The Dark Edge Chronicles - Hardwire

Chapter 29: Plots within Plots

Needless to say it didn't take much for Dee to swipe off the phone and, grabbing her coat, make for the parking garage. The garage was still filled with CSI and Forensic investigators, poking into every little corner in a vain effort to determine the source of the blackened pools of blood that now lay thickly all around her car. Whatever had happened, it had been a slaughter.

Smiling at the nearest investigator, she slipped into the TR-6 and started the engine with a twist of the ignition key. Then, shifting into gear, she carefully wove her way over or around the evidence that the investigators were protecting and out of the garage, giving a wave to the PD constable holding the crime scene tape up to let her by.

As soon as the little sports car's wheels hit the pavement of the road, anxiety put lead into Dee's foot and, with a grimace, she punched the accelerator down to the floor. Possessing one of the highest ratios of engine to car size in the world, the TR-6 took off like it had been shot out of a cannon, screaming down the street like a bullet.

And the speed didn't let up as Dee made her way through the city towards the apartment she had set up for Mordecai, anxiety sending the blood surging hotly through her veins until her heart threatened to pop out of her mouth. Psionics? Werewolves? Vampires?? Where the hell were all these people coming from? Outer freakin' space?

Mordecai was hunched over the keyboard of the computer sitting the modest, yet well decorated little one-bedroom suite that he had been given, when he heard a key slipping into the outer door lock. There was a soft click as the tumblers fell into place then the door was swinging open to allow a rather frantic-looking Dee to quickly step inside, the tall redhead closing the door behind her with nervous energy.

Slowing his swiftly dancing fingers as they raced over the keyboard, he looked over his shoulder with a nod.

"Glad you could make it in one piece."

Dee nodded jerkily.

"Considering what's going through my mind, I'm pretty damn impressed too. Here." She threw the knapsack that Mordecai had packed with his gear, onto his small couch. "You forgot this in my car last night.

"Ah." Mordecai smiled and stood up to step away from the neat, stainless steel computer desk that held the late model computer he had been working over. "Excellent. I was hoping you had it and not the vampires."

Dee could feel the muscle in her jaw dance with her anxiety at the casual mention of creatures that, by all rights, shouldn't exist as she watched Mordecai step to the couch and pull the back open, quickly fishing out the silvery box he had called Paladin.

"Want to tell me what the hell is going on, now?" she asked, forcing her voice to be even despite the fact that she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.

Mordecai glanced over at Dee and smiled.

"Absolutely. Want to have a seat? This might be a little much at first."

"You mean I haven't already been hit with a lot up to this point?" Dee asked dryly as she dropped into Mordecai's small couch. Mordecai's smile broadened slightly as he set up Paladin's holo-imager.

"Unfortunately, just the tip of the iceberg. Paladin, access personal database and download file named 'Dark Edge' to the imager and display for reading."

"Warning, Mordecai," Paladin immediately spoke up with a slight note of alarm to its characteristic voice. "The indicated file and all related material has been encrypted."

"Noted, Paladin. Decrypt the file, password: 'It's Full of Stars'."

"Password accepted, Mordecai. File is being decrypted and downloading to the imager is commencing."