Page 86 of Cooper’s Passion

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The command center at Scanguards was teeming with people. Nicholas was sitting at the main console, while Yvette and Haven stood talking with Samson and Amaury. Zane was hovering over Nicholas, talking quietly to him, while Luther sat next to Thomas, Scanguards’ resident IT genius, and both were scrolling through video footage.

“What do we have?” Cooper asked, approaching Nicholas.

Nicholas looked up, and clicked on something with his mouse, then pointed to the large wall of screens. “We were able to backtrack the serial killer from where he snatched his latest victim.”

Cooper looked at the video feed on the large screen, where a man in dark clothes dragged a well-dressed blonde woman into a white van.

“He was careless, parking only a few yards away from a traffic camera,” Nicholas explained. “From here we were able to follow the van. We pieced together where the white van disappeared to.”

He switched to a different video feed, where the van could be seen entering a building. “That’s on 22nd Street and Tennessee. We’ve got eyes on it via the feed from a business across the street, and he hasn’t come back out yet.”

“Okay.” Cooper nodded and turned around to look at everybody. “We’ve got about four hours till sunrise, which means we have to act now. It gives us more flexibility as to who can take part in the mission, but it also gives the perp a chance to slip out without risking getting burned to a crisp. So—”

“Cooper,” Haven interrupted with a quick sideways glance at Sheriff Diaz.

“It’s okay, Dad, Sheriff Diaz found out earlier tonight. He’s aware of what we are, and that the serial killer is also a vampire.”

Several pairs of eyebrows rose. Cooper shrugged. “Couldn’t be avoided. But he’s good with it, right, José?”

“Do I have a choice?” Diaz asked laconically and shrugged. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Thomas and Luther, you’ll continue the electronic surveillance, and make sure he doesn’t slip out before we get there.”

Thomas nodded. “No problem. I’ve already got a drone in the air.”

“Good thinking,” Cooper praised. “Nicholas, you’ll stay in the command center with Sheriff Diaz and Anita. Alert Charles to be ready in case we need to apply witchcraft. And call Wesley to come in as well just in case. He and Virginia are home right now.”

Then he looked at the others. “We’ll go in three cars. Zane, go with Samson. Dad, go with Amaury, and Mom, you’re coming with me. Nicholas, make sure Maya follows in the Scanguards ambulance, but have her on standby two blocks from 22nd and Tennessee. Have one of the hybrids drive. You have your weapons?”

Several affirmative replies could be heard in the room.

“Do we shoot to kill?” The question came from Zane, which was no surprise. He was the most cold-blooded amongst them.

“Only if you can’t avoid it. But I’d rather get this asshole alive, if we can.” He took a breath. “Okay, let’s roll out.”

As the teams started leaving the command center, Cooper approached Anita and took her hand. “You and your dad have to stay here. Under no circumstances can you leave this building. We’ve had instances where the bad guys tricked some of us, pretending that something happened to one of us. It happened to Blake’s wife, who was tricked, thinking she was helping Blake, and she wasn’t the only person that’s happened to. It happened to Katie too. So, don’t believe anybody, if they say that I got hurt, and you need to come and save me. It’ll be a lie. Stay here with Nicholas. You can trust him.”

Anita nodded, her body visibly tense. “All right. But you’d better come back in one piece.”

“Promise.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, nodded at Diaz, and left the command center.

* * *

The buildingon 22nd Street and Tennessee was a residential home undergoing a major renovation after what looked like extensive fire damage. The gate to the double garage was closed. Many of the windows on both floors were either missing or covered with plywood to keep the elements out.

Cooper drove past it and parked around the next corner. He killed the engine and looked at Yvette. “Rock ‘n’ roll.”

“Let’s gets this bastard.”

They jumped out of the SUV, and Cooper locked the car. When they came around the corner, he already saw his colleagues approach the building from the other side.

Cooper touched his earpiece. “Thomas, any new developments?”

“It’s all quiet. No changes. I can see all six of you.”

“Any heat signatures in the building?” Cooper asked.