1. Drifters
Laurus didn't like coming to night clubs. They were a hotspot for trouble, crowded with adolescent idiots looking to get smashed. The damp air reeked of body odour and vomit, and the bodies of humans were left to lie limply in the corners of the dancefloor once they'd been fed off. Lights and cigarette smoke filled the darkness while tasteless music reverberated off the walls.
From the second level of the club he was able to survey the entire stupidity of the younger generation. Teenage vampires in all their glory, ebbing and flowing together in their drunken state. Times had certainly changed since he was their age...
"Laurus, my man!"
A spindly figure climbed the spiralling staircase that connected the second level to the dancefloor. Laurus immediately recognised him as Erigeron, the man he'd come here to meet. He seemed much like a used car salesman who was always looking for new ways of making money. For the last year or so he'd been putting up the money to open new nightclubs, this being one of them, and taking a cut from the profits each month. It had been a few months since they'd last seen each other, but Laurus still considered the man a friend. He'd never have come to a dump like this otherwise.
Erigeron sat at the table, carrying a glass of whiskey. "Long time no see, my man. Thanks for coming on short notice."
"Don't worry about it."
"You haven't got a drink. Wait here, I'll get you one."
"I'm fine," replied Laurus, in a tone that told him he wanted to conclude this conversation and leave the club as soon as possible.
Erigeron nodded and sat down. He took a sip from his grimy glass and gestured to their surroundings. "What do you think of my latest investment?"
"I hate night clubs."
"You're missing out. This place will be a goldmine this time next year. I own a fifteenth of the place." He paused for a moment. "What about you? How's the plasma trade doing?"
"I'm not doing that anymore. I'm clean."
"Oh? I thought it was bringing in the dough fast and sweet."
"Not anymore." Laurus gave a bitter look to the dancefloor below, where the crowd continued to seeth as one. "I didn't like who my customers were becoming."
"Ah right, the 'younger generations are going to hell' speech," replied Erigeron. "I forgot you were a genuine kid-hater."
"I never said I hate kids."
"Sure you did. They got a right to snort whatever they want, you know. And just cause you're not selling it to them anymore it doesn't mean they're not getting it."
"They're not getting it from me. That's all I care about."
"So it's an act of morality? Quit dealing and prevent a few overdoses huh? Life doesn't work that way, my man. All you've done is stopped making money."
"I have enough to see me through."
"Whatever you say."
Laurus gave his friend an annoying stare. "Did you ask me here for a reason?"
The club owner held up his hands. "I have a proposition for you."
"Another House of Pain?"
Laurus recalled Erigeron's last business venture. It had been another nightclub that was forced to shut down after the Daywalker learned of its location.
"That was just bad luck," spat Erigeron. "That posse from Damaskinos's sect were the ones that compromised us."
"You took a loss, I take it."
"A fucking huge loss. I put up 40% of the capital to open that club, and it went bust overnight. Just like that." He clicked his fingers and fell quiet again, staring into his half-empty glass of whiskey. When he looked up, Laurus noted a different light in his eyes. Something between desperation and determination. "I've got a plan, my man. A plan that could save both our financial lives."
Laurus sat back in his chair. "My financial life doesn't need saving."
"It's a simple robbery. The rest of the owners who bought this club recently discovered an ancient artefact - some religious piece of crap valued at around $500,000."
"You're into religion now?" asked Laurus.
"We've already found someone willing to buy it. Some cult leader called Maowkavitz. Ever heard of him?"
"No."
"Maowkavitz... You know. The gothic dude in charge of the Maowkavitz sect."
"Erigeron, I never heard of him."
"All right, that doesn't matter. What's important is that he's going to buy this artefact from us the night after tomorrow. The sale's taking place here."
"In the club? That's not very clever."
"There are several floors beneath the club where we keep the safe. Our accountants work down there, its kind of like an office. That's where we'll make the sale."
Laurus folded his arms. "So what's your plan? You want me to steal this artefact for you?"
"I don't give a shit about the artefact, I want the $500,000 Maowkavitz is going to pay us. THAT's what you're going to steal."
"And what makes you think I can get away with a robbery like that?"
Erigeron's face pulled into an untrustworthy sneer. "Because I'm the one you'll be robbing."
Laurus leaned forwards and clasped his hands together on the table. "You wanna repeat that?"
"The club has put me in charge of handling the money. Once the sale goes through, you come in and rough me up a bit. Make me bleed, give me an injury, that kind of shit. Then grab the money and get out of there. I own part of this club, so I can tell you the codes for our security alarm. You'll be able to sneak in without a hitch. Afterwards, we'll meet up and split the cash."
Laurus gave the plan a quick run-through. "If you're in charge of handling the money, then why don't YOU just steal it yourself."
"Laurus my man, I thought you had more brains than that." Erigeron tapped the side of his head. "Think about it. If I do a runner with the $500,000 everyone's gonna know it was me. And I don't feel like being hunted for the rest of my life."
Understanding hit Laurus. "I see... If I steal the money from you, then everyone will see you as the victim."
"Exactly. And we just split the money afterwards when no-one's watching."
Erigeron sat back in his chair and exhaled triumphantly, as if he'd just solved one of life's greatest mysteries. He finished off his whiskey and tossed the empty glass over his shoulder. Laurus heard it smash on the dancefloor below.
"Well?" the nightclub owner asked.
Laurus folded his arms again. He wasn't in dire need of money right now, and he could manage for a few months on the savings he'd built up shortly before he quit dealing blood plasma. But the Erigeron was offering him a sound opportunity. $500,000 was a lot of money...
He eventually looked up at his friend, who was eagerly awaiting his decision. "All right, I'll do. But on two conditions. First is that we split the money equally, no skimming."
"Fair and square, my man."
"And secondly, I'll need some help. I can't do this job alone."
"Pick whoever you want, but no more than two people. I'm only willing to split the money four ways. You, me, and two other people of your choice."
"Agreed."
Erigeron slammed his palms down on the table. "Hot shit! I got me a break. This is gonna be my biggest score in months."
"I do have one more question," said Laurus.
"Shoot."
"This is a lot of money we're talking about here. Why'd you let me in on this?"
"My man, you're the only one I can trust with a score like this. Anyone else would be running off with the loot all for themselves."
Laurus considered his friend with a wry sense of amusement. Erigeron had more in common with the young generation than he would have preferred, but at least he had a strong sense of loyalty. It was probably one of things that had preserved their friendship over the years.
After a long while, he rose from the table. "I'm off."
Erigeron looked up at him. "You just got here."
"I don't care much for the atmosphere."
"Whatever. I'll drop by your place tomorrow night and we'll go over the details of the plan."
"Fine."
"And one more thing my man. Whoever you hire to help you out, make sure you can trust them. I don't want any screw-ups, not with this."
Laurus paused for a moment, wondering who he could trust to help him out.
"Relax. I know the perfect woman."
Laurus didn't like coming to night clubs. They were a hotspot for trouble, crowded with adolescent idiots looking to get smashed. The damp air reeked of body odour and vomit, and the bodies of humans were left to lie limply in the corners of the dancefloor once they'd been fed off. Lights and cigarette smoke filled the darkness while tasteless music reverberated off the walls.
From the second level of the club he was able to survey the entire stupidity of the younger generation. Teenage vampires in all their glory, ebbing and flowing together in their drunken state. Times had certainly changed since he was their age...
"Laurus, my man!"
A spindly figure climbed the spiralling staircase that connected the second level to the dancefloor. Laurus immediately recognised him as Erigeron, the man he'd come here to meet. He seemed much like a used car salesman who was always looking for new ways of making money. For the last year or so he'd been putting up the money to open new nightclubs, this being one of them, and taking a cut from the profits each month. It had been a few months since they'd last seen each other, but Laurus still considered the man a friend. He'd never have come to a dump like this otherwise.
Erigeron sat at the table, carrying a glass of whiskey. "Long time no see, my man. Thanks for coming on short notice."
"Don't worry about it."
"You haven't got a drink. Wait here, I'll get you one."
"I'm fine," replied Laurus, in a tone that told him he wanted to conclude this conversation and leave the club as soon as possible.
Erigeron nodded and sat down. He took a sip from his grimy glass and gestured to their surroundings. "What do you think of my latest investment?"
"I hate night clubs."
"You're missing out. This place will be a goldmine this time next year. I own a fifteenth of the place." He paused for a moment. "What about you? How's the plasma trade doing?"
"I'm not doing that anymore. I'm clean."
"Oh? I thought it was bringing in the dough fast and sweet."
"Not anymore." Laurus gave a bitter look to the dancefloor below, where the crowd continued to seeth as one. "I didn't like who my customers were becoming."
"Ah right, the 'younger generations are going to hell' speech," replied Erigeron. "I forgot you were a genuine kid-hater."
"I never said I hate kids."
"Sure you did. They got a right to snort whatever they want, you know. And just cause you're not selling it to them anymore it doesn't mean they're not getting it."
"They're not getting it from me. That's all I care about."
"So it's an act of morality? Quit dealing and prevent a few overdoses huh? Life doesn't work that way, my man. All you've done is stopped making money."
"I have enough to see me through."
"Whatever you say."
Laurus gave his friend an annoying stare. "Did you ask me here for a reason?"
The club owner held up his hands. "I have a proposition for you."
"Another House of Pain?"
Laurus recalled Erigeron's last business venture. It had been another nightclub that was forced to shut down after the Daywalker learned of its location.
"That was just bad luck," spat Erigeron. "That posse from Damaskinos's sect were the ones that compromised us."
"You took a loss, I take it."
"A fucking huge loss. I put up 40% of the capital to open that club, and it went bust overnight. Just like that." He clicked his fingers and fell quiet again, staring into his half-empty glass of whiskey. When he looked up, Laurus noted a different light in his eyes. Something between desperation and determination. "I've got a plan, my man. A plan that could save both our financial lives."
Laurus sat back in his chair. "My financial life doesn't need saving."
"It's a simple robbery. The rest of the owners who bought this club recently discovered an ancient artefact - some religious piece of crap valued at around $500,000."
"You're into religion now?" asked Laurus.
"We've already found someone willing to buy it. Some cult leader called Maowkavitz. Ever heard of him?"
"No."
"Maowkavitz... You know. The gothic dude in charge of the Maowkavitz sect."
"Erigeron, I never heard of him."
"All right, that doesn't matter. What's important is that he's going to buy this artefact from us the night after tomorrow. The sale's taking place here."
"In the club? That's not very clever."
"There are several floors beneath the club where we keep the safe. Our accountants work down there, its kind of like an office. That's where we'll make the sale."
Laurus folded his arms. "So what's your plan? You want me to steal this artefact for you?"
"I don't give a shit about the artefact, I want the $500,000 Maowkavitz is going to pay us. THAT's what you're going to steal."
"And what makes you think I can get away with a robbery like that?"
Erigeron's face pulled into an untrustworthy sneer. "Because I'm the one you'll be robbing."
Laurus leaned forwards and clasped his hands together on the table. "You wanna repeat that?"
"The club has put me in charge of handling the money. Once the sale goes through, you come in and rough me up a bit. Make me bleed, give me an injury, that kind of shit. Then grab the money and get out of there. I own part of this club, so I can tell you the codes for our security alarm. You'll be able to sneak in without a hitch. Afterwards, we'll meet up and split the cash."
Laurus gave the plan a quick run-through. "If you're in charge of handling the money, then why don't YOU just steal it yourself."
"Laurus my man, I thought you had more brains than that." Erigeron tapped the side of his head. "Think about it. If I do a runner with the $500,000 everyone's gonna know it was me. And I don't feel like being hunted for the rest of my life."
Understanding hit Laurus. "I see... If I steal the money from you, then everyone will see you as the victim."
"Exactly. And we just split the money afterwards when no-one's watching."
Erigeron sat back in his chair and exhaled triumphantly, as if he'd just solved one of life's greatest mysteries. He finished off his whiskey and tossed the empty glass over his shoulder. Laurus heard it smash on the dancefloor below.
"Well?" the nightclub owner asked.
Laurus folded his arms again. He wasn't in dire need of money right now, and he could manage for a few months on the savings he'd built up shortly before he quit dealing blood plasma. But the Erigeron was offering him a sound opportunity. $500,000 was a lot of money...
He eventually looked up at his friend, who was eagerly awaiting his decision. "All right, I'll do. But on two conditions. First is that we split the money equally, no skimming."
"Fair and square, my man."
"And secondly, I'll need some help. I can't do this job alone."
"Pick whoever you want, but no more than two people. I'm only willing to split the money four ways. You, me, and two other people of your choice."
"Agreed."
Erigeron slammed his palms down on the table. "Hot shit! I got me a break. This is gonna be my biggest score in months."
"I do have one more question," said Laurus.
"Shoot."
"This is a lot of money we're talking about here. Why'd you let me in on this?"
"My man, you're the only one I can trust with a score like this. Anyone else would be running off with the loot all for themselves."
Laurus considered his friend with a wry sense of amusement. Erigeron had more in common with the young generation than he would have preferred, but at least he had a strong sense of loyalty. It was probably one of things that had preserved their friendship over the years.
After a long while, he rose from the table. "I'm off."
Erigeron looked up at him. "You just got here."
"I don't care much for the atmosphere."
"Whatever. I'll drop by your place tomorrow night and we'll go over the details of the plan."
"Fine."
"And one more thing my man. Whoever you hire to help you out, make sure you can trust them. I don't want any screw-ups, not with this."
Laurus paused for a moment, wondering who he could trust to help him out.
"Relax. I know the perfect woman."