Free Scarlet by Jordan Summers

connected. The man listened, waiting for an answer.
     
    "Talk," the voice on the line barked, but a picture did not appear.
     
    "It's done. He just left," he said, then pressed a button to disconnect.
     
    *    *    *
    Situated in Nuria on the corner of Pine Street was a food dispensing station that resembled a twentieth-century movie theater. Faded walls held posters advertising various films that had long since faded from memory. Metal doors marked the entrance, muting the sound of the dinner crowd.
     
    Red walked inside. Her stomach had been growling for an hour and she was ready to chew her own arm off if she didn't get food within the next thirty minutes. The interviews had taken longer than she'd expected, but at least she'd found two more recruits she hoped would work out. She still hadn't heard from Morgan. Juan had said he was okay, but she wasn't sure if she could trust the psychic. That particular gift wasn't known for being the most accurate, according to the reports she'd read.
     
    The din of voices abruptly stopped when she came into view, the food all but forgotten on the diners' plates. All eyes were upon Red as she scanned the eatery for an empty table. She noted one in the back and made her way there.
     
    The room was arranged in tight squares to accommodate dozens of stainless-steel tables. Seating could be added with a touch of a button, thanks to the hydraulics under the floor. A minicompunit sat on every table, listing the day's menu. Red sat down and scanned the list. The sound in the room hadn't gone back up to its previous volume, so she could hear whispers from nearby tables.
     
    "When is Morgan coming back?" one woman asked.
     
    "I heard she ran him off, so she could take over," said another.
     
    Red closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists to keep from standing up and screaming at them. She didn't want this job, had never asked for it. If she hadn't made a promise to Morgan before he left, she'd have been out of here the second he told her his plans.
     
    "Is anyone sitting here?" said a familiar voice.
     
    Red opened her eyes and looked up at Raphael Vega. He smiled and inclined his head.
     
    "Please," she said, indicating the empty chair across from her. It was a relief to see a friendly face.
     
    "Is everything all right?" he asked.
     
    For a vampire his age, Raphael wasn't bad looking, if you could get past his translucent skin and black penetrating eyes. But it wasn't his striking looks that drew people to him. It was his charisma. He exuded charm and an easy grace that made whomever he was talking to feel like they were the most important person in the world. That ability had gotten him invited into plenty of rest pads around town. Or so Red had heard.
     
    When they'd met, Raphael had hissed at her. It was the first honest reaction she'd received from someone in Nuria. The rest of the population had been too busy covering their asses. They'd become friends after he'd saved Morgan's life by sharing his blood. Something she'd found out later didn't occur often because of the link it created between Raphael and his recipient.
     
    "I've been better," she said.
     
    Raphael looked at the patrons. Most looked away. A few gave him an invitation he'd probably take them up on later. "I have been out of town, visiting my brother, Michael. I dropped in to see Morgan when I returned, but they said he was gone. What did they mean by that? What's going on?"
     
    Red stared at him, trying to decide how much to share. In the end, she decided she needed to confide in someone and since Raphael was close to Morgan's real age and probably knew about his past, he might as well be the one.
     
    "Morgan went after his wife and child," she whispered. Raphael sat utterly still, his expression unchanged. Without a hint of what he was about to do, he turned and hissed at the tables around them, baring his fangs. "Move!" he shouted.
     
    Red jumped in surprise. The people nearby rose instantly,