Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

A Monster: Now and Forever (Razgriz x kuro_bara)

The mansion was massive, easily bordering on castle classification...or perhaps a fort. Selena gazed up at the stone wall that surrounded the outer parts of the property, an enormous iron gate barring entry to any who approached. Her eyes slid side ways to one of the two statues sitting on either side of the gate. Being a witch she could easily tell the pair were not statues at all but incredibly well trained gargoyles. Their faces were frozen in vicious, unwelcoming snarls, large bat like wings flared out behind them. The creatures acted as sentries for the Baroness, no one approached the mansion without their knowledge. They were in fact part of an entire fleet of gargoyles that protected the property.

Despite the medieval gothic appearance of the building, things were surprisingly updated. The gate had an intercom with which a guest could contact the main building and request entrance. Though Selena hardly had touched the button when the gate rolled open, on the other side a familiar weathered face awaited her. “Good evening Ms. Michel.” Walter was possibly the only butler in existence who could exude a sense of propriety and intimidation without ever changing his tone of voice or twitching a muscle. Without waiting for a reply the man turned on his heel and continued up a long gravel drive that opened into a wide circle area in front of the large mahogany doors of the mansion. A fountain burbled in the centre of the circular drive, the sculpture in the middle of the fountain was of tortured angel, its wings cut and hanging and a large cracked vase in its hands where the water was pouring from. It was a gruesome sight but given the tenant of the property, it was fitting.

Selena followed the butler into the expansive entryway and into a lavish sitting room. The furnishings were clearly all antique, done in golds and crimsons. A massive fireplace crackled in the centre of the room though it did little to add any heat. The drapes were thrown open allowing moonlight to filter into the room and pool on the extravagant carpet.“Please, sit.” He instructed, rolling a silver trolley over with steaming tea. The witch gratefully accepted a cup and sipped on it silently. She learned long ago not to waste breath asking the Steward questions. He would only talk when required to and would not answer anything the Baroness had not expressed him to. All she could do now was sit back and wait for Cassandra to appear or until the Baroness summoned her. She was a bit surprised that Cassandra wanted to see her so soon, usually she spent several days wandering about the mansion catching up on paperwork until her leader had time to meet.

Selena couldn’t help but wonder if the Baroness was stepping up certain plans. She had been privy to information over the years of some of the woman’s future plans but she always assumed she would be long dead before any of them came to fruition. Her mind idly drifted to Serov and the MORE than pleasant time she had spent with him. Everytime she saw him it got harder to leave. Men were so exasperating. She was entirely lost in her own thoughts and was only brought out of them by the gentle sound of Walter clearing his throat.

When she raised her eyes she found herself looking into the smile face of the Baroness, who was seated quite comfortably on the settee across from her. Selena sprang to her feet and bowed fumbling over an apology. Cassandra had a good natured smile, and amusement in her eyes. “Thinking about a man?” The vampire asked in a smooth, musical tone that could seduce the clothes off a succubus. Selena blushed darkly and dropped back onto the sofa silently. Cassandra chuckled and sipped from a crystal wine glass filled with blood wine. “Relax Selena, I am well aware of your relationship with Serov, as long as you stay committed to your duties I see no harm in it.” The witch’s mouth dropped open in shock, did she just get a blessing from the Baroness to have a relationship with Serov. Before she could reply to this stunning revelation, Cassandra changed subjects so fast Selena was left gaping.

The Baroness leaned back, one slim leg crossing over the other and a predatory look coming into her eyes. “So. Tell me about the Warlock.”
 
It had certainly been some time since Selena's last visit to the stronghold; but then, she was one of the Barnoness' most active agents. She was in charge, in part, of ensuring that assets in certain areas of Cassandra's steadily-growing empire were playing by the rules. Selena would find that he was as direct as ever; standing at attention in his crisp suit, his hazel hues - the right of which encircled by an immaculate monocle - were then directed at his mistress as she entered the room.

Excusing himself with a bow, he then went into another room to prepare a special cocktail for Cassandra: Three parts dead man's blood, two parts silver chloride, and one part holy water. The latter two of the three were more for keeping things 'current', but the fact that she was stepping up in blood doses so fast meant the Baroness was starting to reach levels of resistance far beyond that even of her father. He worked diligently and efficiently despite the fact he could be mistaken for Cassandra's grandfather, directing a seven-foot-plus, tanned skin and dark-haired male in nothing more than simple pants to hand him ingredients for the recipe. This servant seemed mute, only responding with simple nods and grunts of acknowledgement.

Before long, the concoction was complete and placed into an IV bag; he then recited a chant in the Knaaic tongue to up its potency like he had always done. He disliked having to put his mistress through this torment, but it was what she wanted. And it was more important now than ever to keep her on a strict dosing schedule. A Hunter with the knowledge of a vampire's weaknesses was bad enough...A warlock having that knowledge would be one of the gravest dangers out there to the Baroness. And she needed to be prepared.

It was here then made his way back into the room, having missed his mistress' teasing of Selena being intimate with Serov; like Cassandra, it was something he caught wind of almost immediately. And while he generally found relationships among coworkers to detract from efficiency, he also knew that it was not his place to forbid such matters; no, all he could be responsible for was making sure such relationships did not interfere with their duties.

And based on how it seemed so far, everything still went well. This warlock, however, was something he was still trying to find out more on; the only thing his resources could come up with was that he was a Hunter. And a ruthless one at that; though there seemed to be some evidence that he was older than he appeared. FAR older. And it was mostly from observations of his manner of dress and his fluency in Old Latin. Certainly there should be more, but the fact that information was scarce did give the Steward reason for concern.

Regardless, he soon arrived back in the main chamber where Cassandra and Selena were conversing about this mysterious man; waiting for a pause in their talk, he then cleared his throat and said, "Apologies, Your Grace...But it is time for your treatment. Must keep the schedule, you know. Eitan, assist her if you would."
 
Selena watched the Steward slip from the room though she was forestalled from inquiring into his activities by the Baroness directly asking about the warlock. Selena pulled out a few sheets of paper and set them on the table between herself and the vampire. They were detailed reports on her activities the last few weeks and her information on the warlock, though she was well aware that Cassandra wanted a verbal report as well. The written reports were more for the sake of Walter anyways, the man was very particular about receiving timely reports from all of Cassandra's agents around the world. How the man kept things running like a well oiled machine Selena would never be able to fathom.

While the Steward was out of the room, the witch described the physical attributes of the warlock and everything she knew about him including their past run in and their most recent one and why she allowed him to escape. She swallowed the lump in her throat, Serov had stated there would be no punishment but Selena still felt as though she deserved one. Cassandra had a pensive look on her face and remained silent long enough that Selena grew concerned. Before she could ask what the vampiress was thinking about Walter returned with a servant and an IV bag. At his command and an idle wave from the Baroness the servant began to hook up the IV to his mistress' arm. Selena could recognize a small bit of spell work on the bag and her eyes darted to the Steward who as usual was about as expressive as a rock wall.

Cassandra gave Selena a wan smile. "Walter's idea." She said gesturing to the bag. "My line has been building a resistance up against some of our most dangerous weaknesses." Selena nodded, impressed despite herself. Vampires were susceptible to very little, dead man's blood, silver and blessed water being the top three. If the Baroness had been pumping such a toxic mix into her body her resistance must be high indeed. She acted as the poison hardly affected her though her face tightened ever so slightly in a grimace occasionally.

"So, I have garnered enough attention that they have decided to through their best at me." Cassandra mused, taping her lips idly. "He sounds quite powerful indeed, certainly an enemy to be wary of." If Selena hadn't known better she could have sworn the Steward's face twitched ever so slightly. "He could be quite an asset." The vampire added almost as an after thought, her lips curling in a devious smile.

This time Selena was absolutely sure Walter's face twitched. "Walter, find out everything you can about this man, I must admit I am intrigued."

The Steward was several feet behind the Baroness but his expression was clearly beleaguered. "Your Grace this man is dangerous." There was so much unsaid in that phrase, clearly Walter was agitated by his mistress' interest in the warlock.

Cassandra's smile widened. "Hmm, exactly what I am hoping for."

****

Selena sat a small table in her private room at the mansion, sipping tea and going over some work she was behind on when there was a soft knock at the door. A moment later Walter entered looking like his usual stoic self. "Ms. Michel." He said, standing in the doorway.

"You know you can call me Selena, Walter." She said with a smile. "Please." The witch indicated the chair beside her, the Steward clearly had some matters to discuss.

He shook his head. "I must apologize but I require to depart on a new assignment immediately." The Steward explained. Selena tilted her head expectantly. "Lilanna has requested your assistance with something, I need you to travel to her village." His face was entirely expressionless.

Selena pursued her lips. "Spit it out Walter, I know there is more to this than an errand."

He frowned ever so slightly. "Our mages here detected some residual magic of the warlock on your person. Having you on the property may lead him straight her, I am not about to risk her Grace's safety for yours." He grit his teeth. "But the Baroness wants to learn more about him and as such would like you to remain nearby so that when he finds you..." He trailed off.

The witch raised an eyebrow. "You want me to be bait." She supposed it was a fitting punishment if the warlock caught up to her and carried through his threat. The Steward gave a curt nod, he was visibly agitated by the Baroness' rapidly growing obsession with the warlock. Selena sighed but nodded. "Of course, I will head there immediately." If a rock could look relieved, than Walter was certainly so. Without another word the man turned and left, leaving Selena to pack up and begin her journey again.
 
*Yerington, Nevada*

It was a pleasant day in Yerington. Cars bustled among the busy streets and pedestrians went about their day as if nothing were wrong with the world. This was one state that had it all: To the northwest, there was Virginia City. Everything about it screamed Old West: The saloons, the hotels, the rustic design and even the guided tours via horse-drawn carriage. It brought a sense of nostalgia and remembrance of the town that led one of the largest mining booms in America's late 19th century. And to the southeast there was good ol' Las Vegas: Land of the sinners, those with too much money in their pockets, and a lust for a chance to hit it big. Yerington was more down to Earth, but home to some of the wealthiest people in Nevada.

But sadly, today was tarnished.: The body of a young adult male, no more than twenty-seven, lay spread-eagle on the floor of his room in one of the city's nicer double-story homes, its perimeter surrounded by lines of yellow tape and swarming with law enforcement personnel. His brown hair mussed and dirtied, the once-vibrant green hues and his once-clean suit ripped to shreds with what appeared to be organ flesh poking through the lacerations. He seemed every bit the business man type, because he was. He was...

"Brandon Russell. Police found him like this, Detective Agnis." said a Nevada policeman to a blonde-haired male in a dark trench coat, pulling down the brim of his hat; what the hell kind of monster would do something like this. The unknown male wrote something down in his notepad then looked up and asked, "Were you the first one on the scene?" The officer shook his head, "No, that was my partner...The one your friend's talking to downstairs." He looked down at the boy's corpse and added, "Poor kid didn't deserve this. His father's going to be devastated."

"What can you tell me about this kid? Any trouble with the law?" asked Agnis, to which the officer replied "None, except for a couple of DUIs. Never anything serious. But he's a kid having fun in the Silver State, you know? And with his money...Well, let's just say a few tickets won't break the bank." Agnis cocked his head, "His money? What do ya mean?" The officer seemed shocked, "You don't know? And you're FBI, eh? This is Brandon Russell...You know, son to Stephen Russell." Being met with only a blank look, the officer continued, "Stephen Russell of Comstock Mining. The guy who runs all the mining surveys here?"

It was here Agnis decided to fake a look of realization, "Oh right! The guy opened all the old mines here...right?" Of course, he just pulled that out of his ass...But it turned out he was right. "That's the one alright. No offense, but you sure you're who you say you are? Figured you guys would be more on top of this kind of stuff...". Giving a nervous shrug, he just replied "Well...Still kind of new to the organization, you know? Jitters and all that. Just want to make sure got all the facts."
 
There was a rustle of movement as a female figure stepped under the yellow police tape over the door way. She was average in height, with dark almost black hair pulled back in a messy bun. The tips of her hair were dyed purple and her eyes were a similar indigo color. She was dressed in a pair of faded, skinny blue jeans and black tank top under an equally faded leather jacket. The newest thing on her appeared to be the knee high leather boots and the gun holstered inside her jacket. She was carrying a small device that emitted several high pitched squeals when she entered the room.

"Agnis." She called, waving the blonde man over. "The officer that found the kid had nothin useful to say, rich family, tragic blah blah." It was clear she had little to no empathy for the deceased on the floor. "Gettin a lot of static though." She muttered, tapping the device and giving her partner a knowing look. Alexis gave the taller man beside her a disparaging look. "Pretty clear what we are dealin with, just not sure why it was gunning for this kid."

Agnis was always dragging her off without warning to investigate potential hunts. He was an incredible hunter, digging up info on monsters activities that even the most capable hunters overlooked. Just last month they travelled up to Canada to deal with a Wendigo that was harassing a community in Alberta. She wasn't even entirely sure what tipped him off for this godforsaken desert town, some bizarre gut instinct. "You get anything from him." The woman asked jerking her head at the officer across the room.
 
It was a good thing Agnis was about finished, because his own partner couldn't have had better timing. He wanted out of this monkey suit and bad; though it really didn't help that she was being so brash. He knew she wasn't really the loving type, but there was a certain sense of...well, kindness...that ones in their positions needed to display. Even still, he was glad to have her along: Tough, skilled with weaponry, and easy on the eyes to boot.

Though if he were honest, it was her near-obsidian colored hair that got him; he didn't know why, but black hair like that just looked so sexy. Especially with those dark purple tips on it. Made her seem...even more dangerous, somehow. And he always did love a woman who could take charge.

"Me neither...The others were also killed differently. And as for the officer...said the kid was son of some mining director for Comstock Mining. I'll need to dig up more info once we get back." he then told her, giving her a look that said 'Tone it down'. He then heard the officer shout, "Hey, detectives, you need anything else? Something you're not telling us?" Agnis turned and replied "No thank you, officer. Appreciate the cooperation; we'll let you if any leads develop." And with that, he led them out of the building; it was too heated right now with activity.

Once they were back in the car, a 1972 gold Buick, he quickly shed his trench coat, panting "Fucking hell, blast the A/C". Beneath it he wore a clean-pressed suit and tie, along with a silver wristwatch and polished black shoes. "Goddamn Feds sure like to sweat their workers. Would have been nice if you dressed up too, Detective." he then joked; of course, he had a suspicion that wearing professional attire was never really her thing. "Let's get a bite and go over our notes, I'm hungry like a horse. I hear King's Diner has a killer half-pounder."

And with that, he pulled away from the curb and after a few turns, there they were being seated in a secluded corner booth. The place was quaint, having a vibe of something you might have seen in a '50s flick. A cute, petite waitress came to serve them, her light brown curls framing a dainty button-nosed face as she asked, "Afternoon, you two. I'm Samantha. Can I start you off with anything? Drinks? Appetizers?" He informed them they would need a few minutes, but once they ordered their drinks, she was off to the next table.

"So, my friend Alexis...Seems this Spectre means business. This is the third murder in less than two weeks. Thoughts?" he then asked her directly.
 
Alexis leaned back in the plastic chair and sipped her cup of black coffee, savoring the bitter taste. She always drank her coffee black, and even in the heat of Nevada she still enjoyed the hot liquid. She set the small cup down and frowned pensively. "What do we know so far, three targets, doesn't seem like this spook is slowing down yet." She mused out loud. "They must be connected somehow."

She pulled out a laptop from the beat up satchel by her chair. Despite her rough and tumble exterior Alexis was surprisingly efficient with technology. Before going into the field she often worked in the head office doing research, until one day she had enough of being a pencil pusher. Now here she was roasting in the desert and hunting her least favourite kind of spirit. Flipping open the device she began rapidly pulling up information on the three victims, chewing her lip idly. She always looked extremely irritated when concentrating, Alexis referred to it as her 'resting bitch face'.

"All three of them were relatives or direct employees to Comstock Mining." She muttered, taping away at the keys. "Spectres are even more ragey then most spooks, and by the look of it there are no end of people that this company pissed off in the past." She sat back again and looked over the computer at her partner. "Man I hate spectres they are so messy." She grumbled. "Whatever got this one's panties in a bunch we need to figure it out fast, there are ALOT of Comstock employees living in this town. Pretty much everyone here has some connection to that damned business. If we don't do somethin soon, Yerington will be a literal ghost town."
 
She couldn't be more right about the gravity of the situation; Comstock was one of the largest mining conglomerates in the Western US, and the fact that each of the victims was connected made it painfully obvious what the aggravating factor was. Something the company had done awoke this spectre's anger, and now they were paying the price for it. How many more it would kill, no one could say.

"Might need to put a call in to Dan, see if any of the mining activities disturbed any burial grounds and the company is trying to hush it." Agnis replied, satisfied with her explanation. Dan was one of the computer nerd kings the Hunters had to offer; any system, anything at all electronic or digital, he could get in to. "But YOU...need to chill out, Alex. Come on, have a burger and relax a little." he then winked at his partner in crime and gave a playful nudge before taking a sip of his Coke.

And soon enough, Samantha was back to take their order; Agnis had the King Burger and an order of chili cheese fries, something which he knew would probably get under Alexis' skin later. And with their orders taken, she was gone again to leave them in peace.

"Alright, so...We know they all were connected to Comstock. Burial ground disturbance might be a possibility. Could be that an employee was killed and the spirit took revenge by killing Russell's own." He laced his fingers together, contemplating what to do next after they finished eating. "Alexis, once we're done, go see if you can talk with their local HR rep. Ask about any deaths that might have happened recently...Say, five to ten years. I'll see if I can talk with any tribal leaders in the area."
 
Alexis typed off a quick email to Dan with Agnis' request, ignoring his comment about relaxing. She wasn't really into relaxing when hunting and usually stayed on edge until a mission was completed. She ordered a chicken sandwich and a salad, giving her partners meal a distasteful look when it arrived. "I will head over to their offices after this, see what I can dig up." She said munching on the salad.

The pair finished their meal in relative silence, though Agnis got in a few more jabs about her being to uptight. She didn't really mind his teasing, they had been partners for several years now and he was a large part of way she left HQ in the first place. Like most hunters, things got too close to home for her, a monster killed a member of her family and Agnis was the one who hunted it down. After that she demanded to leave the office and go hunting and after some extensive training they let her.

She watched her partner speed off in his hideous gold car, which she affectionately referred to as Goldmember much to his annoyance, before heading to the Comstock head offices. It was a pristine building and clearly the most expensive set of offices in town. After a bit of back and forth with the receptionist and a flash of a badge she was seated in an office with someone who supposedly could answer her questions. A woman eventually entered dressed in a blazer and pencil skirt, she was obviously a PR rep for the company. Alexis had learned they usually chose the most aesthetically pleasing people to be the 'face' of the company. She already knew she wasn't going to get any useful information from this woman.

"Good afternoon Detective, what can I help you with?" The woman asked in a pleasant voice.

Alexis flashed a polite smile. "Just looking into the death's of some of your employees. Must be very hard on the families here, I won't take much of your time."

The woman's face tightened ever so slightly. "Yes, very tragic. I cannot imagine who would do such an awful thing." Clearly practiced. "Unfortunately I am not sure I can assist you with your investigation Detective. We provided all the employee records to the police already."

"Ya I saw them, I'm actually a bit more interested in what Comstock has been up to lately. Any activities that might oh...I dunno, rile up the local folk." Alexis said, her smile fixed to her.

The smile vanished from the womans face. "I don't believe I have any relevant information for you Detective. Now if you will excuse me." She didn't even wait for Alexis to get up before scurrying out of the office.

Grumbling to herself Alexis head from the offices and back to the motel where they were staying to wait for Agnis to return.
 
Agnis made his way over to a nearby Native Americation reservation, belonging to none other than the Yerington Pauite Tribe. He wondered if there were any nearby burial sites that the company might have unearthed by mistake. It was certainly a simpler town, but nothing less than self-sufficient. They had their own school, church and administrative offices, as well as a general supply store.

After some talking around, he finally managed to get permission to speak with the Tribal Chairperson, Gerald Howard. He had to wait a little bit, as he was in a meeting with his fellow councilmembers, but that was alright; he figured it would be better if she talked business with the company rep. Last thing he needed was getting the Native American population against them; they were one of the few groups that knew of the Hunter organization.

And soon enough, he was talking with Mister Howard. Dressed in blue-plaid buttonup and blue jeans, his dark hair streaked with grey, he seemed a far cry from the stereotyped American Indian. The thought crossed his mind of how many people wouldn't think he was Native American because he didn't have a headdress or moccasins. "You must be Detective Agnis. Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?" said Gerald, earning a polite refusal from Agnis as he replied, "Thank you for being able to see me." The chairman nodded, "Of course. Some of our elders had wondered if you might show up, given what happened. Poor boy...Taken before his time."

"Indeed...Is there anything I should know?" asked Agnis. "No. Although..." Howard trailed off, adding "The elders have felt an evil presence here. And it grows stronger every day." Agnis sighed; this was nothing new that he knew about. Still, he felt obligated to ask, "What can you tell me of this evil presence?" Howard seem surprised, "You actually wish to know?" After a curt nod, Howard explained, "This was an old mining town, Detective. Many spirits are still attached here, so the elders say. For what reason, I have not been able to discern."

Well this was going nowhere fast...Time for the hard question. "Mister Howard, I must ask you this. Comstock Mining has been putting a lot of effort into their operations here...Have they come across any burial grounds? Any sacred sites that they might have disturbed?" This made the Chairperson still, surprise beyond normal registering. "No" he finally said after a few moments of silence, "No, they have actually been quite mindful of us. They have a special division in their company that talks with us, allows us to co-supervise the mining. To my knowledge, Comstock has been one of the reasons to help us flourish. They don't poison our wells with mercury, or force us to move, or play any legal tactics. I can't say I agree with them continuing the Gold Rush here...But they haven't crossed our people in any way or form."

Great...That meant nothing. And he could tell this man was telling the truth. "Alright, Mr. Howard. Thank you for your time." Giving him a business card with his cell on it, he stated "If you find anything out or hear anything, please let me know." And with that, he too made his way back to the motel.

Sure, it was a bit of a dungy room...But Hunters needed to keep a low profile. Opening the door, he practically threw himself on the bed with a sigh of relief, "Ah, artificially refrigerated air, I love you. And beds...Best invention ever. Oh...And hi, Alexis, hehehe." Sure it wasn't that hot out, but that burger plus the long day of driving around just made him want to sleep. It certainly didn't take him long to divest himself of his suit and put it back on the hangers it needed to be on, and he was soon in his briefs and a sleeveless white shirt. "Well, my lead was a bust. Tribe might not like what they're doing but so far as I can tell, Comstock's keeping their distance from their properties. Haven't touched a damn thing." He then stated, "Please tell me you had better luck."
 
Alexis was sitting near the rattling air conditioner, staring at her computer screen intently. One of her hands was wrapped around a beer and she seemed oblivious to the beads of water dripping from it onto her hand. She was dressed in a pair shorts and a tank top and her hair was still pulled back in a loose bun though it was significantly messier. She didn't even glance in his direction as he belly flopped onto one of the two beds, the springs groaning in protest. "Got nothing from them. Pretty much got the cold shoulder when I tried to discuss the topic." Alexis explained, typing a few keys and squinting at the screen.

Finally she leaned back, taking a swig out of the beer. "I'm really not liking the feelin I'm gettin from this Agnis." She grumbled, picking at the label on the bottle. "There is just something off about this whole hunt." Alexis gave a tired sigh and finished off her drink. "I really hope you have some thoughts cause I am at a loss."

She stood up and fell onto the second bed staring at the ceiling. It didn't take long for Alexis to get irritated with fruitless hunts, she liked action and resolution. It didn't help that there were big things happening with the European branches of the Hunters. They were dealing with one hell of a dangerous entity over there and here she was hunting a damned spectre. With any hope they could be done with this and get the hell onto the next thing before she went crazy.
 
Agnis looked up from his bed at his partner; he could tell she was getting antsy, but what could he do about it? Maybe offer her a fun time, help relieve her of some stress. But then, he had a doubt she would even want to. Even if it wasn't a hunt she wanted to go on, whenever she was in the zone, that's where she stayed until it was over.

"Well, both possible motives for recently deceased spectres seem not to fit the pattern. Chieftain says Comstock is one of their buddies, your lead didn't cough up anything useful." he then muttered, the gears turning in his head; there had to be something they were missing. Just then, a 'ding' sounded from Alexis' laptop; he got up, the bed creaking as it was relieved of its burden and the man went to gaze at the screen. It was a message notification.

Opening the webmail service, he saw it was from Dan; about time, Agnis thought. However, he would find that there was nothing useful.

-Nothing came up. No unusual deaths...Extended search back 50 years, and no reports. Sorry.-
- Dan S.​

Agnis slid his hand down his face; well shit, that wasn't any help. "OK...Back to square one, not that we had any squares to begin with. But maybe...Maybe this isn't about a wrongful death. No, it had to be deeper. A betrayal of some kind. Alexis...We did find ectoplasm at each scene, right? Because maybe I was wrong...But if not, then we need to rethink the motive." Agnis began to babble; yes, they needed to learn more about the history of this place. Maybe it was something more...Something that people had thought long buried.

"Alexis, go to the library and get every book you can on Comstock. Go to the historical section and learn more about where they started. There's someone I need to see." he then blurted out as he changed his clothes; before he might give her a chance to ask what came over him, he was quickly running out of the room and jumping into the Buick before gunning the engine and taking off.
 
Alexis groaned softly but immediately shut her mouth when she saw him hurrying to get dressed. Before she could ask what got into him he was gone out the door and roaring away in his car. She sighed and got up, pulling on a pair of jeans and her boots and heading to the library. It was a tiny building, crammed with old books and run primarily by one old guy that had clearly lived in the town FOREVER.

She wandered the aisles picking out as many books on town history and Comstock as she could. The librarian was happy to see a young woman interested in the town history and offered to tell her anything she wanted to know about the past. Somehow she found herself in a peeling leather chair with a cup of tea listening to the old fellow rattle on about Yerington until she wanted to bang her head off the wall.

Several hours later she managed to get away with a dozen old books, that normally weren't allowed out of the library and an incredibly full bladder. As she hauled the books back to the motel, she hoped for Agnis' sake he was still gone or she may just beat him with the pile of books.
 
Agnis was quick to visit a historian, an old friend by the name of Silus Morian. If there was one person who knew anything about anything of history, it was this guy. Needless to say, he was going to be out of town for a while and wouldn't return long after Alexis had made her way back from the library.

Unlike Alexis, Agnis could sit for days and listen to people blather about history. And in this case, he just KNEW it was important to do so. He soon reached the man's house, just on the outskirts of the Virginia City Historical District. Pulling up to the driveway, he went up and knocked on the man's door. After a few minutes, a middle-aged man - fairly heavy-set, balding and wearing nothing more than a white wifebeater and shorts - answered the door. "Still the stylish dresser I see" stated Agnis with a slight chuckle, to which Silus responded, "Ah well, it's hotter than the ass of Mercury out here...And to top it off, my air conditioning's busted. Can't get it fixed till tomorrow. But come in, come in. What brings you by?"

As the two made their way into the house, Agnis asked the man Comstock...And boy, did he get an earful. He told everything about it, from how it started and some of the local historical figures, to some of the things that caused great shifts in the power structure. And then he heard a name....William Tang Sharon. When asked further, he revealed that Sharon was quite the player in terms of politics and dealings. However, some poor decision-making eventually led to his downfall. That alone was a HUGE clue.

"Is there anything else? I'm afraid I've run out of tales to spin for you." said Morian, who seemed mildly surprised that an old acquaintance would be interested in his knowledge. "No, no, I think I have what I was looking." As he stood to leave, Silus then asked, "You think Sharon's behind these murders, don't you?" Agnis paused, giving himself a few moments before replying "With what I just learned, it's likely."
Silus just gulped and added, "Well...Be careful, old friend."

And with that, Agnis drove the long way back to Yerington; it would be long since dark fell that he finally made his way back to the motel. "Alexis...It's me, I'm back. And I've got huge news!" he proclaimed excitedly, unaware of the 'horrors' his partner had to go through to get his information.
 
Alexis had long since passed out, though like most hunters she was an extremely light sleeper. As Agnis stepped through the door a book whizzed passed his head and into the parking lot. "You son of a bitch!" She shouted, rolling off the bed and brandishing another book at him. "I sat through hours of old man blathering, and then AND THEN!!! NOT EVEN A CALL TO TELL ME YOU WEREN'T DEAD!" Someone banged on the wall and shouted something incoherent, presumably telling her to shut up. She wasn't easily riled, but the idea of loosing her partner was something she did not like to consider. Despite the heat in her voice, the little bit of light coming in from the parking lot caught the tears in her eyes.

Growling she tossed the book on the floor and threw herself back on the bed with her back to him. "What's this great news." She muttered, pulling the sheet over herself and hoping he hadn't caught the waterworks.
 
Agnis barely had time to duck as she chucked a book at him; she might not look it to many people, but she was strong as hell. Before he could even try to get a single word out, she was in his face yelling about how he'd forgotten to call her. Normally, he would react by saying that it was a standard operational hazard to have to go incommunicado for times on end...But the glint of tears in her eyes made him wonder. Just how did she feel about him?

"Alexis...Come on, don't be like that." he finally managed to get out, his tone soft and calming, coming to sit on the bed beside her. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't call you alright? You know me, I tend to get lost in things sometimes. And this friend of mine...Well, I hadn't seen him in a while." A hand then came to rest on her shoulder, "But you know I'm stronger than that, right? You always tell me I have a knack for getting out of trouble."
 
Maybe in romantic eighties movies this scene would go in a completely different direction but Alexis wasn't really into feeling things and she was still on the fence about feeling things about her partner. With a soft growl she shrugged his hand off and pulled the sheet tighter around herself. "I hope you got more information than I did. There was nothing useful in those books." She grumbled, finally rolling over and staring up at him.
 
Well, at least she's calmed down a bit, Agnis thought to himself. "Come on, nothing at all? I hardly believe that; I know you're not a bookworm, my friend, but there had to have been something. Or were you too busy thinking about taking my head off?" he joked to try and lighten the mood.

Looking right into her eyes, he then laid right next to her, their gazes locking for a moment. "But ya, I think I might have something. Get this: It goes WAY back to the late 1800s, Gold Rush era and all that jazz. This guy, William Sharon. Real huge in the mining business. Loaned and loaned property to the miners, then foreclosed on them while they defaulted. This man made the Rockefellers look like kids. Third richest man in the West when all was said and done."

He then smiled even more widely, "But get this also: He tried some political maneuvering, and ended up losing EVERYTHING. Pissed off all of San Francisco. Word was he got into some scuffles with a man named Ralston, and often Sharon blamed him for the failure of his tactics." He then reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out two tickets, "They're having a museum tour tomorrow. Maybe we'll have some luck and find something of Sharon's there. We salt it, burn it, and get out of this one-horse town. What do you say?" he then asked her, a grin on his face at what her reaction might be.
 
She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his antics but she did finally smile when he mentioned getting out of town. "Hell yes, lets get the fuck out of this place." Alexis said grinning back at him. San Francisco wasn't the worst place to go, she could do some shopping and they could stay somewhere half decent for a change. "When can we leave?" She finally quipped.
 
"Whoa, slow your roll there, friend...We need to stay in town two more days at least. The tour's over near where I went to visit my friend, the Virginia City Historical District." He then gave her one of the tickets, showing her exactly where it was they would be going.

"Look, here's the plan: We go on the tour, find out if there's anything of Sharon's, then burn it like the 4th of July. THEN, we can go. And hey...I'll take you window shopping in every nice place in San Fran..But only if you're good." he told her, nudging her playfully on that last part; while he could understand her desire to get out, they needed to be thorough.

Sitting up he then said, "I hope we're OK...Because I'm beat. If not, feel free to kick my ass tomorrow." And with that, he fell into his opposite bed and almost instantly went to sleep.

The next morning, he woke early - well, earlier than he normally would wake - and got some coffee ready so that they two of them could hit the road. He quickly borrowed her laptop to check some news; seemed the Director of Safety was going to be coming in to give a seminar on safe mining practices this week. And it was open to the public...He might just let Alexis take his car and attend it for giggles.
 
Heaving a sigh, she rolled back onto her back. "Alright, you better buy me one hell of a nice dinner in the city." Alexis grouched, a few more days here wouldn't hurt even if she did loathe the small town atmosphere...ironic considering she came from one originally. When he sat up she glanced up at him, they were okay but she didn't really get the chance to say anything before he dove onto the other bed and passed out. That man could sleep better than most dead things they hunted. Alexis knew though despite his deep slumber, in the event of danger he would be up in a heartbeat. It always made her feel better to have him in the room.

The smell of coffee woke her in the morning, Alexis was not a morning person. She wasn't the most cheerful of people on the best days and until she had coffee in the morning you talked to her at your own risk. There was already a cup filled by her head on the nightstand, black the way she liked it. After downing that cup she shuffled off the bathroom and after a cool shower and another coffee she was finally at a point where communicating was a feasible task. She still wasn't saying much as he dragged her to the car and off to who knows what for the days activities.
 
The morning went better than Agnis expected; she seemed to have forgiven him for his escapade last night, though it also probably helped that he used what she referred to as 'the good coffee' and served it straight just as she liked it. That much he was certain of helping her mood...Especially since they were going to a museum of all things.

Arriving in the parking lot of the Lyon County museum, he found it to be exceptionally busy; good, that would provide cover for them. Though with them within spitting distance of the 'Liveliest Ghost Town', he imagined that this was a stop for them. "Glad to see the local murders haven't done anything to tourism." he joked, seeing the kids running around outside. He guessed there was a field trip or something. Pulling out the two tickets he showed her last night, he then said "Ready to go, partner?"

Regardless of her answer, he was soon out the door and headed inside. Within they found a tour group already forming up. "Guess this is us. Ready to take a trip down Memory Lane?" he grinned; he knew this wasn't her idea of a good time, but his friend said there was an exhibit of Tang here...Maybe that would give them some clues on how to determine if it was in fact Tang. And if it was...Then it wouldn't be too hard to find his remains.
 
Alexis trudged after exuberant partner, trying to muster up some enthusiasm for their outing with little success. Like most museum tours, an overly cheerful guide led them through the various parts of the museum, pointing out interesting details and making terrible puns or jokes. There must be some kind of training school to make them so damn chipper, the guides excited voice was putting her teeth on edge. After the fourth or fifth exhibit she couldn't take anymore and slipped away from the group to wander around in the relative peace of the museum.

The nonsensical muttering of dozens of people within the building created a kind of background hum she found oddly comforting as she wandered aimlessly. Eventually Alexis found herself standing in front of an exhibit, a bunch of dry history on mining and important men from the day when a name caught her eye. This was the exhibit that Agnis was looking for. She started to actually read the information on the panels and inspect the contents of each display, searching for any link to Sharon that would help them.
 
Agnis continued to wander, following the group but absentmindedly keeping his ears open for anything suspicious. What he didn't realize was that his partner calmly slipped away from the group until they got to a demonstration of one of the old mining carts. Only then did he look to his right, going for a joke about this being 'riveting', when he noticed her conspicuous absence. He looked around but couldn't find her anywhere.

"Guess I should have seen that coming" Agnis chuckled, slipping away from the group as well right as they moved to the next exhibit. He then went looking for his partner, only to find her in the midst of closely examining one of the exhibits. "Well, look at you, Miss History Buff" he commented with a grin. "So, what did you...find..." he then said, pausing as he saw that name again. "William Tang Sharon. Born January 9, 1821. Died April 16, 1886. Seems like he spent his twilight years in peace, though...Looks like he had a rough history, though."

He then saw all the information his friend Silus told him about: Effectively defrauded the investors and pissed off a bunch of people. Tried to monopolize a lot of the mining business. Of course, it was more nicely worded on the exhibit itself, but that was effectively what it said.

Then he saw another name: William Chapman Ralston, Sharon's partner in crime. He then moved from exhibit to exhibit, finding another on Ralston himself. But from the looks of it, he was a hell of a lot more generous than Sharon ever was. "Well, that makes it interesting. Looks like we might have two Spectre candidates" he muttered; there was certainly reason enough for it to be either one...Or possibly both. That thought crossed his mind too; there might be two Spectres working here. It wouldn't really fit what the Hunters had on them, but there was always room for error and change.

The day went on, and they couldn't find anything of Sharon or Ralston that would be construed as 'personal effects'. And so, he had the two of them leave the museum. "Alright...Change of plans. I know you don't like us splitting up on a job, Alexis, but I think we might have to on this one." he then told her as soon they were outside. "I think...you should go to San Francisco. Find Sharon and give him the oil-and-salt treatment. Last I read, he was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery."
 
After spending the day wandering with Agnis, Alexis was tired and irritated and hungry. Worse it didn't seem like they were finding anything useful on the spook. Her attention was wandering when she heard him mention two spectres and then she completely focused on him when he mentioned San Fran.

Alexis narrowed her eyes at her partner. "You want to what?" She demanded, in a seething tone. He knew damn well that splitting up always ended bad for hunters and the way he hesitated set off alarm bells. "Why can't we both go deal with the bones, what's so important you gotta stay behind?" She crossed her arms under her breasts and took a mulish stance, one he had seen many times when Alexis decided to be a stubborn ass.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom