Sachmet
"Sachmet!" the call rings through the halls. It is Abarun, your caretaker. In the halls you hear them term him your master. You find little truth in that. Abarun talks to you about his dreams and wrestles with you like a friend. You have made love with him through long nights and have let him feed off of you. He asks you to do things, and never orders you around.
Once, you even tested this and refused one of his requests. The disappointed look in his eyes when he turned away to ask someone else proved it, and you stopped him and took on his request. You are a shock troop for the Setites, who raise you from a cub. They have asked you to kill, protect, steal, and deliver goods to various locations around the world. And you have complied. In return, they deny you nothing, and you have known many lovers. You have been trained and educated. You are given any food you desire no matter where in the world it hails from. Here you are a Queen, not a slave.
"Sachmet, where are you my pet?" Abarun has a nice voice, sultry kind of. But you are not in the mood today and instead wish for something exciting to do. Abarun walks around the corner and looks at you laying in bed with dark blue silk sheets wrapped around your body. "Sachmet." He smiles, "you are as lovely as ever, even when you are a feline. A most lovely sight indeed."
You purr at his compliments, everything is definitely good today. Better then last month when that drug delivery went bad. He comes and sits next to you and begins drawing his hand across your fur. "Sachmet, we have received some bad news from New Orleans. Our agents there and other cities are facing some staggering losses. In Nicaragua, one of our own is reported as having abandoned the Followers. It is a sad day indeed when we lose our own. Sadder still if our own leave us. There was a meeting held in the Mosque basement while you were bathing and we were asked to come up with solutions to these problems. I recommended you, since you are such a keen warrior and have an intelligence to boot. I told them that if you accepted, that you would not fail us. And they agreed, of course, since you never have. So then, I was wondering if you would help us take care of this."
Stretching luxuriously on the bed and rubbing your head across Abarun's chest and laying across his lap, you reply, "But Abarun, I will miss you if I go. I you wish me to go then I shall, but will we have any time together before I must leave?"
"I'm afraid, my beloved," he starts, and you already know the answer, "we need your skills quickly, and agreed that should you agree to the tasks set before you, that your departure would be tonight." He sighs, and you can hear the distress in his voice, "Personally, I would have you at my side at all times. But sometimes Set needs things from us, and you are the only person available who can accomplish the task."
Abarun looks up and if you didn't know him better, you would think he was going to cry. He looks back down at you and puts a hand between your curled back leg and ribs, caressing you affectionately, and in a whisper gets closer to your ears, "There are some here who do not like you, and would like to see you destroyed. I have been given orders to send you on this mission because of those peoples. They wish you no warnings, instead plunging you into a web of deceit and betrayal. There are rumors that the Setites of New Orleans are planning on going rogue, and you are the Setites probe. I am a loyal Setite, but just as loyal to you my love. In this temple I believe that I have fallen from grace, and that my death is being plotted for in these corridors. They want us separated so as to make the kill easier.
"The welcome news is that I have allies that warned me. They cannot confirm or deny the rumors of the Setites in New Orleans, so you will have to figure that one on your own. Here, I might not be when you return. If that is true, then you know what happened, and should you remain, then you would only be assuring your own murder.
"Keep quiet and follow my orders, someone approaches! I will meet you when I can."
A few steps out in the hallway and Abarun straightens out and turns cold instantly, you know something is wrong now. "You have been ordered to New Orleans, and will investigate the Setites in that region. The rest you will understand when the council explains it to you. Come with me, Sachmet." His eyes turn soft again and you see the compassion in them before they turn hard and he spins away to escort you to the council chambers. The last time you saw him this serious, three elder Setites died the next day.
You follow him with a business-like look on your face.
You silently glide behind him as he leads you through the corridors of the temple. Temple acolytes turn to look at you and after Abarun's words, you feel an uncomfortable weight bearing down on you. Easily, you bring up a mental wall against your own doubts and think of the upcoming battles that you might be in, near in the future. So long as you die at Abarun's side protecting him, you have little fears in the world.
The halls twist and turn and then you find yourself before the council doors. Abarun opens them up and you can tell something distresses him. He is deliberately keeping away from you, and you feel he is having a hard time. Strange, you never saw him in a state where it looked like he needed comforting. He was always strong, confident. It must be the weight of what's really happening in the council.
You enter the halls and alongside Abarun walk up to the seven Setite Elders sitting in a half moon table in front of you. The table is pure gold, with intricate carvings of hieroglyphics and arcane symbols. There is a file closed on the table, it is green with gold carvings on it. Each member of the council is wearing a red silk robe and a gold band with a cobra extending off of their forehead. The woman in the middle has a cobra with it's hood flared. The lights go black in the room and you instinctively switch to you ears to listen for any approaching assassins. Nothing. The lights above you snap on and both you and Abarun are drenched in the floodlight. Abarun flinches a little, you know how bright lights aggravate Setites. The lights above the council turn on and dim out so that you can see them.
"Sachmet is it." The woman in the center is speaking. "We have heard much of your prowess and skill as a warrior and Follower of the mighty Set." Her voice is echoing throughout the chambers. "My name is Nefertari, I am the High Priestess of the Temple. We, that is, Abarun and the council have spoken of your past activities with the Followers." She opens up the file and starts reading through it.
"1992 - You were involved in a nasty surprise attack launched by the Black Hand of the Sabbat and despite the incompetence of your leader, who died in the attack, you rallied the Followers and capture the enemy leader, Roth Dunkin, a Lasombra. He was later extinguished in this temple.
1994 - You lead a raid on a suspected military dump funded by Horus. All in that battle were either captured or slain.
1995 - You freed a captured ally from a prison in Lebanon and reinstated him as a sleeper agent.
1997 - You finished your training and education and were initiated in the Followers ranks. Unfortunately, because your blood is not that of Set, you cannot be raised any higher then Acolyte. Provisions made to provide you with anything you wished, being a loyal servant of our divine leader.
1998 - Just last month, you returned from a decisive defeat that was no fault of your own. The Camarilla captured a Follower and drew information about your meeting from him. An entire ship, the Harvester, was captured and 1.5 million dollars of cocaine was confiscated by U.S. Naval, Coast Guard, DEA, CIA, and Customs agents. A tremendous loss to our market in New Orleans. Manon was very disappointed and wants the traitor found and all other traitors in her ranks rooted out and slain.
This is were you come in, Sachmet. You are to rendezvous with Manon, our cell leader in New Orleans. She will be difficult to find, since she believes that a traitor is planning her murder and the destruction of all Setites. Manon has been told of your arrival and is expecting you by plane.
Your primary mission is to assist Manon to uncover and destroy any subversion among the Followers under her command. You are also to carry out any orders and above all, keep your identity a secret from all others in the city. None are to know that you are there.
The secondary mission is not as important, as there are many agents working on it. A Kindred by the name of Jacob Ricos has gone completely rogue. If you were to meet this man, slay him on sight. Those such as he should not be allowed to walk this Earth.
Do you have any questions for us Sachmet?"
"I have but one question Priestess, what does Jacob Ricos look like? I
cannot slay him on sight if I cannot identify him."
"Unfortunately, there are no pictures of this man. He can twist the light and shadows to make himself look like anybody. Those who could have identified him cannot any longer. He has not been sighted yet but is believed to be travelling in North America. As I said earlier, this is a secondary mission, not worth your concentration to a major extent. We just like to spread his name around in case he is foolish enough to introduce himself.
She breathes and looks down at her fingers, "Make no mistake if you meet him though, he has avoided us easily. There are no sighting of him and we do not even know if he is alive. A good wager is that if he is, and one of our missing agents found him, then that could explain the fact that he's missing."
A man to the side speaks up, "Since you had but one question, then you are prepared to leave, yes?"
You think to yourself that this man sounds a little nervous. A smile almost betrays your thoughts, if Abarun has to face quivering cowards like this person, then he should have little problems. Abarun looks at you, almost as if he knew what you were thinking.
"I am ready to take on your mission Priestess," you say, ignoring the
nervous man.
The lights go dark and Abarun leads you out of the room and back to a room where you can prepare, "You did well, as usual. Soon after you leave, I am sure there will be bloodshed in these halls. My allies are rallied and prepared for the assault. If we lose, you will here nothing from me. If we win, then I await your return." He spins around, more footsteps coming again. He turns and kisses you on the forehead and hugs you to him and then smiles. As the man rounds the corner, Abarun turns around and casts a nasty glare in his direction.
"What do you want, Thematuk?" Abarun snaps. Thematuk has no emotion on his face.
"The car is ready to bring her to the airport." He states bluntly, "It is time."
Abarun turns back, "Yes, time for you to leave Sachmet." Abarun leaves the room and you are left alone with Thematuk. Since all of your needs will be provided in New Orleans, you leave with him and proceed through more twisted corridors. Soon you are in a car and heading down a road. The driver makes no sound and there is a window to prevent interaction. Soon you are parked near a private jet. The staircase entrance is down.
You enter the plain and settle down near a window. The intercom comes on, "This is the captain speaking, we are prepared to take off, please adjust your seatbelt and position your seat straight ahead and in its most upright position."
You do so and feel the shudder as the engines whir to life. You watch the pavement streak past underneath you and then fall away as the plane lifts off into the air. The plane circles low above the water around towards Spain, your next destination in your trip to America and New Orleans. You see the land in the distance and an old lighthouse that is not working in the background. The dark waters of the Mediterranean glimmer in the pale moonlight. You miss Abarun already. ( See Picture Below )
It is around 1:51am when your plane touches down from an uneventful flight. You are jolted awake from the tires squealing on the landing strip. A couple of minutes later the private jet pulls into a private hangar. You look out of your window and see the doorway pass over your head. The hangar is well lighted and you turn your head to see the hangar doors close. Up front you can see a limo parked near the back exit.
The plane stops and you stand to leave the plane. The pilot comes to the back where you are at, "Welcome to New Orleans Miss. I hope your flight was pleasant and if you need me at all, don't hesitate to contact me. Abarun gave me orders to stay in the city until you requested to leave. By tonight I'll have a cellular phone for you to contact me with. Abarun also wanted me to give you this."
The pilot hands you a package, "I'll be calling you at your room once a night until I reach you to let you know what my number is." He puts out his hand, looking for a handshake, "By the way, my name is Jean-Sebastian Dumas."
He walks up to the door hatch and pushes a few buttons on the door panel. The stairway door opens to the outside. "They are waiting for you at the limo, Miss. Good luck."
You walk out to the limo and get in. Taking a good look at the package.
There is a man standing out of the limo. He opens the door for you and you get in. There is a tattoo of a snake on the back of his hand. There is a black woman sitting in the back. She is looking at you curiously. The scent off of the box is that of Abarun's and the handwriting looks like his.
"My name is Manon." The woman introduces herself, "I am pleased to meet you Sachmet. I have heard much from Abarun about you and he is quite confident that you will be able to solve some or all of my problems. I admit you are not what I pictured, but then again, nothing is as it seems these days. I see that Abarun has given you the package?"
She turns around and grabs a phone, "Driver, take us to the Hilton." She hangs up the phone, "I am taking you to the Hilton where we have booked you a room. The keys are in that package, as well as a handgun until you can acquire something more to your suiting. I'll debrief you in the Hotel, where you can order some food for yourself. How about yourself, what's your story?"
"What have you been told about me?"
You see the lights flashing by as the cars drives away from the Airport and to the hotel, "Well, nothing much really. You are a follower like the rest of us, nothing much known about your background. You understand the relationship between the Kine of the temples and the Kindred. I am concerned that you are... well let's say, an ordinary human. I have wondered why, if your skills are so good, that you have not been taken into the ranks of the upper echelon. Apparently, you are a paramilitary type, good with guns and knives. Other then that, your history to me is hazy. The Setites seem to keep things like that. Do I have any of it right?"
"Oh, I am no ordinary human," You reply as you change into your feline form and back again. "Let's just say I'm better than that."
Manon smiles deviously, "Looks like I did get the right agent." The limo comes to a stop and you look out the window to a lavish lobby entrance, complete with bellboy and all.
"Let's go inside and we will discuss our business further." You both step out of the limo and enter the hotel. At the front desk you sign for your room and take the elevator up to the penthouse suite. Inside is exquisite, and Manon points to the phone, "Order yourself some food, when it gets here we'll talk further."
You order the food and while you wait explore your new home, both in case you have to fight in it and because it fascinates you. You so often live in the temple that you really appreciate a change to a modern locale. Manon looks disinterested and finally just sits on the coach and flips it to the news, smiling here and there when something nasty is reported.
The apartment has three bedrooms, a large outdoor porch with grass and plants surrounding a huge pool. There is a computer hooked up on a desk on the inside business meeting room. A slide out drawer has intructions for how to use the intranet Hotel service to exit out and surf the internet. The bathrooms have multi-head showers, bath and spa. The kitchen looks like it belongs at a restaurant.
The doorbell rings and the food arrives. You begin eating at the table near the coach as Manon begins talking about her problems in the city.
"There has not been anything good happening, it's been a low for the Followers for a while." She starts, "Recently, a long hatched plan to assassinate the Prince of this city has come to fruit. We are awaiting the proper time to set off the trap now. That's about the only good news. This is what's been happening so far. We have tried to twist politicians to our side, my agents die, Camarilla Kindred are waiting for us. We rob banks, deliver drugs, same thing. Dock work, prostitution, pornography, whole-sale assassination, same damn thing over and over again. Everywhere we try to put our people, there is something waiting there to kill us off." She stands up and starts walking around.
"Recently, one of our attempts to worm into the car stripping business failed miserable. We lost three Setite Kindred in this botch up. I'm starting to look bad to the other Followers in the city and out of it, which has caused talk of my removal from my position as Temple Priest. I am not particularly worried about this now, since none of the Followers in this city could hope to stand against me. But if they were to unite...
"Anyway, you get the picture. Your arrival could not have happened at a better time. Your identity concealed to all but a trusted few, you are the perfect tool to help us root out whatever spy or troublemakers we have within our ranks. My plan was to have you enter our city and announce yourself as a wondering Setite, but since you aren't a Vampire, then this will not do. No, I have a better plan for you right now. Since you are a shapeshifter, you can retain your human form and enter the temple as an initiate. This means you should get noticed for something." Manon paces about and clicks on her chin with her index finger.
"Yes." She smiles and then looks at you again, "Yes, that will do very fine indeed. For you to join the Setites, it wouldn't be too bad if you were at the concert tomorrow night. I can arrange for a fairly large number of us to be at the event, and if you were selling cocaine, or heroin, perhaps some ex. If I gave a general order to attempt to passively recruit any drug dealers found there as a contact, we could arrange for you to start showing just how useful you would be as a Acolyte."
"Excellent, this should work out well. Recruit you as a contact tomorrow, you show some spiritual qualities we all share, and that should attract any Setite Kindred to induct you into the temple as an initiate. I, of course, will raise slight objections, letting them think that I know nothing of you. This will allow my enemies to recruit you while they suspect I know little of or care nothing for you. As soon as any major plot is being launched, you side over to me, where I will reveal their treachery and destroy them all." Manon's eyes are like fire and it hardly seems like she is paying any mind of you. She stops suddenly and looks at you, "How do you like that plan? Do you think it's going to work?"
"Sounds like a good plan to me. Who is playing at the concert? I'll need to dress for the part depending on who's headlining." You respond.
"Just a bunch of local bands, I'm not too sure." She responds, "I don't know how you dress for them, I've never seen them. Anyway, you need a name that nobody will be able to connect to you, what do you suggest?"
"You must make sure that you do not show off your gift at anytime. That will ruin any chance for you to come in as a passive human that nobody worries about too much. As long as you are considered ordinary, then the ones who are against me will trust you a little more." She smiles, obviously thinking to herself, "Tomorrow then, what drugs would you rather sell at the rave?"
"Let's see, a good alias. How about Kat? Sounds like a good pusher's or even a hooker's name. As for drugs, I could sell some of the more hard-to-find type like ecstasy. Or maybe just heroin. What do you suggest?"
"Kat... hmmm, yes, I think that fits you well." Manon laughs, "Ecstasy is harder to find, but I can provide you with the name of a distributor down on the docks, his name is Heath Drewmore. His number is 512-713-8825. Tell him Marsha sent you and that she'll pick up the tab. Get whatever you need, he'll set up a meeting with you. By the way, sometimes I might have to act like your enemy, remember, it's an act. For now, I have to go. Is there anything I can do for you before we part ways?"
"You've done too much for me already. I really appreciate the help." Manon nods her head, and then leaves quickly, then you dial the number she gave you. The phone on the other end rings about four times until somebody picks up, "Heath here, what's up?"
"Yeah, name's Kat. Marsha says you can set me up with some goods. When can I meet you to pick them up? Marsha says to put it on her tab."
"Kat. Never heard of you. Let me call you back, kay." With that, the phone on the other line clicks and goes dead. You look at the phone with incredulity. Suddenly it rings, you pick up, "Hello, yeah you check out. Kat huh. Okay Kat, this is how it works with me. Marsha says you're good, so you're good. Fuck up once, and you'll be dead before morning. What's your pleasure and where do you want it delivered then?"
"Well, what do you have? If you have anything I want, I'll let you know where to deliver it."
"I have it all baby, crack, crank, ecstasy, heroin, pot, you name it." Heath rattles off like an experienced salesman, "If I don't have it, I can by tonight. Where you want it coming to you is up to you now. So what do you want?"
"Ok, meet me in the garage at the Airport Hilton. Bring some ecstasy and some heroin."
"No problem, be there at ten." The phone clicks off once more and everything is silent. Below you, with your fine hearing, you hear the groaning of two people who are so obviously sharing something you wish you could again with Abarun. You thoughts drift to his wellbeing and you curl up on the coach worrying about him. Sometimes the animal part of yourself want to start whimpering not only because you fear for his safety but also because you are powerless to do anything about it.
Thoughts dance along in your mind and you soon realize that it is 9:50 and your meeting with Heath was scheduled at 10:00. You rush downstairs and slip into the shadows of the only garage level in this hotel. 10:00 passes. 10:05, 10:10, you think that Heath was pulling one on you and you might have to teach him a lesson in being prompt with his appointment.
Just as you are about to leave at 10:15 and call him again, lights appear in the drive way of the garage and you wait to see it it's Heath. A black sedan pulls into view and its light shut. The reflection of the dim overhead guide lights in the garage shows you that the car is cleaned and waxed constantly, not the sort drug dealers ride in most of the time. The car slips into a parking lot ahead of you and a man steps out. He is carrying a black leather briefcase. He opens the back door to his car and puts it back there. Then he wonders out to the back of the sedan and leans on it. You hear the clink of something metal tapping metal when he does so.
The man is tall and lanky. He has a clean cut beard but no mustache, his hair is blonde and curly and he's wearing black slacks and a green shirt. There are numerous rings on his finger, all gold no doubt. Everything here reeks of a deal. But your instinct tells you to wait before approaching him.
"Fucking pigs," He mutters under his breath, his voice reminds you of an American actor. "Can't clear the damn street during an accident." Your hearing picks up his whispers easily, especially in the echo prone corners of the garage. The man looks at his watch and grunts in disgust. He yanks out a phone and dials a number, putting it up to his ear, "Come on Kat, pick up the damn phone."
You silently move up to him as he's still on the phone, "About time you got here. I was just about to leave."
"Oh fu...!" He jumps and spins around, "Damn girl, you scared the shit out of me, don't do that!" He has his hands up to his heart but you don't really think he is scared. You could smell fear if it were real, and this man smells of nothing more then expensive cologne.
"I got your stuff in the back seat." He walks back there and opens the door, pulling out the briefcase, and putting it on the trunk. When he opens it, there are bags full of heroin chunks and ex-powder, "Look, here are some dime bags and quarter bags. There are some other quantities here in case of a big sale. The briefcase is yours, but be careful carrying it around. I suggest you carry some bags on you and sell them one at a time." He pulls the back of the briefcase open and shows you a small pistol, "Sometimes, people try to get rowdy, I guess you know what this is for then." He puts it back in there and closes the briefcase. "The combination is 3-8-7. Any questions?"
"Yeah? What are you charging Marsha for this?"
"Around five grand, I get this shit cheap and distribute it in New Orleans. I know people in Nicaragua who bring it in for me. Let's just say the drug lord owes me big and cuts me a lot of slack." He laughs while looking at you up and down. "Nice guy, too. Maybe you'll take a trip with me down there and I'll introduce you to him." He winks he eye and chuckles again.
"Well, I've gotta go," Heath say seriously again, "You take care of that stuff and be careful. The cops are starting to get heavy around here. They wanna bust every pimp, street worker AND drug dealer before the Mardi Gras celebration. They think they can clean up the city or something." He hands you the briefcase and walks to the driver side door of his car.
"You look tired too, girl." He comments, "You should get some sleep before dealing."
You think about it and you do feel tired, must have been the plane ride. You wait for him to leave before going back up to your room.
You return to your apartment and sit on your bed. You pass the palm of your hand over the material covering the bed and find yourself longing for the exotic silks that caressed your body back at the temple.
You stand and place the briefcase under your bed. Soon, the events of the past many hours catch up with you and you fall asleep wondering about the happenings that will occur tomorrow night.