"Yea," he said resignedly.
"Thank you," she figured with what little time she could spare she would make her inquiries, "is there any word on Manson yet?"
"No, he’s still in surgery," Jennifer cringed with the knowledge that her friend and mentor had been more damaged then she had perceived. "I checked on Clive he’s still stable, so that’s something I suppose."
Jennifer nodded unsure what she should say in a situation where everything felt like she was the cause. "I am sorry Malcolm," without saying more she headed back out the way she’d come, she would either acquire the information she needed or she would die tonight.
Chapter 7
She was halfway back to her cousin’s car when she heard the clicking of heals against pavement and Marcia called after her. "Wait! I’m supposed go to," before Jennifer could put in her protest the woman handed her the jacket she’d left in the van, Jennifer had forgotten it, and the odds were she was going to need it to get in a concealed gun with her. "You’re going to need me," Jennifer was not convinced that she would, but the woman was going to have to learn to be a negotiator at some point. She wished like hell that she could make the woman’s introduction to the job a little less hostile but there never seemed to be a mellow case of vampirism when you needed one.
"This is going to be very dangerous Marcia, you should know right now that the last negotiator I brought in with me didn’t come back out breathing." She watched Marcia pale, but she didn’t try to back out of coming. "Alright," Jennifer sighed, she was probably going to need the help anyway. Lord knows she was running on empty and negotiating would probably wind up at gun point if she were alone. Jenny started making her way back to her cousins car and without protest or inquiry about their last negotiators demise Marcia fell into step beside her.
"So where are we going?" Marcia asked trying to keep pace with Jennifer, a difficult feat considering the heels she was in.
"Trust me, you don’t want to know," she didn’t look at Marcia. She didn’t dare look, she would hate to see that excited, young potential vampire worship look on her face. She would think that after the woman had seen the end result of what vampires were capable of there would be a little less excitement and a little more angst in her companions tone.
"Can I at least know what Malcolm was talking about, what’s your big history at this place?" Again with the excitement, Jennifer could tell already that Marcia was the type of person who would find listening to the occurrence as entertainment and not the warning it should have been.
"I almost died there," she didn’t give details, she didn’t know Marcia well enough for one, and then there was the fact that she didn’t want to encourage the woman’s excitement.
"Is that what you were talking about with the negotiator?"
"Everybody with me that day died, everybody but me," a fact that still haunted her.
Marcia must have noticed Jennifer’s expression grow very dim and realize that she obviously didn’t want to talk about any of this right now. She never talked about it, but watching that expression come over a face that was the same age as her own was at least some deterrent. It hadn’t occurred to her that tagging along might cost Jennifer another little piece of her innocence, might just steel away some of the light she had left if once again Jennifer was forced to walk away alone. The two women had only met a few months ago, and Marcia had yet to witness for herself the horrors that Jennifer had been witness to since she was a child. That was what allowed Marcia to be the bright smiling creature that bounced with excitement at the prospect of her first encounter with the monsters. Jennifer could not remember a time when she had been bright, there was nothing much left of her now outside of the iron clad stare she leveled on the enemy. "I’m sorry," Marcia finally said with a little less bounce in her stride.
"Don’t be," Jenny looked over at Marcia and the girl smiled as if to reassure her that she was reliable. "Just remember one thing when we get there, everybody you see in that place is a killer, you watch my back, I’ve got yours. If we keep it quick then they might just let us walk out alive."
"Gee that’s comforting," Marcia shoved her hands in her pockets as they reached the car and waited for Jennifer to unlock the doors.
"I’m not here to comfort you Marcia, I’m here to make sure that when the time comes you can keep yourself alive incase I can’t." Marcia didn’t respond to this comment and to her greatest relief as they climbed into the car and she pulled out of the parking lot the medium kept any further excitement to herself. Silence was good, for now to her it seemed golden even, because she needed time to think out some kind of strategy that would allow the two of them to get in and out of the club alive. Getting in would be the easy part, they let any pretty face into the building, getting back out was going to be the tricky part. She could always handle herself, but she wasn’t in the best of shape right this moment. Which meant it was impossible to guarantee her safety let alone another persons. Jenny took a second to rotate her right shoulder, that one stretch sent spikes of pain through the whole arm. If she was in for more trouble tonight, one thing was for sure, her right arm couldn’t take anymore. She didn’t plan on arm wrestling with anybody, but you never knew how things would turn out in her line of work.
Jennifer glanced at her coat resting on the center consol, that was one reason she could be grateful that Marcia had decided to join her on this little outing. It was one of her favorite coats, made of a soft black leather, it fit tight enough to look attractive, but was loose enough to conceal the Beretta, which was the reason it was her favorite coat. It was cold enough to wear the coat, another small favor that she could be grateful for because otherwise wearing it would have made her conspicuous. Although being conspicuous was probably going to be the least of her problems, as if to provide her with a distraction she didn’t need, her ribs protested at having a seat belt digging into them. Her stomach was still in the first stages of bruising and it hurt; she still wasn’t entirely sure she hadn’t broken anything. When she had time she’d be sure to go ask the professionals whether or not she had. She’d have one more thing to be grateful for if it really was only bruising and not the alternative.
"Are you alright," Marcia finally asked after some silence, letting Jennifer know that she’d done something to give away her current physical condition.
"I’ve been worse," Jennifer assured the woman wondering what it was she’d done to give her injury away. There was also the possibility that Marcia knew by other means, she forgot most of the time that Marcia was a medium, she got weird vibes about people. She might even be able to sense every single thing Jennifer felt, or at least had a hint of how serious her injuries really were. ‘Damn that was annoying.’
"We could wait for the others," Marcia said out of the darkness in the car beside her.
"This can’t wait," she assured her, she was out of patients concerning explanations in the matter. Which meant she wasn’t willing to humor the new girl about the usual things that she might have been willing to hold her hand about. No delusions of safety, or stability, not this time because this time it really might be a waste of breath. She was going to make it clear this very second that if she went down tonight in that club that Marcia was going to die too if she wasn’t ready to protect herself. "My injuries have never kept me from doing my job Marcia, they’re not going to stop me now. But I want something very clear between the two of us, if I die in that dance club, you’re going to die with me. There’s nothing that I can do about that, you have to be prepared to face that, if you can’t then you need to walk away when I pull this car over."
"What happens if I die before you do?" Marcia asked trying not to sound distressed at the idea of dying in a way that was guaranteed to be unpleasant.
"You have my word that I’ll do everything that I can to keep that from happening."
"So you are going to protect me," Marcia didn’t hide her smile. It was apparently nice to know that Jennifer wasn’t just looking out for herself
. It wasn’t a secret that Marcia was less then proficient at fighting in the first place, without Jennifer she would be a lost cause, somebodies dinner in all likelihood.
"I swore to myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t lose another team mate to that place." Jennifer watched Marcia relax a little bit, there went the idea about no delusions of safety. "But you have to know that even with me giving it all I’ve got to keep us both alive, no matter how many promises I make, it’s just words they guarantee nothing." Maybe Marcia was safe as long as Jennifer could manage to find an upper hand, she just wasn’t sure how to get an advantage.
In any case Jennifer was out of time to try and come up with anything that would allow her leverage because they had arrived. Pulling over she parked the car as close to the building as she could, which considering it was a Friday wasn’t close, probably for the best given she needed to get her Beretta out of the trunk. Without waiting for Marcia as soon as the car was in park she popped the trunk and climbed out of the car. She felt more than saw Marcia come up beside her but for the moment she focused on tucking the Beretta in the back of her jeans and putting the Bowie knife back in place. When that task was done she slipped her coat on, again grateful for the concealment it provided. After that she reached back in for the spare pistol that she usually kept on her, hesitated for a moment before offering it to Marcia. "If I do get myself killed you should be armed," Marcia just stared at the gun for a second. "You know how to use it?"
"Yes," Marcia responded quietly. Everybody on the team knew how to shoot, she had no specific talent for it, the best reason for that being that she was no killer. She stared at the little hand gun like it had bitten her or started talking, or simply like she wasn’t sure what she should do with it.
"Put it in your purse," Jennifer instructed as she slammed the trunk closed and moved to walk around the car. When Marcia made to come after her she followed her instructions, and tucked the gun into the purse she was carrying that matched her dress suite . "If it comes to you having to use the pistol you aim for the head or the heart, those are the only shots that might slow them down." Jennifer watched Marcia nod and tuck the pistol away, she wouldn’t have spotted the small weapon so no one else was likely to either. "When we get there," she continued, "don’t look anybody directly in the eyes, don’t make it obvious though. Pretend your on a night out with the girls, don’t show them fear, don’t even think about being afraid. They can smell fear from a mile away, and that is a death sentence. Don’t let them know you know what they are, you keep calm, you keep breathing." That was the best advice that Jennifer could offer with such short notice.
"Jennifer," Marcia asked confused.
"Don’t worry, they’re not mind readers, body language, facial expressions, smell, that’s how they weed you out. It’s not as hard as it sounds, trust me." Jennifer looked back at the negotiator and could already tell she didn’t know what she was talking about. "Look," Jennifer called her attention back to the issue at hand and tried to put it into different terms. "Just smile, be flirty, strut, use sex appeal, but don’t let them know you’re afraid. Act like you’re out on the town, but it’s also important that you don’t look them in the eyes."
"Isn’t that going to seem suspicious," Marcia asked nervously as if unsure how to go about acting flirty without looking people in the eye.
"Look over heads, at peoples chests, whatever makes you more comfortable. Looking over their heads gives the illusion of eye contact though, I suggest you keep that in mind."
"What if they’re taller than me?" It was a stupid question really but in the end a relevant enough one given the circumstances.
"Avoid them, look at the ceiling, your choice really," Jenny watched Marcia nod, she had doubts, that was better than fear at least. "We’re almost there, are you ready for this?" At the question Marcia imperceptibly positioned herself closer to Jennifer’s side, she understood the sentiment. God she was dreading going back to that club, it carried nothing but bad memories for her. Then again for her most places did if they were work related, and she would never be caught dead in that place if not for work. She would never admit it out loud but she may even have been a little terrified at the idea of walking back in there. What if things did turn ugly and Marcia was killed, it would be her fault. Just like the last time she’d gone in and people had died ugly, it was always her fault. The fact that she always survived was retched proof that she was a failure and that their blood was on her hands, no one else’s. God forgive her because she was willing to go in again, even if it meant Marcia’s blood was put on her conscience as well. She had to hope that God could forgive her because she couldn’t forgive herself for what she had to do to preserve the lives of people she didn’t even know.
Chapter 8
Jennifer paid close attention to Marcia’s expression as they came close to turning around the corner. She had seen what would be waiting for them, it felt like she’d laid eyes on it a thousand times before even though she knew it couldn’t have been more than a dozen times, but Marcia had never seen the luminous red letters that read Crimson Desire before. She watched the woman beside her and couldn’t help but feel like there was a tremendous age difference between them even though they were essentially the same, she couldn’t help but feel old in comparison as she watched the woman’s jaw drop. She wasn’t surprised, she couldn’t be knowing that she had reacted the same way when she’d first seen this place. It was a combination of a sign that should have been absolutely trashy but managed to be both eerie and alluring instead and seeing all the people piled outside of the place waiting to get inside, didn’t hurt first impressions either.
This place didn’t look as dangerous as it really was, she knew that normal people came here all the time, most of them came in and left again none the wiser. But a majority of the regulars here were killers, she should know, she’d been forced to sit by helpless while they tortured and killed innocent people. But still people came like cattle to the slaughter, maybe because that damned sign drew attention, under the bright velvet words Crimson Desire stood a glowing outline of a woman being held against a man. It looked like a couple in a very intimate embrace, the mans face buried in the crook of the woman’s neck, her arms circling his neck, holding him to her. To normal people it would look like an innocent representation of lovers, but she knew better. It represented death, it represented a killers crimson desire, and in the end she knew that was what brought people back here again and again despite the fact that sometimes they disappeared. It was those beautiful monsters that drew the people back to die, damned vampires.
"Don’t be fooled by a books cover," she warned Marcia. She’d seen that expression before, awed, she wasn’t delusional enough to deny having never been the same, she just wished like hell that for once someone would take her word on what this place was and display a little terror instead of having to learn it the hard way. But in the end they all learned quickly that there was nothing awesome about this club, it was nothing short of terrifying once you knew what it really was.
"It just looks so normal," Marcia confided as they made their way toward the line that spanned almost all the way around the building.
"That was what everybody else said, you find out what it is fast or you die. I hope you’re a fast learner," Jenny turned the collar of her coat up and devoted her attention to the haunting sign above them. Very much aware that it seemed to turn the whole sky blood red around the building, suiting, especially unnerving when you knew what you were walking into.
"Jennifer," Marcia seemed to take pause and actually stopped walking, the woman had to call her name a second time before she noticed.
"What," she asked never taking her eyes off of the sign except to briefly glance at the woman behind her. The sign was a reminder that this was dangerous, that she had to be careful, very careful, wouldn’t want to step on any old enemies toes.
"Will they be at the doors, how will we get in, what if they know who we are, what if they try....."
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"Marcia," Jennifer forced herself to look at the woman beside her, this was not the reaction she wanted, a little fear yes, but not so much that she couldn’t function through it. She had gotten used to dealing with people like Manson and herself, people who simply managed to turn fear into something useful or lock it away where it wouldn’t get in the way. "Listen to me, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t need some back up in there," she briefly indicated the building behind her, "but if you can’t hold it together it isn’t too late for you to go home."
"You need me," it wasn’t exactly what Jennifer had said but she shrugged it off, it seemed to give her some confidence, "I can do this."
"Alright, let’s go," Jennifer paused to pull the cross from around her neck, it wouldn’t be doing her any favors where a vampire could see it. She tucked it in her pocket and headed off in front of the medium again hoping there wouldn’t be any more delays. She figured it would be best if she take initiative and lead the way, she hoped that letting Marcia see her walking forward without faltering would encourage the other woman to remain steady. This time however Marcia didn’t even try to walk beside her she stayed behind Jennifer like she was some sort of human shield. Nice to know she was good for something, though the type in Crimson Desire didn’t use guns much so a human shield wouldn’t be of much use. She was almost tempted to laugh but thought better of it because she couldn’t be sure how it might effect Marcia. She was glad that Marcia was taking the club and what she’d warned her about seriously, it might save their lives, she didn’t want to jeopardize that by laughing.
She didn’t expend time with the line, just started maneuvering her way forward to get to the front. If people didn’t like it that was their problem, she needed to be inside tonight not tomorrow, which would be about as long as they’d be standing out here if they waited in the line. More than a few people told her what she could do with herself for cutting, she was thrilled that verbal abuse was all they were willing to try because physical wouldn’t have ended well for them. Still Marcia had to hold onto her in order to keep up and not get swallowed into the crowd.
Revenant's Kiss (Chronicles of the Afterlife) Page 8
