Again no Josef. This is some more plot, hopefully the story will straiten itself out soon, I feel like I am writing the LOTR books, with two separate, yet interwoven story plots!!! lol!!!!
My friendship with greenleaf9 means that our stories tend to share details, such as Josef's sleeping arrangements.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Agency
"I was wondering..." Beth looked to Mick while she drove. "When I first learned you were a vampire and we worked the Pollock case, you said their wasn't a clubhouse that all the vamps hang out at, but now I have seen this 'Clubhouse,' Lola's club and you mentioned having gone to vamp clubs in the past…" Beth finished, hoping for an explanation.
"Is there a question in there?" Mick asked.
"I think there is an explanation." Beth was curious by nature and Mick's reserve made him a mystery.
"Well, there isn't one clubhouse where we all hang out at. Adriana's place might prove to be that in the future, but we don't hold regular meetings or keep in close contact."
"Why not? I mean, wouldn't it provide friendship?" Beth asked.
"It's not a fraternity, Beth. Besides getting together can be dangerous. There are many vamps with long standing tribulations with each other. Getting them all together could bring on full out war." Mick hoped this would be enough of an explanation to satisfy Beth.
"Really? Do you have any enemies?"
"I have my fair share, not from my own doings, but my friendship with Josef has created…tensions."
"Josef has enemies them?" Beth couldn't help herself, it was rare that she had Mick cornered and that he was this forward with her.
Mick sighed, "Yes, 400 years is a long time to live, it would be a miracle if he didn't have enemies. Most are just disagreements, but some…" Mick trailed off.
"Some are what?" Beth didn't want him to stop now.
"Some are worse. Josef hasn't told me much about his past, but I know that there are some real threats that follow him to this day. He is paranoid. He sleeps with a gun, loaded with silver bullets." Mick finished, as if this summed up the whole explanation.
"Silver bullets? He is worried about a vampire attack, wouldn't the vamp be able to kill him before he woke up?" Beth asked curiously.
"Not exactly, see his freezer door is made of bullet proof glass and locked from the inside." Mick smiled as a thought of Josef stuck in his own freezer crossed his mind.
"Wow." Was all Beth could say. They drove in silence for the rest of the way.
When they arrived at the building, Beth parked the car and waited for Mick's plan of action.
"I'm going in to question the manager, poke my nose around. And you," Mick continued over Beth's objections, "Are going to stay right here. The manager will know you are human and then I can't use the cover story that I am looking to hire freshies." Mick eyed Beth, who sunk back into her seat and folded her arms. She knew he was right, but she was still pissed about having to wait.
Mick gave her a reassuring smile and then stepped out of the car. Beth watched as he entered the building. Then she got out of the car and locked the door. She figured there was no harm in checking out the neighborhood. She locked the door and disappeared into the passage way that lead to the alley in the back of the building.
Beth was surprised to find a group of women smoking behind the building; it was one in the morning after all. Beth approached them cautiously, she was still dressed in her gown from the club and looked very out of place.
"Excuse me, I was looking for…" Beth wished she had read the name of the company on that card.
"The agency? This is it." Said one of the women, pointing to the building. "What are you looking for here?"
"Uh, well, I was recently dumped by my… my keeper, and… and I…uh, I was looking for a job." Beth hoped she had used the right terminology.
"Oh. Well, you can go apply at the desk in the front." The woman turned back to her friends and continued talking.
"Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me about your impression of the agency. See I have been independent and I don't know what agencies are like." Beth was feeling more conferrable with her cover story.
"Independent? Who was your keeper, can't be more then a few independents in LA." All the woman were now looking at Beth in curiosity.
"Josef, Josef Konstantin." Beth hoped that the only other vamp she knew was a keeper.
"Oh." The crowd looked at her in awe. "Why did he let you go?"
"Well, he didn't really say, but I think I reminded him of someone. I'm not sure, but he was always very awkward around me." Beth thought she sounded a little like an ex-girlfriend trying to explain a break-up.
"Huh, never heard of Josef treating his girls like that." The woman mussed to the crowd who nodded in agreement. "Well, if it he choose you, you will have no problem getting in here."
"You said you know they are hiring, why is that?"
"Nothing." The woman said a little too quick to be believable. "The agency has been losing girls recently. Five last week alone, and another this evening."
"Losing? How so?" Beth hoped she didn't sound to eager.
"Not sure, they just disappear. One minute they are on there way to a gig the next the agency is cleaning out their room saying the girl had had too much and left. I'm not sure what to believe." The crowd nodded, again, in agreement to her story.
Beth tried a different tactic, "I have been hearing some rumors about tainted freshies. Have you heard any of this?"
"No. Where are you getting these stories?" The woman seemed defensive, like Beth had struck a nerve.
"Mr. Konstintin.' Beth responded quickly, "He was talking about it early this week before he let me go."
"Its just rumors. The old agencies trying to slander our new way of doing business." The woman huffed indigently. "They're trying to take away business..."
The woman seemed to be on a roll and Beth didn't care to hear about freshie agency competition. "So I can apply inside, Beth started to move toward the passage way to the front of the building.
"Try back tomorrow evening, at twilight." Another woman suggested over the ravings of her companion. "The night is in full swing and the management is stretched thin enough as it is." Beth waved goodbye to them and hurried back to her car. She hoped to make it back before Mick, but she saw him leaning up against her door as she approached.
"I thought I told you to stay here?" Mick asked in a warning tone.
"I can interview people too you know." Beth replied as she unlocked the car.
Mick and Beth climbed into her car. "Yes, but this is a freshie agency. Who did you talk to?"
"Some of the girls." Beth said off-handedly, trying to sound casual. "I questioned them on disappearances."
"And?" Mick looked at Beth, "And what did you find out?"
"You first." Beth smiled.
"The manager didn't know what I was talking about. He denied the suspicions of drugging. He showed me the drug test records and assured me that all their girls were clean."
"I got the same story from the girls. They told me girls had been disappearing, without warning and one got very defensive when I brought up the issue of tainted freshies. They keep going on about some new system…" Beth sounded disappointed about her own news.
"Yeah, the manager kept going on about their revolutionary new integrated system." Mick commented.
"Really? What's so revolutionary about it?"
"Instead of just supplying the freshies, the agency supplies the coordinators, medical care and guards. It is an all in one deal, self contained so that other agencies have a hard time bidding against them, kind of like monopoly." Mick stared forward. "The problem is the company is micromanaging and there is not enough people to cover all the positions."
"Yeah, that's what the girl said. Hey do you think that someone could be getting through the security because of the lack of…well, security?" Beth asked.
"Yes." Mick answered simply. "But the question is how. And how do we find out if the company will not let us investigate and keeps denying any accusation?"
"We have to go under cover." Beth stated. Mick turned his head sharply to scowl at her. She shrugged her shoulders and replied, "What? Do you have any other ideas?"
"We can't infiltrate a freshie agency."
"We can't, but I can." Beth smiled as Mick began to frown.
"No Beth. I will not have you endangering yourself for this case." Mick looked at her seriously.
"Or you'll what?" Beth asked. "That's how I presented myself to the girls in the back. I could apply and get an insiders perspective." Beth argued.
"And then what? Get killed by an over-dose or be sucked dry? No Beth. I won't-"
Beth cut him off, "You won't what? Last time I checked, your not my keeper, my father, my guardian or my lover, so you have no right to tell me what to do." Beth was almost shouting at him.
Mick was silent. He didn't have a response to that. Finally, he spoke, "What about a friend?" His eyes were full of sadness and Beth melted.
"I respect your advice, but I think it is more important to get the predators off the street." She started the car and pulled out.
"I am your guardian." Mick said, no more then above a whisper. And I want to be your lover. He thought to himself.