Chapter Eight: Countdown - Success or Failure?
By Richard LeBlanc
In the makeshift haven - Tamina was doing her best to stay focused - but - as the day dragged on - fatigue and hunger began to gnaw away at her. She leaned back in her chair and shook her head.
Calloway could tell through the covered window that the sun had either set or was behind heavy cloud cover. Either or - he knew - that time was running out.
"How much time do I have?" she asked tiredly.
"Well - we talked with Man Basher yesterday - around nine - we left at nine thirty - and according to the clock on the wall - it is about eight thirty now," he replied. She was going to ask something else but stopped.
"AM or PM?" she asked.
"The latter of the two. You have less than an hour," he began as a knock sounded. "Or less than that," he muttered as he walked over to the door and opened it. on the other side of the door was a woman garbed in a long overcoat - and an oversized hat. "Man Basher - that - is a whole new look for you," he remarked. The vampire prince removed her sunglasses as she entered.
"I'm not out of time yet," Tamina protested.
"I never said you were," the prince said with an unnerving smile. She walked over and sat down on a chair and propped her feet up on a table. "I just came to watch," she added.
"You came to put her off her game and make her fail," Calloway corrected as he stretched out his arms.
"I wanted to be here when she fails and her - immortal life as she knows it - well - takes a different turn," the prince mused. "I understand that you and my harpy talked yesterday," she commented.
"Something like that. I don't think he likes me," Calloway replied. Man Basher quietly laughed. She crossed her legs and motioned for him to have a seat with her. He bowed politely as he pulled up a chair and sat down before her.
"For the most part, I play with my cards on the table. If I have something to say - I come right out - and I say it. Socially speaking - it makes me - less than tactful - but that is just the way I am," she began. She reached into the pocket of her trench coat and took out a dossier. "I - had some - digging done on you - I like to know who I am dealing with at any given time," she said calmly.
"Oh so? What did you find - and - I hope it didn't cost you too much," he remarked.
"Nothing I couldn't afford. Being Prince has some advantages and all. You have done a lot of traveling. There are records of you being in Europe - Canada - all over the States," she aid as she thumbed through the papers.
"One of the perks that come with the job," he replied calmly.
"Indeed. One thing - that - was constant though - every place that you've been to - kindred have gone missing. The most notable instance - was New Orleans," she said as she looked over at him. "But - you wouldn't know anything about that," she added.
"That - I would have preferred avoiding," he replied.
"How so?" she asked.
"The incompetence of one can complicate many. Have you ever sent someone out to do - a relatively simple job? And set person - drops the ball in such a way that - a mess of epic proportions is made?' Calloway asked.
"No - I scout the help before I send - but go on," she replied.
"Snake - he sent a kindred that went by the name - Luther there. Relatively simple job - eased timeline - nothing someone of his talents couldn't do. Time passes - the job isn't done. More time passes - excuses are being fed back through the chain," he began.
"Enter you," she said calmly.
"Indeed. You see Luther - he warned - who he was sent to deal with that something would happen to him," Calloway began.
"May I ask why?" she asked.
"When I was sent here - I was told to - cooperate with the prince - so long as it doesn't compromise security," he replied seriously. She smiled as she closed the dossier.
"I like - hearing talk like that. Feed me details," she stated. He quietly laughed.
"The person - had a hand - albeit a subtle one in stopping Snake advance his cause. Luther was sent to make the person lose favor with the prince. Luther - he was a sly one. If he had tried - the deed could have been done - in a week if that. But he chose to betray us - and betray Snake," he stated.
"And on the night that you and Luther - stormed the mansion?" she asked.
"As I said - Luther betrayed Snake and me. The prince was there - so was the person in question - that was when hell opened up. Luther - he mocked me and it - set me off. I killed the lights - that caused the help to start shooting in every direction. I swear they did more damage to themselves than I did," he said. Man Basher quietly laughed. "In the confusion - I killed the person who Luther failed to deal with - and then - killed the traitor. The others - I didn't check on. I didn't care. After I got who I went there for - I left," he concluded.
"It is - rare to hear a serpent tell the truth. Especially when it could get his scales boiled,' she remarked. Calloway shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair.
"What good would it be to lie? All that would happen is that you would dig - find the truth and put me in a worse place," he stated calmly. "What happened to that prince anyway?" he asked curiously.
"Mansion got torched," she replied.
"I don't like fire," he stated seriously.
"Most of our kind don't. Although there was an inquiry - you were never brought in for that - no bloodhunt - no reprisal - nothing," she remarked. Calloway smiled as he looked over to the side.
"Snake does what he can to look out for those that are loyal," he replied. She smiled as she sat up and then leaned forward.
"What would you do - if I declared a bloodhunt - on you?" she asked seriously.
"Depends on the circumstances. If I act openly or otherwise against you - I would expect no less. If I am in violation of traditional edict - your call," he said calmly. "I wasn't sent here to fight the prince - or challenge her," he added.
"Very diplomatic - for an assassin," she remarked.
"I consider myself many things - a diplomat is not on that list. I am just a soldier," he replied proudly.
"If trouble threatens my city - and I call to all - acknowledged kindred to my cause?" she began. Calloway smiled.
"So long as the interests of the prince and her city - do not conflict with the interests of he who sent me here - I'd be there," he replied seriously. She quietly laughed as she put the dossier away.
"The longer you choose to stay - the more you may have to answer for," she warned. "But - other than that issue - I didn't see anything that really worried me. No disrespect," she added with a smile.
"I deal with things as they come - or don't - and - none taken," he replied. It was then that a beeper went off.
"Pencils down," Man Basher mused as she plucked the watch she had started timing them with from between her breasts. "Your time is up," she added sweetly. Tamina groaned as she slammed her fists against table. "I smell failure," she teased as she hopped up to her feet. Tamina shook her head as she got up.
"Three more minutes - and it would have been acceptable," she muttered. Man Basher smiled evilly as she walked around the young looking Ventrue. "Have a seat - I'll walk you through what I was able to do on - this - hideous timetable," she requested. The smile faded from the prince's face as she sat down at the terminal the Ventrue had been sitting at. "It cost - well - lets not go into that - as we speak - I have four trucks of military ordinance being pipe lined to locations A, B, and C. They should be there within the hour if not sooner," she began.
"How big?" Man Basher asked.
"Sixteen wheelers. In about," Tamina began as her watch went off. "Now - some - friends of mine - just put about ten million in the white stuff in the hands of," she continued as Man Basher's phone went off. The prince looked at the Ventrue and hesitantly answered.
"Yeah? You don't say. How pure - hundred percent - fuck," she muttered as she looked over at Tamina. "Sit on it until I get back to you," she concluded - hanging up the phone. "My boy said the street value was four times that," she added.
"Must have forgotten to carry a number," Tamina muttered as she looked over her numbers and saw the mistake. "When I am rushed - my numbers are conservative. I also did some hacking and did some networking - all of the people that are Brujah friendly - no longer have any police record - and the odd faction that is at odds - well - they do," she said putting her papers aside.
"You - did all this - in that short period of time?" Calloway asked.
"Like I said - I work better when I have more swing - but it was the best I could do on short notice," she replied. It was then that Man Basher's phone began to ring again. She picked it up.
"Yes? Party favors? How many - full truck? Check the quality of every piece and get back to me as soon as it is done - and do not keep me waiting," she concluding hanging up the phone. "Nice but," she began.
"There - is more," Tamina politely interrupted.
"Go on," the prince hesitantly muttered.
"Clan Ventrue - knows - that a bribe - no matter how padded - is meaningless unless - it can provide - for the future. As such - we have contact names - and dirt on many people in the shipping hierarchy - people loyal in the underworld - a few names in the RCMP and - in the FBI. With these people at your fingertips - the world - is your oyster," she said handing a printout to the prince.
"This shit looks legit," she muttered in modest disbelief.
"What have we to gain by bullshitting you at this stage in the game? Clan Ventrue may have ambition and hunger - but no more so than any other clan that resides in your city. Are we asking for your trust? In time - perhaps. Are we asking for a chance to represent the interests of our clan at your table - most assuredly. We understand - that - there will be times when our clans will be at odds. But we also understand - that - we have more to gain - as do you - should the Ventrue be allowed to return," she stated seriously.
"You were setting this up before you left my place," Man Basher remarked.
"It takes time to put something of - quality - together. As I said - a few more minutes of touch ups and - this would have been acceptable," Tamina stated. Man Basher blinked and shook her head.
"How much more could you have done in a few minutes?" she asked seriously.
"For one - I had hoped I would have enough time to procure a - hot shipment of Harley Davidson products. I - heard that you like to ride," she explained. Man Basher quietly laughed as she shook her head.
"When you blue bloods kiss ass - you really apply the suction," the prince remarked.
"We - are proud - but - we know when mistakes are made and understand when restitution needs to be doled out. Banks - he got throat aggressive. He got greedy - and it cost him - and the clan - billions. The clan is unwilling to make that kind of mistake again," she reassured.
"I was so - looking forward to humiliating and degrading you," the prince muttered to herself. Tamina smiled as Man Basher slowly got up. "How long - would it take for these people to - grease - my machine as the saying goes?" she asked seriously.
"You tell me when you want to start it up - I put in a call to the clan - they delete those names from the rolodex and feed you the necessary stories to - sell them on why you are to be taken seriously," she answered calmly.
"Damn it. You and your clan - are on probation in my city. If I feel that you people are trying to fuck me - you will pray that you never - ever - heard of my city,' she warned seriously. Tamina smiled happily as she bowed.
"You will not regret this," she reassured.
"Oh - as you are the one that - made all this possible Tamina - you will be Primogen of your clan in my city. You - will answer to me. Axis - he let his guard down," she began as she looked over at Calloway. "That - will not happen with me," she warned.
"Understood," Calloway replied.
"I understand," Tamina added.
"I want all of the hardcopies of everything sent to the Royal Palace by the end of the night - and - please - take a bath or something. You people fucking reek," Man Basher concluded as she left the room - slamming the door behind her.
"We did it," Tamina said in modest disbelief.
"What is this we?" Calloway replied.
"I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for you. You have my gratitude and gratitude of clan Ventrue. As promised - the price stated to Snake will be paid in full by the time agreed. You - I owe a boon to. And know that I always repay my debts," she reassured as she stretched her limbs out.
"You hungry?" Calloway asked.
"Famished," she admitted.
"I noticed a park not to far from here - lots of skaters," he pointed out.
"That will be the second place I go then," she replied.
"Second?" he asked.
"First off - I am going to a hotel - and taking a nice bath. I haven't had time since this whole ugly affair started. Had I a sense of smell I am sure I would be nauseous by now," she said with a smirk.
"Until we meet again," he said politely as he bowed to her.
"Where will you go?" she asked curiously.
"I am going to get something to eat - clean up - and see what this fine city has to offer," he concluded as the two left the room and then went their separate ways.
The End?
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