How many years has it been since the Red City incident? Two at the least. Maybe a couple months longer. It was a long series of events that led up to an "official explanation" of a freak storm gathered over the city where the conditions were perfect for it to sit and build in one place until it collapsed. As a contract was never issued, no one was ever issued it. Thus an official report was never filed. No one knows what happened and no one came forward with information.
Angela recovered from her injuries with no side effects. She chalked it up to a mix of her own sturdy body and dragon abilities of longevity. She faces the public a bit less now.
Juliet rededicated herself to her work. Instead of hunting, she turned to more of a care of creatures. Specifically helping those who had been affected by incidents. She maintained her own consulting firm outside of any national association so she could travel freely when needed. Her services became valuable in a short amount of time. In just a few years she was on her own, and she continued to maintain her number one rank among the contractors association.
Not only that, she was highly coveted by almost every agency. She began receiving the offers that she was once told about personally. They were always extravagant but none matched her own interests. She enjoyed the independence and freedom that her self-employment brought her. She wasn't alone though.
Adam needed a place to stay. As much as the two fought, they knew how to work together. Juliet picked up the leadership role while Adam stuck to his teachings. He delved into the contracts picking the ones that had a hard time being filled that fit with Juliet's skill set. He continued his own passions on the side eventually breaking away from Juliet once he turned 18. It was a hard break, but a needed one. And she understood that.
He had his own vampirism under control with a strict regimen to keep it at bay. In a few more years, he would be able to stop his treatment and begin living a fully normal life. Almost normal. His new position was working as a technical analyst in one of the major contractor centers that issued contracts and processed reports from the field.
Back on her own, Juliet continued to thrive. Her agency consisted of herself, and a small staff just to keep things running. Their office was located in a small rural town near the mountains in the western United States. She brought a little life to the town when they needed to expand themselves for better travel. Yes, she bought herself her own private plane to use for business purposes with an on-call crew. Some things just can't change.
She also had a certain set of skills that allowed her to talk to people. They came in handy every now and again on these contracts. One that came across her desk, asked for her by name, and so began another adventure of hers.
This contract took her to Virginia. She would fly into the local airport where she would be transferred to a military plane to be flown to a local Army base in the region. This was a rather strange one. The office she was brought into looked very bare. Almost as if it was set up in a hurry for this. The man who addressed her was a 1st Sergeant. He... looked as plain as could be. Nothing about him stuck out. He was there to tell her what he needed from her. "We had a mission go south. We need you to get our own guys talking about it. They're all pretty tight-lipped about the incident."
Easy! She lays on a little charm, brings their guard down, and spill their guts on the table while someone in another room records and observes. This has been done quite a few times. She could almost write a step-by-step guide on how she did it.
The first step was easy. She would hide behind the glass as they brought someone in. She would get a read on them to change her appearance to better fit their personal preference, then walk in with a signature sway in her step. If she could get them to reach out a little bit, a slight touch turned them into putty that she could mold to what she needed. Then, answers just started spilling out.
This job was in the bag. The first guy was jittery. He tried to explain what he had seen but didn't seem to fully grasp what had happened. He described some odd beast that tried to attack him. It moved like a shadow on the floor and grabbed him, throwing him like a ragdoll. There were a few more but he never got a good look at them. They fought them back before managing to get to safety.
The second guy told a very similar story. Just from his perspective. Nothing seemed unusual as the third guy did the same. It was number four who began the unsettling process of worming around to try and find an answer.
Right from the start, she knew this one was different. From behind the glass, she was unable to get a read on him. She was unable to tell his preferences, his wants, his desires. "Strange..." She still chose a decent look for herself. She walked in the door taking her seat across from him with a polite smile. He continued to sit upright with his hands on his legs. She went to open her mouth but he started talking, "If you want to talk to me, you need to show me who you really are. Not this mask you wear."
"Excuse me?"
"I know what you are. I know what you want and I'll give it to you. But I'm not going to play this game. Show me who you are."
This was new. Someone who was immune to her charms? But he was still willing. She nodded in agreement. Her form changed to what she considered her normal form. Simple brown hair with a slight curl on the end, her face was plain, but still smoothed out. Her body fit comfortably into her clothes showing just a little bit of skin but still keeping it modest. He accepted this by moving his hands to the table. "Now we can talk."
She smiled again as she looked down at the sheet she was given with questions they needed answers to, "Can you please, first and foremost, recall what happened?"
"I'm just going to cut to the chase. It's an Ahool. What it's doing in the middle of the desert after not having a recorded sighting in almost 90 years is beyond me. They're strong, fast flyers. Catching them is going to be a wild undertaking. The best bet would be to find the nest, and reinforce the entrance and any exit with hefty nets that something with the strength of a gorilla cannot break."
She sat in her chair looking dumbfounded at him. She was told that these men were just everyday soldiers. She shook her head slightly as she brought herself back. She began going off script, "How are you certain that this is the creature?"
"Ma'am, I am one of those that people think are superstitious but I've seen the Boogeyman, goblins, vampires, werewolves, the shadows that move on the wall, the monster under the bed, and all the things that go bump in the night. I know this was an Ahool, and the team you send in to find it will confirm my suspicion."
He was dead set on this. She had to be sure though. "Listen, I know what you saw may have been jarring. But I assure you that a creature like that-"
"Exists, just as you are a succubus."
He did know. He really did know. "I know what you can do. And that won't work on me. I know what I saw. And I know that's what you came here tasked to do. Help clear the heads of the soldiers who have been through a traumatic experience by giving them something pleasant to focus on." She kept her demeanor polite, and soft. She had one more trick up her sleeve, physical touch. She reached across the table with soft words, "I know it can be hard to believe, but I really am here to help." Her hands made contact and for the first time in her life, her effect backfired.
Her heart began to race. Her face became flush as her ears began to burn. Her eyes dilated as she did all that she could to control her breathing. She pulled back slowly with that same smile. "I will forward this information. I appreciate your cooperation."
No more needed to be said. She left the room taking a deep breath as she calmed herself down. She was met in the hallway by her handler. He escorted her to the office that she was at before where she met with the 1st Sergeant again. He simply thanked her for assistance and told her that her contract was completed. She would wait in a designated area until they came for her. From there, she would be flown back to the airport where she could return home.
The hallway they had her in was rather concealed. No one went this way. She had to sit in this quiet spot for hours, just by herself. A door broke the silence as she heard footsteps coming towards her. Was this the person to come and get her?
His face was immediately recognizable. This was one of the soldiers she was tasked with talking to. The one who seemed to know about the world she came from. Instead of taking her, he sat down next to her. "Your plane will be here shortly. We can leave now if you would like." He gave her an opportunity to talk to him. "I actually have some more questions for you. None of your superiors have to know."
"Go ahead."
"How were you able to know what I was?"
"Smell. It's like a perfume but it was more pungent. Perfumes burn my nose but pheromones are more natural. But yours were attempting to be overwhelming."
He spotted her tricks with ease then. "How long have you been aware?"
"Almost all my life. I was orphaned in my teenage years. A contractor took me in and taught me a few things. We ended up parting ways. It didn't work out for me."
Ah, yes. A lot of people get dragged into this world against their will. He was just one of them. "Who was it that taught you? I know quite a few people. Maybe I've met them."
"If you had, they are long gone. They passed away years ago."
Another harsh fact of the job. Some never return. "Now, I don't mean to be a downer about it, but that is the reality of not only this world I was dragged into but also the job I currently hold. It's just a fact, but it never gets easier. You don't have to tell me that you've lost someone. I can read that." He stood back up with a stretch. "Your plane should be prepped."
He led her out to the tarmac where she was given her order to board. She looked back at the man who stood there. She broke off for a few seconds to ask him one more question, "Have we met before?" He just shook his head.
Her plane took off, taking her back to the airport where she would board her own plane to return. The man watched until the plane banked off to the left when he was approached by the soldier that had escorted her to the plane, "Did you know her, Tagger?"
"Maybe in a past life."
The man walked off leaving him be, staring at the sky where the plane once was.
"Forgive me, Hisari."