Friday: Los Angeles
The trip out to California was exhausting but by Friday evening, Gunn was driving his beat up truck through his old neighborhood.
It was not what he expected. Not at all.
The streets were clean and the typical corners that someone might be able to buy some... "recreational pharmaceuticals" were clear of any salespeople. Getting out of truck and onto the streets, Gunn started going through his old patrol route checking for signs of a vampire nest and the usual haunts of demons that had overtakened the neighborhood.
Not a single bloodsucker was to be found.
And when he stopped by Anne's shelter? It had been turned into a community center sponsored by none other than Wolfram and Hart.
"Son of a bitch," Gunn muttered under his breath.
"Mr. Gunn. Come back to see the old neighborhood?"
Gunn groaned and turned around to see his old lawyer, Holland Manners standing outside of his stretch limo.
"What?" Gunn said holding out his arms. "You got some kind of lojack on me?"
Holland let out a little chuckle. "Let's just say we have ways of keeping track of our favorite clients. I trust our improvements to your 'turf' has met with your approval?"
Gunn scowled a little. "Yeah, well, looks like everything here is just peachy keen," he said sarcastically. "I expect to see white picket fences to start cropping up all over the damn place."
"Why, Mr. Gunn," Holland said with fake concern, "Whatever are you inferring?"
"I'm just wondering just what the hell your game is," Gunn growled.
"Why, we're just helping out the community," he replied in a genial fashion. "Surely there's nothing wrong with that."
"The way I hear it, you don't do anything unless it's in your own interest," Gunn said gruffly as he moved so that he was face to face with Manners.
"Oh?" Holland asked airily. "And who did you hear that from?"
"Chick with blue hair called Illryia," Gunn replied flatly. "You heard of her?"
Holland's response to that was one of half shock which he tried to cover up rather quickly. "You'll find in our business there are always detractors," he said quickly. "You would do well to stick to our original agreement, Mr. Gunn."
"Or what?" Gunn growled. "You're not doing this out of the goodness of your own heart. What are you getting out of this?"
"You would do well to look around you, Charles," Holland replied calmly. "You can see exactly what we are getting out of this. Since we started our little beautification program the crime rate has dropped and most of your old friends have rejoined society as contributing members. Perhaps best of all, death by 'neck ruptures' have dwindled down to zero. That... is all you need to know."
Holland reached out and gave Gunn a friendly pat on the shoulder. "But why don't you see for yourself, Mr. Gunn," Manners said as he signaled his driver to open the door for him. "Take a good look around. See your sister. Visit some old friends. If that doesn't change your mind... well perhaps you and I will have to revisit our agreement. You have a nice visit."
And with that Holland stepped into his car and Gunn stood on the sidewalk and watched the limo disappear.
And despite the fact that everything in his old stomping ground seemed to be coming up roses... Gunn couldn't shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
[NFI/NFB due to distance]
It was not what he expected. Not at all.
The streets were clean and the typical corners that someone might be able to buy some... "recreational pharmaceuticals" were clear of any salespeople. Getting out of truck and onto the streets, Gunn started going through his old patrol route checking for signs of a vampire nest and the usual haunts of demons that had overtakened the neighborhood.
Not a single bloodsucker was to be found.
And when he stopped by Anne's shelter? It had been turned into a community center sponsored by none other than Wolfram and Hart.
"Son of a bitch," Gunn muttered under his breath.
"Mr. Gunn. Come back to see the old neighborhood?"
Gunn groaned and turned around to see his old lawyer, Holland Manners standing outside of his stretch limo.
"What?" Gunn said holding out his arms. "You got some kind of lojack on me?"
Holland let out a little chuckle. "Let's just say we have ways of keeping track of our favorite clients. I trust our improvements to your 'turf' has met with your approval?"
Gunn scowled a little. "Yeah, well, looks like everything here is just peachy keen," he said sarcastically. "I expect to see white picket fences to start cropping up all over the damn place."
"Why, Mr. Gunn," Holland said with fake concern, "Whatever are you inferring?"
"I'm just wondering just what the hell your game is," Gunn growled.
"Why, we're just helping out the community," he replied in a genial fashion. "Surely there's nothing wrong with that."
"The way I hear it, you don't do anything unless it's in your own interest," Gunn said gruffly as he moved so that he was face to face with Manners.
"Oh?" Holland asked airily. "And who did you hear that from?"
"Chick with blue hair called Illryia," Gunn replied flatly. "You heard of her?"
Holland's response to that was one of half shock which he tried to cover up rather quickly. "You'll find in our business there are always detractors," he said quickly. "You would do well to stick to our original agreement, Mr. Gunn."
"Or what?" Gunn growled. "You're not doing this out of the goodness of your own heart. What are you getting out of this?"
"You would do well to look around you, Charles," Holland replied calmly. "You can see exactly what we are getting out of this. Since we started our little beautification program the crime rate has dropped and most of your old friends have rejoined society as contributing members. Perhaps best of all, death by 'neck ruptures' have dwindled down to zero. That... is all you need to know."
Holland reached out and gave Gunn a friendly pat on the shoulder. "But why don't you see for yourself, Mr. Gunn," Manners said as he signaled his driver to open the door for him. "Take a good look around. See your sister. Visit some old friends. If that doesn't change your mind... well perhaps you and I will have to revisit our agreement. You have a nice visit."
And with that Holland stepped into his car and Gunn stood on the sidewalk and watched the limo disappear.
And despite the fact that everything in his old stomping ground seemed to be coming up roses... Gunn couldn't shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
[NFI/NFB due to distance]