Anarameha

Chapter 12

Ana had barely made it through the kitchen before Garlet called out for her again. The scent of the meals coming out of the chambers made Ana hungry. She glanced at a few of the dishes as they were taken out to the dining hall. Her mouth watered, thinking about how delicious they smelled. Ana wondered if she was wrong to refuse a meal when Garlet offered.

Garlet walked through the room that was home to a series of storage cupboards and capsule chambers, stopping in front of her. He glanced around, giving a stern glare to a couple of his employees that looked in their direction. They quickly turned back to what they were doing.

Leaning in, Garlet hoped his voice was low enough.

"There is someone that I know that could help you with your leech problem. I trust him with my life. You have my word."

For Garlet to say that it meant that whoever this person was, he was a solid connection that she could use without fear. There were a few in this city that she could seek help with, but those connected with Garlet were trustworthy. No one dared go against him. No one survived if they did.

"I offer this because a removal might be necessary. If she figures it out, the truth about you could be leaked to the media, and once that happens, it will go citywide. Running will not be an option for you. Hiding won't be much better. You're better off to deal with the issue before something happens."

Ana didn't know if she could take that path. Ordering a hit on someone was a dark move, in her opinion. Was she the kind of person that could end someone else's life? If it meant that she would survive and continue hiding from the militia, Ana might not have a choice.

"He's not cheap, but the bonus is that he's a credits in the hand kind of guy. No wires accepted."

Garlet couldn't figure out which way Ana was leaning, and usually, he could. There was something else here that was plaguing her mind, something that he hadn't been made aware of or accounted for.

"Think about it seriously. If you want to go ahead, let me know, and I'll arrange a meeting. You don't need to worry about the cops. He's never had any issues, ever."

Ana nodded, not surprised at all. She was positive that Garlet had the cops in his pocket. It's one of the reasons that she never really feared getting caught. He'd be her one call, and once that happened, everything would be fine, and she'd be walking out the front door a free woman.

That is until they connected the pieces and figured out the truth about the person in front of them. Ana vowed to never give them that moment.

With a brief smile, she offered her gratitude. Ana also said that she was going to lay low for a while. Garlet accepted it and promised that when she was ready, to stop in. There was always a stack of places that she could knock over, anytime she wanted to.

As he watched Ana walk out of his restaurant, Garlet vowed to keep an ear to the ground. He'd squash anything chatter about Ana's true identity. She was one of his protected, one of his trusted colleagues that he would go above and beyond for.

It wasn't always wise to antagonise a vampire, but Garlet would happily rip open their world. This one vampire was going to cause a rift in their peace treaty.

Garlet walked to the door where his guard was waiting. Together they watched Ana slip into the darkness and out of sight.

"It could start a war."

"It could," Garlet lamented. "But with who exactly? The vampires or the militia?"

A new figure appeared, rushing towards them.

"Well?" Garlet demanded.

"Her name is Marama Legelen, and she's from the coven located in west thirty-nine, ten."

In his mind, Garlet hummed. Of all the covens for this one to be a member of. The leader of west thirty-nine, ten was Bran Malekeni, a dark and twisted vampire who Garlet also happened to have under his thumb. He would be easy to control, and Garlet would ensure that this woman would be silenced.

"And the connection with Ana?"

"Marama has been assigned to a male named Jiro Arcale. Ana and Jiro have apparently become friends, and Marama did not like that."

Garlet found it mildly amusing. The fact that the vampire had become jealous of Ana was not surprising. Ana was a rare kind of beauty. He also figured that the other vampire, the male, was probably more invested in this than just a friendship. If Ana had figured that out, though, that was unknown.

Garlet wondered if this was why Ana was distracted. She knew that this Marama was a problem, and clearly, the friendship with Jiro was too.

"Thirty-nine was the ring layer, you say?"

"Yes."

"Interesting."

That was not close to where Ana lived, but it was reasonably close to the last place that she'd broken into. He wondered if they were connected somehow.

"Of all the sixty ring layers, she meets a vampire that's assigned to someone who is so jealous she's prepared to make her fall."

Garlet sighed as he leaned on the door frame.

"Go to the clan leader and tell him that I require a meeting tonight. He can come here to prove how urgent this is."

Because no vampire would waste a second when each and every one of them was precious.

"At once."

The man nodded and turned, rushing out of the loading dock.

"Will the leader comply?" the guard asked.

"If he's a wise vampire, then he will. If he doesn't, I'll make sure that he remembers the treaty and his obligations. Make sure he and any cronies he might bring are thoroughly checked."

The guard nodded, and Garlet returned to his private dining room. How this would end would be anybody's guess, but he hoped it would be an amicable agreement that ensured Ana would remain safe.