The Hunt

[Azrael]

People leave tracks. not just footprints but imprints of their actions on items and even people. When a vampire ages they can follow these tracks to a degree. With enough thought and effort they can detect these imprints. As Azrael stood beside Frank’s hospital bed he focused his thoughts on the events of Frank’s last night at the bar. A pale hand moving to rest on the glowing Runes on Frank’s back and the images of that night would crash into his minds eyes washing over him like a wave as he found himself behind the bar his eyes following Frank as he went to enter his car. He saw the figure that grabbed him and watched as a blade was lifted to the bar tender’s neck His emerald eyes would narrow as he finally saw the face of his prey. Those green eyes and that scarred visage burned into his memory was he allowed the vision to slip away the last bit of it that left his thoughts were the unanswered screams that Frank let out into the darkness.

Petting the top of the sleeping man’s head silently he would slip from the room. Frank had been loyal to him, even in the face of death. It could have been simple fear that motivated him not to betray Azrael but none the less Az was not the sort to forget loyalty and he would repay frank for it. First with his attackers blood and in other ways when his employee was once again in good health..

*************************

Hours later Azrael was inside a police station sitting at a desk in a darkened office as his fingers moved along the keys of a keyboard. He had been going through the NCIS for ours looking through mug shots and at anyone who had a name even remotely close to Elijah. His boys were still out scouring the city but there was nothing yet. He loved the hunt even if he wouldn’t admit it. The thrill of the chase was like a drug for the vampire and it would be paled only by the excitement of coming face to face with his quarry. Azrael knew that if Mika feared this one then he was going to be dangerous, and there within Azrael’s warped though processes lied a sick fixation. This Elijah would be a challenge. Not only finding him but the confrontation that he knew would ensue.

Az loved a good fight, he had been fixated for as long as he could remember with becoming what he considered the perfect warrior, and that had fueled his insatiable desire for learning. Centuries had been devoted to the martial arts and the study of strategy and weapon play, it gave his life meaning and in his eyes to truly become the best he would have to constantly test himself. This was to be another such test. He had never known much about the arcane, and the glowing marks that this Elijah was leaving his wake told Azrael that he was going to be well outside his comfort zone. What better place to test his limits?

*************************

All across the city Azrael’s men had been pulled from their day to day tasks, one and all with charged with hunting down this Elijah. Only one of those men was ever able to truly claim to know what Az was thinking to most his methods were a mystery, if not for the constant yields they brought this band of thugs would most certainly have steered clear of Azrael and his every twisting schemes. Draven who knew Az better than any of his men was even stumped by the amount of effort Az was putting into his search. Frank after all was just a bartender, he had seen Azrael put forth less effort to avenge his lieutenants what was so different about this situation?

Criminals much like old women are prone to gossip and with both Azrael and Xavier’s small armies of men devoted almost to the man to finding this Elijah fellow every darkened alley and seedy bar in the city was mad with whispers. Everyone knew something was up and something big, and there were more than a few theories on it. But with the kind of reward Azrael had put on Elijah everyone was taking the situation at least somewhat seriously. After all finding this particular pain in Az’s side offered a big enough payday to change most peoples tax brackets a couple of notches in the right direction.

*************************

[Mika Jade Nyte]

Elijah. That's what he simply was known as. He had recently shown up in New York City, finally picking up the trail once more on his little pet. It had taken him so very long to find that trail to begin with, and he had so many false leads. The problem was, Mika never stayed in one spot for too long. She never did.

This time, was different. He hadn't gone straight to NYC when getting the new lead. He wasn't about to waste his time and energy on another wrong turn. However, more and more reports began to filter in. And when he heard that Belle's daughter was there as well...well, that changed things.

What better use than to have someone else to shift everyone's focus too? First the FBI bounty hunter that was hired on to 'track' Royce down. Then the Triad's clued in and sent to that silly little Blood Rat pack. Stir things up a bit, throw in a teaspoon of peace to take everyone's mind down a bit, and whallah.

So what was the point of directing everyone's attention towards Royce and not taking any action himself? For simple observation. See, Elijah wasn't stupid. He was extremely smart, and he took very slow steps. His tastes definitely rested on the dark and arcane, but he never left behind evidence. So Azrael would search the databases, but he wouldn't find any trails from there.

Of course, Azrael wasn't making any of this easy for him. Then again, Elijah had hoped not. He loved a good challenge, and it had been a very long time since he had had one. Azrael was to be the final course in his own hunt.

Sitting back against the plush armchair, he looked to the images of Mika covering over one of the walls above his desk in his study. She always was the unusual one, and he had known early one she was a challenge as well. And he had wanted to break her completely. It had taken years to whittle her down. Near the end, he had been disappointed with her, for it had seemed she had no fight left. So why keep her? She had been proving to be less and less of a challenge, and like all artists, he had decided to destroy the work instead of trying to fix it.

He hadn't expected the rebound of that spell. It was a complex spell, but it was quickly cast. Where Mika had picked up the counterspell for it, he never did know. He almost didn't survive.

Almost.

"Sir, she's here." Came the slow drawl of his man servant. Eli nodded, and continued to sit in his chair. The servant left, and soon a busty brunette came strolling through the door.

She looked the guy over, and lips curled. At least he wasn't ugly. He wasn't the best looking person in the world, but there was something that definitely was appealing. "So yer man says yer willin' ta pay me as much as I want. So what is it yer wantin'?"

Eli gave a slow grin, and beckoned her over.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Detective Hastings scowled as he looked down at the body of the fifth prostitute in the last two weeks. Like all the others, they couldn't find one damn thing to tell the cause of death. And the detective was quite sure after the autopsy, they'd be stumped still. For neither a mark was on the inside or the outside. It was as if they simply, just ceased to live. Reporters were already showing up, and the next morning the news would start shouting off about a 'Son of Sam' type killer on the loose.

[Azrael]

Elijah never left tracks, or did he? As Azrael sat in his office pen in hand he let it move across the paper on his desk. His thoughts on the work at hand as he listened to the television in the background. His little bit of prowling at the police station offered little help. All he knew now was that Elijah could cover his tracks. He had expected nothing less however. If it was easy where would the fun be? Eyes still fixed on the work at hand his keen ears would tune into the voice of a newscaster in the background.

“With five deaths in recent weeks it has become painfully clear to local police that The Phoenix Gate has its first serial killer. A source within the police department has told us that the victims were all found dead with no visible signs of attack, in fact the coroner was unable to find any plausible cause of death for any of the victims. Representatives for all of the major Metahuman races came forward to announce that these types of attacks are as strange to them as they are to the police and to further they claim the heads of the Metahuman communities were quick to offer their full assistance in the police investigation.”

Dropping his pen to the desk Azrael would move to look at the television set giving it his full attention.

“The names of the victims have yet to be released but our sources tell us that they were all known prostitutes and that the bodies are being held in a secure location for further examination. Detective Sergeant Hastings the officer in charge of the case was unavailable for comment…..”

With a slight grin Azrael would flip off the power on the TV and move back to the desk he had been sitting at. The picture of Elijah he had drawn sitting there starring back up at him. With another smile he would lift the paper from the desk and tuck it into his coat pocket before heading towards the door.

*************************************

Frustrated, that was the word to describe detective Hastings as he entered his office the lights were off and he didn’t bother to cut them on as he headed straight for his desk to grab the bottle of scotch stashed there. The reporters had been circling him like vultures and when he found the leak within the department he was planning on personally dumping their body into the Hudson . He didn’t notice it at first so he was startled beyond words when the figure in his chair turned to face him holding up the bottle of scotch in its right hand.

“Now now detective is drinking on the job really that conductive to finding a murderer?”

The detective would narrow his eyes on the shadowed figure as he looked to the scotch in his hand.

“Can't say as it is but its damn sure conductive to me maintainin’ my sanity. Now you wanna tell me why yer sittin in my chair and goin through my drawers.”

“well my good detective I am here to offer you my invaluable assistance in the apprehension of this elusive killer of yours.”

“an what kind of assistance are you referrin to?”

“Monetary.”

The shadowed figure would toss a manila envelope filled with one hundred dollar bills to the Detective before placing the bottle of scotch onto the desk. As Hastings flipped through the bills he would arch a brow.

"Nuthins free what you want for this money?”

“The location where they are keeping the dead hookers.”

*************************************

One hour later and Azrael was standing inside a morgue looking at the bodies of five dead hookers the images of their deaths still all to fresh in his mind. The morgue worker groaned from his fist induced slumber as the vampire moved a cigarette to his lips.

“I’m getting closer Eli,”

*************************************

As up and coming reporter Sara Mariner stepped into her office he attention quickly turned to the blood red rose on her desk and the Manila envelope below it. In sloppy handwriting it had a message scrawled across the top.‘

The Face that will change your career.’
It was simply signed A.A.

Within the envelope was the drawing of Elijah and the names of the five dead prostitutes.

Within hours the face of Azrael’s quarry would be all over the news, and Az would be waiting to cash in on Elijah’s first mistake.

[Mika Jade Nyte]

"Son of a bitch!" Elijah snarled as he watched the evening news.

"....further unknown possible sources say a man named Elijah, shown here in this drawing, could be the culprit behind these strange slayings. Again, we here at Station 24 urge everyone if you have any information on this man, please call the police immediately." Sara Mariner was saying.

Elijah began to pace his study, his hands rubbing at his face. "Scott!" He finally shouted, and when the man servant came in, he was met with a sudden powerful bolt of that dark magic, dropping him dead in his tracks. "Stupid fuck. I told you to destroy the bodies."

Of course, it was just as much his fault...leaving peons in charge of something so important.

He took a slow breath, coming to a stop in front of the large window overlooking his acres of property. It took a good half an hour, but finally he managed to calm himself down. He hadn't expected a breakthrough like that, nor such mass coverage either. But it was nothing more than a ..."minor setback..." he murmured.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

[/center]

"Hello Miss Mariner." Came a strange, low voice from behind the news caster as she stepped into her home. She gasped, turning around. A flash of pale green light filled the small apartment, and the voice began to speak. An hour later, Sara Mariner would find herself picking up the phone to call the number given to her, still in the hypnotic daze.

"Mr. Alcazar? Two more lives will be taken including mine for your intrusion. Consider it more fuel to bind Mika Jade to him.." The woman said in a blank voice. Then there was silence on the other end of the receiver, as Sara mariner stepped off of the twenty story building to the streets below.

[Azrael]

Azrael hung up the phone and shook his head. With a slight smile.

“Nice to know I can get under your skin Eli.. Very nice to know”

What was left of Mariner’s body had been taken to the morgue and Azrael was there to greet it. His hands moving to caress her battered form as images of her death too moved to fill his mind. He was baiting Elijah, and it was working. Elijah had left his imprint on Frank and Walter as well as Mika and the dead hookers. Now poor little Sara Mariner offered Azrael another of Elijah’s paranormal foot prints. The phone call had promised one more body. one more to die, and one more imprint for the vampire to follow. As he stepped from the morgue he made his way towards Ms. Mariner’s apartment.

As he moved through what had once been her home he got passing glimpses of Elijah and his earlier actions as he walked. His metaphysical link to his quarry was much stronger now than when he had first collected those metaphysical imprints from Frank so much stronger in fact the he managed to pick up Flashes of Elijah three more times on his way back to his office.

Two bodies two souls condemned to die for Azrael’s actions. A price he was willing to pay. After all Azrael was practical to the point of cruelty. What were the lives of strangers when it came to the safety of friends?

[Mika Jade Nyte]

Eli was a bit confused. He felt almost like he was being closed in. The secret was not to fall to panic that most felt when being cornered. And so, after Miss Mariner's death, it seemed to grow calm. The other two bodies? Well, they were taken, but yet to be found. Eli, himself, decided to do a bit of research of his own.

Leaving his country side manor, he would set off down the coast to find the Bounty Hunter hired to go after Royce. At least the man was persistant.

[Azrael]

Azrael had found a clue as minute as it might be. Within the memories of those prostitutes there was a man servant who had taken them to their deaths. It was a link to Elijah and Azrael was going to explore it further but their was also a home and not a small one. Sitting at his laptop he would search through architectural databases and realtor sights in search of any homes in the New York area that had looked similar. He had reason to believe that if Elijah was in the area he had not been there long. So he would most likely have had to buy a house. He had also given Draven direction to start checking for estates with a home that would match the description he had given him. Trusting his man with the task he knew that if there was in fact a home similar to the one he had seen in those visions in the area Draven would find it, if Azrael didn’t find it online first.

As he continued to search those web pages he would pick up the phone and call Hastings. The phone would ring three times before the detective picked up.

“Hastings here.”

“My good detective..”

“What in hell you want now?”

Azrael would give the detective a description of the man servant he had seen in his vision before adding. “he is most likely trained as a bodyguard. Might even have a criminal record. Find what you can and call me back. Payment will stay the same.”

Hanging up the phone Azrael would go back to his search.

As for Hastings he was incredibly angry as he hung up the phone. At first because that cocky son of a bitch thought he owned him, and then because he realized he was going to do exactly as he was told. Moving to his computer Hastings would bring up NCIS and begin his search.. The detective would even go so far as to call a buddy at the FBI to ask him to see what he could dig up on the man Azrael had called about..

[Agent White]

Agent White had set up shop just outside of Boston. A small hotel room in a seedier area of town. It was sparsely furnished with a bed and a desk for his laptop. There was no sign of life within the apartment. No dirty laundry and the bed was perfectly undisturbed. The agent used the computer to keep in touch with Langley as he gathered reconnaissance on his target and her accomplices. He had recently learned that their might be a connection between this particular crew of miscreants and the deaths of five prostitutes. Evidence associated with the recent death of the Reporter Mariner showed she had placed a call to the vampire Azrael before she committed suicide. It wasn’t anything substantial but if there was some form of conflict going on within the gate between the power players that were protecting Royce and an outside force it was possible that it would soon be time for Agent White to make his move. It was a certainty and the lethally practical Agent was programmed to be more than patient. He could wait for months or even years if necessary for the opportune moment. Granted he had tested the waters a few months ago but that was a necessity. His fight with the vampire and his pet had given him an opportunity to gauge the strength of his targets allies data that would prove most valuable when he finally moved in to apprehend her.

As Agent White closed the screen of his laptop he moved to stand before the rooms small window and gaze out to the street below. Yes his time was indeed coming all that was left was to bide his time until that perfect opportunity presented itself and he knew that it would. Humans and those that descended from them would make their mistakes. Vampires and Lycanthropes were without a doubt a step up the evolutionary ladder but they were still far from escaping the flawed processes of human thought. It was a weakness and one Agent White would be sure to exploit.

[Detective Hastings]

Detective Hastings was stumped. He had taken the description given to him by Azrael and had spent a good part of the night and morning going through the NCIS database, and what he turned up was just...impossible. Sitting on his desk were four printouts. They were all the same face, but all had different names and info.


Name: Igor Kroughten
DoB: January 13, 1959
DoD: August 7, 1988
Occupation: Unemployed
Convictions: Grand Theft Auto, Armed Robbery, Manslaughter
Sentence: 3 life sentences w/o parole
Additional Info: Convict escaped Maximum Security Prison in Boston, MA 1986. Found dead in Bonn, Germany

Name: Vincent Marloon
DoB: May 3, 1975
DoD: June 25, 1990
Occupation: Unemployed
Convictions: Kidnapping, Murder 2nd degree
Sentence: 30 years w/poss parole
Additional Info: Convict escaped Maximum Security Prison in San Fransisco, CA 1990. Found dead in Queens, NYC

Name: William Ebert
DoB: November 19, 1977
DoD: Unknown
Occupation: Bouncer
Convictions: Armed Robbery
Sentence: 3 years w/poss parole. Later Directed to a mental rehabilitation facility.
Additional Info: Ebert was found trying to peel his own flesh from his body. He was found 'gibbering' incoherently and laughing madly. Ebert was directed to St. Judas Hospital for the criminally insane. Diagnosis: Paranoid Schitzophrenia. Ebert escaped three weeks later, and still remains at large.

Name: Scott Castrell
DoB: 1979
DoD: Unknown
Occupation: Bouncer
Convictions: Fraud
Sentence: 5 years w/poss parole
Additional Info: Convict escaped from low security prision in Baltimore, Maryland. Convict remains at large.

Hastings looked over the pictures carefully. They were indeed all the same guy. And although they apparently were all of different ages, they all looked the same as well. His mind whirled with questions, and he began to wonder just what the fuck was going on.

Taking a cigarette, he lit it up, sitting back.

Four pictures laid upon his desk, and the only differences were the apparent tattos upon the man's neck.

Igor - ڰ
Vinnie - ڰ ۞
William - ڰ ۞ ۳
Scott - ڰ ۞ ۳ ₤

[Elijah]

Elijah had left New York, but only for a time. And only after he performed the ritual necessary to reconstruct 'Scott' once more. He left the man in charge of the cleanup on the manor he had rented for that brief time and set off towards Washington, DC.

He was down there for only three days. What did he do? Well, it must have been something, for when he boarded the plane headed towards London, England, he did it with a smile. It was enough to make two of the flight attendants quite flirty the whole trip there. He'd make his small talk with them, and after landing, they'd be invited to the hotel, which they readily accepted.

Two days later, the Bobbies were stumped at finding the two flight attendants laid out on a hotel bed side by side, looking as if they were simply sleeping in their uniforms.

[Mika Jade Nyte]

Mika was getting more and more antsy. It hadn't helped that Elijah had cornered her at the bar, and she had to wonder if Az hadn't stepped in so quickly, would Eli had tried something more.

As it were, there had been a new addition around her neck, thanks to the soon to be deceased Walter. The poor guy had been sacrificed to add it on.

€ Ω ﺦ ﺿ ﺲ ф

Mika was taking great pains to remain unobvious these days. If she wasn't sticking as close to Azrael as she could, she was probably sticking about the loft. The fact that she felt so locked down was beginning to wear on her nerves, and she found herself cursing and snarling at nothing in particular. She was avoiding Royce's place with great pains, not wanting to bring any more trouble down on her cousin, knowing that she still had to deal with the problems with the Triads and the strangely absent FBI Bounty Hunter. And poor Royce...now dealing with twin infants to boot? All she could do was keep an occasional contact with her, and even that normally was through Rock. Rock was turning out to be quite the trustworthy loyal type. He was quiet as all hell, but he did his job and he did it well.

At the moment, Mika was standing out on the balcony, looking to the streets below with arms folded. Where th' fuck are ya, Eli?

She really didn't want that answered, and even took a sudden fearful look over her shoulder. Nothing. Shaking her head, she rubbed at her eyes, then gave a low growl. "This is fuckin' rediculous. He's got me hidin' like a lil' scared fuckin' baby."

She made her decision then, and twirled around heading towards the door. Down the elevator, and then to her bike, she yanked the helmet on and revved up the engine. Then she took off.

It was a pleasant night. For once, the humidity seemed to have gone away, leaving a nice cool breeze as she sped off towards Long Island. She knew of a couple good parties going on there, and she was in the need for feed.

As in Baltimore, she became lost in the party life, dancing with the young crowd, following the beats of music and hearts. She had finally spotted one guy and began to drawn him into her net. The guy was overly clingy and refused to leave his hands to himself, and though she led him on, she found it was disgusting her quite a bit.

She had led him out to the dark alley where her bike had been parked, and the young man had her pushed up against the building. She could tell right off he was one of the talkers. Talk a good talk to get laid, but couldn't walk the walk. Clumsy hands and eww..the guy drooled all over her neck. And for a moment, she thought he was on some sort of acid or 'shrooms, as he began to comment... "Sweet tattos! How ya get them to glow like that?.........and how are ya getting them to multiply by themselves?"

MJ froze. No, the guy definitely had to be hallucinating. But the smell from the guy...he was only drunk as hell. Maybe he was seeing double. Either way, it was enough to unnerve her, and she gave a low growl, before taking him by the hair, yanking his head back and plunging those fangs into his throat.

Half an hour later, the body hidden, she was half way over the bridge when she stopped. She yanked off the helmet and grabbed her bike's mirror and yanked it upward, tilting it so she could see, praying to whatever gods were listening.....but it wasn't meant to be.


€ Ω ﺦ ﺿ ﺲ ф ¥ Ψ ε

"Shit! This is impossible.." She growled, and started the bike up again after readjusting the mirror. It was then she heard the cop's siren behind her, and sighed, as she shut the engine off and waited. This wasn't her night at all.

"License." Came a cool young woman's voice. Mika turned her head to smile at the lady cop, and reached into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out the small wallet and flipping it open to show the lady. As was customary, the woman called it in, before looking to Mika, waiting for a response as she handed the license back. "Is everything alright, Miss Nyte?"

"Huh? Oh..yea. I'm sorry I stopped on th' bridge, officer...." Quick look to the badge."Ross...but I was drivin' an' it felt like somethin' slashed at my neck. Pulled over ta make sure it wasn't anything serious. Nothin' worse than gettin' home to find a rod in one's throat yanno?" Mika said with a slight grin, her hand rubbing at the side of her neck. "But it's jus' a scratch.."

Officer Ross gave a small smile to Mika, and nodded. "I would imagine so, Miss Nyte."

"Officer Ross. Code 4672. Repeat 4672. Over."[/i]

"Copy." Officer Ross kept the small smile, but Mika could see every muscle in the woman's body suddenly tense, and she heard the heartbeat skip up quite a bit. And then there was the smell of fear. Fuck. What the fuck was 4672 anyway?

"Miss Nyte, if you'll just step off and away from the bike please." Ross took a few paces back, her hand hovering near the gun belt. MJ gave a mental sigh.

"Is somethin' wrong, officer?" Mika asked in as sweet a voice as she could, gaze narrowing just a tad.

"Just step away from the bike."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." MJ said with sudden coldness, her gaze narrowing even more. "Now if you'll excuse me.." She picked up her helmet, but then froze as the officer yanked the gun out and levelled it at Mika. The sounds of police sirens suddenly started down the bridge, at least four MJ could pick out. She lowered the helmet, staring at the woman.

"This is your last warning, Miss Nyte. Get off the bike and step away slowly!"

Fuck. Mika gave a low growl, glancing over her shoulder. From the sounds of the sirens, she only had moments. She got up slowly from her bike, setting the helmet off and lifting her hands up in submission. She watched as Officer Ross relaxed just a minute bit, before suddenly darting forward, using that speedin and agility bequeathed to her.

Officer Ross had no chance. When the other officers finally arrived on the scene, they found officer Ross unconscious laying on the hood of her car. Nearby, lay the gun, which seemed to have been..crumpled like a piece of paper. Within the cop's car, the video camera and recording equipment had been destroyed. "Miss Nyte" was nowhere to be seen.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Az....I...I'm in a hell o' a lot of trouble..." Mika was saying through her cellphone about fifteen minutes later. She was sitting inside of a booth at the bar, hidden in the shadows as she watched the small tv set. Near her feet laid Baby...the damn yellow lab in which Mika had been getting annoyed with for following her. But suddenly, she found comfort in the mutt being there.

"...highly armed and dangerous. She is wanted for several murders in Baltimore, Maryland; Richmond, Virginia; Albany, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; and Bangor, Maine. If you have any information on Mika Jade Chance Nyte, or if you see her, you are asked to immediately contact your local police station. Do NOT, repeat, do NOT try and approach this woman. She is known to be an accomplis of 'Elijah'...the recent 'Prostitute Son of Sam' that has recently made the news... [/i]

Well, Mika was proud of her skills, but even she didn't take credit for things she didn't do. Not to mention, the bodies of her victims usually were NOT found...very rarely did she get lazy. She watched the news cast go on about how she was hoisted up to the FBI's most wanted list....how she was in league with Elijah...and that the most tell tale sign were the green 'tattoos' about her neck.

What a fucked up night.

[Azrael]

“I’ll handle it just lay low for a minute, If you need to disappear call Draven.”

Azrael hung up the phone and switched off the news. Taking a moment to light himself a cigarette he would pick up the phone and call Detective Hastings his fingers flipping through the file that had arrived by courier earlier. He would listen as Hastings’ cell rang three times and the detective finally picked up.

“Good work detective, Get Cantrell’s mug shot on the news he is Elijah’s right hand man, you find him and you have a direct line on your killer.”

“And why the hell should I trust you on this?”

“Because Detective I am paying you very well to trust me on this and all things. Do as your told, cops who take bribes do not stay cops long. So just stick with the arrangement, make a little money and help get a killer off the streets.”

“You’re a son of a bitch you know that?”

“I’ll well aware of that, but I didn’t call to discuss my less that savory home life Detective Hastings. I have one more little task for you, I want the files of each of Mika Nyte’s victims in my hand within the hour. Can you do it.”

“I could but why do you need them.”

“That money you take from me relieves you of your right to ask questions, just get me the file.”

Hastings went to respond but the line was dead. He wasn’t surprised, he wasn’t happy either but there was not a lot he could do about it. He had done a little research on his current benefactor and what he had found only served to show him how deep in it he really was. There are those who had files and the man who was now pulling his strings had his own library. Nothing was concrete , but it was more than enough to have Hastings on edge, he had a family and he knew deep down that if he failed Azrael he stood to lose a lot more than his job.

**************************************

One hour later Azrael had Mika’s case file on his desk and as he looked over the information on the victims a slight smile moved to his face. Reaching over to the phone on his desk he would hit the speaker phone button and dial Draven. Two rings and Azrael’s second picked up the phone.

“Cross speaking.”

“Got a project for you D. Its got to be done quick and it has to be done clean.”

“My favorite kind of project, what you got in mind.?”

“Remember Reno in 89?”

“Like yesterday boss.”

“We need a repeat, and no later than tomorrow.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

**************************************

The sun had just risen and the desk Sergeant at prescient 14 was shocked to see a woman who look eerily familiar stepped up to his window. He couldn’t place her and the name Elise Carter was a new one to him but there was something about those green tattoos on her neck that he knew he should remember. The woman seemed very withdrawn almost devoid of emotion as he let here dark eyes lock onto his.

“I want to confess a murder. Several of them.”

**************************************

Two hours later and every news station in the state was abuzz with discussion of the recent development in the search for Mika Nyte. As Azrael sat back in his desk a cigarette perched between his lips he was watching the newscaster on channel 14 discuss the recent development.

“Police are still in a state of shock as A woman calling herself Elise Carter has stepped forward to claim credit for the various murders originally thought to be perpetrated by one Mika Jade Chance Nyte. While both women are similar in appearance Ms. Carter came forward to quote prevent Mika Nyte from stealing her legacy. While at first police were skeptical of her claims it was later found that Carter had information about the crimes that were not released to the public. She is currently being held in a secure location awaiting arraignment. The manhunt for Mika Nyte has been called off and the police have issued a formal apology to Ms. Nyte. ………………”

Leaning back in his chair Azrael would flip off the television and cross his arms behind his head with a grin as he took a slow drawl from his cigarette.

“Your move Eli….”

[Elijah]

Eli was sitting in a very comfy armchair in his own estate. Several flatscreens were mounted in the wall, and each one of them was on a different news station from about the world. Germany, Japan, France, Africa, Canada, South America, Russia, and of course, America. The room was silent, every single set having been muted as crimson gaze scanned over the broadcasts, waiting for what he knew would come. He lifted up a wine glass, sipping from the vintage, and lips curled slightly as gaze moved to the two flatscreens showing different news stations.

He pressed a button on the remote, un-muting one of them, and listened to the broadcast of Mika. He already knew he had sacrificed one of his pawns. But sometimes the sacrifices were needed.

Much later, he was still sitting in that chair, his fingers steepled over his stomach as he watched the countermove. Again lips curled as this Elise Carter person had been taken in. He had expected something witty, and was slightly surprised at how fast it had taken.

"Well done. I was rather hoping this would prove a challenge. You've made your move... now what should my next one be, hmm?" Eli murmured quietly to himself as he continued to watch.

When Cantrell's picture came up, he gave a bit of a sigh, shaking his head. Well, it seemed that Azrael had a leak somewhere. Now the question was where. He had left Scott to clean up, and then given the man instructions to wait for him in Orlando, so at the moment, that's where Scott was headed.

Eli picked the phone up. "Scott...Scott...Scott. "

There was a slightly panicked voice on the other end. "Sir? I.....I didn' do nothin'!"[/i]

"Tsk. You sound guilty. Are you guilty?"

"N..no sir. Wh..at can I get for ya sir?"[/i]

"Them... Scott. Get the twins."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

An hour later, Eli was sitting on his couch, his laptop on his lap as he scanned through government files that should never have access. He had done a cursory glance before, digging up Azrael, but this time, he became more thorough. No apparent move would be made just yet. Eli could be patient. Before, he just simply let his temper out briefly. But that was a dangerous move. Azrael was getting his information somehow, and with some work, he planned to find out just who the leak was.

[Mika Jade Nyte]

She could see the power struggle going on, and it amazed her just how calmly Azrael was doing it...and how amused he seemed. After leaving the bar, the dog in tow, she had headed on home. Later, after watching the story on the Elise woman turning herself in, brow had rose. The woman looked vaguely like her, and she had to wonder briefly about the tattoos. Oi. That poor woman would probably end up with the death penalty...for murders she probably didn't even commit.

Well at least it wasn't her neck on the line.

Mika paced about the loft, as Baby lay near the balcony doors. Her nose wrinkled as she looked to the dog, and finally shook her head. "Tha's it. If yer gonna stay here, yer getting a damn bath."

Baby's tail wagged a bit, ears lowering down as she gave off that 'do I have ta?' type look. Mika headed into the bathroom, and started the water for the tub.

A short while later, she was outside on the balcony brushing the dog's fur out, smiling slightly. "Well ya look a lot better."

And how true that was. Baby didn't look so ragged, with her fur nice and sheen, fluffed out. Mika patted the dog's head and stepped back in, intent on her own shower. She took her time, humming softly and feeling a slight bit better now that she knew the heat was off of her..well a majority any way. It wasn't until she stepped out and was toweling herself off that she noted the red lines tracing up and down her neck from those green runes...looking almost like stretch marks. However, they were throbbing slightly.

"Well tha's fuckin' different..." She muttered to herself, and sighed. She wanted this over with.

[Azrael]

Azrael stepped from the shower and turned up the volume on the channel 14 news as he went about getting dressed. While he did not watch the screen he did listen and intently for the report that he knew was coming.

“This just in, Elise Carter has escaped from her holding cell with the assistance of three masked accomplices. Three officers were wounded and another slain in the escape. While it was impossible to positively identify the men who aided Carter in her escape one officer did report hearing carter refer to one of the men as Elijah and another as Scott. While it is possible that this is coincidence the authorities feel confident that it was Scott Cantrell and the Mysterious Elijah that are wanted in connection with the recent deaths of 5 prostitutes within the city. Because Carter was being held in a federal facility the FBI is being brought in to assist in the search for the trio.”

Azrael would flip off the television and toss the remote onto his desk before hitting the speakerphone and Dialing Draven. Once again his second would answer before the third ring.

“Yeah Boss?”

“I trust you lady friend is well on her way to turning over a new leaf?”

“Of course.”

“You did well, If that doesn’t further our cause there is not much that will.”

“Think we have his attention?”

“We’ve had it. Now to keep it.”

“Let me know what you need.”

“Nothing just yet I’m waiting on him to make a move, but I am sure its coming. I want no less than six of your boys with all of mine and Xavier’s key personnel. You know how Mika and Royce are so be discrete. Don’t crowd them just stay close enough to keep them out of harms way.”

“Sure thing Az.”

“One more thing Draven…”

“What’s that?”

“Watch you back.”

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