Clan Wars: Chapter 8

Chapter 8



...I was 12 years old again, walking around the HQ with Alice on that life changing night. It astonished me all over again, how beautiful she was, her long brown hair coming down her back, and chest. Everything was the same, or at least the same as I remember it. We were both smiling and laughing. She would look at me, and I would get hot and nervous. We walked around, in the same fasion as we did 10 years ago. It was like we were on a set of tracks. We came up to the room with the Goblins and I knew what would happen. I already knew we would get attacked, but I couldn't stop it. I couldn't say anything. She talked, and decided with my unsaid consent, to open the door. As the doors creaked open, those creatures turned slowly. Very slowly. Like I had remembered so many

times, and felt a shiver run down my spine. They faced us, with bloody hands, and bloody daggers. I tried to back up, to raise my hands, to shout, but I couldn't. Nothing was working. I was moving to slow, even though my muscles cried in urgency, to move. The creatures moved towards us. I froze, just like on that day. But my hand wouldn't raise like before. They should be raising, I thought. Why won't they raise! I need them to! The Goblins reached me. The lead one held me by my throat and slammed me up against the wall. The other two went for Ashley, daggers ripping and tearing at her. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I was swinging my arms. I took my thumbs and dug them into my attackers eyes furiously. He howeled and screamed, and stuck the dagger up into my chest. I felt

exauhsted and wrong. Trumphets sounded. I looked over at Ashley. Her screaming had stopped. I looked back at the Goblin who had stabbed me. It was a Lexus member. He was pale now. He had morphed. He opened his mouth to say something...
I woke up in a dimly lit, warm room. The walls were wooden, and comforting. I shot up in a bed, covered in a cold sweat. I was freezing. Then I shot back down, after my gun shot wounds reminded me of the previous events. I looked down at my pelvis, which was bandaged all the way around. The bandages were clean, with one blood slightly soaking through them.


I tried to sit up again, this the intention of getting out of bed this time. My wound didn't agree with me, which slightly ticked me off. The I got dizzy from the effort and fell back asleep. When I woke up again, it was dark outside and my bandages had been changed again, seeing as there was a small pink spot on the bandages now. The good news was the bleeding had stopped. I tried to think about what had happened the past couple days, but my brain rejected it. It was like trying to put together a jig-saw puzzle with peices from mutiple puzzles. Then I did notice something. The smell of the room was familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I could smell food cooking and liquour. 'Six's house?' I thought and looked around? 'No, this isn't Six's house.' I had spent a lot of time at his house growing up. In my late teens, he had become my only friend, and I knew his house like


the back of my hand. This wasn't it. I got frustrated and said out loud "Where the hell am I?" to no one in particular. As if on que, a man walked in the room. He wore jeans, boots, a long sleeve t-shirt, and a dirty white cooking apron with "**** off" written on it. I grinned easily, "Okay... so maybe I owe you twice." Don, smiled back at me. "I'll keep it in mind. How are you feeling?" I nodded at him and replied "Oh just fine. I-...." I paused and pursued a question at the back of my mind. "How did I get here?" He sat down in a wooden chair next to me and explained that Ashley and T had brought Six and myself in. I sighed a sigh of relief. Then my next question surficed. "Your not a doctor though.." Don smiled again and shrugged. "There's a lot you don't know about my kid." He winked at me and stood up. I thought on it.



He pushed open the door the door and turned back to me, "You should at least stay here another day. One of my employees will come back occasionally to check on you. Get some rest." With that, he left, closing the door behind him. Well... alright. If Don said something, that was that. I then noticed I had been changed out of my old clothing. In fact I was wearing much at all. Just some sweat pants. I wonder who had the pleasure of doing that. I got up and stood up on the cold wooden floor, and limped over to the window, where I lowered my head and let the sun bathe me. The warmth felt very good on me, especially on the back of my neck, and I decided to stay there for a bit. I closed me eyes and lost track of time. I slowly sank back into my thoughts, which automatically took me to the events at Six's house, and what led up to it. I would try to replay it in my mind. It isn't as easy as secret agents make it



look in the movies. I could hardly remember much of it, and it wasn't very clear. I started at the begenning and started to just go through the memories I did remember. 'Who the hell was that guy? And why did he attack me and Six?' I thought it might have been a revenge strike for the cult cell we took out. But then why only attack me and Six? Why hadn't I heard about any of the other Vinuts getting attacked? It just didn't make any sense right now. I continued to go through the thoughts again, even though it got slightly tedious. I noticed that I kept going straight to one thing I heard in particular. I focussed on the memory, which was once again difficult and blury. I remember the gun fire. Then I knew what I was trying to remember. A car screaching. Someone had been outside Six's house when the Tyler imposter had shot me and Six. 'That's where I'll start then' I thought. 'That's where I'll start.'


A hand touched my back and I twisted quickly to catch it, ready to seize a weapon or a fist. When I turned around I had in my hand a womans wrist, who was about my age. I was holding her very firmly and aggressively, and she looks scared. Like a deer in headlights. I realized two things at that time. This beautiful girl worked here for Don, so she was okay. Secondly, I had a bullet hole in me, and holy CRAP that had hurt to twist my body around that fast! I gasped for breath and painfully exhailed "Oh.. Sorry.." I let go of her wrist and she shook her head lightly and smiled politely, "No.. its okay. You must be pretty stressed right now." She fidgited a bit and then lifted her eyes to mine. "So I came in here to



check on you. Are you alright?" Reluctant to make her think I was a whimp, I limped back in the direction of my bed, my wound throbbing and started to get light headed. "Yeah, I'm fine, thank you." A short awkward silence followed as I climbed into bed, scooting under the covers. She smiled again and nodded. "Okay, I'll leave you be then. Don will come in a little bit to check on your badages. I hope you get better Jake." She said as she turned on the light, and closed the door as she left. I smiled and rubbed my eyes, happy to have the whole room filled with light now. Then I realized something. I didn't recall her switching the light switch on when she left, the light had just come on. I looked and sure enough, the switch


was flipped down. I looked up to the bulb and it was glowing just as any other bulb would be. I racked my brain, andquickly found the answer, feeling dumb it had taken me so long. I smirked and said aloud, "An Aurelius."

Aurelius magic weilders were known for being subtle in their art of Fire, but also just in general. I just hadn't expected my nurse to be one. This made the other families slightly nervous around them. You could stand in the middle of a room and the before you know it, two or three Aurelius's will have entered the room and you wouldn't even notice. And I had one at my back while I was distracted.


I felt slightly embrassaed. Partially for reacting so wildly to her gentle gesture, and also for not hearing her at all. If Aluster would have seen that, he would have chewed me out for not being more vigilant. I ran my hand through my hair and closed me eyes as I sank back into the soft, cool bed. I was tired again, and slowly fell asleep. I awoke to Don, who was speaking to me, and making a point, as if we had been having a conversation for several minutes. Don continued, "And so when anyone walks into my bar these days and makes trouble, I send for them." My eyes opened wide in confusion and shock and I blinked with a suprised expression on my face. All I could do is babble, "Uh.. right, well yeah.. but.. what?" Don


frowned at me and pointed to a pile of my clothes. "There's some clothes for ye. You can come on out when you feel up to it. Take it easy on the badages, I just changed them." He smirked and left the room. I looked down at the fresh, white bandages. I was eternally grateful to everyone who had cared for me, but getting things done to me while I wasn't aware or even concious was getting slightly annoying. I got up and looked at the pile of clothes on the end of the bed. They were my clothes from my house. "Oh come on.." I said aloud. This was also annoying. "How did they..?" I shook my head, deciding to ignore the question and put on the pair of jeans and the t-shirt Don had brought me. The t-shirt was one of my favorite. It


read "Infidel" in English, and the above that, it was written in Arabic. He had also brought me my North Face jacket, my watch, wallet, Adidas sneakers, and socks. I dressed in what I was given, and started to half walk, half limp out the door. Don's bar was never empty, but it was packed right now. I saw Don at the bar and walked over to him. "Why is it so packed?" I asked him. He smiled as he cleaned some glass mugs with a dish rag. "Its New Years Eve" He said. I scratched my head.. 'New Years Eve? How didn't I know that?' I shook my head and got my mind back on what I really wanted. "Don, what did you do with Charlie(Colt) 45?" I asked. He nodded, threw the rag over his shoulder and motioned me to follow him. He led me to a long, thin storage room filled with wooden shelves that stretched the lenth of each wall. He went through several boxes

and pulled out some spices, and a few more mugs. After a couple minutes of silence in the room, Don stopped rumagging and stepped out of the room, with me following him in confusion. He went back to the bar and started filling mugs of beer from the tap. I tapped him on the shoulder and asked "Uh... Don?... The Colt?" His eyes widend very breifly and he exclaimed "Ah, yes." He reached under the bar and tossed me my gun and shoulder harness, which I caught against my chest in total shock. I quickly put them down by my side and looked around to see who saw my gun, but it seemed to arise absolutely zero attention. Don immediately went back to doing his bar chores. I wanted to raise my arms and be like 'WTF Don?..." but I just shook my head again, dismissing the odd matter.


I shook Don's hand and thanked him for all he had done for me. He was a genuinely good guy. I wanted to stay here, with my friends, but I had work to do. Someone had just tried to kill me, using my bestfriend's apperance as a holloween costume. I glanced over the room and noticed a secluded fellow in the corner. I could tell her had been watching me. I kept looking at him, and for a moment, I thought I saw his eyes meet mine. Shadey character. I heard the kitchen door close behind someone, which I figured to be Ashley. I wanted to go and thank her too, but I really didn't have time. Then things really started to heat up, when Mr. Shadey got up and walked out, very casually. I looked at Don and said "He a regular?" Don shook his head, "No, never seen the guy before." I nodded my head at him and turned to the door. I walked slowly to the door, giving Mr. Shadey a headstart, trying to not make it obvious I was following. As I pushed open the door, I saw a car leaving the parking lot. It was an old grey Cadelac, obviously not fairing to good in the snow at he slide out onto the street, and slowly picked up a steady pace down the street.


I reached in my pockets for my keys, and was shocked when they were actually there. 'Thank you Don' I said with a grin. I got in my jeep and started to follow the Cadelac. My holster was on, and my .45 locked and cocked. I followed The Caddy through a series of bad neighborhoods, until finally he pulled into the Mercer Park entrance. I drove past the entrance as to not arouse suspicion and parked on the side of the road. I started to walk on the side of the road leading into the park, my vision focussed ahead and scanning all that I saw for any hints of movement or odd coloration. This made Mr. Shadey even more shady. Driving to a semingly empty park while its snowing? Not your average drive. As I crept up the road, I saw the Caddy, parked next to a frozen lake.


Mr. Shadey got out and looked around, which made me smoothly duck down to all fours. I prayed he wouldn't see me. He seemed satisfied that no one was around and got back in his car, drove it forward about 5 feet. Then he got out again, and went behind his car and reached down to the ground, pulling up the snow. 'So... Mr. Shadey likes to build snowmen alone in the park huh?' I held down laughter. Then after a few moments of digging, he pulled on something, and a small door came up from the ground.


Mr. Shadey disapeared into the hole in the ground for 2 hours before coming back out. For two hours I crouched there in the cold to see him come out with what? A body? A rare artifact? A girlfriend? No. He opens up that little whole in the ground, and comes out with a bag of cat food. It took everything in me not to walk up to him and chew him out. He put the cat food in his trunk, got in his car, and drove away, forcing me to hunker in the snow as he drove by. "So thats it then huh?" I ask myself. "That's his grand scheme. He smuggles cat food." I walked over to where the hatch was and examined it. It was a thin metal hatch door, with a simple handle, and a lock. I thought of ways to get in but I couldn't think of anything that would fit the bill. I couldn't force it open in anyway, incase someone was in inside and would here. And I didn't have the finesse to pick locks or use magic for such stealthy uses.

"Well... Crap. I'll have to get someone to come pick this later." I wasn't happy about it, but I really didn't have a choice. I walked back to my jeep and drove to Six's house. On the way there, a wreck was holding up traffic on Summerset Ave and I was getting frustrated. I still hadn't seen Six yet and was eager to meet up with him. After about 20 minutes, I got through the traffic jam, and pulled up to Six's house. I knocked on the door. Nothing. I knocked again. Nothing. I opened the door and I saw Six picking a chair back up and setting it right. He looked at me, and nodded solemly. I came over and stood next to him and we looked at the room, mostly back to normal with the expetional of some bullet holes in the walls and a few broken items that had been removed. I spoke first asking "How's the family doing?" Six sighed and nodded, "They're good. Obviously shaken and confused, but okay." "Good" I replied. Nexus's had feelings too, and as cheesey as it


sounds, it's absolutely true. A large portion of Clan members don't want anything to do with this hocus-pokus political world. They would really just prefer to live they're lives like normal beings, and like Six's family, many of them do. "I found something, when I followed a guy who was creeping on me." He lifted an eye brow, intrigued. "A hatch, leading underground in Mercer Park. He was in there for two hours, came out with cat food, then left." Six shook his head and rubbed his temples "You've got some weird friends gringo." I smiled and stuck my hands in my pockets, eyeing Six.. "That I do pal, that I do." The sun was on the verge of setting now and we were looking through the window now, the remnants of the day's warmth fading from the house. I sighed and took my keys out of my pocket and looked at them. Six drew his USP pistol and checked to make sure it was locked and cocked, then he put his peice back in his hip holster and folded his muscular arms across his chest. I sighed and nodded, tapping my .45 lightly. Then, speaking the words that we both wanted to hear I said, "Lets hunt some Ghoul." Six turned towards me and smiled, "So it begins then" and we headed for my jeep.