It's Not Over, Chapter One by patricia51

(Needy is on the run after wiping out Low Shoulder. She knows that there are more monsters out there. But she finds she doesn't have to go it alone when she's recruited by a shadowy organization and finds out that not being human doesn't always mean evil.)

(This will be an adventure/horror story mostly although I don't discount the possibility of romance later on be it straight or, given Needy's relationship with Jennifer, femslash.)

(The Search)

Anita Lesnicki was tired, cold, wet and lonely. She was also lost in the concrete caverns of whatever city this was she was in. The name didn't matter. They were all the same; gray at best, dark black at worst. And the worst of it was the dark figures that moved through the streets.

She pushed the hood back from her face and raked her hair from her eyes. The worst thing was that she no longer could trust what her eyes saw. She could never be sure that the next person she met with a warm smile and an open hand was really as they seemed to be or was another demon waiting to find the right moment to feed on her.

A rumble in her stomach reminded her that there was a more immediate need. Wearily she pushed herself to her feet, hunching her shoulders against the rain. She had no money for food. Perhaps she would be lucky in the next garbage can she inspected. Perhaps she would be incredibly fortunate and find a mission that wouldn't connect her to the girl now being displayed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

One thing, she smiled grimly, she didn't have to be worried about being attacked or molested. Whatever had passed to her from Jennifer's bite had made her faster and stronger than she had any right to be. She found that out when she escaped the asylum and she confirmed it when she confronted the band that had destroyed her and her best friend in their quest for fame and fortune.

Well they had all paid for that. She hoped they were enjoying their new home with the patron to whom they had sacrificed Jennifer. She wondered if they thought they would never have to pay up for what they did, in this world or the next. They had in this one.

From the moment they had opened the hotel room door to the moment the last one collapsed lifeless on the bathroom floor she had been a blur the drunken and drugged Satan worshippers could not have contended with sober. As each one fell she felt redeemed for what she had been forced to do to Jennifer.

She admitted it; she had loved Jennifer. The long ago days that Jennifer, or what wore Jennifer's body, seduced her with; those days they played boy and girl together meant more to her than she had ever acknowledged. The kiss Jennifer had given her had nearly drawn her in, nearly made her give way. But it had only been the shell of Jennifer. No matter how she acted the real person was gone.

What had absolutely astounded her, when she thought nothing could do that anymore, was the way that members of the band cried out to heaven, to God, for help. How could they expect that? She had nearly left one alive simply so she could find out why he would do that when he and the others were already the property of the other.

She dismissed the thought as unimportant as another dull rumble of thunder brought her back to the present. Looking around her she wearily trudged up the street, disappearing into the rain and fog and night.

(Elsewhere)

"No luck at all, Don?"

The trim dark-haired man in his thirties sighed as he looked at the woman peeking over his shoulder. Short, slender and red-headed the woman appeared to be about twenty. Even her frown did nothing to alter the appearance of wide-eyed innocence. An innocence that he knew had fooled many people that she and he and the group they belong to had crossed paths with.

"No Bridget, no luck. There wasn't anything to report about her ten minutes ago. There wasn't anything to report about her five minutes ago. And there's nothing new now either."

The red-head collapsed into the chair next to him. Ignoring a pointed look she lifted her feet to an unused console, crossing her ankles. She appeared to be completely indifferent about the goodly expanse of legs that her already short skirt was showing off.

"Would you get your feet off the equipment," grumbled Don.

The only response was for the girl to uncross her ankles enough to kick her heels off and wiggle her toes.

"God I'm glad I didn't have to wear these growing up. I do love the way they make my legs look and as skinny as they are they need lots of help but I mean my feet are killing me." She laced her fingers behind her head and sighed as though it was now her turn.

"I know Don. I know you're looking for a needle in a haystack but this girl we really need to find, and find her before the FBI and two dozen other agencies Federal, State and Local do. I suppose we could break her out if need be but that's not going to be easy considering her notoriety and how she managed to get out of the asylum. People get hurt in break-outs and that's not how we like to do business."

"I know," the man tossed over his shoulder even as he resumed typing and clicking, his attention now back on the four monitors before him.

"I mean goodness; she fought a succubus hand to hand and won. Single-handedly. Who else do we have who can do that? Besides me of course."

"Of course. Try not to be too modest."

Bridget shrugged. "That's just a fact of life, so to speak. Nothing I planned on or intended had anything to do with that."

Still fixated with his search Don reached out a hand and patted the woman on her knee. "I know. And I understand completely what you are saying. There's so few of us it seems like sometimes and the ones we have to deal with appear to multiply daily. A recruit like Anita, well, what she could do is amazing." He looked up for a moment and grinned. "You could take a vacation or something."

"Yep," the woman agreed. She pushed up the sleeves of her blouse and pretended to be examining her pale skin. "I could find a nice beach to lie out on. I really need to work on my tan after all."

Don snorted, and then stopped as the phone built onto the console rang. He snatched it up.

"Yes?"

"Where?" Fingers started to dance wildly over the keyboard.

"When?" A mouse clicked and a city map appeared on one screen.

"Thanks." He hung the phone up. ""We found her!"

The red-head abandoned her pose of calm, her feet hitting the floor as she sat up. "Where?" she asked, not caring at all that she was echoing his question of a moment ago.

"Here. In the city! One of our watchers saw her!"

Almost faster than Don could follow Bridget was out of the chair and out of the room. Before the door closed the computer operator heard the clang of a metal locker door. Then the woman was back in with him. She dumped some clothing on yet a third chair. Looking at the monitor she yanked her blouse from her skirt and started to undress, paying no attention to the fact that someone was with her.

"Where Don? Talk to me." She tossed her blouse on the chair she had been sitting in moments before. Her skirt followed. Still giving no care to modesty she struggled out of her pantyhose, hopping on one foot as she did.

"She's down on Broad Street at the Salvation Army Mission there." Don zoomed in on the location, trying to ignore the fact that his friend who was practically touching him was clad only in a skimpy black lace bra and matching panties before she yanked on a pair of faded jeans and a wash faded men's flannel shirt. "She's wearing a green hoodie and torn tan cargo pants."

Bridget plopped in the chair she had just deposited her discarded clothes in, regardless of the wrinkles she might be putting in them. She worked her feet into black running shoes. Snatching up a ragged jacket she stood up.

"Call upstairs and tell them where I've gone. If a back-up team is available send it." She inserted an almost invisible earpiece with a tiny wire that led down to a round mike that she clipped inside her shirt.

"They'll want you to wait for the team," protested Don.

"That could be too late. She's on the run and anything much might spook her. She might mistake a team for the police. Besides, I can get there before they even leave here."

"What do I tell them you're doing?"

"Tell them I'm getting a bite to eat," she tossed over her shoulder and then she was gone.

At the Salvation Army Mission Needy slumped back against the wall in an inconspicuous corner. Just for a moment she let herself relax. That was all she told herself, just a moment. She had eaten, she was warm and out of the rain, she had even got new dry clothes. This was the most peaceful moment she had since she realized what Jennifer had become and set out to stop her.

Regardless of her determination her eyes closed slowly. She jerked herself awake once and then again. But the third time her lids fluttered closed and she rested her head against the corner she could no longer fight off her fatigue, a fatigue that didn't just fill her body but encompassed her soul as well. Her breathing slowed and became regular. She slept and her mind wandered far away to a place where it was safe.

Bridget slipped in the door, her green eyes lowered but taking in every square foot of the room. She entered the serving line, accepting a plate of food with thanks. She made a mental note to be sure to make an anonymous donation to the Mission, both from the organization and her personal funds. After all, she had plenty of those and not a lot to spend them on and from the looks of things this place simply couldn't fill all the needs of the people who depended on it no matter how hard the obviously caring staff worked.

Sitting down she pretended to concentrate on the food while she continued to scan the room. She listened with her ears as well, the sounds around her helping her eliminate person after person.

There she was! Sleeping in the corner. Bridget's heart tugged at its strings as she took in the bedraggled and exhausted young woman. It shouldn't have happened; she should still be in high school learning about life instead of having gone through what she had. Bridget sighed, remembering her own past. Life took funny turns before it ended. And after.

As she was debating how best to approach Anita a furtive movement caught the corner of her eye. It was a man on a cell phone. There was nothing unusual about that except that he was staring at Anita. With his phone still open and his eyes still darting towards her as he made his way to the door.

Crap. Time to go. Bridget stood and headed for the slumbering girl. As she did she saw the young woman's eyes pop open.

"Danger!" Needy's mind screamed at her as she woke up. Her mind still sleep fogged she couldn't pinpoint what was sending her the signal. Then her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of steadily closing sirens and she stumbled to her feet. Literally stumbled as her right leg had fallen asleep.

A hand caught her arm, steadying her. Surprised she looked at her arm and then up into a pair of deep green eyes. The hand on her arm tugged.

"Come on Anita, it's past time to go. The cops will be here very soon and we don't want to have to hurt them getting out of here."

"Who are you?" even as Needy asked the question she followed the short slender female. "And where are we going?"

"We're going to the back door, my name is Bridget and I'm a friend and possibly if things work out your new partner."

"Partner? What are you talking about?"

"Later! Right now we need to get out of here." They stopped at a steel door that Needy surmised led to the back alleyway. The woman turned to her and took her hands in hers.

"Anita, look, I know what you ve been through. I'll explain it all when we're safe and sound and believe me there is such a place. But for right now, you have to trust me. Okay?"

Needy studied the other woman. Something about her pricked at the new senses she had but at the same time she read sincerity and care in those green eyes. She made a snap decision that would change her life. Again.

"Okay."

(To be continued)