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| Chapter Two: Memories | |||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||
| New Orleans - 1955. A torrential rain storm was hammering the city. Lighting lit up the night. for a flickering moment - the outline of a hunter - perched in a tree outside a mansion could be seen. When the next flash occurred the man was gone. | |||||||||||||
| On the roof - the odd soldier patrolled. All of them were ghouls that belonged to the recluse kindred that had procured the protection of the local prince. Lighting flashed again - for a brief moment - one could see two figures - one struck a ghoul down - killing him silently. | |||||||||||||
| Two figures then stalked across the roof until they came across a window - one of them - was Calloway. | |||||||||||||
| "I told you this place was heavily fortified," the Setite with him hissed. Calloway ignored the whining serpent of a kindred that he opted to bring along. He looked at the window. The lights were off - near as he could tell the room was empty. "Next time maybe Snake will believe me," he added. | |||||||||||||
| "Keep talking - maybe it will attract more attention," Calloway muttered. He got a grip on the window and gave it a gentle tug. The latch busted. "Or maybe - it will just remind me of how many times you failed to do your job here," he added - glaring at him. | |||||||||||||
| "I did everything I was told - except this. It was impossible to turn the prince against him - he is too connected," the Setite explained. Calloway shook his head as he slipped into the mansion. The Setite wanted to wait - but Calloway reached out and jerked him in. | |||||||||||||
| "Stay close snake - I don't trust you," he hissed. | |||||||||||||
| "That goes both ways - viper," he added. Calloway blinked and then looked over at him. "Oh yes - I know all about you and how you took down Theesi in Washington - and Malcom in Georgia. If you think I am going to let you," he began. Calloway covered his mouth with his hand. | |||||||||||||
| "We are in a very unfriendly place. Someone tipped off Norman - and I have a hunch who," he hissed. He drew a silver edged dagger showing the Setite the almost unnatural glow it gave off. "If I find out - it was a snake - I will skin it accordingly," he warned as he released him. | |||||||||||||
| "I told Snake - give me one more week," he reassured. | |||||||||||||
| "You had a chance to do this your way - you blew it. That is why I am here to do damage control. Now - if what you said is true - his inner sanctum is in the basement. Move in a way I don't like - and you will pray that Set takes you before I do," he warned as he motioned for him to follow. | |||||||||||||
| In the hall - two ghoul guards patrolled. They walked by a door as thunder ripped the silence of the night. The door opened and Calloway yanked them in. several shots were fired - then silence. The Setites slipped out of the room. | |||||||||||||
| "That must have gotten attention - we should go," the Setite warned. | |||||||||||||
| "We go - after we finish the job," Calloway muttered under his breath. He looked over the banister railing to see if other ghouls were on route - none were. He motioned for his guest to follow. | |||||||||||||
| Cautiously they made their way through the mansion. Along the way - a few ghouls came close to finding them - others had the misfortune of actually finding them. After almost twenty minutes - the two were outside of a door in a sub-basement. | |||||||||||||
| "This is the place," the Setite reassured. Calloway motioned for him to remain silent. He pressed hie ear to the door and listened. | |||||||||||||
| "Are you sure that an attempt will be made on your life?" a voice asked. Calloway blinked - he knew who the voice was - it was the prince. | |||||||||||||
| "Positive - would I have called in those favors had I believed otherwise?" the target - a kindred from the Toreador clan named Norman replied. | |||||||||||||
| "Point taken. Rest assured that - so long as you are in my city - you will be safe," the prince replied. Calloway muttered a silent curse as he looked over his shoulder at the Setite who was trying to look innocent. | |||||||||||||
| "You have made - a hard job - into a very - very - messy job," he whispered. | |||||||||||||
| "How many are in there?" he asked. | |||||||||||||
| "Too many - he knew it was going to be tonight," he began. The door opened as Calloway was thrown inside. He rolled up to his feet and had his daggers ready. The sounds of dozens of guns arming stopped him from attacking. | |||||||||||||
| "So - it seems as though the rumor was true," the prince remarked. Just then - a spotlight in the center of the room shot down on him. Calloway hissed as he did his best to shield his eyes. "Did you really think that you could just waltz in and kill someone I swore to protect?" he asked smugly. Calloway looked over and watched as the Setite walked in and bowed to the prince. | |||||||||||||
| "You - traitor! You betrayed him - for this!" Calloway all but spat. | |||||||||||||
| "The good prince knows the value of patience and rewarding good behavior - unlike that bastard Snake who was selling me up the river," he replied. Calloway looked off the light and followed the wires. | |||||||||||||
| "You will wish - Set took you before I am through!" Calloway hissed. In a blur of motion he spun around and threw a dagger across the room. The prince laughed at how badly he missed them all. But the laughter stopped when the wires the knife cut sparked - and when all light in the room - went off! | |||||||||||||
| "Shoot him!" the prince shouted. All of the ghouls began shooting in the darkness. Flashes of light from the automatic weapons showed Calloway picking them off one by one. Then there was a few moments - of unsettling silence. | |||||||||||||
| "Prince?" the timid voice of the Setite called out. He lit a match and saw that all of the people in the room were dead - either by numerous gunshot wounds - or deep cuts and slashes. "Norman?" he muttered. He looked over and saw that both Norman and the Prince were dead. It was then that two serpent-like eyes blinked from the darkness behind him. he tensed up. | |||||||||||||
| "What is the last thought - that runs through the mind of a mouse - as the cobra - kills it?" a low voice hissed. The light went out. The Setite cried out as his undead life - ended. | |||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||