Chapter 2
I pull myself from my thoughts. It's a bad habit to dwell on the past but it is something I do all to often. I remember that I do have a meeting arranged potential employer. I mustn't be late considering I have to make a living somehow. Lycanthropy can be such a pain in the ass if you have any hope for a normal existence but that's life so I'll keep hunting vampires for now.
Then again my condition has its advantages and merely takes me a thought to mist myself to my destination. All right, all right I heard that one coming. Oh I thought only vampires could do that you say. Well guess again I can do it to but I literally dissipate into mist not into the ether form they take but you get the same result. In a fraction of a second I'm standing at the front steps of The Viper, it's a vampire nightclub. Well uh duh what were you expecting a daycare center.
This club holds a primary interest to me because a very powerful and influential vampire by the name of Aubrey owns it. He often gives me an odd job here and there either to ah… remove some non-vampire competition or for information of things outside his territory. He is a valuable business contact and gives me information on quarry that he knows about 'cause if it's in his turf and he doesn't know about it, then it never happened trust me this guy can keep taps on things like you would never believe. Sometimes he'll give to me for free but more often than not he'll ask for a portion of my fee or I'll have to beat it out of him. No we've never fought for real he just enjoys a challenge every now and then but if ever came down to a real bout I'm not sure who would win because he is one of the few vampires who could rival me in fighting ability and shear power.
I step inside and am immediately assaulted by the pounding base of rock music and the swirling color of the strobe lights. This place actually resembles Las Noches in a way but to say that wouldn't be doing it justice. You can see murals of different venomous snakes painted on black backgrounds all through out the club hence the name. The name doesn't just fit the club it fits the owner as well, Aubrey is a sneaky manipulative little bastard who has 50 motives behind everything he does but damn if he doesn't know how to get his hands on things I need when I want them.
I glance around and find him sitting at the usual table towards the back of the crowded room. I make my way through various groups of vampires that each stare at me probably wondering what I taste like. I seriously doubt anyone would try because the last guy that did ended up nothing more than a bloody smear on the floor. Of course I left Aubrey a nice tip because they still have yet to clean the last of the bloodstains out of the tile.
I finally get through the crowd to the table. Aubrey just sits and watches me black eyes following my movements. He actually isn't really physically imposing he only stands around my height just shy of 6 feet. Muscularly built but not too much of a good thing and he has raven colored hair and eyes. The tattoos on his arms make him look aggressive but the thing that makes people truly fear him is the controlled power emanating from him and the air that says mess with me at your own risk.
"Well, its about time you showed up" he remarks as I take a seat.
" I'm not late and besides I had other matters to attend to you of all people should know that." I reply with a mocking tone. Actually I was just off in la la land but I'm not about to let him know that the heap big vampire slayer was daydreaming er, nightdreaming er, whatever you call it.
He just shrugs, "Fine but I have something that may be of real interest to you if you're done with the witty repartee."
That's Aubrey for you. If he has something that needs done it's all businesses. "Okay are you going to tell me who has to die or are you just a fan of sounding cryptic."
He glares at me and I just flash a wicked smile. As far as I know I'm the only one who can get away with teasing him. Oh yeah, you could insult him and damn him to Hell all night and he could care less but I've hanging around him long enough to know what buttons to push. Is that a bad sign or is it the fact that I'm a smart mouth teenager? I have yet to decide. "All right I'll quit it but seriously what's the job? Is it just a quickie or do you want someone dead?"
" These two" he says while pulling out some pictures," Are the ones I want dead I think you'll find them familiar."
He hands me the pictures and I gasp as the recognition hits me." My Gods…" I trial off " How did you know about them?"
"I've heard them bragging every now and then about the family they terrorized your family from the description. They said it was great fun but as cruel as I can be I don't approve of needless sadistic violence. They came close to revealing us." He pauses," Normally I would take care of them myself but I thought you might like to handle it."
I just sit and stare at him in disbelief one can only hide emotions for so long. This was going to be a long night and he had some serious explaining to do 'cause I have never told anyone about my 'real' family. More important still, the chance to keep the promise I made those ten years ago had just fallen in my lap, now I needed to figure out what to do with it.