25 - Vampire the Masquerade
More Talks
Wesley and I were standing outside of the entrance to the Inglewood oil field. Ahead of us were a whole lot of pumps. Some were moving and some were still. No one was guarding.
"I"ll go in alone," I said. "Same drill as before. I don"t expect any trouble."
"Gotcha," Wesley responded. "I"ll stay here unless I hear from you."
I walked into the pump farm. I moved slowly and quietly. I came upon a bunch of prefab buildings that had lights in them. I couldn"t detect any humans. As I passed the first building, I heard some poetry being recited.
"By the clack, clack, clacking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
"You want to come out and show yourself?" I asked.
"You sure, boss? You may not want my image bouncing around your subconscious. You might develop one of those neurosis so common to young, new vampires."
"Just show yourself, please, Gary." The Nosferatu Regent popped out of thin air, and stood there looking at me. He had a grin just like Bertram"s.
"Don"t you recognize me from my films?" he said. "Gorgeous Gary Golden. Lady Killer of the Silver Screen. Of course, that was before your time. You"re a different generation."
"Yeah, you look great," I said. "Bet you had every lady in Hollywood at your feet. But my interest lies in acquiring an old, stone coffin. The Ankaran Sarcophagus, to be exact."
"Oh, that lot"s been bid on and sold, boss," Gary said. "Your prince should have been a little quicker. Or perhaps not so tight with his purse."
"Can you tell me who you sold it to?"
"Tell you what, boss," Gary said, after a pause. "I will for a favor. I sent an agent named Barabbas up to Chinatown to snoop around. He seems to have disappeared. You find him, and I"ll let you know who has the sarcophagus."
"Dammit!" I shouted. "I"m tired of being jerked around over this! Why can"t you just tell me?"
"Oh, I will, boss," Gary said. "Once you find my boy Barabbas. That is my fee."
"Deal, Gary. But keep something in your subconscious."
"What"s that, boss?"
"I won"t forget this," I said.
"Start your search by meeting with Ming Jiao," Gary said. "She is the Kuei-Jin regent in Chinatown. She lives in a Buddhist temple at the end of the main street. It is a replica of a famous temple in Canton. But her temple is piss-poor. It would be better off in Disneyland. Ming should get you started."
"Got it." I turned and started walking away.
"You have nothing to fear in Chinatown," Gary said. "You"ll be safe. If you find him, how can I contact you?"
"Call me on my cell. You guys are supposed to be such good hackers, well, you probably already have my number."
Wesley and I hooked up and headed to Chinatown. Once we got there, we decided to stick with our drill. I felt we were pretty safe, but it was good to know someone was around to watch my back. I found the temple, knocked on the door, and a monk bid me enter. He took me into a simple room that had a stove with a teapot on it. And there stood a Chinese woman. Ming Jiao.
"Welcome, Childe," she said. "It is most courteous of you to stop by. How may I assist you?"
"A fellow named Barabbas," I said, "was sent up here to snoop around. He seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. He is of Clan Nosferatu." I was angry, and decided not to hold back.
"So," she said, smirking, "the great Nosferatu have lost one of their own. Interesting. No, I do not know where he is. But I do know someone who may be able to help." She poured a cup of tea and took a long sip, and then smiled at me.
"Zhao," she said. "A human who runs an import-export business. He has contacts on the street, and knows quite a few of the Tong. You know of the Tong? The Chinese equivalent of the Mafia."
"Thank you," I said. I left the temple and hooked up with Wesley. Tomorrow we would begin our search for Barabbas.
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