Chapter Three

Shelley crept carefully to the window of the restaurant, her eyes darting everywhere. Drake was not far away, ostensibly watching the next ferry coming towards the Island, but in reality, he was watching everything as well. He seemed to be alone, but, Shelley thought to herself, with that damned Nos Maggie in the group teaching everyone Obfuscate, the entire pack could be nearby.

She didn't think so, though. Salem and Spike had come by and headed off in the opposite direction after looking through the restaurant, obviously to check the rest of the Island. They hadn't seen her hiding in the freezer. Shortly after that, the three girls in Drake's pack, Giselle, Kelly and Jez had arrived and started around the Island the other way. Well, Shelley's own pack was on the Island already, planted in the most likely places if this happened.

"You're getting predictable, Drake old boy," Shelley grinned viciously to herself. "Time you were retired for good."

Drake's eyes turned her way and Shelley ducked behind a fat mortal. It wasn't the best way to hide from Auspex, but it could sometimes fool the unready. Drake, while looking carefully, obviously felt that Shelley couldn't have gotten to the Island, so he missed her.

Stupid fool.

If plans went well, Shelley thought to herself, her own pack would at least slow down, if not stop entirely, Drake's pack. She hadn't known who would search which way, although she had guessed correctly on the groups. Hell, it was common knowledge that Spike and Salem were joined at the hip. If he hadn't gone to Nova Scotia with Maggie, he would be with Spike. That left the girls and Dennis and Drake had to leave someone to guard his precious Haven. Logically, that would be Dennis. Unfortunately, she had sent the very young Todd with Kieran in anticipation of the girls going his way - Jez had a serious crush on the handsome Gangrel and would have had trouble fighting him. Leah and Rob were powerful and the two of them worked well together - they should have been able to handle Salem and Spike. Now, Shelley didn't know what would happen, she only hoped that Todd and Kieran would get lucky shots in.

Three hours passed before the impatient Shelley heard through the Vaulderie blood link with her pack that Spike and Salem had arrived. Sending a mental "Kill them", she waited, more impatient than before, for indication from Leah. She wanted all of Drake's pack occupied when she made her move.

Three minutes later, she had it. Shutting off her pack from her mind so as to concentrate, she slipped out of the restaurant and started towards Drake. Her hands were empty, as the power she controlled would stop him in his tracks without need of weapons. She had to get close enough to touch him, though. And she had to do it without him seeing her.

She almost made it.

A child, a mere mortal child, ran into her legs and fell to the ground wailing from the bump. Drake's head spun to see and his eyes met Shelley's.

"Bitch!" Drake yelled and, using his own Celerity, sped to one side.

"Damn it!" Shelley hissed and pushed the child aside with one hand, exerting her power to twist the child's face askew. The wailing increased and Shelley took off after Drake.

"Come and get me," Drake taunted, keeping enough ahead of her so that she could see and hear him, but not catch him. Shelley didn't command the power of Celerity in high enough strength to reach him - she only hoped she could take him when he finally stopped to fight.

A sense of utter loss broke through the Vaulderie link with her pack and she stumbled slightly. Someone she had shared blood with had met Final Death and Shelley didn't have time to mourn. Putting on a burst of speed, she surprised Drake and landed on his back, throwing him to the ground.

She had time to create a bulge of flesh in his back before Drake powerfully bucked and threw her off. Shadows reached for her, but Shelley evaded them, trying to get close enough to Drake to finish the job.

"I wondered when you'd show up," Drake growled at her. "I knew you were here."

"You lie, prick," Shelley snapped at him, pulling one of her throwing knives from her belt and whipping it at him. Her aim was excellent and only Drake's speed kept it from being a serious injury. It landed in his shoulder with a meaty thunk and Drake hissed in pain. Yanking it out, he threw it at Shelley, narrowly missing her head.

"Such language," Drake taunted, evading the next knife throw and managing to get a shadow around her ankle. "Hardly fitting for a lady."

"Damn good thing I'm not a lady then!"

A figure came running into view and Shelley grinned at seeing her lieutenant Kieran. Her grin faltered when he ran on by though, bleeding heavily from several aggravated wounds including a missing hand. Hot on his tail were Spike and Salem, who stopped when they reached Drake. Another set of shadows reached out towards Shelley and Spike crouched, ready to spring at her.

"Give up yet, bitch?" Drake inquired, snagging with his shadow around her ankle and nearly knocking her off balance.

Shelley, knowing that she was overmatched with the three of them, threw her last knife at Drake's face. He dodged enough to allow the knife only to slice his cheek off and his shadow vanished as his control was interrupted. Shelley evaded Salem's shadows easily and took off towards the docks. A ferry was just boarding to leave. Spike let out a bestial howl and sprang after her, his speed outmatching hers.

Shelley looked back, real terror in her heart, and stopped just as Spike drew close enough to grab her. With a snarl, she latched both hands onto his face, exerting her power. Spike howled again, this time in utter pain, as Shelley twisted the skin and bones under her hands into a grotesque mask. He dropped away from her, crying out and falling to the ground with his hands covering his face. Shelley kicked him in the side once then turned and sprang for the ferry. Three feet from the dock, she leapt and landed sprawled on the deck. Kieran helped her to her feet and Shelley looked back at the Island rapidly distancing itself.

She had lost her entire pack this night, for she had no doubts that Rob and Leah would not be spared. Kieran alone remained and although she should kill him for running, she couldn't. The battle had been lost, but the war was nowhere near won.

Shelley let out a screech of pure hatred then crumpled to the ground to grieve.

"OW!" Spike yelped as Giselle coolly sorted out the twisted, mangled features of his face. The Brujah struggled but with both Salem and Drake sitting on him, he could do nothing. "Damn it, bitch, that hurts!"

"Of course it does," Giselle crooned, her fingers slowly teasing the skin to it's correct position. "There is always pain involved in artistry."

"Fuckin' get off me!"

"I'm not done yet," Giselle smiled serenely into his angry face. "You may get up when I'm done."

Drake and Salem, side by side on Spike's body, exchanged amused glances. Giselle was taking her own sweet time with this, flesh crafting being something she truly enjoyed doing. She had moved smartly enough on Drake's back, since the packleader wouldn't stand for her playing, but with a fellow packmate, especially one who was lower in rank, Drake didn't give a damn what she did as long as Spike was eventually returned to his normal self.

Drake looked around. His pack had escaped serious injury from Shelley's, and the girls had brought down Rob and Leah fairly handily, although it was going to take quite awhile before Kelly's leg grew back. Leah the Nosferatu had had a razor sharp sword and a lucky blow had taken off Kelly's leg just below the knee. The red-haired Lasombra was sitting on a couch wrapping a piece of cloth around the stump, sucking from a large mortal they had caught for her as she did. Kelly was out of action for several nights and it was actually for the better, Drake nodded to himself. He had a permanent guard for the haven now although his Childe wasn't happy about it.

"So that took care of Shelley, right?" Salem inquired over Spike's yelps and struggles.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Drake mused. "I doubt it though. Even with her pack basically gone, she's not going to quit. Although she's going to have some problems." He grinned viciously.

"Such as?" Salem pressed.

"Such as if I survive this whole thing and her pack is still only her and Kieran, my territory is going to expand."

"Oooo..." Salem let out a breath of anticipation. "Hadn't thought about that. Can you hold turf that big though?"

"If we add more packmembers, I can hold anything," Drake grinned at him. "And adding more packmembers is as easy as turning that mortal Kelly is sucking on into a vampire, then clunking him."

Salem nodded, then frowned, thinking. "You know, there's an idea in that."

"Which is?"

"Cannon fodder," Salem said slowly, working it out in his mind. "If we create whole shitloads of vamps, we can send them to fight the packs instead of putting the real members into danger. Any that are left standing at the end can become new members."

"What an utterly vicious and nasty idea, Salem," Drake advised him. "It's a great one. I had been thinking about it, actually, I just got a little sidetracked when Shelley made her move so soon."

"So?" Salem leaned forward eagerly. "Do we do it, oh gracious leader?"

"Yes," Drake whacked Salem's head, tumbling the younger man off Spike. "Call me that again and I'll let Giselle play with your face next."

Giselle looked up at the mention of her name and smiled, reaching a hand towards Salem. "Want a third eye like Maggie, Salem?"

Salem prudently back peddled out of her reach. "Nope, that's ok. I'll pass."

"Suit yourself," Giselle went back to work on Spike who had given up struggling and only whimpered beneath her hands.

Drake patted Spike's stomach then climbed off him. Giselle was just about done and after a moment, she let the Brujah up. He climbed to his feet and groaned his way over to the couch next to Kelly. Pulling the semi-conscious mortal away from her, he sunk his fangs into it and drained it dry.

"Ahhhhh," he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "That's better."

"That was MY snack!" Kelly pouted, shoving the corpse away from her.

"You snooze you lose, babe," Spike leered at her and, picking up the corpse, tossed it at Dennis. The Malkavian screeched and smacked it away, letting it tumble onto Lucy.

"Hey!"

Lucy picked up the corpse and ripped off one of the arms, tossing the rest aside. Striking a fencing pose, he jabbed it towards Salem. "En Guard!"

"Look out Salem!" Jez shouted from the side with a grin. "He's armed!"

She got several pillows whipped at her for that comment and Salem ripped the other arm off of the corpse for himself. Taking a stance that made a mockery of Lucy's proper pose, he crossed the limb with Lucy's and the two fenced it out for a while. Salem got beaten badly, Lucy managing to disarm him and jab the stiffening fingers into his chest.

"Surrender!" Lucy announced dramatically.

"Never surrender!" Salem yelled and grabbed the arm, tossed it aside and pounced on Lucy himself. The Ventrue gave as good as he got, but Salem was the better hand to hand fighter and eventually ended up sitting on his chest, pinning him down.

"Now who's surrendering?" he grinned into Lucy's face. Lucy stuck out his tongue. "Don't stick it out unless you plan to use it, Luce."

"You wish," Lucy retorted and heaved Salem off.

"All right, children," Drake stepped in front of Salem as the younger man eagerly headed for Lucy again. "You can play later. We've got to go scope out the competition."

"We scoped Shelley somethin' fierce," Spike grinned, coming up beside them.

"That we did," Salem grinned back and gave him a high five. "Who's next?"

Drake mused for a moment. "Let's check out Jesse and Ysabel. Make sure they're concentrating on themselves rather than on me. Lucy, you're on. Take Dennis as back up."

Lucy the Ventrue nodded and the rest of the pack, who were all for making cannon fodder, minus Kelly who was now guarding the haven, trooped out of the haven and down to the ferry docks. After climbing on board, Salem sidled up closer to Drake.

"Is Kelly enough of a guard?" he inquired. "Even if we leave Dennis at the docks?"

"She'd better be," Drake replied. "Or she'll be dead."

"Dead," Salem repeated the word softly.

"If she can't hold the haven, she's of no use to us," Drake said harshly and moved away. Salem let him go. Drake talked big but he was extremely fond of his Childe and Kelly's death would hit him hard. Salem moved to a quiet corner and opened his trench coat. In an inner pocket, a twitching black nose and a pair of bright black eyes looked out at him.

"Listen, I know Maggie said to stay with me," he told the rat quietly. "But do you think you could gather up some friends and go help guard the haven?"

The rat chittered at him.

"I don't speak rodent, Buzz, you know that," Salem shook his head. "Come on, Maggie didn't know there'd be a war like this. She'd have wanted you to help."

The chittering turned scornful.

"Ok, low blow, I know," Salem grinned. "Come on, rat-face. If the haven gets taken, that stash of cheese Maggie keeps for you will be gone."

Buzz climbed out of the pocket and wormed his way up Salem's chest until he was clinging to his shoulder. Salem turned his head and promptly got his nose bitten.

"Hey!" He swatted at the rat who easily dodged his hand and jumped onto the railing of the ferry. Scurrying along it, Buzz disappeared down the end and Salem, hurrying forward, saw the sleek dark grey shape splash into the water and start swimming for the Island.

"Thanks Buzz!" he yelled, earning himself several curious glances.

Drake looked over at him and gave the slightest nod. Salem didn't respond but inside he smiled. He was still atoning for all the screw-ups he'd produced when he'd first joined the pack and this edged him up a notch. Drake would never acknowledge it further, but it was enough.

"Hey, dude," Spike punched Salem in the arm. "You're bleeding."

"Yeah, Buzz bit me," Salem replied and sent blood to quickly heal the bite. Grabbing Spike's arm, he used the Brujah's sleeve to wipe the blood off.

"Gee thanks, a snack!" Spike grinned and sucked Salem's blood off his jacket. Salem screwed up his face and laughed. "How many are you gonna bite?"

"How many are we allowed to?"

"Hey, dude, it's however many you feel like," Spike snickered. "Although you might wanna pick ones that wouldn't make bad packmembers. It's kinda tradition that whoever is left standing gets to be pack."

Salem nodded and looked at the lights of Toronto rapidly approaching. He'd pick carefully, but he'd also pick quickly. It was imperative that Drake win, because frankly, Salem had absolutely no intention of meeting final death.

"Yo! Rat! Get your slimy ass out here, will ya? We got places to go, things to see, people to do... wait. Scratch that. Reverse it."

The sewer grate pushed aside and a short, scrawny street person oozed out. Dressed in rejects from the Goodwill centre, it scratched at an utterly filthy stomach and let out a clearly fabricated belch.

"Spiral," Rat nodded politely. "Always a pleasure, you twisted fuck."

The man facing the street person grinned with gap-toothed precision. His clothing was nearly as strange as Rat's, although not nearly as dirty. The tuxedo had seen better days and better figures to rest on, and the top hat almost - bobbled - on his head instead of sitting flat. After a crafty look around, the man doffed his hat and bowed, releasing a long thin strand of skin that fell like a Slinky from the top of his head. The spiral it created when extended had given the man his name and the fact that he hadn't convinced a Tzimisce to fix it, paid mute testimony to his clan.

"Put your hat back on," Rat said patiently, scratching at her ass this time and farting. "You'll scare the nice Camarilla."

"Yes, Mistress," Spiral whined, replacing his hat then laughing. "So what shall we do this fine evening?"

"Heard anything from the Bishop arena?" Rat inquired, looking around. They were just on the edge of Scarborough. Still theoretically in Toronto, but close enough to Camarilla territory to make open conversations sometimes dangerous. Not that she cared if the toys heard her and Spiral. They couldn't do a damn thing about it and if they were stupid enough to come this close to the border then they deserved everything they got. It could be dangerous, yes, but usually only for the Camarilla.

"Negatory," Spiral intoned. "Although the night is young. Rumour has it that Drake is the leading contender, Shelley is the lightweight coming up fast on the outside and Ysabel and Jesse are too busy snapping at each other to play ball."

Rat blinked, sorting this out. "You've got your sports mixed again, pal. So Drake is the favourite, eh? Figures. He's got the biggest pack since the Blood Ravens split."

"They did?" Spiral looked alertly at her, the effect spoiled when one of his eyes wandered off to check out a passing stray cat. "How could Meer let them do that?"

"All right, you're not THAT insane," Rat sighed. "Meer is Archbishop, Christine is the new packleader and Windsor and two others split off to form their own little pack between Christine's territory and yours. You knew that."

"I knew that," Spiral agreed, bobbing his head eagerly causing his hat to fall off. Rat grabbed the exposed strand of skin and tied it into a slightly lopsided bow. "There. Now put your hat back on and make sure it's on tight or I'll use the hat pin again."

"Oh, would you?" Spiral's eyes brightened. "Please?"

Rat grinned and produced a grimy skewer from her pocket. Jamming Spiral's top hat back on, she screwed up her face, took aim and poked the hat pin not only through the hat but through the top layer of skin on Spiral's skull.

"OW!"

"What, you'd forgotten how much that hurts?" Rat laughed. "Surprise."

"Doesn't hurt," Spiral pouted. "Feels yummy."

"Yummy?"

Spiral turned away and began stalking the stray cat who had chosen the fence to take a bath. Alarmed at Spiral's crafty yet noisy approach, the cat took off and Spiral started after it.

"Get back here!" Rat ordered and Spiral obligingly recreated his movements in reverse until he was standing next to Rat again. "Don't run off, we've got work to do."

"Work?" Spiral repeated in dismay then broke into an extremely off key song. "Iiiiiiiiiii don't wanna work, I wanna bang on de drums all day."

"Shut up," Rat told him absently, pushing on her bottom lip with a thoughtful finger. "What are we going to do about the Bishop race?"

"Nothing," Spiral replied immediately. "'Cause there's nothing we can do. I don't want to run for Bishop, do you?"

"What, and have Drake turn me into ground beef? I don't think so, thanks."

"Buuuuuuut," Spiral drew out the word, then stopped.

"But?"

Spiral let out a high pitched giggle and began dancing around pointing his finger at Rat. "You said a bad word! You said butt!"

Rat rolled her eyes and stooped down to pick up a stout stick. Heaving it up, she swung and connected with the side of Spiral's head, knocking the loopy Malkavian to the ground. Spiral blinked rapidly, then shook his head hard.

"Houston," he intoned in a perfect imitation of Tom Hanks, "we have a problem."

Rat laughed and hauled him to his feet. "Come on, Spiral. Let's go send our packs to play then you and I can visit the Bishop contenders."

"Over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!" Spiral carolled, doing a two step down the street. "Will she give us cookies, do you think, Rat?"

"I doubt it," Rat said. "We're only going to listen. I want some information."

"You always want information," Spiral noted, flipping to a handstand and walking on his hands beside her.

"Naturally," Rat grinned down at him. "I'm a Nosferatu."

"Did you know that you're upside down?" Spiral inquired seriously, hopping on one hand for awhile.

Rat sighed, shook her head and led him towards the park nearby. Their combined packs, mostly Nosferatu and Malkavian, were sent to a nearby Camarilla rest home to play, then Spiral and Rat hopped onto a bus, completely nauseating the other passengers. Settling in, they sped off towards the subway that would take them into downtown Toronto.