Crimson Claws & Fangs ch.16

     In the great city of New York amongst the rising towers stands one that looks like any other, the head office of the Oblivion Corporation. Unknown to the outside world this place also serves as the head office of the HEP. Standing in the waiting room outside the head CEO’s are two people who amongst the other business men and attorneys waiting there would look out of place if not for the secretary being a young woman with metallic gold hair. These two are Grey Wolf and Shadow Vixen; Shadow Vixen in her black business suit and skirt with her raven black hair looks more ready for a funeral than a business meeting. And Grey Wolf wouldn’t be standing out as much in his grey suit with white tie if not for also keeping a feather in his hair as though insisting upon a stereotype that causes the other people there to steal glances and quickly look away when they think Grey Wolf is looking in their direction.

 

    They had both been scheduled for this meeting, unable to make any changes thanks to their boss’s busy schedule. However they are one person short, as they had been ordered to also bring Samantha York with them; and reporting a failure to Censa is not something either of them wants to do.

 

   A woman’s voice can be heard on the intercom, “Ms. Gold tell Mr. Wolf and Ms. V. I will see them now.”

 

    Goldy looks up at them saying, “Ms. Blonk will see you now.”

 

   Grey Wolf and Shadow Vixen walk into the large A-typical office to see sitting behind the desk looking out the large window the back of the woman’s head. She would look to anyone like any other woman save for her long wavy hair being stripped white and black long a strange cross between zebra and white tiger. Which any normal human would assume was due to coloring but these two know better. This woman is Censa, and beneath her beautiful yet defined business woman demeanor lies the fact that she is a Rai, a creature who could as fast as a the blink of an eye reduce them both and the room they are in to ashes.

 

    She turns around in her chair with her hands beneath her chin fingers interlaced, “I was expecting a third person.”

 

    Grey Wolf reports the events that occurred in California, about Versa and Yasha intervening.

 

     Censa leans back in her charge placing and waves her hand as though dismissing the situation, “It’s no matter,” she says, “Something more urgent has come up. An hour ago while you were still on your flight here we received a report from the security computer at our LA containment center. The maintenance and feeding apparatuses reported a malfunction as two prisoners were missing this morning for breakfast.”

 

    Shadow Vixen and Grey Wolf look at each other at a loss for words.

 

    Censa placed her arms on her desk like a queen at her throne, “Rather than telling you this over the phone during your flight, or this morning, I felt it was important you adhered to my schedule and I wanted to tell you about your facilities failure in person.” With a stern tone and a less than friendly look on her face she continued, “It seems from these reports someone just strolled into the containment center and took two prisoners.”

 

   She calls Goldy over the intercom to bring in the files. Goldy walks into the office being careful to close and lock the doors behind her, carrying two hard copy files and hands them to Censa. Censa puts the files down, “these are the two prisoners that got out.”

 

    She picks up the files again looking at the names, “A Peter M. Jones, human, and Ananth the Doh-Rong pet of Litmet. From these files it seems Petey here may likely go after Samantha if he finds out or already knows she is in the same area. He was locked up after a sting operation with my dear brother Khyte, as you well know Shadow Vixen” Censa looked up briefly at Shadow Vixen before going to the next file, “and then we have Ananth, who has nothing to do with this guy.”

 

    Censa lays down the files and sighs, “Shadow Vixen, you are to upgrade the security system, it seems that the American’s Cohora borrowed technology isn’t up to par. Even though it will be expensive that facility is to be upgraded with Kuhrai technology, given Litmet’s close proximity I have no doubt she has equipped her people with Kuhrai technology or equivalent and easily over-rid that worthless Cohora tech, we will need tech of the same level or higher, make sure to bargain for state of the art security, money is not an issue. I wont have Litmet or anyone else think they can just walk in and out of my prisons.”

 

    Shadow Vixen interjects, “As you wish, although those merchants aren’t the easiest to deal with it will be expensive, and as much as I don’t want to argue we don’t know Litmet was involved…do we?”

 

   “I said,” says Censa, “Money is not an issue, also on that note install cameras…” She looks at Shadow Vixen like that should have been obvious the first time, “and while these two prisoners seem to be un-related to each other, one of them is Ananth. We knew Litmet would come for her at some point, and who else in that area would have the technology to stroll in and out of a facility using Cohora based technology with out setting off an alarm? Although I will want a full investigation of the facility and the effected systems to make sure of the nature of the tech used to get in there. I’d rather not assume right now that a new player is around, let alone one who would know about that facility, have the tech to get in there so easily, and release Ananth…and not be killed by her on the spot. Also I want to know how the hell some fucking human plays in to that!”

 

    Censa clinches her fist as small sparks of electricity dance between her fingers. Clearly more annoyed at not knowing how this seemingly un-important prisoner plays into it than the fact they were released. “Now leave and do your jobs before I get more frustrated.”

 

    Shadow Vixen and Grey Wolf exit with a bow.

 

    Censa turns to Goldy, “While they are out chasing down those prisoners, of which I am sure the human is a red herring meant to just annoy my Rai curiosity and need for fitting patterns, and messing with fixing that facility, I will need you do something much more important. I need to you to contact and schedule a meeting with both Kitsu and Versa.”

 

     Goldy says, “Yes ma’am” and exits.

 

     Censa looks at the files and thinks back to Samantha and ponders, “hmm, this human was after her I am sure of it, he was a survivor from the group of humans who attacked Rhuen and Versa with their latest offspring. I wander, could this be Versa’s doing somehow. And why wouldn’t she or Kitsu want my men to bring her to me?”

 

   Censa turns back the window, “Versa, mother, what are you up to?”