Peace sells, but whose buying? OPEN (Chapter 9 part 2)

[Zodiac]

Spring was finally emerging from the stubborn edges of Winter and the days and nights were starting to show more life. A type of lull in the storm of existence in the town had settled in and people were once more moving about. There was still troops, checkpoints and zombies to contend with but something in the air had changed as if the area had paused for a moment to take a deep breath. Just for a moment. It would not last long. Nothing is eternal.

Especially politics.

With the pandemic (the “Human one” as she called Covid.) coming to heel (reluctantly) the town was beginning to take on a look of it’s former self. The Teahouse, as well as other dining options in the area, was starting to offer outdoor services. People could dine and drink outside in the fresh air again. There were limits of course, but the looks on the faces of those who took pause said it all. It was nice to have a bit of normal back in their lives.

The evening was still a bit chilled for most customers but a few were stopping. She sat off to the left at a small table reading the newspaper. Those of the living who recognized her as the owner of the establishment stopped and said hello and thanking her for what she had done. She smiled and waved in reply. There was nothing to betray what she really was in this setting. The chill of her hand when some shook it could be blamed on the evening temperatures.

Her laptop sat open and a small pile of various newspapers from the area laid off to the side. Ever since she heard the news, she was hip deep in gathering all the facts of the matter.

Bancroft had been sent packing. Considering all he had caused in his time, the news felt like one had won a nice chunk of the Lottery. She imagined this development made the vampire that had been pulling his strings pissed to the max. Too bad. Could she say anything nice about the thrall? He threw nice Christmas parties to be sure, but…

When she first heard the results, she was certain it was a mistake. When was the last time something potentially good had happened in this town? She honestly could not recall. The situation for night feeders had been a slow spiral of a toilet flushing as it took a major load of crap elsewhere. Each swirl got even worse and the crap came even closer. Loosing Mayor Bancroft helped stop that swirl for the moment, but…

What was to stop another thrall gaining access to this point of power? How would one screen candidates for such a thing? Most of her kind thought it was a good idea at first, but a thrall answers to only one master. All that mattered on how the town was ran was in the hands of one vampire. Everyone and their mommas could say something was a bad idea, but if the master said do it…

On the screen of her laptop she had started a list. Point One: No thralls.

She could dwell on the disaster named Bancroft all night, but her attention now was on the two souls who had begin to campaign for the open spot.

Robert Covington.

A fellow Texan. Sadly it was the only bit about him she could smile at. The man seemed hard core anti vampire, so she wondered how the night children had personally affected his life. Considering his age he had been here since the beginning so there was a good chance of that being the case. His plan for the town made what was already in place seem like Disneyland. The law only applies to a select few, but not all. Being vampire meant guilty no matter who started things. Nothing like a dose of the Wild West to sort things out. She’d been worried of a repeat of Nazi Germany? This fellow would bring it to life in spades.

A new cure? She almost fell off her chair on that one. All a vampire had to do was surrender themselves into the hands of these maniacs to get it. She was angered as well. She had made several attempts when the original ‘Cure’ had been in play, but never received an answer. When the ones who had control of it vanished, so did any hope of being human again. Now this Covington person was going to dangle that promise like bait? She would believe that when she met some before and after examples of the process. She had only seen one survivor of the original cure and, to be honest, he seemed a tad befuddled from the experience.

Jamie Tremblay

If Covington was a hard core Nazi, than Tremblay was a American Democrat. Peace, love and tranquility for all. She had a hard lesson to learn with an approach like that. Not everybody was going to be happy no matter what she put forward. Some of her ideas had merit, but the mystic could not begin to see how they would work. A council was a great idea until it had to work together. Put 2 vampires and 2 Paladins in the same room and see how much they can agree upon let alone anything else involved in the mix. Comedy night at City Hall.

The zones idea could work. She knew first hand there were people more than willing to be bitten. Especially in the more obscure nightclubs. Like a scene from ‘Tru Blood’ come to life. Justice for all? The girl wondered how a life sentence would play out for a vampire. Does the same amount of time apply to both? She doubted it. She also doubted any night feeder would accept confinement at that length of time. Also, that law could not always work. A vamp kills a human? Life. Now if a human kills a innocent vamp (how do those 2 words even work together?) and 2 weeks later, tops, the vamp returns, what is the human’s ‘life sentence’?

She folded her papers and sat back in the chair. She made the appearance of taking a sip from her teacup and lit a smoke. A couple in the crowd stared but also saw the sign that declared her spot was a designated smoking area. It helped her relax and think. It was going to be a wild spring and summer as these two chopped away at each other. Overall the hampering that had plagued her kind was relaxing for the moment. Now, if everyone could just behave themselves until the vote there might be some major improvements.

A small smile crossed her face as she looked up into the night. ”And maybe I will get that unicorn I always wanted as well”


[support_tremblay][/support_tremblay]

[Zodiac]

Digging up dirt on the pair of would be leaders was hard. Add to that the town seemed to be rather quiet on the entire subject was both disturbing, but not surprising. The last time there was a debate on leadership (among vampires), the entire mess went straight into free fall. That was back when families and factions were the main thing and everyone wanted their particular group to have the inside track on the subject of power. That same mindset came into play and helped Bancroft gain power. What made the night feeders think a thrall meant and inside edge for all vampires she could not imagine.

”Another example of Homo Superior in action,” she smirked.

She reminded herself to stop. None of the past mattered much anymore. Damage was done and now the best any of them could hope for was to stay under the radar in ways. The old ways were pretty much gone now. Whatever alliances or groups that were left were more of a self serving nature and tended to their own rather than seeking out total control of the town and those within. Individuals like herself was simply that. Alone and doing their best. In time she imagined she’d find some with like ideas and goals that matched up to her own, but that was not a do or die type thing at the moment. Too much over the last few months had happened and if she dwelled on it too much she'd be reduced to tears.

Mortl and Christiana. One right on top of the other. It was hard to process. Both of her friends just suddenly being gone beyond her ability to find them was too much. She had endured that sort of thing a lot these past years. Just more proof that ‘eternal life’ was a ******** sales point for their condition. A few night’s past she sat and made a list of those she considered real ‘friends’ and did the math to see who was actually left. Some names were still out there but situations and conditions had caused her to gravitate away those few. Nothing sitting at a table discussing over a bottle or six of bloodwine wouldn’t sort out, but when she considered doing such a thing she came to a conclusion. If they missed her as much as she missed them, then how come none of them ever showed up with wine? Perhaps it was best just to let the whole thing slide off and not worry about it.

She snapped at herself mentally. This was not the time for memories and lost friends and loves, and wondering why things did or did not happen. She returned to her musings over candidates.

Ironically, she discovered that if things were as they was before, she would lend her support to Covington. A major surprise when she realized that, but it would have been the proper thing to do. Vampires needed a firm hand to keep things under control. Someone to say there are lines that should not be crossed and take the stand. He possibly would have not survived long back in the wild and wooly days of this town, but wasn’t that a common theme? If it annoys you-kill it? He still would have made more of a statement than Tremblay would have. The night children would have seen her methods as weakness and would have found ways to circumvent every condition she laid out or just downright ignore it. It was their way, after all and it was something even she wasn’t innocent of in the past. She personally was not guilty (much) of more destructive things, but if she had been arrested as a human for things she had done, the prison time might be a very extended stay.

Her pen made a soft tapping sound against the table as she considered the mess. Yes, mess. Why lie? Either one might thrive for a time, but once the vamps reorganize themselves anything could happen. She stopped tapping and added another point to her list of things that should be considered in all of this.

Point Two: Bodyguards of a more supernatural type will be required no matter who wins.

It was a valid concern. At best it would keep someone from turning them into a thrall. She doubted anyone would outright try to kill them, but this was Harper Rock after all. She saved the list and began a search via lap top. Outside of finding any ancient dirt on these two, there was only one final detail to try and explore. Was any public debates or rallies planned? Getting close to them was the only way she could get a feel of their auras and know if they were human or something else. The last thing anyone needed was a fae spawn or one of those spider women in charge of things.

[support_tremblay][/support_tremblay]

[Zodiac]

She sat in the comfort of her home watching the television with intent. She had turned on an app that focused on American politics and despite the fact she simply wanted to scan the headlines and then move on, the subject being addressed grabbed her.

Supposedly, the 2020 Presidential election had been fixed. Most she knew from her childhood would swear every single election there ever was had been fixed, but never had one had such distrust surrounding it. Also, some of the evidence suggested this accusation had some merit to it. Four major states suspended counting at virtually the same time for the overnight, and then next morning when the count resumed one of the candidates suddenly jumped by an ungodly amount of votes? Who was counting when counting was suspended? Where were the votes coming from? Zodiac assumed if anyone was going to cheat they would be more slick and sly about it, but this was downright blaintent in nature. The argument was continuing 7 months into the first year of the new President’s term. Some wanted to investigate to see if the claims were valid, but others said such a thing would inspire distrust in the system. (The fact that the ones who won were crying about people distrusting the system if they did this was not lost on the gypsy.)

What the naysayers failed to realize was that the damage was already done. If she was involved in American politics now, her distrust would be in overdrive. Too many signs and clues that something was amiss somewhere in the entire mess. Would it be fixed? She doubted it. She also doubted she would ever make the effort to return home one day. What this new Presidency was doing to her former home was not quite to her liking. Add to that how everything from Covid to the border was spinning like a top out of control, it made her glad (for once) she had become trapped in the Great White North.

Voter fraud. What concerned her was how such a thing might happen here. The thrall certainly got a lion’s share of the votes last time. Had it been legit? Harper Rock was too small a blip on a political radar for anyone to ask such questions. The only notice the Canadian government had taken of them was the fact the town had a vampire infestation problem and nothing else.

Point three: Investigate potential voter fraud in HR. Discover what measures are in place to be sure the vote is ‘honest’.

That might be the hardest one to unravel on her list. She doubted anyone would appreciate a vampire demanding public records to inspect. It could be done with enough money in the proper pockets, but did not bribes taint an already tainted system even more? Besides, with the local government in a twist now, she could not be sure a good bribe would not come back to mark her. It was a whole new game in play now and any nobody within the system would grab a chance to move themselves upward. Whatever happened to by the people – for the people?

No, that was America, at least it used to be. Once upon a time.

”Religion and Politics,” She began to sing an old tune in her head as she continued watching. Either way it was a mess. The gods refuse to save them so what made them think a politician would? Only if it lined their pockets would they truly do anything.

The idea of a vampire politician came to mind and she spit the mouthful of bloodwine she had out as she laughed. Not as impossible as it sounded. Who was that one? She heard people talking about him when she was a child. Rather than watching a man grow old under the strain of being a US President, this one actually thrived in the situation.

Almost like a vampire feeding away. Who was that one? Was in the 70's if she remembered right. Was before her time, but the more she thought about she had to wonder.

Harper Rock was not ready to have a fanger in charge in such a manner. Perhaps she should start a movement like they had back home. Vamp Lives Matter! Or would it Vamp UN-lives Matter?

She didn't know.

[support_tremblay][/support_tremblay]