James sat in his interviewing chambers, feeling bored out of his mind. A messenger that was supposed to meet with him a half an hour before had yet to show up, what could the imbecile be doing? James mused, if he is off with some human, I will skin him alive! Just as he was thinking this wonderfully gruesome thought, the door burst open, unannounced, and a young man strode in. Well, young in a matter of appearance; this particular "young man" was in fact nearly eighty.
Looking flustered, he bowed to his superior and blurted out "Keith has not returned from his hunt; Jaden Korr hasn't been seen except for her walking into Command Center at the beginning of shift; and Karla Dawson was attacked just before sunrise this morning!" this statement was all run together into a jumble of words, so James had to pause to think about the information just thrown at him.
He raised an eyebrow, "obviously all these events are linked. Keith, fearing the sunrise, caught Agent Dawson off guard, and fed off of her; her partner most likely stumbled across Keith, and killed him. Also, the Organization Apprentices start classes today, so, Karla, who was either killed or quarantined, was unable to teach, hence, Jaden Korr is sent in to play grown-up." He paused, "Report this to Collette and be gone with you," he said waving him away with his hand.
"Yes milord," the man said, bowing and hurrying out of the room.
James swiveled his chair around, and stared out the window as the half moon shone in. He had a great many doubts about the orders issued to him; whether they were worth it or not. His Master claimed that this girl, whoever she was, would be the most powerful Newborn to ever be turned, with her power swelling with every kill, but James wasn't quite sure if he wanted to be the one forced to mother her, if she was so powerful. If she were truly that powerful, it wouldn't be all that long after her transformation before she could overpower him. He wondered if he should stop looking for her, to give up the foolish quest of corrupting an Agent of such status, but his plans were already in motion. He bit his lip, uncertain of what to do. He could call back the man he'd sent out, but could he afford to? Would calling him back be foolish?
James got to his feet and swept out of the office. He decided needed out of the compound; he needed to feel the moonlight upon his skin, for that was the only light he dared face. He ventured around in the dark alleys, keeping away from the couples, snuggling and snuffling in the corners, and finally he spotted a victim upon which he could prey. She was a small woman, barely more than five feet tall, and she had the nerve to walk around in the territory of the League of Nichelle, alone, at nearly two o'clock in the morning.
James knew better than to attack her, no woman of such size would be out that late on her own, which meant that she was bait. But for what, or whom, James couldn't be certain. All he knew was that if he attacked and fed, it would be the last time he ever would.
Swift and silent as the shadows around him, James crept away from the woman, and slid through the shadows to another alleyway, and waited, watching, seeing if some idiot would fall into the trap.
Surely enough, about an hour later, a young man (the Faithful James had just assigned to an important task in the capture of the Agent they sought), scuttled along the alley, and suddenly lunged out at the girl. She whirled around, pulled out a tazer gun, and stunned the poor bastard. From the shadows around her, about three Agents melted into view. James smiled and chuckled softly to himself. He did not like the boy, and the boy knew she was bait for an Agent's trap, which was why he went for her, but James loved that arrogant, annoying boy had gotten tazered in the process. Things were going perfectly. His man was now in the care of the Agents, who would surely want information from a Nichelle Faithful, which meant calling in the best interrogator. The plan's progress could not get much better than it was.
James, still smiling, vanished into the night, and, before sunrise, had fed off a teenaged boy, who'd believed himself so invincible that he wouldn't come across a vampire at four in the morning, and returned to the compound, and was laying back in his bedchambers, shutters drawn, ready to sleep another day away…
