Undead Paladin Chapter 15: Continued Decent

Watts walked into the unforgiving streets of Toronto, avoiding the checkpoints as much as possible as it would mean that he would get caught by them. In such a large city the vampire population got a foothold as they ran through the densely packed city during the earlier days of the outbreak, before war measure's act was invoked. It didn't help that a small sect of vampire grouped up and hunted the streets. The bloodshed became so vile along the major streets that many Torontoains has entered voluntary curfew policies of their own long before they became mandatory by the government. This explained the checkpoints that littered the streets as well: not that they were unique to Toronto, as other large cities has such things as well.

Now that Watts was on these streets he had to get to the 'safehouse' that Twist was at in order to determine where Twist was at the night he was taken to that place in the outskirts of Orillia. Lilith's network of contacts has verified without question that Toronto is a compromised city, not that it was easy to stay under the radar of the police, whom were highly street-savy and tough before the outbreak went full swing^*, and outright paranoid now.

Now, Watts knew the address, but the challenge was to get to the house, thus bypassing several checkpoints along the way, and then finding out what happened to the people in that house. Did this third-party, established from Amanda's insight, come from one of the major drug companies whom where hunting for a cure/treatment/vaccine? Once Watts finds out where those people in the house went, the next step would be to find them and ask them about Twist.

In the dark and dirty streets, this wasn't going to be easy.

***

“Lilith... Lilith!” Mable from the day shift approached the hostel owner in a haste while in conference with a guest, “its the police. They want to talk to you.”

Lilith quickly turned to Mable. “Continue this for me... its something about bed bugs.” Then waltz down to the foyer where the familiar boys in blue were waiting for her.

“What can I do for you lads?” she asked simply. After all, it wasn't like she, like, didn't do anything.

“Miss, this is in regards to a disturbance a few nights ago,” the one cop started to speak.

“Oh yeah, heard about it... it was a few nights ago,” Lilith responded, “It made such a ruckus dammit, and I have guests that need their beauty sleep... isn't like they could just go out on a night in the town.”

“Miss, a woman was found dead,” the other cop stated, “she was ided and all, but we need to know if you remember anything from that night.”

“Was she killed by a nightcrawler?” Lilith asked with a gulp in her voice.

“No,” the cop replied rather quickly... too quickly.

“Well, I'm afraid I just heard a scuffle and a scream,” Lilith shrugged, “I would have called it in except that, well, you fine boys and girls would already be out and about, with it being midnight and all and I have to have my guests tucked into beddy-bye at that time... you know, cuz of something about curfews, martial law, and gestapo."

The two officers huffed in annoyance and one said to Lilith “alright then... but if you think of anything... I mean, someone's daughter, sister, mother, and possibly wife, died a few nights ago.” The two then turned to leave, but one of them turned back to her.

“Well? What are you waiting for copper?” Lilith said into his eyes, “I have a business to run and you must got shit to do... seeing that last I checked I pay taxes.”

“Ma'am, there is some suspect activity going on here,” the officer simply replied.

“You scared of a few homeless vagrants hiding in a hostel now?” Lilith asked mockingly, “I would think you would have better things to worry about, like, say, for example... vampires?”

“Its daylight at the moment,” the officer merely replied, “so the concern is less on vampires and more on gangs.”

“And you think I have something to do with either?” she replied simply.

“Aside from the... death a few days ago there was a shooting last night,” the officer went on, “do you by chance know a Darryl Jones?”

“Nope,” Lilith replied, “should I?”

“He was found with a gun that was reported stolen,” the officer replied.

“Ok... and this matters how?” Lilith asked, “and make it fast copper: I don't have all day.”

“Ma'am, I know the kind of game you are running,” the officer responded simply, “Best be careful while I run the shop... the shop that never closes.”

With that the police officer left. Lilith shrugged and went back upstairs.

Amanda was at the top of the stairs. “What was that all about?”

“Copper wanted info on a vamp attack and some jerk with a gun,” Lilith shock her head at the thought.

“Didn't the officer say that the girl wasn't killed by a...” Amanda started to ask, only to be cut off with “course he did: he doesn't want to cause panic over an isolated instance.

“Though I'm more worried about that gun,” Lilith went on, “it wouldn't by chance be the one that went missing from the armory, is it?” Lilith asked, looking Amanda in the eyes.

“Uh... how should I know?” Amanda replied, “I... I don't know anything about a missing gun.”

“Ok then,” Lilith replied before heading back upstairs.

*By Canadian Standards, which were just a step above the stereotypical British cop whom, until 9/11, wouldn't even carry a gun.