----

VI

Chino's face ached. He wasn't sure how much more fake smiling he could do. Danielle was quite drunk, and Chino was quickly learning how dull she was. Ashley had a bit more substance to her at least. But Chino certainly had no plans for either of them on this night, other than to make sure they got home safe and sound. All of the murders had been after 10pm. It was almost 2:30am when Chino found himself being given directions by a pair of drunken blonde ditzes. To his amazement, they gave fairly good directions. Between that, not having to deal with any police, and his performance back at The Pour House, Chino could classify this as a pretty good night.

That being considered, Chino reminded himself that he was sent to Jacksonville for business, not pleasure. Even though occasionally the two intertwined. He glanced over at his passengers. Danielle, the prettier of the two, was balancing her purse upon her head, and imitating some professor she and Ashley shared in the past.

"Nope. No intertwining tonight" he mumbled to himself. Apparently, he had a bad toupeé and an English accent. Ashley was in the backseat of his black Chevy Caprice, laughing away with her friend. Between the two of them, the slurred speech and squealing giggles never ended. Until Chino found the first of the two houses. Chino wished he'd had more time - he wasn't sure how to let these girls down if they wanted him to...

"I'm gonna be up makin coffee for a while... so ah... Chino, if you want, just stop on by after you drop Ash off."

"I wouldn't count on it, Dani. I've got lots to do tomorrow."

"Ah-huh. Ok, well, if you change your mind, you know where I'll be. I gave you my number, right?". Chino scrambled to pull out a crumpled up post-it note from his beverage holder, as if to say "Right here" It had never been written on actually, but Dani was too drunk to know that, so she assumed exactly what he wanted her to, and he didn't actually have to lie. She kissed him softly on the cheek, and left the car with a wave. Ashley scampered out to take her place up front for the next 3 blocks between her house and Dani's.

"I think you should come inside for my coffee. Mine's a bit hotter then hers."

"Well. Aren't you just a master of innuendos?" he smiled.

"So?" Chino's car came to rest in front of Ashley's house.

"I'm sorry. I like you both very much, and I'm very tempted. But I don't think this is best for either of us."

"Aw, ya sure?" the smell of her perfume and the feel of her soft hand against his cheek was almost enough to send him truly... utterly... irrevocably... wild.

"Yes. Definitely." he said, biting the inside of his cheek.

"But why?"

"Is there really anyway to answer that question without making you feel worse?"

".... Hey." she said, a bit let down.

"You are a very lovely woman. Dani is also. I honestly enjoy spending time with both of you. As friends. I don't make love to friends, Ashley."

"Jeez. Not to many like you out there these days."

Chino tasted blood from his exercise of restraint.

"Sweetie, you have no idea."

Ashley entered her apartment no worse for wears. Ironically, all the talk of coffee compelled Chino to stop by Dunkin' Donuts and pick up some joe. As he mixed in creme and sugar, he caught his reflection in the large glass window , and decided to reflect on his progress as well. He was chasing shadows. Sure it was early, sure it wasn't as though he had any equipment or contacts that could help him find who he needed to find faster. But he was sure he had already gotten close. So close.

Chino knew patrolling the streets, keeping a sharp eye, and getting to know all the local watering holes were the first steps. He also checked out the emergency room regularly. Maybe this thing didn't know how to heal itself. Other than that, there was little he could do. Suspicious would mount; around Chino, they always would. He accepted that. No one ever said his gifts came without a price. And that price was steep. Never getting close to anyone, save those from the tribe. Never trusting, or confiding. Never having someone around to tell you that it will all be alright. Or that it wasn't your fault.

Chino finished with the coffee, and left the Dunkin Donuts. As he did, it began to rain. Drops spattered softly onto his windshield as he opened the door. Upon entry, he withdrew the car keys and held them to the ignition... then stopped. With a sigh, he simply sat back, and indulged himself to the rhapsody caused by the irratic beats of the rainfall. A smile formed on his face, thinking of how foolish he looked, taking such pleasure in the simplest things of life. But truly, that was all he felt he had to take pleasure in. Everything else came with too steep a price.

With a yawn and a stretch, Chino zoned out a bit, and thought back on his last lead. He was in his apartment, unpacking. All of a sudden, twitched as something swept over him. A wave, a pulse, a signal. A sensation shot through him from beyond this realm. He picked up a sort of scent. It wasn't much, but he was forced to act on it. He remembered dashing out like a madman. That singer from the bar... she was there too. She was probably his neighbor, or his neighbors girlfriend or something. Thankfully, she didn't see him outside. It would be quite difficult coming up with an explanation for running out of the building, only to double back, leap up the fire ladder, tear the sleeve of his only coat and dash up the fire escape with such fervor and abandon as though the cops were chasing him. But he had to do it, with not a moment to spare. That urge Chino felt likely emminated from the astral plane; the realm that is transposed just over our own, where spirit is matter, and matter is myth. Being what he was, Chino was no stranger to the astral plane or Umbra, as it was sometimes called by his people. Which is why he knew that the sensation he felt could be a warning, a precursor to an attack, or a slip-up from an intruder. He had to get somewhere safer before he could try a Turnaround, and see where it was. By the time he got clear, and stepped to The Realm, there was nothing. He could only hope it wouldn't cost another innocent life.

--§--

The apartment complex was the sort that required a key to enter the lobby - really just a place for the mailboxes. As he did so, and began his three story climb to his apartment, he found to difficult not to wonder about his next door neighbor. He really didn't get a great look at her. Perhaps the girl fronting that house band was someone else. He didn't get a good look at her either. He'd been on the road so long - buried in his work, his mission - that he'd somehow made a habit of avoiding eye contact. It wasn't that he ashamed or anti-social. What his life had become necesitated that he somehow work against the forces that made him exceptional, and blend in. Come and go without being noticed.

"Snikt" went a noise behind an apartment door. He was noticed.

Chino froze. He had been withdrawing his keys to open his apartment door, having traversed the stairs while he was deep in thought. He deduced that the noise was the peephole cover of his next door neighbor, as it slid open. He did his best to unfreeze, but it was too late. It was obvious that he knew he was being watched, by how suddenly he stopped. It was reflex. Chino had been frozen by sounds such as that before, only in some of those times, it was the cocking of a hammer on a handgun. Or worse.

He gestured a slight wave in the direction of the people, smiled, and went about his business opening the door. If it was her who had caught him, he was quite embarrassed.

--§--

"I am so embarrassed" said Amy, shaking her head and making her way back to bed. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't feel right in her own skin. Amy usually found sex relaxing, but a combination of her unnerved status carrying over from the bar, and Simon's lackluster sexual performance forced her to abandon tossing and turning in vain. She had been microwaving a mug of water for herbal tea when she heard him jingling his keys. She dashed over to see if it was indeed her guest singing neighbor. She could confirm it by his clothes.

Somehow, the second she slid the thin metal plate aside on the door, he heard it. He froze like a deer in the wild, and Amy gasped. He brushed it off, signaling that he knew, and it was ok with a wave. It was the second time he'd caught her trying to sneak a peek, trying to satiate curiosity. As Amy drank the tea, and zoned out on late night infomercials, she reiterated to herself that said curiosity was innocent in nature, and she just wanted to get a better idea as to what kind of person was now living next to her. Nothing more.

"Nothing more, Amy." she whispered, eyes lowered as the TV lit the entire room a brilliant, yet melancholy blue.