Melissa Barker-Simpson

EPISODE 8 

MEET AND GREET 

Previously on Labno & Carter: Kate completes her second tournament within the Phantom Games, completing the race despite the fact her opponent was unable to reach finish line. To honour the win, Eris offers her a parting gift. The episode is told from Kate’s point of view. 

As far as gifts went, it was a doozy. Pulling a thick sheet of paper from the envelope, I spotted ten names in an elegant scrawl; six of which were underlined. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Dan asked, peering over my shoulder. 

“If you’re thinking we need to find the face to match these names, then yes.” I turned to him, grinning.  “We’re going to get them, Danny.” 

I didn’t say it, but knowing Eris’s intervention was just the beginning of Raul’s punishment was the topping on the cake. I wanted a front row seat to the show, and if that made me sick, so be it. Taking Sabrina’s life was the least of his crimes, but I wanted him to pay for it.  

“We need to contact Carlisle and pass the intel,” Dan said, reaching for the list. 

I snatched it out of reach. “First, we need to get to Quarry Hill. I want their technology so we can find the slimy bastards.” 

The grin lit up his face. “It appears we’ve come full circle. When we’re through, you owe me some wine.” 

“Let’s not celebrate too soon, they’re not going to be easy to find.” 

“I have some ideas about that.” 

Raising a brow, I walked to the hook by the door and snatched up my jacket. “You can drive and fill me in on the way.” 

I knew where his head was at, it’s the reason we make such good partners, we’re so in tune. But I let him have his moment to lay out the plan. 

During the war, when most people were hiding out in safe zones across the world, two mischievous lightning birds had started a kind of news show. Some would call it a radio broadcast, others a podcast, but whatever you called it, they had billions of listeners. 

For years they had remained anonymous; the world knew them only as Landon and Lochlan, but then they had stepped into the light, as it were, and shocked the shit out of their fans. 

Of course, their true identities were already known by the allied forces because the intel they shared was vital. They made people sleep better at night with their candid portrayal of a world gone mad. 

Now, even for the people who don’t want to be reminded we share the world with a variety of new creatures, their show keeps them informed of the dangers lurking in their path. 

The twins are clever. Nobody has ever found their base of operations or been able to stop them from media meddling. The only thing they remain quiet about is the Collective; their leader has yet to be identified and the group prefer to keep it that way. 

“If we leak it to the LL Cool Twins that we’re closing in, it might bring the imposters out of hiding,” Dan said, once we were on the road. 

“Sounds like a plan, I’d never have thought of it.” 

Dan turned to scowl at me. “What put you in such a chipper mood?” 

“The prospect of ending this. So many of our cases go cold because of the nature of the beast.” 

“Ha!” Dan slapped his hand on the wheel. 

I hadn’t been aiming for funny, but whatever. Shrugging I tapped out a message to the twins. 

Hey, mischief and trouble, it’s your friendly neighbourhood detective. I need a favour and I know it’s late, but you sleep as much as I do so give me a call as soon as you get this. K. 

That done, I put my new productivity to good use and patched in a call to Grangefield. This time, when the call answered, a dark-haired man, greying at the temples, appeared on screen. He had the sharp eyes of a seasoned soldier so I knew it must be Jake Jacobs. 

“Commander Jacobs, I’m DI Kate Labno from-” 

“I know who you are, Detective, Carlisle has been singing your praises, especially since you survived a confrontation with Raul.” 

I ignored both of those questionable statements. “It’s good to finally meet your, sir. I’m going to send you across a list of names that we have it on good authority are the shapeshifters involved in the operation. Do you have a secure line?” 

His brows shot up, but if he was insulted by the insinuation his security measures were in question, he didn’t say so. “You appear to have friends in high places. Send it across, and I’ll deal with it personally.” 

“Of course, sir. I’ll take care of it right now.” 

When the call ended, I got busy. 

“Did the demon knock something loose in your head?” Dan asked. “That was almost…” 

“If you’re looking for the word nice, you can shove it. You were the one who told me to be on my best behaviour given his relationship with Hunsley.” 

“I never put it in those words.” 

“The commander did,” I grumbled. Being direct didn’t make me a bitch, and neither did my intolerance for inane pleasantries. We all had a job to do. 

“Stop sulking and I’ll get you a hit of caffeine before we hit Quarry Hill.” 

That cheered me so much I didn’t tell him to go to hell for the remark. 

Then the console lit up with an incoming call and my day got better. 

Landon’s face popped on screen, his multicoloured hair hanging loose around his face. 

He was a beautiful man, and although I’d never seen his bird form, from what I understood it was a sight to behold; with his shimmering locks of red and blue which reflected in feathers that rivalled a peacock. It was an apt description because he strutted like one. 

“I got your message, and your timing is as impeccable as ever, Labno, we have a broadcast in a few hours,” he said, his eyes sparking with the energy that was part of his nature. 

“Since you do morning broadcasts that wasn’t difficult to figure out.” 

“Don’t be like that Kate. You’re going to owe me-” 

“Us,” Lochlan piped up, shoving his brother out of the shot. “You’re going to owe us a drink for squeezing you into our busy schedule.” 

“Get in line,” Dan said from beside me, though luckily, he didn’t lean into view, what with him driving and all. 

“If this works out as we want it to, we’ll owe you a crate.” 

Landon and Lochlan might be arrogant, but they were also goofs and demonstrated this by high fiving each other. 

“Okay, tell us exactly what you’re hoping to achieve, and we’ll take care of the rest.” 

Smiling at their eagerness, I laid it out for them without divulging anything pertinent about the case. Not an easy fete with those two, given their natural curiosity and desire to get in on the action. 

Still, I always find them highly entertaining, so it was a shame I had to cut the call short to answer an incoming from Matthew. 

“What happened to interagency working?” he said, before his face even appeared on screen. 

“How come you always start conversations with that question?” 

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you don’t share anything,” Matthew snapped. 

“In our defence we have had a pretty tough few hours and you’re on the list,” Dan put in, helpfully. 

“There you go again with the we crap. You’re not the one who had their home invaded or had to run a gauntlet less than an hour ago.” 

“No, but I had to watch that dude get spiked, and learn I almost lost my partner.” 

“Will you two quit it,” Matthew said, though he sounded amused. “I need you at the Tower, asap.” 

The Tower was the home base for the RDU; a converted observation platform, or tower, which had been deserted a few years ago. 

“We’re just heading to Quarry Hill to-” 

“Now,” Matthew insisted. “We’ve already consulted with the team at Quarry Hill and have all the information we need, which is nothing compared to the technology the Enchanted League has at its disposal.” 

I wanted to push against the order, but I decided to save myself the effort. It was more important to solve the case and leave the egos out of it. 

“Fine, we’ll be with you in thirty,” I said, giving in. 

“Put your foot on it and make it twenty. Tobias Locke is on his way, and you don’t want to keep him waiting.” With that, he disconnected. 

Turning to Dan, I felt a smile break free. 

“Don’t say it,” he warned. 

“Hit it, Dan-ooh-” my head hit the headrest when he slammed his foot on the accelerator. Not quite as cool as ‘book em’’ but it amused the hell out of me! 

We made it to the Tower in nineteen minutes thanks to Dan’s superior driving. Well, he calls it superior, I call it death defying. 

There were three guards on the ground level, covering the door like they expected an immediate assault on the building. I learned they were Tobias Locke’s personal Guard; two sirens and a hympe – like the king himself. 

The lift which took us up to the observation platform had been refitted and was virtually impenetrable. It was pretty impressive and, even better, there was no cheesy elevator music or floor announcements. 

Stepping out onto the main level, my gaze was drawn to the large panes of glass surrounding us on all sides; they pulsated with so much energy they appeared like sheets of water. 

The space itself was barren of anything but a tall, sleek desk. Since I’d been to the Tower on various occasions, I knew that the equipment, mainly chairs and other furniture, were incorporated into the floor and activated by touch plates. 

In the centre of the room was another lift. It resembled a glass tube and always made me think I’d be sucked up into the heavens. 

Stepping inside, we travelled up to the command centre, where all the action happened. 

Matthew was waiting for us. He guided us to one of the dozen or so rooms cluttered into this level. We had to weave through various personnel on route; the place was a hive of sound and activity; wonderful chaos where shit got done. 

As I stepped in and spotted the only occupant in the room, I almost swallowed my tongue. He was just that delicious; like the perfect blend of coffee.  

I didn’t even care I was starting, rude or not, because I should probably have been curtseying or something. I mean, all hympes have the sculptured features of a god, but wow. I couldn’t come up with a single adjective to celebrate his beauty. 

The dark, ebony hair, which flowered almost to his shoulders, intense blue eyes, and wide, wide shoulders, that definitely deserved mentioning twice. 

“I’ve just witnessed a miracle,” Matthew drawled. “Kate speechless.” 

“She’s also drooling.” 

I elbowed Dan in the ribs for that remark.  

“Forgive me, I just need a minute.” I took that time, then walked to a seat around the table. “Okay, thank you…what should I call you? Your Highness? Your beauty is quite dazzling, but I promise I’ll be professional from here on out.” 

“I apologise for my partner. She has no filter.” Dan said, choosing a seat two chairs down so I couldn’t kick him. 

Tobias laughed, a rich deep sound which tested my promise about the whole professional thing. “You’re not what I was expecting either, I was told you can be a bit of a bitch. And you can call me Tobias.” 

“I deserved that,” I said, grinning. “The bitch might still make an appearance because I haven’t had caffeine since oh…” I didn’t finish my sentence because the door pushed open at Matthew’s back and a nervous looking man stepped in with a tray of refreshments. 

“Be careful, Matt,” I said, reaching for a steaming cup of goodness. “I might actually start to like you.” 

He only rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you fuel up while we wait for Carlisle?” 

“That’ll be him now.” 

I followed Dan’s gaze to the large window to see a magnificent bird of prey swoop towards the building. The multi-coloured golden hue of his feathers glinted in the security lights; burnished gold dipped in black ink. 

Then I saw the flash of red, and spotted Rahim. He swooped down, looping a circle around Carlisle, which made me grin; they were like frolicking children in flight. 

By the time they made it into the room I was on my second cup and all my brain cells were firing. 

Rahim stepped in first, holding out his hand for a high five as he walked past. Luckily the chairs accommodated his wings, so he took a seat opposite and relaxed back as though just there for the entertainment. 

“I asked for this meeting because, aside from your current case, the number of rogues is growing. It’s an issue for all of us,” Tobias said, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. “The League is at your disposal.” 

“Yeah, the Fractured have always targeted the strongest among us,” Matthew agreed. “They love nothing more than to turn creatures they consider a worthy addition to the cause.” 

“Sadly, hympes have always been used to create treachery and mayhem.” Tobias looked more pissed than sad, but it was understandable; ten of his people had turned to the dark side, as it were. 

I didn’t envy his role for more reasons than the responsibility. I’d asked Dan about it once, why hympes had to jump through virtual hoops for a hundred years. They entered the Trials at the age of eighteen when most human children were completely autonomous, but to hympes, it took a century to reach maturity. Before then they were pliable, prone to mischief, which had led to the Race Alliance enforcing the Trials – a training ground to teach discipline.  

“I’d take a bet and win, that every one of the names on the list suffered abuse during their Trials,” Tobias continued. “I’m not excusing their behaviour, but the system is flawed so there are bound to be consequences.” 

Moving on, before we got into the politics of nurture versus nature, which applied whatever the species, I got to the matter at hand. “We contacted Landon & Lochlan earlier and they’ve agreed to throw a red herring into their show. If the group believe we’re closing in, they’re bound to get closer to the investigation to learn how much we know.” 

“I want in.” Tobias didn’t even hesitate. It was gratifying to know he approved of the plan, though it was a tried and tested method, not some investigative genius. 

 Matthew grinned. “If they take the bait, you can play whatever role you choose, as long as you clear it with Marcus!”  

Laughing, Tobias shook his head. “Leave Marcus to me. He knows me well enough to know I rarely sit on the sidelines.” 

“It would help if we knew what kind of special talent the group has,” Dan said as I pulled the list from my pocket. 

In addition to being shapeshifters, all hympes had a unique gift. Glancing at Tobias I wondered about his. 

When our eyes met, I knew he’d read where my thoughts had taken me. 

“I have a certain control over living things, which includes taking thoughts or memories.” He grinned. “If you like, I could make you forget the first few minutes of our introduction.” 

“I’d rather have a few glasses of wine, that steals memories pretty quickly!” I turned to see Dan leaning towards Rahim. 

“It involved drooling,” he stage whispered. 

Ignoring him, I pushed the sheet of paper towards Tobias. “Is there some kind of forensic database which logs special skills and abilities?” 

He nodded. “You’ll have the information within the next hour.” 

“If the League are at our disposal,” Dan said, righting himself in his chair. “What kind of gadgets do you have to detect a hympes true identity?” 

At Tobias’s nod, Matthew reached under the desk to pull out a box. “The League have been working on a variation of the containment bracelets.” Calling up his glamour, Matthew’s golden locks morphed into a neat, mousy blonde. His eyes, a stunning violet became a soft hazel, and his full lips thinned to blend with a plain face that was non-threatening. 

Taking a thin metal rod from the box, he touched it against his forearm. The thing snapped around his wrist like one of those silicone bracelets that slap into place. 

Instantly, the glamour dropped, which indicated the device had dampened his powers. 

“Neat,” I said, feeling like a kid with a new toy. “I could have used that earlier.” 

“It wouldn’t have worked on Raul,” my partner said, scowling at me. 

“Actually,” Tobias cut in. “It hinders a god’s power temporarily, so it would have bought some time at least.” 

“Good to know.” I pointed to the box. “We should each carry a bracelet, because we can’t guarantee who they will target, if the ploy works at all.” 

“What makes you think you’d spot an imposter in your midst?” Tobias asked. “Shapeshifters are skilled a blending in.” 

If they were able to convincingly pass themselves as someone else for a prolonged period, they wouldn’t need to rely on the creepy enhancements. “That’s a good question. I don’t know you, or Carlisle well enough to spot a copycat, but my immediate team,” I shrugged. “You’ll just have to trust me when I say I can spot the difference.” 

“I can vouch for her,” Rahim said. “In a recent tournament she spotted the odd one out in under sixty seconds. She also beat the record for fastest time through Eris’s maze.” 

I hadn’t known that, but the sense of achievement came from the pride in Rahim’s voice. So, although I didn’t need him or anyone to advocate for my place on the team, his support deserved some recognition. 

“You turned into a damn fine cheerleader, Sunny-G,” I said, smirking when he shook his head. 

“Are you speaking of the Phantom Games,” Tobias asked, his voice edgy with intrigue. 

“Yes, which proves I’m not that smart because I made a deal with Eris and unfortunately Rahim got dragged into the deal.” Waving that off, because it was a long sordid story which was all water under the bridge. I steered the meeting back to the point. “Why don’t we throw a few scenarios together,” I suggested. “If our plan works, we’ll need to be ready.” 

Tapping his ear, Matthew said the magic words. “Jones, can you bring us a refill.” 

Beaming I got the ball rolling.