Rise from the Ashes

Chapter 17: He Isn't Done with You Yet

Max pressed his ears flat against his head while letting out a low bark. Em felt her fingers itching for a weapon as her eyes drifted to the rearview mirror. Joggers slowed their pace as they passed, and noisy neighbors in the houses behind them pecked out of their windows, trying to catch a glimpse.

'This isn't good,' she thought, pulling up her hood.

"Come on, Max," she mumbled, popping open the door.

Hopping out, Max crawled over the center console, following in step beside Em.

"Miss, you need to stay in the car," one agent in a grey suit ordered, attempting to reach out and touch Em's shoulder.

Max shoved himself between the agent and Em, baring his sharp fangs while pretending to nip at the agent's knee. Flinching back, the agent and the ones behind him stood utterly frozen.

"Careful," Em whispered as she continued walking past. "The last time someone tried to put their hands on me, Max ripped their dick off."

Cowardly, one agent held his hands over his crotch as Max walked by without other problems. Weaver caught her movement out of the corner of his eye while the top agent continued to talk.

"Emerald," Weaver began pausing his conversation.

"Estamos causando una escena. Tenemos que entrar." 'We're causing a scene. We need to get inside,' she interrupted.

"What are we speaking Latin now?" the sarcastic agent questioned.

"Spanish," Em replied back, annoyed.

"My apologies, Agent Coleman," he introduced, holding his hand out.

"Let's move this inside," Weaver offered, unlocking his front door.

Em walked in without accepting Coleman's handshake, Weaver glared at her, but she only slightly shook her head.

'I don't trust him,' she desperately wanted to say.

"Kids these days," Coleman groaned, signaling for his men to come inside. "Don't know anything about proper etiquette."

Two agents followed Coleman inside while the third went over to their car as though they had forgotten something in the back seat.

"Don't worry, he'll be in a moment," Coleman reassured, closing the door for Weaver. "So Miss Ar-"

"Arnal," Em pronounced for him as Weaver met up with her in the kitchen.

"Right, is that a Spanish name?" Coleman asked, standing on the other side of the island.

"¿Va en serio?" 'Is he serious?' she asked Weaver.

"Por desgracia sí." 'Unfortunately yes,' Weaver replied with a sigh.

"Sí, I understood that," Coleman joked, popping back into the conversation. "Do you always flip between languages?"

"Sí," Em mumbled.

"Great," Coleman smiled with a hint of annoyance as the final agent opened the door with another man in a white jacket behind him. "Oh, this is Dr. Vincent. He's going to do some tests while I question you about Micheal."

"Agent Coleman, she just came back from the hospital," Weaver intervened.

"Not those kinds of tests," Coleman clarified. "We're looking for traces of The Gas in you."

"My files already say I'm a Prashal," Em noted as Vincent set his bag on the edge of the island, close to Em.

"Can never be too careful," Coleman stated while Em looked over at Vincent.