VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE

AND THEY WILL COME

Martha took some time to regard the menagerie that stood before her. The group of Cainites, which consisted of three Sabbat packs including her own, where busy dicking around with each other and testing whatever weapons they had been able to salvage from the camarilla attack. They were all in high spirits, fresh from the Vaulderie; a ritual performed by the Sabbat in which they ritually share their blood with each other in order to create a spirit of camaraderie and kinship, even if it was only artificial. It was usually performed just before a huge operation, and tonight's activity most certainly was a huge operation.

None of that mattered to Martha at the moment, however. What was important to her was the assignment given to her by the Cardinal.

"Hey, Bob." She called out. Bob, who was busy fawning over an Uzi along with one of the vampires from one of the other packs. Reluctantly, he left them and went to her. "What is it?" he said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. You better have a good goddamn reason for interrupting me like-"

"Dude shut up." She responded, rather brusquely. "Get the others. I've got something really important to say."

Bob seemed confused by that statement. "But what about all the other guys?"

"Just fucking get the guys together already, will ya?" She snapped. Bob could hear the growing anger in her voice and submitted, turning his face away. "Yeah, whatever."

"We're meeting outside." She said as she began to walk towards the garage door. It took Bob a few seconds to shake off his bewilderment and began to call his pack mates together. Inwardly, he hoped the other two packs did not begin too suspect something was wrong. Even more so he hoped that whatever it was Martha was doing didn't involve any funny business.

A few minutes later, all seven members of the Grisly Tidings pack were gathered just in front of the garage entrance. Martha double-checked to confirm that everyone was present then, after telling them to come closer, began. "Alright guys, listen up. This is a direct order from the Cardinal himself."

The group became more attentive as soon as they heard that. "Wow. This must be huge. I mean, it's not every day Polonia gives us a direct order." Said Raymond, the pack priscus and one of the four Tzimisce in the pack. Despite his exalted station nobody really liked him, partly due to his condescending attitude and his disturbing appearance; his attire always consisted of nothing but a pair of black trousers, his body was completely devoid of hair of any sort and he was covered head-to-toe in tattoos and body piercings which he changed every night. To outsiders he claimed his constant application of such accruements made his skin invulnerable. Only his pack mates knew he wasn't particularly effective in a fight.

"Yeah, it is." Responded Martha. She lowered her voice at this point. "Now, look. This is directly from the boss. You see, he needs us in some big operation up in New York and he doesn't want any more of us dying before then."

"So what?" Said Bob in a threatening tone. "You're gonna make us bail on those other guys like that? They'll come for our fucking throats!"

"Pipe down will ya?" Martha interjected, looking around to make sure they were not being watched. "Shit. Alright now. Look, we're not gonna abandon them, right? We're gonna fight with them. All I'm saying is that if things get too rocky we'll split."

"And how do you suppose we do that." Said the deep, sonorous voice of Dyce, the only other Lasombra in the pack besides Bob. He wore a long, black trench coat with blue jeans and large, brown boots. His shoulder-length, shaggy grey hair, his small, circle-rimmed shades and the large Knights Templar sword strapped to his back made him seem anything from scary to silly. "After all, we did just perform the Vaulderie with them. We will be hard pressed to go against them."