Phoenix

Chapter 17: Inhuman + Police = Death

The early morning air was crisp as Kida monitored the quiet street from her front porch while sitting on their rickety wooden bench with Max lying under her. Police would arrive any minute, her brothers were still in the house, and Lena was running around after them.

A large yellow bus strolled down the street as her two brothers blotted through the front door.

"Don't slip on any ice!" Lena called from the doorway.

Neither of them were listening. Tyler's shaggy brown hair flapped like wings on the side of his head as he gunned it to the bus while Jacob strolled calmly after Tyler. Still making it to the bus on time.

Even in March, the cold lingered. Covering New York in a hazy fog, cold air, and snow-covered grounds that crushed under the school bus's tires as it drove away. Police vehicles replaced the bus instantly, almost as if they were stalking around the corner, waiting to pounce. Only two detectives were supposed to show up like Luke had warned, but instead, there were three.

"This them?" Lena asked, pulling Kida out of her mini panic attack.

"Yeah," Kida breathed, tapping away at her phone.

Luke had warned her about the detectives as they left his place, but he said nothing about Captain Weaver being with them.

'Was Captain Weaver with the other detectives?' she texted Luke, while quickly looking up at the approaching officers. A growl rumbled in Max's throat as they got closer.

'No! Is he at your place?' he asked.

Glancing up again, Kida hastily replied 'yes' before the officers were on her porch.

"Ms. Kinicad, I'm Detective Brunner with the NYPD, this is my college Detective Goodwin and Captain Weaver. We were hoping to ask you a couple of questions about Emerald Arnal?" Brunner asked kindly, staying on the first step of their porch.

"Is she alright?" Lena asked; for her and Kida's sake, they needed answers.

"For now, her wear about is unknown," Goodwin horrifyingly revealed. Brunner shot him a deadly look before turning back to Lena with the same kind look as before.

"May we come inside?" Brunner asked.

"Oh, yes, of course. Please come in," Lena said, frantically opening the door and letting Brunner and Goodwin in, while Captain Weaver stayed out on the porch with Kida and Max.

"How's Max?" Captain Weaver asked, staying near the wooden stairs.

"Fine," Kida breathed, looking down and gently rubbing his frigid ears.

'Why the fuck are you here?' she desperately wanted to ask.

"How about you? How are you dealing with this?" he asked, still keeping his distance.

"Fine," she answered more bluntly while turning back to Em's old house again. Captain Weaver stared at her; he could obviously tell she was lying.

"Really?" he questioned.

"Why are you here?" she asked, starting to get irritated with all his questions.

"I'm here because I know how hard it is to lose someone you love," he started to explain.

She turned and stared at him for a while before remembering Em's last words to her and the fact that she was on speakerphone.

'Damnit, Em!' Kida yelled internally before returning her gaze to Max.

"I know right now it hurts, but from what I've heard, she clearly loves you-" he continued, taking a small step forward before Kida cut him short.

"Fuck off," she growled through her teeth as she sprang up from the wooden bench. Captain Weaver stopped and watched curiously as Kida reacted.