<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The Hunter appeared out of it, distracted and unfocused as he rubbed the grains of sand from his eyes. Briefly she wondered what he had gotten up to when they parted ways for the evening, if his grooming kept him busy enough to warrant such weariness. Then again, he <i>had</i> been sleeping in his car. It was possible that a soft mattress and a good pillow shed light on how unrestful his nights were, how unpleasant the surface of highly manufactured cushions were on the body. Still, there was something more to his gaze, something she couldn’t quite place her finger on. The way his eyes lingered on her, gently assessing her, left her feeling a certain uneasiness. Not discomfort or unpleasantness, just a strange disparity she could sense between the heavy-handed roguish smolder and the rather genuine manner in which he beheld her now. In the very short time she had spent in his presence, she noticed how he flitted from one persona to another, a seamless and subtle transition that was quite nuanced. She didn’t know when he was being his authentic self, or if all that Texas charm was smoke and mirrors to divert her attention from the suffering that fueled his need for revenge. <br/>
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Ava sipped her drink, listening closely as he began to explain Dresden’s new pattern of behavior. She couldn’t help but be a little frustrated with the Hunter. He pursued the Coven leader regardless of what his motives were. Nothing mattered but ending his unnatural life, so of course any grand schemes of supernatural alliances weren’t terribly important to him. She was appreciative, though. She knew it must have been difficult to exercise patience when emotions were involved, that it was hard to silence angry impulses in order to see a situation clearly. He knew more than she expected, and his insight was valuable even if Scarlett wasn’t somehow involved in whatever plot Dresden was cooking up. But, it made her wonder . . . Given all the resources her Order possessed-- why hadn’t she heard of such a threat to Human existence? It was their mission, after all, to protect the innocent lives who were ignorant to all the darkness in the world. There was an invasive species right in their backyard, amassing power right under their noses it seemed. For a moment she was tempted by duty, the responsibility of job dictated that she share what she knew with her organization.<br/>
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At the same time, while she was grateful for Wes’ help, she wasn’t certain he was telling the truth-- if his word was fact or the fiction. As he leaned in a bit to produce a phone from his pocket, she was presented with the proof she needed. Ava stared at the screen of the dated device, examining the geometric tattoo. He began to scroll, more markings appearing on various parts of bodies she wasn’t certain belonged to individuals who were dead or alive. She assumed that it was the latter. <br/>
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An image unlike the others paused for a moment on the screen, not the brand of evil on the bodies of Dresden’s followers, but a picture of a picture. The saturated black and white photo had an outline of something small, slightly hazy in the glare of a flash but the shape was distinct; a little profile, the silhouette of a developing infant. Ava’s heart skipped a beat the second she realized it, a sympathetic ache playing at the strings of her sympathy. Her green eyes cut away quickly, before the ringing set in and the world went dark. He put the phone away after that, carrying on as though the image hadn’t phased him. It was an act that amazed her. Even she was having a hard time swallowing the lump that gathered in her throat. <br/>
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“I’ll find him. I’ve got to make a few calls, but if I can get in touch with the right people . . . We’ll track him down.” There was a promise in her voice, her tone resolute. “Put my number in that ancient brick you call a phone.” She said, producing a pen from a small pocket on the outside of her bag. Taking his cup, she scribbled the digits on it, saving him the trouble of having to pull it out again. “You text me so I’ll have yours. You . . . can text message with that thing, right?” Ava rose to her feet, brushing her palms over the material of her plaid skirt. “Call me, whatever. I’m going to do some digging of my own. It might take a few days, but I’ll reach out when I find a lead. And I expect you to do the same. If you hear anything, or come across something, let me know. You’re my partner in this, so don’t do anything stupid . . . Without me.” She declared with her arms across her chest. <br/>
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“I’ve got to get back to my side of town, so I’ll see you later.” Grabbing her coffee she turned to leave. “I’m checking out, so you have fifteen minutes to pack up Sleeping Beauty.” She smirked as she walked away.</span>