Roanapur Nights

A RosarioVampire and Black Lagoon Crossover

Chapter 25

"Wait, wait!" the voice shouted before the sound of the gun fired, "Why?"

Chang sat up, the dream was one that he had thought was long gone. The last question of his dying partner as he lay in his own blood. The decision had been simple at the time. He was being sold out, he knew it, and he had done what he had to do in order to go home. That was one thing he had hammered into the minds of his associates time and time again. There was going home, and there was not going home. There wasn't an inbetween. In order to go home a person would have to do some terrible things.

A person would have to accept that they would be forced to do terrible, horrific things, and accept that they were not a good person. For him, it was never a point of being some great bastion of purity. Instead he was simply a person. He looked to see his current body guard, and she was standing watch over him. He could see the faintest hints of her breathing, but that was it.

"You don't sleep soundly, that's good," she replied, her voice carrying a slight twinge of something mechanical in it, "The last thing you need is to be caught unaware."

He breathed out, "It's not about sleeping soundly," he replied, "It's about sleeping at all. How long was I asleep for"

She seemed to stand there for a moment, "Three hours and twenty minutes," she replied, "Twenty minutes longer than last time. At this rate you will be far less effective at evading those looking for us. I will be forced into pulling weight."

She studied him, "Understand that I do not back down from my contracts, but you are compromising your own life. If you are unable to follow simple commands I may be forced to become liberal with what is considered alive."

The wording didn't escape him, and he understood exactly what she meant. Silent Penance more or less told him that either he got the rest he needed so that they could move effectively, or she would consider alternative ways of keeping him technically alive until her contract was done. He nodded, "Alright," he replied as he looked about the room, "I'll get some rest."

With that he leaned back. Everything he was bringing to the Sicilians was worth the protection Silent Penance herself was more than expensive. From what he understood she was a far step beyond that. Everything he had traded to the Sicilians was enough for them to hire her, and he hoped enough to keep him alive and well until he was able to end up somewhere he wouldn't be hunted.

He wasn't naive enough to believe that simply going to Italy would be the answer to his problems. The kind of situation he was in meant that he was going to be hunted to the very ends of the Earth, or at least the ends of the civilized Earth. His plan was to get to where the Sicilians wanted him to go, and then make his way toward a more remote area. Somewhere he could use the funds he had to live an existence away from being hunted.

He looked back at Silent Penance, and part of him couldn't help but study the curves she had. She had obviously been a very attractive woman, once. But the jobs she had taken slowly changed her. There was still a savage beauty to her, but that beauty was slightly overshadowed by the fact that she was something to be feared. He watched as she continued to scan the room, and slowly he leaned back. Sleep, as nice as the idea was, tended to remain away from him.

"Do not take anything that will promote sleep," she said after a moment, "natural sleep will benefit you far better, and should the need arise to escape it will make waking you easier."

He breathed out a frustrated sigh. He was tired, to be sure, but he was frustrated, concerned, and there was little to be done about it. After a moment she looked toward him, "I haven't been paid to do that. I can sense your biorhythms preparing for reproduction," she said as she studied the room, "I'm a bodyguard, not a whore."

He nodded, "I get it," he said, his eyes still open, "It's just a lot to take in. I don't know who they've sent, but I know my former bosses. They're not ones to simply allow someone to escape unscathed. I'm certain that they've sent someone well trained that knows their craft," he stated, "I'm not saying that you won't be able to handle them, but what if they are enough to keep you busy while someone else gets past you."

There was a moment of silence, "I know places to take you to ensure you live. We would move you quickly, to any of these places, and ensure that all was done to keep you alive. Once that was done they would be put down like the animals they are."

The words were comforting in their own way. He could rest assured that she wouldn't just leave him to die. Although he was the first to admit that there were varying degrees of what could be considered alive. He'd seen some of them. Individuals that had their limbs amputated, their jaw removed, and they were fed through intravenous feeding. Technically, they were alive, but at the same time all of them could have been, should have been, dead.

Some were kept that way because they had been on the brink of death and that was the only way to keep them alive. Those individuals that had high enough up in the organization that allowing them to die was dishonorable. Others had been been taken a step further, removing even their ability to communicate, and left to be taken care of before they experienced some slight torture. Those that had humiliated and dishonored the highest seats in the Hong Kong Branch of the Triads.

He'd even had it done once, to a rival Brazilian cartel head. The man had sent an assassin for him, and after the assassin was questioned, dealt with, and finally given a parting gift made of teflon, he went searching for the rival. He was found, outside of Roanapur, sitting on a yacht, sipping a mixed drink with two underage girls. It wasn't difficult for him to get the drop on the man. His collection of guards were mostly his own men. He hadn't even considered hiring veterans for guards.

They were just men that had made their way high in the organization by performing hits. Sure, they had some skill, but not enough to deal with a direct attack. Once they were put down he took the man, the girls, and brought them back to Roanapur. He wasn't the kind to use the girls, so instead he gave them what the man had owed them, and released them. It was not a kindness. Either they made it in the city, or they did not. There was no inbetween.

Still, he focused on relaxing, and slowly his body relaxed enough that he began to drift into a deep sleep. Outside of their building a form watched the building. Her hair was normally long, hung in dark strands, and was often commented as part of her charm. That hair was tied back and pulled close. The fact that she did it in a sort of ponytail was more for convenience than anything else. She watched the building before her, specifically the room she knew her target was at.

"Well," she said, her scottish accent dripping heavily from her voice, "Mr. Chang, I believe that you've well and gone from our agreement," she stated as she watched the window, "Your guard is all that stands in our way. So, what should I do about her? I dunnae like getting shot, and it's a good chance that will be what happens if I get too close. Her sensors can pick me up, and that's a point for her. I dunnae like it, but I'm going to have to go long range on you both."

She stood, and she felt the slight buzz from her thigh holder. She opened it, pulled out a small phone, and lifted it, "Dahlia," she replied, her voice quiet, "Ready to report."

There was a moment of silence, "Dahlia, what is the status of Chang?"

She smiled, "He's completely abandoned his post," she reported, "But ye knew that, right?"

There was a slight chuckle, "I did," came the reply, "Has he shown any action that determines that he's attempting to remove a player from the board and expand the holding of the Triads?"

She grinned, "Nae, he's went and hired himself a bodyguard, cyborg, name of Silent Penance. Sure you've heard of her."

There was a slight curse, "Damn it," came the reply, "Fine, execute both of them."

"It will be done, for the Cyborg I will have to go long range. I cannae get a drop on her," she replied. In truth it bothered her to admit that she wasn't able to get a drop in on Silent Penance. She was highly trained, but there was a good chance that Chang's bodyguard could fire enough shots off to put her down. That wasn't something she needed. Plus there was the fact that some of her ordnance looked as if it was designed for things as powerful as vampires, "I'm thinking that I'll need to use the widowmaker."

There was a pause for a moment, "You have permission," came the reply, "Do not miss."

That was a command that she understood all too well. The widowmaker was something that had been collected and prepared. A sniper rifle using fifty caliber shells. It was powerful enough to shoot through any car without problems. It could get through armored cars, and was even used to get through buildings. The scope for it was something else as well. The best stolen technology from around the world created a scope that could see through most materials.

Her intention was simple. She was going to go and get the widowmaker, sit up across the street, and study their room. The first shot would be for the cyborg. A good clean shot through the head should handle any potential problem she would have out of her. The second would be for Chang himself. She stood up, moved, and headed toward the location where the widowmaker was stored. The only people that knew about its location were those that were the highest assassins.

She moved quietly, until she arrived at the Thai Headquarters for the Triads. She quietly made her way up the building, taking a few moments to blend in, until she reached the top of the building. It was there that she looked at the roof. The widowmaker would be here for another week before it was moved again. She moved toward the location, felt the slight bulge in the rooftop, and pulled her foot back. Without hesitation she pulled a dagger from her boot, placed it against the edge of the bulge, and then pulled it toward her. She quietly moved, and then stepped back. A rush of foul smelling air escaped, and she knew that if she had stayed above it the vapors contained in the air would have burned out her lungs like tissue paper.

A few moments passed and she moved forward. With the place opened she peeled back the bit of the surrounding material and looked at the long box placed within, "Dunnae reach for it yet," she scolded herself, "Use yer gloves."

She pulled out a pair of latex gloves. She slipped them on, and then she reached for the box, "Good, dunnae have to worry about the poison now," she muttered as she opened the box, took off the gloves and admired the disassembled rifle inside of it. "Finally get ta use ya," she said to the ancient Barrett M82, "Truth be told, I've been itchin' ta get my mits on ya fer a while. Gonna love feeling give me the little love bump."

She carefully removed the now ancient rifle and began putting it together. She did so in a manner that certainly told about her dedication and training, "Caint be takin' ferever. Not with what's gonna happen."

She finished the rifle, placed the strap on it, and stood tall. The rifle was complete, and she was moving. Once again she began heading toward the location where she would be able to snipe both Chang and his Cyborg. It was truthfully only a matter of time before it came down to this. Taking down Silent Penance wasn't a mere job. Even if she was a man made monster she was a monster among monsters. She'd taken down so many that there was a bit of legend about her.

It made her realize that using the rifle to kill her was honestly about the only way it was going to happen, and that likely was only if she got a clear shot. If there was even a hint of something out of the ordinary then there was a chance that Chang's Cyborg bodyguard could move or possibly deflect the bullet somehow. She had to plan for any and all possibilities. She needed to ensure that there was absolutely no way that she missed.

She felt as the rifle as she moved with it. The weight of it was impressive, but not overly so. It was slimmed down to make it manageable to nearly anyone, but there were few who could fire it like a normal rifle. Most would have to use the stand which was designed mid barrel to help brace it. She could fire it like a normal rifle, but she wanted to brace it so that she got the best possible shot.

As she moved she stayed as silent as she could, attempting to be as quiet as the grave itself. She wanted to make absolutely no noise, to keep her presence from being noticed as much as possible. After several moments she stopped. The building that was just far enough to be out of the sensor range of Silent Penance was ahead. She moved toward it, and instead of going inside she made her way to the fire-escape.

She could notice the little touches that had been done to the old metal staircase. Each small patio had some decoration on them. Flowers, a few potted plants, a small splattering of something that would enable those living inside to call the place home. It was an attempt to reclaim their lives. She respected that, but she took very little time to notice it. Instead she made her way to the top of the building, and she carefully moved into position.

"Widowmaker, be a good girl, and show me that Cyborg," she said as she set the gun up, "Comeon, do yer magic."

The scope itself took a moment, but then she could see the brick of the building bleeding away, and she could see inside. She slowly moved the gun until she was looking at a woman that was almost as much machine as she was flesh. It took her a moment to really study her. Small tubes ran across her skin, she could see the flesh colored circuitry that moved from the corner of her eye to her temple.

One arm moved normally, the other seemed a little more rigid. Evidence that it was a fantastic prosthetic, but a prosthetic all the same. She took in all of this, and she studied the woman walking, "Fer what ye've done, ye got my respect," she admitted to the air around her, "Ye made yerself into a damned dangerous monster. Ye're as powerful as some I've seen, so I respect ye, but I cannae let my target go. Sorry."

She moved the scope until she had her head in view. The moment it was she let her finger tighten on the trigger. She couldn't just pull it roughly. No, this was meant to be intimate. This would be the last action against a rival that had her respect. It needed to be done in a loving manner. She had to show that she cared for the legacy of Silent Penance. She allowed the trigger to move toward the edge, and then she felt the way the gun kicked. Even with the buffer designed into it there was evidence that for a normal person it would leave a bruise.

For her it certainly made itself known, but it wasn't enough to harm her. She studied the target for a moment longer, and then she moved toward the edge of the building. There was little doubt that her true target was likely awake now. There was also little doubt that he would be scrambling soon. She would ensure that his death was quick, but not painless. He brought someone that deserved respect into this.

She moved the gun again, and noticed that the bed was empty. She looked back toward the body of Silent Penance, and there she noticed something. The body looked familiar, but at the same time there were some differences. It was something she should have noticed before. She cursed herself, and yet she felt a true feeling of respect for the assassin. She had been cunning enough to create a diversion.

"Well now, ye've gone and made this more interesting haven't ye?"

Unknown to her, the ones she was hunting were monitoring the death of the stand-in. Silent Penance growled slightly as she shook her head. The rifle that was used would be able to rip through her armor like tissue paper. It had gone through a brick wall, then through a quarter inch of steel, and finally it went through the head of the drone she had designed for this purpose. The drone itself was expensive, but an expense that was well worth it.

She'd long since learned the value of having what looked like a double stand-in for her. The drone would often draw fire and allow her to get the drop she needed, or allow her to get away. This time it was allowing her to get away. She didn't have time to track down the assassin. Instead she looked at Chang who seemed more relaxed than she expected.

"Well, you're certainly worth every single penny, aren't you?"

She growled slightly, "That drone is going to be charged to the Sicilians. I doubt very much that they are going to enjoy it," she replied as she looked around, "Whoever had killed it likely either knew the movements of the drone, or they're using a type of scope that allows limited view through materials. Either way, we've got to move, and we've got to move now."

He nodded, "Sounds good, so on to the boat?"

She shook her head, "Going to the port now is suicide," she replied as she studied the area, "as is the airport. Anywhere that can potentially get us out of Roanapur without incident is too high of a risk. We need to find a way of removing ourselves without the normal methods."

She could see his expression falter, "Well, there's the bridge, the airport, or the port for leaving. There's not a whole lot of options beyond those."

She shook her head, "There is," she replied, "We can go to any of them, but we need to take routes that will not be considered. We need to move through the drainage system."

She saw his expression change, and for once she smiled. The fact that he was repulsed by the idea gave her a small amount of joy. She grinned at it, and she studied him, "I get that you likely don't like that idea, but it doesn't matter," she said as she studied him, "The one that is hunting us knows you, and they likely know that you wouldn't want to do that. So it is the best choice."

She looked around them, "Now, prepare to follow."

With that she moved toward the closest hatch. A good assassin always studied the city they were going to be working in, and they studied every possible method of escape. This was a method that she had long since committed to memory. The drainage system here was almost like a maze and that would take time, but with any luck if their pursuer decided to follow them they would become hopelessly lost.