Ch 06 - Mission Report N03

Opening the creaking door to my room for our mission I was greeted by the cleaned room no more or less boring than when I left in the morning. Closing the door behind me I move through the faded brown room, I make it over to my bed, dropping my backpack next to it. Even as I lay down on the stiff mattress my tension melts away. I let out an involuntary breath as my worries of the day flake away. Sadly no matter how much I wanted to just curl up and slip off to rest. As if to spite me a rhythmic knock came from my door recognising the knock I called out trying my best to hide my tiredness. 

"It's open."

I sit up on the bed as the door creaks open, Adam opens the door letting Hannah in first as he makes his way in after wordlessly closing the door afterward. Hannah went for the chair as Adam leaned his back against the door to keep it shut.

"Did you make the call yet?" Adam asked with the same seriousness he has whenever he is on a mission, so I try my best to respond in kind.

"Not yet sorry, will get right onto that." I rush for my phone in the backpack before I see Hannah wave to me to get my attention.

"Don't worry as long as it's still this evening," Hannah said signing in a breath of partial relief to try and calm me. As if to say I didn't do anything wrong. It helped that she always knew how to relieve pain whether it was physical or mental.

The silence she left in the room was deafening no one daring to speak a word as if someone was just waiting for them to slip up. The silence left room for me to think not something I needed to stop as it always spiraled out of control. The latest in the line of things I did that sat heavily on my conscious was that new descendent of Cain. if i had not held such bad feelings for that kind he might not have run away like he did. Maybe if I was excited for him to awaken he would be with us now. these worries started etching themselves on my face without me realizing but I wasn't alone for such things to go unnoticed.

"Still Thinking of Joshua." He asked openly maybe even trying to justify his thoughts. The genuine smile on his face only made that event two nights ago even more vivid in my mind. I nodded to not let them hear the worry I was sure was in my voice. This only seemed to deepen his smile which spread to Hannah who tried to hide it.

"We can all agree this isn't the type of life you want someone to join under regular circumstances." Hannah spoke from under her hand still trying to hide her smile.

"Beslis." Adam chuckled in reply his eyes looking up at the ceiling as if reminiscing before his awakening, something I couldn't get info on no matter who I asked.

"Then why did you try to meet with him again?" Hannah asked Adam with a calm seriousness in her eyes like those of a hawk eyeing down its prey.

"What do you ...." Hannah wouldn't even let Adam finish his thought before cutting him off.

"Don't act coy with me, when we went solo yesterday." Now more serious not quite angry but annoyed that he tried to get around it. Exhaling he moved away from the door and sat down on the bed next to me across from her.

"I wanted to see his resolve to leave this all behind." his voice now matching her serious tone and his eyes paring down at her like a beast being challenged. they held each other's gaze for what might have only been half a minute but felt like half an hour neither backing down from their position.

"So, How did it go?" I hardened my voice trying to get their attention, it worked both turned to me causing me to crumble under their gaze Adam let up rubbing his eyes.

"He didn't engage with me, he acted like he didn't know me from a stranger." He fell back on the bed still ribbing his eyes his movements growing tight with tension.

"Happy?" I asked not sure what he thought from his expression sadly master didn't teach me that skill of his yet.

"Ek weet nie, it feels off, but it's not the big problem right now." he finally removed his hand from his eyes looking straight up dejected.

"Since when did you stop wanting to help, and when did we just let new descendents go!" Hannah now filled with anger stands up from her chair almost falling over as she glares down at Adam. He doesn't respond but sits up slowly meeting her gaze with his unchanged still dejected. But this does nothing to quench her anger.

"He is weird, so I needed to make sure he wasn't going to go try to be a hero or be tricked by New Babylon." His words were slow and careful not even for a breath did he take his eyes off her. Holding her gaze he waits for her to sit back down before he lyes back down wordlessly eyes still fixed on Hannah. 

"We know they aren't here, this isn't their turf." Hannah's voice slowly moves from remorseful to contemplative as she sits back down.

"It would be on me if he does anything, so his choices will tell me what to do with him after cleaning up the mess of demons in this place." Adam's voice becomes hard again as he lets the word linger. Taking responsibility for the new guy is too much in my opinion though I don't voice it out of both respect and fear.

"I, A blessing, A great Curse, A descendant of Cain." Adam's words were a chant I heard before, Ibrahim often used them in their arguments while they were still civil. 

"Don't!" Hannah shouts in her stern voice flinging the chair out from behind her as her gaze pierces Adam as he lies there on the bed not meeting her gaze. I wish I knew them for longer. My master told me they were the most reliable for my training 2 of the 6 Bright Stars Adam van de Heuwel "The Blood Extinction Star" and Hannah Moolman "The Life Preservation Star". Both Enhanced second-level Descendents can keep up with First Generation level descendents. Whereas I'm barely a Peak human third-level descendant, I'm dragging them down, and then that surprise attack in a moment where I let my focus slip and me unable to do anything but slow them down. Then that guy saved them. 

"So what now? We can't keep this up we are acting like... watsa... a rock and a hard place." Hannah started tripping over her words in desperation

"We need to figure it out soon we have taken too long the lines of magic in Paarl are strong we would need a much stronger priest to be able to even attempt to clear the magic." I give my opinion on the matter I might not be as experienced as them but I know the most about casting. looking down I miss their smiles. 

"And this demon who's playing king is hiding well in the darkness so we need to shake it up to get him to make a misstep." Hannah finishes her thought after giving my words thought

"So what's the plan, sir?" I ask Adam as he hasn't moved or changed his gaze since he lay back down.

"Oor more sal ons met Pastoor Elijah praat om a towerkuns opsporing rite gebruik om iemand uit te find en met hulle hierdie Skommel te uitfind." his matter of fact tone put me at ease.

"Rou." Hannah annoyedly started shaking her head before making her way to the door opening and started making her way out but stopped mid-way. 

"Night, sleep well." She very directly said to nobody in particular before leaving.

Slapping me on the back, Adam sat up "I'm going to turn in to, make the report before you go to sleep please."

He then abruptly stood up and left without another word closing the creaking door behind him. Left alone I lay back down feeling tenser from these last few minutes than from a whole day of investigation and keeping my guard up. letting out my umpteenth sign of the day I sit up and reach for my backpack. rummaging through it I find my phone and get to work. Dialing the number, not one of us is allowed to save in our phone in case the phone is taken. I phoned the number and waited for the response.

"Hello, thank you for calling the African Christian Alliance how may ..." not waiting for the whole press this button prerecorded message to play out I type the passcode 147, and Her voice shifts harshly over to midway through a song. Waiting for the instrumental solo I hear the lyrics to still quite the song to hear.