Succubus Dreams

Chapter 3

Shrill beeping jerked me from my sleep. The first sleep I'd had outside the eye of the government in five years. 

I rolled onto my side and grabbed the phone that continued to go off, looking at the screen. the time read five-thirty, with the title of the alarm 'training at six' with an address following. 

Groaning, I tapped the dismiss button and sat up, every bone and muscle crying in pain at the movement. I really needed to get at least a bed. 

I stiffly stood up, bones cracking, and grabbed my duffel bag. In the darkness, I sifted through the clothes I had brought. Long yoga pants and long sleeve, moisture wicking shirt. I pulled them on in the dark before slipping on my socks and shoes. 

Plugging the address into the phone, it looked like my training facility was only a couple blocks over. Thank goodness since they decided I only needed a half hour to get ready. 

I pulled a brush through my hair, and tied it back with an elastic from my wrist before sliding my leather gloves on and heading out of the apartment, locking the door behind me. 

In the dim light of the hallway, I looked back down at my gloved hands, remembering them holding Alex's attention longer than I'd liked. The gloves definitely would not help me blend in with Nevada life, but I also couldn't risk exposing anyone to my touch. 

I looked down at the phone screen, pushing the glove problem off until later and followed the highlighted line to get to my training. I knew if I were late, they would bring the full wrath of the United States government down on me. I studied the route, just two turns. Putting the phone in my pocket, I began to jog to warm up. 

It wasn't long before I was sure I was near my destination, but the area looked completely run down. Brick buildings with shattered windows. Broken glass on the sidewalk, and trash littering the sides of the street. There wasn't a single soul around. I pulled out my phone to verify the address, but I was right where I was supposed to be. 

An old warehouse with boarded up windows and a broken padlock on the sliding double doors. How stereotypical of them. 

I gripped one of the handles, the metal warm in my gloved hand even for nearly six in the morning, and slowly slid the door open enough to see inside. Darkness. There were no lights on inside, and the sun hadn't quite yet risen to filter through the windows above. 

Perhaps I was the first one there. I was early, after all. Or perhaps this wasn't the right location despite the fact the phone had led me right here. The second option was most definitely the least likely. They were rarely incorrect with the information given, especially when it came to assignments. 

For an abandoned building with boarded windows, it looked surprisingly clean inside in the dim lighting. The smell of dust filled my nostrils as the dry breeze slipped inside behind me. 

I took a few steps inside, breathing in the stale air. It was likely those doors hadn't been opened in years other than junkies or teenagers breaking inside. 

The open door provided what little light there was, so I left it open as I took a few more steps forward. There were no signs that the building was set up for training, but it was likely that there wouldn't be any equipment to use. That would mean they would have to spend more money on me, which was unlikely. 

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and the air behind me shifted. I dropped to the ground, spinning on the balls of my feet, and looking up just as a man's arm swung where my head had been. 

He passed by me, and I jumped to my feet, turning back around. 

The man brushed his hair out of his face, exposing all of his striking features.