Five Lessons in Blood: Lesson Two
Renee Vasquez is a level six officer in the foreign service. She spent the last tour of duty in Spain, and is now back in Foggy Bottom, trying to find her own feet in her native country that's suddenly foreign to her. Isabella Cordoba - the mistress at the Barcelona brothel she had been visiting - referred her to a house in Chevy Chase. Ms Vasquez was unsure about the prices, but she went to look around anyway, as it couldn't hurt.
Renee Vasquez is also completely fictional; a creation of Renee Montoya, who wore out her VHS copy of Aliens long before DVDs came out.
The brothel is a front for a sect of the Religion of Crime called the Sisters of Lilith, who use sex as a form of persuasion to convert their customers to the cult. Being a high-priced establishment, with a reputation for both quality and discretion, and situated in the environs of DC, they have managed to spread the word of Cain into a number of very powerful mouths indeed. Renee is here for reconnaissance only. Look around, prove that's what they do, get out.
Until she sees Elicia. Elicia ruins everything.
Blonde, confident and charming, she ensnares Renee through a glass wall without even looking at her, and soon they're in a room together, despite Montoya's resolve not to indulge; not to give in to the temptation, not to abuse her sexuality, not to go down that path again. To just do the job.
But if she's going to do that, she needs to get away from Elicia. So she slips pills into her own champagne to make throw up as a distraction. It's not hard - she's been dry so long the alcohol tastes bad anyway -and when Elicia is out of the room, Renee breaks out the mask and gas and slips into the House, to have some questions answered.
The sisters have their eyes on Colonel Casucci, and Renee soon deduces that an initiation is coming. Hopefully one she'll be able to stop, if she keeps coming back.
Which gives her more time with Elicia.
Renee Vasquez is also completely fictional; a creation of Renee Montoya, who wore out her VHS copy of Aliens long before DVDs came out.
The brothel is a front for a sect of the Religion of Crime called the Sisters of Lilith, who use sex as a form of persuasion to convert their customers to the cult. Being a high-priced establishment, with a reputation for both quality and discretion, and situated in the environs of DC, they have managed to spread the word of Cain into a number of very powerful mouths indeed. Renee is here for reconnaissance only. Look around, prove that's what they do, get out.
Until she sees Elicia. Elicia ruins everything.
Blonde, confident and charming, she ensnares Renee through a glass wall without even looking at her, and soon they're in a room together, despite Montoya's resolve not to indulge; not to give in to the temptation, not to abuse her sexuality, not to go down that path again. To just do the job.
But if she's going to do that, she needs to get away from Elicia. So she slips pills into her own champagne to make throw up as a distraction. It's not hard - she's been dry so long the alcohol tastes bad anyway -and when Elicia is out of the room, Renee breaks out the mask and gas and slips into the House, to have some questions answered.
The sisters have their eyes on Colonel Casucci, and Renee soon deduces that an initiation is coming. Hopefully one she'll be able to stop, if she keeps coming back.
Which gives her more time with Elicia.