Recruit

by R. D. Brady

  The streetlight above her came to life. Memories of her mother and grandmother warning her to be home before the streetlights came on flashed through her. Knives of grief stabbed through her making her catch her breath. There was no one to worry about her when the streetlights came on any more.

  She picked up her pace anyway. She'd had to stay late at school to replace the books she'd lost in the park. The librarian had not been sympathetic.

  Of course, she'd probably heard every excuse under the sun in her thirty years at the school library. Lou's assault story hadn't even made the woman blink. She'd merely held out her hand for the seventy-eight dollars to replace the books.

  Biting her lip, Lou held back the tears. Seventy-eight dollars. She could not afford that.

  In her head, she re-arranged the bills trying to make up for the loss. Maybe if Charlotte takes an extra shift we can make up the difference.

  She turned the corner and came to a stop. Her sister Charlotte's car was in the drive.

  No, Lou wailed internally. If Charlotte was home this early, it meant she'd been fired - again.

  Lou shoved the feelings of being overwhelmed away. I will not cry. I will not cry, she chanted silently as she made her way up the rickety three steps to her porch.

  Before going to the door, she walked over to the living room window. Peering in, she saw her sister and two male 'friends' passed out.

  Lou stepped back, her shoulders dropping. Her chest welled, and she repeated her refrain - I will not cry. I will not cry.

  Lou went to insert her key in the lock but the door was already ajar. Shaking her head at her sister's carelessness, she eased it open, tensing when it creaked.

  No sound came from the living room. Carefully, she closed the door behind her. She ran up the stairs as quietly as she could, avoiding the squeaky stair tread four from the top.

  Crossing the small landing at the top of the stairs to her room, she closed the door behind her and turned the lock. She leaned against the door, her heart hammering, and listened. No noise came from downstairs. She let out a breath. Thank God.

  Pushing away from the door, Lou crossed the room to her closet. She reached around on the top shelf and felt the soft fur of her old stuffed turtle.

  Pulling him down, she sat on her bed. Flipping him over, she carefully removed her stash of cash. Long ago, she'd learned that any money her sister found would quickly disappear. She counted out the bills - three hundred and twelve dollars.

  Lou felt the weight settle against her chest. She leaned back against the headboard, pulling the turtle to her chest. It wasn't enough. They were already a couple of months behind in the rent. And they weren't going to make it this month either.

  Lou's part time job at the diner didn't pay much. But even if she quit school, she didn't have much of a chance at a full time job - people with Master degrees lined up at fast food joints for jobs right now.

  And her sister had tossed her job away. Lou was sure of it. Damn it. Lou rubbed her eyes, denying the tears there the chance to fall.

  "You'll figure something out. You always do," she said out loud. But the words didn't make her feel any more confident.

  The doorbell rang.

  Lou's head jerked up. No, no, no. She did not need Charlotte and her friends waking up right now. She needed to get her homework done and get something to eat before they woke up.

  A second thought made her go still. Oh God, what if it's a surprise inspection by Children's and Families? Do they know about the park?

  One glance in the living room had told her the whole story about how her sister had spent the day. The bowls were in plain sight as were the beer cans.

  In her mind, Lou calculated how fast she could clean it all up. She shook her head, feeling despair run through her. There wasn't enough time to do that, get her sister awake, and clean house of her new friends.

  Stuffing the turtle under her blanket, Lou unlocked her bedroom door and ran down the stairs. A strange buzz traveled over her skin. She yanked her hand from the bannister. What the hell was that?

  The doorbell rang again. Lou glanced into the living room as she passed. Her sister stirred. Stay asleep. Please stay asleep.

  Lou unlocked the door, but kept the chain on. A woman, part Asian in a suit stood outside the door. Oh God, it had to be a social worker. No one else dressed like that in this part of town.

  The woman's confident demeanor though made her rethink her first impression. Oh shit. A cop.

  Lou kept her expression neutral. "Can I help you?"

  The woman smiled and Lou was taken aback. The woman was seriously pretty. "Hi. I'm looking for Louisa Thomas."

  "Um, Lou. That's me."

  The woman pulled a badge from her pocket. "Lou, I'm Agent Jen Witt. I wanted to speak with you about an incident in the park last night."

  Lou felt her eyes widen before she could control herself. "What incident?"

  Jen smiled. "Maybe we could talk inside." She held up a backpack. "Is this yours?"

  Lou's heart pounded. If her books were in there, she could get some money back from the librarian. "Um yeah. Where'd you find it?"

  "Two gentlemen who said they were attacked by a young woman in the park the other day say it belongs to her. Another man died in the attack."

  Shock rooted Lou in place. Died? She pictured the man on the ground, the blood seeping out from him.

  "Lou?"

  Lou's gaze flew to the agent's face. She struggled to keep her face neutral. "Um, I don't know anything about that. But could I have my bag please?"

  The agent paused before handing it over. "Sure. Now how about we chat for a few minutes?"

  Lou took the pack, trying not to laugh with joy as she felt the weight. The books, at least most of them, were still in there. She dropped the bag next to her and looked behind her. "Um, my sister's not home right now. And she'd be real unhappy if I let someone in without permission."

  Lou tried not to laugh out loud at the lie. Charlotte upset about anything other than people stealing her weed? Right.

  "When will she be home?" Agent Witt asked.

  Lou heard the sound of someone moving about in the other room. "Um, not sure. Why don't you try back tomorrow or the next day?" She slammed the door not waiting for the agent to reply.

  Lou locked the door, intending to head right back upstairs.

  Charlotte stumbled out of the living room, scratching her hair. "Who's that?" she slurred.

  Lou looked at her sister and marveled at how much she'd changed. When she was younger, Lou had thought Charlotte was the most beautiful girl ever. She knew she'd never be as beautiful as her big sister.

  Now that same sister stood in the hallway in underwear and a stained Mickey Mouse t-shirt. The dark curls Lou had once envied hung limp around her sister's face. Her sister probably hadn't showered in days. And dark circles under her blue eyes made her seem much older than her twenty years.

  Lou pulled her backpack onto her shoulder. "Uh, no one. Just some lady selling magazines."

  "What are you doing here? Don't you have school?"

  "It's after five."

  Charlotte gave Lou a blank look.

  "School's over," Lou said.

  "Oh. All right." Charlotte drifted back into the living room, all interest in her sister lost.

  Lou tried not to feel hurt. But even with years of practice, she wasn't able to keep out the sting. She headed back up the stairs. Her sister's scream stopped her.

  A man's voice whipped up the stairs. "Where is it, bitch? What did you do with my money?"

  Running back down, Lou sprinted into the living room. One of the guys her sister had been partying with earlier had his hand wrapped around her throat.

  Lou ran across the room, but the second man tackled her to the ground. She looked up at her sister. Charlotte's hands fumbled at the hands gripping her throat, cutting off her air.

  Terror gripped Lou. He's going to kill her.

  CHAPTER 8

&
nbsp; Jen stood out on the front porch. She knew there were more people inside than just the girl. Before knocking, she'd glanced in the living room window and had seen the passed-out group.

  There were three of them. She thought one might be Lou's sister Charlotte but she had no idea who the guys were. Jen didn't press the issue with Lou, though, because underneath all the girl's toughness, Jen could tell she was scared.

  Walking down the porch steps, Jen stopped and looked back at the dilapidated house. She'd done some digging on Lou after finding out she'd been the one in the park. It hadn't been that hard to track her down.

  Detective Cazini - if she had tried - could probably have found her just as quickly. Jen shook her head. Although it was probably better that Jen found her and not the detective. Lord knew what Cazini would have done.

  Louisa and Charlotte Thomas had grown up in this house. Their Mom had been killed in a home invasion here five years ago. The girls and their grandmother had survived.

  The grandmother had passed away two years ago of a heart attack also in this house. And by some miracle, Charlotte had gotten custody of Lou. But it had been a tenuous situation at best. There were a number of threats to revoke custody, but they all seemed to fall through the cracks.

  In fact, no one from Children's and Families had visited the Thomas household in over a year - even though the sister had been busted twice for possession.

  The foster home Jen had lived in before running away had the same pall of despair and neglect over it. Even if this kid didn't have any abilities, Jen wasn't about to leave her here. There had to be a better situation for her somewhere.

  Jen hadn't felt any connection when the girl had opened the door, but it didn't mean she wasn't the right one. It just meant she wasn't a nephilim. Jen could sense other nephilim. Fallen, however, could sense one another as well as nephilim and there was still a chance Lou was one of them.

  Jen closed her eyes, straining to hear. She could just make out the murmur of voices behind the door and footsteps on the stairs. Enhanced hearing was a new ability she'd been honing lately.

  A scream pierced the air.

  Jen's eyes flew open and she vaulted up the steps. She glanced in the window next to the front door. A man held Lou's sister by the throat. Another man tackled Lou to the floor.

  Jen tried the door but it was locked. She stepped back and blasted it with a front kick. The door flew off the hinges landing ten feet away.

  Jen walked over the door and stood in the entrance of the living room. The men stared at her, their jaws slack.

  "I'm going to have to ask you two to release those ladies," Jen said.

  The one holding Charlotte flung the girl to the floor and sneered. "Let's see what you got, cop,"

  Jen tried not to sigh. This is what she got when she wore a suit. Everyone thought she was a cop.

  The asshole ran across the room. He threw a right punch.

  Jen easily stepped out of the way, throwing an elbow at his jaw. He screamed. Grabbing the back of his head, she kneed him in the face.

  She was about to take him down when she realized the knee had done it for her. She dropped his unconscious body to the floor.

  She turned to the guy holding Lou. "Let. Her. Go."

  He did, taking a run at Jen.

  God, these guys are stupid.

  At the last second, Jen stepped aside, throwing out her right hand, clotheslining him. He crashed into it with such a force, that he actually flipped almost completely around before landing in a heap.

  Jen glanced at both men. Out cold. She walked over to Lou and extended her hand.

  Lou stared up at her with big eyes before she grasped Jen's hand and let Jen haul her up. As soon as Lou gained her feet, she ran to her sister.

  "Is she okay?" Jen asked as she pulled out her cell.

  Charlotte groaned in response. "I'm okay," she mumbled.

  Lou looked back at Jen, fear on her face. "Who are you calling?"

  Jen nudged her chin toward the two men on the floor. One had begun to moan. "The cops. For these two."

  Lou jumped up and ran across the room incredibly fast.

  Jen raised an eyebrow. Fallen fast.

  Lou grabbed Jen's hand. "No. Please don't."

  Jen looked into Lou's eyes, seeing herself years before. Jen knew if she called, Children and Families would be notified. If their track record was any indication, though, it might mean nothing. But it also could mean the girl would be moved. Although as Jen looked around the room, she realized that might not be a bad thing.

  "Please," Lou said.

  Jen closed the phone. "Okay. But we need to talk."

  Lou nodded, looking from the door to the men on the floor. "Okay."

  CHAPTER 9

  Forty-five minutes later, Jen made her way to Lou's back door. She knocked softly and waited only a few seconds before the chains rattled and the door opened.

  Her blue eyes wide and her face pale, Lou stepped back and ushered Jen in. "Agent Witt."

  Jen stepped past her. "Call me Jen."

  Lou stood shifting from foot to foot. "Um, Are they- Did you-?"

  Jen took pity and answered the question Lou couldn't seem to form. "I dropped them off in an alley. No one saw me. No one should connect them back to you or your sister."

  "Okay. Good."

  Jen looked around. "Where is your sister?"

  Taking a seat, Lou nodded toward the stairs. "Sleeping. I brought her up." Lou's brow furrowed.

  Jen sat across from her. "What?"

  "I carried her up the stairs. It was as if she weighed nothing. And then the other night in the park-." Lou darted a glance at Jen before clasping her mug tightly, her eyes focused on it.

  "I know about the park," Jen said, softly. "You fought off those three guys."

  "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I was - They followed me. I was only trying to get away."

  "I know that, too. But I'm guessing that's the first time you realized you had some skills?"

  Lou looked at Jen. "The way you moved before. You're fast. Really fast."

  Jen nodded. "Yes. I'm fast, strong, and I heal quickly when I'm hurt. And I think you're like me."

  Lou looked at Jen for a moment and then shook her head. "I'm not like you."

  "Yeah, you are. I've seen enough to know that."

  Lou's face was pale. "You can't know that."

  Jen paused. "When I came to the door, did you have any physical reaction to me?"

  Lou leaned back a little in her chair, speaking slowly. "Not when I opened the door, but before. It was almost like an electric current ran through me. Why? Did you feel it?"

  "No. But it does confirm some things for me." Jen stopped talking, trying to figure out the best way to break Lou's nature to her. She thought back to when she'd learned what she could do. How scared she felt, how alone, but also how powerful.

  She looked at Lou. The kid was tough. And from what Jen could tell, she'd probably been taking care of Charlotte rather than the other way round for the last two years. She could handle it. She might even welcome it.

  Jen met Lou's eyes. "First, let me tell you that there are other people out there like you - with skills like you."

  "What? I've never heard of them."

  "Well, most keep a low profile." Jen's eyes strayed to the schoolbooks on the countertop. Her eyes fell on the world history book and she remembered the names of Fallen from the past that a Chandler scientist had uncovered. "Did you study the Bolshevik Revolution?"

  Lou nodded, giving Jen a curious look. "Yeah. It was a popular movement that toppled the Romanov dynasty."

  "Did you learn anything about Rasputin?"

  "Yeah. I did a paper on him. He was -." Lou's eyes went wide. "I'm like him?"

  "Sort of. I think his nickname the mad monk was pretty accurate. But do you remember how he died?"

  "He was poisoned, shot, beaten, stabbed, and finally drowned."

  Jen nodded. "Each time they tried to kill him, th
ey failed. A mortal man would have died from any of those attacks. He didn't."

  Lou's eyes were wide. "When he was pulled from the river, one of his arms had worked its way free of its bindings. They say he was alive when he went in."

  Jen nodded. "I bet he would have lived if the river hadn't been covered in ice. Like I said, we heal quickly. We're not easy to kill."

  Lou stared at Jen, her mouth open. Jen let her have a moment to let everything sink in - at least as much as it could.

  Finally, Lou seemed to pull herself together. "So what are we? Are we lab rats?"

  Jen studied the girl. Smudges were under her pale blue eyes. Her dark hair was a wild halo around her head. The kid had not had an easy life. And Jen was pretty sure this news was not going to make it easier.

  But there was no keeping the truth from her. Jen sighed. "What do you know about angels?"

  "Angels?" Lou's eyebrows shot up so fast, Jen worried they'd never return to their normal position.

  Jen blew out a breath. This was not going well. She spied a knife on the counter, an idea forming. Rolling up her sleeves, she walked over to the sink and pulled her own knife from the sheath on her belt.

  Lou leaped up. "Wh-what are you doing?"

  Jen gripped the knife. "It's okay. I'm just going to give you a little demonstration."

  Jen grimaced as she slid the knife blade across her forearm. She held her arm over the sink as the blood dripped down the sides.

  "Are you crazy?" Lou shrieked. She backed away toward the door.

  Jen rinsed the knife off. "No. Not crazy. Just different."

  Jen grabbed some paper towel from the holder next to the sink and soaked them. Jen wiped the blood away. She held her arm out for Lou to see.

  The cut began to fuse together. Another few seconds and all that was left was an angry red mark lining her forearm. Then slowly the red turned pink, before disappearing.

  Lou stood still, her mouth gaping open. "How- what- who are you?"

  CHAPTER 10