by Raquel Dove
“Still?” Kaia asked, scooting out of her desk to look straighter at Gabrielle. “It shouldn’t take that long to get the coordinates of a routine extermination.”
Much to Gabrielle’s relief, there was no condescension in her voice. But there was confusion, and Gabrielle was glad, because the situation had confused her as well. She hadn’t wanted to say something, hoping she could just work it out on her own, but the longer it took her, the more confused she got and the more determined.
“I know,” Gabrielle said, shrugging as she looked back at her computer. “It says that it took place in the world of the living, but I’ve checked both quadrants, and nothing. I even checked the Between. I triple checked the original filing, but the coordinates keep coming up as nonexistent.”
“That’s…really odd,” Kaia said. She stood up and walked over to Gabrielle’s desk, looking over her shoulder at the computer screen. She looked at the piece of paper that had the original mission information. “It must be a misprint on General Kasen’s end. Do you remember how to request a correspondence with them?”
“Yes…I…I think so,” Gabrielle said. She suddenly grew nervous. She didn’t want to mess up. She so badly wanted to be seen as capable in this office. She didn’t want to say that she didn’t really remember.
“It’s ok,” Kaia said with a small smirk. “I know we’ve kinda pushed a lot on you lately. Just go here…”
She pointed to an application on the computer and Gabrielle suddenly remembered the sequence for making a request for information to another General’s office. She continued with the rest of the procedure, as Kaia watched over her shoulder. The little dialogue box popped up and Gabrielle prepared to type up the message.
“Looks like you got it,” Kaia said, smiling shortly down at Gabrielle. “I’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you run into any other snags.”
She went back to her desk and continued with her own work. Over the week, Gabrielle had come to see a completely different side of her, and she was truly glad. She was kind and helpful, and even patient when Gabrielle was lost in what she was doing. She could only assume that she had simply met Kaia at a bad time. Everyone had bad days, and she must have arrived here at a time when Kaia wasn’t feeling terribly friendly. But now things had settled down, and she could actually see them becoming good friends one day.
Gabrielle continued working on the final mission report that she had to get done for the day, but even after the correspondence with General Kasen’s office, she still had no solution for the problem. The original mission command was all reported correctly, according to General Kasen’s office, and everything else looked right, including the final seal of the mission that came directly from Mr. Black. All the rest of the paperwork seemed to be in order, but Gabrielle couldn’t find any evidence of this mission actually taking place. It looked like the original mission was ordered, all the paperwork was done, but the mission wasn’t carried out, even though it was reported as a success.
“It’s very strange, I’ve never seen this before,” Kaia said, looking down at the paper with confusion. “I guess it was maybe a filing mistake?”
“What seems to be the problem, ladies?” Mr. Black’s voice boomed through the office. Once again, no one had heard him enter.
“Mr. Black,” Kaia said, turning towards him with the small stack of papers in her hand. “We’re having a problem with this mission report.”
She handed him the papers and he quickly thumbed through them.
“Everything looks to be in order,” he said, looking up at her with an expressionless face. “What is the problem?”
“We can’t find the coordinates of this mission,” Kaia said, “it was reported successfully completed, but there isn’t any evidence that it actually took place.”
“Did you send a correspondence to General Kasen?” he asked, looking up from the paper again.
“Yes, sir,” Gabrielle answered. His eyes moved onto her and she could feel her cheeks getting warm. “They said that everything is in order on their end. It was officially filed and accounted for.”
“I see,” he said, looking down at the paper with a minute scrunch of confusion passing over his heavy dark brows. “I will take care of this ladies. You ladies may leave for the weekend.”
“Yes, sir,” Kaia said, the joy at being released for the weekend apparent in her voice. She turned to Gabrielle and Nettie with a smile on her face.
“Wanna go out and get a drink?” she asked. “I don’t know about you, but I could sure use one after this week.”
“I think I'll take a rain check,” Nettie said, leaning back in her chair to stretch her back. “My bed is already calling me.”
“Gabrielle,” Kaia said, turning to her with a broad smile. “You up for some fun?”
“Um, yeah…sure,” Gabrielle said, mirroring the smile. She felt her stomach twisting and turning with anxiety. She couldn’t be happier to feel like she was actually making another friend in this place. She looked over to Mr. Black for just a moment. She wasn’t entirely sure that it was ok for her to have a drink. To her knowledge, she never had. He had that same momentary look in his eyes, but like always it quickly disappeared when he looked away from her with indifference. Gabrielle tried to brush it off and grabbed her small bag of things that she had begun bringing with her to the office and followed Kaia out the door. She didn’t know where they would be going, or exactly what the night would hold, but she was determined to make this night memorable.
Chapter Twelve
“Are…are you sure this is alright?” Gabrielle asked, hugging her bag tightly to her as she followed Kaia through the crowded hallway. "I mean..should we even be here?"
The people that surrounded them did not make Gabrielle want to be here. One thing she had learned during the week was the significance of the colors that were worn within the Death Angel Society. There were three main colors that were worn. Black, for the fighters that protected the Death Angel Society from the Darklings. White, for the people who carried out the research and most of the paperwork of the Central Bureau. And gray, for those that were newly arrived, or not yet graduated from the Death Angel Academy. Gabrielle still had her gray uniform that she had arrived in hanging in the closet with her now entirely black wardrobe. Any other color signified that the wearer was not a member of any of those groups of people. They were either the individuals who had flunked out of the Academy, gotten fired from their post for a serious infraction, or never attempted to join the Academy. Aracella had called them undesirables. When she first heard the term, she thought it was a bit harsh. But now she was stuck in a crowd of people that wore a myriad of colors, and she understood why they were seen as undesirable. Some of them were downright scary. A man with a scraggly, unkempt beard leered at her with an inappropriate intent in his eyes as she passed by. Her eyes quickly darted away from him and she saw a woman on her knees a little ways away from them. There was a man leaning against the wall in front of her, his head lolled back and his eyes closed. Gabrielle let her shocked gaze linger only long enough to see the woman's head bobbing back and forth in front of the man.
“Of course it's alright,” Kaia said, looking over at Gabrielle with a shrug. “This is where the real fun is.”
Gabrielle didn't think she would have any kind of fun in a place like this, but she and Kaia had been getting along so well over the past week, and she didn't want to ruin that by being a stick in the mud. She had to learn her way around this place, and that included the less desirable parts of the Society.
After they had pushed their way through the crowd for a good ways, they stopped at a paint chipped door with music softly thumping behind it. Gabrielle could smell the alcohol permeating the air as Kaia opened the door and made her way inside with Gabrielle in tow. She scooted closer to Kaia as they made their way through the crowded bar. The place was dark and crowded, with a few tall tables set up in the middle. The seats around them were all occupied and most people were standing
and grinding against each other to the beat of the music that drifted around them. On one long wall was a bar with three bartenders behind it, working furiously to serve the many patrons that lined the seats in front of the bar.
“Come on, I see a couple seats opening up,” Kaia said, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her gently along. Gabrielle felt reassured by the friendly contact, and the smile on Kaia's face. But the odd stares of the seedy looking people around her made her terribly uncomfortable. Still, Gabrielle let Kaia pull her over to the bar where they took two freshly emptied seats. She watched as Kaia screamed something to one of the bartenders, who then quickly produced two drinks. Kaia smiled at him and he walked away to the next customer with a strange look in his eyes.
“Cheers,” Kaia screamed over the hum of the crowd, holding one glass up and handing the other to Gabrielle. She eyed the clear liquid inside the small glass with trepidation before she took it from Kaia's hand. She clanged hers up against Kaia’s with a nervous smile. She had never had a sip of liquor before, and the thought terrified her as much as it excited her. She nervously held the glass to her lips as Kaia lifted hers to take a sip. Gabrielle could smell the strong tickling sting as it came close to her lips. She tipped the glass and let the liquid pour over her tongue. As she began to swallow, she felt the bite in the back of her throat and began to cough and sputter. She wiped her lips as she regained her composure.
“I’m gonna go powder my nose,” Kaia said leaning in so Gabrielle could hear her. “Wait here. Keep our seats. And have another one. Tonight’s on me.”
Before Gabrielle could protest, Kaia had motioned to the bartender to pour them up another round. Kaia slid off the stool and sauntered over to a door on the far side of the bar. Gabrielle watched her as she went, and as soon as she disappeared into the restroom, she felt a very real sense of awareness washing over her at all the eyes focusing on her.
###
“I don’t know about this, Markus,” Kasen said, his eyes skipping from one person to the next. He adjusted the clothes that he had borrowed from one of his house servants.
“Aw come on, this'll be fun,” Markus said, glancing over at Kasen for a second. “…I think.”
Kasen honestly couldn’t believe he let Markus talk him into this. A General, in unmarked clothing, in the lower sector, it was ludicrous. He was assured that he wouldn’t run into anyone that recognized him here, but he also knew that he didn’t plan on finding a woman here. There was a very good reason they were called undesirable. Because they were.
“I believe this is counterproductive to my goals,” Kasen said, smirking back at Markus. At the very least, it would promise to be an evening of something different. It was good to spice things up from time to time. He just hoped none of their colleagues would find out about it. They would likely never let them live it down.
“You never know,” Markus said, bumping his friend with his elbow as he wiggled his brows at him.
Kasen noticed her as soon as he stepped foot inside the door. Maybe it was because she was wearing all black, a clear sign that she didn’t belong here. Or maybe it was because she was all alone, and looked absolutely terrified to be sitting in this place. Or maybe it was the beautiful innocence on her small round face that caught his attention. Whatever it was, his attention was focused squarely on her from that moment forward. And when he saw the two seats next to her open up, he made a beeline for them with Markus in tow.
“Nice choice,” Markus said with a smirk that Kasen knew all too well. He had clearly seen the girl as well.
“This one is mine,” Kasen said, turning around for just a moment to let his friend know that he was serious. It wasn’t often that Kasen found a woman to his liking, whereas Markus had too many women to count. When he did find one, he knew that his friend would always back off and let him have her.
“And you thought tonight would be a total bust,” Markus said with a little mirth behind his words as they made their way over to the girl. They made themselves comfortable at the bar, and it was immediately apparent to them that no one recognized who exactly they were. They were jostled roughly and Kasen was fairly certain he heard one or two bar patrons cursing them under their breath as they rushed to get to the only two available seats in the bar. Kasen was tempted to use his rapid speed to beat the other patrons to it, but seeing as Generals were the only ones capable of moving faster than the eye could see, that would immediately give them away. He wanted at least a chance with this girl without her knowing who he was.
“What is a girl like you doing in a place like this?” Kasen asked, giving the girl a smile as he settled into the seat next to her. He realized only after she gave him a curious look that it came off entirely too creepy.
“Forgive my friend here,” Markus butted in, flashing the girl his trademark smile as he clamped an arm around Kasen. “It’s been a while since he’s tried to talk to a beautiful woman.”
“Yes, thank you Markus,” Kasen said, shaking his head as his embarrassment heated his cheeks. He looked back at the girl with as much kind, non-creepiness in his eyes as he could muster. “What I mean is, you clearly aren’t an undesirable. I meant no offense.”
“None taken,” the girl said, a smile parting her beautiful slender lips, much to Kasen’s relief. He was captivated by her, and after a short moment, he realized he was staring at her, waiting for her to speak words that she didn’t intend to.
“I…um…I’m waiting for my friend actually,” she said, turning around a little in her chair and looking toward the back of the room. “She went to the bathroom, but…”
The girl’s words trailed off and Kasen could see that she was uncomfortable.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked, again realizing too late how bad the words came off. “I’m sorry, I just—“
“What he means is he’s rather smitten with you and he’d love to get to know you better,” Markus said, butting in again. The girl blushed a gorgeous crimson color and averted her eyes. Kasen didn’t think he could like her anymore than he already did, as incredibly impossible as it was. But then, the girl trampled on his heart.
“I’m sorry, I…I don’t want to be rude, but…well,” she looked back up at him and nibbled on her lip a bit. Kasen could hear his own heart crackling into a million pieces as she spoke. “I just…I don’t think I’m supposed to talk to you. I mean…I’m new here, but Aracella…my friend…she said I shouldn’t talk to undesirables.”
Kasen felt his heart soaring back into his chest. But as hopeful as her statement had made him, it also raised quite a few questions. She knew Aracella Black, called her a friend. Who was this girl and how was it that Kasen didn't know who she was, or more importantly who he was. Even with him dressed like he was, a friend of someone as high ranking as Aracella would certainly know all the General's faces.
“New here? What do you mean by that? Did you just graduate?” Kasen asked, his brows pulled together in confusion.
“No..no,” the girl said, shaking her head. “I like…just got here. Last week actually.”
“You mean you just arrived?” Kasen asked, incredulity covering his words. He couldn’t imagine a girl getting a position with a Dark General, or any General for that matter, in such an incredibly short time. She was either lying or there was some major mix up going on.
“Yeah,” the girl replied with a casual shrug as she looked once again toward the back of the bar. “I guess I got really lucky and Mr. Black decided to hire me on my first day here.”
“Sebastian hired you? On your first day?” Kasen said before he could catch himself. He was just so incredibly surprised by the notion that the fact he was disguised as an undesireable slipped his mind.
“You shouldn’t say that,” the girl said sharply, shaking her head as her eyes grew twice as large. “He doesn’t like when people call him….wait, you know who Mr. Black is?”
Kasen thought for a moment that the jig was up. But then realization hit him. This girl probably wo
uldn’t even know he was a General even if he was dressed in his white suit.
“Can you keep a secret?” Kasen asked, smiling as he realized that this was going to greatly work to his advantage.
“I…I guess so,” the girl said with some trepidation.
“I’m not an undesirable,” Kasen said nodding his head toward Markus. "Neither is he."
“But your clothes,” the girl said, looking at him suspiciously. “You're not wearing all black.”
“Well, if your gonna go out and do something you're not supposed to, why would you want to stand out while you're doing it?” Kasen asked giving the girl a smile. To his great pleasure, she smiled back at him.
“I guess you're right,” she said and she laughed softly. Kasen could barely hear it over the crowd and the music, but the little bit he did catch was the most magical thing he had ever heard.
“But, I don’t work for a Dark General, so I don’t wear black,” Kasen said tilting his head to the side as he watched her. For a moment, he almost slipped again and told her that he was in fact a White General. But then he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to date a woman without the distraction of his position and status getting in the way.
“I work for a White General,” Kasen said. He saw Markus looking at him with a raised eyebrow from the corner of his eyes. He ignored it. He would have to fill in his friend later.
“I’m Gabrielle,” the girl said, smiling at him. Kasen couldn’t remember ever hearing a more beautiful name in all his many years. It fit her, he decided.
“I’m Matthew,” he said, pulling the name out of thin air, and hoping it didn’t sound made up. "This is Markus."
"Nice to meet you, Gabrielle," Markus said, and Kasen could hear the disapproval in his voice. "Matthew here has been my best friend for quite some time, but I must say he still surprises me."