(This is the first post in a series based on my NaNoWriMo 2010 novel. It is about two people: a martial artist specializing in dual pistols named Isseria and a master of dark nature magics called Isaac.)
The sidewalks were crowded with workers heading to work. Skyscrapers surrounded her, and gusts of wind roared through the city streets. Her pistols were tucked safely away invisible to onlookers. The gun laws in Chicago were strict enough to make her paranoid, especially in the heart of the city.
"2380 Park Avenue" was her destination, and she identified it a few blocks away. She was working for Lucius Blaque, the infamous gang leader, who also happened, by no coincidence at all, to be a very powerful Dark Mage. She wasn't working for him of her own free will.
“You only have two choices,” he had said, “bring the Oblivion staff to me before two weeks’ time, or leave my city and never return.”
The staff was on the 22nd floor of the building, protected by a group of powerful mages working for Lucius' competition in this town. The two gangs ruled the city, and fought with each other for control of each neighborhood and city department. Even the Police were divided in their loyalties to the two gangs.
Lucius had dropped one hint before he sent her away. He mentioned the Plants from Venus store which was on the first floor of the building. The owner/shopkeeper might have a few hints on breaking through the defenses, he said.
As she approached the building, a pedestrian ran into her, knocking her down and losing his own balance. He brushed himself off and stood up.
“Sorry,” he said.
The fall knocked one of her holsters loose, and it was on the sidewalk. The pistol's grip stood out to the stranger, and he reached for it impulsively.
Isseria drew out her other X-Five. She had trained with many pistols, widely varying in quality. But the P226 X-Five was the most impressive and well suited to her purposes. She initially used it with .40 round, but had lately become a master of customizing weapons, tweaking her weapons to be one of a kind. Her pistols had characteristics that would befuddle any ballistics detective. She owned a veritable cache of pistols, and very little else.
“Not a good idea,” she said to him, menacingly.
He abruptly withdrew his finger from the other pistol, and Isseria snatched it up.
Was he a plant, she wondered. He could have been sent by just about anyone who had somehow found out about her. Lucius already knew about the weapons, it couldn't be his gang, but who...
The stranger ran off, and Isseria stowed her pistols again. The window displays of Plants from Venus were just ahead. The shop was on the corner of the building. On one display side. there was a giant vicious looking plant. In the corner of the display a sign said, “For display purposes only. Not for sale.” In the other corner window, safer plants were on display. Venus fly traps and other popular species were shown.
Isseria looked back at the large plant. It was dark green with a “mouth” that was about six feet across. Isseria spotted glass on the far side of the chomper, separating it from the rest of the shop. She took a deep breath and walked in. A door chime sounded, and the shopkeeper, a man in his late twenties wearing a grey T-shirt, came out of the back room.
He walked over to Isseria. “Anything I can help you with?”
“I've always been curious about these kind of plants, what do you recommend?”
He nodded agreably and said, “The Venus Fly Trap is the most known and most popular, however another interesting variety are the Sundews. The temperate sundew grows across much of the US, however, I also have some rarer, Australian varieties.”
“How does the Sundew work?” she asked, with fake curiousity.
“Easy, its leaves look inviting to insects, but they are very sticky, and the Sundew responds to its prey, developing new growth to trap them.”
“I think I'll stick with the Venus Fly Trap,” she said.
“What size would you prefer?” he said.
She pondered it for a second, the smaller the plant, the more inconspicuously she could dispose of it afterwords. “Small would be best. I don't have much room for them.”
The shopkeeper motioned her over to the register, which was one of the new computer-based checkout systems. He started typing.
“Being careful with the fly trap is very important. Avoid movement near or touching the sensitive trap areas of the plant. A venus fly trap is not a toy, treat it like any other plant—That will be $23.50.”
She pulled out some cash from her pocket and counted out 25 dollars.
The shopkeeper took the money and entered it into the computer.
“I'm starting work on the 22nd floor next week, thought I'd scope out the place. What's your impression of the building. Good heating system? I hate when its cold.”
He raised his eyebrows, and handed back the change, “one dollar, and fifty cents,” he said. “Its a good building. Good security. I keep my own temperature controls to keep the plants in good condition, so I can't say much about the heating system, but I'm satisfied. 22nd floor, that's Four Star Storage, didn't know they were hiring... honestly, didn't think of you as the security type.”
“I'll be working as a receptionist. Lots of business for 4SS right now, they told me.”
The shopkeeper muttered, “yeah right.” Before she could blink, he picked up a remote control from the counter, pressed a button on it, and the glass between the giant chomper and the rest of the store swivelled out. It was a glass door not a wall, but the hinge was practically invisible.
She was astonished, she went for her guns, but the chomper got there first, biting her in the back of her neck and swallowing her whole. She was fading, it was some kind of neuro-poison, she guessed. What the hell just happened, she pondered briefly.
She lost consciousness.
