"How do ya' figure?"
"An unnamed brokerage company just put up this office facility in record time, already fully staffed and funded by an anonymous third-party. We haven't been able to pull much for records on them, but they've contracted a local distributor to bring in some rather large containers, scheduled for next week."
"They certainly fit the profile. When do we leave?"
"Two days," he said, and fished out a large file to hand to her, "Study up."
Alex was disappointed by the load of homework he was dumping on her. The folder was crammed with layouts of the city and details of the upcoming mission. The stress caused an ache in the small wound on her palm, concealed by her fingerless gloves.
"Now show her the fun stuff, before her head explodes," said Will, never taking his eyes off his video game.
"Yes!" the man suddenly remembered, and gestured Alex to follow him to the end of the long table, "They're probably only second or third string, but I'm sure you'll find a use for them."
She trailed his limping stroll to a spread of heavy carrying cases and he opened them all up. Alex was speechless staring at the array of weaponry, all of uniquely crafted blades.
"And these are for you," he then said, presenting her with a small container.
Her eyes brightened to see two grenades securely cushioned inside. The heaviest artillery was only ever entrusted to her on the battlefield.
"Ya' know, Father Koen," she lastly said, still in awe of the new provisions, "For a man of the cloth, you sure know a hell of a lot about kickin' ass."
"I only wish I knew how to clean up that mouth of yours."
"Well, two months of all this Southern hospitality couldn't break me either," Alex said with a teasing smile.
The priest could only shake his head as he locked up the small case and slipped it into her knapsack. As she made her way across the loft, she again noted Will and Eddy's loafing.
"What's everyone else doin'?" she asked.
"Gwen and June got the grocery list," said Eddy, "Rick and Noah are at the laundry mat."
He and Will then leaned their views around her to see the television.
Alex rolled her eyes with a sigh, "Have you two done anything today?"
"Chill out, Boss," said Will, giving her a big smile, "You know we'll be ready."
"I don't have time to chill out," she retorted, and started down the stairs, "And you better be ready. We're taking out the nest tonight."
With that, Alex headed out. She biked back to her feeble house in that depressing neighborhood just as the day sank and twilight rose over the sky. After changing her clothes, she knelt to the floor to braid her long hair. It was a meticulous rhythm, weaving the long strands tightly down to the ends, then wrapping and twisting the tie to secure it. Once finished, she paused a moment for a long, deep breath. Then, she strapped on a light utility vest with two curved metal clips on the back and pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt. Once her staff was secured to the rear rungs of her vest, she was on her way to the park.
As she got closer, she could hear the soft song of a harmonica. She lightly shook her head. She found her team perched about the old, metal jungle gym, while Will played them a quiet song. She was at least pleased to see they were early.
"I told you not to bring that thing on missions," she said as she joined them all.
Letting out a huff, Will tucked his harmonica into the front pocket of his utility vest and jumped down as everyone gathered in a circle with Alex.
"Father Koen should've already filled you all in for tonight," their leader began, "So if there aren't any questions, I suggest we get moving."
They paused to savor the silence that followed when a few distant howls called the start of the night ahead. Their postures then straightened with firm grips to their weapons, which were all met in the center of their huddle.
"Stay strong. Stay sharp," she gave her habitual order, "And show no mercy."
Their mission commenced, taking them to a nearly deserted neighboring district, down into the abandoned water mains. They covertly followed the tunnels with their precise plan mentally mapped out. With their steps of stealth, they crept to the final branching passage and their leader carefully peeked around the corner. Chimeras were roaming the main duct, but their primary target was the maintenance room at the other end. Alex then gave the signal and her team charged. As they each met with fray, she trailed them all with her staff in one hand and the other ready on the pocket of her vest. She dashed through the battle without even a look, the opening in sight. Dozens of monsters were loitering inside. Twirling her staff to secure it to the clips on her back, she finally reached into her front pocket.
"Fire in the hole!" she screamed, and her teeth pulled out the pins of her grenades.
Hurling them into the infested room, she and her gang quickly turned and retreated. They were speeding back through the water mains with a few Chimeras chasing them, when everything suddenly lurched and shook with the violent roar of a massive explosion. It triggered pulses to pound and paces to push faster. Once the concrete resettled, a few vagrant beasts recouped enough sense to tear out after their attackers.
As Rick and Gwen turned to cover their teammates, Alex led the rest of her gang along their escape route, knowing it would spill them out near the banks of the stream. But before reaching the small staircase leading out, a pair of monsters rushed in from another duct to block their path. With Alex and Will side-by-side, they aimed their bladed staffs and stormed ahead. Their dull blades cut down the first one with skill, but the other lurched and scampered up the stairs. Her steps nimble, Alex quickly ran after it, fueled for the hunt.
Pounding its broad paws on the grass of the knoll just outside, the Chimera was no longer trying to flee, but was now charging towards a shrouded figure just beyond the tree line. Drawing a pair of gladius swords, his glaring eyes just narrowed back at it without fear. With the speed of his spin unseen, his blades severed out to cut it down in an instant. He then froze as stampeding feet raced toward him and he saw the woman from the night before coming straight at him. He reaffirmed the holds of his swords and almost faltered at seeing the ire of her eyes.
"Get down!" her shriek startled him and she made a desperate leap.
With unfounded grace, her step lightly reached his shoulder, before she pushed off to launch over him and reeled out her staff in a stretching swing. The blood of the final beast soaked into the soil as she landed to the forest floor. With her comrades now running up from the tunnels, Alex turned around out of breath, only to find the man with the glaring eyes was gone. The triumphant members of her gang were the only ones left standing under the moonlight.
Together again, with clothes and weapons soaked in red, the team hiked through the shadowed woods to follow the stream. Reaching the trail up the steep bank, they ascended to the streets and marched back into the outskirts of Jackson, Mississippi. Once they stepped to the sidewalk of the intersection, the group again huddled around their leader. Her face was as blank as theirs, but her eyes were lost to the cracks of the pavement. She could feel a searing heat on her back, like a focused stare stabbing at her spine.
"Good work, everyone," she said solemnly, before crossing the circle to start heading home.
Tired and humble, the rest of her gang could only do the same.
Walking alone, Alex felt that heat lingering and following her from a distance, but she refused to look back. Beyond the trashcan fires and old factory ruins, she strolled down the slender alleys past the odd silver rod atop the street poll, to the broken road leading to her house. Crossing the street, she finally felt forced to stop on the crown in the asphalt. She spun around, but went still. Zeke was just yards away, his stance solid. Their stares were locked.
"You found the nest before we did," he said, unexpressive as his eyes faintly gleamed.
He made a few strides toward her, carefully gauging his pace with his thoughts.
"My people have been in t
his war for far too long," he went on, "I must ask that you tell me everything you know about the Chimeras."
It was late, but dawn wouldn't come for another few hours. Alex pulled off her hood.
"C'mon in," she said with a small wave, and they walked to her house together.
Down into the cellar, they entered the fallout shelter and Alex locked safely them inside. Zeke watched blankly as she dug into her knapsack and brought out a large leather binder, but she stopped to look at him.
"Take off your coat," she said.
Confused yet curious, he complied and she traded the binder for it.
"Have a seat," she motioned to the bed.
As he did, he found all the linens had been changed and now carried a fresh floral scent. As he began to peruse the documents, he only briefly spied her removing her gear. Once she kicked off her boots, she made a seat not all that far from his. She then got out a sewing kit and got to work on the long tear down the back of his trench coat.
"That first section is all about Odin," Alex said with barely a glance in his direction.
"Odin…" said Zeke, "That is the ancient faction vowed to see my people exterminated."
"They're also the corporation responsible for funding the Chimera project," Alex went on, "Ownership of the company is divided between of small group of wealthy shareholders from all over the world. There should be a list in there somewhere. There're five members in all that we know of."
Zeke felt his hands go cold as he turned the pages and he was drawn deep into the data. Every word was invaluable.
"Who is this?" he asked, pointing to a picture of an aged man with thinning hair.
Alex peeked over, then cringed and went back to her sewing. "Dr. Cray," she said, "He's head shareholder of Odin and the maniacal genius behind the Chimera's creation. He mysteriously disappeared a few years ago."
"We have seen these." Zeke was tapping on an image of a small silver rod, just like the one bolted to a street pole not far from Alex's house. "Their locations are consistent with Chimera infestations."
"They're fencing rods," said Alex, "Odin uses them to keep them confined to certain areas, usually Shit Creek neighborhoods like this one."
Zeke continued to thumb through the heavy files and looked again to see what Alex was doing. She maneuvered the needle and thick thread with ease, thoroughly mending the rip in the heavy fabric. He didn't ask her reason for it.
"My clan felt that explosion," he said, "I wasn't aware you had access to such artillery."
"Jealous?" she teased him with a small grin, but then she shrugged, "We just have good connections. We usually don't have much money, but we get by well enough."
"You said you've been fighting them nearly half your life," he recalled, "By human standards, you must have been quite young when you started."
"Yeah…" she said, and her tone went quiet, "It's kind of a long story."
Zeke saw how his comment slowed her movements. Still, her sewing continued, so he went back to losing himself in those pages again.
Once Alex finished her stitching, she kindly folded up his coat to place between them. She didn't really mind that he didn't thank her. She just yawned, again and again as she put her things away, then more as her fingers combed out the long braid of her hair. Reclining to the cool stone of the wall, she only meant to shut her eyes for a few moments, but she soon drifted off to sleep. After so many nights in battle, they sometimes managed to take their toll on her.
Zeke had paused to watch her, feeling an echo of a pulse inside him slow and deepen. He finally snapped out of it and went back to reading, absorbing fathoms of new information. There was so much to get through and he tried to do it quickly, but he'd only gotten to about half of it when he noticed the time was nearing dawn.
Hearing the zipper of the leather binder being closed, Alex woke to see Zeke placing it atop the wooden crate across the tiny room.
"I was unable to finish," he told her, "But I'd like to read more another time."
"We're headin' out soon," she told him, her words tired as she sat up to stretch, "New sightings."
"I will find you before then," he said, and simply turned and left without another word.
He was already up the cellar stairs when Alex halfheartedly waved goodbye.
Zeke's strides carried him steadily from the old house and down the crippled front walkway. Then, with a slight bend of his legs, he leapt from the ground to an impossible height and made impressive bounds over the city to its distant outskirts. Soon, he reached an old barn on a parcel of unused land and he made it down the trap door to a bootleg cellar just before the sun came up. The rest of his clan was anxiously awaiting his return.
"Where were you?" asked his comrade, his eyes always with a glare.
"A walk," he said, moving by him to head into the shelter.
"For what reason…?"
"Bade…!" Zeke lastly scolded, stabbing his stare at his.
A sour moment took rest between them, until Bade finally remembered his place and succumbed to silence. As Zeke found a dark corner to relax, the others also hunkered down. They all knew the daylight hours would be spent in that hole. Bade, however, held only suspicion for his valiant leader, especially when he saw the stitches down the back of his coat.
* * *
Under the heat of the sun, Alex biked all over the city, tying up all her loose ends. She found the children were the hardest to say goodbye to. Though she was careful not to get too attached, they unfortunately did not do the same. The cook was no different and he gave her a strong hug, as well as an extra bag of baked goods to see her off. She was more than happy to give them all to the folks living under the bridge. One of them actually cried when they heard she was leaving. Off to the deli, there was only a light load of deliveries, but the owner gave her a generous bonus and wished her good luck. Even biking through the heavy traffic hinted of nostalgia. By the time she got everything finished, it was already near dark and she still had one more stop to make.
"Well, it's about time," Father Koen called down as she entered the warehouse.
"Just tell me the city is clear," she practically begged.
"Eddy brought up all new thermals," he said, holding up a handful of printed images as she climbed the stairs, "I am pleased to announce that Jackson, Mississippi is now Chimera free."
Alex was relieved as she inspected the photos, "Thank God."
The elder man slanted his brow, "I thought you didn't…"
"It's just a figure of speech, Father," she was quick to explain.
Father Koen let out a laugh, "We'll debate another time then."
"So," Alex looked around at the packed boxes in the nearly empty loft, "When do we leave?"
"It's a thousand mile drive. I'd like to be on the road by early morning."
"Sounds good," she agreed, but then let out a heavy sigh.
When her eyes crossed with Father Koen's, his weathered face showed a simple smile.
"How are you doing, Alex?" he asked just as plainly.
She was stalled, feeling it had been years since he last asked such a thing. She briefly grinned, but her sight timidly strayed.
"I'm alright," she told him, keeping her thoughts of recent events at bay, "Just… ready to move on."
"Good," Father Koen gave her a light pat on the head, "Go get some rest."
Alex just forced on smile and gave him a nod before she headed back downstairs.
As Father Koen watched her leave, he felt a bit empty. He didn't believe her.
With night now cast full over the sky, Alex rode her bike quickly. Though the satellite images had shown the city was clear of Chimeras, she knew she could never be too careful. Beyond the poverty district, she was just in front of the ruins of the factory when she stopped. She must have missed it in her haste. That same heat on her back had been with her since sunset. Getting off her bike, she decided she'd had enough.
"That's kinda creepy, ya' know," her call echoed off the em
pty buildings, "Followin' me around like that."
She listened closely and heard a subtle whip of air, followed by footsteps up behind her. She only waited as they stopped next to her and Zeke joined the silent walk back to her house.
Down into the shelter, the lantern was lit and Alex again gave Zeke the leather binder. Still not having said a word, he sat down to pick up where he left off. Alex just held back her brimming remarks. She decided she had her own studying to do, so she got out the heavy file Father Koen had given her. Both were soon submerged in their reading.
"What are these handwritten documents?" Zeke finally said, seeing their dates stretching back over the past decade.
Alex didn't even need to look.
"A few pages from my journal," she told him, ignoring the memories they tried to roil up, "Training, our missions, what we've seen, people we've met…"
"You were twelve years old when you made the first entry," he said, almost snidely, "What reason could a mere child have to fight Odin?"
She didn't respond. Zeke looked over to see her only turn the page of the files in her lap. He spotted an informative pamphlet and a map of St. Paul, Minnesota.
"Chimeras killed my family," she then said, her tone sullen, "Same as Will and everyone else on my team. We could either runaway or do something about it."
Zeke stared blankly back at her. He didn't know enough about humans to even begin to understand. He just went back to the journal entries. He calculated her kills, her many travels throughout the country and how her team gradually came together.
"I was wondering," said Alex, fidgeting a little, "What myths are really true?"
Zeke's look back at her remained vacant. He didn't understand the question.
"Garlic, holy water, immortality," Alex tried to explain, "The whole Hollywood cliché of the vampire—"
"Don't…!" Zeke suddenly snapped, startling her. He felt a sudden surge in the echoing pulse inside him, so he tried to calm down. "That term is offensive and disrespectful and is only meant to tarnish the honor of my people. We do not refer to ourselves as anything other than the First."
Alex had to force her next breath as she sank with guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."