From The Ashes 4

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes 

Dalton left early to go with Rain, Ella and the downtown gang to a restaurant.

"Taking me for tacos?"

"Cam front," the gang leader explained.

"Am I staying in the car?" Dalton asked, making it sound advisory rather than questioning. Ella gave the boss a 'that would be best' look.

"Okay, keep a lookout for our kind of people." The gang left one of their own in their car as well. She didn't seem interested in making conversation.

They headed in through less than obvious routes. Rain looked down through a vent and nodded to one of the kitchen staff and the wine waiter. "Whoever's coming will talk to one of them." They withdrew to the cars. Ella stayed out, unseen.

After about forty minutes, a grey car pulled up. "Second most common car on the road," Dalton noted. "Good choice."

A large man helped a slender woman out, opening doors for her as she strolled in confidently. They sat at the bar and the wine waiter picked up a bottle and approached. The man paid, rather generously, and the woman passed along a note, then got up to leave, the man moving quickly to get the door.

She stopped as the man held the car door for her, glanced around, and looked straight at Dalton.

The gang's driver started their car, redlined it and aimed it at the woman.

The woman threw herself to one side, and sprang up to her feet. The man went for the car, and came back out with a submachine gun.

Dalton started the engine.

A second car rolled up, windows winding down to reveal more people with guns. The gang car pulled a U-turn and made for the road out.

"Fuck," Dalton said, and backed up over the sidewalk to get away, in a different direction. The second car went after the gang, the first after them.

But it didn't get far, two of its tires had been cut while no-one was looking.

The woman got out and took off running, heading for the restaurant, too many witnesses for anything more to happen.

Rain asked if Dalton could catch up with the gang, even that fight up...