The Urban Jungle

[BenedictWolfe]

Shannon walked with brisk steps along South Street, on her way home after finishing the late shift in the grocery shop in Lakewood, Los Angeles. It was a rotten job; she was underpaid, had gone through three hold ups in six months and her boss, mr. Ingles, could never ever be trusted to keep his god damned paws to himself. On top of it all, she thought she was coming down with a cold. Not that she'd get any time off to recuperate. How could sunny California be so cold and damp as soon as the sun set, anyway? She skipped a step when she heard a gunshot go off before falling back into pace. She wasn't so far off from Compton so... And it came again and again, close too. She noticed others on the street stop and turn their heads to a smaller street running perpendicular to South Street. She stopped and looked as lights flashed in the windows of a less cared for house in time with the shots before all suddenly went silent. She snapped out of her surprise and went for her cell phone.

Marco couldn't believe how wrong this night had gone so suddenly and without warning. He crawled along the floor, breath coming fast and shallow, with one hand pressed over the parallel gashes in his chest. Oh shit that hurt! One minute he and the crew had been getting prepared for tonight's raid; loading up their guns with bullets and their veins with speed, and all of a sudden the weird looking type had just been there, stepping out of the shadows. Marco could see the front door a few yards off, just beyond Pelé's rent corpse. Right then the Cainite vitae was all that kept him going. He'd have to beg his owner for a fix as soon as he got home. Where the hell was that freak anyway?

Marco's question was almost immediately answered as a form stepped out into the hallway, blood dripping off the half-foot long claws that had sprouted before their eyes a mere minute ago. The claws that had put and end to the party. The figure seemed in his late twenties, dusky skinned and clad in cheap, inconspicuous clothing: Jeans, a tank top and a red ochre jacket. It was the folded bandana that kept his shoulder long black hair back and the round-lensed shades that set him apart. Who wears sunglasses in the middle of the night? Marco wasn't happy about this, however, and with a pained gasp tried to crawl back the way he'd come, horrifically aware that it was of no use. "Leave me alone, man!" he cried out as the man approached slowly, calmly. The claws slowly slipped back into the tips of his fingers, excess blood falling down to the floor. Heedless of Marco's words, he took hold of the wounded mans jacket with his reddened hands and hauled him up with surprising strength, pressing him up against the wall. Marco groaned in agony, his breathing taking on a wet, gurgling quality.

"Where were you headed, Ghoul?" The low but insistent words came from a face bereft of any sympathy for his victim's plight. "Who is your domitor?" Marco could feel the eyes of stranger, concealed as they were, bore into his, but the Bond was a powerful thing and the devotion he felt for his owner prevented him from revealing anything; and how he wanted to squeal right then! It was getting so hard to breathe. The man's brow furrowed and with one heave he threw Marco against the opposite wall. In the distance, the blaring of sirens could be heard. Crouching down by the prone form, the man turned Marco's head up with a hand, only to witness his last, gurgling attempts to breathe before he stilled and slowly went glaze eyed. A slight curse escaped the man's lips as he let go and stood up, the red and blue light of the police car's flooding in through the house's windows in flashes. The man turned and walked unhurriedly towards the window he'd entered through.

Walking along the street, the shadows seemingly rearranging themselves to keep him covered, Julio was given to thinking as he put the flashing lights and the crowd behind him. He couldn't say he was satisfied with tonight's undertaking. The only survivor had expired from his wounds before he could talk. He'd gotten rash in the initial attack. Sloppy. Stopping by a van, he turned and looked back at the scene, resigning himself to wait. He would have to wait and see what investigators, if any, showed up to have a look at the place. With any luck, they might be used to find the associates of the men he had just dispatched. A little patience could carry you a long way.

Name: Julio Cenyaotl
Apparent Age: Late twenties
Ethnicity: Nahua
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 173 lbs

 

[Erato]

Sometimes it was the simple things in life that kept one sane; taking a quiet stroll through a park and not having to worry about gunshot or being mugged. Perhaps going to a resturant and not having to fear that the next bite of food you take won't land you in the hospital stricken with some food-borne illness. And other times it was the comfort of your own home where you were protected from the harsh realities of the day to day, the ambience of classical music carrying away the tension of the job and hot water tainted with bubble bath and lavender oil could ease sore muscles and make you forget your worries and troubles for at least five minutes.
Then again, life also never ceased it's flow for anyone, not even those who made it a point to work nonstop to solve all the mysteries and crimes this city produced on a daily basis. Some which seemed stranger than fiction as of late though she wasn't going to allow herself to dwell on them as she lowered herself into the hot sudsy water and sighed with relief. The only thing that could make this moment better would be a chilled glass of champagne and maybe the fact that this wasn't her apartment but rather some five star resort located in some exotic location. And maybe a nice cabana boy ready to massage her back and shoulders bearing a pina colada or something after her luxurious soak. Yep, that would definately make this moment a lot better. And a secretary to answer her phone. Answer...her ...phone....
"Shit." She swore as she opened her coppery-brown eyes and sat up while her cell phone buzzed and rang angrily as if to let her know it didn't appreciate playing second fiddle to her daydreams and fantasies as she lunged out of the tub and snatched it off the counter.
"Hello?"She asked, instantly regretting that she'd even answered the damn thing in the first place. She was supposed to be off for the next couple of nights after working eighteen straight days in a row but now it looked as if she was in for another long haul as she listened to the strained and tired tone on the phone. "Okay, where are you guys?"She inquired while wrapping a towel around her lithe form and absentmindedly rubbing her left foot against her right calf to banish some of the suds from her interupted bath. "Gimme a bit, I was in the bath. I know..it's not your fault. Uh huh...bye."As she snapped the cellphone shut and glanced at her reflection.
"Ain't this about a bitch?"She asked the face staring back at her before rolling her eyes and exiting the bathroom and padding into her bedroom to find something comfortable and clean admist the piles of neglected laundry. "Just one night..it's all I ask."She muttered before glancing at a picture of a man and a woman posing together in their wedding outfits. Her father had been a police officer and her mother a school teacher, much to her mother's dismay, she'd opted to follow a similiar path after her father instead. She liked the thrill of danger, putting together the pieces to bring suspects to justice. Her way of tipping the scale in the good guy's favor when more often than naught, it seemed the bad guy got away.

And sometimes the bad guy employed desperate people as she squatted beside the body of someone familiar to her, gloved fingers gently and carefully turning the head of the victim before reverently laying it back on the floor. It was always hard when you knew that the corpse's name and it's family. Much less when that family was yours as she turned her eyes up at her partner and took a moment to find her voice which seemed oddly misplaced in the confines of tight and dry muscles. As much as she wanted to cry, she couldn't do that right now. Time to be a tough girl and get through this.
"Victoria, you know him don't you?"Justice asked as she nodded her dark head and sighed heavily, glancing back at the victim who stared back with lifeless eyes. What an utter waste! Marco was in his prime and instead of doing something productive with his life, he'd been all too easily seduced by the false promises of the street gang life. His poor mother was going to be heart broken when notified that her last remaining child had been taken by the streets just like the other four before him. At least he had a family who would mourn him properly though unlike some of the other victims she'd come across over the months and years who would be processed like slabs of meat and forgotten only to be numbers in the system..
"Sorry. Yes, he was a cousin of mine."She answered as she stood and moved out of the way for city officials to step in and remove his body so someone down at the coroner's office could cut him open and find the cause of death after pictures and various samples had been taken. "I'm sorry for your loss."Justice muttered as he followed her outside, staying close in case she needed a shoulder to cry on, or someone to hide behind while she got her bearings. However, Victoria wasn't the sort to let sentiment get in the way of her job as she turned to look up into her partner's face with her jaw set stubbornly in place while her eyes danced for a moment with a silent challenge as if daring him to tell her to go home.
"Sorry you missed the other bodies.."Justice began only to mentally berrate himself at how stupid that had to have sounded. The woman just saw a relative dead and the best he could do was apologize for the other victims and not show more compassion. "It's okay, just give me the cliff notes version of what they looked like."A touch of empathy in her tone as if she could sense how much her partner was trying to be supportive while not compromising the situation. They were at work, this was what they did. If she wanted sympathy, shoulders and heart-filled hugs while singing kumbaya around a campfire, she was in the wrong line of work. Gently, she pushed the emotional turmoil aside and let cold practicality settle in it's place as they stood outside the house and removed the soiled gloves from her hands.
"They didn't look nearly as good as..."He trailed off for a moment as she hiked her brows up slightly and nodded. So Marco had been spared a far more gruesome death, at least she could take some solace in that she supposed as she mentally shrugged. "They looked like they'd been done up with a machete or as weird as it's going to sound, a set of giant claws..."Justice shuddered as she gave a dry laugh. "Well, that sounds like the other group we came across a month ago."She pointed out to him, folding her arms across her chest while her teeth gently pressed into her lower lip. "You remember two years ago when we busted that small drug ring in South Central? Those guys were from South America right? Thought they were hardcore for using machetes to do their victims? I'm starting to think they might be back."She suggested. "You think so?"He asked as she gave a shrug.
"Not really, not when the D.A. nailed them to the cross as it were. Sort of sent a message to similiar groups and why would they suddenly surface now? Besides, there were no metal fragments found in the recent victims, remember? But neither were there any fur samples found so it couldn't be some wild animal running around. Whatever cut through those bodies, wasn't human but it wasn't animal either. Someone would see a bear and wild cats can't support themselves on their hind legs long enough to slash into a person's body.."As she turned shielded herself as though fending off some unseen attack.
"When a person is attacked by a dog or animal, what's the first thing they do? They hold up their arms to protect their face, right? Why then didn't the victims have any cuts or bite marks to the arms and wrists? All that was found were slash marks as if someone were using claws, right? Across the throat, chest and torso area, a couple on the back from when they obviously tried to run. What animal doesn't keep mauling it's prey once it's been felled?"She asked as Justice scratched his head as though truly stumped. "Well, a couple bore bite marks and they were missing some blood, remember? But we didn't find any on the ground to support that they'd bled out there. Like the blood had vanished."He spoke up as they lapsed into heavy silence for several minutes.
Either there was a group of gothic kids who had their hands in gang activity..or they were dealing with things far out of their league and depth as she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I don't know, Justice, vampires? We're in L.A...not Transylvania or wherever they come from. I'm having a bit of a hard time believing that there's some bloodsuckers running around here fighting turf wars like some supernatural gangsters."She snorted even though the first tinglings of doubt had already begun to settle in place. Was it at all unlikely? Given the evidence? This shit was giving her a headache and she wasn't looking forward to calling her Aunt later to tell her about Marco. Definately not the latter before a hand gently placed itself on her shoulder to shake her from her thoughts.
"Vic, go home."Justice ordered softly as she started to protest only to be silenced by a finger pressed to her lips. "Just go home. Nothing more can be done tonight and the only thing left is a bunch of paperwork. You need to rest and let this all sink in. If you're tired, you're just going to wind up making a mistake later."Not one to pull punches even if he was trying to show some compassion. "I'm not going because you told me to.."She trailed off, struggling not to yawn as the two of them stared into one another's eyes. For a moment, there was a strong tension that built around them and the world seemed to fade before she lost the battle and yawned, breaking the spell of the moment in which both of them looked away quickly as if feeling guilty for that lapse of strength and control.
"Well, you better call me if there's anything exciting happening. Not like I really do anything on my days off."She spoke quickly, thankful that her dark skin hid the flush of embarassment in the darkness as Justice cleared his throat and nodded rapidly. "Take it easy, Vic..see you in a couple of days."He waived before moving away from his partner quickly and striking up conversation with one of the police officers in the area. Victoria smiled at his backside then pivoted on the axis of her heel and approached her vehicle across the street. Once settling in the driver's seat, she took a moment to rest the back of her head against the top of the seat and debated on if she should make that dreaded call now..or wait until she got home. Either way, her Aunt was going to be upset and while she hated waking people normally, especially to deliver bad news, this was going to be a hundred times worse than any of those times.
"Home."She told herself as she slid the key in the ignition and started the engine, the silver-blue Accord departing it's parking spot and leaving the area while her fingers gripped the wheel tightly to hold it together at least until she got home in Van Nuys.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name Victoria Onika Watts
AgeThirty
EthnicityAfrican-American
Height5'6
Weight165

 

[BenedictWolfe]

He watched as the scene was taped off by the men in blue and the way was cleared for new vehicles to gain access: The CSI unit stopped by and sniffed around the place until they surrendered the bodies to the meat wagon. A civilian clad fellow who'd been moving around the scene since early on had greeted the unit, made some phone calls and remained after the party left the building. He was looking as a fairly promising candidate for what Julio had in mind, if the man would take it into his head to get off work before dawn. Checking his watch, he was almost on the verge of Obfuscating himself over to the investigator when a new car arrived on the scene and a woman stepped out onto the pavement.

And there was no doubt it was a woman he was looking at. She was as good as the definition of the word. Graceful, lithe and quietly beautiful she was an eye magnet. Normally, Julio might've been tempted to sate the urge with her, but had already taken care of that. Besides; tonight was a job night. Interestingly, however, she went up the investigator and exchange words before they both headed inside the house. His curiosity piqued, Julio went closer, though the tape barred him from getting near enough to see anything. He didn't mind. He just stood there, looking at the open door where she'd emerge again. She was apparently on the investigative team; this was good. Maybe he'd go with her then?

It was a short while later that saw the pair exit the building: The woman had a strange look on her face, the way she moved told Julio that her state of mind had transformed completely in there. What was it that could've caused that kind of change to a police officer who must've had plenty of experience with this type of thing? She stopped and turned on her partner, for Julio was convinced that this was what the two were, and looked him dead in the eyes. The man just began to speak, but the conversation that followed was lost on the man with the shades. The pair apparently made their good-byes and the woman walked over to her car and got inside. It didn't start up, however. Julio took off his sunglasses but had to shield his eyes from the flash of the lightbars on the cop cars. She was just sitting there, form resting against the seat. If she had been unbalanced she would be an ideal target for him, he thought. But then the car started up and he made his decision. He quickly disappeared into the backyard of a nearby house and a few moments later, a quiet flapping noise could be heard, moving off into the distance.

It hadn't been easy: He'd had to strain his body to keep up with the car, even with the advantage of ignoring ground obstacles, and the lights of the city hadn't made things any easier. But just when he'd though he was going to lose her, he saw her car turn off the road and enter an apartment block. Success. He was down between two buildings as she got out and in a few long seconds, he was standing upright once more, turning around to look around the corner.

 

[Erato]

The drive had been like the cell door opening on a condemned prisoner as she sat in silence, didn't even bother to turn the radio on as her mind mentally prepared itself for what she was about to do now that a decision regarding her Aunt had been made. Bad medicine was best taken swiftly followed by a shot of something strong to make you forget the pain.
Once she reached her neighborhood, she could already feel the threat of tears in her eyes and her throat tighten once more only to slam her hands on the steering wheel once she'd parked her vehicle. While she would miss and mourn her cousin, he'd been selfish and thought only of himself in the end. His mother had worked three jobs to support Marco and his siblings, hoping to set a good example so that they rose above their situation and didn't become another statistic...fat good it did her.
"You selfish fucking bastard!"Victoria shouted from inside the car, letting the tears flow down her face as her hands came crashing down on the steering wheel again and again as though it were her cousin's face.
"What, you too good to finish school? Get a job? Fucking flipping burgers and fries and shit..SHIT! Now I have to go in there and call your mama up and tell her that her last living child is dead...you fucking....FUCK!"She exploded, hoping that somehow, some way, Marco could hear her in the afterlife and felt like shit. If it wouldn't compromise the case, she'd go down to the coroner's office and beat him.
Finally stepping out of the vehicle, she locked it and set the alarm before heading down that proverbial Green Mile and inside where she flipped open her phone and dialed the number that had been looming in her mind's eye since she arrived to the scene of the crime.
"Hey Auntie Rose..."Victoria began as she shut the door behind her and tossed her keys on the table next to the door then flopped dejectedly on the couch. Ease her into it, She told herself though it seemed that Rose had an idea of what the reason for her calling was. The two began to cry on the phone to one another as Victoria answered her Aunt's questions as best she could.
"I won't know anything more until Justice calls me back or I get called in. I'm just..God I'm so sorry.."She apologized as her Aunt reassured her that it wasn't her fault. "No no..Auntie Rose, this isn't your fault either. You did the best for those kids, at least Robin was on the right track, it was just an unfortunate accident she got caught up in the cross fire of all that shit. Marco had it easy, more than easy. Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry I raised my voice, ma'am. I love you too, call me if you need anything."And then she was off the phone, throwing it across the room as though it were something unclean and foul.
Her bath had gone cold as she stripped off her clothing and placed the gun she'd had with her in the nightstand drawer, draining the tub and filling it with water again. She just wanted to return to that quiet world she'd been in moments before she'd been rudely pulled away. A world where no relatives had to die a stupid death and she could just forget about mysterious deaths and people getting cut up.

 

[BenedictWolfe]

As Victoria entered the apartment building the front door's self-closing hinge began to slowly push it shut. But just as it was merely an inch left from closing and locking intruders outside, a pair of fingers intercepted it and forced the contraption to open again. Peering inside at first, Julio silently stepped inside and listened. He could hear the woman's foot steps on the stairs above him. As quickly as he dared move, he began climbing them higher and higher. The sound of keys, the rasp of a lock being worked. He hurried just a little faster, but the door closed before he reached the right floor. Looking around, he found there were three doors: Gerry, Marlin and Watts. He needed to know the name of the investigator, at the very least, but he couldn't go picking any locks while the owners of apartments were still probably inside. He'd have.... A raised voice! It had been brief and he couldn't make out the words, but it was a woman's voice and she'd sounded agitated. It fit in with what he'd seen of the investigator and he felt confident he now knew her address and name: Watts.

Outside he began walking towards the main road as he fished out his cell phone. He'd have to catch a cab back to his haven because of the late hour and because he didn't feel like taking a dirt nap tonight. Flipping through the contacts on the screen, he chose one "Mr. Grey" and made the call. As he listened to the tone from the speaker his thoughts drifted back to the reason he was here, why he had been at that house and here the States to begin with. When those intruders had found his and his compatriots' holy site, they had been rash and presumptuous to believe it had remained unfound in the heart of the Mexican wilderness for no reason at all. It was still a mystery how the team and seemed to know its exact location in any case. No matter the reasons, the Tlacique had fallen upon their operation and in one swift stroke had eradicated them all. All except for one. That chalky bastard Julio had been tracking ever since. It was probably too good to hope that he hadn't already spilled the beans of the temple and the Tlacique to his sect mates, but his allegiances alone were enough for Julio to get the job done no matter what.

"It's you," rasped a voice suddenly in the cell's earphone. "Yeah, me again," Julio agreed. "I've got this name I need info on.... I know and I hope can repay you soon... Right, an investigator or inspector with the LAPD; Watts.... Yeah, that's all I know. Can you find out where she works from?.... Thnaks; you know I appreciate it." He disconnected and put the phone back in his pocket. Things were slowly moving forward for him. Not fast, but forward none-the-less. If this woman, this Watts, could help lead him to the people those gangbangers, the resolution to his mission might not be far off. Of course, the woman herself almost made it worth the trouble. He smiled a little and held out his hand, waving for a cab. He'd know more the following evening.

 

[Erato]

The rest of the evening was spent between fitful bouts of rest, waking and soaking in the bath and attempting sleep once more if only to return to the bathtub almost like a ritual. However, when dawn finally spread it's light across the city, she finally managed to slip into a deep and dreamless sleep if only to be roused by the angry ringing of her phone.
The room seemed so utterly fuzzy, like a monet painting as she tried to make sense of where she was as well as the hour of the day..or night as she rolled onto her side and looked at the clock on her night stand that advertised the hour in bright red letters; 6:45pm almost as if it were screaming the time to her as she grabbed her cell phone and flipped it open without bothering to look at who was calling.
"Hello?"She asked only to pull the phone back when the caller shouted back at her.
"GIRL! Have you ANY idea what time of day it is?! I've been trying to call your ass all day!"Came the explosive reply as Victoria sighed and pressed a hand to her brow.
"I'm sorry, I got to bed rather late last night..no it wasn't because I got drunk or I was with a man. Well it pays the bills, something you ought to try instead of expecting a man to do it for you. Honey, I really don't feel like going out tonight..no, I'm not avoiding you.."Victoria groaned as she silently cringed while her friend laid on the guilt trip. Sophia was a lot of fun to be with and the two had grown up in the same neighborhood, gone to school together and remained friends even after Victoria went off to the academy and she'd made a living of marrying men and divorcing them.
Despite the different directions their lives had taken, they'd somehow remained friends even if at times, Sophia worked her last damn nerve like she was now.
"Yes, I'm listening, honey. Sophie, this really isn't a good time for me to go out..yeah, Marco was found dead last night. Nope, don't know who--I'm not just saying that to be like a cop. Seriously. Listen, I'll call you later but I really need to get my ass up and fed. Uh huh...love you too, you crazy ass."And with that, she snapped the phone shut and stared at the ceiling. Once upon a time, Sophie and Marco had dated, almost had a kid together until she'd miscarried.
Her friend called it a tragedy, Marco never spoke about it and her Aunt called it a miracle from God since she'd never liked her fast and flighty friend. Victoria had seen her over the years date and marry a whole sleu of men who ranged from C.E.O's to the local drug pusher to aspiring rappers to managers of local retail stores. She never had to worry about her plumbing since she seemed to always know someone to help with each and every problem around the house.
Getting up out of bed finally while thumbing through her phone for missed calls and messages, she padded into the kitchen and groaned when nothing seemed to greet her. Terrific, She thought grumpily as she shut the door and went back into her room to find something clean to throw on. Maybe a trip down to Lee Lee's was in order, something quick and already cooked.
Slipping her shoes on after buttoning her jeans and slipping the gun from her drawer in it's holster on her side, she grabbed her keys and her wallet then soon departed for the chinese resturant down the road. Some food, some cleaning and some phone calls were in order as she stepped out onto the sidewalk and approached her car before shrugging and decided to just walk the distance to work up an appetite.

 

[BenedictWolfe]

Consciousness came slowly, the mind numbing darkness giving way to a hazy mist before thoughts became distinguishable. He opened his eyes to the pitch black and for a time, just lay there in the dark and the silence. After a while, however, his pupils began to fill up with a weak, red glow and the small space became visible to his enhanced vision. It was the inside of a "box" bed; not situated on legs, but rather an enclosed frame of wood directly on the floor with a mattress on top. Inconspicuous enough, it would give him him some valuable time of ever the police entered his apartment during the day. He put up a hand and pushed the bed top up like a coffin lid and got out. His black and white vision showed him a purposefully darkened living space, cardboard taped across the windows and not a plant in sight. Looking to the bed table, a clock shone the digits 7.40 and told Julio, who already knew, that the sun had set. The glow disappeared from his eyes and he flipped the light switches, lighting the few, weak bulbs in the place. A quick shower, not much more than a few moments under the nozzle as he didn't actually sweat, after which he turned on the TV as he toweled himself, listening to the news. His handiwork hadn't earned specific mention, but the news anchor droned on about shootings and other reports of gang related violence in the city.

Checking his phone for messages only to find none, he got dressed and exited the third floor flat to see what he could find out for himself back at those apartment buildings. Convincing the landlord to let him inside the woman's home wouldn't be difficult and she probably wasn't at home at this time of day. He caught a taxi and sat back to relax for the duration of the trip when, suddenly, his phone went off. Fishing it out of his pocket he looked on the screen to see he had received a mail from a secret number titled "Watts". Mr. Grey had wasted no time, it seemed. He opened the message and read its contents:

Victoria Watts
LAPD investigator
Office at the downtown station
Partner named Justice​

What followed was some statistics like her date of birth, years with the service, family members and their addresses as well as some info about her car that Julio was already familiar with. The mail ended with a reminder that he could expect his favours owed to be called in within then ear future. He sighed, needlessly, and turned his head to the window, seeing the right neighbourhood coming closer as he did. And then, surprisingly, his eyes locked onto the visage of one woman among many, walking down along the sidewalk ahead of the cab in the opposite direction. It was the errant miss Watts he presently gazed upon and quickly he told the driver to let him off where they were, handed over a few bills and got outside to look after the woman. He thought he caught a glimpse of her vanishing into a restaurant. A Chinese resaurant, in fact. Hurrying across the street, he approached the place and looked in through one of the large windows. Yes, that was her alright. Taking off his sunglasses, because the lighting inside was subdued, he opened the door and stepped inside.

The place was tastefully decorated, none of the gaudy statues and carved wood of the more upscale Chinese restaurants. The aromas of cooking wafted out of the kitchen to permeate the main space and people stood in line to order. Watts was at the end of that very line, until Julio took up the spot behind her. Thumbs in his jeans pockets he struck a comfortably relaxed pose and said just loud enough for her to hear: "Spring rolls and good at this place?"

 

[Erato]

By the time she made her way inside the small chinese resturant and in the line of customers to place her order, her appetite had woken up with a vengence.
Then again, that was the sort of place Lee Lee's was; you could walk in with a full stomach and find yourself hungry again in a minute once the smell of roasted duck and sizzling garlic shrimp or freshly made noodles cooking in some sort of exotic pungent sauce hit your nose. The interior was rather lackluster at best with yellowed walls from all the frying and chain smoking the owners did in the back, and the coverings on some of the booth seats were ripped here and there.
But for affordable and delicious, one couldn't expect it looking as if Martha Stewart had come through to add her creative touch to the place. And once you got to know the workers here, they treated you more like family than a customer which kept people coming back for seconds, thirds, and more.
She was snapped from her thoughts however when a voice spoke from behind and she turned to stare at the owner. A face that didn't look as though he were from around here, handsome in that south-of-the-border kind of way and for a moment, she had the crazy notion her friend Sophie might have sent him in after her just to play pranks on her.
"Try the lobster."She offered to him and before she could say anything else, her phone began to ring loudly and buzz in her pocket.
"Justice?"She asked, frowning as the speaker on the other end began to fly into a tirade, with her holding out the phone away from her ear. Something about multiple calls and being unable to reach her as she sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Lemme call you back in like two minutes. Yes, I'll call back."And with that she shut the phone and stepped out of the line realizing she would have to wait on ordering food. Maybe something had been found on her cousin to help track the bastard responsible for his death? She could only hope as she gestured for the man who'd been standing behind her to take her place before approaching the door and stepping outside.
"Hey, sorry..was just at Lee Lee's getting something to eat."She explained to her partner once she was a few feet from the door and leaning up against the side of the building in the alley.
Unfortunately, nothing significant had been found and it was more of what she viewed to be a social call than anything else. "I appreciate the concern, really I do. But I'm starving and just want to get home. I'll call you later. Yes, I promise. Okay..bye."
After hanging up, she slipped her phone back in her pocket and rolled her eyes. Sometimes Justice acted more like a nagging father or older brother than a partner though she knew it was just his way of showing he cared as she lingered against the wall for another minute before moving to head back inside.

 

[BenedictWolfe]

He raised an eyebrow at the reply, but before either could follow up on it, her phone rang. Her gesture after she accepted the call was not lost on Julio who gracefully stepped aside when she turned and made her way out of the restaurant. He calmly started to move as if to follow her after a few seconds, but saw her stop outside the window and continue the phone conversation. Patiently, he reclined against a pillar and faded from the flickering attentions of the guests. It was an enjoyable aside from his usual hustling from one end of the city to the other, looking for informants and Havens, though he had gotten the impression that this woman was a person greatly occupied by her work; on the times he had observed her she had seemed focused on one thing or another, her mind away from the here and now. This was not conducive for contact, however, and he would need to break through to her.

When she re-entered the restaurant, she would find the spot in the line empty; the man nowhere in sight. Julio waited for her to return to the line before he left his place of observation to walk up to her side, stopping to apparently look up at the menu written on blackboards above the counter. "It does not seem as if lobster is on the menu tonight," he said in low tones, glancing at her sideways and offering a wan smile. "Admittedly, I'm not really the lobster eating type. Life today is so hectic; you can hardly take the time for a decent meal, right?"

 

[Erato]

The sound of his voice made her turn her head and for a moment, her pulse accelerated in her veins before quickly calming. Why should she be surprised by his presence? For some reason, he made her feel as if she were on the menu though perhaps she was being a little presumptious in that aspect.

"Hm, so it doesn't."She replied, if only to mentally smack her brow at how utterly lame that sounded. Why was she worried about how she sounded to this man? Had Sophia really been so sneaky, known her so well as to send some handsome man to Lee Lee's to seduce her with conversation? Okay, just get your food and go home. You must be delusional..you're losing it.She admonished herself as she offered the man a wane smile and casual shrug.

"I can hardly take the time for a lot of things."She answered before it was suddenly her turn to place her order. Rattling off various items, she paid the cashier and then moved off to the side to wait, occassionally stealing glances at the man whom she'd been speaking to. Chalk it up to being tired, stressed, the impact of recently losing a relative, but she offered him a friendly smile and arched a brow in a playful manner.
"So then, if you don't like lobster...what DO you like to eat?"

 

[BenedictWolfe]

"I can hardly take the time for a lot of things," she said, and Julio offered her a smile before saying: "Sounds like you got a tough job, but that's just something to be proud of. Shows, you know, quality of character." He followed behind her as she stepped up the counter to order her things. She was turning out be pretty receptive; he might not even require any tricks. All for the better. When she finished her order and moved aside, Julio stepped up and was about to place his order, not missing the glances at his direction she tried to hide, when she spoke up again: "So then, if you don't like lobster...what DO you like to eat?"

He paused and and looked over at her. With a grin, he looked her up and down with no attempt to hide his inspection and then turned back to the cashier, leaning forward to say what he wanted to order without anyone else hearing. Dropping a few bills in the man's hand he sauntered over to Victoria and leaned against the wall.
"If you'd like to find out what I enjoy, I guess you'll have to have lunch with me and see for yourself." He flashed her a knowing smile, waiting for her reply.

 

[Erato]

One could hardly call working with murderers, theives, rapists and the other ilk that stalked the streets of the city 'knowing quality of character.' But the warmth of his smile wasn't lost to her nor was the intention of a compliment as she returned his smile even if it was just a touch more wane than his was.
Perhaps Sofia was right in that men were like a glass of wine; Sometimes one needed to indulge in one or two just to help get over whatever life threw in your direction. Though as soon as that thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but laugh softly under her breath.
Then it occured to her he'd said something more and she sobered immediately, holding up her hand as if to fend herself from some unseen force, perhaps even his charm.
"Sorry, I was just thinking of something a friend of mine once said."She amended quickly and then recalled dimly what he'd said and for a moment, lowered her eyes shyly.
"One can hardly call this 'lunch time.' " She pointed out with a bit of an upturn of her lips, her eyes returning the previous gesture of his own and tilting her head to the side as if concidering something. Maybe she was feeling bold because she wanted to feel alive after so much recent death? Men and women clandestinely met up and had 'lunch' and more all the time. It wasn't like she had to sneak him through her bedroom window to hide him from some disapproving parental unit. Oh hell, what am I thinking?She mentally sighed.
There was no husband, no boyfriend or even another lover to grow jealous if she should simply indulge..why was she holding back? The world seemed to disappear with just the two of them standing apart in a dark void, her heartbeat pounding in her ears like a drum that brought to mind dancing naked beneath a moon with another. Hands roaming...sweat...voices mingling in a chorus...

"Order number six!"A voice shouted, pulling her from her reverie and making her jump a bit as the world exploded up around her as if to remind her she'd been simply dreaming and nothing more. Hastily she turned and grabbed her bag of food and then ran a hand through her hair to calm herself.
"I probably shouldn't though."She stated with obvious reluctance, wanting to but perhaps some latent survival instinct kicking in. How many young women had she visited in the morgue over the years because they'd taken that 'nice young man' home for 'lunch.'? What would her Aunt say if she stopped by and saw her with someone? What if work suddenly called her? Wasn't she supposed to call Justice when she was done here? The walls of the resturant seemed to grow closer and closer until she shut her eyes for a moment and then opened them with a new found resolve.
"But maybe I'm a bit tired of doing what I 'should' do. My place isn't far from here if you'd like to join me?"

 

[BenedictWolfe]

He shrugged his shoulders, saying "Time is an illusion; lunch time doubly so. I'm something of a night owl, you know?" She didn't reply, however, and he tilted his head, looking at her; she seemed lost in some world of her own. Her demeanor was so strange: She was cheerful and somber, flirty and lost in thought. A little smile played on his lips, quite unintentionally, as the two stood there, quiet together for a little while; her staring out at nothing, him staring at her. His thoughts began to drift to what her apartment might look like, how it smelled in there, what kind of sheets did she have on her bed, what would her skin feel like to touch, how did she look with those clo...

"Order number six!" Julio grunted as they were both torn back into the real world by the sudden announcement, an Asian man waiting by the counter with a takeout box in his hands. Julio had to look aside for a second as he restrained the irritation on his face before looking back to Victoria, who by then had collected the food and was running a hand through her hair. What exactly had she been thinking about, he found himself wondering. So it was with a certain measure of dismay that her listened to her excuse herself, reluctant though it may have been. He knew he could cheat and manipulate her consent out of her, but he didn't like taking the short route. Lucky for him, he didn't have to.

"...if you'd like to join me?" He hid his relief with an easygoing smile and shrugged noncommitally. "It's not really as if I could refuse, is it?" He joked and turned towards the counter, seeing his food being brought out. With it in hand, he walked towards Victoria and together they stepped out into the chilly night air. Walking by her side along the pavement, he said: "I'm Julio, by the way. What would you like me to call you?"

 

[Erato]

If her mother were alive, she'd surely give her a disapproving frown for her reckless behavior, Justice would likely skin her alive and her wild friend, Sophia? Would probably high five her and want dirty details in the morning. Not that she intended on telling a single living soul about this momentary lapse in character as she walked out of the resturant with the handsome stranger. This was strictly between him, her and maybe the couch or bedroom..wherever they wound up having 'lunch'.
How do you even know that he'll want sex? When did we decide that we were just gonna take the plunge?She asked herself, glancing to the side at her new found friend and then mentally chuckled. Something about the way his body moved made her think of a giant jungle cat walking alongside a female, bumping her side to entice her into mating. Meow, baby..She drawled before realizing that he'd asked her a question.
"Victoria."She answered, moving a smidge closer with her hand sweating as it gripped the plastic bag containing her food. Even though it smelled delicious, there was something in the air that attracted her attention far more while her free hand fished around to find her keys as they neared her apartment.
"Do you live around here? Or were you just prowling the urban jungle?"She ventured to ask, walking up the steps and opening the door to her building. Once more her heart began to race, the drum beat setting the pace for this strange ritual between Man and Woman.
It wouldn't take too long to reach her apartment, sliding the key in place and turning it slowly and then pushing the door open. Opting for something with softer lighting, she turned a lamp on and then set her bag of food on the kitchen table, assuming he'd follow her in. No turning back now, tonight she was going to kill some pain in the most unorthodox way she knew how. "Go ahead and make yourself at home."She called from the kitchen, slipping her shoes off and straightening things up quickly so he wouldn't think her to be some slob.
"Do you want something to drink?"She asked him, pausing in front of the fridge to await his response.

 

[BenedictWolfe]

He followed close after her as she opened the door to the apartment complex, not too proud to inspect her physique from behind her as she climbed the steps of the stairs. "Not around, as such, no. I'm from Mexico - I just came here to look for an old friend of mine, but I've been having some trouble finding him." He might as well lay some of the ground work right then if he hoped to achieve some progress later on. "Still, can't say I'm not enjoying my stay here; the ocean air, the food and all the beautiful sights," he grinned, giving her an open look-over. "And, of course, the friendly locals."
She opened the door and they both stepped inside her apartment, giving Julio his first inside look at her home. He drew in the scent of the place, adding it to his memory. He got ready when he saw her move for the dimmer, but thankfully she only went as far as turn the lamps on, leaving the lights at a low glow.

Accepting her invitation, Julio moved into the living room and over to the windows, while she was still in the kitchen. He swiftly released the curtains and let them cover up the windows, giving the two some added privacy. "Do you want something to drink?" came from the kitchen and he replied: "No, that's alright. Not really in the mood for drink, right now." He began to walk slowly around the room, studying the shelves and the walls and what pictures there were. Anything might be of interest, of help to him. He noticed a stereo system and a collection of CD's in a rack. He raised his brow at that and inspected the titles, searching for something that could work out tonight. He wasn't exactly a great connoisseur of Western music, but he'd had a long time to at least pick up on some of the general points of the medium. He noticed some promising albums, but decided to let it wait a little while yet. Taking a seat on the sofa, he leaned back and settled in a leisurely manner, waiting for Victoria to join him.

"If you don't mind me asking: What is it you do, Victoria?" he asked as she exited the kitchen.

 

[Erato]

As she exited the kitchen to join her guest in the living room, she realized the answer to his question might be a deal breaker if she answered him honestly. Was she so starved for a night of stringless indulgence that she'd lie about what she did?
"I work for the city."She carefully answered as she settled on the couch and took a sip of water she'd poured from her fridge before setting it on the coffee table before them. "Though really, work is the last thing I want to think about tonight."She added, hoping to distract him from the topic.
"So you're looking for a friend? This city is quite big, any leads on where to look for him?"She asked only to flinch inwardly at how much that sounded like she were taking a case. If she had been trying to hide her profession, she might do well to take the detective off the case as it were and reassign it to shutting up.
"Maybe you could try hiring someone to help you. I mean, there's tons of private investigators in this place, most willing to work on a sliding scale."She suggested quickly, reaching for the water to fill her mouth with something so she wouldn't blather on any further. That's when her eyes danced to the music collection atop of her entertainment center and she rose to find something to play, anything to break the silence and move the conversation and evening onto something a bit more fun than a botched attempt at subterfuge.
"This should work."She mused, opening a c.d case and slipping the silver disc into the player and adjusting the volume.
The sound of someone whispering something in spanish could be heard before a mixture of contemporary club sounds and something south of the border could be heard, mixed with bilingual lyrics that caused her to sway a bit while closing her eyes.

Tonight we dance,
I leave my life in your hands.
We take the floor,
Nothing is forbidden anymore
All that was needed to make this moment even more enjoyable was perhaps total darkness and a handsome face to dance with while Enrique serenaded them both, and it was then that she simply offered her hand to him to see if he'd accept her offer.
Don't let the world in outside.
Don't let a moment go by.
Nothing can stop us tonight!

 

[BenedictWolfe]

"It seems he's fallen in with some bad company, if you know what I mean," he said, leaning back against the arm support to face her. "Yes; I suppose I need someone with experience with this type of investigation. Maybe someone will come along?" He shrugged, signaling that the topic was done with and ready to move on to more interesting matters. He watched her get up after forcing down a huge gulp of water from her glass and walk over to the music collection. Ah; now we're getting somewhere.

His eyes locked onto hers as the music began and he smiled at her, rising as she held out her hand to him, accepting the invitation. He slowly approached her in step with the beat and just as Enrique delivered his first passionate "Bailamos!" Julio was there, hand in hand and arm around her waist; his eyes never left hers. He lead her into the dance; feet, legs and hips moving in time to the rhythm, his body pressing close to hers. He subtly began to let the effects of Awe affect her mind, captivating her attention even further, refusing anything to interfere with her attention for even a moment. Then and there there was only two people, a rhythm and a need to follow that rhythm's every whim and desire.

 

[Erato]

As he slithered towards her, like a snake in the grass, she easily fell into the role of the bird who'd fallen from the saftey of the nest. The way his eyes hungrily fell upon her thrilled her and she happily allowed him to move her into the dance.
The music seemed to melt away, the only sounds she could hear were that of her breathing and her heart thrumming loudly in her ears as she leaned into him and held his gaze; pulse racing in her throat and lips throbbing as though begging him to kiss her. Kiss me!Her eyes screamed to him until she couldn't help but lean in closer to him so that her chest and his seemed to mirror one another. Hips pushed together.
He'd mentioned something about his friend..cousin..someone falling into bad company and while the polite thing to do would be to ask further information, maybe even offer her own services to help track down this missing individual, all she could focus on was the way the warm and distant glow of the lamp cast a halo of light around the back of his head. As though he were some forgotten saint whom she'd invited in off the streets to rest from his travels.
Fingers laced through his and she completed the embrace, happy to let him lead her this night and for once throw caution to the wind and just live for the moment.

 

[BenedictWolfe]

His auguring gaze held hers even as he subtly studied her reactions with a predator's sense of detail. She was taken with scene, breathing heavy, heart pounding and her warm arms gripping his body. He smiled hoodedly at her, grinding their hips up against one another, bodies pressed tight as they moved to the rhythm slowly back and forth across the living room floor. He'd felt the attraction towards her the moment he'd laid eyes on her and now, not even a day later, she was there in his arms, ready for the taking. He lent in close to her face, smelling her hair, moving his face around hers slowly, brushing against it.

Softly, he began to kiss her skin, planting feathery kisses down her cheek bone to her jawline and further down to her throat, tilting her head upwards. Then he began coming back up again, kiss by kiss, until he was there at her mouth. It wasn't feathery, it wasn't chaste: As their lips met he pressed his to hers and pushed his tongue forward without any intention to take a no for an answer. Their bodies held against one another, their mouths pressed tight, his hands fell down to her waist where the thumbs hooked into her pants, staying there for the moment without tugging, but ready to heed the call when it comes.