Here begins Part two. Please be aware of the fact that two months have passed since the last chapter ended. Enjoy.
Part 2 - The Unseen Tide
Harry Potter stood at the edge of a forest looking down into the city. He checked his map. He was right on target - they'd arrived in Chicago.
Diana came up behind him, appraising the town. "Two days," she said.
"Maybe less," Harry replied. "Whoever it is that's chasing us seems to find us easier amongst people."
"Maybe that's because you're not a person," Diana said, flatly.
Harry felt like shaking her, but resisted. She'd been this way for two months now, since her parents' deaths. Two months of running from...well, whatever it was.
As they descended on the city of Chicago, Harry reflected on their one - and thankfully, only - real confrontation with their pursuers.
By that time, Harry had figured out that they were being followed. His sixth sense was screaming its head off at him. About a week after the New York City incident, their pursuers decided to catch up.
They'd yelled through bullhorns at Harry and Diana to come out of the cabin they'd found with their hands up. Luckily, Harry had made sure that the cabin had a back door, and they'd escaped into the woods. Still, he'd sneaked one small whiff out the front, just to see what they were up against.
The two figures, cloaked by shadow at the forest's edge, had no scent.
Harry shivered. They'd been running from shadows ever since.
By this time, Harry might have been tempted to stand his ground and fight. The only thing that kept him from that, besides the prospect of getting Diana hurt or killed, was that he had no idea what, exactly, he'd be fighting.
Harry came back to reality quickly. In her present condition, Diana was next to no good as a lookout. Harry needed to stay alert.
"Do you want to eat first, or find a place to stay first?" Harry asked.
"Eat," Diana said. She still seemed far away.
"Okay, then," Harry said. He scanned the prospects. Locating a possibility, Harry walked Diana towards the building.
In their escape from New York, while the city was just beginning to burn, Harry had committed a small crime. He stole some money from a bank that was already on fire. The dollars were just going to burn anyway. That was how he reasoned it - to himself, anyway.
Dinner cost them more than he'd imagined - he still wasn't used to the 'worthless' American dollar. He'd hoped that a comment like that might pull Diana out of her deep-seated misery...perhaps he'd lost touch with normal human emotion.
After dinner, and Harry's unsuccessful attempts to get a rise out of Diana, the two went to a motel. It was a cheap motel; Harry wanted to make their cash last. After getting Diana into the room and making sure she would be okay, Harry left.
Of course, the diner hadn't had any sort of food that Harry could sustain himself on. His first destination, then, was a butcher's shop. Maps of the city were abundant, and sure enough, Joe's Butchering was listed as being only two blocks away. As Harry walked towards it, hugging his coat close to himself despite the lack of cold, he noticed a newspaper dispenser on the side of the of the road. Harry approached it.
Inside were several local papers, but amongst them was the New York Times. Harry glanced around to make sure that no one saw what he was doing, then broke the case. He removed a copy of the New York Times, tucked it under his arm, and hurried off.
Twenty minutes later, he was back at the motel. Having assured himself that Diana was okay after her half hour of solitariness, Harry sat down at the table in the main room of their motel room. It basically consisted of a small table with a few non matching chairs, but it was enough.
Harry poured himself a glass of blood, and began to read the paper. The front page headline read, in big bold letters, "Gang Wars in Inner City Cause Massive Devastation".
"Gang wars," Harry muttered. "No way...how did they cover it up?"
Harry skimmed the other articles. There was no mention of Onde anywhere.
At exactly a little after noon, Onde stood up in front of a small group of people in a well lit, new age office meeting area. Though on that day, he attempted to explain why his actions ended the way they did, he couldn't. Onde never saw daylight again.
"I can't believe that that slime ball got away," Harry said, to himself. "He couldn't have..."
He looked through the paper again, trying to find any hint that the authorities knew that something other than gang warfare had caused all the damage to the city. There wasn't a thing. As far as they were concerned, angry teenagers from deprived homes had managed to burn down eighteen city blocks and cause serious damage to thirty-two more.
Harry shook his head. Onde had some powerful people working for him, obviously...and he probably had some powerful people tracking Harry and Diana, since they held the key to exposing Onde.
Harry folded up the paper again and put it in the trash. He didn't need to have Diana, in her catatonic state, notice that and melt away completely.
Harry entered the room they were sharing and watched as Diana slept. Harry had been running through each twenty-four hour period on just three hours of sleep per day now since their escape from New York. Though his vampiric body could handle the strain for short periods of time, the prolonged lack of sleep was starting to wear on him. He figured that their pursuers wouldn't find them for at least another day - he could afford some sleep.
Harry was about to curl up next to Diana on the bed when he noticed something sticking out of her pocket. He took a closer look, and wished afterwards that he hadn't. Of course, Diana probably was only carrying a stake for protection against other vampires.
Harry chose to sleep on the couch that night.
Part 2 - The Unseen Tide
Harry Potter stood at the edge of a forest looking down into the city. He checked his map. He was right on target - they'd arrived in Chicago.
Diana came up behind him, appraising the town. "Two days," she said.
"Maybe less," Harry replied. "Whoever it is that's chasing us seems to find us easier amongst people."
"Maybe that's because you're not a person," Diana said, flatly.
Harry felt like shaking her, but resisted. She'd been this way for two months now, since her parents' deaths. Two months of running from...well, whatever it was.
As they descended on the city of Chicago, Harry reflected on their one - and thankfully, only - real confrontation with their pursuers.
By that time, Harry had figured out that they were being followed. His sixth sense was screaming its head off at him. About a week after the New York City incident, their pursuers decided to catch up.
They'd yelled through bullhorns at Harry and Diana to come out of the cabin they'd found with their hands up. Luckily, Harry had made sure that the cabin had a back door, and they'd escaped into the woods. Still, he'd sneaked one small whiff out the front, just to see what they were up against.
The two figures, cloaked by shadow at the forest's edge, had no scent.
Harry shivered. They'd been running from shadows ever since.
By this time, Harry might have been tempted to stand his ground and fight. The only thing that kept him from that, besides the prospect of getting Diana hurt or killed, was that he had no idea what, exactly, he'd be fighting.
Harry came back to reality quickly. In her present condition, Diana was next to no good as a lookout. Harry needed to stay alert.
"Do you want to eat first, or find a place to stay first?" Harry asked.
"Eat," Diana said. She still seemed far away.
"Okay, then," Harry said. He scanned the prospects. Locating a possibility, Harry walked Diana towards the building.
In their escape from New York, while the city was just beginning to burn, Harry had committed a small crime. He stole some money from a bank that was already on fire. The dollars were just going to burn anyway. That was how he reasoned it - to himself, anyway.
Dinner cost them more than he'd imagined - he still wasn't used to the 'worthless' American dollar. He'd hoped that a comment like that might pull Diana out of her deep-seated misery...perhaps he'd lost touch with normal human emotion.
After dinner, and Harry's unsuccessful attempts to get a rise out of Diana, the two went to a motel. It was a cheap motel; Harry wanted to make their cash last. After getting Diana into the room and making sure she would be okay, Harry left.
Of course, the diner hadn't had any sort of food that Harry could sustain himself on. His first destination, then, was a butcher's shop. Maps of the city were abundant, and sure enough, Joe's Butchering was listed as being only two blocks away. As Harry walked towards it, hugging his coat close to himself despite the lack of cold, he noticed a newspaper dispenser on the side of the of the road. Harry approached it.
Inside were several local papers, but amongst them was the New York Times. Harry glanced around to make sure that no one saw what he was doing, then broke the case. He removed a copy of the New York Times, tucked it under his arm, and hurried off.
Twenty minutes later, he was back at the motel. Having assured himself that Diana was okay after her half hour of solitariness, Harry sat down at the table in the main room of their motel room. It basically consisted of a small table with a few non matching chairs, but it was enough.
Harry poured himself a glass of blood, and began to read the paper. The front page headline read, in big bold letters, "Gang Wars in Inner City Cause Massive Devastation".
"Gang wars," Harry muttered. "No way...how did they cover it up?"
Harry skimmed the other articles. There was no mention of Onde anywhere.
At exactly a little after noon, Onde stood up in front of a small group of people in a well lit, new age office meeting area. Though on that day, he attempted to explain why his actions ended the way they did, he couldn't. Onde never saw daylight again.
"I can't believe that that slime ball got away," Harry said, to himself. "He couldn't have..."
He looked through the paper again, trying to find any hint that the authorities knew that something other than gang warfare had caused all the damage to the city. There wasn't a thing. As far as they were concerned, angry teenagers from deprived homes had managed to burn down eighteen city blocks and cause serious damage to thirty-two more.
Harry shook his head. Onde had some powerful people working for him, obviously...and he probably had some powerful people tracking Harry and Diana, since they held the key to exposing Onde.
Harry folded up the paper again and put it in the trash. He didn't need to have Diana, in her catatonic state, notice that and melt away completely.
Harry entered the room they were sharing and watched as Diana slept. Harry had been running through each twenty-four hour period on just three hours of sleep per day now since their escape from New York. Though his vampiric body could handle the strain for short periods of time, the prolonged lack of sleep was starting to wear on him. He figured that their pursuers wouldn't find them for at least another day - he could afford some sleep.
Harry was about to curl up next to Diana on the bed when he noticed something sticking out of her pocket. He took a closer look, and wished afterwards that he hadn't. Of course, Diana probably was only carrying a stake for protection against other vampires.
Harry chose to sleep on the couch that night.