forever .
The mantra remained in his mind as he drove down the isolated street adjacent to the Cemetery. He glanced at Azza. “You’ll come for my birthday?”
“I’ll try my best. Good luck tomorrow. I’m happy for you, Jak. I hope you get a great job.”
He reached out and took her hand. “Thanks. I’ll be waiting for you, Friday night, at eleven fifty-nine, exactly.”
“If I don’t show at midnight, leave. It’s dangerous here. As soon as I close the door, go. Get out of here and don’t stop for anyone. Only vampires lurk here.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and let go. “Stop here.”
Jak braked. “I love you, Azza.”
“I love you, too.” She climbed out of the car. “Drive.”
She closed the door and Jak pressed on the gas. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Azza was gone. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, a shadowy figure moving along the street. The engine protested as he shoved his foot down on the accelerator.
Three blocks away he spotted a DSA vehicle, its UV spotlights flashing along the sidewalk and on the buildings. Praying Azza was safely inside the Cemetery, he headed for home.
* * *
Jak approached the placement officer’s desk. He brushed his palm against his thrift store slacks and extended his hand. “Thank you for the appointment, Mr. Baxter.”
Baxter gave him the once over, his gaze flicking over Jak’s clothes. The pants, shirt, jacket and tie were the best he could afford. Jak hoped the job wouldn’t require business attire.
Instead of shaking his hand, Baxter shoved several sheets of paper at him. “You’ve been assigned. The agency address is on the paperwork. Orientation begins in an hour. Don’t be late.”
Jak took the papers, thanked Baxter and hustled out of the office. His heart was pounding by the time he reached the waiting area where he’d sat for over two hours. He had a job. A real job. Even if he was pushing a vacuum he was one lucky son of a bitch.
Jak strode to the elevator and pushed the call button. He inhaled a deep breath and looked at the papers. He read the first line and his heart sank. It wasn’t possible. Fate wouldn’t deliver him so cruel a blow.
He squeezed his eyes shut and looked again. He’d been assigned to the Dead Souls Agency.
Chapter Eight
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Reeni had tried her best to talk Azza out of going to see Jak, but no way was she missing Jak’s birthday. “I promised him.”
“The rave is going down tonight. I don’t want to go alone.”
“The cops raided the last rave. I think you should skip this one.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Azza hugged Reeni, thankful to have such a good friend. “I’ll only be gone a few hours. I’ll be back at four.”
“Be careful.”
Azza slipped through the door. Excited to see Jak, she hustled through the tunnel. Within minutes, she was outside the Cemetery, rushing toward Jak’s vehicle. She opened the car door and climbed inside. “Happy birthday.”
Jak leaned over and kissed her, a hard brief kiss, then he took off, racing down the block. “I was afraid you wouldn’t make it.” He was gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything. I don’t think you should be outside the Cemetery tonight.”
“I was only going to stay out until four.”
Instead of heading toward his apartment Jak turned onto a street paralleling the Cemetery.
“This isn’t a safe area, Jak.”
Jak grabbed her hand and held onto it as if his life depended on it. “I know, but I don’t want you trapped on the outside.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was hired by the DSA.”
Fear shot through Azza. No wonder he was agitated.
“I wait years for a fucking job, willing to do anything, clean toilets, sweep the street with a toothbrush and I end up working for the Dead Souls. The powers of the universe must hate me.”
“Don’t take the job.”
“That was my plan, but
The mantra remained in his mind as he drove down the isolated street adjacent to the Cemetery. He glanced at Azza. “You’ll come for my birthday?”
“I’ll try my best. Good luck tomorrow. I’m happy for you, Jak. I hope you get a great job.”
He reached out and took her hand. “Thanks. I’ll be waiting for you, Friday night, at eleven fifty-nine, exactly.”
“If I don’t show at midnight, leave. It’s dangerous here. As soon as I close the door, go. Get out of here and don’t stop for anyone. Only vampires lurk here.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and let go. “Stop here.”
Jak braked. “I love you, Azza.”
“I love you, too.” She climbed out of the car. “Drive.”
She closed the door and Jak pressed on the gas. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Azza was gone. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, a shadowy figure moving along the street. The engine protested as he shoved his foot down on the accelerator.
Three blocks away he spotted a DSA vehicle, its UV spotlights flashing along the sidewalk and on the buildings. Praying Azza was safely inside the Cemetery, he headed for home.
* * *
Jak approached the placement officer’s desk. He brushed his palm against his thrift store slacks and extended his hand. “Thank you for the appointment, Mr. Baxter.”
Baxter gave him the once over, his gaze flicking over Jak’s clothes. The pants, shirt, jacket and tie were the best he could afford. Jak hoped the job wouldn’t require business attire.
Instead of shaking his hand, Baxter shoved several sheets of paper at him. “You’ve been assigned. The agency address is on the paperwork. Orientation begins in an hour. Don’t be late.”
Jak took the papers, thanked Baxter and hustled out of the office. His heart was pounding by the time he reached the waiting area where he’d sat for over two hours. He had a job. A real job. Even if he was pushing a vacuum he was one lucky son of a bitch.
Jak strode to the elevator and pushed the call button. He inhaled a deep breath and looked at the papers. He read the first line and his heart sank. It wasn’t possible. Fate wouldn’t deliver him so cruel a blow.
He squeezed his eyes shut and looked again. He’d been assigned to the Dead Souls Agency.
Chapter Eight
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Reeni had tried her best to talk Azza out of going to see Jak, but no way was she missing Jak’s birthday. “I promised him.”
“The rave is going down tonight. I don’t want to go alone.”
“The cops raided the last rave. I think you should skip this one.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Azza hugged Reeni, thankful to have such a good friend. “I’ll only be gone a few hours. I’ll be back at four.”
“Be careful.”
Azza slipped through the door. Excited to see Jak, she hustled through the tunnel. Within minutes, she was outside the Cemetery, rushing toward Jak’s vehicle. She opened the car door and climbed inside. “Happy birthday.”
Jak leaned over and kissed her, a hard brief kiss, then he took off, racing down the block. “I was afraid you wouldn’t make it.” He was gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything. I don’t think you should be outside the Cemetery tonight.”
“I was only going to stay out until four.”
Instead of heading toward his apartment Jak turned onto a street paralleling the Cemetery.
“This isn’t a safe area, Jak.”
Jak grabbed her hand and held onto it as if his life depended on it. “I know, but I don’t want you trapped on the outside.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was hired by the DSA.”
Fear shot through Azza. No wonder he was agitated.
“I wait years for a fucking job, willing to do anything, clean toilets, sweep the street with a toothbrush and I end up working for the Dead Souls. The powers of the universe must hate me.”
“Don’t take the job.”
“That was my plan, but
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