The air was nice and brisk, holding the chill of the day and bringing it deeper into winter. The city structure loomed above her to the sides, but she only concentrated on the crunch of frozen grass beneath her feet. The park was an okay place to be at night for some of Gothik's citizens; the ones who could defend themselves. Her favorite perching tree was just ahead and the one she was to meet was already there among the large roots.
The night was clear and wonderfully bright with the fullness of the moon and she could see the man clearly. Not yet showing any impatience at her lateness. He had not seen her yet and when she appeared at his side he jerked forward slightly.
"It has been a long time Ms. Loeste, I had forgotten how quiet you could be." His deep voice held that New England burr she had gotten so used to, but in him it seemed different. Perhaps because he always sounded so pleased when most of the Kine in the region, burdened by the unknown explanation for the violence in the city, sounded so desperate. He always knew what he would get from meeting with her, however, and she never disappointed.
He coughed. "Your, umm...issue has been resolved. There won't be any problems."
Suneyva grinned. "That you know of. I will be more careful next time."
"Maybe there shouldn't be a next time." He didn't meet her gaze. "Gothik has enough bodies showing up where they don't belong. Perhaps it's time to start preventing those deaths. At least the innocents...."
She looked at him closely for a moment. "And perhaps a mortal like you should not tell me what to do. I will defend what is mine by whatever means I decide are necessary. If there is a next time, however, I will not call you. It will be taken care of more discreetly." She took a deep breath and pulled a set of folders from the recesses her coat.
"The information you offered?" He knelt and opened a briefcase nearly hidden by the tree roots.
"Yes," Suneyva began to hand him the files, "These two are small time pimps. They have approached at least three of my kids. This is one of your people, a beat cop, he beat one of my girls. There is a report from the emergency room in there and she is willing to press charges. I have not harmed him, yet." She paused. "Make the right choice. These three are trying to sell drugs near the Iron Cage. And, this last one is a Hunter. She is rumored to be near Gothik and her reputation is one of danger to both mortals as well as the monsters. The police might want to keep an eye out for her. She could probably be picked up on numerous weapons violations alone."
She wiped her palms against her coat. "I may have a few more, but they are still being investigated and when I know more I will be in contact again."
The briefcase was shut with soft snaps and he continued to kneel on the dead leaves. He gazed up at her through dark eyelashes and licked his lips once.
Suneyva laughed, rolling up her sleeve. "Your payment. I haven't forgotten." She slid a small knife from her jeans pockets and made a quick incision. "Here, drink." His mouth was moist and warm against her pale skin and she watched the branches of the trees to avoid looking at the man again.
+
The dance floor looked so different from the bar. So this is what Russ sees when he watched the kids, she mused. The bartender, and manager of Illusions, had just given her a drink. he winked at her and smiled when she sipped it. She sipped again and frowned. It was blood with heavy traces of alcohol. "Where?" She pointed at the glass.
"Your friend, the one with short dark hair...Meredythe I think. She brought it for you."
Suneyva took another sip, no trace of Kindred to the flavor. She wouldn't suspect Sasha of doing anything underhanded towards her, but better safe than blood bound. "I will have to thank her."
He nodded absent-mindedly and wiped the surface of the bar. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you down here with us peasants tonight and not in your throne up there?" He nodded towards the empty table that perched on the stage above the bar. "I don't remember that you've ever visited the bar before."
She set the drink carefully out of the way and grabbed one of his wrists. "You have been a good employee, a good manager of the club. I value your loyalty and ability to keep secrets." She pulled him closer, forcing him to lean heavily against the wooden edge of the bar. "You are intelligent and able for one of your kind, and I know about your past."
His skin was becoming more pale as she spoke and his eyes just a trifle wider as he glanced up at her. "I never touched that girl-" She cut him off.
"I know, Russ. I checked into it when I first hired you. You would still be at the University if not for that...problem. Wouldn't you?" She smiled as his jaw clenched. "I appreciate you, I am aware that you know something of my kind and others who are not like you. Your service has been valued and I wish to reward you for that if it is acceptable to you." She released his wrist and he slumped a little.
"How do you mean?" Russ sighed, glancing down the bar to check for customers. It was empty.
"You will learn more about my kind, and I will grant you strength and a bit more. You already have my protection and some will say that you are my Ghoul. That is not what our relationship will be, not exactly anyway. Everything will stay the same, except for one tiny detail."
He frowned at her, "I'm not sure what you mean."
Suneyva smiled again, "After closing the club find me at the Zoo. I will explain everything then. If you decide not to accept, don't come to the Zoo. It is simple. You will not be punished for refusing." She slid off the stool.
"Oh, I'll be there. I wouldn't miss this." His hands shook as he picked up her forgotten drink and wiped the bar again.
+
There was a kid in her driveway. The car screeched to a halt and she still almost ran over the small huddled form. The kid didn't seem to move at all, not even to look up into the headlights. Suneyva sighed and rolled down her window, one hand slipping to the handgun she kept at the side of the drivers seat. This would be the perfect staging for an attack, but the form rose swiftly, and a face appeared.
"Hello Danni, has something happened?" The girl nodded sharply and Suneyva hit the button to unlock the doors. "Okay, get in, we'll talk. Mind if I take you somewhere to get dinner? You look as if you could use a meal."
There was another nodded and she backed out of the driveway carefully. An old diner was nearby and except for a few stragglers from the public library it would likely be empty. Danni didn't say anything, did not even look up from the bag she clasped against her stomach, for the short ride. When Suneyva pulled into a parking space in front of the train shaped building the girl got out of the car and followed, but remained silent.
Everything was done at the Gangrel's direction and Suneyva was beginning to wonder at what problem was being brought to her this time. Most of the kids were either loud because of their fear, or quiet because of their embarrassment. This didn't feel like a fearful or embarrassing situation discussion. Danni just seemed subdued. She waited until the menu's had arrived before asking the basic question. "What sort of help do you need from me."
"I want to leave Gothik. Spider said that sometimes you help us do that." She played with a corner of her menu until Suneyva opened and spread it in front of her.
"Yes, I do that occasionally. What would you like to order?"
Danni pointed out a cheap salad, and Suneyva raised an eyebrow before pointing out a sandwich basket that included a side dish. "This seems more appropriate." They were interrupted by the waitress and again and the Gangrel glanced at the girl, who only shrugged. The sandwich was ordered and promised to be ready soon.
"I have some money saved and I thought that I could use it to pay a few months rent on an apartment, some food. I don't need much, but it won't last so I need to be able to get a job. I want a real job, with offices and paychecks." Danni paused. "I got my GED last year and I've been taking the bookkeeping and secretarial classes at Community Education. My teacher said he would write a recommendation letter for me even. I just want to get away from here...anywhere." She looked up at Suneyva. "Do you think you an help me?"
Suneyva was quiet for a long time and eventually Danni's food arrived with the check. "I think I can. I have a contact in South Carolina that might have some possibilities. I can't promise anything right now, but come by Illusions tomorrow evening and I will let you know what they say about this. I will do all I can." She stood, holding the check, "Now stay here and finish that." She winked to soften the order and went to pay the check, waving once before leaving the diner for the prospect of home.
+
She lined up the sights very carefully, a slow pressure building on the trigger. The buck stopped and sniffed at the ground for a moment and she had a perfect shot ready to take.
"Hey, Suneyva!" The deer bolted and she slowly let up on the trigger. Turning, she put the rifle in the crook of her arm, pointing at the ground. "Long time since we've talked, eh?"
"It would have been longer if I were a twitchy neonate." She looked him over quickly. "You haven't been around Gothik in a long time Jakob, why the reappearance? Finish hugging all of the trees in New England?" She smiled faintly and walked towards him.
"Nah, they need constant lovin'. The commune just gets old fast, I wanted to visit the cabin and see if you or your problem children were around. I've been hearing things...like that Julianna has disappeared and that a Lasombra is taking credit. That true?" He joined her as she began the trek towards the haven; having no trouble clearing the dead fall of trees and brush.
"She is gone. I do not know if the Lasombra tells the truth." She paused mid-stride and looked at him. "You know what will happen if it is true."
He nodded, shaggy hair falling across his face. "Yeah. Listen, about the deer...want to join us on a real hunt? It'll be fun and you know how it is after a good run."
She grinned suddenly, "And smell like wet fur for a week? I don't think so, not this time. I need to get back to the zoo. Business to take care of and a meeting before dawn." She turned to him again, "It is good to see you again Jakob, send my regards to the others."
He smiled and nodded again, "Sure, see ya around," before walking back into the trees.
She watched after him for a few moments before shouldering the gun and following the deer path towards the cabin.
+
The dirt crumbled from her body in a cascade of refuse and dried leaves. She had been lucky the rains hadn't started or there would have been clumps of mud to pull out of the long blond hair as well. Suneyva shook herself slightly, grinning as she imitated every dog she had ever known. Gravel in her pants was not the way to start the night... end the night perhaps. She took off each boot and dumped the bugs before starting back to the fountain.
The park was a good hunting ground at this time of night, the couples were still around and the police had not yet arrived for their nightly patrols. She could usually take some sweet young thing off into the bushes and no one would think twice if they heard moaning. It wasn't her reason for lurking around the park all day though, she could grab one of these people any night she chose if that was what she were after. She glanced across the street towards the Spire and paused. Malcolm was around somewhere, or so she had heard. She hadn't actually seen him for weeks and he had seemed a bit, she searched for a polite term to use, strange.
Suneyva grinned to herself again, she was going to be late again and though it wasn't likely her appointment would complain it was not good for the image. Of course neither was the soil encrusted under her fingernails and along her cheek, she stopped herself from laughing and looked around. She was feeling oddly giddy tonight and there hadn't been any sort of reason for it, perhaps it was the spring air.
She started back down the street, moving away from the park now. There was a small coffee shop nearby and they were having open-mic night for all of the aspiring young poets. Her contact was supposed to be there, and if she were very lucky they could go somewhere else before having to listen to someone's ode to their pet, sonnet about the bus system, or verse regarding the downfall of late night television. Of course, that would kill her reason for beating anyone tonight. By strength of will she stopped herself before the pout could form and yanked the door to the cafe open instead.
He was sitting by the coffee bar, an open book in one hand and the beret tipped crazily to the left side of his head. She grinned at him briefly and stole his cigarette, "Are you trying to blend in or is this the spoof of the day... please tell me it isn't a serious look for you."
"Are you crazy? If these people find out that you've actually published seriously they fall down upon their knees and cower. It's easier to blend." He took out a new cigarette and lit it quickly, the book still in his left hand. "I didn't actually have to see you tonight, but I have this for you." The right hand darted under his sweater for a moment and returned with a small envelope. "Don't open it here, it's about Julianna."
Suneyva smiled tightly and nodded. "Thank you, I'll be sure to send suitable reward as soon as I can." She nodded and looked back towards the doors. "Another time then, eh?"
The smoke was snubbed out and she was pushing through the growing crowd before she could hear his response. "Not if I get smart and leave before then."
+
There was one more meeting of the night and Suneyva was glad to be heading towards home soon, her mortals were competent people usually but since the commotion of the previous night they were all a little jittery. It wasn't every night that a building blew up, even in Gothik. Well if someone did that to one of her properties they would not live long to regret it, she flashed a thin-lipped smile into the rearview mirror and added pressure to the gas pedal.
The apartment building was the last stop, a short chat with Daesha and she would be free. She should get rid of the place, let the girl take it over and keep the contracts. She had given The Wild Rose to Mars shortly after Julianna, well... shortly after Julianna was no longer around. Ornithology was now under the control of Jesse alone, her lawyer did good work on that one, and he was running the Iron Cage as well. She just didn't have the energy to be given to businesses, it was not the way she was trained to live, it wasn't Gangrel. She ached to kick someone's ass.
She left the car in front of the building and waved to the beat cop on the corner before going in. He was one of the guys around the clubs a lot and she had seen his careful intervention with the kids and potential dangers. If she found out what his name was she would find some way to reward him for the help. Daesha might know it, Suneyva took the first flight of stairs slowly, building speed. The lounge on the second floor was dark, light streaming in the windows from the street lights and mixing with the thick smoke left after a night of discussions and leftovers from the club below. She could see her apartment manager in one of the chairs near the center of the room, posture relaxed. The girl had probably fallen asleep while waiting. Suneyva began to walk to her and slipped, falling hard on her butt.
She braced herself in the puddle that had caused her accident and looked up at Daesha, at the perfectly relaxed face. In a blur of motion she was up again, racing down the stairs and splattering blood on the white washed brick. She burst through the doorway leaving handprints and speckles and the cop was running toward her before she could take more than four strides in his direction. Suneyva let herself collapse, allowing him to see her retreat towards shock, and as he guided her through some quick questions, a call to the nearest police station to report and call for back-up, and she was grateful that it was hours before dawn would become a worry.