The contract came out of Denver, Colorado in the middle of summer. President Bush was on his way out of the White House from his second term as the next presidential election was heating up as the candidates were getting ready to start debates in September. The situation in Denver was simple: people were claiming to be attacked by a sexual predator. They were left in the hospital for days at a time with minor wounds. At first, it seemed like a few isolated cases but quickly they all began to connect. Police were having a problem catching the individual as there was oddly no DNA evidence left behind. They began linking them together by similar motives until the pattern began to repeat. Both men and women were being targeted but once a woman was left with a nasty scar, their contract was sent out.
Hanson was the one who grabbed it. He loaded up his bags into the plane with his student at his side. The young boy was picked up after his home was destroyed in a fire at a previous job no less than a week ago. Both his parents didn't make it out and the world declared him dead with them. He became a ghost much like his teacher. Flying coach was their way of getting around so laying low was key. A few people gave them some strange looks with such an older gentleman and such a young man. The two took their seats waiting for their flight to take off. The young man mumbled to himself most of the time complaining about how compact it was in the plane swearing he would not be flying public airlines.
The flight was short though. They landed in Denver in decent time with the help of a tailwind. They collected their bags from the carousel as they went to the exit. A taxi was waiting for them to take them to meet their contact for this job. Hanson began reading into the folder they were provided while the young man kept his eyes out the window watching the buildings pass by. The car stopped in front of an odd office building with a few police cars outside. They two grabbed their things heading inside. As they entered the building they were greeted by a uniformed officer waiting for them. They were escorted to the room where they would be meeting with the person who issued the contract directly.
As they followed Hanson leaned over to the young man, "Do you remember your name on this one?" The young man sneered, "Michael." Hanson patted him on the back for remembering. The officer stopped in front of a door that led into the room with their contact. The office was rather large for just one person. There were a few rooms inside with others working but the person they were to meet was on the other side in a corner office. The tables in the middle of the room were filled with people who looked like they were doing paperwork while those in the offices had the door closed and were on the phone. The office they were directed to had no way to look inside. The only way to tell this was the room was that it had his name on it. "Robert Edmond" was the man they were to meet.
Walking in he had the best office there. It was three times the size of the others with two walls of one-way glass to look out. His desk was a dark hardwood that stood out among the others. Across his desk were some nice-looking materials. Higher grade paper, sorted ink pens. Everything about this guy screamed that he worked on promoting himself the best that he could. He seemed to just be looking outside until he heard the door open. In his large, leather chair he turned around to greet them, "Hello, how can I help you?" Hanson stepped in beginning their job, "We are here to help you." He seemed excited to hear that, "You're the contractors, yes?"
"We are."
"Excellent! Come in! Come in! Have a seat so we can talk."
The two took seats in the plain chairs across from the man. Hanson led the conversation. Robert seemed rather anxious about getting this taken care of, "Here is what I need. People are being sexually assaulted. The police can't find out who's doing it. Election season is coming up and I am running for Mayor of Denver. If I can claim that I solved this while the current mayor just let it happen I can get a huge lead over him. I need you two to find out who is doing it and have them removed. I don't care how, just make sure that it's quiet." Hanson nodded acknowledging his request, "We will make sure that we work with extreme diligence."
"If you gentlemen can take care of this, you will be handsomely rewarded."
"We will do our best, sir."
The meeting was short as Hanson stood up shaking Robert's hand. The young man kept looking around the office at the papers he had framed on his walls along with the book and awards on his shelves. They walked out into the office setting heading towards the larger hallway of the building. They were escorted to the main entryway where they were greeted by a private limo that was called to bring them to the hotel where they would be staying. The back was roomy and loaded with a bar which they were welcome to by the grace of Mr. Edmond. Hanson avoided it while having the young man with him sitting across from him.
Hanson raised the barrier between them and the driver to give them privacy while they talked. Hanson shifted himself in closer, "What was it that you noticed?" The young man looked towards the front of the limo making sure that they were left alone. He turned back to Hanson not looking too happy, "Most of the awards in his office are fake. Just some minor photoshop and a fancy signature on thicker paper framed with a fancy outline. Medals and whatever were maybe gold plated. He's so fake that it hurts."
"Good job. What else did you notice?"
"His entire office is set up like your home which is weird that he called us to take care of something that his entire crew cannot. He's dealing with something he doesn't understand."
"And any ideas on what we are up against?"
The young man sat back with a scowl, "I've been doing this for seven days, three of which I was unconscious for." Hanson kept his patience even with the snarky attitude towards him, "Did you read what I gave you?"
"Twice, but I still can't identify anything that would do something like this."
"You're smart, take a wild guess."
He huffed curling his lips. This was driving him nuts. He was constantly being tested with no knowledge of what he was being tested about. He rolled his eyes screaming inside at the old man across from him. "I have no idea. I just don't know. What is it?" Hanson took on his teaching role, "Let's break it down from what we know."
"Oh geez, can't you just tell me?"
"You can do this. The first thing is that all of these attacks were tied to sexual assault. Second is that we know that everyone was under the age of 30. Third is that it is both men and women that are being attacked. Sometimes couples. Fourth, there is no pattern to how they look. Black, White, Asian, Spanish. It's very diverse so they are not going after one kind of person. So, with that little bit in mind, what initially comes to mind?"
The young man groaned, "Like, maybe a succubus or incubus. Maybe both for all I know."
Hanson gave his approval, "Very astute. If this is a succubus and an incubus, what can we do to find them?"
"Ok, that's beyond me. I'm just glad I remembered what they are. You can do what you do."
"Now, now. I'm going to need your help on this one. By the number of people attacked I do feel that there is more than one so we need to be a team on this one."
"You seemed to do well up to this point on your own!"
Hanson had the patience of a saint, "We will need to split the work on this. Together we will be able to easily remove them."
"Whatever."
The young man gave up trying on this. It was ludicrous enough that he was palling around with this old man who tore him from his old life. The limo pulled up to the hotel they would be staying at. It was nothing fancy but it would be enough for them. They collected their key from the front desk heading back outside to their room located on the bottom floor. Opening the door they were hit with a rancid smell. The orange carpet looked faded, everything inside looked like it was about to fall apart, and there was no space. They had gotten one of the cheapest rooms and they got what they paid for. The young man stared into the room with as bland a face as he could have, "If there is a hell on Earth, we found the waiting room." The two trudged inside, throwing their bags on the bed. The frame gave out under the extra weight, collapsing half of it to the floor. He threw his hands in the air, "Fuck it! It's there."
It was not the ideal place to be staying for anyone who valued themselves at all. With money being tight they had no choice but to cheap out. Hanson opened up the window trying to get some fresh air into the room to try and help with the stench. The young man sat in the no longer padded wooden chair in the corner looking at the bed, "I think I'll sleep here. I trust this to not fall apart that easily." Hanson began setting up a small collapsable board on what could barely be passed off as a TV stand with no TV on it. Someone probably stole it. He pinned up a tourist map they picked up from the airport. Hanson began putting pins in areas where people were reportedly attacked trying to come up with a general area of where they were at the time. Blue pins were for males that were attacked while white pins were for females.
The pattern began to show itself as it looked like two circles that overlapped just a little bit in an area. Hanson began putting up strings to connect the photos of the person attacked linked to the location of where they were found. The board quickly became the center of focus for both of them as the young man's curiosity got the best of him. Hanson noticed taking a step back to give him space to look at it himself. He could see the gears turning as he pieced it together himself. Hanson prodded him just a bit, "What are you thinking?" He was quiet while he looked at the string connecting the photos to the area. He turned to Hanson with a question, "Are there times when the attacks happened?"
Hanson didn't think of that. He grabbed his smaller notes writing the times down from the reports that were filed. With the new information up Hanson let the young man continue to take a look. This was the first time that he seemed genuinely interested in what was happening with the world around him. For the past week, he was throwing his attitude at any little thing. Anything that was asked of him was the biggest thing in the world for him and too much to do. Even the simplest of tasks such as reading a book. With no provocation, he was all hands with this. Hanson tried to see from his perspective what he was looking for but whatever it was escaped him. With another push, he tried, "What are you seeing?" The young man looked back, "Do… do you not see it?"
"What is it?"
The young man turned back to the board, "Women are attacked between 8pm and midnight while men are attacked from midnight to 3am."
Hanson stood up looking at the time stamps. They lined up with his observation. Hanson probed further, "Ok, what does that mean?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe they take turns hunting? They go after men and women who are on their way home since guys generally take the later shifts?"
"It makes sense to me."
"I'm still iffy about it. Besides, I'm not even sure I'm looking at this right."
"Talk it out. Speculation brings ideas, and ideas can kick up leads."
"Uh…" He seemed to be struggling, "There's just so much that comes to mind that I can begin."
"What is the most out-there idea that sticks out?"
"Maybe… Maybe they're using a buddy system? One watches out while the other feeds. Or they hunt together like a lure then the other feeds on the victim? I'm spouting nonsense at this point."
Hanson was impressed by his quick deductions from just a few dozen pins on the board. He proposed a new question to the young man, "Knowing this, how can we use it?" He released a heavy breath dropping his shoulders, "I feel like you're making fun of me when you ask me these things. I just don't know." He understood. He had started out in a similar position but he had to see how well the kid could think on his feet.
Hanson took over, "This is how we learn. Here is what I propose to see if your theory is correct. Since males are being attacked later in the evening we use that to find out about them ourselves. We'll play by their rules and hunt together. One as bait and one as muscle." The young man rolled his head, "Let me guess, I'm bait."
"Incorrect. You will be muscle. You're fitter than I am so I will trust you to make sure that I do not get hurt."
This declaration was entirely unexpected. The young man was thrown back, "Wait, you trust me?"
"Of course, you are my partner in this job so I trust you to watch my back."
This was strange but something inside of him wanted to make sure that this old man was ok at the end of the day. They both solidified the plan to where Hanson would be in plain sight keeping an eye out on his surroundings while the young man hid nearby keeping an eye on everything from a wider angle. From the map, they picked a spot outside of a parking garage where there was a bus stop that ran late at night. With a few hours until the sun even went down Hanson decided on a quick nap to make sure they were as fresh as they could be before undertaking the risks. Hanson seemed to be able to fall asleep almost instantly while the young man sat up in the chair trying to nod off the entire time. When the alarm went off he wasn't even sure that he fell asleep at all. They still had a couple hours before the circle moved over into the area so the two took the time to plan out a more defined idea. They walked around looking for good vantage points that would have quick access.
The final spot that they decided on was inside the parking garage. There was a slope that began to head underground but the wall was still open enough that it had easy access to the street. The young man would take a place against the wall by a car that was parked keeping himself down while looking over the wall. If things got bad he could jump the wall and rush in to assist. Hanson took his position on the bus bench with a book in his hands. As the hours approached he continued to read his book waving off the passing buses. The lights inside the garage faded out to only a few keeping it dimly lit. It was advantageous to the young man. It helped conceal him further.
The young man kept his position, keeping a cautious eye on anyone who wandered by waiting for them to even get close to Hanson. Everyone passed by paying him no mind. One lady sat on the bench next to him striking up a quick conversation while she waited for her bus to come. It was a tense moment for the young man as he was unsure of what actions to look out for. His worry was getting the best of him as he could only stay still and in his position. The clock rolled over to 3am before Hanson stood up to walk off. He stopped by the area to let the young man know that tonight was not their night, "We are returning to the hotel. Our window has closed for the evening."
Forced to walk back, they made it to their room about 30 minutes later. Hanson looked over the map again while the young man tried to ignore the gross water running over him in the shower. He was back in the same clothes he had before. He didn't feel any cleaner so no reason to waste good clothes. It was another hour or so before they put themselves up for the night. Hanson somehow slept peacefully in the bed while the young man tried to find a comfortable position in the chair. It was a couple hours before he moved it against the wall where he could rest his head in the corner. It was still restless sleep but when the afternoon rolled around he was doing better than he was before.
Hanson's alarm woke them up at the same time. The young man jerked himself awake at the sound. The alarm wasn't loud, it was just how asleep he was. He could hear almost everything perfectly so any little noise disturbed him. As he struggled to wake up Hanson threw him a small bag with some black beans inside. Looking at them they looked strange but Hansons let him know what they were. Chocolate-covered coffee beans. Bitter caffeine coated in sweeter caffeine to help keep someone awake. It was rough but he managed to eat a few before he stowed the rest in his own bag. There must have been two dozen more left in there. Coffee was not his drink of choice so raw beans were even worse, "I don't think I will ever like coffee."
Their day was spent looking at the map again, spotting new locations just in case the spot they picked did not bring results this evening. They went out hitting the street to find good lookout points. A couple hours of this and one meal later and the sun was beginning to set. They headed back to the hotel for a quick nap to be fresh for another long night. The young man had issues falling asleep but he quickly found a comfortable spot against the wall again. It was only a couple hours before Hanson's alarm went off waking them up. He popped a few chocolate coffee beans standing up. Hanson was already getting their things together to prepare.
As they walked to the bus stop again Hansons dropped an odd question, "How well do you trust me?" The young man stopped in his tracks with a puzzled look. Hanson kept walking until he realized that the person walking beside him was gone. Looking back he saw him standing a few feet behind him with a perplexed expression. The young man tried to come up with words but just sputtered out for a bit. Once he got himself together he let loose, "Are you fucking with me?" His perplexed expression went to anger in an instant, "You walked in, disrupted my life, got my parents killed, removed me from my home, and are now dragging me around the ass-area of a strange city hunting something that will kill us both with a laugh and you… What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Those feelings had been suppressed for a while and now started to bubble up to the surface. Hanson seemed to understand where it was coming from. He turned to face him full-on. His face filled with a sense of sorrow, "I sincerely apologize for pulling you from your normal life. But I feel that you will be able to fit in very well with your new life once you adjust."
"You just expect me to roll with everything that's coming at me? You expect me to just accept that there is this whole other side of the world that's just been hiding in plain sight? And you! Here's the kicker." He started approaching Hanson, "You expect me to trust you?"
The young man was still fighting the culture shock. The fact that it now bubbled up could be attributed to the first real experience he was undergoing. Every little unanswered question that bothered him that he could not figure out added strain. The hunt for something he doesn't understand added stress. And lastly, being pulled from his comfort zone started it all only building up to this point. Hanson dropped his head looking at his shoes. His shoulders raised as he took a deep breath bringing his head up, "I know it's hard. No human is ever pulled into this willingly. We fight the hardest, however. What we go up against is dangerous but they have been in the world their entire life. Those who adjust in a short time are the most dangerous though."
So many of his words hit a chord. No human is ever pulled into this world willingly. Those who seek it are often kept at a longer distance away as their motives are not suited for the world that remains hidden. They want the truth and to give that truth to the rest of the world while the rest who are pulled in want out. Seeing the horrors motivates them to not bring others but when the time comes, and the line is crossed, they can and bring someone else. This was Hanson's case with the young man. He had lost everything as the two worlds collided over one another taking everything from him.
The young man tried to sputter out something but in his anger, he couldn't focus on his words. He ended up just letting out an aggravated yell before finally coming back, "Fine! What's on your mind, old man?" Hanson seemed to get through to him this time. Maybe now he would begin to change into the hunter he needed to be. With a quick foot shuffle, Hanson started moving the young man forward again to get back on track, "So, they seem to want more energetic people. Do you trust me enough to trade places and be bait?" This was weird. But if Hanson trusted him enough to put himself out there… It was a real risk putting himself instead. It was almost like playing Russian roulette. Maybe they would show, maybe they wouldn't, but they still had to try and lure them. It was just which one they would find more tempting to go after. Hanson had a point that they go after people with more energy.
It was a regretful decision yet it seemed to be the right one. The young man agreed to be the bait for the evening. He would be the one sitting on the bus bench while Hanson stayed in cover watching him. They chose the same spot they did last night hoping that the different person would be enticing enough to pull their prey from the darkness.
There was still time to set up and be ready before the circles switched over. Hansons took his spot in a different corner of the parking garage but still within quick access to the street. He took his seat on the bus bench watching everyone walk by until it was only a few people every so often. He waved off the buses as they came. He leaned back with a sigh as it got closer to their end time. Leaning back he looked behind him at the parking garage looking for Hanson's head sticking out somewhere watching him. He wasn't able to find him. He sure was hoping that Hanson was keeping an eye on him though. He watched as a young couple walked hand in hand across the street. Their clothes were a little ratty. Maybe they were heading back from a concert at a bar near here?
He paid them no mind while he continued to look around the area in boredom. If there was anything that he could do to entertain himself he would. This was why Hanson brought a book yesterday. Three hours of sitting on a hard bench would drive anyone nuts. The couple crossed the street heading towards the bench. The man took a seat next to him while the lady walked around and rubbed his shoulders. They were talking quietly but he could still hear them, "That was a good meal. Thanks for helping sweetie." The woman leaned in, kissing him on the cheek, "You're welcome but you know that it's my turn now, right?"
The young man perked up at the conversation. It hit him as strange that one ate but the other didn't. He looked over at the two. They looked like young adults who were having a good time that night. He moved his head back to look forward while keeping his ears open. He kept a poker face while looking forward and down at the street. "Well sweetie, how about we get you taken care of, yea?"
"Yea baby, I'd love that."
He could feel them both looking at him. He kept looking forward trying to look like they were ignoring them. He heard him talk about him though, "He looks like he has some vigor in him. How old would you think he is?" She hummed as he felt her eyes go over him, "I would say a young 19 years old." He was honored. She thought that he was an adult but she was off by two years. He felt the man's hand land on his shoulder, "Hey buddy, got a proposition for you." The young man looked over at the hand on his shoulder following up the arm to the face of the one who placed it there. He has a smile on his face that is very clearly deceiving. Just looking at him he could tell that this man had something off about him. He couldn't tell exactly what it was other than that this person was not human. He looked at the lady behind him who had a similar smile. At that moment he knew without a doubt that these two were who they were here for. He was going to be the front line on this.
The young man returned a fake smile, "What's on your mind, boss?" Once they were acknowledged they got to work as did the young man. The woman switched her hands from her man to the young man. Immediately he felt lightheaded as though something else was taking over. She whispered into his ear, amplifying the effects, "Tell me, with someone like me, what would you do?" In his haze, his mouth fell open as he leaned backward. His words came out slurred as if he had been drinking, "I am going to catch you. Then I am going to turn you in to the authorities." She seemed taken aback but pressed on, "Ooh, is it because I've been a bad girl?"
In one sentence, their tone changed. The young man rolled his eyes trying to find Hanson but he was still nowhere to be seen. He almost drooled out his words trying to keep himself together, "You haven't been a bad girl." He looked over to the other man before back to her, "You've both been bad succubus." He was released from her trance as the shock set in with both of them. She sputtered out what she could, "W-what?!" The young man stood up, almost falling over into the street. His head was still pounding from the recovering headache. He was able to compose himself before turning back to them. The man stood up, "Oh shit! He's a contractor!" She didn't hesitate to bark orders, "Don't just stand there! Take care of him!" The man lunged, tackling the already unstable person to the ground. With a hard fall, he expelled the air from his lungs before he felt himself being lifted up.
With a quick realization, he found that he was being lifted into the air. Looking at the man who held him he noticed that wings had sprouted from his back. Using them he carried him into the air well above the buildings at an alarming rate. On the ground, the woman was standing near the bench looking up in excitement waiting for something to come back down. In her distraction, someone placed a hand on her shoulder. In a chilling voice, she heard them say, "I don't appreciate you treating my student like that. Bring him down now." She turned to see the man carrying a cross in his hand pointed directly at her. With only a small jab he could end her life in an instant. She stuttered out, "Y-you want -him down?" A smile crept across her face, "Ok then!" With one more loud yell, she gave out the order, "Let him down!" Hanson immediately could tell that there was something wrong.
She seemed to be laughing even with the sharp silver to her neck. Something blurred past them making a loud squish against the pavement on the street. She cackled loudly, "How about that? He's down now!" Hanson looked over with great concern. He lost his grip on the cross, dropping it to the ground. The woman moved in his way blocking his view, mocking him, "That's what you wanted! We let him down! What are you going to do now that he's back? Huh? Huh?" She began to laugh until something slick and warm wrapped around her neck. With a quick pressure, her head was locked in place. She couldn't move her head or neck. She tried to squiggle her way out but she wasn't able to loosen the grip.
A chilling voice rang into her ear while she tried to fight, "I killed him, don't think I won't end you too." She felt the grip on her neck tighten while he continued, "Amazing how while being monsters you are just as vulnerable to having your neck broken as humans." She could feel the pressure slowly increasing as she tried to look around her. All she could see was part of the hand against the side of her head covered in blood to the point where it was dripping. She could feel it against her skin now. She began to scream out in horror. Hanson grabbed her chin above where the arm was wrapped around her, "Hold for just a moment." The pressure released just slightly giving her a little room. Hanson wasn't going to allow her to though. His grip tightened on a few pressure points, freezing her in place. It was his turn for a deceiving smile, "I say that you have one way of getting out of this alive."
She struggled against everything holding her trying to free herself. She began to plead, "No, please. Don't do this." Tears began to run down her face as she continued. Hanson was not having it though. He changed to his business face but there was still a condescending overtone, "You can either accept that I just saved your life and you're bound to me until the debt is repaid. Or, you continue to fight for maybe another two seconds until he snaps your neck like a twig. Tell me, what do you want to do?"
This was a new side of Hanson for the young man but he seemed to have no problem at this point. They just tried to kill him so revenge would be rather sweet right now. She tried to wiggle a little more but they had her in a hold. She was helpless but she continued to try and bargain, "C'mon, we can work this out."
"We are. You're indebted or you die. We get paid either way."
"No, no this isn't fair!"
She continued to fight against them until she heard the young man behind her, "I don't think she's taking it so I'm just doing it." She felt the pressure come back to her neck as he began to tighten his grip again. In a panic, she screamed out, "Stop! Stop! I'll do it! I'll do it!" The tears began to run down her cheeks as she felt herself come so close to death from his hands. The pressure released slightly but she was still held tight. Hanson moved back into her face, "My name is Hanson, so now you know what to do." She still struggled but she said, "I, Camila, pledge myself to you Hanson until my debt is repaid."
She gritted her teeth as she waited for someone to move. The pressure stayed but did not increase. There was a question from the man behind her, "Does it really just work like that?" Hanson nodded, giving him the signal to release her. The pressure was gone as she fell to the concrete. She quickly scampered away to the bench looking back. She shrieked in horror at the sight of who was holding her. The young man who was carried into the sky was half covered in blood from head to toe. She looked back into the street to see the mangled remains of her lover. Only part of him was recognizable. She looked back at the young man standing still, "How did you survive that?" He scoffed with confidence, "Oh, we struggled in the air. We heard you yell and he just about let me go but I grabbed onto a wing. He spiraled down trying to stop us but I moved him under me. So he hit the concrete and I landed on him cushioning my fall. Not pleasant but effective."
She covered her face, beginning to cry at the loss of her significant other. Hanson grabbed her by the wrist standing her up. Returning to the hotel they had to nearly drag the girl back with them. Once inside the young man hit the shower. Cold or disgusting water wasn't going to stop him from trying to get the crud off of him. He returned to the living area where Hanson was waiting for him. He held a silver collar in his hand waiting. It shimmered in the little light from the room. The girl sat on the end of the bed looking rather distraught about what was going to happen. The young man was given a chance to get into some fresh clothes before he began an extra lesson.
Hanson handed him the collar to look over while he explained, "That is a restriction collar. Consider it similar to a shock collar people put on dogs to get them to stop barking except instead of barking, she won't be able to use her ability to seduce or allure." He took it back double checking it before turning to the girl, "Chin up please." She did as she was told but not willingly. There was a lot of restraint showing. Being bound was making it difficult. This was only going to make it worse. Hanson leaned down to her level as she looked up towards the ceiling. With a soft click, the collar was on. She struggled a bit at first with it as it sucked the air out of her lungs. Once her power was suppressed she had no issue with it. This little piece of metal would sap any attempt to draw from her abilities returning it to her as a sharp pain.
With the collar on, their job was completed. They would meet with Robert in the morning after a nap. 4am started turning into their normal bedtime. It gave them a chance for a quick nap before wrapping up. The young man just threw away the ruined clothes. In a place like this, a waste bucket of bloody clothes wouldn't be unusual to anyone. This place was a pit. Hanson took the portion of the bed that hadn't fallen. The girl had taken the part that did the best of it that she could, while the young man took his place in the chair leaning against the wall. He looked out what little bit of the window that he could see wondering what else there was going to be.
Closing his eyes he went back to being grabbed by the incubus pulling him into the sky. As he went higher he fought and fought until he finally got an arm free to start fighting back. Once he heard the lady scream he knew it was to act fast or die horribly. Luck was on his side as he grabbed at anything. The extra weight on the wing threw the incubus off spiraling the two to the ground. It may have just been luck that he happened to be on top while the two struggled. It was incredibly lucky that the incubus was still able to attempt to fly and slow them down enough that only he was crushed. Still, he fell into his body which is the only thing that stopped his death.
As the alarm went off he tried to move to get up with Hanson. His shoulders were stiff, his back was in pain, and every muscle just seemed to refuse to move. With a grunt, he forced himself up. Everything only got worse. His entire body felt like it was hit by a truck. Similarly to that, he might as well have been from the height he fell from. Hanson noticed that he was struggling. He offered to help but was declined. As much as this young man fought and argued every step of the way he continued to push himself anyway. There may be hope for him yet.
Robert sent a limo to their hotel at their request to wrap everything up. They would meet with him one last time, issue the wrap-up document, and head back home. The young man stumbled through the office trying to keep himself up until he could get to a chair to fall into. Hanson has the girl stand outside with the door open so he could keep an eye on her while they wrapped up. Robert started up the conversation with a very cheerful tone, "So! You tell me that you solved our issue! Do tell me, is the person in custody?" Hanson took point on the conversation, "One person is in our custody and we are taking responsibility for her. The other individual was unfortunately killed in an altercation while attempting a capture."
"That's a shame to hear but I am glad to hear that justice will come to one of them. Will you be releasing her to the police?"
"No, as I said, we will be taking responsibility for her."
"I would feel much more comfortable with the police handling this."
"They will be busy dealing with a few other things. This is for you. Read over it carefully as this will be what we submit to our contact for finalization and payment."
The paper changed hands. As Robert looked over to them he had the same face that everyone who receives this paper has. The same look of confusion mixed with disgust that they don't get to call the shot on what happens in the end. As he looked it over his eyes changed to a confused panic. He laid the paper flat on the table with the official letterhead facing them, "What the hell is this?" Hanson shuffled himself a bit, "It is as it says."
"And you expect me to just take this as fact?"
"Not easily, but yes. It is as it is and I cannot change that."
Robert sighed leaning back in his chair and pondering the situation. Every fiber of his being was telling him that this tale was false. At the same time, his want for closure was almost willing to accept it. Robert continued, "Explain this to me, how is this possible? How is a creature of myth and legend responsible for this incident? They don't exist!" The young man chuckled in his chair while Hanson stood up to grab the young lady waiting outside for them. She walked in reluctantly with her head down trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. Hanson offered her his seat like the polite gentleman that he is. She took it sitting next to the young man with Robert across the table. Hanson closed the door so that no one outside would see what was about to happen.
He leaned in whispering into her ear before standing back. She leaned further forward before a set of jet-black wings shot from her back stretching out to the ceiling. They relaxed as best they could over the back of the chair close to her body. Hanson looked at Robert as shock began to come over him, "Every story you were told as a child about the boogeyman, ghosts, goblins, and the things that go bump in the night are all very true." With this girl in front of him, he had no room to deny it anymore. His face went pale as years of denial were shattered. He seemed to be struggling with a lot, "How am I going to report this?"
"Simple, the perpetrator has been caught. Their identity cannot be revealed. Then you just play it up that you lead the search and it will be taken care of as a private matter. Go talk to the victims with the press there to tell them they were caught and just soak up the publicity. Fairly simple."
"You're onto something. Are you sure you don't want a job as my public relations guy?"
"No, I have this to tend to." He patted the young man on the shoulder.
"Is there anything else I can do to thank you?"
The young man stood up straightening himself up, "I don't want to fly coach."
"Done!"
The entire first-class cabin was given to them as a thank-you. They were given free roam of the area with all the space they could want. Hanson could work on the paperwork on the way home to have it submitted sooner and be paid. The young man sat near the window looking out at the clouds below as they flew home. Camila seemed to be having some issues while they seemed to be relaxing. Hanson addressed her by putting down his pen, "What seems to be the matter?" She looked around not sure she was actually allowed to speak. Hanson edged her until she replied, "I just don't know what to do." He nodded, "You will work off your debt with me. When I feel that you have satisfied it, I will let you go."
She was still cautious, "Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"What if I go back to my old ways?"
"Then we hunt you down again with less leniency."
Meaning that instead of being restrained she would be permanently removed. Something struck Hanson as he remembered some business to take care of, "Ah! Yes, before I forget. Camila, you will be addressed as Marie from now on."
"You get to change my name too?"
"It's a protective method. You're a demon so anyone with your true name can use it against you. So Marie addresses you but not to an order stance."
"But… You know my name."
"Yes, and I hope to not have to use it until your release."
The young man continued to look out the window listening to their conversation. While he didn't mind learning something new he seemed distracted by something else. Marie seemed to notice and poked it a bit, "Hey, you. I still don't know your name." It got him to look over at her. He didn't seem to be too interested in her but he obliged her with an answer, "Hanson calls me Michael."
"Ok, what's your name though?"
"You don't need to know." He shuffled around a bit, "Besides, I don't think my old name suits me anymore."
He moved back to looking out the window as he faded back into his mindless state. Hanson looked over at the pained expression on his face. Standing up he approached the young man sitting next to him. He kept his voice low so that Marie could not hear, "Are you ok?" He didn't get words back, just a head nod. Hanson pressed though, "Something is wrong, what is it?" The young man looked over with a dead expression, "Hanson, I just don't know how I feel, ok? I just… I'm just having issues adjusting to this." He looked over at Marie sitting back in her chair. "Her for example. I'm still having issues believing who she is and that I saw her. I felt what she could do."
Hanson leaned back nodding along with his own thoughts, "It takes time. It did me, it did the person who brought me into this, and anyone who gets exposed to this gritty underbelly." He moved back in to get closer, "I want you to listen to me. You'll find your own way in this crazy world. I know what happened with your home was tough, and I'm so sorry that it happened under my watch, but you need to press on. If you feel that you died there, then create yourself anew right here. If you want to keep fighting for who you were then hold onto the first gift that your parents gave you." Hanson just had to strike at him with his home. Chameleons were the ones who ruined it for him. They posed as people slowly trying to take over someone's life to be them, to give them a chance at something that they didn't. Instead of giving up as Marie did, they fought, and a lot of people died because of it.
With a firm resolution, the young man straightened himself up, "I'm going to keep going as who I was in a direction I never dreamed of." Hanson smiled with confidence that this young man before him would go far. He gave him a heavy pat on the back, "If anyone can do it, you can Rush." Hanson left him to himself for the rest of the flight to work with Marie on getting her set up for when they arrive. His idea was that he had a friend who ran an underground club where she could stay and work until her debt was repaid. On occasion, Hanson would visit to make sure she was taken care of and working her way to her freedom. This began a long series of events that changed the lives of so many.