Re: Death with Humourhsus_snowmanMarch 25 2011, 19:28:28 UTC
Xiao guarded their prisoner while Alex found clothing for him. Every time the man hesitated, all Snow had to do was hiss, draw one of his swords a fraction from its scabbard, or just take a step towards him to encourage him to continue cleaning himself.
He took the sheaf of photos from Alex, looking through them as his new friend went on his photoshoot. It was standard procedure now in Hsu's organization. MacDonald would run the photos, matching them to known Watchers in his growing database, and any who weren't in there would be added once he tracked them down. With, hopefully, any identifying documents in the wallets Alex found, they could make more connections with hereto unknown Waters. Xiao was focused on the photos. They would certainly have to track down the ones getting close enough to take these, especially the ones of Daniel, no matter how bad quality they were. That would not be tolerated by Hsu at all.
As the walked to the SUV, the prisoner was forced to walk in front of them, with Xiao resting his hand on a sword, and the vampire's warning ringing in his ears. "Remember, I am faster than you can even imagine. You try to run, I will cut you down before you get one pace."
At Alex's question, he examined the SUV, the windows were well tinted, and he noted there were a couple of blankets in the back that would do once the sun came up. "I'll travel with you, keep an eye on him as you drive. Once the Watcher was secured, they drove off, and Xiao voiced an idea he had. "There are some vampires in England that can pass as human, daywalkers who eat food as well as feed on blood. They are also young." And because of that could blend in much better with human culture than old ones like him. "I believe that they are not known about due to their ability to blend in. They could prove useful in infiltrating these facilities."
Re: Death with Humourice_cold_swordApril 3 2011, 20:36:38 UTC
"Get in the car, dickhead." Alexandre shoved the Watcher into the SUV, and then buckled the guy in, which was not for the man's protection, but to slow him down in case he got a notion in his head to tuck and roll. Then he got into the driver's seat, and waited until Xiao was inside. They started the car, and the snow, ice and gravel spat up under the tires, as Alex pulled out.
Du Pont handed his cell back to Xiao, so that he could press the button to blow the cabin sky high. The road they were taking out was clear of law enforcement outlets. The emergency responses would come from the opposite direction, and once they were over the border, Orestes would have a party from Hsu's forces meet them and back them up as they took the traitor to the same warehouse where Ojuka died. "These young ones...do you trust them, mon ami? It would certainly benefit us, as the Watchers know nearly every Immortal, but fresh soldiers that are unknown could make inroads that we cannot."
Their prisoner was visibly shaken, as the cabin went up and they kept on driving. The fact that Alexandre and Xiao spoke so openly told him that he would not be a witness, for he would not live long enough to be a problem. "I can tell you where they are. But there are a lot of them, it might take me some time, to give you everything you need."
Alexandre looked over at the fool, with that vicious half smile that he was so good at. "I think you would be surprised at how effectively Hsu Danmei can inspire swift and complete recollection from those he gives his attention to. Trust me, you will be the center of all his best efforts."
Alex glanced back at Snowman, as he drove, chuckling softly. "I think we should certainly suggest your young friends to Hsu. He will be busy with this one, but he is good at...what is that word? Ah, right, multi-tasking."
Re: Death with Humourhsus_snowmanApril 20 2011, 17:45:59 UTC
Once they were a suitable distance from the cabin, Snowman looked back and pressed send. A second later, the whole cabin went up followed quickly by the loud noise of the explosion that made their prisoner visibly jump. "Our guest seems a little nervous." He grinned at du Pont.
"I trust them as much as any vampire." There was a brief shrug. "Maybe a little more than most. Because they live among humans far more than old ones like myself, they take great measures not to be discovered, yet they have greater strength than them." Clearly, he didn't think them as strong as himself. "One of the ones I have in mind, Mitchell, he also lives with a couple of werewolves. Disgusting, but again they could prove to have their uses." Their prisoner didn't appear to like the sound of werewolves, and Xiao's amusement was at his reaction rather than the disdain any vampire had for lycans.
He agreed with Alex. "Milord is very efficient in many things, but he has made it an art where obtaining the information he wishes is concerned. And he has long practiced his art." Reaching over, he patted the man's shoulder. "You should be pleased to placed in such expert hands."
Snow chuckled in reply. "He is very much good at multi-tasking, but I will mention them to him and will be able to go and see Mitchell and his friends myself. I would hate to distract Milord too much."
Re: Death with Humourice_cold_swordMay 13 2011, 02:30:07 UTC
"Then he would be smarter than he looks." Du Pont grinned back, while their prisoner looked a bit green around the gills, again. Sometimes it was not the torture that was fun, but the anticipation, as the victim got to think about the Hell to come.
"Not fond of the woolie wolves, arsehole? What is it with your kind? You think that only mortals are worthy of being considered in the grand scheme of things?" Alex drove, glancing over at the man. He never could wrap his head around why these fanatics hated him and his kind so much. "Until you pissed off Hsu, and aside from a few random incidents, what did we ever do to you lot?"
"You're abominations, dangerous spawn of demons who want to subjugate all real humans and rule over us." It was straight out of the Horton handbook, and Alex just laughed, shaking his head.
"You fucking idiot, if we really had wanted to rule, we would have done so already, back in the days when you lot were running around drowning women you thought were witches because they knew how to use herbs. Bloody bunch of morons." Alex looked back at Xiao, wondering how people can be so stupid and thick. "Plus, you outnumber us, idiot. All we want is to live in peace, like you, no more, no less and be left alone. Not to have our children stabbed in the heart at the moment of birth." That earned the prisoner a glare of hatred. "That plot? That earned you all a death sentence, and my new friend and I intend to deliver justice to every one of your kind we can. And we are winning the war."
Du Pont ignored the moron, for he wasn't worth wasting anymore breath on, although he could fuck with his mind. "Oh, yes, expert hands. I can only imagine the questions Hsu Danmei will have for our clever monkey. Hsu will be interested in your friends, but he is wonderfully single minded on some obsessions." Alex's feral grin made the other man shudder, and he just laughed as he kept driving him to his doom.
Re: Death with Humourhsus_snowmanMay 22 2011, 17:07:29 UTC
While Alex drove, Xiao remained behind the moron hand still resting on his shoulder. To an outsider it would look like a friendly gesture of a couple of mates, that is if they couldn't see the fear on the man's face.
"I don't blame him for not liking lycans, dirty, smelly things they are. Not to mention the shedding. Horrendous." He shuddered in a very exaggerated manner. "But really they are no different from any other predatory animal, like a lion or wolf. Just a bit bigger."
The man, like the fool he was, must have forgotten who was speaking as he nodded in ready agreement. "Yes, and people hunt those animals when they attack people."
"Oh, I like his reasoning, don't you, Alex?" Xiao laughed by the moron's ear. "So, those who hunt humans for food need to die? Like werewolves and vampires?" The man's nodding died away suddenly. "That I understand, sort of. But we only kill what we need to survive, and even that is only a very small percentage of humans. But what I fail to understand is why you put so much more effort into hunting and killing those whose only difference to you is that they are far harder to kill. Mortal humans have taken more lives, oppressed more of their own than Immortals could ever dream of doing. And yet they are the monsters and abominations."
"No. Even your Hsu Danmei has killed untold thousands in his life. He was Attila the Hun, for God's sake!"
Xiao looked at Alex, shaking his head as well at this idiot's fanatical stupidity. He even slapped his hand against his forehead. "So, we are namedropping now? As I recall, Hitler and Stalin were utterly mortal and killed far more each that Milord has. But that is not the point. For every Immortal who is a warrior, a leader, there are several who are living an ordinary life of peace. The monk, Darius, for one. He would tell you that. Oh...that's right, he can't. Your crusader Horton killed him."
He sat back, still grinning. "It is a sweet irony, is it not, Alex, that by targetting Danmei, giving and then cruelly taking his children, they have signed their own death warrants. Nothing will stop him from wiping your kind out. And thanks to you, he has done what no other Immortal has achieved, uniting them. Not only that, he has drawn vampires, fae and other preternatural beings to his cause. Because you threaten one, you threaten the existence of us all." He reached forward and pulled down the visor, flipping open the mirror. "Look in there. There is the abomination."
It was probably enough, so with a shove, Xiao finally left the weasel alone and pulled one of the blankets around him as the sky was beginning to slowly lighten. "Don't worry, the more you resist, the more he'll enjoy extracting the information you have. He would be disappointed if you mad it too easy for him."
Re: Death with Humourice_cold_swordMay 29 2011, 03:04:36 UTC
"This coward is probably afraid of a toy poodle. These fanatics? Operate out of fear and weakness, not any real passion for their cause." Alex did a high-pitched, girly whine. "Oh, NOOOOOOOO! Don't let the big, bad, Devil's spawn Immortals get me!" He rolled his eyes, snorting in disgust. "You've probably known Immortals in your world, fool, even in your own family, and just had no idea. We're people. For every Attila, there are a thousand Joe Ordinaries, who don't give a shit about you."
Alex looked to Xiao, shaking his head. "How conveniently they forget the Holocaust, the Spanish Inquisitions, the Crusades, the genocide of the natives of America and Mexico, not to mention all of the wars and other horrors, like the selling of humans for slavery on ships. Yes, mortals are SO very noble and honorable, in their dealings with each other." Alexandre knew that Hsu had fought on a side opposite his own, in World War II, but they were still brothers in arms, and Hsu had not been a part of those who harmed his people in France. They respected one another too much.
After Snowman was under his blanket, Alexandre patted his prisoner on the cheek, smirking. "Had it not been for you, and your dead friends, I might not have had the pleasure of making a new friend, today. You have done well, Watcher, you and your kind...you have brought Fae, vampire, werewolves, sirens and others together, where they all bond to bring each and every one of you to death, and I assure you, Hades is waiting, with all kinds of pleasures, for all of you in the circles of Hell. But, first, you will be the guest of my good friend, Hsu Danmei, and I doubt that you will enjoy his loving care."
They drove on, and Alex thought that the prisoner might have even dozed off, from exhaustion and the drink he had overindulged in. By the time they reached the warehouse compound, the sun was high in the sky, and Alex glanced back to make sure that his new comrade was safely covered. At the gates, he allowed Hsu's men to make certain of his identity, before they waved his vehicle inside. It was only when they were inside the building, which had specially blacked out windows and double entry doors, free of sunlight, that he spoke to the vampire.
"We have arrived, Xiao. Is this safe for you?" Alexandre got out, stretching his legs and flexing, from the long drive. He needed coffee, and a piss, but first he dragged the Watcher out with both fists gripping his shirt. The man was already nearly shitting himself, again, blubbering like a girl. "Put our monkey in a cage, gentlemen. Something secure. He should have some coffee or tea, no?" It might seem like he was being nice, but a full bladder was uncomfortable, when interrogation began, and just one small part of physical stress they would use, plus they could put some drugs in, if desired. "I'll be right back."
Alex went over to the bathroom, and after relieving himself, he washed his hands and face, smoothing his long hair back with wet hands. He was a bit tired, after the long night of killing, as well as nights of worry over Hsu's condition. The cold Frenchman stared in the mirror, at the stubble on his face and the red in his eyes. Hsu was his oldest friend, and he had few men that he could count as friends in the world. Now there was Xiao, through their common bond to Hsu, and that was pleasant, because he liked the vampire and trusted him. They both had similar humour, and they both killed with the same cruel efficiency.
Coming from the john, Alex stopped to grab a mug of coffee, dropping two cubes of sugar and some cream in it, then walking over to a table, dropping down into a leather covered chair. "Gentlemen, now that our guest has checked into his suite, can someone give us an update on the boss' condition?"
Re: Death with Humourhsus_snowmanJune 6 2011, 11:45:12 UTC
Xiao had covered himself well that not an ounce of sunlight permeated through the blankets he had covered himself with. Still, he remained awake, although quiet, conserving his energy, even well fed as he had been. He came alert again as they passed through the gates and into the compound.
Hearing Alex's voice, and sensing the lack of sunlight, Xiao tossed back the covers. "Yes, it is fine. Thank you, my new friend." Once he was out of the SUV, he bowed to the Frenchman. It had been quite a night, successful and fulfilling with a new ally. He understood why Hsu had forged such a friendship with this Immortal now that he had met and fought alongside him. Not only was he a fine and ruthless warrior, but his loyalty was as unwavering as his own. Glad that he had finally met him, Snowman couldn't help wondering what such a fine warrior tasted like.
He dismissed the thought as they took care of the prisoner. When Alex headed to the bathroom, Xiao sought out Hsu to discover how well he was recovering. He found him in one of the side rooms that had been made comfortable with a sofa. Hsu was sitting, just relaxing and letting his strength rebuild itself, next to him asleep was Cody Jean. Hsu's eyes opened as the vampire stepped in and dropped to his knees in front of him, seeing his silent question. "That nest is destroyed, and we have brought you a gift of one of them. He begged for his life, so we could hardly deny him, Milord." Xiao grinned, knowing Hsu would understand him. "Are you fully well? And Ojuka?" He was still a little disappointed that he had missed that.
"I'll enjoy talking with my gift. It sounds as if you and Alexandre enjoyed yourselves." He touched the vampire's face, touched by his old friend's concern. "I'm almost fully recovered. Sleep and a good meal earlier helped greatly." He went on to describe Ojuka's final moments and mentioned that while Cassandra had returned to the Ranch with Daniel, he had decided to remain to await word from Snow and Alexandre's mission.
MacDonald was also still there, having been monitoring all the Watcher electronic activities in the aftermath of Ojuka's capture. There was a lot of it as they clearly tried to severe connections from Ojuka's handlers as well as determine what was happening. He looked up as Alex came in. "I take it it's been a busy night for you as well." He nodded. "Your guest is getting all the attention he deserves. As for the boss..."
"The boss is fine." Hsu walked in with Snowman at his right, and having woken Cody with her at his left. "Xiao tells me you brought me a gift?" His smirk was deadly. "I cannot wait to unwrap him." He sat in the other leather chair. "So what did the two of you uncover at their party? How deep did this plot go?"
Re: Death with Humourice_cold_swordJune 20 2011, 15:00:56 UTC
"Productive night. I am quite pleased with..." Alex looked from MacDonald over to see Hsu walk in with Xiao, and a petite blonde that he guessed was the Lane girl. Pretty thing, though certainly not what he expected. She reminded him a little of the girl, Minette, that he had met with Hsu, so long ago. In fact, she reminded him a little of his own Isabella, but then, every woman reminded him of Bella. "I am glad to see you well, mon ami. My prayers for your health and that of your blessed son have been answered, and I am glad." While Alexandre was not overly religious, he was a product of his Catholic time, and, besides, a little ritual and dogma never hurt, given his lifestyle. It almost added an element of sacrament to killing. Alex always enjoyed that, something in it fed his dark nature.
"Where do we start?" He took a long drink of coffee, and stretched out his legs, as she watched Cody take a seat in a smaller chair behind Hsu. The girl knew her place, at least. "Aside from the sacrilege of their bringing shit German wine and pastry to FRANCE for a party to celebrate your death?" Ever the vain Frenchman, with his perverse humour, he smirked at Hsu. "That was, no doubt, due to their leader, one Adolf Klein." He handed over his camera to MacDonald, to load up on a monitor. "They were clearly of the opinion that you had expired, and they were overjoyed. You will not be happy with something we found." He reached for a file in his pack that one of the men brought in, and slid it over to Hsu, on the table. It held the photos, including the grainy ones of young Daniel.
"My new friend and I showed them the real meaning of unity, and pain. And, it would seem that our gift to you has knowledge that the Watcher Organization has a high level financial operative. He may, in fact, be a very top level player. Have you heard of someone named Stillwater?"
Re: Death with Humourhsus_snowmanJuly 2 2011, 18:02:17 UTC
Another time, Hsu would have made retort to Alexandre's slander of German wine and pastry, starting a spirited but good natured debate, but not now. Even as healed as he was now, what sense of humour he did have was not fully restored. "Well, I am glad to have disappointed them."
While the photos loaded onto MacDonald's computer, Hsu reached for the file, opening it and then passing each photo over to Cody until he got to the first one of Daniel. The change in him was subtle, but they all knew him well enough to spot it. When he spoke it was even more obvious, his tone quiet and dangerous. "I want the locations of these pinpointed. Where, when, who and how these were taken." All that was probably impossible, but he wasn't feeling reasonable. Yes, these were bad quality photos, taken from far away, but the fact they had spotted and identified Daniel, and that camera lens could have easily have been a sniper's scope. "Daniel's protection will be doubled."
On Andy's computer, his facial recognition software was running through. It popped up Adolph Klein, and the other faces were low level operatives, all of whom checked against the list Ojuka had provided. The boy Alex knee-capped and killed didn't register as a known Watcher, but he had a long juvenile record and was probably heading for a life of in and out of prison. The other name and face that came up was that of their prisoner, Francois Durand, the man who Ojuka had named as being his contact with the Guild.
"Norman Stillwater?" Hsu nodded, of course he had heard of him. "I've never personally met him, but in business our paths have crossed. As Ambassador he has tried to get the Swiss to tighten certain banking regulations." The man had earned his dislike then, but now it was obvious that the fact that a powerful Swiss bank was ran by an Immortal, and himself at that, had driven this politician's plan. Yes, he had disliked him, but now it was so much more. Hatred came so easily. And if he gained that powerful office that he seemed to aspire to, the Watchers Guild would have all the resources of the United States at their hands.
"He has to be disposed of. Quickly, quietly, and efficiently. A straight hit, make it seem political. I don't care how it's done."
For the first time Xiao spoke up. "Milord. The prisoner mentioned facilities, a company called Everlasting Industries." It was a sick joke that name. "All over the world, but there are some with pre-Immortal children. More experiments. Probably some of the same gene work Ojuka was in." He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Danmei, I know people who can infiltrate these places, get you inside information." Surely just wiping those facilities out would do little good. The Watchers would just rebuild.
Re: Death with Humourher_own_swordJuly 3 2011, 17:06:29 UTC
"We're all glad, Hsu." Cody spoke quietly, but from the heart, and she saw Alex nod in agreement.
"Mon ami, anything less than your full health and command of this effort is unacceptable..." Alexandre smiled at Hsu, lifting his cup in salute.
"Unthinkable." Cody said it simply, but with emotion in her voice that the Frenchman found charming. Obviously the girl was deeply devoted and loyal.
Cody Jean took the photos, one by one, seeing that one was of her when she went to the University Law Library. When she felt Hsu stiffen, she looked over his shoulder with a gasp. "That...that was when we took him to the museum! Look, Hsu! Those are the steps. They let us in after hours, so he could see the treasures!" Cody was furious! It was rare that the isolated child ever got to leave the Ranch, and now Hsu would clamp down even tighter on him. "I bet the reason it is such a bad shot is that it is surveillance camera footage. What do you think, Andy?" Any decent Watcher would use high quality equipment, and zoom in. They just lucked into this shot. "Hsu, Daniel loved seeing that exhibit of the nomads. It isn't fair that he be denied art and music and theatre, because of these assholes. We will double it up, right, Andy?" Cody hated the thought of the teen being locked on the Ranch, with no outlets for his energy and brilliant mind.
Alexandre agreed with the girl, privately. "Perhaps more precautions, at least until his Immortality is triggered, mon ami? I would be happy to help MacDonald, if you like. I know a man, a very good bodyguard, one that I would trust with my own child, were I to have one. I will send him to you, if you wish. I have been training him for ten years, and he is lethal, but affable with his charge. He is descended from Charlotte...remember her? The tavern maid?" It had been hundreds of years before, but Hsu would remember the strong, funny wench.
Re: Death with Humourher_own_swordJuly 3 2011, 17:07:00 UTC
Cody, too, had heard of Stillwater. "There was a document in the Jersey lab with Everylasting Industries on it." She grabbed a pen, and drew a symbol of the logo. It was uncannily similar to the tattoo that Watchers used to get, and now avoided. "Son of a bitch...look at that." She turned it to Andy.
"Assassination will be complex, Hsu. We don't want it coming back on you in any way." Alexandre worried about his friend, who had already been through scandal with that treacherous bitch that cried rape, years before. "Best we find a mutual enemy, one that would be grateful for your good will."
"The Archangel." Cody murmured it from behind Hsu, then went over to a table for her own laptop, to punch in keys. "Archangel de Jesus Montoya, formerly the big dog in Paraguay and South Florida. Coke, heroin, weed, you name it, he brought it in." She brought up a photo of the reclusive drug lord. "Hsu back off doing work with him, when he started having that whack job assistant, Yero, and a bunch of tweaker Klan boys. An Immortal client, Isabella got close to Montoya, but her affair with a vice cop helped bring it all down around Montoya's ears. He lost sixty million, wholesale, in product, and Stillwater has made the hunt for drug lords to be his second most important platform, right after trying to destroy the privacy and standing of Swiss banks. Isabella is still a client, in hiding, and Montoya is broke, not to mention he owes investors like Hsu a lot of cash. Montoya has an axe to grind, a lot to gain and a small para-military army at his disposal. Why not let him earn his way back into Hsu's good graces?"
"I see he doesn't keep you around just for your pretty face." The French accent made the statement a bit more biting, and Cody just rolled her eyes as Alex said it. She had heard that the Immortal had no love for women. Alex nodded at Xiao, ignoring the blonde, for now. "He's right. If we can get his friends inside, and we can find out what these bastards are really doing, we could destroy them, down to the root. It would also unite more non-mortals around you, expand your army and the skills they bring. Werewolves, vampires...then we free a new generation of young Immortals from the grasp of these fuckers? Your passionate army grows, their hatred uniting them, and a new, fresh lot takes up arms in your name. Most rulers only command for one lifetime. You, my friend, will change the face of the world, for all time. No wonder they went to such lengths to try and kill you......." His voice trailed off, and he saw Cody nodding in agreement. The Watchers had risked everything on one hand, in the hopes of destroying Hsu. Now they had so much to lose.
Re: Death with Humourhsus_snowmanAugust 16 2011, 11:23:41 UTC
Andy nodded, agreeing with Cody's assessment. "That's what it looks like. They either stole the CCTV footage or bribed/blackmailed a guard into turning it over. Either way, they knew Daniel was there, so he was either followed...unlikely as it was after hours, but possible, or they had someone on the inside there who tipped them off about the visit." Like Cody, he was angry and frustrated that despite the stringent security they took to protect Hsu's precious son, there was always a chance occurence like this that endangered him. It caused a vicious circle as Hsu tightened protection around the boy, suffocating him more and more, and Daniel fighting back against it as he seemed to do more frequently.
"I remember her well, Alexandre." Hsu's voice was still edged with that deadly quiet tone. Once again these bastards threatened his son, and they never seemed to learn that it only provoked him to react with deadly force against them even more. Even as good and tight as his security was, and he could ask for no better then Orestes and MacDonald, there was always a limit to how much they could protect Daniel. Instead of a camera that could have been a sniper. His only reaction could be to isolate his son more, and maybe even more than the others, he knew such restrictions was no way to live. But what else could he do?
There was one plan that he had kept back to be implemented if Daniel's life was directly and openly threatened, but with this and such a direct attack on his own life, now might be the time to implement it. "If you value this man and trust him, then I would be honoured to make use of him." From du Pont, he gave his attention to them all. "Over the past few years, through shell companies, I have been buying several properties across the world. They have all been thoroughly checked out by Orestes or Cody Jean, and MacDonald has installed his security systems in them all." A few were on secluded islands, one was in Outer Mongolia among the Black Hats, men descended from the generals of Genghis Khan and still devoted to the great conqueror. All the properties were modest in size, not typical in what most would think Hsu Danmei would purchase even if their topographies and climates varied greatly. "Daniel will go to one of these properties until this is over. I will have my mother accompany him as well as Lars, and your man as well." He fought the urge to send a big security detail. A large number of men would only attract attention. "Cody, you can go and help them settle in, if you wish, but I want you here, dealing with the Watchers." He knew she would also want to look after his son, but she was an important part of his organization and he needed her, as well as the others in the room, fighting this war alongside him. Along with the two security men, he knew Cassandra would do everything to protect her grandson, and she had an arsenal of different weapons to employ.
"Contact Archangel. Let him know that if he keeps the job clean and untraceable, he will profit both now and in future business." It would be a pity that Stillwater's death would be so quick and painless, but that was a necessity as much as Hsu would like the bastard's blood on his own hands. "And warn him the consequences if he fucks it up. Also, MacDonald, dig around for anyone else Stillwater has set his sights on." If something should go wrong, it was always useful to know who they could potentially frame for his murder.
Without even referring to his computer, Andy spoke up. "There's a few political rivals. The bickering's been pretty nasty but nothing to kill over, yet. There's an arms dealer, mostly works between the US and various African nations who's on his shitlist, spoiled a couple of big figure deals. There's also the Chinese. Seems like he tried to buy some industrial property near Shanghai." For this one, he pulled up a news website and shot them all a meaningful look. Had it been for a Guild facility? "He refused to pay their bribes and is now speaking out publicly against anything the Chinese propose on the world stage. I think they'd like him to go away."
Re: Death with Humourciv_barbarianAugust 16 2011, 11:24:36 UTC
Hsu looked at his oldest friend, appreciating his suggestion but also a little puzzled. "I appreciate help from all who would battle against those who threaten all immortals, but vampires have their own weaknesses that would surely exposed them easily?"
Xiao grinned. "That is the beauty of these vampires, m'lord. They are daywalkers, and they are also young and, as such, far more human than I could ever be. They may not be as strong as older ones, like myself, but they are still stronger than a human and able to blend in well. There is a group in England. One has even befriended a werewolf, as Alex has mentioned. Both of those currently work as cleaners. If they could infiltrate, well, surely cleaners can go almost anywhere? And if they cannot, they also know a ghost." His grin grew even wider as he took in MacDonald's eyeroll. Really, the man did very well handling the existence of so many supernatural beings, for a mortal.
It was true, since discovering Hsu's immortality and his vampire friend many years ago now, the fact that there were also werewolves and ghosts was barely remarkable. "Sir, while knocking out all these facilities is the goal, we need to prioritize them. Which are the most dangerous to us and to whoever they are holding as lab mice, and which are the nearest to achieving their goals. If we can send in Snowman's...colleagues...that should be part of their mission. Find our targets because it's pointless taking one place out if they are just going to switch to another."
Hsu nodded, leaning his fists on the table. "For too long we have just been hitting out at the Watchers. Taking out a target, be it person or facility, as they have come to our notice. It is time to go on the offensive. No more should this be a series of covert battles. This is the time of open war. Time to eradicate all Watchers and their facilities forever. We cannot swat at them to just have them spring up elsewhere. We must bring in more immortals, of every kind, to our side...convince them that it is in their best interest. As far as Immortals are concerned, those who actively play the Game need to be shown they are merely playing into the hands of the Watchers. If someone is not already an ally to our cause, each one of us needs to bring them over. Stelios, one of the Game's most active headhunters, has sworn not to fight others and to join us, so if he can, so can others." He reached for a bottle of water sitting on the table to wet his mouth, his throat still annoyingly dry, but the fire in his voice was there.
"Alexandre, I want you to go to England with Xiao. Show these other immortals that we are united in this war for survival. If they agree to join us, then get with MacDonald and Orestes on which facility will give up the best intelligence and which should be targeted. Cody, I want you to return with me to the Ranch to plan how to get Daniel out. No one must know that he or Cassandra have left. When you've got them safely settled, I want you to assist Orestes if finding if there is a leak in the organization." He would say no more on that for now. It would be just between himself, Orestes and Cody.
Re: Death with Humourice_cold_swordAugust 29 2011, 17:19:07 UTC
Cody was already typing up notes. "I have an idea, Hsu. Remember the young Immortal twins we got out of that small lab in Beijing? The had their first deaths at...what? Sixteen? Seventeen? Such sweet, smart girls. Maybe we could have them live at the property, and it would blend in, right? Cassandra and I were talking about her taking the girls as students, and they could spar with Daniel and also be good company for him, in a lot of ways. Ting and Lin? Daniel would have all kinds of outlets for his interests and your mother could begin training two very, very valuable Immortals. Kind of a win/win, all around?" She brought up a photo of the twins, a rarity in their kind, who were very capable girls. Plus, given recent things on Hsu's yacht and all, Daniel would have girls around to explore his sexual interests and his social skills. The girls were nice, but not innocents. They were perfect.
Alexandre grinned, when he saw the picture. The two Chinese teens were lovely, and he could imagine the youthful pleasures of isolation with such companions. Cassandra could train, his own man, Paul, protect them all, and it would not attract so much attention, seeming like a woman with young girls in her charge. "Well, if young Daniel finds the idea unpleasant, I would be happy to go, for him." He looked over at Xiao, chuckling in a dark, dirty manner. "Seems to me a teenager's dream come true." In all seriousness, the girls would be a boon to Hsu's army, and to Daniel's comfort.
"That does bring up the question I have had for some time, Hsu." Cody sighed, and tipped her head. "When we hit these labs, we will be freeing more and more young Immortals and pre-Immortals, not to mention other people, that they are holding. What do we do with them? I do have that property in South Dakota, but I think that is too exposed and obvious." Right now, her cousin and her family lived there. Cassandra would like to build a school, maybe in Australia or New Zealand. Like a boarding school? I would be honored to help fund it, and I know that we can find Immortals loyal to us, who would like to work there." Cody had a gift with property and remodeling, and she enjoyed it. In her mind's eye, she could see the kids, growing and learning, indoctrinated and strong in the philosophy of Hsu Danmei, his army of young, loyal, devoted soldiers, using all of their skills...and swords...to build an empire under his command.
Her instant, secure message to the Archangel got an immediate response. "Archangel is in, and grateful for your confidence and a second chance. He will not fail you, again." He had better not, failure this time would be a death sentence. "If he fucks it up, there is that organized crime family, there, that owe you one. You have no shortage of allies, who will fight for you. It is really too bad that you can't have a nice, long conversation with the son of a bitch." Cody was generally quite nice, but when it came to Watchers, she had a very dark, sadistic streak, and she would love to see Hsu, Orestes, Andy, Lars and Xiao have some big fun with Stillwater. It gave her a nearly orgasmic pleasure, watching the top dogs in that group suffer.
Hsu's cough reminded Cody Jean that her lover was still recovering. She got up and prepared him a cup of soothing tea, with a little honey and lemon, to put in front of him. She looked up into his eyes, again saying a silent prayer of thanks that he was spared the death that they tried so hard to deliver.
"I will be very happy to accompany my new friend and ally to England. Oh, that is, unless Orestes and Andy need a helping hand in dealing with our guest?" Alex, too, had a great love of causing pain to Watchers. He was looking forward to watching the man interrogated.
"There is a feed and hay delivery tonight, Hsu, for the stock. Maybe we could get them out with that as a ruse?" It was always good to use the normal events of their lives to disguise any plans. "There is a food delivery for the house, in the morning." Cody nodded at Hsu's last statement. Until they were certain of where a possible leak came from, it was best to keep it on the down low.
Re: Death with Humourciv_barbarianSeptember 8 2011, 12:57:08 UTC
"I remember them." Those twin Immortals might not be to his taste, but they were certainly very pretty, young and nubile girls. And they were already somewhat proficient with swords. They could be just what Daniel needed as he would undoubtedly be bored and resentful at being packed away somewhere remote. Two very pretty distractions would be welcome, and who was he to deny his son some sexual practice? "It's a good idea to have them all together, and Mother will teach them all well." It was also best that the two girls had Cassandra teaching them, the oldest female Immortal who had survived so much. Hsu smirked, even if it was a dark smirk. "Your offer is very generous, Alexandre, but I think Daniel will be happy enough at this arrangement. I will alert the Black Hats that my associates will be arriving. They won't interfere, but they will watch for any strangers in the area, and they know the land well should there be any danger. They know who I am, who I was, and they are very protective of their history." He might have to reassure his mother that they would be living in an actual house rather than a traditional ger.
Hsu had been thinking of the same idea for sometime as more and more young Immortals and pre-Immortals were freed from the Watchers. "It could be done. New Zealand is more remote but less inhospitable than Australiz, or we could find an island in Polynesia. It will be something we have to discuss with Mother once we know Daniel is safe again. We also need to find a way to locate pre-Immortals before the Guild get to them. It could be done, and it will do more to unite Immortals than any one thing. From all accounts there is a similar school in the US for those mutants. We can model it on the same principle." Though not quite with the same goals.
A small nod thanked her for the tea, and he took a long drink of it. "There are several favours that can be called in, and I'm sure many of them will be of use sooner or later. "I would like nothing more than to see him suffer, to get my own hands on him. I'm sure he would enjoy his time with each and everyone of us. But there will be others who won't require us to remain so anonymous."
Xiao reached over and put a hand on Alex's shoulder, smiling widely. "Thank you, it will be a good trip, and I'm sure m'lord won't mind too much if we delayed our departure a short while to see how our guest has settled in."
With a sigh, Hsu nodded and Andy rolled his eyes. "I don't know about Orestes, but I certainly can work better with an audience, and I'm sure he'll appreciate your concern for him."
"We'll use the food delivery. That'll give Mother and Daniel time to get all they need together. Flights need to be arranged too." With a possible traitor, he couldn't risk using his own private jet. "Xiao, Alexandre, you have use of my jet, and we'll use a charter for Mother, Daniel, Cody, and Lars, at least for the first leg." There would have to be several flights to cloud their final destination. "Alexandre, arrange for your Paul to meet them in Moscow. If there's nothing else, you all know your tasks."
Do you want to start new threads for this? Maybe two with the guys on the interrogation and later one for Alex and Xiao going to find the vamps? Maybe even one with Cass and Cody and Danny?
He took the sheaf of photos from Alex, looking through them as his new friend went on his photoshoot. It was standard procedure now in Hsu's organization. MacDonald would run the photos, matching them to known Watchers in his growing database, and any who weren't in there would be added once he tracked them down. With, hopefully, any identifying documents in the wallets Alex found, they could make more connections with hereto unknown Waters. Xiao was focused on the photos. They would certainly have to track down the ones getting close enough to take these, especially the ones of Daniel, no matter how bad quality they were. That would not be tolerated by Hsu at all.
As the walked to the SUV, the prisoner was forced to walk in front of them, with Xiao resting his hand on a sword, and the vampire's warning ringing in his ears. "Remember, I am faster than you can even imagine. You try to run, I will cut you down before you get one pace."
At Alex's question, he examined the SUV, the windows were well tinted, and he noted there were a couple of blankets in the back that would do once the sun came up. "I'll travel with you, keep an eye on him as you drive. Once the Watcher was secured, they drove off, and Xiao voiced an idea he had. "There are some vampires in England that can pass as human, daywalkers who eat food as well as feed on blood. They are also young." And because of that could blend in much better with human culture than old ones like him. "I believe that they are not known about due to their ability to blend in. They could prove useful in infiltrating these facilities."
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Du Pont handed his cell back to Xiao, so that he could press the button to blow the cabin sky high. The road they were taking out was clear of law enforcement outlets. The emergency responses would come from the opposite direction, and once they were over the border, Orestes would have a party from Hsu's forces meet them and back them up as they took the traitor to the same warehouse where Ojuka died. "These young ones...do you trust them, mon ami? It would certainly benefit us, as the Watchers know nearly every Immortal, but fresh soldiers that are unknown could make inroads that we cannot."
Their prisoner was visibly shaken, as the cabin went up and they kept on driving. The fact that Alexandre and Xiao spoke so openly told him that he would not be a witness, for he would not live long enough to be a problem. "I can tell you where they are. But there are a lot of them, it might take me some time, to give you everything you need."
Alexandre looked over at the fool, with that vicious half smile that he was so good at. "I think you would be surprised at how effectively Hsu Danmei can inspire swift and complete recollection from those he gives his attention to. Trust me, you will be the center of all his best efforts."
Alex glanced back at Snowman, as he drove, chuckling softly. "I think we should certainly suggest your young friends to Hsu. He will be busy with this one, but he is good at...what is that word? Ah, right, multi-tasking."
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"I trust them as much as any vampire." There was a brief shrug. "Maybe a little more than most. Because they live among humans far more than old ones like myself, they take great measures not to be discovered, yet they have greater strength than them." Clearly, he didn't think them as strong as himself. "One of the ones I have in mind, Mitchell, he also lives with a couple of werewolves. Disgusting, but again they could prove to have their uses." Their prisoner didn't appear to like the sound of werewolves, and Xiao's amusement was at his reaction rather than the disdain any vampire had for lycans.
He agreed with Alex. "Milord is very efficient in many things, but he has made it an art where obtaining the information he wishes is concerned. And he has long practiced his art." Reaching over, he patted the man's shoulder. "You should be pleased to placed in such expert hands."
Snow chuckled in reply. "He is very much good at multi-tasking, but I will mention them to him and will be able to go and see Mitchell and his friends myself. I would hate to distract Milord too much."
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"Not fond of the woolie wolves, arsehole? What is it with your kind? You think that only mortals are worthy of being considered in the grand scheme of things?" Alex drove, glancing over at the man. He never could wrap his head around why these fanatics hated him and his kind so much. "Until you pissed off Hsu, and aside from a few random incidents, what did we ever do to you lot?"
"You're abominations, dangerous spawn of demons who want to subjugate all real humans and rule over us." It was straight out of the Horton handbook, and Alex just laughed, shaking his head.
"You fucking idiot, if we really had wanted to rule, we would have done so already, back in the days when you lot were running around drowning women you thought were witches because they knew how to use herbs. Bloody bunch of morons." Alex looked back at Xiao, wondering how people can be so stupid and thick. "Plus, you outnumber us, idiot. All we want is to live in peace, like you, no more, no less and be left alone. Not to have our children stabbed in the heart at the moment of birth." That earned the prisoner a glare of hatred. "That plot? That earned you all a death sentence, and my new friend and I intend to deliver justice to every one of your kind we can. And we are winning the war."
Du Pont ignored the moron, for he wasn't worth wasting anymore breath on, although he could fuck with his mind. "Oh, yes, expert hands. I can only imagine the questions Hsu Danmei will have for our clever monkey. Hsu will be interested in your friends, but he is wonderfully single minded on some obsessions." Alex's feral grin made the other man shudder, and he just laughed as he kept driving him to his doom.
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"I don't blame him for not liking lycans, dirty, smelly things they are. Not to mention the shedding. Horrendous." He shuddered in a very exaggerated manner. "But really they are no different from any other predatory animal, like a lion or wolf. Just a bit bigger."
The man, like the fool he was, must have forgotten who was speaking as he nodded in ready agreement. "Yes, and people hunt those animals when they attack people."
"Oh, I like his reasoning, don't you, Alex?" Xiao laughed by the moron's ear. "So, those who hunt humans for food need to die? Like werewolves and vampires?" The man's nodding died away suddenly. "That I understand, sort of. But we only kill what we need to survive, and even that is only a very small percentage of humans. But what I fail to understand is why you put so much more effort into hunting and killing those whose only difference to you is that they are far harder to kill. Mortal humans have taken more lives, oppressed more of their own than Immortals could ever dream of doing. And yet they are the monsters and abominations."
"No. Even your Hsu Danmei has killed untold thousands in his life. He was Attila the Hun, for God's sake!"
Xiao looked at Alex, shaking his head as well at this idiot's fanatical stupidity. He even slapped his hand against his forehead. "So, we are namedropping now? As I recall, Hitler and Stalin were utterly mortal and killed far more each that Milord has. But that is not the point. For every Immortal who is a warrior, a leader, there are several who are living an ordinary life of peace. The monk, Darius, for one. He would tell you that. Oh...that's right, he can't. Your crusader Horton killed him."
He sat back, still grinning. "It is a sweet irony, is it not, Alex, that by targetting Danmei, giving and then cruelly taking his children, they have signed their own death warrants. Nothing will stop him from wiping your kind out. And thanks to you, he has done what no other Immortal has achieved, uniting them. Not only that, he has drawn vampires, fae and other preternatural beings to his cause. Because you threaten one, you threaten the existence of us all." He reached forward and pulled down the visor, flipping open the mirror. "Look in there. There is the abomination."
It was probably enough, so with a shove, Xiao finally left the weasel alone and pulled one of the blankets around him as the sky was beginning to slowly lighten. "Don't worry, the more you resist, the more he'll enjoy extracting the information you have. He would be disappointed if you mad it too easy for him."
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Alex looked to Xiao, shaking his head. "How conveniently they forget the Holocaust, the Spanish Inquisitions, the Crusades, the genocide of the natives of America and Mexico, not to mention all of the wars and other horrors, like the selling of humans for slavery on ships. Yes, mortals are SO very noble and honorable, in their dealings with each other." Alexandre knew that Hsu had fought on a side opposite his own, in World War II, but they were still brothers in arms, and Hsu had not been a part of those who harmed his people in France. They respected one another too much.
After Snowman was under his blanket, Alexandre patted his prisoner on the cheek, smirking. "Had it not been for you, and your dead friends, I might not have had the pleasure of making a new friend, today. You have done well, Watcher, you and your kind...you have brought Fae, vampire, werewolves, sirens and others together, where they all bond to bring each and every one of you to death, and I assure you, Hades is waiting, with all kinds of pleasures, for all of you in the circles of Hell. But, first, you will be the guest of my good friend, Hsu Danmei, and I doubt that you will enjoy his loving care."
They drove on, and Alex thought that the prisoner might have even dozed off, from exhaustion and the drink he had overindulged in. By the time they reached the warehouse compound, the sun was high in the sky, and Alex glanced back to make sure that his new comrade was safely covered. At the gates, he allowed Hsu's men to make certain of his identity, before they waved his vehicle inside. It was only when they were inside the building, which had specially blacked out windows and double entry doors, free of sunlight, that he spoke to the vampire.
"We have arrived, Xiao. Is this safe for you?" Alexandre got out, stretching his legs and flexing, from the long drive. He needed coffee, and a piss, but first he dragged the Watcher out with both fists gripping his shirt. The man was already nearly shitting himself, again, blubbering like a girl. "Put our monkey in a cage, gentlemen. Something secure. He should have some coffee or tea, no?" It might seem like he was being nice, but a full bladder was uncomfortable, when interrogation began, and just one small part of physical stress they would use, plus they could put some drugs in, if desired. "I'll be right back."
Alex went over to the bathroom, and after relieving himself, he washed his hands and face, smoothing his long hair back with wet hands. He was a bit tired, after the long night of killing, as well as nights of worry over Hsu's condition. The cold Frenchman stared in the mirror, at the stubble on his face and the red in his eyes. Hsu was his oldest friend, and he had few men that he could count as friends in the world. Now there was Xiao, through their common bond to Hsu, and that was pleasant, because he liked the vampire and trusted him. They both had similar humour, and they both killed with the same cruel efficiency.
Coming from the john, Alex stopped to grab a mug of coffee, dropping two cubes of sugar and some cream in it, then walking over to a table, dropping down into a leather covered chair. "Gentlemen, now that our guest has checked into his suite, can someone give us an update on the boss' condition?"
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Hearing Alex's voice, and sensing the lack of sunlight, Xiao tossed back the covers. "Yes, it is fine. Thank you, my new friend." Once he was out of the SUV, he bowed to the Frenchman. It had been quite a night, successful and fulfilling with a new ally. He understood why Hsu had forged such a friendship with this Immortal now that he had met and fought alongside him. Not only was he a fine and ruthless warrior, but his loyalty was as unwavering as his own. Glad that he had finally met him, Snowman couldn't help wondering what such a fine warrior tasted like.
He dismissed the thought as they took care of the prisoner. When Alex headed to the bathroom, Xiao sought out Hsu to discover how well he was recovering. He found him in one of the side rooms that had been made comfortable with a sofa. Hsu was sitting, just relaxing and letting his strength rebuild itself, next to him asleep was Cody Jean. Hsu's eyes opened as the vampire stepped in and dropped to his knees in front of him, seeing his silent question. "That nest is destroyed, and we have brought you a gift of one of them. He begged for his life, so we could hardly deny him, Milord." Xiao grinned, knowing Hsu would understand him. "Are you fully well? And Ojuka?" He was still a little disappointed that he had missed that.
"I'll enjoy talking with my gift. It sounds as if you and Alexandre enjoyed yourselves." He touched the vampire's face, touched by his old friend's concern. "I'm almost fully recovered. Sleep and a good meal earlier helped greatly." He went on to describe Ojuka's final moments and mentioned that while Cassandra had returned to the Ranch with Daniel, he had decided to remain to await word from Snow and Alexandre's mission.
MacDonald was also still there, having been monitoring all the Watcher electronic activities in the aftermath of Ojuka's capture. There was a lot of it as they clearly tried to severe connections from Ojuka's handlers as well as determine what was happening. He looked up as Alex came in. "I take it it's been a busy night for you as well." He nodded. "Your guest is getting all the attention he deserves. As for the boss..."
"The boss is fine." Hsu walked in with Snowman at his right, and having woken Cody with her at his left. "Xiao tells me you brought me a gift?" His smirk was deadly. "I cannot wait to unwrap him." He sat in the other leather chair. "So what did the two of you uncover at their party? How deep did this plot go?"
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"Where do we start?" He took a long drink of coffee, and stretched out his legs, as she watched Cody take a seat in a smaller chair behind Hsu. The girl knew her place, at least. "Aside from the sacrilege of their bringing shit German wine and pastry to FRANCE for a party to celebrate your death?" Ever the vain Frenchman, with his perverse humour, he smirked at Hsu. "That was, no doubt, due to their leader, one Adolf Klein." He handed over his camera to MacDonald, to load up on a monitor. "They were clearly of the opinion that you had expired, and they were overjoyed. You will not be happy with something we found." He reached for a file in his pack that one of the men brought in, and slid it over to Hsu, on the table. It held the photos, including the grainy ones of young Daniel.
"My new friend and I showed them the real meaning of unity, and pain. And, it would seem that our gift to you has knowledge that the Watcher Organization has a high level financial operative. He may, in fact, be a very top level player. Have you heard of someone named Stillwater?"
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While the photos loaded onto MacDonald's computer, Hsu reached for the file, opening it and then passing each photo over to Cody until he got to the first one of Daniel. The change in him was subtle, but they all knew him well enough to spot it. When he spoke it was even more obvious, his tone quiet and dangerous. "I want the locations of these pinpointed. Where, when, who and how these were taken." All that was probably impossible, but he wasn't feeling reasonable. Yes, these were bad quality photos, taken from far away, but the fact they had spotted and identified Daniel, and that camera lens could have easily have been a sniper's scope. "Daniel's protection will be doubled."
On Andy's computer, his facial recognition software was running through. It popped up Adolph Klein, and the other faces were low level operatives, all of whom checked against the list Ojuka had provided. The boy Alex knee-capped and killed didn't register as a known Watcher, but he had a long juvenile record and was probably heading for a life of in and out of prison. The other name and face that came up was that of their prisoner, Francois Durand, the man who Ojuka had named as being his contact with the Guild.
"Norman Stillwater?" Hsu nodded, of course he had heard of him. "I've never personally met him, but in business our paths have crossed. As Ambassador he has tried to get the Swiss to tighten certain banking regulations." The man had earned his dislike then, but now it was obvious that the fact that a powerful Swiss bank was ran by an Immortal, and himself at that, had driven this politician's plan. Yes, he had disliked him, but now it was so much more. Hatred came so easily. And if he gained that powerful office that he seemed to aspire to, the Watchers Guild would have all the resources of the United States at their hands.
"He has to be disposed of. Quickly, quietly, and efficiently. A straight hit, make it seem political. I don't care how it's done."
For the first time Xiao spoke up. "Milord. The prisoner mentioned facilities, a company called Everlasting Industries." It was a sick joke that name. "All over the world, but there are some with pre-Immortal children. More experiments. Probably some of the same gene work Ojuka was in." He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Danmei, I know people who can infiltrate these places, get you inside information." Surely just wiping those facilities out would do little good. The Watchers would just rebuild.
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"Mon ami, anything less than your full health and command of this effort is unacceptable..." Alexandre smiled at Hsu, lifting his cup in salute.
"Unthinkable." Cody said it simply, but with emotion in her voice that the Frenchman found charming. Obviously the girl was deeply devoted and loyal.
Cody Jean took the photos, one by one, seeing that one was of her when she went to the University Law Library. When she felt Hsu stiffen, she looked over his shoulder with a gasp. "That...that was when we took him to the museum! Look, Hsu! Those are the steps. They let us in after hours, so he could see the treasures!" Cody was furious! It was rare that the isolated child ever got to leave the Ranch, and now Hsu would clamp down even tighter on him. "I bet the reason it is such a bad shot is that it is surveillance camera footage. What do you think, Andy?" Any decent Watcher would use high quality equipment, and zoom in. They just lucked into this shot. "Hsu, Daniel loved seeing that exhibit of the nomads. It isn't fair that he be denied art and music and theatre, because of these assholes. We will double it up, right, Andy?" Cody hated the thought of the teen being locked on the Ranch, with no outlets for his energy and brilliant mind.
Alexandre agreed with the girl, privately. "Perhaps more precautions, at least until his Immortality is triggered, mon ami? I would be happy to help MacDonald, if you like. I know a man, a very good bodyguard, one that I would trust with my own child, were I to have one. I will send him to you, if you wish. I have been training him for ten years, and he is lethal, but affable with his charge. He is descended from Charlotte...remember her? The tavern maid?" It had been hundreds of years before, but Hsu would remember the strong, funny wench.
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"Assassination will be complex, Hsu. We don't want it coming back on you in any way." Alexandre worried about his friend, who had already been through scandal with that treacherous bitch that cried rape, years before. "Best we find a mutual enemy, one that would be grateful for your good will."
"The Archangel." Cody murmured it from behind Hsu, then went over to a table for her own laptop, to punch in keys. "Archangel de Jesus Montoya, formerly the big dog in Paraguay and South Florida. Coke, heroin, weed, you name it, he brought it in." She brought up a photo of the reclusive drug lord. "Hsu back off doing work with him, when he started having that whack job assistant, Yero, and a bunch of tweaker Klan boys. An Immortal client, Isabella got close to Montoya, but her affair with a vice cop helped bring it all down around Montoya's ears. He lost sixty million, wholesale, in product, and Stillwater has made the hunt for drug lords to be his second most important platform, right after trying to destroy the privacy and standing of Swiss banks. Isabella is still a client, in hiding, and Montoya is broke, not to mention he owes investors like Hsu a lot of cash. Montoya has an axe to grind, a lot to gain and a small para-military army at his disposal. Why not let him earn his way back into Hsu's good graces?"
"I see he doesn't keep you around just for your pretty face." The French accent made the statement a bit more biting, and Cody just rolled her eyes as Alex said it. She had heard that the Immortal had no love for women. Alex nodded at Xiao, ignoring the blonde, for now. "He's right. If we can get his friends inside, and we can find out what these bastards are really doing, we could destroy them, down to the root. It would also unite more non-mortals around you, expand your army and the skills they bring. Werewolves, vampires...then we free a new generation of young Immortals from the grasp of these fuckers? Your passionate army grows, their hatred uniting them, and a new, fresh lot takes up arms in your name. Most rulers only command for one lifetime. You, my friend, will change the face of the world, for all time. No wonder they went to such lengths to try and kill you......." His voice trailed off, and he saw Cody nodding in agreement. The Watchers had risked everything on one hand, in the hopes of destroying Hsu. Now they had so much to lose.
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"I remember her well, Alexandre." Hsu's voice was still edged with that deadly quiet tone. Once again these bastards threatened his son, and they never seemed to learn that it only provoked him to react with deadly force against them even more. Even as good and tight as his security was, and he could ask for no better then Orestes and MacDonald, there was always a limit to how much they could protect Daniel. Instead of a camera that could have been a sniper. His only reaction could be to isolate his son more, and maybe even more than the others, he knew such restrictions was no way to live. But what else could he do?
There was one plan that he had kept back to be implemented if Daniel's life was directly and openly threatened, but with this and such a direct attack on his own life, now might be the time to implement it. "If you value this man and trust him, then I would be honoured to make use of him." From du Pont, he gave his attention to them all. "Over the past few years, through shell companies, I have been buying several properties across the world. They have all been thoroughly checked out by Orestes or Cody Jean, and MacDonald has installed his security systems in them all." A few were on secluded islands, one was in Outer Mongolia among the Black Hats, men descended from the generals of Genghis Khan and still devoted to the great conqueror. All the properties were modest in size, not typical in what most would think Hsu Danmei would purchase even if their topographies and climates varied greatly. "Daniel will go to one of these properties until this is over. I will have my mother accompany him as well as Lars, and your man as well." He fought the urge to send a big security detail. A large number of men would only attract attention. "Cody, you can go and help them settle in, if you wish, but I want you here, dealing with the Watchers." He knew she would also want to look after his son, but she was an important part of his organization and he needed her, as well as the others in the room, fighting this war alongside him. Along with the two security men, he knew Cassandra would do everything to protect her grandson, and she had an arsenal of different weapons to employ.
"Contact Archangel. Let him know that if he keeps the job clean and untraceable, he will profit both now and in future business." It would be a pity that Stillwater's death would be so quick and painless, but that was a necessity as much as Hsu would like the bastard's blood on his own hands. "And warn him the consequences if he fucks it up. Also, MacDonald, dig around for anyone else Stillwater has set his sights on." If something should go wrong, it was always useful to know who they could potentially frame for his murder.
Without even referring to his computer, Andy spoke up. "There's a few political rivals. The bickering's been pretty nasty but nothing to kill over, yet. There's an arms dealer, mostly works between the US and various African nations who's on his shitlist, spoiled a couple of big figure deals. There's also the Chinese. Seems like he tried to buy some industrial property near Shanghai." For this one, he pulled up a news website and shot them all a meaningful look. Had it been for a Guild facility? "He refused to pay their bribes and is now speaking out publicly against anything the Chinese propose on the world stage. I think they'd like him to go away."
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Xiao grinned. "That is the beauty of these vampires, m'lord. They are daywalkers, and they are also young and, as such, far more human than I could ever be. They may not be as strong as older ones, like myself, but they are still stronger than a human and able to blend in well. There is a group in England. One has even befriended a werewolf, as Alex has mentioned. Both of those currently work as cleaners. If they could infiltrate, well, surely cleaners can go almost anywhere? And if they cannot, they also know a ghost." His grin grew even wider as he took in MacDonald's eyeroll. Really, the man did very well handling the existence of so many supernatural beings, for a mortal.
It was true, since discovering Hsu's immortality and his vampire friend many years ago now, the fact that there were also werewolves and ghosts was barely remarkable. "Sir, while knocking out all these facilities is the goal, we need to prioritize them. Which are the most dangerous to us and to whoever they are holding as lab mice, and which are the nearest to achieving their goals. If we can send in Snowman's...colleagues...that should be part of their mission. Find our targets because it's pointless taking one place out if they are just going to switch to another."
Hsu nodded, leaning his fists on the table. "For too long we have just been hitting out at the Watchers. Taking out a target, be it person or facility, as they have come to our notice. It is time to go on the offensive. No more should this be a series of covert battles. This is the time of open war. Time to eradicate all Watchers and their facilities forever. We cannot swat at them to just have them spring up elsewhere. We must bring in more immortals, of every kind, to our side...convince them that it is in their best interest. As far as Immortals are concerned, those who actively play the Game need to be shown they are merely playing into the hands of the Watchers. If someone is not already an ally to our cause, each one of us needs to bring them over. Stelios, one of the Game's most active headhunters, has sworn not to fight others and to join us, so if he can, so can others." He reached for a bottle of water sitting on the table to wet his mouth, his throat still annoyingly dry, but the fire in his voice was there.
"Alexandre, I want you to go to England with Xiao. Show these other immortals that we are united in this war for survival. If they agree to join us, then get with MacDonald and Orestes on which facility will give up the best intelligence and which should be targeted. Cody, I want you to return with me to the Ranch to plan how to get Daniel out. No one must know that he or Cassandra have left. When you've got them safely settled, I want you to assist Orestes if finding if there is a leak in the organization." He would say no more on that for now. It would be just between himself, Orestes and Cody.
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Alexandre grinned, when he saw the picture. The two Chinese teens were lovely, and he could imagine the youthful pleasures of isolation with such companions. Cassandra could train, his own man, Paul, protect them all, and it would not attract so much attention, seeming like a woman with young girls in her charge. "Well, if young Daniel finds the idea unpleasant, I would be happy to go, for him." He looked over at Xiao, chuckling in a dark, dirty manner. "Seems to me a teenager's dream come true." In all seriousness, the girls would be a boon to Hsu's army, and to Daniel's comfort.
"That does bring up the question I have had for some time, Hsu." Cody sighed, and tipped her head. "When we hit these labs, we will be freeing more and more young Immortals and pre-Immortals, not to mention other people, that they are holding. What do we do with them? I do have that property in South Dakota, but I think that is too exposed and obvious." Right now, her cousin and her family lived there. Cassandra would like to build a school, maybe in Australia or New Zealand. Like a boarding school? I would be honored to help fund it, and I know that we can find Immortals loyal to us, who would like to work there." Cody had a gift with property and remodeling, and she enjoyed it. In her mind's eye, she could see the kids, growing and learning, indoctrinated and strong in the philosophy of Hsu Danmei, his army of young, loyal, devoted soldiers, using all of their skills...and swords...to build an empire under his command.
Her instant, secure message to the Archangel got an immediate response. "Archangel is in, and grateful for your confidence and a second chance. He will not fail you, again." He had better not, failure this time would be a death sentence. "If he fucks it up, there is that organized crime family, there, that owe you one. You have no shortage of allies, who will fight for you. It is really too bad that you can't have a nice, long conversation with the son of a bitch." Cody was generally quite nice, but when it came to Watchers, she had a very dark, sadistic streak, and she would love to see Hsu, Orestes, Andy, Lars and Xiao have some big fun with Stillwater. It gave her a nearly orgasmic pleasure, watching the top dogs in that group suffer.
Hsu's cough reminded Cody Jean that her lover was still recovering. She got up and prepared him a cup of soothing tea, with a little honey and lemon, to put in front of him. She looked up into his eyes, again saying a silent prayer of thanks that he was spared the death that they tried so hard to deliver.
"I will be very happy to accompany my new friend and ally to England. Oh, that is, unless Orestes and Andy need a helping hand in dealing with our guest?" Alex, too, had a great love of causing pain to Watchers. He was looking forward to watching the man interrogated.
"There is a feed and hay delivery tonight, Hsu, for the stock. Maybe we could get them out with that as a ruse?" It was always good to use the normal events of their lives to disguise any plans. "There is a food delivery for the house, in the morning." Cody nodded at Hsu's last statement. Until they were certain of where a possible leak came from, it was best to keep it on the down low.
OOC: PB's for the twins are Fan and Li Bingbing.
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Hsu had been thinking of the same idea for sometime as more and more young Immortals and pre-Immortals were freed from the Watchers. "It could be done. New Zealand is more remote but less inhospitable than Australiz, or we could find an island in Polynesia. It will be something we have to discuss with Mother once we know Daniel is safe again. We also need to find a way to locate pre-Immortals before the Guild get to them. It could be done, and it will do more to unite Immortals than any one thing. From all accounts there is a similar school in the US for those mutants. We can model it on the same principle." Though not quite with the same goals.
A small nod thanked her for the tea, and he took a long drink of it. "There are several favours that can be called in, and I'm sure many of them will be of use sooner or later. "I would like nothing more than to see him suffer, to get my own hands on him. I'm sure he would enjoy his time with each and everyone of us. But there will be others who won't require us to remain so anonymous."
Xiao reached over and put a hand on Alex's shoulder, smiling widely. "Thank you, it will be a good trip, and I'm sure m'lord won't mind too much if we delayed our departure a short while to see how our guest has settled in."
With a sigh, Hsu nodded and Andy rolled his eyes. "I don't know about Orestes, but I certainly can work better with an audience, and I'm sure he'll appreciate your concern for him."
"We'll use the food delivery. That'll give Mother and Daniel time to get all they need together. Flights need to be arranged too." With a possible traitor, he couldn't risk using his own private jet. "Xiao, Alexandre, you have use of my jet, and we'll use a charter for Mother, Daniel, Cody, and Lars, at least for the first leg." There would have to be several flights to cloud their final destination. "Alexandre, arrange for your Paul to meet them in Moscow. If there's nothing else, you all know your tasks."
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