9:25p
Karrde walked into the Riverwatch Club, a large, three-story building on the edge of the Mississippi River. The second and third stories each jutted out a little more like a reverse stairway.
The first floor was the public part of the club. The only lights were the stage lights and the glow-sticks on the dance floor. In the dim light, Karrde saw a few heads turn his way. Those would be the vampires in the crowd, and they were wary of him. Not that he could blame them. Most Garou considered the Kindred tainted by the Wyrm and would kill them on sight. Karrde wouldn't shed any tears over a dead vamp – most of them, anyway – but he wouldn't go out of his way to take one down in the street, either.
The second floor was a much more exclusive clientele. Karrde walked down a hall with half a dozen rooms, the doors open on scenes of glazed-eyed men and women with vampires feeding from them. Normally a town the size of Riverton wouldn't support so many vampires, but the Prince of the city had the club opened as a Haven for Kindred traveling through the area. At the end of the hall was a big open lounge area, the entire west wall made of panes of glass that gave a stunning view of the river. Karrde knew the glass was specially tempered to keep out ultraviolet light, and there were emergency shutters in case of any unforeseen occurrences. On the wall opposite the windows, Karrde was led up a set of stairs to the private offices on the third floor.
The third floor was a private suite of rooms. The owner of the club lived here, with all the amenities he could want, including the full kitchen services downstairs. All of the rooms had their doors closed, though, to keep out prying eyes. The hall led down a ways to another set of double doors that were floor-to-ceiling and seemed to be made of exceptionally old wood, polished to a glow. When his escort stopped outside the door, Karrde stood, forcing himself not to look around for the camera he knew was watching him. It wasn't paranoia in this case: He trusted the owner here. No, this was just professional curiosity from a security buff.
The vampire who was escorting him pressed a button on an intercom panel to the right of the doors.
"Mr. Karrde is here to see you, Sire," he said. There was no answer other than the sound of a very large bolt unlock the door. The escort gestured and Karrde pushed the doors open.
Heavy doors, easy to swing, he thought, making an instant assessment. Steel-core and perfectly balanced. Should have expected nothing less.
Joseph Oberlin, Kindred of the Ventrue Clan and Prince of Riverton sat at a massive oak desk. The desk, an antique sideboard, and several heavy-looking bookcases made up the working end of the office, and all of it was sitting on a massive slab of glass or something, with a clear view of the river underneath.
"Mr. Karrde, please, come in," the Prince said, coming to his feet. Walking around the desk, he gestured at the service setting on the sideboard. "Would you like a drink? I'd have to imagine you could use one, and this is an excellent scotch I had commissioned in '54."
"Thank you, Sire. Yes, I could use a drink."
"Please, call me Joseph," Oberlin said, dropping a few cubes of ice into a tumbler before pouring the drinks. "You're not a Kindred and I wouldn't expect you to follow the same protocol."
"Respect where it's due is the way I was raised, sir," Karrde said, taking his drink and settling into the offered chair. The chair and one like it sat facing a couch across a coffee table in front of the desk area. Karrde was reminded of the sitting area of the Oval Office he had seen in movies and TV shows. Oberlin took a seat on the couch.
"I'll tell you, Mr. Karrde, I was very hesitant when you and your wife moved to my city, and I played hell getting the Primogen council not to override me and throw you out. Everyone was nervous about a Garou in town, but you've proven to me that I made the right choice. I appreciate that," he added with a smile.
"I grew up here, well before my change. Alyx and I wanted to get away from conflicts and soap operas that our races tend to create. I'm grateful for your trust, and I really hate being here now, dragging you into something that shouldn't have happened to begin with."
"You're certain it was a vampire that attacked?"
"Yes, sir. There were at least two vampires and one Garou. I found traces of Alyx's blood, also, but I know she got a few licks in." The note of pride in his voice was evident, even through the anger.
"I would know about it if it were any of mine. With all the Kindred that pass through….I don't know, Michael. I try to keep then under watch, but I can't vouch for all of them. I'll do everything I can to help of course, but if it was someone just passing through…" He gave a helpless shrug, obviously uncomfortable. A Kindred Prince feeling helpless in his own city was bad. A Kindred Prince who actually was helpless in his own city could be extremely dangerous.
Just then, Karrde's phone rang.
"Excuse me, sir, I have to take this," he said, getting up and walking back toward the hall. The caller ID said it was Alexander.
"Mike, I just got a call from Nicky down in St. Louis. He got it from one of his people that a group just came back into town with a blonde, trussed like a Christmas goose. He doesn't have a location yet, but he's working on it."
"All right, Alex. Thank you. If you can get him, tell Nicky to be careful. I'm sure I'll being seeing him soon."
"Go get 'em, Mike," and the line disconnected.
"Sire, I've got a lead. It looks like Alyxandra was just spotted being brought into St. Louis. One of our – I mean, a Glass Walker – contacts that I trust saw her. He's working to get the location for me, so I'm going to pack a bag and head south."
"Do me a favor, go see this man," the Prince said, handing over a note he'd just made. "He'll give you some equipment after I make a call. Before you head out, come back and see me. I told you that I'd help any way I can, and I mean it."
Taking the proffered hand, Karrde made his way back down and out of the club. Unseen by the werewolf, a vampire inside stepped out the door behind him and watched him leave, then pulled out his cell phone.
"Stokes, its Grady. It looks like Karrde just got some news, because he's leaving in a hurry."