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| Hunter and the Hunted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part One: Professionals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warzone - midnight. Two cloaked figures stood and watched as the water tower haven of Calloway burned. Although a small part of the duo - did - hope that he was inside and that he would attempt to escape - they were a tad more realistic than that. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How long ago do you think he abandoned this haven?" one asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hard to say - but if I had to hazard a guess - I would say a couple of days - no longer," the other stated. The two tensed up as they realized that they were being watched. "I have a feeling - that - whoever is watching us - is not our mouse," she stated - lowering her hood. Her face was young looking and bore a foreign looking tattoo. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No doubt locals attracted like moths to the flame," her partner replied as he lowered his hood. He appeared to be older and had the identical tattoo - only on the opposite side of his face. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slowly the two turned around and smiled politely to the local anarchs that had been attracted by their actions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - well. What have we here?" one asked as he stepped forward and began to walk around the girl. "You look good enough to eat," he said baring his fangs at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I never tire of compliments," she admitted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You two - special people are - trespassing," the anarch circling her remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My apologies kind sir. I was unaware that this domain was yours," she said eloquently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh my - listen to her. Apologies - domain. How prim and proper of you miss - miss?" the anarch mocked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am known as Seal," she introduced. The anarch and several others laughed. "My - sire had a sense of humor. It is a trait I inherited from him - with his tolerance," she added with a tender smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh my - if she is Seal - you would be who? The walrus?" he mocked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - I am known as Gregory. I owed a boon to her sire. My being here is at his bequest. Although - why is beyond me. She is more than capable of - dealing with matters on her own," he replied diplomatically. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "These two are a long way from home," the anarch remarked as he patted Gregory on the shoulder. "Can I call you Gregie?" he asked mockingly. Gregory smiled and quietly laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I suppose," he replied in a friendly manner. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Gregie - Seal - what we have here - is a potentially volatile situation," he explained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Indeed? Do tell?" Seal requested. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You see - me - I am an easy going sort of guy. But my friends - well - they are an unruly bunch," he began as he put his arm around her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh dear - you don't say," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yeah - so if - you people - didn't do as I said - well - they might act up and things - well - they could get ugly for the two of you - if you know what I mean," he began as his hand slid down to her breast. She looked down and smirked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I believe I understand - all too well kind sir," she said politely. Before he could even think of doing anything more to the seemingly passive girl. She moved! Her hand shot up and gripped his wrist. Using a pressure point on his arm she maneuvered herself so that she was behind him with his arm pinned painfully behind his back. He was about to speak when he felt a sharp wire digging into his neck. "You like - playing rough?" she whispered in his ear - giving it a lick. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - never said that," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Of course not honey," she began - tightening the snare wire around his throat - causing it to bleed a bit. "I - am betting that you are a very smart little anarch. Someone as - unclean as you could clearly not be under a Brujah prince," she added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm an anarch," he piped in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I gathered that much. So - if you are from the local parts - you must see and hear stuff that - other people might take for granted?" she began. He looked over to where his friends were and turned pale. All of them were dead - in their place stood Gregory. She placed a finger on his chin and tilted it to the side so that he was looking at her. "I'm over here honey," she reminded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hard to forget," he muttered. The wire contracted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I was not joking when I said I inherited my sire's tolerance. He had none - and neither do I. As you seem to have such an interest in me - I decided to save you. Please - don't make me feel foolish for choosing wrong," she added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Would - never do that," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You won't disappoint me right?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh no," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good - my friend and I - we are - seeking an - acquaintance of ours. We believed him to be here - but as our luck had it - he moved on. Now - as good fortune had it - enter you - a knowledgeable - wise kindred of the slums - with his nose to the street," she whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh yeah - that's me - could - you loosen that wire a touch?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't fuck with me honey. You are in no position to bargain - speak - think - or do anything that I don't deem necessary. To be honest - I know exactly how much tighter I can make this go without killing you. Now - do you want me to demonstrate - or do you want to indulge me?" she asked as Gregory walked over and stood before the trapped kindred. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I would be really quick to tell her what she wants to know. I watched as she played with prey before. It took the poor bastard almost a week to die," he stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hey - ask around guys! I'm the poster child for cooperating! No one bends quite like I do," the anarch reassured. Seal quietly laughed as she traced her finger under his chin. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Such a good puppy. You know - you are kind of cute - in a stinky - pathetic sort of way. If you were bathed - and properly attired - you might be quite useful to me," she mused as she moved her mouth close to his ear. "My friend and I - we are seeking a kindred - one that was recently here. You know - who I am talking about?" she whispered to him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Here? I didn't know there was," he began as the wire tightened more - blood began to ooze down his neck. "Oh - oh yeah! Him - that fucker is bad news," he said in a mild panic. Seal quietly laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And what am I? A pretty whore?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh no - not that," he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tell me his name - so that I know - we are on the same page," she whispered. Before he could speak - Gregory reached over and grabbed his throat. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Lie - and it will be the last thing you ever do," he warned. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Some snake guy - Calloway - yeah that was it," he stammered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The source was right - he was here," she said with a smile. "When was the last time he was seen?" she asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know the exact date - ah - last I heard he was deep in Tremere territory. No one has seen the snake since," he replied sincerely. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "When about - was that?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A - a week ago - give or take - I don't know anything else," he exclaimed. He heard a snapping noise and felt himself falling to the ground. He gasped and panted and was relieved to find that his head was still very much attached to his shoulders. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That would fit with what we heard," Gregory stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Whatever he did for the Tremere left him weak. So much so that he went underground," she added seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Underground? You mean that he is still alive?' the bleeding anarch asked. The two looked down at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know more?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Rumor has it that snake boy didn't survive - that's what the local rats are saying anyway," he said holding his neck. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They saw his body? They - felt his ashes?" Gregory asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - no," the anarch replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Rumors - probably started by Calloway," Seal rationalized. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What better way to keep people from trying to take advantage of his weakened situation. You are sharper than your sire gives credit for," Gregory added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "All of this happened - roughly a week ago?" she asked the calmer looking anarch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "More less," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Whatever he faced - he survived - and by now has healed. He may even know we are coming," she stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What would that change?" Gregory asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The approach - not the job. Should we speak with the prince?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not yet. Let us do just a little more legwork. Our mouse might turn up. If so - politics would be moot," he began as he squatted down and smiled at the anarch. "What about our little pigeon here? He a threat to us?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't think he would - say anything about any of this - right?" she asked as she looked at a wire that was dripping with his blood. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Say what?" he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Intelligence in an anarch - who says you can't teach a dumb dog a new trick," Gregory mused. The anarch quietly laughed. The laughter was cut short when his heal lolled from his shoulders and rolled along the ground. Gregory looked up and saw Seal holding a short serrated blade. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Trusting that someone will stay silent - is far different - than knowing," she stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know his lessons well," he said as he got up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I do what I can," she replied politely. "So where do we go from here?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Eco is a big - place. Now - before we encounter our prey," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Scout the territory," she completed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Exactly. Come - the night is young - and there is much to do," he concluded as they made their way through the Warzone - towards the city of Eco. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||