The Mercenary
Prolouge
Disclaimer- I do not own anything recognized from the movie "The Covenant".
She slipped through the door, careful to slowly shut it behind her. The musty scent of old knowledge met her sensitive nose. Her heart beat a drum roll in her chest, and she hurriedly padded towards an aisle to her left. Scanning through the titles of the texts before her, she was acutely aware of the terror building inside her, peaking all her senses to the point where she could feel every tree outside the doors, swaying in the breeze, smell every hand that had ever touched those doors, hear every rustle of leaves, and see every speck of dust. Darkness surrounded her, and yet she still found the subject of her search. Tucking the book into her long, dark, trench coat, she turned to leave.
Then she heard it. The faintest sound out of place, the sound of grass bent against its will, under a falling foot. He was here. He found her. The footsteps came closer, ever so slowly, and she stood frozen in place. She could almost smell him now, anger and evil masked with cologne. Yet she was rooted to the spot where she stood. Her heartbeat almost doubled as she finally swiveled around, searching for an exit, an escape, a way out. Any minute now, he would catch her scent as well, and there would be no hope for her. Thinking quickly, she pulled off her coat, and doffed her sweater, placing it on the floor before her, in front of an air vent. She pulled her coat back on, buttoned it to the collar, and made sure the book was secure before she briskly walking away, sure to take quick, quiet steps.
It would be only seconds before he reached her decoy, and she didn't want to be around to see it. She deftly slipped through a window and out onto the dewy lawn. She felt raindrops fall onto her face, flowing from the sky, increasing their pace. She smirked to herself. He would be delayed even longer. The rain would cleanse her scent from the area. As long as it kept raining, she was safe.
Once she reached the main street, she took off running. Her speed was supernatural, her body just a blur in the midst of the now pouring rain. At the outskirts of the town, she paused, for a split second, and quickly skimmed the pages of the book for her destination, before tucking it safely back into her coat. She turned in the direction of her desired location and resumed running. Running in the direction of Ipswich.
Reid chalked up his pool stick, waiting for his turn. It was just another night at Nicky's, but the normalcy of it made him squirm. It had been a year since Caleb's Ascension, a year since Chase had shaken the foundations of the Covenant. The event had changed them, all of them. Caleb and Sarah grew ever closer, as did Kate and Pogue, up till the point that they were inseparable. Pogue had told Kate everything, and their relationship strengthened every day.
The Covenant had once been just a group of teenage boys, who happened to have exceptional power, living life to its fullest. They had referred to each other as "brothers", since they had spent almost their whole lives together. Now it was still a group of four teenage boys, but they were less brotherly, more drawn and serious, as if nobody would ever understand them, not even each other.
Caleb and Pogue had their girlfriends, but Reid and Tyler kept to themselves. They hardly used their powers, after witnessing the evil it could create. Caleb and Pogue had Ascended, while Reid and Tyler's birthdays were arriving in the spring.
Reid glanced over at Caleb, who was deep in discussion with Sarah, then over at Pogue who was currently connected at the mouth to Kate. He grimaced, then turned his gaze to Tyler, who sat alone, nursing a tankard of beer that he was technically "not allowed" to drink. He had been turning to alcohol for quite a while now, and whenever Reid asked him about it, or tried to help his friend, he concocted a different story, until he finally told Reid to leave him alone- if he wanted to talk, Tyler would come to him. Though it pained him to see his brother in every way but blood so down, Reid obliged, knowing that they were all dealing with it in their own ways.
The Covenant was together, yet they were alone. Conversations were strained, to say the most, and Reid and Caleb were as close to a falling out as you could get. Reid had stopped conversing with Caleb unless it was absolutely necessary, not wanted to condemn their friendship.
Even women weren't much of a distraction for Reid- he had grown tired of their shallow minds and the way they threw themselves at him. Once Reid had stopped trying to flirt with them, they suddenly were throwing themselves at him. Pogue claimed this was due to the fact that all women found a silent, tortured male "simply irresistible". As a group of women across the room blatantly tried to get his attention by winking and adjusting the little clothing they had on to reveal even more skin, Reid decided it was time to leave.
Reid strolled across the bar, bid his goodbyes to the other Sons of Ipswich and walked out the door. A cool zephyr met his face and Reid closed his eyes in contentment. He had come to appreciate the smaller things in life. The world was damp from the rain, and Reid walked on the sidewalk, letting the dripping leaves on the trees caress his face, leaving wet droplets behind.
She raced passed the sign that welcomed her to Ipswich. Only after she was well into the town did she slow to a walk, her senses still heightened and alert. The rain had stopped, and her scent would soon become distinguishable. Closing her eyes, she lost herself to the sound, searching for the most public place she could find.
Swiftly, she began walking towards the noise, her eyes still closed in concentration. Everything was focused on maintaining the location of that sound, so she didn't smell him until it was too late.
"Oof," he grunted as she slammed into him, knocking his feet out from under him.
"," she muttered as she helped him up off the ground. Only when she got a closer look at him did she gasp. His blonde hair was swept out of his eyes, his blue eyes irritated and confused. She was still holding his hand, which was covered in a fingerless glove.
"What?" the attractive male questioned. At one point, he would have made a witty comment about his own good looks, but things had changed. Little did he know they were about to change even more.
The woman before him was speechless, her breathing fast and shallow. Her hands were clutched in her straight raven hair, and her chocolate brown eyes were frightened. "Are you okay?" Reid moved to touch her, but she flinched away.
"G-give me a second," she stammered out. She turned away from him, taking deep breathes and rubbing a mocha-colored hand over her forehead. Reid waited in silence, confused by this awkward confrontation. Only after her breathing had slowed to normal did she turn around.
She grabbed his arm and spoke. "You have to come with me."
"What! I don't even know you!" Reid was more than confused at this point.
"Reid, you have to come with me," she spoke in a soothing voice, soft and mellow.
"How do you know my name? Have I ever seen you before? And why the hell should I come with you?" Reid was getting frustrated, and his pupils were expanding, turning his blue eyes midnight black.
"Because, Reid Garwin, if you don't come with me, you will die."
A/N- REVIEW! PLEASE!
