In the Deep, Deep Dark (SS: Trouble in the Deep. Closed)

[Stonehouse]

The wailing of a siren, its ear-shattering scream like that of a banshee in full attack mode, is guaranteed to grab the attention of all those in its proximity. Partnered with its beloved best friend, flashing lights, a siren can announce impending danger. Get out of the way, harm is charging in your direction! A siren is a warning, an alarm that could wake Rip Van Winkle from his lengthy slumber. But within the weird and wonderful world of Harper Rock, there were other Sirens. Still most certainly linked to inevitable danger, these Sirens could also completely grab one’s attention, hypnotizing the subject, placing them in a trance-like state where minds become empty vessels waiting to be filled by crazy schemes and escapades.

Grant Stonehouse had been charmed by the subliminal activities of these alternative Sirens, harpies who attempted to cause mischief by ways of their mystical powers. Several months ago, they had somehow lured him onto their seductive rocks, messing with his mind. A fleeting liaison with a mysterious woman who vanished as quickly as she had arrived was now nothing more than a distant memory for Stonehouse, but one that continued to bounce back into his thoughts like a boomerang. The rational thinker had no explanation as to what exactly happened that evening, or why he had succumbed so easily to these mind tricks, but the puzzle nagged at him like a loose tooth. Who were these Sirens? What did they want?

A recent session fumbling around the Internet had reignited Stonehouse’s interested in these creatures. Crownet, the vampiric answer to an anonymous Facebook, was often the source of much amusement, but also occasionally a goldmine of information. One oddball character who sometimes frequented Crownet was known as the “Administrator”. He acted like some kind of all seeing, all knowing omnipotent being; Harper Rock’s answer to the Wizard of Oz. Stonehouse imagined him sitting behind his computer screen wearing a Guy Fawkes mask from the movie V For Vendetta, like those guys in the secret society who called themselves “Anonymous”.

The Administrator had mentioned that the Sirens were up to something, plotting away in darkened rooms to attack vampires. They were busily working away like ants, building some kind of not-so-secret secret bunker in the Swansdale district of the city. Exactly where and how the Administrator was gathering his intelligence was almost as big a mystery as the Sirens themselves, but his views were certainly interesting.

The Sirens were apparently using the Hebigumo Foundation, which was some kind of research initiative founded in Japan dealing in the development of technologies aimed to improve the quality of human life, as a cover story to their shady operations. Stonehouse, ever the keen businessman, had done a little investigating of his own into the Hebigumo Foundation. It started out as a charitable organization, developing into a sizable corporation. One particular field of interest that perked the enthusiasm of the psychology graduate was their neurotherapy interface machines and software. The Foundation had won an award for developing a telepathic guitar, which took the concept of playing air guitar to a whole new level!

There was, of course, another reason for Stonehouse’s interest in the allegedly altruistic corporation: money. New technologies, brain/computer interfaces, would surely be worth a small fortune? The new building being erected down in Swansdale must surely be full of techno treasures just aching to be plundered. Was it wrong to potentially steal from charitable foundations? Maybe it was, but the official line as to why the company’s headquarters had been relocated to Harper Rock was partly because of taxation advantages. In other words, fiddling the system. Perhaps they weren’t quite as generous as they would lead the general public to believe?

Mix the financial incentives together with an opportunity to unearth more dirt on the Sirens, and it was like being served a luscious cocktail by a stunning waitress. The chance was just too good to waste. Killing two birds with one stealthy stone was value for money in anyone’s books.

Stonehouse knew that he couldn’t just wander into the construction site and take whatever he fancied. One does not simply walk into Mordor. According to the Administrator, the entire facility had been cordoned off, rather like the Quarantine Zone area of the city, and was heavily guarded around the clock. This raised further interest from Stonehouse. There must be more to that place than meets the eye if it required such protection?

Gathering his usual kit bag, which consisted of smoke grenades, two semi-automatic weapons, and blades sharp enough to make a guillotine **** its knickers, Stonehouse walked purposefully towards a nearby sewer entrance. His fine tailored suit had been exchanged for sturdy boots and black overalls, but his wits and skills remained firmly on him at all times.

[Levi DAmico]

Rumours were funny things. Often they were one part truth, five parts hearsay, and another twenty parts imagination stirred up and stirred in to make life appear more interesting than it really was on the surface. Levi wasn’t the type to listen to rumour or idle gossip, not seriously at any rate, but then he did have to remind himself of that sometimes precious kernel of truth that could be hidden in amongst the ********. Not that he really appreciated the venture of digging around, elbow-deep in other people’s crap. Still, sometimes you’ve gotta play dirty in this world in order to survive. That was probably the only reason why Levi allowed one dark eye to pass over that CrowNet thing. The honest truth was that the Italian had no ******* idea what CrowNet was other than a pedestal for the Vampire populace to fight over. Common themes included the ingenuous dedications of other people’s music to members of the public, pathetic marketing ploys to earn more money and/or respect, complaints about the Masquerade being upheld or not upheld, and of course Levi’s personal favourite: contests of verbal superiority in the form of insults, which quickly escalated into contests of the physical variety. It was childish and unnecessary, giving the grousing Italian the distinct impression that he had been ushered into the High School of the Damned.

Still, you’ve got to wade through a lot of crap to eventually find a gem. These gems, Levi had found, had come in the provocative form of warnings by some punk calling itself Administrator. Naturally, the community of ****-wits paid no heed to the ramblings of some anonymous prick, because if that person had any balls to stand up for “the truth”, they wouldn’t be hiding behind a mask. Like the others, Levi had promptly rolled his eyes and assumed the coward was 98% full of **** and instantly forgot about it. True enough, the Administrator had been right about the existence of something they called “Fade Fractures”, but nothing else the person had said could be proven. The masked freak also wasn’t very true to their word. The Administrator had said they were going to investigate into these fractures, and if they had, they hadn’t shared that knowledge with the rest of society. In fairness, Levi wasn’t entirely sure the person behind the mask could be blamed for that. Knowledge was power, they say, so surely a kind of knowledge that is rare is more powerful than most. But, trust was power too and if you can’t establish that bond, your influence is limited.

The second time the Administrator appeared, they were talking about locking Humans out of the CrowNet and giving Vampires anonymity between each other. Whoop di do. The result was a closed net of spiralling chaos where masquerading was taken to a whole new level of stupidity. The third time the Administrator appeared was almost a full year later. The Administrator’s plan this time was to pin some kind of mess on the Lionelli Crime Family and warn of a growing underworld of thugs. Admittedly, that was when Levi’s interest started to pique, not because he believed any more than 2% of what that asshat had to say on any matter, but because somewhere in all that ******** were some facts worth investigating. The Italian kept his distance and watched from the shadows as many of those named organisations rose up out of nowhere and only some were stomped back. Levi couldn’t say for certain who was right and who was wrong in this whole debacle, but he had learned enough to listen out when these names were dealt around again. So when Markaus appeared in November 2015, claiming to be the don of the Lionelli and offering an olive branch that had obviously been dipped in horse manure no fewer than two seconds prior, Levi crinkled his nose and decided to retreat. There was no need to prepare for an attack because the Italian felt himself prepared for almost any eventuality. Still, he’d been wrong hadn’t he, and this oversight saw the Levitan Headquarters blown back to the dark ages.

A lot of good men died that day. Levi had lost a great number of loyal men with smart ears, trained eyes and a sensible head on their shoulders, but the loss wasn’t devastating. The Italian rebuilt his walls around his treasure trove so quickly that the whole affair ended up looking like a blessing. It gave those who were watching a sense of Levi’s determination, a hint of his ambition and unceasing power. Strike him down and he’ll come back stronger – that was the message that passed around the ranks of Malavita. Where was the harm in that, right? Well, renown is a double-edged sword. Being bold and brash can make an impact, intimidate folk. You could then use that power to your advantage, but then again, you’re making a target out of yourself too. You’re letting potential enemies know that you exist, that you’re a challenge. As soon as they know that, they can start the hunt to bring you down.

Levi preferred to stick to the shadows and keep people guessing about his intentions, which meant everyone either knew to be wary of him or just figured he was no threat whatsoever. This came with its advantages and disadvantages too, but you know what they say about early birds and worms. The smart and quick survived and – breaking away from the metaphor – those who didn’t know how to properly spend their money had it taken away from them. As much as Malavita was about criminals and shady business – often ending at the morgue – it really was more about money, power and taking care of your family. It didn’t have to be about smashing peoples’ faces in, breaking legs and fingers and burning peoples’ houses down – these actions were effective in fear mongering, but they weren’t the be all and end all of the operation. Being a brute got you the weaker man’s wallet, but did it earn you his life’s savings, did it earn you a city’s pay cheque? To start earning the big bucks, you had to do more than pound on your chest. A carefully orchestrated balance between brains and brawn was the key to success, which was why Levi was always the one scouting his surroundings and potential foes.

When the Administrator appeared again, they were spouting something about the Hebigumo Foundation and their excavation of some area north of Swansdale. Now, Levi had the wits about him to do his own kind of excavation – digging into the dirt of these Japanese fuckers. What he found there made him laugh at first because he could almost imagine Shiro working there in one of those Fanta-orange hardhats and a starched laboratory coat. It quickly became less and less funny when conspiracy nut-jobs started making all these claims about having their dreams stolen. Ok, admittedly, some of the ******** people were spouting was vaguely hilarious at points, but when the same **** was repeating itself, and talk of earthquakes were being reported in Swansdale, Levi decided to swing by and see if he could wash some of the faeces away from the grains of truth. It turned out he needed a sodding great hose, and despite being able to get his hands on a mammoth-sized water cannon just by reaching for it, he also felt like he needed an extra pair of hands on deck for this one…

True to form, the Administrator had been just forthcoming enough to provide a few concerning facts. Yes, indeed, there was a full-scale operation going down at Swansdale, and whatever it was they were digging for apparently required the protection of a supernaturally-trained militia. In Levi’s experience, you don’t build a fortress around your pebble collection. Whatever the Hebigumo was doing here, whatever they were excavating, was obviously valuable enough to warrant some serious ******* protection, which naturally would warrant some serious ******* firepower. Unfortunately, the Italian had few allies in the still-beating-heart variety. As a matter of fact, Levi’s circle of known Vampiri was seriously lacking and the only person that came to mind was Prudence. She was a wildcat too, not one easily understood or tamed or even ******* approached without getting scratched at, but, she hadn’t tried to bore out the Italian’s eyes for a number of years now, so maybe their relationship was better than he realised. They did get along he supposed, though their idea of getting along was passing by one another with a nod, and generally keeping a distance of about twenty feet. Still, they did have a few things in common, such as murdering folk who got in the way and there just so happened to be a lot of people who needed murdering tonight – enough for the two of them!

With a sigh, the Italian fetched his mobile and placed a call to the red-head, hoping that she was in an agreeable mood and would be willing to share in on what Levi had planned.

[Prudence]

The red headed woman was on her back, staring up at a fluffy white and brown two eyed, four pawed dog, with a marker between her lips as she contemplated the dates on the calendar below the image. Her feet kissed the wall near the headboard of her bed, ankle crossed together as Prudence circled two weekend dates in June. Next weekend and the last weekend as potential dates for leaving the city and going back to Nathaniel's home town. Prudence sighed, tilted the calendar at an angle and then glared at the big fluff ball. Not her type of dog, so she ripped that page out, to last month's image, which was a short haired pit bull with a primarily brown coat and white splotches on its chest and paws. “Better.” Prudence nodded her head and then jotted down in the last weekend 'Going to Nathaniel's parents and junk,' on the Saturday and Sunday dates. She was as nervous to go, as excited, so a few more weeks might calm her nerves. It wasn't every day she went around meeting her husband's entire family, and had to pretend to be human-because no matter what Nathaniel said, she was going to be very human during the entire trip.

Prudence wasn't comfortable being what she actually was around humans, because, well...humans and vampires typically didn't mix well. All the vampire movies sort of made vampires seem terrible, and maybe most were. Prudence had lost all taste for human blood and preferred to spend her nights increasing her own supply, or on the occasion buying bags, which had a different taste. Feeding from a human, to her, was like eating a rat as a human...which was the worst thing to do. It was the bottom of the barrel sort of experience. Humans didn't take care of themselves enough to honestly warrant her time and effort, with all the **** they put in their bodies, be it booze, nicotine, alcohol and all other sorts of drugs. Prudence groaned and then put the cap back on the black tipped marker, tossed it to the bed side table next to the bed and bounced off the bed. She put the calendar back on the hook in one of the walls in the hall, then moved to the main part of the trailer.

“I decided when we're gonna go.” Prudence admitted as she appeared in the living room and wrapped her arms around Nathaniel's shoulders and pressed a kiss to the side of his cheek. Prudence proceeded to jump over the back of the couch and find a spot next to the taller and taller male. “If you're sure, still.” She nodded and then jumped a little at the vibration in her back pocket of her jeans, which rippled under her cheeks and the side of her left thigh. She tugged it out, glanced at the number and name associated with the number and then frowned. This was a number she had only seen once or twice pop up on her screen, which was okay with her. They tolerated the other well enough, but they also seemed to bump heads a lot. Probably because they were both set in their ways, which was their way or the high way mentality. “What the hell does he want?” Prudence grumbled vocally, before glancing at Nathaniel and held up a finger. “Hold those thoughts baby, something strange is up. I think.” She thought about why Levi might be calling her and honestly, Prudence couldn't think of a single reason why. She thought for a second it was about Lori, but concluded that she hadn't seen them together for a long time and it seemed that Lori all but vanished off the radar, so the likely hood of that was slim to none. And she knew damn well it wasn't about CC, or at least for his sake it wasn't. CC was dead to her and had been for a while.

Giving up on trying to figure it out on her own, Prudence hit the button that would pick up the line just before it went to voice mail, and gave a short, and abrupt answer. “Hello.” It wasn't a question, it was said quite plainly as a statement, which might imply that Prudence didn't care one way or another why Levi was calling, which may or may not be the truth. It might also indicate that she wanted him to get right to the point, right off the bat, which was the truth. If this was a call that wasted time, she wasn't game for it, not that Levi seemed to call for reasons or topics like the weather, hobbies or **** like that.

[Stonehouse]

Stonehouse knew the Harper Rock sewer network like the back of his hand, each damp passageway like a vein or an artery beneath the skin that was the surface. At first, the labyrinth of underground tunnels was a dark and daunting maze, full of twists and turns than could lead to hidden dangers. Literal dead ends were common in the claustrophobic, creepy corridors. Nowadays, the subterranean pathways could almost be traversed on autopilot, Stonehouse having created a mental map of the grid. It reminded him of his childhood when he would stare at maps of the London Underground system, and try to memorize the different coloured routes. He'd plot his imaginary journey between the various football teams that had indirect mentions on the complex chart. Tottenham and Arsenal, West Ham and Wimbledon; it was a footy nerd's dream. Shepherd's Bush always made Stonehouse laugh, but that had nothing to do with sport.

There had been many changes in Harper Rock recently. Gang warfare had broken out amongst rival factions; brutal battles between opposing vampire clans, and ferocious fights as human sects challenged their immortal counterparts. Thugs roamed the streets, demanding payment for "protection", while vigilante mobs went on the rampage, dealing out their own form of justice. Even the sewer system had been affected by the upheaval. Human hunters, hellbent on harming the vampire community, used to patrol the dimly lit tunnels, searching for their next victim. Mysterious tattooed soldiers, Paladins, would spring from the shadows like panthers, attacking the unsuspecting eternal travellers who weren't proceeding with the appropriate level of caution. But suddenly, they had vanished.

Stonehouse was unsure as to the reasoning behind their disappearance, unsure as to where they had gone; unsure as to why stray vampires were now wandering like masterless servants, wild and aimless, throughout the underground hallways. Perhaps the human cults had been wiped out in the turmoil, and the feral vampires had taken their place like cuckoos stealing the nests of their feathered neighbours.

Stonehouse had wanted no part in this urban conflict, he pledged no allegiance to any particular side. He was a businessman, not a warrior. The loner preferred to keep himself to himself, to look after number one and avoid confrontation. Don't trouble Trouble, and Trouble won't trouble you. He wondered just how much trouble could potentially be caused by the Sirens, and whether or not they were actually responsible for any of the assaults around the town.

There was certainly an air of change around Harper Rock, a strange atmosphere that made its inhabitants feel a little uneasy. In many ways, change was inevitable. There were many rumours circulating around the Internet that the Hebigumo Foundation had changed its practice. Officially, it had branched out into developing new technologies that were geared towards improving industrial and agricultural production methods. However, if the inventive minds of the conspiracy theorists were to be believed, the outwardly charitable corporation was in bed with the military, secretly arranging backdoor deals with independent contractors. Despite these fanciful tales having been debunked and tossed out into the trash, Stonehouse was always of the opinion that there was no smoke without fire.

The mundane march through the murky maze drew to an abrupt end, Stonehouse emerging from the sewer entrance into the pleasant evening like a nocturnal badger, ready to forage for treats. The tall businessman enjoyed puzzles, and he hoped to not only harvest valuable loot from his late night foray, but also answers. Knowledge was power, and power backed up with a plentiful sum of cash was a winning combination.

Swansdale wasn’t a familiar hunting ground for Stonehouse, but he still knew the area well enough to locate the compound. To be fair, a blindman with the spatial awareness of a drunken hippopotamus could have found the construction site. It wasn’t exactly draped in a huge cloak of invisibility. Standing proudly in the northern area of the district, the hastily constructed steel skeleton, flanked by walls of concrete, stood out like a clumsy metalworker’s thumb, bold and brash, adorned with fluorescent yellow tape like a poorly decorated Christmas tree. It seemed clear that owners most definitely didn’t want anyone snooping around and finding out what was going on inside. Needless to say, this made Stonehouse even more intrigued as to what was haboured within the makeshift barriers.

Normally, Stonehouse would spend several nights scoping out a potential target, carefully planning his break in. He would wait patiently, noting the movement of everyone who came past, whether they were a casual passer-by, or a guard with a hungry looking dog in tow with huge canines. Mentally, the perfectionist would methodically and systematically go through all possible scenarios to ensure that he was prepared for all eventualities. Perfect planning prevents a piss-poor performance, or so the saying goes. This situation was different.

It was apparent from the online messages posted by the Administrator that time was of the essence. Something was going down here, something big. Stonehouse needed to act quickly, and throw caution to the wind. He wasn’t altogether comfortable with going a little off piste, but he wanted the fresh, virgin snow before others came and tore up the tracks. Others would come, Stonehouse was certain of it. He surely couldn’t be the only one to want to investigate the Foundation’s latest venture? First things first, Stonehouse needed to find a way into the compound, to locate the Black Gate of Mordor.

[Levi DAmico]

“Ciao,” Levi began, trying his utmost to be civil with a naturally bass voice and a demeanour that insisted on grumpy ********. “How busy are you in the next couple of hours?”

There was no point in being anything less than blunt. Despite the supernatural bonds that tied them together for eternity, Prudence and Levi were strangers to one another. The Italian didn’t know much about anything as far as this woman was concerned: nothing about where she grew up, whether she had any family members as a mortal, if she hated Mondays, and neither was he entirely convinced that Prudence was her real name. What he did know could just about fill a thimble, but at least they were valuable facts, things he could use. Levi knew that Prudence was the no-nonsense sort, that she had a short temper, a fiery disposition and a sharp right hook. Beating around the bush wasn’t going to do anything but piss her off and while redheads were pretty cute when they were angry, and he might need her passion in this dangerous situation, he didn’t necessarily want that ire focused on him. Somehow he was going to have to convince the woman, who’d basically become accustomed to being worshipped as a Goddess by those beneath her or so it seemed, that Levi wasn’t quite the twat she thought he was. Although he would never convince her that he was a friend, because the Italian just wasn’t that good a bullshitter and would probably never escape the same tar brush that he and CC carried like a ******* liberty torch, in the very least Levi could convince Prudence that he was an ally when necessary.

“There’s a job that’s opened up. It requires your… particular set of skills.” He paused. “You interested?”

But obviously Levi had his limits being wholly and completely blunt. They were speaking over the phone, after all, and even if this **** wasn’t Malavita related, Levi chose to be overly cautious with his words. Being vague on account of potential eavesdroppers might just not be good enough to avoid falling into a pit of negativity, but Levi figured that their limited relationship could actually be quite helpful in this situation. They knew one thing about each other with certainty: they both knew how to make people bleed. So when Levi referred to Prudence’s unique skill set, it probably wouldn’t be too hard for her to figure out exactly what he meant and what he wanted of her. Levi couldn’t spell it out any better if he tried, but that wasn’t even the hard part. The challenge in this case was figuring out what motivated Prudence. Was she swayed by the promise of power? Was she more draconic than she appeared, with the lure of gold being her ultimate weakness? Or maybe Prudence just liked the thrill of severing a man’s head from his shoulders, from the rush of adrenaline in a fight that made your body feel like it was created from hellfire and diamonds and lightning – unbreakable and unbound. Whatever it was, Levi was convinced he could come up with some kind of payment for her services. Every man had their price, and every woman too.

[Prudence]

Levi greeted her and then got right to the point. The red head stood, and moved away from the couch that she stood up from, as to not be distracted from the sound of the television, or from her husband-which was a very easy thing to do for him these nights. Just a shred of affection, or a touch from the guy and it spurned a chain reaction that Levi wouldn't want to hear through the phone. Yes, it was better to move away from her husband, not for any particular reason than that. There were no secrets between them, at least Prudence didn't think so, so after the conversation had ended, she would more than likely reveal to him what the reason was for behind the call, leaving out anything that wasn't important in her eyes, because wasting her time talking about levi calling about some sports game or something else that was mundane, just wasn't worth the time to anyone. It was irrelevant facts that meant nothing to anyone, other than Levi.

Prudence pondered over the question as there was a little bit of silence that followed after it. How busy was she? Well, not very. Prudence had become a little...lethargic these nights, some could say. She preferred to keep company with her husband, other than the company of a buncha **** bags, which wasn't a bad thing as she found more meaning to this extra special long life span than she had years ago...though it did come with less and less training time. No matter what; changing one life style for another came with a 'price' for lack of a better word, meaning that something had to be altered and forgone. Like time in the castle or caverns. She didn't care, as feeling happy made her...well, happy, and appreciate life all that much more.

A job was offered to her, which made a brow raise. Levi was offering her a job? Had something really big gone down that she wasn't aware of? In his life particularly, or was this something else? This was like one of those rare opportunities that only reared its head every fifty years or something. It wasn't that thought that motivated Prudence to want to help him, but the fact that Levi was admitting he needed and wanted her help, even if he didn't come out to say it like that. That seemed to indicate that Prudence had some worth to the guy, even if he would never admit it, just as she never would. Their encounters were short, to the point and seldom ended on a high note.

“I'm pretty free. I was going to stop by the bar, but the place practically runs itself.” Prudence said after a few seconds of quiet on her end. “So, I'll see what I can do and offer a helping hand.” The thought to extend that to Nathaniel came to mind, but the details were so minimal and the fact he didn't seem to be a fan of Levi's also prevented Prudence from making the offer to Levi. There could be only a handful of guys, which in her eyes meant that it should be a fairly simple job. “Give me ten minutes and I'll be wherever ya need me to be.” Prudence moved into the bedroom where there was a pull out drawer under the bed, filled with a variety of weaponry, from knives to two really big guns, one owned by her, the other by her husband

[Stonehouse]

Stonehouse circled the compound like a vulture, attempting to find a weakness at which he could strike and gain entry. He diligently made notes of everything that he saw, which mainly consisted of warning signs saying “Danger: Keep Out!” or “Wear Hard Hats at All Times!” that had been fixed to the exterior of the construction site. They were like baubles on the Christmas tree, complementing the bright yellow tape that acted as the tinsel. The sturdy structure of a crane poked its metallic head high into the night sky like the fairy perched on top of the festive tree.

It took him several minutes to circumnavigate the perimeter walls such was the scale of the operation hidden within. This was not some local corner shop selling cigarettes and cans of Coke. This was something big, something major.

The walls were unfortunately too high to scale, which had been Stonehouse’s initial thought. Climb over the top and drop in like a hawk onto whatever or whoever lay waiting inside. The fact that barbed wire had been liberally scattered around the tops of the scaffolding poles that protruded out from the dark blue tarpaulins like the spines of a hedgehog, was also a little off-putting. Stonehouse wondered if there was a way under the fortified walls such as a new sewer tunnel or drainage pipelines, but he’d have noticed that while traversing the underground network with which he was so familiar. It looked as though a more direct approach was required.

Was bursting through the front door too obvious a plan? The bad news was that unless there was a secret entrance somewhere, a set of intimidating looking metal gates seemed like the one and only way in. Guarded by a couple of burley men with firearms holstered at their hips, the imposing door was the portcullis into the mysterious castle. These sentries would either need to be distracted, taken out, or stealthily bypassed. The good news was that there appeared to be no other security measures at the gatehouse, no surveillance cameras or alarms. CCTV was such an annoyance, one that could be quite damning, even to a vampire.

Having thoroughly scoped out the facility, and mulled over his options, Stonehouse came to the conclusion that the central gate was his best route in. In many ways, it appeared his solitary way in, as the main gate seemed to be the only gate.

While the careful planner weighed up his options, he heard a distant rumbling sound. The noise grew louder as a truck rapidly approached the compound, its powerful diesel engine breaking the otherwise silent night atmosphere. Peering through the dimly lit sky, Stonehouse noted that the truck looked empty as it pulled up at the entrance barrier. A quick conversation between one of the guards and the driver swiftly lead to the other sentry opening the gate, effectively lowering the drawbridge to the citadel. In a flash, the lorry was gone, swallowed up by the concrete beast.

Stonehouse scratched his smoothly shaven chin, a plan suddenly forming. His thoughts had barely had time to formulate when the gates reopened, spewing out a dirty truck, this time heavily laden with rubble and goodness knows what else. Stonehouse’s dark eyes noticed that this was different wagon to the one that had moments earlier entered the facility, prompting him to assume that a small fleet of trucks may be at work here, perhaps forming a convoy to clear out debris from the site under the shroud of nightfall.

If these vehicles were likely to come and go all evening, then there was ample opportunity for a budding burglar to use them as cover.

[Levi DAmico]

You didn’t have to know the Leviathan very well to assume that he wasn’t the type to just go around asking people for assistance. That was both a wise and very poor judgement to make. Levi was a businessman, after all. Strip away the Italian suits, the villainous sneers, and that Bostonian accent of his and he was every bit as ruthless, sophisticated and calculating as those infamous Wall Street tycoons. John D. Rockefeller was the world's first billionaire and business tycoon. In the fledgling years of the oil industry during the 1860s, Rockefeller diversified his oil holdings by refining one product into several; kerosene for lamps, paraffin for candles, and petroleum jelly for medical supply companies. Rockefeller was the first prominent figure in a particular industry who had amassed substantial wealth and power while building a business empire, but he wasn’t alone. Plenty of men and women rose to tycoon status in the late 20th century. There is plenty that separates the well-known and the lesser well-known names of this century’s billionaires, but the one thing they have in common is an innovative, idealistic mind and a drive to get what they want by any means necessary.

The Italian had no problem calling in people to do his dirty work, to help him share the load, or take up jobs that he just didn’t have the skill for. That’s what a good boss does, after all. He recognises the individual skills and talents of others and brings them together for a singular, mutually beneficial purpose. Levi didn’t expect people to work for free – nothing in this world was ever free, but it wasn’t always clear what the cost would be either. Despite keeping an ear out for suggestions in her voice, little inflections that might reveal her intentions, Levi couldn’t be certain that he knew what it was that Prudence wanted out of this deal. He’d offered her a job and she’d nonchalantly accepted – no arguing, no questioning, and no excitement either. She might have been surprised that the call had been made in the first place, that Levi had sought her out, but that surprise had quickly simmered into a luke-warm acceptance of duty. Suffice it to say, Levi arched a brow at that one – suspicious that she would be so damn compliant when he’d given her miniscule details, but maybe she just preferred to argue face-to-face about these kinds of things rather than over the phone.

“Ok, good,” Levi said in a neutral tone. “Meet me at Thompsons & Moore. It’s one of those tall office buildings north of Swansdale train station. The name’s on the front of the building. You can’t miss it. I’ll be on the tenth floor so I’ll meet you at the elevator.” There was a pause then when Levi decided to drop a little of his earlier caution in order to communicate the gravity of the situation. “Oh and Pru, come armed. Heavily. We’re in for a long night.”

There wasn’t much else to say after that, so Levi made a point of ending the call there. Prudence would see for herself just what he’d meant about bringing the artillery along with her. From his vantage point, Levi had a sequestered view out onto the building site. Take away the armed personnel and it would look like an average construction site. Without those thugs standing watch, their semi-assault rifles as conspicuous as wings on a pig, you could easily walk by and think nothing was going on here. There wasn’t actually much to see; there were tarpaulin sheets covering steel-capped cement walls burrowing into the earth, along with drilling equipment and heavy machinery, and plenty of yellow warning tapes, barbed wire and big old signs telling people to keep their noses out. Maybe they were building Harper Rock’s first underground Metro or mining for gold, something boring – the average person didn’t actually give a ****. The average person certainly didn’t give a **** when they were roughly turned away by what looked like a private militia either; it was better to keep your nose out at that point. Cliché determined that not only was Levi not your average person, but he also wasn’t put off by people flashing guns in his face. As a matter of fact, the more heavily guarded a place was, the more precious the contents must have been and the brighter the dragon’s eyes glistened. Levi didn’t know what was inside or if his logic would even matter a **** to Prudence, but they could discuss that when she arrived.

If she was wondering why this building in particular, well the answer was pretty simple and pretty darn plain. Thompsons & Moore was a law firm – small enough to be desperate for clients, whatever their crime, and yet big enough to be good at what they did. Levi had worked with them closely enough to make sure everything about the Levitan Empire was looking legitimate, and in return for a few hints and tips over taxes, Levi had given their name to a few of his well respected associates. You rub my back, I’ll rub yours. So, Levi hanging out at their offices after hours wasn’t going to exactly raise any eyebrows, not even when he was going to be meeting a tempestuous redhead. Something happened to catch the wary attention of the Italian however, something he glimpsed out of the window; a figure clad in black had appeared skulking about on the scene and Levi knew that they couldn’t waste much time discussing ****. Obviously when you dress a place up like Fort Knox, it’s going to catch the attention of thieves. The pair could work out what to do with their unwelcome guest when they got to it. First things first, they had to arrange a plan that would suit both their egos…

[Prudence]

While she waited for more details for Levi, Prudence had already secured an elite hunting knife, her first gun ever, a glock, and her large gun, Scarlet. She thought about the Swansdale area, but couldn't think about the specific building Levi was talking about. She didn't spend a lot of time there, so it was kind of foreign to the tall red headed killer. The information about the tenth floor was collected, and the woman paused when Levi told her to bring a lot of weaponry and that meant he believed they were in for a lot of action. He might be right, and he might be wrong, but it was always better to come over prepared then under in situations that more than likely required blood shed. No one wanted to be standing around in a room filled with 'baddies,' with an empty clip and a knife stuck in someone on some other floor.

The call was concluded, without a word from her, which was fine by her. She said she was in, she had the details she needed, and so after Prudence put another elite hunting knife in the second slab in a belt holder she hadn't put on yet. Prudence stood up from the side of the bed, pressed a button, which had the drawer closing by itself. The woman moved from the bed to a medium sized paining of a multi colored dog, with sunglasses and a cigar that was on a wall nearest the foot of the bed. The painting was slid to the right to reveal a small square opening that possessed a handful of proximity mines, sensor turrets, two bear traps and some sensor alarms. Her supply had dwindled over the years, mostly because Prudence didn't make them anymore, as she preferred hand to hand combat. It always seemed less messier to her. Once she collected the proximity mines, the painting was returned to its usual state and the woman moved to the space near the false opening and grabbed her katana. It wasn't a great katana by any means, but it could do some damage and that was what counted. Clips for both guns were pulled from a dresser beneath the painting and tossed on the bed.

Prudence returned to the bed, wrapped the belt around her hips and secured it there tightly, sliding the glock in its holster. She moved to the sliding closet doors, slid one side open and grabbed her school back pack and stuff the mines in it, carefully. She grabbed the sheath that appeared in pristine condition (from lack of use) for the sword, put it in the brown sheath, placed it over her right shoulder, while the assault rifle went on her left. The backpack was collected in her right hand before she left the bedroom and made her way back into the living room. “Be back later, baby!” Prudence said against Nathaniel's cheek as he glanced at her. Her lips pressed to his cheek, then to his lips before she forced herself away. She'd never leave if she gave him a proper kiss. “See ya in the plant later?” She asked as the woman slipped out the front door, with two pairs of accusatory eyes on her. Nathaniel's and the dog she found in the graveyard with him the night they had their first date.

The woman moved around a truck that sat more than it was used and popped open the back, climbed in the open space and placed her larger weapons in a tool box that was used for weapon storage, followed by the bag. It was locked by a key hanging around her neck on some bright green plastic cording that was tucked back inside her half shirt. The woman moved around the large metal beast that was blue and white, pulled down the visor and let the key drop into her lap. It roared to life after two turns of the ignition and she was off to the Swansdale location given to her on the phone that was tossed to the passenger seat besides her in case he needed to call her again. She didn't want to miss that call.

When she arrived on the location, Prudence decided she was just going to go right in. Levi was expecting her, so there was no need to try and sneak her way in. The mid-90's potential rust bucket was parked right along the curb, letting him know she arrived when prudence popped her way out of the driver's seat and started gathering her supplies for the night. Once again Prudence found herself in the half enclosed back of the truck, taking things out this time and then sliding off the back as to not jostle any of the traps in her pack. The woman approached what seemed like an unusually tall building in this area, opened the front door and made eye contact with the guard. “Got a meeting on floor ten.” Prudence pointed to the elevator and the guard barely acknowledged her. Just gave her a nod and so Prudence ignored him and went on her way. He didn't seem bothered by her carrying a large quantity of weapons, so she came to the conclusion that Levi must have informed him of her.

The elevator would make no extra stops, Prudence wasn't curious as to what Levi got up to in his free time. Their lives were pretty...estranged, so there was no reason to snoop. He wasn't an idiot and didn't seem like the type to go around breaking rules and letting humans know about vampires, which was the only thing the red head cared about. Doors glided open when she reached the floor, and Prudence slowly stepped out and made her way inside the depths of the floor. He wasn't difficult to spot, even if his back was turned to her. He appeared to be the only one there for starters, and his hair was so damn tall, at least Prudence always thought so. “Levi.” Prudence said, informing him that she was behind him, but she somehow suspected he already knew that.

[Stonehouse]

Stonehouse waited patiently like a cobra, coiled, ready to strike. He had to be certain that the dumper-trucks would arrive fairly routinely otherwise his plan could be scuppered. He observed another empty truck growl its way to the fortified gate and be ushered through by the guards, just as the wagon around twenty minutes earlier had been. Several painstaking minutes later, a lorry loaded with construction waste vacated the compound, following a similar pattern to the one witnessed before. It didn’t matter what the truck was carrying, or where it was heading, it only mattered that the trucks where there. Mobile cover, a diversion on chunky wheels; that was the new purpose for the vehicles.

Having watched the scenario repeat itself on three separate occasions, albeit with inconsistent time intervals, Stonehouse decided that it was time to make his move. Delving into his rucksack, Stonehouse withdrew a sub-machine gun. He checked the magazine and firing mechanism, giving the barrel an affectionate tap with an accompanying smile. Stealth was often a smart move, but eliminating the opposition meant that they couldn’t cause any further problems somewhere down the line. Besides which, Stonehouse was unsure as to what he’d discover once he made it through the gate and breached the urban castle’s defences. He needed to be prepared for all eventualities.

Stonehouse’s astute sense of hearing was perked up by the now familiar sound of another rapidly approaching truck. Although Stonehouse was sure that the local inhabitants might well complain about the noise pollution, it would hopefully help to mask any potential gunfire. Just another backfiring exhaust from a laboured construction lorry, right? Crouching behind some dustbins across the street, Stonehouse readied himself for his assault. The game had now started.

As soon as the truck drove passed him, Stonehouse thrust himself up behind it, making sure that he kept to the passenger side. He used the wing mirrors of the wagon to view the driver – a process that could only ever be one way. The inability to have one’s reflection never appear in a mirror occasionally had its advantages. He ran along with the truck until it ground to a halt at the gate, being careful to keep out of sight of the guard who would operate the opening mechanism to the barrier.

Muffled words tickled Stonehouse’s eardrums like delicate feathers as the driver and one of the sentries exchanged pleasantries. A shout of “All clear!” rang out, signalling to the second guard that the gate should be opened. This was Stonehouse’s opportunity. No sooner had the solid steal gateway been opened and the truck’s engine fired up to move forward, than the marksman struck. Stonehouse stepped out of cover, stared down the gun sight, and fired multiple shots at the unsuspecting guard, catching him squarely in the face. An instant kill, nay, an assassination.

The truck moved forward into the compound, both the driver and the other guard oblivious to the story that was beginning to unfold. Two guards against just one burglar seemed slightly unfair odds, so Stonehouse wanted to even things up a little. As the vehicle lumbered further inside the perimeter walls, Stonehouse concentrated, summoning a mystical spirit, a sidhe, to come to his aid. The elemental demifae creature, a humanized ethereal spirit, flew at the second guard with the speed of a mighty gust of wind, pulverizing him into the floor before the startled patrolman had any time to react and draw his own weapon.

Stonehouse joined in the fun, his gun blazing several rounds into the prone guard’s head, which subsequently exploded in a shower of blood and grey matter as the bullets thudded into his skull. Both guards knocked out in round one. So far, so good.

Stonehouse wasn’t about to rest on his laurels and dish out self-praise just yet. He had only breached the perimeter stockade, and hadn’t broken into the keep and run away with the princess just yet. There was inevitably going to be more work to be done. As the truck shuffled deeper into the compound, rumbling like thunder, Stonehouse gazed outwards into the yard. Yes, more work indeed, as on first glance it looked like there was at least half a dozen guards, maybe more, loitering around the courtyard.