Page 13 of Charmed Forces

“House.”

“Could you narrow that down?”

“Safe house,” he said, his voice trailing into a sigh as he opened, then closed his eyes again.

Solomon knelt beside us and pressed a water glass to Daniel’s lips. “Drink this,” he said. “You need to hydrate.”

“We should get him to an ER,” I said. “If he’s been drugged, he needs his blood drawn and analyzed to find out what it was. What if it’s a poison and he needs an antidote?”

“I think it’s more like a sedative,” said Solomon, passing his finger in front of Daniel’s face. Daniel’s eyes didn’t follow; instead his eyelids drooped. “That’s why he’s sleepy and slurring. I called Delgado but he hasn’t heard anything. He’s going to listen in to the police radio and call me back.”

“This blood isn’t Daniel’s. Someone got hurt and we should try to find them,” I pointed out. “He said he was at a safe house. At least, I think that’s what he meant.”

“We don’t know where it is.”

“Daniel. Daniel, wake up.” I shook my brother’s shoulder, feeling guilty as well as concerned. Surely there must be someone I should call right now. The police? An ambulance? Yet I had nothing to tell them beyond my brother looked totally out of it. “Was the safe house attacked?” I asked.

Daniel stared at me blankly.

“Where is the safe house?” I asked, trying a different question.

Daniel blinked, looked around and his eyes settled on my face. “Sunny,” he said.

“Sunny?” I repeated, glancing at Solomon. He shrugged, apparently not understanding either, then shook his head.

“This is hopeless. Until Daniel sobers up, he can’t tell us a thing and we need to find that safe house. Something must’ve happened there. Someone’s hurt and for whatever reason, Daniel left without his gun and badge. I have a really bad feeling about whatever might’ve gone down.”

Solomon nodded just as his phone rang. “Anything?” he asked, answering it. “Huh. You sure? Okay. Keep monitoring it.” He hung up and looked at me. “Nothing’s come over the police channel. No reports of a shooting or an attack. No reports of an officer down either. I’m going to get Daniel a cold compress,” he said before heading to the kitchen.

That made me think of something. “Daniel would have been working with his partner. Why didn’t they come here together? He must be the one who’s hurt,” I called after him.

“Nothing’s been called in.” Solomon returned and knelt next to us, pressing a cold compress on Daniel’s forehead. Droplets of water slid down his cheeks and his breathing remained even.

“Lexi?”

“Yes, Daniel.” Daniel reached towards me and I took his hand, feeling a small object in his palm. When his hand dropped back to the floor, a key on a fob remained in my hand. “House key,” I said to Solomon since Daniel’s eyes were closed again. “It has a number on it. 1150.”

“No street name?”

I rolled the key fob in my palm. “No.” I considered the neighborhood. “How many streets within walking distance do you think have a 1150 on them?”

“Countless, and we don’t know how far he walked. I’m guessing not too far though, given how out of it he is.”

“That’s what I thought. There must be a way to narrow it down.”

“Daniel’s the only way.”

I poked my brother’s shoulder and his chin lolled against it. “He’s not telling us anytime soon and the longer we wait, the worse it could be for whomever is injured,” I said.

“We should report this to the police and let them handle it.”

“But he doesn’t have his gun or his badge. He’s separated from his partner. I think we need to assess the situation some more before we call the police.” Another idea struck me. “I need to make a call.”

“To?”

“Maddox. He had dinner with Daniel last night. He might know some of the details of Daniel’s case.” I was already hitting Maddox’s name on my phone before Solomon nodded.

“Coming back to the bar?” asked Maddox. “Lily drank your wine but I’m sure she could be persuaded to serve you another.”