Manhattan - Central Park North
The rugged terrain filled with dense forestry known in so many pictures of the park is located here. Several paths lead around and through the trees while location markers are placed strategically to prevent any from losing their way. Due to the dangers the forest can create, this area of the park closes early in comparison to the rest. Dangerous as it may be, the forest is well cared for and left completely natural, creating a sense of nature's beauty within the bustling city.
Characters
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| Bryn Blackwell | Kieran Collins |
Kieran is not known for panicking, however he is not in a state of calm when he hears Brooke on the other end of the telephone. Her words are barely audible and don't make a terrible amount of sense and his brain scrambles to put it all together. He's prepared to tear the city apart to find his witch when the second, more succinct call comes from Gideon. He doesn't trust Hastings, not really, because the Ancient Vampire is so much older and the only power he answers to is the Night Council, but he trusts him to get Brooke safely to the hospital (because god forbid he dare to actually give her his precious blood to heal her) and not make a snack out of her.
It's a choice between meeting Blackwell at the Park or Brooke at the hospital, and in the end logic prevails. A quick call is made to Sera and Kieran once again is grateful to ihs Child for her understanding and intuition. He doesn't have to ask her to go the hospital. She volunteers, and though he knows it's as much for her peace of mind as it is for his, he's still grateful for it.
That doesn't mean he wants to spend all night in Central Park with Bryn. No offense to the sorcerer, but Kieran would much rather check on his witch at the hospital.
"Brooke's blood," Kieran remarks without preamble when he reaches the spot. He can smell it all around, seeping into the ground. Heavy and stagnant in the air.
"Where's the body?"
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Bryn is definitely not known for panicking. He's not pleased with the situation, and he knows that Serafine is worried about Brooke, but he's also aware that he will be no good to anyone if he's panicked or worried. So he's treating this like any other case. There is a crew from Dunlop-Browning that is currently scouring the park looking for the male vampire, because he knows that Brooke's binding spell would have lasted at least a few minutes after she lost consciousness; it was always one of her best. At the moment he is the only one remotely close to the body.
"She lost quite a bit of it. I believe it was pure dumb luck that Gideon Hastings happened to be in the park and found her." The sorcerer knows that the ancient vampire was more than likely drawn by the scent of blood, and he will not hold that against the man. It's a bloody good thing he did, or there would be an entirely different conversation going on with Kieran.
"It is over this way. Made it into a copse of trees before dying."
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"I'd wonder why he was lurking in the park at night, but I'll just consider it lucky that he was," Kieran remarks. He frowns a bit. Brooke's scent is everywhere it seems and it makes his gums itch. Suppressing a growl as he passes near the area where her blood scent is the strongest, he feels his eyes flicker to black and back again.
He's never had a response like this before to blood. Not when he's well fed on all fronts. His nose twitches and it takes a good deal of willpower to not let his fangs break loose, to not want the detail and evidence crew to move away from the blood, to not just dip his fingers in the pooling, congealing liquid and bring it to his lips.
Cold, old blood has never been a fixation for Kieran and he suppresses a shudder.
The body is a mild distraction. "She doesn't look familiar."
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"He is working with the Priory as a contractor. Chances are he was here investigating previous scenes to see if there was anything human eyes may have missed." Bryn has no idea if that is what Gideon was up to, but it's as plausible as anything else. It will hopefully ease Kieran's mind a little, and not have him assuming the ancient vampire was up to something devious.
"Are you going to be alright with all of the blood here, or did you want a medical mask. It will not help alleviate all of the scent, but it should aid a little." It isn't hard for the sorcerer to see how Kieran is reacting. He can see that the vampire is trying to fight it, but he doesn't want him to be uncomfortable.
"My best guess is that she is similar to the neophyte who we found outside of Flanaghan's. Her body has reacted in the same way, though it is a little difficult to discern thanks in part to the fact that Brooke seems to have fried her from the inside out." He pauses, glancing down at the corpse. It's a spell he knows well, one he had no idea that Brooke had access to. "Rather nasty blood magic. I was unaware that she knew it, let alone could cast it so efficiently that she could manage it when on the verge of passing out." There is a sense of pride there in his voice.
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Kieran cuts a look to Bryn and snorts. "Why am I not surprised?" If Gideon helps the Priory, they'll owe him a favor and Gideon is very good at collecting and using favors. He won't argue with an extra set of eyes, however.
"I'm fine," Kieran answers quickly. Likely too quickly and too sharply, but he's four centuries old, he shouldn't be affected by a little - a lot - of spilled blood. He's stood in the middle of blood baths; he's caused blood baths, and not been this on edge and distracted.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Kieran tugs his cap down over his eyes a little. He runs his tongue over his canines, willing his fangs to stay put. "Thank you, but I'll be fine. I've been handling blood for years. I'm just taking a little longer to adjust than normal."
He kneels down, blue eyes gazing over the body. "Brain bleeds and fireballs. She's something fierce." There's a note of pride in Kieran's voice as well, though he does wince initially. "She's stronger than you think she is, I guess."
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"Because he is Gideon Hastings, and he does what is best for himself and the Night Council. When it suits him, this means helping out on things he otherwise would not." Bryn knows that they'll owe him favors. Hell, he owes Gideon a few favors as it is. Probably more than most.
The sorcerer raises his brow at the quick response, but doesn't comment on it. He simply watches the reaction, and it has him wondering if it's simply because Kieran is very in tune with Brooke's blood, or if it has to do with the soulmate principle.
"I believe that Brooke Bishop may be stronger than anyone thinks she is. With any luck, we will apprehend the vampire responsible for this mess as well. He was apparently still bound when Gideon found her, and we arrived not too long after that."
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Bryn's response causes Kieran to chuckle, if only a little. At least they're on the same page when understanding Gideon.
He focuses his attention on the dead half-vampire (and what the hell are these things anyway?) and tries to ignore the blood that lurks in the air all around him. "We need to find out who this is. That might tell us a little more. Someone missing or . . " Kieran reaches out and then thinking better of it, casts around. Finding a stick, he lifts a lock of hair and studies it, then drops it.
"Gloves." Kieran snaps his fingers at a passing 'Dunlop & Browning' crew member who blinks at him in surprise and tries to give him a bit of berth while glancing at Bryn for confirmation. Once received the worker hands Kieran a pair of extra gloves. Normally, the vampire wouldn't care, but he's being respectful of The Priory's crime scene.
For now.
Snapping on the gloves, he kneels and grips the body by the chin, opening the mouth, He peers inside, ignoring the fangs. Then his gaze shifts to the body itself, fingers tracking over the skin as he prods and pushes gently. The vampire nudges a breast and rolls his eyes. "This wasn't a random homeless person that our elusive Maker nabbed. Her hair is dyed. Expensive salon dye, not the stuff you pick up at the corner chemist. She had work done in life - teeth, nose, breasts. Turning heals but it doesn't take away cosmetic changes. You get a new set of tits and they're still new once you're dead."
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"I was getting to that." Bryn was in the process of calling Kevin when Kieran arrived. Holding up a hand, he reaches for his phone and dials the detective's number, to let him in on what's going on. He may not be back to 'active duty' yet, but he does have access to police computers and can look things up for them.
"So for now we will need to see if the fire melted the work, or not. If not, then we should be able to get a serial number off of the implant which should lead us to who she is."
He considers that, and figures he may as well call Denham to come in and take a look at the corpse as well.
"Model. Actress. Someone from the Upper East Side of the city, then. An escort, perhaps."
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"Someone who wasn't missed or reported missing, maybe." Kieran pulls off the gloves and stands up slowly. "An attractive, wealthy woman or an attractive wealthy woman with a boyfriend or even one who's a mistress, is going to be missed. That would have been a news report for at least a few days."
Kieran considers it for a moment. "In my experience, the ones who don't drop their lives and disappear and aren't missed? They wanted it. They prepared for it. She knew she was going to be turned, so there's a chance, she personally knew our Maker."
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"An escort then is our best bet to start looking." They tend to run in the attractive, upscale in the looks department, and would definitely have work done to broker more clients. Bryn wipes a hand down his face, and then presses a button on his phone. He takes the call from Serafine, and then makes a face. "Yes, if you can get one. Do not push her though." Either he will go over later this evening, or he will send Kevin for a statement.
"In that case, it seems a pity that Brooke ended her so easily. We could have questioned her."
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"She attacked Brooke. She got what was coming. Rogue vamps flying under the radar and making trouble for the rest of us?" Kieran cocks a brow. "Finding it hard to drum up sympathy."
He dusts his pants legs off and cracks his neck from side-to-side. "Do you have any idea yet what's causing this?" A quick motion to the body. "It's not normal or natural."
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"From what we were able to ascertain from the nest, a group of sorcerers came and took the first one away. It would be easy to surmise then that it is either some sort of magic allowing for this, or it is some sort of medical procedure." Bryn rubs the back of his neck. "There is no guarantee that it would be anyone currently in the know, but it would seem that whomever it is is either in the medical field or closely tied to it." Though he cannot for the life of him, think it was Robert Knight.
"You can go to the hospital if you wish to. I know you are worried about her."
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Kieran offers no argument. There's not a good deal he's going to accomplish here any way. He's stated what he can, observed what he could and going to see Brooke is in no way a bad idea. It's probably a sign of weakness, but it's not the first Achilles Heel he's shown to the world. He'll deal … and show he can still be bad ass if required.
"You'll let me know if you find anything else, or the vamp responsible?"
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"I will." Kieran will be his second call, Serafine his first. If only because she is the vampire contact, and therefore the one who needs to know. But he will contact her Maker as soon as he is able to.
"Provided you promise to do the same once you know how Brooke is faring." Bryn rubs the back of his neck again and quickly sends a text to Callum and Kevin, wanting them both on the scene for extra sets of eyes. Callum so he can scent out the vampire.
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"I will," Kieran agrees. He gives Bryn's hand a shake and leaves the scene of the crime, heading for the hosptial to check on his witch.
