Heavy synthetic bass was pounding throughout Heartthrob, as another packed night was well in it’s swing and bodies were moving in unison throughout the club. Arthur and Claudia were pressed close to each other on the dance floor, both buzzed by a drunk patron they had simultaneously fed on, barely leaving enough blood in the man for him to remain conscious by the time they were done. The one benefit of Persephone posing as the club owner was the Claudia could spend most of her time just being another patron in the crowd, and for the past few days she had been content to do so as long as Arthur was there alongside her.

  It had been a long, long time since he had been intimate with someone like this, and it was like he was seeing a whole new side to life. Having her press up against him in the middle of the crowd made him feel all sorts of things. Unless he actively used the blood to make his body act alive and react, he had no real physical reaction; but his mind was telling him that this was good, and with fresh blood in his veins, it was euphoric. The ethereal serenade of the vocals backing the heavy bass and thrum of the music had completely overtaken him, and for the first time in a while Arthur was able to forget about everything and just enjoy the moment.

  That didn’t last long though, because his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was the third time. He’d been ignoring it up until this point, but had to remind himself that right now wasn’t exactly the best time to let completely loose. He peeled himself reluctantly off of Claudia to glance at his phone. Obi had sent him multiple texts now. Santiago was coming.

  He took Claudia’s arm and showed her the phone. Her face turned serious, and she nodded at him as they began to work their way back through the crowd. It took some pushing and shoving but they finally got out from the main floor and made their way to the back dressing rooms on the balcony level where the workers and dancers changed. There had been no formal announcement or alert to any of the patrons in the club. But, Arthur could see that all the guards had gotten the same texts, and were now watching closely. Arthur and Claudia got to the farthest back room in the dressing area, and they took a back hall to the elevator.

  As soon as the door opened up at the suite level, they were greeted by two of Obis men guarding the elevator. They were both already strapped into their ballistic vests and wielding rifles and shotguns.

  “No, no!” Claudia snapped, “There will not be another shootout in my club!” She snarled at them as they made their way past them into the main atrium of the suite level.

  There were about fifteen people total including Arthur and Claudia. The rest were Obi’s men, geared up like they were about to go to war. They made the bouncers on the main floor look like kids with toy guns.

  “How do we know they’re coming?” Arthur asked.

  “My guys outside spotted three trucks pull up a few blocks away from the club. One of the plates matched one we had on file, as the Soldado’s.”

  “All right. It’s time then, let’s rock and roll. Where’s Persephone?”

  “Doing her part.”

  Obi nodded towards the window. Arthur and Claudia looked down to the club level. It took a few moments, but they spotted Persephone dressed up in another bright, reflective dress making her way through the club talking to various people. At this point she was well known as the owner, so when she made her way through the club all attention was drawn to her. She had two of the regular club bouncers following her, and she was passing through the crowd making an obvious display, trying to make her presence known.

  Shortly after, Arthur saw the front door get flung open. Almost nobody in the club noticed, but a bouncer fell backwards through the door like he’d been shoved. Santiago’s men were forcing their way into the club. They looked like they were carrying something, but Arthur couldn’t tell what from this distance. Right now, he was afraid they were going to do something really stupid and open fire into a civilian crowd.

  As soon as they had entered the club, Obi had already sent a text to Persephone. A few seconds later, Persephone, still downstairs, looked down at her phone and motioned to the two bouncers. They started making their way towards the elevators below the suite level. As they arrived and made their way into the elevator. Santiago’s men began to pushed through the crowd after her, but the doors closed before they could get close. Some of them began to try and work the elevator, before realizing they needed a key card.

  “Do we really have to do it this way?”

  “Persephone’s orders,” Obi said.

  “Here we go…” Arthur muttered, as the elevator chimed behind him and Persephone got out with the two bouncers, who removed their jackets and began to gear up with the rest of Obi’s men. One of the men handed Persephone a pistol as she strode towards them.

  “Obi, get your men set up. We have to sell this. Draw them in. Once the doors close behind them, do it.”

  This seemed far too risky. Arthur just shook his head. Too late now. Obadiah’s men started taking positions all around the suite level. They hid behind doors, curtains, couches, anything that would provide total cover to someone walking in from the front. Some of them literally turned invisible, another Potential Arthur hadn’t seen often, and disappeared into the background. Persephone walked to the center of the room, putting herself in a spot where there was a clear line of sight from the elevator to her.

  “You, there,” she said to Arthur, directing him. “Claudia, here.” Persephone saw the look on Arthur’s face. “This is going to work. You said it yourself, he’s not the sharpest pencil in the box. He walked into one trap, he’ll do it again.”

  Arthur and Claudia made their way to the bar in the room, not visible from the hallway. From this position, Arthur had an awkward angle on the large window to the bottom of the club. Persephone was looking through it from the center of the room.

  “They found it,” she said.

  Arthur peeked over, getting a glimpse of two of Santiago’s men being rough with one of the bartenders. They stole his key card from him, which had been purposefully left out in plain sight behind the bar. They were communicating over their phones, and shortly after the front door opened again. Santiago and two more Soldados made their way into the club. They paused for a moment at the front door, and then a moment later all of them began moving at once. There were eight in total, including Santiago, and they were making their way towards the elevator. Even from this distance, Arthur recognized the large, tattooed woman from before, alongside some of the others he used to work with. Santiago’s best men.

  “These guys are tough,” Arthur said to Persephone.

  She just stood with her arms crossed, a confident smile gazing across the club floor.

  “Not as tough as ours,” she said. “All right everybody, here we go. Places. Remember, they might just start shooting as soon as they see us. The music will mask most of the gunfire. But if it comes to that, make it quick. Don’t want to rip up Claudia’s new place.”

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  “Great, thanks,” Claudia said under her breath.

  Persephone stood in the middle of the room in full view of the elevator while Arthur and Claudia sat at the far right side of the room behind the bar. Despite what was about to happen, Persephone looked completely cool and relaxed. And when they elevator door chimed and opened, she played her part perfectly.

  “I told you,” she said loudly, “It’s irrelevant when the Baron finds out about it.”

  Persephone moved as she talked, immediately getting out of line of sight from the elevator, having pretended she didn’t notice it open.

  Claudia replied, “Well we’re going to have to figure out something. We can’t just let this keep happening.”

  Arthur was about to say his own practiced line as he saw a handgun poke around the corner of the main hall, followed by the Soldado carrying it. He stammered, involuntarily, but that only helped sell the scene.

  Eight of Santiago’s men took position up at the front of the room. They were wary, guns sweeping the area. Santiago walked through them after a moment. Not that Arthur expected him to look any different, but seeing him dressed the same, carry himself with the same swagger, looking completely pleased with himself caused Arthur to a feel a strange, smug, resentment. It was like the man hadn’t given a single shit about everything he’d done to Arthur, and this was just another day on the job. That anger bubbled out to the surface visibly, and the only thing keeping Arthur from doing something stupid was the knowledge that Santiago had fallen right into their trap. Persephone turned, surprise on her face.

  “You…” she hissed at Santiago. Arthur looked at Claudia, then back to Persephone. He didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks, but Persephone was in charge right now.

  “Me,” Santiago said smugly, a grin across his face. “Told you I’d be back. Guess you didn’t listen.”

  Arthur looked at all the Soldado’s with him. They hadn’t moved from their positions, letting Santiago take the lead. The large tattooed woman from so long ago was glaring at Arthur, as if it was his fault her partner had died in the Syndrome fight. But Arthur wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Gabriel, the man Persephone had given him as a ‘gift’. He stopped himself from smiling.

  “You know,” Santiago said, lazily waving his gun around for effect, “I never thought you of all people would be stupid enough to turn that guy,” Santiago said, pointing his gun at Arthur. “I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the rumors, and then he showed up blasting holes in my men at the other club like he knew what the fuck he was doing.”

  Arthur kept his silence.

  “Nothing to say? Nothing to say to your former master? I gave you a life, Arthur. More than that shitty little cop job you had. But I guess some things never change. You went from licking my boots to licking someone else’s boots. What a fucking pendejo.”

  “Some things do change,” Arthur said through gritted teeth.

  Persephone looked back at him, shooting him a hard look, telling him to stay quiet.

  “What’s that, little bitch?” Santiago taunted.

  Arthur snorted, shaking his head.

  “Some things do change. I went from being used by a stupid, maniacal shithead like you whose nothing more than a dog on a leash to working for people that are far smarter, and far more capable than you will ever be.”

  “Tough words for someone with a gun pointed at them. Apparently, you all aren’t as smart as you thought, eh? I mean who the fuck leaves this lying out in the middle of the open? Do you know how fucking easy it was to get in here?” Santiago laughed, waving around the key card.

  Persephone turned back towards him. “Who indeed? Who would do something so foolish?” she asked, her voice like ice.

  Santiago stood there motionless, holding the card up high, his gaze slowly shifting over to it. His eyes made their way back to Persephone, who was now grinning wickedly, flashing her long fangs at him.

  “Gabriel, do it now, please,” Arthur said, his voice deepening as the blood woke like fire inside him.

  The man who they’d kidnapped previously shot Arthur a nasty look, and looked like he was about to spit some curses at him, but as Arthur’s words took root, he blinked slowly. Santiago began to shout something out, but Gabe immediately turned and began firing on his own men. Arthur yanked Claudia down behind the bar as Persephone dove for the nearest piece of solid cover. Instantaneously, Obi’s people had reacted. Gunfire rang out in the suites level as the heavy synth music below kept pounding throughout the club, the lower levels completely unaware of anything happened above. Anyone who bothered to look upstairs might see some strange, flashing lights from the muzzle flashes, but wouldn’t think anything of it.

  Arthur was hunkering down with Claudia, prepared to go through another hellish gun fight like at Syndrome, but this time the action was over in less than a minute. As fast as it had started, all the fighting had ceased. He carefully poked his head up and took a look out over the bar. Only one of Obi’s men had been hit, who was sitting on the floor cursing and trying to figure out where he’d been shot.

  Santiago, and all his men, lay dead across the floor, riddled with bullet holes.

  “Now that’s how you lay a trap,” Persephone muttered. “All right, start clearing them all out. I’ll get word to the Baron. This asshole finally got what he deserved. Took us long enough.” Persephone sneered down at Santiago’s torn up corpse, viciously kicking him in the face. “Thought you could fuck with us, shithead?” She spat on him, before dusting herself off and straightening her dress.

  “That’s it?” Arthur asked.

  She nodded. “That’s it. What, were you expecting another gigantic disaster? When you work with professionals this is how it usually goes.”

  Arthur just nodded. He didn’t really know how to feel. This was more like an execution than anything else. He thought there’d be more of a fight. More drama, more of a big show of things. Now, looking down at Santiago’s lifeless corpse, all he felt was pity. They absolutely deserved this as far as he was concerned, but they’d been mowed down like animals. Obi’s men were currently rooting through pockets and prepping the bodies to move, and Persephone was picking up her things, getting ready to leave.

  “That’s it?” Arthur asked again, barely realizing he was repeating himself.

  Persephone stopped what she was doing, giving him a concerned look.

  “Don’t tell me you’re starting to feel bad for them? These assholes died like they lived. Pathetically.”

  Arthur just nodded slowly, watching Obi’s men pack up the bodies.

  “Two years, ended just like that.”

  Persephone nodded.

  “Just like that. I told you, you’re young, Arthur. Might’ve felt like a lifetime to you, but this is just one less problem of a hundred for the Baron. We’ve got bigger things to deal with. Not worth wasting any more time on these fools.”

  She started making her way to the elevator door again, before stopping and turning.

  “Oh, almost forgot.” She tossed her master key-card to Claudia, who caught it between her hands. “Club’s yours now. Have fun.”

  Arthur and Claudia watched as Persephone left the club like it was just another night, and Obi’s men bagged and carried the bodies out like it was just another job. Like she’d said, apparently it was just another night, just another job, for them. Arthur figured that if he was going to stay in this line of work, nights like this might become a regular occurrence.

  Claudia seemed to not care whatsoever that eight people had just been killed in her club, more ecstatic that the club was really hers now and she could do with it what she wanted. But all Arthur felt was a sort of strange, empty feeling. That all this struggle, pain, and work he had gone through for the past two years of his life was over in and instant. He’d left his job, had broken off pretty much all ties with any of his friends or old colleagues. And this was what he had to show for it. Eight corpses.

  He looked at Claudia. But, he’d also met some important people along the way. He smiled to himself. That empty, hollow feeling, that feeling of everything you were working for suddenly coming to an end, was slowly replaced with a feeling of warmth. For some part, he felt good. He felt free. He felt strong. Although this was just a blip on Persephone’s radar, and another night in Longley for the average vampire, to Arthur, this was just the beginning.

  He walked towards the window of the suites level. He stood there like a looming shadow over the people of Longley below. The people who were dancing, drinking, partying, living. Completely unaware of the hungry predators that lived beneath the surface of their every day lives. That stalked in shadows, picking them out like they were nothing more than their next meal. They were oblivious to those that walked the thin line between life and death, who pulled the strings of their existence.

  They lived their lives in ignorance, and contentment, and apathy, while all around them there was a completely different world. They don’t even know we exist, Arthur thought, but if they did. They’d fear us.

  Arthur grinned.