Shadows in the Concrete Jungle Book One: The Grey

Chapter Two

Kendra jumped awake as the town car braked next to a curb In front of a dark black building, nondescript, but remarkable in its size and gothic architecture. Her heart raced, and an immediate thought of Where am I? jolted through her mind. Her hand slipped to touch the pocket in her backpack where her two guns and two daggers sat, the runes on the hilt of one gun radiating to her fingers, begging to be used.

Kendra placed a hand on her chest and closed her eyes, urging her heart to slow down.

"Agent Winter," Thibeaux said, putting the car into park. "We're here at Headquarters. Your partner should be here already to show you around."

"Alright," she said, her eyes fluttering open. Agent Winter unbuckled her seatbelt, then stretched her legs out in the car before Thibeaux got out and rounded to the back of the car. She slung on her backpack and smiled at him. "Thank you, Agent Thibeaux."

Thibeaux shut the door and popped the trunk open. "It's no problem at all. I volunteered to pick you up. I read about the drug bust you did," he commented, helping her pick out her duffel bags from the trunk, setting them gently on the sidewalk. "Ten demons. I couldn't even imagine doing that. And making drugs with their blood? Who would have guessed." He chuckled and shook his head, then closed the trunk.

Kendra hefted her duffel bags, slinging one over each shoulder. "All I did was follow the trail. The sheriff's department was happy to wash their hands from that mess." She turned her head, and spied a shadow leaning against the one way windows of the black building, then turned her head back to Thibeaux.

"There's your new partner," Thibeaux said, beckoning the dark figure over. Special Agent Noah Sebastian.

Kendra looked him over as he approached. He was dressed all in black, from the hood over his head, down to the boots carrying her new partner over to her. He was tall, very tall, over six feet at least, and she felt dominated by him, standing only five feet and some inches. A hilt of a sword poked out from behind his back, a katana, according to the file she had read about him. He pulled one hand out of a pocket, and offered it to her.

"Special Agent Noah Sebastian," he said, after Kendra tucked her hand into his with a firm handshake. Her hand was dwarfed in his, and she shifted her eyes from their joined hands up to his face.

"Kendra Winter," she replied. His hand was covered in tattoos, all the way from his fingertips, and disappearing into the sleeve of his coat. She released his hand, and Noah peered to Thibeaux.

"I got it from here," Noah said, nodding once to the other agent before turning back away from them.

Kendra turned to Thibeaux, and shook his hand again. "Thanks for the ride," she said, adjusting her bags before taking off after Noah, already steps ahead of her.

"Stay safe!" Thibeaux said, then swung back into the towncar.

Kendra caught up to Noah, his stride making quick work of the distance to the doors, where he scanned his badge, the door clinking unlocked. Kendra fumbled for her own badge, tucked into the slim wallet attached to her phone case, and scanned it in as well, and then they stepped into the lobby.

Kendra let out a delicate whistle. "This place is gorgeous," she said, looking at all the gothic architecture, the black marble flooring, the dark grey walls with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. "Much more pretty than the Midwest Division. That was just a plain beige box with brown furniture and stale lighting."

Noah looked over his shoulder at her, a slight smile on his face. "Probably because you don't get much action in the Midwest. First floor has the lobby and the commissary, as well as the hospital ward. Second floor is all offices," he said, leading the starry eyed Kendra to the elevator bay, her head on a swivel. "Third through Seventh floors are the living quarters, with floor five the gym. Our desks are on floor two, apartments on floor four."

Noah had said everything curtly, like he didn't quite care if she got lost on her first night here. Kendra nodded along, memorizing the important floors. "Floor two, work. Floor four, sleeping."

The elevator dinged, the doors sliding open. The pair stepped in and Noah pressed the button for their apartment floor. The doors slid shut, and Noah leaned against the wall beside the button panel, finally shaking his hood off his head. He crossed his arms and scrutinized her.

Kendra only scrutinized him back.

†††

Noah should have been a bit nicer he supposed, but this agent was unwantedly filling a void in his life. He could feel his face morph quickly from indifference into a sneer. Her head had been on swivel, like she was a kid visiting Disneyland for the first time.

His eyes shifted up and down her form, from her pink blonde hair down to the running shoes she wore. But she had held his gaze and they moved smoothly up to their apartments floor, not backing down from his examination of her. She opened her mouth.

"So-" she started, but Noah cut her off.

"We have about ten minutes before needing to head out," he said, as the elevator dinged and the doors opened for them.

"Okay then," Kendra muttered, her eyes shifting skyward in an eye roll. Noah pretended he didn't notice, and smirked after he faced away from her. The elevators had opened up into the common area, where a handful of other agents milled about, playing pool and drinking beer, some even playing video games on the shared console in the room. Noah only nodded to a few of them, not stopping to talk to anyone.

A few doors down into the hallway, he paused. "This one is mine," he said, gesturing to the door, number 208. He pointed to the room across from his. "Yours."

Kendra badged in, and slammed the door in his face. He smiled to himself as he leaned against the wall across from her door, one foot resting over the other. He had tested her wiles, and he had won. It would be very easy to get under her skin, and in no time, would probably transfer back to the podunk Ohio town she came from, destined to always be a mediocre agent.

Noah was daydreaming about her inevitable breakdown and transfer when her door swung open.

It had only taken her a few minutes to reappear, and when she did... what a vision she was. Noah arched an eyebrow up, enthralled.

Kendra had changed into dark grey high waisted jeans, a plain black t-shirt tucked into the waistband, a leather harness on top that housed her holsters, and conveniently accentuated her curves. She was shrugging on a leather bomber, her worn leather boots laced up to her knees. And the braid she had in her hair had been pinned up into a bun. Around one thigh, was another - God damn it - leather harness, this one holding two sheaths with two silver daggers in them.

If Noah was in a cartoon, his jaw would have hit the ground. But he gritted his teeth only.

"Quit ogling," she said, adjusting her clothes, patting down her jacket for presumably her phone. "We have work to do, right?"

They restarted the way they had just come, and this time, all commotion in the common room paused, nearly every eye watched as Kendra jabbed the elevator button, then stepped into the elevator when it came.

"Alrighty, Winter," Noah said, after the doors slid closed and they hurtled downward. "Let's see what you're made of."

"Only flesh, blood, and bone, just like you," Kendra retorted.

God damn, Noah thought, a lazy smile on his face. He was definitely in for it. Maybe this new partner wouldn't be so bad after all.