DEATH (The Justice Cycle Book 1) J Kiefer (ebook reader .txt) 📖

her phone and saw a text from dispatch and knew at once it was about whatever they had just witnessed. “Okay, everyone,” she said, “head to your vehicles and let dispatch know you are on route. Lee, do you have a cruiser with you?”

He shook his head and pointed to the female officer who had spoken earlier. “I’m with Dawes, ma’am.”

“Dawes, can I borrow your partner for a few?” Dana asked her.

The woman nodded. “He’s all yours, Detective.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Come on, Lee, I am over here.”

Lee fell in line with her, confirming her guess that he was former military. Before they had even gotten halfway to where Dana had parked her sedan, they heard a faint noise that sounded like a roar followed by another loud clap. Both officers stopped dead in their tracks and turned back to face the direction they had originally seen the lightning.

“I don’t see anything,” Lee said quietly after a few seconds of scanning the horizon. “Whatever made that noise must be below our field of view.”

“Agreed.” Dana turned and quickened her pace. “We better get moving.”

As the two officers headed away, neither of them noticed the dark figure that watched them from the shadows. Steve had also heard the explosion and had come out to investigate.

It was obvious the cops were riled up about something. Every single one was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. As Dana and her new friend got in her car, a wonderful thought popped into his mind. He could solve the Dana problem right here and now.

Binghamton was obviously in chaos at the moment. What better time was there to strike? After all, if the explosion he’d heard was some kind of terrorist attack, then the deaths of two random police officers would most likely be attributed to that and not investigated any deeper. He would have to kill both her and the officer with her, and that was impulsive. He had promised himself he was going to be less impulsive. But… he could always work on that tomorrow.

Pointing in the direction of the two officers, he imagined a blade made of dark energy shooting from his fingertips. Nothing happened. He turned his hand over and stared at it, confused. He was certain he had imagined the same knife he’d conjured before, so why had it not manifested?

The first time had been effortless, so he doubted it was from a lack of effort. He tried again, concentrating harder this time just for good measure, and was met with the same result. Frustrated since his prey was about to get away, he grimaced and examined his hand again. Perhaps if he thought back on what he had been doing and thinking when it had first manifested, he could discover what he was doing wrong.

Steve tapped his lips. “Well, all I remember thinking was how much fun it would be to kill Dana.”

As soon as the feelings of anticipation entered his consciousness, dark energy tingled in his hands. Smirking, he again raised his hand and pointed it at the unsuspecting officers. This time a thin dark blade coalesced from the shadows.

Dana and the other officer were in the car now with the engine started, so he changed his aim to one of the back tires. His plan was to blow out a tire, forcing them to exit the car directly in his kill zone. At least, so he thought. He really had no idea what the range was to his new weapon, but today was as good a day as any to test its limits.

He made his hand into the shape of a gun. Just as he suspected, the blade warped to his imagination and extended out past his index finger, allowing him to better aim the shadow blade. He closed one eye and aimed for the back tire facing him.

“Boom,” he said as he lowered his thumb.

The shadow blade exploded silently from his fingertip and raced toward the car. Before the darkness had gone two yards, it was intercepted and deflected by a glowing purple and black thin sword. As soon as Steve’s eyes registered the newcomer, he felt a slight breeze pass by his body that ruffled his hair.

Unfazed, Steve lowered his arm and cocked his head to one side. The man was absolutely absurd. He was clad in black with a large-brimmed hat with a red feather sticking out of it and dressed as if he belonged at the Renaissance Faire. He replaced his rapier in the scabbard on his hip and smiled at him maliciously. Steve was instantly struck by the man’s nightmare black eyes.

Steve was in awe of the man’s obvious strength. He could sense it emanating from him in waves of power. The man watched the two officers speed off down the road. As soon as they were safely out of view, he scrutinized Steve with his dark eyes.

“Well now, what do we have here?” he said. “I see you have grown since last I saw you, infant.”

Steve squinted suspiciously and allowed the dark energy to form in his fingertips again. “You’re like that damn China man who was following me, aren’t you?”

The Musketeer laughed out loud. “China man? Monsieur, how absolutely delightful. I have not laughed so hard in a siècle. Well, in your tongue, I think it is a century. In a fashion, I suppose that I am. I am, how you say, more…” He snapped his fingers. “Malevolent. Yes, that is a good word for it.”

Steve tried to process what was happening to him. He had supernatural powers and he was pretty sure he knew where they came from, but this… this was just bizarre. He really had to wonder if he’d finally lost it.

“Are you real?” he asked.

The Musketeer smiled at Steve the way a cat would a mouse. “Am I real? Monsieur, you have the ability to conjure shadow weapons and you ask if I am real?”

“Well, can you blame me? Your manner of dress