Melissa Barker-Simpson

EPISODE 9 

CLOAK AND DAGGER 

Previously on Labno & Carter: Armed with a list of names; the group responsible for impersonating members of the Cooperative community, Kate and Dan lay the breadcrumbs to bring the shapeshifters out of hiding. They are not alone. Tobias Locke, King and leader of the Enchanted League offers his backing. The episode is told from Kate’s point of view. 

Two days later, we were all but convinced the plan had failed. It was a pain in the ass talking in code, not giving anything away or speaking as though we even had a clue how to find the fuckers responsible. But we didn’t want to take any chances the group would find their way close enough to listen in. I mean, hympes can turn into objects, too, for god’s sake.  

I’m not going to lie; I don’t really get it. I mean, unless you’re playing hide and seek with a hympe, then sure things might get interesting, but other than that, what’s the point of it? 

I said as much to Dan, and his only response was, ‘we’ll talk again when you’re in a bind with no getaway vehicle and a shapeshifter saves your ass.’ Clearly, he’d had an interesting experience, and his point was made; my unconscious bias was showing. 

Still, it had felt weird to sit at my desk and wonder if it held secrets I hadn’t put there. I might be able to tell when someone I trust is lying to me, but an inanimate object is a little harder to read. That said, a shapeshifter would have to be both brave and stupid to step into a police station and manage to enter my office unnoticed, or unchallenged for that matter. The place never sleeps. 

“I’m going for lunch,” Dan said, rising to his feet. “Do you want anything?” 

“Does a bear…” 

“If you finish that sentence,” he growled, “I’ll be having Labno on toast.” 

Laughing, I rose, too. “I’ll come with you. I’m going a little stir crazy and keep thinking my desk is listening to my thoughts.” 

He shook his head as he walked to the door. “Did I mention what a pain in the ass it is to have a human partner?” 

“Only several times a day, but you don’t mean it, even a little bit, so I’m not going to worry about being called in to HR.” 

We threw a few more insults at each other as we walked through the station, which is what happens when boredom kicks in.  

Out on the street, I spotted Rahim rounding the corner and shot a glance to my partner. He’d been at the station earlier, which was relatively unheard of because he hated the attention and people tended to stare. Alarm bells started ringing that he would return so soon. 

“Sunny-G, we were just headed for lunch,” Dan called. 

“But food can wait if you have some intel to share,” I added. It was the first test. I might be a good detective, but everything stopped for food and caffeine, even if I had to eat on the go. 

“I want to go through the case,” Rahim said. “But we can go somewhere quiet and do both. I know a place that serves great coffee.” 

It was a good answer, but my instincts were screaming imposter, nonetheless. 

Spotting a constable, I hailed him over. “Greg, I need you to go to Cassie’s bar and get us one of everything,” I said, and watched confusion flash across his face. “We’ll be in the office, so just give us a knock before you come in. Dan and I have some important info to share with the RDU, and I want to do it on a full stomach. I’m starving,” I said the last with emphasis, which worked like a treat because he practically jumped to attention. 

Turning back to Rahim, I went for a rueful smile. “I lied about the whole food can wait thing. We have some new intel, so we were going to hail you as soon as we’d fuelled up. It might be a long afternoon.” 

He nodded, another good response because the angel often let actions speak for him. 

As we walked back through the station, I watched Rahim carefully. He showed no outward sign of discomfort traversing the lower levels on the way to the specialist unit, despite the fact several people stopped what they were doing to watch his progress.  

“Don’t mind them,” Dan said, conversationally. “They’ve been living under a rock!” 

My partner sensed it too, so it was his version of testing the waters. Rahim had scowled with impatience as we’d hit the exit that morning. “Have they been living under a rock for the last few years?” he’d griped. 

“People often react that way with a member of the Battalion,” was all he replied now, which was the absolute truth. Yet the fact he didn’t pick at Dan’s comment was telling. 

“You do have pretty feathers,” I said, grinning. 

Instead of commenting he scowled at me. That, too, was a typical reaction. But I’d made the joke about our colouring several times, so I expected a different response. Our friend was either preoccupied, or he was an imposter. I was voting for the second option. 

When we reached the office, I closed the door behind us and walked over to the small seating area. 

“We should wait for Matt. He’ll be here soon, and he’s all about the free food.” 

Okay, so that was true. About him being a freebie junkie at least. 

Rahim began to pace, his gaze on the window. 

I’ve always envied colleagues who can communicate with their partner mind to mind, especially at times like these, but Dan and I had our own shorthand. 

I tapped the bridge of my nose and inclined my head when Rahim’s back was turned. 

“Do you want me to shut the blinds?” Dan asked. “I know you prefer removing the shades, but the light sensitivity has to be a bitch.” 

We actually had no idea why Rahim insisted on wearing his wraparounds, but it was as good a guess as any. If this version of our friend was a shapeshifter, he likely had no clue about eye colour. Still whenever we ribbed him about it, he always gave the same reaction, ‘he’d been born wearing them’. 

“That’s okay, I’ll leave them on.” 

It was the only evidence I needed, so, slipping a hand into my trouser pocket I pulled out the handy new piece of tech. 

“Okay then, let’s get this show on the road,” I said walking forward. Then, without hesitation I snapped the bracelet onto his wrist and watched his true face take shape. They had sent in Phidel Malik. I’d studied each person from the list, knew everything there was to know about them, so it was a good thing the bracelet neutralized his power because his ability gave him the strength of ten men – or there about. It may or may not have been a match for a bear, but we didn’t need to destroy the office to find out. 

Realising the gig was up, as it were, Phidel tried to make a run for it. One warning growl from Dan and he froze in his tracks. It gave me time to attach matching bracelets, in case he decided to try his luck. 

Nodding at Dan I moved to the communication console to patch a call to Matthew. Like our version of a phone tree, he would contact the others. 

I knew we didn’t have much time, considering what was at stake, but when Greg knocked on the door and entered with two large bags of bakery goodness, I tucked right in. I paused only long enough to throw Dan his usual selection from Cassie’s. 

We were fuelled up and ready to roll when Matthew stepped into the office, followed by Rahim, Carlisle, Tobias, his second in command, Marcus, and a tall woman I’d never met but who was clearly a member of the Collective given her uniform. 

It shone with a variety of tones, from pale gold to a deep ruby, and fit like a second skin. The suits were fashioned from the uniform of the Elite, an elfin army who rarely shared their magic with outsiders. Given that one of their own, Glendola Burnet was a member of the Collective, it explained why the concession had been made. 

Taking in the tall, disciplined woman with short, edgy copper-coloured hair I felt the fangirl in me perk up. Glendola really was incredible, and since she had the ability to cloak people from view, it explained her presence. Nobody would have seen them enter the station, which meant the plan was a go. 

At the small gasp from the sofa area, I turned my head to see that Phidel had turned as pale as the walls; a stark white. His eyes were rooted on his king, and the complete terror on his face had a kernel of pity unfolding inside me. 

Instead of approaching, as I’d expected Tobias to do, he simply nodded his head and Glendola moved forward. She placed her hand on Phidel’s forehead, and his already frozen state turned rigid. 

It took her less than a minute to get what she wanted, because she stepped back and addressed Tobias. “Their base is here in the city. I’m familiar with the building, but I don’t know the name of it,” she said, and described what she had seen. 

“That’s the Dunsford Estate,” Dan said. “This crew are ballsy.” 

Julia Dunsford was a rich bitch of old, and her family were an institution. She was snarky, uptight, and hired a crew to maintain the property year-round. I absolutely loved her. We hadn’t seen her in a while, despite the fact she was the major benefactor for the new station. Julia hated the cold so spent the summer months in one of her various other abodes. 

“I just want to be there to see their faces when the king himself walks casually into their ranks,” Matthew said, grinning. 

“How did you get Marcus to agree to that?” Dan asked. 

“Because Marcus is going with him,” the man himself cut in, though he didn’t sound happy with the situation. 

It meant they had roped Glendola into the entire operation. 

Eager for the fun to start, I turned to Tobias. “Shall we do this?” 

He bowed, and the transformation started to take shape. It was actually beautiful to watch, especially how the king did it. Sometimes the shift comes with light and a distortion in shape that doesn’t quite come together until everything settles into place. With Tobias, it was seamless. The tone of his hair changed, the length receding until it was shortly cropped. At the same time, the colour of his skin darkened to Rahim’s beautiful mahogany shade, his physique becoming more streamlined as a pair of feathers grew from his back. 

When he was upright again, he was grinning, and the wraparounds were firmly in place. 

“You might not want to transform with such skill when you imitate our friend Patel over there,” Matthew said. “Not everyone has your ability or control over a shift.” 

“This is not my first rodeo,” came the response in Rahim’s deep voice, and I had to admit, Patel had done a pretty decent job but I’m not sure if I’d have detected Tobias’s version of the warrior. Not right away. 

“You’d have known,” the real Rahim drawled, wiggling his brows.  

Clearly, I need to work on my poker face. 

“Okay, then you’re good to go,” Matthew said. “I’ll have a team ready for when you breach the estate. 

The king turned, shocking the shit out of me when his face morphed into his own for a fracture of a second and he winked. 

“That’s just showing off,” I muttered, walking to the door, and pausing only long enough to check that Dan was ready to rumble. 

As I stepped into the outer office, excitement bubbled. We were going to finish this. I only wished that Sahara was around to witness the fruits of her labour.