Sorry there's been such a long time, but I have a good reason! We have re-installed our computer, so it hasn't been feeling too good for a while. This is just something I made up to get a chapter done, hence the crapness.
But there's good parts too! I got to think more about the plot (damn that vile woman!) and enjoy other activities besides the comp. For an example, I spent a lovely day with Bored of the Rings and got to play some Jedi Academy (whee!) while I waited for the internet to work.
So, please don't hurt me because of this chapter.
Clez – Why, thank you! I'm so glad to hear that! :)
Funyun – I always like to surprise people. About gay, I'll let this chapter speak for that. Poking was inspired by my brother, he likes to poke stuff. Especially at morning... *grumbles something that you're not supposed to hear*
- - -
Jones took a criticising look at the line of men and women in front of him. He seemed to weigh and measure them all. He glanced at Talley.
"Are you sure these are all that will come?"
Talley shook his head.
"You'd better ask Talon about that, it's her clan." He said and pointed at the woman in front of the line. Jones motioned her to come to him.
"Are these all?"
Talon nodded.
"These are everyone capable of fighting that wants to come."
"How many of each species are there?"
Talon took a quick look at her fighters.
"About 15 werewolves, 3 vampires and 75 humans. There might be some I was unaware of too."
Jones hummed, looking at the line again. They were looking back. Apparently, they were just strong thugs. He wondered how he'd train them. He caught a glimpse of something he didn't like. He slowly walked up to a dark skinned man with his arm around a woman's shoulders. He gave him a rebellious look. Jones looked down beside him at the woman. The woman looked down on the ground, possibly afraid to meet his gaze. She kept one arm protectively around her round stomach.
"Talon? Is this what you call 'able to fight'?"
Talon sighed.
"She will give birth any time now, possibly even on the boat. She is one of the best ones we have, even if she's not much good right now."
Jones turned around and allowed Talon to glare at him.
"And the child, Talon? I suppose that will be no problem at all?"
"Even if you forbid me to, Mr. Jones, I will take her with us. She will fight when the time comes, and I will personally take care of the child if required to."
Jones sighed. How come he always got the complicated ones?
"Fine. Just get on the boat. We'll be leaving shortly."
Talon began to lead her fighters onboard with a victorious smile on her face. Talley quietly got up beside Jones.
"I couldn't find the last one you told me to find, Jones."
"I did. Don't worry about him, Talley. He's already in America, we just have to recruit him."
"That's the hard part, you know."
Talley glanced at Jones and saw that he was smiling. Hardly more than a twitch in the corner of his mouth, but that was much when it was Jones.
"Everything is so wonderful." Jones said, as if he had noticed that Talley was wondering.
"You have done your work well, I have my soldiers and a base. As soon as those 'people' are killed, everything will be as good as complete. Absolutely wonderful."
"You never really told me what you want to achieve with all of this, Jones. World domination?"
Jones shook his head.
"No, no, Talley. I only have one true goal with all of this that I wish to achieve, the rest would just be luck. Otherwise, I was planning to wait and see where this takes me. But the world domination part doesn't sound too bad." He said with a dry laugh. He walked into the boat. Talley remained on the docks, remembering what had happened the last time he got onboard a ship. He wondered if he wouldn't be better off running away. He sighed and slowly got onboard.
- - -
Leo wondered why he was upside down.
Then he noticed that he was awake. He slowly opened his eyes, looking around himself. He was in a large room, all steel and pipes covered in frost around him. There were men surrounding him, pointing spear-like things at him. Harpoons? He ignored the question he asked himself and looked at them one by one. He was famished and he still had the sickening taste of garlic in his mouth. He tried to lure one of them to him, giving them the impression that he was calling for them personally. A pair of them lowered their spears and one took a few steps forwards towards him. His wide grin faded when he saw that they were stopped by their comrades. Of course. He heard two people talking right outside the door. One voice he recognized. He snarled loudly, making him cough and almost choke when he got more garlic bitterness in his mouth. The door opened and the cursed vampire woman from the other night came in. Behind her came an Indian, calling the men out of the room. The woman stood there, right in front of him, glaring at him while the men left the room. She was silent all the time. When the last man had left, slamming the door shut behind him, she cleared his throat.
"Do you know why you're here?"
"Because I've been a bad boy?"
He was rewarded by a slap. It hurt more than usual. He grinned at her.
"Oh, I see. Interrogation? When will you start punching, cutting and burning me with cigarettes? Seriously, what do you think I could possibly tell you about anything? Look, I'm so damn sorry I kissed your American, but I was hungry. And I still am." He added. She didn't reply. She just stood there with her hand on her side and looked at him. Leo began building up a shimmer of trustworthiness around him and cautiously tried to make himself more physically appealing in her eyes. He then smiled broadly.
"I think this is all just a great, big waste of time, honey. There are so many other things that we can do, you know? I don't think anyone would be heartbroken if you just let me down and forgot to lock the door. I swear on my immortality that I will leave, not touching anyone you don't want me to. What do you say?"
He could see that she wasn't swayed. Not a bit.
"Do you really think that would work on me?" she asked. He shrugged.
"Always worth a try. It did after all work with the American, what was his name…? Sawyer, that's right."
She had slapped him before he saw that she moved. The sides of his face hurt.
"Could you please stop that?!"
To his surprise, she did. She stopped, stood still for a moment and then smiled at him.
"Of course. I think I should leave."
He looked after her when she walked to the door. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe his trick worked after all. She opened the door slightly and turned towards him, that eerie smile still on her lips.
"I'm not doing this to be nice, Leo." She said coldly and left the room. Leo hung there, listening to the sound of his own breath. The chains were starting to be very cold and uncomfortable. He saw the door opening again.
"Ah! I
wondered when you'd…" he started, but trailed off when he saw who came in
through the door.
"Oh, no…"
Remington put a large bag down on the floor, leaned on the door and looked at Leo. Leo looked back, trying to hide his nervousness and fear behind a blank mask.
"Leo, is it?" Remington asked. Leo nodded.
"Sawyer seemed reluctant to talk about you, for some reason, but at least I got your name. I think you know who I am. I have been chasing your kind for a long time now."
"Can't be that long…" Leo said quietly. "You're just obsessed. For crying out loud, we've done nothing to you! Go find something else to hunt!" he continued, almost screaming at the end. Remington's expression didn't change a bit.
"You've done nothing to me, that's true. But what about everyone else? All the people you and your kind have devoured? You should know I have absolutely no respect for those that hunt creatures that can't put up a good fight. Therefore, I intend to destroy you."
Leo began to shiver in the cold. He was used to cold, but this was too much. Being put up in front of the man who had slain some of his clan mates was frightening. He considered using his charms against this man, but gave the idea up. The female vampire was probably ready to stop that and he could barely muster enough of his energy to keep this man from noticing a lie.
"I… want to know where your kind hides. No matter how much I have to go through to find out, you should know I will do it. Now. Start speaking." The murdered hissed.
Leo opened his mouth, but remembered Javier. If he told this murderer about them, he would be doomed. He closed his mouth again, pressed it shut, and shook his head. Remington sighed, shook his head and opened the bag he brought.
Leo could only stare in terror.
