Path of the Vampire forum

72 Hours ago

"The police says there ain't much they can do. People go missing all the time in the city. Hundreds of unsolved, open cases. But I know my girl. She wouldn't just up and disappear." The older woman took a picture out of the frame behind the small table to the right of the door. She slid it across the table to the private investigator before talking about Marjani. "She's a good girl. Always was a good girl. A little sassy, but had no choice. Not after-before we moved here from Somalia." Her mother stared down at the picture of Marjani that was a couple years old. "I told her she worked on the wrong side of town. Told her to stay close to home. Girl has a lot of spirit in her." The mom shook her head sadly as she stood and moved to the kitchen in the small two bedroom apartment she relocated to the year earlier now that Marjani had moved out on her own.

"Things in Somalia are different, than to things here, Detective. Marjani became a woman before her time. Before she wanted to." The woman made a cup of coffee for the detective and for herself, then returned. She gave him the unchipped mug, the mom taking the other one. One that appeared to have been made by a child; a hand print on the mug in pink. "Like I said. I'll pay whatever you'll be needing. Just find her. I know she's alive. She's not another statistic in this blasted city." The mother spat those words out bitterly as she drowned her concerns away by taking a long sip of the coffee before the detective collected the last bit of information from Marjani's mother and went on his way.


"We're going to close up in ten. Let's get the **** out of here, girl." Krystal hip checked Mari with her right one as she walked by with a small stack of cd's. "Want to hit The Handle Bar after this? It just opened, but it's cool." Mari smiled at the mention of the bar. She knew someone that worked there. The dark haired woman nodded her head, then waved a hand in the air to seal the deal. She got out her phone, and sent Kapt'n K a text. I'll be heading to the bar. Are you working tonight?

While Mari waited for a reply, she packed up her sports bag with her dance shoes, towel, water bottle that wasn't filled with water, but for appearances sake and a couple cd's. She slung the bag over her right shoulder, flicked off the light to the studio and headed down the hallway. She sent Nishaa a text too, just to see what her sire was up to and if she was ok. Things were stressed for her sire lately. Actually, for a lot of them lately. Andras needed someone like Mari to come around in their line, she thought. To lighten the mood and remind them to live once in a while. The only downfall was that some of them didn't take the chance to just have some good, solid fun.

"Ready?" Krystal popped around the corner with her own sports bag and wrapped an arm around Mari. "You done good, girl. We love your classes here. No one else has it." Mari beamed, taking in the compliment before she tucked a strand that fell out of her messy pony behind an ear. "Stop at your place for a shower, then hit it?" Mari nodded her head. Krystal practically lived with Mari most the week. Just out of convenience really. Not that Mari minded. She was still getting used to living on her own.

When the duo got to Mari's apartment, which was more like a studio, Krystal shouted that she got the shower first and bolted to the bathroom. Mari dropped her bag, flicked on the television and found the couch. She was used to it. And she knew it would be a good thirty minutes. She could TiVo some **** quick and catch the news. With a couple programs TiVo'd and the news on, Mari raised her arms and stretched out on the couch. There was something about a body dumped somewhere, which was nothing new in Harper Rock, something about the local pet shelter being over populated and finally Krystal appeared, ready to go. "You're up." Krystal snatched the remote, flicked on a different channel, which told Mari to move her ***.

After Mari was showered and changed, she hopped over the arm of the couch, then squished in to Krystal. Krystal shoved her away with a laugh, then stood and grabbed her arms. "Girl, you are so damn cold these nights. Need a nice man to warm ya up these fall and winter nights." Mari rolled her eyes and shook her head. Men were the last thing on her mind for a lot of reasons. Past and present. Any male she knew that was a vampire seemed to have anger issues. Maybe that was a trait of male vampires? She didn't know. She should ask Nishaa the side affects of vampires and being male. Too much testosterone maybe. Not that she felt overly manly because she was a vampire. Just different.

"Let's walk. That way we can drink as much as we want to. And could call a cab later if we need to." Krystal was dragging Mari to the door and out it. Down the three flights of stairs and out to the city streets.

He once again looked at the picture. Even with just the dim light in the alley, he could tell the girl was a pretty one. He didn’t have the heart to tell her mother the chances of her daughter being unharmed was slim. He did his research and this city had an unusual number of deaths or attacks where the victim had no memory of what happened. Sometimes he wondered why he still did this. Too many times he had to bring painful news to a parent.

He closed his eyes his sisters face burned into his memory. The smiling older sister and the broken shell who had survived something no one should have to go through. Opening his eyes he glanced back down at the picture. If the girl is out there he will find her. He spent the first day of his search getting the names of the people who could help the mother and her daughter, if he gets the girl in one piece. If nothing else he will bring the mother closure.

Slipping the picture into the pocket inside his leather jacket. He turned to the street where the lost souls pushed drugs and their bodies. He took his time eyes scanning over each girl. The police would not look here. To them if she was here she might as well be dead.

Walking up to a greasy pimp he pulled the picture out, holding it so the man could see. “You see this girl around here?” The toothless predatory smile the man flashed sent fire shooting through Isaako’s veins. Grabbing the man by the throat he pushed him against the wall. “Let me very clear you piece of ****. I would rather break your scrawny *** neck than talk to you. The only thing that will save your worthless life is if you have info that helps me locate her.”

“Yeah… yeah. Got it dude.. got it.” The man had his hands wrapped around Isaako’s wrist trying to relieve some of the pressure. “Listen… she isn’t one of the girls on this street. Kinda looks like a girl I seen around a dance place. I’m sure its her. Look… look I’ll give you directions man.”

Isaako let the guy go after not so gently pushing him into the wall.

*******

The next night Isaako to up a spot in a local coffee shop. He made himself busy doing some research on the town as well as kept an eye on the dance studio across the street. He had glimpsed the girl who could of been her, but if she was such a good girl like the mother had said why on earth was she living and working and not letting her mother know she was alright.

He waited until his target and another girl left, following them from a good distance away. Stopping every now and again to go into a store, just to make sure they didn’t know they were being followed. When the two entered an apartment building He made himself comfortable across the street.

He watched as the girl left once more, his eyes moving to the picture. He was sure it was her. How ungrateful for this girl to worry her mother. Not to mention waste his damn time. In a light jog he approached the two girls. “Excuse me. Ladies? I am about as lost as I can get. Can you tell me How to get to the Best Western Hotel?

The girl's were almost to the bar when a man stopped them for directions. Mari immediately inched back, subtly to the right side of Krystal as the man finished his question. Wanting to get rid of him as soon as possible, Mari nodded her head, then began to make a walking gesture with the first two fingers on her right hand. She stopped, pointed behind him and put up the number five.

"She says it's 5 blocks behind you. Good luck." Krystal pulled on Mari's arm, not before eye ******* the guy and then moved around him. "I was thinking, that maybe the studio should do something for the upcoming holidays. Maybe something for Christmas? What do you think?" Krystal went on with her conversation, as both girls assumed the male had crossed the street to go the direction he came from, which was the one they were headed in now. Mari nodded her head, but then waved a finger. Her fingers went to her ears and pulled on them as she shook her head. "No. No elves this year. Last year was a fiasco." Krystal nodded with a laugh. Sexy elves got a little out of control with the gifts they were giving away. Some of the girls, two, got canned because of it.

They are a few feet from the bar when Krystal stops and frantically digs in her purse. "****. Girl, can you spot me tonight? I left my cash in the duffel bag. Soon as we get back, I'll pay it back." Mari just nodded her head, grabbed her friend's arm and tugged her to the door. The other fished in in her small purse for a few bills that would pay the cover charge and then the two girls went in to the bar.

She had been here before, but Krystal hadn't. It wasn't her sort of place, but for Kleo and Krystal, Mari was down with going there. Business for Kleo's pockets and fun for Krystal. When they got in the club, Mari took off her coat and set it in a booth. She was dressed simple and out of sorts for the bar, but she didn't care. Krystal followed suit, then asked for some cash for some drinks. Mari gave her a twenty and watched Krystal disappear as she sat down and waited for Krystal to come back and see if they were going to stick around.

Outfit: http://www.swaggerareus.com/wp-content/ ... ashe-4.jpg

Isaako hadn't had to wait too long for his target to come back out. He sat for a few minutes and watched the girls walk a little ahead of him. He stood and followed once more. She was too tiny to be out here alone. This city was no way for someone like her. He would be doing her a favor if he dragged her home. BUT he was never one to man handle a girl, from what he got from her she had enough of violence. He would just simple stop the girl. Demand she get in touch with her mother. From there he could wipe his hands clean.

Thinking of how best to do it, he decided that he would just wait for her to go home. Knock on the door and tell her he would call her mother for her if he needed too. As he followed a good bit behind them, he tried to calm himself down. Girls like this take away from a girl who could of really needed him. This wasn't the first time he found his target and she was just living her life with no thought of the people who loved her. He wasn't sure what this girls reason was, but he had found most times it was nothing but selfish reasons. They wanted to be done with their poor family or thought the guy they were shacking up with was more important. This one was a bit confusing, she didn't appear to be living in a better area than her mother. From what he could see she wasn't shacking up with someone.

Shaking his head he took a couple deep breathes. In the end it didn't really matter. The point was this girl was a bus ride away from her mother and she didn't care enough to let the woman who gave her life know she was alive.

Isaako followed the girls from a safe distance until they split and he stuck to his target. He couldn’t seem to put it together. The girl seemed sweet, but he could tell real pain in her mothers eyes. For the life of himself he just couldn’t understand why the girl would put her mother through this kind of pain while out and enjoying herself. More than once did he find his target and knew from his meeting with the parents that the child was far better off without their parents knowing where they are. In those cases he had helped the teen either find suitable foster parents or get a start on their own. True this girl was old enough to do what she wanted. Maybe she had earned this freedom, but from her mother and the pictures he had seen, the two were close. Why would she just turn her back on her mother.

He stood outside of the apartment building watching for which apartments lights came on. He could see her silhouette moving in front of the window. Giving her time to get comfortable. Always easier catching them off guard.

Making his way to her apartment he pulled out his P.I. id. It wasn’t a badge but most people saw the official markings and assumed he was some kind of cop or government agent. He found it easier to get doors opened and questions answered that way. Making sure she could see the id through the peephole, he did his best impression of a cop knock and waited for her.