Hillman Compound
[COLOR=Red]Located in the industrial district, along the waterfront were 2 miles of nothing but warehouses. Some of the larger warehouses were fifty thousand square feet of storage and some were filled to capacity. On the south end, standing pristine and new, was Hillman compound, known formerly as Hillman, Inc. This is where the multi-millionaire stored his luxury items, docked his yachts and kept his precious things hidden away.
The warehouse itself was made of concrete and boasted security guards around its surrounding electrical fence. No one could come within 500 feet of Hillman, Inc without being thoroughly accosted by a gruff looking security guard with bad breath.
State of the art security and fifty cameras surveyed the premises. There were four check points and one main entrance. The surrounding warehouses have been bought and cleared out by Hillman, Inc and not a soul interrupted whatever went on down on the south end of the docks.[/COLOR]
Nova halted though and he was about to knock her on the head again and carry her out, his knife hand even twitched with the anticipated throw that would send her into unconsciousness but she soon spoke up and it would seem that she had a valid reason to be concerned.
He narrowed his eyes at the hostages that were leading the way and briefly wished for some ability that would allow him a better understanding of whether or not they were telling the truth. They seemed to be honest enough if his street wise guess work was any indication; they looked at Nova directly when they answered her and, though they were probably full of adrenaline anyway, they did not seem to be more agitated or excited as one might be when trying to pull off a lie.
With a deep intake of breath, he nodded and pushed on through the hallway.
"Let's get on with it then."
Nova's statement into the com link that they were on their way out and not to worry was a bit premature in his opinion but he did not think now was a good time to argue the point.
Day. Oh, shit.
Abandoning any lines of reasoning, Alec picked up the pace and rapidly approached the van. Opening the side door, he was framed for a moment - a blood-drenched spectre entering the material world. Popping in, he noted that they had guests. Sighing to himself, he slammed the door shut and tugged off his blood saturated mask and streaked goggles.
Allo mes amis. Less than two minutes to detonation. Let's hurry home.
Smiling at Ginnie in the rear view mirror, Alec ducked under a mylar blanket. He wasn't taking ANY chances with sunlight, and even if he could, sitting in the front covered in this much blood would be a bit of a bad idea. Endearments would have to wait until he got home from work. Those nagging questions would likely be answered before they got home, anyway.
“Home free.”
She reached down to pull open the grate but to her surprise one of the scientists stayed her hand.
‘Er. Better let me do that; this is where we dump the hazmat waste.’
Nova scowled, but stepped back to let the rubber glove clad scientist do his work.
“I should shoot you right now. I swear to god, I’m not some EPA loving tree hugging…whatever…but that’s fucking ridiculous right there.”
Her rant was cut off when she realized the two scientists had already jumped down into the tunnels below. She shrugged moodily, still swearing under her breath, and jumped down to begin her grumbling anew.
“Where does this out? And if you say the docks I swear to god, someone’s getting hit.”
The scientists looked shifty.
‘Er.’
Nova reached out and thunked the nearest one over the head with her hand, though admittedly not very hard.
“Dumbass.” She looked to Jan. “You believe this shit?”
He turned to Nova and said.
"I am beginning to think killing them would be a service to humanity."
Glaring at the scientists briefly, he pushed on ahead and moved down the tunnels towards the nearest exit. It did not take long before a faint stream of light was seen. Sunrise. This was going to suck.
With an internal sigh, he peered through the grating judging the distance to the nearest shelter. There was a car parked a few feet away or they could continue on and try to find the ones that linked up to the Domicile. If the choice was to go topside then it needed to be made soon.
"Up or continue on?"
Speaking into the ear piece, he did at least advise the others of their where abouts.
"Nova and I are in the sewers and away from the building."
Eyeing the two humans, he said
"We could use them as body shields, they might squirm a bit, but it would be an organic umbrella and probably the best use for them yet."
“Let’s go up; you first.”
She held up her arm at that, grinning. “Naw, I’m fucking with you, let’s try and find a way out that doesn’t involve sun dodging.”
Organic umbrellas…Nova considered that idea for a moment before filing it away for another time.
Putting his hand on the wall of the corridor down to the double doors he checked behind him. Nothing. No one. Not a sound. Shouldn't there be noises, more gunfire maybe? How far down were they? He gulped wondering if this was going to be the last thing he ever saw, this quiet dark hallway. Kyle took quiet steps towards the doors and gently pushed.
As he nudged the door open in front of him, he saw Terrance Hillman speaking quietly to the female.
'Ellis.' The male vampire said.
He nodded, her name was Ellis.
'Simon love, do you have a pen? I've seem to have lost mine.'
Ok, his name was Simon. He threw her a pen and she snuggled close to Hillman, writing on something.
Click.
For as long as he lived, he would never forget that sound.
Click.
Simon turned to face him. Kyle felt the pit of his stomach tighten. It was one of those looks again. You know, the type of look that could be summed up in one word.
Simon mouthed that one word to Kyle.
Run.
She chuckled and lit her cigarette.
'How long before that pen bomb goes off, I wonder?'
Simon gave her a look as he grabbed her arm and started to run.
'Oh, that short huh?'
Taking a final inhale of her cigarette, she threw it down and took off with her liquid vampire speed. Her blood lust had climaxed. At least, it wasn't getting any stronger. The entire floor opened up to her and she easily passed Simon. They caught up with Kyle in about 4 seconds and she grabbed him by the material of his sweater and yanked him behind her.
She was fairly certain his feet never touched the ground.
Kyle did not need to be told twice and he took off back down the corridor.
Simon watched as Ellis shoved the pen with such strength that it impaled Hillman to the wall. Guess the partnership was null and void. Simon opened the door for her and as always, followed behind her.
As they made their way back down the corridor towards the elevator, Ellis grabbed Kyle. They reached the elevator door, which was still open, and he checked his watch.
'Fifty seconds.'
Just another day in Tacharan, she figured.
Carol opened her com link again and spoke quickly.
'Ginnie and Alec, when those bombs go off, how will that effect the charges in the rest of the building? The entire place will collaspe inward, right? Will setting off your charges before that give Simon and Ellis a better chance to make it out?'
'Ginnie and Alec, when those bombs go off, how will that effect the charges in the rest of the building? The entire place will collaspe inward, right? Will setting off your charges before that give Simon and Ellis a better chance to make it out?'
"Mine won't go off unless the plastic melts and the C4 catches fire, or I press this little button. When I press this button, the floor they are on will blow then every three seconds the floor above will go. Honestly I have no ides if that makes it better or worse for them. I didn't see that room. Alec?"
She turned to face the man in the passenger's seat curled under his mylar blanket.
It looked like there was enough explosive material in that room to mix things up a bit if it goes early. It'd be like setting off one of the munitions annexes of the Domicile UNDER the lair. If we wait, it could be blowing UP instead of down or laterally. We'd have no idea how things would turn out. Best case is it buys them 10 seconds or so - worst case the weakened structure allows for a greater upward explosive force. The charges will set off that room as well, but the blast force will be directed more laterally than upward.
Nineteen seconds.
"Oh, well whatever you want to do."
Starting off down the tunnel, he turned and arched an eyebrow.
"I understand that its pretty scary. "
Personally, he didn't want to go out into the day either but he couldn't resist messing with her over it.
"So do you have any idea where we are going?"
“Stuff it, Mr. I’m-a-billion-years-old-and-take-strolls-in-the-sun-all-the-time.”
She turned around in circles for a moment, muttering under her breath. How hard could this be? The docks were that way, so unless they wanted to take a swim that wasn’t the way to go. The Domicile was definitely west, then…and north.
Or South.
Or maybe they had to go west, and then Northeast.
Still muttering, mostly things like ‘if the stars were still out this would be easier’ and ‘never eat shredded wheat…’, she evaluated their options. The tunnel they were currently in had an intersection that could be promising, and there was another one behind them as well. It looked like they could go north…ish…if they took the turn ahead of them.
“Sure I know where we are. We want to turn up there.”
She might not have the best internal navigation, but Nova felt she made up for it with a willingness to fake it until she saw a landmark or something. She was pretty sure if she just remembered where the water was, they’d be okay.
"A billion years old? I'll have you know I do -not- look a day over one hundred!"
Jan grinned at Nova's confidence and figured nothing too terrible would happen while they were down here except for wandering aimlessly in the tunnels through the daylight hours.
Listening to the voices over the coms as they prepared for the building to blow, he spoke to aloud to himself.
"O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy."
Chuckling at the quote and moving the scientists along down the indicated tunnel, he continued his speech.
"And the Lord spake, saying, First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number though shalt count and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt though not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it. Amen."
((OOC: quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail because it had to be said. ))
In all over 400 years she had walked this earth she had learned quite a bit about human and vampire behaviour, mostly from watching and reading, licking her lips she got back up ready to run for it once things got too dangerous for her own well being.
Grinning she moved a lock of nearly black hair behind her ear, something she did often.
She took another deep breath.
And another.
The smile fell from her face as she leaned back against the elevator wall. Simon was looking at her now. She blinked, looking at him.
Another deep breath.
Ellis looked down at her hands and she wiggled her fingers. A soft trail of light followed the tips. Suddenly she couldn't get enough air. A cold sweat broke over her body as she tried to steady herself inside the elevator.
Standing inside the elevator after being snapped from one end of the corridor to the other in about .5 seconds, he shook his head and bent over at the waist. He put his hands on his knees and tried to fight off the feeling of needing to puke up a lung. Kyle looked over at Ellis and her nervous laughter.
'Is she alright?'
Simon was becoming alarmed. That couldn't be a good sign, he thought. She had a drunken look to her now and she kept sighing. Taking big breaths. He straightened and looked up at the elevator level indicator.
5b
Halfway.
Turning back to look at her, he took a step forward to help when the elevator jerked to a stop, half knocking him to the ground.
'We need to let them get as close to the surface as fast as they can. Don't detonate until those god damn things are to set themselves off and hopefully we can keep it...fuck I don't know...a little organized.'
She checked the remaining floors. In the back of her mind, she heard Simon announce the time.
'Fifty seconds.'
The sub-levels were clearing out. Word that Hillman had been killed was spreading quickly on the tapped frequency. Everyone was now evacuating.
'Any and all compound personnel must be eliminated, people. No one gets out alive, except for the human with Simon and Ellis.' Carol gulped as she announced the kill order. This is not what she went to school for, but then neither was being a familiar for a notorious vampire.
Suddenly the pen bomb went off a little early.
She had barely finished when suddenly an explosion rocked the elevator, causing it to come to a grinding halt. They braced themselves but he lost his grip on Ellis and she fell completely to the floor.
'That wasn't a minute, what happened?'