One night shortly after his arrival in Sacramento, when Mel awakens, he finds a note folded on his chest. It is triple-folded, letter-style, and laser printed on a piece of ordinary computer paper.
The note reads simply: Meet tonight at 11:45 in the alley behind the Starbucks at {so and so address specified}.
A blink, ice-blue eyes flickering up to the clock. It wasn't quite time yet.
He hadn't moved since he'd woken save to look at the message. Of course they'd know how to get into his Haven. They knew everything.
No shock.
Just complete and utter trust.
He gets up. Dresses. Something simple. Something to make him look like one of those trendy kids who hung out in Starbucks. Jeans and a t-shirt with some random 'deep' quote from someone he'd never cared enough about to read their work. An Ipod and a laptop case slung across his torso.
Best to blend in.
At 11:45, he's there. Waiting. Sorting through the things that no one else could see in order to pick out what was real and what was in Twilight.
The appointed time arrives. The area behind the Starbucks is, for the most part, clean; the dumpster has been emptied on a regular basis, there is a light over the back door of the shop, it's a pretty safe area.
At a few seconds after the appointed time, a figure approaches from down the alley. Mel had not seen or heard the person's approach, and then suddenly did. The person moves at a slow, even pace, taking a few seconds to approach Mel. He does not enter the pool of bright light nearest the back door of the Starbucks.
The person is a man wearing a black suit, a wide-brimmed hat, neat black shoes, a grey shirt and a black tie. He carries a soft, black leather satchel. Up close, Mel notices something subtly off about the person's face. The skin texture isn't quite right. Mel isn't sure if the man is wearing makeup or a full-face mask.
After a moment, the man nods in greeting but says nothing.
Which it wasn't. Most Starbucks tended to close before now. 11:45 was a little late for one to be open. And he wasn't expecting anyone to answer him. Conversation was easier though.
The last person he'd fed from had memories full of awkward silences and a she and a man sitting at a small table together, eating dinner in silence, and her own emotions screaming for him to say something.
Mel himself didn't much mind silence.
What Mekhet did?
A head tilt, and Mel studied him. Mask or scars, it didn't much matter. Pretty is as pretty does. He could care less what people looked like. The shell was secondary.
A spiral notebook--worn and full--is taken from his own satchel. It was innocuous enough, but within were his own divinations and visions. His own tarot readings. His own observations.
"The Tapestry is being woven quickly here. Who or what is to be the Thread to my Needle?"
The man doesn't say a word. He opens up his satchel and hands Mel two things - an envelope and a notebook computer. The envelope has the words OPEN THIS FIRST laser-printed on front in big, block letters.
Both are put into the laptop case without a second thought, and Mel heads in the opposite direction.
*********
It's not long before he makes it back to his little condominium, Joshua going to find himself something to do while Mel headed into his little room with it's bed and no windows.
The envelope and the notebook are taken out of the bag and put on his desk. One had to have faith in The Fates. It was one of the few things his sire let him keep of himself. When he'd been who he'd been before he'd died for three days and had been brought back by Ezekiel.
Vague memories of being killed by Ezekiel's enemies, but no idea of how or why or what they'd hoped to achieve. After all, Ezekiel had seen it all in his visions. Had waited for the phone to ring and to be told to do it.
He'd known that phone call would come on time.
~You haven't been the same since, Mel...~
"Being dead for three nights would make anyone crazy. Shut up and let me work."
The envelope contains a folded piece of paper and a key. There is a tag on the key, which says Box 143.
The folded piece of paper is a letter. Inside the letter are a purple Post-It note listing a dorm address and a photograph of a young woman. The letter is laser-printed on ordinary computer paper and is unsigned. The handwriting on the Post-It note is unfamiliar to Mel.
The letter reads:
Your assignments are as follows:
1) Find out what you can about the recent destruction of many vampires in the Sacramento Domain, and what the Kindred of the Domain know about the incident. Pertinent questions to focus on include:
- Who or what caused the destruction of so many Kindred?
- By what means did said destruction occur?
- Are there any patterns evident (i.e., was the effect selective for clan, bloodline, blood strength or any other identifiable factor)?
Include also any information you can obtain regarding any Kindred you determine to have any detailed knowledge of this incident.
2) Make and maintain contact with Dr. Erika Brady, and report any and all observations regarding her.
3) Observe a mortal named Elizabeth Beth Grant. DOB 3/22/1991 (see enclosed photo). She is currently residing at {address given} and works at the Aeropostale store at Arden Fair Mall for the summer. She is enrolled in Sacramento State University for the Fall 2009 (enclosed find her dorm assignment; her first semester course schedule will be forwarded to you after she has registered for classes). Note: If opportunity presents, it may be advantageous for you to create and maintain one or more ghouls to observe this subject during daytime hours.
Communication:
Routine communication should occur by mail. Send reports to the following address:
Seth Taylor
PO Box 075
Riverside, CA 92501
The enclosed key is for the US Post Office located at 2000 Royal Oaks Drive in Sacramento. Communications will be sent to you at that location.
In case urgent communication is necessary, send email via the computer provided to you. The password to the computer is forTune378X. Use of any other password will wipe clean the computer's hard drive. A gmail account has been set up for you using the name Fate17. The account is preloaded with several email addresses. Use only STaylor445@gmail.com . Use of any of the other listed addresses will deactivate the above-listed email account. Communications to you sent from the address SethT4toon@gmail.com . Receipt of email from that username but a different provider will indicate this route of communication has been compromised, in which case you should immediately destroy the computer you have been provided.
So Joshua wasn't to be used for spying. Which was fine. Mel needed him around to help him recall things, to protect him during the day, and to practice Meminisse on. Which meant he needed more ghouls. At least two to watch the girl by day so that he could put his attentions on both her and Erika Brady by night.
And then there would be finding out about what had afflicted Sacramento in past nights. Why there were so few Kindred.
Ask the ghosts, maybe? If there were any to be found.
He wouldn't open the notebook computer until it was needed, putting it in his desk drawer and locking it. It was too important to let just lay around. Especially if he had to find more ghouls.
He thought Joshua would be enough, but apparently not.
Right.
He'd put the cards to work. Find who was proper.
You couldn't ghoul just anyone, after all.
Lots, and lots to do. First things first.
Time to find out where and what and how about this affliction. They wanted to know, so they'd know.
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