Red

Chapter Thirteen: Little Red Riding Hood Part Two

Gran glanced at me seven times in the car before talking. "Are you okay? You never get angry like that."

"I'm fine," I promised. "I- maybe I ate something weird." 

I knew that wasn't true. That anger, that weird superhuman strength was more like a power coursing through me, something I couldn't control. It scared me to death, but I couldn't let it show.

"You haven't been called Sorrell in ages," he pointed out. "I almost forgot about it." 

"I know. It's such a strange name, I guess, so I just stopped using it. But they had to name me Sorrell because some ancestor of mine consulted a seer and that's what they said to do. I guess that means the prophecy's probably true," I noted dejectedly. 

"Does that freak you out? Because I'm a little freaked out," Gran noted. 

I rubbed my forehead with the heel of my palm. "I just don't have time for a Doomsday prophecy on top of everything else."

"You shouldn't have pissed him off," Gran scolded.

"What did I do?"

"Hm, let's review." Gran took one hand off the steering wheel and tapped his chin. "You picked him up by his collar and yelled at him? You didn't negotiate properly? You embarrassed him?"

I sunk down into the seat of the car. "Okay, fine. I was rude. I'm sorry."

"Well, I know just how you'll make it up to me," Gran grinned.

I turned to look at him. "How?"

"You're going to catch our werewolf friend," he sang.

I sat upright. "Really? But- that's not really-" 

"Oh, but you're doing it my way," Gran said ominously.

"But-" 

"I mean, I'm Operations Manager, so you would have had to do it my way anyway, but you know, now you can't complain."

"Gran..." I began, my voice warning.

He ignored me. "Remember what you were wearing the first time you ran into a werewolf?" 

"Gran Vega, you wouldn't," I gasped.

"Oh," he smiled evilly, "I really would."

"Graydan!"

"What, I thought you looked cute in that outfit." His eyes twinkled mischievously. He smirked, the satisfaction on his face making me angrier. 

"I nearly got murdered! I nearly got freaking murdered in that outfit."

"Yeah, and we're hoping for that today, too. Werewolves can't resist the hood," he explained.

"I know that," I snapped, ignoring him for the rest of the ride.

Back at the precinct in wardrobe, Gran outfitted me in a short black skirt, a low-cut white blouse, a pair of hiking boots, and a bloodred cape.

Goldie was behind him, sniggering. "Still want to play with the big girls, Red?" she asked. "This is what you get for pretending to be a detective."

"Actually," Gran began, "for the purpose of this, I'm making Red a temporary detective, just so the arrest goes smoothly."

I smirked at Goldie. "Hear that? I'm a detective. What were you again?"

Goldie huffed and walked out. She hated being reminded that her criminal record kept her from getting past the receptionist job.

I turned to Gran. "I bet you're loving this."