Diamonds Shatter

Chapter 15

15. Fins and Tales

413 Embarcadero turned out to be a pier, right under the Bay Bridge.

 It smelled rancid, like dirty water, fish guts, and exhaust. Even at three thirty in the morning the sounds of traffic were still were going strong. Cars whirred and rumbled by overhead, honking  and screeching  and every few moments the drone of a passing semi truck would cause the whole pier to shudder and groan. The Bart trian ran overhead too, on the lower beck of the bridge, adding to the rattling and groaning.

 It was quite possibly the most inconvenient place to meet someone.

Dimitri waited patiently though leaning up against the shingled wall of a long abandoned warehouse, trying hard not to inhale. He gave up that effort though and decided that he might as well smoke while he waited; he figured that tobacco couldn’t be worse than carbon monoxide.

 Thwacks, and thumps of nearby animals emanated around the area and a dark shadow skittered across the pier disappearing under a crate. Dimitri shuddered but he wasn’t surprised; places like this were usually over run with rats, and various other rodents.

Bright lights flickered from the passing cars overhead, mixing with the old warehouse light that cast an unsteady orange glow around the pier, while the bright lights of Bay Bridge reflected off of the murky brown water.

It was all starting to give Dimitri a headache and his patience was wearing thin.

 Finally in the distance Dimitri saw a figure in long wool coat approaching; even in the distance he could tell it was Angelo. No one else was that tall and thin, or moved so silent and graceful. Dimitri had a flutter of panic as he realized that he was alone in a shady area, with a vampire no less. Angelo reached him, with his hands buried deep in his pockets, wearing a coy expression.

“I was actually hoping you wouldn’t be here.” He said. The breeze coming off the bay ruffled his hair, but Angelo was too calm and collected to bother with such a minor disturbance.

“So sorry to disappoint you.” Dimitri replied, a bit of starkness lining his tone. He pulled his own wool coat tighter around, but only because of the cold air. Angelo simply nodded, excepting the attitude. He looked away from Dimitri, staring out over the choppy water.

“I’ve told you already that I won’t help you. Why did you come back again?” He asked, truly curious;  he turned to look back at Dimitri expectantly.

Dimitri narrowed his eyes, trying to keep his calm. His response was quiet, but still fierce, “Because I don’t give up so easily. And you owe me. What you put us thru was completely unnecessary.”

Angelo shook his head, burying his hands deeper still into his coat.

 “I didn’t put you thru anything, I’m sure you were aware of the risks before you came to me, and I can’t help what the others around me do. I can hardly control them. My kind has always done what’s pleasing to their nature. What happened was simply part of our nature. You are the one that broke the rules.”

Angelo stated simply, like he was just giving the facts. Dimitri jerked away from Angelo, then just as quickly, turned back to face him directly. His patience had already worn out, and he wasn’t in the mood for sadistic vampire nature.

He felt like Angelo was just there to pull his strings.

“If you’re not here to help me, then why did you did you come,” he asked, disgust thick in his tone.

 Angelo was staring at the ground now, the only thing moving was his long coat and his long hair as the breeze picked up to a gust. It took Angelo awhile to respond,