Chapter 2

In the back Ciara was tossed around countless times as Victor, the moron behind the wheel drove recklessly once again. She cursed him silently under her breath as she wrapped her arms around herself. Honestly, how was a girl supposed to keep warm in a dress like this? There was only one strap and it slanted down to cover her and hug around her chest.

Just as she had eased into her new position the van gave a sudden jerk and sent her flying again. She quickly snapped out her hand and stopped her self from crashing into the side of the van. Ciara growled loudly as she banged her other fist against the front. “Stop driving with your dick,” she called out waiting for another sudden jerk. In no time it came, this time sending her to the other side. But she was ready for it. She smiled to her self as she rested her back against the wall knowing that he wouldn’t try anything else for a while. He was to easy to read. She closed her eyes and began to drift off.

Minutes later the van came to a sudden and final stop. Ciara was jolted awake and nearly fell off the slender bench. That Victor was a menace to society in her opinion. She waited until someone opened the door so she could get out and go home. Well get her money first than go home. All she wanted to do now was sleep.

The back door to the van was pulled open and Ciara could see an older man in his early forties smiling at her in the dim early morning light. Andrew Johansson was a kind older man with graying brown hair, dark brown eyes and no double chin, which was surprising for his age. He worked with the Pick Up unite but he was on desk duty this month, filling away the Pick Ups to than hand over to Archive Department.

“Doing alright back there Miss Atra?” he asked holding out a hand for her even though he knew she wouldn’t take it. She stepped down from the van on her own and nodded to the older man.

“I’m doing just fine sir,” she said shortly before walking up the short flight of stairs to the front door. Ciara didn’t even turn around when Victor and Mr. Johansson started arguing, over what? It didn’t matter; it was a waste of time anyway. She slowly walked up the two flights of stairs to Mark’s office, her boss. As she walked to the door Ciara watched a few people scurry around trying to get their own jobs done. For an investigation office they had a large number of people working here. Ciara always did find that odd.

She entered Mark’s office without even knocking; she found it pointless when the man knew she was coming. He was an older man with massive crow’s feet and a receding hairline as well as a small, neatly trimmed pepper and salt mustache. He was one of those men that could simply fade into a crowd if it wasn’t for the menacing scowl that never left his face.

Mark sat at his desk with two piles of papers in front of him. He didn’t look happy but honestly when did he? Ciara walked up to his desk with her head held high and her expression blank. The older man looked up before going back to his paper work. He was planning on ignoring her for a few minutes to suite his own time.

Ciara’s eyes darkened as she ripped off her long brown wig to reveal short choppy bright purple hair. She threw the wig down onto the desk scattering dozens of papers and knocking over one of the piles of papers. She said nothing just glared at him menacingly. He glared back at her for a minute before realizing right now was not a good time to mess around with her. She looked exhausted and weak. Only one of which he knew would actually be true.

Mark rose from his chair silently before walking over to a file cabinet. “Did you bag the Dream Eater?” he asked while he shuffled through a few of the files before plucking a small one from the line. He didn’t have to ask, Ciara always got her quarry. That’s what he always liked about her.

“He’s down stairs in The Birdcage as we speak.” The Birdcage was everyone’s little nickname for the cells down in the basement. They didn’t really look like a birdcage and no one honestly knew where the nickname came from but no one cared enough to change it.

Mark nodded slowly before handing Ciara the file. “Here’s your next case. And The Archives are starting to want detailed layouts of how the capture went. Don’t ask me why. I have a feeling they’ll forget about it in a day or two.”

Ciara nodded as she ran her fingers threw her uneven purple hair. “And as for my money?” she asked. “This capture was worth 5 thou.” Mark glared at her, always hoping she’d forget. Mark, along as being rather unpleasant to be around was greedy. He was always trying to weasel the Bounty Hunters and Investigators out of their money, hoping to keep it for himself. He usually only made his money on the rookies. All of them to stupid to even breathe most of the time. “My money Mark, where is it?” her voice was beginning to get an edge to it.

The older man glared at her once more thinking that it would actually do anything before opening the top left drawer to his desk and taking out a small piece of blue paper and handing that to her as well. Ciara nodded shortly before turning around and leaving his office making sure to shut the door loudly, just to annoy him really.

When Ciara got back onto the street the sun was starting to rise. Birds started to chirp around her as she made her way to the parking lot in back to pick up her beat up black 1979 Pontiac Firebird. The car was a bit beat up but it got her from place to place and now the only place she wanted to be was home and in bed.

As soon as Ciara turned the car on she blasted the radio to the max. A loud beat and female screams of hatred and loathing burst forth from her speakers. The 8 mile drive to her apartment building went by fast. Very few cars were on the road this early in the morning and the same went with cops.

She slowly turned into the parking lot across the street from her building a few minutes later and was happy to be home. She walked across the street and into her building while she began to review her new case, or as much as she could, for it was useless, exhaustion was eating away at her mind. Ciara slowly walked the four flights of stairs to her floor because yet again the old and rusty elevator was broken and stuck between floors 4 and 5. Once she got to her door, three doors away from the staircase at 43B, Ciara pulled out her keys from her purse and was about to unlock the door when she realized that it was already unlocked. Ciara stepped back as she dropped her keys back in her bag and pulled out her gun. She hid it behind her back and opened the door slowly. Movement from a chair towards the window caught her eye. She instantly jumped into a defense position. “Freeze, you move and I’ll shot.” She flicked on the light since none of the new sunlight could show through her heavy black curtains.
Standing on the other side of the room was a human female with her arms up and her eyes wide in fear. Ciara cursed under her breath as she put her gun back in her bag. “What are you doing here Sophia?” she asked the woman, her tone was a step away from being a menacing and deadly growl. Ciara walked into her apartment and dropped her bag and gun on her beat up red couch that faced a huge bookcase and no T.V.

“Nice to see you too Ciara,” the woman said softly as she slowly put her hands down. Sophia was a woman on the small side with hard features. Her reddish brown ringlets encased her slightly round face which always wore an expression of annoyance. “Do you always get in at this time?” Sophia asked as she began to look around the apartment. Not much had changed since the last time she had visited. Ciara dropped the file on the counter in the kitchen as she pulled a bottle of cheap beer from her refrigerator and twisted the cap to open it. She came back out taking a long relaxing mouthful of the poisonous brew. “Ciara you are only 20! What are you doing drinking? And what are you doing dressed like that” Sophia asked sternly moving to take the beer from the young women.

“Shove it you old bitch,” Ciara replied sending her a death glare before wiping her mouth. Ciara took the gun and put it in her bag. She glared at the women before taking a pair of black work out pants and a skin tight black tank top from her laundry basket before stripping right there and changing causing Sophia to scoffed in disgust and turned away. She threw the expensive dress on a nearby chair not caring much about it. Once Ciara was done she said “Before you go on your fucking rants answer me just a few questions. A. How the fuck did you get into my apartment. B. How long have you been here? And C. Why the fuck, are you here?”

Sophia looked taken aback but not in surprise but in fear. She stayed where she was as she answered the purple haired women. “Firstly your super let me in. I flashed him my I.D. and he was more than willing to comply. And if you must know I’ve been here since 8 o’clock pm. You would have met me earlier if you had gotten in at a reasonable time instead of sunrise. And lastly I am here on account of your brother.”

Fear welled up inside Ciara. It was the first time she had ever truly felt it. On the outside Ciara looked nothing more than annoyed and apathetic and inside it was no different but only when it came to her brother. She stepped towards the older women and looked her up and down. The fear dispersed as soon as she noticed Sophia was cool and collected, she deducted that Connor was fine.

She took another long sip of beer this time not taking her eyes off of Sophia, “And what about him?”

“Well it seems your Aunt has been very ill and had not told anyone. At 9:12 this morning or well yesterday morning she died while eating breakfast. Good thing Connor was already at school and did not have to witness it but your Aunts boyfriend found her body a few hours later.”

Ciara laughed a short cruel laugh. “Serves her fucking right, that old bitch deserved it. Now that still doesn’t explain why you are in my apartment,” Ciara ordered.

“Well in your mothers will it stated that if Connor is without guardianship he is to be sent to your Aunt or you if you are old enough to raise him. He was sent to your Aunt and she died thus presenting the opportunity for him to live with you, and you Ciara are old enough to raise a child legally.”

“I’m not taking Connor. Find him another home,” she spat out as she turned towards her door and opened it an inch before stopping and turning around to glower at the Social Worker in her apartment. “Now that that’s done, get out.”

“It’s not as simple as that Ciara. He has no where else to go. If you refuse him he’ll be placed in foster care. You remember foster care don’t you Ciara.” The girl in question glared at Sophia and bit back a growl as she roughly shut the door.

“Connor’s young and cute. He’ll find a stable home soon enough, now leave.” Sophia bent down slowly and retrieved her brief case before sighing loudly. She looked up opening her mouth to speak before she shook her head and closed it again. Sophia turned and looked at Ciara’s bed room door longingly which caused Ciara to freeze in her spot.

“Sophia where is he now?” she asked slowly as she placed her beer down on her coffee table and taking a few slow steps towards the older women. Sophia only turned back to her with a sad look in her eyes. “No! How could you bring him here? No!” Sophia turned once again to the door and sighed before walking over and slowly opening it a crack to see in. Ciara silently followed and peered in as well. The light cast a shadow over her bed that was pushed up against the opposite wall. Little could be seen of the 7 year old boy, nothing but the top of his head, a deep brown with red highlights. His face was covered by the sheets but one solitary foot hung out from under one of the sheets.

Ciara quickly but silently closed the door and glared at Sophia. “Why did you bring him here?” she growled at the older women.

“Because he had no where else to go, if I didn’t the state would have grabbed him up instantly.” Ciara looked to the door than the women.

“Leave. Now.”

“If I leave than I’ll have to wake up-”

“No just you, leave.” Sophia smiled realizing that for the time being Ciara was giving in. She nodded as she opened her briefcase and handed Ciara a file full of papers before nodding and leaving quickly before Ciara could change her mind. Ciara groaned as she dropped the file down on the table next to her half empty beer and bag. She slumped down to her slightly beat up deep red couch and sighed heavily as she put her feet up on the couch. She growled at no one in particular before slinging one arm over her eyes not even bothering to turn off the light as she quickly fell fast asleep with out actually meaning to.

Ciara groaned loudly as she tried to stretch, soon realizing that she was not in her own bed but on her couch. She slowly opened her eyes to be met with the soft brown ones of her brother. The young women looked at her brother strangely as he looked back happily to her.

“Connor how long have you been standing there?” she asked him in an annoyed voice. All he did was shrug. He sat back on the table a few inches from her opened beer and the gun in her bag. Ciara stretch for a few minutes as she rose from the couch and standing tall. She looked down at the boy who looked up at her eagerly.

“Hungry?” she asked him in a formal way. He nodded but did not move. She looked at him for a few minutes before going to the kitchen and picking up a few pieces of left over pizza from the day before. She threw it into the microwave and put it on for 2 minutes. “There, you can have that once it’s done.” He nodded and walked over and started to watch it as Ciara watched him. This wasn’t like Connor she noticed. Normally he wouldn’t shut up and was filled with energy.

The bright green numbers on the microwave counted down to 0 before going back to the time of 4:25. She had slept later than she wanted. She watched Connor try to open it for a few minutes before doing it herself and handing him the plate. He slowly ate the pizza while Ciara finished her now stale beer. She needed to get to work soon. What was she going to do with Connor? There was no way in hell she could ever bring him to the Investigation. She thought for a moment before grabbing his hand and pushing him gently out of the door. “Connor I need to leave for a bit. I’m leaving you with a friend of mine.” She went to the elevator and was surprised when it opened. She walked in with Connor by her side and pressed 8. Once on level 8 she ran to the door marked 81A and knocked on the door.

The door was slowly opened by a four year older girl, her name was Deirdre. Ciara worked with the mother of the house who was now on maternal leave because she was 2 weeks from her delivery date. The little girl looked up at Ciara for a few minutes, not moving not even blinking before calling back to her mom.

Johanna waddled to the door, she was almost to due date and shouldn’t even be walking but she owed Ciara way to many favors to turn this down. “Good evening Ciara. What-” She stopped suddenly as she caught sight of Connor. “Ciara darling, who’s this?” she asked as she knelt down and smiled.

“He’s my brother. I need a favor.”

“You have a brother?”
“I need a favor,” she restated firmly crossing her arms and staring at Johanna who slowly rose and looked at Ciara in a serious manner.

“Is something wrong?”

“Just look after Connor tonight, I have another case.” Johanna nodded understanding the situation.

“So your name’s Connor? Well come on in,” she stepped aside and walked Connor in to where her 10 year old boy and her 4 year old girl were playing in front of the T.V. “Connor this is my Robert and my Amelia.” She turned back to the purple haired girl and said, “You’re coming back for him aren’t you?”

“Do you honestly think I’d leave him?”

“Ciara, what’s going on?” Johanna thought she knew a lot about Ciara having worked with her for a few years and living in the same building as her for about the same time. But Johanna really didn’t know anything, in the women’s mind Ciara would leave Connor and forget about him.

“It’s none of your business,” she growled out as she turned to leave.

“When will you be back?”

“When I’m back, don’t worry you won’t have to watch him longer than a day.” And with that she shut the door to the apartment and walked down the hall not even wanting to take the elevator, to frustrated to deal with that half broken piece of shit.

Every step she took grabbed just a little more of her anger and dispelled it into the air. She went back to her apartment and took a quick shower and sat down and reviewed the new case from the table. To be honest she couldn’t even remember what she had read earlier in the morning.

The case was a were-being, race was undetermined and not much was known about the man. There was a picture of him but it wasn’t a very good shot one. Have of his face was covered in shadow and half of what wasn’t in shadow was hidden by the collar of his shirt. From what she could tell he had chocolate brown eyes, stubble didn’t bother him and that his brown hair was cut to just before his ears in a wavy and innocent looking hair do.

Ciara looked closer before a small sinister smirk there was a small yet distinctive burn scar right next to his right eye, it was in the shape of a upside down cross. It was clear someone had marked him. He also had another very distinctive scar that ran from his upper lip to his lower lip. It was going to be hard with out any information to go by but Ciara would manager.

After going through the file thoroughly she closed it and placed it back on the table before she went into her room to get changed for work. She didn’t really put that much into her looks, never found a point. Today she was wearing long black leather pants with a slightly too big black tank top with a larger black zip up hoodie over. She ran a brush through her hair replaced her lip, nose, eyebrow piercing and the four holes in each ear she had to laden for the Party. Those wholes just had medium silver rings in each. Her boss never liked her wearing them to work, said it was unprofessional. She smiled as she put in large silver hops instead of small studs. Mark was sure to notice these.

She looked at her self and brushed her bright purple hair back from her face as she stared into the mirror. Older women always told her that she looked lovely and innocent without any make up on. She hated looking innocent. Innocent led to ignorance and ignorance lead to helplessness and she hated to be helpless.

She brushed black on her eyelids and under lined him in dark charcoal, giving them a haunted look, even more than she already had, though she would never admit to it. Ciara blew a solitary lock off hair out of her eyes as she put on a thin dark brown lipstick that made her lips darker and deadlier. It all stood out oddly yet beautifully against her fair Irish skin. Well she thought she was Irish. To tell you the truth she never knew.

Walking out of the bathroom she scanned the room for all she needed. Her gun, case file and the two knives she hides in her boots. One was copper and one was silver. Copper interfered with magic of any kind and killed almost all Daemons, except vampires and werewolves, quicker than a blade made of silver.

Ciara caught the sounds of soft music playing through the wall leading to the neighbor to her right. Their son who wasn’t much younger then Ciara always played his music at an annoying level, to loud to not hear it and to soft to hear it fully. A annoyed sigh passed through her darkened lips as she brought the gun up to eyelevel as she checked it out before placing it on her belt that was hidden by her to large zip up. She placed the file in her beat up brown canvas bag and slung it over both shoulders as she grabbed her keys off the counter and stepped out into the hall. As she locked her apartment up she had this weird feeling inch its way slowly up her spine. Something big was going to happen to her before the night changed to morning.

(A.N.: Hey my yahoo group is still up please join! If you join you'll be rewarded and you'll get updates quickly and get more info on the characters before they are explained in the stories. The contest for Merik's name is still going on, please submit I'm really starting to get irritated with his name. Please join, a poor writer and now college student is begging you.)