After The Awakening | ONC 2023

Chapter Four

Xavier and Dylan were led into a plush looking office. Neatly organised books and clean lines stared back at them, along with ergonomic furniture.

Xavier hated sitting in there. Sure, the chairs were comfy, but there was something about their angular shape that made him feel exposed.

A tall, thin man opened the door mere seconds after they sat.

'Kowalski. Denvers,' he said.

'Sir,' they replied in unison.

The sharply dressed man took a seat behind the desk and flicked through the report in front of him.

'Two officers injured. An ex agent dead. And we have a teenager in the cells. Would one of you care to explain?' The man peered at them behind his spectacles, his gaze unwavering.

'We were called to the scene-' Dylan cut off as the man held up his hand.

'I know what you were doing there. I want to know what went wrong,' he said steadily.

'From the initial reports, it appeared to be a feeding frenzy,' Xavier said.

'But you disagree?'

'The bodies don't add up. Eight vamps, four dead workmen. The only other person who was killed was Mari. And she wasn't killed for blood.'

The man slid the papers across his desk and picked up one. 'Marilyn Le Bou. Do we know what she was doing there?'

'Not yet,' Xavier admitted.

'I assume that's why you brought the girl.'

'Sir, I believe she may know why the vamps were there.' He watched the director of the Bureau nod to himself.

'Has she said anything?' the Director asked.

'Not much since Mari...'

The Director's sharp eyes watched Xavier carefully before glancing at Dylan and sitting back in his chair. 'Agent Denvers, could you arrange for the girl to be transferred to the interrogation room?'

'Of course, Sir.' She stared back at Xavier as she shut the door, looking worried.

'Xavier,' the Director began, dropping the formalities. 'I understand this must be hard. I know you and Mari were close.'

'I haven't seen the woman in over fifteen years.'

'Around the time of the Awakening,' he noted, taking the seat Dylan had vacated. 'We need to establish how an ex agent ended up involved with something like this. Questions will be asked about her choice of weapons alone.'

'I understand, Sir.'

'I want you to keep me informed of anything you find. We need to get a handle on whatever shitstorm we've found ourselves involved in.'

'I'll interrogate the girl myself. We'll find out what they were both doing there.'

'Do you have any theories yet?' the Director asked abruptly.

Xavier chose his words carefully. 'The vamps weren't there to feed. They were looking for something.'

'And you think the girl knows what that is?'

Xavier kept his face neutral. He knew exactly what the vampires had been after. And it wasn't a thing but a living person. Only that was something he didn't understand, and with Mari's dying words still lingering in his ear, he kept that piece of information to himself.

'It's possible. As you said, they were equipped with UV guns. I'd like to know why they had them,' he said honestly.

The Director gazed at him, his steely blue eyes unreadable. 'See what the girl has to say. I want your report in two days' time. After that, I recommend a holiday. Maybe somewhere nice, like Devon or Somerset. Somewhere away from the city.'