Page 2 of Soul Sucker

“Morning, Ella. Mr. Feehan was looking for you.”

“Already? I’m sure he’ll find me soon enough.” She bypassed the bank of elevators and descended to the lower levels regular office workers were unaware existed. As she stepped out the familiar smell of burned coffee and old carpet hit her and she drew it deep into her lungs. The main office was crowded with cubicles, and had a central area for copying stuff and an alcove where the vending machines pumped out their unpalatable, highly caloric and sometimes unrecognizable wares.

Ella threaded her way through the cubicles to the back of the building where her tiny corner office lay. The door was already open and she could see the unmistakable shape of her new boss sitting at her desk. Mr. Kenneth Feehan was about twenty years her senior but acted more like her grandfather.

“Mr. Feehan.” She came through the door and stared pointedly at her chair, which her boss hurriedly vacated. “What’s up?”

“I’ve got an emergency for you. A man was freaked out by something he saw in Golden Gate Park this morning.”

“And you’re sure he wasn’t just smoking weed?”

He didn’t crack a smile. “Absolutely sure. He says that one of the giant sunflowers started talking to him and then tried to wrap him up in his leaves and drag him underground.”

“Definitely Otherworld then. Where is the guy?”

“He’s at San Francisco General in a private room.”

“I suppose you want me to go see him?”

“That would be helpful.” His gaze swept over her faded jeans, flip flops, purple T-shirt and orange and black baseball jacket. “You do realize the department has a dress policy, don’t you?”

“I’m supposed to wear adress?” She widened her eyes at him. “I’ll be happy to wear what the hell you like if you’re willing to pay for my clothing. Have you any idea how much stuff I ruin chasing Otherworld species?”

“The department can’t afford to subsidize clothing.” He averted his gaze and studied the fraying beige carpet instead. That was typical of him. Too unsure of himself yet to really piss her off, but compelled to point out every perceived deviation from government code. But he wasn’t her problem. He’d work out that this particular branch of the SBLE was different and settle in, or he’d apply for a transfer. It happened all the time.

“If you want me to go home and change, it’ll be another couple of hours before I get to the guy in the hospital.”

Feehan sighed. “Just do your job.”

She met his gaze. “Sure, boss.”

* * *

The hospital washuge and always crowded, but Ella had learned to negotiate the hallways and banks of elevators to avoid as much notice as possible. She was well known by the staff because she was usually the first member of the SBLE team called to deal with emergencies like this before they brought in the psychiatrists. The medical profession was one of the few to acknowledge that weird shit did happen and willing to let the SBLE help out as long as they didn’t have to know all the details. She nodded at the charge nurse and slipped into the white coat she kept on the back of the door in the staff locker room. For some reason it seemed to convince people she had authority.

“Hey, Jose. Where’s Mr. Knight?”

“Room ten, Ella. He should be awake by now.”

“Cool. I’ll call if I need anyone.”

Jose grinned, displaying his dimples. “Knock yourself out. He’s babbling like a baby.”

She walked down the hall checking the numbers and knocked on the fifth door on the right. There was no answer, so she let herself in.

A man she guessed was in his mid-twenties lay in the bed, the covers pulled up to his chin, his fingers gripping them so tightly that his knuckles blended into the white sheets. He wore the look of complete terror she was accustomed to seeing after an encounter with an Otherworld species.

“Mr. Knight? I’m Ella Walsh from the SBLE. I understand you saw something unusual in Golden Gate Park today.”

“Unusual?” His voice rose on each syllable. “A fucking sunflower tried to fucking eat me!”

“So I heard.” She grabbed a stool and sat beside his bed, gently wrapping her fingers around his exposed wrist. She immediately both felt his raised pulse and the distinctive buzz of Otherworld energy. “That must have freaked you out.”

“Yeah, it did.” He focused his gaze on her. “Are you a shrink?”

“Nope.” She took a deep breath and concentrated on the stream of energy pulsing through poor Mr. Knight’s body. “Think of me as more of a natural healer.”

“So you’re not going to tell me I’m crazy?”

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