I remembered the time of the wraith population explosion well. My grandfather, a respected Bruja in the area, was careful to keep me close even though I was a teenager at the time. At first I chafed under his constant vigilance, but after witnessing a brutal attack on a classmate that resulted in her death I came around to his way of thinking.
“I guess I’m going to need more information,” I said finally, unsure. “What’s the deal with the wraiths in this area? Why is it so much worse here than in other areas?”
“For several reasons,” Oliver replied without hesitation. “It started because of the abandoned buildings. Do you have any idea how many abandoned buildings there are in Detroit?”
“No.”
“Neither do I, but it’s a lot. They’re working on the problem, but the abandoned buildings make great hiding places for wraiths.”
I stroked my chin as I considered the information. “That makes sense. I’m guessing the population in a lot of these areas is poor, too, which makes for good hunting grounds.”
Oliver nodded. “Exactly. But that’s only part of the problem. We also had an uprising of sorts that lasted for several months. I don’t know all the details, but there was a mystic faction gathering the wraiths to use as an army. That faction was wiped out, but it’s been like playing whack-a-mole to take out the remaining wraiths ever since.”
“They’re hunkering down, digging in,” Renee explained. “So when the Grimlocks found the nest yesterday, it was important they take it out without delay. Right now we’re trying to dismantle the wraith population.”
My mind was busy. “No one mentioned any of this when I applied for the position.”
“That was probably on purpose,” Oliver supplied. “The last two people who held your title left as soon as their contracts expired. This isn’t a coveted area.”
“I know. That’s why I thought there was a chance I could snag the position despite my age. I was excited when everything came together. Now ... .”
“Now you’re not so sure,” Oliver finished. “I get it.”
“I’m still happy to be here,” I said hurriedly, realizing how ungrateful I sounded. I didn’t want to come across as petulant or hard to deal with. “I simply wish I had been given all the information when I applied.”
“I don’t blame you there.” Oliver’s smile was back. “The thing is, I get that you want to follow the rules, but it’s not always possible in this environment. The Grimlocks are unbelievably strong. They’re hard workers.”
“All the boys are hot like the sun, too,” Renee offered enthusiastically. “They’re pretty, pretty boys.”
I wasn’t in the market for a romance, so I merely nodded. “Well, that’s important.”
Oliver snickered. “Don’t mind her. She likes to pant after the Grimlocks. As far as I can tell, every woman who has ever met them feels that way.”
“I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that.”
Oliver’s gaze turned appraising. “Really? Are you playing for the other team? If so, I know a few women in Ferndale who might be interested in a night out.”
“I’m not interested in that either. I’m here to do a job. I’m not concerned with dating.”
Renee snickered. “Famous last words.”
“I mean them.”
“Fair enough.” She held up her hands. “You might change your mind when you see them.”
“I doubt it.” I turned my attention to the computer. “I guess the first order of business is to learn your filing system. I guess I’ll let the Grimlocks’ lack of attention to detail slide for now. If problems continue, though, I’ll handle them later.”
“I would love to handle them.” Renee’s expression turned wistful. “I’m not even picky about which one I want to handle.”
Oliver pursed his lips as he shook his head. “Your Grimlock love is getting old. You know that, right?”
“Hey, they’re hot.” Renee patted the open seat next to her and shifted her eyes to me. “Come on. The computer system is easy. In fact, this entire gig is easy. Nothing ever happens here. I think you’re going to be disappointed if you’re looking for action.”
I took the seat and swiveled to watch the screen as her fingers deftly moved over the keyboard. “You just told me this place is crawling with wraiths. That doesn’t sound boring.”
“Yes, well, I wouldn’t hope for a wraith encounter if I were you. They’ve taken to running in packs.”
“Packs?” I’d never heard of that. “Why?”
“They were organized by a militant faction,” Oliver answered for Renee. “They learned they could get more done as a group. They’re reluctant to leave the packs now. I wasn’t joking about them being dangerous.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Something occurred to me. “Do they come out here?”
Renee and Oliver exchanged a weighted look.
“They do,” Oliver said after a moment’s contemplation. “In fact, we’ve been seeing a lot of them lately. We’re not sure why, but the gate might be drawing them. It’s up for debate at the home office.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Have they made it into the building?”
“A few times.”
“What do they do?”
“They try to get back here. As long as the door latches, it’s fine. They haven’t been able to get back here yet. I have no idea what they would do if they managed to cross the threshold.”
“Right, well ... .” Something occurred to me. “The door latches automatically, doesn’t it?”
Realization dawned on Oliver’s face as he slowly swiveled. “Sometimes you have to give it a little tug.” He strode toward the door, purposeful. “I’ll check.”
As if on cue, the swinging doors flew open with enough force to slam against the wall and a tall figure appeared in the entrance. I was familiar with wraiths — I had crossed paths with at least five during my time in New Orleans — but the menacing creature standing before me now was straight out of my nightmares.
“What the ... ?”
“Omigod!” Renee tripped as she scrambled out of her seat, terror washing over her features as she hustled to put distance between herself and the creature.
I didn’t remember standing, but my shaky legs told me that running wasn’t an option. Instead, I stared at the wraith with unfathomable fear as the creature grabbed Oliver around the neck and tossed him across the room as if he were a doll.
“Oliver!” My first instinct was to help, but the wraith stood between me and my new co-worker. My second instinct was to flee. There was nowhere to go, though, so I remained rooted to my spot.
The wraith stalked in my direction, causing my heart to skip a beat. Its hissing was so high-pitched it caused me to cringe. It was almost upon me when I finally gathered my wits and turned to my right.
Instead of grabbing me, the wraith lashed out and shoved so I was no longer in its path. The contact was brief, but I felt my energy waning. It seemed focused on one thing, and one thing only: the gate.