Chapter 1

Here's the first taste

                         1.

“So what can I do for you?” The short, ugly man sat before me. He was slightly balding, his black hair stopping short of covering his entire head. I felt sorry for him; an eternity looking like that wouldn’t be the most pleasant experience. I couldn’t have handled not being the best looking man in every room. Arrogance was a character trait you needed in my profession.

I leaned forward so my elbows rested on the desk, my head held up staring at the man. He was mulling over the best way to put forward his request. We both knew where it was going but formalities were always needed.

“My Master requests an assassination.” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his forehead, perspiration was easily visible.

“Am I making you nervous Mr. Johnson?” I asked calmly.

“No of course not, I am just warm, maybe I have too many layers on today.”

“Of course that must be it, there is no need to be nervous around me, I am not in a murderous mood today,” he flinched. I had grinned while I had said it. Who said I was going to make it easy on a new client? “You have left me with a lot of questions after your evasive answer Mr. Johnson. Who is your master and who do they want me to kill? Let’s start there.”

“I have the great pride of speaking for Madame Adrienne Anais.”

“Oh, really, that is pleasant, it’s been a while since I saw her last, are you new?” His face contorted in rage and I applauded myself at insulting him without even intending to.

“I am new last century yes, but I am a favoured friend of hers.”

“You call yourself a ‘friend’ of hers!” I nearly choked to stop myself laughing. There was no way some of the great master vampires I had met would allow there servants to call them friends. Times must really have been slipping recently. I suppose they have to keep the allies they have. In my day…I snapped out of my reverie, mustn’t dwell.

“I am one of her trusted advisors and friends yes,” the surety in his voice made me sad; he was one deluded young immortal.

“I believe you, can’t you tell from my expression?” I put my most welcoming smile on, it actually turns out to scare more people off than it attracts but who’s counting? “So Adrienne wants me to kill some other master vampire? Or am I to kill a secondary vampire ‘friend’?” I didn’t mind either way, money was practically the same, a kill was a kill.

“You are to kill Edward Joseph, within two weeks from today… if you accept the job.” I smiled at the last bit; it almost seemed to be tacked on as an afterthought as my face had dropped at being told what to do.

“Only two weeks?”

“Yes.” He dabbed at his face again.

“Edward Joseph…Let me think…he is the old British vampire isn’t he? Around 300 years old, tall, brown hair, followed by a flock of young vampire ladies who want him to love them. And he has three servants.” Mr. Johnson cringed at my use of the word servant and quickly looked down at his polished suit and black dress shoes to hide himself from my questioning gaze. While I pondered I evaluated Mr. Johnson for the first time apart from the obvious physical features.

It was a smart suit indeed, complete with the bowtie and cufflinks. He had stopped perspiring as soon as he had started dictating terms and named who looked after him. But he started again now, when he saw me watching him and my expression. I was always quite pleased to see the effect I had on people, the saying ‘your reputation precedes you’ seems to be true.

“Well Mr. Johnson, my dear friend, I am willing to take you up on your contract, I will accept the job,” I pulled a pen out and wrote a number on a slip of paper, followed by another string of numbers and passed it to him.

“That price must be transferred into the bank account there, any objections to it and I will turn you down.”

“I am sure it will be sufficient, Adrienne will be very happy to be rid of him, but just in case I do have the number to contact you on, thank you again, Mr. Black.” He stood to leave.

As I rose to my feet, my six foot two towering over him, I grinned. “Just Octavius will do, thank you Mr. Johnson, I do hope we get the chance to do business again.” I shook his hand and let him run out the door.

Edward Joseph. He was a tough customer; I had come across him many times before. Once a very long time ago, he had been younger then, more inexperienced and had been very nearly dead, if I hadn’t been on a contract to kill the other vampire he would have died. He didn’t owe me, no one owed me anything. But it would be interesting seeing how he was now, three servants to help him not to mention the young ladies who would throw themselves at me to save him. This might be tougher than I thought. Unless I struck him during the day, then only his servants would need to be fought past- I’d heard they were arrogant and useless.

I was woken from my planning by a knock at the door.

“You’re next appointment is here Mr. Black.” My wonderful secretary Julie called in, her auburn head popping back out again at my nod.

My next client came in and I groaned, I had a sad feeling I knew what I was about to get asked. I recognised the servant who walked in.

“I don’t have time for pleasantries,” he said. “I’ll cut straight to the chase. I am Harold Maxwell. My master, Edward Joseph would like you to kill Adrienne Anais.”

“How much are you offering?” I kept my voice neutral and unrevealing.

“He knew you would ask,” I wondered how he would know; once again my reputation preceded me. “He said to tell you that he would pay more than Adrienne was willing to pay to kill him.”

I sighed. This is why you don’t kill vampires. What do you do when you have to kill both target and shooter as such? “He knows?” I asked.

“Yes, he suspected and when I saw Mr. Johnson leaving just now I confirmed it and you finalized it too.”

I flinched, he was good, and I was being careless. “Fine, but I want to meet him.”

“No.” His face was steady and unyielding. He was strong jawed, his face covered in a light brown beard and moustache, the hair shorter on his head and darker.

“And why not?”

“I, for one, don’t trust you won’t fulfill your obligation to Adrienne while you meet him, trusting you have a contract already.”

“I may, but I give you my word as an immortal citizen of this earth.”

“Your word means nothing without a master to control you.” He snarled at me. I moved as fast as I could, and was standing in front of him before he had blinked, my face was inches from his, a large frown on mine and a slight smirk on his.

“You might do well to watch yourself and how you speak to me young man. I am a great many years older than you and could crush you like a bug, I may have no master but it doesn’t hinder me in the slightest, and it certainly,” I emphasized this by pushing a finger into his chest, he stumbled back a few steps, “Does not mean that I have no honour.”

The slight smirk had vanished as soon as I began and he heard my tone. He had humbled slightly now, “I do apologize Mr. Black, I will watch myself next time, I was out of line. I shall schedule a meeting with Mr. Joseph and call you to inform you of the time.” He shuffled his way out with no handshake or goodbye; I didn’t care for him anymore and wasn’t fazed by his exit.

I was still to be feared, good. A fine day’s work if I may say so, time for lunch.

“I will be out for lunch until three Julie, thank you.” I greeted her as I left my office and left the building I shared with lawyers, psychologists, doctors, and other professionals. My sign stated, “Octavius Black and associates, the business of the future.” My neighbours had no idea what I did and I kept it that way. Only clients and dead or undead knew. 

Author's Note

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