Devil Diao Si Gui I

"Come on don't go falling asleep again Heng." A woman opened the door to a rather messy small office, she wore a green dress and was rather dainty if not a bit malnourish, still her smile was glowing as she stepped into the room with an exciting step. The room was an office but not the kind to give a professional appearance. The room was full of old newspapers, boxes, and no shortage of trinkets and tools, but there was still a wooden office desk at the center with a plate of half-finished food a woman was sleeping on the desk with her feet, she was wearing a white shirt with workers overalls and was keeping the light off her eyes with a cap, a long ponytail of black hair fell from under her cap to her chest.

"Jeez, give me a moment, please."The woman spoke half asleep, she was Fong Heng the director of this odd jobs office, the blond woman put her hands on her hips and got closer.

"No way hon, we got work in a couple of hours and you need to look presentable."

"We are just going to be carrying heavy boxes for a warehouse I doubt they care."

"Well I do care, the hero of the town can't be looked half asleep, the better our reputation the best jobs will get and we can eat some nice food."

"Well, I do love me some nice food." She finally lifted both feet from the desk and leaned her chair back letting her get up with a jump with great finesse, she woman arranged her cap and with her gloved hands swiped her ponytail back giving her companion a cocky smile.

"All alright Laura let's bother Lee, I'll go make a coffee, we have a boring day of carrying boxes in the warehouse ahead."

"I like this kind of job, no one is shooting us today."Laura replied with a smile.

"Yeah, that part is nice, but can't help but feel that is a bit boring."

"Who knows maybe we can finish early and go on a date." Laura Song stepped out of the office with far too much energy for such a cold morning, Heng sighed and followed her out of the office, There was the living room they had no money for both an office and a home so the odd jobs office just had to serve both functions, truly there were only three rooms and a bathroom that never quite worked, a bit small for three people but fortunately all three of them are more than used to make due.

There was at least the smell of eggs being cooked, the kitchen was on an of the living room, a small place to the side with barely any space on it for more than one person. A tall man wearing a white shirt with a black vest was preparing breakfast for the small office, he was the only employee in the place he didn't get much of a salary but got to sleep on the sofa in the main room for free and as the only cook in the place, he no longer went hungry anymore, still, he was no ordinary man, his strong build and the small scar on his face showed his past as a mercenary.

"Lee, we won't need any lunch today, we will go to some stand at night, we have enough on us today Laura." The man look back at them, Heng and Laura already sat down on a small circular table near the kitchen. The table was set but there was a small pot on it half full of water as there was a leak in the ceiling there.

Laura opened a small purse with a white flower pattern, she was in charge of the finances of the group the other two were still too impulsive with money for her taste, so she carried all the cash in her purse at all times.

"We are good, we can eat dinner out tonight, I hope we get another good job today, finding missing cats and fixing toilets won't get us enough for the rent."

"That's fine, the landowner is way too slow to catch me I can get us half a month more, will make it, we will make it." Heng waved her hand as she threw her cap to a nearby stand. Lee step to the table giving the two of them an omelet with eggs and cheese and sat down with only bread for himself.

"No more eggs boss." Lee fixed his glasses as he took his usual cup of coffee.

"Man, why does everything banish that fast, we will get them from the old lady tomorrow. For today we work."

"Thank you Mr.Lee, Heng will help with the dishes later."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes you do silly, you cant leave Lee to do all the housework around here." Laura poked her on the arm playfully he didn't mind the chores, Laura had a second job at a flower store, so he figure that was the best he could do to impose on the house of these two ladies. He had a bit of a past so getting a job anywhere else was not easy at all.

"Boss, rumors are going around the town that Traiad lackeys are loitering around," Lee spoke kind of coldly and Laura moved back, she always felt a bit uncomfortable speaking on that kind of topic, Heng smiled as she reached out for her fork.

"They having a hard time with security lately, they are looking to recruit people to up their numbers a little, there is plenty of men desperate for any work on the market, easy prey."

"You think they'll ask here?" Lee asked her as she shrugged.

"If they are dumb they may, don't worry they told me they will no longer bother me, the Triad is dangerous but they hardly go back on their word."

"Im still not happy to have them walking around the market, they may try to ask for security money again."

"Not unless they want the Nishiyama to crash the party, as long as Café Ocasio keeps an eye on this place, they will have to get their pocket change otherwise, neither of them wants to get on a three-side fight."Heng moved the pot to the side seeing drops of water fall into the table.

"Well you are the expert on this boss, I never deal with the Triad personally. Still, just in case Ill keep an eye on the neighbor, call me paranoid but I find it hard to just ignore it."

"Relax Mr.Lee if something happens, it happens, there is no getting ready for everything, we are just some random odd jobs workers, all we need to care about is paying the rent and having the best time we can have every day." Laura smiled, Heng was always very chill about everything that annoyed her sometimes but in moments like this it was appreciated, she never lost her cool it was because of that that even Mr.Lee had completely trusted her.

"Well, for today we have a job so let's earn some cash." Heng punched her open palm with excitement.

"If only it wasn't physical labor...im not good at that stuff." Laura groaned as she kept eating.

"Miss Song no need to worry Heng and I will carry the heavy stuff, you can just pace yourself."Lee finished his coffee and stood up to put on his coat as he did he carefully hid a revolver inside it. The other two never carried any weapons but to him, it was almost a compulsion, he simply needed to have it to step outside.

"Hey there Im not that helpless besides it was me who got us this job." Laura stood up and got closer to Heng to kiss her on the cheek the other woman smiled.

"You sure do if you weren't friends with almost every old men in the district we would barely get any jobs done."

"That is your problem Heng, you are almost a hero in town but when it comes to making friends you are to shy."

"I'm not shy I'm just a woman of few words."

"Same thing hun." Lee saw them argue and went to the sink to start with the dishes, it seemed to be another calm morning for the odd jobs agency, but he notice that Heng was staring out the window every so often, she seemed on guard for some reason.

***

The three-member of the odd jobs office were waking on the marketplace, Heng had an apple she was eating as she walked and Laura stopped every so often to talk to the ladies on the mark Mr.Lee kept his distance from the couple and remained in silence almost like a bodyguard, they were well known in town not so much for their business but because they tended to get involved when anyone was in trouble, truly they were busybodies on a town were everyone kept to themselves.

Laura was giggling as she was speaking with the florist on the corner and Heng stepped away she seemed to be staring into the sky which was rather unusual for her, Lee got closer to her making sure the two were mostly alone.

"Is something happening boss?"

"it smells of sulfur, its is close but not too close. There has been a demon in the neighborhood for a few days now. a very talented one, they are just far away that I never get to see them." She took a bite of her apple.

"I see, they are not doing anything yet at least."

"Not yet, but hopefully they will just do their business and leave, whatever they are here for doesn't have anything to do with us, let's get today's job done Mr.Lee I got a date in the evening."

"You two always having fun, no worries I'll keep a watch on the office, but man it must be strange to be able to feel demons like you do boss."

"A few years back I smelled that sulfur all the time, it made me sick. I rather have the smell of the market outside the windows now, one of the many reasons I left, Im sure you get that right Mr.Lee." The man nodded, they both had no wish to speak on the matter anymore.

"Hey don't go off on your own like that." Laura interrupted and held Heng's arm as she leaned on her shoulder.

"Never, I just wanted some fresh air, too many spices around here, now then let's go." The three of them walked onward with Mr.Lee looking into the sky but he could not see anything strange at all.

The three of them disappeared from the binoculars of a man who had been looking at them from a rooftop.

"The targets are moving the warehouse captain, hopefully, they don't get distracted too much on their way there."A man in a black suit was looking at them with a sniper rifler at his side behind him a demon came close, he was Captain Cao he could smell a devil in the air as well.

"Good, there is no word of strange activity in the zone lately, so I want you to keep an eagle eye on the district, Mr.Vlad, we can more than handle this hunt, the other will force her into a trap and I will fight Ms.Fong myself."

"What about the humans?"

"Hopefully they can be incapacitated, her life is the only one I was asked for." The bearded man looked back at his Captain.

"I suppose so, compared to our previous hunt this is an easy one, but the captain doesn't forget that cornered animals are always dangerous."

"Don't orry I was taught such a lesson harshly as a child, I carry my job with precision always, I will never underestimate a target, she might not lead a gang or be a high-ranking demon, but im sure like in this city she wishes to live, a desire to live is all one needs to kill." Mr.Cao stepped away as Vlad looked at the calm marketplace.

"I should have known, it didn't matter if I came to this city, it seemed like we just cant ever escape the smell of blood captain." Vlad groaned as he reached for a shot of Vodka and waited, when the night fell the hunt would begin