Dark Discovery
Casimiro shifted in the leather seat of his mid-sized midnight blue sedan, trying to work the circulation back into his lower half. He’d been parked here in stakeout mode for hours, waiting for Dr. Karen Strathmore to finish her workday, hoping she might have more valuable information for him tonight than she did last night.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar figure leading the janitorial crew in for the night shift, and had to stifle a laugh. Whatever in the blue hereafter was Wahanksica doing leading a janitorial crew? Especially at this laboratory... but no sooner had he reached that thought, than the smirk faded from his face. Obviously, he was doing the same thing Casimiro was... spying on the lab.
-----
After their exchange, Casimiro dropped Karen off at her place. He left her at her apartment around ten o’clock that night, and headed back to his safehouse, where he picked up a more discreet black coupe with tinted windows, then returned to the lab to follow Wahanksica. He sat there until one in the morning, when he spotted his target leaving with the janitorial staff, and tailed him to a local canteen. There he sidled up next to him at the bar, ordering one Sangria for himself, and another for Wahanksica.
“How ya doing, Hank?” Casimiro began idly, taking a sip of his drink.
“The name is Enriqué,” Wahanksica replied flatly, not looking up from his drink. “I don’t know you, and I don’t want to.”
Casimiro sighed.
“You know, you should really learn to pay better attention to your surroundings if you’re going to try your hand at the spy game, Hank.”
Hank looked up from his glass at the man talking to him and almost dropped his drink, nearly falling off his barstool in the process, which triggered the other’s instinctive reflexes, and without thinking, Casimiro shot out one arm to grab and steady his kid brother.
“Madre De Dios, Cas...” Hank gaped at his older half-sibling. “What in blazes are you doing here?”
“The same thing you are Hank... trying to get the scoop on that lab you’re posing at.”
Hank drew in a quick breath and opened his mouth to speak, but the elder continued before he could.
“Don’t even think of denying it. And stop trying to speak Spanish,” Casimiro drawled, letting his thick South American accent come through. “It doesn’t suit you.”
“Fine, but why are you spying on the lab?” Hank queried, after a long drag from his drink. “As far as I know they aren’t dealing in illicit drugs.”
“Father is the gangster and drug dealer in the family, not I,” Casimiro hissed, extending his neck to its maximum indignant height. “...and I would appreciate it if you would not get the two of us confused. Vittorio is merely a listless scoundrel, while I, on the other hand, am an Aztec Prince.”
“I could probably find a few more colorful words for our father...” Hank answered under his breath with a sneer.
Casimiro sighed again.
“Really, brother,” Casimiro rolled his eyes. “Vulgarity is beneath you, and only serves to diminish us both.”
This time Wahanksica rolled his eyes.
The brothers traded information on what they had discovered at the lab, and made plans to pilfer a few prizes from there the following day. Casimiro said he had a contact who would be able to look at the items and translate the medical and science jargon for them.
-----
The next day, Casimiro mesmerized Dr. Strathmore, and sent her to work with instructions to download the data he sought to a flash drive he had planted on her, disguised as a comb, while that night Hank and his crew swiped a cryo cannister from the lab shop. The brothers met up again when the cleaning shift was over, and headed for the South Side of Chicago, to a smoky Jazz bar, where Casimiro said his contact would be waiting. Together, they approached a beautiful Asian female in her twenties.
“What do you want, Casimiro?” Donatella probed, side-eyeing her older half-brother.
“My dearest Sister, is that any way to greet your brothers?” Casimiro pouted in feigned offense.
Donatella raised an eyebrow.
“Brothers?”
“Yes, of course, darling jefe,” Casimiro came back coolly, gesturing to his partner in crime. “This is Wahanksica, or you might just as well call him Hank, as I do. He is just as much your other half-brother as he is mine.”
Casimiro leered as both Hank and Donatella looked each other over skeptically.
“Vittorio is really your father?” Hank gaped.
“Yes.”
Donatella was baffled, but did not let it show. She was sure she could not know all of her father’s children. Hell, she only knew of Casimiro before tonight, and she was beginning to lose patience with both of these siblings.
“I’ll ask you again,” she repeated. “What is it you want?”
“We need help from father’s doctor to decipher some medical jargon,” Casimiro replied casually.
“This is quite serious,” Hank pronounced gravely. “This material could be detrimental to all vampire kind.”
“Fine, let’s go to his clinic and sort this out so I can be done with the both of you.”
Donatella wished she could simply say no to them but she knew better. At least at the clinic there would be a full complement of her father’s hand-picked guards.
-----
Galen was not at the clinic when the trio arrived, but Dr. Hisakawa offered to take a look at the files and samples the brothers brought in. He said nothing to them about his findings, but asked Donatella to escort them to the conference room, while he called Galen to the clinic immediately. He had Galen meet the entire group in the conference room to go over the items.
“This can’t be right...” an astonished Galen muttered, looking over the data and shaking his head. “This is no good. No good at all,” he kept muttering, almost more to himself.
Those gathered around the table were all leaned forward intently. Galen suddenly became aware of multiple expectant gazes trained on him. He cleared his throat.
“If these files are correct... I’m going to call in some help,” Galen explained. “You all are just going to have to trust me on this... it’s for the best, especially since your father is not available at the moment.”
Wahanksica winced. Casimiro seethed.
“We certainly wouldn’t need him if he was,” the prince declared dryly.
“If you’re planning on calling who I think you are, then I shall make myself scarce,” Dr. Hisakawa informed Galen. “No need for him to be aware of my existence.”
And with that, the crystal skull floated out of the conference room.
-----
Alden could not imagine what Dr. Argyris would want of him at this hour of night, but he’d said it was urgent. The doctor was well known by law enforcement within the city. He had performed almost every bionic implant wounded officers needed, so when he summoned Alden, the Guardian would not keep him waiting. Upon arrival at the clinic, he was directed to a conference room by the night staff on duty. There, he found Dr. Argyris standing in front of a projector screen, surrounded by three other individuals in the room, two males and one female. All three were unknown to Alden, but their features seemed familiar to him somehow.
“Guardian Duke,” Galen welcomed, crossing the room to shake Alden’s hand. “I’m glad you could make it,” the Doctor began, pulling out an open seat for their newest guest.
“I have come into some rather disturbing evidence that could be potentially dire, in relation to possible biological weapons being created here in the Cities.”
Alden gripped the back of a chair to steady himself.
“Bio weapons...” he spluttered, trying not to choke. “What laboratory?”
“Diluo Labratories in Cicero at South Laramie Avenue and West Pershing Road,” Casimiro spoke up in response.
“Who are your friends and what evidence do you have?” Alden demanded.
Alden really did not need this right now. Not in this political climate.
“Well the evidence is on these data files, and in this sample obtained from the lab by these individuals here,” Dr. Argyris answered, gesturing to the brothers. “Casimiro is an agent of the Mexican royals, and Wahanksica is an agent of the Ndakinnian government. They brought the materials to me.”
“Great, more spies!” Alden threw up his hands and shook his head at the young Doctor. “Galen, I just got done expelling Vittorio not only from the city but in fact from the whole dang country, because he was involved with spies.”
Alden was interrupted by a burst of laughter, as both Casimiro and Wahanksica collectively lost it.
“What the hell is so funny?”
The Guardian looked back and forth between the two men, who each paused for a moment to glance at one another, only to then begin laughing even harder. Alden looked to Galen, thumbing toward the howling pair.
“What’s gotten into these two?” he asked.
Galen coughed.
“The third attendant of this meeting, I’ve yet to introduce,” the Doctor began. “...is the head of hospital security here, Donatella Gagliardi... Perhaps you’re familiar with the name? She is Vittorio’s daughter, and the two spies are his sons.”
Alden’s jaw dropped. He could not believe the good Dr. Argyris was in league with Vampires, especially the likes of the bloodline of Vito Gagliardi.
“You have got to be kidding me!,” the Guardian gasped. “Vito’s kids! Really! And you expect me to help them??? Tell me, what is the nature of this sample you have?”
“A virus designed to kill Vampires...” the Doctor began, without getting far before Alden broke in with a giant snort of his own.
Galen felt as though things were beginning to go downhill from there. Alden guffawed, still bent over the chair, this time holding it to collect himself before speaking. The brothers glared.
“A virus to kill vampires...,” he roared, wiping his eyes. “...and you’re actually concerned about this???”
“The files on this drive contain plans for other viruses, as well,” Galen said sternly. “One each to wipe out mages, psychics, and therianthropes, respectively.”
Alden looked directly into Galen’s eyes. They were bionic, but human... no deception hidden within.
“Merlin’s beard, you’re serious,” Alden balked, startled. “Someone is actually planning on wiping out all magic users!”
The Guardian sank into the chair he’d been holding onto.
“Damn.”
Clearly, this was no laughing matter.
“Not just mage kind,” Galen looked pallidly at the data on the projector screen. “There’s even a partial file with plans for a human virus, too.”
“Well, I guess we have no choice, then,” Alden sighed, all joking aside. “Looks like we have to take down this lab, and everyone in it.”
Alden tapped his fingers on the back of the chair. He had been feeling pretty good about getting Vittorio out of his city. But some part of him knew that feeling of satisfaction had been just too good to be true. Now he had the old gangster’s offspring to deal with, not to mention some maniac bent on mass destruction. Looks like the other shoe was about to drop, after all.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar figure leading the janitorial crew in for the night shift, and had to stifle a laugh. Whatever in the blue hereafter was Wahanksica doing leading a janitorial crew? Especially at this laboratory... but no sooner had he reached that thought, than the smirk faded from his face. Obviously, he was doing the same thing Casimiro was... spying on the lab.
-----
After their exchange, Casimiro dropped Karen off at her place. He left her at her apartment around ten o’clock that night, and headed back to his safehouse, where he picked up a more discreet black coupe with tinted windows, then returned to the lab to follow Wahanksica. He sat there until one in the morning, when he spotted his target leaving with the janitorial staff, and tailed him to a local canteen. There he sidled up next to him at the bar, ordering one Sangria for himself, and another for Wahanksica.
“How ya doing, Hank?” Casimiro began idly, taking a sip of his drink.
“The name is Enriqué,” Wahanksica replied flatly, not looking up from his drink. “I don’t know you, and I don’t want to.”
Casimiro sighed.
“You know, you should really learn to pay better attention to your surroundings if you’re going to try your hand at the spy game, Hank.”
Hank looked up from his glass at the man talking to him and almost dropped his drink, nearly falling off his barstool in the process, which triggered the other’s instinctive reflexes, and without thinking, Casimiro shot out one arm to grab and steady his kid brother.
“Madre De Dios, Cas...” Hank gaped at his older half-sibling. “What in blazes are you doing here?”
“The same thing you are Hank... trying to get the scoop on that lab you’re posing at.”
Hank drew in a quick breath and opened his mouth to speak, but the elder continued before he could.
“Don’t even think of denying it. And stop trying to speak Spanish,” Casimiro drawled, letting his thick South American accent come through. “It doesn’t suit you.”
“Fine, but why are you spying on the lab?” Hank queried, after a long drag from his drink. “As far as I know they aren’t dealing in illicit drugs.”
“Father is the gangster and drug dealer in the family, not I,” Casimiro hissed, extending his neck to its maximum indignant height. “...and I would appreciate it if you would not get the two of us confused. Vittorio is merely a listless scoundrel, while I, on the other hand, am an Aztec Prince.”
“I could probably find a few more colorful words for our father...” Hank answered under his breath with a sneer.
Casimiro sighed again.
“Really, brother,” Casimiro rolled his eyes. “Vulgarity is beneath you, and only serves to diminish us both.”
This time Wahanksica rolled his eyes.
The brothers traded information on what they had discovered at the lab, and made plans to pilfer a few prizes from there the following day. Casimiro said he had a contact who would be able to look at the items and translate the medical and science jargon for them.
-----
The next day, Casimiro mesmerized Dr. Strathmore, and sent her to work with instructions to download the data he sought to a flash drive he had planted on her, disguised as a comb, while that night Hank and his crew swiped a cryo cannister from the lab shop. The brothers met up again when the cleaning shift was over, and headed for the South Side of Chicago, to a smoky Jazz bar, where Casimiro said his contact would be waiting. Together, they approached a beautiful Asian female in her twenties.
“What do you want, Casimiro?” Donatella probed, side-eyeing her older half-brother.
“My dearest Sister, is that any way to greet your brothers?” Casimiro pouted in feigned offense.
Donatella raised an eyebrow.
“Brothers?”
“Yes, of course, darling jefe,” Casimiro came back coolly, gesturing to his partner in crime. “This is Wahanksica, or you might just as well call him Hank, as I do. He is just as much your other half-brother as he is mine.”
Casimiro leered as both Hank and Donatella looked each other over skeptically.
“Vittorio is really your father?” Hank gaped.
“Yes.”
Donatella was baffled, but did not let it show. She was sure she could not know all of her father’s children. Hell, she only knew of Casimiro before tonight, and she was beginning to lose patience with both of these siblings.
“I’ll ask you again,” she repeated. “What is it you want?”
“We need help from father’s doctor to decipher some medical jargon,” Casimiro replied casually.
“This is quite serious,” Hank pronounced gravely. “This material could be detrimental to all vampire kind.”
“Fine, let’s go to his clinic and sort this out so I can be done with the both of you.”
Donatella wished she could simply say no to them but she knew better. At least at the clinic there would be a full complement of her father’s hand-picked guards.
-----
Galen was not at the clinic when the trio arrived, but Dr. Hisakawa offered to take a look at the files and samples the brothers brought in. He said nothing to them about his findings, but asked Donatella to escort them to the conference room, while he called Galen to the clinic immediately. He had Galen meet the entire group in the conference room to go over the items.
“This can’t be right...” an astonished Galen muttered, looking over the data and shaking his head. “This is no good. No good at all,” he kept muttering, almost more to himself.
Those gathered around the table were all leaned forward intently. Galen suddenly became aware of multiple expectant gazes trained on him. He cleared his throat.
“If these files are correct... I’m going to call in some help,” Galen explained. “You all are just going to have to trust me on this... it’s for the best, especially since your father is not available at the moment.”
Wahanksica winced. Casimiro seethed.
“We certainly wouldn’t need him if he was,” the prince declared dryly.
“If you’re planning on calling who I think you are, then I shall make myself scarce,” Dr. Hisakawa informed Galen. “No need for him to be aware of my existence.”
And with that, the crystal skull floated out of the conference room.
-----
Alden could not imagine what Dr. Argyris would want of him at this hour of night, but he’d said it was urgent. The doctor was well known by law enforcement within the city. He had performed almost every bionic implant wounded officers needed, so when he summoned Alden, the Guardian would not keep him waiting. Upon arrival at the clinic, he was directed to a conference room by the night staff on duty. There, he found Dr. Argyris standing in front of a projector screen, surrounded by three other individuals in the room, two males and one female. All three were unknown to Alden, but their features seemed familiar to him somehow.
“Guardian Duke,” Galen welcomed, crossing the room to shake Alden’s hand. “I’m glad you could make it,” the Doctor began, pulling out an open seat for their newest guest.
“I have come into some rather disturbing evidence that could be potentially dire, in relation to possible biological weapons being created here in the Cities.”
Alden gripped the back of a chair to steady himself.
“Bio weapons...” he spluttered, trying not to choke. “What laboratory?”
“Diluo Labratories in Cicero at South Laramie Avenue and West Pershing Road,” Casimiro spoke up in response.
“Who are your friends and what evidence do you have?” Alden demanded.
Alden really did not need this right now. Not in this political climate.
“Well the evidence is on these data files, and in this sample obtained from the lab by these individuals here,” Dr. Argyris answered, gesturing to the brothers. “Casimiro is an agent of the Mexican royals, and Wahanksica is an agent of the Ndakinnian government. They brought the materials to me.”
“Great, more spies!” Alden threw up his hands and shook his head at the young Doctor. “Galen, I just got done expelling Vittorio not only from the city but in fact from the whole dang country, because he was involved with spies.”
Alden was interrupted by a burst of laughter, as both Casimiro and Wahanksica collectively lost it.
“What the hell is so funny?”
The Guardian looked back and forth between the two men, who each paused for a moment to glance at one another, only to then begin laughing even harder. Alden looked to Galen, thumbing toward the howling pair.
“What’s gotten into these two?” he asked.
Galen coughed.
“The third attendant of this meeting, I’ve yet to introduce,” the Doctor began. “...is the head of hospital security here, Donatella Gagliardi... Perhaps you’re familiar with the name? She is Vittorio’s daughter, and the two spies are his sons.”
Alden’s jaw dropped. He could not believe the good Dr. Argyris was in league with Vampires, especially the likes of the bloodline of Vito Gagliardi.
“You have got to be kidding me!,” the Guardian gasped. “Vito’s kids! Really! And you expect me to help them??? Tell me, what is the nature of this sample you have?”
“A virus designed to kill Vampires...” the Doctor began, without getting far before Alden broke in with a giant snort of his own.
Galen felt as though things were beginning to go downhill from there. Alden guffawed, still bent over the chair, this time holding it to collect himself before speaking. The brothers glared.
“A virus to kill vampires...,” he roared, wiping his eyes. “...and you’re actually concerned about this???”
“The files on this drive contain plans for other viruses, as well,” Galen said sternly. “One each to wipe out mages, psychics, and therianthropes, respectively.”
Alden looked directly into Galen’s eyes. They were bionic, but human... no deception hidden within.
“Merlin’s beard, you’re serious,” Alden balked, startled. “Someone is actually planning on wiping out all magic users!”
The Guardian sank into the chair he’d been holding onto.
“Damn.”
Clearly, this was no laughing matter.
“Not just mage kind,” Galen looked pallidly at the data on the projector screen. “There’s even a partial file with plans for a human virus, too.”
“Well, I guess we have no choice, then,” Alden sighed, all joking aside. “Looks like we have to take down this lab, and everyone in it.”
Alden tapped his fingers on the back of the chair. He had been feeling pretty good about getting Vittorio out of his city. But some part of him knew that feeling of satisfaction had been just too good to be true. Now he had the old gangster’s offspring to deal with, not to mention some maniac bent on mass destruction. Looks like the other shoe was about to drop, after all.