Chapter 3

"Man down!" cried a voice.

"What do you have Agent Finn?" Col. Masters asked, jogging to the agents position. He was flanked by two other members of the unit. Finn, Forrest and Graham had split off to patrol near the theater building.

Finn was crouched by a body on the ground, while his wingmen watched his back. Masters' nodded in approval of the formation. The initiative had only just recently set up shop in this sleepy little town, it's base still under construction. It was masked by a supposed renovating of the campus. They'd found the perfect spot for their main compound under one of the frat houses, a deep cavern that housed the corpse of some kind of snake demon. Civilian covers for their agents as grad students and fraternity brothers secured, the previous occupants had found their charter revoked and were evicted from the building so that the Initiative's soldiers could move in. They had yet to venture beyond the campus, as they were still new to the town, but they hoped to start expanding their patrols to the surrounding area as soon as next fall. That evening, they were investigating two pillars of flame that had erupted into the night sky.

"Injured man sir." Riley said as his superior came upon them. "At least I think he's injured."

"You think?"

"He has the same symptoms of a Vampire bite," Riley explained. "But there's not a mark on him."

"Can we get him to a hospital?"

The medic bent down to examine him. "He seems a few quarts low, but off hand I'd say he'll be fine."

Masters nodded. "Finn, Graham, into your civies and get him to Sunnydale General. The rest of you, back to base. Maybe the Squints know what we're dealing with here."


Guinevere sighed as the Nosferatu grumbled again. "What?" she asked suddenly. She had little patience for his clan. They may have their use, but their hideousness, and their smell were offensive to her.

"What's a British guy doing in California?" Gramps asked challengingly. "Much less wandering alone, and knows enough to carry a cross around with him?"

Dominique scoffed. "So he's a tourist. I'm a British woman in California. And he obviously didn't know much. Remember how crosses don't effect us?"

Lugh winced. Lazarus growled. "Why don't you pull your pretty little head out of your ass and pay attention to what the old man's been saying?" he said. "This area's filthy with soulless. Those things ARE harmed by crosses."

Dominique hissed at him, baring her fangs. Deacon separated them with a motion of his hand.

"Enough. Gramps, I presume you mean to imply that this man may have been affiliated with the Slayer?"

"Exactly. Of all the yokels for these two ladies to sate themselves on, why'd they have to pick him?"

"You keep speaking of this Slayer." Zephyr said calmly. "Is she really that much of a threat?"

"To us? Honestly I don't know. But I'm not looking forward to finding out. Tell the truth I'm more worried about the Masquerade."

Zephyr nodded solemnly. "Perhaps we should have killed him then. The Slayer would have assumed it was a Soulless Vampire that killed him, leaving us off the hook."

Guinevere was appalled. She never killed her food if she could help it. "I do not tell you how to conduct your affairs Mr. Zephyr. Kindly keep out of mine. The man will remember nothing of our encounter. The masquerade is safe, and the longer we stand here arguing, the greater the chances the Hunters will find us and draw all sorts of unwanted attention."

"That actually made sense." Sangria said. "Let's go find these rings and get out of here."

"Yeah," Celia said carefully. "'Cept, do we have the slightest idea where to start looking?"

"I might." Gramps said. "I've been living in this town for a long time. Plenty of time to look on my own."

"You know where they are?" Lugh asked.

"No."

"Then how can you help?" Sangria asked.

"I found a clue to finding one of the rings."

"Perfect!" Pyramus said. "What is it?"

"I don't remember."

Lazarus glowered at him. "You're enjoying this aren't you."

"I don't get cable so I have to make my own fun."

"How does a clue you don't remember help us find the rings?" Dominique asked.

"It's written down in an old book I scrounged."

"Oh good," Deacon said. "Show us this book."

"I don't have it anymore."

There was a pause. "I gotta sit down." Cameron said wearily.

"Back in the 30's a cabal of Soulless found my lair and stole some of my books. That was one of them."

"And you just let them take it?" Zephyr asked.

"They managed to first, find, then actually get into, my lair." Gramps growled, looming over Zephyr. "You don't do that without some serious wooj in your corner. I did not LET THEM."

"Finish the story." Guinevere said.

"The Order of Aurelius was the group that got my stuff. Their leader, called himself the Master-"

"Can you say ego?" Lugh said, imitating Mr. Rogers.

"Called himself the Master, and tried to use one of the books I had to open the Hellmouth."

"YOU had a book that told how to open the hellmouth?" Deacon gasped.

Gramps merely gave him a mysterious smile. "Half of one. Bastard got himself stuck, and later, staked by the Slayer. So now he's dead and most of his order are gone."

"But not all." Cameron said.

"No. Not all. Some of 'em are still down there. I've checked the place out a few times. I don't have the mojo to get at the books." He looked at the two Tremere. "But you two just might."

"Cool," Sangria grinned wickedly. "Let's go take it to some Soulless."

Guinevere couldn't help but smile herself. The Brujah, for all their uncouth brutality was the clan she most wanted at her back when it came to a battle. Well, perhaps at her back was the wrong phrase. Standing between her and the enemy might be more applicable. It wasn't that she couldn't fight, but like many Toreador, she considered herself more of a lover than a fighter. Besides who wanted blood and guts getting on their nice clothes? She caught Lazarus eyeing her.

"Yes?" she asked sweetly. "Can I help you with something?"

"You and your clan mate," he said, "You want to wait up here?"

Now she frowned. It had slipped her mind about how dirty questing could be. Why did she have to wear this outfit tonight? No matter, she wasn't about to appear weak in front of the others. "I'll be fine." She assured him. Dominique agreed readily. She and Guinevere had an understanding.

"If we keep the grime on your outfits symmetrical you can just pretend it's part of the dress." Lugh suggested. Guinevere looked at him for a moment, then placed her palm against his head and shoved gently. "Kindly don't advise me on fashion." She said. She rather had a soft spot for Malkavians, some of the best artists had been a bit insane.

Throughout the journey, the Tremere kept silent. She thought that was just as well. The Tremere scared her. She often wondered if it were really they who ruled the Camarilla, and not the Ventru. Soon they arrived at the entrance to the catacombs beneath the city. Gramps assured them that while there were many ways to access the tunnels, this was the most direct route to their destination.

"All right." said an unexpected voice. Unexpected because Guinevere had not expected to hear a Gangrel of all clans to speak up in terms of sewers. "How many here can obfuscate more'n themselves?"

There was silence, and only Gramps responded in the affirmative. Cameron sighed. "All right, everyone stay close to Gramps so he can hide us. Lazarus, you take point with Gramps, I'll guard the rear. Deacon, Pyramus, decide amongst the two of you but I want one of you up front and one with me. Malkavians, Toreador and Ventru, you stay in the middle where it's safest. Any objections?"

Objections? Hardly. No one had any better strategy, much as it may have pained Zephyr and the Tremere to take orders from a Gangrel. They were merely surprised. Pleasantly for the most part.

Gramps indicated to Cameron how far back he could safely walk and still be Obfuscated. Then he held his finger to his lips for quiet. A wholly unnecessary gesture, Guinevere thought. There was no one in the group, she was sure, who didn't know that to make a sound would end their invisibility. The Vampire Discipline of Obfuscate did not truly make one invisible. It merely tricked the mind of others into thinking that they are not there. A person's brain would simply, edit them out. Therefore Obfuscate did not work on machines.

As they descended, Guinevere found herself reaching out to touch the tunnel walls. They were not yet in the natural caves below the town, but still in the man-made catacombs. And the wall, dingy, dirty, and smelly, actually felt, a bit like coming home.


Australia 1899

"Ten till places Elizabeth." The stage manager said, ducking his head into the dressing room.

"Thank you!" Elizabeth said, making a last check of herself in the mirror. Everything in place, ready to woo the crowd, and maybe steal a few scenes.

As she exited the dressing room for the wings, a British accented voice complimented her from the shadows.

"My dear," the voice said, "You look positively ravishing." A tall blond haired young man approached her. He carried a cane in one hand and had a curious red vest on, on one side it was held up on his shoulder by a strap, like a suspender. But rather than look shabby, it made him look rather rakish.

"Thank you Mr. Jest." Elizabeth smiled graciously. The man was a regular visitor to the theater, and always took care to compliment the ladies in the cast.

It wasn't the most opulent of buildings. A plain wooden affair, rather dank in the winter, and there were spots everyone knew to avoid in the rain due to leaks. But to Elizabeth, it all added to the charm.

"You'd best get to your seat sir," she suggested to Mr. Jest. "You won't want to miss the opening act."

He grinned mischievously. "No, no indeed I would not."


Sunnydale Sewers

The man laid brick walls soon gave way to natural rock tunnels. It occurred to Guinevere that they shouldn't be able to see. Well, she shouldn't be able to see. The Gangrel and Nosferatu had, as she'd heard, ways to see in the dark. But it wasn't dark. Not as dark as it should be at any rate. There was light in the tunnels, a faint glow came from up ahead.

"We're here." Gramps murmured.

To Be Continued…