Bound By Blood

KJDarKnight

KJDarKnight

You can make anything by writing -C.S Lewis
Whence the oath was signed at the graduation ceremony, there was no turning back, you were bound by blood to serve and protect. There wasn't much actual magic left in the world but the blood oath law enforcement took was one that lasted through the ages. It was no small thing, it bound you for life not just until retirement, for life, it was a life changing commitment not lightly taken. Failure to uphold the oath resulted in death. Of course dirty cops always found a work around, as long as they never directly hurt the innocent they could get away with it. But it was a strong deterrent that helped to keep law enforcement honest and for the most part, they were.

Wulfric had abandoned his past and taken the oath like everyone else there at the station but not everyone understood exactly what this meant for him. It didn't matter though, these people were his pack now and Chief Benjamin Hendricks was their alpha. An older bean with a lot of experience under his belt. Wulfric respected him well enough, he was fair and ran a tight ship as the saying goes. Everything ran fairly smooth day to day and it was no different when Wulfric arrived. The only change being, he was getting a new partner today, beyond that he knew nothing about who or what they were going to be.

Rather than go right to the office he would soon share with his new partner, he reported to Hendricks office directly as he knew he was supposed to. He assumed his new partner would be be arriving soon if not already waiting for him.
 
Charlie cursed fluently under her breath as she hurried up the steps of the large red brick building that was the home of the local law enforcement, aka her workplace. She was late. Oh so very very late. Normaly she was never late. Why of all days did it have to be today? The one day on which her forseeable future hung. She was finally going to be rid of the disaster she had called her partner for the last few months and be assigned a new one, and this was going to be her first impression. Just fabulous.

Pushing through the heavy metal doors, she dashed around the various people loitering in the hallway, ignoring any greetings or comments thrown her way. she clattered through another door and up a staircase, leaving the potentially overly chatty coworkers in her wake. In the blessedly quiet hallway that lead to the chiefs office she paused to catch her breath and hopefully lessen her current resemblance to the while rabbit late for his meeting with the queen of hearts. At least her boss didn't have a tendancy to cry 'off with their heads' for any supposed transgression.

With a last steadying breath and a half assed silent prayer to whoever might be listening, she marched resolutely forwards and knocked on the door before entering. She hadnt even fully crossed the threshhold as she launched into an appology.
"I am so sorry Chief Hendricks, I - " looking up, Charlie realised that the old chief wasn't alone. "Oh, excuse me. I'll wait outside." She started to back out of the office again.
 
Wulfric looked up when she came in, was this his new partner? He sniffed and wrinkled his nose. A bean? Really? Supposed better than being stuck with a straw or another wolf. Wulfric held an empty coffee cup loosely in one hand, so he'd been here at least long enough to have finished his coffee

"No, come in Detective Hyle" Hendricks waved her in. Benjamin was not an overly large man like one might expect a chief to be, considering he had to handle everyone at the station. The guy was solid muscle even in his more advanced years, he'd earned the respect he was given.

"I'd like you to meet Detective Hoss, your new partner" he said nodding to Wulfric. He'd seen the woman before a time or two but being stationed near the heart of the city, a lot of officers came and went and it wasn't uncommon not to know every single one of them.
 
"Yes sir." Charlie reclosed the door and straightened her posture into some form of attention. Chief Hendicks always made her want to be at her best and she knew today she at least looked far from it. She hadn't had the time to even attempt to tame her hair, which probably looked liked a wild rats nest.

When the Chief introduced the man standing by his desk, Charlie mustered him with a practiced eye. Not having superhuman senses to give her any tips, she had to go only by what she could see. The first thing she ruled out was sucker, Detective Hoss' was far too tan for that. She also couldn't see a tag from this angle, so shifter was, though still possible, not that likely. Human was also unlikely, as she knew Henricks liked to keep his teams mixed. Wolf then? Was he new to the district? She wasn't quite sure, what with the turnover their station had and the fact that she had been playing the part of her old partners glorified assistant and hadn't had time for much else.

With a last internal plea 'please let him be decent', she turned towards her new partner and offered her hand with a sunny smile.
"Charlie Hyle" she introduced herself without her actual title, a bad habit she had been driven into recently and almost instantly regretted once the words were out. Adding it on as an afterthought seemed even worse though, so she merely added, "I look forward to working with you."
 
Wulfic shifted the coffee cup to his other hand and took her offered one, smiling thought it didn't reach his eyes "Good to officially meet you detective Hyle" he didn't bother with introducing himself as the chief had already said his name. They were detectives, she could figure it out.

"Well then, Hyle, you'll be moving your things to Hoss's office" Hendricks spoke up "You don't mind I'm sure, have an office with a window now" he stood and picked up a file. "No better way to get to know each other than with a case" he held it out towards them.

"Who's taking lead?" Wulfric asked "I don't care, you two work that out but get to it" Hendricks said dismissively.
"Right" Wulfric grabbed the file, he wasn't acting overly friendly but it was nothing against her, just not a morning person.
 
Charlies eyes subconciously followed the coffee cups movement. The way Hoss tossed it from hand to hand made it quite clear that it was empty. He must have been waiting for quite a while. Her resolve to kick her roommates butt into next week when she got home intensified.

Before she could say anything else, Hendricks had spoken up again. Charlie almost let out a childishly excited squeal at the revelation that she was getting a window office. She damped it down in time, thankfully and maintained her professional demeanour, broken only by the happy glint in her eyes, which only intensified as Hendricks proceded to hand over a file.

Her glee was dampened somewhat as Hoss took the file with little more than a grunt of acknowledgement. Looked like the lead in their partnership was already established. She reminded herself that it was only natural. She was young for a detective and he was most certainly the senior partner here. It was only natural to start out this way until something proved that a change was necessary.

"Good day Sir." She followed Hoss out of the door. About halfway down the corridor she spoke up.
"Which is your office? I'll go get my things, or would you rather we look into that first?" She nodded at the folder in his hand.
 
"Might as well go get your things first, last one on the left there" he nodded down the hall past the chiefs office "I'm going to get some more coffee in the break room" he said, tossing the empty cup into the hallway trash "I uh, sorry, not much of a morning person is all, another coffee should do it" he dragged a hand down his face. He had bags under his eyes and his hair, while combed, definitely looked a bit haphazard "I'll meet you in the office yeah? Then we can go over this together" he doubted the chief would give them anything big for their first case together, just something to break the ice
 
"Sure. I'll be right there."

The revelation that Hoss' rather monosyllabic first impression was not conductive to his overall countenance was quite a relief. Maybe luck would favour her today, despite the disaster of a start to the morning.
Charlie bounced back downstairs, slithered around a group of people discussing something rather heatedly while some poor officer tried to mediate, and rapped her knuckes on the counter, behind which her favourite secretary and best source of inside information in the station was sitting.

"Pst, Amy."

Instantly a pair of big expectant blue eyes zeroed in on her, coming a little too close as the shifter behind the desk leaped to her feet and leaned eagerly forward.
"How did it go? Who did you get? What happened this morning? I saw you zip past, but its not like you to be late."

Charlie ignored most of Amys questions, she would figure it out soon enough anyway. She didn't want to keep Hoss waiting either, so cut directly to the chase.
"What can you tell me about a Detective Hoss? Howler -I think-, big, brown hair, bit of an accent. Oh and pass over my stuff. I actually get a window this time!"

Upon leaving her old office at the end of last week, she had deposited her box of things under the secretary counter, not wanting to lug the thing all the way home and back. Besides, here there was always someone around to keep an eye on it and it wasn't like there was anything of any real importance in there.
 
Last edited:
Hoss ignored anyone else in the break room and nobody bothered him as he went for the coffee, not caring much that it was starting to cool. "So new partner eh Hoss!" a young woman said as she came in "Oh hey Whiskers" he smiled a little, he did like the woman "It's Corporal now Sniffer" she smirked "Oh yeah that's right" he smiled "Sorry I missed that uh ceremony or whatever, I was on uh.. assignment" he shifted. "Oh right...Guess I haven't.. seen you since that..." the mood quickly got somber.

"But uhm yeah, new partner, Hyle, know anything about her?" he asked, Whiskers had a way of knowing pretty much everyone. He had no idea how she did it. "Ah, no sneak peaks Sniffer, you've gotta figure her out on your own" she smiled.

"Some help you are Corporal Whiskers" Wulfric smirked, she smiled back "Look like you got a case I won't keep you, good luck" she cheered with her mug.

With that Wulfric headed back to the office, drinking his coffee as he went.

-

Amy grabbed the box as she started talking too "Oh Hoss! He's a cute one, lucky lady" she said as she picked up the box and passed it over the counter to her. "He was deep undercover for awhile with his partner who well... He didn't make it" she told her in more of a hushed tone, not that it was a secret but talking about such things was never really, good, was it? "I think today is his first day back, took some time off you know, understandable"
 
"Amy! He's my partner!" Charlie admonished with a suppressed grin. Amys next words made suppression unnecessary. "Oh, I see." She took the box from the shifter and smiled, "Well thanks for keeping an eye on this, I'd better get back."

Back upstairs, she nudged the door of her new office open with the toe of her boot and suffled in, making a beeline for the empty desk and setting her box down beside it. Tiding everything away could wait. She stared at the vacant chair for a moment, before giving herself a mental shake and turning away. Pulling a hair tie from her wrist, she set about taming her wild curls. Usually she braided her hair for work to keep it out of the way, but a pony tail would have to do the trick for today.

Once she was done, she faced her new partner. The room smalled of coffee, so he seemed to have gotten his fix. The plaque on the door had read Det. W. Hoss. Walter maybe? William? It would crop up evenutally.

"So, what did we get?" she asked, eying the file on his desk.
 
Wulfric was standing by the window when she came in, looking out at the city around them. Felt strange to be back here, he'd transfer soon as he got the chance, he'd agreed to give it a couple months though so he would stick to that.

hearing her come back in he turned back "Well, lets see" he took a seat and rolled up to the desk, the desks sat facing each other making it easy to collaborate. He opened the file so she could see "Homicide, lovely pushing us right into the deep end" He didn't even seem phased by the photographs of a couple, their lifeless bodies tied to wooden kitchen chairs, their heads slumped forward over their lifeless bodies.

More photos of the bodies laid out showed, two shots to the chest and one to the head, this was what made him frown "Tell me Hyle... how many homicides have you worked?"
 
Charlies brow furrowed as she scanned over the photos. As homicides came, this was reasonably child-friendly. Almost clean shots by the look of things. No mauling or mutilation to suggest someones instincts had run away with them.

At Hoss' question she looked up. Was he testing her? "A few." She replied shortly, then elaborated. "More than I'd like, though I can't truthfully say I really worked them. My previous partner was-" She paused, searching for the right words. "He preferred to work alone." This wasn't quite the truth. Detective Born had been quite happy to work with almost anyone in the department, as long as they were male and/or inclined to his way of thinking. Unfortunately for her, she fulfilled neither of those requirements.

"When were they found?" She tried to keep her mind on the new case and not let it spiral down that particular wormhole again. It was over.
 
Wulfric glanced up at her, watching her face as she spoke. Her words alone told him all he needed to know about her old partner. He could tell she was putting it nicely but he didn't press the matter. That was her business.

"Good then. Not working with a total newbie" he looked back down at the file "clean, no sign of other trauma. Looks like a hit not a random crime of passion.." he pushed the photos to the side to have a look at the documents. "Three months old....no leads..no witnesses, forensics didn't find any fingerprints or dna besides the victims. Who ever did this knew what they were doing I'll give them that...Chiefs given a case that's going cold fast" he looked up at her "looks like the crime scene is still taped off, down on the south side. Doubt we will find anything new but fresh eyes is what we are...what do ya say? Feel lile a drive?:
 
Charlie felt a rush of warmth in her chest at his comment, but damped it down sternly. No need to get all mushy. It wasn't even a compliment, but this simple acknowledgement was more than she had heard from Born in all the time she had worked with him.

"Three months?" She repeated incredulously. This should have come to their level weeks ago. Any killer with half a brain would be long gone by now, and this one sure seemed to know what they were doing by the absense of trails they had left.

"Sure, lets go." At least she would be doing something, not just sitting around looking at these sad pictures. She was still wearing her jacket, so only had to dig around in her box for a moment to find the little notepad she liked to carry around. She wasn't one for memorising things and disliked most tech the station had on offer. She had taught herself to write shorthand faster than most people could talk and could note down things she noticed that a recording wouldn't catch.
 
Wulfric still had his eyes on the paperwork, frowning more he pulled out his own notepad and jotted down a list of names he found on the sheet before closing the file "Mind if I drive? I get a bit car sick is all" he didn't wait for an answer as he grabbed his keys, full work mode now, he handed the file off to her to reference while they drove.

"Looks like we aren't the first to have this case" he said as he headed out, briefly holding up the piece of paper as he spoke "Going to find out where these detectives are and why they aren't working the case, something smells fishy about this" he said, having had the same thought, three months seems strange "See if you notice anything else in the file while I drive?" he glanced over at her again
 
Charlie only nodded at his request, glad to not have to have the repetitive conversation that sprung up every time she had to mention to someone that she didn't even own a car.

She followed him out of the office, nose already burried in the file, using his larger form as both a guide in her peripheral vision and as a shield of sorts to stop herself from accidentally running into anyone as she read. There really wasn't much to go by. By the time they had reached the parking lot, she had skimmed over the entire contents twice. Like Hoss, she jotted down the names noted to have worked on the case before. It was good to know that it hadn't in fact taken 3 months for the case to make its way to detective level, but she did wonder why it had been given to them, not left with people who already knew what was going on. New eyes were only so much help.

Seated in the car, she took the time to inspect the photos more closely. A large empty room, perhaps a warehouse of some kind and two simple wooden chairs, to which the unfortunate victims had been bound. She flicked back to the information on the pair. An accountant and a salesman, both shifters. A couple who had lived only a few blocks away from the place they were murdered. She sighed and closed the file, letting it rest in her lap as she stared out through the windshield.
 
Wulfric plugged the address into the gps and pulled out of the parking lot before he spoke again, glancing only briefly at her "So. Anything of note in there or are we working from total bare bones?" He asked since she had taken more tome to read things over
 
"Nothing." Charlie answered. "The guys on this before us did the usual. But noone saw anything, nor did anyone know what the victims might have done to warrant the attack, or at least if they did, they're keeping their mouths shut. The neighbours say the couple was polite and friendly, they got on well with their families..." She trailed off, realising she was repeating what he had probably already read himself.
 
Last edited:
Wulfric had only skimmed over most of it, he didn't know the details, so he nodded thoughtfully to what she told him. "Well if we are lucky I might pick up a scent...don't think any of the other detectives were wolves..." he noted, at least none of the names had rung a bell. He'd find out for sure when they checked into them.

"No leads, no evidence... no motive..." he muttered to himself as he pulled up in front of the crime scene. It was still an open case so the tape was still stretched around the entryway to the warehouse. "Well... lets put our detective skills to the test eh?"
 
Charlie raised an eyebrow at Hoss' optimistic outlook. She was no sniffer, but knew enough to highly doubt that any scent hung around for 3 months. Although come to think of it, she wasn't sure if the crime scene being basically untouched would be a hindrance or a help in that matter. She sure hoped it was the latter.

Also she had guessed right! He was a wolf. The little bubble of happy pride popped like a balloon when Hoss pulled over and she caught sight of the tape marking the crime scene. No time for childish little victories when faced with a stale case and low chances of finding anything to help it along. She really didn't want their partnership to start with a failed assignment.

Leaving the file on the dash, she gave a resolute nod and clambered out of the car. Ducking under the tape, she looked around as they walked down the desolate hallway. Test of skills indeed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top