Dragon's Fire Read Online Free PDF Page A

still had the ability to make me sick.
     
    I pulled my badge out of my bag before slinging both bags over my shoulder, and venturing out into the feeding frenzy. The local boys (and girls) in blue didn't appear to recognize me at first, but the moment my name started to be yelled by the press, eyes widened and they moved a little faster to get me through. I flashed my badge at the young Fed behind the rope and then ducked under.
     
    “Miss Faust,” one particular voice carried over the crowd. “Is it true that you killed a vampire last night with just a switchblade?”
     
    That caught my attention. I paused and glanced in that direction. The young man who'd spoken was watching me expectantly. Thick dark brown hair, sharply intelligent jade eyes and one of those faces almost too pretty for a guy. He was tall, easily towering over the rest of the crowd and quite a bit more muscular than the usual reporter fare. Yummy. I caught his eye and winked at him. I was definitely going to keep an eye out for him when I was done. He looked like he'd be good in bed... or on the floor, on a table, against the wall, in a shower...you get the idea.
     
    I'd only been stationary for a few seconds before turning my attention back to the task at hand. I filed the hot reporter away and headed into the bakery. I hadn't taken more than two steps inside before stopping again. This time, it wasn't an attractive man who'd gotten my attention, but a mass of blood and guts strewn all over the small shop. All right, it was pretty bad. Still not in my top ten, but close.
     
    “Pretty horrific, isn't it?” A man who looked like he was only five years or so older than me spoke up from where he'd been standing near one of the walls, away from the worst of the carnage. His face was pale, and to be honest, a trifle green.
     
    “Special Agent Beck.” I held out a hand.
     
    He took it, looking mildly impressed. “Did you recognize my voice?”
     
    I shook my head. “Only the Agent in Charge would look as nauseous as you and still be in here instead of outside with the rest.”
     
    Beck raised an eyebrow, a slightly amused glint coming into his pale blue eyes. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”
     
    I turned back towards the scene. “A little of both actually.” I answered honestly. “Gloves?”
     
    Beck handed me a pair of latex gloves, the expression on his face telling me that he wasn't sure if he should be angry about what I'd said. What I did next would help him decide how he was going to take my comment. My first time at a crime scene with a Special Agent in Charge was a little like I'd always imagined a first date would be, and I liked to lay my cards out on the table from the get go. I shrugged my bags off of my shoulder and held them out to Beck. “I can't examine a crime scene carrying them and I can't just leave them lying around. Dangerous weapons in one and all of my worldly possessions in the other.” He took them reluctantly after sneaking a glance to make sure that none of his agents were present. They weren't. I wouldn't have given the bags to him if there'd been a junior agent around. I wasn't cruel, just practical. He didn't drop them, curse at me or do anything but hold the bags. Definite brownie points there.
     
    On to work. I snapped on the gloves and began. I went around the edges first, getting my bearings of where everything was, including all of the pieces of the body. Despite the size of the mess, I was fairly certain there was only one. Something on the top of the counter caught my eye. Five deep, but short, grooves. I placed my hand over them.
     
    “Werewolf?” Beck spoke up.
     
    I wasn't sure if he was curious, trying to be helpful or just annoying so I ignored him. The angle was all wrong for a straight slice. I walked around the counter and put my hand over it again. I glanced at the door that leads into the back. “Did you find anything back there? Prints, fibers, hairs?”
     
    “Nothing,”