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Description
Viv pulled off the highway and parked her motorcycle on the shoulder near the location Ian had given her.  The “park” was little more than a narrow strip of sand in front of a thick wall of trees that shielded it from the road.  As Viv navigated her way through the branches she could pick up on a faint residual aura lingering in the air.  Closing her eyes, Viv tried to manipulate the faint energy, get it to condense, but her attempts were wasted.  There wasn’t even enough left to identify what left it much less who.

Even if Nico was still here, buried in the ground, he would have been easily detectable.  More and more it was looking like her suspicion was accurate: that little weasel, Ian was trying to set her up, or, worse, Lucas was up to something via his messenger boy.

Stop it Viv, right now!  She tried pushing the nagging thoughts out of her mind.  She had to, if only to preserve her own sanity.  She’d learned early on that while a healthy suspicion dose was needed to stay in business, it was way too easy to have it mature into full scale paranoia and she was unwilling to give Ian that kind of satisfaction.

Viv climbed down a wooden stair case, and sat down on the last step, looking out over the dark sand.  The night was cool, but calm, with a clear sky full of stars.

“Well that little prick may have cost me a tank of gas, but at least this hasn’t been a total waste.”  Viv smiled to herself as she stared up at the sky, trying to locate different constellations.

“Apparently great minds really do think alike.”

Startled, Viv jumped to her feet and spun around.  Ian was reclining on the stairs with a mischievous grin across his face.

“If they’re thinking alike, what makes them so great?” Viv snapped, trying to regain some of her composure, “What’re you doing here?”

“The same as you I imagine,” Ian replied coolly, stretching his back like a cat, “So, I take it you’re not having any luck?”

“Ya think?” Viv climbed back up the stairs, careful to maintain as much distance as possible as she passed by Ian, but he grabbed her wrist.

“You’re acting like a real bitch.”

“Funny, I guess you just have that effect on people.  Why are you even out here?  Couldn’t stand not seeing my face when I realized you were trying to jerk my chain?”

Ian gave her wrist a violent twist and stood up, glaring down at her.

“Do you really think I’m that childish?”

“Look, Ian, whatever you’re up to I’m tired, pissed off and I’m heading back.  Next time make sure you’re info--”

“My information is fine.  Some unpredictable variables have gotten themselves involved, that’s all.”  Ian let go of her wrist, convinced he had her attention.  “He was here, but--”

“Damn it, Ian.  You didn’t stop him?”

“He wasn’t alone.  He left with the little variables.”

Humans? Viv wondered Who would be stupid enough to--unless--

“Let’s cut through the shit, okay?  What happened?”

“We were beaten to the prize.  Too bad they don’t even realize what who they have on their hands.”

“You’re sure they’re not like us?”

“‘Like us’?” he laughed, “Yes, I’m very sure.”

Great, so now humans were involved.  “Why didn’t you stop them?!”

“Why bother?  They’ll find out what he is soon enough.  It may work out better this way.  It’ll give us something to bond over when they leave him in the dust.”

“One teeny glitch,” Viv said, “You can’t do much if you don’t know where they are.”

Ian smiled, “True.  Luckily having a license plate number would solve that pretty quick,” he swept his hand in front of her face so that she could see the blue ink characters written on his palm, but curled his fingers closed before she had a chance to make out what they were.

“So you find him, what then?  Hope Lucas will give you a gold star or is this all in line with your usual ass kissing duties?”

Anger flared in Ian’s eyes and he drew close, staring Viv down, but she didn’t flinch.  He let out a low growl and leapt up the stairs back to the parking lot, climbed into his car and fired up the engine.  Viv watched on, casually leaning against her motorcycle.  He tore out of his parking place and whipped around the parking lot, stopping barely a foot away from Viv.

“You might want to give Hazel a call, soon if you’re still planning on salvaging any deals.  Looks like it’ll be common knowledge by morning.”

Viv started to retort, but Ian stepped on the gas and raced out of the parking lot.

“Drama queen,” she sighed, climbing on her motorcycle.  Unfortunately, he had a point.  Viv took out her cell phone and slide it open.  She toggled through her numbers till she landed on “Miss Priss.”

“Hope you’re a night owl, dear,” she laughed, waiting for the call to connect.  The line rang a couple times before falling dead.  “Stupid thing.”

She hated technology sometimes.  Viv put her helmet on and headed back towards the highway.  Hopefully Hazel would be in her shop early.

Description
Viv pulled off the highway and parked her motorcycle on the shoulder near the location Ian had given her.  The “park” was little more than a narrow strip of sand in front of a thick wall of trees that shielded it from the road.  As Viv navigated her way through the branches she could pick up on a faint residual aura lingering in the air.  Closing her eyes, Viv tried to manipulate the faint energy, get it to condense, but her attempts were wasted.  There wasn’t even enough left to identify what left it much less who.

Even if Nico was still here, buried in the ground, he would have been easily detectable.  More and more it was looking like her suspicion was accurate: that little weasel, Ian was trying to set her up, or, worse, Lucas was up to something via his messenger boy.

Stop it Viv, right now!  She tried pushing the nagging thoughts out of her mind.  She had to, if only to preserve her own sanity.  She’d learned early on that while a healthy suspicion dose was needed to stay in business, it was way too easy to have it mature into full scale paranoia and she was unwilling to give Ian that kind of satisfaction.

Viv climbed down a wooden stair case, and sat down on the last step, looking out over the dark sand.  The night was cool, but calm, with a clear sky full of stars.

“Well that little prick may have cost me a tank of gas, but at least this hasn’t been a total waste.”  Viv smiled to herself as she stared up at the sky, trying to locate different constellations.

“Apparently great minds really do think alike.”

Startled, Viv jumped to her feet and spun around.  Ian was reclining on the stairs with a mischievous grin across his face.

“If they’re thinking alike, what makes them so great?” Viv snapped, trying to regain some of her composure, “What’re you doing here?”

“The same as you I imagine,” Ian replied coolly, stretching his back like a cat, “So, I take it you’re not having any luck?”

“Ya think?” Viv climbed back up the stairs, careful to maintain as much distance as possible as she passed by Ian, but he grabbed her wrist.

“You’re acting like a real bitch.”

“Funny, I guess you just have that effect on people.  Why are you even out here?  Couldn’t stand not seeing my face when I realized you were trying to jerk my chain?”

Ian gave her wrist a violent twist and stood up, glaring down at her.

“Do you really think I’m that childish?”

“Look, Ian, whatever you’re up to I’m tired, pissed off and I’m heading back.  Next time make sure you’re info--”

“My information is fine.  Some unpredictable variables have gotten themselves involved, that’s all.”  Ian let go of her wrist, convinced he had her attention.  “He was here, but--”

“Damn it, Ian.  You didn’t stop him?”

“He wasn’t alone.  He left with the little variables.”

Humans? Viv wondered Who would be stupid enough to--unless--

“Let’s cut through the shit, okay?  What happened?”

“We were beaten to the prize.  Too bad they don’t even realize what who they have on their hands.”

“You’re sure they’re not like us?”

“‘Like us’?” he laughed, “Yes, I’m very sure.”

Great, so now humans were involved.  “Why didn’t you stop them?!”

“Why bother?  They’ll find out what he is soon enough.  It may work out better this way.  It’ll give us something to bond over when they leave him in the dust.”

“One teeny glitch,” Viv said, “You can’t do much if you don’t know where they are.”

Ian smiled, “True.  Luckily having a license plate number would solve that pretty quick,” he swept his hand in front of her face so that she could see the blue ink characters written on his palm, but curled his fingers closed before she had a chance to make out what they were.

“So you find him, what then?  Hope Lucas will give you a gold star or is this all in line with your usual ass kissing duties?”

Anger flared in Ian’s eyes and he drew close, staring Viv down, but she didn’t flinch.  He let out a low growl and leapt up the stairs back to the parking lot, climbed into his car and fired up the engine.  Viv watched on, casually leaning against her motorcycle.  He tore out of his parking place and whipped around the parking lot, stopping barely a foot away from Viv.

“You might want to give Hazel a call, soon if you’re still planning on salvaging any deals.  Looks like it’ll be common knowledge by morning.”

Viv started to retort, but Ian stepped on the gas and raced out of the parking lot.

“Drama queen,” she sighed, climbing on her motorcycle.  Unfortunately, he had a point.  Viv took out her cell phone and slide it open.  She toggled through her numbers till she landed on “Miss Priss.”

“Hope you’re a night owl, dear,” she laughed, waiting for the call to connect.  The line rang a couple times before falling dead.  “Stupid thing.”

She hated technology sometimes.  Viv put her helmet on and headed back towards the highway.  Hopefully Hazel would be in her shop early.