A/N: Okay this is the revised version of this chapter. Too many spelling errors. Sorry guys. Please R&R.
Chapter One
Frank had been waiting for half an hour when the mysterious meeting upstairs ended. *Strange* he thought *that's the second meeting this week. I wonder what they're talking about up there.* His thoughts were interupted by a tap on his shoulder. The detective turned only to see that it was not his expected companion but Jullian Luna's bodyguard.
"Do you mind?" the bodyguard asked, indicating the barstool next to Frank's.
Frank decided to strike up a conversation with the man."Be my guest. You're Cash... right?"
"Yeah." Cash responded in a guarded manner. "Julian told me about you, Kohanek. You're the human cop that knows about us."
"That's me." Frank replied, annoyed. He glanced at his watch once more before deciding to change the subject. He knew that it was a contraversial issue among Cash's kind. Usually, humans who found out about the Kindred were Embraced, made to forget, or put to death. The only reason Frank was still hanging around was that he was under the Prince's protection. Frank cleared his throat. "So uh, what clan are you?"
Cash sat up proudly. "I'm the Primogen of Gangrel Clan."
"Gangrel,hmm.... I've heard a little about you guys. I thought you were an independent clan. What are you doing hanging around the city?"
Cash eyed him suspiciously before deciding to answer. *Well, if he knows that much already, it wouldn't hurt to answer, I guess.* "My sire helped the former Prince found the Camarilla in San Francisco. Gangrel Clan is accepted as part of the Conclave."
"Oh yeah, the Conclave. That's the ruling committee under the Prince of the City, right?"
The Gangrel's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Where exactly are you getting all this stuff?"
"I have my sources." Frank said noncommitally. "So is it true that Gangrel Clan is still at war with the Brujah?" The detective had been wondering for a long time about the issue. He knew from his research that the Gangrels and Brujah had some kind of legendry rivalry between them. He figured that, since the Brujah had all but put a price out on his head, the enemy of his enemy was his friend.
Cash shot him a dangerous look. Frank had no way of knowing how touchy a subject he'd just hit upon. The Gangrel Primogen was fighting his own personal battle with the Brujah at present. His would-be girlfriend, Sasha, had been involuntarily initiated into the Brujah Clan. Because of this, Cash now had an internal Jyhad going on between his loyalty to his clan and his loyalty to Sasha. Brujah Clan and Gangrel Clan had always been enemies. Cash's sire Stevie-Ray had been slaughtered by the last Brujah Primogen. However, Cash loved Sasha and could not stand that she was Brujah now. The fact that she had just minutes ago broken up with him for the umpteenth time was not improving his disposition.
When Frank saw that look in Cash eyes, he knew he had just said something very, very wrong. Fear welled up in the detective at the thought of what the Gangrel Primogen might do to him if provoked. Although Frank was under Julian Luna's protection, that wouldn't stop an angry Gangral from 'popping him one'.
Luckily for Frank, Cash was distracted by the arrival of a striking newcomer. With his heightened senses, Cash had heard an unfamiliar motorcycle roll up to the entrance of the Haven. He hadn't payed much attention to it at the time but now his interest peaked by the striking rider who walked in to the club.
She was tall and rather willowy. The grace with which she moved seemed to be in stark contrast to the leather riding suit she wore and the long flame hued locks that fell to her shoulders. Cash knew he wasn't the only one to notice her either. All around the club, humans and Kindred alike had turned to see the young woman. Cash noticed that Lillie, the proprietor of The Haven had taken special interest in the newcomer. The Prince of the City himself had even turned to observe her.
Cash's heartbeat sounded loudly in the silence, a rare noise in The Haven. *God.* he thought *Calm down man, your so worked up you've got a heartbeat and you haven't even met her yet.*
Then, the woman turned to approach Cash and Frank. She sat down on the barstool on the other side of Frank.
"Charlie, you're late!" Frank scoulded the newcomer.
"Sorry! I had a new shipment come in and the electrician was late."
"Excuses, excuses, " he said. A small smile curled the edges of his lips. Charlie stuck her tongue out at him in response, eliciting a laugh from her companion.
Cash cleared his throat loudly both to catch her attention and to disperse the stares that still lingered on her.
"Oh, sorry." Frank said,"Cash, this is my cousin Charlene McCall. Charlie, this is Cash...he's a... friend."*Yeesh pal. Put your tongue back in your mouth,* he thought as he skooted his seat back so Charlie and Cash could see each other better.
"Nice to meet you." Charlie leaned over Frank to extend her hand to Cash. As she did so, Cash took notice of the tattoo over Charlie's heart that was exposed by the plunging neckline of her riding suit. It was a simple design of a ball of fire. He heard Charlie clear her throat and looked up to see her looking expectant if not slightly amused.
"That's an interesting tattoo you've got there." he said. Cash gave her a sheepish look, both for the ogling and for the lame excuse.
Charlie glanced down at it. "This? It's birthmark actually." She brushed the mark lightly with her fingertips. The mark was so indicative of who she was. Though meant to be reminiscent, Cash found the gesture almost erotic.
Seeing the pained look on Charlie's face, he gathered that this line of conversation wasn't going to get him anywhere. "You ride, right? What kind of bike have you got?"
"Don't get her started!" Frank pleaded. He knew what would happen if this conversation got started. There were three things you just did not mention to Charlie unless you either wanted your ear talked off or your head ripped off: the government, art, and motorcycles.
"What's the matter Frank? Afraid I get into one of my 'rambling sessions'?" Charlie laughed musically. "Frank's not really into the whole biker scene." she retorted to Cash.
Cash smiled at her. " I can see that. But I don't mind, motorcycles are kind of my thing."
"Well..." Charlie began.
"Hold it! If you two are gonna talk bikes, I'm gonna go back to my apartment." Frank said, paying his check and getting up from the bar.
"Fine with me. I'm gonna stick around for a while. I like the..." she trailed off as she glanced at Cash, "...atmosphere." She turned to catch Frank's arm. "Cuz, here's my new address and number." she handed him a small buisness card.
Frank stuck the card in his jacket pocket. "Okay. You know my number. Call me tonight when you get home."
"See ya, Frank." Charlie waved goodbye to her cousin, who was in truth not her cousin but her adoptive brother.
"So, where were we?" Charlie turned back to Cash and moved to where Frank had been sitting.
Chapter One
Frank had been waiting for half an hour when the mysterious meeting upstairs ended. *Strange* he thought *that's the second meeting this week. I wonder what they're talking about up there.* His thoughts were interupted by a tap on his shoulder. The detective turned only to see that it was not his expected companion but Jullian Luna's bodyguard.
"Do you mind?" the bodyguard asked, indicating the barstool next to Frank's.
Frank decided to strike up a conversation with the man."Be my guest. You're Cash... right?"
"Yeah." Cash responded in a guarded manner. "Julian told me about you, Kohanek. You're the human cop that knows about us."
"That's me." Frank replied, annoyed. He glanced at his watch once more before deciding to change the subject. He knew that it was a contraversial issue among Cash's kind. Usually, humans who found out about the Kindred were Embraced, made to forget, or put to death. The only reason Frank was still hanging around was that he was under the Prince's protection. Frank cleared his throat. "So uh, what clan are you?"
Cash sat up proudly. "I'm the Primogen of Gangrel Clan."
"Gangrel,hmm.... I've heard a little about you guys. I thought you were an independent clan. What are you doing hanging around the city?"
Cash eyed him suspiciously before deciding to answer. *Well, if he knows that much already, it wouldn't hurt to answer, I guess.* "My sire helped the former Prince found the Camarilla in San Francisco. Gangrel Clan is accepted as part of the Conclave."
"Oh yeah, the Conclave. That's the ruling committee under the Prince of the City, right?"
The Gangrel's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Where exactly are you getting all this stuff?"
"I have my sources." Frank said noncommitally. "So is it true that Gangrel Clan is still at war with the Brujah?" The detective had been wondering for a long time about the issue. He knew from his research that the Gangrels and Brujah had some kind of legendry rivalry between them. He figured that, since the Brujah had all but put a price out on his head, the enemy of his enemy was his friend.
Cash shot him a dangerous look. Frank had no way of knowing how touchy a subject he'd just hit upon. The Gangrel Primogen was fighting his own personal battle with the Brujah at present. His would-be girlfriend, Sasha, had been involuntarily initiated into the Brujah Clan. Because of this, Cash now had an internal Jyhad going on between his loyalty to his clan and his loyalty to Sasha. Brujah Clan and Gangrel Clan had always been enemies. Cash's sire Stevie-Ray had been slaughtered by the last Brujah Primogen. However, Cash loved Sasha and could not stand that she was Brujah now. The fact that she had just minutes ago broken up with him for the umpteenth time was not improving his disposition.
When Frank saw that look in Cash eyes, he knew he had just said something very, very wrong. Fear welled up in the detective at the thought of what the Gangrel Primogen might do to him if provoked. Although Frank was under Julian Luna's protection, that wouldn't stop an angry Gangral from 'popping him one'.
Luckily for Frank, Cash was distracted by the arrival of a striking newcomer. With his heightened senses, Cash had heard an unfamiliar motorcycle roll up to the entrance of the Haven. He hadn't payed much attention to it at the time but now his interest peaked by the striking rider who walked in to the club.
She was tall and rather willowy. The grace with which she moved seemed to be in stark contrast to the leather riding suit she wore and the long flame hued locks that fell to her shoulders. Cash knew he wasn't the only one to notice her either. All around the club, humans and Kindred alike had turned to see the young woman. Cash noticed that Lillie, the proprietor of The Haven had taken special interest in the newcomer. The Prince of the City himself had even turned to observe her.
Cash's heartbeat sounded loudly in the silence, a rare noise in The Haven. *God.* he thought *Calm down man, your so worked up you've got a heartbeat and you haven't even met her yet.*
Then, the woman turned to approach Cash and Frank. She sat down on the barstool on the other side of Frank.
"Charlie, you're late!" Frank scoulded the newcomer.
"Sorry! I had a new shipment come in and the electrician was late."
"Excuses, excuses, " he said. A small smile curled the edges of his lips. Charlie stuck her tongue out at him in response, eliciting a laugh from her companion.
Cash cleared his throat loudly both to catch her attention and to disperse the stares that still lingered on her.
"Oh, sorry." Frank said,"Cash, this is my cousin Charlene McCall. Charlie, this is Cash...he's a... friend."*Yeesh pal. Put your tongue back in your mouth,* he thought as he skooted his seat back so Charlie and Cash could see each other better.
"Nice to meet you." Charlie leaned over Frank to extend her hand to Cash. As she did so, Cash took notice of the tattoo over Charlie's heart that was exposed by the plunging neckline of her riding suit. It was a simple design of a ball of fire. He heard Charlie clear her throat and looked up to see her looking expectant if not slightly amused.
"That's an interesting tattoo you've got there." he said. Cash gave her a sheepish look, both for the ogling and for the lame excuse.
Charlie glanced down at it. "This? It's birthmark actually." She brushed the mark lightly with her fingertips. The mark was so indicative of who she was. Though meant to be reminiscent, Cash found the gesture almost erotic.
Seeing the pained look on Charlie's face, he gathered that this line of conversation wasn't going to get him anywhere. "You ride, right? What kind of bike have you got?"
"Don't get her started!" Frank pleaded. He knew what would happen if this conversation got started. There were three things you just did not mention to Charlie unless you either wanted your ear talked off or your head ripped off: the government, art, and motorcycles.
"What's the matter Frank? Afraid I get into one of my 'rambling sessions'?" Charlie laughed musically. "Frank's not really into the whole biker scene." she retorted to Cash.
Cash smiled at her. " I can see that. But I don't mind, motorcycles are kind of my thing."
"Well..." Charlie began.
"Hold it! If you two are gonna talk bikes, I'm gonna go back to my apartment." Frank said, paying his check and getting up from the bar.
"Fine with me. I'm gonna stick around for a while. I like the..." she trailed off as she glanced at Cash, "...atmosphere." She turned to catch Frank's arm. "Cuz, here's my new address and number." she handed him a small buisness card.
Frank stuck the card in his jacket pocket. "Okay. You know my number. Call me tonight when you get home."
"See ya, Frank." Charlie waved goodbye to her cousin, who was in truth not her cousin but her adoptive brother.
"So, where were we?" Charlie turned back to Cash and moved to where Frank had been sitting.