Clare, Abbey and Paul go hunting for recruits
Chapter 2 — Hunting — Clare, Abbey and Paul go hunting for recruits
13:09AN both Abbey and Clare woke and laid there under the covers in each other’s arms enjoying the warmth and friendship the two partners and sisters had for each other.
The bedroom of their apartment at the club was a square room measuring seven metres by seven metres, in the corner opposite the door was two large wardrobes and beside it was a dressing table, the bed was situated so when the door opened it provided cover from people coming and also stopped the door from fully opening, on either side of the bed was a small bed side cabinet, on which was an ashtray and their PDAs both in their respective chargers. Sat on the edge of each ashtrays was a full length joint, which the two had made before they had gone to sleep at about 03:30BN the previous night.
Clare reached over to her bedside cabinet and grabbed the joint she had rolled last night and the lighter that sat beside the joint, she then stuck the joint in her mouth and lit it.
Abbey said, “Do you know something hun, I would never had thought, the two of us smoking joints, pipes and bongs.”
“Tell me about it, but with the work Paul has done over the last week I need it,” said Clare.
“I know,” said Abbey and swung her lithe legs over the edge of the bed and grabs her joint and did the same as Clare lit it and took a long draw on it and helds it for a good fifteen seconds before she exhaled the smoke, “I would love to give up the tobacco, it’s the one thing I hate the most being addicted to baccy.”
Beep, beep, beep, went Clare’s PDA, which Clare reached for and looked at who had sent her what. The PDA showed that she had just received a text from Paul.
You two up yet, when you are join me in the Garage. Paul
Abbey turned to Clare and said, “You decided what your next tattoo is going to be?”
“No, have you?” Clare responded and swung her legs out and sat on the edge of the bed as Abbey went through her normal morning routine of stretches and suppleness exercises. “Would you train me to be as supple as you.”
“I have a couple of ideas, and yes I will, so get the hell up and copy me when I run through the exercises. The only thing I will say is that you have to be committed to it, you can not be half hearted about it you must do this every morning when you get up,” Abbey said.
“What’s your ideas then hun?” asked Clare as she joined Abbey running through the exercises and movements as Abbey did them
“I’m thinking of having a some weapons tattooed so even if we ain’t got our close combat weapons we still have them, or having Paul tattoo one of the many animals he knows of.”
After the pair had finished the exercises they both got dressed and walked to the garage where Paul was stood chatting to a couple of the mechanics. The area where Paul was standing was on of the many work zones located around the edge of the garage. Most of the Garage walls in the areas designated as work zones had tool panels and normally all the tools were present unless the person working in the area was using them on one of the many vehicles being worked on. Currently in the Garage was three large light goods vehicle style vans, two of them being converted to mobile surveillance vehicles the other was undergoing a service, and two FAVs one was on a lift and had a couple of workers under the vehicle working on what looked like the drive train.
Paul waved them over and after they had walked over he asked them, “What vehicle or vehicles do you two drive?”
“Mit-bu 600FD Scramble Master,” replied Clare
“A Mit-bu 700X Road bike,” answered Abbey, “Why?” asked Abbey
“You two want an upgrade to one of the FAVs stored here, and Jaboc has agreed to have our unit based here, mind you I also think Sarah is trying to persuade him to start using the underground facilities as a second command centre for the Gangrels,” Paul said.
Both Abbey and Clare looked at each other and said, “Yeah, why not, can we upgrade the FAV to our specifications rather than the standard ones?”
“Yeah,” said one of the two mechanics.
The other mechanic asked, “Can I ask would you be up for bringing my only son back to the straight and narrow?”
“Yeah, why, what’s wrong with him?” asked Clare
“A few months ago he started to run with a group of local kids that from the reports I’ve been hearing have been terrorizing the neighbourhood near where the group leader lives,” the mechanic said.
“Right, where’s the area?” Abbey said.
“South Klerbge,” the mechanic said.
“Have you got an up to date picture of your son so we can try and find him on the street?”
“Yeah, here,” the mechanic said and took out his wallet and then proceeded to remove a picture of him and his son, “It was taken a little over five months ago.”
“That should be good enough,” said Clare and took out her PDA and took a picture of the two and compared the image to the original, “Pretty good quality,” Clare said.
“If Jaboc has agreed to allow us to use the Club as a base, then I say we need to know the area and also what gangs and youth groupings exist in the area,” said Abbey
“And the only way to do that is to hit the streets,” said Clare and Paul, which brought laughter to all present.
“Yeah lets,” said Paul, “Lets go and find you two a new vehicle.”
“Yeah lets,” Clare said and followed Paul towards the down ramp to the second level garage. On route the girls passed on of the work zones that was working on a FAV, it looked as if the mechanics were welding extensions to the wheel arches.
“Paul, who’s FAV?” Abbey asked.
“Jum and Wong’s I think, they have changed the tires and I also think upgraded the handling on it.”
Clare looked at Abbey and nodded agreement to what Clare thought Abbey was thinking about.
When the group walked down the ramp they saw for the first time the second level to the garage, Clare and Abbey just stood at the bottom of the ramp and stared in shock, the expanse measured 200metres from the ramp to the far wall and at least 250metres from wall to wall in the other direction. At regular intervals were concrete posts that held the ceiling Paul turned and led them to where the FAVs where, Abbey and Clare found one which had off road tires on, Paul lifted the entire vehicle and allowed to girls to look at the transmission system, which was four wheel drive.
“Perfect, just a couple of small modifications now, like fitting two winches to it and maybe upgrading the engine a bit. Do you know what the engine is Paul?”
“I think it’s either a 1.6 or 1.7 fuel cell system,” replied Paul.
“Mmmmmm, lets see what it can do, then make the decision as to the upgrade,” said Clare.
“Yeah,” said Abbey, “Do you want to drive or shall I?”
“You drive to start, I’m going to check the Intelligence Database for anything on the gangs and other matters in the area,” said Clare.
“Ok, hun,” responded Abbey and climbed into the drivers seat whilst Clare climbed into the passengers seat and Paul climbed into the gunners chair. Paul checked the safety box for the normal weapons load of a twin GPMG, which was present and it had ammunition in the magazine.
“Clare can you check the box to the left of the dashboard,” asked Paul.
“Ok, why Paul,” asked Clare as she opened the box and found an ISW located there.
“I was just checking the load out, I’m surprised the FAV is armed, they normally aren’t if they are for normal street usage.”
Abbey picked up the hand held microphone, press the send button and said, “Control, Abbey.”
“Control here Abbey, how can we be of assistance.”
“I recognize that voice,” Abbey said, “It that you Angel?”
“Yeah it is Abbey,” Angel said.
“Ok, me, Clare and Paul are about to head out into South Klebge to go hunting for someone, we will keep you informed as to our progress and location.”
“No need on the location, we have the position lock of your digital transmitter.”
“No, it’s a FAV transmitter, so we may be on walk about at times.”
“Ok, Abbey, thanks for the information, can I assume that all of you either have your comm. systems or PDAs?”
“Yeah, we have all got our PDAs,” said Abbey.
“Thanks, it’s logged, chat to you soon, control out.”
Abbey turned the key card and nothing happened, Paul said, “Reset the card, put you foot on the accelerator and then turn the key card and push it in, it’s the combination of foot, and push that fools most people who try and nick an Academy FAV, the other security measures include, a complete engine immobilizer and position lock emergency transmitter located in the engine bay.”
“Nice anti theft technology,” said Clare.
“Yeah I know,” said Paul.
Abbey pulled the FAV out and up the ramp to sub-basement one and then through the workshops and out the back entrance and out onto the main road that ran behind the Club where Abbey turned right and headed towards South Klebge District since the pull back of the Wacker troops had started on Saturday morning the Club had been down graded to a Ops level 3, and Jaboc thought it would not be long before he would be opening the doors again to paying punters, he had said that if Abbey, Clare and Paul wanted some part time work he knew that the head of security, Sharra would be very likely looking for people not frightened of mixing it up the punters if they got out of hand.
Abbey drove the FAV straight down the main road as it ran right through the area they were heading for. Clare used her PDA and found a couple of areas where they could park the FAV and not have problems of people trying to steal it.
The streets of South Klebge did not look very good, about 95% of the refugees that left at the start of the Wacker Incident, as it was becoming known on the streets, had not returned to their homes and businesses, and it was likely that most wouldn’t return. The ones that had gone back were mainly ghosts and a few of the more hardy people. Bags of rubbish overflowed the garbage dumpsters a lot more people sat on the steps leading up to the town houses of the inhabitants. Most street corners had a couple of working girls and guys on looking for punters.
“It looks like the city is paying some serious overtime to it garbage crews,” said Clare as Abbey drove past the fifth garbage truck.
“No, the bulk of them ain’t city garbage trucks, they’re Terraforma’s, I think the city and Wacker Inc are now paying the price of not thinking the entire plan through, because I know Terraforma wouldn’t be doing this with out some major financing from either or,” said Paul.
“It serves them bloody well right,” Abbey said, “for being stupid and allowing Wacker the freedom to do what it did.”
Abbey turned left and approached the car-park entrance they had chosen to use, when Abbey slowed and stopped in front of the kiosk the guy sat inside said, “Six decks please and you only have a couple of hours and then you have to leave and return after an hour.”
Paul lent over and said, “You sure about that rule,” and got out a hundred deck note and gave it with the five deck note and the single deck coin Abbey passed him and both Abbey and Clare look really nicely and smiled sweetly at him.
“Go on them,” he said and took the money, “How long you likely to be?”
“A few hours,” replied Abbey, “We are looking for a few people who are suppose to live in the area.”
“Ok, park the vehicle round the back of the kiosk then,” the car park attendant said.
“Thanks,” called both Abbey and Clare as Abbey slowly manoeuvred the FAV into the bay, and switched off the engine. Both Clare and Paul secured the firearms and checked their own pistols and other weapons in case of Abbey and Clare.
Paul said, “Right shall we then.”
“Yeah lets,” said Clare, and the three walked towards the pedestrian exit, which led them onto 2776th Avenue, “Which way?” asked Clare.
“Lets head for the main shopping area, most youth groups generally hang out in and around those types of areas,” suggested Paul.
“True, they do,” responded Clare, and she looked at her PDA and found a couple of large shopping malls similar in size to the Harlaquinas mall in South Peninsula district. The group turned right and headed towards the main shopping centre of South Klebge. After walking for about ten minutes they approached the main shopping centre which was built around a single road with large multinational department stores viving for customers with smaller independent chains and smaller corporations. The group walked for a further five minutes and approached a small café just before the main shopping precedent started.
Clare thought to herself, ‘I’m hungry and I need a drink,’ and looked around for a café where they could stop and have some food and a coffee. She saw a small independent café, the sign above the large window read Green House Café, on the opposite side of the road. “Guys I need some food and I definitely need a coffee,” she said.
Abbey said in response to Clare statement about coffee, “Yeah so do I.” Paul nodded his agreement to the idea of getting a drink. The group walked the short distance to the traffic lights and waited for them to change and allow them to cross the main road.
When the group was on the same side of the road as the Café, Abbey spotted a group of youths walking towards the precedent which was just behind them, she tapped Clare on the shoulder and pointed to the group, Clare realised what Abbey was thinking and took out, of her jacket pocket her PDA and checked the photo the mechanic had given them earlier. Clare nodded yes to Abbey unspoken question. As the three walked into the café, the youth group walked to the crossing and crossed to the precedent side and went and sat on a couple of the benches that was present at the end of the precedent to allow pedestrians to sit and rest.
The inside of the café was plain with neutral coloured walls, across the back of the open area, which on the right hand side of the front area had stairs leading up to a first floor seating and smoking area, was the serving area. Standing behind which was a couple of early twenties females, one was taking the order of an old couple the other was drying a cup up with a cloth. Above the serving area was the menu board, which showed what was on offer and the prices of the food and drink. The three friends looked up and choose what they wanted to eat.
As they approached the female who had been drying the cup put the cup down and walked over to them and asked, “Can I help?” and looked questionally at the three.
Abbey said, “Yes you can, a white coffee for me.”
Paul then said, “Same for me please.”
Clare then asked, “Are you still serving breakfasts?”
The woman looked around at a gentleman dressed in chef’s whites, who nodded yes at Clare’s question. She then said, “Yes we are madam.”
“Ok, a full cooked breakfast, and a cup of tea please,” Clare said.
“Certinely,” the female said and wrote the order down and handed it to the chef who took it and disappeared into the kitchen area, “The breakfast will be about five minutes.”
“No problem,” said Clare and the three turned and Paul asked, “Upstairs?”
“Yeah, at least we can have a smoke,” responded Abbey, and the three walked the short distance to the stairs and ascended them to the first floor and found a table over looking the main road and the precedent and sat down to wait the arrival of the drinks and Clare’s breakfast.
The upstairs area was very similar to the ground floor area, bland. The floor area contained about fifteen tables and alcoves each table had a menu, ash tray, and general other café items, like a bowl of sugar, salt, and pepper. The front of the café had five large windows which ran almost floor to ceiling, only the top and bottom foot was not window.
When the three were seated they all looked over at the group of youths sat in the precedent.
Paul said, “Any idea as to what the gang is, they all seem to be wearing the same colours?”
“No,” replied Abbey, “But that easy to check,” and she got out her PDA and took a picture of the group and logged on to the Net. Abbey opened the PDA’s NetViewer and logged into the Gangrel’s net site and from there she accessed Central’s Gang afflictions database, and checked the colours of the group against all the listed gangs. Abbey then said, as the waitress who took the groups order walked up the stairs from the ground floor and approached the table, “Its not listed on the database, and I know its updated every time a new gang approaches or updates their details.”
The waitress said, when she had approached, “Two white coffee’s,” and she placed the two mugs in front of Abbey and Paul, “and your breakfast and tea, madam.”
All three said, “Thank you.”
Paul then asked her, “Do you know what gang that group of youths belong too?” and pointed to the group.
“Yeah, they call themselves the Protectors. A lot of the smaller shops and businesses don’t exactly like them much, the chef is a better person to talk to about them,” the waitress said.
Paul said, “Thanks, would you inform the chef that when we have finished we will come down and have a chat with him about them, as we have been asked to look into their activities.”
“No problem, I will tell the chef that,” the waitress said, and departed heading for a dirty table about half way down the right hand wall, as you look at the front windows.
“Interesting,” said Clare as she cut a sausage and dipped the section into the cooked tomatoes and then stuck it into her mouth and eat it.
“Yeah,” said Paul and he took a sip from the mug of coffee, “Nice coffee.”
Abbey used the spoon and scooped a heaped spoonful of sugar into her coffee and stirred it, she them took a sip and said, “Yeah, nice coffee, I will have to ask where they got it from, I wouldn’t mind having a jar in the apartment.”
Clare then took the spoon and scooped half of the spoonful of sugar into hers and stirred it, she then took a sip and scooped some of the beans onto her fork and eat them.
Very soon Clare had finished her breakfast and sat enjoying the hot cup of tea. After about ten minutes the chef walked up from the ground floor and wandered over to where the group was sitting and said, “Pamela said you wanted to have a chat about the Protectors?”
Paul said in response to the chef offer, “We were about to come down and see you.”
“Not to worry, my assistant in the Kitchen turned up and I need to take a coffee break. Would you like another drink, on the house?” Dan, the chef, said.
“Yeah,” responded Paul to the offer, and Dan wandered to the stairs and called down to Sharon, “Same order again plus a Latte for me.”
“Ok,” came the response from downstairs. The chef walked back and took a seat from a nearby table and sat down.
“What do you want to know, and why do you want to know about the Protectors?” Dan asked.
“Why,” replied Clare, “Both myself and Abbey are members of the Gangrels, which operate as the police arm of Central, the controlling body of all gang activity in Suraban.”
“That explains why, now what do you want to know?”
“Anything and everything you know about them,” said Paul, “A friend has a son running with the gang and from what we have been told they are terrorizing the area.”
“Terrorizing the area, is about right, I think most of the small shops and I know most of the small independent business pay protection money to the gang, even me here pays for them not to either wreck the café or fire bomb it. A couple of weeks ago, just after the start of the problems around the Wacker Headquarters, they started to demand money and I heard through the local traders network that five business refused to pay the fees and had their offices fire bombed that night. The local police did nothing to increase security in the areas and the CCTV cameras were either vandalised or deliberately broken before the attacks.”
“Do you happen to know what level of fire power they have access to?” asked Paul.
“No, but from when the ones who come in and get the money every week, they all look like they are carrying cheep 9mm automatic knockoffs, other than that I have no idea what they have access to or the level of training they have,” Dan replied.
Abbey picked up her PDA and hit the back button a couple of times and opened the page that listed current and within the past two months Gangrel contracts, none of the listed contracts indicated any work being done with a gang called the Protectors.
Sharon came up the stairs carrying a tray with four cups on and walked over to the table. Dan asked her, “Do you know the name of the Protectors’ leader?”
“Yeah I do, a friend of my boyfriend runs with the gang, I think he calls himself ‘His Lordship’.” Sharon replied.
“I’ve heard that name before,” said Clare, and opened up the link to the clubs intelligence database and did a search for the term ‘His Lordship’, “Yes I knew I had, do you remember the Human Intelligence we gathered a couple of Saturdays ago in the area?”
“Yeah, I do, why?” Paul replied.
“His Lordship was mentioned by Anna,” replied Clare.
“Oh yeah I remember now,” said Abbey, “It was surrounding the incident with the youth the three from South Harbour were protecting.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” said Clare.
“From what I know from my boyfriend, he’s a real psycho, and he rules the gang like is personal army, it is rumoured that he’s changed some of his gangs in to psychos as well,” Sharon said.
Abbey then spotted that the youth group was on the move, “There moving,” Abbey said.
And the three friends got up and Paul gave Dan a twenty Deck note and said, “Thanks for the drinks and food, and keep the change.”
“Thank you,” said Dan, “And good luck in dealing with the Protectors.”
“They’ll need the luck not us,” replied Clare, and followed Paul and Abbey down the stairs, then towards the front door back and out on to the street only to turn left so they could follow the group.
As Clare disappeared down the stairs, “That’s a first,” said Dan.
“What is?” asked Sharon.
“Oh nothing, just me musing over things, no rest of the wicked. I just hope those two ain’t bitten off more than they can chew,” responded Dan.
* * * * * *
Outside Clare, Abbey and Paul all turned left and slowly followed the group of youths through the precedent, looking in the windows so not to draw attention to themselves. After a while three of the group broke off and headed right and went down an alleyway between two of the large department stores. Abbey quickly checked the map of the area and saw the alleyway head to a large back area where trucks and pickups took place and the three followed the youths down it to the back area behind Tecbos Mall Mart and Carreda department store, as the three approached the loading, which was a large tarmac area with a couple of cars parked and very little other clutter, they saw the three surrounding a man in his early twenties and had him up against the wall of an light industrial unit, they seemed to be chatting to this person, then one of them punched him and he bent over double and another bent down, grabbed his hair and forced his head back up and was having stern words with him.
The three friends looked at the scene and made them selves scarce as they knew it would be better to shut the entire gang down in one fell swoop rather than remove small groups, as it would likely impact on the local community, which as Gangrels they were sworn to help in what ever way they could. When the three had finished extorting money from the gentleman they left the back area and headed back for the main precedent, Paul said to Abbey and Clare, “You two follow them, I’ll find out what happened and the situation here.”
“Done,” both of them said, and returned to the main shopping precedent and continued to follow the youths, who turned right at the end of the precedent and crossed the road and went into one of the small shops slightly up the street from the end of the precedent. Abbey and Clare both walked passed on the other side of the road and continued on to a small independent computer store located on the other side of the service road, and looked in the window and looked started to quietly chat to each other about computers and other technology they could see in the window.
Abbey’s PDA vibrated in her pocket which told her she had received a text message, she took her PDA out and opened the text message, it was from Paul, the text message read that he was just down the street sat on one of the benches. The youth group started down the main road and walked past the precedent and continued down south. The group past the local cinema, Clare and Abbey approached Paul who said, “Go and get the FAV and I’ll follow the group.”
“Ok, text us your location should they stop,” responded Clare.
“Ok,” said Paul who stood and followed the youth group past the cinema and car park, Abbey and Clare headed back through the precedent towards the car park.
* * * * * *
Paul followed the group down a secondary road that ran beside a small corner shop, which two of the group walked into and from what Paul could see was buying some convenience food, after they had bought the food they came out and ran to catch up the rest of the group. Paul stayed well back from them as the walked the streets he saw a couple of the detached and head for a group of females stood on a corner, who looked at they were trying to solicit people into going with them for money. After walking around three kilometres from the junction on the main street that ran past the cinema they approached a large building in the middle of an area of bad lands, with disused houses and a considerable amount collateral damage in the way of burnt out cars and other vehicles.
From where Paul was standing outside a town house and looked as if he was viewing the outside of one a short distance away from the actual borders of the bad lands, he could see that a lot of the houses were also burnt out or had large holes in the walls, none of them had windows in and most of them had some damage to the roofs. He texted Clare and told her where he was. After waiting for about five minutes the FAV arrived driving from the west.
He climbed in and Clare, who was driving drove off in the direction of a local park car park, where they could stop and roll up a couple of joints. The park it self had a couple of football pitches a small kids play area and a couple of clumps of trees, close to the car park was a building that contained the washrooms and changing facilities for the people that used the football pitches. Just on the far side of the building was a bounce ball court and a tension racket court, on which was a couple of people playing.
When they had stopped and rolled the joints, Paul said, “It looks like the Protectors HQ is in the middle of the badlands back there.”
“From your general experience what would you say there training level was like?” asked Abbey and she then lit the joint.
“From my experience, you put a couple of C+ Gangrel units into the badlands with full weapons load and support vehicles, they wouldn’t stand a chance,” Paul replied.
“Oh, that’s a point, do you know what happened to the guy you put to sleep yesterday during the war zone?” asked Abbey, “Both of us thought he may be a useful person to recruit for the unit.”
“I think he still in holding, I think processing had processed half the prisoners from yesterday when we left, he may still be in holding,” said Paul.
Abbey picked up the microphone of the FAV’s Digital transmitter and said, “Control, Abbey.”
“Control here,” came the reply.
Clare said, “That sounds like Nibs.”
“Nibs is that you?” Abbey asked.
“It is Abbey. How can we help?” Nibs asked.
“Who’s still in holding waiting to be processed?” Abbey asked.
“About six people, why?” asked Nibs.
“Is the guy Paul put to sleep been processed yet?” Abbey asked.
“Hang on, I’ll check, can’t you guys get this information on your PDA’s,” Nibs replied.
“We could, but it’s easier to ask you guys, and it saves on the battery life, not down loading data over the satellite link,” replied Abbey.
“He’s being processed now,” said Nibs.
“What’s happening to the people after processing?” asked Abbey.
“I think they are being released,” replied Nibs.
“Can you put a request in to keep him at the Club until we get back, we want to see if he suitable for our unit,” Abbey said.
“Yeah, no problem,” responded Nibs, “Is that everything?” Nibs then asked.
“Yeah, it is, thanks Nibs,” Abbey said.
“We might as well head back to the club, we can’t do much more here,” said Paul.
“True we can’t,” said Clare who stubbed her joint out and flicked the last of it towards the nearest bin and got a perfect shot on the bin.
“Nice shot hun,” said Abbey.
“Thanks,” said Clare as she put her foot on the accelerator, turned and then pressed the key card in to switch the FAV on.
Clare then drove back to the Club via the minor road that ran past the badlands. Both Paul and Abbey looked at the badlands, trying to see if they could see anything that would give them an inclination as to how good the Protectors are on the battle field.
“Not much evidence at all of defences,” said Paul.
“True,” responded Abbey.
When they had returned to the Club via the front entrance and parked the FAV on sub-basement one. Paul showed them to holding where the last two members of the walking wounded Aces were being processed.
As Paul led Abbey and Clare through holding and prisoner processing they entered the main room where Sharra sat behind a desk with a computer on, she was sat there with Sarah sat in the chair next to her and Bret was standing beside the door that led to the interview rooms. The room measured fifteen metres by fifteen metres. Sharra and Sarah looked as if they were wearing Black light armour under trousers and a Club crew cut off t-shirt. Bret was wearing black light and was wearing a pair of urban combat trousers and was also carrying his and Sarah’s baby in the same custom built black light carrier they had used during the war zone. Bret carried a D-300 Assault rifle and what looked like a single eye smart link.
Paul walked up to Sharra and asked, “Where is the person we requested being kept?”
“In interview room three, he currently on his own and looks to be minding his own business,” replied Sharra.
“Good,” responded Paul and showed the two girls to the room next door. The room measured eight metres long by 5 metres wide, and was dominated by a large window that almost ran the length of both the interview room and the observation area. Behind them in another room was Sarah and Gareth who was questioning a prisoner.
The three looked at the guy and saw a small slim person, but even a slim body can have a considerable amount of strength and speed.
Paul asked both Abbey and Clare, “What are your first impressions today of the gentleman?”
“He looks confident he’s done nothing wrong, and his body looks as if it contains a considerable amount of strength,” replied Clare.
“True, it does,” responded Abbey.
“Right you two, stay here and watch,” said Paul, and he left the observation room and walked the short distance from the observation room door to the door that led him into the main interview room, which measured eight metres by eight metres, in the middle of the room was a table and four chairs each one bolted to the solid rock, so they couldn’t be moved or used as weapons. Paul walked in and was looking at the details for the gentleman on his PDA. Paul sat down on the other side of the table and asked the gentleman “Is your name Gareath Rozourn?”
“It is, and you are the fifth person I have told that to. Why am I here? I can’t get an answer out of anyone else,” he asked.
“I must apologise for holding you here, but you intrigued myself and a couple of friends of mine. May I ask why did you attack the two females yesterday evening?”
“Because you were trespassing on my home,” Gareath replied.
“Oops, sorry for that, we didn’t expect people to be living there, if we had known we would have requested that you move out for the duration of the war zone,” Paul said.
“Cut to the bloody chase will you, I want to know why I am still here?”
“Sorry, as I said earlier you intrigued people, your fighting style is very similar to there’s and also mine, and we were wondering if you would be interested in joining a unit the three of us are putting together?” Paul asked.
Back in the observation room Abbey checked the details on Gareath and found out that the age he had given was 17. Clare said to Abbey, “What do you think hun, do you think he would fit in with the overall scheme of the unit?”
“Quite possibly yes, but it would depend on his attitude towards how we see life and the rest of the conspiracy more than anything else.”
Back in the interview room Paul continued, “The unit is an elite unit specifically designed to combat threats not of this world.”
“You have now got my attention,” Gareath said, “Currently how many people in the unit?”
“Currently, three,” replied Paul, but the three are all classified as semi elite on the professional ghost scene,” said Paul.
“Can I take it that if I join I join for life, how ever long that is?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” responded Paul.
“My next question is who would I be taking orders from?” Gareath asked.
“Effectively yourself, but within an overall plan.”
“Ok, so let me get this straight, you are offering me a job for life, I would be effectively my own commander, but within overall objectives,” Gareath said, “What do I get out of it?”
“Quite possibly some of the best training and facilities available to man,” said Paul.
“My next question may sound a bit mercenary but what’s the pay like?” asked Gareath.
“When on active duty 1000decks a week with bonus of 500decks per combat operation.”
“Would I be joining a gang or something?”
“The two girls you attacked yesterday,” Paul started to say.
“Those two were girls,” Gareath said, “Fuck me, I know it weren’t brill lighting, but they looked like men in the gear they were wearing.”
“Ok,” Paul said, “Can I continue,” and Paul smiled.
“Sorry yes.”
“As I was saying, the two girls both belong to the Gangrels gang,” Paul said.
“How about you? You look a bit old to belong to a gang,” Gareath asked.
“I don’t exactly belong to the Gangrels, but I am a Black Karzzar master.”
“I have no idea what one of those is, but it sounds like you must know a few things about combat and the way you handled me says you know a few things. Can you give me five minutes to think about your offer.”
“Yeah no problem,” said Paul and got up and walked towards the door.
“One last question, you spoke of threats not of this world, living on the street as I do, I see and hear things, and I’ve seen some strange things over my short street life, can I take it these threats are not nice and would like to be very nasty to people like me?”
“Yes,” replied Paul.
“Thanks,” Gareath said, and just sat there and thought about what Paul had said and the offer
* * * * * *
Gareath thought, ‘I wonder if this group would help me in my search for my Jackie?’ he then got up and stretched and yawned, ‘Fuck I’m that tired.’
After some four minutes he turned towards the camera located in the corner and said, “I’m in, on one condition that if my Jackie is alive you help me to free her and punish who ever has got her for the crimes they would have probably committed against her.”
In the observation room Abbey, Clare and Paul smiled at the answer, all three of them walked to the interview room door, opened it and walked in. Gareath mouth dropped when he saw the girls who smiled at him.
Abbey said, “Welcome to the Gangrel Hunters Gareath.”
“Understand this what you see and hear from now is not for general public consumption,” said Paul, “As agreeing to join the unit means that you are now no longer just a kid who lives on the street, but a member of a conspiracy that has existed for the last 11,000 odd years.”
“Fuck me,” Gareath said.
“What that was all about was us seeing if you had intelligence to make your own mind up, most people would jump at the chance to use new technology. This unit does and it don’t, all three of us are very much in your face style fighters, who use intelligence, both head and other sources to undertake and complete missions,” said Paul.
“You hungry?” Abbey asked Gareath.
“Now that you mention food, I am,” Gareath replied.
“Right then lets go and get some food,” said Paul, and led the group out of the interview room and as they walked down the corridor towards the processing room, the group bumped into Sarah and Gareth as they walked out of the interview room leading the prisoner who glared at both the girls. The two girls took no notice as Gareth led him towards the prisoner transport bay.
Gareath asked Clare after tapping her on the shoulder, “What going to happen to him now?”
“What’s going to happen to him, is that he is going to be taken home and told, that if he is seen wearing the Aces colours by any member of the Gangrels then they will have the permission and support of both Gangrel Command and Central to remove him from the gene pool permanently,” said Sarah.
“Allow me to introduce Queen Sarah, the leader of the Gangrel Gang,” Abbey said.
Gareath dipped his head in acknowledgement of Sarah.
“Can I take it you have been recruited by the girls to join them in their unit?” Sarah asked Gareath.
”Yes ma’am, I have,” Gareath responded.
“Well then, welcome to the Gangrels, and I hope to see you at the next Gathering. You lot heading for the canteen?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, we are,” said Paul.
“Let me drop this information off in control and I will join you for food,” Sarah responded.
The group walked down the tunnel that led from the processing area to the medical facility located under one of the large building south the club proper.
The facility itself was bright, with lots of fluorescent tubes lighting the area. Wandering around the facility were a few nurses and a couple of doctors crossed the large open areas between the east and west zones.
Gareath asked Paul, “Is all this a part of it?”
“If you mean it as in the Conspiracy, yes and no, The medical facility, garage, and canteen all belong to Club Millana, Control, which we will pass in a bit and the armoury are operated by Conspiracy personal, with support from the staff of the Club, I would say that 80% of the club staff have no knowledge of what happens down here,” Paul replied.
“It’s the hardest thing to comprehend is that fact that the conspiracy runs and operates in plain sight but is also hidden from the rest of the world, by a vale of secrecy,” said Abbey, “Take me and Clare, until three weeks ago we had no idea about any of this, we were both happy members of the Dark Mists Combat Support Unit.”
“How come, how did you did you all get involved?” asked Gareath.
“How I got involved with this,” said Paul, “I’m over 300 years old. Let me explain, roughly 300 years ago me and eleven other people native to Darra Von had a dream about a coming of a supreme force that would take the war to the enemy and force them from the planet. The twelve as we became know by the conspiracy were charged with preparing for its arrival, we have no idea in what form this force will take, but we know it is coming. Roughly 200 years ago the twelve formed an advisory council to advise the conspiracy on many things, and they were also charged with advising certain members of the twelve, whom you will meet over the next couple of weeks, in how to run and operate five independent companies, that were set up to support and provide a cover to the operations that were happening. I, personally, am not only a Black Karzzar Master, but I have also been trained and given magickal, and yes magick you read in adventure novels exists in many different forms, tattoos that allow me to create weapons, creatures, and to attack my enemies in many different ways. Until a few weeks ago, I was also the chairman and chief exec of Digital Systems. I passed the company to my successor, who also knows of the conspiracy but is not directly involved in the day to day operations.”
“How both me and Abbey got involved,” said Clare, “Is that as members of the Gangrels we were seconded by another Gangrel unit to help in the training and organising of a new street gang in the Eban Hill district of the city, except this gang was a front for a slave gathering ring, which almost destroyed to the last man the unit the two of us were supporting and captured the both of us. The female leader made us her personal slaves and was going to transform us both in to Tattoo Men. During our stay at the facility they used to process the slaves we were both given a different magical tattoo, mine allows me to shoot lighten bolts from my fingertips and Abbey’s to create an illusion of being poisoned, and it works. We are now recruiting a unit to fight along side us, and if the members want, to also gain the same powers and abilities to use against the forces that would enslave the planet just because they can.”
“Can I guess then by the fact you are here, you two escaped from the slavers?” Gareath asked as they walked pass an open door that led into the control room.
Paul stopped and said, “Now hearing what you’ve gotten into you still interested?”
“Yeah, it’s better than living on the streets,” Gareath responded, who looked into the large room beyond the door, “So what’s in there?”
“In there, that’s Control,” said Abbey, “All Conspiracy personal operating in Suraban and surrounding areas have direct digital voice and data communications to the people who work in there. We also have links to the main Intelligence database, and in answer to your question about escaping, no friends in the conspiracy and Gangrels rescued us from them, and lets just say if either of us gets the chance we will show the two bastards that gave us the tattoos what it means to annoy Gangrels.”
Sarah caught the group up and they continued on towards the canteen. Walking up from a lower level via one of the ramps that linked this level to the lower ones, was Sandra and Tina who saw the group and waited for them, Sandra said as the approached, “You lot heading for the canteen?”
“Yeah,” replied Abbey. Both Sandra and Tina turned and walked with the group towards the canteen.
As the group passed one of the many blast doors, Gareath looked at it and gulped, he also said, “Damn, those are thick,”
“Yeah they are almost five metres thick made from solid Tiranna,” said Sarah in response to Gareath statement.
Sandra heard Gareath’s statement and turned and said, “I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”
“No you haven’t,” responded Clare, “Allow me to introduce Gareath Rozourn a member of the Gangrel Hunters. Gareath this is Sandra and Tina of the Vixens and the reason why both me and Abbey are not still slaves.”
“A welcome is in order then, I think,” said Tina.
“Well then I have to say thank you to the two of you,” Gareath said, and the group turned into one of the fire alleys that protected the secure areas from outside threats, just after the fire alley the group entered the Canteen which was about a quarter full, as most of the ghosts who had been resident at the club had now returned to their homes. The group wandered over to the serving area and each one bar Clare, got them selves each a good sized meal. When the group was at the end of the run, Gareath said, “Where do we pay?”
Gareath question got a chuckle from Sarah and Paul, and Sarah said, “No one who works for the conspiracy or the Club pays for the canteen food, Jaboc, the owner, makes enough from the Club and other business interests to make sure that the staff don’t pay for food and accommodation if you live on the Club grounds.”
“Ok,” Gareath said, “I’ll say this, this is one hell of a learning curve.”
“You think this is a learn curve, when you start learning how to fight, now that’s a learning curve,” said Abbey, “Especially when you watch people like Nibs, Jum, and the others fight.”
Sarah saw Jane and Nicole sat at one table and saw Richard was heading for the same table and turned to the friends and said, “I shall chat to you all later. I think Nibs is having a combat session later this afternoon evening.”
“Thanks,” said Paul, “We’ll be there.”
“Good,” Sarah said and turned and headed for where Jane and Nicole were sat.
The group headed for one of the empty tables and sat down. When the group had settled, Paul who was sitting on the same side as Gareath, they both had the backs to where Jane, Nicole, and Richards were sat, said, “Gareath, see that group over there,” and he pointed with his finger at Jane and the group sat with her.
“Yes, who are they? I think I recognize them,” Gareath said as he shoved a portion of sausage and mash into his mouth.
“How much do you know of the corporate structures in the AAA corporations?”
“Depends on which ones, I know who the chair of Echo Tech Inc is and ATEC, and of course your self.”
“Yeah, the female on the far side of the table is Nicole or Nicolai,” Paul said.
“What the chair of Echo Tech Inc,” Gareath said and almost spat out the mouthful before he could swallow it.
“Yeah, the female sat opposite is Jane C, the chair of Corporate Enterprises, and sat beside Nicole is Richard C,” said Paul.
“I know who Richard C is,” said Gareath.
“Good, but all of them including Sarah are members of the twelve,” said Tina.
Gareath’s face was one of total shock, “What the chairs of. Help.”
Walking from the direction of another corridor just up the wall from the one the group entered from was a tall slim gentleman with very short hair. He slapped Paul on the back and said in a happy voice, “Hi Paul.”
Paul looked around and said, “Oh. Hi Kev, grab a seat.”
“I will do,” Kev said, “when I have gotten some food and said hi to the rest of the guys,” Kev said and headed for the food run.
“That was Kev Marks, chairman of ATEC and 21C,” said Paul, “and I am surprised to see him here, he’s not one for getting his hands dirty in the trenches so to speak.”
Just after Kev had left for the food run, Nibs and Daraus walked in from the direction of control and walked over to where everyone was sitting and gave Sandra a kiss on the head hello, and said, “Hello hun, guys,” and smiled at everyone. After looking at everyone said, “Hello new person.”
“Hello,” said Gareath.
Clare then said, “Nibs, allow me to introduce the Gangrel Hunters newest recruit, Gareath Rozourn. Gareath meet Nibola Nibs Calton, the leader of the Vixens, and one of the major reason’s behind us being here now.”
“No I’m not, thank Tina and Abs more than me, they are the ones who worked out you were being held in the area of the hospital, and lets just say I learnt something today about Metzza and Abilgail’s bosses.”
“Oh what’s that hun?” Sandra asked.
“The fact they hate Naruni, with a passion,” Nibs replied.
“Good point Nibs,” said Paul.
“Anyway, who’s going to join me, Wong and Jum for a training session later this afternoon early evening?” Nibs asked as Sandra moved to allow Nibs to sit down, “Thanks but no thanks hun, Brain has me analyzing some of the combat footage from the last few weeks, he thinks it will be useful for me to learn how to speed read a situation in the field and modify the tactics to suit the direct situation.”
“Ok hun, see you later then,” Sandra said, and put her hand up and around Nibs’ neck and pulled her down and gave her a kiss on the mouth which Nibs returned, then after a couple of seconds broke and departed heading for the armoury.
Gareath sat there thinking to him self, ‘Why do I get the impression Nibs is more than she seems.’
Abbey who was sitting opposite Gareath, saw that Gareath looked perplexed at something, “What’s up?”
“Oh, nothing, just trying to make sense of everything I have seen here so-far today,” Gareath said in response to Abbey’s question, and everyone then finished eating lunch, “If I may ask for the groups assistance. I wasn’t living alone, I am looking after a couple of kids whose family was killed during what the corporation said was a ghost attack, from what the young ones have said to me, the corporation their dad worked for came to the family home and started shooting. They weren’t actually at home when you lot launched your little war yesterday, but I know if they came back during they will be very scared, they ain’t got the street smarts I and I assume you lot have.”
“I don’t see why not,” said Paul.
“True,” said Clare, “and it would let me collect my bike from Mystique’s.”
“That’s true,” said Abbey.
“But where do we take them,”
“Bring them here,” said Paul, “I think I can persuade Jaboc and I know if I can’t Sarah, and maybe Richard I know can.”
“You can what?” said Jaboc as he approached the table, “Yeah, when were you going to tell me about Gareath being here?”
“When I saw you Jaboc,” replied Paul.
“I heard everything you guy said, and don’t worry, I love young people as much as I love Ren and Hell Bright, it’s one of the main reasons I do what I do, for the conspiracy, to protect and the make sure that the future generations don’t grow up in slavery,” responded Jaboc.
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