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| Chapter Seven: Impossible Mission? | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a temporary haven of sorts Tamina was working overtime to complete her objective. Calloway leaned against the wall and stayed out of the way as the Ventrue prodigy did seemingly five things at once. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't care how much it costs just make it happen," she exclaimed into a cell phone as she hurried over to a computer and began programming. "Yes - I see it - no - convert it over. No - if that sits there one second longer - good," she stated seriously. Calloway shook his head as he walked out of the room and quietly closed the door. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| He tensed up. He wasn't alone. A smile crept across his face as he shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't waste any time - do you Glare?" Calloway asked. A faint clapping noise sounded as the harpy stepped out from the shadows. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Axis - had his faults - but he had - insight. He could spot the true nature of a person - by just a wayward glance," the harpy stated as he walked over to where the assassin was. "Banks - for all his faults - he was cautious - until - his dealings with Skamms cost him everything," he continued as he stood toe to toe with Calloway. "But Man Basher - she doesn't care. Her fuck the world attitude - will put her and her city in peril," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You her protector?" Calloway asked. Glare quietly laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She takes unnecessary chances," Glare stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Like dealing with me as she has?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If she knew you as I do - she would have ordered your death as soon as you set foot in her city - again. I know your master - all too well," Glare stated seriously. Calloway smiled as he walked away from Glare knowing all too well that he wouldn't dare to try to attack him from behind. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you now?" Calloway asked - looking over his shoulder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Two names. Theesi in Washington - and Malcom in Georgia," Glare stated - holding up two fingers. Calloway smiled. "There was no proof that you were the one - there never is where you are concerned," Glare stated as he reached in his pocket and took out an envelope. "You - might not have been aware - but - Theesi - he was pretty connected. His little network touched mine. The boy - he was always on edge," he continued. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "People on the ledge of failure - usually are," Calloway remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The boy wasn't a fighter!" Glare snapped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You knew him - what confuses me - is - why you care? Kindred live and die all over the world. How did this one get under your skin?" Calloway asked curiously. Glare smirked as he shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A viper needs only one detail - to strike - he said. One opening - then darkness," he replied coldly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think - I had a hand in his - disappearance?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I offered to protect him. I knew people - could have had him underground - in minutes. He said - after what you tried - to do for me this night - I would not reward you - by sentencing you to that fate," Glare remembered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "People that live in the past - often do not survive in the present - and will not see - the future," Calloway pointed out. Glare snorted and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Threaten me if you want. I am no boy. I will not cower before the banner of your deviant master. You asked if I believed you had a hand in his death? I know you did - I was there. I saw the whole - thing," Glare stated as he walked over to where Calloway was standing. "I saw how you towered over him - berated him - then - murdered him," he continued as Calloway began to smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is no room for weakness," he replied coldly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He - didn't even try to defend himself - he didn't run - he just stood there as you fucking beheaded him. He had his faults - but he didn't deserve that - and Snake - that insufferable bastard - didn't deserve knowing - a boy like him," Glare retorted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Those that stand beneath the banner - know its rewards. When the war begins," Calloway began. Glare slapped him across the face. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I heard him go on about your fucking war. I know about it and I prepare too - all of those in the clan do. What gives your master the right? What gives him the divine power to impose his will on others?" he demanded. Calloway rubbed his hand against the spot Glare had slapped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know you - so I will let that one - isolated incident - slide. Do not test my tolerance in such a fashion again," Calloway began as he shook his head. "Snake - he has watched as others independently - try - to prepare. It is a joke! At any given moment - the elders may awaken. How prepared do you think they are? Do you think - they plan that far ahead?" Calloway rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How do you know - how prepared - I am - or anyone else is? You can't - and you don't know. But do you even care? I doubt that. All you see are the colors of the banner your master waves," Glare replied shaking his head. "And as for - being prepared - if the elders were to awake - tomorrow - would even your almighty master be ready? Has he learned that ritual to find where the sleeping god rests? Has he devised some means of stopping the crazed hordes that will follow those elders blindly? You needn't answer - I know - the answer - is no," he replied coldly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So - we just twiddle our thumbs and let everyone play games and believe that eternity is our legacy? The other clans - they don't see this threat as clearly - as we do - they can't. They don't understand that - when their masters - their sires, sires awaken - that they will become as drones - walking like sheep to the slaughterhouse," Calloway stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So we impose our will on the Camerella and they will bend to the cause? We are but one link in a chain," Glare rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - represent everything - that is wrong within the clan," Calloway began as he walked around Glare. "You sit - you preach - you preen - and think - that what you do serves our god," he said in disgust. "You - and those like you - waddle in decadence - playing games of no purpose - while the clock continually tics away," he hissed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think - I am what is wrong? Your master - is what is wrong! He subverts the teachings of our god to fit his mad design. He lures people in by one means or another and then enslaves them - just as he did you," he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't know what," Calloway began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think it was chance? You can't be that stupid! Why do you think - an archeologist would go to a private investigator for protection on such a mission?' Glare asked - the words struck home. "Oh - got you thinking yet? What if I told you - one of those braggarts - that was in that expedition - was a ghoul retainer in the service of Snake - that - this retainer dropped your name to this treasure hunter?" Glare asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What of it? He seeks people who have - vision - and promise," Calloway rebutted - dismissing the comments altogether. Glare quietly chuckled and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He has you so brainwashed - that you don't know which way is up," Glare muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is there a point to any of this?" Calloway asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A warning. The others - save Grater - may not care about you - yet. But that - is only because they don't know what you represent. And rest assured - the longer you stay here - infecting - this city - I will make sure that everyone knows," he stated seriously Calloway walked over and towered over the harpy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That sounded a bit like a threat little serpent," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No threats would be like what you said to Theesi - and however many others. As I said - all this was - was a warning. Whatever operation Snake imagines seeing here in Eco - I will see to it that it never happens. And - if that means having to deal with a brute like you - well - even the best fighter - can't be awake all the time," he pointed out. Calloway smiled as he pushed his finger against Glare's chest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well spoken serpent. All of us - do need to rest. And - rest assured - Snake will be informed - of - your interest in his cause. As well as your - warning - to interfere. I wonder," Calloway began as he leaned forward. "Which of us - would walk away should he deem you to be - a hurdle that needs removing," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am protected by the prince. You would war with Man Basher over this?' Glare asked. Calloway smiled as he leaned over. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Titles - can not stop a blade in motion little serpent. Be wise - and remember that," he whispered - pushing Glare away. The harpy frowned as he wrote something down. "Tell her of your grievances - tell her of your concerns - such is your choice and your role. As you make your notes - know that - I will too. I always research potential prey," he stated. Glare stopped writing and looked over at the smiling Setite. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You might think - that you have won this - but - this - game - is far from over. It has just begun. This is - no arena you find yourself in now barbarian. You are fighting in my court - the princes court - and you will find - that - mastering your way through the minefield that is kindred politics - is far - more dangerous - than anything an assassin like you - could be trained to deal with," Glare stated indignantly as he turned his back to Calloway and vanished into the shadows. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway shook his head and smirked. He had been around long enough to recognize an empty threat. He sighed as he returned to the room where Tamina was in and saw that her pace had not remotely slowed down in his absence. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I heard you yammering out there - your friend going to cause us trouble?' Tamina asked seriously - as she typed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not us - his game is targeted at me," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Should I be concerned?" she asked seriously - not taking her attention away from what she was doing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - you have enough on your plate as is," he began. He looked over at the window and saw that the sun was beginning to rise. "You going to be able to finish this?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know - I wanted at least a week to get everything together - a day is barely enough time to do half of what I wanted - but - beggars can't be choosers," she replied seriously. "You going to be able to stand watch during the day?" she asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It wouldn't be the first time I went a day or two without sleep - just worry about what you are doing and leave the worrying about everything else to me," he suggested. Tamina nodded as she began to make another phone call. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway closed his eyes for a moment and pondered - just how the Setite Glare might oppose him and Snake - or how the harpy might be able to rally others to do the same. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| One bridge at a time. He told himself as he opened his eyes. One bridge - at a time. He thought as he did his best to stay out of Tamina's way. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||