02

Note: Hi all. This story is written for a very special person- my niece whose name happens to be Brittney. I asked her if it was alright to post this and she said okay. This is chapters 1 and 2 and I just completed chapter 8. For those of you following the Sinclaires, Chapter 1 of Joseph is with the editor and I hope to have it back soon. In the meantime I am submitting 'The Slayers'. Thanks to all of you who have already read it on my blog and to donalde, Jean and mostera1 who beta read either all or part of it for me.

Brittney Marsh covered her head when the alarm began to ring. She hated the loud clanging of the alarm which grew louder with every passing second. Finally, she reached over and silenced it before going back to sleep. She really didn't need to set it- she was off for the week and could have slept without the interruption. When she woke up again, it was well after ten in the morning; but she lounged enjoying the fact that she didn't have to get up at all if she didn't want to.

"Damn it," she swore after a few minutes. She had forgotten that she promised her sister that she would go shopping with her. She really didn't want to go- she was quite frugal with her money and as a result had a nice nest egg already built up. It wasn't hard to do- she lived in a small apartment that wasn't the 'Ritz' by any stretch of the imagination, she rarely ate out and she packed her lunch for work. Vacations for the most part were spent at home and if she did go anywhere; it was a day trip. She had a car, but it was rarely driven- she didn't want to pay for gas so she rode her bike everywhere or took public transportation.

Her family didn't get it, but had stopped questioning her a long time ago about her quiet lifestyle. When she wasn't at work, she was taking online classes or doing the one thing that she did spend money on- martial arts lessons. Currently she was studying 'Krav Maga' a hand to hand combat system that was developed in Israel. What she liked about it was that there were generally no rules and that nothing was out of bounds if it kept the practitioner safe. She was proficient in other forms of martial arts as well, but if she had to choose a form as a favorite, it would be the 'mixed martial arts' in which various forms of martial arts could be used at once. For relaxation it was 'Tai Chi'.

Reluctantly, she rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. There was no sense in procrastinating and if she was even a minute late, her phone would begin to ring. When she got to the bathroom, Brittney examined her reflection in the mirror. She was a small woman, barely five feet two inches and thin. It wasn't the thinness of an anorexic, but the thinness of one who obsessively watched what they ate and was physically active. Her hot chocolate colored skin was blemish free and her dark eyes clear and expressive.

"Genetics," she muttered as she continued her self-examination. "Jeez, I've got to do something with this hair," she said as she twirled several strands of her shoulder length black hair between her fingers. "Cut it?" she asked her reflection. "Nah, my head is shaped too funny. Braids? No- they itch and I don't want to sit for hours when I could be doing other things". Finally she decided to table the debate about her hair and get a move on.

An hour later, she was in her car headed toward her sister Amanda's house. She really didn't want to drive, but Amanda lived in the Roosevelt Boulevard part of Philadelphia and she lived in the Northern part. The idea of taking public transportation after a day of shopping was less appealing than driving so she decided to drive. Unlike her, Amanda had a significant other, loved to spend money and lived in a nice house. She had been trying to talk Brittney into spending the night since her man Paul had to work.

"Come on Britt," Amanda begged. "We can watch movies, eat popcorn and try to find a man for you. Paul has several single friends."

Brittney had begged off. She wanted a quiet evening at home reading one of the several new vampire novels that she bought. She planned to be in bed early and then be up early to spend the morning training with her teacher and the one person that she considered to be a true friend; Jian Bo. They had met at work a few years ago when he had just arrived from China. His English was weak at best and no one wanted to take the time to teach him the ropes except for Brittney- she had firsthand knowledge of how the cliques at the office worked. Eventually they became so close friends that rumors about their relationship ran rampant. It bothered her at first, but now she didn't care.

If she took the time to think about it, she would have realized that their relationship was more than platonic, but not quite romantic either. But she didn't think about it because she didn't want to. She pulled up in front of Amanda's house just before noon. She could visualize Amanda reaching for the phone to call her. To save her the call, she hit the horn three times.

"You're late," Amanda huffed as she got into the car.

"No I'm not," Brittney replied. "I said noon and I pulled up at noon."

"Whatever- are you sure that you don't want to stay tonight?"

"I can't- I have training with Jian in the morning."

"Jian huh?" Amanda asked. "Why is it that I've never met this mysterious Jian? Is he cute? How do you know him?"

Brittney rolled her eyes and ignored the questions. Amanda already knew that she and Jian worked together and there was no reason as to why they should meet.

"Where to?" Brittney asked as she put the car in gear.

"Lunch first- how about Chinese?" Amanda teased.

Lunch ended up being at 'Karma' an Indian restaurant that Brittney liked because in her opinion, they served the best vegetarian meals she'd ever had. Since she hadn't eaten out in months, she decided to treat herself and her sister. She started out with the 'Vegetable Samosa- crispy turnovers filled with potatoes and peas, Idli Sambar- lentil soup served with steamed rice cakes and a garden salad.

"That's all you're eating?" Amanda asked as she looked over the menu.

"That's plenty," Brittney replied looking at her sister who could have been her twin except that Amanda was a good fifteen to twenty pounds heavier and she wore her hair in short, tight braids. "Get what you want, my treat."

"Well damn," Amanda said laughing in surprise, "let me see ..."

The sisters chatted through lunch and dessert which consisted of 'Kheer- Indian rice pudding.'

Brittney paid the bill and they spent the afternoon shopping. Brittney broke down and bought a few things for her apartment after Amanda pestered her so badly that she wanted her to shut up. She had to admit that she did need new towels and washcloths and a few things for the kitchen. By the time she dropped Amanda off, it was after seven. She helped Amanda carry her purchases into the house, stayed for a cup of tea and went home. It had been a good day.

****

Xavier Dubois looked out of his center city penthouse. He loved Philadelphia and considered it and its inhabitants his just as he considered Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C. his. There were other places that he considered his possessions, but these three were his favorites. If asked which of the three cities his favorite was, he would have said Philadelphia hands down. He loved all of the sports teams and was even a silent partner in the ownership of one or two of them.

Just the mention of his name either brought relief or terror- usually the latter to those who heard it. He was no one to be trifled with and the few that tried regretted it and weren't alive to tell about it. He was a man who hated incompetence, stupidity and liars and not necessarily in that order. He was a man that didn't know the meaning of the word 'no' and who was unforgiving in the best of times. He had no one that he called friend because he trusted no one.

"My city," he murmured as he watched the headlights of the cars driving down the streets. Before long all would be quiet. The traffic would slow to a trickle and he would leave his penthouse and wander the streets alone. He wasn't afraid to be out alone. After all, this was his city and no one would dare attempt to hurt him. Before the night was over, he would have visited several sections of the city. He never planned where he was going to go, he simply walked and wherever he ended up....

Xavier turned away from the window and went to his large bedroom. He glanced at the nude woman on the bed and walked into the bathroom. By the time he came out; she would be gone. There would be nothing to indicate that she had ever been there. He stripped, turned on the shower to hot and then stepped in. He paid close attention to his collar length black hair washing it with 'Alterna ten' whose ingredients included African cacao extract, Arabian Frankincense among other exotic ingredients. It didn't bother him that the shampoo alone cost in the neighborhood of sixty dollars per eight point five ounces. In his opinion, he was worth it. After rinsing, he applied a generous amount of the conditioner and continued with his shower. The soap was expensive as well- 'cor' which cost a cool one-hundred and twenty five dollars for a one hundred and twenty gram bar filled an entire shelf in the bathroom. All of his toiletries including aftershave and cologne were top of the line. Nothing was too good for him.

Finally finishing his shower, Xavier rinsed his hair and stepped out of the shower. He wasn't a large man, just shy of five feet ten inches, but he was nicely built what women would call "all that and the bag of chips". He flashed a smile at himself and went on with his preparations for the night. Just as he knew she would be, the woman in the bed was gone. The bed had been completely remade and the old linen tossed or taken home by one of his staff. He didn't care what happened to it as long as he never saw it again.

He picked up the glass of spiced wine that sat on the bedside table as he went to his closet to choose his attire for the evening.

"Casual or dressy?" he mused as he sipped at the wine. "Today is-Friday, technically Saturday," he muttered. "Casual I think." He looked through the large walk in closet until he found what he was looking for- a dark gray sweater that matched his eyes and a pair of black jeans that showed off his ass. On the bottom shelf he found his favorite pair of shoes that he wore on his nocturnal wanderings- his black loafers. "Shirt or polo?" he asked as he drained the wine glass. "Shirt," he whispered under his breath. It was early May, but the nights could still be cool. It was important that he blend in even though he didn't consider roaming the streets at night to be out of the ordinary.

Finally- he was ready to go.

****

Brittney tossed the new towels and washcloths in the small apartment sized washer and the new kitchen utensils in the sink. None of the items would be used until they were thoroughly washed at least twice. Amanda thought that she was silly and still teased her about it. She wasn't sure of when she started the practice and it didn't matter. It didn't hurt anything and the material of the towels felt better against her skin.

Once she had the utensils soaking in hot soapy water, she went to her room and changed into her favorite reading attire- a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. Because she was going to get up early, she decided to read in bed. She grimaced as she looked at the alarm clock and then silently cursed Jian for his early morning work outs. She would grumble from the time the alarm sounded to the time she met him at the park at six for their five mile run. The grumbling wouldn't stop until they passed the two mile mark and then- then she would begin to feel free and Jian would be forgiven until the next Saturday. The rest of the week they ran two miles after work with the run beginning and ending at her apartment. To date, Jian had never been inside.

She was settled in bed when she realized that she hadn't checked the bedroom window. Cursing, she climbed out of bed, went to the window and looked out. It was still relatively early so there were people still out sitting on their stoops enjoying the spring weather. Surprisingly, the night was quiet. No one was playing music so loud that she couldn't sleep. She couldn't say why, but that disturbed her. The hairs on the back her neck and arms stood up and she shivered although the night was warm. Then, just as quickly as the feeling came; it was gone. She relaxed as the first strains of the local rhythm and blues radio station filled the air. She stayed at the window for a moment longer looking out into the street not sure of what she was looking for. Deciding that she was being stupid, she checked the window and went back to bed.

She fell asleep reading a book and woke up in a cold sweat. Her heart was pounding and her mouth was dry. She had been having a nightmare, but she couldn't remember what it was about. She looked at the clock and groaned. It was only two am. Sitting up, she turned on the lamp, drank the bottle of water that she kept by the bedside and got up. She knew that there was no point in trying to force herself back to sleep. She made her way the living room and turned on the television although there was nothing on. She simply refused to pay for cable-another bone of contention between her and Amanda.

"Everybody has cable," Amanda argued when Brittney told her that she wasn't going to get it. "And besides, how are you going to get internet?"

"I'll buy one of those air card things," Brittney replied and told Amanda that she didn't want to talk about it anymore. While she channel surfed, she remembered that she needed to pay her monthly cell phone bill. It was one of the plans that didn't require a contract and for fifty dollars a month she had texting, web access and unlimited phone calls. She didn't see the need for anything more extravagant because she rarely used the texting and internet access. She got it because it shut Amanda up. Picking up the phone, she called to check on her account.

"Good," she said when she heard that she had another week. She would take care of it after she and Jian finished their work out. She stretched out on the couch that she had gotten from good will and changed channels until she came across an infomercial for some kind of kitchen gadget. Before she knew it, she had fallen back to sleep.

*****

Jian Bo paced the living room of his row home. Although he had lived there for more than four years, it was sparsely furnished. The bedroom didn't have a bed, but a mat that he slept on-when he slept- a dresser and a small table that held a lamp. The bathroom looked like any other bathroom in that it had the normal toiletries and a medicine cabinet filled with the usual things- Band-Aids, aspirin and Mylanta for an upset stomach. The kitchen was small but fully functional and stocked. The living room was devoid of any furniture- it was where he practiced his martial arts and where he and Brittney trained. A large mat covered the floor and was covered with training equipment. He modified the hall closet so that he could keep his swords and other weapons out of sight. The only person who knew that they were there was Brittney. The rest of the house was closed off as no one ever came to stay with him.

After pacing for several more minutes, Jian went to the kitchen and checked his bottled water supply. Next he checked the fridge to make sure that he had plenty of fruit and yogurt-Brittney's favorite after work out snacks. He was restless. Something felt wrong, but he couldn't imagine what it was. In an attempt to relax, he filled the tea kettle with hot water to make a cup of herbal tea. As the water heated, he tried to figure out the reason for his unease. It wasn't Brittney- he would have known. They were that close. There was nothing happening in China- he would have received word. In fact, he hadn't heard from anyone since he left. His only instructions had been to go and wait. He didn't know what it was he was supposed to be waiting for so he went to work, went home and trained with Brittney.

Becoming frustrated, he took a deep cleansing breath and released it. He decided to forgo the tea and go for a walk. He lived ten long blocks away from Brittney, but he headed in the opposite direction. Most people in the area knew him and left him alone, but there were still a few who thought that he was fair game. He hadn't gone very far when he heard his name being called.

"Where you headin?" Mrs. Nolan called from the window of her living room.

Jian stopped and walked over to the window to chat with the old woman. She had been one of the first to make him feel welcome in his new surroundings.

"Good evening," Jian said politely. "I am just going for a walk, did you need something?"

"That depends," the old woman replied with a smile. "You going past that corner store two blocks over?"

"I will pass that way if you need something," Jian replied.

The woman gave Jian a small list of incidentals that she needed and sent him off with a warning.

"You be careful now! The air don't feel quite right to me."

Jian hurried off wondering what it was the woman felt. When he returned, he would ask her. He loved talking to the old woman who in many ways reminded him of his grandmother in mannerism and in the stories she told. The old woman had also been the first to stand up for him when he moved into the house. That alone endeared her to him. He also knew that her time on earth was almost done. He could smell it on her and hoped that he could be with her when the time came. She had no relatives that lived close enough to be of any help to her and even fewer that cared.

He walked into the small Korean owned store and picked up the items on the list. At the bottom of the list was 'one tall can of beer.' Jian knew that she wanted more than one can, but it was all that she could afford. He picked up a six pack, sat it on the counter and reached for his wallet. For the first time in the years that he lived there, the Korean man behind the counter spoke to him.

"You must go home- it is not safe!"

He quickly packed Jian's purchases in a plastic bag, took his money and gave him change.

"Now go!"

"What ...."

"Go!" the man insisted as he came from behind the counter and practically pushed Jian toward the door. As soon as Jian was outside, the man slammed the door shut and locked it.

Jian looked around trying to make sense of the man's fright. He himself wasn't afraid, but anxious. He took stock of his surroundings and felt heaviness in the air that felt unnatural. He looked up at the sky. The stars were twinkling, but the air-. Jian inhaled deeply. His nostrils gently flaring as he took in the scents of the night. Something was out there. He took the man's advice and hurried home. By the time he reached the row homes, the heaviness had alleviated. He walked up to Mrs. Nolan's window and called her name. A moment later, she was letting him into her house.

"You bought me six beers?" she asked both surprised and pleased. "How much do I owe you?"

"You owe me nothing," Jian replied. "I do it as a friend."

"I can't accept that," the old woman said. "I ain't never owed nobody nothin' and I ain't about to start."

"Alright then," Jian said with a smile. "Tell me one of your stories from times gone by."

"A story?" the old woman asked in disbelief.

"Yes grandmother a story of your choosing." Jian replied.

"Well I'll be damned," the old woman cackled. "Make yourself at home."

After she had told him several stories from her child hood, Jian asked her what she meant when she said that the air didn't feel right.

"I don't know if I can explain it," she said thoughtfully. "Things just don't feel the way that they normally do. If feels like a darkness is coming or maybe it's here- I can't say for sure."