"We'll figure this out, Lil, promise. Come on, sit in Gavriel's chair, we'll turn you a bit so you can't see out into the bull pen and I'll pull the blinds so you can't see out if you look around." He guided her to the chair before he drew all the blinds and tilted them just enough that, sitting, she couldn't see out. Others could still see in partially, but her view was fully obstructed.
Grabbing up a thick folder, he handed it to her. "No pictures in there, it's just written reports on all the cases with the guys with the tattoos. The crime scene report from the house you were in is in there as well. Dig through that and see if we have anything that might lead us somewhere. I'm going to handle all the photos. Take notes, and we'll talk in an hour or so and see what we both have. Hopefully, we can get a lead on where we need to go next. And remind me, on our way out, to drop the sheet for the week off on the captain's desk."
"Sounds good to me." She took the data pad that he passed her and began to look through the paper files and began to take notes on things that she saw in the files, frowning from time to time. She moved certain notes up to the top, highlighting and shifting, moving around the flow of the notes as she did so.
She had no idea how long they sat there, how long they took notes and went through the paper files until, finally, she looked up at him and cocked her head to the side. "Okay, these men all came from the same place, and entered the country at the same time. Same port as well," she said with a frown. "And then after that they dropped off the map until they showed up dead and so on." Dead or trying to kill innocent people.
"Okay." He nodded slowly, tapping a photo to the desk as he stared out the windows. "Who signed them through the port? Same person each time, or different? Times the same for the crossings, or all over the map?" He leaned forward, looking at her now, as he used the edge of the photo to scratch his jaw. "We should also check and see who else was on duty. Could have been the one signing them through, or just a watcher on shift. If the same person worked each shift, that is someone we need to talk to."
"I made a note to do just that," she told him and tapped her finger on her knees. "So I guess that the question is, why there? And I also think that we need to get our happy butts to that port and start talking to people, don't we?"
"Once we know just who to talk to, absolutely. So make up a list and then we will head over there." He checked his watch before going back to his stack of pictures. "We'll go another hour and whatever we have, we'll go and start to poke those who may know some answers."
"Sounds fair enough to me. We will do what we need to do because, to be perfectly honest, the only thing that matters is that we figure this out. And we will. Together, we will figure this all out. We will, because there is no choice at all."
"Precisely." He nodded. Reaching out, he touched her hand gently before pulling back. With a small smile, he went back to the pictures and his notes he was making. Which he hadn't mentioned yet, but since she couldn't look at the pictures, it was probably for the best.
It was a time later when Lilly put her data pad down and looked to him. "All right, I'm done." She said and shook her head. "And no, I mean it. I'm done. If I look at these files once more, I will likely hurt someone."
"That's nice," he commented, squinting at an image. Lifting a magnification loupe, he pressed his eye to it over the image. "Huh, interesting," he murmured, making a note and putting a sticky arrow on the image. Then he looked at her and blinked. "What? Why are you killing people?"
"I can't look at these files anymore. I really can't. I swear to you, if I look at them one more time, I am going to hurt someone." She didn't move because she knew what he was looking at and asked, "What have you found? You have something there, or it wouldn't have taken you so long to say something to me."
She got another couple of blinks before he nodded. "Uh, yeah. I found something in a couple photos. But I need them to rework them digitally so that I can get a decent look at them. Currently the focus is all wrong, it's on the foreground instead of the background. So-" He picked up the ones he'd flagged and stuck them into a different folder. The others he put into the original folder, out of her sight, and got up. Taking her file and the original of his, he put them into the office safe. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'll drop this off at with the lab guys and see if they can rework things to let me see what's in the background. If it's what I think it is, we just got ourselves the clue of the century."
She was glad that he wasn't making her look at the images, but of course he wouldn't because he loved her and would always do what he needed in order to make certain she was safe. Once he had everything locked behind the safe and the files handed off, she wrapped her arm around his middle and gave him a gentle squeeze. Looking up at him, she smiled, nodding as she did so. "Is this going to be okay?" she asked quietly. "What you found, will it help us get rid of whoever these monsters are preying on humans?"
"I don't honestly know, but it's a possibility. We'll have to wait and see," he said quietly. Squeezing her close, he grabbed up his jacket. "You ready?" he asked, flipping it over his arm. At her nod, he pressed a kiss to her hair and they headed out of the office and straight to the elevators.
"I'm ready." She spoke aloud this time and moved in closer to him in the elevators. As soon as they stepped on, she once more felt that intense panic, that fear and clenched her hand at his side. "Ax," she whispered and turned to press her face against his chest. "Feeling it again. I don't like it," she whispered. "Panic, fear-what the hell is happening to me?"
"Shh," he whispered, pulling her closer to him. His arms wrapping her close, holding her tight. "I've got you, just breathe and listen to my heart. No one can hurt you, I won't let them hurt you, promise." One of his hands cupped the nape of her neck and warmed her suddenly chilled and clammy skin. His body was tense, though, unlike earlier. Not a good sign.
She nodded against his chest and held onto him. Her eyes were closed. She was shaking and hated it. The fear was too much, she hated it, but with him being here and close to her she was feeling somewhat better. He was helping her relax and calm just by being there.
"Good, you're doing good," he whispered quietly. He was swaying, rocking her gently as they moved down through the building. "We're almost to the tech guys. We'll stop quick, I'll tell them what I need and we're out of here. No delays, sweetheart."
"Sounds good. The sooner out of here, the better." What set her off, though? She had been worried on the way up, felt better in his office, but when they hit the elevator again she freaked out. She hated this feeling. So desperately. She wanted her fucking life back!
The elevator stopped, thank God. Artaxias took her hand and, keeping her close, walked with her into tech heaven. Everyone in the technology division stopped and stared, Ax didn't even let it phase him. "Give me a minute," he said to her softly. Right, she couldn't see the pictures, bad things happened when she looked at them. He left her near the door and headed for someone she couldn't quite see because of his broad back blocking her view.
Lilly looked down at the floor and felt a little sick. She couldn't look away though. She was entranced by the floor. The swirling patterns, the movement in the fibers. All of it. She couldn't shake out of it and found herself biting her lower lip, hard. Sweat broke out on her forehead and she felt herself swaying slightly with vertigo. What the hell was wrong? In her mind she reached for Ax. Screaming for him almost.
He was there in the next instant, his hand forcing her chin up and his mouth crashing into hers. A hard, hot kiss with tongue and his body wrapping around hers. Full contact, perfect. He teased her into a fine fury of sexual need before drawing back to look at her. "Lil." His eyes darted back and forth, searching hers. "I felt your panic and heard you scream in my head. What happened, love?"
"I think I just shit my pants," one of the techs said weakly.