“Guys,” I said.“I know this sounds weird but hear me out.Look at where these places are all located.”
I ran my fingers through the translucent figures, tracing a pattern between each structure.Right in the middle of it, there was a familiar building.
“Why Headquarters,” I said.
The others looked at me quietly.
“What?”I asked.
“I know that seems related, but you’re a little off,” Vic said.“Technically dead center would be the coffee shop here.”
Le Bean Caffeine.I knew the owners.It was a nice gay couple that seemed to fight constantly.One of them liked to wear extravagant wigs.Either of them being behind this seemed to make even less sense to me.
“Okay, but that makes even less sense,” I said.
“Are you suggesting it was someone at your office?”Brother Al asked.
I went through the list of people I worked with.Bradford, Gabriel, Andy, Peggy… none of them seemed capable of mass necromancy.Even if some of the interns back at the office seemed pretty sickly most days of the week.
“No idea,” I said.“But I think it’s suspicious at least.Worth checking out.”
“We lack the resources for a search mission,” Brother Al said.“Nagisa has requested Council assistance.Right now they are in deliberation with the Federal Government on how to contain this issue and scrub it from records.Our job is not to stop this—merely to protect as many people as possible.”
“But why shouldn’t we try?”I asked.
“We don’t have the people,” Eddie said.“Our priority is keeping you and the people we know safe.”
“This is stupid,” I said.“So you took my blood, and you’re not even willing to fight at full strength?”
“It’s not that simple, and you’re being ridiculous,” Brother Aleister snapped, and his voice was heavy with a reprimand.“The Council has many decisions it must make before it can move forward to come help us.This will be a waiting game for survival.There is no guarantee the cavalry will arrive.We are on our own.We must preserve our energy as long as possible.”
“So who am I going with?”I asked.
Eddie and Vic both didn’t want to look at me.
“I asked a question,” I said.
“I was assuming you would go in the back of the transport van,” Eddie said.
“Because I’m one of the vulnerable ones,” I said.
There was a silence between everyone then.
“Stacey, it’s for your own good,” Vic said.
“That’s bull,” I said.“You can’t just… you can’t just put me with the women and children.”
“Stacey.What can you do in battle?”Brother Aleister asked.
I stammered.
“Uhhh… I could…”
“Die,” Brother Aleister said.“You could die, Stacey.I’ll say it again.You are in danger of losing your mortal life.You want the truth, young one?It is likely you will not survive.This is not an adventure.This is not some fanciful little game we’ve been drawn into, or some mystery to untangle and unweave.You are vulnerable.You cannot fight.You cannot protect yourself.”
“You can’t just treat me like I’m useless,” I said, voice heaving.
Brother Al, Eddie, and Vic all seemed to be struggling against something, and then Brother Al snapped and gnashed his teeth.His eyes became red as he opened them.Veins on his flesh stood out at attention as he spoke.
