Stakeout (Aurora Sky Read Online Free Page B

everyone,” Agent Melcher said. I
turned my attention to him. “We have a situation. Two nights ago, a
pizza delivery boy went missing from Midnight Pie. He was found
near Westchester Lagoon yesterday morning by a jogger.”
    “Dead?” Aurora asked.
    Valerie huffed. “Of course, dead! Did you
forget to take your brain pills again?”
    Melcher cleared his throat. “A vampire, or
more likely several, drained everything they could out of the boy
before dumping him.”
    “How many puncture wounds on the body?” Dante
asked.
    “No bite marks,” Melcher said. “They wouldn’t
want to draw that kind of attention to themselves. They used
knives. I’d say they most likely slit the boy’s throat first,
stabbed him in several key arteries, and then slit his wrists.”
    I focused on the edge of Agent Crist’s desk.
I didn’t look up until Melcher was halfway through his next
speech.
    “I’m putting you into teams of two.”
    “No problem,” Dante interjected. “Sky and I
have got this.”
    Melcher frowned at Dante. “I’m putting you
and Aurora on probation.”
    “What? Why?” Dante asked.
    “You got an informant and a boy killed,”
Crist said impatiently.
    Melcher laced his fingers, resting them on
his desktop. “And you left Aurora alone on her first mission.”
    “A successful mission. She killed Patrick and
Ivo.”
    “Beginner’s luck,” Valerie said under her
breath.
    Melcher’s brows lowered, meeting his lashes.
He didn’t take his eyes off Dante.
    “You also came this close to getting Aurora
killed when Renard came looking for her in town.” Melcher cleared
his throat. “Dante, I’m pairing you with Noel. Aurora, you’re with
Valerie.”
    My heart gave a tiny leap after hearing my
name. I glanced from Aurora to Valerie. They both immediately
scowled.
    “I expect all of you to work together
professionally,” Melcher said. No one spoke up. “Good.”
    I didn’t care who I worked with. I preferred
working alone as an informant. In fact, I’d never worked with
anyone. I hoped this didn’t become a reoccurring event.
    “Now that that’s settled, we’ll go over your
instructions.”
    Agent Crist pulled a drawer open on her desk.
She stood, holding a stack of thin blue and white pamphlets. She
came around her desk and handed me a small stack. While she moved
around the room, I looked at the cover.
    JESUS LOVES YOU!
    An oval in the center depicted the typical
Jesus caricature: Caucasian man with shoulder-length brown hair,
wearing a white robe. This picture showed him blessing a baby.
    “I don’t think we can pray the vampires
away,” Dante said, chuckling as Crist handed him some
pamphlets.
    She frowned in response.
    Once Crist reseated herself, Melcher resumed
talking. “We have five residential addresses. They all ordered
pizza delivery from the victim’s employer, and they all called in a
complaint when they never received their order. We believe one of
the addresses is a vamp house. You will use the pamphlets Crist
handed out as an excuse to knock on each door and get a feel for
each resident. Trust your instincts. If you feel you’ve come upon a
person of suspicion, insist on entering the premises and
investigate. Dante and Noel, I’m giving you three of the
addresses.”
    Dante gave a whoop.
    Melcher stood and leaned over his desk to
hand Dante a sheet of paper. “Aurora and Valerie, you get the
remaining two.”
    Valerie had already stepped up to Melcher’s
desk to take the list before Melcher finished speaking. Aurora
remained seated, arms folded across her chest.
    “If it turns out that one of your addresses
houses vampires, I want my hunters to position themselves for
feeding. Your duty, your only duty
tonight, is to do the poisoning,” Melcher said looking between
Dante and Aurora. “After which I want you to step aside and let
your partner go in for the kill.”
    “No way,” Dante said. “I’m all about follow
up.”
    “You’re lucky we’re sending you back in