Chapter Eight: the hunted
By Richard LeBlanc
Somewhere in the Warzone - in an alley, Skamms was pinned down by several anarchs that were hoping to collect on the price on his head.
"I'm beginning to see why my buddy skipped town," he muttered. He hopped out from the alley and emptied his two guns into the four people that were shooting at him. He then moved around and aimed the empty guns in random directions to make sure that those four were the last of his immediate pursuers.
"You missed one," a voice said calmly from behind him. Skamms looked over his shoulder and could see a Caitiff with a sawed off shotgun aimed at him.
"Must be getting careless in my old age. I didn't even notice you," Skamms commented. The Caitiff smiled and lowered the gun.
"Happens. I would have been here sooner but I got detained. This is getting a little crazy boss," he said as he tossed the gun to Skamms. The Malkavian inspected it and nodded.
"You took a big chance playing that the way you did," he commented as he slid the gun into his inside pocket.
"Not really - I heard that the guns were empty. Besides - someone has to keep you on your toes," he retorted. Skamms quietly laughed and shook his head.
"Yeah - the prince - his cronies and Sir's crew aren't enough," he replied sarcastically.
"Exactly - oh - I did some shopping for you. On the house. You saved my ass when those anarchs tried to muscle me out - I figured this might help even the score," he continued as he motioned to a crate that was on the dumpster behind him.
"Don't put yourself in too deep. This is still in the deep end. You could be securing yourself to a huge anchor if they take me down," Skamms warned. The Caitiff shrugged his shoulders.
"I won't tell you how to do your thing if you do the same - fair?" he retorted.
"I'll shut up. What - ya get me?" he asked eagerly as his ally opened the crate. Skamms looked inside and saw several pistols with accessories. He whistled and looked over at the Caitiff.
"This shit is top of the line. How did you get your hands on this?" he asked.
"I have my ways. Look - I would love to stay and chat some more - but I have to get back to my bar. We square?" he asked seriously. Skamms checked out the weapons and began stuffing them into random pockets.
"Hey - I never said you owed me in the first place. But I'll remember this," he replied seriously. The Caitiff nodded and hurried away. Skamms looked at the crate and then tried to think of his next move. Acting with a prince hovering over him was bad enough - now he had to worry about the rest of the city too.
"What - did that furball say? Biggest strength - is his biggest weakness - or something like that. Biggest - biggest - oh shit. This could get very messy," he muttered as a possible realization came to him he tossed the crate into the garbage and hurried away into the shadows of the night.
At that moment - back at the Royal Palace - the prince was waiting impatiently for an associate to return.
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting highness," Esamuel, the Ventrue Primogen stated. Axis looked over at him and his bodyguard.
"I was going to have people search for you. You said two days - this is two days. Have you done as you promised?" Axis asked curiously. Esamuel motioned to the Assimite beside him. Axis looked his way.
"Everything seemed to be on the level - but when dealing with their kind - things can always be more than they seem," he replied calmly as he walked over to where the prince was.
"Such mistrust. I'll try not to take it personally. I have documentation of all the holdings that were being held by Sir - or puppet corporations controlled by Sir. I also included the means - expenses - resources used to reclaim them. I also included personal losses that were incurred - although they were relatively minor. If you have any questions that you feel I can not answer - I have included a directory of names and numbers of all the people that helped me in this operation. Here," the Ventrue stated as he extended a small briefcase to the prince. "Everything I have mentioned - is in here," he concluded. The Prince took the briefcase and handed it to Jonus.
"Make sure everything is as he said," he stated calmly.
"It shall be done," he replied as he walked away.
"Glare - as soon as confirmation comes o me from Jonus - all that was promised to him - is his," Axis stated calmly. The Setite nodded as he walked by.
"Consider it done," he replied coolly.
"So - now that business is out of the way - what did I miss while I was working in the fields?" Esamuel asked. Axis sighed and shook his head.
"Complications. I may have to take this matter straight to Sir himself," he stated.
"Uhm, is that wise? I heard this - interloper has a bit of status behind his name," he replied.
"So - I am just to sit back and watch him take my city out from under me? No. He chose this dance - I am merely going to call him on it," he replied.
"You making this a war?" he asked curiously.
"It is a war," the prince replied.
"Up until now it has been pretty small. If you call in troops - he'll do the same. It is your call highness. As always - clan Venture - will back their prince," he concluded. Axis looked over at the Primogen suspiciously.
"You know something - something I don't," he began.
"I know a lot of things - I was working around getting this city out of Sir's hands - I heard things - I saw things. I know what you are getting yourself into - and I don't think you have the slightest notion," he replied calmly.
"Enlighten me," he replied seriously.
"Back when the Dreamers and Iron Fist clowns tried to trash the city - someone brought you news of this," the Primogen began.
"Yes - an Archon," Axis confirmed.
"He - is a player in this game. And he is not on your side. Statistically - I don't think you can win this. Manpower - he has more than one city backing him - big cities at that. Status - he has an Archon backing him - plus - he is prince of multiple cities. I know this might not be popular - or your favorite suggestion to hear right now - but I think we should make a deal with Sir - before this gets out of hand," he suggested. Axis shook his head and quietly laughed.
"A deal? He wants my city. It is my city. There is no compromise. Now - statistics - I never really trusted them. He has more than one city under his thumb - so what? I intend to make my move against him before any help can be shipped in. As for the Archon - I will deal with him when that need arises. No deals - understand?" Axis asked seriously. The Primogen nodded.
"I was just offering my advice my prince - as is my duty," the Primogen pointed out.
"Indeed - in typical Ventrue fashion. One of these days you people will learn that there are some things that money can not buy," Axis stated as he walked away. Esamuel smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"Perhaps - but it can buy quite a bit," he mused as he walked away in the opposite direction.
At that moment - news of the - unfortunate - turn of events had just reached Sir.
"What? We lost all of the holdings in the city?" he demanded.
"Yes Sir," one of his underlings answered.
"We had over sixty percent of the city secured - how did we just lose it?" he demanded.
"Don't know - happened so fast," one of the wounded survivors strained. Sir effortlessly lifted the survivor up and slammed him into the wall.
"Think - slower then. Every holding - was hit - at the same time?" he asked seriously - he nodded. "Very surgical - the prince had nothing to do with this. Another player - or an old one that I am overlooking. This - upsets me - but it changes nothing. We tried it the nice way - now we do it the way the Brujah way," he began as he drew his saber out from his cane.
"You really are losing your touch flower boy," a voice commented. Sir scowled and looked over at the Archon that was sitting on the bar. "You really think that the powers that be are going to let you turn this jewel of a city into a mass grave? Get real," he commented as he made his way over to where Sir was standing.
"I have no intention of ravaging this city. Quite the opposite actually. Remember New Orleans?" Sir asked coyly as he examined his blade.
"I remember that," the Archon replied.
"That - is how we will deal with this matter," Sir began as Vincent made his way into the room. "Vincent - I am hoping that you have good news for me. The child Skitts - is dead - and will not trouble me - right?" he asked.
"Not exactly," Vincent answered.
"Meaning: Not at all," the Archon translated.
"Then you did as I asked and made sure that Skamms was dealt with?" he asked curiously.
"It didn't exactly work out - but I can explain," he replied.
"Translation: I fucked up yet again. Boy Sir - you sure can pick them," the Archon interpreted.
"Benefit of a doubt - what - went wrong? We had this Skamms person followed. Set it up so that it would seem as though he was some deep cover cop killer - and then one of my people inside would finish the job. You followed the instructions?" Sir asked curiously.
"Y-yes - I didn't deviate," he answered.
"Meaning: I let my emotions get the better of me and tried to get even with a sheriff that scarred me," the Archon commented. Sir looked from the Archon over to his new ally.
"Is this true? The person Skamms was supposed to hook up with was an anarch - oh no - you did - deviate," Sir muttered as he shook his head. "The benefit is starting to wane - swim back to the boat before the undertow takes you down deeper," Sir warned.
"Okay - it is true - I did see to it that Skamms would hook up with the sheriff - but he had it coming for what he did to my face," he rationalized. Sir groaned and covered his eyes with his free hand.
"You - never thought - for an instant - that Claws might - on a whim contact his people who would talk to the prince? That possibility never dawned on you?" Sir asked in modest disbelief. Vincent looked at how the others in the room were watching this conversation.
"Must have - slipped my mind," he muttered.
"A slip - do you know - what it cost me? do you have any idea at all how much it took to organize the police the way I did. Two years of planning - from Chamberlan to Eco. Hunting down the right people who knew the right people to organize this grand adventure," Sir began as he sheathed his sword. "It was all so clear - you - you know how it was to go down - you tell him," Sir requested as he motioned to the Archon.
"Skamms has a serious dislike for the police - he would have either been taken down hard - wherein we would have dealt with him in the hospital or the morgue. If by some random act of chaos he did surrender the plan would have worked as Sir said," the Archon stated coolly.
"But - all of that - gone - because - something - slipped your mind," Sir stated in disbelief.
"I owed him for what he did to me," Vincent began.
"When you were my puppet prince of this place - that chance would have been yours! Council - to me!" he called out. Vincent watched as several of the kindred that were present rose up and made their way over to where Sir was standing.
"We have us a - situation here. You have heard the evidence - what - is the verdict?" he asked coldly.
"Brujah - how do you vote?" the Archon asked.
"If he fucked up this bad - this vote is pointless. But if a vote is needed," he began as he pointed a thumb down.
"Nosforatu - your turn," the Archon stated.
"His random acts of carelessness put us all at risk," she replied coldly as she pointed a thumb down.
"Ventrue," the Archon stated.
"His choice to deviate - cost us a lot," he replied as he pointed a thumb down.
"Ouch - three up three down - not looking too good slugger. Tremere?" the Archon asked.
"He may not have any use to you - but we may find some use for him," she answered as she pointed a thumb up. The action made the Archon chuckle.
"Do we have any Malkavians? No? Oh that's right - we don't tolerate their madness here. I'll use their vote," the Archon stated as he pointed a thumb down. "Gangrel?" he asked.
"I say turn him loose," he replied coldly - his thumb turned down.
"That just leaves Toreador - Sir? Right now - we have five to one against," he pointed out.
"Vincent - of the sect of Eco. You have been tried and found lacking by a council of your peers. I - as prince though - have vote that can outweigh their decree. Present your reason to me - and you may yet live," Sir stated coldly.
"I am condemned - what point is there in arguing? It would change nothing," Vincent stated dryly.
"True enough," Sir admitted as he pointed a thumb down.
"Six to one - pretty grim Vinny," the Archon commented.
"By order of the Council - and I as prince - pass judgment on you. You are to be cast you out. You are no longer of my circle and are no longer under my protection. When the sun sets from the sky tomorrow - by my authority and power as prince - I will call the Blood Hunt on you and those that stand with you. That is my judgement - leave - now," Sir concluded. Vincent began to reach into his pocket. Instantly a dozen weapons were aimed at him.
"I would advise against it," the Archon warned. Vincent removed his hand and walked away.
"Send the usual notification to the cities I control and have them notify every surrounding city. If he gets wings - I want them clipped," Sir stated seriously. The Ventrue that was present nodded and walked away. "Pity that - he had so much potential," Sir added with a sigh.
"They all do at first. So what is our next move?" the Archon asked.
"Without the holdings - we can't play a numbers or waiting game. If we try to put out the standard call to arms - the prince will catch us unaware. No - we will play this - just like we did in New Orleans. Ready the troops we make our move by the end of the week," Sir concluded.
To be continued...
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