The Superiors by Lena Hillbrand Read Free Book Online

descended another staircase and were on the man.
    Ander leapt at them, knocking Draven flat with his unexpected attack. Draven hit the floor hard and slid across the damp concrete. The Enforcer caught Ander in the dark and Ander fell on him, sinking his teeth into the smaller man. The smell of the Enforcer’s blood, bitter and metallic, hit Draven with a strength that burned his nostrils. He sprang to his feet and flew at Ander. Connecting with his target, he tore the shirt from the larger man and began twisting his arm.
    Ander was a Second Order Superior, strong and well-fed. He must have been feeding on his own property to become so powerful, and he’d become more powerful still when he’d bitten an Enforcer. He flung Draven off and was up the stairs and through the door before Draven could recover.
    “Do you need assistance, sir?” Draven asked quickly.
    “Get him,” the Enforcer said from the floor. Draven sprang up the stairs and scanned the room of dancers. He couldn’t smell Ander among the bodies, but he could follow the smell of the Enforcer’s blood. He scanned the room for the metallic odor. He had almost given up when a faint whiff caught his attention. He followed it up a flight of stairs and into a restaurant at street level. The place, occupied by only a few Superiors playing games during working hours, seemed strangely quiet after the noise of the club below. Draven scanned the room, but the smell had vanished. Usually he could detect a scent as well as most of his kind, but this time he failed. Not even the slightest trace of the Enforcer’s blood-scent found his nostrils.
    He waited a long time before descending the two flights of stairs. He had failed in his first attempt at helping the Enforcers catch a criminal. The thrill of the chase vanished when the chase proved fruitless. When he opened the red door, the smell within hit him like a blood bank delivery truck. He made his way quickly and located a flashlight in the Enforcer’s belt. He switched it on. The Enforcer lay prone on the floor, his eyes open.
    “Do you need medical assistance, sir?”
    “He tore open my shoulder and I can’t reach it,” the man answered. “Can you close the wound? If you can’t, I’ll wait for MedAssist.”
    “I can if you would like, sir. You must be in a great deal of pain.”
    “Yes. Please do it quickly or find someone who can. I’m losing more blood every second.”
    “Yes, sir, if you’re sure. MedAssist is much better, though. I can’t close it without leaving scars.”
    “Just do it, damn it.”
    “Yes, sir.” Draven bent over the officer. The extent of the wound surprised him. He worked quickly, not relishing the work as he would closing a human wound. He hated seeing how much the injury had weakened the brave Enforcer and how much blood puddled on the floor under him. The Enforcer lay still, breathing hard as Draven’s tongue moved over the torn flesh from neck to shoulder blade. When he had finished, Draven sat up.
    “Are you able to stand, sir?”
    “I think so.” The Enforcer was slow to sit and slower to stand, but he made it to his feet.
    “If I may make a suggestion, sir, I believe you should eat quite soon.”
    “Of course. Thank you for your help.”
    “Sir, I have to report I did not meet with success in capturing the man Ander.”
    “I assumed as much.”
    “I am quite sorry, sir.”
    “It can’t be helped. I should have brought the other Enforcer. How did you happen to join the chase?”
    “I called in the raid. I’m a health inspector. Sir.”
    The Enforcer laughed. “I see. You must like to be where the action is.”
    Draven relaxed a bit at the Enforcer’s informality. “I do find it quite stimulating.”
    “And have you considered training as an Enforcer?”
    Draven paused before admitting his lowly position. “I am of the Third Order, sir.” He stood stiffly and waited for the reaction, but the Enforcer’s face remained impassive.
    “Of course.