Things hadn’t gone too badly in the time since I first met the suckers and I kept up my work at Harriet’s club working with Adrian. They themselves weren’t that lucky, seems one of their number, the feral guy, got a bit carried away on a trip to Chicago and is now dead, real dead. It can be done, but us none too easy (seems there are things I need to know here).

Anyway Harriet’s club is coming along fine, with only a few security problems. Word on the street is that another club is opening nearby, that may impinge on our business. A closer look is needed.

Adrian and I meet up after a few weeks and are asked to meet Harriet in Chicago. We turn up at some club that looks very empty when we walk in. Harriet, Clown and some other guy (met him at the Clown’s party when all hell broke lose) are sitting at the back of the club watching the crowd (if you can 20 or so a crowd). I sit down and almost immediately told that there is a problem, we’re in a club owned and run by the Sabbat (the ‘naughty’ vampires).

Well thanks lads, Adrian looks none too pleased, but I’m livid. Not only have I come to Chicago for no real reason, but my life is in serious danger as soon as I arrive. Trying to remain cool in light of this information is a difficult task with suckers all around who want a sip. Clown does vouch for me, which is quite surprising considering our relationship, but it does help. It seems this lot are here on an espionage mission, trying to find out what’s going amongst the Sabbat. Lodin is concerned that things are going to happen that he knows nothing about, and that has him none too pleased.

They’ve been told that something is going to go down tonight from here and they’re undercover to find out what. Most of the conversation is going on over my head as I’m spending most of my time trying to keep it intact.

Just as things settle down again, and the ‘naughty’ vampires take less notice of us, something unusual happens. The lady is either very brave or very stupid; a mortal friend of one of the vampires arrives (called Gillian). She realises the situation she is in when she arrives, but stirs the emotions by slagging off the clientele. Now my money is on very stupid. She speaks to a guy called Fox at our table (the unknown vampire) about where he’s been. Now I’m not paying too much attention as the temperature has risen in the club and I need to watch out for my self in this atmosphere.

Something happens with Gillian, but don’t catch it all. Anyway she ends up in a circle of Sabbat with Eric and Adrian. I take my leave to the back of the club at this point trying to look inconspicuous, so I don’t hear and see all that happens. There is a scuffle and a gunshot. To my relief and with some grudging respect for Eric, we get out intact and with all my blood inside me.

We head off in Eric’s car for some place called the Elysium, which turns out to be the opera house, to see Lodin. Gillian and myself stay in the car whilst to others go inside. Gillian is not a happy camper, and is still commenting on what happened at the club; God I wish she’d shut up. Anyway, as we wait a van rolls up and some strange individuals exit. Seeing that this could be the trouble they were expecting I take action to let the rest know.

What turns out to be a short fight, I go down quickly but I’m not out of it, which was nice. I wake up with a salty taste in my mouth and red stains on my jacket. Someone likes me a lot, and saved my life by feeding me her blood. I’m grateful for it, but refuse (politely) to be turned.

Anyway, we saved the day though the baddy got away. Lodin likes us all now and in some way we’re linked to his fate. Even though I didn’t accept any gift I have a strange feeling that I’m not entirely out of his manipulation.