It was days before the package came. Addressed to myself, of course, and thinner than ever. Gloria stood next to where I was perched, hovering, as I slowly opened the envelope. The string wrapped around the opening was soft but I could not stop feeling the cold sweat that had formed at the back of my neck. Hesitation made me drop the entire envelope back down onto my lap. This doesn't feel right. But I have no choice.
"I do not know Gloria; I have a bad feeling about this." I couldn't help but voice my feelings to her. Her wise dark eyes became glossy, understanding. Just like Sister Valerie used to. With a sigh my long fingers pulled the file out from the top of the envelope. It was standard issue. Yet, there was something off about its diminutive size. Oh man up and get over it. My fingers pulled open the folder to the main page. In large block letters it read:
TARGET: ERIC KOCH
AGE: 48
INFORMATION REQUIRED: PROJECT SHOAH
I hesitated, looking at Gloria. Shoah... I know that word... The lines on Gloria's face deepened at my reaction.
"What is Project Shoah?" I looked at the photo of a man in a crew cut, thick shoulders, strong nose. Everything in the small photo screamed military. "I've never heard of it." That was not necessarily surprising as her knowledge didn't stretch very far into the military bounds. Not like my own did due to my past... Experiences.
"Joey has not mentioned it to me before..." He would not really be allowed to though, would he? His dedication is to his work first and myself... I faltered for a moment. He probably has no dedication to me at all.
I stared down at the file, the crease between my eyebrows deepening. "Not that he would really be allowed to. But I also haven't overheard any conversations mentioning it." Saying it out loud made my stomach churn. I wanted to believe that he trusted in me and would tell me if there was something important going on. But I knew he would not be able to.
"So someone wants to...?" She searched my face as I briefly scanned through the rest of the file. The only other objects in the file were surveillance photos of the man. He seemed to enjoy morning jogs and crisp black suits. With a prevailing lump tucked into the back of his pants.
Do not trust a man of the military, young one, they have been trained in many things. They can take you down easily and extract every thought you've ever had with ease. A man's familiar voice rung I my head.
My training rarely failed me.
"Honestly? Not a clue. But it does not sound good." And I do not understand what this man would have to do with it. Our eyes met in silence.
The bell to the front entrance rung a hollow sound, causing Gloria and I to jump to attention like trained dogs. The file still weighing my hands down. As well as the 'deposit' for the job, still within the envelope, some peeking out on the reading table.
"Anastasia!" Gloria's voice a squeak, ringing throughout the room. Both their eyes focused on my hands, then the money. "You're back early, I thought you would be volunteering at the hospital until 7 tonight?" Anastasia's eyes darted away from my eyes for a second, before returning. She thinks I'm going to keep it from her. My eyes raked over her. I should. If she dies I cannot return. Or worse. If she loves it, she will eventually learn to kill... And possibly enjoy it.
I had to try and remember to keep my mind closed. As this psychic could read every coherent thought within my mind if she truly dared to. She had before, with some painful consequences on her end.
"Well they sent me back after Alistair died. I tried to help him out of the coma, but he was just too far gone. He wanted me to help him move on and I-" Her voice fell flat, hands shaking. She helped him die... "Is that what we've been waiting for?" As if the topic change meant nothing, she sauntered up towards me and made to grab for the file. I took a step back, clutching it to my chest like a mother would to protect her young.
"I will read it first." Eyes level, I waited for defiance. But it did not come. Placing the file down on the reading table, I pulled out a heavy load from the rest of the envelope. "Hold your hands out." Anastasia obeyed.
My hands hesitated, body expecting a verbal sting. But none came. Helping the coma patient move on must have taken a serious toll. She usually jumps at me at least once whenever she speaks. It was no secret to everyone that we did not get along. Yet, I still slowly placed five heavy 'wads' of cash into her hands. "You get $50,000 now, an equal amount after it is done, do as you wish." I placed my own five piles onto the table with the file and threw the envelope into the nearest bin.
"Are you serious?! What do you do with all this money?!" I turned from her, dealing Gloria the usual amount to which I gave her every time.
"You know what to do." Nodding, Gloria strode away. Before she was out of hearing range her voice found its way over to us.
"It is not cheap to keep 8 psychics afloat and out of trouble when most of them do not have well-paying jobs themselves... Or the strength to always control their abilities. So Scarlet always helps out with forty percent of her earnings going to keep us afloat." A coldness hung in the air as we all thought of one we had lost,
"But forty percent of $50,000 is $20,000." Waving my hands over each other, red energy flowed from my wrists to the tips of my fingers, and the remaining $10,000 vanished. Gloria faltered waiting for my input. Her eyes quick as darts.
"I like to pay in advance for the other half we both will be getting." I lied, my hand pulling a well-worn book off of one of the many shelves. Iliad. The leather bound book was lightly covered with dust.
I sat down and began to read, facing the door. Thereby dismissing any more discussion on the matter. A dull orange glow from the setting sun began to fill the glass beads as I stood on the opposite side of them to the two.
"Great. You're reading another old book. You'll be dead to the world for a few hours." A tense silence filled the room. My hard, cold stare reached out over the book.
"No one can hurry me down to Hades before my time, but if a man's hour is come, be he brave or be he coward, there is no escape for him when he has once been born."
She stared at me for some time, before muttering;
"Whatever." As she turned her back and began walking off towards upstairs I began calling after her.
"If you want I can quote it in 9 languages." She scoffed at me, barely pausing in her steps. I knew she would not believe me though. But that did not stop my chest from giving an awful pang.
"Liar." I shrugged and pretended to continue reading. Too many thoughts were drilling through my mind. I do not want to leave. It may not feel like home but I am sick of being moved before I am ready. The feeling of leather under my hands was comforting... Until a shrill voice rang out. "LADIES! WE'RE GOING OUT FOR DINNER TONIGHT!" A series of howls of excitement rang out from above, and Gloria sat down across from me.
"Aren't you going to read more of the file?" My eyes grazed over the file in her hands. It stared at me. Causing a cold lump to form within my chest, where nothing could warm it. I hope Joey is still breathing.
"You may read it if you wish. I would prefer to read it tonight when everyone is asleep." She pursed her lips at me. I could read within her eyes exactly what she was thinking. "Yes I will come out to dinner with you all." My eyes returned to my book, the glass beads beginning to gain a pinkish hue as warm light from the old fashioned wall lamps behind me showed every movement of Gloria's wise face.
With a groan I slammed my book down. Rattling the table. "FINE. I'll go have a shower." Lips curling upwards she watched as I turned into a red flash, then, nothing.
***
Laughter echoed throughout the dimly lit restaurant, Chinese spices filling the large decorated room. Our table was filled with women of varying ages, all living under the same roof. All drinking.
I sat at the end of the table, alone, eating food that was too sweet to be traditional Chinese. Some vodka drink sat in front of me, also too sweet and weakly made. My mood could only be described as that of sour. I do not belong. Why did I come? I so badly craved my own food. And some proper vodka.
The girls erupted into laughter at something Anastasia had said. I could feel Gloria's distracted gaze on me, but I avoided her, instead staring into my food. I couldn't stop thinking of Joey. Especially the way he had looked at my lips.
"Whoa! How do you do that so well?" My head moved straight up to look at Jordan sitting across and to the left of me. My eyes fell to my chopsticks. My mouth opened and shut, nose screwing up.
To lie or not to lie.
"I... Spent some time in some Asian cities." A snort came from further down the table. My shoulders hunched slightly and for half a second my vision glowed red.
"Um... So... Uh... What cities did you spend the most time at?" Jordan's eyes would not meet my own directly, pulling out a sigh from my throat. Food turning sour in my throat, I pulled out one word.
"Tokyo," A small smile came to my face. "Tokyo was my favourite for a while." For a moment, the sheltered sun glossed my skin. "The sound, the lights at night." A male faced flashed behind my eyes but there was no attachment, no emotion. Just another face of the past.
I excused myself not long after that, at 2154, there was somewhere else I could go. Somewhere in which I would not feel so lonely. Surrounded by other outcasts and freaks of nature.
There's a small area in downtown where the streets are dirty and few humans dare to go. Almost as if they do not know it even exists. Which in my years I had begun to believe exactly that.
There were many places invisible to those deemed 'normal' in the middle of areas surrounded by people that allowed for the freedom of those who should not exist. Down south in New Orleans there's a particular expanse of land where many werewolves and witches live and thrive. But here, I knew that there would be a bar waiting for me, with a familiar hairy man standing behind it grinning a wolfish grin. And sure enough, there he was.
"Alaric." I nodded to him as I sat down and he immediately turned to fetch me a few drinks.
I always found it odd, that Gloria and the others were included in those that could not find these places. Yet I, barely psychic, could.
"Here you go Red." He bit off the vowels roughly. This bar was full of people with different ways of speaking, some even spoke like I did, pausing to translate words to English, only their translations seemed to be harder for them than they were for me. Their very air spoke of being old.
My mouth flowed over the words in the way the older man said them. My inky black dagger tattoo got an odd look from a guy sitting to my right. I swallowed a large gulp of triple distilled with a little lemonade feeling the familiar burn. I closed my eyes and sighed, muscles unhinging.
"You right Red?" Alaric asked. I had no idea why they called me Red instead of Scarlet. It just seemed to be something that spread. Probably because I was the only human around. A human? Named Scarlet? Ah, you must be Red! I nodded to him. The days were getting to me. Getting too comfortable. Like a tamed house cat.
"Like a tamed house cat." Unwillingly my voice gained a deep Russian accent. Maybe it is time to move on. Joey's face flashed behind my eyes again and a heat rose up my neck. Stupid. Stop thinking about it!
I fisted some crumpled bills out of the back of my pocket and counted a decent amount - with a decent tip - and pushed it over to Alaric. "Keep them coming, let me know when I owe you more." The man shifted on my right.
"Anything for you, Red. You're my best tipper." He chewed the vowels and winked at me. Just as I finished my drink another came and my throat burned.
I didn't look as a Kunai – a throwing dagger from the East – formed in my left hand and I began to fiddle with it. It swung expertly around and through my fingers.
"Someone's in a bad mood." I didn't turn as someone pushed in next to me. Dark hair on his head and brown eyes lighter than even mine.
"Dom." I acknowledged him briefly before he ordered a drink. "Do Luca and Rosa know you're here?" He grinned, white teeth almost glowing. I hate how their teeth are so white. Werewolves always have such white teeth. Even his father had startling white teeth I usually tried to ignore.
"My Dad encouraged it. When I told him that you told me you were going." I couldn't help but stare at him as if he was growing another head. I snorted and shook my head, my mess of waves fluffing up slightly before settling. "I know. I'm just too good."
"You should not encourage him. You know I have no interest." He leaned heavier onto the bar as he continued to grin at me. I could feel a slight heat begin to burn my ears as my heart picked up slightly. The Kunai's movement slowed.
"Yes, I am aware you have no romantic interest in any animal, plant, or mineral." My cold look caused him to explode into laughter, his chest heaving with every breath.
"I have interests, but I ignore them and wait for them to pass. I do not get attached. I cannot allow it." I could feel his gaze on me for a long moment, he studied, and he studied, light gaze burning.
I could not know what he was looking for but, when my eyes met his, the colour within them sparkled. A deep line formed between my eyebrows and I pulled my brown army jacket around me tighter, pulling my sleeves down.
Just as I finished my second drink, a third turned up. I thanked Alaric. A tingle had started to develop within me. Dom sobered quickly.
"There is a woman of the human world. Seeping into the edge of ours looking for you." I didn't look at him. A part of me was half worried that his eyes would still be shining in a way that made me uncomfortable.
The Kunai dissipated. Forgotten. "She has put a price on your head." This briefly spiked my curiosity but I still could not bring myself to look at him. "One Sabina Vasiliev." I peered at him in my peripherals. "And there's another thing..." He took a deep breath, tensing. "She says Scarlet is not your name... Lidiya."
My head snapped to the side, blood becoming cold. Dominic ran a hand down his face as I confirmed his worst fear. I was not who he thought I was. Who anyone thought I was. My heart beat ran in my ear, deafening me as my drink fell to the floor and smashed into blurred little pieces.
Lidiya...