Blue Devil Rising
Part Two:
Three days had passed since the plane landed in the rainy city of San Francisco. She was nearly settled in the bedroom that her sister had prepared for her. Nothing was settled in her though. Her mind still churned restlessly and endlessly on the words that had brought her here. When she had arrived Kat had been expecting something horrible and in dire circumstances. Instead what she found was a bungalow that sat in a good neighborhood. Her sister was the Editor of the San Francisco Times and had a great boyfriend. That made Kat more curious then worried about why she had received a letter from her sister. It was now the third day and she intended to get some answers.
Waking up near noon found Caitlyn already at work and Kat alone in the house. There were three messages on her machine but no signs of Cait. Once dressed in something other then black leather and denim, Kat left the house. She was unfamiliar with anything around here but easily found her way to a trolley car that would take her downtown.
The city was bright, colorful and alive in the way that good cities are. Full of smiling people and free expression. Kat watched the multitude of cars, people, shops and signs with rapt interest. Things in America were so different from the Old World feel of the small German town where she had lived for the past five years. The car stopped and she hopped off. The Times building was close by according to the directions she got from a couple on the car.
Crossing the intersection made her feel a little swamped and overwhelmed. There were so many people packed into one small space. It was crushing compared to the two thousand or so population of her former home. She made her way onto the block that held her sisters building and looked up at the glass and stone construction. After a few more seconds she pushed open the heavy glass doors and walked into the air conditioned lobby. There was a rush here, but it was different, this was directed and focused. Less like a chaotic ocean and more like a stampede. Finding her way to the directory Kat looked at the hundreds of names and offices. After so long reading German her English took a minute to kick in. She found Caitlyn's office and located the nearest elevator. Crossing the foyer she joined the crowd by the bay of elevators. Standing beside a casually dressed man in his late twenties she watched his profile for a moment. His features were well shaped under pale skin that was shadowed by a slight beard. But it was his eyes that held her attention. They glowed with an inner predatory light that didn't quite belong in a human. She had seen those eyes before, in Prague and Austria. Both times they had been people that she had avoided at all costs. There was just something eerie about them that made her skin itch the wrong way.
"Going up?" A voice asked her and she blinked. He had spoken to her, his head nodded to the elevators. "Up?"
Looking over she saw the open doors and the fact that he was holding them back. "Yes."
She stepped on and pushed her way to the back wanting to get away from him. He didn't follow her and didn't look back at her for the ride. As the car thinned out she stayed in the corner focusing on the changing lights above her. It was then that she realized they were heading to her floor. Casting a look at him she wondered how he had known that. The doors opened and he stepped out, she followed slowly and let out a breath when he went into a cubicle. He worked here. Quickly stepping out she made her way to along the hall in front of her.
"Can I help you?" A woman asked.
She turned and was surprised to see Caitlyn. " Only if you can spare a minute."
"I thought you were going to sleep the day through again." Caitlyn smiled as she walked up, her arms full with papers and folders. " Here." She gave Kat half the load and continued down the hall. " What brings you here?"
"I was looking for you." Kat followed her sister as they entered a large and spacious office. There were large black and white photos around the office, all of them of faces. Some were kids others were adults and there were even group shots. " Cool office."
Caitlyn shrugged as she sat down behind the desk, " Put those anywhere and take a seat."
Kat place the load onto a nearby desk and sat down across from here sister. " I am confused over the letter you sent me. From the way you wrote things, it sounded like you were in a dire situation. But from the looks of things life is pretty damn good. What gives?"
"I admit the letter was written a bit strongly, but I do need you here." Caitlyn opened a drawer and tossed her a folder. " I know that you have a journalism degree from that French school you went to. I am offering you a freelance job until I can hire more bodies."
Kat blinked once and stared at the outstretched folder. " You are what?"
"Kat I need people and you do have experience." Cait looked at her with serious eyes. "It's just freelance."
Taking up the folder Kat looked through the assorted papers. " What do you need first?"
Cait smiled. " There is the Police and Commissioners ball tonight. I expect a report for the morning edition."
"I don't have an invitation." Kat took out the information page on the ball and looked through the two paragraphs.
"I'll take care of that, just have a good time." Caitlyn smiled and gazed at her sister for a moment. " Thanks for coming Kat."
"Don't thank me just yet." She stood up and turned go, Caitlyn's phone rang and she paused. " Cait, thanks."
Her sister paused and removed the phone from her mouth. " Are you okay?"
" I am now." Kat left her sister and looked at the story she had to prepare. At the bottom of the page someone had added in the dress code. " Just what I always wanted to do shopping." Kat rolled her eyes as she pressed the button for the elevators.
Part Two:
Three days had passed since the plane landed in the rainy city of San Francisco. She was nearly settled in the bedroom that her sister had prepared for her. Nothing was settled in her though. Her mind still churned restlessly and endlessly on the words that had brought her here. When she had arrived Kat had been expecting something horrible and in dire circumstances. Instead what she found was a bungalow that sat in a good neighborhood. Her sister was the Editor of the San Francisco Times and had a great boyfriend. That made Kat more curious then worried about why she had received a letter from her sister. It was now the third day and she intended to get some answers.
Waking up near noon found Caitlyn already at work and Kat alone in the house. There were three messages on her machine but no signs of Cait. Once dressed in something other then black leather and denim, Kat left the house. She was unfamiliar with anything around here but easily found her way to a trolley car that would take her downtown.
The city was bright, colorful and alive in the way that good cities are. Full of smiling people and free expression. Kat watched the multitude of cars, people, shops and signs with rapt interest. Things in America were so different from the Old World feel of the small German town where she had lived for the past five years. The car stopped and she hopped off. The Times building was close by according to the directions she got from a couple on the car.
Crossing the intersection made her feel a little swamped and overwhelmed. There were so many people packed into one small space. It was crushing compared to the two thousand or so population of her former home. She made her way onto the block that held her sisters building and looked up at the glass and stone construction. After a few more seconds she pushed open the heavy glass doors and walked into the air conditioned lobby. There was a rush here, but it was different, this was directed and focused. Less like a chaotic ocean and more like a stampede. Finding her way to the directory Kat looked at the hundreds of names and offices. After so long reading German her English took a minute to kick in. She found Caitlyn's office and located the nearest elevator. Crossing the foyer she joined the crowd by the bay of elevators. Standing beside a casually dressed man in his late twenties she watched his profile for a moment. His features were well shaped under pale skin that was shadowed by a slight beard. But it was his eyes that held her attention. They glowed with an inner predatory light that didn't quite belong in a human. She had seen those eyes before, in Prague and Austria. Both times they had been people that she had avoided at all costs. There was just something eerie about them that made her skin itch the wrong way.
"Going up?" A voice asked her and she blinked. He had spoken to her, his head nodded to the elevators. "Up?"
Looking over she saw the open doors and the fact that he was holding them back. "Yes."
She stepped on and pushed her way to the back wanting to get away from him. He didn't follow her and didn't look back at her for the ride. As the car thinned out she stayed in the corner focusing on the changing lights above her. It was then that she realized they were heading to her floor. Casting a look at him she wondered how he had known that. The doors opened and he stepped out, she followed slowly and let out a breath when he went into a cubicle. He worked here. Quickly stepping out she made her way to along the hall in front of her.
"Can I help you?" A woman asked.
She turned and was surprised to see Caitlyn. " Only if you can spare a minute."
"I thought you were going to sleep the day through again." Caitlyn smiled as she walked up, her arms full with papers and folders. " Here." She gave Kat half the load and continued down the hall. " What brings you here?"
"I was looking for you." Kat followed her sister as they entered a large and spacious office. There were large black and white photos around the office, all of them of faces. Some were kids others were adults and there were even group shots. " Cool office."
Caitlyn shrugged as she sat down behind the desk, " Put those anywhere and take a seat."
Kat place the load onto a nearby desk and sat down across from here sister. " I am confused over the letter you sent me. From the way you wrote things, it sounded like you were in a dire situation. But from the looks of things life is pretty damn good. What gives?"
"I admit the letter was written a bit strongly, but I do need you here." Caitlyn opened a drawer and tossed her a folder. " I know that you have a journalism degree from that French school you went to. I am offering you a freelance job until I can hire more bodies."
Kat blinked once and stared at the outstretched folder. " You are what?"
"Kat I need people and you do have experience." Cait looked at her with serious eyes. "It's just freelance."
Taking up the folder Kat looked through the assorted papers. " What do you need first?"
Cait smiled. " There is the Police and Commissioners ball tonight. I expect a report for the morning edition."
"I don't have an invitation." Kat took out the information page on the ball and looked through the two paragraphs.
"I'll take care of that, just have a good time." Caitlyn smiled and gazed at her sister for a moment. " Thanks for coming Kat."
"Don't thank me just yet." She stood up and turned go, Caitlyn's phone rang and she paused. " Cait, thanks."
Her sister paused and removed the phone from her mouth. " Are you okay?"
" I am now." Kat left her sister and looked at the story she had to prepare. At the bottom of the page someone had added in the dress code. " Just what I always wanted to do shopping." Kat rolled her eyes as she pressed the button for the elevators.