Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:22:50 +1200
From: Arthur <artcart65@vodafone.co.nz>
Subject: the prince of house vladd bk 3 chp 2

			 THE PRINCE OF HOUSE VLADD


				  BOOK 3


				 CHAPTER 2


				 BY ARTHUR




Michael was happy too see that his one and only contact in Vladivostok was
waiting at the edge of the runway for him to arrive, it had been an
uneventful flight and now, as they were chasing the sun westward, Michael
needed to find a place to sleep before the new dawn rose in the East.

As they drove to the hide away, Michael asked about the meeting he had
arranged with the Chinese Dragon Tong leaders, it was one of the oldest
Tongs in China and had been a prominent underworld gang almost from the
beginning of the Tongs two thousand years ago, he was hoping the Dragon
Tong could fulfil his needs or part of them, he still had one more stop to
make in another part of Asia after his meeting.

The place he was taken too was not what he was used to, it looked to have
been an old military barracks at some time in the long distant past, very
typical of the once great USSR but now left to rot in the last far flung
city of old Russia, however Michael was too close to his sleep to be
worried about his accommondations, all he wanted was a safe place far from
the rays of the rising sun.

Orlov was an old Vampire and had known Michael for many, many years; they
had first met during the revolution of 1917 when they had happened to
chance upon each other on a battle field during one of the many destructive
battles between the Bolsheviks and the White Russian nobles, it had been
another time of plenty for their kind.

Orlov's minions were made up mainly of young homeless boys, none of which
he had turned but preferred to keep them dependant on his blood by giving
them a few dribbles once a week to keep them close by, if he were to die
they would soon starve as they would not be able to take another vampires
blood, it was in their own interest to look after him when he slept during
the day, they were now charged with watching over Michael as well.

Orlov was a giant of a man, a real Russian bear, his broad shoulders told
of unknown power and his gruff voice and heavy handed treatment of his boys
showed he would brook no disrespect from anyone, the fight between Michael
and Orlov on the long ago field of death had finally ended in a mutual
respect for each other and the beginnings of a lasting friendship although
it was at times a little strained, depending on what was happening at the
time.

Orlov noticed Michaels interest in some of his boys, although the American
could not take them with him, Orlov decided, in the name of friendship, as
well as wanting to have a few spies close to the American, to offer some
new boys to Michael, they had as yet not been blooded and could therefore
go with the man, it would be something to discuss when the sun sank for the
night, for now it was sleeping time.


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Peter started from his sleep, there was a presence in his room and it had
alerted him enough to wake him, his eyes flashed open and he saw, standing
above him, a pair of flashing green eyes, underneath was a soft mouth,
pursed in a kiss coming closer, the scent of fresh grass told him instantly
whom the lips belonged to and he pursed his own lips as those of Swiftwing
pushed hungrily onto his own, it was less than a second before the strong
warm arms of both boys were wrapped around each other, it would be more
than two hours before both boys resurfaced in the downstairs dining and
rec-room.

As the dining room filled with the first of his staff as the sun died,
Peter could still feel deep inside him the nagging tension of something not
being right, it was not as strong as it had been before but was still
there, it was another small worry to keep in mind.

Swiftwing related all that had happened to him, how the meeting had turned
into an election of sorts and that he was now part of the First Nations
Elders Council, it would mean they could be parted for a few days each
month or more if there were some emergency that arose, while Peter never
wanted to be too far from Swiftwing, he also knew that their own personal
feelings had to be put aside for the betterment of others.

Peter told Swiftwing of the things that he had had too do while the Shaman
was away, there was little importing or exporting of goods from the nation
now, what little there was looked more like a new nation just starting out,
the work on the few operating wharves that remained was mainly taken up by
a large number of the Vaga, their strength and speed made them ideal for
this type of heavy work.

After ten years the nation had managed to start to rebuild, the
interference of a beaurocracy had now been kept to a minimum, never again
would the faceless grey suits be able to take control and try to enslave
the people with their rules and regulations, many of which they never
followed themselves.

One of the first laws to be enacted by the First Nation Elders, was that
all children were by right, entitled to a good education, this would no
longer be the sole right of the wealthy or privileged, all education would
be paid for by the Nation until the student reached his goal, there would
no longer be a system of scoring such as the GCSE or SAT, each student
would be looked at within his own abilities.

For teachers they selected those who wanted to teach and took on the job
for that reason alone, not for the possibility of fame or riches, there
would also be a mix of modern and traditional teachings, it was felt that
understanding the lessons of the past could make for better decisions in
the present or future, slowly the new nation began to work in harmony, the
old with the new and the humans with the Folk although still many humans
had little knowledge of the Folk and their ways.


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Orlov was waiting for Michael when he awoke, beside the large vampire stood
three young looking boys, all of them looked underfed and dishevelled, even
Michael could see that they had just recently come from the dark streets of
Vladivostok, and on the table was a bottle of Stolichnaya Vodka, as
everyone knew, it was impossible for a vampire to get drunk, the Vodka was
more for tradition than to get drunk as was common among the Russians.

Orlov's voice boomed out as large as he was.

"Ah friend Michael, did you sleep well, come, it is time for some Vodka and
a little present for you."

"Good evening Orlov, what's the occasion."

"Why your visit is always an occasion my friend, come, a few good Vodka's
and then my gift, do you need to feed?"

"No I am full for the moment, now Orlov what is this all about?"

"My friend Michael, always in a hurry, no wonder your America had its
problems, too much rush and hurry, you must take time for the good things
in life, good Vodka, good boys and above all, good blood."

Orlov burst into laughter, his arms held wide open in a gesture of
encompassing the world around them, his large body shaking with mirth as he
pointed to the table for Michael to take up the glass and join him in his
private celebration, the three boys stayed quiet and a little fearful as
they saw the two men sit down to drink and talk.

The boys were completely ignored by the two vampires as they consumed glass
after glass of the fiery Vodka, Orlov's usual boys were attending to the
two vampires needs and Michael's older boy was standing behind him waiting
for his orders.

The drinking continued until Orlov thought it was time for business, in the
Russia of today, nothing was done in a hurry, there were certain protocols
to be observed, namely the destruction of the bottle of Stolichnaya, once
it was empty and both men sat with hardly any effect from the drink, Orlov
began to talk.

"I have arranged your meeting with the upper echelon of the Dragon Tong, I
will take you across the border later tonight for the meeting, they are
expecting a large gift as is their way, will you need an interpreter? If so
I can arrange one for you, they have their own but it is better to keep
some things close to your chest as they do, now the next thing is these
boys, do you like them? I have selected them especially for you, they have
no home and need someone to care for them, they have no English but I am
sure you can fix that little problem."

Michael looked the three boys over again, they were a little dirty and
scruffy but under the dirt and lack of food were three very attractive
boys, the youngest was about fourteen and the other two not much older,
perhaps fifteen or sixteen, as Michael looked them over, Orlov spoke
rapidly too them in Russian, while Michael had a little knowledge of the
language, Orlov spoke too fast for him to get the full meaning and context
of the discussion.

"Yes, they are very nice boys but they need a bit of looking after."

"That would not be a problem my friend, I will have them cleaned up and fed
for you, when do you wish to blood them, before or after our meeting?"

"After, I think, if all goes well then I will want to celebrate, if not,
well then I will have too drown my sorrows."

Orlov laughed in his larger than life way.

"Oh my friend, I can assure you they will take away any sorrows you may
have, of this I can be sure."

"Well then Orlov, when do we meet these Tong members?"

"In three hours, it will take us little more than an hour to get too the
border, I have one of my men on duty so crossing will be no trouble, the
Chinese guards work for the Tong so their side is clear as well, I have
been doing business with them for years and have had no trouble, now what
do you wish to do until it is time?"

"I think I should get my boy fed, he must be hungry by now and the jet had
no food on it, can you arrange something for him?"

"Of course, Dmitri, come here boy,"

A young teen arrived quickly and stood beside Orlov.

"Take this American and get him anything he wants to eat, make sure he has
everything he needs or you know what will happen if I am displeased, now
go."

Dmitri bowed low and gestured for Michael's boy to follow him, as they left
the room, Orlov spoke to the other three waiting new boys, as he finished a
rather long speech that seemed almost like a tirade, the three boys looked
at Michael with a little fear in their young eyes, once they had seen that
Michael made no attempt to also berate them, they moved up beside him and
sat on the floor, it seemed the deal had been done as far as they were
concerned.

"Thank you my friend Orlov, I will certainly enjoy them, now I have little
to offer you as a gift in return for your generosity, however, perhaps we
can visit the jet before we go to meet the Tong, I have a little something
you may like and may make your life way out here more bearable."

"Why thank you my Friend, however there is no need for gifts for such a
small favour, but, as you say, it is always nice to receive them so I will
accompany you to the jet to see what you have, it is the least I can do for
you."

Both men well knew it was all said as a front, the price for Orlov's help
had already been settled on before Michael stepped on the jet, it was well
known in vampire circles that the biggest rogue in the vampire world was
Orlov and he would not even help an old lady across the street without some
form of payment being extracted one way or another.

The crossing of the border went without a problem, the Chinese guards
barely looked at the two gwailo as they went through the barrier, on the
other side sat a large black sedan with tinted windows, standing outside by
the rear passenger door was a small old Chinese man, his wrinkles made his
ancient face look like lines drawn in the sand by rough waves.

Orlov and Michael entered the empty sedan and sat back as the old man drove
away from the border without a word being spoken, when Michael was about to
say something, Orlov lifted a finger to his own lips in a shushing motion,
he then indicated by signs that it was best not to speak at this time.

Michael sat back after nodding his understanding and then let his mind work
on his presentation to the leaders of the Dragon Tong, he would have to be
careful with them, they had not survived as long as they have by being
either careless or magnanimous, everything would have to be paid for in one
coin or another, it was their way of doing business, nothing was free with
the Tongs.


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Swiftwing's return had set Peter's mind at rest, at least for the moment,
there was still the nagging feeling of something not right in the world
and, as before, he could not put his finger on it, it was something that
just set his mind on edge, neither of the boys had heard from their two god
sons in some time, Peter was sure that, had there been anything really
wrong in the world, the two boys would have contacted them at some time to
issue a warning.

It had become noticeable to all concerned that now the country had been
made to make a new start, there had been a distinct absence of rogue
Vampire and folk seen around the states, over seas there were still reports
of many new rogues being blooded, but here, in Peters sphere of operations,
there had been a marked reduction, those odd ones were soon found by the
many Vaga houses and taken in, not only for their protection but for the
protection of the folk at large.

Peter had also noticed that there were still those of the humans that
wanted to leave the new Republic, at no time were they dissuaded from doing
so, those that could not reconcile the fact that it was a new time and
everyone had to make changes, were given their freedom to leave, this also
made it a little easier to contend with the many facets of creating a new
order in the country.

With the new laws introduced, it was becoming a very difficult country to
commit crime, the crime rate had been reduced dramatically now that there
were those who could find you out with an ease that was almost scary, there
were still those who thought a life of crime paid better than hard work,
these were systematically hunted down and then disappeared.

The Vampire Council now had an full and final agreement with the Canadian
Government for the transfer of violent criminals to the new Republic, there
the sentences were final, in this way Peter's people who needed the blood
to survive had a supply and they would not have to ravage those humans who
were only trying to make ends meet in their daily lives.

With the Canadian experiment going well, it was then seen that the South
American countries could also contribute to the needed blood stock for
Peter's people, with major cartels and drug gangs causing havoc in the
Latin countries, many a politician saw Peter's request as a simple answer
to their many crime problems, although they were never told why the
criminals were welcome in the new Republic, all that concerned the Latin
countries was the fact that they no longer had to provide for the worst of
the criminals, if they never returned to their homes, then it was no
business of theirs.

For the time being, life settled back into a quiet routine for Peter and
Swiftwing, the daily challenges of both their council duties kept them busy
most times and then there were the quiet nights together, the Estate ran
itself without too much interference by either of the boys, international
communications were kept under surveillance and local problems were soon
fixed, life had now settled down into a less stressful way, Peter and
Swiftwing were finally able to relax and find each other again after all
the problems before the troubles.


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Michael, along with Orlov, entered the large dining room, at a very
spacious round table set for ten people, sat seven Chinese men, one was
very young looking and it took Michael no time at all too see by the
younger mans aura that he was indeed a very old vampire, the other six were
very old men but it could be easily seen that these men were used to total
power.

Michael and Orlov were guided to the table by the old driver; both men were
surprised to see the old driver take the tenth chair, on the huge lazy-suzy
in the centre of the table was a veritable feast of Asian dishes, it
appeared that they were expected for a banquet, Michael well knew that in
Asia, very little business was done unless it included a special meal, this
gave all parties a chance to size each other up before the real business
began, much of the time eating was spent in trying to find a weak spot in
your opponent.

As neither Michael or Orlov needed to eat, they simply sipped the small
cups of green tea and asked or answered what appeared to be inane
questions, every word spoken was translated by the old driver for the
benefit of the two guests, Michael well knew this form of inquiry, the time
it took for the translations to be made only gave the old men time to
digest what had been said, Michael was under no illusion that everyone at
the table spoke English just as well as he did, it was another small plan
within a plan by the Tong members.

When it had gone on long enough, Michael final said.

"Gentlemen, let's dispense with the pretence, I am well aware that we all
speak English here, I think your attempt at subterfuge should be put aside
so we may get on with our business, unfortunately I have a very limited
time to spend here and need to get to the point quickly, if you all agree,"

It was the young man that spoke for the others; Michael had little doubt
that they all knew the young man was more than human.

"Mr. Strong, please forgive our bad manners, old habits are hard to break,
we are of the understanding that you need something from us, if you would
be so kind as to explain what it is and what we would gain from being in
partnership with you?"

"Thank you, ahh...Mr.?"

"Oh, I'm sorry; my name is Chen Sin Yu, all negotiations will go through
me, now, what is it we can do for you, Mr. Strong?"

"As you are all well aware, the old United States no longer exist, a decade
ago I was trying to cement our position in the country but, unfortunately I
got beaten to the punch by a young man and his associates, I have been,
shall we say, away, for the last ten years and now I wish to take back what
was to be mine, Mr. Chen Sin Yu, I am sure we both understand each other as
we have many similarities as I am sure you are aware of, what I need is the
man power to retake the country and return it to what it was before the
unfortunate events of the past."

"I see, Mr. Strong, and what were these men for, did you wish for, ahh,
shall we say, special men or just numbers, it will not be an easy task to
take back a country that is so broken, when the disasters struck we lost
many good assets on the West Coast, we have very few now available for such
a task."

"I can fully understand your reluctance under the circumstances however,
the main driving power behind the new reformation, is only a single family,
it has the main power base and is providing most of the where withal to
reform the old ways and traditions, as you are fully aware, all of us lost
much when the destruction took place, if you were to offer me the aid I
need, then I am sure we can return to you all that was once yours."

Michael watched as the vampire thought over his words, Che Sin Yu took a
quick glances at his other compatriots and finally smiled at Michael.

"You are correct on many points, Mr. Strong, there is however, as you may
well realise, a matter of the larger Council that protects Mr. Vallison,
there could be a lot of repercussions if things went wrong, not only for
yourself, but for me as well as all these fine members of the Dragon Tong,
the Councils reach is very long as you well know."

"Yes I do, it is for that reason I need to make my strike quickly and make
sure it is finished before the Council can take any action, for this I will
need a considerable number of special men so we can strike at multiple
targets at the same time."

"Yes I can see why you would need to, perhaps it is time for you and I to
take this conversation to another room where we can speak alone, if you
would be so kind as to follow me, we have a place where we will not be
disturbed or over heard, this way, Mr. Strong."

Che Sin Yu stood and gestured for Michael and Orlov to follow him through
to another room, once there, they all took a seat and began in earnest.

"So vampire, you wish to retake the states, do you understand that if I
help you I will be putting myself in great danger, also another that is
within the ranks of the Prince, if you do not succeed, this very Tong, that
has stood for many thousands of years, may also be destroyed, what you are
asking would come at a very heavy price."

"I fully understand the implications of what I am trying to do, I must also
mention that I am to have a meeting with the Yakuza for men as well, I will
need as many men as I can raise for this exercise, there would be a lot to
divide up once the battle is won for those who take part."

"That is true, but I must also weigh the risks, if the rewards are not
worth the risk then it is a doomed escapade, how do you propose to weaken
the Prince enough to take back what was lost?"

"With enough men we could eradicate the Vaga houses, we would have to hit
them as much as we can, and at the same time so they can not reinforce each
other, with his Vaga houses gone, the Prince has very little to fall back
on, taking over his house and eliminating him would be easy once his troops
of Vaga have been accounted for, if done quickly and with ample men, the
Council would not have time to react, the Prince would be dead before they
could take action."

"It sounds like a solid plan, Mr. Strong, and getting enough special men
would be no trouble for me, as too transporting them to the country, that
also would be of little problem, what are your plans for the Yakuza? Would
they be in for a share of the new country under your rule?"

"I would have to make concessions to them, yes, they would be entitled to
some of the spoils but I am sure you and I could come to an agreement that
your share would be larger than theirs if that is what you want."

"It is indeed, I do have one who is in the inner circle of the Prince,
although at this stage I am not quite sure of his loyalty to either them or
myself, I can only hope that blood is far thicker than water or friendship,
we will have to wait and see, now then, for me to achieve the enrolment of
men for you, I would have to put something solid on the table for the other
members of the Tong, for the likes of you and I, well we can wait longer
than those old men out there, so what do you have in mind to sweeten the
pot for them?"

"Across the border I have my jet, on that jet are gold bars worth five
million dollars in the old coin, it is a gift for the others and yourself
if you can let me have the men I need, also you may have, on completion of
the take over, all of the land and property on the West coast from the
Canadian border to the Mexican Border and stretching two hundred miles
inland, you can annex it for your own use as you see fit."

"A very generous offer Mr. Strong, for this I am sure I can raise, let us
say, one thousand men of special abilities, when would you want them to
arrive in the country?"

"In thirty days, it would be best if they landed where the old San
Francisco used to be or in an area close by, my plan is take the entire
house Vaga in that area before anyone is the wiser, it will give us a
strong base to work from as we spread eastward."

"And the Yakuza, should they join you, what of them?"

"If they join me, then two groups will go in as tourists from the East
coast, another third group will enter under cover from Canada, it will be
their job to take the Princes house down as soon as they can get there."

"And what numbers are you thinking of using for this?"

"If I can get the Yakuza to agree, I will use about five hundred specials,
I have to hit him very hard with no way to escape, it all must be done
before the Council can react."

"A good plan Mr. Strong, I only hope for all our sakes it works out as you
planned it, if it doesn't then we will all be seeing the sunrise together,
very well Mr. Strong, you will have your men in thirty days, one more
thing, something that may help you with your plans, when in Japan, ask to
meet with Senti Matsumoto, he is one of us and has no lover for the Prince
or the Council, he is also very high up in the Yakuza, until we meet in
victory, Mr.  Strong, I shall bid you good bye and hope to see you when we
win."

Michael stood and shook hands with the Asian Vampire, within minutes they
were back in the car and being driven towards the border, it was now time
to meet with the next people in his plan. Once back in Russian territory,
Michael made the needed plans to get the gold to Chen Sin Yu and his
people, once done he boarded the jet along with his three newly acquired
Russian boys and left Orlov behind.

Having to take an indirect route to Japan, the flight took three hours and
he arrived with just enough time left to find a secluded place for the
daylight hours, his enquiries had finally traced Senti Matsumoto but they
could not meet until the following night, Senti had said he would send a
car for him at midnight and they would sit down to discuss his needs at
that time.

The drive for Michael was confusing to say the least, he had never set foot
in Japan and the streets filled with throngs of fast moving people
distracted him from seeing where they went, after half an hour the black
limousine pulled to a halt before a towering office block, even at this
hour, the streets still moved with a vibrancy that could only happen in
Asia.

It appeared to Michaels untrained eyes that this was the time of the young,
everywhere he looked were what he considered to be over dressed teens, some
in very outlandish dress, he had no knowledge of the youngster's penchant
for Manga dress, to his old eyes they were just over the top.

The driver, a very solid figure of a man who stood only an inch less than
Michaels six feet but was nearly twice as wide at the shoulders, led him
through the automatic glass doors and through the foyer where three men in
trim uniforms inspected him from head to toe, it was easy for Michael to
see they were carrying hidden firearms under their well made jackets, these
were no ordinary security guards although their aura showed they were only
humans as was the driver.

It seemed to take no time at all for the elevator to reach the 45th floor,
from this height Michael could see nearly all of the Japanese business
district, far below him were the bright lights and hustling streets of the
Ginza, the centre of the entertainment business and where a large part of
the Yakuza money came from.

At the large double wooden doors facing him, Michael saw two more well
dressed men, their suits were impeccably made and fitted them with
precision, their aura told Michael they were vampires, both men bowed in a
strange way, their right hand on their hip holding their jacket open and
their left hand facing upward and stretched toward him in a gesture of
showing they were not armed and meant him no harm, it was also telling him
that he was a guest, their left leg was placed behind them and bent
slightly at the knee, it would not be until the end of the night that he
would find out all that this meant.

When he was shown into the large room, he caught his breath, he had never
seen a room like it, even in the over opulent old USA, this room took up
most of the upper floor of the whole building, placed around the room at
intervals of five feet were black clad figures with only their eyes
showing, from their aura Michael saw they were all vampires, he thought
that the Ninja were a myth and yet here they were, they all stood silently
and unmoving.

Next Michael took notice of the others in the room, all were seated in low
chairs with a black lacquered table in front of each one, two were showing
the aura of wolves, they were huge men and would not have looked out of
place in a Sumo ring, their suits were barely enough to hold back their
large physiques'
 five others were showing the aura of humans, Michael also noticed that
four of them had the little finger missing on their left hands.

The biggest surprise was the lone teen sitting at the head of the group, he
looked like a small 5'6" young teen but his aura belied that fact, his
shade of blue was very dark, Michael estimated that he must have been well
over one thousand years old but he looked no more than perhaps fifteen, he
was by far the smallest of the group but the power he exuded told everyone
not to try his patience, this was an old vampire of enormous power.

Senti smiled at Michael and indicated a low chair next to his, it was a
place of honour and the gesture was not missed by the others in the room,
Michael lowered himself slowly down onto the low chair, he noticed that
behind Senti was a full suit of Samurai armour, in front of that, on a
lacquered table sat a stand holding three swords, all looked to be very old
but also well used.

The whole room reeked of tradition and history; the highly polished wooden
floors along with the cushions were of a quality never seen in the West, if
Senti's idea was to impress Michael, then he had succeeded, this was old
opulence that could never be copied in any form by the West.

Once Michael was comfortably seated beside Senti, the young looking vampire
reached out his hand and shook Michaels with a strength that belied his
youthful looks.

"Welcome to my home, Mr. Strong, my friend Chen said you had a very
interesting proposition to make to myself and my compatriots, if it is good
as Chen said then I hope we can work together to make your desires come
true."

"Thank you for seeing me Mr. Matsumoto, I know you must be a very busy man
and too see me on such short notice is greatly appreciated,

"Think nothing of it Mr. Strong and please, call me Senti and I shall call
you Michael, agreed?"

"Agreed and thank you for your courtesy, I only hope that we can come too
some agreement that will benefit us both."

"I'm sure we can, now first, let us have tea, it is part of our traditions
to drink tea as friends before we talk business."

Senti clapped his small slim hands, immediately a young teen appeared with
a small lacquered tray with bamboo implements on it, his aura showed him as
human, the boy had a definite feminine attitude about him, he began to set
up for the Japanese tea ceremony, Michael, never having seen it before was
fascinated at the intricate details the boy went through, each of the men
present watched the boy like a hawk watching a possible feast.

Finally the ceremony was over and each man had a small cup of the green tea
before him, Michael listened to each word Senti said as he explained the
ceremony and the reason for each move the boy made, when it was all done,
the boy was excused by the slight nod of Senti's head.

After five minutes and when everyone had had time to enjoy their tea, Senti
began the negotiations, after asking Michael to detail everything he would
need, much as he had told Chen, Senti looked at the other men present,
their agreement was barely discernable but it must have been in Michael's
favour as Senti smiled at him and then said.

"Then it is agreed, when you win you will cede the South coast along the
Gulf of Mexico including all of Florida to us that will leave you with all
of the East coast and the centre with Chen in the West, between us we will
have a very strong triumvirate that none will try to take from us, for this
consideration we will give you the use of five hundred of our best men to
use as you see best?"

"Yes, that is it exactly and, as a further assurance of my intent, I have
five million in gold on the jet that I wish to offer to you as a gift and
to seal our agreement."

"That is most generous of you Michael, thank you, it does show you are
serious about taking back your country, we will be glad to accept this gift
in the manner it is given, you can expect our men to arrive in one month,
and we will let you know what the landing arrangements will be when you are
ready. Now let's have a small whiskey to seal the contract."

Again Senti clapped his hands, this time a different young boy appeared
carrying a large silver tray, on it were two very decorative bottles and
enough glasses for every man, while they were drinking, Senti had what
appeared to be young Geisha girls appear and begin to dance and sing, it
was nearly an hour later that Michael realised the girls were in fact young
boys.

As a further sign that all was well and the contract had ended in an equal
partnership, Michael accepted the invitation to stay in the magnificent
penthouse as Senti's guest, as the first rays of the sun showed in the
East, large metal shutters slid down and closed off the light, the non
vampires all retired and left the two men to go too their sleep.


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


When Peter arose the next evening, he was surprised to see Sin Yu waiting
for him, the head of his personal guards looked to be hesitant and a little
embarrassed, Peter waited calmly for the young Asian body guard to talk.

"Peter, I have an unusual request to make, normally I would not worry about
it but this is something I never thought would happen."

"What is it Sin Yu, you know you can ask anything you want, I and Swiftwing
owe you a great deal, just ask and I'm sure we can help you."

"Well, it's my father, he has asked if I could go and visit him, it's been
more than ten years and he says he would like to see me once again, it's
just that it doesn't feel right, his voice was not as calm and soft as it
used to be, it was more of an order than an invitation to a son."

"Well, I would never want to disappoint him or you, where is he going to
meet you and for how long?"

"In the old Pyongyang, it was the North Korean capital before the civil war
took place five years ago, it's now the second capital of the unified
Korean peninsular, he said it would be good to visit for a week and catch
up on things over the last ten years, but it still doesn't feel right, it's
not like him to be so concerned about others."

"Well, maybe he is starting to feel his old age, he's been a member of the
world council for a long time, and perhaps he just wants some familiar
faces around him for a while?"

"Yes, perhaps, so when do you think I could go and see him, the others have
been told and are ready to take up any extra duties while I am away?"

"Leave whenever you want to Sin Yu, you have well earned a break away from
us all, I'll make sure the jet is at your disposal, it can drop you off and
then pick you up a week later or when you call for it."

"Ok, thanks Peter, but I still don't feel right about leaving and there is
something in my fathers voice that sounds hollow, well I suppose there is
only one way to find out what he wants, I will leave at the beginning of
next month and then call you when I know something."

Peter agreed it was a good idea, although he could just as easily have read
Sin Yu's mind, he had refrained from doing so, it would be a breach of
their friendship even though he too could feel the disquiet from his chief
guard, there was definitely something in the air but he could not put his
finger on all the new feelings coming too him.

Within the hour, Sin Yu had started too make some of the arrangements for
next month, the jet to Korea and the meeting with his father would give him
a little peace and a small break, for Peter the house would suddenly seem a
little less secure with the young Asian gone but Sin Yu well deserved the
short break away.

Although his other guards were just as good and in some cases, better at
protecting him and Swiftwing but it would still felt empty, for the rest of
the night and well into the next morning, Peter worked at his new
responsibilities, Swiftwing received his first call to the Elders Council
and would now be away for three days, Peter felt alone in the large house,
although it had been rebuilt to almost the exact same specifications as
before the upheaval, Peter still felt a certain loss.

Finally, at a time close to midday, Peter set aside all the reports he had
been reading, he could not face one more piece of paper or read one more
email on the vampnet, the loneliness around him with two of his best people
gone was now becoming depressing, suddenly a thought hit him and he reached
for his phone, with one quick call he had the new number he was looking for
and dialled again, the gruff voice that answered was the same as it had
been since he had known the man.

"Jake here, what do you want Mr. Prince?"

"I need to get out of the house for a while Jake, everyone is away on other
things and I'm going around the bend here alone."

"Aha, so the little Prince wants to joint the big boys again Huh?"

"You guessed it wolf, now where do I find you, before I go nuts out here."

"Well you called at just the right time, that brother of yours just
finished a new club and is having the grand opening tonight, should be some
real men here for you to ogle at, be at the number 3 house Vaga at seven
and I'll pick you up how many you bringing with you so I know how many cars
we will need?"

"Just me and the four guards, Swiftwing and Sin Yu are away for a few days,
that's why I'm feeling a bit down and need to see some real men, even if
they are just scruffy wolves in disguise."

"I'll give you scruffy wolves, pint size, just you wait till I get my
scruffy wolf hands on your skinny ass, so seven it is then?"

"Seven it is, scruffy."

Peter heard a loud, hrumph, from the other end before cutting off the call
and bursting out laughing; Jake was still his most favourite wolf along
with his now larger crew of rat bags, the wonders of reconstruction that
Jakes crew had performed after the destruction was astounding, it had also
meant that Jake was one of the most well known faces around the re-growing
city, where there were once piles of rubble, were now low buildings and
what appeared to be new office blocks and shops, not the tall towering
monstrosities of before but well developed four and five story blocks,
everyone had decided that the days of towering blocks were over, there had
to be a place for the sun to shine into the deepest parts of the city as it
was rebuilt.

Now that his evening had been planned, Peter looked at his pile of papers
with a new light, at least it would take his mind off things and he could
get the last of the paper work done, he would then be free to enjoy his
short break from his desk and the thought of Jake and his crew made him
smile once again, it had been so long since he had been able to go out with
a few old friends and forget the worries of his position.


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Michael Strong re-entered the new Republic the same way he had left it, in
the middle of the night, only this time he had a few more with him, two
young Japanese boys still in their Kimono were sitting close to his side,
four black clad Ninja with only their dark eyes showing through their masks
were sitting opposite him facing backwards as his older servant boy, with
the three young Russians, sat in the front seat and drove the large Humvee
through the almost non existent border and into the one time USA.

The two Kimono clad boys were more than they seemed, both were human and
both spoke English and would interpret for Michael with the young vampire
Ninja boys, the four he had with him were to be his own personal protection
squad, unknown to Michael was the fact that they were also there to keep an
eye on him for their bosses, should he stray from the intended path then
his head would fall or, if he attempted to not honour his word as to the
distribution of the new land then he would also lose his head, for the
Yakuza it was a win either way.

It was a long drive back to the one time Colorado and the security of his
hidden silo, he now had a lot of work to do to make ready for the many men
coming into the country, he had no doubt he could accommodate all of them
in the silo but it would need to be cleaned and readied for their arrival,
Michael glanced at the two human boys, both were young and both were
available, Matsumoto had made it quite clear that they were both there for
Michaels entertainment, it had been a long time since he had bedded anyone,
after all he had been in his death sleep for ten years, tonight, when they
were safe in the silo he would take them both on a ride they would not
forget in a hurry.

As they neared the mountain hide away, Michael watched the look on the
faces of the two boys, of his guards faces he could see nothing but the
dark eyes so he had no idea what they were thinking or even looking at, all
four guards had seemed a little tense but very alert as they entered the
new Republic, they had been given their instructions and were expected to
carry them out or die trying.

Michael watched as the Humvee pulled to a stop and his servant got out and
found the hidden pad, the young man punched in the code and Michael watched
the reaction of his new visitors as part of the mountain wall slid upwards
to reveal the entrance to his silo, the Humvee drove inside and the door
slid shut behind them, when they had left the Humvee behind, Michael led
them to where they would be staying, the two boys in Kimono would be with
him, the other four would be close by, the three Russian boys would go with
his human servant to get fed and cleaned up.

As Michael and the four guards would be in their sleep once the sun rose,
it would be the duty of his servant and the five human boys to watch over
them and start to prepare the silo for the new influx of visitors, in the
meantime, before the sun rose, Michael had other plans for the two Japanese
boys, they were going to find it hard work when they were released, Michael
had ten years of pent up needs, he quickly ushered them into his private
chamber, it took only a few minutes before those left behind heard the loud
grunts and simpering groans from behind the closed door.

The four guards looked at each other as though agreeing on something
without words, Michaels servant next found himself splayed out on the floor
held by two of the guards while the other two took turns, once done they
would change over, for the servant it turned out to be one of the best
times he had ever had.

 Standing against a far wall, the three young Russian boys could only look
and watch the energetic performance of the four guards who never seemed to
tire, by the time the sun was showing its first rays and the guards were
beginning to slow down and seek their bed, the servant, along with the two
Kimono boys, were well taken care of, all three of them found it difficult
to move very fast but they also felt fulfilled, the three Russian boys
could only stand and look in awe at the three that had just been bedded.


TBC.


Artcart65@vodafone.co.nz