"Let's, progress. Can't sat much of that has happened, not while your prey keeps teasing you from the shadows." I tell him, trying to keep any nervousness out of my voice. Please let him only see a cold as ice assassin…don't let him see me afraid. I can't afford to show fear. If he sees me scared…well that could go badly. Such things make you appear weak, and no weaknesses are acceptable if you are to be respected as a predator. And not seen some feeble thing meant to be their prey.
Aubrey raises an eyebrow in question. "Care to explain? I am paying you for this, after all. And a waste of my time and money would not be pleasant for you." I hear the implied threat loud and clear. Hmm…Death from my employer, or physical, and psychological torture from Rahab getting the drop on me? Is there a third choice somewhere in there? Come on, there can't be only two sides to the coin! Occasionally it lands on its edge. That glimmer of a third option. Right now would be a great time for that third option to open up. So, I can make it out of this alive. Is that so much to ask? Unfortunately, it might be this time. Eventually the vamps catch up to you after you've been hunting them long enough. Hopefully, Death hasn't drawn my number from the stack yet.
"Anything I would say is my business, not yours, even if you are paying for this. Besides," I add," When have I ever failed an assignment?"
"True enough. But…" He levels his ebon eyes at me, using them to get me to talk. It's looks cheap Dracula movie style to do that, but it works well, most of the time. See! It's not working now. You never look a vampire straight in the eyes anyway. It gives them a very unfair advantage, you know.
Jessica remains blissfully silent throughout our dealing. She may be basically my age in years; she is much younger in state of mind. Now let us not forget that she is still a ruthless vampire, but something of an immature one. She's luck she's had Aubrey around, or I'm not sure how long she would last in this world if at all. Yeah, she wrote about it, and probably knows it as intimately as the oldest vampires. The difference is seeing and experiencing is far different from writing and getting glances of it through others' eyes. Maybe she has a steel core somewhere in there. But I'm not going to prod to find out. Hey, I have enough people trying to kill me as it is! Heh, why of Earth or Hell would I want more? Nobody plays nice anymore. Why can we all just get along?
Now occasionally, despite my obvious dislike for her I've kinda wanted to ask her about a few things. Like she might know more about Rahab and Arielle. Those two are defiantly powerful enough to maybe ring some bells. Or at least they might have enough of a reputation based on the blatant killing they've done in the past. Do you honestly think my family was the first? From the moment I started to train in vampire hunting I've tried to dig up information on those two. Obviously I still haven't come up with much, but I do know that they've made a habit of this game. Every decade or so they come back to make another bloody impression in the human world. During the times in-between they just seem to disappear altogether. So I'll have to find them before they kill, or if I can't, after they kill. I won't wait another ten years. I want them dead now. Revenge is a dish best-severed cold they say. Some of the sweetest things come that way.
Why haven't I asked? Well, my pride for one thing would be sorely bruised from that, and pride is one of those things that's mine. There are few things that no one can take from me, and that is one of them.
"But there isn't much to say other than I've got work to do, alright?" Someone shoot me please…I don't want to be tortured by vampires, thank you.
"And what ever happened to 'you could find and kill anything' attitude?" Aubrey continues, now with a slightly amused light to his voice.
"Well what am I supposed to do? Use the Force to find them? I'm not some tyger version of Darth Vader. It's takes some time to do my work thoroughly." I mock. Jessica tries to hide that fact the she's laughing, and not very well I might add. Her oil black eyes are shiny with the effort not to giggle out loud. Well well, she gets the Star Wars reference…Maybe she's salvageable after all!
Aubrey sits there, and sort of stares at me neutrally. He's not getting the humor of the situation, and is hiding it. Okay, I guess he's not the movie going type. Can this three thousand-year-old vampire be technophobic? Ha! He's probably, though, not considering he spends large amounts of time here, or it seems like he does. How am I supposed to know! I just work for the guy sometimes! I'm not some all-knowing, all-seeing mystic. I'm just a…not quiet so garden-variety weretyger.
"Play if you'd like, continue to toy with them, but remember this is more than fun and games. Perhaps you will have more to tell later," That last bit was more a statement than a question. I would have to have something more for him later. If given time I will," Or must I create more of an incentive for you?" No, I don't need anymore incentives. I believe coming out of this one with my life is incentive enough.
I nod a silent farewell to Aubrey without saying anything further. Turning back through the ever-thinning crowd I head for the metal doors toward the front of the room, and make a calm, but hasty exit. The night air is cool against my face; the breeze feels great right now. The scent and feel of the rain that started up again helps to sooth my rattled nerves. Mmm…nice. Well, since I'm already in the city I might as go ahead and wander for a while. It couldn't hurt, plus it's been some time since I decided to play human. Sometimes it's nice to pretend and forget. Even if it's just for a few hours. A few hours is always better than nothing at all. If I'm careful not to get too stressed I'll be able to pass for human, and unless someone could read auras there would be no difference. And among humans that's rare, and I'm not planning to go into any of the alleys. So vampires won't be a problem either. Hello New York, for once you're meeting Sonia, not Acerbus Tigris.