Reapers, Inc. - Brigit's Cross
Page 22
Brigit sighed heavily as she reached for the next stack of portfolios. She had never truly realized how mentally taxing it could be to sort through the daily mail. She suddenly had sympathy for John Blackwick and his position as head Reaper. A movement at the door to the office distracted Brigit from further thought. It was Mama Dee and she looked concerned.
“Where’s he going?” Mama asked, pointing over her shoulder at the now gone John Blackwick.
“He’s headed back to Rome for a couple of days. He’s found some potential new recruits for the office there,” Brigit explained. “How are you today?”
“I’m okay, I guess. I just finished a hard case. Poor baby,” Mama Dee shook her head sadly. “I hate when a baby passed because its parents were stupid.”
Brigit was not surprised by this declaration. Mama Dee, a woman who had been unable to bear children of her own, could never understand why people who had been better blessed didn’t recognize the gift a child was. Apparently, this consideration had been carried over even in death for Mama Dee.
“How hard did you hug the child before you passed him?” Brigit asked, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Not hard enough, I’ll tell you that,” Mama Dee sighed. “Do you have some more for me?”
Brigit glanced at the short stack John had started. Sadly, there weren’t enough to there to keep her friend distracted from the sadness of her last assignment. She said as much as she passed the files over to Mama Dee.
“It don’t matter,” Mama sighed again as she scooped them up. “I’ll take what you got. So many babies to take care of,” the old woman said.
She pushed herself up out of the chair she had sank into and turned to make her way out of the office. Brigit sighed heavily as she watched her friend retreating down the hall. She was glad John had agreed to bring Mama Dee on. So many babies were waiting and Mama Dee was the perfect one to show them the final moment of love.
Brigit resumed sorting through a few more files before a commotion seemed to erupt in the hall. The sound of the front door slamming open and then shut had startled her. Her pulse calmed, however, after the string of almost unintelligible curse words reached her ears. Seamus Flannery had returned to the office and he sounded none too happy. Brigit caught barely a glimpse of him as he charged into the arsenal room and slammed the door behind him. Even through the thick walls, she could still hear him cursing. Some words in English, some words in Gaelic – other words a mixture of the two. Over it all, she caught the fact that his last assignment had broken the Irishman’s beloved shelaighley and it had pissed him off. She could only imagine what had happened after that.
She heard the door of the arsenal room whoosh open again and Seamus re-emerged. A new shelaighley was in his hand, but his temper still burned. Their eyes met as he made to enter the office but stopped short at the sight of her sitting behind the desk. A dangerous light began to dance in his eyes as he realized the significance of her presence in John’s seat.
“Where’s John?” the flame-haired man asked slowly.
“He’s gone to Rome for a couple of days,” Brigit replied evenly.
Although Seamus Flannery suddenly looked quite the demon standing in the door way, Brigit knew she could not let this sight unsettle her. Seamus had been trying to find a way to push her buttons ever since she had returned from suspension. So far, she had been successful in ignoring him. Now that she was in charge again, she knew she couldn’t continue to do so for long.
“Is there anything I can assist you with?” she asked.
“Ha!” Seamus spat. “I know how yer assistance goes. No, thank you,” he growled as he turned to leave. “I’ll manage on me own just fine.”
“Seamus,” Brigit began, but he whirled to face her once more. His face was bright red with rage.
“It’s ‘Mr. Flannery’ to you, lass!” the Irishman lashed out at her. “Only me friends call me by me Christian name. You are most definitely not one of me friends.” His voice had risen in volume, but Brigit maintained her sense of calm. It seemed to stoke his rage all the more.
“Very well, Mr. Flannery,” she said calmly. “Should you change your mind, I’m here. Now, I suggest that you take a break and calm yourself before you return to the field. I’ll have assignments ready to pass out within the hour.” With that, Seamus turned, muttering something Brigit could only half hear. “I’m sorry?” she asked, hoping he would repeat himself. Instead, he continued walking away with her question quickly following behind him.
Before she heard the slamming of the door to 666 ½ Bleecker Street, she finally heard his reply: Not as sorry as you’re going to be…
###
Excerpt: Reapers, Inc. -
Rogue Reaper
The office was eerily quiet when Brigit entered. She stopped just after closing the door and listened. There was a nervous energy floating through the air. The walls of the main hall seemed to tremble with it. Brigit found it to be an odd sensation but decided to stop in Belinda’s office to go over the file she had dropped off earlier.
Pierce Nelson was still alone. This time, however, he looked up from his work as the dark woman entered. The visible paling Brigit witnessed on his cheeks as he suddenly looked away made her all the more curious. Pierce Nelson was uneasy about something.
“Is Belinda still out?” she asked.
“She’s in, er, uh, Mr. Blackwick’s office. They’re, ahem, waiting for you,” he related nervously.
“They?” Brigit inquired, cocking a dark eyebrow at the increasingly uncomfortable accountant.
Pierce Nelson gave no reply as she sighed deeply and left the small office. She wondered what was going on that the whole building would be pulsating with such nervous vibrations. She wondered, as she walked down the length of the hall, what would deter her from finishing her day and finally going home to Maggie this time. As she started to enter the office she shared with John Blackwick, Brigit glanced to her right through the opened door of the small office she had first met Yoshiro Takamoto in. Though he appeared to be meditating again, Brigit sensed that he was aware of the energy that was rippling through the walls all around him. His hands were braced against his thighs rather than resting placidly in his lap. He was prepared for immediate action and Brigit wondered why.
John Blackwick was standing before the large mahogany desk, his face void of expression as he eyes met Brigit’s. She glanced to her right and found Belinda sitting sadly before Mama Dee. The concerned expression on Mama Dee’s face held Brigit’s attention.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she turned to stand beside John. She set her coffee cup on the corner of the desk and looked at each of the three faces looking back at her.
“Brigit, there’s been an ‘incident’,” John began coolly. Brigit raised an eyebrow.
“You mean aside from the missing Bailey? What now?” she asked; suddenly fearful that the news John would have to tell her would definitely prevent her from going home to Maggie.
“Perhaps you should sit down, baby,” Mama Dee suggested gently. Brigit caught the tone her friend used. The look in the old woman’s eyes told her nothing, however. Brigit remained where she stood.
“Why?”
The deepening looks of concern on Mama Dee and John’s faces caused a surge of panic to rise from Brigit’s gut. The shamed look on Belinda’s face only added power to the surge. Sirens were beginning to wail in the back of Brigit’s mind. Something was terribly wrong here.
“Mr. Flannery has gone rogue…”
About the Author
B.L. Newport was born with a strong belief and sensitivity in the supernatural side of life. After growing up in the small Northwest Arkansas town of Siloam Springs, she has lived in New York City and Las Vegas, Nevada. During these journeys, B.L. has discovered the joys of hard work, good friends and a good cup of coffee. She now resides in Denver Colorado with her soulmate, Rochelle.
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Reapers, Inc. - Brigit's Cross