Path of the Vampire forum

The weight of the door slipped through her fingers as she exited. With the sounds of the night taking over her focus shifted to the parking lot and the wide open space that revealed only a few worked the hours she did. The urban rest area for random steel driven by nightowls provided no distraction as she went about heading across the white lines and black asphalt. She shifted the bag over her shoulder and brushed her fingers through her hair as towards the transit system that never slept. Nights like this she took her time and stepped through her route slowly. The sleepy city she inhabited was a beautiful one. It was something she never truly appreciated until it was all that she had left. Powerful lessons left their own rewards.

The rattle of keys and the sudden bang of metal clashing with a hard surface broke the calm of the night and hooked her immediately. Instantly it hit her as she heard the alarming gunshot. The unmistakable sweet stink of weed was moving behind her while her senses absorbed the burn of something unexpected biting her back. She turned around to face what she had missed seeing as her hand shot behind her to investigate. Cool fluid found her fingers while her eyes locked a body was stomping in protest and speaking volumes at what he witnessed. The warmth of lead settling in her back created a cramp that she was uncomfortable with. Enough so that her chest jutted out as her bloody hand came back around with the confirmation dripping from each of the tips. She had been shot in the back. This was no stranger she was staring down with a gun in his hand.

Crash, as he was called by Mr. Marshall, visibly was full of panic as he rushed towards her. If she was one of those street warriors with weapons glued to their hips, ankles and back she would have been reaching for that weapon she had in her possession. But she wasn’t. Indigo was not cut out for that, never was, never would be unless hard pressed. Instead the gold palm size rapid fire was inside the canvas bag bouncing at her hip as she moved with the pain finding it’s way to her brain. It registered as soon the man was in front of her rambling his excuses. He was the one that fired the single shot. He admitted to it in as many words.

The question of why skated at the tip of her tongue and nearly took a dive through her parting lips. Instead he bolted as she felt the sharp pain from the movement that she should have never made. In the back. In the wide open of a nearly empty parking lot. No one around to ease the assumption it wasn’t meant for her. It is a shot that tells it like it is with each step she took back towards the secured employee door. Her bloody fingers ignored the mess that the index tip created as she roughly pushed in her code. A sharp click echoed and she entered while pulling her bag from her shoulder. Cool fluid slithered down the firm divide of her back as she made her way back to where she expected to find the one who would be responsible for what was running around shooting at her.

“Not sure what was in your boy’s Cheerios tonight but I suggest you eliminate it and take away his toys. Shooting me in the back…”As soon as she mentioned it the overall effects were ten times worse. Maybe it was one shot but she wasn’t exactly the type that was the recipient of flying lead routinely. “Is uncalled for.”

As sweet as the aroma was of her own blood it did nothing for her and for that she was glad. All she needed was to be losing her **** and coming unglued in front of the one who had her sending daggers his way with her stormy blues. Whether or not he had a clue what was going on didn’t matter so much as the hope that he would take some responsibility for who he was supposed to have a hold on.

“He took off heading north with a gun in hand if that helps.” She started making her way back out figuring he would find he had a lot more to do than he previously did. “He is shooting “One of those…” She swapped out her bloody jacket for one hanging on the community coat rack. Once each arm slid through she figured it was time to head home before it got any worse. “Hell if I know what he is after tonight but he is shooting at the wrong targets.” A chill went up the back of her neck as she looked back at him. “Enjoy your night.” As smooth as water over ice she made her way back through the massive building and set out to make her way made home for the second time.

The cell phone was something that Indigo could manage to coax into doing her bidding with the fast finger work of one hand. It completed and sent off a text of warning that she was heading home. The recipient most likely was not there. Adley Reed had a nightly routine that tied him up just as much as her own. The forewarning was to spare him the blood and the distraction it could bring so early in their working hours. Her plan was to step in the door, patch up and get back to the recent tasks she had still at hand.

-Stopping by the Hive. Watch your back tonight. Got a live one out there toting a gun with the boogey man on their mind. B xoxo-

The calling out for her went unanswered. Sharp click after click kept her inspired to keep on moving the direction she was heading. The pro bono personal assistant was not exactly looking to get another task tacked onto what she already had to do. Digging lead out of her back was going to require a little flexibility, which she of course had, but it was not in her original plans. Far from it. It would mean a little delay on the others while she executed the extraction of the foreign object out of her cool flesh with a mirror in one hand and something sharp in the other. This meant she would have to give a little more about why she was even having to do it. Crash Bandicoot.The sounds of steps trailing behind her registered in about the time it took for her to turn just enough to find Enver Marshall picking up his long stride to equal her comparable own. A kink in a muscle had her stepping a little faster just to see how serious he was about keeping up. Once she found his hand connecting to her arm slipping to lock gently at her wrist she slowed down to find he was asking all the expected questions suggesting he was fully prepared to intercede.

“I …”

The exhale of cool air that carried the sound of her voice saying nothing more than that was interrupted by the awareness that came over her. It appeared to have found her boss as well. Lovely. His meeting was closer to happening. Her eyes skimmed over his face to the movement below that was rather easy to pick up from where they were at a stand still. Two, of what likely would be more, were at the ground floor and waiting for their ride up. Her focus drifted back to his hand, up his arm to his chest before her. It was then that a set of indigo blues locked on the dark brown eyes that were staring back at her. Five minutes. The heat beneath her cool skin throbbed where a shot drilled through her. She had five minutes to spare when she heard the progression of the elevator bringing up those she was in no shape to see. The fading clicks of her steps was all that was left behind as she opened and closed the door to the office that was large enough to fit half of the Hive into.

“I said wake the **** up!”

The dull stab of a steel toed boot inserted forcefully into the sedate ribcage was a huge motivator to do just that. Hands shot out trying to swat away the offender while dry lips parted and the ripe cloud of evidence hit the air. The set of unwashed teeth and tongue nearby was increasing it’s annoying presence tenfold. Paint stained hands slapped down on the worn material beneath connecting with each palm and curled up roughly without warning. The weight of the body beneath the minimal layers rose with the exertion of what could have been a life saving tug. If only the life it had hold of was worth saving to begin with.

“It’s time for you to get your **** and get out of here.”

All the words in the single sentence rolled around in Davion’s brain were like beads that lost the string that held them all together and made them purposeful. He couldn’t make sense of what he heard. Something was scrambling his ability to process what was expected of him. The cement that seemed to have formed over his lids prevented his too blue eyes from escaping the curtain of flesh that remained sealed. A sudden rush of cool air flowed over his face. In most situations this would clue him on the fact he was needing to fasten his cape for the unplanned flight ahead. This time he was going to have to take what would come as a result of being held hostage by the night terrors that plagued him and unfortunately anyone else that was around him within earshot.

The flow of cool air was interrupted by the brief and unexpected impact with glass. It’s alarming shatter was all that it took for his lids to snap upward like recently installed roller blinds. In this case mocha flesh gave way to unveiling a set of stunning pools of tropical blue. Each a souvenir from the Berlin influenced pairing between a stewardess named Agnete Skovgaard and a states born retired airforce pilot answering to the name Darius Knight. It was said the family took the spirit of their beloved native Bahama’s with them and each of the two children born to the union was gifted with the most vivid soulful blues to be found.

And one of those sets was discovering that throbbing of double plate glass was hardly going to match the world of pain that he was dropping to in record time. The white cloud of snow looked so welcoming. Maybe it would be just what he needed. The impact of frozen ground mere inches beneath delivered a much different result. A thunderous shock of bone rattling pain burst through his body. He was dead. His first thought. As well as his second and likely his third. His lungs failed to fill back up as he took for granted would happen when the hot air escaped his bloody lips and nostrils so fast that the traumatized flesh that compromised both burned instantly. The cold damp blanket beneath him kept him alert when the rest of his body wanted to shut down entirely. A sharp wheeze in brought snow, dirt and iron deficient blood. A second effort of his chest sucked in more of the above and a sudden excruciating cough produced the tell tale signs of pain that comes from a set of broken ribs. So he wasn’t dead yet.

While the minutes passed and she was standing in the office alone the wound was inspected with the painful reach of her hand behind her. A fingertip sank into the small tight entry point. And found it predictably cold and deep enough that it should take at least a good twenty four hours or more to heal. Indigo was well aware that her healing rate was a stark contrast to most out there. She was no necromancer. Not even close. The glistening tip of her finger soon was wiped clean of the fluid in the inner hem of her clothing. It was a move that hardly made an improvements on her overall current appearance. A sudden sharp spasm in her back gripped tight which made the effort of turning to acknowledge Enver Marshall walking into his own office a bit awkward.

Indigo shook her head at the question. If she could have healed it she would have before the garments on her body were permanently destroyed. Everything else would repair with patience and time needed. As for the offer of the blood packs she found that catching her attention. It was a general and rather predictable question considering the situation at hand. She lost blood and he had some to offer. The tip of her tongue gliding over her gums reminded her it had been awhile since that taste of euphoria had hit her lips. She parted them slowly with consideration allowing the warm room temperature air to be pulled into her lungs.

Fresh blood and her had a few set backs she wasn’t sure should be opened up in the office she was standing in. The word alone sort of had her mind spinning given she was feeling the unexpected loss. She attributed it to that whole survival instinct that coursed through her system thanks to the turning. She inhaled deeper, not that she needed it like she used to. It was a habit more than anything else. The feeling of being soothed by the act still came to mind. A sense of relief ebbed the thirst for warm blood that originally set in. Obviously the puncture free packets were not going to be a threat to her. They never had been before. Just as she was about to accept what was offered her cell delivered notice from her preferred option. Adley’s healing touch was nearby. Outside in fact. That alone gave her reason for concern.

“Adley is waiting outside.” Her hand deposited the communication device back where it was retrieved from. “I am going to bring him in so that he isn’t another bullseye.”

A subtle nod of her head confirmed what she was doing as she turned on her heels and made her way out of the office. A business like pace took over and had her heading down the route that would deliver her to the very spot everything started to go wrong with her night. A brief roll of her petite shoulders had the material nearly stuck to her body breaking free of the crusted layer of blood trying to form. She ignored the scent that flowed upward with each new step and opened the secured door. Indigo blue orbs sparkled beneath the exit lighting.

“Adley?” Her voice was soft but she counted on the fact he could hear her without having to release the door from her grip that held it open.