Man. What a crazy-busy week. Our weather is still being contrary. Warm and spring-like a couple of days followed by another blast of winter. My sinuses are not thrilled.
I didn't get through a full round of television this week. I had way too many irons in the fire and needed to focus. My brain doesn't want to cooperate at all. Thankfully, I have three current projects, which lets me bounce around when I can't concentrate on one specific thing.
I did get a holiday episode of My Life Is Murder watched and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's interesting to see how the southern hemisphere celebrates the holiday in the middle of their summer.
I tried to watch the behind-the-scenes Agatha Raisin, but it wouldn't play. That's two seasons now that I can't access the specials. I'm kind of bummed about that.
I started the new season of Midsomer Murders and loved the episode. I'm excited to dive back into this series. It's fun to see an older Betty.
Silent Witness continues to be very intriguing. I really want to know who's behind the curtain pulling the strings.
Caught another Death in Paradise and remembered some of this one. Mainly the beginning and the end. Not sure what happened to the middle part and why I missed it the first time around but it's nice to finally see the whole episode.
Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I like the slow progression of trust being built with Sherlock and Watson. I have a sneaking suspicion that Sherlock now knows Joan isn't being paid by his father anymore. I'll be interested to see how that plays out.
That's as far as I made it for viewing this week and that's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Dance in the Underground, a follow-up novella in the First Breed series.
Here's the miniblurb:
The First Breed Nation has to open another file. Vince Grillo is Raven Malone's right-hand man in the underground community, where the freaks and geeks seek refuge. Raven sends Vince undercover at a strip club where exotic dancers are disappearing then turning up dead a few days later. Evita Viccars, the headlining act, takes one look at Vince and tries to stake her claim on the shifter. Too bad she's the next victim on the phantom stalker's list.
And a preview snippet…
Vince Grillo entered
the canteen and made a slow walk to Raven Malone's table. "You really need
an office, Rave." He pulled a chair out and spun it around, sitting with
his forearms resting on the back.
She glanced up from a
stack of notes and some kind of printed report. "If I had an office, I'd
never get to leave." Her gaze scanned semi-full space. "I've been
trying to get out of here for the last three hours. Every time I get up,
someone else stops by to unload whatever issue they have on me." Sighing,
she raked her fingers through her hair.
Vince's lips twisted.
"That's why you texted me? To get a break for a few?" He didn't mind,
but he'd been knee-deep in renovating one of the empty sections of their
underground space in the unused subway terminal.
Raven huffed out a
breath. "Actually, no. I texted because I've been trying to track you
down." She met his gaze. "I need you to do something for me. And
you're not gonna like it." Shuffling through the printed paper, she pulled
a page out and turned it toward him.
Vince glanced at the sheet
in front of him. "Crime scene photos?" Four grisly images along with
typed captions covered the surface.
Raven shook her head.
"Not officially. Gio's working on a case and thinks one of ours is
involved." She placed her phone on the table and started a video.
Vince narrowed his
eyes, leaning closer to the screen. The grainy security camera footage left
much to the imagination, but Vince's stomach churned regardless. The scene
unfolding could have been the opening to a horror movie with an assailant
giving chase to a woman, entrapping her, and unleashing terror on the lone
female.
Vince flashed Raven a
quick look. "What makes Gio think it's one of ours?" Committing acts
of evil didn't require preternatural genes—or altered DNA.
The shit straight-up
normal humans let loose on the world ranked as something vile half the time.
Raven nodded toward her
device. "Keep watching." She exhaled slowly, a sure sign she held a
lot back right now.
Vince focused on the
video again, the beat-down sickening even without sound. Ten seconds later, the
assailant hovered over the prone woman then another second later, they
disappeared from the screen.
Vince's head snapped
up. "Is there a glitch in this video?"
Raven jerked her head
back and forth. "Nope. Whoever delivered that brutality can either make
themselves invisible or they've got a teleportation ability." She shuffled
through the notes on the table.
Vince let out a low
whistle. "We don't have much data on first breeds who can teleport or have
built-in cloaking devices." He could dig through the archives, which he
anticipated Raven wanting him to do. "That's why you wanted to see me? You
want me to troll through our information and see if anything hits?" She'd
have to handle the geek side of things.
No one had more
knowledge about the genetic splicing trials than Raven.
Raven winced.
"Yeah, sorry, but that's not what I need you for." She inhaled deeply
then spit everything out. "I want you to go up top and work undercover to
find out whose behind this."
Vince reared back.
"Fuck that. You know I hate going up top unless it's to shift and run or make
short excursions for you." The idea of staying up there for an extended
period made his hackles rise.
Raven held up a hand.
"That should tell you how important this is. She's the third victim and
this person is escalating. They're carefully choosing women that work at one
location. The first two were pretty banged up, but this one? She's barely
hanging on. There's a good chance she won't pull through." Raven pinned
him with an understanding look. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to. Gio
can't go undercover because he's known at the venue. I don't trust anyone else
down here to handle the situation." She riffled through the pages again
and pulled on out. "This is a list of her injuries along with the previous
two."
Vince read through the
lengthy bullet points. Damn. The first two had extensive bruising and
contusions along with some lacerations and abrasions. The third woman had
broken bones, internal bleeding, and a fractured skull.
The guy—Vince's gut
wouldn't accept the assailant as being a female—definitely upped his game.
Heaving a sigh, Vince
closed his eyes. "What hellhole are you sending me to?" He blinked
when Raven didn't respond right away.
Her lips twitched …
just a little. "The Twisted Stiletto."
Vince's mouth dropped
open. "The upscale gentleman's club that pulls in five figures every
night?" Probably six digits one the weekend.
Raven lifted her chin.
"The very one."
Vince huffed out a
breath. "Well … shit." He couldn't say being up top would be loads of
fun.
But it would be
interesting…
I love this series, which has two books in the works so far. If all goes well, I'd like about three more.
That's it for this
week.
Cheers!
Skye
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