Dark Absentia: Blood Infernal Chapter One

The call came in from Captain Kremer twenty minutes ago. He said he had a lead for the case my partner and I were working on. I took a sip of the hot, steaming black coffee. The warm liquid soothes my throat as it reaches my stomach. My shift didn't start for another six hours.

'Listen, Eddie, I got a weird lead for you and Detective Kyle. A possible related case has popped up in a small township in upstate New York. I want you to see what you can dig up from County Sheriff Carl Waters. It's a personal request.'

I took another long sip as I tried concentrating on the file on the table. A string of murders by arson has plagued the Bronx the past year. Seemingly unrelated deaths in alleyways and abandoned industrial buildings. The only common denominator was what was left. What I could only describe as crude metal armor. In the most recent case, a complete set of armor. All with what I suppose is a religious text and cross etchings. The language is unidentifiable, and experts seem to think it's a made-up language for some fanatic cult. I pour over the documents while simultaneously listening to the early morning news. Something about a growing epidemic of missing people nationwide. Mostly the homeless and mentally ill. If this city didn't have enough on its plate already. 'At least those cases aren't on my desk. For now, at least.' I took another long sip when I heard a loud knock on my apartment door. 'Well, what a surprise. Rachael is here early.'

I finish the last sip of my coffee and scarf down the breakfast muffin I made earlier. It wasn't much of a breakfast, but I could guarantee Kyle would have us stop for something on the way. Not forgetting to store the relevant case files back into my briefcase, I grab my jacket and go-bag before shouldering it. My sidearm, a Springfield XD.45 caliber pistol, was already secure in its custom holster around my waist. So was my backup sidearm, a Sig Sauer P365 9mm pistol safe in my back holster. Adding to that was my personal piece, a Colt Python 357 Magnum caliber revolver. 'One couldn't be too prepared in my line of work.'

I opened the door with my gear to greet Detective Rachael Kyle. The tall red-haired Detective was leaning against the wall. Her stark, ice-blue eyes met mine. I could tell she wasn't a morning person. Especially the type that didn't like being up before the sun. Those were the breaks when you were an NYC Bronx Homicide Detective. Kyle's angular eyebrows peaked when she stared back at me. Rachael was, by all opinions, a beauty. She was the talk of the unit most of the time. Those high cheekbones, soft but upturned nose, and soft lips perfectly fit her oval face. Add that to her quite feminine features. The navy blue blazer she wore with a white blouse underneath and a tight, form-fitting matching pencil skirt would pique any man or woman's interest, for that matter. The silky white pantyhose left you wondering what kind of lingerie was beneath her clothes. Kyle topped all that off with fancy white stiletto high heels. You know, the classy closed-toe kind that gave off an air of sophistication. The Detective wore her hair in a Greek or French crown braid. Today was the Greek version. If that wasn't all, Rachael had an ample chest and impressive derrière. To say she could be a supermodel was an understatement. Rachael eyed me for a minute with a face I recognized.

"You had enough??" Kyle questioned with one brow raised. The hint of a British accent was evident in her voice. Giving away her heritage.

She was referring to how I was gawking at her appearance. Rachael didn't care about who ogled over her in the unit. The young Detective didn't make it this far in her career without the smarts to back it up. I resolved to shake the thoughts away. Fraternizing was not only frowned upon but was against policy.

"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture," I replied. "Let's get going. We got a two or three-hour trip ahead of us, and it's not even daylight yet," I said.

"Good, it's too early in the morning to fend off my honor from a beast of a man like you," Detective Kyle said.

She was referring to my height and build. I was close to six and a half feet tall and built like a tank. Courtesy of the United States Military. In actuality, that was a lifetime ago. I'd kept up the physical training all this time. Still, I could wear a suit when I needed to. Which this job requires for the most part. Kyle perked up and led the way. Her hips swaying side to side was hypnotic. One could say she had the perfect tush. I caught her looking back at me with a frown. She stops, turns toward me, and puts her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. I knew that stance. After over a year of working with her, I already had her mannerisms down to a science. That means she had mine down as well. We both were quick studies in that regard.

"Let me guess. Lorelei hasn't come back yet, huh? When are the two of you going to make up?" Rachael asked in a severe tone. "Didn't you say you had enough?" she added in a matter-of-fact tone.

It didn't help that my currently separated wife, and she were very close friends. Lorelei was a defense attorney. The two had worked together a while before I became her current and longest partner. The excuse was something about her being difficult to work with or relate to. Kyle went through partners like a revolving door the whole of her career. Being in her mid-twenties, she was over ten years younger than me. The young detective was top of her class at the academy and managed to graduate college simultaneously. I didn't see what the problem was. Rachael Kyle was similar to Lorelei. Both were red-haired foxes with fierce and relentless attitudes. I notice the tapping of Rachael's high-heeled foot. The tapping that you didn't want to test. Time to give her a half-assed answer.

"No, not yet. You know, both of us are workaholics," I answered.

That was a half-truth. Since we'd split almost a year ago, I've cut back on my obsessive workload. After all, I was the one too busy for Lorelei. Not the other way around. Rachael scoffs and sighs loudly.

"What will I do with a big, middle-aged baby like you, huh? I can't be your partner and lewd fantasy at the same time. That's your wife's job and territory. It would be best if you were friends," Kyle said.

"I'm working on it. No more googling for the day, trust me," I countered.

"Look, I don't mind attention every once in a while, but you and Lorelei have a good thing going," Rachael said, calling for the elevator.

"In the meantime, I hope this lead the captain tossed our way is legit. It's been months since we had anything solid," she added.

Her words rang true. These cases were at a standstill. So far, One Police Plaza has kept these cases quiet from the media. That was only going to work for so long. The reflective doors of the elevator reveal just how tall I was. The low buzz cut short fade was a throwback to my military service. My dark brown skin contrasted with my partner's milky pale skin and my size. The only similar trait was my icy-blue eyes. A rarity for someone in my background. My high cheekbones, stoic nose, stern lips, square face, and jawline gave me the typical drill Sergeant look. The Marine drill Sergeant, to be exact. Even the black dress suit, white shirt, red tie, and black slacks with boots made me look out of place.

I draw attention from the most unexpected places. Putting me next to Rachael Kyle, served to exacerbate the issue. The sweet aroma of her perfume always seems to catch me off guard. She reminds me of Lorelei in more than one way. A fact that I'm sure she was keenly aware of. Even the best spooks could catch that from an observant eye like Racheal's. Not to mention when she'd seen me drunk in a bar after work. My worst mistake in my drunken stupor was mistaking her for Lorelai and laying a more than a passionate kiss on her while feeling her up to the max. We're talking about the deep French kissing variety. A slip-up on my part. I was so used to doing that to Lorelei after a long day at work that I forgot where I was. This was just after we separated. As I said, the worst mistake I made, next to Lorelei. The pact we made after she thoroughly kicked my ass was never speaking of it again. My wife was like an older sister to her.