Lydia was a medium, born with exceptional perceptive abilities, so she immediately sensed something was off with Adela.
Fortunately, Adela didn't realize Lydia was a medium. Thanks to Lydia's quick thinking and stellar improvisation, she managed to slip away.
Her knack for thinking on her feet came from hosting a late-night supernatural variety show on ABC. That's how she met Gretchen.
The earlier Devil's Late Night Show incident proved the public was fascinated by the paranormal, which allowed Lydia to build her program. But she couldn't go all-in on real supernatural stuff, or the FEA would shut her show down. That led many to dismiss her as a fraud.
"What do I do? What do I do? Gretchen's definitely being controlled by that succubus!" Lydia muttered, panicking.
Just then, her phone rang.
"Hey, honey, I'm in the San Fernando Valley right now. What? No, I'm not ignoring your calls! I'm really tied up! The show recording? Babe, I can't deal with that now—can we push it back? Yeah, yeah, I know it's a critical time for my career, but I've got something really important going on. What is it? Uh, just… super important, okay? Gotta go!"
Lydia hung up, exhaling in relief. "God, why's Rory always checking up on me like that?"
Rory was her manager—and her boyfriend. In the entertainment industry, that wasn't uncommon.
After hanging up, Lydia mulled over her predicament. After some serious thought, she decided to head to the Dolphin Hotel.
"Taxi! Stop! Take me to the Dolphin Hotel!"
Once there, she quickly exchanged a signal with an FEA agent disguised as a hotel staff member.
"Ms. Lydia, what's going on?" the agent asked after confirming her identity. Law-abiding supernatural individuals were registered with the FEA, so the agent knew who she was.
"I have critical intel for the FEA. Is there a high-ranking agent available? Like Agent Rivera?" Lydia asked.
The agent looked troubled. "Sorry, Agent Rivera's on a mission right now."
Los Angeles was in chaos, and most senior agents were swamped, barely getting a moment to breathe. The agent wasn't sure where to find someone senior enough for Lydia.
Just then, Deputy Director Paxton Fairchild passed by and noticed Lydia. Her vibrant, eye-catching outfit made it impossible to miss her.
"What's happening?" Paxton asked.
The FEA agent hesitated before answering. "This is Ms. Lydia. She says she has important intel and needs a high-ranking agent."
"Oh? I'll handle it," Paxton said.
The agent froze. "But…"
"What, you think I'm not high-ranking enough?" Paxton's tone turned icy.
The agent grimaced but quickly backtracked. "Of course not!"
In truth, since Director Gerald Orion returned, Paxton had been sidelined, left with little to do while Gerald and the senior agents were buried in work. That's why Paxton was wandering the Dolphin Hotel.
While Saltana and other senior agents could give Paxton attitude, this junior agent couldn't. Reluctantly, he handed Lydia over to him.
Unaware of the FEA's internal politics, Lydia looked at Paxton curiously. "Excuse me, sir, what's your rank?"
"Deputy Director," Paxton replied.
Lydia's eyes widened, assuming he was a big deal. "Deputy Director, I have critical intel!"
"Let's talk in my office," Paxton said, leading her there and turning on a recorder. "Go ahead and share your intel."
Lydia took a deep breath and recounted everything: Gretchen's desperate call for help, finding her phone abandoned on the street, using witchcraft to locate her, and discovering a succubus answering the door.
"So, you're a medium?" Paxton asked.
Lydia nodded. "I'm not good at fighting, just sensing things."
Mediums varied widely. Some could summon spirits, others could glimpse vague futures, and some could punch evil spirits into oblivion. Lydia was the non-combat type, with keen perception that let her instantly identify Adela as a succubus. That's why she'd fled immediately.
"You're sure it was a succubus?" Paxton pressed.
"Absolutely! Mr. Fairchild, please send someone to capture her! My friend might be in her clutches!"
Paxton shook his head. "Don't rush. Succubi aren't easy to deal with. We need a plan."
Lydia realized she'd been too frantic and exhaled slowly. "You're right. I got carried away."
Paxton stood. "Ms. Lydia, stay at the hotel and wait for updates. I'll gather a team to apprehend the succubus."
"Thank you!" she said.
As Paxton left his office, a middle-aged man approached, looking secretive. "Director Fairchild, I—"
He stopped short upon seeing Lydia behind Paxton.
Paxton pulled the man into the office, and Lydia glanced at them before leaving.
"Terence Kaufman, did you complete the task I gave you?" Paxton asked.
"Director, you know I'm reliable! I got the stuff!" Terence replied.
Paxton snorted inwardly. Reliable? That's why I don't trust you.
Terence Kaufman was the senior agent from the Purification Incident (Chapter 149). After clashing with Roy, he'd been demoted to mid-level by Gerald. Bitter, he'd leaked intel on Roy to Armacham. When that was discovered, Gerald planned to fire him, but Paxton intervened, keeping him as a loyal subordinate.
Now demoted to a regular agent, Terence was stuck on frontline duty. Paxton used him despite his incompetence because he had no other options—Gerald had won over all the capable agents in the LA branch.
"Hand it over," Paxton demanded.
Terence produced a small glass vial filled with black sludge. Paxton snatched it, gripping it as if sensing its contents. Moments later, he smiled. "Yes, this is it."
Seeing Paxton's approval, Terence grinned eagerly. "Director, I did the job. When's my promotion?"
Paxton's smile vanished. "You're on Gerald Orion's radar. A promotion in LA? Forget it."
Terence's face fell. He'd hitched himself to Paxton to claw his way back to senior agent, and this was a gut punch.
"But," Paxton added, "there's a way."
Terence's eyes lit up. "Director, you've gotta help me!"
"No promotions in LA, but San Francisco's another story. Armacham rewards its friends. In a few months, I'll transfer you there with a bonus."
California, with its robust economy, had two FEA branches: LA and San Francisco. Armacham's headquarters and largest biotech lab were in the Bay Area. Paxton's promise had Terence practically glowing.
"Director, I'll serve Armacham well!" he vowed.
Paxton nodded. "Kaufman, round up some agents. We move in half an hour."
"Move? For what?" Terence asked.
"Just do it!" Paxton snapped, glaring.
"Yes, Director!" Terence scurried off.
Though no longer a senior agent, Terence still had sway with his old subordinates—fellow "salary thieves" now marginalized in the agency. In America, firing civil servants was notoriously tough. Even cops involved in wrongful shootings often got paid leave, rarely termination.
Backed by Paxton, Terence quickly assembled a five-man team. Half an hour later, Paxton led a large contingent of clone troops and Terence's squad toward the address Lydia provided.
His bold move was immediately reported to Gerald.
"What? Paxton's taking clone troops into the city? Damn it, why wasn't I informed?" Gerald shot to his feet, his face darkening.
"Do we know why he's moving?" he asked.
The reporting agent scratched his head. "No idea, but this afternoon, a medium came to the bureau for help. Deputy Director Fairchild took her, and a lot of agents saw it."
"What?! Why wasn't I told about this?" Gerald roared.
The agent looked sheepish. "Sir, you were on a call with headquarters. You told us not to interrupt."
"You should've reported afterward!"
"Well…" The agent trailed off. Gerald's call had only just ended, and the agents outside had no way of knowing. It wasn't really their fault.
Gerald realized this and took a deep breath. "Fine. Is the medium still here? If so, bring her to my office."
Lydia was waiting in the hotel lobby and was soon brought to Gerald.
"Ms. Lydia, what did you tell Paxton Fairchild?" he asked.
Lydia quickly recounted her story, then asked, "Is something wrong? Isn't Mr. Fairchild the deputy director?"
Paxton was indeed the deputy director, but factional politics were too complicated to explain. Gerald kept his expression neutral. "Nothing's wrong. Would you like a room to rest?"
"Can I? That'd be great!" Lydia said. She hadn't slept well since Gretchen went missing and was exhausted.
Gerald led her out to arrange a room, but a middle-aged man stormed over, spotting Lydia with Gerald and fuming. "So this is your 'important business'? Meeting this Black guy at a hotel?!"
Gerald was stunned. How did he get caught up in a cheating scandal?
Lydia hurriedly explained, "Rory, it's not what you think!"
But Rory was too heated, lunging at Gerald.
Though Gerald had been behind a desk for years, he'd started as a field agent and easily dodged. Nearby FEA agents, disguised as staff, tackled Rory to the ground.
"What's going on?" Gerald asked.
Lydia, mortified, said, "I'm so sorry! That's my boyfriend, Rory. He's a normal human, so I didn't tell him I was coming here."
Gerald nodded. It wasn't her fault—she was a rule-abiding medium, and he wasn't hurt. "Let him go. It's a misunderstanding. Ms. Lydia, you two can sort this out in private. I have to go."
As he turned to leave, he stopped a staff member. "Is Roy Black in the hotel?"
Attached is an image of Lydia (still from The Haunting of Hill House).