it even happened."

"Well," Karla scoffed with a chuckle, "Long story short, Dayluck was wounded and dying. He was filled with adrenaline and reached his hands up. Some sort of bluish white pillar extended up into the stratosphere. Something came hurtling down. He sought to end the war, both sides, and his own life."

Sinopa's eyes widened. "My goodness. And the supernatural community claims the deities are too powerful? Such an ability in the wrong hands would be unfathomable."

"Everyone freaked," Karla told the couple. "As a last ditch effort, Nathaniel Carrington struck it with lightning in an attempt to blast it apart. Little did we know it would cause a reaction that leveled two thousand square kilometers with a blast shape resembling an enormous butterfly."

Jules blinked. "A butterfly, eh?"

Karla nodded. "Every time I hear the whole 'butterfly Chaos Theory' thing, I get the giggles. How weird is a butterfly blast shape?" Karla waited to see if they would chuckle at her joke but neither did.

With a shrug, Karla continued. "I grasped Nathaniel by his coat and we disappeared. I'd not been able to teleport up to that point. I only wielded the power of telekinesis. I didn't actually master teleportation until the 1980s."

Jules rubbed his forehead with a frown. "You's thoughts are a lil' jumbled. Hard ta' follow. You forget 'cher Ritalin, m'amie?"

Karla tensed her left hand and closed it into a fist. All three of them disappeared.

The trio reappeared on a rooftop.

Jules stumbled but was quick to recover.

Sinopa blinked. She turned to Karla, delighted. "Karla-san! That was fascinating!"

The succubus buffed her pink lacquered nails on her chest. "D'aww, thanks."

"If I may be so bold, I wish for you to keep an eye on Inspector Nevada-san and his true love, Nichole Parker. Please." She offered the business card to Karla.

Karla looked at Sinopa for a moment. She brought her delicately manicured hand to her chin, eyeing the card.

After a moment of deliberation, Karla angled her wrist watch phone and took a photograph of the business card. "Like I said, I already watch over the Parker family, but I have my own agendas." She paused.

Sinopa remained silent.

Karla looked down at her watch again. She looked back up and said, "I promise I'll do what I can."

"Domo arigato." Sinopa glanced at her boyfriend with a smile. She turned back to Karla. "Please, warn the supernatural defenders of..."

Karla held her hands up. "And who would that be? We were wiped out. The handful that survived haven't even figured out what the hell is going on yet."

Sinopa frowned. "Find the survivors. Let them know that Falcon is drawing attention to himself. Between your people and the Inspector's betrothed, perhaps having Dr. Falcon put away will solve my problems. I will try not to intervene anymore."

"Chère, you gunna speak to Tamamo 'bout this?"

"We both are," said Sinopa with a firm nod. "I will introduce you, Jules. I will not live my life hiding, or tiptoeing around because she disagrees with me." Crevan glanced back at Karla and said, "Ms. Howard-san, can you teleport me somewhere I can find and access a large mirror? Perhaps a lavatory of sorts?"

"Mm, sure. I know this hotel that is absolutely darling. It's where I like to take all my new friends." Karla closed her hands into fists.

Both Sinopa and Jules disappeared.

X

X

---

Next chapter: