Chapter 55 – #KindredProblems
October 9, 2004 = Saturday
~Eliza Flores~
When I awoke, it was to Dominique yanking on my eyelids.
"Wake up wake up wake up!" she frantically chanted, as she assaulted my tender eyelids. I ended that by turning my head to the side, making Dominique fall to the dusty floor.
"I'm up," I said dryly, tossing Dominique off my head with a gentle roll of my head. I was groggy, only half awake as I ghosted out from under the bed, reforming my leather clad body on top. A glance out the window showed me the sun was still high in the sky, and the room looked normal as I sat up, which left my groggy mind wondering what was so wrong.
"It's Yukie!" my familiar screamed at me as she wriggled back out from under the bed. "She's killing herself!"
I looked to the bathroom door, taking a whiff as I did. What assaulted my nose was the rich iron scent of blood, and it was strong. My brain knew, without thinking, the only way I'd be able to smell it that easy was that there was a lot of it that had been spilled.
With that realization, my brain kicked into overdrive and I was able to shake the weariness of sleep off as I charged at the door, but the door was locked. I tried to will the strength into my arm to snap the lock like I had done before, but the best I could manage was to turn it just enough to make the door open.
Opening the door, I found Yukie laying naked in a bathtub full of bloody water, long cuts on the one forearm I could see while the other was hidden in a sea of crimson. Her head was lolled against the back wall and her eyes were closed, but not a wave one marred the surface of the water.
Panic filled me, and I stepped forward and grabbed Yukie under her shoulders, needing my potence to lift her dead weight from the water. I laid her out in front of the sink, kneeling by her to check for any signs of life. Her skin was pale, almost as pale as mine, with blue lips and fingertips but after putting my ear to her mouth and looking down to her chest, saw it rise and fall in shallow movements. I pulled my auspex into being, finding she did still have an aura, but it was now as faint as her breathing.
"Not dead yet," I said, putting my wrist into my mouth and using my fangs to open a wound. I then used my free hand to open Yukie's mouth, then dribbled the blood into her mouth. Once I had the blood in her mouth, she began to moan and move, so I checked her wrists for any signs of continued bleeding. Thankfully there was none, but the long cuts on her arms were deep and to the bone.
Thinking I had to try something to get her cleaned up, I then took possession of her body letting mine fall to the floor. The first thing I tried to do was sit up, but found my world spinning from blood loss. While it seemed I might be able to shrug off mental problems or physical problems that could be balanced out like being sloshed on booze, I still had to have blood to work.
I gave it several moments of clutching the sink for support before I moved on to my knees. This time the nausea was less, but I still felt it necessary to wait a minute before standing. When I did stand, I moved into the bathroom and carefully used a toe to lift the stopper and allow the bloody water to flow out.
While I waited for the water to flow out, I gave a few thoughts about what would cause Yukie to commit suicide. The best answer I could come up with was that my blood was forcing her to act against her nature as a hunter, and she hadn't been able to override the call of my blood when I had given it to her a second time. As such, she had likely been fighting a war in herself to either kill me and free herself or to submit herself to my will.
In the end, she could do neither so she decided to kill herself while I slept. It was a good plan, except that Dominique had woken me at the last moment. Now, as I started the water that would wash away the blood, I wondered what Yukie would do that she had drank my blood again.
I knew a few things that I could do to prevent it from happening again, first and foremost was that I would order her to never commit suicide again. Another thing I was thinking of doing was giving her more work to do, though I had yet to find anything for her to actually do.
Though as I stepped into the shower to rinse the blood off, I did have ideas about sending her with Mira as protection. The idea was one I mulled over as I washed, being careful of the deep cuts on Yukie's arms. Though no blood leaked from the wounds, I still wanted to be careful of infection.
Once I had Yukie's body and hair clean, I dried her off and put her hair up in a towel. I then rummaged through the dresser to find her clothes. One drawer, when I pulled it out, held clothes I'd never seen before. After going through them, I finally dressed Yukie in a pair of panties along with a black tank and short set then laid her out on the bed before letting my consciousness slip back to my real body.
I yawned as I got back on my feet, so I finally checked the time, finding it was just after noon. Yukie had certainly picked the right time to try and commit suicide, as I normally wouldn't be up for hours. I was also stuck in my motel room as the sun was shining just outside the door.
Looking out the window though, a smile curved my lips at seeing some of the girls as they laid out to get a tan. Problem was, they were facing away from me. Moving to the door, I opened it and put the swing lock's bar to block the door from closing as I waited for a person to come by.
The first person to come by though wasn't one of the girls, but the redheaded bouncer, Hans, who was dressed in shorts with his chest bare. I possessed him without thinking about it, going into my motel room where I moved my body to the bed and hid it under the covers. Yukie was still unconscious, and grabbing the cash from my pocket and my room's key, headed back out, removing the swing lock as I did to allow the door to close.
I headed back to Hans' room to get his clothes, figuring he was probably either about to swim or work on his own tan, but wanted to get my own stuff done. When I got him into his room, I dressed him in slacks and a Four-Play T-shirt with a pair of high gloss dress shoes. I grabbed the keys he had laid out on his table, figuring people would ask questions if I just drove off on either my Ninja or in the Civic.
I checked the logo on the car key to find a Dodge emblem, so when I left Hans' room I began searching for a Dodge. One of the first vehicles I tried the key fit, so I climbed inside the Dodge Dakota and started it. The thing had a deeper rumble than a regular engine that I placed as a diesel, though the gauge said it took gas.
After backing it out, and easing the large and uncomfortable vehicle towards the road, I saw Cherry standing by the road in a skimpy pair of short shorts with a tied up top. She must've heard me coming, because she turned and waved me over, so I rolled the passenger window down to talk to her.
"Where ya headed?" she asked me as she leaned in the window.
"To the store," I lied, not wanting to tell her I needed medical bandages for Yukie.
"Think you could make a run to the store for me?" she asked me. I was wondering if I should say yes or not when she continued on. "I need condoms. I forgot to bring more with this morning."
"Why not ask your sister?" I said, but Cherry just rolled her eyes.
"She totally hates that I'm trying to get it on with the new boss, but it's all I've ever wanted to do," Cherry whined. "She kept going on all the way home last night that I shouldn't be back today, but, here I am."
"Anything in particular?" I asked, bringing a smile to Cherry's face. "Ribs? Studs? Pleasure pack?"
"Just plain, straight tubes," she said, rubbing at something I couldn't see below the window. "And get lots of them. I plan to be here until almost sunrise tomorrow."
"About a hundred work?" I asked her and she nodded.
"Some guys can be such jerks," she said sourly. "Like I'm not going to feel it when a ribbed condom isn't there? Or how about when they rip them intentionally just to try and cum in me?"
"I agree," I said, then remembered I was in a guy's body when Cherry looked at me funny. "They should be glad they get a chance to have you at all. I still haven't yet."
"I'm sorry," Cherry said apologetically, shaking her head.
"Don't be," I told her back, feeling Hans' cock stiffen at the thought of burying itself in her pussy. Having seen it personally, it was easy to picture it in my mind and that just made my cock surge in rigidity. "Tell you what, when I get back we can do it as a way of paying me for your condoms."
"I guess sis couldn't say no then," Cherry said with a wan smile. "Alright, just hang around if I'm not out here when you get back. It won't be long."
Having seen Hans' cock before I just smiled back. "You won't say that when you see me."
Cherry began laughing, backing up a step as she did so. "You better get to the store and get back."
"Back in a bit," I said, pulling out of the motel and turning towards the local pharmacy. I glanced at Cherry as I drove down the street, seeing a white car pull in to talk to her. It was for the best, I figured, as it allowed me a chance to take care of Yukie and give her her orders before I went off to play.
I parked the Dodge pickup at the pharmacy and grabbed a cart once I was inside the store. I headed for the first aid isle, picking up gauze by both the roll and pads then followed it up with surgical tape, antibiotic ointment, and hydrogen peroxide enough to get Yukie through several days.
Once I had those supplies set, I went on to the safe sex isle to check out condoms. Just thinking of Cherry having sex was making my borrowed cock hard again, and I felt the need to bury it in her. I tried to shake the feeling as I looked through the condoms, but all I could imagine as I read off each different type was what it would feel like to use it on Cherry.
After finding the plain condoms, and grabbing three of the thirty-six count boxes, eyed the bottles of lube they had as well. It was on impulse I snatched a spray bottle of a water based lube before I headed for checkout. I had an uncomfortable time walking with a hard-on, but was at least thankful nobody mentioned it and soon had it hidden behind the counter as I put my purchases on the conveyor belt. The clerk didn't even bat an eye as she rang it all up, making me wonder what went on around here and I paid the bill with money I had taken from my own pocket.
Once I had put the bags in the front and started the diesel engine on Hans' Dodge pickup, I pulled out and headed for the motel, being careful not to scratch the paint on Hans' pickup in the tight confines of the parking lot. Cherry was missing when I got back, but the white car was parked in front of the room Cherry was using so I figured she was working.
I parked the Dodge pickup back in its spot, then took all the bags with me back to my room by the pool. As I passed Cherry's room though, I felt a stab of jealousy that someone else was in there with her. It made me stop and wonder why I felt like that, but no answer was immediately forthcoming. I could only think of burying my cock in Cherry and making her squeal.
I finally forced myself to go on, as I wasn't going to get anywhere in the immediate future. Still, I was plagued by thoughts of dominating Cherry's body all the way to my room. Once I had opened the door to my room, finding Yukie asleep where I left her, I was then hit with a wave of revulsion as I looked at her petite form.
I tried to think of doing it with her again, but as I used the peroxide to clean the wounds I couldn't help but think of Cherry. Looking down at Yukie, once I had her wounds cleaned, I tried to say to myself that it was she was weak, but the answer that felt truer to my inner voice was she was already conquered and pliant. As I listened to that inner voice, I could faintly hear it demand to hunt, to conquer and dominate the weak.
It was in that moment I realized I was hearing my inner beast clearly for the first time. It wanted me to take Cherry in ways that made another voice within me cringe, a voice I could only place as my innocence. It reminded me of how I felt to be violated by the Sabbat thugs when I was still living, and how I had cried to find it had occurred on the same bed my sister had been through the same and died on.
I steeled myself against my beast, telling myself no but the voice in and of itself wouldn't be so easily denied. It continued to suggest lascivious and denigrating ideas to me as I plied the ointment onto gauze pads and lay them over her wounds to keep infections down and assist the healing process then wrap and taping them to keep them in place.
Once I had that done, I grabbed the bags containing the condoms, pocketing the lube in case I needed it, then left my room behind and stood at the end of the hallway where I waited for Cherry to finish up. While waiting, I was still assailed by the mental images of taking Cherry and it was making me hard again. I tried to banish it from my mind, but I was so distracted that I didn't hear it when Diamond walked up behind me and didn't even know she was there until she tapped on my shoulder.
"Waiting for someone?" she asked me, crossing her arms over her chest. It took a moment before I remembered that I was in Hans body and that she hated the red-haired man.
"Yeah," I drawled, leaning up against the wall as I took the blonde in. Diamond was dressed in skin tight jeans with a light colored camisole and her heels were probably more comfortable at four inches than what she was more used to as an exotic dancer. My inner beast began suggesting obscenities about her too, and I shifted my bags to hide the tent in my pants even as it became painful because the pole wasn't allowed to go all the way up.
"My sister, right?" Diamond asked and I nodded.
"She asked me to get her some condoms," I told her and Diamond glanced down to see the contents. When she looked back up, her face lost a little of its seriousness to make her look sick.
"I guess I'm supposed to say 'thank you,'" she said sourly.
"Oh, I know it's asking too much," I said just as sourly back to her. Hearing a sound from down the walkway, I saw a guy now walking down the sidewalk. I watched him for a few seconds, then smiled as he got in the white car and started it.
"That's my cue," I said, stepping away to leave Diamond glaring nothing but hate my way. Cherry was just about to step out when I got to the door, but she brightened at seeing me.
"Oh, thank god I was just about die," Cherry said in an exasperated tone as she took a bag from me and looked inside. "That jerk ruined two condoms! I finally had to tell him if he ruined the last one he wasn't going to get any at all."
"So why not charge him to go bareback?" I quipped to bring Cherry up short. The idea sort of popped in my head, and I decided to run with it. "What? You're bringing in what, a hundred or two a pop? Double it to go bareback or even triple it if they want to cum in you."
The information I had given Cherry shocked her so bad she had to sit on the bed.
"A hundred a pop?" she breathed.
"Surely you're not charging less?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. Cherry was in too much shock to respond, so I pushed on. "You know you're sister made a grand for doing the same thing while in the club, right?"
"I-I-I had no idea," she finally stammered out. "I knew she did it, but so much? No wonder they can make that cover."
"How much are you charging?" I asked her, already knowing the answer from earlier.
"Forty?" she said sheepishly.
"You know how long it'd take you to make the cover at that rate?" I asked, faking shock of my own. "Weeks!"
"I only have four more days," she finally admitted as she looked at the floor.
"Four days for what?" I said, feigning ignorance.
"If I can make the cover for the club in four days, I get to dance," Cherry told me. "Vixen will even get me a fake ID."
"And you're trying to do it at forty a pop?" I asked her and she nodded.
"I made so much yesterday," Cherry said quietly and I took a seat beside her on the bed.
"How much?
"A little over two grand," she said, then hung her head. "I've been wondering how I could make the cover but sis won't talk about her time at the club."
"That's a lot of men," I said, and she nodded slowly. "Now, if you were charging higher, you'd likely have most of it by now."
"Why do men want to do it without a condom?" she finally asked sourly.
"Same reason you don't put a dress shirt on with gloves," I told her to make her face go quizzical. "It takes away from the sensation, the feelings you're capable of feeling. You don't get to enjoy a woman's tight embrace and that comes so seldom in a man's life."
"Guess I don't think about things like that," she said finally.
"You just thing about different things," I told her, then motioned to the condoms. "Like not wanting ribs or studs, and I can only imagine what a tickler feels like."
"Not very pleasant," she said, going ramrod straight at the thought of one of the little rings going inside her. "So, I guess I still owe you for these?"
"And I'll trade it all in if you'll just let me be the first to be bare inside you," I said, though I was thinking of different things as I looked at the redheaded woman beside me. If I had access to my blood, I was thinking using her as a vessel for a revenant. Since there was no outward signs until the child was much older, it wasn't as if I'd get caught. Plus I had intentions of keeping her within reach through her sister, so this would just be farming out the child raising.
"Really?" Cherry said, looking unsure. "What about getting pregnant?"
"Well, if it's close to your time you can always take Plan B," I told her and she frowned. "Plus, I'd recommend douching when you get home after being cummed in. And if you ever do get pregnant, there's always Planned Parenthood or putting them up for adoption."
"I like none of those options," she said, shaking her head.
"It is the best way to make the money in time," I told her. "Unless you intend to rob a bank."
"Definitely not," she said as she straightened up briefly before sagging her shoulders again.
"And if all you're doing is making the cover, then you can stop once you're done," I told her and she nodded her head.
"Alright," she said, undoing the knot that held her top. "Bareback it is, then."
I watched as Cherry slid her short shorts off her hips before kicking them away from the bed to lie near the window. It left her completely nude as she lay back on the bed, and that made my borrowed cock harder than diamonds. I stood up, finding it hard to concentrate on the buckle as my cock throbbed for Cherry's body. I eventually just gave up and forced my pants down off my hips and let my cock spring free.
Thoughts of making a revenant in her ran unchecked through my mind. I knew I'd need my blood to make it work, and it was only because of my beast screaming through my head that I even tried to make it work. Pushing my blood off into my hand, I actually formed a small puddle of blood in Han's hand.
Cradling the precious stuff, I wondered how I had formed it, then wondered if it wasn't somehow connected to how I dominated Hans when I felt the connection weaken between us. It was like suddenly being muffled in cotton, my senses dulling as I teased my swollen cock against Cherry's body. If she said or did anything, I didn't notice as I quickly drew the arcane symbols from memory around her navel then poured the remains of the blood I was using in the small dip of her belly button before I was snapped back to my body then promptly fell into the abyss of torpor.
=o=0=o=
When I again awoke, it was dusk evidenced by the dim light coming through the window. The sudden change was momentarily lost on me as I looked at the ceiling. When it came back, I took in my surroundings and noted that Yukie was now curled up with her head on my stomach, though still asleep.
I gently laid the ghoul back on the pillow, setting my feet down on a now struggling Mira. She finally kicked her way out of the cocoon I had laid her in, letting loose a string of Italian as she got to her feet. None of it sounded complimentary, but let it pass since it wasn't directed at me.
"I figured you would have stripped me," she finally said as she took in her attire from last night.
"Not my style," I told her as I scanned the parking lot from a shadow. Jean's pickup wasn't out there yet, and switching to another shadow gave me a view of Cherry as she hooked for money. "Jean's not here yet, so if you want to shower you better hurry."
"How can you tell?" she asked as she stripped off her top.
"I can see through the shadows," I told her, getting a hmm in response as she stepped into the bathroom. "Try looking at a shadow and pushing your sight into it."
After several moments of quiet, I heard Mira's comment of "Neat."
"I find it useful for peering around corners, especially in dangerous situations," I told her through the wall. "I can also use it for spying on people as only one person has ever seemed to notice it."
"Who was that?" she asked as I heard the water start to run.
"Strauss, the Tremere Regent," I told her just as the sound of the water changed telling me where Mira was. I thought over what I would need for the trip to the hunters, figuring most of it was out in the car still. A plan formed in my mind of arming myself and jumping straight there to begin my attack. It had the element of surprise, plus the advantage of speed and not having to risk having my guns being found getting there or back.
Or anything else I might have to do tonight as I intended to be on my Ninja and therefore highly visible to any passing police car. I also needed to visit my new golf course and meet Vanessa Seiche, manager of said course. Plus it wouldn't hurt to visit Gary and see if he had any information on Samantha and the Sabbat.
"So much to do, so little time to do it in," I groused as I scanned the parking lot again with my shadows but still didn't find any Jean. I heard the water soon shut off even as I watched the motel's entrance, and I could hear Mira humming a slow tune as she dried herself off.
I also couldn't help but feel a little bit cheapened as I watched a car pull up to Cherry. Moving my spot to get a better vantage, I also put my hearing into the shadows so I could listen as well.
"How baby," Cherry said as she leaned in the car's rolled down passenger window. I couldn't see what was going on as my vantage point was behind Cherry, but I could hear them. "Looking for a good time?"
"Sure," the guy said, though I couldn't see him. "How much?"
"I start at a hundred," she told him and I smiled. Cherry was learning, which was a good sign. It meant I could use her later as she got older and more useful.
"Sure," he said, and Cherry opened his door from the inside and climbed in. I didn't follow them right away, keeping my vantage point on the road for a bit until I saw Jean's black Toyota 4x4 coming down the street.
I pushed my sight into her truck to make sure it was her, only identifying it by the badges she had hung from the rear view mirror as Jean herself was dressed in full leather wearing a full motorcycle helmet with the visor down. It must be how she got around before sunset, and I filed that away for future use. Apparently the sun was only deadly if it touched your skin. Any type of shadow, even from a visor, was apparently enough to keep you from burning.
A touch on my arm made me shake the shadows and come back to my body, to find a re-dressed Mira looking at me confused. It was only then I realized I had a weakness when I was pushing my senses out of my body; they apparently didn't pickup anything but where I was concentrating on.
"You okay?" she asked and I nodded.
"Jean's almost here," I told her. "I was looking and listening to a conversation on the street. Have to be mindful that when you push your senses into the shadows you can't see or hear what's going on around you."
"Alright," she said, turning away before reaching down to get her boots. "I was just asking where I should meet you tonight."
I thought it over for a second, taking in the cramped confines of the room and the three full sized people in it. We needed more space.
"How about the golf course?" I told her, getting a nod from Mira. "In fact, after you get your stuff from the mansion, head directly there and find Vanessa. If she gives you any flack just tell her you're representing the new owner and you need a private suite with two bedrooms."
"Alright," she said, pursing her lips in thought. "I guess staying close until I have my own support network like you do is essential to my survival."
"That'd be best," I told her as she finger brushed her hair. "You might also keep an eye out for ghouls of your own to make."
"How do you make one?" she asked me just as a knock came on our door. A quick check through a shadow showed it was Jean.
"Just take a mortal and add feed them a bit of your blood," I said, as Mira moved for the door. "Once they've had a taste they become addicted to it. Like Yukie here, she'll come back to me for her monthly dose like a heroin addict. And no, not just any blood will do it. She'll only want mine unless you can force her to take yours long enough for my blood to fade from her system."
"Good to know," she said then opened the door. "Hello deputy."
"Miss Giovanni," Jean said as she stepped in and appraised Mira. "You're looking scrappy."
"Figured it'd be better than fighting in a prom dress," Mira quipped back with a cocked hip.
"You've never seen a Toreador fight then," Jean said, making me laugh at the thought of either Michele or Remy fighting in their exquisite dresses, knowing they probably could and would if pushed to it. "But I wouldn't be caught undead fighting in anything that flimsy."
"Is that why you wear leather all the time?" Mira asked her.
"It provides a solid defense against knives and fists," she commented. "Guns, not so much."
"Bulletproof vest wouldn't do nothing but protect your heart anyway," Mira said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Also, with more people using bullet piercing ammo it's useless anyway," Jean added. "Besides, you ought to see what Matilda does to armor."
"Matilda?" I asked her, and Jean's grin got mischevious. She opened her coat then reached to her back to pull out a wicked looking double barreled sawed off before breaking the barrels open to show us a bullet that was nearly four inches long and an inch thick.
"These bad boys take down elephants," she said tossing it to me to examine. "They can also sit you on your ass two states back if you're not careful."
"Can you fire both barrels at the same time?" Mira asked as I handed the large bullet over to her.
Jean grimaced, then smiled. "She's not that kind of weapon. I don't plan to use Matilda for anything less than two things. Intimidation, and getting through armor. Anything more is a waste of ammo."
"Besides, the zombies they like to use go down so easy," I informed her. "Your claws should work just fine."
"Claws?" Mira asked and Jean nodded.
"Think of me like a cat," she said. "If needed, I can make a set of claws appear that can rip steel apart."
"We all have our uses," Mira said quietly. "So, ready to get out of here?"
"Sure," Jean said as Mira handed her the bullet and she put it back in the gun. "Take my pickup?"
"Uh, sure," Mira said as she opened the door. Jean had stashed the big gun back under her coat, and I could only wonder what all she had access to in her time as a kindred. She seemed knowledgeable about guns, probably countering her lack of physical prowess among her clan of hunter types.
Soon, Mira and Jean stepped out to leave me alone as they went about their tasks. Alone, I stripped out of my clothes and ran myself through the shower, thinking of the golf course and the dance club and the motel along with Venus's club. I had a great financial setup, all I needed now was a little protection, maybe something with a little class to it as well.
Thinking of my mansion, I imagined some of the grandness that Michele might help me instill in the structure with just a few well placed items like a crystal chandelier or a historic statuette for the coffee table. I was also going to add an Inner Sanctum to meet people in and it would likely be the grandest room by far as a showcase of my personal power and position within kindred society.
Sighing as I stepped out to dry myself off, I knew I was likely years away from that moment. Getting the permits alone would take time as well as the planning of everything. Even then, construction was going to take a long time where I was going to get hounded everyday by every agency known to man until it was done.
I figured with enough money I could weather any storm coming, now it was just a matter of time before Adam Dunsirn showed up on my doorstep. Like Mira, I had shown Adam a light at the end of the tunnel and now he just had to follow it to my doorstep.
In the meantime, I still had things to do so I pulled out my undies and a bra and began to get dressed. As I pulled on a pair of leather pants, a knock at my door brought my head up. I pushed my sight into a shadow outside, and saw it was Adam. The man looked down and dejected, but still prim and proper in suit.
Grabbing a mesh top and pulling it on, I opened the door with a smile. "Hello Mister Dunsirn."
"Miss Flores," he said, bringing himself up as he took me in. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time?"
"Just getting ready for a midnight ride," I told him. "Come in, we have much to discuss."
"Thank you," he said as he stepped inside. I gestured for him to take a seat.
"You'll have to forgive me and the accommodations," I said as I sat across from him in the tiny room. "My home was recently attacked and I've lost a lot, including my check book which is being replaced as we speak."
"That's not a problem," he said, giving me a smile. With a slight push of my auspex, I was able to start reading his brain to know he was fighting his personal demons about his failure to predict the economic crash that had ruined his bank accounts, though he had yet to admit it to anyone. He had paid every cent owed as requested, now he just needed some capitol to bankroll him again. "A family member said you might be interested in investing in a company I represent."
"Among other things," I told him. "Let me be succinct. I know I'm rather recently endowed with my wealth, so I haven't gotten used to the trappings that go with it or acquired the assistance needed to manage and grow a portfolio."
"That's understandable," he told me.
As I continued to read his mind, I could hear the chant of the sum he needed to pay off the last of his upcoming debtors and make some initial investments. The fee of ten million was negligible to me so it was with a smile I continued my proposition.
"To that end, I'm going to entrust a hundred million to you for investing," I said and his eyes went wide in shock.
"A hundred million?" he asked in an astonished tone.
"Yes," I told him. "Ten million may be used to pay your debts and set yourself back up as an honest investor," I stated and the blush bloomed in his face as I slapped his inadequacies on the table for both of us to know. "Yes, I know you weren't able to foresee the stock market crash, but so many didn't. Many lost their entire fortunes with its most recent crash. To that end, I want you take a large portion of it and start long investing in some of the major companies."
"Long investing?" he asked quizzically. "That's something I thought I would have to teach you."
"I have a 'friend' who recommends it," I told him to satisfy his curiosity. "The remainder can be used for short selling as you see fit."
"That's a lot of trust," he told me and I gave him a serious stare.
"It isn't trust," I told him, my tone serious and lacking any mirth. "Like the inner core of the Giovanni, I'm a serious player and I play for keeps. If you cross me, or think you can steal from me or run, just know that I have friends who can find anyone wherever they try to hide and find any secret you try to keep hidden. I will find you and make your death long in coming."
"I...understand," he said, squirming in his seat. "I won't let you down."
"See that you don't," I said, moving to get some socks and my boots. "If you'll give me a moment, I'll see if the front office has my checkbook in yet."
"Not a problem," he said as I sat back on the bed and finished getting ready. When I had my boots on, and was ready to step out the door, I caught him looking at Yukie. "What's wrong with her?"
"She's...not feeling well after we were attacked," I lied.
"Mistress?" Yukie said, coming to as if she could tell we were talking about her.
"Lie down, sweetie," I told her, tucking my ghoul in. As I leaned in close over her, her eyes opened. "And don't you ever try to kill yourself without my permission again," I said quietly so only she and I could hear.
"Yes...mistress," she said, closing her eyes to drift back to sleep.
I straightened up and joined Adam as he ghosted for the door and we stepped outside. There wasn't much going as the light disappeared on the western horizon, so I figured it was time to finalize affairs with Adam and get to what I had to do tonight, finding Doctor Anders to get the information on opening the sarcophagus.
I led the way to the main office where Jimmie sat behind his desk. He stood upon seeing me, then reached down for something hidden.
"Had a package arrive by courier an hour or two ago," he said lifting a binder sized package into view. "She said it was for you when you got up."
"Thanks Jimmie," I said, then opened the wrapping. It was my checkbook, including a new leather binder and I reached for the pen. After writing out a check for a hundred million, then put my phone number on the memo line before turning and handing it to Adam.
"Here you go," I told him and he slid the check into his suit coat. "I'll be expecting weekly reports from you about this time in the evening."
"I'll be looking forward to it," he said then extended his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Flores."
"And you, Mister Dunsirn," I said before he turned and left. I watched as he headed for a Lamborghini, slipping into the driver's seat before starting the car with a throaty roar. I could only smile at his choice of vehicle, figuring he had to showcase a little wealth to make others think he was successful. Problem was, some wealthy individuals coming from more humble backgrounds still drove rusty pickup trucks and wore overalls, so it wasn't a perfect measure.
Still as I took the checkbook and headed for the Civic, I thought of my upcoming war with the hunters. There was no way to tell what was going to happen or what I'd need, so as I opened the trunk, I stopped to look at the various rifles, shotguns and pistols I now owned. Each one was going to give a report that could be heard for a distance, and the SAW would likely bring every cop in the area down on me if anyone heard it.
Sighing as I thought it over, I finally shook my head and slung my bag over my head and started pulling out every gun I owned and stashing it somewhere on me. Let the cops come was what I finally decided. They couldn't trace the gun back to me as I never registered any of them, either stealing or buying them from the black market. Also, to trace a gun to me specifically, they had to get the gun first and that was something they'd never do; catch me.
With my bag containing my Kalashnikov, Uzi and MP5 slung on my neck, I put my trusty Glock in the small of my back tucked into my pants where it was easy gotten to in a hurry. The only gun I was going to leave behind this trip was the flamethrower, as if any bullet punctured the fuel canister it would burn me and likely tip the balance in their favor.
It wasn't until I began wrapping the long ammo chain around my neck and hip that I began to get concerned that I might get caught. Working quickly, I settled the ammo chain in place and placing a hand on my SAW, pushed my sight to the shadows where the turnoff to the Hunters monastery was. I could tell they were home, so pulling the SAW free, and shutting the trunk with the other hand, shadow-stepped to the driveway ready to get the party started.
Author's Note: Now that I have this chapter posted, let me say I do have an idea for another vampire story but not sure if I want to make it a continuation of Rise. It utilizes my best ideas and penchant for pulling a rabbit out of a few lines of text.
In this case, it involves Caine's first sired kindred known as the Lover's. That's all I'm going to say now, but just know that I do have continuing ideas.
As always...Like it? Hate it? I won't know if you don't review!