A very professional-looking young person pointed to the screen. "Traces of silver that were found have been tested, that kind of material is not available in our country."
"And?" Mary questioned the young SUO.
"It's origin has been traced to Europe." The woman sitting on Mary's right side answered, her eyes on the PC.
"Probably, a country with long dark winters, dreadful wars where people were meant to fend for themselves against everything, all kinds of thing and people probably, and if you narrow it down, we get these few countries with histories of creatures that come that lurks at night in their local myths and legends." The young person looks at the people in front of him confidently.
"So,'' The other person sitting near the screen got up, getting ready to take charge, and the other officer gave his way like these young officers were trying to get the favor of someone in that room and taking turns doing it. "We checked the shipments and exports that came from there and, several metals including silver and a few pieces of gold were brought in by the Company that manufactures Jewels. Where is the Company located?" He zoomed the screen for the group to see. "With your permission, we would like to leave in a few hours."
"Granted," Mary announced.
"Meetings over."
"But...." The young intern who had sitting invisibly added as though he wanted to ask a few more questions to the head of the institution and also his seniors, but was scared.
"Yes?" Mary who was already standing up to leave said, she glanced at all the other officers who were looking at each other, making gestures.
''The reports say they bled him dry, also his head is missing." The newcomer asked, he fidgeted and pushed his glasses.
"An Ancient Night walker's blood is the most potent substance on this earth, that's why they took all of it and probably they're now working on it to make a dangerous bioweapon. Once they are successful nobody can save us." Mary brought her upper body closer to the intern and tapped her fingers on the table. "All of you clear as well."
"Yes, Ma'am." The few officers signaled each other as they walked out.
The other officer squeezed the young intern's shoulder and teased him. "One drop and you're dead." He whispered in his ear.
The youngest officer gulped.
"Leave him alone." The other officer who was the only female officer in the room interrupted. "You need to learn this thing if you want to work here." She slammed shut her laptop like she was annoyed and left.
"Someone's mad at the nepo-baby again." Another officer teased her at the exit.
"Shut up!"
***********
"Burberry, Armani we can do LV as well," Lisa put the suits on the hanger one by one.
David slouched on the sofa his one hand supporting his head and the other swirling a block of ice on a whiskey glass, one couldn't tell if he was sleepy or drunk by that point.
"Something more simpler. How about Brioni." He suggested his eyes closed.
Lisa bit her bottom lip and widened her eyes. "Unfortunately, I couldn't get my hand on it, suits your size are not in stores, one of the sales associates told me I could wait, but I needed them today as you told me yesterday that you needed the suits today. SO NO!" She raised her voice, while still keeping her composure. "But I did get something else, Ralph Lauren and some Tom Ford, also Thom Browne shirts." She picked up the extra clothes from the sofa and hung them.
"Okay.'' David removed his legs from the top of the takeout bags on the table getting ready to stand up.
"Okay, I'll pick you up at 5."
"Make it 6.'' David gulped the remaining whiskey.
"Okay, see you later Sir." Lisa slammed the door behind her.
********
David waved at the young waiter who was standing in the corner, he gestured for a few more glasses of whatever he was having for the night. Already uncomfortable in his designer he looked at the other VIP guests who were sitting in his row of seats, to check if sitting comfortably was appropriate for the certain group of self-absorbed people. He couldn't tell if they were really enamored by the young musician on the stage, or if it was part of the obnoxious culture.
Clapped erupted and the young violinist bowed to thank the crowd, David clapped as hard as he could after all he donated tons to this institution, where they support young musicians from disadvantaged backgrounds. David who had no interest in violin or classical music, and only did it because his financial advisor said it would be good for his tax cuts, took a chance to leave as he had already watched three people show their musical talent for the night, a deal with his publicist.
David stood up, nodding his head and excusing himself as politely as he could because any of these people could be his future business partners at the end of the day money is money.
There was a commotion as the next musician was getting on stage.
"Names Michael." The voice rang loud and clear.
The hair on his body stood, took a step back, his body frozen David slowly turned to look at the voice that came from the middle of the hall, the man stood with the violin on his shoulders. He put his chin on the violin and two strings touched giving out a chord of sweet melody.
David who was now standing near the exit searched for an empty seat as he could feel his heart rate rising and his palms were all sweaty, a lot going through his mind.
If he appeared in the middle and disappeared along with the man who has literally stage light on him, and is the center of attention be suspicious, would people notice, Would it expose the existence of humans with abilities, Would he be responsible, what about the Supreme House? What will they do how will they control the situation, and why should he care, in fact, if this man is dangerous he will be saving their lives. After all, he had done it many times, right?
"Your, drink sir."
"Thank you," David who was going through it, grabbed the drink and chugged it down. Even though he was a trainwreck at that point, he couldn't help but notice that the person was really good at what they were doing and that he forgot to notice the man more carefully. His eyes closed and hair sleek back, he was wearing a black tuxedo with a high collar and black bow tie, he looked to be slightly taller and racially ambiguous. David couldn't make out if this man was exuding sadness or genocidal mania he couldn't tell, or if was it just the music.
Sudden realization hit David; 'No phones or cameras allowed.'
He stood outside the exit to a suspiciously empty hallway, David understood that they were under attack, he tapped his head to calm the intense ringing in his ears, his vision got blurrier; he was poisoned, he took the drink like an idiot when there was an enemy in sight. His body started profusely sweating, he loosened his collar he looked up gasping for more flow into his body.
David positioned himself to jump as he thought he would bring more help to get the man inside, as he had doubts he could take him alone now that his body was weakening.
David fell intensely on the marble floor, he realized it was not a parking venue as he had aimed. He struggled, he turned on his back to clear his airway, and his arms, and legs lay straight on the ground. His vision and memories were blurry, though David recognized that this place was a downstairs hallway exit that only VIP guests used. He thought to himself that one more Jump could take him outside where his men were waiting for him. He counted his every breath, trying to get a moment to get out.
"Are you okay?"
David raised his head up a little trying to look at the voice, which sounded like a young girl.
"Sasha?"
"Hi, ex-best friend's half-brother, what happened to you?" Sasha tilted her head in curiosity.
"Sasha, what are you doing here?" David muttered as he struggled to speak.
"I'm invited to close the show by one of the organizers, someone my dad knew. The 19-year-old got near the man on the floor.
"You have to leave, and get help." His eyes up on the hand-curated architecture ceiling, David spoke to the girl, his words conflicted.
Sasha got his near head and sat down,"EEuhhhh," She almost gagged her organs out. "You're just alcohol. I can't! what do you even drink?"
"Also I'm not leaving you. I could carry you. You know I'm strongest here tonight."
"Wait, what's that?" Sasha looked around, her nose forward, sniffing.
The man walked from the side entry, a few meters away from the duo. Everything about him was mismatched, his blazer with an untucked half-unbuttoned shirt and ripped bowtie hanging from his soldiers and combat boots. A slim paper rolled between his fingers giving out a thin smoke. He was carrying some kind of a device as a crossbody.
"Wait.. Sasha." David mumbled as he watched the girl disappear.
"Hi.." Sasha stood between the two men.
"You're the one who played earlier, you missed a few chords by the way."
"Get away from her," David built up his strength to let out a few words trying to get up.
"It's okay, we are just going to have a little chat. Don't we?" She slightly turned her head back and smirked.
The man who had no interest in the girl looked past her, to watch the struggling man behind.
"Hahhhh..," Sasha gasped at what she was witnessing playfully. "Wait, is this.? Internet girlies are gonna die for this view, literally." She exaggerated her words.
"Envy, jealousy," She covered her wide-opened mouth with her fingers. "Enemies to lovers." Her expression dropped like she was upset. "Maybe I'm just delusional, you're probably just a psychopathic killer who likes to kill people like us." She took a deep sigh. "Anyways I can't let you have him, you see someone I care about probably wants him safe," Sasha added without a care for the man in front of her, of who he was or what he was about to do.
The man inhaled and blew out a cloud of thick smoke, he gently smiled at the unpredictable and wild fantasy of a young girl.
"So, you're going to protect him?" The man threw the remaining paper on the floor and stepped on it.
"Immhmm," The girl nodded. "I'm stronger than you, both of you actually."
The man appeared to be in a hurry as he began folding his sleeves, revealing the technical arm devices. "Are you sure you want to ruin your pretty dress?" He shot a quick glance at the girl, who was dressed formally for the event in a pleated short dress layered over a white shirt with puff sleeves, a ribbon tie at the collar with a pearl brooch, and paired with ballerina flats and long socks. Glittery black clips on each side of her parted hair.
Her sharp canines touched the bottom lips as Sasha smiled, she curtsied like she was thanking the man for entertaining her, but now that the show was over. Within seconds her eyes darted to the right. Sasha slightly moved her body, her eyes followed the tiny rounded object moving at speed going towards the man, who had aimed the device he was carrying at the coming bullet.
The waves of force field that were created by the soundless device disintegrated the neutralizer bullet, shattered the wrap-around glass walls, and broke light fixtures.
"Holy shit!!!, that's him." The voice came from the other end of the hallway.
Sasha's leg slid a few meters back due to extreme energy, she turned to look at the annoying voice. "Really." Sounding bored.
"Chump." David who was pushed back to the wall covered with glass pieces called out to the man standing near him extremely shell-shock.
Chump stood there for a moment not able to grab the situation at hand, as he faced the man, that he was taught by everyone in his life to run from. But for some reason, he wasn't as scared as they said one would be. "Fucking Paladin!"
"Shit!! boss... "He snapped out of his thoughts.
"Can you get up, I'm gonna make a call."
"Chump listen, you have to get the girl."
"Fuck.. where'd she go." Chump looked around for a girl who was next to them minutes ago.
~~~~~
The man saw the girl hanging from the top of his fast-moving car through the transparent sunroof. Her body was atypically bent as she brought her face closer to the glass, her knees elongated past her head. He took a sharp turn to the secluded road in easy traffic, as only a few cars honked.
"Hi, again." Sasha smiled as she lowered her upper body onto the driver's window, her hair flowing with the strong wind across her face.
"Okay." The man said that he had enough of the young girl's facade and silly games, he sprayed something from a spritz bottle on her face.
Sasha screamed as she tried to scrub the liquid off her face.
"aaahhh," You shouldn't have done that." She yelled from her gut pulled herself to the man sunk her teeth into his arm.
"Fuckkk.'' The man looked at the girl whose teeth were attached to his arm like an ant. He reached for something from the backseat and hit her head, as he realized that her teeth had sunk deep, he aimed the device at her and fired.
Sasha fell off the car and rolled over for a few meters behind. She watched the car drive off in the middle of nowhere, she lay down on the cold asphalt curled up in pain in an empty street with nothing but street lights.
~~~~~~
"Boss." Chump ran up to David who was now able to sit leaning on the wall.
"Did you find a girl?"
"She's gone! I swear, searched the entire building, the whole compound I even went inside the venue and backstage.
"Shit." David pushed his head back on the wall.
"We have to leave for now, they are at the after-party, some of the people are gonna start leaving soon."
"Fine. But you need to regroup and get back out there." David got up, his arms around Chump's shoulder for support.
********