Path of the Vampire forum

Satine settled back into the seat and did everything to avoid looking into the eyes of any passengers that would be looking at her. Her face continued to look downward. Her hands were fidgeting as she tried her best to keep them still. What would be so simple to do was nearly impossible for her as her mind worked against her. Her chest hurt with pounding of fear, her gut was balling up and twisting into a thousand knots and her mouth was dry. Still so dry. She felt like she had not drank in days and for all she knew she likely had not. Her hands finally found the pockets in the outside layer of the habit and slid down in. Out of view was better than watching them twitch on her lap.

Satine felt the cool brush of coins roll over her fingers as they finally bottomed down in the pocket. Each of her hands gathered up the loose change discovered and gripped them tight in her sweaty palms. She couldn’t be entirely sure without removing her hands but she was confident she had enough for a bottle of water until she could figure out something else.

Satine felt the stop and popped up. Her hands had no choice but to leave the pockets and she shifted all the coins to her left hand and pocketed them for convenience. The Bullwood transit had a shop next door. It would be simple. She would dart in and out in mere seconds. It was never busy when she had been there. Why would it be now?

Besides that point, the habit was not only getting her looks it was like a fast pass at an amusement park. It was aiding her in doing whatever she basically needed to without having to wait. She stepped forward to exit and immediately the bodies in front of her stepped aside and smiled while gesturing their hands to the clear space ahead. She dipped her head randomly and tried to do whatever it was a nun was expected to do. She did the pants, wallet and signal to slide into home base gesture. One face seemed to buy it while another looked at her with a narrowed and questionable look. So she tapped her hand at her left shoulder then went to tap the right and missed the shoulder. She was too paranoid about who could be catching up with her that she ignored it and took advantage of the clear route into the door of the shop.

”I said I should be getting a discount!” The angry voice caught her immediate attention as she looked around for something to drink.

Each cold drink case Satine passed seemed empty. Not only was she out of luck on finding water to drink she had become swallowed in a group of customers trying to be helped first. All she wanted was to saturate the cotton ball that had grown into the size of a tumbleweed in her mouth. Once that was done she intended to swallow it down and move on. Staying in any one place too long was all it took to get her *** killed. She was certain that is what it was coming down to.

Satine pressed her shoulder into the back in front of her and starting budging her way forward. She spotted a young kid towards the counter holding a frosty bottle and tugging onto the bottom of a womans jacket.

“I want candy.” The child began the slow annoying whine that usually won over the impatience of most parents in a crowded shop.

Satine was hurting, thirsty and she wanted a miracle. The kid had no reason to be pissing and moaning about his lot in life thus far. She nudged another body in front of her to move and got the stock apology of anyone who looked down at her in annoyance until they were greeted with the coif sitting on her head. Finally she was at the front and the only thing standing in her way for hacking up that dust ball in the back of her throat was Dennis the Menace holding what she could find no more of. Her top lip twitched and something went into overdrive. She leaned down and whispered in the child’s ear while the woman with him was distracted with demanding her discount.

“You will go to hell if you don’t practice patience my sweet child.” Her voice was soft as it should be coming from saintly lips. “Hand over the bottle of water and the demons will allow you to rest peacefully tonight. God loves you...I think.”

“I need a lotto ticket too!” A less than pleasant odor came on the wave of sour air that spilled out of the unclean body to her left. “Hurry it up! I haven’t got all ******* damn day and night!”

Satine was getting no where. She looked at the man spewing obscenities and slid her arm in front of him to take front and center. Her hand set down the bottle of water she had taken from the kid now hiding behind his mother.

“Sorry, Sister!” The cloud of stench grew as she narrowed her eyes. The man’s face went all kinds of red in embarrassment and handed her the lotto ticket that was patted then slid over the counter. “Take this ticket. God is good. Bible told me so...and my grandma!”

“Is there a bus in this town?” Satine tried waving it off and interrupted him as she did. What a dumb ***. Like a lotto ticket will save his *** from his sins? “Any taxi’s that are heading south? RV’s?” She was grasping at straws now.

Satine heard a bell ring loudly as her hand was now wrapped in the apologetic males and raised to the point she was on her bare tip-toes. She tried to swat him off in the tight confines of everyone moving in closer from behind like there was a concert starting and the mosh pit finally opened up. He was not having it. He had a tight hold on her. Now she wished she had her gun. She was ready to snap and it would have cleared the place in no time flat.

“It is a winner!” The shopkeeper yelled above the cheers behind her. “We have a winner folks!”

The sound of the register ringing open echoed in the background. Satine looked at the grubby male grinning at her like a choir boy being forgiven for swiping his father’s girly magazines. Her jaw tightened and now that fire was about to erupt all over again.

“Get your hand off me, Sir, or you will be…” Satine didn’t get time to finish as there was a camera clicking away and a voice calling from the door asking where the lotto winner was.
“What is your name!” He squeezed harder and began pulling her up higher. His other hand took to enforcing the hold on her. “I gave her the winning ticket! Tell them your name!”

“Satine Hodges, you imbecile!” Satine was more than done with the circus that had started around her. She raised the water bottle in her hand and whacked the unsuspecting male across the jaw. “Get your damn hands off me!”

With that move Satine was like a badger cornered. While directions were being barked as to where her winnings could be claimed she felt the hair on the back of neck rising. She was no safer in the crowd of people she was with than she was running on the streets for her life. She growled and pushed her way out of the mass of hot bodies and tugged her layers of habit free as she exited the door of the shop. She gave herself a small reward for not completely flipping her **** by cracking the seal on the bottle of water she didn’t pay for.

‘**** them all.’ Went through her mind as her gums and teeth took a bath in the icy water being squeezed down her throat by her desperate hand.

Saine kept swallowing as her barefeet began moving again. Her rest stop was over. It was only seconds and the bottle was empty. She tossed it without concern and wiped the back of her hand across her dripping lips. With a spin on her bare heels she stepped back into the transit for a last ride to Coastside Station.

The transit slowed to a stop and a rush of commuters exchanged places boarding and exiting. Finally, when all was clear, a swoosh of the sliding door was followed by the movement of the transit picking back up and moving on its route. Two more stops and one unexpected quick stop for an ambulance screeching was enough to eat up a total of thirty precious minutes. That was less time than she usually took a shower but now every cursed minute counted.

Once there Satine made her way back out. She looked left and then she looked right. The street was clear. It was time to start hiking fast. She made a quick stop into the lotto payout location to collect her money. It appeared another miracle was at work. Her wallet was left at the convent. They would take her word for it since she had no reason to lie. The bills shifted through her hands as she counted each one. She would use it to hire the first down and out looking loser with wheels and a soft spot for a nun. That lucky ******** was going to get her *** over the border. She stepped off the curb and rolled the money up. Her hands disappeared deep into the pocket at each hip and stayed there as she made her way crossing the street.

"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"

Doc: Having arrived at the Lotto office, he had parked and was in the process if exiting his car when he thought he spied a dark furtive figure. The figure was dark and sticking close to the shadows. He knew there was a figure there, and it would be the appropriate area for someone coming from the transit. He made no move to leave the side of the car. He did not want to draw attention to his presence. His patience was rewarded as the figure moved into the light.. it was a nun.

Satine: The black polyester slid back and forth across the backs of her bare heels as Satine made her way across the street. The pavement was rough against her feet and now she regretted having left her shoes behind in the rush to get out of the asylum when she still had a chance. Her feet did double time as soon as she thought of the place. It was all the inspiration she needed to get across the street faster than ever. If she could find a bar perhaps she could find that sinner who would give over the keys to a set of wheels to clear their name.

Doc: He waited for a few seconds and then smiled to himself, he wasn’t going to chase on her down on foot, no. He would run her down … with his car. After all she needed to be taught a lesson. She needed to learn that with actions come reactions. Her action of breaking out, would be met with the reaction of breaking some bones.

Satine: If she remembered correctly there was some sort of Forge place then to the east of it was a western bar, High Noon or something like that. Just across the street at the corner of that block was a strip club. Jackpot! She pulled her hand to cover the front of her black layered abdomen and tried to look as saintly as possible as she began her sprint towards the one place that would be full of the guilty willing to do just about anything to get her forgiveness and keep her mouth shut. She was nearly across the street and after that she would be able to be lost in the buildings between.

Doc: Doc slid back into his car, he closed the door softly. He started the engine, and it came to life. The nice thing about high performance engines is that they could purr quietly when needed. He was rather surprised at the direction she was taking. He would have expected her to take a more direct route to the office. But she was moving in a direction he didn’t expect. All the better for him, the direction she was headed was into the seedier part of the city, making it less likely anyone would really care.

Satine: Quickly she darted from the outside of the Forge and continued moving past the buildings and found herself on the corner outside the High Noon Saloon. She glanced up briefly to note the correct name of the establishment then turned her attention towards the headlights crossing back and forth in front of her. Figures the traffic was increasing the closer she got to the club she was now staring at. The habit had to be a good luck charm in there. She was sure of it.

With all the faith Satine had left to invest in a plan she stepped off the curb and bolted towards the back of the club. It was not long and she found herself in the dark alley. Standing beneath the dim lighting from the surrounding buildings she began looking for a back door. Every building was required to have one. If she could avoid going in through the front it was all the better. Her hands slid in over the money in her pockets and headed in the dark narrow alleyway. Once inside she was sure she would be in a vehicle in no time flat. That...or talking her way out of a guest appearance on stage or worse. However, nothing could be half as bad as what she had already been though. On that she was willing to bet all the money in her pockets.

Doc: He followed her as she skirted along the buildings. He had witnessed her glancing over her shoulder repeatedly to see if she was being followed. But thus far she had not realized she indeed being followed. She was looking for a person or persons, but not a vehicle. He knew the area, when she darted into an alley, he knew he had her. That particular alley had no exit. No doors, it was perfect. He would have her cornered. He drove forward and blocked the alley with the front end of his car. He paused there, as he revved the engine in a menacing and taunting manner.The headlights of the car illuminated her. He could see her clearly. From her wide shocked eyes, to her bare feet. He grinned ferally.

“Like I said before, I don’t know where she is at.” A long set of fresh from spring break fingers weaved lightly at the top of a full head of wild cinnamon tinted curls. “I don’t even know her name to be perfectly honest. But the the chick you are describing sounds about right. She doesn’t say much. Keeps to herself and when she does say something she sounds like she comes from the land down under.”

Lanky shoulders rolled back a little as the twenty-something male shifted his hazel eyes between the two men in dark stiff suits staring him down like a set of gargoyles. There seemed to be more and more of them starting to hang around town now that Cody gave it some thought. Dark suits. Not gargoyles.

“She seems harmless. I kind of got the impression that she preferred to be left alone. Well, that is until she scared the **** out of me. She spotted me trying to take a hammer to a couple of old bar stools I was trying to fit in the dumpster. You would have thought I was behind the barn trying to put down her family dog or something. She came out of nowhere and screamed at me to stop. Damn near yanked those stools out of my hands like she was saving the earth and didn’t say another word as she stomped back into the lobby and disappeared. Weird, eh?”

Cody went quiet for a moment. The woman was a looker. Nice curves, dark long hair and those eyes were like a set of lightning bolts when they fixed on you. You froze in your tracks trying to take them in. Never seen a set quite like them. Had to be contacts. He figured he was shot down before he even tried asking her what her deal was. Before he drowned too much in reflecting what she looked like he remembered something else. “Oh! I think she has a thing for chinese take-out. The hallway and elevator always smell like it when she is coming and going. Come to think of it...haven’t smelled it recently. Who knows maybe she went back home.”

Cody’s face went flat wondering if that was possible.If so that was a long time to be in a seat in the air. He hated sitting through a movie without a smoke break. Now he was needing to step outside and light up and he was starting to get hungry. Where the hell was Justin? Dumbass probably got stoned and totally brain farted the movie they had planned on going to. Great. He was looking at Agent K and Agent J who appeared to be waiting for him to pull a rabbit out of his sleeve or something. Did these guys ever bat an eyelash or break wind or something? They looked like wax mannequins until they talked.

“Perhaps, but that is highly unlikely.” The cold face beneath the transition lenses finally replied. “We have reason to believe she is here.”
“Oh?” The hands left the front jeans pockets and the lean bronze arms folded across a medium well toned chest totally forgetting he was outnumbered and the last one in charge. “Why is that?”

Cody had a hidden talent. He was told as much more than a few times by several people. A majority of those happened to be his ex’s. The well known talent reared it’s head and the faces looking at him bore the same expression of suspicion that those ‘better-off-as-ex’ gave him when he walked right into a **** storm of epic proportions.

“We are asking the questions.” The taller of the two spoke lifting his focus from the small device in his own hand. It was possible that it was a pager but the more Cody checked it out he was not quite so sure. “Remember?”

“Yeah…” Hazel eyes rolled upward then a cocky expression formed. “This a men in black thing and the chick has an extra set of arms and legs or something? Because she looks pretty normal compared to some of the crazy **** I have seen around here.”

Both men looked at the male getting bold with the attempt at playing 21 questions. There was a long silence. Not one eye blinked on either face nor a twitch of a lip. Upper or lower. Cody held out as long as he could but in the end he lost. He blinked first. Damn these guys were good.

“You know where we can find her?” One of the men stepped closer and eyed the jean and t-shirt clad male up and down as if perhaps she could be standing right behind him hiding. “Do you have any idea where she hangs out when she isn’t here?”

“Like I said before I don’t know her name. She likes chinese food and saving outdated furniture. She does sound like who you guys are looking for. Check the flea markets? She in trouble or something?” Cody paused as he noticed his buddy finally arrived to pick him up for that movie he almost gave up on.

“Hey man.” Justin nodded to the guys who looked out of place hanging in the hall of the apartment building with his friend. His hand dove into his jacket pocket to try and sink his small stash deeper in the pocket that he wished was endless the more the men looked at him.

“You remember that chick that lives in there.” Cody’s thumb hiked over his shoulder and pointed back at Satine’s apartment door. “Nice looking, dark long hair and worth remembering?”

“Yep. The one who almost kicked your *** over some bar stools?” Justin winked at Cody while scratching his chin thoughtfully with his free hand. “Wait! Her?!” Suddenly Justin looked like he had a bombshell he couldn’t wait to drop even if two strangers were standing right there to hear it.

“Yes.” The tall male with glasses interrupted. “The one that lives here.”
“I forgot to tell you about that. Check this out…” Justin swatted Cody’s shoulder as if he wasn’t paying attention. “You were gone down in the Keys when it happened.” He looked over at the two in suits and shrugged as if he owed them details. “My man Cody here went south for spring break and left me home alone. Imagine that.”

Both men stared back at him saying nothing.

“Dude! Shut up! The chick…?” Cody swatted Justin back to get him on track.
“Alright, get this…” Justin was already busting a ‘know-it-all’ grin. “She was on t.v. or something. Twice! First she was at the airport getting arrested for pulling a gun on airport security at some checkpoint. Good thing you gave up those bar stools without a fight. Babe is packing some fire power. Then a few days or a week or whatever the **** I don’t know she was winning the lotto. No ****. Hey...is she a nun?” Now he scratched his head thinking about how ridiculous that all just sounded even coming from his mouth.

Cody eyed Justin wondering what he had been smoking. He was stunned. Justin came up with all sorts of whoppers but this one took the cake.“A what…?”

“Nevermind…” Justin ignored the expression and went on to give the last of what he finally learned while Cody was playing in the sand for a couple weeks. “Her name is Satine. Next time you see her tell her to be cool and pick up our bar tab. They told me we are cut off until we pay up.”
“Satine?” Cody was stumbling on getting out the name he was hearing for the first time.
“Yep, that would be her name. Never heard that one before.”
“You guys try knocking?” Justin shook his head at the two men and thumbed a gesture at Cody standing there in the same spot not moving a muscle. “Huge help he is, right?”

With that said Justin leaned in and knocked on the door. Noticing it jiggled his hand fixed around the door knob and tested it with a light turn. The door went open and with it went a call for the woman who lived there. “Anyone home?”

“Dude, so not cool! You can’t just do that.” Cody was now as oblivious as Justin to the two suits still standing there watching them. He shoved Justin away from the door. “Girl is on t.v. for having a gun and you are just winging it opening her door like Mr. Jones looking for a cup of sugar?”

Justin laughed at Cody’s attempt to get him out of the way. “Man, relax. If she tries to come after you we got back up.”

Now that the door had been open more than a moment the stench of rotten eggs and expired meat rolled out into the hallway where they all stood looking in. Cody and Justin immediately took hold of their t-shirts and pulled the collars up over the bridge of their nose. Each gagged and turned around in slow circles while the men in suits stared at the modest furnished apartment. One nodded and the other looked down at the inside door mat. Justin and Cody leaned over looking as well.

“Oh ****, not you again.” Was in bold black font across a brown square of cheap artificial turf.

“What the hell?!” Both simultaneously commented on the greeting at their feet.

“Place smells like someone died!”Cody gagged again and turned to grab some fresh air a few feet away.
“Dude!” Justin drops his hand from his t-shirt and let it slide down. “You know that lamp you been missing that disappeared from your door when you were bringing stuff up from the car and gave me **** about taking it?” Laughter begins. “I think the mystery is solved as to where it is."

The men in black formed a single file formation and stepped inside the doorway of the apartment. The cloud of rot did nothing to deter them. They had a trail that they were on. So far the more that they continued to follow the faint but trackable steps left behind it always brought them a little closer to the one who had a lot of explaining to do. As far as they were concerned it was rather plain and simple. One does not cut a man up like a side of beef with his own ax and wrap him up leaving him in his own deep freeze. Not usually. And even if they do they certainly were not okay with the guilty party letting their own mother, drug addict and psych case or not, take the blame. That is just wrong. One needs to be accountable and in the very least answer a few questions.

"Hey!" Cody surrendered the hold on his t-shirt as well and decided he wanted his lamp back. He made his move and stepped quickly towards the woman’s door. "Can I grab..." The door was closed and locked before he could finish his sentence. "My lamp?"

The men split up quickly. One disappeared to the right and the other to the left. Their hands stayed close to their concealed weapons as their steps were nearly silent while they advanced down the halls. She could run. They would give her credit for that. But she could not hide. Not for long. One drawer opened in the bedroom while another closed in the bathroom vanity. Back and forth the sounds of swift sweep work took place. If she was to come back she would never know that they had been there. They were pretty sure she wouldn’t be returning. The eggs and sour funk filling the apartment was one clue.

“Got her.” The voice from the bedroom of the West Tower apartment was the second clue.

A door closed just as it had been before and the taller suit met up with the other in the middle of the modestly furnished living room. Sensitive documents in a skilled and ambitious hand were produced for the other to look at. It was not easy when they started out but as with any case they were assigned to that was similar they longer the person ran the easier it was catching up with them.

“She isn’t getting far.” The documents disappeared into the inside pocket of the dark suit jacket. “Now that we know what she is doing here. Time to get out of here. In the mood for some chinese take-out?"