Mystic New York [Xilo&DarkAngel]

Lieutenant Matthew Reilly growled, slamming a fist into his desk. He had a pile as high as his arm with unsolved cases. But the NYPD didn't approve of his liberal use of consulting funds on a so called "Wizardess"... So he had cut back immensely recently. Most of the crimes lately hadn't been worth spending the money on, but this one. He felt it was something big. The man put a hand over his emerald eyes, muttering to himself as he found his other hand picking up the phone.

"Kat. Looks like I might have a job for you," He nearly spit into the phone. Things always got... weird when he was working with her. After setting up a meeting at her office, he placed the phone down gently before picking up the few folders that he would need to explain what he needed from her. They had four missing persons so far this week, and it was only Wednesday. While that wasn't exactly out of the norm... They were all assigned to Special Investigations, which was. They rarely got missing persons. He shook his head, standing up quickly and grabbing his jacket. Reilly stormed out of the office, heading uptown to meet the Wizardess at her place of buisness.

Katerina Balmont heaved a sigh after she hung up the phone. Matthew Reilly had just called her about another job she could assist him with. And from the sound of his tone, she didn’t think he was all that eager to work with her this time. He was dedicated to his job for sure, but the two of them clashed. Badly. In fact, she often wondered why even bothered to stay in contact with her at all. More often than not, they’d have disagreements that led into full out arguments. But, for some reason, he always requested for her to be the one to help anyway. She wondered why. She also knew he took a lot of shit down at the station. Everyone over there was anxious for the day he’d fail. It was like watching a group of vultures circling a dying animal. Just waiting for the moment it fell over so that they could pick away at its flesh. So why he chose to add her to the torments he had no control over she didn’t quite understand.

Kat scowled and pushed her mousy hair away from her face before tying it up in a sloppy knot. She picked up her tea and took a sip and smiled. Tea always made her smile and feel better. And given what was most likely in store, she’d need that little extra bit of comfort right now. Once she set her cup back down, she got up and began to pace. She tugged on her lip, a nervous habit of hers, while she waited for Reilly to arrive. She wondered how long it would be before he got there. It usually didn’t take him very long.

Finally deciding another sip of tea would be wonderful, Kat bent over her desk and reached for her cup. Her hand accidentally knocked it over causing the whole thing to spill on the floor.

“God damn it,” she mumbled as she went to retrieve her fallen cup.

He took one of the squad cars, winding his way through the rather awful traffic that was New York City. After nearly twenty minutes, he finally found a spot near her office. At the rates she charged sometimes, Reilly wondered why she didn't have a place somewhere else. Maybe somewhere with parking, perhaps? The Lieutenant grumbled slightly as he got out, slamming his door and then jamming a few quarters into the meter for good measure. He slipped a hand through his red hair before shaking his head. "This best be something I really need her help on." He growled as he opened the door to her office just as she spilled the tea.

"Clumsy as always?" He asks, moving around the mess on the floor. He smirked. Although he hated working with the woman, she was the one that helped them the most. She was the reason why he still hadn't been thrown out on his ass. The Special Investigations Unit was the failsafe for getting someone canned. Usually, the head of SI got thrown out after two months for failing to solve anything. But Reilly used a few unorthodox methods... Including hiring a real magic user. Or so she had claimed in her ad.

He didn't believe it at first, but over the months and cases... Well, he had come to give her a odd sort of respect for the work she had helped him with. He sighed softly as she moved to clean up the mess as he took a seat infront of her desk. He slapped the folders down. "Missing persons. Four. All people you wouldn't expect to disappear. Lawyer. Homemaker wife. College Student. Welfare worker. Any ideas? All disappeared at night. Is it the werewolves again?" He leaned forward, placing his head in his palms, recalling a few weeks ago a rather rampant werewolf infestation in the sewers.

Kat’s aqua eyes flashed at Reilly’s smartass comment. But that was Reilly for you, at least when it came to her anyway. She bet he loved the fact that he walked in on her having to clean up yet another clumsy accident.

“Only for you,” she whispered angrily under her breath as she cleaned up the spilled tea.

As she stood up, she saw that Reilly had found his usual seat in front of her desk. He slapped down some folders and began his spiel about a missing persons report. Four missing persons. There was no rhyme nor reason that she could see a to why these particular people were targeted, at least not on the surface.

“Is it the werewolves again?” Reilly asked, looking rather put out and frustrated.

“I highly doubt it,” Kat answered. “Werewolves tend to leave trails. You’d have noticed something was up with them given that you’ve dealt with them before.”

Kat began to pace, tugging on her lip as she did so. She could see Reilly glaring at her as she went into her instant ‘think’ mode. But pacing helped for some reason. That and tea. She grabbed her cup off her desk and poured herself another cup and began to sip at it. She heard Reilly sigh as he put up with her idiosyncrasies.

“Ever thought it might be vampires?” Kat suddenly asked.

"Ever thought it might be vampires?" She had asked him. Surely she was jesting. Magic, he could buy. Werewolves were a little hard to swallow, but the way she had explained them to him... Okay, cool. Whatever. But vampires? Really?

"You've got to be pulling my leg." Reilly groaned softly, as he shook his head. His emerald eyes watched her as she paced. She couldn't be serious. Vampires. He moved his head from his hands and sat straight up. His face was only readable due to his surprise, which he cleared quickly. The man knew that the Wizardess would have seen it, causing him to look away from her.

"Fine. What can you tell me about vampires? Are they like in the movies? Crosses, garlic, whatever?" He asked sarcastically. Luckily, though, the werewolves had been just as their movie counterparts. Silver, full moon, all that jazz. He shook his head... Vampires. He just couldn't believe it.

Kat didn’t like the look Reilly gave her. As if she didn’t notice it. She scowled to herself. ‘Damn that man!’ she thought.

Kat set her cup down and undid the knot in her hair, letting it fall loosely over her shoulders in waves. She leaned against her desk and began to tug on her lip once again.

“The vampires are interesting. Not quite what you think really.” Kat let out an audible sigh as she thought on the beasts’ hierarchy. “There are three courts,” she began. “Or classes. Whichever you want to call them.” Reilly just gave her a look that frustrated the hell out of her. Without thinking, she gave him a look right back. “There are the White, Red and Black Courts. Each one has their rules, their strengths, their weaknesses.” Kat paused and took another sip of her tea. “I’d rule out the White Court. The targets don’t fit in with their way of doing things at all. Plus, they wouldn’t have been sloppy enough for a missing persons report to have been filed. They’d have had their bases covered before hand. No doubt.” Again she paused. Reilly sat back then, a look of pure disbelief all over his face. “And the Blacks? Your typical ‘movie vamp’,” she added. “They’re too malicious. And these targets are too mundane for their tastes. No. Not them either.”

Reilly let out a laugh only proving to Kat that he totally didn’t buy into her theory of vampires as the possible culprits. She felt her heart racing and her blood boiling at his reaction. “My hunch is that the Red Court might be behind this.” Kat’s aqua eyes flashed wildly as she looked over at Reilly. “Maybe they’re finally making their move. To take over the city.”

"...Maybe they're finally making their move. To take over the city." Katerina finished.

Reilly shook his head in full disbelief. "You're telling me... There are different kinds of vampires?" He sounded completely astounded. He sat back in his hair, watching her pick at her lip for a moment. "Okay. Assuming I buy this theory. Why make a move now? Wait, no. Doesn't matter. How do we stop them?"

He nearly zoned out of her long explanation that basically stated, fire or beheading. "So, in the end, we have to either burn them to death, or cut off their heads. Great. That ought to be easy to explain to the boys in SI." He groaned, placing his palm over his face. He stood up and glanced at the door. "Well, where do we start. Do you have any contacts or anything with the Courts?" He asked after a moment, turning back to face her. His hand fell to his hip, waiting. Surely she knew someone that would be able to confirm or deny her theory. They could start moving once they knew more.

Kat ran her fingers through her hair before pulling it back into a sloppy knot once again. She flopped down into her chair and closed her eyes, heaving a sigh.

“Yes, there’s someone we can contact.” Kat paused and bit down on her lip before opening her eyes once again. “But I don’t know how much I’d actually trust him.” She looked over into Reilly’s eyes to see if she could gauge his expression. She couldn’t. “Let’s just say that I trust that he’d give us the info we need. But, getting it out of him? I don’t know.” She shook her head, “From what I’ve heard, his prices can be quite high.”

Kat sat up and pulled her hair loose again, twirling her fingers around a few mousy strands.

“William is rumored to be very cunning. He’s of the White Court and is a member of its most powerful house, if I’m not mistaken. He’s been said to have had… issues… with those of the Red Courts in the past and that he’ll do what’s needed to keep them at bay.” Kat bit down on her lip again as she reached for her tea. “But just because his interests lie in keeping them in line doesn’t mean he won’t try to benefit from our want at learning whether or not they’re the ones we need to be stopping.”

Kat took a sip of her tea and set the cup down as she stood up. She looked into Reilly’s eyes and smiled weakly.

“So, that’s where I say we start.” Kat looked down at the floor and hugged her arms around her middle. She was a bit fearful of meeting the elusive William Craig. Being of the White Courts and of their most powerful house meant that he could very well charm them if he wanted. Or worse. She shivered at the thought of what his house was known for. What they did, how they fed.

Kat had never outright dealt with any vampire before. This would be her first time. She just hoped that she and Reilly would be able to deal with William. And that they’d be able to find the information they needed to move forward with the case.

"So, that's where I say we start." She had suggested to him after her briefing on William.

Reilly sighed, shaking his head. "What kind of payments do these White Court Vampires want?" He mused. He sat back down slowly, his eyes closing in thought. He leaned back in the chair, letting all the new information swarm around his mind. Vampires. Shit. The world just got even stranger. Like it needed anything else to freak him out. It was hard enough dealing with Kat and her odd behavior. And then the dangerous Wizards. And then Werewolves. And now vampires. Vampires!

"Okay. So, you're saying that we're dealing with Red Court. And that we're going to have to deal with the Whites in order to get information. Specifically, this William fellow. Well, where do we find him?" He paused, finally opening his eyes to stare at his consultant. "New question. Do they follow the silly Bonded Word, or whatever that you keep telling me about? The Courts? All of them?" He asked, recalling something that she had mentioned in the past about the various supernatural entities.

Kat nodded. “There’s no simple answer to that as far as I know. Do they have a code about it? Yes. Do they follow it? Well…” her voice trailed. Hesitating a little, she continued. “I suppose the answer is a ‘technically yes’. But only technically.” Kat looked down at the floor once again and hugged her arms tighter to her body. “They’re tricky about it, from what I hear. They look for loopholes. And more often than not… they find them.” She turned around to face Reilly, her eyes very serious. But he only looked at her with an air of ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’.

Kat began pacing once again, but she didn’t tug on her lip this time. Instead, she kept her arms crossed. This wasn’t her usual behavior, and she didn’t even realize the change in her mannerisms. She was too lost in thought and worry now.

“See, consider the White Courts the main brains behind the vampire hierarchy. Not much brawn, but the brain power…” Kat paused and shivered. “The Red’s are the muscle. More or less. The Blacks would be too if they weren’t so few in numbers nor so vulnerable.” She chuckled nervously. “Actually, they’d probably kick the Red Court’s ass. But, given their current situation, they typically keep to themselves.”

Kat looked over at Reilly again. The look on his face made her feel uneasy for some reason. It perplexed her and she tried to shrug it off. Never once had he made her feel uneasy. Angry? Yes. Frustrated? Yes. Stupid? A reluctant yes. Uneasy? Never. She figured it was because he was so in the dark about vampires. That coupling that with her own paranoia about having to finally deal with them now, it somehow just got to her.

“Anyway, I’m not sure what his price will entail. It’ll probably depend on his mood.” Kat paused. “And how long ago he fed.”

Reilly sighed once more as everything sunk in. "Okay. We can deal with this. It can't be that bad, right? I mean, we've stopped everything else so far. We can do it again." The Lieutenant stood up slowly, walking over to the pacing woman. "Come on, Kat. Looks like we've got a lot of work to take care of. Maybe this White Court will be able to give us a time-table of the Reds. Even better would be a location." He brushed passed the Wizardess, glancing back from the door.

"By the way, I'm going to start deducting my parking from your payments." He rolls his eyes as he walks out. He stops right outside of the door and thinks for a moment. He stuck his head back into her office. "And don't forget the files on the way out." He adds, heading back towards his squad car. He climbed in and started the vehicle. As the man waited for her to come out, he started thinking of all the things that he had heard that morning. White, Red, Black. To him, a vampire was a vampire.

By the time that Kat arrived at his car, he had already steeled his mind for anything that was to come that day. "Where does this William hang out? Where am I driving to?" He asked after a pause to make sure that she had the files.

Kat sat down and with a slight huff. She could see Reilly looking over at her to make sure she brought the files with her. One time! She’d forgotten just one time and now he thought her the sort to forget every time. It was exasperating. Infuriating. He knew just how to get under her skin, how to push her buttons in just the right way. And every time they were together he did it. It was almost unnerving. Almost. Except for the fact that for some weird reason, she liked that he could get her to the point where she wanted to scream. She couldn’t quite explain it nor did she even remotely understand it either. It just was and she kept it to herself. It was probably better that way too.

“Yes, I have them,” Kat said as she waved the files for Reilly to see.

Scowling, Kat undid the knot in her hair and let it fall loose once again. As her hair came down in waves, she smiled ever so slightly and then looked out the window. She set the files haphazardly in her lap and began to twirl the fingers of one hand in her hair and then tug at her lip with the fingers of the other one.

“Oh and given the time of day? We can find him at that one really large country club uptown.” Kat snapped her fingers trying to recall its name and blushed a deep shade of scarlet as its name eluded her. ‘Damn it,’ she thought to herself.

“Oh and given the time of day? We can find him at that one really large country club uptown.” Kat didn't seem to remember the name of the place as she spoke.

"You mean... The New York Country Club?" He asked, his voice skeptical. Why would a vampire be at a... country club. "Whatever." He mumbled, rolling his eyes. He didn't doubt that he might be there, but it just seemed so... Ordinary? Every day, this job just got more and more surreal. Without a pause, though, he pulled out of his parking spot, leaving a good ten minutes left on the meter for someone to use if they so chose, and continued driving up town towards the Country Club.

The drive was uneventful for the most part. The Lieutenant led the conversation around what the White Court did, and was. The information astounded him. "Feed off... emotions?" He interrupted her at least once, shaking his head in disbelief. The man didn't want to believe that even more creatures than he already knew about existed. "Next you'll be telling me demons are real." He caught a look from her. "Don't tell me. Please. Save it for when I need to know." Reilly groaned out, with a sigh.

He pulled into the country club's drive, a valet coming around to his door and opening it for him. "Fancy." He said in a whisper to his consulting Wizardess before stepping out of the car and letting the valet take it. "Would it be better to go to William as a cop, or a Wizard?" He asked Kat as she got out of the vehicle.

Kat droned on about the White Courts while she and Reilly drove to the country club uptown. And she was thankful to be doing it too. Normally, she hated such talk, even when it was necessary, but he’d managed to frustrate her yet again with his skepticism and looks of disbelief. So the mechanical conversation helped her calm down a little, forget about the frustrations. Despite all that, she could still feel her heart racing with the adrenaline he always managed to get surging within her veins. It always took forever for her to make that sensation go away. And Reilly was the only man who ever got her that riled up.

As they pulled up to the country club, Kat opened her door and stepped outside. Despite his earlier scoffs, Reilly actually seemed a little impressed with the place. Kat didn’t know if he was being serious or not, so she just nodded and tried her best not to scowl. Taking a deep breath, she ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed out her skirt. She definitely didn’t look like she belonged in such a place, but that’s how it was. Besides, she normally wouldn’t be caught dead in such high-end places anyway. They gave her the creeps. Most of the people who went to such places had ulterior motives and she didn’t like the vibes that sort of thing gave off.

Kat’s hand suddenly went to her neck where her fingers found the cord to her amulet. She rubbed it a little and took a deep breath.

“Would it be better to go to William as a cop, or a Wizard?” Reilly asked, breaking Kat’s thoughts.

Kat blinked and looked over at Reilly. She could feel her heart racing, her breath speeding up. “Lose the badge,” she said with a smile, trying to hide her anxiety. At that, she walked over to Reilly and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the country club.

"Lose the badge," Kat had said to him. Somehow, being without that little piece of identity always made him feel a little lost, but he put it away in his pocket along with the ticket the valet had given him. He adjusted his coat a bit as she took his arm, making sure his Glock 19 sidearm was covered from sight. He glanced at her with a soft smirk, his eyes drifting down onto their linked arms. "If I were a vampire, I think that I would want to be hanging around this place too." He offered sarcastically as they walked through the front doors of the ritzy country club.

Reilly placed his free hand over Kat's arm that was intertwined with his own. He offered her a wink and led her through the main hall slowly. He stopped them short of the main desk and turned to Kat. "What was his last name?" He asked her quietly, leaning close so no one would over hear them. Craig. William Craig. "Thanks." He murmured softly, before his steps finished leading them to the welcoming desk.

"Yes, we were wondering where Mr. William Craig was? He mentioned that we might be able to find him here once we found time to come to America. He won't be expecting us, but... We thought it best to report to him directly." Reilly spoke with a solid Irish accent when talking to the man, one that Kat had heard a few times during the various investigations they had been on together.

The man picked up a phone, getting ready to page William. Reilly quickly slapped his hand down on the phone. "Oh, no. No. We want to surprise him! Just... point us in the direction." He beamed at the desk jockey, sliding a twenty across the desk and nodding. The man nodded, and motioned to the dining room. He pointed towards a back corner, where a man and a woman were sitting next to each other, engaged in an engrossing.... conversation. Reilly sighed slightly, he had been hoping that their contact would be alone. Of course, from what Kat had told him, she was probably just a feeding slave.

"Come on. Let's go talk to our old friend." He growled out, his accent faltering as they walked away from the bribed desk-man.

Kat’s skin tingled a little like it always did whenever she and Reilly had to have any sort of contact, needed to put on a show of closeness for a job. She didn’t know if was due to nerves or because he’d managed to get her all riled up before hand or what. It just always was that way and she didn’t think it would change any time soon. So, she bit down on her lip in order to quell her anxiety.

“Come on. Let’s go talk to our old friend,” Reilly growled in Kat’s ear as they slowly made their way over to William.

Kat gave Reilly’s arm a squeeze and she whispered, “Watch the accent.”

As they continued walking towards William Craig, Kat gripped harder onto Reilly’s arm. Yes, she was very apprehensive about meeting this vampire. She knew about his kind and his court and was far from thrilled at finally having to deal with him even if he was rumored to be someone they could potentially work with. She also worried for Reilly. Being human made him that much more vulnerable.

As Kat and Reilly approached the table, Kat smiled. Her free hand immediately went to the amulet around her neck, her fingers rubbing it over and over, making the metal warm.

“Mr. Craig,” Kat began, eyeing the woman sitting next to him. She was very much human and, from what she could tell, she was to be his next feed as well. Hiding her shiver, she continued. “May we have a word with you?” At that, she began to pull out a chair for herself, but she was stopped short as Reilly motioned for her to step back so that he could do it for her instead. Kat smiled at Reilly and then sat down, his hands touched her shoulders briefly, making her skin tingle as he did so, as she moved her chair closer to the table.

Kat sat down in the chair he had pulled out, his hands brushing over her shoulders softly. He offered a faux warm smile to the vampire and his food, taking a seat next to the Wizardess silently. He placed his hands on the table, folding them gently before taking a deep breath. He had decided that he was going to let Kat do most of the talking. This man, no, creature was out of his league. He shook his head after a moment, wanting to absorb everything this being said. The nuances of his words might give something away that he hadn't intended.

Reilly found his eyes being drawn into William's, finding his mind dulling a little bit at a time. He tried to remember what Kat had warned him about, but found himself drifting in his mind.

William, after transfixing the Lieutenant, turned to Kat with a malicious smile. "Your reputation precedes you, Miss Katerina Balmont. And your police friend here... Well, he's not very subtle, is he?" The vampire chuckled softly, his voice flowing over her pleasantly. "I certainly won't insult your intelligence and pretend like I don't know what you want from me. You want to know what I know about the Red, and their current movements, right?" His eyes flashed dangerously, both Reilly and the woman next to him swaying slightly as he talked. It was almost as if he was a snake charmer with a pipe.

Kat just kept her lips turned upward in a smile as William began to speak. It unnerved her how he already knew why they’d come. But at the same time, it was a promising thing. It meant that they were on the right path more likely than not. It meant that she and Reilly were that much closer to learning something of value.

Despite the slight giddiness Kat felt at the fact that her hunch may indeed be the right one, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy. The look on the woman’s face made her skin crawl. And though Reilly was holding his own, she noticed that he too was being affected by the vampire. Ever so subtly, she placed a hand on his thigh, trying to keep him grounded.

“Mr. Craig,” Kat began.

“Please, call me William,” the vampire smiled. “I hate such formalities. They’re rather boring, don’t you think?”

Kat felt her legs quiver, so she squeezed Reilly’s thigh a little harder. “Indeed, William,” she replied. “And yes, I’m glad you’re astute enough to know why we’ve sought you out.”

William just smiled at Kat as she spoke. It was obvious he liked the praise. But she could see that he wasn’t the sort to be won over by mere compliments either. No. He saw through her. Kat could only hope that he’d be cooperative nonetheless.

“There’ve been a number of civilians who’ve suddenly gone missing. The targets appear to be rather dull, not to mention random, at first glance.” Kat paused. “But there’s suspicion that this could be the work of the Red Court.”

“The Red Court? Really?” William snickered, prodding Kat to continue explaining what he more than likely already knew.

Kat just smiled. “Yes. The choices for targets seem rather haphazard and surprisingly mundane at first glance. But there’s something they each have in common.”

“And that is…” William’s voice trailed. He was clearly amused.

“And that is that they each have connections to a larger whole. Each target is from a specific tier within normal human society and each one has the potential access to having great influence over others.” Kat paused and bit down on her lip. “If I had to guess, I’d say that they’re trying to take over the city via newborn half-vampire influence.”

William sat back in his chair and looked at Kat, a small grin playing on his lips. Kat felt her head get a little dizzy, so she looked down at the table and away from William’s eyes. Her one hand still gripping Reilly’s thigh.

Panicking ever so slightly, Kat signaled the garçon. “My friend and I need some water. Please, two glasses, heavy on the ice.” With her free hand, she began to rub her amulet.

William just chuckled softly as Kat made the request for some water.

Panicking ever so slightly, Kat signaled the garçon. “My friend and I need some water. Please, two glasses, heavy on the ice.” With her free hand, she began to rub her amulet.

William just chuckled softly as Kat made the request for some water, before he leaned over and planted a few kisses along the woman's neck. Her already half-closed eyes shut fully as his influence over her surged suddenly. The first noise that she made was a croaking moan; this sent a shiver up Reilly's back that Kat would feel through his thigh. The vampire's focus on Reilly dropped enough for him to get most of his senses back as the water was placed before them.

The Lieutenant shook his head softly, reaching out towards the glass weakly and taking a long drink. The frigid water brought him back to a proper mindset, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. A soft, rumbling growl started to escape from his chest as he started to get up to throttle the 'man' sitting across from him. The only thing stopping him was Kat's hand on his thigh. With a glance towards the Wizardess. He slowly found himself calming down enough not to leap over the table at the creature.

"Smart move, Matthew." Cooed William, his eyes flashing an unearthly silver for a moment. "Very smart move." William turned his eyes back to Kat and tilted his head. "They wouldn't be half-vampires for long, in this city. You humans are even more bloodthirsty than the Blacks, given the circumstances. All your wars for naught." He chuckles, bringing a glass of wine to his lips slowly, taking a long drink of it. "But you are correct in your assumptions, so far." He paused to take another drink, the red wine more than just a symbol of his vampirism.

Reilly leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Tell us. Where we. Can find. Them." He nearly spit out, his hand inching under his coat.

William raised a brow with an interested smile. "Or what, officer? You are not displaying your badge. You're in a country club. And your bullets wouldn't even really do anything if I tapped into the Hunger." The vampire smiled viciously. "So, let's cut the macho act, okay? We're all civilized here. Well, two of us are." He turned his eyes back to Kat and offered a warm smile, that had an underlaying sense of being a predators smile. He was a lion, and they were all his sheep if he so desired.

"Now then, Miss Balmont. What is it exactly you desire from me? And as I'm sure you know from your dealings, information isn't free." William spread his hands, motioning around the club. "And as you can see, whatever your measly monetary amount you might be prepared to offer... Well, I don't need it."

Kat felt a surge of confidence course through her as William told her that they were more or less on the right path. For a moment, she wondered if learning this would erase some of Reilly’s skepticism from earlier. But that was something to find out later. Though she planned to rub it in when she did, knowing full well she’d enjoy every second of that too. But for the situation on hand, she needed to stay focused on the here and now. And that was their next step.

The next step would be to get William to give them information on which member or members of the Red Court they should be going after. Regardless of who though, it wasn’t going to be easy to get close to a Red. They were vicious, much more so than the Whites. And if these Reds had half-vampires answering to them, it would make things even trickier. Though, as William had said, they wouldn’t be half-vampires for long. A sad truth that Kat didn’t want to face.

Kat could sense Reilly’s anger as she touched his thigh. His emotions were bubbling up and he needed to keep them at bay. The spikes were only making William more powerful, not to mention more amused. She had to grit her teeth as he taunted Reilly. Watching the vampire do that made her blood burn, but she couldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. William was toying with them both, trying to see how far he could push them.

Kat cleared her throat, her free hand rubbing her amulet. “I’m well aware of your financial successes, William. I give you credit for being able to maintain such a high standard of living given all the internal squabbles that must come your way.”

William just chuckled. “So what’s your offer then?” he asked.

Kat closed her eyes for a brief moment. The only thing Kat knew that might pique William’s interest was to agree to assist on helping him keep not just the current Reds quiet, but to try and halt their plans to take over the city. The Whites and Reds had been feuding for so very long, constantly battling for power. The ever-growing number of Reds, especially over the past decade or so, was starting to tip the balance. And the Whites didn’t like it.

“All right,” Kat began. “How about this. How about we help you keep the Reds at bay so that your precious hierarchy remains balanced…” her voice trailed. “In a way that I think might make you happy.”

"... In a way that I think might make you happy." Kat had suggested to William. Reilly turned to glance at his consultant with a confused look. He simply didn't know the inter-court fighting between the different Vampire Courts. Let alone each of their intra-court drives for power. There were so many different things that he didn't know... That he never really wanted to know. He still didn't know who decided that he needed to be gotten rid of, hidden away in SI. After his tongue lashing from William, he had sat back in his seat, glowering. His anger smoldered with an undertone of hatred towards this creature that wore the skin of a man. The thing Reilly had liked about the werewolves, were the fact that they were honest about what they wanted. He could respect that, in an odd sort of way. But so far, William seemed underhanded and prone to backstabbing.

William raised an eyebrow silently for a moment, before placing his hands together ontop of the table and leaning forward. "My, that does sound interesting, Miss Balmont. And all you want is some information from little old me. And in return, you help turn the favor back to the White Court. My, oh, my. What kind of person would I be to refuse such a wonderful offer?" He cooed, his voice a mockery of confusion. He laughed as his prey slowly started coming to from her previous state of mind. The woman mumbled a few unheard words and leaned against the vampire. This act of submission really sunk under Reilly's skin, he let out a growl that William most certainly heard.

"Does my pet bother you, Officer? I never once lied to her. She willingly succumbed to my charms to be part of the food chain." He purred out, his smile dripping with venom. Reilly was about to respond, but a squeeze on his thigh reminded him that William soaked up emotions like a sponge, and he was just feeding the creature right then. He grabbed at his water, nearly spilling it with his violent movements. "There there, it'll be okay." William muttered to the woman and ran a finger along her chin tenderly, sending a long shudder through her.

"Miss Balmont? I accept your offer. These are the people you'll be looking for." William withdrew a folder similar to the one that Reilly had handed Kat earlier that day. "Yours to keep. Call it, a gift." He stood up after placing the folder on the table and tugged the prey to her feet. "And next time, call ahead, please. Don't interrupt my lunch. Ever. Again." He growled out, the first time showing some real emotion. The pair slipped out quickly and quietly, not once looking back.

As soon as they were gone, Reilly slammed his fist on the table. "Motherfucker." He spit out, grabbing the folder quickly and opening it, a grimace on his face the entire time. William had been playing with them from the start, and he hated that there was nothing he could have done about it. The Lieutenant started flipping through the pages of the files and his eyes widened in surprise. "He has to be screwing with us. These are... These are people that are untouchable, legally." Reilly blinked. This wasn't real. "Judge. Underground Crime Lord. And... Jesus. One of my superiors. Shit." He threw down the folder and shook his head, utterly confused.

“Calm down,” Kat whispered harshly. “Getting angry isn’t going to make this any easier. It’ll only cloud your head, not to mention amuse the hell out of William.”

Kat could see Reilly seething in his chair. He was beyond pissed. Though she could understand why. Being a normal human and then having all these crazy things you thought only happened in books and movies thrust at you couldn’t be an easy thing to deal with. She was sure that was partly why he hated dealing with her so much. On top of her… well… idiosyncrasies.

Kat heaved a sigh and finally let go of her amulet, letting it drop loosely around her neck. She realized that her hand was still on Reilly’s thigh even though she no longer needed to be in physical contact with him. William was gone, along with his female pet, and any small grounding affects she could help bring about were no longer needed. Feeling a little stupid about it lingering longer than it should have, she quickly pulled it away and began to tie her hair back up into another sloppy knot.

Looking over at Reilly, Kat could see that he needed to cool off. “Okay, that does it.” She stood up and grabbed Reilly’s arm, pulling him along with her as they exited the country club. She leaned her head toward his and said, “I know this isn’t your sort of thing, but I’m so taking you out to get some tea.”

The look on Reilly’s face was priceless. Kat didn’t know whether he wanted to shout or hit something. But enough was enough. The man never did anything for himself. Ever. And this was the final straw for her. He was getting too wrapped up in everything. She’d seen this many times with him and every time she held back and let him handle things his way. Not this time. Not if she had anything to say or do about it.

Smiling, Kat spoke, “Oh trust me, you’ll love it. Tea always makes everything much better. You’ll see.” She brought her other arm up to meet his and gave him a pat as they reached the valet. “And don’t think about trying to argue your way out of this one. There are plenty more hours left today where we can pour over the names and figure out how to get these guys.” She paused a moment. “But given the state you’re in right now?” Kat shook her head. “No. We’re going out for tea. The files are for later. Come on.”

As the Wizardess pulled Reilly to his feet, he nearly forgot to grab the folder with the information that they needed. With a last second grab, he recovered the files from the table and tucked them into his coat as he replaced his badge on the outside. He wasn't sure how to handle her sudden insistence on tea. With the doubt, he handled it the only way he figured he could handle it... by letting it happen. He handed the valet the ticket for the squad car.

The Lieutenant stared at Kat dumbfoundedly. She couldn't be serious about making him join her for tea. He decided to press his luck, mumbling a quick "How about coffee instead?" The words fell on dead ears as they climbed into the car as it pulled around. He slipped the valet a small tip, driving out of the country club's drive quickly. "Fine. Where to?" He grumped all during the car ride. What would the guys at the station think if they knew that he was being forced into tea with his hired consultant.

Kat gave him the directions that he needed, as he looked up at the sign. "Subtle Tea? Is that really the name?" He groaned out quietly, shaking his head as he turned off the car, stepping out and staring at the door. He really, really didn't want to go inside, but he found his feet following the Wizardess inside the store. It was something along the lines of Starbucks, but specializing in tea. "Uhm. You order for me." He mumbled, moving to take a seat at one of the small tables in the back corner of the store.... far from the storefront windows.

While she stood in line, he pulled out the files on the Reds that William had given them. It just didn't make any sense. A judge. A crime lord. And Deputy-Inspector Johanson. He just didn't understand. Three relatively powerful individuals... did they get there because of their Red influence? Or were they changed after the fact? He did some more reading about the men as he caught a glance from Kat. She had said to leave the files alone, but he couldn't do that. Not now. Not when they had all this new information.

Reilly held up a finger, 'one more minute'. That's all he needed to try and find something concrete about a timeline. Anything to connect them to the kidnappings. Where they might be hiding the four missing people. Something. Anything. Please. He frowned, the lines on his face falling into place easily from all the frustrations of late. He flipped through the pages quickly, front to back. Front to back. Front to back. He was on his fourth examination of the three individuals when Kat very nearly slammed their tea on the table. "I was... uh... just finishing up." He said with a sigh, folding the file closed and looking at the tea that was in front of him. "What is it?"

Kat scowled as she set the cups of tea down on the table. Reilly looked up at her somewhat sheepishly as he reluctantly closed the files she explicitly had told him not to touch until later. Of course, she never expected him to actually listen to her, at least not in full anyway. It just wasn’t his usual way of doing things. But it was time for a change in that regard. High time. He needed to realize that their were two of them working on this case and that working on something in a state of chaotic anger wasn’t going to help. They needed to take a small break and re-ground themselves. End of story.

“What is it?” Reilly asked wincing at the tea Kat had set before him.

“It’s a sweet apple tea,” she answered. “Just drink the damned thing. It’s wonderful! Trust me for once.” Kat couldn’t help but throw in the ‘trust’ jab. She was still a little sore from his not trusting her earlier hunch regarding her thoughts that vampires might be involved in the missing persons case.

As Kat sat down, she chuckled a little. She couldn’t help but notice Reilly’s choice of seating. The place was relatively empty and he chose the one table furthest away from… well, everything. She shook her head a little and sighed.

“Embarrassed to be here?” Kat asked as she took a sip of her own tea. “Mmm… white raspberry,” she muttered to herself as she swallowed the hot liquid.

Reilly just looked at her, his expression that of someone whose patience was ever so slowly dwindling. Kat just smiled and took another sip of her tea. She felt triumphant. For once he was the one getting all riled up, it was her getting under his skin. She wondered if he liked this slight turn of the tables. Probably not. She knew Reilly pretty well. He had his way of doing things and deviating from that way was just something he never did. In a way, Kat felt like this was good for him. He needed the change, the spice. And it didn’t hurt that it gave her some small satisfaction either.

Kat took another sip of her tea, her resolve faltering a little at the look on Reilly’s face. Heaving a small sigh, she spoke, “Fine, take at least two sips of tea and we can start looking at the files.” She felt defeated, again. But seeing the small smile creep up on Reilly’s lips made her forget that. Almost.

Reilly stared at the cup for a long moment before picking it up slowly. He glanced over at Kat, "Fine, take at least two sips of tea and we can start looking at the files." She conceded, the look in her eyes one of slowly growing defeat. He licked his lips softly as he took the first sip of the tea. It... wasn't terrible. He looked up at the Wizardess and offered a half-smile.

"It's... good." He offered slowly, taking another drink of the liquid. So far, they had each conceded a point after entering the tea house. Everything was in balance. He flipped open the files, continuing to drink the tea. He didn't want to admit it, but somehow, it was kind of soothing. His smile disappeared again, though, once he opened the files. He just didn't see how they'd get to them legally. Reilly sighed, finishing the tea after a little while of silent musing. He went to take another drink and surprised himself by not having any left. "Huh." He mumbled, placing the cup to the side as he continued to scour over the files.

Somehow, despite William's... character, Reilly didn't think that he would have given them information they couldn't have used. William was going to benefit as well from them stopping the Reds. It may be cryptic, but the answer had to be there. "I don't get it. I don't understand how we can stop them." He spat out, closing his eyes as he leaned back in the high-backed chair. "We can't touch them, legally speaking. And you can't just go and curse them or whatever... Because of your rules." He stared at the Wizardess silently, his mind going a mile a minute.