Inhuman - Reaped Pt. 01

~"Tell him to stay where he is,"~ Charos said and started walking toward me. I relayed the message and then Charos was right in front of me. The bottom of his hood was about level with my eyes, but fell below his shoulders and was utterly black within. The sleeves moved just a little, but he didn't touch me. Just the brush of the cloak against my legs. ~"I cannot reach for him at all."~

I stepped close enough that the camera hit something solid under the cloth, and I slid my hands down his sleeves until I felt his hands and twined my fingers with his.

"Becca, you okay?" To his credit, Jake hadn't moved since I'd stopped him walking to the tree.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Trying to make sure you don't die to smell this."

"I'm just hoping you don't have gas after lunch," he sassed.

~"Tell him to come to your back, and smell your left side."~ The hood lowered until all I could see was black. I told Jake what he'd said, then felt a rough cheek against my right. I thought I felt the brush of soft hair, but had no way of being sure.

Jake was a warmth at my back, but made no attempt to touch me other than the tickle of his nose against my neck. "That's fucking weird, Becca. It's just like you, but spicier." He started moving to the other side and Charos disappeared. I must have made some sort of move or sound because Jake put his hand on my shoulder. "It's gone."

"I know. Kinda hurts when he goes. It's supposed to get better, but I've only been uncrazy for a couple days."

"Did he have to go?"

"No. I think it's because you started moving to the side where he was. We can go now, though. I need to check emails and see if any of these are going to be useful. You've probably got others to celebrate with, too."

He bumped my shoulder as we walked back toward the rest area and his truck. We were almost back to the warehouse when the radio in the truck started going nuts about hostages at an office building not far down the docks from my place. He answered that he was on his way and I thought I heard the word gear, but couldn't make out the rest of it. How he understood was beyond me. I pointed to the cross street and said, "Let me out here and go."

He didn't even argue, just pulled over slow enough for me to get out of the truck and then took off. I didn't bother going to the apartment for my second camera, I just pulled the strap for the case I had around my chest and ran. I wouldn't be able to get close to the scene, but damn it every time these guys struck it was my reapers called to take the souls home. I didn't even think. I pulled the camera out of the bag and got the strap over my head as I ran down a narrow alley between warehouses and stopped.

The front of the office building was straight across from my spot, so I hugged the wall and waited. The movies make this sort of thing seem to last forever. They build the drama and pace everything just right, until Bruce Willis can save the day. That's not what happened while I stood there. There was a loud report of a single shot, the sound of shattering glass somewhere on the building I couldn't see, and then a whole lot of screams as people started pouring out of the doors I could see. I felt the brief presence of Charos but didn't see him or anybody dead, so I slipped back down the alley and made my way home.