Mystery Noir

Sins and Lies Part 3

The room was cool, though it lacked the stereotypical dampness that you would expect from an underground room made of stone. Off to one side was a table laden with food and drinks and overhead lights chased the shadows from all corners. The chairs, only half of which were full, were split in two groups, each forming semi circles that faced off across an open space in the center of the room.

On one side, taking up two rows of chairs, though there were empty spacer seats scattered throughout, were a group of hunters who were of various stages of questionable morals in my opinion. It was a mixed group, with some who didn't automatically kill a supernatural unless they judged it evil and others who openly said if it wasn't human, it wasn't supposed to be alive.

In the opposing side's seats were the groups of paranormal investigators, spiritual guides, and other humans with an ability or interest in the non-human world. One or two, like Rashel and myself, were investigators who could hunt down bad people, human and non-human alike, but I noted several missing people from that category that I would have liked to have seen if this was going to be an argument between opposing viewpoints.

I saw a couple people glance in my direction, but both groups seemed to be talking amongst one another, about a variety of things, including the rumours of missing and presumed killed people.

Penny followed me to sit in the same row as Rashel, though I gave the other woman a couple chairs buffer. Penny sat on my other side and we listened to the talk of people who had gone on a job and never checked in. Some people were loners, like me, and no one had heard from them in months.

When Rashel turned from her conversation with a man, I think I had met the last time, though only briefly, I motioned to Penny. "Rashel, this is Penny. Penny, I met Rashel a couple years ago."

"Yeah, we both ended up caught in a Grumple nest." Rashel grinned and leaned over, shaking Penny's hand firmly.

Penny raised a brow and looked between the two of us. "Grumple?"

"Yeah, Eastern European ball of spikes and teeth, about the size of a soccer ball, a few of them were brought over here on accident over the years, and they started hunting livestock and kids in the suburbs." I offered, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Nina here saved my life, still don't know how we both survived that." Rashel shook her head and chuckled softly. "But Nina has more lives than a litter of cats, I think."

I expected Penny to join in reminiscing about my talent to outlast my luck, but she glanced around the room before giving Rashel a tight smile and nodding. "Nina has been teaching me the ropes about investigating so far. She hasn't told me about the Grumples though."

Before Rashel could respond, an older woman walked into the center of the room and cleared her throat. Old Jackie, the organizer of these meetings and owner of the bar, glared around the circle at everyone, leaning into her black wooden cane. Her hair was greying and braided down her back, her eyes a pale blue, though her skin was a dark mahogany colour.

"I think that's everyone that's coming." Jackie offered once the room was quiet, and she frowned as she spoke. "I know some of you aren't frequently in contact with others, so I wanted to have this meeting so as many of you would know as possible. There's something or somethings out there, killing anyone that gets in its way. Most of them are people who I know would risk their lives to help those in need, protect the week."

"Fucking supernatural demons." One hick, complete with a plaid shirt, trucker hat and mullet, muttered from across the room from me. "They're amassing and killing us one at a time."

"Something is killing non-humans as well." Jackie shook her head and held up her hand toward the man. "Good people, despite what you may think. You know that we have rules, that only people who are a danger to everyone are free game. Well, whatever this is, is going after anyone who has an ounce of conscience in them."