Because they obviously didn't. They moved as one, walking silently across the room to Jack's drawer. For some reason, she wasn't entirely surprised. The weirdness had started with Jack. Somehow, he was the key to it all.
Gabriel squeezed her knee lightly and motioned to the left, holding up three fingers. She nodded. Placing her cup on the floor, she silently counted to three, rose and scooted around the edge of the room, coming in on the two men from the left.
They were so intent on trying to bag Jack's body that neither man became aware of their approach until it was far too late.
"Police," she said softly, grabbing the arm of one of the strangers and twisting it back behind his back. "Don't move."
He was obviously hard of hearing, because he not only moved, but came out swinging. She ducked under his blow, and then hit him. Not exactly ethical, but hey, he was possibly a vampire, and she was already suspended.
He went down like a sack of potatoes. She frowned and glanced at her clenched fist. She hadn't hit him that hard. She looked across to Gabriel. He had the second intruder by the neck and was holding him slightly above the ground.
It took a lot of strength to do something like that, more strength than most humans normally had. But then, Gabriel Stern worked for the SIU. They weren't big on employing normal type humans.
"Remind me never to tackle you when you're angry," he said, his expression grim. But as he met her gaze, a slight hint of amusement touched his eyes.
This, coming from a man who appeared intent on choking his suspect to death. "Ah ... hadn't you better loosen your grip at little? Don't want to kill him before he can answer a question or two."
He glanced at the felon for a moment and shook him a little. The man made an odd sort of gagging sound. Gabriel smiled grimly. "He can breathe," he said. "He's just a little blue around the edges. Nothing to worry about with his type."
"What on do you mean by his type? Are they vampires?"
"No. Thralls."
He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and made a call for backup. Given no chance to ask what a thrall was, she glanced down at the man near her feet and toed him lightly. Still out cold. She obviously packed quite a punch. He hadn't even twitched.
"I guess I've landed myself in a shit load more trouble," she said, once Gabriel had hung up.
He met her gaze, his eyes intense, thoughtful. Once again she was left with the distinct impression that Assistant Director Stern was a man with his own agenda.
"Maybe," he said after a moment. His gaze went back to the felon. Not releasing his grip in any way, he asked. "You going to talk?"
The man gurgled.
"I'll take that as a yes." He let the felon's toes touch the floor. "I'm about to release my grip a little. Twitch, and you're dead, understand?"
Jack had nothing on Gabriel Stern when in came to menace, that was for sure. Though he'd kept his tone light, the threat hung like a noose in the air. She had no doubt that he meant it. Obviously, neither did the felon.
"Who sent you?"
The felon took several deep breaths, and then croaked, "Sethanon."
The name meant nothing to her, but it was one Gabriel obviously recognized. His expression was grim as he asked, "Why?"
'To collect Kazdan's body."
Gabriel glanced at her for a moment. He didn't look entirely surprised by this news, and she wondered why.
"Why do you want Jack's body?" she asked, keeping her voice soft. The man was in a bad enough state as it was. If they threatened him too much more he might just faint.
"I don't know."
Gabriel tightened his grip again. The felon flapped his arms in agitation, a frantic look of fear twisting his face. "I'm telling you, I don't know. I'm just a runner. I do what I'm told. They don't tell me nothin'."
"Really?" Gabriel's tone implied disbelief, even though the fear in the felon's eyes suggested he was telling the truth. "Where were you supposed to take the body?"
"To a warehouse in Carlton."
"Address?"