On a cold night in New York [Tag: all]
A.J. Venter
Martin Bailey paid the cabby and hopped out. He didn't recognize the
street, an unusual event for somebody who had been an NYPD beat cop.
There weren't many streets he haven't walked down before. He saw the
number on the building to which Jethro had summoned him, and walked
through the open front door. The building gave every appearance of
being abandoned. Interesting choice of meeting ground, but in an
obscure way, so very Jethro Sullivan. That said, this was much of
Manhatten now. Half a century ago it had been the heart of New York,
but like all cities, New York had changed - and Manhatten was now
almost a forsaken ghost town in the midst of the islanded metropolis.
Following the directions he'd been given he climbed the stairs to the
third floor, past the low throbbing of a silenced electric generator,
down a hallway to what had once been a boardroom. A few camp chairs
were set up with a number of people sitting in them. He recognized a
few faces, and saw some new ones as well. In front of them stood
Jethro Sullivan.
"Why you done call us all out here in the middle of the night then
sucka ?" he asked in his usual gruff manner.
"Aaah Martin, the last person we were expecting" Jethro replied with a
smile, "please take a seat my friend, and I'll explain everything."
Martin sat down on one of the camp chairs, which audibly groaned under
his bulk, his expression daring anybody to comment or say anything.
The teenaged looking lycan looked at him with eyes that were clearly
about to make fun of him, but something about his massive fore-arms
silenced the kid.
Jethro took out his mobile computer. A decide roughly the size of a
cellphone but several times more powerful than early desktop or laptop
computers. He set it down on a small table and, detecting it was put
down, a small built in projector threw a three-dimensional image above
it, instantly extending the work space to a massive display area. A
projected keyboard in front of it, and a laser sensor to detect
handmovement and convert them into button-presses or pointer-actions
completed the modern day version of personal computation.
Coincidentally, it could also make phone calls. It was also about 3
years old and a bit behind the latest technology which several of the
visitors had. Vampires tended not to be so quick to discard older
things.
Jethro moved windows around in the display by waving his hand at them
and then opened a file. A new image appeared, three dimensionally
photographed it showed an office in a very upper-class corporation.
The kind with potted plants and a corner window. A body lay on the
floor in front of an ornate oak desk, it was headless but the eye soon
spotted the head about three feet away where it had rolled against the
legs of the desk. There was a massive amount of blood in the picture -
it had sprayed over everything.
"This is the head office of the SDF Insurance company in Sao Paulo,
Brazil. The man on the floor is the former CEO Roberto De Lula. He is
also a vampire, and one of the most visible representatives of the
vampire community in that country. He had tremendous power and
influence."
Jethro hit a button and the scene changed. Another office, this one
built in an older style, white walls with old-style patterning in the
plaster and large wooden-framed windows. Another corpse, beheaded like
the last one.
"This is the office of Juan De Franco, first supernatural mayor of
Buenos Ayres mist De Franco was a lycan. Argentina is of course a
border country of Brazil and the two nations have a very long history
of competitiveness ... which goes rather beyond soccer."
He clicked the next button.
This office was made of brown sandstone, the ocean could be seen
lapping through the large window. A dark-skinned man lay dead on the
floor, yet another beheading.
"This one is Jesus Del Gado, a very wealthy hotel owner from Fortaleza
on the Northern coast of Brazil, human."
Jethro rapidly switched between several more crime scenes.
"I'll send you all the file - you can study it at your leisure, but
there has been a series of such murders around the world, all in the
past two months. Each time targeting the three most civilly
influential people in the region. Each time a lycan, a human and a
vampire. So far they've hit South America, Central Africa and Asia.
That leaves Western Europe, the Balkans, North America and the
Australian Pacific as major possible next targets. By itself this is
disconcerting, but it would be just a case for the police. Except I
believe this is more than just a serial killer with a lot of frequent
flyer miles. I think somebody is hoping to keep the pattern hidden
-the police certainly haven't spotted it. Somebody wants lycans and
vampires and humans angry with each other, wants the murders to look
like reprisals or attacks... somebody wants to restart the wars. I
spent 300 years working to end the stupid war between our races... I
am not about to see it restarted. That's why I called you here. Each
of you is hand-picked, you have skills that I believe would be vital
in finding whoever is responsible and bringing them to justice...
fast. If needed, kill them... but do it soon... a few more hits and
somewhere it's bound to trigger protests, then it won't take much more
fuel on that fire to start a full-scale war, which will spread
rapidly."
Jethro looked at them intently. "I have a significant amount of
wealth, and I will fund an effort to stop this - including a decent
reimbursement to you all, but I cannot be directly involved... I am
too well known, I would blow your cover before you can get close."
Bailey spoke up: "This is pretty screwed up boss... but where do we
even start ? The places they may go next is half the damn planet
fool."
"I have two more things to share. Firstly there is this:". The image
changed to a close-up of the desk in the first office they'd seen, a
deep slice had been cut in the wood. "There are similar cuts found at
several of the crime scenes, I've matched them to a likely source...
and this is the bit where it gets bad. The weapon I believe made those
cuts is unique in the world. Only one man uses such a weapon. In all
likelihood, only he ever could.... I can hardly believe it's
possible... but we really only have one suspect."
Jethro sighed, then pressed the next button again. The image before
them was familiar to some. Almost a cliche, the man in the black
trench-coat with the wide fedora hat. All in black. The long black
hair and dark eyes.
"This vampire is Morganis Johnson... the weapon marks at the crime
scenes most closely resemble his weapon of choice. A silver-edged
titanium disk he spins and controls with telekineses. Johnson is very,
very dangerous. I find it hard to believe he would be a suspect - he's
a former guardian, under my command, and he was one of the heroes of
the last night of blood... but he's the only one I've ever heard off
who it could be. That makes him our only lead."
Jethro gave another sad sigh. "And then there is this." the picture
changed again, "a teleport-ticket-stub found at the last murder site
in Johannesburg. Most likely dropped by the murderer. It's for a
return ticket, paid cash, to London. The traveler was never caught on
camera, and police have since confirmed that his passport was faked.
But it makes London the location of our most likely next hit. I hope
you all brought your passports as I requested. If you choose to
accept, I have a teleport-station ticket for each of you. You'll be in
London in half an hour's time."
Jethro looked up at the small group of people in front of him. "I'll
be in contact with you by phone throughout, but if you choose to help
here, I cannot go with you. There is only one question left... who is
staying and who is going ?"
"Course I'm going sucka" responded Bailey, and then looked expectantly
at the others.
[TAG]
queenortart
He sat for a second, ran his hand over his chin thinking for a moment, then stood and pushed up the sleeves of his jumper to his elbows establishing his state of readiness.
"It's been a lot time since I did any wet work Jethro but aye, I'm in." His Scottish accent has been tempered over the years, but flows beneath his words like a burn through peat.
--
"Perfection is our goal. Excellence will be tolerated."
Caryn Alexander
"As you know, my loyalty to you is unquestionable and I will do anything that you require of me. My only concern is for my own safety within this group. If I am to work to the best of my capabilities, I need to know that I can trust this group with anything, and especially not to have one of them stab me in the back whilest my attention is focused on this work."
She flexed her fingers several times.
"Do these others know what I am? Can they accept it? Work with it? Assure me of that Jethro, and I promise we will get to the bottom of this."
A.J. Venter
your back. Any sucka wanna get to you, he'll have to go through me...
and I pity the fool who tries."
Jethro looked around the room. "I would trust these people with my own
life, I'm trusting them with the safety of the world Joslin, I think
you're in good hands. " he said softly to her, then to room at large
he said sternly: "If anybody has a problem working with a hybrid...
leave now. "
Nita
queenortart
"Lass I doubt you'll find anyone of us here who doesn't have a chip on their shoulder about what they are and where they've come from. Speaking personally I have no plans to stab you in the back. Stabbing people in the front is the much more honourable way."
Caryn Alexander
"Forgive my terseness," she said softly. "I am simply unused to such acceptance. Most factions mistrust me, which makes it hard to form allies, let alone friendships. I look forward to working with you all."