The stillness at her words proved they were all having that sinkhole in the gut feeling. When the phone rang again, Ari flinched at the sound of Ryan’s voice. Dispatch wouldn’t have alerted the lieutenant on a welfare check, not unless it had gone sour.
“Your guy’s dead, Ari. Looks like a sniper with a high-powered rifle. Two shots. Head, heart. A marksman. Patrol found the body around the corner, not more than a block from his apartment. You want to tell me what’s going on? Is this connected to Sebastian?”
“Probably. Maleban was a member of the security team that protects Prince Daron.”
Ryan sighed audibly. “You better warn me before this explodes all over the community. I don’t want to get caught with my pants down. You hear me?”
“Sure, but so far no humans are involved.” That’s what he really wanted to know. As long as the problems stayed in the Otherworld community, Ryan’s bosses would let the Magic Council take the lead. In fact, they’d prefer it that way.
He grunted an acknowledgment. “You want a lab workup and autopsy?”
“He’s half demon. The body will decay like a vampire’s. Send the remains to the Magic Council.”
“Can do. Anything else?”
“Ballistics. I want to know if the bullets were silver. And, who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and find a rifle for you to match.”
“Oh, yeah, like that’ll happen,” he said, disconnecting.
As soon as Ari took the phone from her ear, Lilith demanded to know what happened. Ari repeated everything. The team took it in silence. When she asked about notification, no one knew of any family. Nobody to care except the people in that room. And Ari didn’t know how to help them. She felt the loss, and she’d known him only a week. The others had worked with him for years. They needed time to grieve, to recover, but she couldn’t give them that time. The enemy would know their need too, might even try to take advantage of it.
Why had they gone after Maleban? Was he some special threat? He could use fire, but so could she. Or was he just the most accessible? He lived the farthest away, and he lived alone. That might make him an easier target. A first target? Ari’s stomach clenched. With a sniper at their disposal, maybe they intended to pick them off, one by one.
Not on her watch.
“None of you can leave the compound tonight.” Ari’s abrupt words got everyone’s immediate attention. “You’re all targets now. With a sniper it’s not safe to go home. If you need to notify family or friends, do it. Tell anyone who lives with you to lay low, maybe stay somewhere else for a day or two. “
“What about our clothes? Toothbrush?” Lilith asked.
“Make a list of what you need. We’ll ask the vamps to pick them up after dark. Any other questions?” She looked around. “Then let’s figure out where you’re going to sleep.”
When Andreas arrived, Ari broke the news. He didn’t say much, but his jaw hardened. The wolves were collecting bad karma from a bottomless cesspool.
During the following hour, quarters were assigned and set up in nearby rooms. Lilith and Russell in one, Mike and Benny shared another. Once she was satisfied the team was settled for the night, Ari headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Andreas asked.
“I have work to do. There’s a pack of killers out there, and I’ve got a community to protect. I’m neglecting my other duties. Like patrol, for instance.”
“Not alone. If you go, we go together.” He cocked his head. “And after patrol? What are your plans?”
Ari knew where this was going. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you serious? You can’t return to your apartment. The wolves know where you live.”
“And I’ve been safe there for days,” she countered. “I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“That was before they had a sniper. Maleban thought he was safe too. Arianna, be reasonable. Take your own advice. You just grounded your team.”
A quick glance around the room confirmed the team was listening to every word. Otherworld ears were too damn good. While they could use some diversion right now, she didn’t think a heated argument with Andreas would help.
“Can we settle this later?” she asked with a significant tilt of her head toward the observers.
“Of course,” he said, his voice amiable enough, “but we will settle it. We have an agreement for your services. I believe that gives me the final word.”
Lilith snickered, and Ari gave her a half-hearted glare.