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| Chapter Seven: Rest in Pieces | ||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||
| If the area was active before - the place was a veritable military base now. The entire area was swarming with clusters of patrolling soldiers and guards. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway hurried across the road and then rolled down into the opposing ditch. He laid flat against the gentle slope as a jeep drove by with a small hunting party in it. Once Calloway was sure they were gone he got up and looked to the nearest building. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| It was the funeral home. Although he knew that his prey was not there - he knew that he needed to find some place a touch less open - or - needed to find a more discreet route to the mansion on the hill. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I must have done something to get his attention - I wonder what," Calloway mused as he stalked his way to the nearest window. "I wager - that - there is a way from this place to my target,' he stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Or - a way to your final death," a voice taunted. Calloway jumped and drew his dagger - ready to strike whoever had managed to sneak up on him. when he saw Luther he scowled. "Saw what you did at that cemetery - what a savage you are," he added. Calloway shook his head as he put his knife away and took out the appropriate weapon. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have no sense of humor. You seem to be forgetting - I can help you," Luther pointed out. Calloway laughed. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Like that would ever happen," he muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have had some time to think," Luther began as he looked as his arm - the one that had been cut by the specter-killing weapon. "Perhaps - I was - a tad unreasonable in my treatment of you," he continued. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think?" Calloway rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hear me out. I crossed you once and look what it got me? What do I have to gain by trying to feed you bullshit now?" Luther asked. Calloway smirked as he balanced the dagger on his fingertip. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Talk - I may listen," he replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "In light of - new circumstances," Luther began. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You mean now that I have a means of dealing with you," Calloway corrected. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - there is that. I'll admit I fucked up. Snake sent me there to do a job and I got sidetracked. And when I went to the prince for help - hey - I was scared. I heard through the network that one of his vipers was heading to town," he rationalized. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I believe I heard some of this before," Calloway remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay-okay! What do you want from me man?" Luther desperately asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't want you around. I don't like you. For fifty plus years you have made my life a living hell. Do you think - for an instant that there is anything that you can say or do that will change this?" Calloway asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think I am here because of my health?" Luther argued. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Come here then - I'll make it all better," Calloway offered. Luther sighed and shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I thought you would be willing to reason. You know - when Sam gets through with you - I hope he rips your body to shreds and rapes your fucking soul. A fucked in the head bastard like you deserves no less," he remarked. Calloway pounced. But before the slash could connect - the ghost vanished. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Keep on dreaming boy. Sooner or later I will get you," he hissed. He then returned his attention to the funeral home. He looked in through the window and saw that everything looked pretty much normal. "Looks normal enough," he muttered as he carefully pushed the window open. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Once inside he looked around for any sign of a security alarm that he might have tripped. Everything - seemed quiet enough. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| He stalked through a room that was used for funerals. By the setup of the place - they were expecting a pretty large turnout. It was then that he heard voices! A hunting party was heading that way. He hurried over to the other side of the room and smashed out the window. He then raced over and dived into the open casket that was on display. No sooner did he close the lid than the group he heard rushed in. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "The noise came from in here," one stated as they made their way over to the shattered window. Most of them hurried away - one - however - was not convinced. He looked at the blood that was on the broken glass. A small trail - led into the room. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Poor hiding spot," the hunter remarked. Silently he stalked his way over to where the coffin was. He drew his weapon - holding it ready - and then pushed a concealed button on the casket. He smiled as he heard Calloway cry out as he fell. "Tell the doctor I said hi," he mocked as he hurried away to catch up with the others to inform them of his discovery. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Down below - in a secret laboratory - Calloway was flung from a shoot onto a table. He was about to move when restraints pinned him down. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "A visitor," an unnatural voice remarked. He looked over and saw a twisted excuse for a human being. "I get so few of them down here. All the boss does is hand me bodies to cut up," the doctor stated as he walked over to where Calloway was. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I really have to be elsewhere," he rebutted. The doctor seemed hurt at first but then blinked and seemed to be overcome by a rage. He hissed at Calloway - showing that he was a vampire. "A fucking Mook - you must be joking," he muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think you are so special. You think you are better than me? Just like that fool," the doctor ranted. Calloway blinked as a smile crept across his face. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't like Samuel?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I hate Sammy," he answered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "We have something in common," he stated. The doctor calmed down a bit. Calloway looked around and could see the preserved body parts and organs that decorated the many shelves in the lab. "Know what would really make him mad?" he asked suggestively. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ooh tell me - tell me - tell me!" the doctor asked eagerly. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Let me go. It will be like - our little joke on him," Calloway suggested. The doctor gasped as he stepped back to ponder that. He then danced over to a desk and threw a pile of papers aside. "What do you say?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Sounds intriguing. Say - You aren't planning on killing him are you?" he asked seriously. Calloway quietly laughed. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Of course I am. Where would the fun be if I didn't," he replied - gambling that the Malkavian didn't care if his boss lived or died. The doctor leaned back in his chair and pushed a button on his desk. The restraints popped. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is a tunnel behind the bookcase. It leads to a secret passage that will take you to the mansion grounds. If you can get past the patrols - the ghouled dogs - the ten thousand dollar security system - hey - you can have him," he stated waving the vampire off. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway cautiously made his way across the room - not taking his eyes off the calm looking doctor. Although the doctor did set him free - he was in the employ of a man he was there to kill. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you are able to kill the guy - tell him it serves him right for treating a doctor of my notable brilliance the way he did," the doctor added with a frown. Calloway was going to reply when the doctor began rambling incoherently. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uh - sure - whatever," he replied as he slid the bookcase out. True to form - there was a passageway there. He took one last look at the mad doctor who was now staring at a preserved human eye. "Good luck," he muttered as he vanished into the darkness. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||