The Green House Part 2

06/10/21

The following evening the coterie gathered in the living room.

“It’s only a few minutes walk or so to the manor. I say we go by foot.” Wilee suggested.

“Sure. Why not? Best to not have our vehicles become conspicuous.” Alec agreed.

They avoided the main drive and its gatekeeper, instead returning to the side path off the crossroad.

“Ysa can you do a security system check?”

“Sure Alec.” A few minutes later she announced. “They’ve got several zones set up with cameras, motion and alarms. Not atypical for this type of residence.”

“Ysabelle can you segregate and shut down this zone?” Wilee asked.

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Ysa.” Alec whispered.

The Mexican ghoul nodded and went to work on her laptop. “Done Alec.”

“Gracias mija.”

“De nada guapo.”

“Up and over?”

Scrim and Marshall were over before he finished his sentence. Wilee too made quick work of the obstacle. Alec turned back to look at Ysa who had an amused look on her face. 

“You want Elena to carry you over?” She mocked him.

“No. I got this.”

Alec felt his blood rouse, granting him supernatural strength. He successfully hopped up the wall, then over.

“Nicely done.” Ysa snarked at him.

They moved down the path a few yards until Wilee abruptly came to a halt. He held his arms out stopping the group. 

“Wait. I feel like something bad is about to… Get down!” He hissed, diving to the ground. Marshall soared up into the air and off to the side as Alec stood bewildered. Suddenly a tree branch shot at him like a spear. Scrim dove at the slow moving Ventrue but was too fast for his own feet and flew past him unable to drag him out of the way. The wood struck true, digging deep just beneath his shoulder. Scrim snapped the limb allowing Alec to pull the shard from his body. 

“Shit.” Alec grimaced.

“What’s the matter?” Elena asked over the comm.

“Ruined another suit.”

“I didn’t hear a gunshot. On my way.” Elena said with some concern in her voice.

“No. The trees are alive. Stay behind the wall.”

“The what?”

“Chush’ Tremer. Prosto ostavaysya na meste.” (Tremere bullshit. Just stay where you are.)

“Otlichno” (Fine.)

The coterie raced for the house only to be accosted by more tree limbs and once near the house constricting thorny vines.

“I hate these fucking plants.” Scrim cursed. The Brujah drew a sword and began hacking away at the assaultive greenery.

Wilee slipped past the hostile landscaping toward a nearby window. He was able to disarm the alarm and pick the lock. He lifted the window open then threw himself inside narrowly avoiding more grabbing vines.

“Quick! Inside” He yelled.

Alec didn’t need much coaxing and clumsily tumbled through the open portal and over a couch. The rest of the coterie followed suit. Once in the room the group saw that there were plants in each of the four corners of the room. Alec, suffering from his clan compulsion to be obeyed yelled at Scrim to rip out the plants. The Brujah ignored him, instead choosing to slice and dice them down with his sword. 

“Fine. Chop them all down then!”

“I was going to anyway.” Scrim shot back sarcastically but the fact that he did as Alec said released the Ventrue from his bane.

A search of the room and its bookcase revealed only a wall of vampire romance novels. Wilee approached a set of double doors only to feel the same sense of warning he had in the courtyard. As soon as the door was opened branches shot into the room attempting to impale its occupants. Scrim and Marshall, who had sought cover behind the overturned couch, were able to avoid harm. Incensed by another plant attack Scrim charged into the adjacent room sword in hand.

“Wait! Don’t just run in there!” Alec yelled. Scrim once again ignored his companion. Though this time out of a clan compulsion of his own to be defiant of any authority.

“Fucking Brujah.” Alec cursed.

Scrim swung his sword wide, digging deep into the tree but short of cutting down. Marshall leapt in to help only to be entangled by the animated branches as the planter fell over. While the Lasombra fought to break free Scrim hacked at the tree again. It bled a sickly green ooze but continued to strangle their comrade. Alec, fed up with trees attacking them rushed over and shot into the metal pot of the toppled tree. His armor piercing rounds cut through the soft metal like tissue paper and finally the tree wilted and died.

They move through another set of double doors into the next room. Inside was an expensive billiards table centered on an animal skin rug. 

“That’s no bear skin.” Wilee commented.

“Wolf skin?” Marshall suggested.

“Werewolf skin probably.” Alec joked. 

Wilee, now under his own clan compulsion to learn the secrets of an item, frantically examined it. He lifted the edges, felt the texture and examined the fur.

“Werewolf you say? I must know!”

“I was just…” Alec began when Scrim interrupted.

“That in your way?” The Brujah shoved the expensive mahogany billiards table over on its side and off the rug, freeing it for Wilee to get a better look.

“Do you know what that pool table was worth?” Alec asked.

Scrim shrugged his shoulders. “Too big to steal. Who cares.”

“Ah. You’ll come with me.” Wilee said, talking to the rug. He carefully rolled it up and dutifully placed it by the front door. 

“I guess you plan to put that in my car huh?”

Wilee smiled and moved onto the next set of doors.

After they had searched several rooms they found themselves standing before yet another set of double doors. A voice called out to them from the east facing room.

“Enter. Tell me who you are and why you’re trespassing in my home.” A woman said curtly.

Alec and Wilee stepped in followed by Scrim and Marshal who stood in the doorway. They were greeted by a woman with sandy brown hair sitting behind a desk.

“We were sent by the Archon to recover property stolen from the Tremere.”

“You’re far from home, base stone. The Ivory Tower holds no sway here. And I couldn’t care less about your Archon. In case you’ve been ill informed, this is Anarch territory. So who are you?”

“We’re sorry to have brought trouble to your home Miss?” Alec prodded.

“My name is Samantha.”

“We’re looking for a wayward Tremere named Ivy. She has some books taken from the NY Chantry. We were tasked to bring them and her back. We tracked her here.” Alec explained diplomatically.

“Well she’s gone and her books with her. The only volume remaining is this one. It was the price of her ferry passage.” She held up a book titled The Trials of Saulot.

“Ferry? To where?” Alec asked.

“Who knows. Once out into the sound I no longer care.” She caressed the binding of the tome. “Why do you allow yourselves to be subjugated by the Camarilla. Wouldn’t you be far better off as free kindred?”

“Quite possibly.” Alec answered but then those we care about would pay the price for our defection.”

“Kindred or mortal?”

“Both.”

“I see. You still cling to your humanity. I find that charming.”

Alec turned his head to the sound of arriving footsteps. He drew his pistol, looking out the center stairway to find 3 women, all armed with guns of their own.

“I’d put it down if I were you.” One of them threatened.

“She’s right, you know. You’ll never make it out of Suffolk let alone through Nassau.” Samantha explained.

“Well I don’t know about all that.” Alec answered, activating his awe, drawing the attention of their would be host. He called upon the power of his blood and in an instant she was entranced by him, giddy as a fangirl.” 

“Might I see that book?” Alec asked.

“Of course.” She smiled happily, handing it to him.

“Sam! What the hell are you doing?” One of the women from the stairway yelled.

Scrim and Marshall stepped out into the large foyer. Once outside Wilee closed the door behind them.

“You know what I’d really like, Sam? Would you mind showing me your book collection?”

“Really?!” Sure!” She excitedly drew him over to a bookcase filled with vampire fiction. It contained every story from True Blood to Twilight and every novel in genre. Wilee took to searching a second bookcase but aside from one book referring to old legends and lore was quite unhappy with what he found.

“Hey, don’t you have any actual magical librams?” Wilee asked, disappointed with the offerings in the room. Samantha didn’t even seem to notice he was there.

“Sam. These are some really interesting books but I’d be really excited to see some actual magical tomes. You know the ones with blood sorcery and rituals in them.” Alec pressed.

“Oh. Of course. I keep those in the basement. Follow me.”

She led them through an attached room and into another that had a blood stained Murphy bed set against the wall. She lifted the furnishing then cast an incantation revealing a hidden trap door that revealed a stairway down to a lower level.

Meanwhile in the foyer Scrim had tackled the three women on the stairs, driving them into the ground. He straddled the nearest and pummeled her face until there was little left of it but hair and blood paste. Marshall had grabbed a second and choked her until a sickly snapping sound echoed into the room. The third was barely able to get a single shot off before she met the same fate as the first. Then in concert the two vampires began to drink from their victims.

“So what would be your most prized book? Alec asked. They were standing in a chamber that boasted several book cases and crates as well as a desk.

Sam smiled. “Wait until you see this!” She smiled brightly. The Anarch Tremere reached beneath the desk, accessing a secret drawer. She excitedly produced a very old book that may have been bound and covered in human skin. “Angels and Demons.” She said, eyes wide with happiness that Alec was so interested in her work.

“May I?” Alec asked.

“Please.” She beamed, handing him the book.

“Wow. Now this is incredible!” Alec feigned as he flipped page after page of what for him,  amounted to unrecognizable glyphs and gibberish.

He glanced over to Wilee who nodded his head. Discreetly passing the tome to his companion, Alec asked. So what’s in those crates?”

“Oh just a few artifacts and books I haven’t really had time to sort them out.”

“We should look through them. It could be fun.” He said drawing her attention away from a bookcase Wilee hungrily eyed.

Samantha popped the lid and removed a stone tablet. Alec recognized it from the research Fiorenza had him conducting about the ‘First City’.

“It’s beautiful.” He complimented running his fingers over the indecipherable script.

Samantha seemed overjoyed that Alec found her treasures so fascinating.

Once again he drew her attention away. “So tell me about the books in that case.”

As soon as her gaze was fixated on the books Alec slipped the tablet carefully into his leather backpack alongside some other miscellaneous acquisitions.

“Hey are you guys ok?” Scrim asked as he looted the corpses.

“Yeah. Could ya maybe clean up any mess before we get back up?”

“I ain’t scrubbing no blood. I’ll heft the bodies but that’s the best I can do for ya chief.” Scrim grumbled.

“That’ll be fine. Thanks.”

“It’s getting late Sam. Perhaps we should call it a night. You look tired. I think you should get some sleep.” Alec suggested.

“Yeah, good idea. You and your friends are welcome to stay. There’s plenty of room upstairs.” Sam offered.

“Thanks. That’s very hospitable of you. I’ll tell them.”

Sam grabbed a blanket that had been left on a crate, curled up on the floor and closed her eyes. Alec and Wylee hurriedly left the room returning to the main floor where their coterie waited in a room who’s floor was wet and stained with puddles of blood.

“We need to leave.” Alec said.

“Agreed. I’ll grab my rug.” Wilee said, hefting the rolled up wolf fur onto his shoulder.

They hastily fled the manor house the way they entered avoiding the main gate and active cameras.

“What the hell is that?” Ysa asked Wilee.

“A rug. It’s so interesting. I must learn its secrets.” He said still feeling his clan compulsion.

Ysa chuckled. She looked at Alec who shrugged his shoulders.

They walked briskly back to the hopeful safety of the rented house.

“We’re going to need a quick exit.” Wilee said with some urgency. “As soon as sundown hits…” he paused. “She’s going to lose her mind when she realizes what we’ve done. Every Anarch in the area will be on us.”

“It’s too late now. We’d never beat the dawn.”

“What about Maksim? He’s rich isn’t he? Doesn’t he own a helicopter or something?” Wilee asked.

“I’d rather not involve him.” Alec replied.

“Well I’d rather not get staked and left to burn in the sun, which is probably what will happen if she catches us.”

“Ysa. Arrange for a helicopter at the nearest heliport. I don’t care what it costs but it has to be ready to take off at sundown. I don’t want to be kept waiting a second longer than it takes for us to board. I’ll assume she’s going to track us. I want us airborne before that ritual is complete.”

“She is definitely going to track us.” Wilee agreed.

“Yeah, one problem.” Marshall interjected. Do you really want me in a helicopter? You think having a cell phone on screws with the instruments? Wait til I’m sitting in there.”

“Oh hell no. I’m not crashing and burning.” Scrim added emphatically.

“Ok… Marshall what if you and Ruby took the Benz back. Ysa and Ellie will drive the Masarati. If I understand the way the ritual works she has to focus on one of us?”

Wilee nodded his head in affirmation.

“My guess is she’ll want to focus on you or me, Wilee.” 

“Safe assumption. You beguiled her. I robbed her.”

“We did murder her ghouls or humans or whatever they were.” Marshall added.

“That’s much further down the food chain compared to missing tomes and having your emotions scrambled.” Wilee countered.

“Hell hath no fury.” Ellie added.

“Yeah. I’m familiar.”

“Yeah ya are.” Scrim laughed. “That Russian bitch you’re banging is jealous as fuck.”

Alec glared at the Brujah who sucked his teeth then smiled back.

“I’ll make the arrangements and make sure we’re packed and ready to go as soon as you all rouse.” Ysa offered.

“Thanks Ysa.” Alec said as he passed her his backpack. “V etoy sumke yest’ planshet. Nadezhno upakuyte yego v yashchik dlya oruzhiya. YA ne khochu, chtoby yego povredili. Eto dlya Fiorentsa.” (“There’s a tablet in this bag. Pack it safely in a gun box. I don’t want it damaged. It’s for Fiorenza.”)

“Konechno” (Of course.) She replied. “Now anyone who wants to be asleep in a safe place should head into the theater.”

The coterie found their sleeping places and settled in for a morning of deathly slumber.

The Green House Part 3

06/11/21

The sun cleared from the evening sky and the coterie awoke from their day sleep. Wilee and Alec could swear they heard the sound of Samantha screaming and cursing on the night air. True to her word, Ysa had the cars loaded and running, waiting for them to make their expeditious egress from Long Island.

“The helicopter’s ready, Alec. Ruby will drop off Wilee and Scrim then make for home with Marshall in the Mercedes. Elena will drive us to McArthur.”

“What?” Alec asked, confused.

Ysa, who had drawn a curious look from Wilee explained. There’s a plane with a clean flight plan waiting for you there. You’ve been redirected Mr. Saenz. Llegas a ser mi esposo por unos días.” (You get to be my husband for a few days.)

“You mean she…”

“Quiere que le entreguen sus bienes en persona de inmediato.” (“Wants her property delivered in person immediately.”)

“Vy sobirayetes’ v Meksiku.” (You’re going to Mexico.) Elena added.

“What are they saying?” Marshall asked with a look of confusion.

“I can’t go with you. Sorry. I’ll meet you back in the city as soon as I can.”

“You can’t be serious.” Wilee added.

“Afraid I am. You’ll have safe passage home and with some luck have those books in the chantry before they know where to look for us.”

“There’s more.” Ysa interrupted. “You need to see this.”

Ysa pulled her cellphone out where she had bookmarked a news broadcast. The reporter was relaying the details about the YMCA fire. “…Among the victims was well known MMA fighter Marshall Helbrecht who trained here in NY at Top Team NY Gym and Fitness. The charred remains of Mr. Helbrecht were identified by dental records. His manager, Geordie Harrison, seemed to think there was some conspiracy involved but the authorities quickly dismissed it..” 

“Oh shit.” Marshall said, stunned.

“Well that’s going to complicate things a bit.” Alec added. 

“Now what?” Wilee asked.

“Now we get out of here and you guys are on that helicopter before she stops cursing.” Alec offered.

“I’ve arranged for some of our guards to meet you at the 104th street heliport. They’ve been instructed to take you wherever you need. They’re armed and licenced to carry firearms. You should be perfectly safe.” Ysa explained.

“And you?” Marshall asked Alec. 

“Hopefully I’m on that plane before she can get to me. Not sure how long that ritual takes or who she’ll track so fingers crossed. The news stuff is going to require more thought.””

“Ok enough time wasted. Let’s go.” Scrim said, hopping into the SUV.”

“Agreed. Good luck.” Alec offered.

“You too.” Wilee said as Marshall nodded.

Ruby drove as fast as she could without drawing attention to a heliport in East Hampton barely ten minutes from where they had been and just as quickly raced away as the helicopter took flight with its two passengers.

Alec had a more nerve racking thirty five minute ride to the East Islip airport where a private charter jet sat waiting on the runway for his arrival. He and Ysa hurriedly boarded and watched from the window as Elena disappeared into the night, making for the highway. 

As soon as they were safely in the air he asked Ysa for a burn phone. She reached into her overnight bag and pulled a box still sealed in plastic. She drew the knife from her belt and cut through the seal. She inserted the sim card and powered on the device.

30% Charge

She reached out to pass it to him and asked “Who are you calling?” 

“Sam.”

She yanked the phone back.

“Is there something wrong with you?”

“No why. I was thinking I’d call and try to smooth things over.”

“There is something wrong with you. Estúpido. What exactly are you going to say? ‘Hey Sam sorry I charmed you out of your panties then stole your extremely rare magical tomes. Oh and I’m really sorry my friends murdered yours. Oh and before I forget I should probably apologize for stealing that priceless stone tablet about the First City.’  Idiota estúpido.” She snarled.

“I didn’t charm her out of her panties.”

She folded her arms and scowled.

“El teléfono por favor.”

She reached out with the phone. “I think it’s a dumb idea.”

“Trust me.”

“You know you won’t be able to use any of your powers or supernatural charm. You’d be relying on natural subterfuge.”

“I’m an impeccable liar.” He winked at her.

Alec dialed the number she had given him and waited while it rang.

“Hello?” She answered, obviously confused at the unknown number.

“Sam? Don’t hang up.”

“You son of a bitch. You have some fucking nerve calling me. When I get my hands on you… And I will… You’ll beg me to stake you in the sun. You hear me!”

Alec remained silent, simply listening to the expletive laden tirade of threats. When she paused to catch her breath he spoke softly.

“I’m sorry Sam.”

Another expletive charged tirade ensued.

“I get it Sam. I just wanted to explain. I wasn’t lying when I said I liked you. I wish we had met under different circumstances.”

More unintelligible cursing.

“It won’t make a difference to you but I had no choice. I owed a life boon and couldn’t say no. I was brought in from Italy as part of a rather complicated exchange of favors and debts. I was told that I’d have the opportunity to recover the stolen books in a civilized manner. I never wanted anyone to get hurt. In fact that’s why I was sent. Discreet resolution is my specialty.”

Another three minutes of expletives.

“I had never met the others before. Not sure where they found them. I assume the Pyramid picked the Tremere. He was only supposed to validate the books to be recovered.”

She was panting heavily, out of breath from long stretches of insults, threats and expletives.

“I had no idea the other two couldn’t be left unsupervised. What they did was reprehensible. I hope they go back to whatever rocks they were scraped from and are never seen again.”

“Ok fine. You’re sorry. Why not come back? Let’s have that civilized conversation.” Her words were inviting but her tone dark with menace.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Even if I trusted you to guarantee my safety, I think emotions are running way too high. Your beast wants blood I’m sure. I don’t blame you. I think it’s for the best that I’m being sent away. In fact I’ve already left the country. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be back in the states. I…” He paused for effect. “I didn’t want to leave it that way. Anyway I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah me too.” She was quiet for a moment. “You never gave me your name.”

“Michael. Michael Andolini.”

“And that’s your real name?” She asked with suspicion.

“Well it’s the name I’m using now, for the next 30 or 40 years hopefully. You know how it is.”

“I do Michael. Goodbye.”

The line went dead.

“Faraday bag Ysa.” He said as he handed the phone back to her.

She shook her head and smirked.

“What?” He asked.

“That was just evil Alec.”

“If nothing else it should have bought the others a few more minutes.

“You’re good Massara. Damn good.”

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

Alec stared out the window into the starless night. His apology was sincere. It’s said the best lies hold a hint of truth.