Sunday, April 2, 2000 1:00 AM - Behind Hilton TowersJimmy slams his fist into the wall of the dark alleyway, again. The small cracks and fissures in the mortar and brick widen under the blow. Toughened in his undeath, his knuckles do not split and bleed. He does not feel the pain of the blow. He wants to feel the pain. He should have seen it coming. The night started well; a pleasant exchange with Dr. Thomas, an introduction to the enigmatic Aoife. Jimmy didn't understand why the woman rated the protection of Siobhan, but the red-headed mage clearly kept a close watch on her charge. He smiles, remembering how she had flashed him a sign, "I've got your back" during the fashion show. They could not watch each other all night. Dr. Thomas left the event just after the catwalk promenade. He couldn't have seen it then. After weeks of staying steps ahead to the Technocracy, The Union had taken the lead tonight, forcing a meeting during the evening's festivities. They had seemed cordial enough, and Jimmy found himself a bit impressed by the diminutive Dr. Hernandez and her entourage. She seemed genuinely concerned about the city and her people, and did agree to a moratorium on mage "recruitment." Jimmy bristled at the thought of turning over one of their own. She made quite a demand, the murderer of some mortal nurse for her continued cooperation. It would be different if he knew for sure who had killed that nurse during the otherwise successful raid on a mental hospital. It would be different if the lead suspect were not the childe of the Seneschal of Milwaukee. Jimmy strikes the brick wall again. He couldn't have seen it then… …No, not during the pleasant post show cocktails in the penthouse. Alex smoothly connected with the other art aficionados and the few other Toreadors in attendance. Had blood still flowed to those regions, the young blonde who paid so much attention to Simon would have inspired jealousy, or at least an erection. He could not have cared less for the pretty boy angling to take Alex's rumpled assistant Jonathan, home. Still, the man deserved some comfort tonight. For all the pleasantries, Jimmy did not resent the rather early departure from the party. "Good evening Mr. Randall…" He should have seen it then, when the Latin elevator boy used a proper name for the first time all night. Jimmy lifts his fist to strike the wall again. He should have heard the tell-tale signs of attackers on the roof of the small car. He lowers his fist, opening his jacket, and fingering a small hole in his jacket made when a bullet uselessly impacted against his chest. He should have seen it then, when the elevator stopped during its long descent from the penthouse. Besides the rent in Jimmy's jacket, the elevator boy did little damage. Alex easily eliminated that threat with a single spoken word. It gave the other two time to enter the carriage and begin their mayhem, however. Clad and cowled in black leather, Jimmy could not recognize the faces of the attackers, but they moved with the supernatural speed of kindred and their ilk. The female figure made short work of Alex, destroying the well dressed vampire with a series of vicious bites. The male kept Jimmy at bay with a pattern of expertly executed knife thrusts. Jimmy closes his fists and strikes the wall again. He fell. When the assassins fled the car, he fell trying to pursue them. He heard the ugly crack of his bone snapping as his feet fought to keep him upright. The uneven remains of Alex's body and the still living, yet unconscious elevator boy, proved too much for Jimmy's undead body. Jimmy literally and figuratively fell on the boy, sucking him dry to replace the blood he used during the fight and in frustration of the escaped assailants. He felt no remorse, no twinge of the conscious as the last drop of blood left the mortal figure. It took him just a few minutes before he could exit the elevator and make it to the street. He made a quick call to Simon to tell the young mage of the events. It only took a few moments before Simon hung up the phone a panicked edge to his voice. Now, he does not return Jimmy's calls and the rings go on endlessly in Jimmy's ear. Forcing a breath into his undead lungs, Jimmy lifts his phone again.
Raphè stepped through the doorway and back into the office he shared with Alex, trailing a bit of mud. Dr. Jacobs had graciously provided a portal back to the warehouse, when Raphè confessed that he had left a needed tome there. Raphè inhaled deeply of their room, letting familiar scents welcome him back. He quickly moved from the doorway to the desk. In the time spent under his tutelage, Raphè had found Dr. Jacobs a gifted and challenging teacher. He would never have come so fall, so fast under his own ministrations. Still, why great, Dr. Jacob's patience did have bounds, particularly when it came to providing intercontinental jumps from Bali back to the States. Raphè checked the readout of the desk clock. He had hope to catch Alex during this impromptu jaunt, but believed his vampire lover still enjoyed the evening at the fashion show. Raphè had wanted to attend, but astronomical signs and portends dictated a trip to the abandoned temples in the jungles of a Pacific island this weekend. He paused for a minute after noticing an exquisitely wrapped package on the small desk he used in the office. A yellow post-it stood out against the intricate design of the paper and the tightly woven ribbons. Raphè gently peeled it off the box and read the handwritten note. "Raphè, this package came for you by messenger this evening. It looks safe enough. I didn't know it was your birthday. Χρογια ΙΙολλα! – Gwen Raphè picked up the surprising light box and shook it gently. A practice from his youth, he meticulously unwrapped the package to expose a plain black lacquer box. He gently opened the lid with his index figure to reveal a single slip of paper, containing a single typed word: "Freedom"
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