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| Chapter Four: Face to Face | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All eyes were glued to the three assassins that were standing before the prince. Calloway kept his eyes on the two Assamites and could tell just by the look that was reflected back that they were on the same level - the same page as he was. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I take it that you people know each other?" Man Basher sarcastically asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know them well enough," Calloway replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I feel as though I have known him forever," Seal added with a friendly smile. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You girls going to be able to play nice? Or will we have to send you three to the time out room?" Man Basher asked. Gregory quietly laughed as he turned his attention to the prince. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This is your gathering my prince. It would be a - social faux-pas to start anything here," he rebutted. Man Basher quietly laughed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Look - I knew you fucking hired guns were on your way here," she began. She snapped her fingers. Instantly dozen's of weapons were drawn and aimed at them. "So - here is how it is played out - here - in Eco," she began as she cleared her throat. "Rule one - no one hunts here - save - unless I allow it. Rule two - I don't fucking care - how well placed you think those charges could be placed honey - you won't take me out of my element like that," she continued as she walked over and stared Seal in the eye. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Whatever do you mean?" she asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She had a scout on the roof. Clever," Gregory stated. The prince smirked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I chose this place because - I knew where you people would go first. Don't think I am some dumb fucking biker slut. That is just a show I put on for the boys!" she called out as the Brujah cheered. "And when some prissy little assassin wiggles her ass into my yard and starts puking out how she is all that - oh honey - you have a lot to learn," she added - patting her on the cheek. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She is schooled in many arts - my prince - the social jungle is not among them. Her faults are mine. I am not sire to her - but I am liable for Accounting," Gregory stated calmly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How nice. Rule three - I don't care - how many acts you have done in the service of blah, blah, blah. All that shit - means jack here," she said as she looked over at Calloway - who was still glaring at Seal. "Calloway?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Problem?" he asked seriously - not moving his gaze. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm over here," she stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is a proverb - take your eyes from the serpent coiled at your foot - do not be surprised when it is bitten," Calloway replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They try anything they will be getting it one hundred and fifty ways plus sideways - over - here," she repeated. Calloway turned to face the prince - keeping the assassin within his range of sight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Although - this is by no means an Elysium - I still expect a certain amount of decorum and civility - ick - I'm starting to sound like a fucking Ventrue," she muttered as she belched. "Better. So long as you three - are in this place - you are bound by my law - my rule. Fuck with me - and I will find a huge rusty piece of pipe - and - well - use your imagination," she stated seriously as she walked between the three assassins to resume her other duties as prince. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Care to step outside - as the saying goes?" Calloway asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have issues with us?" Gregory asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know why you are here - and I know what you did to my haven," he replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We knocked - but you weren't home," Seal said as she studied every inch of the Setite assassin's body. "You must be a handsome," she began as she reached towards his chest. Before her hand could touch his dagger was drawn and was to her neck. "Don't like girls?" she asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You will have to pardon her," Gregory began as he slowly pulled Seal back. "She tends to be a tad playful - more so than she should," he stated as he scowled at her. "Keep focused," he muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know what you cutthroats are capable of honey - so keep your hands and everything else you got to yourself. You girls get paid in advance?' Calloway asked curiously. Gregory smiled. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Half is issued in advance - the balance upon completion. Just - to cover travel, expenses and the likes. Nothing is free after all," Gregory replied politely. Calloway smirked as he put his weapon away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well then - if I were the pair of you - I would be living it up. People that walk in my shadow - people that walk in my madness - people that stand before the almighty will of Set!" Calloway began as his voice raised - then stopped as he calmed. "Rarely - ever - live long enough to speak of the experience," he concluded with a sadistic smile. Seal smiled at him as she held onto Gregory's arm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How quaint - you mean - that - there have been some that have challenged Set by challenging you that - still live? How intriguing - we have never had such a problem," she remarked. Calloway quietly laughed and shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Every now and so often - one will come. And through one reason - be it the grand design of Set - the greater good or what have you - one or two may - survive - long enough to contemplate the errors of his - or her ways. Note - that no one that crosses me - that crosses Snake - or the will of Set - ever - does so unscathed," he rebutted seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I bet you have many stories of past missions and assignments," Gregory began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Many actually," he replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "As we will be here for a while - care to swap stories? It is a - weakness of mine. When I am in the presence of someone so close to being my peer - it calls to me," he asked. Calloway moved his neck to the side cracking several bones in his neck. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You want to talk shop - tell me who sent you here?" he rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That - is classified information," Seal replied seriously. Gregory smiled and nodded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My partner is quite correct. You should know better than to ask such a question. We are cut from the same cloth and rest on the very same page. In another place and time - we might have been on the same side," Gregory stated calmly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Your cause is not mine. Mine is one that will serve the greater good - not one of petty ambition," he rebutted seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black," Seal stated as she watched a topless biker walk by. "I like the dress code," she said. The biker looked over his shoulder at the assassin and smiled. "I've seen enough. Is there cause for us to remain?" she asked curiously. Gregory looked over at Calloway and smiled. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - our business here is - concluded," he said as he leaned forward. "I look forward to playing this game of cat and mouse with you serpent. I look forward to seeing - which of us - will end up being the mouse," he whispered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you don't know - you already know the answer," Calloway replied confidently. Gregory smiled as he bowed to Calloway. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well said. As boorish - as it may be - I am afraid that we must depart. In the spirit - of facing one of your caliber - I will extend to you this courtesy. Our hunt - will begin tomorrow. We give you one night to make peace with your god - or prepare for a battle the likes of which - you have never - encountered," Gregory stated seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How noble," Calloway stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do not make light of this gift. Few - to none have proved worthy of such a window. In all my time - in all the years of service to the clan - only three times in as many centuries - have any merited the attention you will receive from us," he reassured. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Centuries - good to know," Calloway remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "See how he picks the words out? It is the mark - of a true professional. To know - who you face - to know his power - his weakness. This - will be glorious," Gregory almost hissed - breathing in deeply and exhaling. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tomorrow serpent - we will look forward - to seeing you - one - last - time," Seal concluded as she and Gregory vanished into the crowd. Calloway studied the two until they vanished and then shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They that good?" a voice asked. He twitched and looked over his shoulder and saw Luther standing inches away from him. "Shit - someone is in the zone," he mused. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What do you want?" he asked coldly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Right now - nothing. I have heard of those two. You know - I don't know who - you pissed off to merit them - but never was there a boot more deserving. You know something - I haven't felt this good - in almost fifty years. Soon - you murdering back stabbing snake in the grass - no pun intended - justice - true justice will be served. Think about that as you enjoy - the last night of your unnatural life," Luther concluded as he faded away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway looked around at the crowd and shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He knew that these two Assamites were nothing like the game he had hunted before. These people were highly skilled and trained killers. For the first time in many years - since his embrace so long ago - he was both hunter and the hunted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He looked around to see if he could spot possible people who might have called them in. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To one side of the gathering he saw a handful of Malkavians that he had seen in his visit to the hospital - their Primogen - was surprisingly absent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To the other side of the mob - and mingling and socializing - he saw many of Grater's unclean crew. But like the case before - the Primogen was absent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He then looked around where he was - the place he had seen the prince's harpy - but like he noticed before - he booked early in. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Who?" he muttered to himself as he scanned the crowd - hoping to spot something that might label the person in question. "Is the person here - or - or could she have been right?" he added - remembering Tanya's warning. "No - it has to be someone local," he rationalized as he shook the notion of Snake setting him up like that from his head. "The game is about to begin - time to find my place on the board," he concluded as he hopped from where he was standing and disappeared into the crowd. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||