Dragon Hearts (D.O.A. Book 1) Read online

  Nodding, Rene replied, "I know, Taj. I'm growing rather weary of them myself."

  Rene and his men were known as Dragon of Anarchy. They were once humans, many years ago. Rene was one of the original dozen, all born in the fifteen-hundreds, all had been human once, and all of them had died in 1537. The next memory Rene had was standing on the fields known as Gettysburg. He, and eleven others, listened as a most beautiful man spoke. His name was Heck and he worked with a much higher power, in order to watch over and keep the humans safe from harm. He explained that they were the chosen. All of them brought back to watch over the humans that lived on this earth. Heck explained that they were sanctioned by the highest power known to the universe and were being granted the greatest honor to be had. Becoming the Dragons of Anarchy. Their job was not to interfere in the human world, but to take down the worst of the worst. The scum of the world. In today's world, they were known as serialists. Someone that, if not taken down, would continue their terror until they were. If someone was hunting the humans, they were hunted by D.O.A.

  None of the men shifted into dragons, but they were each joined with one. To the humans it looked like a tattoo. However, they knew differently. When they felt the need of assistance, any and all of them could call upon their dragon. It would leave their body and enter the sky. Rene and the others on his team could see through their dragon's eyes, hear through their ears, and give direct orders for their beast to follow. If the dragon was hurt in any way, so was the one joined to that dragon. This was a secret kept even from their allies. Because to kill their dragon would kill the man connected to that dragon.

  Rene was put in charge, by Heck, and told to create his own hierarchy, amongst the chosen, when he felt the time was right. He and the others had fought in wars together and died in one of them. Taj had been his right-hand man practically since birth, fighting side by side in battle, and therefore, would be his second in command. Each man was found to be very good in different areas, and when seeking out a target, Rene and his men would work together to bring that person down, one way or another. Throughout the years this is how they worked, helping to get rid of the diseased and vile creations of man.

  Rene had met with a great man in 1850 named Allan Pinkerton. He was the first Special Investigator for a police department and then he created his own agency. DOA was after a man known as the Werewolf killer. Pinkerton became extremely curious about them and his crew had screwed up. Not knowing Allan and his men were around, they utilized their dragons to chase the man down. Not only did the fucker get away, but Pinkerton had witnessed what they had done. However, instead of going to the press or government, he had spoken to Rene and his team. Allan worked with DOA for years. As he aged he brought in another man to take his place and this went on until DOA started working with the FBI.

  As time went on, and the human race continued to grow, hiding amongst them started to become harder. That's when they decided to use their love of motorcycles to their advantage. It brought fear from many so they stayed away and it also allowed them to move around in large groups without anyone questioning them. Although they presented themselves with a MC look, they were not a motorcycle club. They were a motorcycle crew that served as special investigators. Their look allowed Rene to create his hierarchy as per biker rules...President, VP, Secretary and so on. Hell, they even had crazy nicknames like in all those biker movies people would watch. It was kind of cool, very similar, yet very different.

  Rene found a permanent home deep in the Pocono mountains and now DOA had their own working town named Drago. They were able to use this place for witness protection as well as giving humans that were down and out a chance to come and start living again. They just had to follow some rules and if they didn't, Wit took care of that. The thing was, with the image as a motorcycle club, it kept people from bothering their little neck of the woods and allowed them to do what they needed to do to catch and deal with any serialists out there.

  "Hey, Rene, are you with me man?" Taj asked.

  Coming out of his thoughts, Rene sighed, "Yeah, Clem called and he's retiring. He wants to bring his new point man to meet us. Some guy named Stone Weisner."

  "Shit! You mean we have to break in a newbie again? We don't have time for this shit. I liked Clem. He wasn't a dick like the two before him." Taj complained.

  "Pit, we have a problem." Steve said in typical dramatic fashion.

  Sighing heavily, Rene replied, "According to you we always have a problem."

  Steve placed a paper on the desk in front of Rene. Looking down just as Taj came up behind him and leaned over, twelve-year-old Keith Krane was found today on Knox St. Just like ten-year-old Aaron Archer, Keith was raped and asphyxiated. Rene went on to read how the young man was taken from the local Walmart a week prior to the body being found. The report also went on to describe the similarities in the case. Both boys were taken a week before their actual death and raped repeatedly. Reports indicated that the child was murdered less than twelve hours before the discovery and both boys had the same ligature marks and cause of deaths.

  Sparky walked in with X. They must have noticed the agitation in the room, because X quickly asked, "What's going on?"

  Rene pushed the paper towards him, saying, "Wiz, go get the others."

  X and Sparky read the paper Rene handed them and waited. Sparky was the first to draw in a sharp breath, "Pit, this is impossible. We caught this fucker six years ago."

  Cobra and Nautical came in with Casper not looking too pleased at being disturbed. Well, that shit was just too bad. Rene had a bad feeling about this.

  Gunner, Solo, and Boomer walked in behind the others, Boomer yelling out, "What's up?"

  "Where the hell is Eagle?" Rene snapped.

  "Most likely in the tombs, where he always is." Boomer stated as he sat down.

  "Wiz, go get him." Rene ordered.

  Steve didn't argue, but he looked very unhappy about the order, but quite frankly, Rene didn't give a shit. He wanted all hands-on deck, right fucking now.

  Wiz came back quickly with Eagle shuffling in behind him, with a large book in hand.

  "Eagle can you put the book down for a few minutes so you can focus on what I have to say?" Rene asked and yet wasn't asking at all.

  The second he knew his crew was ready, Rene started talking, "We have a few things we need to discuss. First, Clem is retiring and we are getting a new contact."

  The groans filled the room, and Rene held up his hand, "I know. I know. I'm not real thrilled either, but let's give the guy a chance. The new guy's name is Paine."

  "Is that his nickname?" Wiz asked.

  "Wiz, what the hell are you talking about?" Taj asked.

  Shrugging, Steve answered, "Like everyone calls me Wiz, you Myst, Rene Pit, JC's Nautical, Rance is Casper...you know a nickname."

  "How the hell did I get the name Gunner and Gil got Solo when he's the marksmen and weapons expert?" Bolton asked.

  Wiz snorted, "Have you checked out your muscles lately, Gun? I mean, you have huge fucking arms."

  "And Solo may be the weapons expert, but he also spends most of his time by himself." Eagle replied.

  Rene was getting really pissed, "Guys, enough already. I didn't have you all come here to talk about fucking names. We have a serious situation going on in our back yard right now and we need to figure out what the fuck we're going to do about it."

  Everyone stopped talking and the room went deathly quiet. Cobra sat forward, "Talk to us, Pit. What cockroach do we need to exterminate?"

  Rene picked up the paper Wiz had given him and allowed them time to read it.

  "You have got to be fucking kidding me? We caught this guy six fucking years ago." Boomer said in outrage.

  "Who would be sick enough to want to copy Naso?" Solo asked in disgust as he tossed the paper on the desk.

  "Pit, I can't do another kid murder. I know murders are the really bad, but kid murders fuck with more than just my head." Eagle said as he let out a dee
p breath.

  Rene let out a sigh, "I know the feeling, Eagle. We all feel the same way. However, we all have to agree that these are the scum suckers Heck created us to get."

  Taj looked like he was in deep thought and Rene knew that look. It was the one where a person has something to say, but is trying to figure out the answer before saying anything, "Myst, spill. What's on your mind?"

  "Doesn't anyone else find it interesting that this guy picked a location less than thirty-five minutes away from us to make his killing field?" Taj asked.

  Rene thought about Taj's question and could see the others were trying to wrap their mind around what he was suggesting, "Are you thinking this copycat knows about us?"

  Shrugging, Taj replied, "Either he knows about us or he is one unlucky asshole."

  "How the fuck would this guy know about DOA? It isn't like we're in the yellow pages or have a Facebook page with thousands of friends." Steve asked in confusion.

  Shaking his head, Taj replied, "I don't know, Wiz. I'm just saying that I don't believe in coincidence. This guy comes to our home and just starts to copycat one of the worst cases we ever worked? No, I don't believe it."

  "So, what do we know?" Rene asked.

  Steve pulled up something on his computer, "I say we need to start with the mother of the first boy killed. Her name is Stephanie Archer. She works at Magic Kingdom Vet Clinic."

  "Casper, you and Myst retrace Aaron’s steps. I want to know what it is you see from his point of view. Gunner, take Solo with you and do the same with the second boy, Keith Krane. Also, I want you guys to get the footage of any surveillance in or around that Walmart and get it to Wiz. Wiz, get them the information they'll need and see if you and Cobra can find any street cameras working on Poconos Boulevard. Eagle, I want you and Nautical to go through our past case and look for not just all the similarities, but the differences in each case from California, Rochester, and this one. Sparky, you're with me. We're going to go talk to Aaron’s mom. If this guy is going to bring back the Alphabet murderer then we need to work fast. Otherwise, there are going to be a lot more deaths."

  CHAPTER THREE

  Bren brought his mask down and removed his gloves. Gently patting Maxie on her head, "Well girl, no babies for you." Turning to his assistant, Sarah, Bren ordered, "Get her to one of the crates and let her sleep it off. If there's any problems let me know."

  "You got it, Bren." Sarah replied.

  God, he was tired. Last night's card game went way past his bedtime. Lex kicked all their asses and Jude seemed to want to do nothing but kiss Lex's. His buddy had no shame.

  "I guess I should call Jude and let him know that tonight is off. I'll be staying here tonight, so when you have Maxie comfortable go ahead and call it a day. She was our last appointment."

  "You got it." Sarah said happily as she started removing the breathing tube.

  Walking out to the lobby, Bren handed Maxie's file to Stephanie just as she was slamming down the phone. The loss of her son had taken a toll on their friend and Bren wished there was more he could do for her. She had returned to work a couple of weeks ago. Bren had tried to get her to take more time off, but she insisted she needed to do something that might help her get through the long days, "Hey, how you holding up?"

  "I wish you and everyone else would stop asking me that. How can I make everything go blank if you guys keep bringing it to the forefront of my mind?" Stephanie snapped quietly. Suddenly her shoulders slumped, "I'm so sorry, Bren. I didn't mean to snap at you. Mrs. Craven just called for an appointment for Bruno's annual checkup and she started talking about...about..."

  Bren wrapped his arm around her and brought her to his side in a hug, "It's alright, Steph. I'm sorry, I know I've asked you too many times to count. Mrs. Craven is a gossip and doesn't think before she opens her mouth. I, on the other hand, worry."

  Shaking her head, Stephanie replied, "It wasn't you, Bren. Everyone that comes in here keeps giving me the pity stare. They whisper as if I can't hear them when they are only sitting ten feet away. I'm trying to hold it together, but I'm lost and I don't know what to do. I can't stay home, Aaron is all over the place there. I can't go for a walk, because I see the park I used to take him to when we first got here. Work is the only place where I can pretend my son is still alive and in school. The thing is, I don't know if I can stand being around all these people right now. I have to tell you, I'm thinking about moving."

  Bren pulled away slightly, "Steph, I loved Aaron too, and I can't begin to understand your pain. The loss of a child is inconceivable to me. I will support you in any decision you make. However, all your friends and family are here. Anything you need, all you need to do is ask. We just don't know how or what to do to help you through this."

  "Bren, I know you guys want to help me, but how can I tell you what will help when I don't know myself? Nothing in this world makes sense. I can't stand going home. I can hear him in every nook and cranny of my apartment, but he isn't there. Everywhere I look all I see is emptiness. The chair he sat at for meals, his bed he slept in at night, and the pictures in my home are just as empty because I can't stand to look at them. I want to scream, cry, and throw things, but I feel like if I start, I will never be able to stop. I miss him, Bren. I miss him so fucking much."

  Stephanie burst into tears and Bren took her gently into his arms, holding her tight, whispering, "I've got you, Steph. Me, Rylee, and Jude will always be here for you. You cry if you need to cry, scream if you need to scream, and throw whatever you like. No matter what you need to do, we will always be here for you."

  "I want to die. Why did this person take my baby? Why?" Stephanie cried even more.

  Holding Steph as hard as he could without hurting her, Bren whispered, "I don't know, sweetie. I don't know."

  Bren didn't know how long they stayed that way, then a thought hit him. "I have an idea. I've been needing to go through all of Doc Aim's old records for past clients and I wanted to scan the files into our new computer system. What if I get Rory to come in for a while and take over reception, and you can go to the file area and do that for me? This will get you away from everyone, away from the phones, and give you a chance to think things through. However, while your thinking about that, I would like for you to consider an offer from me. If you like, you can give up your place and move into the small apartment attached to the clinic. This way I have someone always on staff here for emergencies and to look after the animals that require them to be kenneled for recovery."

  Giving Bren a sad smile, Steph wiped her eyes, then gave him a light kiss to his cheek, "You are the sweetest most loving man. If you weren't gay I swear──"

  Bren gave a short laugh, "But I am. Now, if you know someone that might catch my eye, point him my way. Jude seems to be taking all the good ones."

  "Jude is a good liar. But if I see someone worthy of you, Bren, I will be dragging him towards you even if he is kicking and screaming." Steph replied with a watery laugh, wiping her eyes she blubbered, "God, I must look a mess."

  Smiling, Bren replied, "You are just as beautiful now as you were when we were in high school."

  With a watery laugh, Stephanie replied, "You are such a sweet talker."

  Snorting, Bren said, "I would be a very rich man if I could discover your secret to youth, bottle it and sell it."

  Bren heard a loud rumbling, and looked out the large windows of his clinic. Two men on motorcycles were pulling into his parking area. "Well now they look like two men that might catch your eye." Steph said with a first real glimmer of her old self.

  "Why don't you go get ready to leave. I'll see what they want and then walk you to your car." Bren said trying to hold in his nervous tension. Bren remembered seeing the one man a couple of weeks ago at the post office. He had been getting in his car when the men had driven up. Bren almost went back inside to pretend he had not already checked his mail, just so he could get closer to the huge sexy morsel, but his shy demeanor had kept him in his seat.
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  Bren was startled into starting his car when the man got to the door and suddenly stopped and turned to look around the parking lot. Bren had gotten scared he looked like a stalker and quickly backed out and left. Seeing him coming his way now had Bren both jittery and anxious.

  Shaking her head, Steph replied, "I'm not leaving you here alone. Do you see the size of the one guy? Shit, he has to be well over seven feet tall and at least three-twenty of pure fucking muscle."

  Hell yeah, Bren noticed. And that gorgeous, short, black hair with a bit of wave to it had Bren wanting nothing more than to run his fingers through every strand. The second the man opened the door and stepped in and gave Bren a smile with a nod, then said, "Hello, I'm Special Investigator Rene Telkin and this is Special Investigator Trevor Watson. I'm here to speak to Stephanie Archer," Bren felt his cock go from limp and to the left, to hard and trying to break out of his zipper.

  His words finally registered to Bren's brain and he stepped forward, holding out his hand, "I'm Dr. Bren Billman. What do you want with Stephanie?"

  SI Watson replied, "We just have some questions we would like to ask. I promise you, we are not here to cause her more pain."

  SI Telkin's cobalt blue eyes widened, and Bren about melted into the floor. Son of a bitch, this man was so sexy Bren couldn't think let alone talk.

  "I'm Stephanie Archer. How can I help you?"

  Stephanie's soft, scared voice jarred Bren back to the present and made him feel lower than pond scum. Here he was lusting all over a man sent here to talk to his friend about the death of her young son.

  "Ma'am, can we speak somewhere more comfortable?" Telkin asked.