Predatory

ZOE POV

Being left alone in a strange bar is not my idea of a good time on a Tuesday night, but it is absolutely a delight to watch my woman work, even though I can’t hear what she’s saying to her target. Knowing she has no attraction to the man she’s seducing, that it’s all a power game, makes it almost a turn-on. Maybe she’ll be up for the real thing, once we get home for the evening. I think she gets him away from his post and into the nearby entry to the bar’s kitchen in record time. No sooner than the bouncer and Rika are away, Sasha moves from the bathroom into the unguarded lower level access, quick and totally unnoticed by anyone who would want to stop her. Moments later, my phone vibrates with a message.

I’m in. Door locked behind me. I have the key.—Sasha.

Well, good. Unless someone in this joint has a spare key, no one should be bothering her, then. And Rika should be well positioned to handle anyone who would have a spare key. Everything’s going as smoothly as we could have hoped, except for these bands. Metal is decidedly not my thing, and it’s not even good metal. I could have tolerated something like Metallica, but I guess Metallica has made it too big to be playing small-time bar gigs like this. If our plan provided something more for me to do, that would be one thing, but sitting here pretending to enjoy this rubbish music is frustrating, to say the least.

Oooooo, wait, hello. There are those three fiiiiiiiine lycans I’m supposed to be watching for. All of them seem to have brown eyes instead of gold—contacts, probably, like what Sasha uses—but these are definitely the same guys. One of them happens to glance my way, and I smile and twinkle my fingers flirtatiously at him. “Care to join me?” I mouth, hoping he can read lips. He smiles in reply, and moments later he and both of his friends have taken Sasha’s place and the two empty spots at our table, leaving Rika’s seat with her half-finished glass of blood open for whenever she comes back.

“Evening, gentlemen,” I greet them with my most charming grin.

“And a what a fine evening it is, with such pleasant company,” the one I’d waved at—I think his name is Callum?—replies. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Don’t think so, but you’re about to know me from here. Name’s Effie. And you are?” We always use code names when we’re on jobs if we have to interact with targets. Sasha’s going by Nikki, and Rika’s going by Angel, which is just hilarious.

“I’m Callum, and these are Drake and Xander.” Yes! I got them right. Studying those files from the boss has paid off.

“It’s so lovely to meet you. Up to this point, the crowd’s been kind of stale.”

“It stands to get much better here in about an hour,” Xander, whose black and red mohawk is far more impressive in person than it was in any of the pictures WASP has on file, asserts.

“Why? What happens then?”

“Sleepers Awake starts playing then. Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

“Maybe that’s why Angel insisted we come to this bar tonight. We’re fairly new to the area. Came to Columbus for grad school and for the first time since the term started, none of us had a ton of studying to do, so we thought we’d go out.”

“We’re originally from out of town, ourselves. How’re you liking it so far?” Drake inquires.

“It’s really different from what I expected. I always thought Ohio was nothing but farmland.”

“Not too far off, at that,” Callum chuckles. “But Columbus is a pretty cool town, all things considered.”

“Where are you guys from?”

“Northern Maine.”

“Really? I mean, that’s super cool. I just…erm…didn’t know anyone lived there. Just pine trees and moose, I thought.”

Fortunately, all three of them seem to think my ignorance is very funny. “Not too far off, either, but our families like life a ways from civilization.”

“To each their own, I suppose. I’m definitely a city girl.” It’s the truth. Most elementals prefer to be connected to nature in some way, but with my ability, I feel happiest and most powerful surrounded by skyscrapers and motor vehicles.

Through the floorboards, I feel some of the metal in the basement walls shudder. Sasha’s at work. I wonder how Rika’s job is progressing?

“I think this city’s way better than Maine’s wilderness, personally,” Xander grins. “Much better nightlife. The music scene here is dope.”

“I’m glad to hear that, because to be honest, the music in this bar tonight hasn’t been all that great so far, at least in my opinion.”

“Well, they’re certainly no Sleepers Awake,” Rika interjects, reclaiming her seat with a self-satisfied smirk playing about her lips. That single remark immediately and completely captures Xander’s attention, where before I think he was rather annoyed with me. “I see you’ve made some friends while I was chatting with the bartender, Effie. Care to introduce me?”

“Of course. Guys, this is my best friend Angel, and Angel, these lovely gentlemen are Callum, Xander, and Drake.”

“Charmed, I’m sure.”

“You know Sleepers Awake?!” Xander exclaims, hardly able to believe his ears. Cute. How easily they’re led.

“Of course. If you don’t, I’ll have to question Effie’s choice in company.” Drake and Callum exchange bemused glances behind Xander’s back, and I have to distract myself with the remains of the appetizer platter to keep from laughing. They clearly do not share Xander’s high opinion of tonight’s headlining musical act at Tipsy Griffin’s.

“Well, question away, because you’re honestly the first person we’ve met who has heard of any of Xander’s favorite bands,” Drake replies.

“I think that leaves Xander’s choice of companions more in question than Effie’s, personally.”

“Hey, that’s cold. Your parents name you Angel as a joke?” Callum jibes.

“Canonically speaking, angels are agents of destruction as well as bringers of blessing. It just depends on who encounters them. Speaking of encounters, Effie, do you know what’s become of Nikki?”

“She went to the bathroom to take a phone call. Her family, I think. It sounded serious, and she was having trouble hearing them out here,” I answer easily.

“How many in your group tonight? Have we taken someone’s seat?” Callum asks, suddenly concerned.

“Just us and Nikki. I’m sure we can steal a chair from somewhere whenever she comes back,” Rika replies dismissively. “But it might be a while. Her parents are something else, from what I understand. Super uptight.”

“Oof. I know how that goes,” Drake mutters.

“Hey, stop that. One of the rules for tonight was no being a downer,” Xander reproaches him. “We are here to have a good time, and I intend to do exactly that.”

My phone buzzes and I check it while Rika continues to banter with the lycans.

Send for scouts or whatever other WASP support are in area. Have humans need rehab.—Sasha.

Will do. You done down there? I type back before sending a support staff request on WASP’s app. It will automatically give support staff in the area our location and someone should be here shortly to help.

Done. Need cleanup assist.—Sasha.

“Hey, um, excuse me for a second. I guess Nikki just got off the phone and…she needs some help freshening up,” I interrupt the rest of the group’s conversation.

“Sure thing,” Rika acknowledges me, gesturing subtly to the smart watch hidden amongst the leather cuffs and bangles on her wrists and forearms. The guys also wave as I get up and leave, but they seem to be deeply invested in a debate about what bands put on the best concerts, or something of that nature.

Keep watch for support staff. Send our way when arrived, I text Rika. That should be sufficient. We’ll fill each other in on all the details when we’re on our way out, once the mission’s wrapped. For now, my job is helping Sasha clean up whatever mess she’s made below.