Storyteller's Universe // Seeking Asylum
Safety First



I knock on the door three times. We’re here way ahead of schedule, I don’t know if anyone’s waiting for us yet.

I knock three more times and hear some commotion behind it. We may be lucky.

“Whomst?”

“Carla and Shae.”

The door opens up a little, a chain locking the door from opening it any further. A skunk peeks through the opening and immediately starts fumbling with the lock before opening it wide open with a flaunty gesture.

“Carla and Shae!! I’m glad to have you here so early, Kingsley let me know you’ve caught a shortcut.”

“I had to leave my car and now I owe a favor to someone who I have no idea what they’re capable of.”

“That sucks, but I’m glad that despite that you two are okay, please come in!”

“Actually, I cannot stay, I’m too much of a liability right now, I’m sure Kingsley told you. I’ll leave Shae with you.”

Shae looks at me, betrayed. I feel like shit, but I gotta do it this way.

“I’m sorry Shae. I promised to find you a new place to stay until you figure your new situation out, and uhh…”

I shoot a glance at the skunk.

“Sebastian.”

“Sebastian will keep you safe. They will introduce you to a community where you will feel accepted. And when you’re ready to move on, need my help, or just simply want to talk, I’m sure you can get in contact with me through Kingsley, yeah?”

She hugs me. I squeeze her close. Sadly I must let go eventually.

“Thank you Carla.”

“It’s nothing, you little meerkat.”

I turn to Sebastian.

“You’re responsible for her safety. Anything happens to her, I will find you.”

“Nothing will and no you won’t.”

I smirk. Good answer dude. I give Shae a little push on the back to encourage her. One last wave goodbye and then I head towards the flight of stairs and down.

A couple minutes later I find myself alone in some secluded Parisian alleyway. It reeks of piss.

I pull my phone out of the pocket and call “Bitch (literal)”

“Any updates, fucko?”

“Shae’s with Sebastian all safe. Sorry for being vague earlier, it was not just any magic shortcut - we’ve run into Contractors and I’ve traded a future favor for a portal to here.”

“That’s not half bad Carla, you’re incredible.”

“It ain’t so sweet, I now have confirmation that everything I do on this phone is compromised, I only trust Haji’s tracking trick to not put me into more danger than it is getting me out of. I have a suspicion someone you have contacted when looking for a place for Shae tipped the Contractors off. They were suspiciously focusing on all the recent problems she’s facing, like anxiety caused by her extra sense, the inferiority complex or the situation with her family and having no one to turn to. Real predatory shit that I won’t let slide. I need a list of the people you contacted.”

“I know some of them have or had contact with the Contractors, I’ll send only those to you, let’s limit your harassing to likely suspects, yeah?”

“Sure, works for me.”

“Also won’t they be ready for you now? Since, you know, you’re saying all of this over a compromised phone?”

“Contractors can spy on me all they want now that Shae is safe. I’m not an anomaly, they have no need for me. The favor I owe is with one specific agent, I’ll sort that out when it’s called in. I’m after the snitches, they’re compromising the safety of our group.”

“What about Nexus International?”

“Given how long it took them to find me and attack me in my own flat I don’t think they’ll be onto me anytime soon. In fact, I think they hire mercenaries and make them do their own tracking and research, given how things went down.”

“I see an issue with your reasoning Carla.”

“Yeah?”

“If Nexus International is hiring mercenaries and the cheap ones didn’t do the job, what stops them from contracting Contractors?”

I pause for a moment to mull this question over.

“Well, fuck me, I haven’t thought that far.”