Three vignettes various

Three vignettes (various

cI->apter Tep: Three vignettes (various LOCOtiOr)(S, 1959 - 1972) “Relax, Theophilus. Don’t take it so personally. I know that you dislike this extra responsibility, but you should look at the potential that it offers. Greater authority brings a greater capacity to effect change.

Don’t you want to be in a better position to alter events?” Don Cerro beamed at The0 encouragingly.

The0 sighed and settled back in the massive armchair, feeling swamped. “I &ally don’t like the idea, if you’ll forgive me for saying so. It’s just another set of strings to pull me around by, ones that will probably be used to turn me against my own people.”

“Perhaps that is true, but the role will be filled one way or another. It is inevitable. There is nothing you can do to change that. This civil rights business is causing too much upheaval to go unmonitored.

Someone will be put in the position that you describe. Tell me, Theophilus. How many individuals do you think survive the Embrace with even a fraction of your personal integrity?”

“Not many,” said Theo, troubled. “I wish it were otherwise.”

“DO you think that is related to the Embrace itself?”

“To an extent,” he said earnestly. “Coming to accept that you have to feed off your former T~IYI Dedopul0.s neighbors, that you are a predator-it does change your perspective.”

Don Cerro grinned nastily. “DO you really think for a minute that every transaction in the mortal world is anything less than predation? There are only a limited number of resources in the world. Impossible to count perfectly perhaps, but finite nonetheless.

Everything a person attains represents resources that other people cannot have. Each ton of food they ship into this huge country is a ton of food that the producers must do without. Every promotion you get is more money and status that you are preventing a colleague from taking. Every moment of our existences, kindred or kine, we are predators. We are simply more honest about it than they are.”

“Maybe, but when your nose is rubbed in it, you have to accept it intellectually. You can lie to yourself about it when you are alive. That transition makes a difference.”

“Let me ask you this, then. How many of the kine do you think have a fraction of your personal integrity?“ “That’s not fair,” said Theo. “They’re not given the chance to develop or exercise integrity.”

“Were you?”

The0 looked at his sire in dismay.

“Precisely, Theophilus. Now, to return to the point I was approaching. Someone will have to take this position. I believe you can trust yourself to be as fair and reasonable as your orders permit. Can you trust that any other person who might be appointed to such a post would do the same?”

“You’re saying I should think of myself as the lesser of two evils?”

THF OVFRSFFR “Just so. You are being offered the chance to ensure that these people are treated as well as their fates permit. I know you will do me proud. Your resolve is immense. I have always respected that in you, right from the very first.”

The0 sighed heavily. “You’re right. I can’t trust anyone else. It’s just ...” He trailed off.

Don Cerro smiled sympathetically. “I know, Theophilus. It will pain you, and for that I can only offer my very deepest apologies.”

The man’s eyes were astonishingly white against the dark umber of his skin; they seemed to gleam, a pair of pearls in darkness. When he smiled, it was almost a threat, and his short beard bristled. He appeared to find the whole situation extremely amusing, which pissed The0 off a bit, but at least he was prepared to talk about it rather than insist on squaring off. He moved like a dancer, all flowing steps and graceful turns, his balance and concentration never wavering. Danger beat off him in waves. Even the most oblivious mortal would have been hypnotized, a deer caught in headlights.

“And tell me, my friend. These notions you speak of so passionately, your duty, your honor, do you \believe that they are your own?” The man had not volunteered a name, but that suited The0 just fine.

Theo shrugged uncomfortably. “Is any man his own master? I don’t know anymore. I hope so.”

“You would like them to be yours, then?” His eyes seemed to bore into the back of Theo’s skull. ~ i m Dedopufog * * * “Of course. Anything else would be just another “That bothers you.” It was not a question.

“Yes, it bothers me greatly that one person may control another, crush his liberties and inclinations, even ruin his life, all for something that may amount to no more than a moment’s gratification.”

“That is an enlightened stance, friend.”

“Is it? I used to think it was merely the natural wish of any person.”

“Not so. Many people find the notion of their personal freedom threatening. If they are not being controlled, then they are responsible for their own actions and inaction. They would rather pass the responsibility for running their lives over to another-a boss, a spouse, a leader.. . an ancient.”

“I would like to believe that they have just been taught their cowardice from an early age-trained to be followers. Then there is a chance that in some future time, the young may be able to grow without developing this need to run away from their freedom.”

“Have you considered that the tendency to withdraw is natural and automatic, and that you are merely exceptional?”

The0 shrugged uncomfortably. “Not often. I still serve, after all.”

“Pragmatism is not weakness. You dream of a day without shackles. Maybe you would even die for such a day?”

“I already did, once-or so I thought. I would do so again, if I was confident that the time was right and the action would mean anything.”

THE OVERSEER form of enslavement.”

“It is as I said, my friend. Very few would say the same with the conviction you have. To die for your duty is easy. Any fool can do it. To die for your freedom and for the freedom of others is something much greater. It is a precious thing, a jewel within your soul. Such a gift should be nurtured, given every chance to bloom. It should most certainly never be plucked.”

“I tend to agree,” Theo said, slightly puzzled as to the man’s exact meaning.

“I am glad, my friend.” The man clapped him on the shoulder companionably. “I know of you, Theophilus Bell of the Camarilla. I am pleased to see that the stories I have heard are accurate. It gladdens my heart.”

The0 stared at him, startled.

The man smiled. It made him look like a panther. “Come, my friend. We have the same business here tonight. I think perhaps we can each ease the other’s burden in this matter.”

The red mists wavered, thinned and then grudgingly lifted altogether. Theo slowly trickled back into himself nervously. He was on his hands and knees, actually inside the ruined debris of what presumably at one point had been a corpse, surrounded by gobbets of flesh and shards of bone.

Blood covered everything-the ground, the alley walls, the Dumpster-and he could even feel it dripping down his face. There wasn’t enough left of the three of them to even identify them as human. ~ l m Dedopufos * * * At least there were no faces staring at him accusingly.

He groaned loudly and sat up on his heels, noticing for the first time as he did so that he was absolutely gorged on hot, fresh blood. It felt like he was about to burst with it.

Theo looked down at himself and was dismayed to see that he was covered in gore. If it had just been blood, the black clothing might not have shown it too clearly, but he was covered with little scraps of skin, tangled knots of matted hair, smears of fatty tissue and other, worse things. He stank of hot, terrified death. Any mortal coming within fifty yards would turn and run screaming. Inconvenient, in the heart of the city. He poked idly at the line of bullet holes across the front of his T-shirt. The wounds were all healed up.

“I’d say that those fools made a mistake when they opened fire on you.”

Theo sprang to his feet, away from the voice, and looked round. The speaker was a short way down the alley, a twisted, withered creature with ragged, dirty bat’s ears and huge bulging eyes. Its skin was a mottled gray, much of it hidden beneath large areas of cracked red scabs. The torso was gnarled, making it bend to the left. The creature clutched a stout cane in its crooked claw. Its wide, generous mouth was a nasty shock of normality on such a warped face, and it was currently twisted into a bitterly mocking grin.

“I don’t like being shot,” said The0 cautiously.

“I try to discourage it.”

“By bathing in the remains of the gunmen, I see.” It laughed, a wet, phlegmy noise that made it sound like its lungs were tearing.

THE O V ~ R ~ F E R The0 frowned unhappily, trying to ignore the stab of guilt. The kids had tried to rob him.

“I’m McKinnon,” said the creature.

The0 looked at it-him-in surprise. “I see.”

“What’s the matter? Expecting someone taller?”

There was that nasty, hacking laughter again.

“No, of course not.” The0 pulled himself together.

“I’m not as infirm as I look,” said McKinnon with a hint of pride.

The0 blinked and forced a smile. “I’m absolutely sure you’re not.”.

“Well, it’s of no matter anyway. Since you’re doing your damnedest to look like some charnelhouse monstrosity, I think it’s best if we head straight on down. And I was so looking forward to a leisurely evening promenade through downtown, too.

Actually, your new fashion statement may prove quite a shrewd move-it could be seen as a spirited attempt to fit in. Shall we get out of here before the local Chinese restaurant comes to harvest your former friends for a starring role in tomorrow’s Pork Chow Mein?”

The0 nodded reluctantly, spattering drops of blood, and followed McKinnon into the darkness.

TI^ Dedopuloy They made good time, hitting Romulus, Michigan before midnight. They checked into another bland motel on the outskirts of town. Just to be on the safe side, The0 used his big hunting knife to scrape his mustache off before they went inside, and he let Delphine do the talking. The room they were given was considerably shabbier than the one back in Beloit, but it was adequate, and the building did at least have a 24-hour diner downstairs for Nat. When The0 was confident that the motel would be secure enough during the day, he sat down on the comer of a bed and waited for a lull in the conversation.

“Ladies, may I have a moment?” The girls tumed to look at him. Delphine seemed pensive, and a little unhappy. Thinking about the night before, perhaps.

“I’m going to take the bike and go have a look around, just get a feel for how the city is at the moment. Once I’ve got a better idea of the lay of the land, we can have a chat about how to go about flushing this Liam guy out.”

“DO you have any idea of where he is? It’s a big city.” Kristine looked curious.

“A rough idea, yes. My information suggests he’s in the Dearborn area. I have a sketch of him, too.” He Tim Dedopulos fished around for a moment and produced Itio’s notepaper and passed it around for the girls to look at.

“That narrows it down.”

“Yeah. It shouldn’t be too horrendous trying to find him. My main concern will be not alerting him to my presence.”

“I don’t like this, Theo.” Delphine was frowning.

He shrugged. “I’m not wild about it either.”

“That’s not what I meant. Something’s really not right here. That whole business last night was seriously freaky. You said someone’s playing games with you. I think you’re right-maybe more right ’ than you realized. A lot’s happened to you over the last few days. What if someone’s behind it all?”

“You mean Liam might have nudged Paschek into sacking me or something ?“ “Maybe. I don’t know. It just all seems a bit too crazy at the moment.”

Kristine grinned mirthlessly. “I know you think I’m deluded, Archon. However, maybe you should consider the possibility that Meonia is involved.

Their resources are immense. The issues surrounding you currently would be simplicity itself for them to arrange.”

The0 made himself consider the notion. The implications were alarming, and he didn’t much like it. “I suppose it’s possible, yes. I don’t really understand why this group of yours would be hounding me though.”

“For destroying the Minneapolis operation, to start with.”

He shrugged. “I guess. I will give it some thought, okay? In the meantime, I really want to concentrate THE OVFRSeER on catching Liam. Once we have him, we can find out exactly what’s going on and start working out ways to get around it.”

“Is it always like this? Conspiracies and enemies and death?” Nathalie was curled up at the top of one of the beds, her back to the wall. She looked pale and unhappy.

“We do seem to like our little amusements,” said Kristine wryly. “We have eternities to play around in-in theory, anyway-and nothing particular to do with the time. You know the old saying about idle hands doing the devil’s work, I assume. It’s not all like this though. The0 has a far more exciting time than most of us.”

The0 shot Delphine a meaningful glance. “A lot of vampires are settled, and have quite a sedate time of it. Politics and infighting are endemic, though. Times are.. .” He and Kristine glanced at each other. He could see that she was thinking the same thing he was-no sense getting apocalyptic and scaring the children. “Troubled.” Ending, more like it, if you believed the alarmists.

“That’s hardly unique to vampires though,” said Delphine.

Kristine grimaced. “Indeed not.”

“Anyway, this is all by the by,” said Theo. “I want you all to stay put tonight. This area is not safe, even this far out. Just stick to the room as much as you can. Have a chat.” His eyes flickered between Kris and Delphine. “Or whatever. I’ll leave you the car keys. If anything goes wrong and you have to split, there’s an industrial area to the north of Taylor, on the road in from 1-94. A fair amount of it has Tim Dedopufos fallen into disuse, and there’s an old chemical distillation plant on the edge of the zone that I used a couple of times last year-Jacobson’s.

It’s easy to spot. Meet me there, or if it’s too risky to wait there, fold a message into an empty Coke can and toss it by the gates.”

“Very well,” Kristine said.

The0 was relieved not to have to go through another argument. “Thank you. I’ll be back in a few hours.

Delphine, would you mind coming to the car with me so you can lock it up once I’ve fished my bike out ?”

“Sure. You going now?” She sounded a little down.

“NO time like the present.”

They headed out to the hotel parking ramp.

The0 fished his Rl out of the station wagon and turned round to find Delphine looking at him expectantly.

“Well, Theo?”

He looked at her flatly. “I’m worried about Nat.

She seems a little erratic, totally cool with everything one minute, jumpy the next. She knows a hell of a lot about us now. Maybe Itio’s mesmerism is wearing off. I’d like you to at least consider allowing me to modify her memory and then setting her free.”

Delphine wilted a little, and then her expression firmed. “I’ll consider it, but I’m not making any guarantees.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s not for you,” she said irritably. “It’s for Nat.”

“I know.”

“Hey, Theo, how long do you want us to wait for you here ?”

THE OVERSEER “If I’m not back by dawn, I’m probably not coming back.”

“Good luck, and just in case, thanks for everything.” She hugged him tightly, then turned around and went back into the hotel. He watched her go, suddenly uncertain for no reason he could put his finger on.

The Yamaha started immediately, and five minutes later The0 was zipping down the highway toward Dearborn. He tore down the road at a reckless speed, telling himself that he needed to give the engine a bit of a workout after something like ten days without even turning it over. It was a good night for it, refreshingly cool and clear, the roads dry without being dusty. He kept it up for several minutes, reveling in the simple speed and power of the machine.

He reluctantly slowed to a more reasonable pace as the city built up around him. Traffic was getting heavier, and he had no wish to draw attention. Once he was well within the metropolitan area, he turned off the main highway and cruised around the city, staying in the traffic, getting a feel for the place.

Years of Sabbat influence and mortal neglect hadn’t done Detroit any favors. The roads were in serious need of repair, full of pits and holes, dangerously smooth planes, old scars from past works and long, deep ruts. The surfaces were dirty too, a tricky blend of oil, grit and debris. It made the motorbike difficult to control, and The0 had to keep much of his attention on the road. The sidewalks looked just as filthy, littered with trash and groundin muck.

TIW DedopuroS Past midnight, most of the city was closed. Even asleep, it still managed to look down in the dumps.

The office blocks were ugly concrete lumps with small, mean windows. Some boasted tired corporate logos, while others were draped with banners announcing that there was space inside to lease. The bulk of them were just anonymously drabdepressing gray boxes for filling depressing gray lives.

The industrial regions were even worse-grimy tangles of machinery snarled around huge, hangarlike units, interspersed with patches of blasted wasteland that even the weeds seemed scared of. Vast parking lots the size of football stadiums seemed to be there just to take up space. Chainlink fence was the industrial uniform of choice-great, long walls of it. The motor vehicle industry may have once brought the city to life, but it had left gigantic, metal scabs behind as it had grown diseased. Some plants were still active, the parking lots at least partly full, vast hives churning out oily light, rancid smoke and lots and lots of noise.

Occasionally, The0 caught a glimpse of human activity in the steel wastes-tattered figures hunched round fire drums, or nervous eyes peeking out from behind a stack of pallets. This was clearly where the dispossessed came to claw out another night’s survival, in the vain hope that tomorrow might have something to offer. Not that the rest of the city’s occupants had it much better. Great concrete blocks and towers huddled together for safety, offering dirty, stinking accommodation for the countless hordes too poor to afford any quality of life. The buildings looked exactly like the squalid Russian housing THE OVFRSFFR projects that the media had seemed so fond of a few years earlier. The estates stretched out across entire districts, forming dark labyrinths of misery.

There was better housing to be had, of course.

Some districts looked like something out of 60’s Harlem-long rows of cheap townhouses knotted together and covered with a thick layer of graffiti.

Other sections might once have been good neighborhoods, but years of poverty and neglect had turned elegant suburbs into ramshackle collections of shabby, badly patched hovels. Deeper into the city, some districts were clearly aimed at the thin film of wealth that had floated to the surface. These apartment blocks and walled encampments invariably came with their own door guards to keep the unwashed hordes from getting underfoot. The0 tried to keep to the poorer areas, to minimize the chance of drawing attention.

Many of the shops were boarded up, the accumulated crap in the doorways suggesting that it wasn’t just for the night. Only the usual suspects were open this late-cheap, neon-drenched bars and strip clubs, unappetizing food outlets, nervous drug stores and so on. Most of the pedestrians out on the street were young and aggressively dressed, gangsters, wannabes and pretenders. The few exceptions walked quickly, in groups, and kept their eyes firmly on the pavement in front of them.

After an hour or so, The0 had seen about as much of the city as he could stomach. It was depressingly seedy after Minneapolis, and the difference in the inhabitants’ quality of life was profound. He had the uncomfortable feeling that T~ITI Dedopulos most of the variation was due to simple economics rather than Sabbat influence. He threaded his way through the streets to the Dearborn area and parked up in a busy lot next to a loud rock bar that probably also doubled as a strip joint. There were a lot of motorbikes there, and he was pretty sure that his would go unnoticed.

Dearborn was much the same as the rest of the metro area-a crust of rough activity over a deep core of poverty and pain. The bar Theo had parked near turned out to be the start of a small strip of nightlife. He stalked through the thin crowds, firmly squelching the urge to hit someone. The people in the area were all loudly drunk, a motley assortment of toughs, whores and down-at-heel laborers. The young decorated themselves in gang colors and piercings, desperate to prove how dangerous they were. The middle-aged did not need to bother with childish trappings-decades of pain and casual violence were etched all over their grim faces, and the kids automatically shied away. Everyone quickly moved aside for Theo though, young or old. Most caught once glimpse of his face and looked away, scared to show any interest. He was perversely disappointed; the urge to rip into some stupid little peacock was growing stronger.

He was just passing a small square on a road parallel to the main strip when several terrified screams rang out. He immediately turned toward them, hoping for the chance to work some of the city out of his system.

THF OVFRSFFR * * * Delphine and Kris were in the hotel’s 24-hour diner, keeping Nathalie company while she demolished a surprisingly appetizing burger. Apart from the three of them and a young, tired waitress, the place was deserted. The molded plastic tables and benches might have had something to do with that, as could the nasty red checkerboard flooring.

Kris had been eyeing the waitress hungrily when they first came in, but Delphine had made it clear that they were going to leave the poor girl alone.

Nat decided to take a breather and looked up at Delphine archly. “Have you thought about my suggestion, sis? These fries are good, but they’re not that good.”

Delphine shook her head unhappily. ‘‘I really don’t know, Nat. It’s very fucking one-way, y’know?

I don’t think it’s such a smart move.” She paused, uncertain whether or not to continue, then plunged on. “Theo thinks we should wipe your memory back a couple of weeks and let you go have a normal life somewhere new.”

“Fuck right off.” Nat sounded outraged. “Who the hell wants a normal life? Start from zero in some twobit town, no family around, working some crap, boring job I hate just to pay for my small apartment so that I can eventually aspire to two and a half kids, three divorces, a nervous breakdown and finally getting old and wrinkly? Yeah, that’s really tempting.”

“It’s what we were looking at before,” said Delphine reasonably. “It doesn’t have to be that way, either. You could find something you really want to do, be happy, have a good life.” A large bike growled slowly past the window, slowing a little as it went past.

Tim Dedopulos “That was with you, sis. Making the best of it was also the only option we had. How many people manage to make a life doing something they love?

Think about divorce rates, alcoholism, drug use and suicide before you answer.”

“This world isn’t easy for anyone,” Kris said.

Delphine shot her a look then turned back to Nat, her voice sad. “Well, you can’t deny that all this fangy stuff is really spooky and weird. I mean, I really am dead. No pulse. No breath. The0 assures me I look just like any other corpse during the day.

The sun would toast me up like a bug under a magnifying glass. You should be running away screaming, sis.”

Nat smiled. “There’s dead and there’s dead, y’know? You two are awfully chatty for corpses. Miss Wilson was always telling us that when you got down to it, no one really knew for sure what life was or how it worked. So your body might have shut down.

Your mind is still running off something-blood, I guess-and if you have a soul, it seems to be in place still. That’s good enough for me.”

Delphine sighed and steeled herself. “Look, The0 said that his friend Itio did some sort of thing to you that made all of this easier for you to cope with. It’s going to wear off, though. Soon. You might be a bit bothered by the fact that you’ve got an undead sister at that point.”

Nat looked a little startled and thought about it for a bit. “Maybe, I guess. But the main thing is that I love you, Del. If you have to drink blood to keep going, well, if you think about it I’ve just had to eat the seared, ground-up flesh of a cow to fuel THE OVERSEFR my existence. In fact, maybe what I’m doing is worse-the cow was kiHed, while you don’t have to cause any lasting damage.”

“There are some odd side effects,” said Delphine.

Nat cut her off. “Look, the way I see it, the mystical side of it is irrelevant. If you were drinking pig blood quietly on a farm somewhere and pretending it was an Amish folk remedy, no one would even blink. It’s only the fact it’s people that makes it even slightly dodgy. You’re still my sister.”

“I’m putting you in danger though,” Delphine protested. “You’ve seen how The0 feels about the fact that you know all this stuff, and he’s kinda on our side.

It’s not safe for you. Plus I’m going to stay looking like this now. What’s it going to be like in ten years time, when I’m still seventeen and dead? Thirty years time ?”

“I’ll be bloody jealous,” said Nat, grinning.

“There’s worse than that too. The0 was explaining that even if you are careful, your personality erodes over the centuries until you really are a monster.”

Nat looked at her. “Over the centuries? So by 2200 you might be an evil bitch from hell? How is that supposed to affect me? I’ll be happy to see 2050.”

Delphine blinked. “Yeah, okay, but the danger is still real. Look at that crap last night.”

“Yeah, that scared me. But that’s all about Theo, right?”

“Pretty much,” said Delphine reluctantly. “But you’ll always be in danger as a mortal associating with me.”

“There is a way of getting around that, daughter.” Kris was looking at the pair of them in) DedopuloS intently. “It is obvious that neither of you wants to leave the other, and I’m rather fond of your sister myself. There is middle ground between kindred and kine.”

“What do you mean?” Nat echoed Delphine, and she sounded a lot more excited.

“A mortal who regularly drinks kindred blood gains some of its qualities. The key benefits to the mortal are greater strength and resilience, and arrested aging. But the blood engenders loyalty too, which is why the kindred offer it. The mortal loves the vampire intensely, and would not do anything to harm or endanger her. In our society, such mortals are known as ghouls. It is common for ghouls to know some truths about the kindred. That is not seen as a breach of security.”

“Let me get this straight,” said Nat, her eyes gleaming. “If I have a bit of Del’s blood, I stop aging, I get stronger and tougher, and I’m no longer seen as a danger by vampires, and the downside is that I love my sister, which I already do. Right?“ “There are other effects,” said Kris.

“Can I still eat and drink, screw, go out in the “Yes. But most ghouls are subject to occasional fits of rage, and some develop dark passions.’’ “What happens if I stop the whole blood thing?”

“You go back to normal, and your real age catches up with you. If you are past your mortal life span, you die.”

Nat shrugged. “Big deal. So the bottom line is that I can stay with Del safely, and get eternal youth, at the cost of getting a bit kinky and having the odd 2 3 0 THE OVFRSFFR sun and all that stuff?’ tantrum.” She shared a long look with Delphine. ‘‘I reckon most people would give their right arms for that.”

“Your relationship may change over the decades,” Kris warned. “Most ghouls are entirely subservient to their masters, and many are treated badly.”

“That’s why The0 didn’t explain it to me,”

Delphine said thoughtfully. “He’ll see it as more of his damned slavery, I bet.”

Nat grinned. “Yeah? Well, that’s his problem.

Let’s see, do I want to be young and attractive forever? Duh. Where do I sign up?”

“He won’t like it.”

Kris grinned. “The0 Bell is not your mother. He doesn’t have to like it. You’re not going to be staying with him forever, after all. He promised to help you to safety, and he has done so.’’ “Yeah, I’ve been thinking much the same myself,” said Delphine unhappily. “I don’t much like it-I don’t want him to feel I’m ditching him after everything he’s done for us-but maybe it’s time to cut loose.”

“You’ve been saying he’s a danger to both of us,” said Nat. “Maybe it’s a good time to fix that. It also means he can’t get upset about us doing this ghoulies thing.”

“Look, I’ve got to say it again, but there are risks to staying near me,” began Delphine, hating herself for it.

Nat reached overthe table and gently laid a finger across Delphine’s lips. “Shut it, sis. I love you, I trust you, and I don’t want to have to leave you.

I’ll take the risks.”

TI^ nedopu1o.j A lead weight lifted, and Delphine smiled dazzlingly, fighting back tears. ‘‘I don’t deserve you.”

She looked at Kris, who seemed a little sad. “Either of you. But I’m very, very grateful that you’re both here. I love you.” She let Kris feel part of the declaration and was rewarded with a genuine smile.

Nat started to say something and then flicked a glance over toward the waitress, who was heading in their direction. Delphine turned to watch the girl, who walked up to her and smiled.

“Sorry to bother you, miss. I have2 note for you.”

She looked slightly confused as she held out a small saucer with a scrap of paper folded on it.

Delphine took the saucer. “Thank you. Who is it from?”

“I don’t know, actually.”

“Didn’t he leave a name?”

The girl’s eyes were a little wild. “Um.. . I know this sounds weird, but I can’t really remember. I must be really tired. I’ve got a test tomorrow, and I haven’t slept, so I’m a bit out of it. I guess someone must have left it for you, but it’s totally gone out of my mind. Sorry.”

“That’s okay,” said Delphine kindly, hiding her alarm. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” said the girl. She looked at the cooling remains of Nat’s burger and pulled herself together. “Can I clean this away for you now?” Nat nodded her thanks. “Yell if you need anything else.”

Nat stopped her midstride. “Actually, can I get a caramel shake?”

“Sure.” The girl smiled and headed back to the counter.

THE OVERSEER Delphine unfolded the note. It was short and to the point: Bell is putting you in danger. These political struggles have nothing to do with you. Take your sister and leave, tonight, and we will not trouble you again. Stay, and you will both die.

Delphine read it several times, playing thoughtfully with the car keys in her pocket.

Eventually, Nat got impatient. “Well!”

Delphine looked at her. “Looks like we’ve got a proposal to consider, girls.”

Theo stopped at the edge of the copse of trees, deep in shadow, and looked out across the center of the park. A gang of thugs were tormenting a pair of girls, pushing them back and forth to each other and laughing crudely. One of the girls had a nasty cut at the corner of her mouth, and both she and her friend were obviously terrified. The0 stepped out from among the trees, surprised to see one of the gang members leaning against the same trunk he had hidden behind, waiting.

The thug grinned at him, his ugly mouth full of cracked teeth. “Whuzzup, motherfucker? Thought you’d come join the party, did you? Shit outta luck.” The voice matched the man, ignorant and full of violence.

Theo didn’t even bother to draw his knife. He just lashed out with his fists, a pair of hammer blows to mash the little shit into the next world.

To Theo’s shock, the thug caught the punches, easily grabbing each of the incoming fists in one of Tim Dedopufos * * * his bony hands and stopping the blows dead. He grinned at Theo’s expression of amazement.

Impossibly, a second pair of arms folded out of the man’s bare chest, rippling smoothly out of his body.

The girls screamed again. Theo tried to pull free, but the thug held his fists firm despite the power now blazing through every muscle fiber.

A third hand seized The0 by the neck and lifted him clean off the ground, while a fourth slapped him contemptuously in the face. “What’s the matter, motherfucker? Not used to life’s little surprises?

Arrogant shit-eater, aren’t you? Looks like it’s just got you into trouble.” Fury boiled up inside Theo, threatening to engulf him and swallow him whole.

He struggled against it desperately, throwing all his willpower into it. He couldn’t afford to succumb yet.

A new, fifth arm shot out of the thug’s stomach and punched The0 hard in the groin. He sagged, despite himself, and groaned.

The thug turned and threw him easily toward the rest of the gang. Theo barely had time to register that the extra arms were melting away again before he hit the ground. He rolled quickly to one side, taking the advantage of the momentary break to concentrate on the blood inside him. He immediately felt it flare inside, the blazing power pounding through his body like wild fire. He leaped to his feet with even more blood flowing into his muscles, which thickened in response, growing hotter and heavier, writhing to accommodate all the extra power.

Off to the side, the thug was approaching. The others, who had to be this Sabbat fucker’s packmates, THE OVERSEER were off in the other direction, converging on the girls, seemingly disinterested in Theo. He drew his knife and then blinked as a whole thicket of arms sprouted slowly out of the man’s shoulders, all grabbing toward him eagerly. As soon as the thug was close enough, The0 leaped at him smoothly, slicing out with the knife. The grasping hands were painfully slow, easy to avoid, and The0 swayed through the flurry of blows, stabbing deep into the thug’s stomach.

The man howled in pain, a huge, disorientating roar. It took The0 a moment to realize that the entire pack had yelled out simultaneously, and the hairs on the back of his neck stirred uncomfortably. The0 whipped his knife back out, and the edges of the wound just flowed back together as if the thug’s flesh were water.

He stared at it, amazed. A whole army of fists smashed out and crashed into his chest, knocking him backwards. Nothing was broken, but he lay there stunned for a moment, the thug retreating toward the pack. The screams of the girls amplified frantically and then cut off.

The0 stood up quickly, grimly ready to tear into the gang. He stopped short before he’d even taken a pace. The girls were down, stretched out next to each other, motionless. The thugs were crouched over the pair, arms around each other and heads together. It looked as though they were melting.

The0 watched, bewildered, as the flesh sagged off their arms, fingers and hands and vanished into each other’s backs. Their heads appeared to be running together too, blurring into one long, pale streak. ~ l m Dedopuloy There was a loud scream of torment, and then the whole group erupted into a churning mass. The flesh seemed to boil, briefly forming grotesque bubbles and ridges that sank back almost as quickly as they appeared. All sorts of bits seemed to rise to the surface, from single eyes and clusters of mouths through to withered coils of dark intestine and other pieces of internal organs.

The scream sounded again, a clear note of triumph in it this time. The twisting column of flesh seemed to start flying apart, and then it solidified into a roughly humanoid shape. It was a figure straight out of nightmares. Easily twelve feet tall and as wide as a truck, it was a vile, mottled blend of bodily tissues-greasy whites, decaying reds and streaks of black fighting together in an insane hodgepodge shot through with thick veins of yellow fat and coils of oily purples. Gigantic bloodshot eyes seemed to bristle out of every comer of it, rolling around crazily .as clusters of hideous fanged mouths leered out of the crude palms. The bloodless remains of the two girls were beneath its legs, little more than shreds of dry flesh.

The0 took a step back despite himself, his skin crawling. He considered a tactical withdrawal, but all thoughts of retreat fled when it spoke. “Time to say good night, Bell.” The voice was horrible, a polyphonic choir of ugly mockery that came in eerie stereo from the mouths embedded in the thing’s palms.

Growling to himself, The0 darted toward it, flicking his knife from hand to hand and wishing for once that he had something a little more THF OVFRSFFR substantial. His shotgun, perhaps. Or a thermonuclear bomb, for that matter. He watched it move, the motions seemingly glacial, and took some comfort in his greater speed. A huge, fangtipped fist shot out slowly as he approached. He dove under the blow easily, rolling between its tree-trunk legs and coming to his feet just behind it.

Theo lashed out with his knife in a huge arc, biting deep into the thing’s back. A foul spray of old blood and dark slime splashed out over him, and the thing shuddered, eyes leering out at him reproachfully. He slashed up in another savage cut, but a thick tentacle of greasy flesh licked out and deflected the blow. At the same time, his right knee erupted in agony as a coil of oily muck tightened savagely around it. He staggered, fighting to keep his balance. One of the legs came up in a crushing kick that should have been impossible given the way the creature was facing.

It was like being hit by train. Theo felt his ribs crumple like tissue paper, and then he was flung into the air. He forced himself to focus on healing even as he was still falling, his blood rushing to his chest and ankle. The wounds seemed to catch fire as the blood gnawed away inside them. He screamed in agony as the force of impact ground his shattered bones against each other. The pain eased just a little, becoming swarms of stinging insects. He felt the ground shudder as the thing approached him.

The pain softened further, but there was no time left. The0 rolled to one side, stifling an agonized groan. He felt dangerously lightheaded. He sprang to his feet, stumbling a little on his damaged ankle, Ttm Dedopulos and then darted back, faster than the thing could track him, into the shadow of a tree trunk. It took a moment to force down the pain and confusion, and concentrate his mind, but it cleared grudgingly, and the world came back to normal speed. He could hear the thing approaching.

The0 threw himself entirely into the image of the empty park, the sensation of dark, quiet space.

His mind stilled. He seized it desperately, willing the process along, and then everything seemed to take a half step back. He immediately stalked away along the line of trees, doing his best to keep quiet. His throat felt like ash, and it was difficult to think of anything other than blood. He forced his thirst aside and stepped back out into the central clearmg.

The gigantic figure was still heading for his last position, moving surprisingly quickly for something that size. It seemed to be shifting a little as it moved, pulsating, redefining its shape. The0 shuddered and headed toward it quietly over the grass, desperately hoping it couldn’t see him. It was difficult not to think of the thing as having a front and a back, but he’d already suffered from making that particular mistake.

There was a horrendous cracking noise as the thing punched out at the tree he’d slipped behind. The trunk snapped like a twig and crashed down.

Theo was close enough to strike now, his muscles still seething with power. The blood exploded in him again, a sudden tidal wave of energy, and he leaped straight up at the thing. The jump seemed to stretch out as the world slowed. Theo was slashing even as he landed, tearing at the figure with his fangs like he was a wild animal. He took a huge mouthful of THE OVERSEER the vile-tasting gore and ripped at it with all his strength, plunging his knife deep into the slimy wound at the same time. There was no finesse involved, just the urgent need to cause hurt. Cold blood flooded into his mouth and he sucked at it desperately.

The thing screamed as The0 scythed whole sheets off of it, burying himself into the huge body as best he could, still drinking feverishly, feeling the blood flowing through him and easing his terrible thirst. The creature tried to claw at him, the movements painfully slow and clumsy. The0 ignored the massive arm-the mouths in its palm wailing and shrieking-and bit into it again and again, shredding it relentlessly. It howled and staggered.

What had to be a heart burst in Theo’s mouth with a foul spray of ichor, and the thing moaned feebly, sinking to its knees. Then Theo’s knife burst through the front of it, and he sawed downwards like a mad butcher, cutting a huge rent in the shape.

The creature dissolved, flowing out into a disgusting broth of twitching components that crumbled into powder before his eyes. Within seconds, there was nothing left of it at all.

The0 sat there for a long, stunned moment, trying to gather his thoughts. He’d faced Sabbat skilled at reshaping flesh-and the monstrosities they created-before, but this was a new wrinkle for him. His skin was still crawling in revulsion.

Finally he got up and headed straight back toward the lot his bike was parked in. He wanted nothing more than to get out of Detroit and have a long, hot shower.

It took him about forty minutes to get back to the hotel and put the bike away, then he headed up to the room wearily. He knocked on the door in warning and then went in. It was empty, apart from his overnight bag. He sighed irritably. The room key was sitting on top of a note on the bed, in front of his bag.-He looked at it unhappily, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. Eventually he picked it up. It said simply: He stretched out on the bed wearily, trying to convince himself that he was better off without the three of them. It almost worked.

The paperweight was one of those tacky glass orbs that could be found in almost any tourist district. A myriad of little bubbles had been trapped inside it, and there was a long, irregular stain of vivid red sprawling out of the center like some sort of surreal spider. Camel1 held it up to the light, watching the way that the sparkles of light within it danced off its various irregularities as he turned it slowly. Finally, he spoke.

“Bell has never known real family. He will not have understood the bond between the girls.”

Adam’s voice sounded tinny on the telephone’s speaker. “So there will have been tension there already ?” 2 4 0 THE OVERSEER 7$on& 6 0 ~ ~ v ~ y f i h y &’(( be ~ L Q U nbW.

-27 W : 1 t00L Gpmd 604x. * * * “I am sure of it. Either way, however, the fool that spotted the pair of them said that the car left the hotel a short while later. Bell is back there now.”

“DO you want us to move on him during the day ?”

“Absolutely not. That is exactly the kind of situation that plays to his strengths. He is resourceful and responds well to violent crisis. He would probably find some way to prevail, and it would strengthen his resolve. Bell relies on luck and improvisation, but luck is fickle. I have divested him of his rank, his allies and his support. That reduces his options.”

T h a t about the locals?”

“They had their shot. It’s my turn. They’ve been told to leave him alone for now. I don’t want them giving him a morale boost by feeding him more idiots. He’ll already be getting erratic. Tomorrow I will strip away his stability and his determination.

Once he’s had a nasty shock or two, it’ll be easy to overwhelm his mind and turn it to mush. He is alone now. Leave him that way. This game is almost done.”

Camel1 absently relaxed the hand he hadn’t even noticed clenching, and brushed off the dust that had been the glass paperweight.

TI^ Dedopu1o.s The0 woke slowly, vaguely aware of the lingering cobwebs of a dream. They tickled the back of his mind, evaporating as he tried to seize them.

He lay there muzzily for a minute or so, giving Delphine a chance to wake up. His mind cleared a little more, and he remembered that he was on his own. The light cord was somewhere above his head, and after a few fumbling gropes, he managed to find it. The neon light stuttered to life, and he got up, stepping over the towel that concealed the bear trap.

His clothes had dried out nicely during the day.

Before he pulled them on, he took a long, morose look in the mirror. He glared at his image balefully then pulled his face into a snarl. His reflection obediently snarled back. The0 shook his head wearily and decided against shaving his mustache again. He got dressed carefully, unsealed the doorway and went out into the main room.

It was still empty, of course. The0 told himself firmly that he wasn't disappointed. He hung around a minute for no particularly good reason and considered various ways of proceeding. There was only really one option, though. Liam seemed to be operating chiefly through bikers now that the slave ring had been disbanded. The head of the' local chapter would know where to find him.

TlrO Dedopufos The thought of going back into Detroit was unpleasant enough to make The0 sigh, and for a moment the temptation to just pack up and get out was really strong. It wasn’t as if Delphine needed him anymore. It was the thought of Don Cerro’s disappointment that stopped him. He owed it to his sire to clear his name. He steeled himself, grabbed his bag and headed out.

It was a little colder tonight, and there was a threat of rain hanging in the air. The0 welcomed the damp air blasting against him bleakly as he rode.

It suited his mood perfectly. He could feel the aggression swelling within him and welcomed it, grateful for its warmth and purity. He kept close to the speed limit this time. It was early still, and there was no particular rush.

Before heading to Dearbom, The0 turned down toward Taylor and stopped at Jacobson’s plant. It was just as he remembered it, a ramshackle warehouse connected by rusting white pipes to several tanks and a big distillation column. There were no cans by the gate, just old papers and a few wrappers, and it looked as if no one had even been at the site in months. He nosed in for a check around anyway.

The warehouse proved to be just as deserted as the grounds. The place was chock full of old industrial crap, everything from rotting conveyor belts through to huge metal vats. A web-work of access gantries and ladders hung precariously over everything, connected to the ground level by rickety steps and ramp: Pipes snaked crazily all over the place, forming an eye-bending jumble spread across THF OVFRSFFR the whole facility. Some of them snaked up into the ceiling, or shot out of the warehouse entirely to link umbilically to the tanks outside. A thick layer of dust covered it all.

The0 made a careful search of the plant, looking for any hint that it had seen use recently. Apart from a few small animal tracks, the place was utterly deserted. He was in the process of double-checking around the perimeter fence when he realized that he was just stalling. He stalked back to his bike irritably, muttering quiet obscenities to himself and sped off. Twenty minutes later, he was in Dearborn.

The0 parked his bike in the same spot as he had the night before. There were plenty of other motorcycles in the lot again, including several Harleys. It had to be a start. He thought about his shotgun but reluctantly decided it would be too difficult to conceal. He instead walked to the front of the bat, cutting through the people milling around. He went in impatiently, faintly amused to see that the place was named after the Marquis de Sade. The doors opened onto a small entry room. A short, tidy doorman put a hand out to stop him. Theo didn’t wait for the man to speak. He just lashed out with his mind, slicing stubbornly through the doorman’s surprisingly resilient will, and felt the immediate submission he demanded.

“Leave me be.” The0 knew the words sounded like a snarl, but he didn’t really care.

The doorman just nodded wordlessly, his eyes wide.

Theo pushed past him and went into the bar. It was dark and smoky, deep green walls and varnished rlm Dedopufos wooden floors adding to the dim, claustrophobic feel.

Someone with more enthusiasm than talent had painted murals on the walls, strangely hellish landscapes jostling with sensuous nudes and oddly pastoral scenes. The low ceiling was totally covered with more of the same. Fifteen or twenty tables were placed haphazardly around the room, furnished with long benches, ratty sofas and cheap wooden chairs.

A long serving area dominated the far left, a myriad of rainbow bottles glinting through the faint haze of smoke.

The place was busy, most of the tables taken, and there was quite a throng standing around the bar. The0 looked around the room carefully, searching for a likely target. There were several bikers around. A couple of them saw him approaching and told their friends. They all turned to look, openly scornful.

Reaching deep inside himself, The0 called to the spark of his spirit. He coaxed it up and out, feeling it swell and blossom until it suffused his entire being. His blood sang with the power of it, filling his entire aura with splendorous wonder. It ignited, surging out over the flabby, bearded men. Their faces lightened, and several even broke into gruesome smiles.

“Hi guys,” said Theo, forcing a cheerful tone into his voice. “Which of you has seniority?”

One of the bikers grinned. “That’s me. I rank Ted there by six months.”

“I bet you’ve got a fucking primo bike, man.”

“Oh baby, you don’t know the half of it.” The man was openly proud.

T H E OVFRSFFR “I’d love to have a look at it. I’m a real fan. W h y don’t you show me? Ted and the boys can wait here.”

The biker nodded eagerly. ‘Sure, why not? My lady always loves to be flattered.”

“Great, let’s do it.” The0 led the guy out of the bar, ignoring the disappointed looks that the rest of the group gave him. As soon as they were in the parking lot, The0 turned to the biker, grabbed hold of his mind and crushed it to a smooth, pliant pulp.

“You will take me to see your chapter leader immediately, doing and saying anything necessary to ensure that I remain unharmed and unchallenged and get into his presence as quickly as possible.”

The biker nodded. The0 left the man to get ready, went to his Yamaha and rode it back to the parking lot entrance. A few moments later, the biker pulled up alongside him, gestured to the left and drove off, looking back to make sure that The0 was following.

He led Theo through a warren of small roads and out to the commercial southern edges of the district before pulling into an unpaved parking lot that seemed to belong to a private club. Unsurprisingly, it was full of bikes. The0 parked next to his guide and got off.

Once the biker had dismounted, he nodded once to Theo and made his way to the club door.

There was a small viewing panel set in the door.

The man rapped on it, timing his strikes carefully.

The panel slid aside, and a hairy face squinted out.

“Hey Dean.” The panel slammed closed and the door opened. The guy behind it was almost invisible behind his mass of hair. “So what’s with the nigger?”

The0 wrestled a sudden flash of fury. There would be time to make the asshole pay for that one.

TI^ Dedopulos The biker shrugged, his face suddenly coming jerkily to life. “He’s gotta see J.C.”

“Yeah? Didn’t say nothing to me.”

“That’s ’cuz he doesn’t know jack about it yet, Tommy. J.C.’s gotta see him, though. It’s urgent.”

“You sure about that?” Hairball looked doubtful.

Dean nodded. “Absolutely fkking certain.” His voice dropped in volume, and he leaned forward a little. “It’s Chicago business.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so? Come on in. He’s in the office.”

“Thanks, Tom. Come on, pal.”

The0 followed Dean into the club, still seething.

He avoided Hairball’s smug glance, silently promising himself that he’d make time to do something about the man. Inside, the club looked more like a large sitting room than a commercial bar. There was a bar at the far end that included a draught tap and several bottles of spirits, and a big fridge held a wide range of bottled beers. There were ten or fifteen bikers clustered around the room. They all turned to watch Theo, unfriendly expressions on their faces. No one spoke. He ignored them all, ruthlessly squashing the urge to rip the whole damn lot of them to shreds.

Dean opened a door, walked down a small stretch of corridor and finally came to another room.

He went straight in, ushering The0 in after him and kicking the door closed afterward. A tall, middleaged guy looked up. J.C. had a grizzled face, deeply lined with years of excess. If he looked surprised, Dean looked absolutely bewildered, glancing at Theo uncertainly.

THF OVFRFFPR The0 caught Dean’s gaze and idly shredded his mind again even as it started pulling itself together.

“Thank you, Dean. Sit down over there and keep motionless and silent until I tell you otherwise.”

J.C. watched Dean obey woodenly, then turned to Theo, amazement and anger spreading over his face. “I don’t h o w what.. .”

The0 smashed out with his will again, ripping easily through the prickly surface of J.C.5 thoughts and tearing into the consciousness beneath. The man fell silent, his voice trailing off. Theo allowed himself a small, nasty grin.

“A man named Liam Wickman came here very recently, from Minneapolis. Have you been working with him?”

“Yes.” The voice was faint, hollow even.

“DO you know where I can find him?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Write it down on a piece of paper for me, along with directions on how to get there from here. Right now.”

J.C. obeyed wordlessly. After a minute or so, he handed over the address and directions. The0 had a look and noted the fairly simple route, then tucked the details into his jacket pocket. He thought about altering the man’s memory, but he was still ravenously hungry from the previous night’s exertions, and it might cause further problems in Minneapolis if he left the guy alive.

The0 looked deep into J.C.’s eyes. “Lie down on the floor behind your desk.”

As the biker obeyed, The0 dropped down next to him and buried his fangs in the front of the man’s Tim Dedopulos throat. Hot, salty blood flooded into him, and he guzzled it down greedily. It seemed to sparkle as it slipped down his throat, filling him with satisfied energy. He kept drinking long past the point where it became dangerous, prolonging the feeling of pleasure and wellbeing. Eventually the blood ran out.

Theo pulled away from the dry corpse and looked UP.

Dean was stil1 sitting in place obediently, his eyes bulging with horror. The0 walked over to him thoughtfully, picking bits of flesh out of his nails.

He considered his options, then took hold of Dean’s neck and ripped it out with his fingers. The man’s eyes rolled around in frenzied panic, but he kept stock still as the blood bubbled from his ruined throat and pooled across the floor, spreading under the desk to lap at J.C.’s husk. The0 shrugged and left the office, closing the door behind him.

He was halfway across the clubroom before anyone thought to challenge him. “Hey, where the hck is Dean?”

“I left him with J.C.,” said The0 easily. “They had some stuff to work out.”

“Bullshit,” said the man, a big bruiser with tattoos crawling up his neck. “NO one walks around in here without an escort.”

Theo shrugged. “They were busy.”

“Yeah? Maybe I’ll go check that while the boys keep an eye on you.” Several people pulled out guns.

“Busy doing what?”

Theo grinned recklessly and braced himself, feeling the blood surge inside him in response. Then it caught fire, and the biker who was beginning to 2 5 0 THF OVFRSFFR stand seemed to hang in midair as everything slowed to a crawl. “Dying.”

The0 leaped at the biker, lips drawn back in an evil snarl. He caught him by the head and jerked sharply downward, feeling the man start to tumble even as his neck snapped. Then a blazing line of pain stitched across his back and urgent clouds of red fog billowed up insistently around him. Theo didn’t even bother fighting it. He threw himself to one side, the bullet wounds in his back already starting to froth painfully. He welcomed the frenzy.

His mind fled before it. ... hoarse screams ... the stench of cordite ... a twisting, leaping ballet of death . . . bone crumbling in his fingers . . . blazing pain, and the hot taste of blood . . darting, blurring speed . . . howls of agony . . . the delicious feeling of wood splintering under his hands . . . prey fleeing in terror.. . the heat of living bodies . . .

Sanity crawled back slowly. The room had been utterly destroyed, as had the gang. There were only a few whole corpses, but bits and pieces littered the entire club. Blood drenched everything, dripping from the ceiling, running down the walls, forming big pools on the floor. It was extremely greasy underfoot. Theo felt physically fine, glutted even, though he could see several new bullet holes across the front of his T-shirt. A faint twinge of pity for the bikers nagged at him, but it was difficult to feel too sorry for them. The leader had admitted working for Liam, and the group may even have been the cause of some of his problems. They were safer dead.

TI^ Dedopulog He tumed his head left and right, working the kinks out of his neck with a pair of nasry grinding pops, and then left the club. The next biker in would get a rather clear message about the dangers of working with Liam, hopefully one that would be passed on. It wasn’t as if anyone was going to call the police or the media, either. All in all, the evening had gone fairly well so far. He got back on his bike, grinning savagely, and followed J.C.s directions back toward Dearbom.

It took only a few minutes to reach Liam’s location. The building was less than a mile away, off to the northeast. The0 drove past it slowly. It was a large, ornate building that might once have been quite attractive. The years hadn’t been kind, however. The stonework was almost totally obscured by dark, sooty pollution stains, and it appeared to be crumbling in some places. Weeds thronged the small entrance yard untidily. Theo was slightly surprised. He would have expected the mortal to find somewhere more conducive. Perhaps he was trying to make a point.

A couple of blocks later, Theo parked up in a small lot next to a doctor’s office. He opened up the luggage compartment and fished his shotgun out of the overnight bag, along with a fresh box of shells.

He loaded the gun up to its maximum six rounds then popped the box into his pocket and tucked the shotgun uncomfortably under his jacket. Hardly subtle, but it would do. Once it was in place, he strolled back to the building.

While he walked, he calmed his thoughts, running through the comfortable mantras that THE OVERSEER relaxed him. His aura quieted. He then painstakingly filled his mind with the empty streets around him, focusing on the sensation of lonely city nights. The urban landscape around him pulled back grudgingly, leaving him in a quiet little bubble. It felt like standing in the doorway of a busy room-everything in sight, but somehow slightly out of reach. When the sensation settled into a snug isolation, he moved his shotgun out from his coat and held it dangling from his right hand. It felt considerably more comfortable there.

A couple of minutes later, %eo was standing outside the door of Liam’s building. He waited patiently, listening for any hint of activity. A couple of lights were on toward the top of the building, but apart from that the place was silent. It hardly seemed possible that Liam would leave himself unguarded, even in a temporary crash pad. He had been dealing with vampires for who knew how long. He’d be on his guard.

The0 placed his ear against the door and concentrated fiercely on his hearing. His ears immediately tingled as blood flooded into them, the sensation rapidly swelling from an itching to an uncomfortable burning. The sound around him blossomed at the same time; even the most inconsequential noises suddenly took on new Layers of texture and richness. He was suddenly aware of the rhythmic creaking of his leather jacket as it moved slightly in the breeze. A beetle scuttled past his boots, its feet pattering against the grass. The wind itself seemed to be whispering to him, its words sliding past, just outside his comprehension. He TIKI nedopulo3 25 3 braced himself and rapped quietly on the door, his ear still pressed to the wood.

The blows sounded like thunder. The0 listened hard as they died away, trying to hear guards or approaching footsteps. He took a step back uncertainly, and felt the heat and pain fade from the sides of his head as the sounds around him returned to normal. The last thing he wanted was to be caught in gunfire with his hearing enhanced.

Several minutes passed and nothing happened.

Finally, he decided to risk it and tried the door. To his surprise, it opened easily. He stepped in quickly and closed it behind him before pausing to take stock.

He was in a long, marble hallway, lit only by ambient light from the street. The yellow neon lent the marble a nasty, rotting appearance.

Pseudoclassical archways led off to the left and right at regular intervals, and flower-filled stone trenches between them made the place look like some sort of temple. Graceful staircases bracketed the rear of the hallway, sweeping up grandly to a balcony that overlooked the passage.

There was a dark object in the middle of the hallway, resting in a patch of shadow. It looked a little like a basketball. Just the sight of it raised Theo’s hackles. There was something very wrong about it, some trick of the shape.. . He approached it cautiously, trying to make out some details in the darkness.

He was no more than four feet away when light suddenly crashed down around him as the hallway erupted in flames. Theo’s head swam, and he had to THE OVERSEER fight down a long moment of panic before he realized that the corridor was bracketed by gas lamps. He managed to get control of his unease at being surrounded by so much flame and glanced down reflexively at the object. A severed head stared bloodlessly up at him.

It was Liam’s.

The understanding that it was a trap smashed into him, and the world swam. He felt something cold and dead under his elbows and then noticed that he was on the floor, wriggling backwards to escape from the fire reflected in the dead gangster’s eyes. Helplessness washed over him. Without Liam, his plans were just ash. A weird, hollow howling filled the hallway; it took him several moments to realize that he was the one making it.

A loud click attracted Theo’s attention. He looked up quickly. A tall, arrogantly handsome man in an expensive suit stood just behind Liam’s head.

He looked utterly sure of himself, and he had an unpleasantly indulgent smile on his face. Theo stared at him, transfixed.

“Mr. Bell. It’s a real pleasure to meet you in person at last.”

Theo’s head pounded like a jackhammer, and a spike of pain stabbed into his mind. His thoughts fragmented into confused, frightened shards. The man sounded exactly-exactly-like Simon Crieff.

Before he knew it, he was up and bolting for the door, desperate just to get away, take stock and try to work out what the fuck was going on. He shot a glance back over his shoulder as he exited the building. The man was still standing there.

T~WI Dedopulos As The0 reached the street, he heard familiar laughter behind him, a cold, mocking sound. The man was now leaning against the doorframe casually, watching him run, his laughter stolen straight from Jaroslav Paschek. The laughter trailed off, and the man walked slowly out of the building, heading for the street. Theo put his head down and ran. Once he made it to the bike, he’d be able to get away properly, get his head back together. The thought made him chuckle. It was going to take more than a bike to put his head back together. Maybe some of the tape he had in his overnight bag would help.

The0 got to the doctor’s office and whipped into the parking lot. The bike was gone. Of course it was gone. Insane of him to think it might still be there.

The very idea was amusing. He risked a look back at the street. A tall, suited figure strolled calmly toward doctor’s office, no more than twenty feet away. The thumping in Theo’s head surged, and he thought for a moment that his skull might burst. Then he took to his heels. The blood surged inside him as he sprinted, its white fire ripping through him. Doors and windows blurred past him as he sped off, no thought left other than to get the fuck away.

THF OVERSEER After some time, The0 found a degree of awareness returning. The blind urge to flee was ebbing away, and he slowed down to a more natural walk. He had no idea where he was. In his blind flight, he hadn’t stopped to consider where he was going. He didn’t have much memory of the route either, just occasional glimpses of blurred scenery and, once, a startled face. He was ravenously hungry too-it felt like his entire body was molded out of sand and ash. He tried to set his hunger aside for a moment and think about the situation, his head still pounding horribly.

Liam was dead. There was nothing he could do about that. Panic gnawed at him, and he crushed it.

He needed to think. It was obvious that he couldn’t trust any of the information he’d received from incoming phone calls. What had Michael said, in Naperville? That call had been Theo’s instigation.

He’d known about the blood hunt and about the suspension. They were real, then. Of course they were. He grinned wryly, fighting down a small laugh.

Simon’s information about Detroit, though.

That had to be false. It probably hadn’t been Simon at all, and Elizabeth obviously didn’t really know anything about the situation. The0 shuddered. It was going to be almost impossible to get himself out of this one after all. The bastards had pulled everything down on top of him and then locked the doors just to make sure. Maybe Liam’s killer would know something. The0 shifted uncomfortably and looked back over his shoulder, checking the street. It was empty, and he sighed with relief.

He fished his phone out of a jacket pocket and dialed Itio again hopefully. He could really use the man’s wisdom about now. There was no answer.

Theo wasn’t surprised, just disappointed. He put the phone away and continued walking. A crunching noise some distance behind him caught his attention. He looked round. The confident vampire was strolling toward him, catching up slightly. The0 blanched. How the fuck?

Before he knew what he was doing, The0 spun around to face his assailant and aimed the shotgun straight at him. The range was long, even for shell ammo rather than pellets, but he didn’t care. It might give the arrogant prick second thoughts. The man grinned at him wolfishly and made an odd gesture with his hand. A nasty grinding noise came from the gun.

The0 blinked, suddenly uncertain, but fired anyway.

Nothing happened. The trigger was flopping uselessly. Theo stared at the gun in dismay, then threw it furiously in the direction of his enemy and started running again. He wanted to will the blood inside him to life, to give him a bit of a boost, but he was too drained. It was too dangerous to burn more of it. He growled, frustrated, and hammered along the streets, fingering his knife and refusing to look back. 25 8 THF OVFRSFFR Gradually, the buildings surrounding The0 got taller and uglier, and the roads narrowed. The sidewalks, not exactly clean to begin with, were becoming absolutely filthy. The few remaining shops and businesses vanished completely, replaced by ugly apartment blocks. Some of the streetlights flickered as he pounded past. He slowed a little so as not to lose his footing. He looked back before he could stop himself. Sure enough, the tall vampire was still following him at an easy pace, not gaining much but not falling behind either. The0 turned onto a small side road and almost immediately saw another, even smaller alley leading off between buildings. He looked around wildly and darted for the alley. His pursuer was not yet in sight. Maybe he’d be able to throw the man off.

There was a tiny courtyard a short way down, which fed off into five or six different routes. The0 picked one that seemed to lead deeper into the area and charged down it. He glanced back as he ran, pleased that the courtyard was still empty as he rounded the corner. He took several more fast turns and almost tripped over a kid skulking along nervously in the same direction he was going.

The0 didn’t even pause to think. As the girl’s eyes widened, he lashed out a hand and grabbed her, pulled her to him and tore her neck open. He held her in an iron grip, ignoring her writhing shudders.

The blood fountained into his mouth, reinvigorating him, turning the dusty stone of his throat back to flesh. It spread quickly through his body, caressing him with its wet heat. He drank feverishly, the pleasure almost like an orgasm. When she ran dry, Tim Dedopulos he dropped her remains, wishing for one wild moment that she’d been bigger.

A slow clapping started up from some distance away. Theo looked around, horrified. The tall vampire was walking toward him lazily, applauding his murder with a nasty smile. What the hell was he doing? The poor kid stared up at him glassily, her face contorted.

For a second, Theo’s vision swam, and it was Daisy looking at him instead. He took a step back. Her eyes followed him, a silent accusation. Murderer, she seemed to be saying. He tumed around and started off, desperate to get away from those eyes. Murhm.

MURDERER. The word thundered in his skull.

He broke into a run again. Jaroslav Paschek’s mocking laughter followed him.

The0 took turns at random, sometimes on alleys, sometimes on small roads. After a couple of minutes, he came up short, facing a dead end. A fire escape rattled beside him in the breeze so he started climbing it, thinking vaguely of getting a look at the area from a decent vantage. The escape was little more than a metal ladder bolted to the side of the building, and it didn’t feel particularly secure, but The0 rattled up it swiftly and quickly found himself four stories up, on the building’s flat roof.

He was fairly deep inside a residential area.

Glittering lights and tall office buildings off in the distance seemed to indicate the heart of Dearbom.

The interstate was a bright ribbon a short distance in the other direction, just on the other side of a large, mazelike housing project. The industrial belt in neighboring Taylor lurked beyond the road, Jacobson’s plant in there somewhere. So much for that.

THE OVFRSFFR A rustling noise made him turn uncertainly. The tall vampire appeared over the edge of the rooftop, looking comfortable. The0 grimaced. The prospect of a confrontation helped restore a little of his shattered balance. His sister stirred in the back of his mind, reminding him of her presence. He owed it to her memory to stay strong. And the dead girl in the alley deserved as much for her involuntary sacrifice. He drew his knife and advanced on the smug fool. The hot blood inside him writhed and then detonated inside him. Time seemed to collapse.

Theo grinned horribly and leaped, his knife flashing It was like trying to hit smoke. The man seemed to know where Theo was going to strike and just flowed out of the way of every blow. His smile never wavered. Infuriated, The0 lashed-out with a particularly hard, fast stab. The man swayed inside it and lashed out with an almost negligent fist. It caught The0 in the upper chest and he was flung back several feet, stopping just short of the edge.

He leaped to his feet, and the man made a peculiar flicking motion with one hand, as though trying to dislodge something unpleasantly sticky from his palm.

A glob of dirty yellow fire shot out and struck The0 in the stomach. The sensation was utter agony.

It felt as if it was eating into his spirit at the same time as burning his flesh, and the sensation made his senses reel in horror. He slapped at it desperately, forcing his panic down. The fire sputtered out with a burst of sulfurous smoke, but his stomach still blazed with pain. The man watched him calmly. He TIW Dedopulos out. raised his hand again, and The0 threw himself to one side, rolling desperately to avoid further blasts, walling off the discomfort in his gut. He came to his feet, watching the man tracking his movements, ready to jump again. He shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation. He didn’t even know his enemy’s name.

“It’s Carnell,” said the man pleasantly.

The0 recoiled, horrified that the man was reading his mind.

“Oh, I’m doing far worse than that, Mr. Bell.”

Carnell raised his hands again.

Pain stabbed through his mind again, a sharp spike. His imagination filled with pictures of the fires of hell boiling up around him. The0 retreated without hesitation, stepping back off the edge of the building. As he fell, he saw Carnell approach the edge, look over at him and grin. Then Theo’s mind dissolved as a blaze of agony ripped through him.

Everything went red.

Carnell watched Bell stumble to his feet and flail around. The former archon was out of his mind again, his thoughts nothing but a seething ball of hatred and fear. After a few seconds, Bell stumbled away, heading into the ugly project block. His gait grew smoother as he walked, and soon he broke into a lurching run. By the time he reached the edge of the project, he was moving at impossible speeds, burning too much blood. Bell disappeared behind the edge of a building. Carnell took a deep breath, THF OVFRSFFR * * * tilted his head back and exhaled slowly, blowing the air up into the sky. His vision went with it, spiraling up and away from the rooftop he stood on.

The world dropped. Dearborn and Taylor stretched out beneath him, glittering-so much more attractive at a decent distance. The interstate wound between them, toy cars trundling up and down its length. Bell was clearly visible, a little ant flailing around. Carnell thought about him, and suddenly his perceptions homed in on his prey.

Bell was charging up a flight of graffiti-covered concrete stairs, thick wire meshing ensuring that no one could be thrown off. As Camell watched, Bell came to a level square of concrete and charged off along it, darting down a small walkway that led past row upon row of battered doors and little, mean windows. He cut across another path that took him over a courtyard two stories below.

Suddenly he slowed and then stopped altogether. He looked around, obviously unhappy.

There was a wild edge in his eyes. He picked the nearest door-numbered 74-and forced it open.

Camell inhaled sharply as his sight returned to normal. He knelt down by the edge of the roof and started climbing down the wall. His strength made it child‘s play, and he skittered down it in moments, as smoothly as if he’d been walking horizontally.

He sprinted toward Bell’s location, the smell of the man thick in his nostrils. He stank of blood and death-enough so that even mortals would probably notice something. It was as easy as following a lit path. He shot along effortlessly, barely exerting himself.

TIW Dedopulos One more sharp push, and Bell would quite probably crack all together. The man was coming apart; the loss of Wickman on top of everything else had been even more of a blow than Camell had expected. Theo had obviously been using the mortal as a way of holding his uncertainties at bay. He was reverting to the most basic fight-or-flight patterns, and when they took hold, he’d go to ground somewhere, out of tricks. Then the matter would be a certainty, and the game would be concluded.

Camell swarmed up the staircase Bell had taken just a few minutes before, his progress a skittering blur. Almost time to rip away the last threads of the man’s tottering sanity.

The0 closed the door behind him, no longer questioning the holes in his memory. It really didn’t matter. His head ached dreadfully, making it difficult to concentrate on anything. He was in a small, cluttered hallway. It stank of rotting food, unwashed armpits and cat piss. A small coat rack immediately in front of him held a number of old, cheap jackets.

A kitchen was visible just off to the left. He looked inside, unsurprised to see a thin layer of wrappers, crumbs and grime across the floor and a sink piled high with filthy dishes. All the counters were similarly cluttered with used plates and pans, empty cartons, wrappers and bits of assorted food.

A living room was directly ahead, at the end of the hallway. The0 went up to it and looked in. There were a couple of battered old couches, a large TV THE OVERSEER * * * and VCR, tottering piles of books and videos everywhere, and a very surprised man.

“Who the hell are you?” The man had thinning hair and bad teeth, and he was decidedly overweight. ‘Theo,” said The0 cheerfully.

The man looked at him uncertainly. “All right then, what the fuck do you want, Theo?”

“You know, I’m glad you asked that. I’m not really sure myself.” He laughed merrily. “It’s been a pretty wild night.” He paused for a moment. Why had he come in here? Because it was as good as doing anywhere else, that’s why. He was parched again, almost dizzy, and there was no point wasting an opportunity. “Actually, now that I think about it, there is something I want.”

“What?” The man looked very nervous now.

The0 grinned at him slowly, his mouth gradually pulling into a vicious snarl that showed off his fangs beautifully. “Blood.” He leaped at the man and bit deep into the soft inside of his forearm. Hot, salty blood spurted into his mouth, and he gulped it down gratefully.

The girl he’d murdered was fresh in his mind, and he took more care this time. Daisy’s accusing eyes were still fresh in his mind. He took considerably more than he would have normallymaybe as much as five pints-but the guy could spare a little extra. He licked the wound closed reluctantly, still thirsty, and casually destroyed his mind with a flick of his will. “Stay still and silent until I leave, then forget everything that happened while I was here, and go see a doctor.”

The man nodded his obedience.

Tlm Dedopufo=j The0 sank into a mangy armchair and looked at the man he’d just fed from. “If I stay, that fucker will charbroil me. If I leave, I may never find him again, and then I’ve lost it all. No one is even talking to me. They’ve all abandoned me. Poor old Theo.

What the hell am I going to do now, eh? Maybe the deep-fryer is the better option.”

The man stared at him, wordlessly.

“I see you’re not talking to me either.” The0 laughed at his own joke. “Good idea. They say a wise man keeps his silence and lets others reveal their own foolishness. Not very helpful, though.”

The man’s eyes bulged a little. He was looking very pale.

“You need to get out more,” said Theo, grinning.

He lashed out with his will again, spearing the man’s mind with his own. “When you get out of the hospital, you’re going to find yourself driven to eat a healthy diet-no junk food or candy-and you’re going to work out five times a week for at least fortyfive minutes at a time without fail. For the rest of your life. You’ll thank me. Oh, go to night school and get some training, then get the fuck out of this shitty town and go have a life of some sort while there’s still time. Be kind to people, and to yourself too. Wash more often. Get involved in civil rights.

All people are equal and none deserve prejudice and slavery.” He paused for a moment, trying to think of something else. “Oh yeah, and give blood regularly.

We always need blood.” He laughed, trailing off into a faint cackle, and released the man’s will again.

“There. That should give you something better to do than sit here jacking off to cable porn.”

THE OVERSFER The man gazed at him balefully.

“You’re not very good company,” said Theo.

“We’ve sorted your life out easily enough. What am I going to do?“ The faintest hint of an acrid, sour scent tickled Theo’s nostrils. Was it smoke? He looked around uncertainly but couldn’t see anything burning. He stood up and walked out into the hallway. There was a whooshing noise and the unmistakable crackle of flames. Smoke curled under the door, long thick tendrils of it. He had a sudden, horrifying image of the corridor erupting in flames, the flesh charring off his bones in big, blackened chunks. His mind fled from the thought. He turned quickly, walked back into the den and picked up the armchair he’d been sitting in.

“I know what I’m going to do now,” he told the man. “I’m going to jump, before I burn to... well, death. This is starting to become a habit.” He threw the chair through the dirty window that ran along the back of the room. It smashed through easily, and The0 went over the jagged hole and looked out. The chair had broken apart on a patch of grass two stories below and was surrounded by bits of wood and glass.

He looked back at the man. “Good talking to you.”

He vaulted through the hole.

The0 landed easily, rolling a few feet before coming up into a crouch, and looked back. Camel1 was crawling slowly down the side of the buildinghead first, like some sort of gecko. The0 started running again, ignoring the sudden spike of pain stabbing through his mind. He was not really hoping to escape anymore. He was just satisfied to stay ahead ~ l m Dedopulos of the flames for the moment. His mind seemed to be lurching from pillar to post, and it was difficult to concentrate on anything. In Liam’s absence, he needed Carnell. Contained. People who kept pets put geckos in tanks-with a small log, and some gravel to act as a floor. He smiled suddenly.

Jacobson’s. There were tanks there. Maybe he could get the bastard into one of those. It wasn’t even that far anymore, no more than a mile or two. He ran on, smiling into the darkness, happy simply to have a direction to head in.

Carnell followed at a discreet distance, a predatory glint in his eyes. Bell’s mind was teetering on the edge of total collapse. Camel1 could feel it reeling around drunkenly, lurching from self-pity to fear to humor and back again. The man would probably even welcome destruction at this stage, just as an escape. The game was done. All that remained now was to clear the board.

Theo hared through the gates of Jacobson’s.

Carnell wasn’t far behind-ten, maybe fifteen minutes, and that was only because The0 had been sprinting flat-out from time to time in his eagerness to get to the plant. He was incredibly thirsty again.

It seemed as if he’d drunk down an entire sea of blood tonight, but it still wasn’t enough. What he really wanted right now was a big witch‘s cauldron, a great THE OVERSEER * * * * * * big bubbling pot to push the man into. Maybe he’d find one in the plant. Even an empty cauldron was better than no cauldron at all.

He raced around the side of the plant and into the main warehouse, where all the old vats were. A faint noise distracted him, the scuff of a boot perhaps, from behind one of the towering metal cylinders.

Camel1 couldn’t be there already. He wasn’t allowed to be there yet. Theo needed at least a few minutes to get up on the gantries and find a decent tank. He stamped his foot petulantly. “All right, come on then.”

A woman stepped out from behind the tank.

The0 peered at her and realized that he knew her.

Kristine. “Hello. I killed you once already. Do I have to do it again, or are you the witch?” He suddenly imagined her carting around a gigantic cauldron several times her size, and laughed.

“Theo?” She sounded worried. As well she should, with a cauldron that size.

“Yep,” he said happily. “That’s me all right. Just like I told the fat man.”

“Theo, are you okay? Did you find Liam?”

He laughed at that, and it took him several moments to make the noise stop. “Oh yes. I just moved the peas, and there he was.” He giggled. “I’ve never felt better, actually. Funny how simple things get, when there’s nothing left to clutter your mind.

On the lamb or fried to a crisp? What could be simpler. Well, it’s that or the gecko in the cauldron, anyway.”

Kristine moved closer, looking alarmed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

TI^ Dedopulos.

“He’s coming, you know. Soon. Won’t be long now.”

“Who’s coming, Theo? Is it Liam?”

The0 shook his head, impatient at how dense she was being tonight. “Liam’s not going anywhere.

Maybe to a basketball game, but that’s about it. No use thereHe’s left me, too. No use. It’s all over. No, it’s the gecko that’s coming. Carnell the gecko.” He grinned at the expression that the smug bastard would pull if he knew The0 thought he looked like a common lizard. “Wait a minute, geckos don’t breathe fire. Maybe Carnell’s a dragon, not a gecko.”

Kristine shook her head, her eyes wide. “I don’t understand you, Theo. Who’s Carnell?”

The0 sighed and tried again. “He’s the one. The spider who’s been pulling our strings. He’s Simon, and Paschek, and God only knows who else. Liam was just the fly in his web, bound tight, now all dried and dusted.”

“This Camell has been pulling your strings, huh?

Do you believe me about Meonia now ?” There was an odd glint in her eyes.

Theo thought about it. Perhaps Camell was part of her group. Or maybe he’d just made her think the group existed. “Maybe your Meonia is my pet gecko.”

He remembered the pain in his stomach and pulled his jacket aside. “Look. Camell did this.”

Kristine glanced down at the hole that the fire had burned in the T-shirt and the flesh beneath it.

She gasped.

“I tried to take him out, but he’s too fast, too smart. He’s on his way now, and I think it’s going to be crispy critters after all. I’m tired, Kris.” As he said it, he realized it was true.

THF OVFR5FFR Kristine shook her head wearily. “Come off it.

That’s not The0 Bell talking. I don’t care who this fucker is. We can take him.”

“We? I’m all alone.” He thought about that for a second. It seemed a little unfair to Carnell, given the effort the man had put in. “Only my spider loves me. He must love me. It’s such a beautiful web.”

“Delphine sent me. I’ll help you, if you’ll make me a promise about her.’’ The0 laughed. Delphine had them all dancing to her tune, as surely as Carnell did. “Out of the frying pan ... What do the Terrible Two want? I should have realized you’d be her eye in the sky. You do know she’s got you chained around her finger, don’t you? Bound tight?”

Kris nodded ruefully. “Yes, I know. Bloody clever move on her part, though. I can’t help but admire her all the more for it. Binding her own staked sire, under your very nose.. . She really is brilliant. I’m lucky she’s so pleasant about it.”

The0 grinned, remembering the time when she’d almost entranced him into feeding her his own blood. “Oh yeah, she’s pleasant all right.”

Kris shook her head. “Anyway, back to the point. If you’ll promise not to ever take any action against her or her sister other than in direct selfdefense, I’ll help you out here. It’s got to be your most binding promise possible, though.”

The0 laughed. What difference did it make at this stage? None. “She can have my promise, deepfried though it-may be. I swear it, on the memory of my sister. That’s the big one, you know, because I can still feel her eyes following me around.” He Ttrv Dedopulos thought about it for a moment. The image of Daisy’s withered eyes running around after him on lots of little tiny legs was decidedly unpleasant. “And I don’t want that crawling over me while I’m sleeping.”

“Done,” said Kristine, sounding a little uncertain.

Then she ducked back behind the tank for a moment.

When she came back, she was pulling a vacantlooking punk by the hair. “Here. He’s for you, in case you’re low on blood. I pacified him for you.”

Low? He was positively parched. He felt like a little sparkling knot surrounded by desert wastes.

“I’m Vegas, baby. All the way.” He took the punk from her, then paused, troubled. “I don’t know if the girl will like him, though. It’s not fair to her.”

“He tried to mug Delphine earlier. Do it. He deserves a lot worse.”

Theo nodded, then dipped his fangs into the punk‘s unresisting neck and started drinking. The flood of hot blood was incredible, and it raced through him, renewing him. He kept drinking and drinking, soaking the blood up like a sponge until there was no more left. As soon as he let the dry body fall, Kris grabbed it and stuffed it away out of sight.

“I’ve been thinking, Theo.”

He nodded. She looked the type. “That’s good.”

“This guy doesn’t know I’m here, right? Maybe “Surprise him!“ Carnell would be furious. The0 “Okay, well, what were you going to do?”

Theo thought about it. “Get up high, look for cauldrons, dance around when the flames come, try to play the witch.”

THF OVERSEER we can surprise him.” giggled. “That would be perfect.”

Kristine blinked. “Right. Well, um, why don’t you do that. I’ll hide, and maybe I can get the drop on this asshole.”

Theo smiled at her. She couldn’t have any idea.

“Sure, why not? You’ll see.”

He headed up the rickety steps that led to the old gantries. After a few moments, she followed him uncertainly, carrying a long case. He started exploring the gantries carefully, trying to find one that brought him near an open vat of some sort. After a quick survey, he found that a certain kind of tanka mixing vessel, going by the propellerlike device inside-had an open top. There were several of them around the plant. He went and sat on a gantry near the one that was closest to the door, and waited.

He didn’t know where Kris had hidden herself.

He looked around curiously for a while, but there was no sign ofher, nothing to suggest that she had actually been there at all. The0 considered that calmly. It had been a trying evening, and it was perfectly possible that he’d just dreamed her-another frenzyinduced false memory. Where was the car? He chuckled. He was still alone. Always alone. Yes, that made far more sense. She’d been very convincing.

“You almost had me there,” he said. Then he realized that there was no point talking to a mirage, and laughed.

He felt Carnell’s presence, down by the main doors, and looked down. He was standing there, clearly visible in the city light, looking up toward Theo. “They say that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, Mr. Bell. They’re right. I should know.”

“I’m not going mad,” said The0 indignantly. “I’m going away. Or into the deep fryer.” He sighed. “I hate fire.”

Camell grinned encouragingly. “That’s good, Mr. Bell.” His hand suddenly burst into ugly sulfurous flames, lighting the warehouse up dimly and casting deep shadows. “I’ve grown rather fond of it, myself.”

The0 struggled to his feet, ready to throw himself to the side quickly. ?Oh, there’s no need for that.” Carnell sounded amused. ‘’I just want to shed a little light on the situation.” He made for the steps up to the gantry.

“It’s been fun playing with you, Mr. Bell. You’ve been a worthy opponent. It’s time to rest now, though.

You’re very tired, aren’t you?”

The0 nodded, keeping his eyes nervously on Carnell’s burning hand.

“That’s okay. I can help you rest at last.’’ That sounded good. There was no one left to disappoint, no job left to do and not much of the world left anyway. A faint hint of fear tickled at him.

They were all damned, after all. Even being tired was better than the fires of hell. “I’ve been a bad boy, Camell. Don’t want to burn.”

Camell grinned, his fangs glinting in the light from his hand. “That’s okay, Mr. Bell. I wouldn’t do that to you. I know what it’s like down there. You can rest easy.” He patted his stomach. ‘The buck stops here.”

Oblivion. An end to pain. The0 smiled broadly.

“No Crispy Critters?”

Camell shook his head. “NO. I promise.”

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Theo turned to watch Camell approach.

THF OVFR5FFR In moments, the man was standing beside him, close. He smiled at Theo kindly. “Good night, Mr.

Bell.” He bent his head, and then a beautiful cloud of peace and wellbeing flooded through Theo. It wrapped him up in clouds of silk, caressing him, relaxing him utterly. He felt himself smiling, welcoming it, looking forward to the gentle slide into darkness. Words floated past his mind-“Needs some seasoning.” He ignored them.

The world erupted in agony. Carnell was pressing his burning hand into Theo’s face. He could see the light of it, dazzling. Fire seared through him, the terrible heat scorching his flesh even as a spike of white-hot pain stabbing his mind, eating into his comfort, his sanity, even tearing through his selfawareness. Only one thought remained-that he had been betrayed again.

Suddenly the pain vanished. The man-the betrayer-was rearing backwards, screaming. A tall, buxom woman stood behind the betrayer, twisting something in his lower back. He knew that he should know something about the woman, but it slipped out of his grasp. The betrayer clawed his burning hand behind him, raking down the woman’s face and neck. She shrieked and ducked away, jerking her hand around savagely by his back. He flailed at her, clearly agonized. There was a flurry of motion, and then the woman was falling back, blood pouring from the side of her head. One arm dangled uselessly.

The man closed with her, his legs moving awkwardly.

The woman pulled back, her face hopeless. The betrayer raised his hand, and it burst into sickly flames again. The woman whipped around in a swift, T ~ W Dedopulos unexpected motion, her expression transformed into defiance, and the flames guttered, dying as the hand they wreathed dropped to the floor. The man howled and danced backwards several feet, glancing back to make sure he didn’t trip. He stopped just a short distance away from The0 and glanced down at him, his face full of pain and surprise.

The sight of the betrayer in pain filled Theo with hot pleasure. The man deserved it. He deserved to be betrayed himself. Instinct took over, and he tore into the betrayer’s throat, ripping out a huge chunk of it. He buried his mouth in the wound and fed. The betrayer would pay. Blood flooded into him, a scorching wave of power. He sucked harder and harder, consumed with hatred for the last, cruelest betrayal. The blood faltered, but there was something more there. He could feel it.

The0 paused for a tiny moment, aware of Carnell’s death. He could hear Kristine in the background somewhere, calling his name. He thought about heeding her, but the last few days screamed for some sort of extra revenge. He kept sucking, a ferocious vortex of vengeful hunger.

Suddenly there was a sensation of something ripping, and a huge blast of energy burned right through him, snatching him up on a huge billowing gust. Then everything went white, and the tattered remnants of his mind burned away.

THE OVFRSEER Delphine looked at The0 unhappily. There was a large, red burn across his face in the shape of a palm print. Though it had missed his eyes, it looked absolutely agonizing. She’d helped Kristine bring him in from the car, hauling him through the lobby quickly while Nat had the night clerk distracted on some errand or other, and together they’d fought him into the bath. His eyes were open, and they would even follow one or other of them around the room as they walked past his line of vision, but that was it. He wasn’t reacting to his name at all, or even to being slapped. She picked one of his wrists up and held it in the air for a moment, then let go. He held it where she’d left it for a few seconds, then slowly lowered it back down again.

“What the fuck happened, Kris?”

“You were right, there was someone after him. I don’t know what he did to Theo, but by the time he got to the plant, he was really out of it. He wasn’t making any sense. Kept talking about geckos and cauldrons. I think he said that Liam had been killed.

Then he told me that someone was coming, someone really tough, so I hid and I thought The0 was going to distract him.”

“You thought ?”

“Yeah, well, as it turns out, Theo’s idea of distracting the other guy was to let the bastard kill him-feeding from him and trying to burn his face off, too. When the guy was totally absorbed in drinking Theo, I darted in and stabbed my sword through his pelvis.”

“Good,” said Delphine fiercely.

“We had a tussle, and I hacked the asshole’s hand off. While he was distracted, The0 ripped his throat out and drank him. I thought that would be it, but then he just toppled backwards. He’s been like that ever since. I dragged him to the car and brought him here.”

Delphine stared at her sire, dismayed. “What the fuck are we going to do?”

Kristine shook her head. “I don’t know, Del. I really don’t know.”

THE OVER3FER Tim Dedopulos has written well over seventy published works over the last ten years or so. As befits any jobbing author’s humiliating early history, most of them have been published under one of a wide range of silly pen names. Tim is convinced that writing is one of the best ways you can spend time on your own, and he intends to keep at it until someone or something forces him to stop. In addition to the Clan Brujah Tiilogyhe’s just about to start in on book three-he also wrote Hunter: Apocrypha and the Glass Walkers tribe novel, along with a range of contributions to Hunter: The Reckoning, Orpheus and the EverQuest RPG.

Tim’s resume also includes stories and reference material for several other games systemsSLA Industries, Feng Shui, Unknown Armies, Magic: The Gathering-and a whole slew of non-fiction work. The latter ranges all the way from joke books, good sex guides and magick primers through to computer reference, organized crime and fantasy. His head is a scary place to visit sometimes. Over the years, some of these titles have done rather well. Others remain perpetually embarrassing, and ensure that Tim never takes himself too seriously.

Having been bounced around the globe a bit recently by a succession of events utterly outside his control, Tim is now living in Prague (well, for the moment anyway). It’s a really vibrant, fun city and Tim is surprisingly happy to be there.

The Brujah Trilogy website is at http:/l www.midnieht.demon.co.ukbruiah1 .html. It includes various bits and pieces like notes, character bios, cut scenes and so on, all wrapped up in utterly basic HTML.

Tim would love to know what you thought of the book, and replies to all email sooner or later, so please do drop by and say hi.

Ttrr) Dedopulos Ackvow fedgrr,er>ts I’m sure this is getting repetitive, but I owe stacks of thanks to Philippe Boulle for being inhumanely patient with me, for believing in me when even I didn’t believe in myself, and for being a truly great editor. If you enjoyed this book, you owe him some thanks.

Other special thanks-for a whole slew of reasons, too many to list-go to Ben & George, John Sullivan & Gail McNeillie, Dave Allsop &Angus Abranson, Jared Earle, Max Bantleman & Glenn Berry, James Wallis, and Trev &. Angie Smith; to Alexandra, Billy, Eva, Gabi, Hana, Jess, Joe, Jorge, Joseph, Lisa, Lucie, Marc, Martin, Nick K-M, Sophie, Zdenec and everyone else who made me feel so welcome here; to Liam Wickham, for inspiration; to David Southwell, for a stick straight out of legend, along with all the other reasons; and, most especially, with love, to Liz Sharma, who makes it all worthwhile, and who has pulled my nuts out of the fire on a number of occasions. ~ f m Dedopulos