Page 5 of My Monster's Keeper
I flinch and look up at the chief. “Chief?”
“Where the fuck is your partner?”
Holy shit, I am so not prepared for these questions. My mind, that had been sluggishly trying to fall apart, snaps back into my normal self. Dead, sir. A monster killed him. “I haven’t seen him since our shift ended two nights ago. He said he was going to hang out with Lee and Tanner.”
“Who are also missing?” The chief growls. “And the new recruit, Grant Adams, there was a call out about him being missing, too.”
Grant’s name hits me like a bowling ball to the stomach.
He glowers around the room, meeting each one of our eyes.
“If any of you know anything about these bastards, nows the time to fucking fess up. The fucking paperwork’s going to be a nightmare. Right, get your asses out there, clean up my streets, and find those assholes.”
His eyes scan the room and finally land on me again.
“Hartley, you’ve got the rookie.”
I hear the man groan and turn to find him studying his phone. His shoulder-length brown hair covers the side of his face, so I can’t see his reaction. After a moment, the room clears, and he stands up, putting on his gun and grabbing his keys.
I pad after him, carefully not making a sound. Whatever enthusiasm I had three days ago is as dead as those cops. This job feels dangerous in a whole new way. I can’t trust anyone here.
The car smells like sweat and cigarettes, but I don’t say a word as I sit in the passenger seat and wait for Rob Hartley to acknowledge me.
His eyes are light green, but he just looks like your average middle-aged man. Tired around the edges and bored.
He drives out of the car park and cruises around for a while. But just when I start to relax, he reaches forward, turns off the radio, and turns down Ashburne Street. My pulse races. I shift in my seat, discreetly checking my weapons. Ashburne is a well-known mecca for drug deals, criminal activity, and prostitution.
During the night, there are lots of people who will, for a price, not see you conducting your illegal business. But during the daylight, it’s barren, only the overfilled rubbish bins, broken glass, and tagged walls indicate what happens when the sun goes down.
“Hartley?” I ask in a low voice.
He ignores me and turns into a car park. We pass into the underground car park at the far end of the lot, and I see the still burning barrels that the homeless use. He stops and turns the car off. The engine ticks as I watch out of the corner of my eye, waiting for him to move.
“If this is your idea of hazing, it’s a bit off, mate,” I say, forcing a laugh.
Where’s my gun? Do I have my mace? Is he going to kill me here?
He turns his head really slowly and studies me. “You’re a pain in my ass, Dawson. I ain’t never spoken two fudging words to you, and you’re already so far in it…” He shakes his head. He turns more fully towards me, angling his body. I tense but don’t move.
“I got orders to bring you somewhere I don’t want to bring you.”
My skin breaks into prickles, and I want to explode out of the car, but how far will I get?
“Whose orders?”
“Oh, someone I really can’t say no to.”
I study him. He’s about twenty years older than me. He’s not huge like the chief, but he’s still bigger than me. I could probably take him if I had space to move. But if he gets hold of me, he’ll most likely overpower me.
I wipe my palms on my pants and clear my throat.
“So, what are you going to do?”
He sighs. “I have no choice. I can’t fight them.”
The door rips open. I let out a scream because I wasn’t expecting the attack to come from that direction. I’m picked up by my torso and dragged from the car.
When the world stops spinning, I find the man who was sporting antlers. He’s not anymore. In fact, he could easily pass for human, except that green hair just isn’t a shade we have on this planet. He leans in close and inhales. I go stiff and drop my eyes so I’m not making eye contact. His nose runs up the side of my throat, and a deep rasping growl erupts from him, causing my whole body to break out in goosebumps.
