Ethan only realized he was clenching his fists when he saw Mark studying him. He flexed his fingers and tried to relax. "You almost did have her neck on a block," he reminded Benton shortly. "And it's hard to be precise with a knife when someone is strangling you from behind."
The captain sniffed. "You know we found a second body at the restaurant."
Ethan glanced at Mark. "Where?"
"In one of the booths," his partner supplied. "We discovered it after everyone had been questioned and released. Looks like he died the same way as that old man in the barn."
In the middle of a crowded restaurant? This woman was obviously bold when she took them — sexually and spiritually — or had some sort of magic happening that prevented other patrons from seeing what she was doing. "Did you run that other check for me?"
Mark nodded. "And your straw-clutching guess was right. In each case, there were reports of disappearances over a three night span before the kids were taken."
"All men?"
"Yep. And the body of one was recently discovered. The report says cause of death unknown."
"But I'm guessing he was found in a somewhat compromising position?"
"Naked and aroused." Mark shook his head. "The boys in the labs still can't get over that one. They say that considering an erect penis is little more than stimulated flesh, it shouldn't remain erect because the blood naturally seeks out the lowest point of a body, not the ... umm ... highest."
"It's probably something to do with the way he died." Ethan glanced at the door separating the two cabins. Though he'd heard no sound, the hint of summer touching the air told him Kat was awake.
"No one knows how any of these men died," Benton exploded. "And that's the damn problem. That and the fact I just can't see the link between the kids and these men."
The door opened, but it was Gwen who stepped through. "That's because you're convinced the answers lie in the ordinary," she said, voice sharp. "And this case has nothing to do with the ordinary."
Kat followed her grandmother through the door. She no longer wore the wig and her eyes were once again green. But they were haunted with exhaustion and pain, and her face was pale. She should've been asleep, probably would have been had it not been for Benton's booming voice.
She no longer wore his jacket, and her low-cut shirt revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her br**sts. Her black skirt swirled around her thighs as she headed for the second sofa, showcasing long, wonderful legs. He wasn't the only one who silently admired them as she sat.
Her gaze rose to his and, for an instant, there might well have been no one else in the room. Though she was tired and still in pain, the need in her eyes was every bit as strong as the one that pounded through his veins. The momentary smile that touched her lips did strange things to his breathing. Tomorrow, she'd whispered. He suddenly wasn't sure he could wait that long.
"What do you mean?" Benton's voice cracked the brief silence. "If you two are withholding information — "
Gwen's snort was contemptuous. "The only thing we're withholding is knowledge you're not likely to believe."
"Right now, I'm desperate enough to listen to even the most outlandish theory."
"Then I've got one that'll blow your jock off." Gwen perched on the arm of the sofa beside Kat. "The thing that is taking these kids is called a mara. It's an ancient spirit that can enter houses by taking the form of a cat or vapor. It seduces men and eats their souls while they're in the midst of passion."
Benton stared at her for a second. "This thing is human." His voice was harsh.
"Your granddaughter saw it."
"The fact it can take human form doesn't make it human," Gwen said dryly. "As yet, we have no idea why it is taking these kids, but it is stealing their souls. And doing so while they are in great pain."
"The second kid was torn apart," Mark said. "The first drained of blood. How's that related to this soul stealer?"
There was very little doubt in Mark's voice, Ethan noted. But then, Mark had seen the disintegration of the zombie firsthand. That would be enough to make anyone believe that something beyond the norm was going on in this case.
"The first kid was drained by a vampire who was working with the soul sucker. Kat killed it in the warehouse. You probably would have found a man-shaped black stain on the concrete."
That explained the bits of humanity found amongst the soot. Ethan looked at Kat.
"Is that why you were attacking him with stakes?"
She nodded. "White ash."
Her voice was little more than a croak, and he raised an eyebrow, glancing at Gwen for explanation.