Page 32 of Lovesick Titan

When he lay there for hours again and couldn’t sleep, he snatched up his bottle of pills. He’d taken the others in the morning, but it was night now. It shouldn’t matter if he took another, right? Maybe if they made him feel even mildly better, he’d be able to sleep.

He took one.

Half an hour later, he took another.

Finally, around midnight, he fell asleep. He slept hard until his alarm went off and wondered if it was because of the extra pills. Of course he knew he shouldn’t take more than Lynn had told him, but at least he’d actually slept.

It wasn’t his alarm that had woken him though. He hadn’t set his alarm. His phone was ringing.

“H’lo?”

“Grant?”

Danny was instantly awake. “Captain Shan! Yes, sir…what is it?” The captain never called him at home, especially not on his cell phone, unless it was an emergency. Danny threw the covers back and sat up on the edge of his bed. It was 9:30.

“I need you to come in. This morning.Now.” His words were clipped, rough and commanding—which wasn’t unusual, but there was something tight at the edge of his tone.

“Captain?” It was Sunday. Not that Danny had never gone in on a Sunday, but something was definitely wrong. “Did something happen?”

“Can’t discuss it over the phone, Grant. Get in here, in my office, as soon as you can.” It started off with the usual impatience, but there was almost a note of pleading at the end, of trepidation.

“Of course, sir. I’ll be right there. Ten minutes.”

“Ten? You already on your way in?”

“Uhh…” Sometimes Danny forgot that a normal person would take at least a half an hour, if not more, to get across town. “Yeah! Had some work I wanted to check on. I’m only a few blocks away.”

“Good. See me in my office first thing.”

“Yes, sir—” Danny started, but Shan had already hung up.

Shit. What was that about? Maybe a break in the Ludgate case? Maybe Ludgate had robbed some other location while Danny sat moping at home all night.

He immediately checked his phone for other messages. Nothing about any cases, no Zeus SOS’s, just another text from Andre about twenty minutes ago.

Please tell me you’re alive.

Which was funny—but also not. Because with Danny’s night job, there always was that chance that not hearing from him meant he was in serious trouble. He texted Andre back,Alive. Not okay. Can’t talk now, have to see Shan. I’ll check in when I’m done.

Without waiting for Andre’s response, Danny took a five minute shower and dashed down the stairs, where John and Joey were eating breakfast.

“Hey, we were just about to wake you—”

“Sorry, Dad, gotta run to the station.”

“Already—”

“I’ll explain later.” Danny stole a few pieces of toast and a banana in a blur. “Sorry! Bye!” he called before lightning jumping out of the house.

He arrived as he usually did when having to sneak to the station with his powers, around the back where it was easy to collect himself, then walk out of the alley and in through the front doors like everybody else. Clutching his messenger bag and bypassing the few people in the station early on a Sunday morning, he headed straight for the captain’s office.

“Sir?” Danny knocked on the partially open door as he stuck his head inside.

Shan’s face was stony but also drawn with something like disappointment, unlike the usual way he looked at Danny when he was exasperated with him. “Close the door, Grant.”

Danny did so and moved to sit in one of the chairs in front of Shan’s desk. “You’re worrying me a little, Captain. Is everything okay?”

Shan didn’t crack even the barest smile. He held a manila folder in his hands. “I received an anonymous package this morning. Do you know what was in it?”

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