Missing Vampire: Reward Available (Hypernaturals 6)

IR Blobs

"The satellite scans of the area are clear. No Vans nearby. The standard mix of automobiles and two-wheelers in the parking area in front of the building. Nothing in the rear area. Nothing on the ridges. No IR bodies big enough to be humans. IR signatures through the roof look like around one hundred individuals. Counting everyone in the hall and the kitchen. Three on the front porch." Renee reported.

"Smoking area." Morgan told her.

Renee held up the computer screen. Watched orange blobs move around. "Makes sense."

"May I watch your show for a few moments?" Morgan asked.

"Sure." Renee handed the computer back from where she sat in the front passenger seat to Morgan. For a few moments, Morgan traced individual blobs about with the tip of her finger. Then she said "Two cooks in the kitchen. Male, I am guessing from the size. One bartender. Five waitstaff that deliver food and drinks to the tables. Female, again based off size."

Morgan angled the screen to Vera, sitting next to her in the middle row. "Over to the left, as we enter the Hall from the front doors, next to this window, is a table of women. Six. I am guessing this is who you should reach out to."

Vera nodded, but asked: "Why do you think that, brainy?"

Morgan took her on a blob tour. "These bigger blobs are likely to be men. You know how Siren men are as a group. Big. Brawny. These bright spots in the kitchen are not people, but the grill. The smaller figures are therefore women. I cannot tell if they are human or Siren of course. These five figures move from the serving passthrough to the kitchen to table to the bar to tables, back and forth. This one particular female moves back and forth along the line of the bar. She often meets one or more of the five moving figures at this one location on the bar. Therefore Bartender. These tables along here are all men, and these tables over here are mixed groups of men and women. They are nearer the stage so I assume this grouping to be male Sirens with human female dates. This isolates the pure Siren areas from the mixed Siren/Human area. Just as the Sirens do at 'The Firehouse'. When we enter, we'll need to pay particular attention to ensure that no humans are able to hear our conversation. Only this one table I showed you are all women. They move only slightly about, and appear to lean forward when no one is close, and back whenever waitstaff is near. I surmise they are having a conversation they do not wish to be overheard. From that I assume Senior women talking business, therefore your sisters, therefore who you should connect with."

Vera nodded along as Morgan explained her thinking. "Got it. Told you that you are brainy." She said. "When we go in, I'll head to the left."

"With a Crew member, just in case." Morgan told her.

"I can handle my sisters." Vera sounded irritated.

"Nonetheless Vera, you shall have coverage. This is not optional. You are a Siren woman in a possibly hostile environment." Morgan told her. 

Morgan rotated to me, in the third row. "If these mixed tables are humans as I assume, then it is as you and I discussed last night: If the Head of Hall is near them, fixed at a table the way Larry likes to be, you shall need to have the Sirens or us take them outside during the conversation if they are within hearing range of the head of Hall male and the head of Hall will not relocate to a more private place. At the very least you must move your conversation into the area over here that is all Sirens."

Morgan whirled a finger over the screen and its blobs.

Pillow talk when you are married to a PI. How to deal with operational eventualities.

Morgan handed the screen back to Renee, who looked at it with her mouth pulled to one side. "I knew these bright spots were the grill." She said, tapping.

"If you had been in a Siren Hall as often as I, you would have known the other things." Morgan assured her.

"Where do you want me?" Angel asked, from the other side of Vera in the middle row.

"I am not sure from looking at the display which individual is the equivalent Male to Larry yet. I want you in line of sight to them. I want an early warning if anything goes wrong, and you read people better than anyone. Stay next to me, because as soon as we suss out the Larry equivalent, that is where Adrian will be headed, and I will be on his flank."

"So I flank your flank." Angel said.

"Essentially, yes."

Liann asked Renee "Why are we here?" in a conversational way.

Morgan took the question seriously. "Adrian speaks Spanish, French, and English well. Some basic German but insufficient to have a conversation of the sort he needs to. We need you to not only stay close in for possible action in case of hostilities but also translation."

"Oh. Well. As long as we are needed then." Renee snarked.

"Do you have a better plan than hers?" Helen asked mildly.

"No. Damn it." Renee replied. "I am not used to Euro Ops being run by outsiders."

"We are not trying to usurp you." Morgan said.

"Renee: I will wait on the porch until you tell me what to do if you like." I offered.

"Just because I am not used to outside-of-Crew operational planning does not mean I do not recognize a good approach when I hear it. Morgan knew what all the IR signals already were. Not me." Renee backpedaled. She waved the computer. "Now that I know what they are, I agree. The NorthAm Crew is arrayed behind us for double coverage, except for whichever goes over with Vera to that table. We'll have a three-sixty view of the Sirens, and we will be able to make sure the humans are isolated.  Taken them outdoors for some fresh air, if that is required."

"You all ready to roll on this?" Liann asked.

"Ready when you are." I said.

We had parked our van and the sedan with the NorthAm Crew up the road on a scenic overlook area. A convenient place to scout from the sky before we went in. The military has no idea we are tapped into their assets. Renee called back to the NorthAm car and gave them the plan.

"Understood. We'll have your back. Anne will accompany Vera." Came Denise's voice. I thought that a solid choice. Not only because Anne is outstanding, but because she, of the four, most resembles a female Siren. Same color hair. About the same height as Vera. Not quite the succubus-light body shape, but close enough to be within the range of variability we have observed at 'The Firehouse'.

Liann put us in gear and we headed up the road to the Hall.

We arrived early enough in the evening that we are before any singing has started. That is part of the plan, but we had no assurance that the Bulgarian Hall ran their 'open mike' nights the way 'The Firehouse' does if they even call them that here. The constants I have observed so far of a Siren are stages, singing, and seductions. 

There happened to be two adjacent parking openings under the tree that used to have the front parking area camera in it. A quick IR glance assured it is not mounted up there now, but we are not expected by Sirens or the HPA either. We trudged as a group across the lot, and Vera asked a good question "What if I need a translator too? I only speak English and a little Spanish, and it's the Mexican kind of Spanish, and it's mostly curse words. I doubt I should be calling my sisters 'brother fuckers' in Spanish."

"Hmmm. A problem. I shall have to accompany you as well then." Liann said. "English is widely spoken in this country. About one-quarter of Bulgarians speak it conversationally. We may get lucky. There are six women seated at the target table. Chances are that one or two know English."