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“I’m going to run the kids’ faces through my software to see if I can get an ID. The faces of the men are too dark,” I said.
“How did the sender know they’re vampires, I wonder?” Phoenix asked.
“That was my first thought, too,” I replied. “Maybe the sender followed them for a while or something? Probably a vamp himself.”
“Can you reply to the text?” Andy asked.
I shook my head. “No, it’s an anonymous tip line for a reason. It only allows for incoming texts.”
“With no way to trace it?” he asked, incredulous.
“Nope. I’ve tried before,” I replied.
Viper made a face. “I hate to say this but maybe we should call the BSI. They could get the FBI involved discreetly.”
“But if they’re vampires…” Venom said.
“I know, that’s why I’d leave it up to their discretion,” Viper said.
I stared down at the photo again, then back to the guys. “Don’t call them just yet. Let me try a few things on our end first. If I can ID the victims, it’ll give us a place to start and we can go from there.”
“Okay. In the meantime, since there are no witnesses here to interview, we should go,” Viper said.
“Wait,” Phoenix said, putting his hand up and looking down the shore. “There are vampires on the nightshift on the docks. The humans would not have seen or heard anything, but the vamps might have.”
Venom patted his friend on the shoulder. “Good call. I should have thought of that.”
“Do you know any of them?” Viper asked.
Phoenix tapped his fingers on his thigh. “I doubt it. It’s been fifteen years. The ones I knew would have had to move on by now.”
“Worth a shot,” I said with a shrug.
We headed back to our bikes, and it was decided that only Phoenix and I would go try to find a couple vampire dock workers. A group of big-ass bikers walking down to the docks would attract attention. We took off our cuts and left then on the bikes.
“I don’t recognize anyone,” Phoenix said as we walked toward the docks.
“Can I help you?” a man asked, seeming to come out of nowhere.
We stopped walking and I concentrated on staring at the guy, trying to determine if he was human or something else. It took me longer to recognize fellow vampires because I hadn’t mastered the skill yet. Werewolves in human form were easier to identify, as they had a distinct smell.
“Yes. We’re looking for Tom,” Phoenix said, and I could tell he had the guy’s eyes locked. Human.
The man lazily looked away from Phoenix and pointed down toward the docks.
“Thank you,” Phoenix said. “You won’t remember us being here. Go back into the office.”
“I won’t remember,” he repeated robotically.
After he walked off, I asked, “Who’s Tom?”
Phoenix lifted his shoulder and let it fall. “Hell if I know, just took a chance there’s a Tom working here.”
I chuckled. “Very stealthy of you.”
A group of men were lifting crates and loading them onto large barges. I tried to see if any were vampires, but it was too difficult with them moving around so much.
“Those two,” Phoenix said, pointing to a pair of guys hoisting barrels onto the ship.
