Sienna's Thorn [Paused]

Chapter 7

Tires screeching, the car came to a stop by the railway station. Sienna and Bruno jumped out of the vehicle, looking around. A middle-aged snake-bodied naga stood waiting by a street lamp, her scales glittering in the cold blue-white light. Her face was scrunched up in worry. As Sienna approached, she slithered closer, lifting a hand to signal them.

Sienna brandished her badge. 'We got a call about a gunshot, was that from you?'

The naga nodded, her black snakelike hair moving oddly. 'I heard a gunshot and screams. It came from over there.' She pointed towards an intersecting street. 'I didn't dare go any closer, but I heard it,' she added, blinking her large green eyes, pupils slitted like a night-active snake.

'Right,' Sienna said. 'We have to hurry, but you should get home. Don't stay here. We'll call you later.'

The naga nodded, clutching a small handbag to her chest.

'Come on you slow bun,' Sienna called as she dashed forward, Bruno following at a slower pace.

'I'm not a bun!'

She smiled at the retort even as she hurried along the street. It lay empty and dark in the shadow of the towers, rising like black silhouettes against a still pale sky. Pools of sharp light spilled around the street lamps. Her heart beat loudly in her ears as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Ahead, the dark opening of an alley yawned. She slowed her pace, waiting for Bruno to catch up. It was silent in the shadows. Her skin prickled as she stared into the narrow passage. Bruno's heavy footsteps seemed loud in the oppressive silence.

'See anything?' he panted as he came up beside her.

'No. It's quiet.' She said and unholstered her gun. 'I don't like it.'

He nodded and followed suit, pulling out a flashlight to light their way. Together they entered the dark alley. At first, it was narrow, but a short way in, it widened on the left, making space for a back entrance to the house. A power distribution cabinet to Sienna's right made her pause. What was that?

'Bear, light,' she whispered.

He swung the flashlight around, flooding the cabinet. Yellow petals. On it, beside it. Her pulse beat in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. The monster had been right there!

'Sienna!'

She started and looked up. 'What?'

'Are you OK? I said your name like, three times.'

'Yeah, sorry. They were here.' She pushed her cap up a bit on her head, then turned around to study the alley more closely.

Bruno grunted something, swung the light around, sucked in a breath.

'What?' She twisted around to see where the light pointed, her gun raised.

A body sat slumped in a corner, folded over his legs like a sack of potatoes. His arms fell to the sides, hands balled into tight fists.

'Shit,' Sienna muttered.

Bruno lifted the radio and called for backup and crime scene investigators. Then they approached the body, checking if he was alive, but they saw almost immediately that he wasn't. His mouth hung open, dripping drool on his jacket, his hands and arms were blue and full of small round puncture wounds.

'What in the world happened?' Bruno muttered.

'I don't know, but he wasn't shot.'

No. Maybe the shot didn't hit anyone?' He turned around, shining the light on the ground.