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"Sense us?" Hassan sniffed. "He is only a Fixer."
"And a seasoned one at that. While they might not have any supernatural abilities, he is combat hardened and his sensory perception is above what a normal vampire is endowed with. As I said, Fixers don't survive as long as Lawson has unless they are quite good at their job. Lawson is perhaps the best Fixer in history, even though much of the Council would disagree with that statement."
Hassan shrugged. "So what do we do in the meantime?"
Shiraz smiled at his trusted henchman. "We will leave for Boston. Our other work necessitates our presence there, anyway. And if the gods smile upon us, then an opportunity will present itself and we will kill Lawson."
Boston, Twelve Days Later
Shiraz's face was now almost entirely obscured by the beard he'd let grow in. As he sat on the park bench in the Boston Public Garden, he smiled to himself. He was sitting only a few blocks away from the Council building headquarters--the governing body of the entire vampire race--and if they only knew how close he was, they would summon every Fixer around to kill him.
Well, perhaps not everyone on the Council would want him dead. Shiraz watched as a man in a wool overcoat made his way toward the park bench. He was careful not to look as though he was heading straight for the bench, but even still, Shiraz knew it was him immediately. He'd only seen him once before in person when they had hatched a plan together to ambush Lawson in Syria. That plan had failed and the man who was now sitting a few feet away had been forced to lay low for a while to avoid suspicion.
"It is a beautiful day," said Shiraz. "One for the ages."
"The leaves are in full bloom," said the man, "and the world is full of life."
It was better and safer to speak in code than using Taluk. The recognition sequence completed, Shiraz held a phone up to his ear and pretended to speak into it.
"You've been well?"
"As well as can be expected," said the man. "The blowback from the failed op was harsh. We were all subjected to intense scrutiny. But I think they are satisfied that the leak did not come from me."
"That is good. Then you are free to continue our work?"
"Of course. I've never stopped planning. But in order to be successful, Lawson still needs to be taken care of."
"He will be," said Shiraz. "But only when the time is right. If we act too hastily he will escape again. And we have other matters to attend to."
Despite the warmth of the sun, the man next to him shivered in the stiff breeze. "What do you need?"
Shiraz glanced around and watched as a couple of young lovers strolled by hand in hand. An older man picked his way across the path in search of used bottles he could recycle for a nickel each. Across the park, a child and his mother played.
"One of your colleagues has a home in Brookline. It is an old estate, one of the oldest in Boston."
"What about it?"
"I need the layout. Floor plans preferably. Security systems. Computer network access. Any uninterrupted power supply systems, the like."
The man said nothing for several moments. "You're asking for quite a lot. I don't know if I can get my hands on that information without risking exposure."
"You're going to have to. The item we need to continue our work is buried beneath the estate."
The man actually turned to face him before forcing himself to look away again. "How do you know this?"
Shiraz smiled. "The Council tries so hard to keep its secrets hidden. But we're not so different from humans; many of us crave power and will do whatever it takes to acquire it. Pay off people in the know. Intimidate others. Even kill to find out what we need. I have done all of that and more in my quest. Rest assured I will not stop now. So please tell me you will be up to the task at hand. Otherwise, I will be forced to find someone else who can deliver what I need."
"I can do it," said the man finally. "How can I reach you?"
Shiraz stood. "You don't. I'll be in touch. Wait for my call." And then he walked away, leaving the man behind on the bench in the cool spring afternoon air.
"I have it."
It was three days later when Shiraz called the man. "Excellent."
"How do you want me to get the information to you?"
"There is a pay phone--"
