Hell Hounds novel Chapter 57

“One day to do all this. How are we going to ensure that’s what happens?”

“There’s a group there right now that’s recorded routines and potential informants. We’ll walk in with targets selected for us. Arianna will get to pick which person she speaks with. It’s our just to ensure that she stays safe. You are a backup if we need a cover story. Think about it. If there’s any media coverage. You’re investigating and have no comment. Not only will it cover up what we’re doing, but any smart investigative reporter will target the cult. In investigating them, it puts the cult into the public eye and makes it harder for them to continue doing whatever it is they’re trying to do.”

“Not necessarily.”

Yolanda raised an eyebrow at that. “What am I missing?”

“The reporter may look too closely at what’s going on and notice us and our interference.” Ian tried not to look like the cat that got the cream.

“We’ll discuss it with Arianna. Now remember, they are vampires. If gods forbid it from happening. If one of them gets injured, you are to stay far, far away from them. I don’t want the fallout of that.”

“You don’t want to lose me?”

“If I survive losing you. I don’t want them dealing with the emotional baggage. If I don’t survive, I don’t want anyone else dealing with that emotional mess. Smaller things have created inter-faction incidents. It’s things like that which break treaties and bonds of trust.”

“So the concept of a vampire lacking the ability to empathize is a myth.”

“Well… Most of the time. They consider those vampires their version of the criminally insane, and they deal with them inside their faction.”

“Ah, good to know. So, where is this exactly that we’re meeting, and what is porting?”

“Gods, it’s your first time porting. Its… Uh… I guess the best way to describe it is we’re using magic to move from one place to another by skimming along the doorway between realms, or dimensions. I’ve seen both words used in this definition.”

“That’s oddly specific. I would have accepted we’re taking a magical portal to we need to go.”

“Remind me to get someone to explain the do’s and don’ts of portal transportation.”

“Yeah, I think I want to show up on the other side with all my pieces.”

“Exactly.”

* * *

Time went by and the sunset. Arianna entered the packhouse with an equally intimidating man beside her.

First impression for Ian was he could see the man as a vampire, but Arianna was anything but a vampire. She was loud, happy, and friendly with the military punk style of dress she wore. It didn’t help that Ian looked at her eye-to-eye.

Again, Ian could see her inhuman nature in her smile. It must be some instinct he had and now he’s aware of the nature of these people. He understood what that instinct was telling him.

“Yo-Yo, how are you, dear? I hear you get the horrid job of keeping me in one piece.”