Page 2 of The Sins That Bleed
“Hello?” I shout out the open doorway into the room beyond.
Nothing.
I silently slip open my desk drawer and take out my gun, flicking the safety off and holding it out of sight, my chair rolling backward when I stand. My muscles are screaming at me—I’ve been in the same position for too long, and they’re threatening to seize up.
“If there is someone out there, show yourself! I’m armed and this office is closed.”
I ignore the edge of panic in my words, I’m not sure a bullet would do anything to a ghost. Only the low buzzing sound of the artificial lighting responds to my calls. I take slow breaths to try and get myself under control.
Something in the air is off, unnatural.
Goosebumps break out across my arms, and I prepare myself to face whatever it is that has me on edge. I’m not a believer in the supernatural but this is creeping me the fuck out. The humming grows louder but the footsteps have stopped. There’s nobody standing before me.
“Show yourself!” I scream into the empty office, fear taking over.
I’m hit with a subtle hint of cherry as I try to even out my breathing. I’m losing my damn mind. I run my hand over my hair, my body coiled tight to fight my way out of this nightmare when a large shadow comes around the corner where the elevators are.
I don’t hesitate, I aim my gun as my finger squeezes the trigger.
“Woah, dude! Put your gun away, it’s only me.”
Nico.
I release the trigger. I nearly shot my partner. Nicolai’s six-one frame fills the open doorway on the other side of the office as he shouts over to me, his hands in the air to show he’s not a threat. I flick the safety back on the gun and drop it on my desk with a thud, taking a shaky breath and laughing at myself for getting so freaked out that I nearly shot him.
I need to sleep.
“Fuck, Nico, I nearly shot you! What are you even doing back here?”
“Saving your sorry ass. You’ve been staying late every night, and you need a break. Decided I’d play hero and rescue you from yourself.”
Nicolai’s voice gets closer as he makes his way over to me. His blonde wavy mohawk’s almost glowing under the harsh lights of the office as he passes under them.
“What’s got you spooked, anyway? It’s normally me freaking out, although, I guess you’ve been on edge lately. Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
He swoops into my office, rounding the desk with his long strides and starts putting the files back in order, pushing me out of the way with a slight nudge. I’m so tired that I let him tidy up and I don’t bother responding to his question. He’s right, I have been on edge. No need to make him smug about it.
“There, everything is tidied away, lock them up and grab your stuff.”
I do as I’m told, locking the files away and shutting down my computer. I haven’t got the energy to argue; besides, Nico will throw me over his shoulder and carry me out of here if I try—it wouldn’t be the first time.
We walk through the empty office toward the lift lobby, the thought of crawling into bed and getting some sleep draws a yawn from me. Nico stabs a finger at the call button to go down, jamming it multiple times as if that will speed it up.
“You know that never works.”
He sighs. “I know, but I like to pretend it does. Makes me feel productive.”
He turns and grins at me, his straight teeth beaming, and I can’t help but chuckle at him. We’ve been partners at the International Crime Bureau for over a decade, coming straight out of the academy and working our way up the ladder together.
We immediately hit it off, with his sunny personality and my grumpy one, we balance each other out. He’s more like a brotherto me than a colleague, and I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side.
When the elevator dings and the doors slide open, we enter the metal container and Nico pushes the button for the garage. The pre-recorded voice of a woman tells us the doors are closing and I watch the office beyond as they shut before me. The lights turn off, one by one, until the whole office is back in darkness, only the emergency lighting softly glowing.
Before the doors fully close, I rub my eyes, because I can’t see what I thought I saw. I take a step forward and swear I see two red eyes blinking back at me from the shadows.
“Did you forget something?” Nico asks, his hand stretching out to hold the doors.
The eyes I’d seen disappear within a blink and I swallow my words. “No, I’ve got everything. Just tired is all, man. Thanks though.”
