Free Dead Is Not an Option by Marlene Perez

was being all writer-crazy about his book and refused to talk about it. We'd tiptoed around him ever since his return. Sure, he'd told the council what he remembered, but that had been when he first came home. Some of his memories were coming back. Maybe he had remembered something and written it down, not thinking it was anything important?
    I'd promised Wolfie that I would look into Elise's attack. I had pastries and a good reason to grill Dad.
    I got lucky. He was the only one home when I got back from the restaurant.
    "Where is everyone?" I asked.
    His laptop was open on the kitchen counter, but he reached over, hit Save, and then closed it. He obviously didn't want me to read whatever he was working on.
    "Rose is out with Nicholas, and your mom is working."
    "Where's Poppy?" I didn't want my chatty sister coming in and interrupting my interrogation.
    "Work, I think."
    Or maybe she's with Liam, giving blood, I couldn't help thinking.
    "Would you like one?" I asked. I opened the pink box and waved it in front of him enticingly.
    He reached in and snagged a chocolate-dipped macaroon.
    "Dad, can I ask you something?"
    "You just did," he said. He took another bite.
    "Ha ha, very funny," I replied. "I'm serious."
    "Okay, shoot."
    I didn't know how to start. "Have another one. This one is a raspberry-filled cookie."
    "Daisy, you know you can ask me anything," he said. "You don't have to bribe me with cookies."
    "You know about Elise Wilder's attack," I said. "And the others."
    He nodded.
    "Rose thinks that it's not as simple as vampires versus shifters," I said. "She thinks that the Scourge is behind it."
    "She has a good head on her shoulders," Dad said.
    "Have you remembered anything about your captivity?" I asked him. "Anything new, I mean?"
    He crossed his arms over his chest, a sure sign he didn't want to talk about it.
    "It's important," I said.
    He didn't say anything but took a long, shaky breath. "I keep hearing the voices in my head."
    "Who?" I said, but I knew the answer.
    "Her. I hear the sound in my dreams, but when I wake up, it's gone. I can't place it."
    "It's okay, Dad," I said. I felt horrible about his reaction. "Maybe it's better if you don't remember."
    "I would love to remember," he replied. "I would love to help catch the people who kept me away from my family for so long."
    "So, there are no details about your kidnappers in the book?" I asked.
    He hesitated. "There is one thing," he finally said. "But I don't think it's important."
    "You never know," I told him.
    "There were two of them giving orders," he said. "A man and a woman. They were always arguing." My dad almost seemed to be talking to himself.
    "About what?" I didn't want to break his concentration, but the question escaped from me.
    "Me. Nightshade. And something else." Dad's voice sounded far away. "The woman's voice. It was garbled."
    "Garbled? Like she used a voice-modification machine?"
    "No," he replied. "I think I was drugged. My vision and thinking were distorted. I felt out of it. I don't remember much about that night. I was working. Someone offered me a drink, and after that..."
    "After that what?" I asked.
    "I don't know," he replied. "I don't know."
    His voice was rising and his hands were shaking. It was time to stop asking him questions.
    "It's okay, Dad," I soothed. "Why don't we make some hot chocolate and pop in a movie?"
    He exhaled slowly. "Hot chocolate sounds good."
    As we heated up the milk, I vowed that I would eventually find out who had done so much harm to my father's psyche. And I'd make them pay. Somehow.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    A few days later, my cell phone buzzed in my backpack. I dug it out but didn't recognize the number.
    "Hello?"
    "Daisy, it's Natalie. I thought you'd want to know what I learned about, er, what you asked me about. Can you meet me later?"
    She must have been somewhere very public because she was being deliberately vague.
    "I found out some stuff too," I said.
    "I've got to get to class now," she