The Highway West Andrew 123
Chapter Four: The Gathering
All the world's a stage
And all men and women merely players
They have their exits and entrances
And one man in his time plays many parts.
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It
Every true arcadian dreams of the ultimate gambit where his wits, instincts, and luck are challenged in a Darwinian struggle for the ultimate prize. Waiting for his opponent, Finneas MacDuff mused upon the bitter irony of the situation. His father had played a similar game for similar stakes on a much smaller scale and lost.
"It is done," a deep voice announced from the shadows, stirring MacDuff from his meditations.
Nodding slightly, MacDuff turned from the fireplace to study the creature bold enough to enter his study without knocking. Dressed in a leather loin cloth, the beautifully chiseled black man peered at MacDuff through strands of his dreadlocks. He possessed a youthful roguish quality that MacDuff both admired and envied.
"Thank you, Mr. Murphy. You have provided an invaluable service," MacDuff complimented the statuesque man.
Scrupulously noting MacDuff's every word, Murphy detected a slight Scottish accent. To untrained eyes, MacDuff appeared to be in his early thirties. The vampire could only guess at MacDuff's real age, but rumors suggested that he had lived at least a millennium. The ancient Scottish vampire wore his auburn hair shoulder length in a style he might have worn as a young square or knight. His beard, the exact color of his hair, was carefully trimmed to have straight edges. Melancholy blue eyes quickly burst through any pretense or lie. Unlike the other Old Ones, MacDuff stubbornly wore the precise clothing styles he had always worn as a mortal. Although his kilt looked as though it had been transported in time, Murphy's spies reported that MacDuff went to great expense to have authentic kilts tailored to his special needs.
"It was part of the deal that you made with Gideon. I was simply keeping the bargain. Until the gathering, I am at your service."
"Then, they are on the way?"
"I gave the invitation to the Zhongshan Childe as you requested and as you suspected the mortal assisted her. Morrison has inspired the Fallen and the Fae to join us. All of them are here to find Sylvia as you predicted. It would appear that she was the nexus you were looking for."
"Good. I assume that you have taken care that Sylvia will not interfere with our plans tonight?"
"I did everything that you asked," Murphy stated.
"Then you may tell Gideon that the game may proceed as planned."
"He already sits at the game board. I am afraid he likes to wait for his opponents. However, he does not like the setting. He finds it too noisy and distracting. He also knows of your game plan."
"I know, but he doesn't believe the prophecy. Does he?"
"He laughed when I told him."
"But you believe, don't you?" MacDuff asked.
"You know I am Zhongshan. We have a proverb. Prophecies are like wild dogs. Sometimes they bite the hand that feeds."
"But sometimes, just sometimes, wild dogs can be trained."
"You know of the Five and what they become and yet you would still help them?"
"Whether they know it or not, by helping them, they join my side for a short while. I've already seen the outcome of this gathering and let's just say that it favors my side and leave it at that."
"You risk a lot by telling me this."
"No, I think not. Gideon would not believe you, even if you told him. I know him. I know what he desires. You do not. And, friend, I have my reasons for telling you."
"As a Zhongshan, I have seen many tricksters and many gamesmen, but none to equal you. You could sell a drowning man a glass of water."
MacDuff chuckled. "Thank you, but you are right. It is a dangerous game that I play."
"Where the stakes are your blood."
"I am willing to risk that."
"If you Old Ones want to play this game, that's up to you. Gideon won my services from the Zhongshan and so I serve. But between you and me, you both belong in a padded room."
"Why do you think I play this game tonight?" MacDuff asked.
"Who knows? You don't need power. That you already have. You have more money then you can ever spend. I suspect you have your own reason."
"That I do, lad. That I do. The reason I am playing is the same reason all of the vampires across the world fight against their brethren. Biology. All of the Blood is connected. All of the vampires spread through out the world are one. Each one of us is a single cell in a complex organism. The life-force of the Blood is constantly weeding out the weaker cells. Some believe that when all of the cells are in place a new lifeform will emerge. That is why we are driven to procreate. The life-force demands new cells even as old ones are replaced. Or so the theory goes.""Gideon, he's crazy. He plays to play. It's not an instinct anymore. Life and death don't count anymore. Points are all that matters to him. He drags my ass all over to play these stupid games, but he hasn't lost yet."
"That's what I'm counting on, Mr. Murphy. Gideon plays to lose."
"I don't understand."
"You will. Know this, it has all been planned. After tonight, we will talk about a great many things."
"They're not going to like this."
"No, I suspect they won't. I wouldn't if I were you or them."
"Once this is over, you're going to be on their shit list."
"By then, it won't matter."
"It might matter to you. It has started. You know this."
"Not all of the pieces are together yet."
"Ah, but they are. Lucian killed Tagami, but Kincaid escaped"
"And Lucian?"
"He is dead," Murphy reported.
"No loss. He was such a narrow minded fool. Immortality did not suit him at all."
"Kincaid will be hunting you, and although he is human, he is Chiyanbara and one of the Five."
"Do you think that I actually thought that Lucian could kill one of the Five? I would no more expect monkeys to recite Shakespeare."
"Then why did you have him kill Tagami?"
"Thrift! Thrift! Tagami's funeral can double as my victory celebration."
"I have found that the key to a man is to know his pleasures. What do you want, MacDuff?"
MacDuff smiled. It was the smile of the predator. "That is a far more interesting question than you realize. You are quite perceptive so I will reward you will an answer. I ordered Tagami's death because he requested it."
"Come now! Don't tease me like a Childe. You can't mean that a Chiyanbara Master asked you to give him the final death, do you?" Murphy asked perplexed.
"In the end, he run out of options."
"Come now, confess. You are the trickster."
"Ha! Not in the sense that you mean, lad."
"Ghandrun is here, and there is nothing we can do about it," Murphy whispered.
"You mean the end? There is always something we can do about it. The Americans have a saying: If life sends you lemons, make lemonade. I'm about to go into business for myself. There's a place for you, if you take it."
"You dance in the fire, MacDuff."
"It is my choice."
"You know that He has returned now, don't you? My spies have already reported seeing Jack Covell. And we both know that where Covell is, He can not be far behind. What are we to do?"
"Frankly, I'm afraid I don't know whom you are talking about. Perhaps if you could mention His name."
"You know if I name Him, he hears."
"Then call him by his new name."
"Iron John? Names have a power of their own. I'm not about to give His new name strength," Murphy whispered.
"You do not understand Him. No one ever has. He can not directly face us. That would be against the rules by which He has bound himself. Your question doesn't apply to him. Remember what happened last time."
"Yes. And he stood against the world," Murphy said.
"Not directly. He will make His presence known through the Five. They will be His hand."
"All the more reason not to fight them. Let them do their business and go."
"Their business will be done, and so will mine."
"Yes, but what about after that?"
"Afterwards, they shall be left to me. It is how the game works, Mr. Murphy."
The sleek black limo stopped short of the curb of the Viper Room. The driver slid out of the front seat, walked to the passenger's door, opened it and bowed. A tall figure wearing a long, thick ebony cloak emerged from the limo like a butterfly struggling free of the cocoon.
Curious, several reporters and photographers attempted to catch a glimpse of the figure's face and failed. Almost as an afterthought, the figure pulled back the hood to examine his environment. Despite the silk scarf wrapped around his face, the Chiyanbara's vision was unclouded. Under the cloak, the Chiyanbara wore a skintight black uniform that looked like a cross between a ninja jumpsuit and combat fatigues. Several small metal and wooden tools were strapped inside the various pockets and folds of the uniform. A single gold broadsword hilt poked out behind his neck through the cloak.
Typically, the Chiyanbara would have drawn stares and attracted too many questions. On this night, he blended into the crowd of urban cowboys, nuns, Freddy Kruger, Elvis impersonators, aliens, and other costumed freaks attempting to enter the legendary Viper Room.
The enormous brick nightclub had to be at least four stories high, but it was difficult to tell because the higher levels did not have windows. Although the architecture style was gothic, the modern punk world crept into the aura through the music. Causally, the Chiyanbara ignored the line that twisted like a Chinese dragon and presented his invitation to the bulky doorman. "What the Hell do you want?" the doorman asked.
"I am the Chiyanbara," Elijah Kincaid said softly.
"Never heard of you. Get to the end of the line!" he barked.
"Certainly," Elijah answered earnestly. "I thought you would like this returned to you. You dropped it before."
As the sweating doorman prepared to motion to the other bouncers, a glint of gray-greenish paper caught his eyes. Slowly, the Chiyanbara placed the thick wad of cash in the doorman's greasy hands. Feeling the bulk of the bundle, the doorman estimated that he was holding around six hundred dollars. "Right this way, sir," he said, slurring the words, as he opened the door for Kincaid.
Elijah smiled. He had been uncertain how he was going to enter the Viper Room until he remembered the television shows that he had watched in order to learn about America. In Magnum P.I., Thomas Magnum always bribed the doorman with a considerable amount of money. He only hoped that he used the correct amount of money for the bribe.
"What is that, by the way?" the doorman asked pointing at Kincaid's broadsword hilt.
"This? This is nothing. . ." Elijah said as he dropped another wad of cash into the doorman's hand.
"You know. . .I must have had something in my eyes."
"That is what I thought."
"Please, sir, walk this way and if there is anything I can do for you, let me know."
Glancing at the line of people waiting to enter the Viper Room, Elijah wondered if any of them were the allies that Iron John had mentioned. Walking through the door, the Chiyanbara stepped into a grotesque domain of eclectic creatures. Although the room was dark, several laser lights sliced across the darkness. The air reeked as though it had been recycled a dozen times pummeling dizziness into Elijah's skull. Smoke covered the room like a wet blanket.
Gradually his eyes adjusted to the shifting pattern of light and darkness and he quickly scanned the room.
The room, which looked as gigantic as a warehouse, had been divided into two levels. A huge polished dance floor dominated the ground level. In the thin strips of walkway around the dance floor were several tables, all of which were occupied. Twin staircases snaked around the dance floor, leading to the second floor.
Worming his way through the crowd, Elijah began to sweat. The crowd collated around him. The air stank of sweat and motion causing his throat to tense. Pupils dilated fearfully.
"Think! Think!" he muttered like a mantra.
Memories of Tagami filtered through his fear. In the distance, he could almost see him waving towards him and calling him closer. Elijah closed his eyes and focused on Tagami Sensei and revenge. His anger built up a wall against the fear. Tagami once said that anger is a weak defense against fear. Like a firecracker, anger burns itself out quickly. True courage lasts like a mountain. Inside, Elijah apologized to Tagami Sensei. Anger was all that he had left.
Once he opened his eyes, he began to breathe easier. On the far wall an enormous sound system assailed his ears. To the left of the sound system an elevator waited to take people to the upper floors. Next to the elevator, a flight of stairs descended into a dark tunnel.
Elijah attempted to work his way through the crowd, but the sheer volume of people blocked his path. It was almost as if the crowd were a giant mass of shaking flesh. He would never get through this wall of people. Looking up, almost as though he expected divine intervention, Elijah remembered the second level.
Secure on the second floor, Elijah surveyed the room. The crowd mingled like ants assaulting a picnic. He would never find Bucky in this crowd until the mad imp made his move. Frustrated, Elijah elected to investigate the second level. Aside from the standard crowd of costumed partiers, the Chiyanbara noticed two shadowy figures hunched intensely over a small table. Curious, the Chiyanbara crept closer. Astonished, Elijah paused. Two men, one dressed like a Scottish clansman and one attired like a cowboy, were playing chess.
"Next!" the doorman bellowed.
"That would be me," a female voice crooned.
Quickly the doorman focused on the source of the voice. She was a wet dream given form: long, curled blonde hair, blue eyes the color of a perfect summer day, and teeth so clear you could almost see your reflection in them. Her breasts were just like he liked them; big and barely covered. Her long, black lace dress contrasted her soft white skin. Without missing a beat, the doorman smiled smoothly.
"What do you want, my lady?"
"Inside."
"Who are you supposed to be?"
"Every man's fantasy."
Licking his lips, the doorman decided he loved her already. "Can I see your invitation?" he asked.
She opened her small purse and examined the contents for a few seconds. "I think I forgot it," she wined.
The doorman's eyebrows raised giving the distinct impression of a wolf. "I can't let you in without an invitation."
"I have to get in. My best friend in the whole world is in there!" she begged.
"No exceptions, sorry."
"Isn't there anything I can do?" she asked.
"Give me your phone number," he said coyly.
She seemed to think for a second. "Okay."
Slowly, she unscrewed the cap to her lip stick and wrote a number on his arm. "So you don't forget who I am," she said with a smile.
"I won't. You can bet on that!" he said, excited.
With the speed and grace of a gorilla, he opened the door for her. Slowly, she slinked past the bouncers and kissed the air. Like a wolf, the doorman sniffed catching a whiff of her perfume. If he wasn't working right now, he would take her back home. He thought about skipping out, but then he remembered what happened to the last guy that skipped out on the boss. MacDuff still had him mounted on a wall on the third floor.
"Thanks," she mewed.
As she strutted past, the doorman wrapped his hairy arm around her waist. The reek of rotting fish puzzled him. She laughed and pushed him back gentlly. Although the touch was soft, a powerful force knocked him off balance crashing onto the sidewalk. Several people laughed from the crowd. Angry, he slammed his fist into the ground.
"Bye now," she whispered.
With a big dopey smile, the doorman nodded his head. Taking ten steps into the Viper Room, she has already gathered a flock of smiling men offering to buy her a drink. It took several minutes to convince them that she was uninterested. The reek of dead fish overwhelmed their senses encouraging them to leave. "This is how it's supposed to be," she thought as she turned from her suitors.
Detecting the heinous scent, she glanced around her to see if anyone was watching her. Closing her eyes, the Playmate opened her mind.
YOU CAN BECOME VISIBLE NOW!
A humanoid shape slithered out of the darkness. The lights from the laser show reflected off his sickly white skin. A few strands of white hair escaped his black fedora. It was the face that could sink a thousand ships. "You are a fine actress, Cassie," Caliban complimented her.
"Thanks, Gary, I've never had a chance to act much. Not many roles for a fat girl. Know what I mean?"
"People make their own roles. Speaking of which, please call me Caliban in public. Oh and you might want to dispel the illusion. We'll need you at full strength if we're going to find Sylvia and get her out of here," the monster replied.
"I know. I'm not that stupid."
The dream frowned, closed her eyes, and then dispelled the glamour and returned the reality of being Cassie Byron. "Ariel told me I'd be able to change my shape with pratice."
"Someone could have seen you. The vampires don't like rogues invading their turf!" Caliban whispered.
"It's so dark in here that no one can see much of anything. Besides, Mr. Fallen, with all of the flashing lights no one will be able to tell the difference. You worry too much!"
"True. True. They can only torture my body for centuries exploring new territories of pain yet undreamed of."
"Do you see Sylvia?" Cassie asked, trying to change the subject.
"No. But she could be standing right in front of me with a sign marked kidnapping victim here and I wouldn't know the difference."
"What about the allies the whistling dude told me about?"
"They will have to find us. What about your Fairy Eyes? Can you use them in here?"
"Its hard to even Mindspeak in here, I'm afraid to use them in here."
"Do it," Caliban told her.
Cassie nodded then opened her Fairy Eyes. The dark world of the Viper Room became a circus of wicked lights. To her surprise, many of the people in costumes were supernatural. Dark lines of power circled the Viper Room. Cassie figured these lines must have prevented her from scanning the building before she entered it. Cimmerian beings with nefarious vigor mingled with corrupted mortals. Her Fairy Eyes carefully scanned the room until they reached the void. Like an octopus, the void slithered across the Viper Room. The single bright light in the room of darkness was trapped within the void. Cassie knew that in order for her to detect this light, the soul burning the light had to be exceptionally strong and almost angelic in nature.
IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM!
"That is the dance floor," Caliban told her.
ABOVE IT! EVIL! DARKNESS!
"What the Hell do you mean our invitations are expired?" the dark skinned nun barked.
The doorman smiled. Even through the nun habits, he could see that both of them had nice bodies. Granted their breast were too small for his tastes, but he followed the pizza theory of sex. Like pizza, even bad sex was better than no sex.
"I'm sorry, but those invitations weren't supposed to be passed out," the doorman told them.
"If you don't let us in, I'm going to. . ." the white nun warned the doorman.
"Marguerite, ya can catch more flies with honey." the second nun interrupted her with a thick southern accent. "M' name is Ruthie Jones. What can we do ta convince ya to let us in?"
He liked the second nun better than the first. To begin with, she looked as though she could actually be a nun. Innocence made him harder than almost anything.
"Well, I can think of a few things you two can do, if you're willing that is," the doorman told them.
Marguerite menacingly stared into the doorman's eyes. As he opened his mouth to suggest a three way sexual marathon, the nun's eyes turned scarlet like a neon sign. Pausing, the doorman stared unsure of what to do or believe. He could feel her anger. Deep inside his stomach, the doorman could feel the rumble of ancestral memories; the fear of being prey.
"You will let us in and not bother anyone else," Marguerite ordered.
"Yes ma'am," the doorman muttered as he opened the door
Marguerite leaned over to whisper into his ears. "You have two hours before I begin my hunt. If I catch you, I will suck you dry," she whispered.
The doorman turned pale as though he was sick.
"Oh and see a doctor, ya look sick," Ruthie advised him.
"Yes ma'am," the doorman responded.
Once inside, Ruthie pulled Marguerite closer to her. "What in the name of Heaven did ya tell him?" she asked.
Marguerite almost smiled. She loved the sound of Ruthie's southern accent. It had a musical sensuality quality to it. "I said 'you might be able to catch more flies with honey, but you can kill more with vinegar.'"
Ruthie laughed. It was good to hear her laugh. "Can you see anything?" she asked.
Marguerite slipped her sunglasses on to disguise her glowing scarlet eyes. Once of the benefits of being part of the Blood was the ability to see in the dark. Even with her night vision, the crowd distracted her too much to focus on any one point.
"I can see okay, but I don't see anything yet. You have that picture?"
"In my purse, do you want it?"
"Not yet. We don't want to piss in anyone's cornflakes until we have to."
"Interesting game," MacDuff muttered as he studied his opponent.
Although Gideon had lived more than two thousand years, he looked as though he were a few months short of being a man. Like MacDuff, Gideon was one of the Blood. His face looked as though he were too young to drink alcohol in this modern world. His features reminded MacDuff of the Slavic people of Eastern Europe. His hair was short, black, and curly. Although he was short and lean by modern standards, nearly five feet five and a hundred pounds, Gideon could lift a small automobile with one hand. His almond eyes studied the chess board. "It would of been better if you'd a picked a better location."
MacDuff smiled. "You have lost your Russian accent."
"I haven't have a accent in a hundred years. Ya'll should know that."
MacDuff laughed. "True. It's been a long time, friend."
"We're no friends."
"We are. You just don't know it," MacDuff insisted sadly.
"Then join the posse. The Shadow Lord could use a man like you."
"I hate to use clichŽs but I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees."
"You'll start shiting bricks when he starts whooping ass and taking names."
"Remember when we walked the world together? Remember when we visited Spain?" MacDuff asked, hoping to stir Gideon's memory.
"Oh yeah, I remember Spain! Ya let the damn priest burn me!"
"Let the priest burn you? You decided you wanted to kill the girl not I," MacDuff protested.
"Yeah, and ya didn't stop the guard from sounding the alarm. I had to hide underground for almost a hundred fucking years."
"Can't you see what is happening to you? Your mind has been twisted. He has lied to you."
"Don't rag on 'em or game or no I'll rip off your lying head and shit down your throat!"
"Forgive me, old friend. I didn't know the old priest had true faith," MacDuff apologized.
"I killed 'em and thousands more. When the Shadow Lord rides into town, we'll russle them up into camps and hunt every last one of them bastards."
With bravo, Gideon shifted his knight into a striking position. Ignoring his opponent, MacDuff concentrated on the chess game. He could hardly wait until Gideon met Ruthie Jones.
Observing the game from a distance in the blasting nightclub, Elijah had to read the players' lips in order to understand the conversation. It was virtually impossible to understand Gideon, but he managed to put together pieces of the dialogue. "You could have at least picked better pieces. None of the ones you have are fit to be pawns."
"That may be, but even a pawn can become a queen," MacDuff told him as he moved the White Knight closer to the black rook.
HE IS HERE!
"Who?" Caliban asked.
MORRISON!
Caliban searched the crowd, but could not locate Morrison. Despite the enormous danger, he enjoyed being around people. People took his face as a mask and hardly gave him a second glance. A few wondered about the smell, but none traced it to him. Having spent the last year alone, Caliban almost forgot how to move through a party. Although Sylvia was important, protecting Cassie took precedence. Gary Ernest had always believed that women were warm cunts you put your dick in without a single thought. Caliban had grown past that belief. Watching Cassie and her friends sparked a fire of understanding. Last night, Cassie looked past his ugliness and hugged him.
Glancing back at Cassie, Caliban wondered if she knew how important that act of kindness was to him. He still remembered the time Father decided it was time to make him a man. Father had said it was a Sunday drive and Gary Ernest didn't know any better. Parking in the red light district, Father rolled down the tinted windows of his sleek European car and bought him a girl. She couldn't have been more than fifteen, about the same age as Gary had been. Gary couldn't even remember her name. Maybe he never knew.
After dropping them off at a hotel, Father gave orders to the girl. He told her the exact things he wanted Gary to learn. He never called her by her name either. He kept calling her "little whore." He seemed more excited than Gary. Once he left, she performed like a trained monkey. Technically, Gary lost his virginity. That was the lesson Father taught too well.
Cassie's hug meant more to him than all of his wealth and conquests.
Seeing Cassie motion him to move to the center of the room, Caliban stopped daydreaming. Holding her hand, Caliban beat a path to the center of the dance floor. Once in the center, Cassie lost the trail. Cassie wiped her eyes with her hand to get the sweat out of her eyes. The dance floor was like a jungle; hot, humid, and dangerous.
"He has to be here somewhere," Cassie told him.
"Yes, he does," a low voice whispered in her ear from behind.
Startled, Cassie jerked alerting Caliban. Both turned to face a tall man with extremely wild blonde hair, who was dressed like a pirate. He had the face of a fallen angel driven mad. "Fancy seeing you two here."
"We want Sylvia now, Morrison."
"I'm afraid she is unavailable right now. I'll have to do."
Frightened, Cassie tensed her muscles and focused her will like Ariel had taught her. Her genes heard the call of the Fae. To the mortals around her, it appeared as though Cassie imploded to the size of a child's doll. Cassie's height and weight portions remained the same, except that she was slightly shorter than a barbie doll. Large glittering wings had sprouted from her back enabling her to fly faster than a bumblebee. Frantic, Cassie wiggled out of her lace dress that at her current size looked like a massive silk mountain. Once free, Cassie leapt into the air. Her wings combined with fairy magic propelled Cassie as such a fast speed that she appeared to be no more than a beam of light.
Gideon moved his Black Queen to take the White Bishop. Rather than removing the White Bishop, the cowboy vampire waited. Both Gideon and MacDuff watched the pieces with intense deliberation. An uncanny emerald glow surrounded the square and both pieces vanished.
"Ya know we don't have to do this."
"I'll not bow down to the Shadow Lord."
"Ya know he has more power than both of us combined. Join up and we'll burn the whole stinking world."
"The game is afoot, old friend. Let us see who wins."
The freak within rumbled. Smiling wickedly, Morrison initiated the metamorphosis. Bursting through his pirate costume, bones broke and reformed. Muscles grew larger and more powerful. Light brown fur sprouted sporadically through out his body. His bulging chest muscles ripped through his silk shirt and his legs split open most of his trousers. His hairy feet burst free from his boots. His face grew outwards like a wolf. His ears stretched and became canine. Powerful predator fangs grew from his mouth. Sharp claws germinated from his fingers. The beast that Cassie felt was released. Morrison became the freak, the beast, the manwolf.
Trying to avoid a fight in a public place, Caliban stepped back and disappeared. Morrison howled cutting through the noise and music. Quickly, the DJ shut the sound system down, leaving a moment of silence.
"I can still smell you, fool!"
Morrison leapt towards Caliban's scent. His blow knocked Caliban to the ground crushing a few bystanders. With cries of hysteria the crowd stampeded from the center of the room.
Enraged, Morrison bit into Caliban's arm, gnawing at it like a chicken bone. The pain forced Caliban to reappear. Instinctively, he raised his other arm and struck Morrison on the nose with all of his strength. The strength of the blow shocked the manwolf into opening his jaws freeing Caliban's shredded arm.
"You leave me no choice," Caliban warned, pointing a finger at him.
A bolt of flame shot from his finger to strike Morrison. Like a hot iron rammed into snow, the extreme pain wrecked havoc. The flames and mist of smoke splattered over his fur like a mushroom cloud. Much to Caliban's surprise, the manwolf continued to stand and advance towards him. Despite the flame, Morrison cackled like the devil. The flame caused several hideous burns, but did not seem to have seriously damaged the manwolf.
"It will take much more than that to kill me. I heal real quick. No matter what you do to me, I'll always be back," he hissed.
From the second floor, Elijah Kincaid, the Chiyanbara, watched the aberrant battle with extreme interest. The hairy one he knew was a werewolf and through his training he knew it was silver that werewolves feared. The ugly creature was one of the Fallen. Tagami only briefly mentioned the Fallen so he was unsure of what weapons to use against it. Neither the werewolf or the Fallen were the ones Kincaid currently hunted. Tagami had always stressed the importance of focusing his attention on one battlefront at a time. All of his life, Tagami had trained him for battles such as these. Watching this fight, Elijah Kincaid knew he was destined to hunt creatures such as this. He knew it was his lot to hold a candle to the darkness.
As soon as Morrison became the manwolf, Ruthie Jones moved to help the other creature. As far as she was concerned, Morrison attacked first so he was evil. Marguerite jerked her back.
"You don't know either of them," she barked.
"We have to stop them before they hurt each other. Besides one of the could be the ally Iron John promised."
"And either one of them could be holding Sylvia, we wait," Marguerite told her, holding Ruthie by the shoulder.
TURN INVISIBLE. I HAVE YOU COVERED.
Caliban nodded to show Cassie that he understood her message. Knowing Morrison, Caliban guessed that he would take the offensive. While he was strong enough to lift a truck, he knew he could not hope to beat Morrison in a straight fight. Morrison fought in the streets to survive as a kid, Gary Ernest learned Latin and business law and computer programming. To make his escape, Caliban decided that he would have to wait until Morrison leapt. Enraged, Morrison flew through the air, ready to strike the Fallen. Caliban became Unseen and stepped aside causing Morrison to missed him entirely.
Morrison crouched low and sniffed the room. Even with the scents of the crowd, he should have detected Caliban's scent. Somehow it was being masked. Angry, he slashed the closest person, a blond woman wearing a revealing nurse uniform. With a smile on his lips, Morrison licked the blood off of his claws.
"Come out and fight or I'll kill every stinking human here!"
Elijah Kincaid could allow two supernatural creatures to kill each other. After all, it would be one less for him to deal with after Bucky and MacDuff. The Chiyanbara code taught that evil always turned on evil. However, he could not allow anyone, supernatural or otherwise, to kill a woman. Iron John had told him to follow his heart and he would find great allies. A second after his brain processed the information that the woman was dead, he drew his broadsword, Ascalon. With a single graceful action, Elijah vaulted the protective bars for the second level and landed on the ground level like an Olympic gymnast.
Morrison turned to see the Chiyanbara standing before him. Holding Ascalon aggressively, Elijah leered at him. "I am the Chiyanbara. . . .if you want to fight, try me!"
From the way the blade shined in the dim room, Morrison knew it was magical. It had the essence of a sword he had fought long ago. The shapeshifters called this sword Telium; the Eradicator. This meant that the mortal was Chiyanbara. Still, he was only a human. "Does the little mortal want to play?" Morrison asked as he stepped closer.
Ascalon, sensing enemies, vibrated in his hand. "Only with your head," Elijah told him.
Like most werewolves, Morrison could smell fear in his prey. Even from Gideon and MacDuff, Morrison sensed this fear. From Elijah Kincaid, he could sense nothing but anger and hatred. Quickly, Morrison swiped at Elijah, who skillfully parried the blow. Elijah attempted to counter attack, but Morrison blocked his other arm from moving.
Unseen, Caliban rabbit punched Morrison from behind. The massive blow forced Morrison to his knees. The animal rage erupted inside Morrison like he had never before experienced. Amazing speed and strength gushed into his limbs. Like a cat, Morrison swiped Elijah's legs out from under him. As Elijah fell to the floor, Morrison turned and instinctively sliced into the air. Surprised at Morrison's speed, Caliban could not react before the attack. Morrison's claws sliced deep into Caliban's invisible throat. Green slime oozed from the wound forcing Caliban to become visible.
Cheering, the manwolf raised his arm to strike Caliban again. As Morrison tried to press his advantage, Elijah sprinted in front of Caliban and parried the nefarious blow.
While Elijah defended Caliban, a thin blue streak of light circled above Caliban's body. An instant later, Cassie appeared, human size and naked. Crying, Cassie rushed to Caliban. Dizzy, the Fallen reached for her. Eagerly, Cassie reached for his hand, but to her surprise she passed through it as though he were a ghost or an illusion. Looking confused, Caliban faded from sight into nothingness. Horrified, Cassie waved her hands in a circular motion, hoping to find him. "NO!" she screamed.
Elijah heard Cassie scream, but did not have the time to look behind him. Circling Ascalon in a defensive arc, he waited for the manwolf to strike.
"Give it up now, and I won't hurt you much. All I want is the girl!" Morrison told him.
When Marguerite was ten, the boys at Sister Mary's Home for Children decided to teach her to act like a girl. During the daily ritual of football, she must have been brutally tackled a hundred times. Later that night, Marguerite swore she would kill every one of them. While she never acted on her threat, Marguerite never forgot the pain. Since that day, Marguerite built a wall of distrust around her heart. Because she was female, something different, the men in her world seemed to want to control or dominate her. Even Brad, the so called knight in shining armor, turned out to be another asshole. The only man that had never burned her was Iron John.
When Murphy attacked Ruthie last night, old memories resurfaced that Marguerite knew were better off dead. She would be damned if she was going to let anyone, even a werewolf, kill more women.
"You want to fight?" Marguerite asked as she fought her way out of the crowd, "Stick your head up your ass and fight for air!"
"Another mortal to play with. Ha! Tonight I will eat well!" Morrison howled.
Marguerite plucked her sunglasses off her head to expose glowing scarlet eyes. With one swift move, she ripped her nun habit off revealing her standard dress of a faded leather jacket and ripped jeans. Quickly, she morphed her hands into claws and smiled showing off her fangs.
"Not tonight!" she growled.
Morrison stepped back surprised. He knew that he had put Caliban out of the fight. However, the swordsman carried the magical Telium and was a threat, even if he was a mortal. The fairy he had already known about, but he guessed that she would be distracted for a few more minutes mourning for the death of the Fallen. It was the vampire that worried him. Combined, the vampire and swordsman could kill him.
While looking for an opening in Morrison's defense, Kincaid pondered his options. Although the dark skinned woman was a vampire, she seemed to be on Elijah's side for the moment. As long as she didn't backstab him, Elijah decided he could kill her later. For now, he needed her. The Chiyanbara smiled and fingered Morrison to come closer.
BE CAREFUL. MORRISON CAN HEAL JUST ABOUT ANYTHING!
Elijah looked around him for a second. He thought he had heard a voice in his head, but then it disappeared. Sensing distraction in his opponent, Morrison attacked pushing the subject out of his mind. With his first strike, Morrison cut into Elijah's right hand forcing him to drop Ascalon. Morrison's second strike, Elijah managed to parry with his other arm. The painful slash forced Elijah to hold his right hand under his left armpit.
Morrison swung to slice into Elijah again, but Marguerite caught his claw midway. Astonishing Morrison, Marguerite managed to push him backwards knocking him onto his back.
"Back off hairball!" Marguerite warned Morrison.
Observing Cassie naked lying on the ground, Ruthie rushed to her side. Cassie looked up, eyes full of tears, to see a nun kneeling down to her. "Easy girl, everything's going to be okay," Ruthie told her.
Caliban. . .Gary was gone. Despite the fact that she had known him for less than twenty four hours, he knew her better than anyone else ever could. "No, it won't. Not for a long time."
Morrison rolled over and jumped to his feet. Kincaid and Marguerite attempted to circle him. Furious, he shrieked! He could feel the hatred burn within him, giving him strength.
"Nice try. I stopped being scared of anything a year ago."
While Marguerite kept Morrison occupied, Elijah cut a piece of his cloak to bandage his hand. Morrison sniffed the air. He could almost smell the defeat. He knew that the longer he waited, the greater the chance that the others had to defeat him. Savagely, he jumped onto Marguerite.
Wildly, his claws and fangs bit into her. Although she tried to beat him off, Morrison dug his claws deep into her flesh. She could feel her blood draining onto the floor. Morrison opened his mouth to bite Marguerite on the neck, snapping her head free from her body. Opening his massive jaws to bite, Morrison could feel a prick through his neck. Worried, Morrison closed his mouth. He had lost all feeling in his body. Smiling, he expected that his head would detach from his body dropping onto the floor. Instead, Morrison slowly faded from view. Like Caliban, Morrison simply ceased to exist.
Startled, Marguerite and Elijah looked into each others eyes. For a brief moment, both felt kinship. "I didn't think he could turn invisible," said the vampire
Elijah looked over to the second level. The two men were still playing. "The other creature disappeared in the same manner. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!" he proclaimed.
Marguerite wiped some of the blood off of her. Normally she would have feasted, but she could sense the taint in Morrison's blood. Instead, she pushed her mystical blood through her body to heal her wounds. A few seconds later, Marguerite's wounds were gone. She hoped she could find Sylvia and get the Hell out of the Viper Room.
Elijah removed his cloak and wrapped it around Cassie. "Allow me, my lady. If I may be so bold, we should leave," he told her.
Through the fog of despair, Cassie wondered what she should do. The man dressed in black seemed nice. He covered her with his cloak almost like a medieval knight. Both he and the wild Mexican woman with the demon eyes tried to protect Caliban, which meant they couldn't be that bad. The nun held Cassie close in her arms like a baby. It had been a long time since anyone had held her close. Could these be the allies, the Whispering Dude mentioned? Not knowing what else to do, Cassie hugged Ruthie. "What about Caliban?" she asked.
"If you mean the Fallen, he is gone," Elijah answered bluntly.
"What about Sylvia?" Cassie asked.
Tagami had burned into Elijah Kincaid's mind the importance of protecting women. While the feral Mexican woman clearly did not need protection, the nun and the naked fat girl did. Iron John had told him to expect new allies.
"Who?" Elijah asked, frustrated.
"How do you know Sylvia?" Ruthie asked, ignoring Elijah.
Ruthie would talk until morning if Marguerite let her. Iron John had mentioned allies who become a second family. It looked like she had found them. They had to regroup and plan their next move. The naked fat girl needed protection. Marguerite assumed that she had been close with the Fallen. Once they were safe, Marguerite had a few questions for her since she claimed to know Sylvia. The swordsman could fight. He also protected Cassie and tried to avenge the other woman that Morrison killed. That much she had to give him credit for. Still, he might have had other motives. "We don't have time for this, something's up," Marguerite told them.
"Someone else could attack soon," Elijah agreed.
"Let's leave and come back," Ruthie suggested.
"Once we leave, we'll never be able to get back in," Marguerite countered.
"The Labyrinth!" Cassie said.
"What is the Labyrinth?" Elijah asked.
"It's in the basement here. Its where all of the Goths hang out. Barker and Rice told me all about it," Cassie reported.
"Who are Barker and Rice?" Ruthie asked.
"That's not important right now." Marguerite interrupted, "We have to get the Hell out of Dodge."
While Elijah did not understand how, he knew that the chess game was the center piece in this conflict. Somehow the game reflected or changed reality. It needed to be stopped before anyone would be safe. "You three go ahead, I have something I want to check first," Elijah told them.
Making certain that Cassie was covered, Marguerite and Ruthie helped her stand and walked towards the stairs. While walking under the second level, Cassie opened her Fairy Eyes. Quickly, she scanned the room searching for mortals only to find that Ruthie and Elijah were the only mortals left in the Viper Room. The others were watching and waiting.
Next to the elevator, a flight of stairs descended into a dark tunnel. Cassie told them that the Labyrinth had been built under the Viper Room. Although both clubs had their own entrances, a set of stairs connected the two night clubs. While Marguerite thought it was stupid to build two clubs next to each other, she decided to give the tunnel a chance. Holding hands so that Marguerite could guide them in the darkness, the trio entered the dark tunnel.
Elijah climbed the stairs that lead to the second level. Although half of the crowd had left, it should have been difficult for Elijah to work his way through the crowd. Surprisingly, the remaining people carved a path for him. It was almost as thought they knew where he was going and feared him. Once he reached the second level, he walked straight to the chess game.
The White Bishop had been removed from the board. In response, MacDuff had moved the White Knight to take the Black Rook. It was now the cowboy's turn. "It would appear that your choices have become interesting after all, MacDuff," Gideon complemented MacDuff.
"We will see," MacDuff responded.
"You are MacDuff?" Elijah asked.
"I am," MacDuff answered.
"The rules call for no interruption of the players, or all pieces are forfeit," Gideon stated.
"This game ends now," Elijah told them as he twirled Ascalon in an offensive position.
MacDuff looked up at Elijah. He was a brave mortal. That much MacDuff gave him credit for. In a small sense, Elijah Kincaid was the man that MacDuff could never be. "You understand the meaning of this game?" he asked as Gideon moved his Bishop into a striking position.
"Every time you move a piece, someone gets attacked. This ends now! Besides you and I have unfinished business," Elijah told him.
"That much is true, but if the game ends, my players are forfeit."
Horror danced in Elijah stomach. "The others?" he asked.
"All die instantly," MacDuff explained.
"Either play or forfeit!" Gideon demanded.
Ignoring Elijah, MacDuff resumed the game. The majority of his pieces were already taken by Gideon. This much he had planned for. To Gideon's surprise, the White Knight, Elijah Kincaid, had taken the Black Rook, Morrison. All MacDuff had left were four pieces; two Knights, a Bishop, and his Queen.
MacDuff smiled. Gideon would be quite shocked when he played his final piece. After reflecting on the situation on the chess board, MacDuff moved the second White Knight into a position to move against the Black King. "Bold move! Bold move!" Gideon complimented him.
Almost instantly, Gideon moved his Black Knight to take the second White Knight. With a sinister moment of silence, Elijah, Gideon, and MacDuff stared at the board. After observing an emerald flash engulf the two pieces, Elijah looked at MacDuff square in the eyes. "This has only just begun!" he warned MacDuff.
Quickly, Elijah darted down the stairs to the ground level and then fought his way to the Labyrinth. Once he opened the door, he could already hear the sounds of battle.