11: The Suit

A dark revelation is uncovered.

Zack notices the light from a flashlight in the next room. He's in the pitch-black building in the botanical garden. Of course, he's here to make sure the human law does not get to look too deep into the massacre the Hierophant of the Epitaph Order committed here in her lair.

Zack looks around for a hiding spot immediately, then tries to peek and listen as best as he can.

Action: Hide and Seek
Dexterity 6
2, 8: Weak, +2F, -1S

Harm 4 | Stress 3 | Blood 4 | Focus +7

Zack relies on body control to reach the wall and hug it, giving him less of a chance to step on a creaky wooden plank. He doesn't need to breathe, so that helps too. He listens to the best of his ability. He can't believe he was so careless going in!

A female voice is speaking, just one, and so she's either talking to herself or speaking into her phone. The tone is even, cool and professional.

Oracle
What is she talking about?
14, 32, 49: Deceive, Devious, Fear

"Bodies aren't here anymore... Yes. The blood too. They moved quickly. We were lucky to get the tip at all."

Zack blinks, surprised. Strange. He keeps listening as the woman begins pacing the room she's in.

"Positive. Alright, I'm sending you the photos. Tell the janitor that it was a false alarm, the junkies weren't here. Say he probably didn't notice them leaving... Yes, that will do."

There's a bit of a pause. Then a sigh.

"Seems like it. I'm leaving with the lab samples." A snort. "Leave me a slice."

The sound of objects being picked up is followed by that of retreating footsteps. Zack is paralyzed by revelation. Humans, organized humans, being aware of the Facade! He cannot imagine anything more dangerous for vampirism.

He has to do something. He decides to follow this person from afar and try to gather any information he can.

Face Danger
Intellect 7
4, 1: Strong, +1F

He follows. He follows at a distance and takes pictures of the woman with his phone. Outside and a couple dozen feet from the botanical garden building, he checks the car she gets into -a black sedan of course- and her license plates. All unseen it would seem, which suits him fine. She drives away and Zack is left with his own tormented thoughts.

... and the fire. The fire he started by knocking a trash bin with a lit cigarette a couple minutes before. The sound of firefighters approaching shakes him out of his worries. Time to make a clean exit and report back to Pen.

Action: Escape
Dexterity 6
5, 7: Weak, +1F, -1F, +1S

Harm 4 | Stress 4 | Blood 4 | Focus +8

"And then there was a fire. Suspiciously timely if you ask me." he explains obliviously to his progenitor, back at her house, sitting across from her.

"Hm." hums Pen, looking at the back of her liver-spotted hands. Shu is gone by now. She sighs and looks up at him wearily. "There is something you must know, Child."
"Yeah." Zack replies, starting to get annoyed. "Yeah I think there is."

"There is a conspiracy." Pen begins after a pause, pushing a lock of white hair behind her ear. "A human organization that has existed for decades. It operates through national government agencies, fully aware of us and our curse. They keep themselves hidden and watchful, but every now and then they make moves. And we do not know their aims."

Zack covers his mouth with his fingertips, leaning back, horrified and awed.
"No way. And they haven't come for us yet?"
"They have not." Pen confirms with a slow nod, looking serious and uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "The higher circles of us Cassandrans have long theorised as to this. We suspect scientific curiosity, stability concerns, religious or corporate interests. They may dream of using our curse, or controlling us."
"And... but... why are they here? In the city? In this case?" asks a worried and confused Zack.
"Because" Pen says with a huff, "they know the Hierophant's lair was there. They are onto us."