By Darius Lee
Prologue:
Charles Gun, Esquire, settled into his chair and picked up the newspaper folded neatly and placed in the exact center of his polished mahogany desk. Reading the local paper was something he liked to save for the end of his workday when the days' battles had been won and it was time to start planning the next days' skirmishes. To the right of the paper was his usual cup of coffee, dark and sweet, just the way he liked it. Gunn took a sip from the delicate china cup, savoring the taste, as he scanned the front page above the fold. Working as an attorney for Wolfram and Hart might have its drawbacks, but the perks were very, very nice, he thought for the hundredth time. He'd come a long way from the tired, scared, and hungry kid he'd been back in the Badlands.
"Mister Gunn?" The speaker on his desk made his secretary sound as if she was standing right next to him, not seated at her desk in the next room.
"Yes, Maggie?"
"You asked me to remind you. You have a meeting with the Mayor in half an hour. His assistant just called to verify that he is on his way."
"That's good. I left the Stockton deposition on your desk. Proofread it and make sure…" Gunn trailed off as his attention was drawn to a small article on the front page of the Times Metro section.
SECOND GANG SLAYING IN WEEK PUZZLES POLICE
The Los Angles Police Department reports that Anthony Guido Marquez, 24, was killed last night in what appears to be a gang-related mutilation murder. Sources report that Marquez, who had a history of gang-related violence, was found in the section of downtown Los Angeles commonly referred to as the "Badlands" with his throat torn open and an injury to his chest that authorities believe to be post-mortem. No weapon was found at the scene, and police say they have no suspects at this time. This is the second murder in one week in this troubled area. Simone Marie Johnson, 21, was found dead four days ago, apparently the victim of a…
Simone. Gunn remembered her as a skinny, freckle-faced kid, determined to hang with the big boys after vampires killed her younger sister. Dead now. And Tony Marquez. He'd been young back then too, but good. Really good. Gunn sighed. Skill only took you so far, if you played the game long enough, and Marquez had been playing the game for years now. Just like you, his mind whispered uneasily. Reaching up, Gunn made a minute adjustment to his silk tie. No. Not just like him. He'd gotten smart, in more ways than one. Smart enough to know that there was nothing he could do about this. Gunn started to put the paper down when a phrase caught his eye.
…authorities are unable to explain the necrotic tissue found on both bodies, and the coroner has yet to establish a cause of death in either case. No witnesses have stepped forward, and police say…
"Mister Gunn? Mister Gunn?"
"Yeah? I mean, yes, Maggie?"
"The Stockton deposition?"
"Oh, right, right. See that Mister Clawson gets that ASAP." Clawson reported to the senior partners, and the dude was a genius at picking apart the intricacies of a Sumerian… Gunn's gaze went back to the newspaper article. Two members in a week. And necrotic tissue? What was up with that? Vampires dusted, they didn't do a fast rot like in the movies. Gunn shook his head and glanced at his watch. Time to meet with the Mayor. Turning toward the window, he checked his appearance in the reflective glass. For just a moment the well-dressed, well-fed, and very well educated man who stared back at him was a stranger. He'd been one of them, once. Had led them. Maybe they'd been too stupid to get out, maybe he'd been lucky, maybe…
And they're in over their heads, no maybe about it. You know it. So what you gonna do about it, G? You gonna cut 'em loose?
"They cut me loose," Gunn murmured. His association with Angel, awkward as it sometimes was, along with his friendship with Lorne had cut the final tie between him and his old gang. If he were to show up now and offer to help they'd probably laugh in his face.
Let them. Picking up his briefcase—the mayor hated to be kept waiting--Gunn shocked his secretary by canceling the following days' appointments.
"But, but, where will you be," the woman protested faintly, looking as though her world was on the verge of falling apart. Had it really been that long since he'd taken a day off, for any reason?
"It's time I saw some old friends."
