All posts by Jim Zoetewey

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 62

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Amy landed next to me as Samita and Vincent got off my bike and I pushed it into the “garage” off of the elevator circle in the middle. In my peripheral vision, I saw that Rod had slid off Mateo’s and that Mateo was pushing his bike  over as well.

Working Man waved everyone down the hall, “Conference room.”

Counting the people in my head, I stifled a groan. The conference room held six people on a good day and four comfortably. There were seven of us. Vincent wasn’t quite human-sized, but he wasn’t much smaller.

This was going to suck. Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 62 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 61

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With that, we started down the stairs, walking down more than thirty floors. I don’t know exactly how many. Book Tower had 38 floors and I knew that we were close to the top, but not there.

The implant could have told me, but I didn’t care enough to check.

However long the walk felt, and it did feel long, we made it to the ground floor before the police took control of the building. As we made it down to the empty room by the front doors, a few police stood inside amid the concrete floors and walls, the ornate ceilings, and the exposed wires and cables from the construction.

Their hands moved toward their weapons as we stepped out of the stairway, but dropped away as they recognized us. Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 61 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 59

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Mateo began to open his mouth, but he didn’t get to say anything. Vincent started shouting at the retreating vampires.

“Hey, you guys are going to call off the cops and everybody, right? Because if I go back to Unity Base and find that we’re still under siege, you and I are going to have words.”

Barrington turned around and gave him a bow, “Your wish is my command, largest of hamsters.” Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 59 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 58

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Looking over at us and then turning back to the king, Bobby said, “I love love. I love blood. Blood and love.”

There might, I thought to myself, be something wrong with Bobby.

Barrington nodded, “That’s another one of my councilors against a fight, but still a major change of course. I need a moment to think. I’d like some silence while I consider the situation. I’m going to go over to the corner. Don’t start fighting while I’m gone.” Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 58 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 57

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If we were imagining the hypothetical boy band that the vampires were members of, Barrington would be the conventionally attractive guy, Lhust, the manly guy, and Loremaster, the geeky guy. Maybe those aren’t really boy band tropes, but I don’t listen to boy bands.

Anyway, that left the other two.

Barrington smiled at us, “I think we can be friends, but since we’re introducing everyone, I shouldn’t skip Leo and Bobby.”

He nodded at each of them as he said their names. Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 57 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 56

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Frowning, Amy twisted her head in the vampires’ direction. Turning back to Mateo, she said, “I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them. The earliest Bloodmaidens, the ones I know the best, fought the Elder and it was near thing. It might be easier right now because the sun’s dawning, but not much. The Elder mated with humans. They were both undead and alive at once and they knew how to use magic.”

Looking at Mateo, she said, “What do you think?”

Not hesitating, Mateo said, “Kill them.” Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 56 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 55

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Amy laughed, “Of all the books to be based on reality…”

Vincent muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

One of the sparkling vampires stepped out in front of the group. He had short, black hair, a pale face, and wore black armor with silver rivets. The shape of the armor either emphasized or created the illusion of a lean, muscular physique.

In short, someone cared enough to pay for a suit of brigandine that had some style. Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 55 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 54

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Of course, frying bacon smelled good. While I couldn’t smell through the suit, I did notice that Amy’s lips curling in what I assumed to be disgust. So maybe it didn’t smell like bacon frying unless it was the smell of rotting bacon.

I’d ask Amy later, or maybe never.

Either way, I didn’t feel much of an urge to open my facemask and find out for sure. Plus, I had another responsibility—making sure there was nowhere for the vamps to hide. Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 54 →

Arc 10.6.0: Motor City Intern

Motor City Intern: Part 53

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Strictly speaking, all the vampires I’d seen when I’d decided to face the xosk weren’t coming. The implant volunteered that bit of information. It had counted them earlier and counted them again once I turned away from the xosk’s hopefully dead body.

Mateo and Vincent had taken the number of them down from 41 to 23—which was pretty impressive. How they’d done it became obvious as I looked the scene over. Ball bearings were scattered across the floor and as vampires came across them they stopped to count. Continue reading Motor City Intern: Part 53 →