Hunting Para, especially Vampyres, required extensive training, speed, skill and the ability to be heartless when the time came. Persephonii had enough of the first three traits to keep her alive, but little of the last. Now she housed the Vampyre that Hunted Vampyres... she still wasn't quite sure what to think about the situation. Clio, her younger sister, would be dying to met him if she found out, maybe even enough to hop on a airplane and visit for a while. Momentarily, she thought of not telling her, but if Clio later found out that 'The Bastard' had been here and gone, Percy would never hear the end of it. As it was, she ended up talking with Studwick for over an hour, trying to be as diplomatic yet blunt as possible. She had explained Mr. Ardeal's desire to share information, as well as cover a larger more detailed area of the Human and Para communities. It took some convincing, but it the end, like Mr. Ardeal, Studwick had merely agreed because she was going to be involved. Persephonii could feel the weight of trust laying heavily upon her, given the fact that she also housed Mr. Donovan a floor up.
Speaking of her first guests, she had given them a brief version of 'don't freak out if you see so and so loitering around the building'. At which point Harker had simply stated that it was her house, they were the guests and that her hospitality was rather remarkable. She had still needed to call Studwick at that point, promising to talk with them in more detail. They looked as exhausted at she felt and ended up calling it a night... or day since dawn had come and gone. Deciding to email Agent Fox while she was at her desk, she let him know that they had another player in the investigative side of things and that the two of them should talk sooner rather than later. After that she had barely made it up the stairs, changed clothes, washed her face, brushed her teeth and made it into her bed.
Sebastian Ardeal was ever rarely surprised. People tended to move along the same paths, making the same decision, having the same reactions. Ms. Persephonii Waters came from a remarkable background, with extraordinary skills and kept as the saying went, ‘throwing him for a loop.’
He was intrigued by the small moonlit haired woman whose wit and awkward charm was unlike anyone he had met. Being that they would be spending so much time together, working toward the same purposes and now, dare he say it... resting in the basement of her warehouse.
The Paranormal Consultant-Private Investigator was harboring a small group of Wyr, wolves no less, and had now, moved to provide lodging for his only slightly larger Kiss. The suites were well appointed and provided them a place to plan and a safe place to rest. She had indeed provided them with a Safe Haven, far more appealing than any place he had procured in a while. Even the others had commented that her description of this 'basement' did not do it justice.
What manner of human spent this kind of money on an underground living area for his kind? It was a question he was very much anticipating answering. Though he needed less and less sleep as the years progressed, he could feel the weight of the sun over head, close to reaching its crest, and laid down under the covers contemplating the mysteries of their hostess as he let sleep claim him.
A few hours yet till sunset, found him awake and dressed. The overhead clouds provided enough cover that he could walk about unhindered. The weather was one of the things he liked about the Pacific Northwest, enough that he had been considering calling it home for a while. The cold and rain reminded him of his most ancient home, as he was no longer susceptible to its icy whims, he found that he was rather fond of it.
Sebastian soon found himself looking for Ms. Waters. The intercom system was rather ingenious and he requested a short meeting so the two of them could further plan tonight's activities. In turn, she had requested a half hour to finish up her work and then she would be down. With only Talia up for company, the two played a quick game of chess while they discussed their new lodging and its hostess. Soon, the sound of the freight elevator descending could be heard and the two called an end to the game, a stalemate as usual.
Persephonii had packed up a few things in her satchel before coming down to the 'basement,' hoping to clarify some issues and set some boundaries. Her day had once again started early but had gone rather smoothly so far. Even the blood substitute had arrived early; she maneuvered the case and cart it was on toward the kitchen and storage units. It was a bit peculiar but she was actually looking forward to working with Mr. Ardeal, especially after asking Clio to send her an in-depth file on him. The email she had received painted a noble picture of the Investigator and his Kiss. Despite such an unusual opportunity, she continued to hope that this monstrosity of a situation would soon be over.
"Good Evening, Mr. Ardeal." Meeting him as she came out of the elevator, it appeared his Second, Talia was up as well. The two twins, Talia and Nadia Olazabal, where dark haired and light skinned. Tall and strong, they reminded Persephonii of the tales of queen Boadicea, or the Amazons', very formidable women. Nadia, the younger twin, seemed content to support her sister without the drama of having Talia hold a higher position amongst the Kiss.
Talia grabbed the cart as she was explaining that it had arrived early and needed to be refrigerated, but could also be heated at the time of consumption, if that was a preference. While trying to give instructions, Mr. Ardeal was directing her down the wide hallway into the large seating area. Pleasantries were exchanged, quick greetings, the small talk light and limited.
"Please, if we are to be working together call me Bastian." Was offered as he glided her toward the main seating area.
"Very well, you may call be Persephonii or Percy if you like." She offered, happy to dispense with some formality.
"Percy?....No. With such a name like Persephonii why would anyone want to shorten it." Not sure if he required an answer, let alone what she would say, she hurried on to the meat of her visit.
"I've notified Captain Liam Studwick, the Captain of the P.P.D for the surrounding areas, of our situation. He has decided to..let's say... 'give me the benefit of the doubt', and has already completed the paperwork for your arrival." At this he nodded seemingly impressed with so quick a response. He could imagine the level of trust between Persephonii and Captain Studwick to endorse this undertaking simply because she was involved.
"He too, thinks it would behoove you to tread with caution. With Para sentiment dropping, it is bound to get worse before it gets better." She extended a small pile of papers across the table as Talia, and Miklos, his Third, sat down. Pulling out her phone and notepad to document the conversation, she decided to get straight to the point.
"I had hoped we could start at the beginning. You've been on this case the longest, why don't we start with your arrival and work forward from there." There was a definite pause as the two Vampyres looked to their leader. With a subtle nod the tale began.
"We were asked to look into the matter almost immediately after Mr. Fischer's incident. We arrived within the end of the week, along with the media and F.B.I Agents." There was a note of derision in Miklos voice when speaking. She could not tell if it was for the media that had hounded the area since the release of the live video of the rally showed the carnage of the incident. Or if it was for the F.B.I Agents who had yet to bring any real closure to the case. Persephonii didn't think the Agents on board were not up for the task, Agent Colton Fox was one of the best Investigators she knew, Paranormal or not. But the high-level of media coverage and dreadfully political climate they had to deal with, limited how much time and focus they could put into each case. And it appeared that even the Vampyre Investigator was having trouble connecting the dots.
"The crime scene was fresh and we stayed in Seattle for about a month, shifting around the local areas. Only recently moving into town as the similar murders began to focus here. It was only recently with Ms. Kunhe's death that we began to suspect that this Rogue Maker was not in a more populated area like Seattle."
"Makes sense... if the Maker wanted the resources but a less populated community to set down roots, Lakewood would be it." They looked at her with some confusion.<
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"In general I would say Para-Tolerance was rather high. The population is spread out over a wide area, giving them access to both the Vampyre and Para communities but without the interest of a smaller more heavily monitored area." Again, another engrossed look. The larger cities were monitored more heavily, by both Para and Human authorities. Lakewood in general had many of the same resources and numbers, but spread out over miles and acres of land.
Persephonii switched gears. "I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that the House of Thane rarely monitors its area. There are a few incidents, but the majority of the year the house is empty, kept by the minimal human staff as Master Thane travels on his 'business'." With Thane trying to impress his allies in a bid to gain a Seat come the next Selection, he had left his Estate woefully under supervised.
"What a diplomatic answer Ms.....Persephonii." Sebastian...No Bastian looked rather pleased, as if he'd found yet more proof that his selection of Liaison was well chosen.
"Please continue." Motioning for the tale to carry on, she finished writing down a few thoughts, as Talia took up the line of events.
"The contacts within the local House have been rather... limited. Like the community they seem to believe this Rogue came out of nowhere, but we" she looked over at Bastian, "think otherwise. With Ms. Kunhe's death we have even more reason to believe that they have either been in the area for some time, or recently returned." Talia's voice was soft with an undercurrent of steel. It was clear that she had a few theories of her own about the Rogue Maker and his Chyldren. Persephonii thought they should, if amiable, compare notes at some point.
"According to the reports given to the P.P.D by the F.B.I's profiler, they believe we are looking for a male, turned within the last decade or so. And I have to agree with them." Persephonii handed over another page, this one with an abbreviated version of the Profiler's theory on the Rogue Maker.
"Ms. Kunhe's more recent death appears to be just one of these 'Rogue Turnings', as I have been calling them. Another such incident, happened somewhere between Mr. Fischer's very public death and Ms. Kunhe's. In comparison the death of Walter Freedman was rather quiet... tragic but quiet. I've printed up the notes from my examination of the scene. Perhaps we can even get one of you in there in the next few days?" The three read through their small packets, nearly flying through the information.
"So you believe Mr. Freedman's death is connected to the others?" Miklos' tone sounded somewhere between confused, concerned, and impressed.
"I do. What I have withheld from my notes, and from any chance of media coverage, is that we have found a good deal of science behind these killings. Mr. Freedman's Turning was orchestrated, thought-out, planned, as none I have ever heard of. I'd add to the Profile, that this Rogue Maker is very interested in what technology and science can do for the Vampyre."
"What could a retired teacher offer this Rogue?" This from Nadia, who had awoken to join her sister at the table.
"His choice of Chyldren appears rather random, but only because of how little we know; there is not much to go on to connect these people. Maddie,.. uhhum.. Dr. Madison Underwood and I have argued on this point. She believes Mr. Freedman was nothing more than a guinea pig, part of the 'testing phase' if you will. Someone who could be Turned and monitored without a great deal of fuss or bother... and if he were to die in the process many would have attributed it to his age."
"But you disagree?" Bastian's direct stare bored into her own.
"Very much so." She sat back looking at the Vampyres before her. "I was brought into the case as a new pair of eyes at Ms. Kunhe's reception massacre. From what I had read of Mr. Fischer's scene reports and every interview leading up to the rally, there seemed to be a few similarities." She started to outline her theories.
"One, the Chyldren showed no signs of Turning up to the point they went...well Poof! really. " She continued despite the looks she was getting for using such a term. Perhaps she would have to find something a bit more scientific, at least for her official reports.
"Two, the moment of... 'explosion' was instant, a complete psychotic break from their previous behavior. And three, the level of carnage and casualties was large. However, there was no evidence that the Chylde was looking for sustenance, more like they were in a berserker like state." Finished counting down on the fingers of her left hand, Persephonii stopped to let her information sink in.
"So I looked for any other incident reports which had similar descriptions. Vicious murders with more than one victim, done by relatively average citizens, who appeared to have Paranormal characteristics; such as the strength to rip someone apart with their bare hands." They looked at her expectantly.
"I came across three serious candidates that had close to at least one of the three key events, but it was Mr. Freedman's case file that brought up all the red flags. Even with just looking at the open notes on the case, I felt there was a very good chance I had found another Rogue Chylde." She had meant for them to give her more in-depth details about the vampyre side of the investigation. Instead, here she was telling them about her theories and path of her own investigation.
"And did you?" It appeared Gavril and Alin were up and ready for the night as they took seats farther into the room, facing the table. Pretty soon the whole Kiss would be awake and listening to the events of the investigation so far. She hoped this meant they could shed some light on each other's course of action.
"Did I?" Persephonii answered Alin's question with one of her own.
"Find what you thought you would find?" Alin was young, not the youngest of the group, that place belonged to Kaleb, but he was inquisitive and far more modern in his speech patterns than his elders.
"Yes and no." Sighing heavily, she took out the images of the scene, the only copies she had from Fitz. They were spread around the table, the stack rather thick, giving credit to Fitz' thoroughness. Gavril and Alin joined Miklos' side of the table.
"We have been trying to track down the supplies used, through purchase orders and the like, but it's a slow process with companies overworked this time of year. Right now the only evidence we have is there," she pointed to the pictures of the labels on the used blood bags and medical equipment.
"The level of forethought into his Turning was really what lead me to believe that Mr. Freedman was chosen specifically. Whether sentimentality was involved or not, the level of knowledge needed for this operation points to familiarity, not only with him but with his house." Pointing now to the image from the outside of the doorway, lights and equipment bright compared to the darker corner of the basement.
"The room he was Turned in hadn't been used in a while, a decade or more even. The rest of the basement was used for storage, mostly boxes and the like. The doorway was blocked by a large, sturdy, fabric covered rolling closet... None of the C.S.I who swept the basement noticed it in the dark, seemingly rarely used corner."
"This morning I've already let Studwick know that at least one of you will be dropping by the scene to take a look. With your advanced senses perhaps you can catch the scent of our mysterious Doctor and the Maker."
"So you think the Rogue has human help?" Bastian's gaze was steadily pursuing the picture in his hand, Persephonii thought it was the one of the table, bloody and showing signs of wear.
"Dr. Underwood and I have yet to hash out a full theory on the whole process. From the evidence in the room, there were two people monitoring Mr. Freedman. One of which has more than just basic medical knowledge and skills. Whether it's more than that I can't say, but I have been tracking down a few leads." Several pairs of eyes focused on her.
"I don't want to discuss any more hypothesis, until I have a bit more evidence to back them up. But I will say that we are going to be far from idle." Persephonii gave them time to look over the photos, and information she had gathered for them. Bastian was looking over her notes, and directing his Kiss out into the world now that night had officially fallen. They looked renewed with purpose, she only hop
ed that their senses could pick up clues, where hers had not.
Collecting her things, she was preparing to go when she was stopped.
"And what have you left out of your report that might be of importance to the case?" Her questioning gaze met Bastian's curious stare.
"Left out?" It was so modern a phrase coming from him that it took a while to discern his question.
"Yes. Left out. Perhaps, something that is not so... easily described on paper?" A bold dark eyebrow raised in a furtive arch.
"We both know your family has extraordinary gifts, please... you are not speaking to your human colleagues. What have you seen? What do you know?" It was the first time he had come out and mentioned her sight. Either he had better sources than she had thought, or he had heard some things and came to a close conclusion. Retaking her seat, she wondered how exactly to start.
"If you don't feel you can trust me, how are we to work together?" Softly spoken, the comment was far from the truth. She trusted his honor and integrity. Though she supposed her continued silence could be mistaken for doubt.
"No...far from it. Your reputation, though somewhat outrageous at times, tells of an honorable man. It's just... hard to describe, to translate the things that I... see." Pursing her lips in thought, she tried to articulate years worth of knowledge and instinct in a way that he would understand.
"Then don't try to translate them into human terms. I have a long history with the Paranormal, you do not have to edit your perceptions for me." His inscrutable expression gave the statement a rather blithe air, despite its undercurrent of urging and support.
At First Sight (Persephonii Waters Book 1) Page 14
