The Mimics Part 2 (Feedback wanted)

She headed towards the medical center to question Travis. The room was lined with about a dozen beds, only about half of them filled. She looked around for Travis. Not seeing him she called the doctor over.

“I had one of my men sent here a little while ago, where is he?”

“Second bed to the...” He indicated to an empty bed. He called one of his underlings over.

“Where did that man go?” The employee looked around, “I-he-he was right there just a minute ago!” The lieutenant rubbed her temples,

“How do you lose an unconscious man?” The doctor was asking shaking his hands violently at the man. The flabbergasted employee could only shrug.

“Great, another person missing,” Lealiah muttered to herself. She instructed the doctors to keep her updated, then went to inform the general. She walked down the same hallway that the prisoner had been taken down just yesterday, wracking her brain for an explanation, and debating her next move. Suddenly, on the brick corner, something glinted in the torchlight.

“What?” She whispered, drawing closer to inspect it. It looked like dried, liquid, silver. She touched it, and part of it flaked away and fell to the ground. Her heart skipped a beat. Blood, it had to be. This was where the woman had cut herself on the wall. This was why she jumped back so quickly. To confirm she called Officer Lark, the vampire who had alerted her earlier.

“Yes, it’s hers, and it’s blood.” The man confirmed after getting the scent.

“What species has silver blood?” Lealiah asked.

“None that I know of ma’m,”

“Thank you,” She thought for a moment, “Gather the head scholar from the library and have him inspect it, just to be sure.” she commanded, then finally went to update the general.

“General Aplin?” he waved her in unnecessarily,

“Any good news?” She shook her head,

“Just gets worse, my officer, the one that we found in the prisoner’s cell, he is not in the medical center. No one knows where he went. And we found the prisoner’s blood on one of the bricks.” the general furrowed his brow, “We were still unable to identify the girl’s species, but the blood is silver. Which...” She took a breath, “Which I have never seen before.” She waited patiently for his response. The lines on his face grew more defined as his furrow deepened and he began to shew on his bottom lip. Finally, he spoke.

“When the blood hounds get here, find the girl, as well as the kids... do you think she is involved with the kidnappings?”

“Potentially, but I would like to interview some of the others who came off board with her again, if I remember correctly, she had at least one friend.”

“Good, find her, question her, and find those kids.” he commanded,

“I’m doing my best sir,” she replied

“aren’t we all?” he mused as she walked out the door.

Lealiah looked up as there was a knock at her office door.

“Enter.” One of her senior officers came in with a young blond-haired woman.

“Constance Lace, as requested ma'am,” he said, standing at attention.

“Did she give you any trouble?” The lieutenant asked with raised brows.

“No ma'am.”

“Good. Have a seat miss.,” she said, indicating to the chair across from her. The young woman complied. Lealiah thanked and dismissed her officer, then spoke.

“I know that you were questioned yesterday, so I will only take a little bit of your time.”

“What is all the commotion about?” Ms. Lace asked in a high, delicate voice.

“Miss, we just need some information from you about your friend, Ms. Audrey Rivers. What can you tell us about her?”

“Audrey?” the young woman sat up straighter, “Is she in trouble?”

“I am not at liberty to say,” the lieutenant said, “but I need you to tell me everything that you know about her.”

“We met on the St. Andress, so I have only known her a short time.” The lieutenant stared, waiting.

“What... do you need to know?” the lady finally said, breaking the awkwardness that has settled on the room.

“Let’s start with who she would talk to, who were her friends?”

“She was kind to everyone, but really only friends with me.”

“Did she talk excessively with anyone else?” the lady shook her head.

“Sometimes another girl would join us, Nancy, no one else really.” Lealiah nodded, writing down the name on her parchment.

“Thank you,” she paused to gather her thoughts, “did she have any odd habits or behaviors?”

“I can only think of one time, when I offered for her to stay in my quarters at night, she politely refused, which I thought it perhaps a cultural habit” Lealiah marked that down quickly,

“I see... And what culture is that, where exactly is she from?”

“I do not think that I asked.”

“Did she say anything else about her culture?”

“She said that her people were mostly nomadic, hence why she travels so much, and that they travel in small groups.”

“Anything about her family?”

“I inquired once, but she said that she did not want to talk about it.”

“That’s fine” the lieutenant wrote down every bit of information she could, then turned her attention back to the young woman.

“Is there anything, any small detail about her that you think might help? Likes, dislikes, fears, and affections.” she stressed.

“She plays the lute, likes to drink tea, she’s...” Ms. Lace took a moment to think, “She’s afraid of dogs, likes traveling, and is a very good story teller.” Lealiah nodded,

“Thank you, every little bit helps,” she told the young woman, she just needed a bit more information. “I know this is going to be an odd question, but please just answer,” Ms. Lace gave a small nod, “was there ever a time that she was any other color?” The shock on the lady’s face was instant. Holding up her finger to hold off questions, “Just answer the question,” Lealiah instructed, the woman nodded again, her eyes flicking to the right before she answered.

“Other than the time that she became seasick, or perhaps it was from the fish, as several people were sick that night.” the lady made a disgusted face as she recalled the incident.

“What color was she?”

“Green and bits of silver, or grey, it was hard to tell due to the fact that she was leaning against the rails.”

“Silver? Where?”

“On-on... her face...why?”

“What happened after that?” she said, ignoring her question,

“She slept it off in her quarters, I went to check on her, but she refused me every time. Now what does that have to do with her?” The lieutenant gave her a long look, leaned forward, then sat up straight, folding her hands in front of her,

“You are dismissed Miss Lace, we will call upon you if we have any further questions.” She said coldly, nodding to one of her guards to take the lady away. After a moment she got up to see if the scholar had arrived yet from across town, and saw Travis walking in to the building, a few minutes late for his shift.

“WHERE IN THE GOOD LORD’S NAME HAVE YOU BEEN!?” She shouted. Travis stared at her, shocked,

“I’m just a few minutes late ma’am,” he said with a cock of his head.

“No! I mean where did you go last night?” the lieutenant said, enunciating each word.

“After my shift? I went home, ask my wife.” he put his hands up in defense. Taking a deep breath, Lealiah regarded her officer.

“Travis,” She said more calmly, “I’m putting you on desk duty for today,” he opened his mouth to protest,

“I don’t care, okay, there’s something big going on, and you are staying here until I figure it out.” She drummed her fingers against each other, then decided to fill him in. He stood there in shock as she briefly explained his disappearance.

“I promise you, ma’am, I went home,” He said after she was done, “I didn’t leave until my shift this morning.”

“I’m going to send Angela to check your story, and until then, you are to stay on desk duty.” She said, snapping her fingers at Angela. The fairy nodded and left at once.

“Yes ma’am,” he said, as she turned away, she caught him grumbling about his task. Lealiah shook her head, a theory developing. Ms. Rivers did not seem to be involved with the disappearances, but there was still a potential unknown species, and their only lead is currently on the run. The sound of dogs barking cut through her thoughts, Lucille had arrived with her hounds.

“Lucille,” she said as the dragon trainer entered, flanked by a single guard.

“General Aplin says you have some missing kids,” she said, skipping any pleasantries.

“That’s right, and some suspects as well. We’ll have you start with a group to find the kids, and I will need a separate group to find a missing prisoner,”

“Seems like you have your hands full today,” the trainer remarked. “I cannot go with both, do you have anyone Particularly skilled with hounds, or animals?” she asked. Lealiah considered her options.

“There’s a few that come to mind, I-”

“Michal,” said the guard from behind Lucille.

“Your brother? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure, I once watched him train our goat back on the farm when he was twelve, he can do it,” The young man proudly explained.

“Michal it is then, you may go with him. Take Caius and Mart as well, and listen,” The man met her gaze, “You have to stick together, all four of you, no one is to leave one another’s sigh for even a moment,”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a salute. He hurried off to his brother’s station,

“Hey, Mike, you want to go play with dogs?” he shouted on his way out. Lealiah watched him go,

“Lieutenant.” Lucille stated, “I have a yearling with me as well, she’s smart but inexperienced.”

“Thank you for the information. You’re dismissed.” Lucille nodded and went back outside to her dogs. The hunt was on.

A few hours later, she received an update; Michal and his team had found a blood trail for the prisoner. They were heading towards the south side. She sent the carrier pigeon back, reminding them to find her, but not engage if possible. As she sent the first bird away, a second one fluttered in, this one from Lucille. She ran to the general’s office,

“Sir, we found the kids,”

General Aplin stood up and dashed out of the room, almost hitting his desk in his rush.

“Where?”

“Divit’s old house, the one that burned down.”

“Then there’s not a moment to lose. Assemble three teams, you lead one, Ivo can lead the second, I will get the third.” His Lieutenant nodded, her face glowing, small cracks of light breaking through her face.

“It’s time for a raid.”