Eternal

“What conditions?”

“All assignments have to be cleared through me, and I have the right to have other agents shadowing you two if I feel it’s needed.”

“And if they don’t agree to it?” she asked, thinking of Natasha and Liam.

“Then there isn’t any reason why the FRU can’t start our own investigation. We’ve already done the basic legwork.”

“And you’ll put me on the case?” she asked, needing assurance.

“It will have to be cleared by the FRU, but I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t. You’ve already built a reputation with them.”

Della relaxed back in the chair, liking the sound of that, but it brought little reprieve from the real problems. “Thank you.”

He nodded, then frowned. “All this could have been avoided if Chase hadn’t set out to stir shit up.”

“You mean ‘cause trouble,’ or perhaps ‘stir crap up,’” Della corrected. When he looked confused, she explained, “You can’t cuss, remember?” A slight smile brushed across her lips remembering Holiday’s soap-washing threat.

“Trouble,” he said, correcting himself.

“And…” she continued, “honestly, Chase didn’t set out to cause trouble. He just happened to be at the falls when I went there.” Her heart did a little dance, because she didn’t actually believe it was a coincidence. They’d been called there. But was it about her and Chase or about Natasha and Liam?

“But he still told you about the case,” Burnett said, his tone deepened with anger.

“Not really. I mean, someone else told me and I just had him confirm it.”

Burnett studied her, probably listening to see if her heart marked her words as a lie. “No one else knows,” he said.

“Someone knows,” Della said.

“Who?” His brow tightened and he leaned forward.

“A ghost,” Della said, and felt the frown rise up inside her.

“What … ghost?” he asked, glancing around as if he expected it to be there.

She repeated what had happened at the falls to Burnett, told him about the voice, about the vision of two people feeding off each other. He picked up a pencil and rolled it in his hands while he listened. “Did you tell Holiday all this?”

Della nodded, her chest tightening as she grasped ahold of what little hope she had. “She thinks Natasha and Liam are dead.”

“And you don’t?” Burnett’s pencil rolling stopped while he waited for her to answer.

“No. I think the ghost is someone wanting them rescued. She referred to Natasha by name. She didn’t say ‘find me.’”

Burnett leaned back in his chair, making it squeak. “She?”

Della nodded. “And oddly, she didn’t mention Liam. It’s as if she’s more concerned about the girl.”

Burnett gave the pencil another roll between his palms. “But most of the time when Holiday has visions like … like the one you had—”

“I know,” Della said. “Most of the time it’s the person who’s dead. But I’m not Holiday. Maybe being a Reborn makes it different for me.” She looked up at him. “For us. Have you had any visions where they weren’t dead?”

He looked appalled at the idea of communicating with spirits, as if she’d asked him for a recommendation on which tampon to use. “I’ve … I’ve never had a vision. I just sense them when they’re hanging around Holiday and can hear them sometimes. But I’ve actually only seen one ghost—Hannah, Holiday’s sister.”

“Lucky you.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, almost too wholeheartedly, but then added, “But it is because of you seeing and hearing ghosts that we caught the last killer and didn’t arrest the wrong guy. Holiday insists it’s a gift. And sometimes I can’t argue with her.”

“I know, and if dead people weren’t involved, I might agree.” A tickle of dread ran down her spine thinking about it. Was she doomed to be like Kylie now? Ghosts popping in all the time? But damn, she didn’t want that.

Burnett shrugged and nodded at the same time as if he wished he could disagree, but couldn’t. He leaned forward again. “Holiday also says when you get those kinds of visions it’s normally someone you know or someone who is connected to you somehow.”

Della nodded. “She told me that, too, but I don’t know a Natasha or a Liam. And the ghost is the one who told me to find them. So maybe she knows Natasha, because I don’t.”

“Okay, let’s say you’re right and the ghost isn’t Natasha. Do you think you might know the ghost?”

“I don’t think so. I think she just chose me because I’m connected to the Craig Anthony case.”

The room grew silent for a minute and Della’s thoughts went back to the other issue. “Have you actually spoken to anyone on the Vampire Council yet?”

“I’ve called and they said someone will be in touch.”

“In touch today, or this week?” Della asked, concern tightening her voice. If Della was right, and Natasha and Liam were alive, they needed help, and needed it fast. Or was Holiday—who knew her ghost stuff—correct, and they’d already met their fate?

Burnett adjusted his weight in the chair again. “The ball’s in their court. If I try to push, it could have a negative effect. But I will go ahead and put in to start the investigation on our part. And I’ll get someone to go through all the files we confiscated from Craig Anthony. Maybe we can find some info on a … Natasha and Liam. You wouldn’t happen to have last names, would you?”

“No.”

“Did you get anything else that might help us locate them?”

She let her mind return to the vision. “Nothing other than it was a dark place that smelled like dirt. Like an underground room.” Buried alive. The thought sent chills down her spine. “But…”

“But what?” Burnett asked.

“I don’t know for sure, but Chase might know something about it, too.”

“How would he know?”

“It’s just … I could be wrong, but I think he might have been connected with that vision, too. We were both lured to the falls for a reason, and I think that was it.”

“You mean, he saw it, too?”

“Yeah, Holiday said it was possible.” She hesitated. “Has he already left the property?”