How to trap a Wolf:101(invitation only)
Alfarinn parked the silver f430 in the nearby parking deck and got out of the car, waiting for Thaddeus to exit in order to lock and secure it. He left the sword and high powered taser in the small space behind the seats. There was no where to conceal anything other than a knife in this clothing and the public nature of the place made it unlikely that anything would happen here. He figured they would at least visit the car once more before chasing down the Wolf and that would give them a chance to retrieve weapons.
Of course the Wolf might lead them from public place to public place until dawn which would make it impossible to confront him tonight but Alfarinn hoped that wouldn't happen. If he were being honest with himself he'd like this over with, every day he worried that this man might find them first or might somehow manage to confront Thaddeus alone, though Alfarinn grinned inwardly at being true to the earlier image he gave his companion of following Thaddeus around like a lost puppy every where he went.
He smiled quietly at Thaddeus and took his hand as they headed towards the entrance to the House of Pain.
He looked down to check and ensure the weapon he carried wasn't noticeable before they arrived at the sewer entrance, reflecting on meaning of going into a situation armed. It was, in his mind, an admission of the risks and did little to ease his mind.
Thaddeus felt somewhat guilty at the realization that he was quite glad he was not going into this alone.
He jumped down into the sewers, landing neatly on his feet, and could not help but think of that first tentative descent. He was barely fazed by the sewers as his feet hit the ground, though feeling of grit on the ground as he walked still made him cringe inwardly. Shaking the feeling off, he took Alfarinn's hand and headed to the club entrance.
The bouncer seemed content to give Alfarinn the usual greeting, ignoring Thaddeus completely. He could not have minded less; apparently said bouncer had picked up on the fact that he was best left alone.
He took a deep breath, realizing this may be his last chance to say something to Alfarinn, some last minute request that amounted to "stay alive."Â? The start of a dozen sentences flickered through his mind, and he could finish none of them. Instead, he remained silent and hoped he would not later regret that choice.
Squeezing Alfarinn's hand rather more tightly than strictly necessary, he walked passed the bouncer and into the club.
He did not wait for her as they emerged from the sewer entrance. Not even to help her up out of the dark sewer canal. He walked straight ahead and signaled for the elevator. She brushed up against him as he stared at the steel elevator doors. He gave her a side glance. She wrapped her arm around his and pulled him close. He could smell the witch's perfume.
Finally, a million years later, the elevator door opened.
Patience, patience, patience.
His feet seemed to tap out that word in a rhythm as he walked down the dark tunnels and approached the entrance of the House of Pain.
Before he went into the lighted hallway that led to the doors, though, he stopped, nostrils flaring, and silently called out to his wolf.
[Here.]
That was all that needed to be said; he trusted his pet would be waiting when he exited the club.
With that, he stepped through the doors.
The Bouncer shuddered.
As they reached the edge of the dance floor, near the private booths, she stopped, turning to look at Simon.
'So we're here.' Simon nodded, not at her but around the club like he was searching. Ellis had decided against formal wear for her trip to the House of Pain tonight. She was wearing her black buckled boots and matching body suit with steel studs and rings along the arms, the belt and the sides of her legs. Her hair was back in a low ponytail and tied with a bit of black leather. Simon was acting odd, which wasn't unusual as of late, but he asked her to accompany him to a meeting with the Wolf. She had hoped it would be about Hillman, hence the hunting outfit.
It would be a busy night if the Wolf was giving them what she wanted. She made mental note to have Carol clean her boots when she was done. They were going to get quite dirty.
Approaching the booth in as casual a manner as he could manage under the circumstances, he saw that Simon had already arrived, though before he could think much beyond that the presence of another person in the seat distracted him.
[He's with someone.]
And Thaddeus had a fairly good guess at just who that someone was. While he had never met the Tacharan leader face to face, her notoriety preceded her. He wondered just what her presence meant and hoped with sincerity that Simon was not in danger from her.
This was going differently than expected already, and he wondered if in this case going differently meant going ten shades of wrong, but he did not break his stride and did not turn his eyes to the Tacharan booths again, not wanting to risk a look.
[Keep walking?]
Not the most brilliant arrangement in the world, but it was rather short notice and they would just have to improvise, much as the thought of going astray so early in the plan galled him. Thaddeus wondered what this might bode for the future of their scheme, though he knew all along that they were not exactly lining up dominoes to watch them fall.
In any case, a doorway not far from the booths led to rooms in the back, as Alfarinn had mentioned last time they were there. They could only hope that Simon had remembered to wear the wire given him in the limo.
[Yes, let's move on]
Spotting the private rooms, he grinned at Thaddeus and wrapped his arm around his companion's waist.
[Remember when you said you were curious about the back rooms? Now might be a good time to indulge that interest.]
Quite frankly he'd feel safer with Thaddeus out of sight of the Wolf. The worst possible thing he could imagine would be Ellis spotting him and asking them to come over and having the Wolf arrive to see his quarry right there in front of him.
[I don't think we should be out where we could be seen, do you?]
He took his lover's arm and wrapped around his own waist, placing Thaddeus's hand on his ass and giving it a little pat as they drew closer to the doors.
"I really like these pants. Don't you?" He grinned at his companion before looking up at the person watching over the VIP rooms.
[It seems we are of the same mind.]
Well, close enough anyway, though the act wasn't something he anticipated. At least it wasn't particularly difficult; in fact, it could hardly be called acting at all though this wasn't something Thaddeus would typically do in public.
He returned the grin and trailed his gloved fingers up Alfarinn's thigh, leaving darker trails in the suede, up to the waistband, which he gave a playful tug. He spoke loudly enough to be heard by the bouncer, but quietly enough that he was not obviously trying to be heard by anyone other than his companion.
"I do. But I think I like them better -off-."Â?
He let his cheek brush against the fabric of Alfarinn's sleeve before turning his attention to the bouncer and faking a look of chagrin for the stranger's benefit, as though he had only just now noticed the bouncer's presence.
Even so, he felt it best to end his scrutiny and grab a key for a private room with reasonable speed, as the little one he didn't know seemed content to feel his taller companion up just anywhere. Not that that was a problem in this club, but they seemed to be in need of a place to follow through.
He tossed the key to Mr. Bjorn with an impassive expression and told them the room number in a flat tone of voice that indicated he could care less what they got up to.
"Two B."Â?
He wondered if he was walking into a trap or being played but there was no help for it and anyway it wouldn't be the first time. The Wolf was still walking about. Besides, he had no reason to be overly suspicious; it wasn't just the Praetor who was interested in the information he obtained and he had always been on good terms with the leader of Tacharan. He wondered if she had something to do with the ring he sought, and chuckled at what a bitter twist that would be. His ring seemed to have a way of falling into interesting hands.
He stopped in front of the booth and shrugged off one shoulder of his cloak to reach the bag underneath, giving his company a nearly imperceptible nod.
"Treoraàan TÃÂ. A Wolf is delighted by such fine company."Â? His mouth curved into an ironic smile as he turned to the Tacharan XO. "Praetor."Â?
Regarding the Tacharans for a moment with a fixed stare, he removed the bag completely from his shoulder and shrugged the cloak back into place before sliding into the seat opposite the couple.
"The Treoraàan Tàis ready to hunt."� He chuckled low. "Let us begin."�
He opened the bag and pulled out the clawed glove, setting it on the table with a thump in a gesture that could be taken as a gesture of good will or as a threat; The Wolf did not much care which. Not interested in playing 'you first', 'no, you first,' he pulled out an envelope containing the photographs of the compound and the disk with more of the same and slid it across the table. He would let the Tacharans give the visuals a look before divulging more; just enough to see that he had come through, not enough to make them leave without giving him what he wanted.
"Now."Â? He let that word sit for a moment, relishing its immediacy. Not later, not sometime in the future, no more patience; he would have what was his. "A Praetor has what A Wolf seeks?"Â?
[How do you know I didn't just want you to feel me up?]
He smirked and looked up at the bouncer, taking the key and heading back to the room that was given to them.
It was decorated with the predictable colours of black and red. There was a bed and a few chairs, a side table with the usual things a couple might need and little else. Alfarinn walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Pulling his companion close, He laid his head on Thaddeus's chest and wrapped his arms around him. They were out of the public eye at least. He wondered if the Wolf had arrived yet and the thought of the man being this close made him more nervous than before. He hoped they had managed to get back here before the killer had a chance to notice Thaddeus and it seemed a reasonable assumption to make but assuming things was not a comfortable practice and Alfarinn wasn't going to be happy until he was sure there would be no one else coming after his beloved.
[Hmm, you know this shirt does feel nice.]
Raising his head to rest his chin against Thaddeus, he smiled up at his companion.
[I am such a terrible influence on you. Just think when you first came here you were certain you were going to go to jail for what you were wearing... now you are picking out club clothes and flirting shamelessly in public. I guess the scary bed time stories that the Anantya likely to tell about Evenhet and their wicked ways are true after all.]
Alfarinn grinned at Thaddeus once more and then put his head back down to rub his cheek across the comfortable fabric of his lover's shirt.
[Let's see if Simon remembered to wear the wire, shall we?]
"Now. A Praetor has what A Wolf seeks?"Â?
Simon brought his hand to his chest and scratched the bit of metal that was taped to his skin. He hoped Alfarinn and Thaddeus could hear them clearly.
She flipped through the photos and almost let out a gleeful laugh when she saw the beast. The tail end of the Wolf's comment caught her attention. Looking up at Simon she watched him scratch his chest, then dip into his breast pocket. He pulled out something small and strangley familiar.
Curious, Ellis thought. It was the same ring that Mai had found in the sewers, at least, it looked almost exactly like it. The ring that when mentioned to Sorin, caused him to catch his breath. What was so important about a little trinket that was so easily cast away in the city's innards. She let no hint of surprise cross her face as she flicked her eyes towards the wolf, waiting to see his response.
'Indeed. I have what A Wolf seeks.'
Simon prayed that Alfarinn and Thaddeus were listening in. He saw them make their way to the private rooms and thankfully, well hopefully, Ellis had not seen them. He knew, the second the ring was in the Wolf's hands, the chase would be on.
Lykaios after Thaddeus and Ellis after Hillman. It was going to be a busy night.
[Little do they know what we're really doing back here. A different sort of disguise, I suppose, though flirting is admittedly more fun than reservation.]
Entering the room, Thaddeus took in the single entrance and looked up immediately, then around the room as the door shut behind him. The music immediately stopped its relentless pounding; apparently the room was soundproofed, and it occurred to Thaddeus that it likely made sense to do so. For more reasons than one.
Shaking off that line of thought with a blush, he moved to sit next to Alfarinn on the bed, slipping his arm around his companion's waist and running one hand down the long braid.
[I don't think it's so terrible at all.]
Nodding his head in wordless acknowledgment, he unsnapped the cargo pocket at his thigh and brought out the two ear pieces, handing one to Alfarinn before fitting the other on his right ear. He adjusted the volume carefully and for a moment heard nothing but the music of the club.
When voices began coming through the wire, though, Thaddeus's hand stilled, resting flat on Alfarinn's back. It was almost surreal to hear that voice exchanging pleasantries, and the odd greetings he gave Simon and Ellis only served to increase the eeriness of the whole situation in Thaddeus's mind.
[And so it begins, I suppose.]
He pulled Alfarinn closer and continued to listen as The Wolf and the Tacharans moved on, doing his best to stay calm and surprisingly not finding it difficult. It was time, and they were ready.
Shaking his head roughly in annoyance at his own thoughts made quite obvious, he pulled a second envelope out of the bag along with a leather CD case with a pocket in the front. Setting one on top of the other, he opened the pocket of the case and pulled out the pen he had found in the lab, setting that aside for the moment.
The second envelope contained the map, and it was a good one; The Wolf had marked it meticulously and had added a velum overlay outlining the main sewer tunnels in case the Tacharans wished to enter the compound from below. The CD case included the obvious disks that held the data from the strange machine, and the cryptographic key remained in the pocket.
Splaying his fingers over the top of the little stack he had made, he met The Praetor's eyes and pushed the items a few inches forward, reaching out to take the ring with his other hand.
"It seems we two have kept to our word."Â?
He would have been amused at the idea of two vampires being honorable if not for the fact that he was so close to what was his that he could taste it. At the moment he just wanted to take the ring and leave, but The Praetor had proved himself faithful and for some reason The Wolf felt compelled to finish what he had started with the Tacharan.
'I...'
Simon had decided to fuck with Wolf a little and ask him a barrage of questions concerning the ring, but suddenly it was plucked out of his hands by a slender hand with blood red nails.
Ellis.
She was looking at the ring. He looked at her, his eyes slightly larger from her audacity but he should've known she'd do something like this. Simon sat back and waited for Ellis to have her fun.
'I gotta ask,' she started, not looking at either men, 'what's a crazy motherfucker like yourself wanting a little girly ring for, Lykaios?' She looked at the straggly haired man, her evil grin slowly forming. Ellis shrugged, 'Just seems a little odd that you'd want something so insignificant.'
Ellis batted her eyelashes.
He forced a grunting laugh as he pulled back the envelope and case and appeared to consider the question for a moment before responding.
"It belongs to a Wolf. A Wolf would keep what is his."Â? Still somewhat annoyed and wondering just what game was being played here, he continued. "As Tacharan wishes to keep what is theirs."Â? He looked between the two Tacharans, frowning, before picking up the pen.
"A Wolf has worthless trinkets as well. Perhaps it is best to place such inconsequentials where they belong."Â?
He held Thaddeus more tightly upon hearing the unfamiliar voice that could be none other than the Wolf start speaking to Simon and Ellis. As if it were somehow possible for the man to hear them through the wire as well and know that the other prey he sought was here also.
[It would seem Simon did wear his wire after all.]
Listening to the conversation, He could only imagine Ellis took the ring before the Wolf managed to get a hold of it. What was that woman playing at? Did she not want her information? The Wolf's answer was deceptively calm but He doubted the killer would put up with the games for long. Leave it to Ellis to do something unexpected and muck up the works. Of course it wouldn't hurt his feelings if the Tacharan leader caused the man to become angry and attack. Alfarinn figured Simon and Ellis were more than a match for the Wolf, both fighters and both quite experienced.
Worried that this change in events, along with finally hearing the voice of the man who wanted him dead, would start to wear down his companion's calm, Alfarinn sent.
[Still alright,Beloved?]
Ellis dangled the ring on her index finger and shook it at the Wolf. 'Now now, no need to get thy panties in a proverbial bunch.' She shrugged again. 'It's just curious, dont you think, Simon?'
Simon gave her another side glance and shrugged slightly.
Ellis took the ring and put it on her left hand's ring finger. 'Aw, nice fit.' She slowly looked up at the Wolf and then let the ring slip off her finger. 'I appreciate you looking into our thieving problem, Lykaios.' She tossed the ring with a flick of her hand and sent the ring across the table. 'If the ring is fitting payment for you, well then I'm ok with that.'
She sat back and placed her hands in her lap.