Chapter Fifty-Two:
The old vamp regarded me with slick beady eyes; the bastard was going to see what else he could wheedle out of me next.
Greedy son-of-a leech!
"For the death of so valued a employee, I'm not sure that's a very good trade on my part. As I already pointed out, what kind of signal would I be sending to my people and the other covens in the area if I let a trespasser just kill one of my people without consequences? Even if he was just a lowly contractor?"
"If you feel that way about it," I responded just as stubbornly. "Then I suppose I could just melt this piece of tin down and make an ashtray out of it. I've always wanted to take up smoking."
Martino snorted at that.
"You're forgetting, my interesting companion. You're in the heart of my home at the moment. I could just simply call my people in and take the medallion from you. I really have no need to compromise with you on anything when you get right down to the facts of the matter."
I leaned forward myself now and stared him straight in the face. I felt my fangs slid down into place at the threat. My finger nails changed into claws. My free hand had been laying on top of his desk as I crouched there, and I clenched my fingers without thinking, leaving four long scores in the desktop.
"Go ahead and try it, Benito. I hope you got your successor already picked out, because you're the first one I'll kill in that event," I offered with a new toothy smile, which really wasn't a smile.
I made a show of flexing my now hard-tipped fingers that were on the sword handle, as if they already itched to take a swipe at him with either claw or blade. The gesture also made the leather of my fingerless gloves creak, reminding him that I was in fact close enough to remove his head in an eye blink if I were of a mind to.
He baulked more at the bizarre show of fangs than at the reminder of the blade being so close, pulling his face away from mine. He hadn't been expecting that little demonstration of weirdness, and I suspect as soon as I left there he was going to have someone looking up my condition to figure out what I was exactly.
"No… you're not human at all, are you?" he muttered.
If the vampire was actually expecting me to answer his question, he was gravely disappointed. I merely just stared at him; waiting for him to decide which route he was going to take in this… and letting my silence tell him I was prepared to go either way once he made his choice.
Letting slip a bit of my secret couldn't be helped. I need everything at my disposal to bargain with him now if Angel and I were going to get out of this relatively unscathed.
If it helped keep Martino off balance and unsure about what he was dealing with, and where exactly he stood in this pact I was trying to strike with him, it would be well worth the sacrifice.
"You are right of course. I was merely exploring all my options. It's only good business."
The ends of my lips lifted coldly, exposing the tips of my canines. "You'll live longer if you exploded a lot less," I told him.
"My mistake, what was I thinking? Your offer upon reflection is certainly fair," he recovered quickly, now he smiled as if it all had been a simple misunderstanding instead of an outright threat. "We can settle this and reach an agreement like reasonable gentlemen."
"Glad you concur," I said, my eyeteeth drawing back upward. Damn! I hated the way that felt! It seemed to be worse whenever I was agitated even slightly.
But I was glad Benito had wisely backed down. I might have been able to kill him, but getting myself out alive after offing this coven's boss would have been a crapshoot at best.
I was at a serious disadvantage not knowing exactly how many vampire currently occupied the place, or how close any of them might be on the lower floors… as I had made my way in from the roof after finding that route to be the weakest link in the property's defenses.
"However, as we are no longer speaking hypothetically, there is a small concern about that organization I spoke about earlier. If I remember correctly, there was a considerable price on your head for certain, shall we say… indiscreet activities on your part. The Volturi would not be too please to learn that you were still alive, let alone that I was doing business with you."
I smirked; wondering how much less pleased the Volturi would be if they knew Martino was in bed with Illuminati as well?
"You mean all the vampire ticks I killed? No, there was nothing about that that was meant to be discreet in any way. I pretty much wanted all of you to know about it."
"Yes, still… it is a issue we must address before we finalize any arrangement," Martino continued, he looked very uncomfortable now for a change.
Good, that told me he was being sincere… for now at least.
"I'll tell you what. You don't tell the Volturi about me, I wouldn't tell them about you if I happen to run into them. And if I do run into any of them, I think its safe to assume I'll be too busy trying to kill them for idle chat," I said. "You can think up whatever story you'd like to fed them about how you recovered the medallion. I don't care."
Martino nodded his gray haired head. "You realize, if we go through with this pact and you renege at any point down the road, I will have you hunted down and killed for real this time. Also the girl's life will be forfeit as well as a result. My people will find her even if I am dead, and when they find her they will not only kill her, but all that are with her. Is that clear?"
"Yeah, that's clear," I told him. "Don't think those very same conditions don't go for you also."
Martino snorted at the last comment.
"Don't laugh, Benito," I said coldly. "Remember what happened the last time I walked through your maker's house. The very fact that I'm here right now should tell you that I can do it all again."
I leaned forward a bit to get closer to his face again, nothing helps make your point better than invading somebody's personal space. Vampires especially hate that. "I have done it more times than you will ever know." The less than subtle reminder about his maker's fate didn't go unheeded.
His face immediately straightened. "Of course," he said, and though I could tell he was a little less than completely sincere. I let it go because it was the best I was going to get with the old bloodsucker.
"So we have a deal… and an understanding?" I asked, drawing back to my prior distance from him. I didn't particularly like being that close to the bastard either.
"As long as I have your word, the terms are acceptable," he replied.
"Agreed," I added with a hard glare. I didn't bother asking him for his word, because I knew it wouldn't be worth the air he wasted to speak it.
I trusted more in the fact that we both sort of had metaphoric loaded guns pointed at each other's heads for the moment.
"I will immediately call off my people on the girl. Those of my coven will comply, as will most of my loyal contractors," he told me. "However," he said with one upraised finger. "That one particular group of Rogues who suffered the loss will be another matter."
I felt a storm brewing behind my eyes at the exception, but Martino held up a hand asking for a moment to explain himself. I didn't have much choice but to hear him out.
"They, the Rogue groups, as a rule are somewhat transitory by nature… as you probably know. They will doubtless not like the edict, and will more than likely leave my service rather than submit if I try to force it upon them. I can only withdraw my official support; reasonably claiming it is for the good of the coven association and business matters. They will still continue on their own to seek revenge on the girl for their fallen coven-mate in that case, and that is something I cannot reasonably forbid them to do. Not if I wish to remain in control of my coven and it's current associates. If I am not in control of my people, than I can obviously not give you what you want with the recall on the death warrant, can I?
"You are aware that we as a society have a certain passion for vengeance when a close fellow clan member is killed by another after all. It is the nature of the beast so to speak… and difficult to tame."
Dammit… I was hoping Martino would have a better hold on his hirelings. Or might be inclined to remove them as a problem himself to get his signet back. It didn't look as he was willing to go that far, and I had to wonder exactly what were their plans for Seattle that he would risk not getting the medallion back to keep them on track?
"And they are very upset with the fact that they could not seem to locate their friend's head," he was continuing to explain. "They were very distressed about finally having to burn his body. What did you do with it by the way?"
I only smiled to let him know I had enjoyed that part. Let him continue to wonder what I did with the head, there were far more gruesome stories about me floating around the vampire culture back in the day than just a few missing heads.
Image, as they say, is everything!
"How many Rogues in that group?" I asked instead, being to work on plan 'B'.
Benito thought a moment, and then said, "Six I believe when they first originally came to work for me, at least five now that you arrange an accident for one of their comrades. I have allowed them a certain amount of free rein in regards to supplementing their numbers with the additions of newborns or other inductees to complete the work I hired them for. Let's suffice it to say, that expansion of territory – licensed or not – is encourage, and that takes manpower to hold it. They may or may not have recruited new members by now. It is hard to keep track of such matters, and I certainly don't have the time for it."
Well, that was better odds then what we originally faced I had to consider. With Martino pulling his loyal people away, that left us with only five at minimum to worry about instead of hundreds or a thousand. Our prospect of survival just went from totally impossible to just nearly impossible.
That was the best odds I was going to get in this deal, so I had to take it, and hope Martino wouldn't find a loophole to shaft me with.
"You agree that if they push the issue after you issue the rescinding order, they are mine to do with as I please. You and your other people will stay out of it? You won't interfere and there will be no repercussions?" I asked for confirmation.
"Rest assured, neither my coven or I will take sides or intervene, nor seek retributions… as long as you both follow the law and keep your dispute out of human or public view," the older vamp promised.
By public view, he meant the view of other covens naturally. I almost asked why he thought I'd give a flying leap about vampire law, but I guess he assumed I'd want to keep my low profile intact… or he might have suspected my half-breed condition and actually thought that vamp rules meant something to me.
The old bastard's face wouldn't give me a clue as to which it was, so I just let it be for now.
"Done," I said. "I want all those damn wanted posters of yours taken down too – within the next twenty-four hours," I added. "I don't want any freelancers catching her scent and thinking she's still fair game for the reward you had on her head."
"Of course, I will instruct that they be removed from my territory and publicly rescinded the order as well… but again, I can not be held responsible if that lone coven places their own up."
I smiled wickedly.
"Then you might want to let them know, you personally will be very displeased, for business reasons – of course, if they hang any posters up on your turf. That should cut down a large area of possible trouble. We wouldn't want our arrangement to end drastically over a simple misunderstanding now… would we?"
The coven leader gave me a sour look in turn, it was clear he understood my threat.
"No, that would not be good for business," he replied tightly.
"Glad you agree," I said, and the lifted my sword blade to unpin Martino's pendant. "Take your piece of tin," I gave permission.
Martino then wasted no time in reaching forward and claiming his new prize. I was pretty sure by the new look on his creased face as he held it that he was more than happy with the trade, despite my insistent conditions. Maybe I should have also asked for something ridiculous, like an ice cream truck, just to be difficult.
"I guess we're done here," I said as I turned and jumped down from the desk.
I began to walk toward the door, keeping my sword in hand just in case he decided to pull something underhanded after all.
"Just a moment," Martino said suddenly. I turned, expecting a trick and getting ready to kill the vamp before he could spring it.
"We now have a pact, and are silent partners in this agreement, yes? A agreement which could get us both killed if it ever leaves this office… is that not so?"
"I suppose it is," I said, unwilling to think about the deal with my own devil that I just made.
"In that regard, I have a question I require some sort of answer to, whether you wish to answer it or not. It goes toward the creditability of your word concerning our arrangement."
"Then ask it, and stop wasting my time."
"Why?" he asked suddenly, he tilted his head in slight curiosity.
"Come again?" I inquired with a little bit of puzzlement.
"Why go through all this trouble and potential risk? To reveal yourself to your old enemies after all this time… for just some insignificant girl… who is nothing but a grazer I hear? She's not even a true immortal," he wanted to know.
I thought a moment. In the beginning, I had asked myself that question over and over again… and still didn't really have a real good answer that made a lot of sense for why I originally became involved. Now, I had stopped asking myself the question a while ago, as I knew the answer. It was because Angel wasn't insignificant to me. I now had feelings for her, strong feelings… but I'd be damned if I was going to tell this bloodsucker about that!
"I don't really know why at first," I told him. "It seemed the right thing to do at the time. The human thing to do."
Martino looked at me for a moment, tapping his forefinger against his thin lips as he thought.
"We both know now… you are anything but a simple human, my new friend," he said a moment later. "And humane is the very last quality that I would think anyone would associate with you. Your atrocities against my people are boundless."
"Then maybe I just got tired of being too much like one of you," I answered curtly.
He tisked and smirked, as if I'd done and said something very foolish… which I have to admit, I have. The only way you survive going against a vampire is to be as nasty as they are.
"With this," he said, holding up the medal and chain, "My coven will regain its former position in the Volturi counsel. You could have retained it and kept us powerless for the rest of eternity. You could have asked for anything you wanted, anything within our power to grant at all… and mostly likely gotten it… eventually. Why sell it so cheaply? For the sake of a lone female vampire you don't even really know, and who at one time you probably would have killed if given the opportunity. This makes no sense… and I have to admit, I'm not comfortable when things make no sense to me… especially when it involves business, and my life."
"Welcome to my world," I replied flippantly. "You got the only answer I have to give. Now kindly stop trying to psychoanalyze me because it'll only just piss me off."
He frowned at me with a strong hint of dissatisfaction, he was probably hoping for a more profound answer to his question.
Boy, was he barking up the wrong tree.
"Look! I don't give a damn any longer what you do with that. Take it back to Volterra and run for class treasurer for all I care," I finally said, using the sword in my hand to point at the disk in his hand. "I've left that part of my life behind me, and that glorified hunk of tin means nothing to me anymore."
The coven leader still looked less than satisfied.
"That girl may be a insignificant grazer to you," I continued, "But she was an innocent in all this. She wasn't bothering anyone that night. She wasn't hunting in anyone's territory, or trying to claim it. She was just out looking for a good time with her family when your hired thugs attacked her and her group. She asked for my help when she was dying, and for whatever goddamned stupid reason… I chose to break my cover and give it to her instead of just walking away. That's the best explanation I can give you, even though I damn sure don't owe you one.
"You leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone. You'll never hear or see either one of us again. The problem between the remainder of this Rogue coven and me is a private matter; you and your people stay out if it… and ignore it as you agreed to, because I plan on killing every single one of them if it comes down to it. I just bought that right with the return of your coven medallion."
"Of course. That is certainly agreeable, as I have said. We have an understanding."
I nodded, and started to walk for the door again. As I reached it, I had another thought. I stop at its shattered frame and turned to the old vamp one last time.
"Oh… and Benito?" I said.
He paused from examining his new possession to glance back at me.
"Yes?" he asked with a small hit of curiosity.
I pointed the tip of my sword at his chest now, the meaning of that little gesture would have been clear to anyone.
"Don't screw with me," I added. "Change is a powerful thing… and this girl has changed me, lucky for you. I'm not who I was any longer, but have no doubt, I can easily become that person again. I've actually grown to like being bored… most of the time. You don't ever want me taking up my old habits again for any reason. Because if I ever have to, I'll start right here in your house."
He smiled an oily smile at me that was less than sincere.
"Of course," he said again.
I frowned slightly, but nodded. It was the best confirmation of understanding I was going to get from the old bloodsucker. I left before I could change my mind and decide to just take my chances… and went back in to kill him anyway like White Crow wanted.
Having to deal with Benito Martino made me feel dirty enough for one day.
