The night had started off innocently enough ... How cliche' is that?? Still, Brehnic needed a distraction from all the insanity that had invaded his life of late, which made the upstart self titled new age immortal fine any random club and get his drink on.
Pity even that did not go as planned ...
Club Outcast. The sign alone had him written all over it. What were Immortals other than social outcasts due to some random fluke? As if the world wasn't crazy enough already. Tonight it was all about getting lost, getting lucky, getting laid, getting rejected, getting drunk, getting crunk. Yep, that about summed it up. It was early still, but from what he saw of the place, he liked it. Too bad several steps inside the club, that annoying "You Got Immortal" vibe went off.
This time it wasn't even about looking around or acting any certain way. It was about getting a drink and taking in the sights. Too bad the other Immortal had a different idea. He was addressed as Alexander, which narrowed the who's who list real quick. Alexander Conner was dead. Only a handful knew him by that name, and a fewer still called him that. The scent of the perfume was next. With a cock of the head, Brehnic found himself staring into the gaze of an Immortal whom had not seen since his death.
Shamair.
Just like in the Highlander TV series, time seemed to warp around her, as memories of about twenty years ago came flooding back. She made her agenda perfectly clear then, and had no problem reminding him of what he had lost. Again. Where was that drink?? Then came the less than subtle mentioning of the Pre - Immie that was more or less under his watch. Yup, she was there with an agenda, even though it bothered him a wee bit to how she knew where he was going to be tonight when even he didn't know at the time.
There wasn't even time to enjoy the pole dancer because Shamair kept on going on and on and on. The only way he was going to get any peace was to hear the woman out. She wanted to take the conversation outside ... Figures. No pole dancers out there to distract him!!!
Whistling a little 80's tune ... Whip It, by Devo, Brehnic followed the enigmatic one, his guard now up. One can only get shot SO many times, right?
She'd shrugged her trench back on and now walked beside Brehnic down a sidewalk lit by dazzling lights ... "You never understood, Alexander. Even if I'd explained it to you then, you never would have understood. Maybe you will now. " The woman possessed so much intellect she came across as ditzy at times, but nothing was further from the truth. " I was trying to SAVE you. Your death was not in my plans. "
(m) "Great. Twenty bloody years later and now you tell me. I must remember to blog this on MySpace ... Or was that Live Journal? Face book??" Placing his hands inside his own trench coat pockets, the tinted glasses were pushed into place, as he walked beside her.
"And Running Grey Wolf insisted on meddling... " She growled, " If he had just kept his nose out of things. " Then she dropped the bombshell. " I'm here for your girl, Alexander." By the tone of her voice, she did NOT care for Jere. Talk about holding a grudge. He wouldn't comment, but just listen instead. Wait. did she just say here for ... Okay. Scratch that. He was now commenting. "Why?"
"I want to take her with me...to train." She lied. A dead pan expression was what Brehnic gave her just then. "And I don't mean why as in why do you need her. Why even
bother to ask me?"
"Perhaps I was misinformed, but I understood she was under your tutelage." Shamair needed the pre-immortal female's DNA, bone marrow, tissue samples...and intended to perform a series of other grisly tests upon the unsuspecting young woman. She wouldn't kill her, though. She needed her alive. But Brehnic would know none of this.
"You mean keeping her out of trouble? Away from old school Immortals?" That smile had long since left him, the moment they exited the club. No accent. No games. For all intended purposes? He was Alexander again. " Absolutely." She nodded compliantly. "There is no chance of her encountering another immortal where we're going." Well, that much was true. Miss Wright would be...sequestered...in a small cell deep within Ahrimas Laboratories in California.
Brehnic weighed his options for about 1.5 seconds. "Hmmm. How can I say this?" Thoughtful glance. "Get bent". She bristled at his quip. "YOU can't keep her safe."
Then came the return of a small grin. "I know. That's why there's option B." Her gut went cold. She knew exactly what he meant by that. "I will not be denied twice."
(m) "Hell hath no fury like a woman denied ... Twice. Let me give you food for thought, Shamair. Morocco. Been there?" His obtuse question brought a frown to her features. "What does Morocco have to do with anything?" There was frustration in her voice.
"Fun place, save for I was shot by another Immortal, who knew way too much about me. Places I've been. Folks I talk to. If that mojo is still in effect? He may know about you. Eye spy and all that covert ops bull shit."
Her expression grew cold and confident... " How do you know that immortal is not
working WITH me?" She had no idea who he was talking about, but she was a master bluffer. Stopping, he turns to face her. "There's an immortal keeping fucking tabs on us Shamair. He was after another ..." Which caused him to grow silent. He had not heard anything from Nova since calling her .... That could mean several things. Shamair's response however snapped him out of his self imposed brief stupor ..."Because this bugger was way out your league."
With that, Brehnic started walking again. "Just save us both a lot of trouble and let me have the girl, Alexander. She means nothing to you...or does she?" Brehnic stopped again. "The fact that you want her?" And there went that devious grin. "Yeah, Niklas Wright means a lot to me." Under normal circumstances she would have inquired further into the other "immortal" Brehnic spoke of...but she'd come here for one reason only...the girl. "You're saying you won't relinquish her?" She'd asked him politely... But there was no way she was leaving without what she'd come for.
Taking a step closer to her, he'd look directly into her eyes. "That's exactly what I'm saying. By the numbers.You insult me at the club, ruin my night out, then want me to help you? Two words.No, not those two. Reality check." Pulling one hand from his pocket, Brehnic holds up his Blackberry that had been on during their little chat.
"You always were a sensitive lad..." She managed to stroke his cheek before stepping back. "This IS the 21st century. Perhaps the girl needs to make up her own mind about her future."
Another step back and she leveled a determined glare at Brehnic. " This isn't over. But it will be soon. She has the chance to become the Goddess of her kind...and you're denying her the chance." She said, for the benefit of the recording. And there went that sensation once again ...
Just as a jeep slowed down hear where the pair had been conversing. Brehnic smiled. "Oh yeah, I made a quick phone call before leaving the club. Hope you don't mind."
The car door had shut, with Jere stepping in front of the head lights. His gaze directly locked upon Shamair. She would turn in the direction of the new presence, recognizing Jere. " Still calling out the cavalry, Alexander? How adolescent of you."
" Shamair. You have his answer. You will not have her." No swords had been drawn yet, and Jere hoped this would remain the case. Brehnic was already making his way to the passenger side of the car. "Gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold them." Brehnic blew her a kiss. Jere however stood his ground, his gaze never leaving hers until Brehnic was inside the car. "Our paths did not have to become this Shamair. I hold much respect for you."
" Why couldn't you understand I was trying to HELP our kind 20 years ago with Alexander?? You kept me from him...and he was murdered by some street thug. Once he became immortal...his genetics were of no use. I tried to explain it to you, but you wouldn't listen. I've found the secret, Grey Wolf. I know where we come from. I know how we're created. I just need to prove it. Help me! Don't you see how important this is?"
"And you need ... A Pre-Immie.
"Yes!! "
"Then we shall converse on neutral ground, where our nerves can remain calm. Agreed?"
"Fine."
