Continued from Project Bright Sky

Chapter 1

I was looking at the 'timer' that the Ieldra had altered and made a little more user friendly. All I had to do was give it to Quinn was temporarily helping Molly Caffrey at Threshold. I turn it over in my hands, all the keys were digitalized, and apparently it had been made to withstand impact and large amounts of damage.

I caught a button, oh bollocks what had I done? All of a sudden a portal opened behind me, and started to pull me in. I tried to jump away from the vortex, or wormhole, and even left fingerprints as I tried to hang onto the metal kitchen work top. Oooooh Shit!

I was unceremoniously dumped on my rear end on a pavement. Ouch, that hurt.

I looked around, it was certainly dark, night time then. If I wasn't mistaken it looked like St Louis, but I was in another universe. I grabbed the timer, and examined the display; it stated 1 expansion prior. Could be bloody anywhere. I could hear music, and decided to 'bite the bullet' and seek people who may be able to give information. I zipped up my jacket to hide my weapons. As I walked I saw a newspaper dispenser, and looked at the title, St Louis Gazette, 20? The date wasn't clear. Damn. I decided to conceal my Quickening, as usual. Didn't want to appear a threat and get into a fight as soon as I get here.

I continued to walk and could see the name of the club, 'Guilty Pleasures', sounded like a strip joint. As I walked towards the club, the doormen, and many clientele going screamed preternatural to me. Their movements were just too fluid to be human. I had no idea of their abilities or what they were capable of. Shit, this was tactically unsound. I approached the door, and walked past the doorman. He didn't bother to search me, thankfully. He was a large guy, although if I had to hedge my bet, vampire. The doorman was too still to be a anything but vamp. I saw a couple of men on stage stripping off, and I would hazard a bet shapeshifter of some sort. They are fluid in a different way to vampires in my world.

I was categorizing everything by what I knew, the rules might be different here. Must be ready for anything. I saw people handing over money at the bar, it seemed to identical to what I was used 'back home'. I decided to order a couple of beers, the first I downed; the other for sipping. Methos has a lot to answer for. Not many people know this about me, only the League, and probably Methos. Before I became an Immortal, I was infected with the 'Living Vampire' virus. So in a sense I am a hybrid, and might appear to others as a vampire, if such exist here.

I looked at the stage, and examined every one who walked either by me, or about the club. I saw what could only be a vampire actually drain another preternatural on stage, can I say weird? The show continued, and I saw a woman walk by me; she must be a brunette of five foot exactly; she was armed. I could tell by how she walked. She was also a killer, she had the vibes and eyes on her. Next to her was another preternatural about six foot with long brown hair to his waist. Freaky.

I saw this woman was on her way out, and decided to finish my beer and leave. She seemed in a hurry all of a sudden. Why am I following a killer who left in a hurry, I guess my instincts to prevent the worst I guess. Anyway she sped onto the street with her 'friend'. They ran around the corner, and I followed at a discreet pace, until I heard a couple of thuds, and a scream or grunt of pain. It was then I picked up my speed to approximately 40mph, not full out, but enough. I stopped near the corner, and saw both the woman and her friend with long hair go tumbling end over end, being thrown by some asshole. If my senses were right, and they seemed to be, vampire! If I refined my preternatural senses further, I'd say he resembled the other species of vampire.

I like a quick kill with vampires, and so switched rounds preternaturally fast. I reloaded with anti-vamp, liquid daylight; temporarily fatal to 'dead ones'.

"Freeze asshole, or you're dead"

"Silver won't kill me" he hissed.

"That's lucky for me, it's not silver" and shot him straight in the head. The bullet penetrated his brain, and glowed a blue colour, that is until he caught fire and started screaming.

"What the fuck did you shoot him with?" the woman inquired, drawing her gun. The male was also back on his feet, eyes changing to amber. Probably a shapeshifter. I drew my shoto, and quickly killed him by removing the head.

"That's murder" the woman said "And I should arrest you right here" she said pointing a 'firestar' pistol at my head.

"He was attacking you and you're friend" I replied.

"What kind of rounds were those?"

"That's classified" it couldn't hurt to play Government agent, might just get out of this tight spot; but I doubted it. Certainly couldn't use the truth, "oh and by the way I am from the universe after yours collapsed and then expands again". That would get locked up real quick, looney tune coming through!

"Your Government" she inquired.

"I'll do this slow, but here's my DoD ID", and slowly removed my ID. If she checked me out I wouldn't exist, and that could go either way. I also put my gun and shoto back in respective holsters.

"I'll need to check this" she replied, "Can't say I've seen many agents with two wakizashis, and two pistols"

"Okay. I'll do you a deal. We'll forget the check, and I give you a round of my ammunition and pretend it fell on the floor, otherwise they'll be agents everywhere" I could see her struggle with the turmoil of the decision. She handed me back the ID, which I took as a good sign. When I got here the timer said ten years until I could leave, but according to my Ieldra contact this date could be manually altered.

If I'm stuck here for ten years, I'll need a job. The fact that I'm not an agent will cause me problems. Right now I needed information. Looking at her with my mystical senses, she appeared not quite human either, but as though connected to others. Very strange. I managed to get her name, Anita Blake, and friend Nathaniel. As I left I asked for her card with contact details, which she gave. I don't think she was taken in by my explanation. But I think she wanted the anti-vamp rounds. Can't blame her really. Tomorrow I would look her up again, if I was still here. After they left, I tried to alter the leaving date, and it wouldn't change. Oh well, maybe it would be ten years here, could always enroll in the army or FBI. My skills should get me 'head hunted' fairly quickly, hopefully in a good way.

I needed somewhere to sleep tonight. Perhaps if I seduced a woman. Interesting idea. Back I went to the club to try my luck.