Welcome to Los Angeles, the land where nightmares dwell, the place where the only hope to keeping those that bump in the night are the brave few, the Chosen.

Celestine casually drove by 8653 Norman Boulevard in Studio City. The place didn't look anything like she expected. These Black Hand boys like their hotel suites five star and their room service gourmet. What was before her was a crumbling ruin with a giant sign over the rotting rot iron gates proclaiming the property Condemned By the City of Studio City and the County of Los Angeles. Celestine rounded the corner and drove three more blocks away before parking in a driveway and getting out. She slowly walked down the alley behind the crumbling apartment building and took a deep breath this was it. They catch her she is dead, if not but Dante finds out what she is up to she is equally dead but if not the Chosen hunt her down and kill her after the Black Hand kills all the Chosen in the city. This was the only option that at least she played a part in her own death.
Celestine carefully leapt over the wall and landed with a soft thud on the hard dry ground of the backyard. The entire backyard was just dirt, any grass or vegetation that lived her once had long since turned to dust. Celestine snuck across the dirt field to the building. She peered in through the window, there were four of the Black Hand cleaning their huge array of weapons in the living room, they had enough guns to take over most of LA, they wouldn't be an easy bunch to take down. Celestine carefully found good footing and crawled up to the second level and crawled up on a balcony. She froze when she realized that the balcony she'd crawled up on was the balcony of one of the bedrooms. She looked at the four more Black Hand that were asleep in the room. They looked strange, they were really fast asleep. Celestine carefully slipped in through the open balcony doors and made her way quietly through the room. It really didn't matter, she probably could have ran through with empty soda cans tied to her heels and it wouldn't have made any of them stir.
She exited the room and slipped across the hall into the study. No computer anywhere just a large ledger style book, these Black Hand guys are certainly old school. Celestine walked over and carefully opened the ledger. Inside written in some of the most beautiful handwriting Celestine had seen was an intricate plan, they'd obtained the names of the principle Chosen members from Orange County, Chinatown, and LA, which including Ebenezer and Maresa's names. They were planning to kill both of them first, this was insane, no way would Dante have agreed to this plan. Celestine flipped forward through the ledger, they were planning to kill them in two days by striking the house at night. Celestine flipped towards the back of the book, Giovanni was keeping careful track of the days events in a diary. According to the entries they hadn't received their supply of blood for a couple of days, apparently their supplier ran off. That explains the heavy sleep, they're saving up for the attack. Celestine closed the ledger and started for the door. She heard voices and footsteps coming down the hallway on the old warped boards creaking and groaning with each step. Celestine raced for the window and was barely able to slip out the window as the study door opened.
Giovanni and some huge ape Celestine had never seen before walked in. " Remember when we strike Chillton manor we have to subdue both of them quickly they are extremely powerful" said Giovanni, " we'll have to use the Thaumic Pendants on both of them, Dante wants them to suffer for as long as possible."
" What about the woman?" grumbled the ape.
" We rape her of course, Dante wants her to suffer the most" said Giovanni, " I've seen the pictures Devlin had on file, she will be a pleasure to torture."
Giovanni went into preaching mode, " Once we cut the head off the Chosen killing the rest will be simple" he said, " take out the LA group, the Chinatown group and then the Orange county group. We'll present their heads to Dante, then he says he wants us to stay apparently he wants to start cleaning house of most of his inner circle."
" Them?" asked the ape, " I didn't see any problems?"
" Dante has plans and he sees his inner circle as an obstacle" said Giovanni, " I don't know what but he is going to be one powerful Lord after that. It will be best to stay around, who knows we could open the first North American branch of the Hand."
" Imagine the wealth that it would bring us" said the ape.
The pair laughed, outside Celestine hung to the windowsill on her finger tips. She carefully dropped to the ground. Upon landing Celestine's left foot slipped on a rock in the dry yard and she landed on the side of her foot with a wet crunch. Celestine felt her fangs stab into her lip as she tried not to scream. She leapt over the adobe wall that surrounded the building and ran for her car the near blinding pain in her foot not slowing her at all.

Maresa was enjoying her afternoon tea on the balcony that looked out at Los Angeles when she sensed a host of strange feeling from a good friend. " What is wrong?" asked Maresa looking over at Celestine who was gently limping over.
Celestine flopped down in the chair next to Maresa, " 8653 Norman Boulevard in Studio City" said Celestine, " that is where the Black Hand are."
Maresa almost dropped her cup, never once had Celestine done this. It was about the biggest violation a vampire could do, if anyone found out it would probably take years for Celestine to die. " Why?" asked Maresa, still trying to wrap her mind around what Celestine just said.
" I owe you" said Celestine, " you should have just left me in that ditch in the desert to slowly turn to dust. You took me in and saved my life. It will take a thousand years for me to repay this debt."
" There is something else" said Maresa, " I can read minds you know."
" They're planning on kill you" said Celestine, " using Thaumic Pendants on you and your father."
Maresa knew what a Thaumic Pendant would do to her, it would turn her power against her any spell she'd cast would have the opposite effect and all the while would slowly leech all her magical power from her. Maresa shivered in the 110 degree heat, " I could never let that happen for both our people" said Celestine, " Dante doesn't understand your type like I do. If they even attempted this I know they would send an army here and like London in 1905 they would wipe all of us out. I hope you will keep how you got this information a secret, for appearance sake."
" Of course" said Maresa, " come here, you broke your ankle.
Celestine gently lifted her leg, her ankle was swollen to the size of a soft ball and red as a bald man's corvette. Maresa gently laid her cool hand on her ankle and Celestine felt that amazingly soothing tingle spread across her.
Celestine was back there again, the Satan's Stormtroopers had just tossed her in that ditch. They'd been beating on her for almost two days, stripped and tied to a meat hook like a sick punching bag. They didn't want her to know about their meth deals with other biker gangs. Vampire were forbidden to deal drugs, it was too visible and increased the odds of mortals finding out. Celestine couldn't move, she'd taken too much damage. It would still take several days to die as she starved to death. She had made her peace with whatever was on the other side of the veil when someone picked her up. Celestine's eyes were still swollen shut but she felt herself being placed in the soft backseat of a nice smelling car. She would spend weeks in a small room being fed the freshest virgin blood she'd ever drank. She was in and out of consciousness so she had no clue who or what had saved her or why. After two weeks she finally learned who it was and it was the biggest shock of her 500 years of unlife.
Maresa took her hand off Celestine's ankle, " You're keeping me firmly in debt" said Celestine.
" There is no debt between friends" said Maresa, " you better hurry, my father is about and I'm not sure what he would think."
" Afterwards let's talk" said Celestine.
Maresa nodded and Celestine disappeared.

Looking out of his second floor library Ebenezer watched as Celestine Blanchard left. His daughter was good at keeping secrets from almost everyone except him. He was glad Maresa had such a big heart, that seemingly endless kindness had just saved the lives of many people. Ebenezer watched as Maresa headed inside and he made his way to his study just in time for her to enter. " We got some information about the Black Hand" said Maresa.
" What is that?" asked Ebenezer, 800 years had taught him how lie with the best of them.
" 8653 Norman Boulevard in Studio City" said Maresa, " that is where they all are."
" Excellent" said Ebenezer, " call Malcolm, Azuza, and Stacy inform them to be here at 4 for a meeting."
" No problem" said Maresa.

By 3:40 all three where standing in Ebenezer's study looking at a floor plan of a building. " What am I doing here?" asked Stacy Collins, the leader of the Orange County Chosen group, as she twirled her blond hair around her index finger.
" Maybe they'll transfer you to San Diego so you'll be out of our hair" said Azuza.
Before Stacy could reply Ebenezer and Maresa walked in. " We've found where the Black Hand is hiding" said Ebenezer, " this is the layout of the building. Due to events out of our control we will have to hit them tonight."
" Tonight?" asked Malcolm, " are you sure we'll be ready."
" Ready or not we have no choice" said Maresa, " the Black Hand is going to attack in two days and currently they're blood supply is low so we have the advantage if we wait until tomorrow they could get resupplied and our advantage will be lost."
" Even with the supply low they are going to be a dangerous foe" said Ebenezer, " that is why I'm calling in all three groups on this one. None of them can escape."
" Okay" said Malcolm, " lets meet in the parking lot of this bar at 11, at midnight we'll strike. One team in the front, one team in the back, the third surrounding the building to ensure nobody goes out a window."
" We'll take the back" said Azuza.
" You'll surround the building" said Malcolm.
" I'm going to argue you fools can go in and get yourselves killed that is fine by me" said Stacy.
" We don't have much time, I'll see you two at 11" said Malcolm.

Jenna walked into her home, she was hot, slimy and exhausted. She'd spent the day poking around Malibu looking for Chris Fontain with no luck. Nobody recognized Chris' mug shot, the people of Malibu were a tight lipped bunch. After four hours of getting strange looks and slowly boiling in the hot sun. Jenna plucked her cell phone out of her pants. She dialed Charity's work number. " Black Box, Computer Supply and Salvage" came Charity's voice.
" Hi" said Jenna.
" Hello Detective" said Charity, " how was your day?"
" Long and hot" said Jenna, " you busy tonight?"
" Unfortunately I am" said Charity, " should be free tomorrow?"
" Tomorrow sounds good" said Jenna, " looks like it is going to rain, maybe this will break the horrible heat."
" I don't mind this weather" said Charity, " gives me an excuse not to wear clothes to bed."
" Then you won't need to pack much to spend the weekend with me" said Jenna.
" Certainly not" said Charity, " I look forward to it, if you'll excuse me I have customers coming in."
" I'll see you on Friday" said Jenna before she hung up.

Charity hung up and watched as Malcolm, Ophelia, Jack, and John walked in. Jack went straight through the door marked keep out and began hauling out the best weapons, and placing them on the large table. " We find out where the Hand is?" asked Charity.
" Studio City" said Ophelia, " we're going out to give them a house warming gift."
" What about me?" asked Charity.
" What about you?" asked John.
" Give me a gun, I know I can do it" said Charity, " you'll need all the warm bodies you can muster if these guys are really as dangerous as you say they are."
" Can you shoot a rifle?" asked Jack.
" Sure, deep breath and squeeze" said Charity.
Jack tossed her a large sniper rifle, " I have been tinkering with a new type of scope, have a look" he said.
Charity lifted the rifle and looked through the scope, " It looks like an ordinary scope to me" said Charity.
" Now can you see a red dot?" asked Jack.
Jack held up a small little black box in his hand, " Yah, I can see it" said Charity.
" Good, hopefully if this place is as decrepit as they say it is you should be able to shoot through walls with this" he said.
" We ready to go?" asked Ophelia.
" Let's go" said Malcolm, " when we're done with this I'll put us all in for a week of vacation."
The gathered their weapons and climbed into Malcolm and John's cars. They started to drive towards Studio City as flickers of lightning lit up the sky in the west.

Drusilla was enjoying a quiet evening in her quarters at the church. The others that shared these Spartan rooms were in Nevada undergoing training after their first and last debacle Mathew had decided to put the men to more training. This was quite all right with Drusilla it gave her some quiet time leaving the entire place to herself. She and Domino were looking out the window at the approaching storm roll in from the ocean. The approaching rain was a wonderful sign that hopefully this terrible heat would break. Drusilla heard Domino sudden meow and a tingle race down her spine. She spun around and saw the woman she'd met in the tea shop earlier. " What are you doing here?" asked Drusilla.
" I have come to give you a little piece of news" she replied, " I knocked but found no one was here."
" They're out of town for the week" said Drusilla, " what is the news you wish to give to me?"
" I have a bit of news about something of interest to both of us" said Maresa, " you'll find them at 8653 Norman Boulevard in Studio City. But keep the whereabouts of this information under your hat."
" Why are you giving me this?" asked Drusilla, " we aren't allies."
" I choose my own allies" said Maresa, " I know how you feel, your gifts make you alone even in a crowd. I know the politics of the church are not yours."
" I thank you for this information" said Drusilla, " I shall act upon this information."
" I would recommend acting upon it tonight" said Maresa, " you shall assistance."
Drusilla nodded, " I understand" she said.
Maresa gave a slight bow and exited the room. " Looks like I'm going to busy tonight" said Drusilla, opening her dresser, " hopefully I will be back to feed you tomorrow."
Domino meowed in replied as if to give her a vote of confidence. " You're probably right" said Drusilla slipped her small throwing knives into her coat, " I'll be fine."
Drusilla slipped her coat on and kissed her large silver cross, she'd need all the luck she could muster tonight.