Chapter 2: Give It Time
After the little meet and greet with the Primogens of the New York clans, Primogens being the oldest, most powerful members of the V club so there's no confusion for the rest of you, I was summarily escorted out of the lounge room and back into the parking garage, where Samuel was waiting for me. The relieved look on his face was a welcome sight for me, although I don't remember if I told him that in any shape or form. Doesn't matter now I suppose. Instead he ushered me into the van, and I handed him a piece of paper Catherine had handed me before I left the lounge, which Samuel soon had pulled up in the van's GPS navigator. "Yeesh, that's clear across town. Guess we're stuck together for a while longer."
"You make that sound like a bad thing." I shot back, a flicker of a smile pulling at my lips despite how tired and mentally exhausted I felt. Despite the Tremere Primogen and Catherine's efforts to make me feel welcome, there was far too much going on, too many things that had been thrown at me, that I just wanted time to curl up in a ball and cry my little undead heart out. More pressing than that though, I wanted to grab Eliza by her shoulders, or her throat, and demand to know why she had done this to me. I wanted answers and she was no longer around to give them, so that only added to my exhaustion and the swirling storm of emotions in my gut.
Samuel though, he wasn't blind, or dumb despite being 'only human', and let me sulk in silence once we had gotten underway. And the time spent as we chugged along in New York city traffic during the middle of rush hour was, ironically, very peaceful for me despite the loud blaring of horns and the curses of more aggressive drivers on every side. I tuned it out to the point, or I passed out, I don't know which, that the next thing I remember is Samuel backing the van into a darkened alleyway. Ever the vigilant caretaker, he even went so far as to pull out an umbrella, his grin making a comeback tour as he held it just so for me so I wouldn't get burned the moment I stepped outside. "And people say chivalry is dead." I said as I took his offered hand, slightly impressed I was able to bite back my first instinct to flinch away from the ever present warmth he gave off compared to my ice cold flesh.
"I like to make a lasting impression." He chuckled, and I couldn't see any discomfort on his face from the sharp contrasts between our temperatures. If not for the fact he had made it clear he had done this many times before, I might have wondered why he wasn't freaked out. It was just another reason why I couldn't help but like him, despite our rather….interesting beginnings with him shooting me and all. As for his chivalrous behavior, it didn't stop there as he opened the front door to the 'safehouse' that had been prepared for me, and promptly followed me inside once he had the umbrella folded up and out of the way. "Here we are. Home sweet haven."
Except I knew this building, having ignored what Catherine had written down, too eager to get out of that building as quickly as possible, now that I was able to look around without fear of being left out in the open. Vampires were not meant to walk around during the day, that's why we're always, nine times out of ten anyway, normally in bed once the sun comes up. Speaking from personal experience, I kept imagining pieces of my skin burning away if so much as a stray sunbeam touched me even through my clothing, so I was pretty jittery until we were inside, but now that we were safely indoors, I was able to relax. As for where we were though, apparently my vampire elders had a sense of humor, because the 'safehouse' they had set up was in my old apartment building, which led me to reasonably assume they had simply recycled my former home in the city to serve as my new haven. Charles' idea no doubt, the prick.
I had no way to prove it of course, but it just seemed like something he'd do, just to make a point. That point being that until I 'proved my worth', I was no better than the 'useless fledgling trash' he likely had put into a dustpan and swept into a waiting garbage bin, thus I should have a home equivalent to my worth. Or I was just in a really foul mood and it was coloring my opinion of everything. In reality it was a bit of both things, but whatever the case was, I didn't have it in me to argue the point further as I sullenly followed Samuel upstairs. Stopping at my assigned door, which was indeed my old apartment, I showed myself in while Samuel waited outside, ever the gentleman. I think I made it pretty clear by now my apartment wasn't much to look at, and given my mental state at the time, I could have had a cockroach parade running across the cracked flooring, and I wouldn't have batted an eyelash.
So I pulled him into what passed for my living room, a hand me down couch with a number of duct tape patches across its surface against one wall, and a small, giant rabbit eared TV that had a large backside, which barely functioned I might add, on top of a crooked stand against the other wall. Said wall had a large crack that led into the bedroom, allowing that cold draft I mentioned earlier, but as I also stated, I no longer noticed the cold. Take the wins where you can get them I suppose. Still, I let Samuel go when I saw the uncomfortable, slightly embarrassed look on his face as he shut the door behind him. "Sorry, I just….don't want to be alone right now." I told him, and he nodded in understanding.
"I gathered that." If I'm being completely honest right now, I don't think I could have made it through the day if not for him sticking around. I was a mess and he was the only person I trusted at all in this brave, dark, depraved new world I found myself in. Unsure what to do though, Samuel's gaze darted about the room as he struggled to find something to say, something that might make all this make some kind of sense. Bless him for trying, but nothing could make this better. Say what you want about the Toreador and how they use and discard people, Eliza was different. That's the lie I convinced myself of for the longest time anyway, but more on that another time. Bereft of my Sire, the woman I had started to love no less, bereft of my old life in a night of passion that was already starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth, I finally collapsed onto the couch that was about as lifeless as I was and broke down into incoherent sobbing. It was only when I saw the red teardrops that splashed across the floor that I realized just how far gone I truly was. If even my tears were as crimson as the blood I had been sharing with Catherine, then I truly was a damned, cursed animal in human skin. A wolf hidden in plain sight among the sheep, the perfect predator.
I didn't have it in me to flinch or recoil from Samuel when he pulled me against his side, steadfast, almost unbearably warm, and unmoving. The fact I was weeping tears of blood, that I was probably ruining his expensive looking suit, didn't seem to matter to him as he pulled me close so that my head was resting against his shoulder, a dangerous place to be since I was a fledgling, but feeding was the last thing on my mind. Not that I could have stopped even if he had said something, but it was nice to know he cared far more about my wellbeing than his own appearance, or personal safety, Masquerade be damned in either case. Not that the other vampires would have shed any tears for him if I had ripped out his throat that night.
It wasn't until he gingerly lifted me into his arms, without forcing me to move my head from his shoulder, that I realized we were moving. I didn't fight him as he carried me to my little single bed and laid me down on my side with the care of someone handling a porcelain doll. I felt broken though, empty, devoid of anything human, but the kindness was exactly what I needed as he pulled the heavy blankets up to my chin before sitting beside me. When he started to get up some time later, I stopped him by grabbing for his hand. He looked surprised for all of two seconds, before twisting his hand about so that he could gingerly wrap his fingers around my own. "Stay, please? Until...if...I fall asleep?" I remember asking him, and Samuel's response was to smile sadly and nod before taking his spot once more without complaint.
I don't know how long he stayed at my side, how long I remained in that state, weeping for everything that had been taken from me, but I do remember waking up several hours later. The only reason I know that is because of the digital clock at my bedside, which when we had walked in, or rather when Samuel had carried me to my bed, read that it was close to noon when he got me to bed, and when I woke up, it was closer to nine, going on ten.
I didn't feel better though, but all that time sleeping helped all the same. I think I felt ready to start accepting everything, truly accepting what Eliza had done to me instead of just nodding my head and acting the part of a trained ape. It sucked, no pun intended, but there was nothing to be done about it, and as much as I hated what I had been turned into, I wasn't about to take my own life. Blame that on all those Sunday school lessons I got as a kid, but that was one thing I'm glad my mom beat into my head. While Christianity might not have as strong a stance regarding suicide, as say the Catholic variant, it's still there. Doesn't matter, but while the thought crossed my mind to stay outside until the sun came up, just burn away with the coming of a new day, I dismissed it just as quickly. Southern stubbornness runs very deep in my family. Besides, chances were I'd piss off the wrong nightwalker and end up getting dusted anyway. No such luck on that one, but it wasn't from lack of trying.
"You look like a mess kid." I immediately sat up, the blankets ending up in a pile at the end of the bed, but I didn't see anyone. Then I saw the shadows in the next room and realized someone was talking to Samuel. "Not your blood, the girl's then? Shoulda figured that'd be the case, can't blame her though. Sire gets dusted and she doesn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Least the last kid I met like her got a chance to look that suckhead in the face."
"How'd you even find us Jack?" Samuel asked, amazement in his voice but I didn't know why. "And besides, I thought you were still a wanted man after that fiasco in Santa Monica?"
"Allegedly Sammy! No one's around to say otherwise since LaCroix bit it." The redneck, and I've lived long enough in the southern states to be able to identify the accent, declared cheerfully before patting Samuel on his shoulder. "As for the kid, she disappeared, likely stirring up more trouble, and I say good for her! Our kind could use a good kick to the teeth." This was the first time I heard about the woman that had walked away from a clan war between the Anarchs, the Camarilla, and the Kuei Jin, despite having a blood hunt put out on her head by a power mad LaCroix, but it would not be the last, not by a long shot.
"I don't want to know Jack, just being around you is hazardous." Samuel groaned and hung his head, only to almost fall over when Jack laughed and slapped him on his back.
"Only for those suckheads that can't get their heads outta their asses kid. You're alright, 'specially for watching out for sleepy beauty all day." Jack said and jabbed his thumb towards my general direction, only to freeze before sticking his head into the doorway. He let out a surprised noise, but regained his composure just as quickly. "Sorry, hope we didn't wake ya darlin'." He said to me and had the good grace to look sheepish for potentially disturbing my rest.
I immediately took a liking to him and managed a smile despite that gaping maw in my chest, reminding me that I couldn't ever go back to being my former human self. "No, it's fine." I said instead of what I had wanted to say, and threw my legs over the side of my bed. "Just been one hell of a rough day."
"Can't imagine why, kid." Jack replied and rubbed the back of his neck before he and Samuel entered my little hovel of a bedroom. "You ain't the first and won't be the last, sucks but them's are the breaks."
Seeing Jack fully, I couldn't help but think of one of the smaller members of those hicks from Duck Dynasty. I'm not a fan, I value my brain cells, but my point being Jack was muscular, wild hair and bearded, yet something about his face was friendly and warm despite being one of the older vampires in the area. Clad simply in an open leather tan shirt that showed off his hairy chest more than it concealed, and tight, jean pants, he might not have been the most attractive guy around, but he was easy to talk to, which was the more important thing. He knew what was what better than most, and wasn't afraid to help newly Embraced like me despite being an Anarch, those that prefer their own rules to those of the Camarilla. That and while he had his opinions about the governing body of vampires, he didn't try and persuade me one way or the other when we first met, preferring to let me form my own opinion.
"Hey, I know I'm handsome but no need to stare darlin'." Jack teased, making me look away with an embarrassed snort which only made him laugh. "Haha, sorry but ya made it too easy!"
"Jack…." Samuel groaned, clearly uncomfortable with having a possible felon, at least among the vampires, in such close proximity. "You really shouldn't be here."
"Yeah yeah I know kid." Jack replied but made no move to go anywhere. "Just give me five minutes and you won't see me here again, scout's honor!"
"I doubt you were a scout in any lifetime." Samuel grumbled as he left the room in a huff.
"Yeesh, for being an errand boy you'd think he'd be less of a stiff."
"I heard that!" Sam called from the living room, much to Jack's amusement.
"That was the point!" He called back before shutting my door behind him with another cheerful laugh. It was only after our privacy was established that the wide, encompassing smile on Jack's face faded somewhat. "Seriously kid, you can't go wrong with Sammy. He's a good guy, he'll watch out for you better than any ghoul, helps he has all of his faculties about him though."
"So why are you here exactly?" I ask, in no mood to play games with anyone, this overly cheerful redneck especially, even if he had given me no reason to hate his guts. Still, my mood must have been apparent in my voice because Jack sat down, but not before dusting the seat of his pants off.
"Well it's like this kid. You're new on the block and since your Sire bit it, you're likely wondering what happens now. Normally your girl would have taught you what you needed to know to survive, but since she ain't here I thought I'd take up the slack."
"Excuse me if I find that hard to believe that you're here out of the goodness of your little black heart." I really shouldn't have said that to an older vampire, especially one that started that clan war I mentioned just by letting slip news about an ancient sarcophagus being discovered that might have contained an ancient vampire from the days of Caine himself, but remember I was in a very dark place. Rational thought didn't factor into it.
If I had hoped to offend him though, I was sorely disappointed when Jack just grinned in response. "I never said that I would help you out of the goodness of my little black heart, as you put it. I just love giving the new kids a kick up the ass and watch them stumble around, it's just too damn funny."
"Okay, I have no trouble believing that." I was forced to admit.
"Ha! Heard you were smart kid, glad to see that's the truth, should make this next bit easy then. Go get cleaned up, we got places to go darlin'." Before I could begin to protest, Jack had slipped out of my room and was whistling a merry tune with every step, leaving my door wide open as he went.
"Thanks?" I called out after him before flopping back onto the bed with a huff and a hand over my forehead. If I was still able to get headaches, I imagine I'd have had a real thumping migraine on my hands right about then. Seeing no better alternative, and since the night was literally mine now to do as I liked, I did the only thing I could do and got ready for whatever Jack had in mind. Picking through what passed as my collection of clothes, I just went with the first thing I laid my hands on, took a quick shower, more to clean up the blood stains from my crying my eyes out, and was out the door in fifteen minutes with Jack and Samuel waiting for me. "So genius, what happens now?"
"I thought you'd never ask. Sammy, warm up the car will ya? We got a hot date downtown."
"Do I look like your chauffeur Jack?"
"No but your hers until suckhead Charles says otherwise."
Samuel and I shared a look at that before he hopped into the driver's side with an annoyed grunt. "Don't remind me, when I started he wasn't the prince, and now… he is the crown prince of douchebags, long may he reign." The insincerity in Samuel's voice was sharp enough to dull a knife as he started up the van and soon had us going on our way with Jack shouting out the occasional direction. It was nice to know I wasn't the only one that absolutely hated Charles' guts though, and it did a little bit to pull me out of my depression, if only a little. Every little bit helped though as we drove into a part of town that looked more like a demilitarized zone than anything else. Every building was all but falling down, and most of them had at least one gang tag sign on its facade, while the alleyways were practically dripping with graffiti from across the years.
As for those few establishments that looked halfway decent, they were home to 'psychics', loan sharks, adult video stores, and more. Basically, this place was not a respectable member of society, vampire or human, would be caught dead here, but for a newborn like myself, it was the perfect proving ground. "Might want to keep that peashoooter handy Sammy, this ain't a place to let your guard down."
"Gee ya think Jack? You hoping we get shanked while we're here?" Samuel growled, his eyes darting up and down the street, his senses on high alert. Not that I could blame him since I could practically smell the fear, the oppression, and desperation in the air on every side. Not only that, but there was an air of hostility and malevolence, of danger around every corner, and while it wasn't directed at any one thing, one misstep and every person on the block would be coming after our blood.
"Ha! I'd love to see these fools try. Nah kid, but it is a good place for wholesale murder to happen and no one will so much as bat an eye." Jack said with a nonchalant shrug that did nothing to reassure either myself or Samuel. "Come on darlin', we won't be long if you're a fast learner."
"Gee, that's reassuring." Samuel muttered and rolled his eyes. "Which also means that if we disappear, no one will ever know, just great." Just as I started to turn back to stay right where we were, Sam shook his head and gestured for me to follow Jack. "I might not like this Alex, but he's right. You need to learn how to get a handle on this, and experience is the best teacher. That much we can agree on, even if I hate the idea of throwing you to the wolves like this. I'll be fine."
Hesitantly nodding to Sam, I blew out an annoyed breath and ran after Jack, who had since crossed the street and had started around a corner of a warehouse with a chain link fence around its perimeter. "So what are we doin' here exactly?" I asked once I had caught up with Jack. He smirked and pointed to the front of the warehouse, where I could see clear as day, despite it being pitch black, the street lamp having been shattered long before we got there, a group of people milling about. Seven of them, all of them bearing matching tattoos on their arms and carrying guns if my eyes didn't deceive me. And given my enhanced senses, I could clearly make out the imprints of them underneath shirts or tucked into their overly tight pants, one man even had his pistol stuffed into the front of his jeans, a bad idea if I ever saw one.
Having done my examination, Jack was more than happy to explain his reasoning when he saw my inquisitive look. "Word on the street is that these low lifes are part of a ring of smugglers, human traffickers for one of those human criminal organizations. Normally I wouldn't give a damn, since humans do their thing and we do ours, but I figure you wouldn't feel too bad about running through 'em as part of your trainin' and all. That and your humanity I figure is important to ya, especially since you're a member of the Rose, darlin'." It was here that his smirk died and he grew deadly serious. "Ever hear of the Beast yet kid?"
"Only riddles more than anything." I answered honestly, but even that much was making me nervous, and for good reason.
"Yeah, figured as much. Thing about this life of ours kid, we're driven to survive, but we don't have to leave a trail of bodies wherever we go. The Beast is only worried about survival at any cost, and killing without it being necessary, or just being an unrepentant asshole, tends to let it wake up and take over. Frenzying, a vampire who's lost all reason, is not a pretty sight, kid. But killing assholes like those human traffickers, or by someone shooting at ya first and you just defending yourself? That's another story altogether. No need to worry then about losing your shit."
"I don't want to kill anybody!" I protested vehemently, shaking my head in denial.
"Ah, it isn't that bad. Hate to say it kid but you're a predator now, so your psyche also adjusts accordingly, at least a little. So don't worry about nightmares and sleepless days. 'Sides, I didn't say you had to kill these assholes." He patted my shoulder before continuing his explanation. "All those wonderful clans that think themselves above the rest have all kinds of nifty powers. Take the Toreador for instance kid. You have your very Presence, that undefinable allure that just makes everyone drawn to you like moths to a flame. Then there's the whole supernatural speed, Celerity, that is yours by right rather than learned by the rest of us poor suckheads. And last but not least, ya got your Auspex. You can see people's auras, regardless if they're human, suckhead, or somethin' else altogether. Of course, that's just the beginnin' of what you can do with those darlin'. Just wait until you gain some experience with them. Hehe."
Like many things, I didn't know what he meant then, but it wouldn't take me long to figure it out. Auspex alone would take what I thought I knew about my new unlife and turn it on its head as I'd begin to see what was behind the masks of those that had become a part of my life. More on that later, but needless to say, being able to read someone's mind, their very intentions, is both a blessing and a curse all its own, but when used correctly, it makes life a lot easier.
But that was for later, because when I looked up, Jack was gone. I looked around, frantic to find him, only to see the guy had gotten on the roof of the warehouse, a shit eating grin on his face. "You son of a bitch." I muttered under my breath, still not particularly eager to engage those human traffickers by myself.
Jack must have seen my hesitation, because a moment later, one of said traffickers got hit by an empty soda can, in the face, and the best part? It looked like I was the one who threw it. I was really starting to hate all those fancy vampire tricks, at least when they were used against me. And Jack's grin never faltered as the gun toting gang members turned their attention towards me. Oh I was not about to take this one lying down, which was exactly the point because anger, as it turned out, is a powerful catalyst when it comes to activating one's innate abilities. "You throwin' shit at us?" One of the men shouted, waving his gun hand about willy nilly as he did, no doubt trying to appear threatening. To me though, he looked utterly ridiculous, despite the very clear danger he presented to me. Taking my silence as a reason to get in my face, the apparent leader of six behind him tried to tower over me despite the fact we were the same height. "I asked you a question bitch. You throwin' shit at us?"
"It got you to come over here didn't it?" Later, after the adrenaline had worn off, I'd wonder where the fuck that had come from, as well as the sultry, seductive note in my voice for that matter, but at that time I was too pissed off at Jack and my situation in general to wonder. The guy waving his gun in my face blinked, feeling just as surprised as a little voice in the back of my head sounded, and took a half a step back. "Maybe I'm here to make a deal, ever think about that?"
"You? You don't look the type lady." The man said, and his surprise filtered to the rest of his little group. I'll admit, coming down to a gang infested neighborhood, looking like I belonged on the block in my unremarkable, plain shirt and black hoodie, didn't help with the image of having money to purchase a...servant of any sort, but I wasn't thinking clearly at that moment. That survival instinct of mine that Jack had hinted at had kicked into high gear, and that part was in full control, which translated to me being able to bullshit my way through this very dangerous situation.
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all, which oddly enough helped my case with these people as I spread my hands and shrugged. "Please, it would look rather strange if someone with enough money to afford your services came down here looking like we actually had the money to purchase them, wouldn't it?"
"I guess you got a point there, so what the hell do you want lady?" The lead thug asked with what I guess he thought to be a charming grin, his gun returning to the back of his pants now that he thought the danger had passed. Oh if only he knew the danger was still very much right in front of him.
"I want to see your stock, to gauge for myself if my business wouldn't be wasted here. Then we'll talk, in private, about a going rate." I replied, and even went so far as to walk my long, pale fingers up the front of his shirt before grabbing his collar and pulling him close so that my breath tickled across his cheek. "I can be very….persuasive." Overkill? Perhaps. But it got me in the door as if I had waved a stack of thousand dollar, nonsequential bills in the guy's face. My Presence was the real cause for my success, but I was too high on my success to care as the tattooed grunt before me grinned in response once I let him go.
Letting his eyes drink in my pale, covered curves and no doubt imagining all kinds of things he thought was going to happen before the night was over, he waved us all to follow after him. "I think I'm gonna like this. Let's go boys. Let's give the little lady what she wants." I will say this much, not every member of the man's entourage were stupid as one or two of them gave me uncomfortable glances, as if sensing something amiss with this whole thing, but they kept their mouths shut. Before I lost sight of the roof of the warehouse, I saw Jack bent over and silently laughing his ass off at how easily I had gotten in the front door before he disappeared, no doubt finding his own way inside.
I didn't notice his absence, because when we entered the warehouse, we soon passed through a back office, and went down into a warren of tunnels that ran the breadth and width of the block, likely much further, but my guides knew exactly where they were going. The sound of water in the distance caught my ear, but I didn't immediately register that amidst the mildew covered metal walls and rusty flecks of dust that floated on the stale air. It was the sound of quiet whimpering and soft cries that I could hear that had my full attention as we entered a large, sparsely furnished chamber that had been turned into a makeshift office space. The man behind the desk, which had a high powered computer situated on its top and an ashtray on his left side, waited to greet us. A large, metallic barred cage was just visible in a backroom behind the man, and it was here I saw the source of the feminine whimpering.
I was thankful I had stuck my hands in the pockets of my black hoodie, because I could feel my claws extending and soon enough, digging into the flesh of my pale palms. The pain gave clarity, but my anger was still present, and I had a target for my rage looking smug and proud of his work in this part of the city. Somehow I managed to keep an impassive look on my face though as I nodded my greeting to the ringleader of this illicit organization. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?" The man asked, oozing charm yet the dangerous gleam in his little beady eyes said he'd just as soon shoot me than deal with me if I stepped in the wrong direction and still be able to sleep soundly that same night.
"Dismiss the audience, and we can talk business." I replied with a confidence I did not truly feel, but my instincts were screaming at me to maintain my confident appearance. "I have no interest in bargaining with you in front of your little cronies."
"A woman that knows what she wants and isn't afraid to demand it." The man replied, probably believing, and perhaps even rightly under normal circumstances, that he could handle me alone. With a nod, the thugs dispersed and left us alone, while the man behind the desk stood to his feet in one fluid motion. Shit. He moved with the confidence of someone that wasn't a stranger to violence, but how I knew that I couldn't tell you, unless I had gotten a flash of insight from my Auspex. Whatever the case, I remained impassive as ever as the man held out his right hand. "I am the proprietor of this establishment, and if we're to do business, I would have your name."
"So you can hunt me down if things don't go as planned? No thanks."
"Caution that is no doubt warranted, but we are both civilized people here, are we not?" I shrugged but nodded before grasping his offered limb, and squeezed just shy of breaking every bone in his hand. He seemed far more impressed than anything though, and nodded his approval before he gestured to the seat behind me as he took his own once more. "So, what can my organization do for you?" The fact he treated this whole business like a legitimate enterprise instead of the horrific affair it truly was wasn't lost on me. Easier to trade in human lives if you objectify those same people you're selling. In that sense, human traffickers aren't much different from vampires, an irony that wouldn't be lost on me later.
"I heard from a friend you offer….an unique service for the right price. As I told your attack dog out front, I might be in the market, but I don't deal with thugs, I deal with the men in charge. Are you who I'm after, or do I have to find the real mastermind behind this little clubhouse?" Really? I am unsure, even to this day, how I got out of this mess with my face intact, but that seemed to work because the suited peddler of flesh only laughed in response.
"You have much bravery for someone so fully out of her element, but yes, you are dealing with the one in charge. But how do I know you're not a cop?"
"Feel free to strip search me if you want, I might even enjoy it." That took the guy off guard because he had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable for all of two seconds as my eyebrows shot up to my hairline in quite the suggestive manner. The tilt of my lips probably helped in that regard as I crossed my right leg over my left knee, and even through my pants, my long leg was on full display. And he followed the movement like a snake being hypnotized by a charmer. I had him eating out of the palm of my hand, and I knew the reason why, and a part of me reveled in the power I had over this pathetic excuse of human flesh. "Besides if I were with the cops, I would have called them down on you by now. After all, I can hear your merchandise. Not that you did a very good job of hiding them."
"Hmph." Turning to face the backroom, the man shouted something in a foreign language, and the women in their cage immediately fell silent before turning to face me once more. "I would still have you searched, just in case, something that should have been done before you were allowed down here, but I suppose you have a point. Doesn't mean I won't take unnecessary risks however." Pulling out a wand, one that looked like it belonged to a security guard at an airport terminal, he ordered me to stand to my feet before he waved it over my arms, legs, and eventually both sides of my torso before seeming satisfied with the results. "No bugs, no weapons, you truly are brave to come down here without even a sidearm."
"I'm more dangerous than you believe." It was the only truthful thing I had said yet, but he took it as a bluff and chuckled in response. I went with it since it was easier in the long run.
"If you say so." He said patronizingly and smiled sickly at me. "So let's talk business, what do you need? And more importantly, how do you expect to pay?"
"I haven't even decided if I'm going to waste good money on you yet. Let me see what you have first." That it turned out was a bad idea for me, because the suited ringleader was all too happy to show off his 'fine selection'. Leading me into the backroom, he once more shouted in that foreign language and the women in the cage lined up as best they could against the back of the metal box, presenting themselves while trying not to look anywhere near our faces.
Whatever control I had, whatever restraint I had started to crumble at this mockery, at this farce of humanity at my side. I was the monster?! I at least had the decency to wear my curse on my sleeve. This piece of human filth on the other hand sidled up to the innocent and the downtrodden, made false promises to give them a better life in the states, and then locked them away like pieces of meat, only to be sold to the highest bidder. Once more, I was glad I had kept my hands in the pockets of my hoodie as I feigned looking over the women before me, one of them barely past her sixteenth birthday, before heading back to his office to 'discuss' the rest of our deal. Oh I was going to pay alright, but my method of payment was not going to be to his satisfaction.
I fell back as he led the way back into his office, and made it a point to shut the backroom door, separating us from the terrified women in their cage. It was only then I noticed that he had installed soundproofing at some point, no doubt to keep the noise down from the 'products' in the backroom, while he and his cronies were busy talking about their budding criminal enterprise. Just as well, because even if he managed to scream no one would hear him.
The predator within me was already coming up with ways of taking him and his cronies out, something I needed to do if I wanted any of those people trapped down here to survive. Looking up to a nearby dark corner of the faux office, I froze for a moment when I saw Jack staring back at me, but that was followed by immense relief as he slipped into the backroom without the bastard behind his desk noticing a thing. That was one less worry on my mind, which meant I wouldn't have to hold back when the fighting started, and even the rational part of my mind was coming to terms with the fact we weren't getting out of this without a lot of blood being spilt.
"So, how do you wish to do this?" The man asked, completely oblivious to the danger as I let my claws extend this time, and stay extended in the confines of my hoodie.
"I can think of a few ways, none of them pleasant for you." Before he could begin to move, I was halfway out of my seat, and reaching for the front of the man's dark gray suit. He gave a short, pained gasp as my claws dug into his chest as I grabbed hold, and pulled him across his desk, scattering the few items that were between us.
"Wh-what are you?!" He gasped, far more enraged than terrified, but I could smell his budding terror as he met my gaze that unbeknownst to me, had started to lose their alluring blue eyed charm, only to be replaced by something darker, much darker. Fumbling about for the gun he had on his right hip, my right hand grabbed his arm and slammed his hand onto the desk hard enough to snap something. He yelped but I had to give this guy credit, his tolerance for pain was better than I would have imagined.
"I'm figuring that out myself you sack of human shit." I hissed, my pale face contorting to something closer to an animal's as all that anger and rage started to take over, an image only enhanced as my canines lengthened and became pointed, prominently displayed from my upper teeth.
My instincts were demanding for me to drain him dry. While I wasn't hungry per say, I was far from full, so sucking on his arteries until there was nothing left was more than a passing thought, it was an appealing one. But I couldn't kill him, not right away. I would need as much money as I could get once his friends noticed that something was wrong. I wasn't stupid, I had watched enough cop shows to know how this would likely go, regardless if I killed this guy or not. Bullet wounds didn't heal themselves after all, well they kinda did, but they still needed blood to do so. That and having money would ensure I could buy myself something to protect my own hide, let alone anyone that was with me should the rest of this group were to track me down. To that end, I made it a point to keep the man's head pinned to the desk until I was behind him, before yanking him up by the back of his neck. "Now we're going to make a deal, except this is going to be very one sided."
"Fuck you." He spat out, all of that business school charm having flown in the face of having the tables turned. My answer was to smash his head against his desk.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that." I replied sweetly, but the hand on the back of his neck tightened its hold to the point I was sure if I applied any more pressure, I'd snap his neck like a twig.
He must have realized it as well because the next words out of his mouth were far more worried for his personal wellbeing. "What the hell do you want from me?!"
"Everything." I hissed in his ear. "I want every dime you've ever made selling your fellow man like pieces of cattle. I want the names of those you've sold to, addresses, places of business, I don't care. If you satisfy my demands, you might walk out of this with the use of your legs." Movie inspired bravado, sue me. I was new at this intimidation stick.
But it got my point across, although my display of supernatural ability helped a great deal no doubt. "Might? What the hell? Do you think I am an idiot?" He growled out, a fresh bruise already forming on his cheek from where I had slammed his face into the unyielding desk.
"Yes, but that's beside the point. Point is that if you do what I say you have a chance to survive, deny me and you will die for certain." I replied although the part about letting him live was a lie, I was far too enraged to let him walk out of here, but I also wasn't stupid. He'd seen my face, and Masquerade or not, I couldn't let him walk. But even if I didn't appreciate the importance of keeping my existence a secret, chances were Jack would have cleaned up my mess if I didn't do it myself. But as I said, I was too pissed off to think clearly, and it showed on my face as it twisted further in on itself, partly from the power of my Presence which inspired supernatural terror in the guy I had by the scruff of his neck, partly from my own undead nature.
So, what did he do? What do you think he did? He gave me everything, downloaded it all onto a USB drive and gave it to me without further complaint. As for the money, well, that was a little more complicated because I hadn't had an offshore account prepared for this part. I hadn't even anticipated needing one, how could I, or anything of the sort beyond my own meager holdings, and I wasn't about to give him my real name. Instead he set up a dead drop with one of his minions, shouting orders in that foreign language he'd used to silence the women in the back before I took his cellphone and stomped it under my foot once it was done. The people on the other side were probably suspicious, but I didn't care. I had gotten what I needed to make life very difficult for those that had used his services, and now it was just a matter of finishing the job here.
To that end, I dragged the whimpering mess of a man, my supernatural Presence still very much in effect as waves of terror rolled off of me as I ripped open the backdoor and we saw that the cage was empty. Jack had done his job, but I was too far gone to care. Throwing him into his own cell that smelled of shit, piss, and desperation, I bent the bars around the door just enough to ensure he wouldn't be getting out without a blowtorch. I wasn't done though, oh no. Spotting a gascan on a tool shelf, an idea started to form in my enraged mind. I was going to kill him while making sure he had just a glimpse of being trapped like an animal in a cage like those he had sold into slavery. Poetic, if you think about it, but it also went perfectly with the Toreador frame of mind when it comes to revenge and vengeance. Brujah might be fighters, feared soldiers and rebels, but they have nothing on a Toreador when it comes to getting sweet, sweet vengeance on their enemies. I didn't know this yet, but that sociopathic need to correct what I felt was a true, monstrous injustice wasn't entirely my own desire.
Not that it mattered. I had seen the proof of his depravity, his greed, and even if the cursed blood in my veins didn't demand his death, I might have gone through with it anyway. That and again, while I didn't fully understand the need of the Masquerade, of maintaining our secret, he had seen too much, so even if I had been in my right mind, I would have had to do something to ensure he wouldn't start running his mouth. So, I picked up the gas can, and brought it to the cage before beginning to upend the contents all over the cage and the ground around it. All the while the ringleader, the scumbag I had pushed around, whimpered and begged for his life.
It wasn't until he pulled out his wallet and held up a picture of his wife and two little girls that I stopped, frozen like a statue. That all that blind, driving rage faded away like a flame being smothered under a wet blanket. I stumbled back, and had to look away as if he had pulled a cross instead of a picture of his family, but it might as well have had the same effect despite the fact Samuel had told me that crosses had no power over vampires. I couldn't see him as a human being though, because doing so would ensure I didn't light the match on his makeshift funeral pyre. It didn't help that he was begging for his life, albeit in his native language, but I didn't need to understand him to know what he was saying as he waved his wallet, the picture tucked into the money clip on prominent display, as if trying to ward me off with the innocent smiles of his family. It almost worked too.
Until I stepped back and looked at the cage as a whole, and remembered why I was there in the first place. Of why I had lost my shit so thoroughly that I had been prepared to burn him alive. When I moved forward this time after tossing the gascan, now empty of its liquid accelerant, I snatched the wallet out of his grasp and tossed it aside as well before hissing as I closed the gap between us, my right hand shooting through the bars to grab him by the front of his suit once more. "You should have thought of them before you got into this business." Tossing him back far harder than was probably necessary, he hit the back side of the cage with a grunt, but I was already on the move. Finding a lighter was easy, since there had been a card game within easy reach of the cage, and picking up the forgotten item, I flicked it on, ensuring the piece of scum in his own cage saw his death coming before I flicked my wrist. The lighter flew from my pale fingers as I left the backroom the same way Jack and the girls had already taken, but I didn't get out of there before the screams started.
It was easy to follow their trail since the stink of the humans Jack had let free wasn't hard to miss in the dark, nearly pitch black tunnels. Even as the ringleader's screams were joined by those of his cronies as they tried to save him, only to get caught in the blaze themselves, I trudged on, determined to put as much distance between me and that dark place as possible. The darker side of my nature was cheering my success, of having so utterly destroyed that piece of human filth and his operation, while my far more human nature was sickened, appalled, and disgusted with what I'd done down there, and it was that side of my nature I was giving ground to as I stumbled out of the tunnel after climbing a flight of stairs. I dry heaved and whimpered as I collapsed to the ground to my hands and knees, torn between wanting to scream and break down into self loathing induced sobbing.
It didn't take Jack long to find me as he gave me a sad and understanding look. "Sorry, but you had to understand."
"Understand what? That I'm a monster now?" I wailed in emotional agony. "That I have this...thing inside me that demanded I burn that place to the ground?!" Even though the fire had yet to spread to the surface, the smell of smoke was starting to fill the air, and I was sure I could see the flickering of flames in the few windows facing our direction.
"No, you're just no longer human. Doesn't mean you're a monster though. That's up to you." When he knelt down next to me, Jack nodded to where we could just make out the sounds of police sirens in the distance. "You coulda killed them all kid, but you chose to get those girls outta there first. I just followed your lead. Figured that'd be what you wanted, and I was right. Nah, a real monster wouldn't have given two licks about those girls. Hold onto that spark kid, it'll get you farther than most of the suckhead society will ever believe."
"How? I just burned them all to ash, I-I can still hear their screams, and the worst part is a part of me feels like it was justice!" I shot back, unable to believe his words. "How can I even walk among humans without endangering them?"
"You manage with Sammy just fine don't ya?" I started to open my mouth only to shut it since he was right, but that wasn't the point, or so I wanted to shout at him. Before I could argue the point though, Jack stood to his full height and held out a hand to me, which I batted away. He nodded, seeming unsurprised by my actions, and shrugged. "Yeah, we're all monsters kid, but we're still people. Some of us just want to get by best we can like anyone else, but I'll admit, most vamps aren't exactly pillars of the community. People like you though, the girl I helped out in Santa Monica, you're the ones that make this whole thing worth it to old Jack, because you actually try to keep hold of what makes ya human. Most people who get Embraced are all too eager to dive headfirst into their more predatory natures, and then you get assholes like Charles running things, willin' to stab each other in the back just to get ahead of his peers. Those are the real monsters kid."
Something about the way he said that reminded me of what I had ran into in that slaver's den. I was still emotionally destroyed perhaps, but something about what Jack had said made sense. Who knew how many people that man had stomped on to get to where he was, of how many lives he had shattered. He would have made a good vampire, to say the least, if Embraced by the likes of Charles, a Ventrue fuck if there ever was one. But more importantly, I had gotten a glimpse of a truth vampires knew better than anyone. You didn't need to be a true monster to be one. Meaning, he might have only been human, but he was more monstrous than I was, something I had started to understand in those moments of clarity I had had during my rage while I had begun to set up his pyre. It didn't help my mood, not right away, but it got me back to something resembling rational thought.
"We should get out of here." I decided as the police sirens got louder as they grew closer. I could make out the distinct sound of a fire engine coming our way as well, but it didn't matter. We'd be gone well before they got there.
Jack nodded in approval and offered a small smile. "That's the spirit, enough of this touchy stuff. Let's get out of here." I didn't respond, instead I simply pushed myself to my feet and raced away as best I could with Jack easily keeping pace. Before long, we were back by the van, and a much relieved Samuel was there to greet us. "Sammy, glad to see you kept the van warm, kid."
It wasn't until we got close that I heard the police scanner. Why Samuel had a police scanner in his van, I didn't bother to question. I just went with it as radio chatter filled the silence, until Samuel turned to face Jack head on, his hand straying to the pistol at his side. Not that it'd do him any good, but the gesture wasn't lost on either of us. "Cut the shit Jack, what did you do?! Wait, let me rephrase that, what did you set into motion this time?!"
"I just pointed our friend in the right direction. She's the one that lit the match." Jack said and shrugged in response. Even as he threw me under the bus, although it was also the truth, he also looked almost apologetic for what he had instigated since make no mistake, he had instigated it. He'd known full well what he was doing and it had played out pretty much as he'd expected and hoped. "She did pretty good too, got into that slaver's den without so much as scratching someone's eyes out, and had yours truly get a cage full of girls out of danger while she took care of business."
Samuel raised an eyebrow but didn't relax his grip on the silenced pistol on his side until I stepped between them. "He's right….I did it. I burned the place down." I admitted, and almost sagged under the weight of all I'd done in the last half hour. Nevermind I had balanced that out by ensuring those women had gotten out of danger first, I still murdered those people. It didn't matter they had been perfectly willing to sell people into slavery, a fate worse than death in some respects, their blood was still on my hands, and a part of me still reveled in it.
If I had expected Samuel to be repulsed by my actions though, I was once more disappointed and surprised as he relaxed and shook his head before glaring daggers at Jack. "And this is why I didn't want you anywhere near us Jack. You knew exactly how this would play out, and you watched the fireworks. That's what you do. Charles is going to hear about this."
The threat, and that's what it sounded like to me even then, didn't have any effect on Jack as he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Go ahead kid, I survived this long, outlasted LaCroix and a few other suckheads like him. What's one more?"
"You think I'm gonna rat you out?" Samuel asked in disgust and shook his head. "I won't, because while you might be an ass, I won't be responsible for a blood hunt on your head. Unfortunately for you, I won't need to. Do you really think that arrogant ass got into his position because he was retarded? For all his arrogance, he knows how things work, I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't already aware of your presence." Shaking his head in disgust once more, Samuel sighed before ripping open the passenger side door for me. "I am going to say this though Jack." He began as I climbed into the van. "Come near us again, and I'll do more than shout your ear off."
Jack remained silent as we drove away, but as we started to turn the corner, I saw him give us a jaunty wave before we left him behind. It wouldn't be the last time I'd see the powerful Anarch vampire. Samuel meanwhile was silently fuming behind the wheel, once more surprising me because I got the impression he was angry at himself for allowing Jack a chance to get under my skin as he did, even if the vamp's intentions had been noble….ish. Even though Jack did end up giving me the skills necessary to make it through my first week, and the nights afterwards, it wasn't without purpose, but more on that later. Let's just say those slavers we torched, or more accurately those slavers Jack had pointed me at, had friends, a lot of friends.
But I was beyond caring, my hands shaking as I stared dumbly at my pale digits. The flecks of blood from having dug my claws into that man's chest disgusted me more than anything, a reminder of what I'd done even if, again, it was well deserved in their case. Samuel at least knew what I needed, even if it was the last thing I wanted as we pulled up to a hospital, of all places. Pulling into an empty spot in the parking garage, he shut the van down before producing a handkerchief from his person and handed it to me. "I'll be right back. You need a drink, and I doubt throwing a person at you right now would help." That got my attention, having never heard that someone could swing by their local blood bank and make a withdrawal, rather than a deposit. Seeing my incredulous look, Samuel managed a small chuckle. "It's not exactly takeout, but it'll get you by in a pinch."
The joke got a weak, much needed laugh out of me. "Think you can get a bloody mary for me while you're at it?" I shot back, which earned a relieved snort from my caretaker.
"I'll see what I can do." He countered as he got out before turning to face me, half in and out of the driver's side. "You're going to be alright Alex. Just give it time." I nodded, unable to do more than that as Samuel left to pick up a bag of blood for me. I have no idea how I'd have made it without him. I know I've probably said that before, but it's the truth.
On that note, I had no idea how he dealt with this world of the supernatural, or how he was even introduced to it, but he seemed to navigate it with ease. He wasn't a direct part of it, he wasn't even a ghoul after all, but from his place at the sidelines, he saw a lot of things that most others failed to see. Whatever the case might have been, Samuel soon returned, a white plastic hinged box, which gave me the mental image of him carrying a box from Pizza Hut or some other fast food place, under his arm which he soon enough passed to me as I handed over the handkerchief about the same time, having gotten my hands clean as much as possible while he'd been gone. As promised, there was at least two, good sized transfusion bags inside, cold and fresh right from the freezer. At my renewed incredibility, Samuel shrugged in response. "They were out of bloody marys, so I got the next best thing." Was his reply before he sighed. "I think it goes without saying the Camarilla has a pretty wide, very long, reach."
I had no idea just how far that reach went, but I was going to find out in the days to come. Drawn out of my thoughts when his cellphone went off, Samuel sighed, answered it, and had the van started as he carried a conversation with whoever was on the other end. "Yeah we'll be there soon." Putting his phone down, Samuel blew out an annoyed breath. "It seems your trial has been decided. We'll to head to Catherine's penthouse. Better drink up, you're gonna need it." Great. Could this night get any worse?
Here's some advice, the moment you think that it can't, you'll be proven wrong every time.
End Notes: We seem to have a thing for punishing our characters at every turn don't we? I do apologize for the rather dark turn this took, but it seemed appropriate to have a 'tutorial level' of sorts with ol Jack playing the part of helpful 'guide', while also pushing his own agenda further, whatever that might be. On the other hand, this IS set within the World of Darkness setting, so that's to be expected I imagine. At any rate, we hope to see you guys again. Adios!