At a pub in Crackington Haven
Sep. 24th, 2007 05:38 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
twicedead.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
zg_shadowsThe door slammed shut with a loud bang, driven by the powerful winds blasting in from the sea. The smell of salt air temporarily cleared out the powerful stench of urine that clung to the front room.
The man who had come in though the door sniffed at the air. His face was tanned and friendly, with a shock of bleached blonde hair. He wore an expensive suit that was at odds with the bland, surfer face.
“Oh dear, it appears the publican has wet himself,” he smiled cheerfully at the man sitting at the bar.
The Lieutenant stood at the bar, dressed in a black polo neck over jeans. His whip thin body never quite relaxed, even when asleep.
“I can have that effect on people,” he replied dryly. “By the way, that’s a very stupid face you’re wearing.”
The other man smiled his inane smile.
“I could say the same for you.”
“This is my own face.”
“I know.”
The bar man watched the exchange between the two men, edging slowly towards the door, desperate to be away from the two men when the violence that almost shimmered in the air between them erupted.
“Stop right there. ” the other man snapped at the bar man. He then continued more conversationally. “I’d like a pint of lager and my friend here will have a dry white wine.”
The barman visibly relaxed, filled with a strange knowledge that everything would turn out OK as long as he could keep these two men very, very happy.
The Lieutenant raised his wine glass to the other man.
“Congratulations on a job well done.”
The other man raised his pint and drank.
“Thanks. Obviously all credit should go to the Colonel, it was his plan in the first place. But given his… exploded status I think you can take that for yourself.”
“As Alpha…”
“… of course. You remain the Alpha of the Hive of the Black Flower (such as it is). I am a mere shadow puppet to your ferocious majesty.”
“Don’t push me too far,” snarled the Lieutenant. “I can still have you killed now the Echoes have taken up the slack in our forces.”
“But you won’t. I know that and you know that. Unless you frenzy and I can’t run fast enough.”
He drained down the rest of his pint.
“Anyway, this man called the police five minutes ago, and I can hear sirens. It would be a shame if you were arrested before phase B began. I’ve erased the camera, you can handle the rest.”
He grinned at the Lieutenant and stepped sideways through a doorway made of silver light. The Lieutenant growled at his back and then turned to the barman who was standing with his mouth hanging open.
The Lieutenant gave him a look of extreme weariness and then reached across the bar and smashed the barman's face into the wood, pulverising his skull. As the barman’s bloody corpse slipped from view, the lieutenant concentrated long enough to melt the remains of his wineglass into a puddle with a burst of flame between his hands and then slipped into the spirit world as the police sirens drew closer.
The man who had come in though the door sniffed at the air. His face was tanned and friendly, with a shock of bleached blonde hair. He wore an expensive suit that was at odds with the bland, surfer face.
“Oh dear, it appears the publican has wet himself,” he smiled cheerfully at the man sitting at the bar.
The Lieutenant stood at the bar, dressed in a black polo neck over jeans. His whip thin body never quite relaxed, even when asleep.
“I can have that effect on people,” he replied dryly. “By the way, that’s a very stupid face you’re wearing.”
The other man smiled his inane smile.
“I could say the same for you.”
“This is my own face.”
“I know.”
The bar man watched the exchange between the two men, edging slowly towards the door, desperate to be away from the two men when the violence that almost shimmered in the air between them erupted.
“Stop right there. ” the other man snapped at the bar man. He then continued more conversationally. “I’d like a pint of lager and my friend here will have a dry white wine.”
The barman visibly relaxed, filled with a strange knowledge that everything would turn out OK as long as he could keep these two men very, very happy.
The Lieutenant raised his wine glass to the other man.
“Congratulations on a job well done.”
The other man raised his pint and drank.
“Thanks. Obviously all credit should go to the Colonel, it was his plan in the first place. But given his… exploded status I think you can take that for yourself.”
“As Alpha…”
“… of course. You remain the Alpha of the Hive of the Black Flower (such as it is). I am a mere shadow puppet to your ferocious majesty.”
“Don’t push me too far,” snarled the Lieutenant. “I can still have you killed now the Echoes have taken up the slack in our forces.”
“But you won’t. I know that and you know that. Unless you frenzy and I can’t run fast enough.”
He drained down the rest of his pint.
“Anyway, this man called the police five minutes ago, and I can hear sirens. It would be a shame if you were arrested before phase B began. I’ve erased the camera, you can handle the rest.”
He grinned at the Lieutenant and stepped sideways through a doorway made of silver light. The Lieutenant growled at his back and then turned to the barman who was standing with his mouth hanging open.
The Lieutenant gave him a look of extreme weariness and then reached across the bar and smashed the barman's face into the wood, pulverising his skull. As the barman’s bloody corpse slipped from view, the lieutenant concentrated long enough to melt the remains of his wineglass into a puddle with a burst of flame between his hands and then slipped into the spirit world as the police sirens drew closer.
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