THE LOVE SLAVE ~ CHAPTER 1
Police cars, lights flashing, surrounded the modest apartment building. Vicki Nelson walked quickly up the stairs to the second floor seeing uniformed officers and detectives were everywhere, some taking pictures, some shining flashlights along the floor.
Vicki ducked under the police tape on the door and entered Mike's home. She had only taken a few steps when Crowley appeared at her side.
"Nelson you are only here because I figure you are the only person who might know if something is missing, besides Celluci. Look around. Nothing more, nothing less. You find something you come to me. Then you're out of here." Crowley then turned her back and began dialing a number on her cell phone.
"It's so nice to know I'm needed." Vicki said to her back.
"Vicki," Kate Lam called to her.
Vicki looked at her, and saw Kate had a frown between her eyes, a slump to her shoulders. It was clear she was upset.
"What do you know, Kate?" Vicki asked.
Kate looked around the room. "When Mike didn't show up for his shift I tried to call, I got no answer here or on his cell. When a hour went by and no one had heard from him, Dave and I came over here. We found Mike's car still in the lot, the door was unlocked and partially open." She pointed to the coffee table. "Keys, wallet, cell phone, badge and gun are right here, along with a half eaten taco and a full beer. The lights and television were on and his bed hadn't been slept in. Looks like he disappeared sometime last night."
Vicki looked at the items on the table. Mike would never leave without any of them, or his car and Vicki felt dread go through her body. Something bad had happened to Mike, she felt it.
Vicki continued to look around the room. "Any sign of a break in? Struggle?" She swallowed, "Blood?"
Kate shook her head. "Nothing."
Vicki, latex gloves on her hands, began to search each room. Everything was perfect, as far as she could tell nothing was out of place. She returned to the living room when something caught her eye.
On the floor was Mike's shirt. Most people wouldn't think a thing about clothes tossed on the floor of a bachelors home. But Vicki knew Mike. It drove him crazy when she would drop her clothes or towels everywhere. The shirt on the floor was not like Mike.
Vicki bent down to look at the shirt, see if there were any tears or evidence. Just under the material she saw a piece of paper. She looked to see if anyone was watching her, no one payed any attention to her. Vicki quickly moved the shirt to look at the paper. On it was writing, but nothing she recognized. While no one was watching, she took out her digital camera and snapped a picture.
Vicki stood. "Crowley, you better look at this, " she said.
Crowley walked over and looked at the shirt and paper, and then directed one officer to photograph it and one to bag it. "Anything missing that you can tell?"
"No. Everything is here."
"Then you can go." Crowley again turned away.
Vicki left the apartment, pulling out her cell to call Coreen.
~~~~~~
Henry paced back and forth, waiting for Vicki. He had woken at sunset to find a message from her.
"I'll be there when you wake up. Stay put." End of message.
Henry muttered to himself. "I'm so glad I didn't have plans. I always just wait around for you."
He had to cancel a date with a lovely and tasty woman named Kim, planning to feed and relieve a little tension before seeing Vicki. Now he would spend another night hungry and horny.
The door opened and in walked Vicki, followed by Coreen. Henry knew something had happened from her clipped walk and the pinched set of her mouth.
"Mike's disappeared," she said. Henry's brows rose but he wisely stayed quiet. She shoved a photograph in his hands. "Can you read this?"
Henry frowned at the words. "This looks familiar." He began to read aloud. "Brunhild en Folkvang unta Odin." His head snapped up. "Uh oh."
Coreen looked at him. "It says uh oh?"
Henry pushed Vicki and Coreen back. "You might want to move back, we're about to have company."
Just as Vicki said "What?" a wind began to blow, a small tornado whirled. When it stopped there stood a woman in place of the tornado.
Tall, blonde and dressed in black leather, she had a bow and a quiver of arrows on her back. Strapped on each leg was a dagger.
She looked at Vicki and Coreen. "Who dared to summon me?"
Both women pointed to Henry who had moved a few feet away. "He did." They said at the same time.
She looked at Henry, who stood still and looked back at her. She walked to him and stopped in front of him. The two stared at each other for a long moment. Then the woman raised her right hand and backhanded Henry across the mouth. Except for his head snapping to the side he didn't move.
His tongue came out to catch the drop of blood at the corner of his mouth. "Good to see you too Freya."
Vicki, asp out and extented asked, "Who the hell is this?"
"This is Freya, wife of the Norse god Odin. She is the Queen of the Valkyries."
*Please make sure you have read the Prologe before this chapter. Thanks.*
Vicki ducked under the police tape on the door and entered Mike's home. She had only taken a few steps when Crowley appeared at her side.
"Nelson you are only here because I figure you are the only person who might know if something is missing, besides Celluci. Look around. Nothing more, nothing less. You find something you come to me. Then you're out of here." Crowley then turned her back and began dialing a number on her cell phone.
"It's so nice to know I'm needed." Vicki said to her back.
"Vicki," Kate Lam called to her.
Vicki looked at her, and saw Kate had a frown between her eyes, a slump to her shoulders. It was clear she was upset.
"What do you know, Kate?" Vicki asked.
Kate looked around the room. "When Mike didn't show up for his shift I tried to call, I got no answer here or on his cell. When a hour went by and no one had heard from him, Dave and I came over here. We found Mike's car still in the lot, the door was unlocked and partially open." She pointed to the coffee table. "Keys, wallet, cell phone, badge and gun are right here, along with a half eaten taco and a full beer. The lights and television were on and his bed hadn't been slept in. Looks like he disappeared sometime last night."
Vicki looked at the items on the table. Mike would never leave without any of them, or his car and Vicki felt dread go through her body. Something bad had happened to Mike, she felt it.
Vicki continued to look around the room. "Any sign of a break in? Struggle?" She swallowed, "Blood?"
Kate shook her head. "Nothing."
Vicki, latex gloves on her hands, began to search each room. Everything was perfect, as far as she could tell nothing was out of place. She returned to the living room when something caught her eye.
On the floor was Mike's shirt. Most people wouldn't think a thing about clothes tossed on the floor of a bachelors home. But Vicki knew Mike. It drove him crazy when she would drop her clothes or towels everywhere. The shirt on the floor was not like Mike.
Vicki bent down to look at the shirt, see if there were any tears or evidence. Just under the material she saw a piece of paper. She looked to see if anyone was watching her, no one payed any attention to her. Vicki quickly moved the shirt to look at the paper. On it was writing, but nothing she recognized. While no one was watching, she took out her digital camera and snapped a picture.
Vicki stood. "Crowley, you better look at this, " she said.
Crowley walked over and looked at the shirt and paper, and then directed one officer to photograph it and one to bag it. "Anything missing that you can tell?"
"No. Everything is here."
"Then you can go." Crowley again turned away.
Vicki left the apartment, pulling out her cell to call Coreen.
~~~~~~
Henry paced back and forth, waiting for Vicki. He had woken at sunset to find a message from her.
"I'll be there when you wake up. Stay put." End of message.
Henry muttered to himself. "I'm so glad I didn't have plans. I always just wait around for you."
He had to cancel a date with a lovely and tasty woman named Kim, planning to feed and relieve a little tension before seeing Vicki. Now he would spend another night hungry and horny.
The door opened and in walked Vicki, followed by Coreen. Henry knew something had happened from her clipped walk and the pinched set of her mouth.
"Mike's disappeared," she said. Henry's brows rose but he wisely stayed quiet. She shoved a photograph in his hands. "Can you read this?"
Henry frowned at the words. "This looks familiar." He began to read aloud. "Brunhild en Folkvang unta Odin." His head snapped up. "Uh oh."
Coreen looked at him. "It says uh oh?"
Henry pushed Vicki and Coreen back. "You might want to move back, we're about to have company."
Just as Vicki said "What?" a wind began to blow, a small tornado whirled. When it stopped there stood a woman in place of the tornado.
Tall, blonde and dressed in black leather, she had a bow and a quiver of arrows on her back. Strapped on each leg was a dagger.
She looked at Vicki and Coreen. "Who dared to summon me?"
Both women pointed to Henry who had moved a few feet away. "He did." They said at the same time.
She looked at Henry, who stood still and looked back at her. She walked to him and stopped in front of him. The two stared at each other for a long moment. Then the woman raised her right hand and backhanded Henry across the mouth. Except for his head snapping to the side he didn't move.
His tongue came out to catch the drop of blood at the corner of his mouth. "Good to see you too Freya."
Vicki, asp out and extented asked, "Who the hell is this?"
"This is Freya, wife of the Norse god Odin. She is the Queen of the Valkyries."
*Please make sure you have read the Prologe before this chapter. Thanks.*