Being virtually on her own since she was seven years old Kali isn't shaken by much, but as she sat in her favorite diner pouring over this new law that surfaced it tipped her world upside down. The now twenty-year-old liaison didn't know what she'd gotten into yet again.
Sure, she'd been in tight situations with non-humanoid creatures, but this seemed over the top. Blending Worlds, Law 515 was something most 'normals', non-preternatural's weren't prepared for. She wasn't even prepared for it and she knew that they were real.
"Ms. Angelus, more coffee?" her normal waitress asked as Kali nodded. The waitress looked at Kali's tablet while she poured her coffee and almost spilled it on the table, but Kali moved the cup with her quick reflexes.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Angelus. It's been a rough night and that document explains a lot," she stated blandly while Kali took a drink of the pure black coffee. Kali put her cup down and motioned for the girl to sit down noting the name on the nametag on her chest pocket, since she was horrible at remembering names lately.
"Karen, tell me about your night. I've got a few minutes. Anything out of the ordinary happen?" Kali asked flipping to the notes application on her tablet. Karen sat down sighing and running a hand through her perfectly cut blonde hair. Kali noted the dullness of her normally bright green eyes and the bright blue ascot she'd tied around her neck that clashed with the pink uniform.
That could be hiding a bite wound. I hope she treated it properly. She probably doesn't even know what to do with a bite wound Kalista. She reprimanded herself as Karen sighed and looked into her eyes. if Karen wouldn't talk to Kali something was definitely wrong.
"It started out just like any other late night shift. The truckers came off the highway at about ten o'clock, but at elven two groups of teenagers walked in. One group sat in the far corner while the other sat by the door keeping their distance from the first group.
"I didn't pay any attention at first, but after I took their orders I realized how different the two groups were. The first group seemed hesitant and scared of the second group. The second group seemed to glare at the first group every so often like the Jocks look at the Nerds that talk with the cheerleaders.
"The first group were well-dressed yuppies from the better part of town and the second group were gothic punks or so I thought at first. They were nice to me and even tipped me a lot, but the yuppies didn't like me. They seemed offended at my very presence.
"The yuppies were talking about the new law and that the second group might be preternatural as if it were some kind of joke. One of the Goth girls walked passed their table as they were mentioning it and she turned to them mid-step. It was creepy I'll admit, but that was only the beginning.
"The girl dropped her hood right as I was walking up with their tray of food. She took the tray from me and passed out their food as if she'd taken the order herself. She'd did it with an unnatural speed that I'd never seen before.
"She turned to the group as a whole and they stared at her. 'I wouldn't be too skeptical about preternaturals if I were you. We may have stayed in the dark all these years, but we don't have to anymore. All the creepy, crawly scum of the preternatural world are coming out to play and I'd be careful… if I were you,' she informed them as the head of the group scoffed at her.
"She turned to him and hissed showing her fangs. The jock almost pissed himself. She turned away from them and walked back to her seat as if nothing had happened. I was stunned speechless.
"Vampyres out in the same place as humans and eating regular food is unheard of. I went back into the kitchen after that and peered out at the second group. One of them looked up at me and waved with a bright smile on his face.
"The rest of the night went smoothly and neither group talked to each other. At about midnight I went out to smoke and someone attacked me. I don't know who or what it was because I didn't get a good look at it, but I hurt it more than it hurt me," she ended hands shaking as they brushed darkened bruises on her forearms. Kali noted them and nodded typing all of it down carefully.
"Did your attacker bite you? Is it all right if I take a few pictures to document this?" Kali asked compassionately as Karen nodded. She removed her ascot exposing a deep set of teeth prints on her neck. Whoever it was had sucked blood to the surface of her skin leaving a nasty hickey, but hey hadn't punctured the skin, which ruled out Vampyres.
Kali took pictures of the bruises and the bite before sending everything to one of her coworkers who dealt with this type of attack, Sean Dennis. Kali smiled at the shaken girl and covered her hand with her own as she turned her tablet off.
"Thank you for talking with me and giving the report. Can I get your phone number and full name so that an officer can follow up when you get off work?" Kali further inquired while taking out her phone. Karen nodded and wrote her information on her order pad before tearing off the top sheet and handing it to Kali.
"Thank you for listening. I know you're busy, you keep pretty tight schedule most days. Being the liaison between two government branches is difficult especially at your age," she commented as she slid out of the booth. Kali put the paper in her jacket pocket before she put her tablet in her messenger bag and her phone rang. She hit the button on the Bluetooth in her ear and put a few dollars' tip under her empty coffee cup.
"Agent Angelus here, you got anything new Dennis?" she asked knowing exactly who it was. He laughed at the greeting and then sighed typing away furiously at his keyboard.
"That depends on how you look at it. Her attack is similar to several others, but no one ever hit back at the thing. Did she get a look at her attacker?" he asked still typing. Kali stood up and walked toward the register as a thousand things went through her mind about the scene.
"No, she put a good beating on him, but I have a feeling she ran back inside before she got a good look at who was attacking her. I'm going to check outside. I'll send you plenty of pictures and I'll try to garb any evidence that hasn't been tampered with.
"I won't be able to bring it by until later. I'm hitting the gym after this and then I'm off to deal with the Director. You should wish me luck. He's fuming about Law 515. He said something about Mayor Renning being out of his mind.
"I wish I could talk to the guy before I confront Mr. Sunshine," she sarcastically commented after paying for her meal. She walked outside while only the sound of key taps wafted over the phone. When the sound stopped she waited for his reply and Dennis gave a low whistle.
"He sounds like a loon by all accounts Kal. He doesn't have the squeaky clean reputation that his competition had, but the polls seem a little rigged if you ask me," he commented as Kali rolled her eyes. Kali knew that voting was rigged. It had always been rigged. No one she knew was dumb enough to think it was because of actual voting that officials were elected especially here in California. She shook her head taking her iPad back out and snapping a few pictures of the area out back of the kitchen.
She took out a plastic bag and dropped a clump of red hair into it. She took a shot of the rumbled grass and the blood stains before she took a sample of the blood and sighed.
"Sean, come one. Not everyone is what people say. A lot of information about politicians is from reporters being vicious and giving the public what it wants. Jeremy Renning can't be that bad," she countered his arguments as she slid everything into her bag.
"Jeremy Renning isn't known for talking to feds Kal. I'd give it up. I don't see him talking to you before he's voted out of office. If that ever happens, though he does seem to be turning his life around or at least he's trying to," he rebutted quickly as she mounted her motorcycle. She shook her head and braided her long dark hair before sliding her helmet over her head.
"I gotta go Sean. The email should be to you soon for you to analyze. It's a big file so it should last you until I can get back to the office. Be good," she commented before hitting the button to disconnect the call. She took a deep breath before speeding off toward the gym glad for the little bit of silence.