Chapter 29.

KING O' CLUBS,

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.

SEPT. 29, 1999 (1:00 A.M.)

William Harcourt showed his guests to a small table for four just in front of the main show room's stage. Prince Cyrus of the Brujah Clan sat directly opposite, with Russell Winters to the Prince's right and Lindsey McDonald of Wolfram and Hart, on the left.

"Now, then," said the entrepreneurial Newcomer. "Shall we begin with some cordial beverages? Or shall we just get right down to business?"

"The latter, if you don't mind," replied Cyrus. "What'll it take for you to drop this crazy plan to turn half your people into junkies?"

"Why should that concern you, Your Highness?" Harcourt asked with an infuriating grin. "The scheme, in no way, endangers your people."

"That's not how we see it," countered Winters. "The profits it generates for your backers could be used, by them, to try and overthrow Prince Cyrus, once and for all. But, even you should realize what chaos that would cause in the short term. It might even lead to a declaration of martial law throughout Los Angeles! Which would be as bad for your businesses as it would be for ours."

"Conversely," said Harcourt. "...it could also benefit your employer."

"In what way?"

"The permanent removal of Prince Julian Luna of San Francisco, for example?"

"Are you crazy?!" exclaimed Cyrus. "That would lead to a war big enough to out all Kindred, forever!"

"Not if it were done by a psychopathic outsider," replied Harcourt. "Someone affiliated with neither the Sabbat nor the Camarilla. Like, say, a certain Tenctonese female currently working for the United States government?"

"You mean that Slag-headed Slayer with the silver battle axes?"

Cyrus had deliberately used that anti-Newcomer epithet to see what Harcourt's reaction would be. To his surprise, the smug grin disappeared from Harcourt's face only for a second or two. Indeed, the similar grin that had been on the face of Rudyard Kipling, Harcourt's bodyguard, was far more conspicuous in its prolonged absence!

"Correct," said the former, his voice still sounding amiable, although, with a tad more effort than at first.

"In other words," replied Lindsey, trying to ease the tension through a little digressive clarification. "A Newcomer version of Lee Harvey Oswald?"

"Precisely! She could wipe out Prince Julian, along with his entire Enclave, and the only ones held responsible would be the top-secret xenophobes currently residing in Sunnydale. The Demon Research Initiative!"

Now it was Cyrus' turn to look drop-jawed, as he could never have suspected that Harcourt knew what the DRI's initials had originally stood for.

"And what would you and your backers expect in return for such a huge favor?"

"Joint rulership of San Francisco as a Free City. While you remain the true power-behind-the-throne here in L.A."

Prince Cyrus guffawed in blatant derision.

"With San Diego already ruled by the Sabbat?! Forget it! That'd be putting myself in the middle of a two-pronged trap of my own free will. And that ain't happening!"

"Then, you leave me no choice. Talamour!"

Whereupon a flash-bang went off on-stage. Producing a white cloud of acrid smoke from which emerged the Newcomer magician called Duncan Shane! The latter, in turn, waved his black-on-red cape with his right hand. Thereby seeming to change his 'magic wand' into... a samurai sword.

"Banzai!" roared the tuxedo-clad Tenctonese as he started to run towards the front of the stage.

"Dobbs!" yelled Winters.

Whereupon six shots rang out from the semi-automatic Beretta of Detective Sergeant Frederick W. Dobbs who was late of the Beverly Hills Police Department. The neonate vampire had used the power of 'Obfuscation' to enter the night club, undetected, via the employee's entrance at the back of the kitchen. And, as anticipated by his sire, three bullets apiece had lodged themselves in each of the Newcomer magician's two hearts. Dropping the latter to the floor of the stage.

But, much to Russell Winters' consternation, Duncan Shane sat bolt upright less than a moment later! The bullet holes in his chest instantly healing themselves.

George Francisco's car had almost reached the main gate of Russell Winters' Bel Air mansion when the call came in over Alison Wonderland's two-way Sony Watchman with wristband 'straptenna'.

"Party Girl to Big Al. Party Girl to Big Al. Do you copy? Over!"

"Copy you, Party Girl. What's up? Over."

"Riley just heard from Angel. Doyle had another vision! Winters is at the King O' Clubs, and the final attempt to whack him is going to happen there! Riley says turn around and lead foot it over there, ASAFP! I'm already en route. Over."

"Roger that. Keep the faith, Party Girl. Over and out!"

Hunched over the handlebars of her Honda Rebel, Faith Lehane ruefully chuckled to herself as she put on a little more speed.

" 'Keep the faith.' Oh, do I owe you one for that!"

Meanwhile, as soon as Alison had relayed the news to her fellow Newcomer, George advised Kate Lockley to put the magnetic red blinker on the roof of the car over the shotgun seat. Simultaneously, he put on the siren after putting the car into a one-eighty and then bearing down on the accelerator.

"I hope we're in time to prevent any needless bloodshed," he muttered.

"It certainly won't be for lack of trying," replied Alison.

"Or speed!" added Kate, only half-pretending to be stuck to the back rest of her seat by the resulting g-forces.

Neonate vampire Freddy Dobbs was understandably dumbfounded when he saw the Newcomer magician slowly get back on his feet. Consequently, he failed to see Rudyard Kipling cross-draw a pair of Ruger nine-millimeter Black Hawk single-action revolvers. Each chamber was which was loaded with a hollow-point silver bullet filled with garlic extract!

[He had learned his lesson after that close call with Og-Ra the Mutasharid Nosferatu.*]

As swiftly as he could, he began pulling the triggers. Aiming each shot towards Dobbs' head! But, the first two near-misses were enough to snap the neonate out of his stupor. As a result, he threw himself forward, somersaulting into a firing position on his right knee. He then emptied the rest of his ammo clip into the Newcomer bodyguard's two hearts before loading another one into the magazine of his Beretta. And since Kipling did not have a burrower demon of his own, symbiotically living within him, his entry wounds...

...did _not_ instantly heal.

"Talamour!" shouted William Harcourt. "What are you waiting for? Finish them!"

But his order was instantly countermanded from an unexpected source.

"Belay that, Dart Two!" shouted Preston Lennox. "We'll take care of these clowns. Carry out your primary objective. Terminate Verdugo!"

There were a few seconds' worth of convulsions as Talamour fought to override his host body's cyber-hypnotic programming. Yet, the attempt proved unsuccessful, as evidenced by the fact that Dart Two now ran for the night club's executive office on the second floor. His katana still clutched tightly in his left hand!

Meanwhile, Dobbs tried to draw a bead on Lennox. Only to have his right leg virtually disintegrated below the knee by a fusillade of ultraviolet-irradiated tracer bullets from the Steyr AUG of Dart Six! Yet, just as the Newcomer commando attempted to finish off the neonate vampire, he suddenly found himself kicked in the small of the back by something that landed on top of him from the spot lighting catwalk. Something that Lennox had only seen once before... and had hoped he would never see again.

"Hello, Pres-s-s-s! Long time, no s-s-s-see."

It was the semi-invertebrate form of Sil.

It had always been William Harcourt's intention to double-cross Esteban Reyes and his employers. The moment he learned about the concept of 'organized crime', he knew he could use it to create for himself, and, to a lesser extent, his fellow Overseers, a power base in Los Angeles. The first step in doing so, though, necessitated inciting a mutually destructive gang war between the Camarilla and the Sabbat!

That was why he had deliberately leaked word of his alliance with the Trimerez Cartel to Prince Cyrus' people.

.

Duncan Shane from the DRI. If, for any reason, the Ratkin Abomination had failed to kill Reyes, the Newcomer stage mage would surely succeed! But, of course, the Ratkin had not failed. So, the next step in his master plan had been to arrange a summit conference between the rival vampire crime lords. A conference based on the pretext of avoiding a formal declaration of war between their organizations.

And, during which, the two sets of leaders would meet their Final Deaths.

Thus far, however, that had failed to happen. Because, with the unexpected appearance of Lennox and Dart Six, Lindsey McDonald had finally decided there was enough confusion that he could safely usher his two clients to safety, whereas, Daniel Verdugo was safely behind dead-bolted doors made of solid oak. It would take a limpet mine to blow them open!

Unfortunately, for him, all that Duncan Shane required was four splotches of plastic explosive. One for each of the doors' hinges. And, with each splotch containing a remote-control detonation device. The ensuing simultaneous explosions loosened the doors just enough that his inherent Tenctonese strength was able to make them collapse the rest of the way. He then strode into the executive office with dramatic slowness. His katana held before him in the traditional two-handed grip.

Verdugo stood waiting for him. With straight razors the size of machetes held in each hand!

"Now, you're gonna see why I'm called 'Razor Danny'."

tbc

GLOSSARY

Dr. Moorehouse: parapsychologist played by legendary character actress Nina Foch (1924-2008) on SHADOW CHASERS; a one-season wonder from the 1980's that was inspired by GHOSTBUSTERS.

Count Yorga: a ruthless vampire played by the late, great Robert Quarry in two eponymous movies from 1970 and 1971.