Off With His Head

11. Have you ever considered charity work?

When we pull to a stop in front of the Farmhouse, I am the first one out the car.

I run straight into the house, pull back the carpet in the hall, open the trapdoor and climb down the ladder. And then I have to stop, because I have no idea where the hell I am going.

I wait impatiently for the boys to appear, tapping my foot on the stone floor. They seem to be taking forever, probably having yet another conversation about me as though I am not standing right here.

Finally, I see the sole of Zach's shoe and then the rest of him slowly follows. He has barely touched the floor when I speak. "I can't remember how to get there. Which way do I go?"

"We aren't going to the meeting room," he answers. "We are going to the control room. That's where Lideri usually is at this time of night."

"So, not in his bed sleeping then?" I point out his previous lie. He just ignores me but Caleb covers a laugh.

Zach leads us down the passageway, making more turns than I care to remember before finally reaching a solid wood door. He knocks once and then opens it without waiting for a response.

I follow him into the room, my jaw dropping open. One entire wall is covered with large computer monitors, showing graphs, emails, images and what looks like surveillance footage. On the right is a large white board with lists of names written on it, some scratched out with red marker. I only recognise one; Henry Xavier Delgado. To my left is a floor to ceiling bookshelf filled with files labelled in messy script.

Lideri is sitting in a desk chair in front of one of the monitors, typing away at a keyboard so fast I can barely see his fingers moving. Another man is watching the footage, occasionally stopping it and rewinding, searching for something on the screen. His dark hair is ruffled, standing on end as though he has been continuously running his hands through it.

Zach waits for Lideri to finish typing and then clears his throat.

"Ah Zacharias," Lideri swivels around in his chair and faces us. His right eyebrow raises when he sees me standing there. "I trust all went according to plan? The monster has been terminated?"

"Yes," Zach says stiffly and looks pointedly at me. "Henry is dead, but Peyton would like to talk to you."

"I see. Matthew," he calls to the other man in the room. "Would you mind giving us a moment of privacy please?"

The man named Matthew stands up and shuffles towards the door, throwing me a curious look as he does so. His dark brown eyes meet mine for a second and I swear I see him shake his head slightly. Zach approaches the white board, picking up a marker and drawing a neat red line through Henry's name.

"Miss Jennings, what can I do for you?" Lideri asks as soon as the door closes behind Matthew.

All the words I had been preparing to say to him have disappeared from my head and I am suddenly nervous and unsure of where to begin. "Sorry to bother you, Lideri uh sir, I would just like to know when I can start my training."

Slowly getting to his feet, he lets out a huge sigh and tucks his chair carefully beneath the desk. "Miss Jennings, please kindly take a walk with me."

He addresses Zach before I can respond. "Zacharias, please may you keep an eye on Monitor One. There are reports of a windigo sighting over on Fifth Avenue that we need to keep an eye on. Caleb, please take over Matthew's screen. He was watching footage of a suspected Weeper in Willowville and trying to ascertain whether or not the person has supernatural tendencies. Shall we go?" He turns back to me, gesturing towards the door without waiting for an answer from either of them.