23: Pink Diamond Heist – Pt. 2

Pacing her living room after another night of the same dream, Victoria sipped slowly from the cup of Chamomile she’d made for herself and growled in a low tone that rumbled in her chest. Something was happening to her that she couldn’t explain and the one person with the answers wasn’t as forthcoming as she’d hoped he’d be. Fluttering near the patio door moved her eyes from her hands momentarily and she saw the sleek, black feathers of her newly claimed pet just outside the sliding glass.

After their little visitor he made a hasty retreat from her home but who could blame him? That apparition or whatever it was kept her awake until a little after one a.m. when the nightmare again shook her to life. The tea cup made a light clinking sound as it was placed on the table before she moved to the door to open it for the bird.

Vex flew in a circle over her head twice and landed on her shoulder as she closed the door again. “Perhaps I should install a door or something for you, Vex. To be honest I didn’t expect you’d continue coming around. But you always seem to know when I need to talk and appear; if only Derrick could be so intuitive. Other than making a trip to his club I really have no way of contacting him since he doesn’t seem to answer when I call. I guess he’s afraid I’m just going to cuss him out or something. But this isn’t something I want to discuss over the phone anyway.”

She dropped back to the couch and sighed as the bird moved from her shoulder to the table in front of her and smiled at him as he motioned towards her cup. “Geez, you’re better than a boyfriend! The dreams are getting worse. At first I was an innocent bystander, then I started feeling everything that was happening to the girl in them and now I AM the girl the ritual seems to be for. I have no idea what it means but anymore knife cuts people might start to think I’m suicidal.”

“Maybe I just need to talk to him. Be direct because this just isn’t working for me, Vex. But Derrick, irritating and frustrating Derrick, won’t tell me what he knows and I can tell he knows something. Yeah, that’s it!” She snapped and jumped up quickly from her seat. “I guess I should go see him at the club…in the pit of bloodsuckers. No red, Victoria.” She cautioned herself and rushed upstairs to dress. Vex followed behind her and squawked as she rubbed his head before flying out the opened window of her bedroom.

Twenty minutes later Victoria was standing outside the dilapidated, old building that sat on top of the swank vampire bar some three stories beneath the ground. Chilly night air bit at her exposed neck and arms as she tried to remember the knock Derrick had used the first time he brought her. Blowing out a frustrated breath she tried his phone again and again received no answer. “Great. I make the trip down to this creepy ass neighborhood just to stand around and talk to myself like an idiot. Great plan, Victoria, now what’ll you do for an encore?”

“Excuse me?” A strong, masculine voice boomed behind her. She was too busy giving herself a verbal beat down she hadn’t even noticed the two men who had approached her from the corner. “Are you lost?”

She turned to find a warm smile on the taller of the two as he stepped a bit closer and under the light. He had blonde hair that tapered off at his neck, close cut and nicely trimmed goatee that framed the bright smile he shone her. The dark blue collared shirt he wore matched his eyes almost perfectly, tucked into dark slacks held up by an expensive leather belt.

His friend on the other hand was a little dumpier and introverted. Freckles dotted his nose and faded beneath his dark brown eyes that hid behind thick, black curls that he constantly rolled out of his face. His mouth was stretched in a straight, thin line with lips that seemed to disappear as they pressed together on his pale face. “Lost? Um, no. I’m just trying to uh I’m waiting on a friend of mine.”

“A friend?” the blonde asked, that smile never fading as he again stepped a little closer. Once he was completely beneath the lights, Victoria’s eyes caught glimpse of the two sharp teeth at the top of his mouth and she stepped away from him. Noticing her slight apprehension he chuckled lightly and briefly turned to his friend.

“You haven’t been compelled yet. Pity, whoever brought you here should learn how better to control his meal!” he replied and swiftly rushed towards her with a crazed glare burrowed deep beneath his brow. Thinking quickly Victoria jumped out of his way and watched as he hit the wall but regained his balance without missing a beat. Blondie turned towards her again with eyes even angrier than before and a look of hunger on his once welcoming face. “Oh I’m REALLY going to enjoy this one!”

“And it’ll be your last,” Derrick growled behind him as he stood in the doorway, fangs bared and claws ready for attack. He stepped outside into the brisk night air never once taking his gaze off the man who now appeared frightened and apologetic as he took note of the rage in Derrick’s eyes. “Victoria, are you alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” she answered and moved behind him into the door. Her hand slid onto his shoulder and he stood protectively in front of her.

“You’re Victoria? Sir, I’m sorry I-I-I didn’t know she was yours.”

“And that means what? That I should be merciful to you because you ignored your senses and couldn’t smell my scent on her? Even if you didn’t, you know the rules; no kills outside the bar on club grounds.”

“I wasn’t going to kill her, just have a little ‘before party’ snack.”

“Oh is that all?” Derrick asked sarcastically and stepped away from Victoria. Her hand fell from his arm and he looked at her then back towards the man in front of him. “Go on then, have yourself a little nip.”

“That’s ok, Mr. C. I’m not hung…”

“I SAID GO!” Derrick interrupted with a roar, his calm gray eyes darkening and flashing bright red. Silently the blonde moved towards her, sliding his feet over the loose pavement causing a grating sound beneath his soles.

He glanced towards Derrick as beads of sweat formed on his forehead, dripping into his eyes. Swallowing hard, his hands were balled into fists at his side and Victoria could tell his palms were getting sweaty. Every now and again he opened his hands and shook them trying to calm his nerves but found it to be a losing battle.

“Derrick?” Victoria asked watching the man approach her and slowly lean over to take her neck between his lips. As the warmth of her skin touched his mouth, Derrick lunged at the man and violently punched his fist through his chest, removing his heart in a single swipe.

Blondie’s body fell to the ground, an instant pool of blood formed beneath his corpse and Derrick squeezed the organ in his hand, ripping it to shreds with his long claws. “You!” he snarled pointing towards the other man who was standing in fear beneath the light pole. “Grab your friend’s body and get the hell away from my club. If I so much as smell your brand of shampoo again you’ll join him in an even slower death, got it?” Responding in haste, the man pulled the body of his friend from the ground and quickly disappeared around the corner.

Victoria stood wide eyed and breathless in the doorway of the club. Derrick turned to her with his infamous smirk and gently took her hand within his. “I’m sorry you had to see that. But as I told you when I brought you here before, I don’t like sharing. Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah I’m fine, Derrick, but you just killed a guy! Right here in front of me, again!” she exclaimed, pulling away.

“No, I killed a vampire who was trying to hurt you. Like before I killed a succubus and before that a werewolf. These aren’t your average everyday citizens, Victoria. There’s sort of a huge difference.”

“There’s no difference, Derrick! I’m a cop and I can’t keep watching you murder people! Do you have any idea the kind of moral conflict I’m having right now?”

“I could hazard a guess. You’re upset at me because I ‘broke the law’ in your eyes and yet eternally grateful because I saved your life. I’ll let you thank me later.”

“Thank you? Derrick!”

“Victoria, if you’re going to be a part of this world you’ll have to understand there are certain rules Supernaturals play by and it’s never as black and white as you may be used to. Any sign of weakness is cause for attack from someone who thinks they are bigger, better and meaner. I NEVER hesitate proving them wrong. I had a point to make and I’m sorry you had to be in the middle of it. But his friend knows now that I’m not someone to take lightly and rules created for Dante’s applies to all patrons. And as far as keeping you safe, I’ll continue doing whatever it is I have to! You can say your ‘Hail Mary’s’ and clear your conscience later.”

“I’m not Catholic.” Derrick shook his head and smirked as he watched Victoria fidget when two guards came outside the club to clean the blood up. She sighed in Derrick’s direction and tossed him a frustrated scowl. “You were cutting it a little close with the whole feeding thing don’t you think?” she replied shakily trying to calm herself as she let Derrick’s words sink in. “And you’re right. You saved me by doing what you had to do and I thank you.”

Derrick straightened up, pulled a handkerchief from his front pocket and started wiping his hand of blood. “Now then, do you want to tell me what the hell you are doing here? I could give you a whole speech about how it’s not safe to come here alone but…” he gestured towards the blood pool at her feet.

“I needed to talk to you. I tried calling, several times in fact, but it seems you’re too busy to pick up the phone. The dreams are still happening and the last time I told you about them you said you were looking into a way of getting them to stop.”

“Ah yes my friend the Somnambulist, well more accurately the Dream-Bender. He was an apprentice to the Sandman and developed a way to control one’s dreams from the outside by hypnotic trance.”

“Well can you call him and see if there is something he can do to help? Because quite honestly I’m afraid to close my eyes. Every time I fall asleep I’m attacked by visions of blood rituals and sacrifices and I wake up with souvenirs,” she replied, turning her arm over to show him the scars. “I don’t want this to keep happening to me.”

“Yeah of course, I’ll give him a call. Let’s get inside. Hopefully he’s not busy and I can get him here tonight to meet with you.”

Victoria sat waiting in a booth behind the familiar glass wall panel as the first time she joined Derrick at his club. The music was live, in a sense, and the band brought new meaning to the words ‘Death Metal’. Two of the members were vampires, one was what Derrick described as a ‘vegetarian’ Zombie and the fourth was a lich who played an impressive bass guitar.

Slowly she sipped from the Midori Green Hornet Derrick persuaded her to try as she waited for him to join her from his office. He had excused himself to make the call to his friend and see about getting her the help she needed with her dreams. He slid back the glass door as he made his way over to her with a goblet of blood in his hand.

She smiled up at him and sat her drink on the table while Derrick cozied himself in the center of the bench beside her. “Wow, your place really does a lot of business. Who’d have thought there was a market for supernatural concerts and nightclubs?”

“Well I used to spend a lot of my time at these sorts of establishments rubbing elbows with humans and trying to keep my appetite in check while ‘blending in’. And then one day it just occurred to me, why not create a place where my kind was welcomed to be themselves 24/7 without fear of persecution? It didn’t take long at all for it to catch on.”

“That’s very enterprising of you, Derrick.”

“Yeah, it’s also helped keep money in my pockets. The amount of booze I went through at normal bars was crazy to the point where I figured I’d rather be the one raking in the dough than filling the pockets of someone else. By the way, Freddy said he’d be here in an hour tops.”

“Freddy? I’m meeting with a dream demon named Freddy? Is that some sort of joke?”

“No and try not to mention that in front of him; he hates that. But apparently he helped some Hollywood big shot some years ago and the guy wrote a screenplay of the incident. Freddy received no credit and was painted as some scary villain out to ruin the sleep of children.”

“Wow. Ok. Really? So are any of the others real? Michael Myers? Jason Voorhees?”

“Don’t be silly, Victoria, dead men don’t wear hockey masks,” he smiled causing her to laugh.

“Thanks again for your help,” she tipped her glass before sipping again of the alcoholic beverage. “Mmm is it me or is it really kinda warm over here,” Victoria sighed and fanned herself. The heat from the dance floor seemed to be penetrating through the wall of glass beside her enough to cause a thin sheen of sweat to form on her face.

Derrick motioned over one of the waiters and advised him to adjust the temperature for her to a more comfortable degree and together they sat watching clubbers bounce around on the lower levels. “What?” he asked sitting his glass down in front of him but keeping his eyes on the red liquid inside as he addressed the detective beside him.

“Sorry,” she whispered mostly to herself, sat back in her seat and turned away. Victoria scanned the room they sat in and watched as the hordes of nearby vampires danced and enjoyed one another’s company. Numerous bodies writhed in unison to the beat creating an entrancing wave motion with their arms as they moved.

“No, not ‘sorry’, I want to know, Victoria. What is it about my drinking blood that always seems to catch your eye? I find you staring at me every time my lips go to a glass. Does it bother you that I need blood to sustain my life?”

“Not at all, Derrick, and I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable it doesn’t bother me that you drink blood. It’s really quite the opposite.” She smiled once his eyes turned to her and leaned forward, moving herself a little closer towards him. “It’s…interesting is all. Did you have to acquire a taste for it or once you were turned was it just, natural?”

“It was natural. My body hungers for it. It’s sort of like women and chocolate.” He smirked as Victoria’s eyes sparkled with recognition and he took her hand, pulling her closer. Placing her fingers over his heart, he lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. A flutter resembling a heartbeat throbbed beneath her fingers and she gently rubbed her hand against his chest as he took another sip. “Feel that? Blood for my kind is literally the drink of life.”

Victoria’s hand slipped down his chest slightly and Derrick couldn’t hold back the smile as he watched her face and the obvious enjoyment she took in feeling him up even as she tried concealing her motives. “What’s it like, drinking from a vein? How does it work I mean. You lap it with your tongue, like an animal or suck it as if drinking from a straw? What keeps the blood controlled?”

Her lips parted, eyelids lowered, hanging with lust as she looked up at him. Derrick leaned forward, feeling her warm breath on his face as he looked into her eyes. Slowly he moved his mouth to hers, nudging her head back delicately with his nose. “Victoria?”

“Hmm?”

“Why the sudden interest in feeding?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered against his lips as his finger brought her face up to meet his gaze. He leaned closer, his mouth threatening hers in a kiss. The gentle brush of his lips on hers made her exhale in anticipation and she wet her lips making them appear more delectable and enticing. “I just feel happy.”

Instantly Derrick pulled away and grabbed the drink from in front of her. Giving it one whiff, his nose quickly smelled the heavy aroma of viper essence and he looked towards the bar and attending keep. He stood and started out of the booth but Victoria caught his arm and turned him back. “Where are you going? We were just getting warmed up. And I know you’re thirsting for a taste,” she winked seductively and teasingly slid a finger over her exposed chest.

“Right, hold that thought, Beautiful, I’ll be right back I promise.” Storming over to the bar, he motioned the bartender over and the reddish-brown haired man instantly dropped what he was doing to meet with his boss.

“Good evening, Mr. C, what can I do ya for?” Derrick dropped the glass to the bar and the man smiled at him and glanced in the direction of Derrick’s booth. “Oh yeah, how’s that working out for you? Pauly from the morning shift told me you like your girls a little more…persuasive. I figured you’d really get a kick out of the snake dust. It’s a family recipe,” he grinned and brushed his shoulder off as his elliptical yellow-green eyes batted an inner set of eyelids.

“Well you figured wrong. Victoria is a dear friend of mine, nothing more. And right now she’s seriously forgotten her morals and when she wakes from this she’s going to be severely embarrassed but more overly angry. Now I know an angry, human, police detective seems rather nonthreatening and mild to you but consider this…”

Derrick’s eyes flickered red, his fangs glinted beneath the dimmed bar lights over head and the bartender took a frightened step back as his long, sharp claws tore through the wood on the edge of the bar. “I’m not human and have never once been considered mild! Fix this or I’ll make boots from your skin!” he growled fiercely, the bass in his voice dropping with every word of his threat.

“Y-y-yeah, yeah, sure thing, Mr. C, you got it, no problem!”

“NOW!” The barkeep leaned beneath the counter and pulled out a small brown box with a green gem on top. Inside were a few dozen glass vials of clear liquid each with different colored caps on top.

“Antivenom,” he announced as he began to make up another Midori Green Hornet for Victoria. Derrick removed the top from the small ampoule and gave it a whiff to be sure. Carefully he watched as it was poured into the drink and stirred before nodding his sentiment and starting back towards his booth.

“Mmm there you are! I was beginning to get cold over here,” Victoria purred and rose onto her feet in greeting. Gripping him by the collar, she jerked Derrick closer and without hesitation pressed her lips against his, forcing her tongue between tight lips.

Caught off guard and a little stunned by her kiss, Derrick tried pulling away but Victoria held him tighter keeping him snug against her. Even at the somewhat embarrassment by his reaction to her, he couldn’t stop his arms from encircling her waist and drawing her into his chest. Derrick held her close to him, craving more contact with his sudden wanton guest.

He kissed her back with urgency and their tongues did a slow dance in sync with their bodies. Victoria let out a soft moan and slammed her lips tighter in a frantic, aggressive kiss. Letting her hand slip into his hair, she gave it a firm tug as she felt his tongue give chase. Victoria growled against Derrick’s lips, opening her mouth wider as she did.

Derrick dragged his lips across her mouth, kissing her with passion and pulling her even closer as the thought of pressing his cock against her caused a tingle in his crotch. Her lips opened again to meet his tongue and she darted hers out tentatively flicking it across his fangs with excitement. With a sigh, she turned her head allowing her advantage to deepen the embrace and began kissing him hungrily, her tongue now freely playing with his. “Mmm, no, wait,” Derrick backed away before his hands forgot their manners and tore her free of clothing right there in the middle of his club. “We can’t do this.”

“Of course we can! We haven’t even gotten to the good part yet,” she leaned back and undid a button on her blouse that was quickly followed by a second. Derrick watched in a quiet conflict of emotions. Stuck between wanting her to give him a show and doing what was right for her, he cussed himself in a low growl and hurriedly placed his hands on top of hers before the next button off revealed her lacy, white bra beneath.

“I’d so like to help you forget this, Victoria. But I promised you I’d never do it.” He sighed, looked up at her with a gentle gaze and nodded at the glass on the table beside her. “Have a drink first, please.”

He tugged the buttons back in place, closing her up in her shirt as she reached for the glass and took three deep draws from it. The green and white liquid tingled as it slipped down her throat and she gave him a refreshing smile before dropping the glass to the table.

“There, happy?” she asked and reached for him again but as she did, her world started spinning. Grabbing her head as tiny, flickering white lights flashed before her eyes she fell into the booth and almost immediately she was out.

A tiny moan echoed from Victoria’s throat and she lifted a hand to her face, rubbing it gently as she turned against Derrick’s chest. Her eyelids slowly peeled back, fluttering rapidly a few times as they adjusted to the lights in the small room in back. She gave a warm smile seeing Derrick’s face above her and let her eyes drift close again. “Hey there,” Derrick smiled back as he gently caressed her cheek.

“Mmm, Derrick,” she moaned with the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Derrick’s eyes closed slightly. He couldn’t pretend as if hearing her moan his name didn’t rehash feelings he had earlier and his cock twitched lightly beneath her as it did. Her hands slipped up her belly, stopping just at the valley between her breasts and her eyes opened wider in shock as she suddenly sat up. “Derrick?”

“Relax, you’re ok. We’re in my office. How do you feel?”

“Rested; in fact I think that was the first actual rest I’ve had in a few weeks what with the dreams and everything anyway. Is your guy here?” He shook his head negatively as Victoria stretched beside him. Giving her mouth a lick she frowned and repeated the chewing motion a few times while looking at him. “Why does my mouth taste like I’ve been sucking pennies?”

“Blood.”

“Blood?! I drank blood?!”

“No, well not directly. You tasted it off of me.” Victoria’s eyes narrowed as she thought back to what she could remember of her evening at Dante’s and her jaw dropped as a light bulb went on in her head. Derrick slid away slightly, trying his best to keep a handle on the situation and cleared his throat to get her attention. “Now before you freak out and start blaming me, let me explain.”

“You drugged me?!”

“What did I just say?” Derrick paused with his hands raised defensively and a look of shock on his face as if the accusation was unfounded.

“Fine, you’d better start talking then!”

“My bartender, he’s a Slitherin demon, they’re a type of snake people that originated in Asia and are known for their um…charming talents.”

“Snakes who are their own charmers, great. So what he slipped something in my drink and made me…horny?”

Derrick chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from reacting to the word and nodded casually, “Something like that,” he simply replied and stepped away from the couch as the smell of her arousal suddenly became too much to bear.

“Wait but that would be what? Snake venom? Which comes from their fangs right? So he basically spit in my drink and you let me ingest it? That’s disgusting!”

“Well I didn’t know until you um offered yourself to me,” he teased and turned to find her pulling at the buttons on her shirt ensuring they were in place. “It didn’t go far, Victoria, don’t worry I…”

“You kissed me,” she replied without looking up at him. Her fingers rubbed the last spot his lips touched and she felt a small tingle where last they met.

“Well no, in my defense you kissed me first!”

“I didn’t know what I was doing, Derrick!”

“Oh right and how many times have you used that excuse?” He smirked with his arms folded across his chest as he stared at her ranting and pacing in front of his lounger. “Victoria, it wasn’t…I wouldn’t have let you go anywhere with that essence in your system, I swear.”

“See, THIS is why I ordered orange juice the first time I came here because I didn’t want someone slipping something gross in my drinks. But no, Derrick my eternally gracious host knows everything! So much that he gets me snake poisoned! ‘Relax, Victoria, live a little; nothing will happen while you’re with me I promise’. Pfft! How many girls have fallen for that line I wonder?”

Derrick chuckled as he watched her and her gaze quickly shot towards him in anger. She rushed forward tossing her hands at his chest and he held her back, restraining her wild arms from connecting with slaps or punches. “Victoria, I know you’re upset but calm down! I didn’t mean for this to happen please you gotta believe me.”

“Ugh!” she growled and backed off of him. Tossing her arms at her side she turned her back to him and pouted with a heavy sigh that left a smile on Derrick’s face once again.

“You know you’re beautiful when you’re angry.”

“Shove it you jerk!”

He stepped behind her and gave her shoulder a gentle touch as he turned her back to face him, “Friends?” he asked and waited for her eyes to meet his.

“For now; and ONLY because I need you to point this dream bender guy out to me. After that, all bets are off!”

“I can live with that.” Derrick turned towards a knock on the door and Perry nodded in respect as he ushered in a man dressed in a long, black robe with a hood. A gem rested on his chest that bore markings of some ancient scripture carved around a red stone. Victoria remarked his hands, thin, gaunt almost skeleton like in appearance but that was before he removed his hoodie and she was able to see his face.

His bones were visible through his skin, his skull nearly protruding from beneath the sallow layer of flesh. Cold, hollow, crystal eyes that seemed to glow sank into his face and parts of his skin appeared rotting and marred. Trying best to keep from reacting to the sight of him, she chewed on her lower lip and diverted her eyes as Derrick started him towards her for introductions. “Freddy, this is Victoria, Victoria, Freddy.”

She extended her hand and shook his, the freezing touch of his palm caused her to shiver and he smiled to try and ease her worries. “I’m sorry about that. People tell me I have ‘death’s touch’. Well not the whole ‘I touch you, you die’ thing but my hands are always ice cold. I don’t know why. I can’t tell you the number of gloves and sweaters I get come Christmas time! It’s worse than socks in your stockings I swear.” He spoke quickly and in a high pitched tone that reminded her of salesmen on infomercials.

Victoria laughed as the man went on; finding him surprisingly down-to-earth and nowhere near as intimidating as he looked. She shook her head as the story moved on to shopping for the perfect hood. Derrick watched her as if for the first time as he took a seat on the edge of his desk. The brilliantness in her face as she laughed made a smile form on his lips and he shook it off when he found himself staring. “And don’t even get me started on the custom made stuff! Have you ever seen an Oneiroi in a fuzzy, wool knit sweater? Our skin is pale and EVERYTHING I get completely clashes and yet people won’t stop sending them to me!”

“It’s true I’ve seen his place. Freddy has three closets full of grandma knits; one even has a kitten on the front.”

“See! It’s a nightmare, literally! And I should know right? I make them happen, well not all the time, but I do hand out my own brand of cosmic justice when need be let me tell ya, Dollface!”

“Wait you said an Oneiroi as in the mythological dream beings and sons of the God of night, Nyx?”

“Beauty and brains! Derrick wasn’t wrong about you was he? Yes Oneiroi, one in the same!  Anyway, listen to me just babbling on and on when I hear you have a little issue of your own. Now then, Victoria, what is it that’s causing your unrest hmm?”

“Oh um a nightmare actually, recurring. It seems to be some sort of ritual where I wake with the occasional cut. It makes me incapable of sleeping; I try to stay awake just so I don’t have to watch the young girl get gutted.”

“I see.” He replied simply. His behavior grew serious almost instantly as he glanced towards Derrick.  “Is she a...?” Derrick nodded without having to hear the end of the question and Freddy backed away from Victoria rubbing his hands in contemplation as worry set in on his face. “And how long have you been having this dream?”

“It started maybe a month and a half ago. Right after I learned about all of this and my family. It’s all so very, unsettling and I’m still trying to accept that there is so much more in this world than I believed for the first 30 years of my life. I figured my dream was some way of coping with that but now I’m not so sure.”

“And it’s not. In fact it’s not even a dream, not really. It’s a memory or more accurately a premonition, something that has either already happened or one that is going to happen. Dreams, while powerful visions of desire, cannot manifest themselves. There are rules involving this set in place by the Sandman himself. Unfortunately my dear, I cannot help you. My expertise lies in the actual REM cycle; I have no control over prescience.”

“Well do you know of anyone who may be able to shed some light on what I’m experiencing?”

“No, this is as far as I can get involved, I’m afraid. Word of advice, be careful. Premonitions, though fleeting, always find a way of coming true.” They thanked Freddy for his advice and watched him take his leave. Victoria rubbed her hand through her hair as she thought about the idea of foreseeing some sort of blood rite that was to happen to someone, possibly herself.

“You alright?” Derrick asked shutting the door behind Perry and rejoining Victoria beside his bar. “That was a little startling I’m sure but you shouldn’t worry too much over it. I know we can figure this thing out.”

“I’m fine, Derrick,” she responded, plastering a bogus smile on her lips as she regarded him. “It’ll all work out, I know.” She grabbed her phone from her back pocket and punched in Mike’s phone number. When he finally answered, once again groggy and unaware as she disturbed his sleep, she apologized and repeated the name her visiting apparition had given her.

“As in running for city council Brad Devereux?”

“It might be, I haven’t checked into it yet and it might have something to do with the heist possibly one of the masked men.”

“How do you know that? Vik, do I even want to know where are you getting this information?” Mike asked still a little out of it as he yawned into his end of the receiver.

“It just sort of came to me,” Victoria answered briefly. “I’ll catch you at work and we can go from there ok? See you in the morning.”

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