IV
"We've got a strange visitor you should get a look at, Your Excellency."
"Yes, yes, bring him in," Savannah chuckled darkly, his black, withered eyes darting expectantly to his office door. In seconds, it burst open with a few burly guards dragging a fragile, handicapped man through the door. His white cane clattered to the floor shortly before they threw him to the ground. He sputtered and inhaled sharply to stifle his sobs.
"He's got plenty of fake identification on him, Mr. President. Passports for a 'George Caucus' and 'Sarah Ballinger,' both of whom are non- existent in our records. We managed to get him to reveal his true identity. He's William Hearst."
"Hearst? My, that seems like such a familiar name."
"The Watcher's Council," one of the guards muttered. "We've been keeping our eye on them, Your Excellency. Their radical group has not failed, despite all of the ammunition brought against them."
The beady-eyed President leaned back in his chair, curiously quirking an eyebrow.
"And the girl?"
"Girl?"
"Oh, you idiots, have I not told you again and again and again? Wherever there is a Watcher, a girl is often not far behind."
The guard cleared his throat nervously, his pale eyes wandering back and forth.
"Our orderlies reported seeing a woman. They're simple men, as you know surely, Your Excellency. She must've slipped away."
"The idiots! They should have known what he was up to! God only knows the Watcher's Council exists for only one purpose! And yet, still, despite being able to complete half their job, they still manage to leave our main priority in New York."
"They were chased away," the guard explained. "A very tough young man burst in, it's reported. A police officer in New York City."
Savannah narrowed his eyes.
"A police officer of New York City strictly disobeyed not only the European Union's orders, but also the orders by his very own countrymen and President? He's tying his own noose."
"Yes, Your Excellency, and the gentleman was scheduled to perform his legal duties on the streets again today. Word is that he never punched in. He was scheduled to arrive at the library last night with his fellow officers on the accounting of a 'problem.' Vampires, as we know."
"Yes, but the blockheads won't know a single thing about what we intend to do." Savannah paused, his eyes gleaming. "I knew you before you were born, Harris, and you have not disappointed me yet. This is our greatest step forward to a world of grace and unity. Who am I, child?"
The man swiftly sank to a knee, both out of fear and great respect to the beast before him. William forced his eyes shut to avoid seeing the abomination, although he couldn't help but hear it in his ears.
"You are the God, the life of the peoples left on this planet."
"Yes, yes, good boy," Savannah chuckled before his lips cracked into a smile. For the first time, he glanced down at Hearst. "My, you're a bit smaller than I would've imagined you to be. What seems to be the problem, Mr. Hearst? A little weakened-hmm, perhaps by a vampire?"
William bit his tongue to avoid letting curses ring out from his mouth. In his youth, he had gone to great lengths to follow in his father's footsteps as a watcher. The delusional old man had wished for years that his only son would have been a daughter instead, to follow the routes and footsteps in the prints left by previous slayers. It had enraged William Hearst Senior that his child was male, thus leaving the younger Hearst to several hours of daily practice to become the likeliness of a Slayer. William's last journey as a 'Slayer' had cost his father's life and his own physical health. His leg had been crushed as he wandered down a small cave in his native London-and judgment had been swift. As he passed through the mines, a strange shaking began. The collapse dulled the muscles in William's legs until they were inevitably obsolete masses of flesh dangling from his body.
"My private life is none of your business," he snapped, and after a pause, he added, "Your Excellency."
"Mm, yes. I would certainly hope you'd refer to me with some ounce of kindness. Oh, you mistake my intentions dearly, Mr. Hearst. My job isn't to hurt or destroy you."
William couldn't see as the man gestured to the guards standing at the door. Strong, devilish hands gripped William's weak shoulders, causing him to moan and cry out in a mixture of pain and sadness. What could become of Amanda Sterling if he weren't about to guide her? In their limited exposure to one another, she hadn't proven to be much of a Slayer-and he supposed, he hadn't proved himself very well as a Watcher. He blinked tears of agony away from his eyes as he glanced to the demonic force sitting at his desk, his hands neatly folded upon some of the documents he'd been looking over.
"No, William Hearst. My job isn't to hurt or destroy you at all. It's to pulverize you."
"We've got a strange visitor you should get a look at, Your Excellency."
"Yes, yes, bring him in," Savannah chuckled darkly, his black, withered eyes darting expectantly to his office door. In seconds, it burst open with a few burly guards dragging a fragile, handicapped man through the door. His white cane clattered to the floor shortly before they threw him to the ground. He sputtered and inhaled sharply to stifle his sobs.
"He's got plenty of fake identification on him, Mr. President. Passports for a 'George Caucus' and 'Sarah Ballinger,' both of whom are non- existent in our records. We managed to get him to reveal his true identity. He's William Hearst."
"Hearst? My, that seems like such a familiar name."
"The Watcher's Council," one of the guards muttered. "We've been keeping our eye on them, Your Excellency. Their radical group has not failed, despite all of the ammunition brought against them."
The beady-eyed President leaned back in his chair, curiously quirking an eyebrow.
"And the girl?"
"Girl?"
"Oh, you idiots, have I not told you again and again and again? Wherever there is a Watcher, a girl is often not far behind."
The guard cleared his throat nervously, his pale eyes wandering back and forth.
"Our orderlies reported seeing a woman. They're simple men, as you know surely, Your Excellency. She must've slipped away."
"The idiots! They should have known what he was up to! God only knows the Watcher's Council exists for only one purpose! And yet, still, despite being able to complete half their job, they still manage to leave our main priority in New York."
"They were chased away," the guard explained. "A very tough young man burst in, it's reported. A police officer in New York City."
Savannah narrowed his eyes.
"A police officer of New York City strictly disobeyed not only the European Union's orders, but also the orders by his very own countrymen and President? He's tying his own noose."
"Yes, Your Excellency, and the gentleman was scheduled to perform his legal duties on the streets again today. Word is that he never punched in. He was scheduled to arrive at the library last night with his fellow officers on the accounting of a 'problem.' Vampires, as we know."
"Yes, but the blockheads won't know a single thing about what we intend to do." Savannah paused, his eyes gleaming. "I knew you before you were born, Harris, and you have not disappointed me yet. This is our greatest step forward to a world of grace and unity. Who am I, child?"
The man swiftly sank to a knee, both out of fear and great respect to the beast before him. William forced his eyes shut to avoid seeing the abomination, although he couldn't help but hear it in his ears.
"You are the God, the life of the peoples left on this planet."
"Yes, yes, good boy," Savannah chuckled before his lips cracked into a smile. For the first time, he glanced down at Hearst. "My, you're a bit smaller than I would've imagined you to be. What seems to be the problem, Mr. Hearst? A little weakened-hmm, perhaps by a vampire?"
William bit his tongue to avoid letting curses ring out from his mouth. In his youth, he had gone to great lengths to follow in his father's footsteps as a watcher. The delusional old man had wished for years that his only son would have been a daughter instead, to follow the routes and footsteps in the prints left by previous slayers. It had enraged William Hearst Senior that his child was male, thus leaving the younger Hearst to several hours of daily practice to become the likeliness of a Slayer. William's last journey as a 'Slayer' had cost his father's life and his own physical health. His leg had been crushed as he wandered down a small cave in his native London-and judgment had been swift. As he passed through the mines, a strange shaking began. The collapse dulled the muscles in William's legs until they were inevitably obsolete masses of flesh dangling from his body.
"My private life is none of your business," he snapped, and after a pause, he added, "Your Excellency."
"Mm, yes. I would certainly hope you'd refer to me with some ounce of kindness. Oh, you mistake my intentions dearly, Mr. Hearst. My job isn't to hurt or destroy you."
William couldn't see as the man gestured to the guards standing at the door. Strong, devilish hands gripped William's weak shoulders, causing him to moan and cry out in a mixture of pain and sadness. What could become of Amanda Sterling if he weren't about to guide her? In their limited exposure to one another, she hadn't proven to be much of a Slayer-and he supposed, he hadn't proved himself very well as a Watcher. He blinked tears of agony away from his eyes as he glanced to the demonic force sitting at his desk, his hands neatly folded upon some of the documents he'd been looking over.
"No, William Hearst. My job isn't to hurt or destroy you at all. It's to pulverize you."
