![\"Loose_Ends\"](\"https:\/\/www.matthewcoxbooks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Loose_Ends.jpg\")
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Haunted by a repeating nightmare of watching Marisa screaming as she slid down the angled roof of the Intera tower, Kirsten shot upright as the little girl vanished over the edge. Sweat trails raced each other in a slow trickle down her back. She shuddered in place, trying to get the image of the child\u2019s desperate eyes out of her mind. A moment later, she remembered to breathe. Her sheet had come up from the corner, exposing the thick plastic surface of the Comforgel pad, which adhered to her bare skin. The dull orange glow from the viscous slab made it feel even hotter. She cringed as she peeled herself up, and swung her legs over the side.<\/p>\n
Cool air washed over her as she sat in a forward slouch. Even wearing only a bra and panties, the malfunctioning unit threw off too much warmth for sleep. Kirsten pulled open the nightstand and frowned at the bottle of SynVod. Couple swigs and I can pass out.<\/em> She pushed herself to her feet and paced around the bedroom, waving a hand at her face to cool off. Within a minute, her underwear became clammy, damp rags. The idea of flinging them off formed and died within two seconds.<\/p>\n The damn thing is too hot to even sleep naked.<\/em> She blushed. Never mind Theodore walking in on me.<\/em><\/p>\n She grumbled at the silver bar atop the nightstand. It sensed her eyes pointed at it and displayed the time: 3:27 a.m. What is wrong with me? I just got rid of one nightmare; why\u2019d I get another one? That\u2019s not even what happened.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cUgh.\u201d Kirsten trudged to the bathroom.<\/p>\n A few minutes later, bladder empty, she returned to the bottle and took three healthy gulps. Cheap, synthetic alcohol flowed like lava through her throat; the fumes through her nostrils made her feel like a fire-breathing dragon. Eyes watering, she gasped for air and gagged. Once she recovered, Kirsten screwed the top back on, coughed twice more, and put the booze back in the nightstand. Ugh. Not like I got that crap for the taste.<\/em> She faced the kitchenette and fell backwards into the hot, squishy pad with a slap like dropping a steak on a marble countertop.<\/p>\n Come on. Kick in.<\/em> She stared at the pattern of dots on the drop ceiling overhead. Three sips won\u2019t ruin me in the morning. Just enough to take the edge off. <\/em>Her mind leapt to the image of the bottle that had always been in Mother\u2019s hand. Kirsten rolled on her side and curled up with fear in her eyes, not of her mother, but of what she might become. She swallowed the bile creeping into the back of her throat, and closed her eyes as the first wave of light-headedness came on and made gravity swirl.<\/p>\n Beep beep beep beep.<\/em><\/p>\n Kirsten moaned. One instant, she gazed over the soft orange light below her at a dark, grey wall at 3:34 in the morning. The next thing she knew, the clock read 6:30 am and the alarm smashed into her brain. By 6:37, the cruel, monotonous tone became more intolerable than the concept of moving. She tried to swallow, but her throat felt as if packed with cotton. At least I dodged the headache.<\/em> Kirsten slid off the bed to the floor, sitting with her legs apart and hands on the carpet between her thighs until the world stopped spinning. She got up and trudged to the alarm clock, placed with strategic intent twenty feet from the bed, and clawed her fingers at the air over the clock.<\/p>\n Blessed silence.<\/p>\n She slipped out of her still-damp underwear on the way to the bathroom and apologized to the white box as she stuck them in the top hatch. The machine thrummed to life, leaking the scent of lavender as it cleaned them, wrapped them in plastic, and added them to the top of the stack inside. After a brief cycle in the autoshower, she took a fresh set from the bottom of the same device and tore open the thin plastic wrapper. By 6:52, she clipped her metallic silver uniform belt in place and shot a forlorn look at her fridge.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll eat at my desk.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLock,\u201d said Kirsten, as she exited her apartment.<\/p>\n The door chirped after it closed. She took the elevator to the ground floor, waved at a pair of elderly spirits holding hands in the lobby, and headed for the main entrance. Inspiration flooded her mind as her hand hit the push-bar on the exit. She spun on her heel and marched past the empty reception desk to a silver door much newer than the way out to the street. As expected, it did not open for her as she walked up. Cheap bastard puts a manual door on the building but has a normal one for himself.<\/em><\/p>\n Kirsten pushed the button above the access panel. After a minute of silence, she hit it again.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d The voice of the building manager creaked like an old floorboard.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry to wake you up Kyle, but I need to talk to you about some repairs in my apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n A male groan emanated through the door as well as the speaker. \u201cWho and what?\u201d<\/p>\n She shook a fist at the wall. \u201cKirsten Wren, 19th<\/sup> floor, apartment 12. The Comforgel pad\u2019s thermal regulator is stuck on \u2018small dying star.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re already on the list.\u201d His yawn thundered over the small speaker. \u201cParts take a while ya know. Try sleeping naked.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been on \u2018the list\u2019 for six months. I\u2019d like it fixed by the end of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n His reply came as incoherent mumbles from a brain halfway back in the throes of sleep.<\/p>\n Kirsten growled. She held up the armored guard on her left forearm. \u201cOverride.\u201d<\/p>\n The police code caused the door to chime and slide open. She jogged down three steps into a pale blue corridor reeking of sweat socks and bleach. Mops, buckets, tools, and spare parts for various appliances and furniture stacked up against both walls. Fifteen meters in, the door to Kyle\u2019s apartment stood opposite the access to the building\u2019s storage room. A little farther beyond that, a red door led to the emergency stairwell. She doubted the \u2018do not open \u2013 alarm will sound\u2019 sign, its threat likely as empty as Kyle\u2019s promise to fix things.<\/p>\n Kirsten barged into the super\u2019s apartment, halting with her hands on her hips two steps in. Kyle lay sprawled on a queen sized Comforgel slab\u2015his glowing faint violet\u2015in a pair of tight, white briefs. A twig-thin woman with a fuchsia bob and matching panties had wrapped herself around his left arm. Kirsten raised an eyebrow at the cluster of Flowerbasket inhalers on the pillow behind him.<\/p>\n She swatted at the panel to turn on the room lights. \u201cKyle.\u201d<\/p>\n He moaned, moving only his right arm, which he draped over his eyes. \u201cHow\u2019d you get in here? Go away, kid. Trespassing\u2019s illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo is Flowerbasket.\u201d Kirsten folded her arms. \u201cSix months, Kyle. I want my damn bed fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDammit, kid\u2015\u201d Kyle sat up and froze with his mouth open, staring at her clingy, black uniform, silver belt, and the conspicuous E-90 laser pistol on her hip.<\/p>\n Kirsten flashed a saccharin smile. \u201cLittle less cute than a Hello Kitty tee shirt, right? Yes, it\u2019s real.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cY-you\u2019re a cop?\u201d He blinked.<\/p>\n At the word cop, his \u2018girlfriend\u2019 leapt from the bed in a flailing mass of bony limbs, and ran into the closed bathroom door\u2015knocking herself out cold.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I run her ID, I\u2019m going to find an eighteen year old, right?\u201d Kirsten took a step closer.<\/p>\n \u201cShit. Uh. Yeah.\u201d Kyle shifted to sit cross-legged and rubbed his face. \u201cShe\u2019s like thirty. I don\u2019t go for the young ones, or I\u2019d have hit on you.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten glared. \u201cI am not a kid. I\u2019m twenty-two.\u201d<\/p>\n He blinked. \u201cHorseshit. I pegged you for some fourteen-year-old runaway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA runaway who\u2019s paying for an apartment?\u201d Heat flooded her cheeks.<\/p>\n He opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind. \u201cUh, yeah. About that bed. Fine\u2026 fine\u2026 I\u2019ll look at it today. Probably a blown voltage regulator or temp sensor.\u201d<\/p>\n Her anger faded some. She kept a glower on him as she walked over to the unconscious woman, squatted, and patted her on the cheek until she stirred.<\/p>\n \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman stared with unfocused eyes at her for a few seconds. Once they both aimed in the same direction, the color drained from her cheeks. \u201cY-yeah. I didn\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you running for then?\u201d Kirsten offered her a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, wasn\u2019t awake. Bad dream.\u201d She grabbed a shirt from the floor and covered her breasts, cowering from Kirsten.<\/p>\n \u201cIf someone associated with the police did something to you, I\u2019d like to know about it.\u201d Kirsten\u2019s anger with Kyle evaporated.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d The woman stood long enough to sit on the side of the bed. Kyle put an arm around her. \u201cCouple years ago, I was with this guy\u2026 he got shot by cops. His brains hit me in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten cringed. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s okay. The bastard deserved it. Prolly woulda been my ass dead if the police didn\u2019t find me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry.\u201d Kirsten gave her the contact info for victim services. \u201cIf you need someone to talk to\u2026 Dr. Loring\u2019s great.\u201d She headed for the door, but paused. \u201cSorry for letting myself in, but six months?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah.\u201d Kyle scratched at his head fast enough to frizz his hair, and got up. \u201cI\u2019ll go do it now.\u201d He squinted at her. \u201cIf you\u2019re a cop, why are you living here?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten held her hands out in a weak shrug. \u201cI was young, didn\u2019t really understand money. Wanted out of the dorms as fast as possible and this was the cheapest place I could find on short notice.\u201d Now I know why.<\/em><\/p>\n Kyle chuckled.<\/p>\n Staring at it didn\u2019t help much.<\/p>\n Officer Morelli glided by, giving her the usual wary look he always did. It didn\u2019t matter if she responded with a pleading \u2018I\u2019m not going to melt your brain, don\u2019t look at me like that\u2019 face or an angry scowl. Every time he saw her, he\u2019d scurry away. Today, she tried something different.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Tom?\u201d<\/p>\n He froze like a kid getting caught sneaking out of class early. \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it\u2015and please be honest\u2015that I\u2019m surrounded by ghosts that freaks you out, or my dinky rating in mind blast?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d said Nicole. The redhead spun around in her chair to look at him. \u201cYou know she\u2019s real sensitive. It bugs her when people don\u2019t like her.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten bit her lip. Projecting much?<\/em> \u201cI\u2019m just curious. We\u2019re all on the same side here.\u201d<\/p>\n Morelli\u2019s glance darted back and forth between the two women. The scolded-dog posture left him, and he approached with an almost-confident look in his eye. \u201cIt\u2019s not the mind blast. You ever hear about that guy Hawthorne from East City?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Kirsten\u2019s gaze dropped to his chest. \u201cAnother astral sensitive. Went crazy and killed himself. There wasn\u2019t much in the report.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOooo.\u201d Nicole\u2019s chair rolled over as if motorized, under her telekinetic power. \u201cCrazy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t tell you the unofficial story.\u201d Morelli lowered his voice and leaned closer. \u201cHe tangled with a demon. Word is, it got into his head and possessed him.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten frowned. \u201cYou believe that? There\u2019s no such thing as demons. Wraiths, sure. Demons? It\u2019s all part of the BS.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you call Harbingers?\u201d asked Dorian, from his desk.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no idea what they are.\u201d Kirsten grabbed her coffee. \u201cBut they\u2019re not demons. A \u2018demon\u2019 is something from religious mythology.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCommon among several disparate belief systems.\u201d Dorian winked. \u201cNot to mention, depending on who you ask\u2026 ghosts are a figure of religious mythology too.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten sighed at Dorian. \u201cYou\u2019re not baiting me now. I\u2019ve got too much work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Morelli and Nicole exchanged looks.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, so\u2026\u201d Morelli backed away, headed for his desk. \u201cOne of these days, you\u2019re going to have a demon latched on to you, and I don\u2019t want to be anywhere near it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuess he doesn\u2019t think that little crucifix he wears will help him,\u201d said Dorian in a deadpan voice.<\/p>\n Kirsten\u2019s giggle rattled Morelli, who averted his gaze as he fell into his seat.<\/p>\n Nicole draped herself over Kirsten\u2019s desk, eyeing the egg-on-a-roll. \u201cLooks like I left a mental scar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. These are good.\u201d Kirsten swiped it before Nicole could ask for it. \u201cWant half?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNaah, I\u2019m too hungry. Half \u2018a one would tease. I\u2019ll order one for myself.\u201d The redhead pulled out her NetMini. \u201cSo you\u2019re still doing the reports on the Intera thing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I never should have\u2015\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEze wanted to talk to you about that boy.\u201d Nicole thumb-typed on the small holo-screen.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2015complained about those two idiots talking about Lucian in front of his daughter\u2015\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I got a 288 outta 300 on my re-qual. You think I should upgrade to a 90, or is the E-88 enough?\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten leaned her desk, cheek on fist. \u201c\u2015Now the reports gotta go over to Div 1 and everythings gotta be\u2015\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe 90\u2019s got a blue beam, which goes with my eyes, but the green is pretty too.\u201d Nicole put her NetMini back in her pocket.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2015perfect, in place, and complete.\u201d Kirsten grumbled. \u201cCongrats on the score. Wonder when they\u2019ll make me go to the range again. Seriously, you\u2019re choosing weapon based on if it goes with your eyes?\u201d<\/p>\n Nicole shrugged. \u201cYou\u2019re I-Ops. It\u2019s more important for us tactical peons, and the \u201988 gets more shots on an e-mag, but doesn\u2019t pack as much punch. Seems like it\u2019s more of a choice of style so, yeah, color becomes important.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten rushed a mouthful of spicy eggs. \u201cYou\u2019re not a peon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still an enlisted, not like some<\/em> people with special rare powers.\u201d Nicole gave her a playful raspberry.<\/p>\n \u201cWren,\u201d yelled Eze, from his office.<\/p>\n \u201cUt oh.\u201d Nicole winked, and scooted back to her desk.<\/p>\n \u201cI deserve whatever he\u2019s gonna throw at me.\u201d Kirsten lolled her head to the side and rolled her eyes. \u201cI\u2019ve been putting this report off for two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n She swiped her hand at the terminal to lock it, and trudged to the Captain\u2019s office. He smiled as she entered. Kirsten halted at attention before his desk, staring at the wall above his head.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, relax.\u201d Captain Eze gestured at the chair next to her. \u201cSecond, this isn\u2019t about the Intera Tower report, although I would appreciate you sending that in before my retirement dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRetirement?\u201d Kirsten blinked as she sat. \u201cBut you\u2019re not even fifty\u2015\u201d Smooth. He\u2019s being funny.<\/em><\/p>\n Captain Eze let his smile speak for a few seconds. \u201cI received your psych report.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, crap.<\/em> Her knees clamped together as she stiffened in the chair. She couldn\u2019t bring herself to ask how she did, managing a nervous, mangled smile.<\/p>\n \u201cThe report says you\u2019re no longer having that nightmare. I\u2019m glad to hear you\u2019re making progress.\u201d He poked a finger through a few brighter green spots on his holo-terminal. \u201cIn regards to your request to adopt the boy you recovered a few weeks ago\u2026 Evan Dawson.\u201d<\/p>\n Please\u2026 <\/em>Her brows tilted up in the middle as her eyes widened. \u201cHe was so frail when I found him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMedically cleared, but he\u2019s on supplemental nutrition. He\u2019s having some difficulty sleeping in his own room.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten slid forward, as if to stand. \u201cI\u2019ll go talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Captain Eze held up a hand. \u201cLet me finish. They\u2019ve agreed to let you take the boy in on a trial basis, pending further psychological review\u2015for both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n She leapt to her feet. \u201cWhen can I bring him home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not a stray dog.\u201d Captain Eze chuckled. \u201cConsidering he\u2019s already seemed to attach himself to you and is having nightmares, they were considering as soon as tonight. A week or two to see how it goes. They think the advantage you\u2019d have helping him understand his gift outweighs the worry of a possible\u2026 bad situation.\u201d He paused for a moment. \u201cUnless you think it\u2019s too much responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026\u201d She pictured Evan\u2019s pleading face in that awful apartment, the way he cowered in a ball at the sight of a stimpak. \u201cI\u2019m terrified I won\u2019t be good enough for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2026 and I, think it would do the both of you a lot of good.\u201d Captain Eze stood and rounded his desk.<\/p>\n Kirsten felt more like a teenaged daughter about to be given a new car than a cop staring down her superior.<\/p>\n He offered a hand. \u201cIt\u2019s a big responsibility, but I think you are quite capable of it.\u201d<\/p>\n She accepted his handshake. \u201cThank you, sir. I don\u2019t know what to say. I\u2026 won\u2019t let him down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you won\u2019t.\u201d He grinned. \u201cNow\u2026 about that report.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight away, sir.\u201d Kirsten snapped off a salute and rushed out of his office.<\/p>\n Kirsten slumped over her desk, chin on her soft right forearm, poking her left index finger through \u2018buttons\u2019 on her terminal, answering \u2018yes\u2019 to questions like \u2018have you completed this report to the fullest extent of your ability to recall all pertinent facts as they occurred.\u2019<\/p>\n Beep.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d droned Kirsten, clicking again.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm?\u201d asked Dorian from behind.<\/p>\n Beep.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Kirsten sighed with relief as the screen collapsed back to a blank desktop. \u201cFinished this damn report.\u201d<\/p>\n She brought her left hand down on top of her head and tried to rub the eyestrain out of her skull. I hate reports.<\/em> Her massaging hand migrated to the bridge of her nose as she sat up straight and let her weight go back in the chair.<\/p>\n \u201cAgent Wren?\u201d asked a small voice.<\/p>\n Kirsten jumped. \u201cGah!\u201d<\/p>\n A tween in a tight, black Division 0 admin uniform clamped both hands over her mouth in an effort not to yelp. Straight, dark hair hung down her back to her beltline. Her almond-shaped eyes seemed to vibrate with trepidation. She looked like a tiny version of a Division Zero investigator, except for the lack of a sidearm.<\/p>\n Dorian walked over. \u201cShe\u2019s adorable. Those boots are like little copies of your duty-issue ones. They\u2019re cute in an \u2018I could stomp your head in\u2019 sort of way.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten spared a second to glare at him before she abandoned decorum and grasped the child\u2019s hand while eyeing the nameplate on her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, you snuck up on me, Samantha.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCadet Pe\u00f1a, Ma\u2019am.\u201d The girl saluted with her left.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, this one\u2019s into it.\u201d Dorian chuckled.<\/p>\n Kirsten frowned at the slender hand in her own. What awful thing happened to you to wind up here? <\/em>\u201cAre you even twelve yet? You don\u2019t have to salute me.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl seemed thrown off balance, hesitating for a few seconds before shaking her head. \u201cI\u2019ll be twelve in eight months.\u201d She stood taller. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to feel sorry for me. I\u2019m only going to school here. My parents aren\u2019t asshats.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten thought of Nicole\u2019s habit of telepathic eavesdropping. \u201cDid you peek at my thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma\u2019am. Telempathy is my most developed talent. I can\u2019t help but feel emotion and I recognized that pity spike.\u201d She smiled. \u201cI\u2019m not a dormer. I was about to go home, but Sergeant Reed sent me up here to find you. There\u2019s someone downstairs asking to see you by name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n The girl raised her arm, revealing a datapad she\u2019d had hidden at her side. She projected a holo-panel image of an older teenaged girl, as pale as a porcelain doll with black hair and blue eyes. The only color on her face was a touch of red at the corners of her eyes.<\/p>\n There <\/em>is something familiar about her, but I can\u2019t remember ever meeting her.<\/em> \u201cDid you speak to her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou attract the tragic ones.\u201d Dorian offered a sympathetic look.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma\u2019am. I\u2019m only a cadet. I\u2019m not allowed into potentially dangerous situations.\u201d She lowered the datapad and clasped her hands behind her back in an \u2018at-ease\u2019 pose.<\/p>\n Oh, sure. They send me out there at sixteen.<\/em> Kirsten rubbed her forehead. \u201cThanks, Samantha.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCadet Pe\u00f1a?\u201d The girl fidgeted.<\/p>\n Kirsten grumbled. \u201cYou\u2019re not enlisted yet, sweetie. Don\u2019t grow up too fast.\u201d She rendered a reluctant salute. \u201cDismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019am.\u201d The girl saluted, turned, and ran off like a child.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s playing. It\u2019s fun for her.\u201d Dorian stood next to Kirsten. \u201cThere\u2019s something familiar about that girl.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Kirsten locked her terminal and glanced at him.<\/p>\n He winked. \u201cYou\u2019ve recovered a few children in your illustrious career. Maybe she\u2019s one of the early ones.\u201d<\/p>\n I was only a kid myself when I started.<\/em> Kirsten headed out of the squad room, jogging towards the elevator at the end of a blinding white corridor. \u201cWho sets a sixteen-year-old loose with an E-90?\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian raised both eyebrows. \u201cPeople with no other way to stop a pissed off wraith.\u201d<\/p>\n She stopped in the small capsule and spun to face the door. \u201cYeah\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The walk to the interview offices took three minutes. Kirsten swiped her forearm guard past a scanner to open a set of sliding doors leading to a hexagonal room where a dark-skinned man occupied the only desk. His wide jaw and large frame made him look like a Class 3 cyborg made of flesh and bone. Sergeant Reed\u2019s skin-tight Division 0 blacks seemed about to split open at any of six different places.<\/p>\n \u201cAgent Wren.\u201d He offered a quick salute, though the look on his face said he regarded her as little more than a kid.<\/p>\n \u201cSergeant Reed.\u201d She saluted him back. \u201cYou sent for me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoom three.\u201d He pointed.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Sergeant.\u201d Kirsten went left, down the first of five hallways leading out.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re one of the few officers he doesn\u2019t glare at.\u201d Dorian walked at her side. \u201cI bet it\u2019s because you always act like he\u2019s the one with seniority.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he is,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI\u2019m only an Agent because I\u2019m an Astral Sensate. He\u2019s got experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian feigned putting a hand on her forehead. \u201cI don\u2019t feel a fever. You don\u2019t talk like a low-ranking officer.\u201d<\/p>\n She stifled the urge to chuckle as she waved at the silver square on the wall, opening the door.<\/p>\n The young woman stood, hands clasped in front of her with a hopeful, sad smile on her face. Her sheer indigo bodysuit had a series of slits baring skin on the outside of her legs and arms; a few patches of dirt hinted that she\u2019d been staying in a grungier part of town. A dingy jacket draped over the back of a chair carried the unmistakable cloying chemical\/sour fruit odor of The Beneath.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s somewhere between exotic dancer and street waif,\u201d said Dorian.<\/p>\n \u201cKirsten!\u201d The woman ran over and hugged her. \u201cThank you for seeing me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead,\u201d said Dorian, grinning. \u201cYou know you\u2019re going to stumble over remembering her. Read her surface thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten furrowed her eyebrows. \u201cNo, that\u2019s rude.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d said the woman. \u201cI\u2026 Uh\u2015\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot you.\u201d Kirsten smiled and took a seat. \u201cI\u2019m really sorry, but I feel like I\u2019ve met you before, but I can\u2019t remember you.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman cried despite smiling. \u201cI\u2019m Adrienne Lewis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m leaving,\u201d said Dorian.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, knock it off.\u201d Kirsten glowered at him. \u201cAdrian? Wow, you look amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne bit her lip and melted into the chair she\u2019d been in. \u201cThanks\u2026 I\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease tell me Daniel is okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian edged backward.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s great actually. We talked and talked\u2026 He kept telling me it\u2019s who I am and I needed to be happy. On some level, he was disappointed, but he\u2019ll find another guy. The way he is with me now feels like I\u2019ve become the kid sister of his last boyfriend. He treats me like we\u2019re like siblings.\u201d Adrienne smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s awkward with a capital A.\u201d Dorian cringed.<\/p>\n Kirsten blinked. \u201cI really can\u2019t get over how\u2026 total it is. If I didn\u2019t know you before, I\u2019d never believe.\u201d Wow, we\u2019re even the same height now\u2026 guess she likes short. <\/em>\u201cYou\u2019ll get sick of being short sooner or later.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne took a few calming breaths. \u201cGenetically, I\u2019m a hundred percent female. No different from if I\u2019d been born this way. I\u2026 had them shave a few years off too. Biologically, I\u2019m sixteen again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou realize he had to steal probably twenty million credits to do that right?\u201d Dorian folded his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething\u2019s really bothering you.\u201d Kirsten leaned close. \u201cWhat can I help you with?\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian shook his head. \u201cAllowing him to steal a small fortune isn\u2019t enough help? You should\u2019ve charged him. Do you have any idea what the media would do if it got out that a technokinetic can manufacture money?\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten gave him the side-eye.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone\u2019s been following me. Last night, he\u2015\u201d Adrienne broke down in sobs.<\/p>\n Dorian\u2019s expression became a mixture of unease and sympathy.<\/p>\n Kirsten\u2019s heartbeat quickened. \u201cHe can\u2019t hurt you anymore. You\u2019re safe here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026\u201d Adrienne fumbled to open a small, shiny violet purse shaped like a square. She retrieved a tissue and held it to her nose. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s what he wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten hit a button on the table to begin recording. \u201cTell me what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne laced her fingers together in her lap. \u201cI\u2019ve been trying to convince my parents to come topside. They\u2019re considering it.\u201d She smiled despite a case of sniffles. \u201cI\u2019d just climbed up from the Beneath into an alley at the edge of Sector 5128. My apartment\u2019s a little bit north in 5180. Anyway, every time I\u2019d gone through there for the past couple of days, it felt like someone was watching me. Like some hungry thing<\/em> was staring at me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to being a woman,\u201d said Dorian, shaking his head.<\/p>\n A twinge of guilt struck Kirsten. The uniform shielded her from similar attention, and she didn\u2019t much go outside except for work. \u201cGo on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLast night, this guy grabs me. My first instinct was to throw him off and punch him in the head, but he was too strong. I couldn\u2019t get away. He dragged me to the ground, pinned my wrists together in one hand and pulled out this massive knife. I couldn\u2019t get away\u2026\u201d Adrienne shook, fumbling the tissue to the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cHe threatened you with the knife?\u201d asked Kirsten.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. He just smiled at me with this terrifying look on his face. His eyes were completely black.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian tapped his chin. \u201cOkay, that\u2019s strange\u2026 but not beyond the possibility of cybernetics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe hissed something strange. I\u2026 couldn\u2019t make out what he said. He never once tried to rip my clothes off, just kept whispering. When he stopped, he raised the knife and I knew he was gonna kill me. He wasn\u2019t a rapist; he was crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten reached across the table to hold her hand. \u201cYou got away. That\u2019s what counts.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne offered a sheepish smile. \u201cI\u2026 uh\u2026 zapped him.\u201d She cringed. \u201cI\u2019m sorry for shocking you. I\u2019m\u2026 Wow, I can\u2019t believe you\u2019re actually willing to help me after I did that to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a saint.\u201d Dorian smirked.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a little upset with you.\u201d Kirsten felt her cheeks warming with embarrassment. \u201cFor leaving me like that. I\u2019m over it. So, what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when it got scary.\u201d What little color existed in Adrienne\u2019s cheeks faded. \u201cThe bastard hit the ground twitching and dropped his knife. I shoved him off and got up to run, but couldn\u2019t help but look at him once more.\u201d Her voice fell to an emotionless half-whisper. \u201cBlack smoke came out of him, and it sounded like a dozen people stood around whispering at me.\u201d<\/p>\n Aw damn, that sounds like Harbingers. She probably killed the bastard. <\/em>\u201cI need you to focus. Think about what he said to you. I know it\u2019s scary, but try to remember it. I\u2019d like to look at your memories, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne nodded.<\/p>\n Kirsten locked eyes with her, focusing in on current thoughts. A blur of walls, trash compressors, and rain-slicked metal alley surface flashed by. Reading the memory brought a sharp pain to the back of her head as a hand seized her by the hair from behind and pulled her into a painful one-armed crush. The interview room faded away. Kirsten\u2019s reality became Adrienne\u2019s from that night. A tall man scooped her off her feet, and she struggled, helpless. The ground and sky smeared into a blur seconds before a sharp impact to her back. Wet grittiness seeped into her clothes. A face hovered over her, blocky of feature with prominent eye ridges and a long chin.<\/p>\n His eyes\u2015at least in Adrienne\u2019s memory\u2015were solid black. His breath reeked of rotten eggs. Kirsten\u2019s heart pounded in her head as one huge hand clamped her wrists together. The man slid a fourteen-inch combat knife from his belt, covered in a pattern of thin, red lines. She concentrated on that instant, pausing the memory in time. The markings on the blade appeared to be some manner of ancient writing, a mixture of complex pictograms and small runes.<\/p>\n Adrienne\u2019s internal voice pleaded for her life, though she couldn\u2019t force words past her fear.<\/p>\n The figure loomed down; blood leaked through his teeth as he grinned. After flashing a look of patronizing sympathy, he raised the knife and whispered, \u201cIn abyssum irent<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n An upwelling of terror shattered Adrienne\u2019s paralysis. The unfamiliar sensation of an electrokinetic releasing their power followed. Her skin tingled everywhere, followed by a numbing sensation where his hand touched her arms. The man flew ten feet up in a smoking arc and bounced off the side of a dull green trash crusher with a boom <\/em>that echoed through the alley. Adrienne crawled backwards for a few seconds before attempting to stand, unable to look away from the convulsing body.<\/p>\n Thick, black vapor exuded from the attacker at several points, coalescing into a mass which\u2015despite being a cloud\u2015stared at her. A hint of a humanoid face and fangs manifested, but from there, the memory contained only scenes of panicked running and screaming.<\/p>\n Kirsten released the telepathic link to find Adrienne curled up in the chair, crying. Dorian paced around the back of the room, looking uncomfortable and guilty. Kirsten comforted her for a few minutes with hand squeezes and reassuring pats.<\/p>\n \u201cI killed him, didn\u2019t I?\u201d whispered Adrienne.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to say anything until I have a look. Did you notify Division 1?\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne shook her head, flaring her ebon hair. \u201cNo. I hid in bed for hours until I remembered you. I came right here. I think it followed me home.\u201d Adrienne shifted and looked down. \u201cI feel uneasy there\u2026 kind of like I do right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMany psionics can sense the presence of paranormal energy, even non-astrals.\u201d Kirsten tried to sound comforting. \u201cI need to go to your apartment. Soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne nodded. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten pursed her lips and tried to ignore the grumbling emanating from the back seat of the patrol craft. They cruised a hair over two hundred miles per hour at the level of the fifty-second story, about twenty feet above civilian hovercar traffic. She followed the Navcon route to an apartment building in Sector 5182, right in the heart of \u2018averageville.\u2019 Ten five-mile grid squares in every direction filled with the same hundred-story residence towers, as if someone had the ability to copy and paste reality over itself.<\/p>\n Adrienne curled up in the passenger seat, leaning against the door and sniffling. A few minutes into their flight, she looked up. \u201cHe attacked me. I didn\u2019t mean to kill him. I don\u2019t want to get arrested. I can\u2019t believe this is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian muttered, \u201cI can\u2019t believe you gave him my seat.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten bit back the urge to scream \u2018her\u2019 at Dorian, and pulled up to avoid a lumbering advert bot. She rolled the car into a right turn around a silvery office building styled in the shape of an obelisk. The pass-through video display in the armor-plated windscreen edited out the late-afternoon sun glare on the mirrored surface. \u201cFrom what I saw, it looked like an em-surge.\u201d She tapped her fingers on the sticks. \u201cOh, sorry. That\u2019s short for emotional psionic surge. Most psionic abilities are tied to the user\u2019s emotional state. Periods of extreme emotion, good or bad, can amplify the output. Usually it hurts afterwards, like pulling a muscle.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne bit her lip. \u201cIs that like a crime of passion or something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly, but I can tell from reading your memory that you didn\u2019t intend to kill. You wanted him off you. I can\u2019t think of a clearer instance of self-defense.\u201d Something\u2019s definitely strange here.<\/em> \u201cYou did see something unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAm I gonna have to find a new place? Is my apartment haunted now? My parents were going to move in.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten looked at her for a few seconds before nosing the patrol craft into a diving left turn. \u201cHow\u2019d it go with them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter than I thought. When I found them, they didn\u2019t even recognize me.\u201d Adrienne blushed and laughed. \u201cFirst thing Dad said was \u2018nice tits.\u2019 He about dropped dead when I told him who I was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI bet,\u201d said Dorian.<\/p>\n Kirsten sighed at him.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce the initial surprise wore off, they told me they suspected for a long time I wanted to be a girl. I don\u2019t think they really understand\u2026 inside, I\u2019ve always been <\/em>a girl. It took them awhile to believe I was me. My genetics are fully modded. I can even get pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n A chill swam over the cabin. Dorian shivered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s amazing.\u201d Kirsten smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cWe talked over their\u2026 uh, extreme views on government and they agreed that maybe they had taken it too far. I got an apartment, and since I look like a teenager, they insisted I needed parents again.\u201d Adrienne swirled a strand of hair around her finger. \u201cIt\u2019s kinda nice. I was tempted to go to school, but I\u2019m still legally nineteen so\u2026 I wasn\u2019t sure if that was like wrong or something.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m surprised he didn\u2019t go all the way back to five.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten kept silent and forced away a memory of sitting in her father\u2019s lap.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2026\u201d He let off a resigned sigh. \u201cI\u2019m surprised she <\/em>didn\u2019t go back to five.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou had them make you younger?\u201d Kirsten pulled up, heading for the top of the building.<\/p>\n Adrienne shrugged. \u201cMy life really sucked from like sixteen to nineteen. I wanted a do-over. I would\u2019ve gone even younger, but it was so damn expensive.\u201d She chuckled. \u201cWould you believe to go under sixteen requires consent from a parent or would-be guardian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much wrong with that I\u2019m not even going to say anything.\u201d Dorian shook his head.<\/p>\n Kirsten set down in a parking space on the hundredth story roof. \u201cHow far can they go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSix or seven if you have two hundred million to burn, are willing to spend six months unconscious in a tank, don\u2019t mind a ten percent chance of death, and can talk someone into accepting legal guardianship for you.\u201d Adrienne frowned. \u201cMy parents are a little too old for that. Not to mention I was getting worried about the amount of credits I was pumping. Figured I\u2019d use it and disappear before the banks came looking for me.\u201d She reached for the door handle. \u201cBesides, I didn\u2019t want to be a little kid again. I like my freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten zoned out, lost for a moment in a daydream of another chance at a normal life. Mother didn\u2019t get really bad until I was six\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Dorian leaned up behind her, whispering, \u201cDon\u2019t feel ashamed of the beautiful person your experiences have made you. You are strong, tough, and the kindest woman I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten tried to swallow the lump in her throat.<\/p>\n \u201cK?\u201d Dorian smiled. \u201cEvan needs a mother, not a little sister.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Kirsten\u2019s sorrow faded to a sense of diligent purpose. She squeezed the exit release, causing the door to rise out of her way.<\/p>\n Dorian flashed a crooked grin. \u201cBesides, where would you get that much money?\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten swallowed the urge to laugh as she got out. Adrienne led the way across the parking deck to the elevator bank and down to the thirty-ninth floor. Air blowing in through the seam in the doors carried the scent of exotic spices dueling with the stink of wet carpeting. The elevator stopped; a half-second before she wondered if it had malfunctioned, the doors slid open in time with an electronic ping.<\/em> Kirsten whistled at the lifeless pea green walls and dingy carpet the same brown as cattail reeds. Yellowing light fixtures seemed to suck life from the world.<\/p>\n \u201cWow.\u201d Kirsten whistled. \u201cThis place looks exactly like Albert\u2019s building.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think all these residence towers were built by the same company,\u201d said Dorian.<\/p>\n Adrienne fumbled to pull her NetMini out of her tiny purse. \u201cWho\u2019s Albert?\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten rubbed her throat at the memory of icy fingers squeezing. \u201cHe\u2019s the one I was really looking for when I arrested you. He was a ghost.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Adrienne trembled.<\/p>\n She waved the little device at the wall, causing the door to open with a weak pneumatic squeak. Kirsten followed her in and walked an orbit around the living room. Nothing leapt out as unusual, though the air held a weak taint of foreboding. Dorian headed into the back while Kirsten made her way into the dining area and kitchenette.<\/p>\n \u201cNot a bad little place you got, except for the uninvited guest.\u201d Kirsten traced a finger along the countertop. \u201cSomething\u2019s been here, but it feels like residual energy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that good or bad?\u201d Adrienne crossed to a silver fridge. \u201cWater?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure. Probably bad. Its presence was strong enough to \u2018stain\u2019 the apartment from being here.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian returned. \u201cNothing in the bedrooms but a strange feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten caught a narrow cylinder-shaped bottle, and twisted the end cap. A small straw popped up. She walked in a slow circle around the apartment, sipping water while searching for paranormal energy.<\/p>\n Adrienne leaned against the kitchen counter. \u201cIs it because it\u2019s not dark yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah.\u201d Kirsten smiled. \u201cSpirits don\u2019t go into hiding in the daytime.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian chuckled. \u201cIf something did follow hi\u2015her home, maybe it gave up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid anything else happen after you got home?\u201d Kirsten still sensed only the same pervasive eeriness in the surroundings.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d Adrienne sported a light blush. \u201cSince you are a cop, I suppose I can show you. One sec.\u201d She set her water on the counter and walked into the back.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should follow her,\u201d said Dorian. \u201cShe could be going to get a weapon. You have no idea what she\u2019s capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuspicious,\u201d whispered Kirsten. He\u2019s right. I don\u2019t really know her.<\/em> She put a hand on her E-90 and edged down the hall.<\/p>\n After a few minutes of doors and drawers clattering about, Adrienne emerged from the bedroom in a lavender satin robe, barefoot, and devoid of weapons. Kirsten relaxed and let her hand off her sidearm.<\/p>\n \u201cMy breast and back,\u201d said Adrienne, still blushing. \u201cScratches.\u201d<\/p>\n She opened the robe enough to show off three red lines, which started at her left collarbone and ran down over her breast. Adrienne faced away, and let the garment fall off her shoulders, catching it at her elbows. Angry red marks crisscrossed her back, six groups of three in varying lengths.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried to use a stimpak.\u201d Adrienne shivered. \u201cAll it did was burn so bad I passed out.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten took a step closer. \u201cMay I?\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne nodded.<\/p>\n Cool skin met Kirsten\u2019s fingertips, though within a quarter-inch of any line, Adrienne\u2019s back felt fever-hot. At a touch, Kirsten sensed the presence of paranormal energy. She raised her forearm guard, capturing several still images of the scratches, including a thermal scan showing 96.4 degree skin marked by red lines reading as 106.66 degrees.<\/p>\n Kirsten frowned. \u201cOh, this one\u2019s got a sense of humor.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian leaned into examine the holographic screen floating over her arm. \u201cOr there\u2019s something significant to the number.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNice try.\u201d Kirsten let her arm fall. \u201cHumans made that up, and the spirits know that so they\u2019re messing with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Adrienne shifted to look over her shoulder at Kirsten. \u201cNice try?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a weak presence attached to you.\u201d Kirsten saved the images into a new Inquest Report. \u201cI\u2019m going to get rid of it. This is going to look scary, but I promise it can\u2019t hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n A sudden peal of techno-trance music rang out, making Adrienne yelp. She pulled her robe up and closed it, grabbing the counter to keep from falling over.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the?\u201d Kirsten looked at the ceiling.<\/p>\n \u201cDoorbell,\u201d said Adrienne, shivering. \u201cIt\u2019s been going off on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI got it.\u201d Kirsten held a hand up. \u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne backed into the counter, fear plain in her eyes.<\/p>\n Kirsten trotted to the door and waved a hand over the silver panel on the wall. The nondescript grey panel slid sideways, revealing a stooped man in a clear vest and Mars-red fatigue pants, riddled with stains and rips. His bare chest bore such a number of purple autoinjector bruises he looked like a \u2018connect the dots\u2019 art project. He slouched forward; hair like an enormous azure flamingo died on his head obscured his face.<\/p>\n \u201cWho the hell are you?\u201d Kirsten put a hand on her sidearm, but decided to reach across to her stunrod instead.<\/p>\n The man swayed as if intoxicated while emitting a menacing chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cIs someone there?\u201d Adrienne peeked around the archway from the kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cThe marked one.\u201d A hiss of a voice escaped the figure in the door. His head snapped up, wild eyes trained on Adrienne. His hair flew back, baring a tattoo of a large \u2018carved stone\u2019 O at the front of his throat.<\/p>\n Adrienne\u2019s water bottle slipped through her fingers as she screamed. At first, the shriek formed from terror, but the tone changed to one of pain as she sank to her knees, arms twitching.<\/p>\n A wave of paranormal energy burst forth from the man. He surged into the apartment, swatting Kirsten aside like the ninety-pound sprite she was. She twisted to catch her fall, landing on her hands into a sideways roll. Dorian rushed in front of the charging maniac, though his fingers found no purchase, passing clear through him.<\/p>\n Kirsten leapt to her feet and swung her right arm to the side, calling the lash. A tendril of scintillating blue-white energy unfurled to a ten-foot length. The man seized Adrienne by her arms, lifting and slamming her down on her back atop the kitchen\u2019s island counter. He tore her robe open, exposing her breasts, and reached for a knife handle at his belt.<\/p>\n Adrienne gurgled, seeming in too much pain to move or scream.<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d Kirsten shouted as she ran at him, rounding the lash into a strike.<\/p>\n The thug arched his back as the energy whip hit him, and loosed a scream mixed of human and something\u2026 else. A voice far deeper than any mortal could produce howled at a deafening volume. Lights faltered. Car alarms out in the street sang.<\/p>\n Head titled back, the gang thug moved in a slow, menacing turn. The hate in his all-black eyes gave way to worry at the sight of the lash coiling around Kirsten\u2019s legs. He seemed to forget Adrienne existed, staring with fixation at Kirsten. Simmering hatred bloomed to an angry roar as he stomped at her. Decorative glass sculptures on shelves rattled and windows shook. Kirsten braced against the onslaught of paranormal fear, resisting the terror he tried to force into her mind. She pushed back at him with her psionic energy. He\u2019s not as strong as he looks.<\/em> She shoved with a surge of mental force, cutting off his bellow and knocking him to the floor.<\/p>\n Adrienne rolled on her side, whimpering. Blood seeped from the claw marks on her chest and back as if the wounds were new. Her expression, red and contorted from pain, begged for help. Kirsten raised the lash as the man ambled to his feet.<\/p>\n Dorian stuck a hand into the thug\u2019s chest, straining and pulling on something inside. \u201cHe\u2019s\u2026 possessed.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten snapped the lash around, but the maniac dove to the side with surprising agility considering his size. Confident the energy whip could cause no harm to the living, Kirsten let it pass through Adrienne to complete the swing, planning to spin into another strike. At the instant the shimmering cord made contact with the woman on the counter, it snagged for a second before pulling through\u2015as if she\u2019d struck a weak spirit.<\/p>\n Adrienne went limp with relief, gasping for breath.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2026\u201d The man pointed at Kirsten, all trace of malevolence gone. He ambled for the door and broke into a run. \u201cClaustritumus<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten looked back and forth from the now-quiet Adrienne to the fleeing man. Sensing no immediate threat to the girl, she bolted after him. He ran down the corridor, heading straight at a window, crossing his arms in front of his face.<\/p>\n \u201cThis death is on your soul,\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n No!<\/em> Kirsten pushed herself forward with all the desperation she could find, leaping into a tackle at the jumping man. She wrapped her arms around his legs as his upper body smashed the reinforced glass. Kirsten spread her legs to the side, grunting. Her boots slapped into the wall and all the man\u2019s weight tugged at her grip. She leaned back, trying to keep her ass on the floor so he didn\u2019t drag her along with him.<\/p>\n He howled with rage, scrabbling at the window frame. Shards of broken glass clanked around as he strained to pull himself forward. Kirsten roared through gritted teeth and hauled back with as much strength as she could summon. His thighs slipped an inch in her grasp, and another. Her butt left the carpet; her boots acted as a pivot point. The man\u2019s legs slid up around her body as her hips crashed into the wall. He dangled, only her arms between him and a fatal drop.<\/p>\n \u201cStop<\/em>.\u201d She growled, a brief reflection of glowing light in her eyes appeared on the wall.<\/p>\n Cold slithered over her and down her back. The struggling man went still for a second, and screamed. Stench watered Kirsten\u2019s eyes; her face hovered less than two feet away from soiled pants. She choked back the urge to vomit, straining to look over her shoulder at another presence without losing her grip.<\/p>\n Behind her in the hall floated a wispy shadow of darkness in the vague shape of a human silhouette. It waved at her, an over-polite finger curling gesture with long, smoky talons.<\/p>\n A voice like scraping glass sent tremors down her spine. \u201cDo not fret if you cannot hold him. His soul is tainted.\u201d The shadow drifted down the hall. \u201cFarewell.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten screamed as the man slipped another inch. Her arms shook from fatigue. It\u2019s getting away.<\/em> She glanced at her boots, spread as wide as the corridor would allow, wedged in the corners. Her thighs shuddered; she couldn\u2019t move her legs. I\u2026 can\u2019t let him die. Dammit!<\/em><\/p>\n She squeezed her arms tight, fingers aching where she clasped her wrist at his gut, straining to hold on. \u201cCommand, B-backup call.\u201d<\/p>\n Her armband beeped.<\/p>\n \u201cShit!\u201d screamed the man. \u201cHelp!\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian raced out of Adrienne\u2019s apartment, chasing the fleeing specter.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not gonna be able to hold this lunk long enough for backup to get here.<\/em> \u201cDorian!\u201d<\/p>\n Her partner glanced over his shoulder. \u201cHe\u2019s Oblivion. Let him go.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten braced her knees against the wall as the man flailed. \u201cI don\u2019t care what gang he\u2019s in. I can\u2019t let him die.\u201d<\/p>\n The thug screamed again, flailing his arms in a futile effort to grab something.<\/p>\n She closed her eyes, tightening her grip on his shins as much as her protesting muscles would allow. Please don\u2019t slip. Please don\u2019t slip.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d said Dorian, sounding close.<\/p>\n Kirsten concentrated on her astral power, allowing it to permeate her body and render her tangible to spirits. Dorian wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled. Inch by excruciating inch, their combined strength dragged the panic-stricken man back. As soon as he could reach, he clamped his hands on the window frame, crunching jagged glass, and pushed. Kirsten fell on her back and turned her head to the side at the last second before he fell sitting on her; loaded pants pressed warmth into her cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cGet off me.\u201d She almost vomited.<\/p>\n The man wheezed and collapsed to the side, staring at his bloody handfuls of glass. \u201cSixty\u2026 stories\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten sat up, watery-eyed and gagging.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever that was, it got away,\u201d said Dorian. \u201cHope this guy was worth saving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s alive, Dorian. He\u2019s worth saving.\u201d She moved to her knees and held her left forearm up to grab an image of the ganger\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cAt best, he\u2019s a drug dealer. At worst, a murderer or rapist. Oblivion is a pack of nihilists. They want the world to end and don\u2019t care what happenes.\u201d Dorian shook his head. \u201cWho knows what that thing is going to do? I hope we didn\u2019t just kill someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen was the last time a true nihilist begged for his life?\u201d Kirsten frowned at the holo-panel floating over her left arm. Johnathan Breem, twenty-six years old, six active warrants for sexual assault, two for strong-arm robbery, three for assault with a deadly weapon, and two for \u2018non-complaining rape.\u2019 She frowned. \u201cDorian, what the hell is \u2018non-complaining rape?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCitycams recorded the assault, but the victim never came forward. It means there\u2019s no complaining witness, but we can charge him based on the video.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cThinking you should\u2019ve let him go?\u201d Dorian raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. That thing wasn\u2019t that strong. I\u2019m sure another decent hit would have destroyed it. It will be licking its wounds for a while. Maybe I can find it before it does something.\u201d She grumbled. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t have left such an imprint on her apartment, not as weak as it was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it\u2019s a demon?\u201d Dorian grinned.<\/p>\n Kirsten rolled her eyes. \u201cDon\u2019t start. Not now.\u201d<\/p>\n The man clutched his hands to his chest, still breathing hard.<\/p>\n \u201cJohnathan Breem,\u201d said Kirsten. \u201cI hate to be the bearer of bad news after you almost died, but you\u2019re under arrest for\u201d\u2015she pointed at the holo-terminal\u2015\u201creasons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to read the list of charges,\u201d said Dorian, also smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m too exhausted. Besides, I\u2019m sure he knows.\u201d She shut off the panel. \u201cDiv 1 will give him the drill. Now that he\u2019s spirit-free, he\u2019s not my jurisdiction.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnathan sat up and looked at her with a \u2018you\u2019re a tiny little woman, what are you gonna do about it\u2019 face.<\/p>\n Her eyebrows flattened into an unimpressed line as her eyes glowed for an instant. \u201cStay put.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d He laid down. \u201cDo I have to sit in shit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have crapped your pants.\u201d Kirsten gagged.<\/p>\n Johnathan gestured at the broken window. \u201cSixty stories.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoll over.<\/em>\u201d Her eyes flickered again.<\/p>\n He did.<\/p>\n She collected his arms behind him and cuffed him. Adrienne poked her head out of her door.<\/p>\n \u201cWait inside,\u201d yelled Kirsten. \u201cI\u2019ll be back in a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n She knelt beside Johnathan for two minutes and forty-nine seconds, eager to be able to get away from the stink. Four figures in gloss black Division 0 tactical armor rushed from the elevator and headed towards her. One look at their height said Nicole wasn\u2019t one of them. A story for later.<\/em> She forced herself to stand; every sore muscle made itself known.<\/p>\n Kirsten pointed at Breem. \u201cWarrant hold. Div 1 wants him.\u201d<\/p>\n Squad Corporal Forrester raised his visor. \u201cHow you wind up stepping in it?\u201d<\/p>\n Ugh, the smell. Did he have to use that phrase?<\/em> \u201cWraith possessed him, tried to kill the girl in 60-10\u201d<\/p>\n The one woman among the tactical squad glanced back. \u201cGuess that\u2019s where the crying is coming from.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Kirsten edged past them. \u201cJohnathan should behave himself for at least another three minutes. Can you babysit while I deal with this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure thing, Ma\u2019am.\u201d Forrester nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cSuggest?\u201d asked Cortez.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Kirsten muttered. \u201cToo tired to fight, and he\u2019s three times my size.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStunrod?\u201d asked the woman.<\/p>\n \u201cDiaz\u2026 Check his pants. I did not<\/em> want to smell that.\u201d Kirsten cringed at the mere thought of what a stunrod would\u2019ve \u2018cooked up.\u2019 She headed for Adrienne\u2019s apartment. \u201cOh, I need my binders back whenever they collect him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou got it,\u201d said Forrester.<\/p>\n Kirsten jogged back to the still-open door and ducked inside. Adrienne sat in a ball on the floor in front of the couch, still in her bloody robe. She looked up as Kirsten approached and sat beside her on the cushions.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re bleeding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I noticed.\u201d Adrienne sniffled. \u201cI\u2019m not used to crying this much. I mean, I always was kinda emotional, but it\u2019s gotten worse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGotta love hormones.\u201d Kirsten opened a belt case and pulled out a four-inch red autoinjector with a yellow safety cap over the tip. \u201cI hit something when the lash caught you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t remember.\u201d Adrienne sniffled. \u201cIt felt like I was wrapped up in red-hot barbed wire. When it stopped, I was in pure euphoria.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe last time you tried a stimpak, it didn\u2019t work, right? Maybe whatever spirit was lingering inside you did that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like a demon,\u201d said Dorian. \u201cThree scratches\u2026 the sign of the Devil.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten glared at him. The word \u2018Devil\u2019 would be forever associated with Mother. \u201cMythology. This was a wraith.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian folded his arms. \u201cThe last time you messed with a wraith, its claws were icy, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? Maybe there\u2019s different kinds.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne looked at her. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust arguing.\u201d She handed over the stimpak. \u201cYou\u2019re still bleeding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d Adrienne flicked the plastic cap from the tip and pressed the air hypo into her shoulder. The autoinjector emitted a faint hiss.<\/p>\n \u201cJudging by her lack of screaming,\u201d said Dorian, \u201cI think it worked.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne stood. \u201cI want to get out of this bloody thing and clean up. I-is it gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt ran.\u201d Kirsten leaned forward and rubbed her face. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019ll come back for you. I got the feeling the energy in those scratches drew it like a beacon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m scared.\u201d Adrienne shivered. \u201cPlease tell me it\u2019s not coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI got a piece of it.\u201d Kirsten stood. \u201cEven if it does remember you, which I doubt, it\u2019ll probably be a few weeks before it\u2019s got the balls to show itself. I\u2019ll hunt it down. You have my PID. Vid me if you see or feel anything unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d Adrienne wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.<\/p>\n \u201cHey.\u201d Kirsten put a hand on Adrienne\u2019s shoulder. \u201cWhatever it was, it targeted you at random. I really doubt it\u2019ll come back.\u201d<\/p>\n Division 1 officers in blue armor tromped past the door. A few seconds later, Johnathan shouted angry threats until the electronic bwong <\/em>of a stunrod silenced him. Despite being at a safe distance in Adrienne\u2019s apartment, Kirsten covered her nose.<\/p>\n I have to believe I did the right thing.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d Adrienne hugged her, careful not to make contact with blood-soaked cloth.<\/p>\n Kirsten smiled. \u201cIf you\u2019d feel better having someone along when you go to drag your parents back to civilization, let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne reached up and held her hand. \u201cI never thought getting arrested would be a way to make friends.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten laughed. \u201cI don\u2019t advise making a habit of it. Have you considered signing on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah. I\u2019m not cut out for it. I\u2019m a big ol\u2019 chicken.\u201d Adrienne summoned a weak smile. \u201cI\u2019m still trying to get used to my emotions going all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople with your mechanical talents tend to work in Admin, not front line.\u201d Kirsten glanced at the time on her arm. \u201cAck! I need to go. Crap. I just got done with reports.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should know better.\u201d A whimsical grin formed on Dorian\u2019s face. \u201cThis job is ten hours of reports for every five minutes of action.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrienne walked her to the door. \u201cIf I can\u2019t find anything in a couple weeks, I guess I\u2019ll look into it.\u201d<\/p>\n A man in blue armor waited outside.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat. Guess the paperwork starts now.\u201d Kirsten nodded at him and smiled back at Adrienne. \u201cYou look great. Try to get some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBye. Thanks, and sorry again about the\u2026\u201d She wiggled her fingers as if throwing lightning.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mention it.\u201d Kirsten stepped into the hall.<\/p>\n \u201cThat the vic?\u201d asked the cop.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but not Johnathan\u2019s. He was just a vessel for a spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDemon,\u201d said Dorian.<\/p>\n Kirsten picked at her eye with her middle finger.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, okay.\u201d The officer raised his arm, dangling her binders from two fingers. \u201cThanks for the assist. Mr. Breem\u2019s been staying off the grid. So what filled his pants?\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten swallowed bile. \u201cThe spirit tried to throw him out a window. Guess he\u2019s afraid of heights.\u201d<\/p>\n After giving a statement of events, she made her way back to the roof where she\u2019d parked. Dorian took the passenger seat with the smug grin of a usurped king once more on his throne. The console lit up at her touch. Kirsten clutched the sticks and eased the patrol craft into the air.<\/p>\n Dorian glanced over. \u201cWhat\u2019s got you so nervous? Your hands are shaking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m taking Evan home tonight, assuming he wants to go.\u201d She almost mistimed her entry to a traffic lane, causing an alarm inside as well as a horn outside. \u201cReally? You just did that? What kind of idiot beeps at a police vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey can\u2019t hear you shouting.\u201d Dorian tapped on the \u2018window.\u2019 \u201cInch thick armor.\u201d<\/p>\n She levelled off in the lane, glaring at the silver Halcyon-Ormyr that just had<\/em> to get in front of her. \u201cSo tempted to flick the lights.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorian waved her down. \u201cYou did mistime it. Don\u2019t turn into a Div 1 jackass that thinks traffic rules don\u2019t apply to cops.\u201d He paused a moment. \u201cRelax. I\u2019m sure Evan will jump at the chance to get out of the dorm.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirsten clenched and released the sticks, battling the knot of worry growing inside her belly. \u201cWhat if seeing me makes him think about being locked in his bedroom and beaten? What if he panics as soon as I walk in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe won\u2019t.\u201d Dorian pointed at the windscreen. \u201cMind that ad-bot.\u201d<\/p>\n She dove two meters to avoid a damaged floating billboard straying into the traffic stream. A few angry pokes at the console sent a feeler over to Div 1 to deal with it.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope you\u2019re right, Dorian\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The antiseptic white corridors of the Division Zero dormitory shaved eight years from Kirsten\u2019s mind, bringing her back to feeling lost and alone. She walked past small bedrooms; children glanced up from datapads, games, or toys, their faces filled with every emotion ranging from joy at being safe to abject terror. She locked stares with a pale black-haired girl of about five cowering under her bed with her thumb in her mouth.<\/p>\n That was me my first night here, only I was twelve. <\/em>Kirsten smiled and waved, though the girl didn\u2019t react. Before Kirsten could surrender to her heavy heart and go talk to her, one of the nannies darted into the room with a large stuffed rabbit and an armload of pink datapads. Kirsten stared at the floor and moved on. Four rooms later, she edged up the door of Room 23.<\/p>\n Evan lay on the bed in blue pajama pants and no shirt. He wore an expression somewhere between bored disinterest and a sullen frown. Light from a video game holo-panel flashed, tinting his skin blue while painting an enlarged silhouette of him on the wall. His disheveled mop of hair looked like a puffball in shadow.<\/p>\n He still looks so scrawny.<\/em><\/p>\n Kirsten knocked. \u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKirsten!\u201d His eyes lit up; he tossed the datapad to the side and scrambled off the bed. \u201cYou came!\u201d<\/p>\n She caught his charge, scooping him into a hug. He clamped his arms around her for a long moment before leaning back to look at her. The gleam in his green eyes destroyed any fear he\u2019d be afraid of her.<\/p>\n Dorian smiled without a word, and wandered off down the hall.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep hearing people tell me you\u2019re not happy here.\u201d Kirsten smiled.<\/p>\n He looked worried. \u201cHow long are they gonna let you stay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, not too long. I\u2019ll probably leave in less than an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n Tears collected at the corner of his eyes. His gaze started to fall to the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to come with me?\u201d<\/p>\n His head snapped up, mouth agape.<\/p>\n Kirsten sat in an orange cube-shaped chair near the door, setting him on his feet in front of her. \u201cI used to live in here when I was little too, and I know how lonely it can be\u2026 especially for astrals. People tend to be creeped out by us.\u201d<\/p>\n Evan stood mute, tears running down his cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cSince we, uh, have the same sort of power, they said yes when I asked if I could foster you\u2026 if you want.\u201d She bit her lip. \u201cI mean, you don\u2019t have <\/em>to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanna.\u201d He jumped on her, sniffling. \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Get dressed. We\u2019ll stop for dinner on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYay!\u201d He bounced around the room cheering for a full two minutes before flinging off his pajamas and beginning a search for underpants.<\/p>\n Kirsten laughed at the sudden shift from sorrow to uncontained happiness. Evan jumped into his clothes, the plain black tee shirt and pants given to every dormer, and stuffed a bunch of datapads, gadgets, and more clothing into a backpack before running back to her.<\/p>\n \u201cAm I gonna stay with you?\u201d He couldn\u2019t stand still.<\/p>\n What am I doing? Am I ready for this responsibility?<\/em> She clasped his hand. \u201cI\u2019m not sure. I want you to, but they <\/em>want to make sure it\u2019s in your best interest.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked crestfallen. \u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s up to me. I can\u2019t mess this up.<\/em> \u201cTwo weeks. Hopefully longer if things work out.\u201d<\/p>\n Evan\u2019s emerald eyes sparkled as he stared at her. His open mouth stretched to a smile. He nodded in a matter-of-fact way, grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.<\/p>\n \u201cCan we go home now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d Kirsten led him out to the admin station, where she waved to get the attention of one of the RNs. At least he\u2019s optimistic.<\/em> \u201cHi, Agent Wren. I\u2019m signing out Evan Dawson.\u201d<\/p>\n He grumbled. \u201cJust Evan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGot it. Looks like a two week pass. We\u2019ll need him back in three days for about a half hour. Routine medical check.\u201d The nurse held up a datapad. \u201cWave, please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he\u2019s still going to school here. Thanks.\u201d Kirsten swiped her armband over the device, making it beep. She faced away from the counter and took a knee. \u201cYou ready, Ev?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh huh!\u201d His sneakers squeaked on the over-polished tiles as he failed to drag her faster than a walk.<\/p>\n Kirsten held his hand on the trip to motor pool. I hope I am.<\/em><\/p>\n Back to Preview Chapters<\/a><\/p>\n Division Zero Series<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two weeks after the events of Division Zero 1, prior to Lex De Mortuis Haunted by a repeating nightmare of watching Marisa screaming as she slid down the angled roof of the Intera tower, Kirsten shot upright as the … Continue reading ![\"Fleuron_basic_d0\"](\"https:\/\/www.matthewcoxbooks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Fleuron_basic_d0.jpg\")
The terminal on Kirsten\u2019s desk seemed to wave the incomplete report in her face as soon as it powered up. Two text messages from Captain Eze popped up, asking her if she planned on sending in the reports regarding the Intera Tower incident any time soon. She set the clear plastic carton with her jalape\u00f1o omelet sandwich on the desk next to her coffee and spent a few minutes trying to complete the report by sheer force of will.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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