The Soul Devourer

VIII:

I leaned my head back in the headrest, closing my eyes and trying to wrap my mind around recent events. The weight of the man with the gun was fresh in my mind and my heart refused to slow down. My head was throbbing again.

"You alright?", a voice startled me out of my thoughts. I had forgotten about Xavier's associate who was supposedly driving me to safety. He sounded young.

"Yeah, just in need of aspirin.", I mumbled, sliding to the other side in the backseat to get a better look at the man.

"I'm sorry, what was that? In need of an ass print?", he said, chuckling and turned a sharp left.

I grabbed the seat in front of me, straightening myself. "An aspirin! My head has been hurting since morning."

He hummed in response and as he looked both sides of the cross roads, I glimpsed his side profile. I gasped. "Oh my God, you!" It was the guy who lived down my street, the one in the library, the one Xavier had been talking to.

"I didn't know I was a renowned celebrity and strangers knew my name", he said, trying to play it off. But I leaned forward. "No, you're the one in the library, the one who recently moved in the street I live in."

He gulped and met my eyes in the rear view mirror. "Hi, neighbour. I'm Dean."

"How do you know Xavier?"

"Who? I'm.... I'm just a driver. Someone called for Uber at your location."

I shot him the most bitter look I could manage. He sighed, turning on the indicator. "Fine, woman. Superman's laser vision is nothing compared to the glare you are shooting me."

We stopped at a traffic light and he turned his head to look at me. "I'm someone who works with him. Currently, we're working on dismantling the entire Python organisation."

He turned back as the light turned green. My brow furrowed as I spoke. "You being in the library was not a coincidence was it?"

He nodded. "I and my associates were on a mission.. infiltrating the building you were just in but there was a distraction. You researching Python on that public computer triggered our radar. Of course, we didn't know it was you but I knew Python would send men after whoever it was. So after you finished, I went to erase all data so they won't know the location. Erasing history doesn't do the trick. I don't know what you were thinking."

I felt embarrassment cover me, and I bowed my head. "I thought I might get ahead of them. While I was researching, I actually got a message from them, saying that they'd find me. I thought it was a public place and they wouldn't try anything if they didn't want to be caught."

"I admire you trying to make logic of your situation but it's okay to be scared. But we are going to keep you safe, don't worry", he replied.

I leaned forward again, my elbows digging in my thighs. "We? What is it about keeping me safe? Xavier said Python are after a weapon that I apparently possess but why would they try killing me if they want it so bad? Who do you all of you work for?"

He bit his lip. "Xavier told you more than he was supposed to. We're sworn by duty not to engage any information unless we're given direct orders to. He could get punished for this. But to answer your question, Python are one branch of Preservers. Preservers are after you but Python wants to kill you. Wow, I feel badass, disobeying orders."

My knuckles gripped the edge of the seat so hard that they turned white. "What's the difference between Preservers and Python? Why can't you tell me anything, it's my life on the line and don't say it's because you are protecting me!"