XxXxX- Damon's P.O.V. –XxXxX
As I ran every piece of disturbing news flashed in my mind.
Channel 8 news had everyone in a panic. "-the break-in in Queen Elena's home and there's no word of the queen's whereabouts-"
Mutt's speech when I gave him the pills. "They say this guy likes to disembowel his victims."
The sadness and misery of Elena's thoughts "You think I'm a whore…I can't do this."
The Chief of police; the damn hunter Alaric made everything worse. "I must declare martial law."
The fear. So much of it. And Elena had spoken the most true words I had ever heard. "How many more lives must this city consume?"
So I ran. It had been so long, I had almost forgotten what it felt like.
I had made it to the apartment and I bolted through the doorway and yelled out Stefan's name. I looked everywhere…and eventually found him sitting in a corner with a beer bottle in his hands.
Stefan took a swig and coughed. Some of the alcohol escaped his mouth and landed on his shirt.
"I thought you went with her!" I shouted. "Why wouldn't you answer the phone?"
I looked on the floor where I saw a container of Blood Pills opened and half empty. I stared at them in disbelief.
"Did you take these?" I asked slowly.
Stefan stood up and slammed me against the wall. The pain exploded in my body as a piece of the wood boards entered my back.
"I did what I could!" he shouted. "You hear me!"
"Yes! Of course you did!" I said putting my hand on his shoulder. "I hear you."
"It's Klaus!" he shouted. "It's got to be Klaus!"
"Klaus?" it would make sense. Katherine was his child. He might've blamed us for her death and taken Elena. "Did you see him?"
"Who needs to see him! I said its fucking Klaus!" he screamed and put his fist into the wall right next to my head.
We stared at each other for a second before Stefan pushed me against the wall harder then let go. He walked back to the chair and picked up the bottle of beer.
"Tell me what happened last night." I said pulling the piece of wood out of my back.
"I-I-" Stefan swallowed hard and choked out a sob. "I didn't see anyone."
I stared at Stefan as he ran a hand through his hair.
"We've got to go! We need to find her!" I shook Stefan and he just shook his head.
"So suddenly you want to man-up!" he stood up and shoved his finger on my chest. "Face it Damon. You'll always be her second choice!"
I stared at Stefan with a cold hatred. I used to hate him for being a good little boy. But now he was too much. He was killing himself. And hurting others on the way.
I scooped up the Blood Pills and stared at Stefan. "I'll be back before sundown." I snapped.
And I walked out and into the city. The streets were not safe during the night. And they sure as hell aren't during the day either.
So I made hast to the Asylum.
I ducked under the yellow caution tape and entered the building. Sage watched me stride by, but said nothing.
A few police were looking for something…anything, by the looks of how baffled they were.
"…I don't want any information going public. Anyways we don't have much time." Alaric finished his conversation with his fellow police and then turned to face me. "Damon…who let you in?"
"I need to talk to her! She's the last one who saw Elena-"
"We have already interrogated the inmates! Is that all?"
"Well that's not good enough." I took another step forward. "Besides after your relationship went crash and burn she wouldn't dare stood so low to talk to you."
"Oh but she would talk to the queen's sloppy seconds would she?" he looked at the ceiling then at a one of his main police. "See him out." He looked at me with disgust and hissed, "Don't go mucking around in my city too late. Curfew is at sunset."
The two guards led me out and blocked the door. I sighed and walked.
Of course with his excellent timing, Mutt showed up with the horned beasts. He was talking to them but then faced me and jumped. "Gah-uh-Damon! Your brothers not around…uh is he?"
"What are you doing here?" I growled.
"I thought you were smart enough not to ask questions." said Mutt popping his collar.
I took a step closer to him and reached into my pocket. I pulled out two ones and slapped it into his hand. "I need a lead."
Mutt laughed. "You don't think-"
I pulled out three more.
"Well then…" Mutt took the money and smiled. "She's working up town nowadays. You're going to need someone to get in there. And, well, they love me there."
"I think I'll just borrow your girl."
"You know." said Mutt stopping me. "There are some good opportunities for people like us. Times like these."
I walked along, searching for Margaret.
Awhile later with Margaret by my side we had made it up town three minutes before the show.
The guard stopped us and looked at me with bloodlust. "Hey. This is a high class joint. Invited guests only."
Margaret smiled and walked up to the guard. "It's ok Kel. He's with me."
The guard, Kel by what she called him, looked at me then at her. He nodded and opened the door.
"You guys are just in time." said a man walking by.
Overhead the speaker crackled to life. "And now the for the eleven o'clock dance. Caroline Kiss."
The bass of stripper music turned on. And Caroline stepped onto the stage and started to strip. She danced and rubbed herself on the pole.
Half the time I was either covering Margaret's eyes or ears.
When the show finally ended Caroline walked over to where I was sitting.
"It's been awhile Damon." she said smiling.
"I need names."
She pouted and awed in disappointment. "Your visits used to be so much more…recreational." She made a show of unbuttoning a few of the clasps to her shirt.
"And now…I need names."
"Well." said Caroline suddenly in bitch mode. "Let's review the fucking facts Damon. Queen Elena is missing. Stefan got punked." She rolled her eyes and then sighed dramatically. "I'm going to guess its Klaus."
"Makes sense."
"Then why are you here?" she snapped.
"It doesn't sit well." I took a shot of vodka. "Klaus is too smart to make a move like that right after Katherine's death. Besides… he lost interest in Elena when he became a Buddhist."
"Well you won't know-"
"-Until I talk to him face-to-face." I finished.
"Well maybe he is the responsibility for the murders and kidnappings. It's awfully suspicious that Fell's Cathedral lost two major head figures in one day."
"Klaus is a brutal fucker…but no psychopath. He didn't stuff Katherine's guts into the jack-in-the-box."
Caroline sighed. "Then whoever did-"
"-Doesn't have Elena." I finished again.
I took another shot.
Caroline smiled cruelly then laughed. "When did you start caring so much about this place?"
I growled and threw the shot glass across the room. It broke against the wall and sent shards of small glass everywhere.
Caroline looked at the spot on the wall it hit then back at me. "If you can't get an audience, what then?"
"Shake the tree." I answered "See what falls."
"Lucky for you…" Caroline smiled and pulled a piece of paper from between her cleavage. "A girl in my line of work has plenty of contacts." she slid the paper over to me. "These are all sorts of fucked up men. They're bound to know something."
I tossed her a bag of coins. Worth some money. The only amount I could spare.
Caroline smiled sadly. "This is an awful lot amount of money for a few names stud."
"Those coins are dirty." I stood up and fixed my jacket.
"Well," Caroline looked up at me. "The least I can do is give you an escort." she turned to face Margaret. "Up for a ride to the Ruby district kid?"
Margaret smiled and nodded.
When we had made it to the Ruby district we were overwhelmed with the flashing lights of clubs.
So many names, so many styles.
Yet Caroline seemed to know everyone there by heart.
She pointed to a club called "Hell's Cathedral."
Cute. It even sounded like Fell's.
Caroline walked up and smiled. "Don't worry guys. I'll protect you."
We walked in and were overwhelmed by the smell of sex and alcohol.
The room was dimmed and had a blue tint. People were grinding and some practically having sex on the dance floor.
Caroline walked ahead and was immediately taken in by the crowd. The only thing we could see was a younger boy, maybe sixteen, with wings, on the stage next to the DJ.
I walked through the crowd with the music starting to kill me and spotted two familiar people. Alaric's partners in crime. Or well, in this case partners in police.
They didn't seem to notice us I so walked by and found Caroline talking to the bartender.
She smiled and walked back towards me.
"You've got a meeting to make in five."
When I was out of the club and in an office with the boy with wings and a man with yellow eyes I was starting to feel uneasy.
"Caroline has been good to me." said the man. "But I must say, I've always been interested in having a vampire."
"Where's the important one?" asked the winged boy.
"Hush Angel." said the yellow eyed man.
I looked at the winged boy and then back at the man. "Mr. Callot it was?"
"Please. Call me Captain."
"Uh, ok…Captain..." I looked at him trying to hide my face of disgust. "You own Caroline a favor. I'm here to collect it."
Captain pointed to a picture and smiled. "Boss is out for the night."
"The less people involved the better." I explained. "I'm trying to get into contact with someone."
"Well there are a lot of someone's out there sister." Captain looked at me with a growing impatience.
"I'm looking to get in contact with Klaus."
The winged boy laughed. "You used to screw up his minions all the time. Now you can't even find the don? I guess you're not so fierce without your little brother around huh?"
"I said hush…Angel!" Captain smacked the winged boy. "Ignore Aiden." he turned back to me with a scowl. "You think I'm connected to the mob? I got to give the cops a third of my earnings just to stay open after sunset and you think I got the mob in my back pocket?"
Captain lifted the winged boy's-Aiden- head. "Fell's Cathedral used to be so much better than this. I remember I was up in Port town when the cannibal… when things fell apart." He sighed frustrated. "I wish I knew the city you did. The city that bred heroes!"
"Is there anything you can do?"
Captain shook his head sadly. "I don't believe so."
I stood up to leave when Captain said, "Don't be a stranger now. Come back some time. I can show you around."
I nodded unsure if he meant anything sexual. The boy Aiden was defiantly his little man-whore. I shook my head again and left the office. I walked by and found Caroline getting tipped by some dancers and Margaret standing plank stiff in-between the cops freak dancing.
We left the building and started to walk to who knows where.
I'll admit it was strange to go around the city looking for Elena. Felt like old times.
"Can you get home from here?" I asked Caroline.
She smiled and nodded towards Margaret. "The kid can take me."
She pecked me on the cheek and said "This was fun big guy. Let's do this again some time."
I nodded half heartedly and walked off.
In the shadows of the always I was almost certain someone was following me. I turned around and looked hard for any signs of movement.
There were none.
I turned back and walked again. A barely audible whistling noise caught my attention. A sharp sting hit my arm and I looked at a stun dart that stuck out of my arm.
Everything started to blur and I watched as two figures approached me slowly before my mind when blank.
When I awoke a man was sitting in front of me. My vision was still blurred, but I could make out colors. Red, black, and gold.
"Do you know who I am?" the person in front of me asked.
