Nocturne No. 7: Sin City's Under New Management
General Summary
June 22, 1995 - Thursday
The air conditioner rattling by the window struggled to keep the office cool while Vegas' desert sun raged outside. Agent Julia Rothman took off her suit jacket and wiped some sweat from her forehead, looking at the new reports that had come in this morning. Some more UFO sightings, reports of wolfmen in California, but buried beneath all the false leads a clear pattern started to emerge: vampires hiding amid America's largest cities. Ever since she'd filed the Rothman Report two months ago she'd been waiting to be laughed out of the FBI, but the Unusual Incidents Unit had taken her findings seriously. Her boss had gone out on a limb for her, and now she had a team of a dozen agents under her supervision patrolling everywhere from Seattle to Denver for signs of vampiric activity. Knowing about the existence of vampires was the first step, now they needed to learn enough to separate fact from fiction. "Need anything from me, boss?" Agent Tompkins asked as he passed by the doorway, his button-up already drenched in sweat. "Me and Dave were going to start checking some of the leads you mentioned like that Asylum bar on the edge of town." Julia shook her head, sifiting through the reams of papers on the table. "Just try to be inconspicuous, any advantage we have over these creatures is lost the moment they know they're being watched." "It's gonna be hard for me and Dave to blend in with the punks at the Asylum," Tompkins chuckled. "We'll try our best. Congrats on the promotion by the way, it's alway good to see more broads working their way up the ladder." Julia bit her lip at the remark, letting Tompkins leave with a polite nod before turning back to her work. Reports from half a dozen cities indicated some form of vampiric activity, including her base of operations Las Vegas. She started writing notes and mapping out the reports, wondering where she'd strike first once she had enough intel.
Later that evening Cesca awoke from her daytime slumber, stretching as she felt a new wave of hunger gnawing at the back of her throat. She'd have to get Kate to pick up some snacks for later tonight, preferably one of the washed-up entertainers that shuffled through the city every few weeks. Putting on a black silk robe she stepped out into the living room of her luxury suite, one of the perks of being the owner of the newly-renovated Vegas World Casino. There was talk of tearing the building down last summer, but after declaring praxis of Las Vegas she'd been able to convince Bob Stupak to sell it for bottom-bin prices. She completed the renovations in record time, and in a couple weeks they'd be ready to open up for the 4th of July crowd. In typical fashion the city was placing bets on how many people would stay at the site of the Vegas World Massacre, but Cesca was confindent that her target audience would show up in droves. A new punk aesthetic would attract the young hipsters and thrill-seekers, and the shows she was booking would more than pay for themselves in a matter of months. She stood at the window overlooking the Vegas Strip, admiring the lights piercing the darkness. In her head she tried to identify the various points of interest throughout the city, like the hotel where the FBI were holed up or the edge of town where the Anarchs flocked for cheap drinks at the Asylum. She sensed Nadiya enter the room, sidling up beside her to admire the view. "How are things going tonight, dear?" "The final decorations will be ready by opening day," Nadiya replied, giving a polite bow to the new Prince of Las Vegas. "Ezekiel scared some of the workers with his rituals last night, but he promised to be quieter in the future." Cesca shrugged. "Let the necromancer do as he pleases, it'll add to the place's mystique. He's keeping us on good terms with the Giovannis and Puttanescas, there's no use bothering him now. Any updates on Jeanette?" "Ms. Voerman still has an open bounty on anybody that can provide information on the 'murderer' of her sister Therese." Nadiya paused. "I've encouraged you several times already to settle this matter discreetly, but with the open bounty now posted we'll be seeing countless thrill-seeking kindred coming to cash in on the bounty." "Let them come," Cesca replied with a wave of her hand. "They'll get to see what the city's like under new management, no more shakedowns for protection money from the Wiseguy. If anybody breaches the masquerade, I expect you'll deal with them swiftly." "I do appreciate the freedom you grant me to pursue rulebreakers, Ms. Stirling. Back in Portland I had to get unanimous approval from the local Camarilla to take any action, by which time all the Anarchs had either escaped or moved on to other schemes." Nadiya stayed quiet for a while, staring at the city lights to avoid making eye contact with Cesca. "You can be honest with me, Nadiya, that was part of our arrangement when I recruited you as Sheriff." Cesca said, placing a hand on Nadiya's arm. "What has Kate done this time?" "She nearly killed one of the staff members last night, if I hadn't been there while she was feeding I think it would've turned deadly. We've made sure that the staff has no memory of the incident, but I'm afraid she's getting harder and harder to control." Cesca sighed, a refreshing sensation on the lungs even as breathing had long ago become an extraneous activity. "I owe Kate a lot, she helped arrange my praxis of Vegas and our intimate bond goes back many years to our time in LA. I promise to take responsibility for all her actions, you already have enough to deal with so I'll make sure that Kate's behavior remains a personal matter." "As you wish, Ms. Stirling." Nadiya nodded, relaxing a bit as Cesca's emotional manipulations started to take hold. "I'll leave to let you get dressed, please let me know if there's anything you need from me tonight." Cesca gave a warm smile as her Sheriff departed, moving to the wardrobe for a suitable dress for tonight. Dark red, dark purple, pitch black, she settled on a simple red velvet dress that she wouldn't mind losing if Kate threw another tantrum. Zipping herself up she thought of the soothing and seductive words she'd use to keep Kate in line, but a flicker of doubt flashed in the back of her mind as she worried about the slipping humanity of her lover. Kate had been a diffent person when they reunited in Vegas, a raw bundle of fearsome energy that had even startled her upon first seeing it. The Beast was starting to take over Kate, and Cesca wondered how she'd manage the disaster if Kate ever fully lost control.
Mr. Arkadin sighed as he lumbered back into his hotel room, another night of filming talk show appearances on the books. The past few months in New York had been full of movie cameos and tv guest spots, but none of it had materializing into funding for any of his film projects. He'd managed to store up a solid war chest of emergency funds, but without any solid commitments from producers his dream of Don Quixote was still as distant as ever. He shifted over to the desk where a pile of letters and voicemails rested, sifting through it while he poured himself a drink. Letterman wanted him back on next week, and some treacly romcom director wanted him to play the ailing grandfather this summer. Every other letter ended up in the wastebin, but a letter from Las Vegas made him pause mid-drink. A residency at the newly-reopened Vegas World Casino beginning next month, the number of zeroes at the end of the offer enough to fund a month of filming for his next project. Cesca, the casino's new owner, had clearly done her research as she mentioned his last show in Vegas back in the 40's. With words like 'auteur' and 'experimental', it seemed like he'd be getting a wide berth to put on the kind of show he'd want. Cesca wasn't asking for classic Vegas nostalgia, she was asking for Mr. Arkadin the performer. He sat down on the edge of the bed while he reread the offer, reflecting on his time back in the early days of Vegas. Him and Rita put on a memorable show for a couple weeks, but she'd died years ago and half the casinos from that time had been demolished for a new wave of developers. And between the massacre and the FBI investigations Vegas seemed to be undergoing another period of transition, so there'd be no telling what waited in store for him. But with a shrug he made a note to call back Cesca's people first thing in the morning, agreeing to a six-month residency with an offer to renew in '96. New York was wearing him down, maybe back out west he'd find that creative spark again to create something magical.
The air conditioner rattling by the window struggled to keep the office cool while Vegas' desert sun raged outside. Agent Julia Rothman took off her suit jacket and wiped some sweat from her forehead, looking at the new reports that had come in this morning. Some more UFO sightings, reports of wolfmen in California, but buried beneath all the false leads a clear pattern started to emerge: vampires hiding amid America's largest cities. Ever since she'd filed the Rothman Report two months ago she'd been waiting to be laughed out of the FBI, but the Unusual Incidents Unit had taken her findings seriously. Her boss had gone out on a limb for her, and now she had a team of a dozen agents under her supervision patrolling everywhere from Seattle to Denver for signs of vampiric activity. Knowing about the existence of vampires was the first step, now they needed to learn enough to separate fact from fiction. "Need anything from me, boss?" Agent Tompkins asked as he passed by the doorway, his button-up already drenched in sweat. "Me and Dave were going to start checking some of the leads you mentioned like that Asylum bar on the edge of town." Julia shook her head, sifiting through the reams of papers on the table. "Just try to be inconspicuous, any advantage we have over these creatures is lost the moment they know they're being watched." "It's gonna be hard for me and Dave to blend in with the punks at the Asylum," Tompkins chuckled. "We'll try our best. Congrats on the promotion by the way, it's alway good to see more broads working their way up the ladder." Julia bit her lip at the remark, letting Tompkins leave with a polite nod before turning back to her work. Reports from half a dozen cities indicated some form of vampiric activity, including her base of operations Las Vegas. She started writing notes and mapping out the reports, wondering where she'd strike first once she had enough intel.
Later that evening Cesca awoke from her daytime slumber, stretching as she felt a new wave of hunger gnawing at the back of her throat. She'd have to get Kate to pick up some snacks for later tonight, preferably one of the washed-up entertainers that shuffled through the city every few weeks. Putting on a black silk robe she stepped out into the living room of her luxury suite, one of the perks of being the owner of the newly-renovated Vegas World Casino. There was talk of tearing the building down last summer, but after declaring praxis of Las Vegas she'd been able to convince Bob Stupak to sell it for bottom-bin prices. She completed the renovations in record time, and in a couple weeks they'd be ready to open up for the 4th of July crowd. In typical fashion the city was placing bets on how many people would stay at the site of the Vegas World Massacre, but Cesca was confindent that her target audience would show up in droves. A new punk aesthetic would attract the young hipsters and thrill-seekers, and the shows she was booking would more than pay for themselves in a matter of months. She stood at the window overlooking the Vegas Strip, admiring the lights piercing the darkness. In her head she tried to identify the various points of interest throughout the city, like the hotel where the FBI were holed up or the edge of town where the Anarchs flocked for cheap drinks at the Asylum. She sensed Nadiya enter the room, sidling up beside her to admire the view. "How are things going tonight, dear?" "The final decorations will be ready by opening day," Nadiya replied, giving a polite bow to the new Prince of Las Vegas. "Ezekiel scared some of the workers with his rituals last night, but he promised to be quieter in the future." Cesca shrugged. "Let the necromancer do as he pleases, it'll add to the place's mystique. He's keeping us on good terms with the Giovannis and Puttanescas, there's no use bothering him now. Any updates on Jeanette?" "Ms. Voerman still has an open bounty on anybody that can provide information on the 'murderer' of her sister Therese." Nadiya paused. "I've encouraged you several times already to settle this matter discreetly, but with the open bounty now posted we'll be seeing countless thrill-seeking kindred coming to cash in on the bounty." "Let them come," Cesca replied with a wave of her hand. "They'll get to see what the city's like under new management, no more shakedowns for protection money from the Wiseguy. If anybody breaches the masquerade, I expect you'll deal with them swiftly." "I do appreciate the freedom you grant me to pursue rulebreakers, Ms. Stirling. Back in Portland I had to get unanimous approval from the local Camarilla to take any action, by which time all the Anarchs had either escaped or moved on to other schemes." Nadiya stayed quiet for a while, staring at the city lights to avoid making eye contact with Cesca. "You can be honest with me, Nadiya, that was part of our arrangement when I recruited you as Sheriff." Cesca said, placing a hand on Nadiya's arm. "What has Kate done this time?" "She nearly killed one of the staff members last night, if I hadn't been there while she was feeding I think it would've turned deadly. We've made sure that the staff has no memory of the incident, but I'm afraid she's getting harder and harder to control." Cesca sighed, a refreshing sensation on the lungs even as breathing had long ago become an extraneous activity. "I owe Kate a lot, she helped arrange my praxis of Vegas and our intimate bond goes back many years to our time in LA. I promise to take responsibility for all her actions, you already have enough to deal with so I'll make sure that Kate's behavior remains a personal matter." "As you wish, Ms. Stirling." Nadiya nodded, relaxing a bit as Cesca's emotional manipulations started to take hold. "I'll leave to let you get dressed, please let me know if there's anything you need from me tonight." Cesca gave a warm smile as her Sheriff departed, moving to the wardrobe for a suitable dress for tonight. Dark red, dark purple, pitch black, she settled on a simple red velvet dress that she wouldn't mind losing if Kate threw another tantrum. Zipping herself up she thought of the soothing and seductive words she'd use to keep Kate in line, but a flicker of doubt flashed in the back of her mind as she worried about the slipping humanity of her lover. Kate had been a diffent person when they reunited in Vegas, a raw bundle of fearsome energy that had even startled her upon first seeing it. The Beast was starting to take over Kate, and Cesca wondered how she'd manage the disaster if Kate ever fully lost control.
Mr. Arkadin sighed as he lumbered back into his hotel room, another night of filming talk show appearances on the books. The past few months in New York had been full of movie cameos and tv guest spots, but none of it had materializing into funding for any of his film projects. He'd managed to store up a solid war chest of emergency funds, but without any solid commitments from producers his dream of Don Quixote was still as distant as ever. He shifted over to the desk where a pile of letters and voicemails rested, sifting through it while he poured himself a drink. Letterman wanted him back on next week, and some treacly romcom director wanted him to play the ailing grandfather this summer. Every other letter ended up in the wastebin, but a letter from Las Vegas made him pause mid-drink. A residency at the newly-reopened Vegas World Casino beginning next month, the number of zeroes at the end of the offer enough to fund a month of filming for his next project. Cesca, the casino's new owner, had clearly done her research as she mentioned his last show in Vegas back in the 40's. With words like 'auteur' and 'experimental', it seemed like he'd be getting a wide berth to put on the kind of show he'd want. Cesca wasn't asking for classic Vegas nostalgia, she was asking for Mr. Arkadin the performer. He sat down on the edge of the bed while he reread the offer, reflecting on his time back in the early days of Vegas. Him and Rita put on a memorable show for a couple weeks, but she'd died years ago and half the casinos from that time had been demolished for a new wave of developers. And between the massacre and the FBI investigations Vegas seemed to be undergoing another period of transition, so there'd be no telling what waited in store for him. But with a shrug he made a note to call back Cesca's people first thing in the morning, agreeing to a six-month residency with an offer to renew in '96. New York was wearing him down, maybe back out west he'd find that creative spark again to create something magical.
Report Date
10 Mar 2024
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