Finding the Fallen

Chapter 12

This side of the Laidley Tower was surprisingly intact. The rest of the building was a different story. Only the front façade of the building retained any glass; nearly every other window was a metal shell, leaving the building looking like it was in the initial process of construction rather than destruction. How this one part of such an immense glass structure had managed to survive the Cleansing in this manner was intriguing to Kala. As she stood across the street staring at the main entrance, willing herself to move forward, she pondered that thought briefly. In the past 6 years, she had never come across a structure that so closely resembled its former self...well, at least part of its former self.

Kala glanced behind her down the rapidly darkening street, making certain Merik had not followed her. She saw only a handful of street vendors and a few passersby at this hour. With the loss of electricity to light up the nights, most people chose to spend their evenings at home in the perceived safety and security of their own small circle of candlelight. It was a false security, especially in a city overrun with Servants of questionable nature.

Tricking her brain into what was likely a false security of her own, Kala turned her gaze to the upper floors of the tower. She figured Merik was probably somewhere close despite her request he stay behind, but with his military training she knew she would not see him unless he wanted her to. As she scanned the upper floors in the waning light, her eyes came to rest on a single window emanating soft candlelight. From her vantage point on the street, she could not see into the window, but she knew it was likely her destination. The rest of the building was dark.

Taking a deep, only mildly reassuring breath, Kala crossed the street and entered the building. A man approached her from a desk in the center of a large foyer. What were once modern chairs and sofas dotted the room, which apparently had originally been designed as a waiting area for clients. Some 22 stories high, the Laidley Tower had previously been home to some of the area's top financial and investment banking firms. Now it housed an even more dangerous entity...a Servant with a power chip on his shoulder.

The guard eyed Kala up and down before indicating she should follow him. Twenty-one flights of stairs later, Kala found herself standing in yet another waiting area while the Mayor's assistant informed him of her arrival. Glancing around the waiting room, she noticed a stack of old magazines on a side table. They were dated over six years ago, a fading testament to a past that would likely never return.

The world as she knew it once was long gone. There were no more celebrities smiling in front of paparazzi cameras or politicians kissing babies for votes. Things were different now, much more akin to the days of her ancestors when the worst one had to worry about wasn't how long the commute would take, but rather where the next meal would come from.

Kala snapped out of her reverie at the sound of a door opening. Standing a few feet from her was the man responsible for the death of her friend. Gregory Tannish was tall and handsome in a traditional sort of way. His blond hair was trimmed short, and he wore a suit that certainly helped him look the part of the kind-hearted, caring Mayor of Charleston. But Kala knew better. Now all she had to do was make sure he couldn't anticipate her intentions before she could complete her task.

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Tannish extended a hand in greeting. "Kala," he smiled warmly. "I'm most happy you could join me this evening. Please, come in." As she offered her hand, he gently led her into his outer office.

"I was curious," she replied, clearly allowing him to direct her movements. "Do you entertain all of the new residents of Charleston like this?" she asked, her eyes sparkling slightly in the candlelight. She glanced to the open window behind his hulking wooden desk.