Fantasy FTK: Black Rose Detective Agency

[Jodyguru]

Venrir looked at her a little differently. She had no interest in his plans, or did she not know what he was doing? He would find out soon.
“Huh, nowhere in particular. Just around the block. It’s just easier to hold someone in a car than on the street. Whether I let you out kindly or while the vehicle still moves will depend on how you answer my question. I only have one, so be generous... What does Lautrec know about me?”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah glanced at him cooly.
"Hm," she shrugged, "I wouldn't know."
This vamp was really an idiot. If he thought he could get information from her that easily was foolish.
She turned to face the window, ignoring the seething glare she could feel at her back.
"Ask the dhampir yourself, if you're so interested."

 

[Jodyguru]

Venrir smiled wickedly. “Perhaps you need some motivation?” He snapped a finger, and the driver started going the wrong way down the street, weaving around cars. Beeping horns and screeching tires were heard. The hectic driving was knocking Delilah around.
“You’ve been doing a lot of sniffing around. If you have nothing, then you two are poor detectives for sure. Your precious vehicle will take a beating if you don’t start talking.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah wanted to jump out of the car, pop the door open and roll onto the road below. But she wasn't stupid.
At the speed they were driving she'd end up dead, hit by a rushing vehicle before she could make a move to run.
She braced herself against the seat, mouth forming an irritated line.
"Go ahead and wreck it. I've never had a problem with walking before," she muttered, unwilling to look the vampire in the eye.

 

[Jodyguru]

Venrir sucked his teeth and reached into his pockets.
“Tsk tsk. I was hoping you’d be more forthcoming. Well, I can still get some use out of this visit.” He produced a belt and threw it over Delilah, tying her to the seat she sat in. He then pulled out a needle with a tube attached and a bottle.
The goon started driving normally again, and Venrir jabbed Delilah’s vein in her arm. Her blood started draining out of her and into the jar.
“Very nice. O-Negative. You really are pure blooded. I appreciate the donation.”
He said and pulled the needle out after a minute. The car screeched to a halt, and the goon got out, along with Venrir, who hopped into another car and drove off. The goon, meanwhile, was pouring gas on the hood of Delilah’s car and lit it with a match before running off.
The car was on fire and she was still tied to the seat.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah struggled against the bonds, her head felt light from the loss of blood.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to overcome the nauseous feeling developing in her stomach.
"Dammit," she opened her eyes quickly, seeing her car alight.
Twisting in her seat, she managed to turn her body enough so that she could reach the window with her foot.
She pounded it, the heel of her shoe cracking the glass.
After being hit multiple times the glass cracked and finally shattered. A piece of glass had managed to lodge itself into the skin of her foot and she bit back the pain, turning in her seat once more. She pulled her heels off with her feet, pulling her legs up and under her.
Turning to the window, she lodged her body into the now open car window, pushing until she managed to slide out. She slammed into the ground, vision blurring, and then the world went dark.

 

[Jodyguru]

When her eyes opened, she was laying in the arms of her trusty partner Lautrec, who pulled her from the scene just before her car’s gas tank erupted the vehicle into a ball of flaming steel.
“You’re awake, thank goodness” He said. He was lifting her up the stairs of the office and laid her down on the old couch.
“She’s bleeding. I’ll get the wand” said Toby.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

After seeing Delilah's limp body in the arms of her boss, Rheitz had felt somewhat ungrateful though she still harbored some feelings of anger towards the Detective.
She rushed to a cabinet, opening it to find some bandages and ointment. Grabbing the items she walked back to the pair of Detectives, holding them out to Lautrec.
"Here. Should I do it Boss or do you want to?"

Delilah groaned, unable to form full sentences. The room spun. The lights were too bright. Everything was too loud.
She squeezed her eyes shut, questions swarming her head. The memory of Venrir drawing her blood, sitting in her car, giving her a toothy smile before exiting rushed back into her mind.
She sat up with a jolt.

"No. Crap. Dammit. I gotta-," she moved to get off the couch.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, lay down and relax okay? You look paler then me right now.” He forced her to lay down, and took the medical tools from Rheitz.
“We’re going to need a resupply at the rate we keep getting hurt.” He smiled at Rheitz and then started bandaging her foot.
“What the hell happened out there? You didn’t crash, did you?”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah gave him a look.
"I don't crash. I never crash. Got it?"
She hissed when he pressed down on the wound in her foot.
"Venrir. He got in my car, started asking me questions. He got mad when I didn't say anything."

 

[Jodyguru]

Toby and Lautrec both answered her at once.
“He what?”
Lautrec checked her neck for bite marks. “Venrir found you? How?” Toby asked.
“He’s the one who did this to you?” Lautrec asked. Both of them were worried about her.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz gave her a surprised look. "What did he do to you, Detective Waters?"

Delilah rolled her eyes at Lautrec's question.
"No the crazy lady of 54th street with a strange addiction to bricks did this. What the hell Leore? Use that big brain of yours."

She draped a hand over her face, letting out a sigh.
She, in fact, felt embarrassed. The people she had crudely spoken to, who she had looked down upon, were taking care of her and it made her feel...strange.
"He wanted to know what Leore found out about him. Asked me to say something or he'd pull some crap. Turns out he had a syringe and bottle on him. Took some of my blood."
She shuddered, remembering his sick grin when he commented on her 'pure blood'.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec folded his arms. “You know procedure. I have to get a hard testimony instead of just assuming... I think Ven was trying to trick you. If he asked what you know, you’d stay quiet. He must’ve thought using my name could get you to spill things, you know. Did he say anything else?”

“So we know where that drug dealer got the blood from, if Venrir used the same tools on you.” Toby was talking, though it seemed like only Rheitz was paying attention to him.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"No. Maybe. I dunno. That goon with the lizard slave. Said a guy name Stradler is working in the dark."
She rolled over to face Lautrec. "Just some other personal things. Nothing to do with the case."
She didn't know what she was trying to hide. Everyone knew that she was a member of the Rodricks. But what was Venrir planning?

 

[Jodyguru]

“Stradler is on the street again? Damn. It’s all starting to make sense.” He looked to Rheitz.
“Rheitz, I need the file from the snake oil case. Stradler’s name should be on it.”
He turned to Delilah. Her foot was bandaged and he gave her a ball of cotton and tape to cover her injection wound.
“We investigated a company that was selling counterfeit drugs a few years ago. I thought I locked Stradler away for ten to fifteen, but I guess he got parole early, If that Barber fellow gave you good info. He’s got the connections to start up business again. We couldn’t get anything out of him. There’s only so much you can do without resorting to more sadistic methods.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz nodded, quickly making her way to Lautrec's office.
Opening the file cabinet in the corner, she sifted through a set of manila folders pulling out the one on the case her Boss had asked for.

When Rheitz had left, Delilah sat up, giving Lautrec a pointed look.
"We...I...can we talk in private?" She eyed Toby, willing him to leave.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec was a little surprised, but agreed. He took the file from Rheitz, who joined her boyfriend outside, giving them the time alone she asked for. Lautrec sat in silence, waiting to see what she had in mind.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah pressed her hands together, as if in a gesture of prayer.
"Venrir's planning something. I...I don't know what but he wanted us to work together. Rodricks and Vampires. Together."
She rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"I just...I have a feeling it's something big."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec nodded with his furrowing brow. “He asked you to work with him? That makes no sense... unless, he didn’t need you or your connections. He might’ve just wanted your blood. After what we saw this morning I believe there’s a lot more happening than some blood marketing. But... why did we need to be alone to discuss that?”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah shook her head.
"It...that's not why I asked, okay?"
She looked down at her feet, studying the grooves of the floor.
"I'm...I'm sorry, okay? Sorry for acting like what Meimar did to you wasn't anything important. Sorry for treating you like...I dunno...like my meal ticket."
She looked up at his face, remembering their talk in her car.
"There I said it. I just didn't want the others to see me...like this."
She gestured to herself, visibly uncomfortable with her admission.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec didn’t know how to feel. This wasn’t something she did often, but at the same time her last apology came with some toothy remarks added. He knew he wasn’t free from wrongdoing either.
“I accept your apology. I’m sorry for insinuating you are like the church. You aren’t. I wish the subject hadn’t come up. I don’t talk about what happened not because it might bore people. It’s because of people like Rheitz who want to treat me like glass after learning about it. Meimar wanted to make sure I’d never raise a hand against the church again, and in that way... I think he succeeded. After you left, I had a panic attack and collapsed.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Maybe it was the fact that she still felt weak. Maybe it was the lost expression of his eyes, distant and misted.
Whatever it was, Delilah couldn't explain the surge of affection and worry that caused her to place the back of her hand on his forehead.
"Are you alright? I hope that bastard didn't scare you too much."

 

[Jodyguru]

Her hand felt cool on his head. He didn’t move or stop her, he just gazed into her eyes.
“He did, but that mouthy goat made things worse. I couldn’t move while he went for her neck. I was totally paralyzed. I kept thinking he could kill her and all I could do was stand and watch.”
He was breathing fast, but stopped and took a calm breath.
“I was a coward. A cheap and pitiful coward. If you hadn’t come... things could’ve gotten so much worse.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

She dropped her hand from his head, the appendage returning to her lap.
She played with her fingers, frowning at his statement, watching how the light played with the planes of his face.
"I...," Delilah looked away quickly, "I can't give you a speech saying you weren't. If that was what you were looking for."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec looked down. “No, I don’t want one either. If you gave me one I’d just think you were mocking me.” He chuckled and looked back up at her.
“I’d like to know that you’ll be there to stop him next time, so I don’t have to embarrass myself again. Now that folks like Venrir know we’re out there, we have to stick together, for better or worse.”