Trouble. Damn, my luck is just not in tonight. I'm still low on blood, I'm still hurt and I haven't even had time to catch my breath or switch into clothing that isn't going to attract attention on the street. And now I have someone else in here. Christ, this is going to be fun.

I lean against the crate, keeping my eyes shut and for now as I listen, trying to block out my other senses as I search for the disturbance. Front door then, one footstep... two... no. I think there's at least 3 of them if not more. That's all I need to know before I open my eyes again, shrugging the trench on fully. I carefully close the crate, hiding the contents from quick discovery before I move off.

I guess time to leave. I'm in no condition to fight 3 individuals or more. There's a back exit. Always have more than one exit. And always know where they are. I move over quickly to it, keeping my steps soft and quiet as I go. No need to attract more attention than necessary. I nearly walk out before I stop. Same cold wind down the back of my neck as before. I don't get it but I stop, moving back to a more secure location while sweeping my eyes around, hunting for what it is that's got me freaking again.

I keep own sweeping my gaze across the doorway and around it before I realise what's wrong. The light coming from underneath it. I know there's a streetlamp not so far from that exit. The lights not coming in right. Subtle, barely there but I think there's something blocking it. A shadow. Someone or a couple of someone's are there, waiting. Damn.

I back off silently, heading back to the crate. Well, that's one exit down, no way they'd leave the other exit uncovered. I'm thinking of what to do as I head back when the voice comes. Soft, liquid, very, very cultured. Smooth as silk and just as easy on the ears. The type of voice that you could sit for hours and just listen to.

"My dear... Sheriff. A pleasure to have you in my city. How are you doing? I must say, your actions over the past few hours have impressed my colleagues. Of course, I had warned them that any individual who could have found Stone so quickly must be an exemplary individual. I am so glad that I am right." Christ. This guy talks like a Ventrue. I'm not sure what he is, Lasombra? Ventrue? Tzimisce? Hell a Toreador wannabe maybe? Sometimes it's real hard to tell, real hard. Stereotypes are useful because they do have an inkling of truth in them, but in the end, you can't rely on them. Take a look at me. I keep on listening, not so much to the words as the direction. Maybe I can work out where he is. Of course, that's likely why he's talking. Baiting me just like I baited them.

"An individual with your obvious abilities, your skills would certainly be welcome into our organization. I'm certain it would only be a matter of weeks before the Black Hand themselves asked you to join them. After all, you have bested one of their own."

Oh shit. I remember now, the hand. The palm. Fuck me, the Assamite was part of their Hand. See, few people know this but the Black Hand, well, their the assasins. The elite killers in a group of killers. That guy must have been a newbie, just got added in and still not as good as some out there but still. I guess I've bought into their propaganda too. Not all of their fabled killers are as good as they'd like you to believe. Just enough.

"Come now my dear Sheriff, do you not think if we wished you dead we would have done so already? No. Come out and speak with me, I promise you that none of us here wish to harm you. The opposite would hold more truth for we would like to recruit you into our Pack. Certainly I can see the doubts that might come from this statement. But you have not harmed any from my pack as yet. You have if I may say so, done us a favour in your recent endeveaours. Your actions have helped remove the competition so to speak"

Great. Nice to be of help ugly. I take a look around, having used this time to creep further along the ground level. Alright.... I've spotted 1 of the 3 that I know are definitely in here. So where's the other 2. I think ugly is still near the entrance. Most likely actually, guarding it from me. So, that leaves at least one other prowling the inside of here looking for me. Personally, I think there's got to be more than 2 of them in here. They ain't that dumb. I've shown I can deal with any single one individual at a time. They'll want to keep together now.

"No reply? Perhaps the offer was not as well spelt out as I wished. Let me explain to you then my dear Sheriff. You are trapped within these walls. Both your exits are now covered. Both the back door and that refuse dump you might have wished to use. There is no way out, and if you continue to act as you have, my packmates will have no choice but to act in the most, offensive of manners to yourself. After all, yu have harmed other members of our esteemed organisation."

Thanks ugly. I stop from heading to the grating and back off, trying to decide which way to go now. I'm in a bit of a pickle right here. I could, possibly take the guys at the back door or the grating down. Or hell, maybe even go for a straight on charge for the main door. Not my style any of those choices really. Too obvious and suicidal. As I gently brush by one of the crates with my left arm, I'm reminded why I might not even make it. Damn, that's going to leave scars. Well, just another couple to add to my collection I guess.

"Come now, one who has preyed and hunted so sucesfully upon us can not think of himself as human. No human could have done what you did this night my dear vampire. You are a Child of Caine. A vampire just like us. You know it, you can feel it within yourself. So why do you struggle? Join us, there is so much more to be seen in this new existence. Tell me you did not enjoy the thrill of the Hunt this night. When you vanquished one lesser than yourself. But I speak too much as usual. I belabour the point. You are a vampire. Join us and revel in it and not try to cling to what you are not."

Great, now the guys talking philosophy at me. Maybe that's how they intend to kill me. Bore me to death. Anyway ugly, ain't that simple. I agree, I'm a vampire. Big, nasty, bloodsucking predator. No doubts about it. Every night nearly I got to remember that fact as I go and take my sustenance for the night. Of course I'm a vampire. But that doesn't mean I can't strive to be better than just a vampire. And as far as I'm concerned, deciding to go and wallow in the pain and misery of others isn't part of better. Human ideals? Maybe. Still, isn't being human about striving to be better than what you are? Take a human, cut him down and these days everyone says we're just an off shoot of your garden variety ape. So what makes humans different? Yeah, the fact that they actually decide to be, to try to be something more than a group of flea picking, fur combing apes.

"Perhaps that is not what keeps you hidden from your brethren. Perhaps you think we have no cause? That our actions, our desire to destroy the Camarilla is for no reason? I assure you sir, that is not so. We strive for the protection of our race. We must destroy the antideluvians before they destroy us. And unfortunately a number of Camarilla Elders are obviously dupes of these ancients. We have little choice. We must destroy their tools or else all is lost."

Uh huh. Yeah, ugly. I heard talk like that in the early half of the 20th Century by someone who had a lot more charisma than you. He led a nation and caused a small little thing called World War 2 and the Holocaust. Heard of it? I have. I was there.

"Join us, join us in our Jyhad. Our war against these creatures that would bring the death of us all. They are powerful beyond your belief, so great in their ability that they will destroy us all with but a thought. They are beyond us, vampires in the very sense of the word. They will kill us all for nothing more than their sustenance."

Okay. So these guys are so big and tough that they can wipe all of us out and you want to go and fight them? Umm, why not let them sleep? They've been asleep for so long as it is, why would they suddenly wake up for? What would make them wake up? Maybe it's worth finding out. Of course that does mean there's a cause and effect relationship in there somewhere. They might just wake up cause it's time to wake up. That would certainly bugger things up. Still, same question. Why bother them? Let sleeping dragons lie and all.

"..."

Hmm, he's shut up. Great. Now then, where was I. Ah yes, trying to figure a way out while he was trying to distract me. Not a bad job of it too. Still, I think I know roughly what they have covered. They're keeping in sight of each other this time, they've got people moving on the top of the crates along with others on the ground. Damn. This isn't going to be easy. A plans already forming in a part of my mind though. Not a good one, but a plan nonetheless.

"Come sir. Whilst you might not be pack leader, you would hold a position below myself. Directly below myself. Perhaps you might even aspire to be more than such in time. The Sabbat is an organisation based upon the values of meritocracy after all, and you have proven your worth already this night." I figure out what the pause was for. Shit, he's brought out shadows. A lot of them. They're everywhere now, seeming to flicker in and out of my sight so damn easily. I'm not happy. It's making trying to spot his friends even harder. I wonder why he didn't do this earlier though.

He's still droning on about something but I'm no longer listening, instead just moving from crate to crate. Alright, I know what I need to do now. I just have to get it done before they find me. I guess the best way would be to get behind the lines, behind where the sweep they are using on me. Of course, that isn't that good idea either. Which is why I'm hoping to combine both.

I scan the crate next to me and the one on top, make a quick prayer that those who can see down this way aren't that many and that those that are looking the other direction before I spin round the side of the crate into view of the corridor, boosting my speed. I bring up the gun, firing quickly. The shots are already silenced, taking his throat out first. With the wind pipe gone he can't speak, though the actual sounds he's making should draw attention soon. No problems. I take the next shot and then get the hell out of there, ducking away and praying.

There's an even larger flash of light as the flare hits him, eating right into his body and staying there for now. I kinda pity the fellow, that has got to hurt. Alright, now hopefully they'll think I'm somewhere close to him, somehow got the distance behind the lines to take the shots that I did to take him out. Which means for a short while they'll be looking inside. I hope.

Pack Leaders not happy. He's cursing me and threatening me now. I guess he figures I ain't going to come out no matter what he says. He's pretty damn right about that. Hopefully he'll rant and curse long enough for me to set up the next part of this. Hmm, looks like this group have got some sense of training. Not all split up and head to the back, some of them are coming towards me. But they're keeping bunched together and slow, moving even more cautiosly now. They got time, they know that.

I keep out of sight, setting up my last surprise as I remove my trench-coat, gently laying it on the boards I set up. Good. In the dark it looks a bit like me. Enough that they might hit it before they take a closer look. I smile at that thought, the phosphorous grenade is already set on the top. Anything hit this set up too hard, it'll fall. Of course, I set up a fragmentation right behind it. Hell, I pretty much have most of my guns and clips set here to make things tricky for anyone trying to disarm it or just to make it look more realistic. They're not going to be of much use to me where I'm going.

I head away, ducking out of sight and shut my eyes as I stay here, in a cul-de-sac. No way out except the one I came in. No way out. They have all the escapes covered. Both back and front and the underground escape. But there are at least 10 windows here, 3 of them open. And if I had to, I could likely go through the rest. No, I'm not trapped. I just hate having to do this. And I'm already so low on blood.

I feel the change come over me as I push the blood to do my bidding, calling it forth as it rushes through me body, as I slowly change from a normal looking mortal to a rather scarred and battered black bat. Tendons pop, bones break and reform and meld together. Skin runs, shifting and joining and changing as it happens, my entire body shrinking as I go through this most unnatural of all changes. My senses expand and contract as I continue to change, at last fully a bat. I chirp slightly, feeling out the sonar once more as I get used to this and then I flap my wings, taking off.

That's why I had to leave my guns and grenades and all my other toys. I can't shift all of them when I become a bat. So might as well leave those boys a present. I take off on silent wings, heading for the opening and freedom, leaving them to their search of me. If things go well, this pack will find my decoy, get burnt in trying to take it down and then spend the next couple of hours trying to find me in there. Of course, the way the nights going I doubt it.

On silent wings I fly off, leaving the warehouse with each beat. I'll need to refuel but I have another resource dump for that. My last. I hope there isn't any more problems when I arrive. This night is not going as well as planned for me. I just hope that the rest of the plan is working better than this one. I still have a few hours to waste in this city.