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| Chapter Two: Encounters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway was waiting in one of his usual haunts by the slums - waiting for one of his contacts to return. Usually - his people were prompt - on most occasions early - yet this one time - the person was late. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How very odd," he muttered as he saw the person step out from the shadows. "I hope you have a good reason for being late," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Something came up," the gang member remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Things usually do," Calloway rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I did some digging - nothing too deep - but - no one knows anything about Italians in these parts," he stated. Calloway blinked as he thought for a few moments. He knew the Giovani were in the area - and he knew that there had to be some trail leading there. "Out of curiosity - why the interest?" he asked. His eyes widened. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are asking me a question? This is rare. Oh man - I remember the last time you did - you remember that night back in ninety-eight?" Calloway remarked with a friendly chuckle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It's all a blur to me man," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I bet it is," Calloway remarked. In the time it would take to blink an eye - his daggers were drawn and held to the gang member's throat. "I am going to count to six - by that time - you will tell me who you are - and where my boy is. One," he threatened. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What are you talking about?" he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Two," Calloway continued. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Are you for real?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are testing my patience - three," Calloway said sternly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can't believe you are treating me like this," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Believe it - four!" he replied seriously - backing his supposed contact into the nearest wall. The gang member looked around at the passers by - none cared what was going on. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You would play me like this?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Last chance - five!" Calloway warned. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Alright!" the person hissed. The person - remaining in the shadows - dropped his mask - revealing the face of the deformed kindred known as Grater. Calloway shook his head as he put his weapons away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Who are you - and where is he?" Calloway demanded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I sent him on a wild goose chase," the Nosforatu Primogen replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And you are?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I would think - the better question is who are you? I believe you are in violation of a few traditions here - like Domain and Hospitality?" he reminded. Calloway chuckled as he shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you want to try some shit with me - go ahead. See where it takes you," he retorted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I heard a rumor a while back - that some newbies on the street were asking about some guy named Jest. Not many people know of Doctor Jest - only a select few would seek him out," Grater stated as he walked over to where Calloway was standing. "So imagine my surprise - when my people tell me that the Giovani have set up shop in the Warzone - and those same people that were sniffing around for Jest - were now asking for Italians," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I presume that this is going somewhere. But the direction is confusing the hell out of me," Calloway stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The prince doesn't like poaching. If you have business here - you talk to the prince. You play the game by rules - you have a chance to win. Play freelance - and you will find yourself squished from all sides," Grater warned. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I guess you told me," Calloway rebutted unimpressed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are taking this very lightly for someone that is close to being blood hunted," the ugly vampire remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh so? Funny - I thought the prince of Eco was Man Basher of clan Brujah - not some whiny, pompous, blowhard, rat-faced pile of stink," Calloway rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am Primogen of my clan - I have the prince's ear," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ask me if I care. I mean - if I am supposedly getting blood hunted for Hospitality and Domain traditional breaches - why should I stop there? Maybe I should add Destruction - of a loud mouth rat of a Primogen?" he asked. Grater - pulled out a concealed gun. Calloway dodged to the side. He then grabbed the forearm aimed the gun elsewhere and had a dagger to the Primogen's neck. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Right now - you just lost your head. So you are going to sit tight - sit still and listen. Because I loathe repetition almost as much as I hate having to breathe in the same air as you. My reasons for being here - are my concern - not yours. If anything happens to my people and I find out you had a stink-covered hand in it. You will die. You want to bitch to the prince because some rogue in the Warzone doesn't want to play a protocol game - so be it. I remember my friends - and I never forget an enemy," he said. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think you will get away with this?" Grater asked. Calloway smiled. In one fluid action he traced the sharp blade across the vampire's neck - cutting it mildly - then cleaved the blade clean through the wrist of the hand holding the gun. The vampire dove down for the severed hand - but Calloway kicked it into an open manhole. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can try to stop me - or find your hand. I have no desire to continue this. My business is elsewhere," he said calmly as he released Grater and kicked him knocking him face first into the road by the sewer entrance. "Those are your choices," he pointed out. Grater rolled over and glared at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I will not forget this," Grater hissed as he fell into the sewer. Calloway put his knife away and walked over to the manhole. He looked down and saw the vampire fishing through the small stream of water mixed with sewage for his severed hand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm hoping not. As I said - I loathe repetition," he pointed out as he walked away. "Just fucking great - already mixed up with politics," he said to himself with disgust as turned a corner. It was then that he bumped into the gang member he knew. "I was beginning to think you were standing me up," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Some fucking clown sent me near downtown. As soon as I realized it was bogus - I booked and B-lined it right to here," he replied. Calloway nodded as he looked over his shoulder. Grater was cursing up a storm. "That - sounded like the guy," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That's just some disgruntled sewer worker that is having difficulty - handling his new job. Were you able to find out anything?" Calloway replied - dismissing the observation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - at first - things were real tight. So I got to thinking - if someone said an area was to be hushed," the gang member began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That there should be a reason for such," Calloway completed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Exactly. Now - like I said - I wasn't able to get much - and I didn't want to push too hard or people would like lean back - in a bad way," the gang member pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Neither of us wants that," Calloway reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In spite of it all though - I did find a lead. Although most of the area here is in the dark - there was one area where people didn't want to talk. They got all edgy," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How many people?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If I asked too many - people would have fed the info up the food chain. And if you are asking about Italians like I think you are - I want no part of that shit," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Granted - was it under ten?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Five people in one block. I think the mob there has everything sealed up tight," he stated as he looked around. Calloway realized that there was more. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was just the good news," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - as I came to the realization where they might be - it stands to reason that someone at that end - might know that someone was curious," he stated. Calloway took out a folded piece of paper that had a recreation of the map that was on the scroll. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is the hushed area - by a hospital funeral home and graveyard - like this?" Calloway asked curiously as he showed the map. The gang member looked at the map and nodded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Five blocks north of here is where things got hushed. A block west of there is a hospital - a shit-hole dive of a place - I don't know about the other stuff though," he replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How bad is the hospital?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "From what I heard - almost everyone there is on their last leg. From what I hear - most of the people that check in - don't check out," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A refuge for the desperate. I am wagering the prices are pretty low," Calloway added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Everything is free - well what they have. Uhm - look - I know you have a no questions policy - but - are you like trying to mess with the mob?" he asked hesitantly. Calloway sighed and looked over at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The less you know - the better. As it stands - nothing is coming back to you. If I fill you in - there is a chance that it might. Do you really want to know?" he asked seriously. The gang member stepped away and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I want none of that shit," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "As you wish. Oh - uhm - for the legwork - how much?" Calloway asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Usual amount?" he suggested. Calloway reached into an inside pocket and pulled out a couple hundred. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If it doesn't pan out - next time - its free," he stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Have I ever steered you wrong?" the gang member asked as he took the money. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - and I'm aiming to keep it that way," he stated politely. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I hear ya. I have to run - you - uh - take it easy guy," the gang member said as he hurried away. Calloway smiled as he looked northwest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Time to see what kind of reception I can expect. Ready or not mouse - here I come," Calloway said to himself as he hurried away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be Continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||