Checking Up

[12:48:34 16/01/11] cobrawax : Liam steps outside of the store and calls Dave.

cobrawax : "Hey Dave. It's Liam. I'm back in Salem and I need some help over here." Liam replies.

[12:51:30 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Salem? You run out of money or something? You're the one living with their folks, right? What happened?"

[12:52:46 16/01/11] cobrawax : "No, nothing like that. See, I was looking into Greg's death and it turns out he was murdered by this pack of wolves holed up in the abandoned industrial waste plant."

[12:53:50 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Wolves, huh?"

[12:54:37 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Yeah, you know, full moon, silver bullets, that kind of wolf." Liam answered.

[12:55:27 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Anyway, they've been causing problems since 2002 and they're planning this turf war and have this huge deal coming up."

[12:56:26 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Huh...no shit." Now the time that old guy had thrown silver at him made a little more sense. It was still a dick move though, "Y'know I'm not made of silver. So if you hit me up for cutlery you're SOL"

[12:57:39 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Don't worry about it. The silver has already been taken care of."

[12:58:16 16/01/11] cobrawax : "I'm going to pick it up from Ray in about a half hour."

[12:59:07 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Oh, ok. So what are you planning?"

[13:01:50 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Guess, we're going to need to lure them out of their lair and try take out their leader as soon as possible with the hope of driving them into confusion. That's the plan so far, but if you can think of anything it'd be helpful." Liam replied

[13:03:49 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Yeah, I don't know shit about wolves. But you could prob'ly put like silver shavings in buckshot or something. You know how ridiculous all this sounds, right? Never mind. Anyhow, I got nothing. How big are these things?"

[13:05:41 16/01/11] cobrawax : "I haven't seen them as wolves but one of them is massive. The leader is pretty small, but she's really sneaky,"

[13:07:16 16/01/11] @ Dean : "So there's a pack of these things, huh?"

[13:07:44 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Yeah. At least three, but I got at least one other guy on board."

[13:09:15 16/01/11] @ Dean : "So three on three. Except they're huge wolves and we're some soft dudes."

[13:12:08 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Yeah." said Liam grimly. "We need to keep our distance and stay the hell out of their lair. Maybe Ray could give us some more advice. I'll try and round up some others. Maybe you could even convince some Detroit people to come. We know about those two nightclubs run by the fangs. You could use that as a bargaining chip."

[13:13:19 16/01/11] @ Dean : "I guess. Couldn't we just torch their lair?"

[13:15:38 16/01/11] cobrawax : "You know, they tried that, but it didn't work. The place is practically indestructable. It's apparently a side effect of the wolves having stayed there so long. But there's this book they want. And if we can't use that, I still got some of those bug bombs or whatever they're called."

[13:16:25 16/01/11] @ Dean : "So how much silver you got?"

[13:18:40 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Over fifty. The guy supplying them was originally going to give me fifty, but Ray said that wasn't nearly enough, so he's getting me some more. Probably over a hundred anyway."

[13:28:36 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Well I'm kind of broke, I mean with gas money and all..."

[13:31:02 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Don't worry. I'm sure Brewer will cover it. Right forgot about him. Well, he's this rich guy, who wants these wolves taken care of. And, Doc, the other guy who's joining up with me, doesn't want any of Brewer's money, so I guess that leaves more for you."

[13:32:48 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Plus, you got some of Cirino's money left, right?"

[13:33:57 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Uh, yeah, it's not all the money in the world though."

[13:35:57 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Well, like I said, I'm sure Brewer could take care of it. Oh, one more thing. You probably shouldn't mention anything about Brewer to Chrissy."

[13:37:36 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Right. Doc, huh?"

[13:37:52 16/01/11] cobrawax : "You know him?"

[13:38:59 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Yeah, he's an asshole."

[13:40:33 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Oh...I see. Well, we'll all end up working with people we'd rather not work with in this line of work. Wait, he didn't do anything bad to you, like personally did he?"

[13:43:14 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Nah, he just dragged me out of bed like 3 hours before a shift just to see my in daylight and toss silver at me with no fucking explanation. And he'll talk a bunch of bullshit about 'the line' which as far as I can tell means 'the thing I want to do is good and if you don't want to do it you're evil'. He sucks."

[13:46:34 16/01/11] cobrawax : Liam chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like him alright. Well, I'm sure he only does that to people he's just met."

[13:47:16 16/01/11] cobrawax : "He's probably figured out you're not a fang by now."

[13:49:02 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Yeah, well. I wouldn't want to have to spend time with him outside something like this. That's all I'm saying. So when's this happening?"

[13:51:30 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Soon as possible. They got a deal coming up in a day or two for some magic book that Brewer currently has. They'll be out of that lair of their's trying to get it back. That's probably our chance."

[13:54:04 16/01/11] cobrawax : "I don't think we should let that deal go down though. Also, the wolves know where I live."

[13:54:25 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Magic book, right. I don't want to know. I'll try and get down in a day or two."

[13:56:00 16/01/11] cobrawax : "I wouldn't procrastinate on this. The longer we let this go on, the more damage they'll cause."

[13:57:33 16/01/11] @ Dean : "Well it's hard dropping everything to go back to Salem. I'll be there soon."

[13:58:00 16/01/11] cobrawax : "Okay. Thanks Dave."

Liam hung up, and then bought 3 ski masks and three unscented deodorants with the credit card again. He believed these would be useful later. Then he headed to Brewer's cafe in downtown, figuring it would be about time for him to pick up the bullets.

As Liam is seated at the cafe, he is left with a menu as the wait staff checks with a nearby table. Glancing around, he doesn't see Ray or Brewer in sight yet.

There are a handful of men on the nearby computer terminal.

One seems to be reading a blog about a fugitive in Detroit, gauging by the high resolution picture of a blonde woman assaulting another woman.

"Hey." Ray drops into the seat across from you, dropping a heavy bag in the seat to your left.

"Here's fifty more. Brewer hasn't been taking my calls, though. You been in touch with moneybags?"

Liam took the bag. "Well, I called him earlier to ask if he had any evidence of Lily's people actually being what he told me they were and he just started bitching about me not doing my job. Maybe he's hiding or something."

Liam catches a glimpse of the news article out of the corner of his eye. "Hold on a sec, Ray."

He approaches the man reading the blog. "Hey, is there something bad going on in Detroit? I got some friends over there."

"Or he's just being stupid." Ray theorizes. "He's not a great thinker. He was setting you up with fifty bullets, for Chrissakes."


"Huh?" The man made an effort to minimize the page before he hears all of what you're saying.

"Friends?" He pauses for a second, leaving the page onscreen. You can read through a blog -C-Bloggert.net-with somebody talking about taking a picture of the alleged fugitive four minutes ago.

"There's this mass murderin' chick who was shot down by the government. This guy says that the chick may still be up and murderin'."

"Second time's the charm." said Liam dryly. He went back to Ray. "Yeah, that sounds pretty likely. Hey, you think there's any chance the wolves will come here looking for the book?"

The guy gave you a look and went back to reading the blog.

Ray sat back in his chair, his eyes going skyward as he thought. "There's a chance, yeah. These dogs seem more organized than your usual sort. No -" He leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"- dead animals, no weird spirits. If they think the book is here, I bet my left nut they'd come here."

His eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Do they think the book is here?" He hissed between clenched teeth.

"I don't know. I know they know Brewer's name. And I know they managed to track Greg to the middle of nowhere." said Liam quietly. "Anything can happen, Me and my men may have to keep an eye on this place."

"They tracked Greg to the middle of nowhere?" Ray tilted his head. "You been out there since? If that's where they - well. They may think that belongs to them, too."

He makes a face.
"Sick, isn't it? To think of those skin changers hanging where Greg lived."

Ray stood up.

"I'd love to hang and do the stake out, but I have to check on someone. Some advice? Don't stake it out from inside. And as I'm leaving, I wouldn't hang out here alone. I'd drive you somewhere, if you want."

Ray is moving now, to the far wall. he's glancing out of the windows on the restaurant side. He seems wary. He is close enough for you to speak to him, but he's clearly wondering if someone - or some things - are watching you from the outside.

"No, there's some preparations I need to make and you're busy. Don't worry about it. I'll call someone else." said Liam, slightly unnerved. "You have any other advice you can give me?"

"They're faster, stronger and have a connection to each other like you'd have to your brother." Ray said simply. "I'd be very careful and don't fight far.

They won't. From stories I've heard, they can do some scary shit."

Ray turns and extends his hand for a hand shake. "Don't forget." He states, nodding to the duffel resting on the chair. "You have a hundred now. Use 'em well."

Liam shook his hand. "I will. Thanks Ray." He said wearily.

[15:20:52] AeonThePhoenix : "G'day?" An australian sounding voice said down the line. "Who's calling?"

[15:21:27] cobrawax : "Liam. Not sure if you got the message, but I'm in Salem now." Liam answered

[15:22:28] AeonThePhoenix : "Heya pal." Mike said, sounding more friendly now he recognised the caller. "How's the Hunt going down your way?"

[15:23:49] cobrawax : "Well...I found out who killed Greg. They're still out there. Causing problems. I got Dave and Doc to agree to help me take them out. There's at least three of these monsters, so it doesn't look so good." said Liam grimly.

[15:25:27] AeonThePhoenix : "What kind of monsters?" Mike asked.

[15:27:01] cobrawax : "Wolves. You know. Like the old horror movie?" Liam sighed. "Well, at least we won't have to worry about the silver bullets. That part's taken care of. I got a duffel bag with a hundred of em."

[15:28:06] AeonThePhoenix : "So, what, you need a spare pair of hands, preferably holding guns in them?" Mike inquired.

[15:30:10] cobrawax : "I just need anyone who can help in any way really. Preferably soon, but I've never been the kind of guy to rush into these things."

[15:34:38] AeonThePhoenix : "My own team up here is in mid-Hunt of something right at the moment, but once we're done I can see about heading straight down to help you out. Might be able to get my teammates to come with as well." Mike stayed deliberately vague, knowing TFV would't appreciate him throwing about news of his new status as one of their agents.

[15:37:23] cobrawax : "Thanks. Hey, maybe we could use the fact that we know about those two vampire run clubs in Detroit as a bargaining chip. Oh and let me know if I can help in any way."


[15:40:21] AeonThePhoenix : "Catch ya soon." Mike reassured Liam.

[15:41:10] cobrawax : "Yeah, see ya." Liam hung up.

Liam thought hard about which 'fangs' could have a stake in the industrial district

Spoiler:

Within a few moments, Liam recalled some of the literature he'd rifled through and discarded back during the Cirino case. One of the pieces of literature was the flier for 'Savile Row'. After a cursory computer search on Google, Liam found that the club was in a formerly abandoned warehouse in the industrial district.

It had a cursory flash page on the internet put up, a collage of hard partying youth dancing in a dark dance floor punctuated by bright strobe lights.

Liam went home and typed up a message:

To who it may concern,
I have heard from a reliable source that a group in the industrial district has hired men to try and destroy your kind and take over the industrial district. The group is led by a woman called Lily. She is a dark skinned woman with short hair. They are currently residing in a waste plant here in the industrial district which has been abandoned since around 2002. Now, I wouldn't worry about the men hired to come after you, seeing as one of them is dead and the rest have since given up and moved away. This group isn't human. I believe they are the same creatures you have been warring with for quite some time. Also, it is worth noting that the waste plant is invulnerable and it would be reckless to actually enter it. If you do enter it, it is difficult to get out and technology is rendered useless. However, during the next two days, this group will be leaving the plant a lot. This is probably your best chance.


He printed it out, folded it up, and put it in his pocket. Liam put on a lot of that new deodorant in an attempt to make him difficult to track and went to the club only taking the letter and whatever else he had in his pockets.

Finding Saville Row was relatively easy to find. After walking the industrial area indicated in the web site, he spotted a black clad duo dissapearing into a building. Shadowing them, he found a slumped, tattooed man smoking a cigarette at the doorway.

Seeing you, the man flicked the cigarette in your direction. Embers flutter harmlessly down by your feet.

"Five bucks." The man barks, looking you up and down. "No cameras."

Liam handed over the five bucks. "So, there a band playing here tonight?"

"You just missed the 'Dolls." The man replied, pocketing the money. "No idea whose on tonight."

He bobs his head to the door, indicating you can go in. Two others arrive behind you at the door. They are skinny, pale and look to be about sixteen and barely beginning their initiation into the Goth sub culture with lanky black hair and extreme make up.

Liam looked around the club for someone who looked like they were either in charge, or knew someone who was.

Liam drifted around the club for several minutes. There was a man standing behind a low counter handing out drinks- bottled water, bottled powerade and so on. The majority of the people he saw were congregated on the dance floor, dancing to a CD of heavy rock.

He saw a handful of slim girls moving through the crowd, handing out CDs and memorabilia. There were no sign of any club owner or someone in charge.

Liam goes up to the man behind the low counter. "Hey, you know who's in charge of this place?"

"Alan."
The bartender replied, passing a bottle of water to someone who walked up beside you.
"Comes in every Tuesday. Why?"

"I believe I have a really important message for him." Liam replied. "He needs to get this as soon as possible. So, if there's a place where I could just drop it off, that would be great."

"Nah.." The bartender shook his head, moving beside you to hand out more beverages. "There's no office or anything. But the manager is here if you want to talk to her. Kelly should be watching the band set up on stage."

He nods off across the darkened warehouse. through the flashing strobe lights, you barely make out dark forms on stage that could be the band setting up.