by C C Sommerly
Back at the quad, the other squad joined us in the living room. I wasn’t the only one who was concerned about the Boss’ reaction.
“Merritt, we need to go to the Brain with this. One of them should be able to help us,” said Reese.
“What brain? Is that even a real thing or some sort of experiment from the lab?” I asked.
My question went ignored. I was a newbie and it’s not like they were going to consider my opinion on anything and everything. At least they were starting to warm some to me, and I was to them. They weren’t the Elite Guard by any stretch of the imagination, but it was where home was now. If anything, the military had taught me that home was where the heart was. It couldn’t be confined by a certain location. Shaking my thoughts away, I focused on what the others were discussing.
“Reese, what do you think we should tell them,” asked Merritt.
“Everything. Let’s see what they suggest should be our next steps. They haven’t led us astray once. And, the Boss is obviously not capable of helping — at least he isn’t at this moment,” said Reese.
“Reese is right,” added Hunter. “We need to figure this out. If there is even the remotest chance that the Demented can be controlled, we need to know. It’s a safety risk. We can defend ourselves, but most people aren’t hybrids.”
“Okay, I was going to suggest a visit to the Brain. Besides, it’s long overdue for you to meet them Teagan,” said Merritt.
My head snapped up as I heard my name. So, I was finally gonna to see this mysterious, “Brain.” So far nothing here could compare to my life experiences. While the Boss had claimed this was a government and semi-military organization, there was very little that was like any branch of the military I had ever seen. It was so far removed from everything I knew. I felt like a Marine recruit again, seeing things in a new light and learning the military lifestyle — only here it was learning the “hybrid life.”
Chapter 33
I followed the squad to the Brain. They were tucked off in a roughed-out room in the back of The Underground. Although being in the back is a bit of an oxymoron since the entire city or whatever it is was laid out in a circular pattern. This area was away from everything else and tucked into an alcove. Inside, sat two men and a woman, who stared intently at a wall filled of computer screens with colors and bleeps. Some showed video footage, others some sort of figures or stats — most of which I couldn’t comprehend of some kind and other things I couldn’t even begin to find a name for.
“Ah, we got fresh meat I see,” said one of the men.
Reese hit him upside the head, “Being smart doesn’t mean you are above manners. Bradie apologize to Teagan and behave. We aren’t here for your entertainment.”
“I’m sorry Teagan. We don’t get new people here very often and we tend to lack social graces when we spend so much time dealing with inanimate objects,” as he gestured towards the “tech wall.”
“These three make up the brain. Despite the rude greeting, these are some of the smartest people you will meet. And, give us great insight and clues when dealing with all things demons, heck when dealing with anything.”
“Sorry to interrupt the introduction, but how is all this possible?”
“You see a man and woman come together and nine months later a baby is born,” said Bradie.
“No Bradie, I meant how are they accessing video feeds, internet and all that in a cave,” I asked.
“Please let me,” said a petite Asian woman, who was anywhere between twenty and fifty years old. She had a timeless quality to her. She had short hair that was tied up in two buns on either side of her head and her glasses framed large brown eyes.
“It’s all you Wu,” said Reese to the woman.
“What you see is our tech wall that keeps us on the pulse of all demon and Demented sightings. To create it, we bored through the top of the cave and ran cables down. They are connected to a satellite, which gives us the coverage, internet and allows us to stream data for our research,” said Wu.
That made sense. Wonder how likely I was to get cable or internet. I missed reading the celebrity gossip magazines. Learning that the life of the rich, famous and glamorous was just as much a mess as us normal people made me feel better about my life. And, their drama seemed so much worse than my worst day. It was one of my few guilty pleasures. I’m not much of a reader, but that seemed to be one of the only pastimes available around here — unless you count working out or weapons training. Well, and the local bar. But there was only so much of those things that I could indulge in.
“And, that’s how we get intel better than the military.”
“Wait, what? How is that possible?”
“She caught you Teagan. You weren’t paying attention, or you’d know how they do it,” said Ginger.
“So, now that Teagan is paying attention, can you give us some intel about the latest mission we went on or any insight into unusual demon and Demented activity,” asked Merritt.
“I’ll take this Wu,” said one of the two guys, who looked similar enough to be brothers, maybe even twins. The green eyed one with a baby face.
“As you know, we are surveilling the Demon Delegate around-the-clock.”
No, I didn’t know that. Wonder what else my supposed “team” was keeping from me. Merritt flashed a guilty look in my direction. Prick. He should feel guilty.
If anyone deserved to know this type of information, it was me. The Delegate was gunning for me.
“In the weeks after the death of his son…” Looking at my reaction, he continued, “Sorry to bring up a sore subject, Teagan. It’s relevant though.”
With a sigh, I said, “It’s okay. Please continue.” It wasn’t really okay, but what else could I say?
“So, there was a flurry of activity after the Delegate son’s death. Various world leaders and other major demon sympathizers showed up to pay their condolences. Then, within the past few days, nearly all activity has stopped, and we’ve lost contact with the Delegate.”
What did that mean? How does someone so prominent disappear? Even the President couldn’t manage that? Did he just slink back to Hell? Oh god, he wasn’t coming for me, was he? Did he know how to find me? He promised pain and suffering.
“So, this is obviously suspicious. The Delegate is known for hosting weekly parties that are lavish and attended by the who’s who of the world. The weekly party was not held, and attendees were turned away from his mansion, so there was not any cancellation notice given.”
“While we can’t send you all out on a mission, we think that a boots on the ground approach would work here.” The military reference made me smile, especially coming from such a geeky and very non-military guy. “Go see if you can get a hold of the Delegate. If the demon leading the Demented is protected, then he will be registered, so the Delegate should have information about this other demon.”
That made sense, so why didn’t the Boss send us to confer with the Brain rather than send us out there in the first place to try to catch the demon?
“Thanks, Bradie. Do you have anything to add, Bernie?” queried Merritt.
So not only did they look alike, but they had rhyming names. Jeez.
“No, they covered it,” Bernie said, while seeming to shrink into his chair with his eyes downcast.
“Well, thank you again. We appreciate the intel,” said Merritt. “All right, so for the rest of you, let’s meet back at my quad and plan out our next steps.”
Chapter 34
Back at the quad, I went up to Merritt and demanded, “Why didn’t anyone tell me that you were trailing the Delegate? I have a right to know. He threatened my life and I believe he has every intention of carrying out his threats.”
“Don’t take it out on Merritt. We all voted and thought you had enough going on trying to get used to the idea of being a hybrid and didn’t need to worry about yet another thing,” said Ginger.
“And, with being adopted. You forgot that point.” As I said it,
I realized that being adopted was just as hard, and maybe harder to deal with than being a hybrid. My parents lied to me my entire life. They weren’t even my parents. Nothing about my life was true.
“I know you are upset about being kept in the dark, but we would have eventually told you. We believe in transparency for mission details and the Delegate’s threats are something we take seriously,” said Reese.
At least here at The Underground, they were upfront. Even if they hadn’t told me about the surveillance, they intended to tell me. That eased my anger somewhat.
“Just because you aren’t activated does not mean you aren’t ours,” said Manny.
While, I was still new, them taking ownership of me and telling me I belong brought a lump to my throat. I never truly felt that I was completely accepted at the Elite Guard. While, I was a part of the team, I always felt that the others treaded lightly around me. Gunny used to remind me that my rash actions made the team unsettled, but I wasn’t a robot. Of course, I could be a bit impulsive, but that didn’t make me untrustworthy. At least it hadn’t until the “incident” with the Delegate’s son.
“We good, Teagan?” Merritt asked. At my nod, Merritt continued. “Reese, this is your mission. As the lead, you choose your team.”
“Ginger, Ruthie, Teagan, you all are on this mission. We will go to the Delegate’s office and see if we can reach him or at least get permission to verify, through his records, that this new demon is or is not protected. We also need to find out how much he knows about the change in Demented activity. Any questions?”
“Actually, yeah?”
“What is it Teagan?” Asked Reese.
“Why have me on this mission? I don’t have any kind of investigative background. I was just a highly trained grunt.”
“And that is exactly why you are on this mission. We will continue to expand your training and give you a more diverse skill set. At any time, any one of us could be sent out on a mission. Not every mission involves combat or confrontation, some require stealth or investigation. Being a part of this team means carrying your own weight. Until you learn some of the more basic skills needed to be a part of the squad, we will continue putting you on missions that allow that.” Reese said. Turning to look at me again, he asked, “Anything else?”.
“Nope, all good here.”
Chapter 35
I followed Ginger, Ruthie, and Reese to the Boss’ office. Up until the previous two missions, I hadn’t interacted much with these three — my choice, not theirs. Even sharing a quad with them, I made sure I went for meals in the dining hall instead of eating with the group, I’d work out when none of them were in the gym. I’d rejected their offers to spend time with me and while it made my investigation harder, I didn’t care.
Out of the bunch, Ginger was the friendliest and lived in my quad. I planned on sticking close to the striking red head on this mission. Ruthie stared daggers at me and liked to sharpen her blades when I was around. Reese was so over-the-top professional that the only thing he ever spoke about was the mission and usually hung out away from the group.
“We need the transport to Washington D.C. to visit the Delegate’s office on Embassy Row,” explained Reese.
“I will prepare the portal and inform the D.C. portal staff.”
“Our D.C. portal is actually located in DuPoint Circle at the Metro Station. We will be spit out into a supply closet there,” said Ginger.
I knew exactly where we were going —- Embassy Row, which stretches along Massachusetts Ave from DuPont Circle to the National Cathedral. It houses not just embassies, but also diplomatic representatives, their residences, consulates, and chanceries. As America and other countries established relationships with the demons and their delegates, having them there made sense since they were considered their own countries right here on our soil. The demons had taken over the Woodrow Wilson House, much to the outrage of many American. citizens. There were few locations large enough for the demon delegate and his staff, which was the reason why the demons got the historic building, but the decision did not go down well with the general pubic.
No one paid us any attention as we left the supply closet. We stepped out into the busy metro platform in the underground station. Being underground was my new normal. So normal that being above ground was feeling odd. In the station, metro trains barreled to a stop as people pushed their way through the throng, impatient to get to their destinations. Its spacious ceiling, decorated with inset rectangular patterns, to supposedly muffle the sound. Not that it seemed to be working. We took a ridiculously long escalator to the street level. No one looked at us funny for our weapons. Since the demons arrived decades ago, people openly carried any number of weapons, so many people we passed had knives, guns, and even swords on them.
Once on Massachusetts Ave, we headed north along Embassy Row. The Wilson House is a short walk up the street past several foreign embassies. Its brick exterior looks stately and surprisingly normal. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but not something that looked like a centuries-old mansion and was just so normal.
Reese took the lead as we followed him up the stairs leading to the Wilson House. We walked in since it was operating hours and were greeted by a pair of bulky and fierce demon guards.
Reese presented a badge to the guards and stated our request to speak to the Delegate. One of the guards spoke into his communication’s “comms” device attached to the front of his uniform. Within minutes, an attractive and thirty-something year old woman came down the hall. Her stilettos stabbed into the floor as her long legs ate through the distance of the room.
“Miss Deidra, we have some visitors for the Delegate, but I told them he wasn’t here, but they are with the FBI,” said one of the guards.
She looked our way and as she saw me, her eyes flashed with instant recognition and I barely stifled a flinch. And here we go again, another one of my fans.
“Of course, they did. I’ll take it from here. Thank you,” as she dismissed the guards.
Once the guards left, she turned to us, “You dare to show up here at the esteemed Delegate Angra Mainyu’s very house with The Slayer. Have you no respect?”
Reese moved to block me from her view. “I apologize for any hardship her presence causes, but she is an essential member of our team. We only require a small amount of your time. Can we speak with the Delegate about some recent demon sightings? And you are?” said Reese.
“It’s Miss D’Minico to you. I’m Mr. Mainyu’s assistant. What do you expect the Delegate to tell you about this supposed sighting? We don’t track every suspected sighting, or we wouldn’t get anything done. We get no end of calls, emails and visits just like this about a demon sighting, possessions, demon contamination and the like. I can’t help you anymore than I can help them.”
With narrowed eyes, she looked intently at Reese, “And what agency did you say you were from?”
“My apologies,” said Reese as he handed the assistant what appeared to be an authentic FBI badge. At least from what I could see, it seemed legit.
“We’re from the Bureau and need to confirm with your records about the validity of a registered demon,” he said.
Still studying the badge, she rubbed her finger across it to verify it was a real badge. “Are you suggesting that there are registered demons roaming about and running amok? Or, just that they are registered and giving free rein to do that? We control our own, unlike, the Marines,” as she cast a pointed look in my direction.
She certainly was a prickly pear. Although, I’m sure my presence there didn’t exactly help. I still thought that the Boss was wrong for sending me along. I got the reasoning behind why he sent me, but it was too soon after my appeal hearing for me to be back in D.C. I wasn’t anymore comfortable being back in the District than people were with seeing me here. Just being seen caused strong reactions — like the assistant’s.
“We’d like either access to your records or for you to verify a demon and we’ll happily
be on our way, leaving you to your important work,” said Ruthie in a surprisingly calm and smooth tone. With her purple hair covered by a wig and wearing a pants suit, she looked normal and dear I say, respectable. A weird look for her.
“I cannot give you access to the records, but I can attempt to verify a demon. Please follow me,” said Miss D’Minico.
She led us to her office lined with ornate panels and a wall to ceiling bookcase and gestured us to a sleek brown leather couch.
She stared at me before turning her attention to Reese. “What information do you have?” she asked.
“He was tall, a few inches above six feet with granite colored wings,” said Reese.
She froze for a second after hearing about the wings. And then after what looked like a significant effort, she forced herself to relax. “Are you sure the demon was male? Some of the females can be mistaken for male.”
I didn’t know the other hybrids well enough to tell whether they noticed the assistant’s telling reaction.
“Let’s go with male for now,” chimed in Ruthie.
“I’m going to need more than that to go on. Male and tall account for at least 50 percent of all demons — much as it would humans. And wings are standard for most demon,” added Miss D’Minico.
Reese and Ruthie traded glances. I’m not sure why they didn’t want to disclose details. As the assistant said, half of demons were male and tall with wings.
“He was bulky and muscular with violet-colored eyes and midnight blue horns that curled back from his head,” continued Reese.
Again, she straightened in her chair and briefly a look of panic flashed in her eyes. “Midnight blue? Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes, we are sure. Will that be enough information for your search?” said Reese.
“I believe it will,” as she turned to her computer, “Just a moment,” she said.
