Page 29 of Huntress

Chapter 7

“Let’s get this over with.” Elsie held the door open, motioning for the demon to exit. He fixed her with a steely glare.

“Not interested. I’ll stay here. Go talk to this Rosco person on your own,” he quipped, and she laughed at him.

“Nice try, but you’re coming. People won’t get used to you if you hide in my room. Besides, there’s no way I’m trusting you not to ambush me when I get back. Let’s go.”

He switched to his hound form, and Elsie accepted it without a word. He couldn’t insult anyone, but walking around in that form was a clear and visible threat to everyone around him. The size of his hound alone was enough to intimidate people.

They took the quickest route to the administrative hall, down a long corridor with stark white walls and no decorations. Each door lining the sides was exactly the same as the one before, only differentiated by tarnished brass nameplates alongside each. Everything smelled of harsh cleaners and the lingering perfume of someone working behind one of those doors.

The hound’s nails clicked sharply on the tile, one of the few floors in the compound not made of concrete covered in a poly mix to make it shine. It wasn’t any less clinical, but it was a touch fancier.

Elsie paused outside Rosco’s door and knocked, then glanced up at the hound. “Behave yourself, alright?”

“Come on in, Chantraine,” Rosco called out. She opened the door and stepped inside. It never failed; Roz always knew who stood at her door.

Her office was an experience. The flooring was a faded maroon carpet with a clear path from the door to Roz’s chair. Framed pictures covered nearly every inch of the wood-paneled walls, some showing different hunters she’d mentored over the years. Others showed demons she’d hunted, like trophies.

The wolfhound sneezed. Strong scents of sweat, alcohol, and stale cigarette smoke had seeped into the carpet and furnishings over past decades. The smell was distinctly Roz, and Elsie neither loved nor hated it. After all these years, it was familiar, almost comforting, a scent that meant they’d survived another mission.

Rosco’s was the face she saw after each and every mission. She’d spent more time talking with this old woman than she had with anyone else in her life.

“Did you have to bring your monster in here?” Roz sighed as Elsie took her seat.

“Where else am I supposed to put him?”

“Tie it up outside or something. It’s got a collar and a leash, start using them,” Rosco suggested. “You look exhausted, kid.”

“I am. Would you believe a bunch of overdressed assholes conspired against me and I haven’t had any decent sleep?” Elsie complained. Roz looked away guiltily, and it was then that Elsie noticed the file on her desk. “Keep that unacceptable garbage. We just got back, and you swore we wouldn’t be on duty for a couple of days!”

“I know, and I’m sorry about that. I wouldn’t be giving this to you if it weren’t important,” Roz explained.

“It’s always important, and you never give me the option to decline.” Elsie leaned forward and laid her head on the desk in resignation. “Read it to me while I rest my eyes.”

“I’ll give you the short version, and you can read the rest on your way there,” Roz said, and Elsie groaned. The existence of a short version meant this mission would be involved and difficult.

“Where is it?”

“Colony Ten. Their newest nest is besieged by a pack of rat demons,” Roz stated. Elsie’s body grew heavy in protest. Rats were savage fighters and ridiculously clever, making them difficult targets on their own. A pack of them was not something she’d ever looked forward to encountering.

“Why did they build the nest there if there’s a pack of them nearby?” The problem had become a common theme in a lot of the newer nests, all of which were in the two newest colonies, Prosperity and Perseverance.

“They make the decisions based on resources,” Roz sighed. This wasn’t their first conversation on the subject.

“What resource does this nest have that’s worth potentially losing hunters to a rat pack?” Elsie questioned. She couldn’t imagine anything worth the risk.

“It’s oil,” Roz admitted, and Elsie clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“I won’t take this mission,” she said, sitting up to convey the anger in her eyes. “What are the humans doing digging for oil? We’ve had wind, solar, and hydro technology for centuries. There’s literally nothing we need it for.”

Roz’s face hardened.

“Do you think you can stomp your foot at me like some petulant child and get your way? You’re taking this mission. The nest is already active, and there are a hundred and fifty lives that need your help. It is not our job to question why humans do what they do. You will protect them.”

The hound had grown restless, pacing the small space between the door and the desk. Elsie ignored him, too busy dealing with her own crap to worry about him.

“Why? What have they done for us in the past two centuries besides getting themselves into idiotic situations?” Elsie growled. Rosco sucked in a harsh breath, and Elsie knew she’d gone too far. Those in elevated positions didn’t appreciate questions about their way of life. Not even Roz.