The world we live in is all about appearances, truth is now a rare and valuable commodity. Yes, the world is more about how it looks than the actual truth. In the modern age appearances are fact...
I personally maintained two guises, one that of the infamous Shadow, ruthless, effective, without morals but also efficient and quick, I made part of my reputation on not going in for pain. I'd painstakingly built this persona till it was accepted. It wasn't the truth but it was a truth. Unlike the other hunters who had laid a claim to fame I didn't mark my opponents, instead I merely left a note.
I used a black biro, and A4 paper from a stationery store – practically untraceable. I didn't write words just a number. My kill count. And as when I wasn't 'working' I was on first name terms with a lot of Night Worlders -sometimes it gets annoying that if your friends knew you were human they'd kill you- I used my contacts to weave a for more deadly image than the actual truth.
What's really worrying is that most of my jobs these days are from various representatives of the Night World. It started a week after my move to the US when I received a call on my mobile.
"Hello?"
"Ah, Mr Shadow. Or do you prefer The?"
I'd already literally dived into 2nd nearest alleyway and hit the dirt– this had to be a trap so chances were a group of thugs would be in the nearest alleyway.
I put the phone back to my ear.
"Who is this?"
"My name is Hunter. You may have heard of me." I could hear the amusement in the voice.
"Prove it." It was a direct challenge.
"We both know that the only way I could do that would be a face to face meeting so let's not waste time on posturing and talk business."
"So you're not trying to kill me."
"No, not yet."
"The fact you have my number means you know who I am and where I am. You could kill me at any time. So lets just get straight to the point, who do you want me to kill?"
"Kill? I never mentioned killing."
"As you've already said let's not waste each other's time, I'm a vampire slayer, your a vampire. The only reason you could possibly have to keep me alive would be that you want me to kill someone!"
"Ok. Point taken."
"How much?"
"How does four million dollars strike you?"
" Five mill and as you doubtlessly already know I'm English so make it pounds. Plus I expect the kill to be added to my reputation as you already intend and I also want one hundred grand for my silence"
"As expected. You'll find the money already in your account."
Ok that was unexpected and unnerving, I had seriously underestimated the Night World on this one.
"Who's the target?" He must really want them dead at that price, I normally only charged a grand per job.
"Targets, all two thousand of them."....
"MR GILES ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!"
I jolted out of my reverie. I seriously had to stop doing this. I scanned the board. Nothing, all the diagrams were complete and solved,
"Now that you've woken up Mr Giles I expect an answer!"
There in the corner of the board, Pg 213, Ex 12, Q 3-7. Come on, think, think, you've finished this book before, what's on page 213? Think!
"The Higg's Boson, Professor,"
"Correct." Phew, got out of that one.
"What was with you back there?" Holly asked me, some things can always be relied on, gravity, the tide and Holly picking up on any irregularities in my behaviour to name a few.
"I'm just tired."
"How come?"
"I've been working to hard."
"The degree?"
"No, my job." The conversation was moving to dangerous ground.
"What is it you do exactly? You've never said."
"You've never told me your job either." I pointed out, 'just let it go, don't question any more' I prayed.
"So? I work in a florists. There now you know, it's your turn."
"You're a terrible liar."
"What do you mean?"
"For the past two years we've both been going to the same judo club, the same archery club, the same kendo club, the same fencing club, the same karate club and by some twist of fate even the same swimming club. And you seriously expect me to believe you work as a florist?"
"Uh... yes?..."
"Forget it, Holly, you're my best friend so I think I know you well enough to say that you're not a florist. Anyway where are you off to?" I asked taking in the fact that she had taken her pack from her locker.
"Just going for a walk."
"Mind if I join you, I could probably do with something to take my mind off things."
"Yes I do mind!"
"Shame." I said, shouldering my bag.
"How is it we're still friends, please remind me?" She said sweetly.
"Let's see, one we're doing the same degree, two we both are highly athletic and three everyone else finds us plain weird. It's pretty logical that we'd become friends."
"Fair enough."
We'd made it out of the university grounds at this point. I decided to reignite the conversation by giving a theory of mine that was pretty far left field.
"I believe I have discovered magic, and a conspiracy to cover it up dating back years.." I could as well. We often used each other as sounding boards and critics for our more mad sounding theories.
"Let's hear it then" Holly said with a sigh, her expression was skeptical with a hint of annoyance and a slight touch of foreboding. All typical considering how many theories I'd bounced off her.
"Well, I first got suspicious a few years back when I tried to find the roots of some old legends, I could find theories with facts that supported them that fit a large number of the classic myths and legends, zombies, dragons, even the Loch Ness monster. A few though I just could not find anything that fit, shapeshifters, magic, vampires and werewolves to name a few. Eventually I came up with explanations to fit two of them, one psychological, the other proven fact.."
I paused and glanced at Holly to see if she was still listening, she was.
"So that discounted vampires and werewolves, which just left shapeshifters and magic. Shapeshifters I eventually decided to just put down to an author with an overactive imagination but magic as a myth is too wide spread not to have some basis. So I searched the internet, finding little inconsistencies which slowly began to culminate into one big picture, a large number this century I might add. For example the phoenician banker's beads, we are still unable to produce it's like even now, to do so requires the kind of heat you find in a nuclear missile."
I paused for effect.
"Of course you probably know it as zero-point energy. It's amazing really it's one of the worst kept and best kept secrets around, if that makes sense to you."
"So, what's so special about that?"
"Would unlimited power explain anything?"
At that point my mobile rang. I completely stopped everything I was doing and thinking for a second before wildly groping into my pocket and fumbling with the button. Everyone who had that number knew not to call during daylight hours.
"Hello."
"Shadow."
"This had better be good Red."
"By the fact you aren't using my full name I assume you're with other people."
"Yes, now cut the mind games, you wouldn't call this number unless it were an emergency so just out with it."
"Humanity is for the axe, you've got till nightfall to prepare unless you can pull a few strings that are out of my reach."
"How many?"
"Practically every Elder outside my control."
"I can maybe get that to two days if I use everything at my disposal."
"It's annoying having to speak vaguely isn't it, doubtless you want the details."
"I thought we agreed no mindgames and secondguessing?"
"Anyway, thought you deserved a heads up, call it a retirement plan if you will."
I heard a click as the phone disconnected. I looked to Holly.
"Care for an early tea break?" We both found walking in itself to be somewhat relaxing and a good way to think things through so it had become a habit to walk the city's streets together whilst discussing our latest ideas and provide our own thoughts on the lecture or task assigned for that day.
"Sure. So, what was all that about?" Holly asked.
"Major problem at work." I grimaced.
"How major? Any way I can help?"
"Unless you can cause a full scale communist revolution within the next day 'fraid not."
"So it's a political job?"
"Don't start that again, Holly."
"Jeez, what is your problem today?"
I slowly turned and looked Holly in the eyes before answering with utmost solemnity.
"Humanity, Life and knowing that when humanity destroys itself it will take the the rest of the world with it. Also knowing that ever since the nuke was invented the planet now needs humanity or else it will be destroyed. Damned either way really."
I sighed.
"You say that as if you weren't human." I looked up at her in surprise.
"Why do you say that?"
"You never say us or we when refering to humans as a whole."
"Now you're doing it."
"Thats because no other word will fit that sentence and don't change the subject."
"I'm human." It sounded like a confession in a way. "I just sometimes wish I wasn't. I meean sure there are some good points to humanity but every day it just gets harder to see them. I mean sure some people are good but I personally meet so few these days. In fact I'd go so far as to say I only know two first name terms."
Damn it, what am I doing? I'm on the verge of telling her about the Night World. Telling her my life story more or less. Get a grip Giles. You cannot and must not say another word. Just because the apocalypse is quite literally about to occur is no reason to just forget years of training and self-discipline.
Despite my internal self berating my mouth tried to carry on regardless as though my brain had no part in the conversation.
"I am just so tired, physically and mentally" I stopped talking.
"Let's just get something to eat." Holly said, showing more tact than usual.
"Aye." I said sadly.
Author's Note: I intended to put more in this chapter event wise but thought I was making the chapter a bit too big when I did a word count.
Positive and negative reviews welcome but plz don't ridicule as have put a large amount of my own thoughts and feelings into the latter part of the chapter.
Also feel free to put what you think will happen, what you've figured from the plot and what you would like to happen.
