An Old Memory

[Adileh Chemis]

Looking out at the great span of the city beneath her was always breathtaking. The city was bustling and busy as it usually was today; taxis flooded the streets, taking their passengers to their destinations for a small fee. Business men and women went to work, cell phones practically glued to the sides of their heads. Some would look at their watch and realize that lunch break had been over several minutes ago; others, their ride. Either way, the city was living, breathing. It was a corporate beast caged by all types of policies, regulations, and taxes.

Adileh turned in her chair, bringing herself back to the front of her desk as she rested her hand upon the mouse on her desk. It didn't take much; just a slight movement of the wrist and the desktop hummed as it awoke from its brief slumber. She typed in her password and was once again greeted by the picture of Alexandria, her old home, and the list of sales for this quarter. Just looking at the jewel of a city made the vampiress feel a weight drop inside her heart. The small picture that sat right next to her computer was that of her and her parents, smiling in Poland. It wasn't that long ago, but to the vampire, it felt like ages. One of her hands grabbed the picture, a saddened tenderness overcoming her exotic features. Hot, burning tears began stinging at her cinereal eyes. It was choked, but her voice managed to escape her parted lips,"I miss you guys ..."

The sudden sound of rapping on her office door startled her slightly. Quickly, she set the picture back on her desk and began digging for a pocket-sized mirror in her purse. She clicked it open, checking her make-up and wiping away her tears before throwing the compact back into her bag and calling out,"Come in."

A mousy looking woman, perhaps only in her mid-twenties, walked through the door, arms carrying a bundle of documents. "I know you asked for these an hour ago, but I wanted to make sure I got all of them." The girl seemed apologetic and ready to cry if she failed her boss.

Adileh shook her head, waving her hand in the process,"It's fine, Camilla. I appreciate your effort. You can just set them on the coffee table." As her assistant set the records on the table, the elder gave off a quiet sigh of relief. Sometimes, she really hated dealing with the stiffs that came from the hospitals. Camilla was enjoyable company and a hard-working assistant, but she was always second guessing herself. That factor could be just her age in such a rather big environment.

Camilla spoke again, wiping her hands on the back of her skirt,"Is there anything else I can get for you?"

The vampiress shook her head again, smiling weakly at the antsy woman before,"No. Thank you, Camilla." Camilla beamed from ear to ear, pleased with herself, as she walked out of the office. Di rubbed her temples, setting her elbows on her desk. The silvery eyes looked over at the pile only to be accompanied by a small groan. She was just about to get up and begin the agonizing task of organizing when Camilla's voice came through the intercom,"Ms. Chemis, there's a Mr. Alejandro Cepero here to see you."

"Great! Paperwork and a stiff. I'll be needing a coffee after this one," the elder sighed before pressing down on the button,"Send him in."

[Alejandro Cepero]

It was a long walk up the steps of the Lifeline Building. Why on earth men wanted to build towers this tall baffled him. I mean sure, it made sense if you looked at it from a pragmatic view. It optimizes your space and allows the maximum number of people to be packed into the smallest amount of area. Still... Going to the top floors usually required elevators. The security staff had looked at him rather curiously when he asked where the stairwell was when he had entered the front and surrendered his pistol.

Climbing up the stairs, he thought about who the new elder might just be. He had heard rumors it was another pure blood vampire, originally from the middle east. It was a woman, and from reports from his spies she was committed to preserving vampire kind. Good, he could use that to hopefully see if he could get more weapons and ammunition from her for the hunters.

This talk, however, was not only about the hunters. He was going to try to bring up the topic of the Eternity club as well. Undoubtedly, she knew of it, as many supernaturals were known to frequent the club for a night of fun and feast. While it was the lesser of two evils, more vampires were being created from the place on an almost weekly basis, and it was a dangerous trend that could lead to the general public discovering the truth. This would be very, very bad for business (not to mention their well being).

Finally at his floor, he opened the door and walked into the hallway, with the curious glance or two coming from a few secretaries who just saw a well dressed man, in a fine black armani 2-button suit with a blue shirt, black vest, and grey tie, walking out of the stairwell on what had to be very close to the top floor. As he approached the secretary, he mentioned how he was the man security had allowed up, and she proceeded to call the new elder, who let him in. The name she mentioned though... "Chemis..." It was vaguely familiar to the man, but he did not appear to make note of it.

Walking into the room, he set eyes on the new elder. A very beautiful woman, that was to be sure, and if his reports were right she was very intelligent, cunning, and particularly ruthless when it came to defending her kind. He walked up to the chair, but did not take a seat. He stood standing in front of her desk.

"Good day ma'am. I apologize for any interruption I have caused." He began politely, his voice laced with his Spanish accent. He was raised to be a gentleman, and had remembered most of his training (though he had to brush up on the new standards of being a gentleman every once in a while. He didn't want to seem that old fashioned.). "It as a pleasure to finally meet the new elder." A lie. The old elder had hated his living guts. This one would most likely be no different. However, no need to bring that up. "We have much to discuss. I am here on behalf of the hunters, who are in desperate need for more silver-nitrate ammunition. The prices your men are giving us are far too high, is there some deal we could work out to lower them?"

He knew her face from somewhere... Not just pictures. But where? He didn't count any pure bloods among his friends, and every other pure blood he had met he had to kill. Where did he know her from? Despite his confusion, you could barely tell it on his face, which remained stoic and businesslike, but pleasant enough that he didn't look angry.

[Adileh Chemis]

As soon as the man walked in, Adileh stood up from her chair, her hands resting upon her the desk. The man seemed familiar, like he was some distant, old memory, but from where? It was hard to tell until he opened his mouth for the first time; then it hit her like a truck. In that moment, while blabbered away, she remembered just who he was.

---

"SS! Open up!"

The thick wooden door that gave entry into the home was kicked in, splinters of wood flying across the polished floor. Adileh hid her face into her mother's sweater, clutching onto the older woman with a tight, unflinching grip. Her father stood in front of his family, his stance strong and fists curled into compact balls of anger. Ain tried calming her daughter by petting her hair and whispering a soft lullaby in Polish, her thick Egyptian accent occasionally bleeding through.

Heavy, relentless combat boots continued to storm through the house. The sounds of men giving off orders in German and Polish could be heard throughout the entire building, their voices muddled through the floor. Troops began ransacking their home, pulling out drawers and opening cabinets. Countless items could be heard breaking and shattering such as her mother's precious vases she had brought from Syria and Egypt. More orders were called out after about ten minutes of searching, no doubt ordering them to search the upstairs.

Several pairs of feet began clunking against the wooden stairs. Adileh began to sweat as she felt their boots shake the second floor, their voices booming. The three of them remained huddled together as the SS came closer and closer to the room they were hiding in. The vampiress's heart felt like it had just dropped into her stomach as the golden doorknob turned, revealing the three. An officer boomed an order and the men stood at attention as he moved forward, spitting out words in his thick German accent.

"You bear the star of the Jewish faith. Come with us -- now."
"You touch my family and I will rip you apart."
"Oh, some resistance I see. Arrest them!"

Those next moments were ones that she would never forget. As the troops began enclosing in on them, her father lunged and began attacking them. Adileh still clutched to her mother, but only for a few more seconds before being pushed away from the comfort of her mother's bosom.

"Adileh, go!"
"Moth--"
"GO!"

Her parents fought the troops, sacrificing their lives as they made time for their daughter to escape the fate that they surely would endure. The vampire sprinted out of the room, barely escaping the clawing grabs of SS troops. She flew down the stairs and through the broken door entry of her home, running down the street. Tears of anger and sadness blinded her momentarily as she blinked them away, her breathing shortening as she tried to get more oxygen to her overworked lungs. She had to keep going, even with the fresh sound of gunfire rung deep in her ears.

---

The elder stared at the man, her gaze cold and full of hate. Her nostrils began to flare and she furrowed her brows, lips curling back as she began to bare her teeth. The once disheartened and weary eyes became alighted with a fiery passion, flashing a deep maroon to the man who stood just across her desk. How she so desperately wanted to leap across and rip out his beating heart and shove it down his Spanish throat. A rumbling, deep and haunting, came from her throat as she began to respond to his proposition,"Who the hell do you think you are, Alejandro? You have the audacity to come into my office to try striking a business deal with me? You have some balls showing your face to me, sir."

Adileh removed her hands from her desk, running them through the curled, black tresses that flowed from the top of her head. Her body shook with the fury that was building inside her as she paced herself to the window, looking out at the city below her. The more she remained silent, the more she had time to contemplate on the memory that had just become to crystal clear to her, the one that had just been reemerged from the depths of her subconscious. Without warning, the elder spun on her heels, staring Alejandro dead in the eye. "How ... fucking ... DARE YOU!"

[Alejandro Cepero]

"Who the hell do you think you are, Alejandro?" The vampiress snapped at him, with nothing but hatred and spite in her eyes. "You have the audacity to come into my office to try striking a business deal with me? You have some balls showing your face to me, sir."

Alejandro looked at the woman with a face of sheer confusion. What the hell did she mean by that? What had he done to her? Had he said something that offended? Was he too straightforward with the business.... No, no now he remembered why she looked so familiar. Now he remembered the name....

------------------------

July 10th, 1941.

"Chemis..." Alejandro read a name off a list handed to him by the general of the high-priority targets to be rounded up in the village. He looked up at the man in confusion. "Says here they're just Arab Jews, what of it?"
"They are not simply Jews, though we will be rounding them up under that premise" The general replied. "They are pure-blooded vampires. You can see why we'd need someone such as yourself, given your... expertise... to capture them."

Alejandro looked at the short, fat SS general in confusion. Was he serious? What on earth did they want pure vampires for? On that note, why were they rounding up Jews? Rounding up communists was one thing, they were a threat to security. But Jews? They were just civilians part of the community, they didn't do anything...

"You're in over your head." Alejandro replied. "Pure vampires are too powerful to capture."
"Then kill them."
Alejandro blinked, unsure if he had heard that right. Kill? "Weren't you asking me to capture them a few seconds ago?"
"All we need is their blood." The man grinned an unnerving kind of grin that sent chills up Alejandro's spine. Even vampires knew evil when they saw it. Still... He was in no position to debate the order. He was under explicit orders from Francisco Franco, and they had... Leverage. He simply nodded and offered the fascist salute. "It will be done."...

Alejandro watched silently as the SS went around the village, at the dead of night, observing the sheer amount of people being dragged away from their homes. What little pity he felt he quickly buried, as three men approached him.

"Herr Cepero." One said. German was such an ugly language, but Alejandro knew better than to say anything. "We've found the house you told us to look for."
"Good." Alejandro replied coldly. "Take me to it."

Walking to the house, the lead man busted down the door and they entered the house. Alejandro simply walked through, sensing the presence of the three powerful vampires upstairs. As they found the door, the first man kicked the door down and demanded they go with them. Alejandro knew from the second he saw them from behind the three that they were pretty much dead. It was proven when the male, clearly the father, smashed the first one's head in in a matter of moments. Alejandro's eyes glowed red. Time to move.

Drawing his blade as Mr. Chemis sunk his teeth into the second man, Alejandro came in from behind and stabbed him in the throat, dragging the vampire to the ground as he released his bite, blood spilling everywhere. As the man growled, Alejandro fired a round from his pistol into his brain, and decapitated the man quickly. He turned, and saw the third SS soldier being mauled by the vampiress. Without regard for the SS soldier, who by now was long past dead, Alejandro sliced her head off, his sword slashing the now dead man. That's two... He looked up, and saw what appeared to be a young arab woman, clearly a vampiress, running past and escaping down the stairs. "STOP!" Alejandro called out "Dammit stop! We weren't here to kill you all!!!"

Before he could chase after the woman, however, he heard a gurgle coming from the man who had been bit. He shook violently, his teeth sharpening, his eyes glowing red. Alejandro's eyes widened, this was the first time he had ever seen a transformation. But how??? He looked over, and saw the blood of the pure blood vampire had seeped into the man's bite. He was transforming...

Had Alejandro known what that man would become, he would have struck him down then.... The girl was forgotten for the moment, they would find her later.

----------------------------------

Over 70 years later actually. But he was not the same man he was. He was no longer in the service of men more monstrous than any supernatural. His eyes widened, a look of complete and utter guilt and regret dawned on his face. He had singlehandedly killed her parents... That day had been at the back of his mind for over a decade, it was the start of something more awful than he dared explain to her... But she wouldn't care if he tried.

"I was following orders..." He managed to say. The back of his throat was dry, he could barely manage to speak. "We were supposed to capture you alive... Had I had known what they had wanted with you I would have never gone through with it. Had you had not resisted, I would not have had to kill them..."

He sighed and looked down for a second, the deep regret of his actions sinking in. Anything he would tell this woman would fall flat, that much he knew. Still... He had to try. Maintaining as calm of a demeanor as he possibly could, he spoke, his eyes locked on hers, unmoving, unflinching.

"I have done many things in my long life I have come to regret. They were sinful, callous, evil on a level that does not deserve redemption. But I am not here to discuss that with you. I'm here because I'm trying to save innocent lives from lycans. I'm here because I'm trying to prevent the creation of more vampires. I'm here because I'm trying to absolve what is incapable of being absolved, my sins." He replied, growling a bit at the end. "If you cannot see past the past you are doomed to stay stuck in it."

[Adileh Chemis]

"I was following orders...We were supposed to capture you alive... Had I had known what they had wanted with you I would have never gone through with it. Had you had not resisted, I would not have had to kill them..."

His words were sputtered, choked as if he was being strangled by the gaze that the vampiress was shooting his way. Her eyes glowed a deep and menancing crimson, her lips curled back to reveal the grown fangs. Her response was bitten off and snapped,"And yet you slaughtered them like cattle! You decapitated my mother and ran your blade through my father's throat. What did you expect us to do? We were Jews and German troops came knocking at our door. We had neighbors and and friends come and see us one day, and the next we knew they were gone, completely ripped away from their existence!"

With a slow, almost taunting gait, Adileh moved away from the wall of glass to the man that stood before her. She slinked and manuvered her way around the desk and other furniture before appearing in front of his face, eyes full of distrust. There was a sickening taste that began to form in her mouth, one that tasted what bitter lies and open wounds might. It was sour, foul and an essence that poisoned any good in her being, if only for the moment.

Adi watched his facial expressions and his body language as if it were a fine art while he spoke, judging him, testing him. To her, he was an enemy of old, an intruder in her new life. He was a beast spawned from the deepest pit of hell, carried to the terra by a mother's womb. The more the man spoke, the vampire realized that he might be right.

Soon, he was finished and the vampiress backed away from him, allowing him his own space once more. She dropped her gaze and looked to the side, her mind reeling with mixed emotion and thoughts. On one hand, she wanted to simply gut him where he stood; on the other hand, there was a deep sense of genuine regret that emitted from this man. Where she wanted to break his skull in, she found that she could maybe forgive him for his trespasses. So many things she wanted to say or do, but naught a single thing came out. Instead, the elder sighed and gently grabbed the man's hand. She turned her gaze back to him, the henna eyes welled to the brim with more tears. It was quiet for a moment as the woman looked at the man, searching his soul.

"What's done is done, I guess. Maybe the only way we can move on is to say this: I forgive you." Adileh spoke quietly, her voice now weary and tired, scarred from the pain she had endured so long ago. The tension that had filled the air from the anger and the frustration dissolved into a mournful yet merciful place of peace. She still wanted to rip him apart, limb from limb, but it was a start. Her forgiveness was the beginning of amends that was long overdue. Adileh released his hand, taking a prolonged breath in through her nose, giving a slight nod with her head. With nerves and mind calm, the vampiress continued,"Well, since you came here for business and not to idle about the past, we should get to it. Come, have a seat. We will discuss this proposition."

It was with that the Ad turned from the man and walked over to the cushioned chairs and coffee table, taking a seat in the one on the left, and motioning for him to take his own.

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[Alejandro Cepero]

Alejandro lowered his head in shame as the vampiress held his hand and said she had forgiven him. She... Had forgiven him. Well, sort of. It was obvious that she still harbored anger towards him for his transgressions, sentiments Alejandro fully understood, and did not fault her for in the slightest. What he did was not just wrong, it led to a far greater evil, one that would take the better part of fifty years for him to correct. One that left in its wake countless dead, raped, turned, exploited, broken people... But was corrected when that last son of a bitch finally got a bullet to the skull. Yet it did not wipe him clean. It was like a paper that had been crumpled. No matter how hard you try to straighten it out again, the lines remained, the paper now more brittle than it had been before...

Still, she said she had forgiven him... Like he deserved to be forgiven... "You know... A part of me wish you hadn't said you forgive me..." Alejandro said as he took his seat, still looking down, trying to avoid her eyes at this point so she could not see the tears welling up. "That you had shouted at me, tried to kill me, something... I'm not foolish enough to believe you've truly forgiven me, nor do I believe you ever will, but the fact that you were able to say it..." He raised his head and looked at her now, his eyes filled with tears, a weak smile forming on his lips. "It means more than you can imagine..."

In history, the always demonize the jailers, the executioners, those who do evil on behalf of the tyrant. What they never say, however, is how heavily it weighs on the souls of men who commit those actions. It's a scar that never heals, a painful wound that never heals. Deservedly so, but that knowledge of it is just does not console them. It simply adds salt to it, knowing that they willingly participated in atrocity.

"Perhaps... If you'd like, one day we can sit and discuss the past... Some things need to be brought to light... But you're right... Today is not that day." He sighed, leaning back on his chair, drying his eyes with his hand, then placing his hands on his lap.

"The hunters are not bad people out to kill us all. They simply want to defend humans from those of us who prey on them. That is why I greatly support the work of life-line corps in the creation of blood packs for vampires. However, there are two problems that all boil down to one cause... Prices. The hunters simply cannot deal with the number of rogue vampires out there, and are going through ammunition at a much faster rate than anticipated due to the nature of fighting those vastly superior to themselves. However, they wouldn't have to be fighting so many if the prices of blood packs weren't so high..."

He sighed, remembering his meeting with Jayde. An interesting woman, to be sure, but misguided. "I have no doubt you've heard of Eternity club... It's the one place a vampire can get a good meal from willing human hosts... The problem is many of these hosts are getting it into their heads they want to become vampires themselves, turning the club into a front in which rogue agents recruit more into their ranks, outside of your laws, outside of oversight. They are dangerous, and I think the best way to combat them is making blood packs an easier choice for many vampires who cannot afford them due to lack of a steady job..."

[Adileh Chemis]

"The hunters are not bad people out to kill us all. They simply want to defend humans from those of us who prey on them. That is why I greatly support the work of life-line corps in the creation of blood packs for vampires. However, there are two problems that all boil down to one cause... Prices. The hunters simply cannot deal with the number of rogue vampires out there, and are going through ammunition at a much faster rate than anticipated due to the nature of fighting those vastly superior to themselves. However, they wouldn't have to be fighting so many if the prices of blood packs weren't so high..."

As Alejandro spoke, Adileh picked up one of the many packets and began to leaf through it. She occassionally looked up from the printed paper at the man across from her, eyes focused and intent. She crossed her legs, right over left, and bobbed her foot up and down in thought; a slender finger ran along the ruby-stained lips, mostly along her lower. He wasn't lying. There was a decrease in the number of packs being sold in relativity to the price, and it was rather sharp decline. At the rate this was going, Life Line would be needing to find other ways to fund their corporation. That was only the beginning of the problem. She would remain silent, however, and continue looking through the records of sales. Alejandro quickly continued on.

"I have no doubt you've heard of Eternity club... It's the one place a vampire can get a good meal from willing human hosts... The problem is many of these hosts are getting it into their heads they want to become vampires themselves, turning the club into a front in which rogue agents recruit more into their ranks, outside of your laws, outside of oversight. They are dangerous, and I think the best way to combat them is making blood packs an easier choice for many vampires who cannot afford them due to lack of a steady job..."

"Oh? Are they now? Such rash behavior. I suppose it does fit the bill for our rebellious brethren. Yes, I do see the problems you are bringing to my attention. It is not something that is being taken lightly, I assure you," the Elder took a moment to breathe, closing the packet she had in front of her and setting it back on the table. She clasped her hands together and looked at the towering piles of white the sat so haphazardly upon the table. Her eyes narrowed as possible solutions and compromises were formulated in her brain. It was a delicate situation.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to any mortal, the vampiress spoke again,"I have two options that I propose we do. Option one would be the most obvious: I will lower the price of blood packs in order for these younglings to feed safely and under the radar. They would be brought into the coven, under my law and my watch. They would be assigned to a more experience and seasoned vampire for care until they are able and trusted to be on their own. In the meantime, the hunters would receive the same amount of ammunition at the same price while they picked off the troublemakers. With less of those, the need for more ammunition should be less, and therefore the price would remain the same.

Option two is a little more extreme, though I feel like the result may be one worth while. If the Eternity Club is becoming such a place of breeding for our kind, then I suggest we elimnate it entirely. Rid the city of this establishment. With the club gone, the rogues could not create more without being caught rather quickly. If this is the case, I will lower the price of ammunition so that the hunters may buy in bulk to more effectively dispose of those who do not reside under my watch and my order. Blood packs, alternatively, will remain the same price, but I will make them more readily available in more locations to replace the club's original purpose."

The Elder breathed deeply, resting her folded hands in her lap. She watched Alejandro with curiousity and firmness in her eyes. These were the only options she would provide for him. These were the only options that she could really think of. Adileh quietly cleared her throat before giving the man one last thing to chew on,"If you have any other suggestion, please feel free to share; but as it stands, there is no other alternative that I could offer."

[Alejandro Cepero]

Waiting was something Alejandro was well accustomed to. After all, he was a vampire. Silently stocking your enemies while waiting for the perfect moment to strike was part of the game. As Adileh spoke, Ale listened, his face neutral and calm. As she finished, he simply nodded his head and thought for a moment, then reached into his jacket pocket. A light smirk formed on his face, as he realized she did not know what cards he held. Good. Time to show his hand.

Pulling a small, 5.56mm assault rifle round, he placed it on the table. He motioned for Adileh to pick it up, his face neutral and businesslike, but the light smirk still present, appearing more out of courtesy than anything. At the base of the brass casing, by the primer, was written in the small ring the initials E.A.I. Alejandro began to speak.

“Ma’am, I think you misunderstand what I am trying to purchase. I don’t need anti-vampire UV rounds for the hunters. We can get plenty of those from other suppliers that, by now, I think you have figured out. No, I am here to acquire silver nitrate rounds at a fair price. We are aware of your feud with the lycans. We are also aware a good number of lycans are hounding for your blood, and rogue lycan groups pose just a serious a threat as rogue vampire groups. Arguably more so, as at the very least rogue vampire groups maintain a certain level of civility, and are less open about their hostility, and are better at hiding than lycans. Miss Chemis, you must understand something. I simply brought to your attention the situation with the Eternity club and the prices of your blood packs as a peaceful way for bringing the rogue vampire situation down to a controllable level without the need for bloodshed. However, the hunters are very able, and some far more willing than they should be, to use force to end the lives of rogue vampires. And they have the ammunition and supplies to do so, supplied by… An interested party, a group I believe you are very well aware of.”

Alejandro then leaned back into his chair, and crossed his foot onto his knee. He then clasped his hands and, with his elbows on the armrests of the chair, raised his hand in front of his mouth, as if trying to think of the next words to say. He didn’t want to enrage her further, but he realized his quiet, confident attitude could be confused for arrogance. It wouldn’t be the first time. Taking a small breathe, he looked at Miss Chemis directly in the eye and began to speak.

“It is in both our interests that you lower your prices on silver nitrate ammunition. For us, the benefit is quite simple. We can purchase more of it. For you, I can see it being a little more complex, but I’ll simplify it. The hunters need to keep a certain number of silver nitrate bullets stockpiled should the worst come to pass, and as a result once they reach a certain level of reserves they will have to stop hunting rogue lycans, or go into the painful process of making their own ammunition, which is heavily time consuming, and will limit the amount of anti-lycan raids they can conduct. Anti-vampire raids, however, will continue unimpeded as they will have a steady supply of UV rounds. This will undoubtedly create a disparity in numbers that would be detrimental to your organization, wouldn’t you agree? That is why I stress lowering your prices across the board, to ensure both the ability of the hunters to take down rogue lycans, and increase your own control on the vampire population, meaning the hunters would have to make less raids in the first place, which would result from there being less of a need to, and the number of vampires remaining stable and controllable. I am offering the best of both worlds. Control for you, anti-lycan effectiveness for the hunters. And in the long run, lower prices means more blood packs sold, which will keep profits at relatively equal levels to what you enjoy now. Do we have an accord?”