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Chapter 1 - Dominus
As the glass door hissed closed on it’s hydraulics behind him, Gideon surveyed the place before him. The office building reminded him more of an ancient palace then a place of business. Past the enormous glass doors was a lobby containing marble pillars, a vaulted ceiling, and a floor polished to the point where it reflected everything above back down below. The hallway like lobby extended for at least two hundred feet straight through the building. At the far wall form the entrance were three bronze plated double doors that obviously served to lead any guests to the elevators that would carry them to whatever floor their business needed to be conducted on. The dozens of pillars on either side of the lobby were constructed of the same black marble with white swirls as the floor and capped with a bronze piece at the base and the top. The security desk was only a dozen feet from the door and barriers prevented you from entering further into the room until you passed a metal detector. From a purely architectural sense, it was amazing. Gideon would have actually been impressed with it, if it were not strictly on business.
The sun had set four hours ago, but security staff still guarded the structure as if it was broad day light out. Each one took their turn studying the lone figure that had entered the building before casting a knowing glance back at each other. Given the man’s attire and the fact that he was arriving at the complex at just past midnight could only mean one thing.
Gideon’s attire was an eerie combination of formal and sinister. He carried the appearance of a mafia enforcer rolled into a high priced lawyer. His suit was perfectly pressed and obsidian black. Where a fine pair of dress shoes should have been, instead the security officials noticed a finely polished pair of combat boots. His slacks were obviously expensive and well tailored and held firmly about his waist by a 1 inch black leather belt. Perfectly pressed and tucked neatly into his pants was a pure white dress shirt. His tie was a thin black style that is popular in movies about secret government agents. His suit jacket was as black as his tie and pants and left unbuttoned to move lightly with him. The final cue to the security staff that this figure was here for very specific business was his sunglasses: oval framed and just as expensive as the rest of his outfit. Ordinarily they simply would have been tasteful protection from the sun… but it was after midnight.
One of the two security agents rose to greet him and nodded slightly, “Welcome to Vasser Corporation, how can I help you, sir?”
Gideon turned his attention to the man, he had previously ignored him completely, opting to take in the sites of the building instead. He simply pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. His voice was soft, but harsh and commanding. Neither of the two men before him could determine the origin of his accent, “I have an appointment with Miss Vasser.”
“Of course sir,” the man nodded politely with a fake smile and motioned for him to pass through the metal detector.
Gideon took several steps forward and passed effortlessly through the machine. It beeped at him mercilessly and he curled his lip slightly as it did. He felt a sudden touch against his person and moved with reflexes that would shame a feline. A single, firm hand wrapped itself around the security guards throat and squeezed until he could just barely feel the flesh begin to truly give way. The other two guards threw their chairs back rising and drew their weapons. Gideon simply snarled in a sound that was unmistakably inhuman.
In a desperate attempt to keep the situation from turning into a blood bath as well as staving off the political fallout, the immobilized security officer waved a hand at his two partners while holding up the other one in a peaceful gesture. His crushed larynx squawked out a pathetic sound, “I apologize sir, I shouldn’t have touched you but no weapons are permitted on the property.”
For a moment Gideon considered the situation. He could simply eliminate all three of these men in an instant, leave the building and report to his boss that the endeavor was met with impoliteness and move on. His hand released instead when he realized the ramifications that such an action might have. He sighed slightly as he considered why he was chosen for yet another diplomatic assignment. Those were distinctly not his forte.
Instead of enacting a massacre that he was certain only he would walk away from, however, Gideon removed his jacket and carefully folded it on the security station. What the three security guards saw beneath caused their jaws to drop. He carried no less then three firearms, two knifes and a foldout baton under his formal attire. While the stunned men watch he began to disarm himself. From a shoulder holster he removed a Glock 18c automatic pistol, notorious for being able to spray ammunition out of a gun no bigger then an ordinary 9mm pistol. Behind his back were seated two identical Mark 23 .45 caliber hand guns, most often used by Navy Seals and other Special Forces groups. Each one was mounted with a laser sight for ease of accuracy. He simultaneously removed both knifes from the same shoulder holster that his Glock had been located on. The first knife was a Gerber Mark II combat knife and the other, the very popular Marine Ka-bar. Gideon simply smiled a fiendish grin as he placed them on the security station and leaned into the nearest security guard.
“My kind is rather resistant to firearms. Bladed weapons are almost a necessity…” The officer was only capable of nodding slightly while he attempted, unsuccessfully, to reattach his jaw to his head. Finally Gideon placed the baton on the table besides the rest of his weapons and smirked slightly, “Does that suffice?”
The security guard nodded once more in awe and Gideon gathered up his jacket. His shoes click firmly against the highly polished floor as he pulled it back on and neatened his tie.
The elevators were equally as impressive as the main
lobby. It turned out the structure
extended dozens of floors both above and below the ground level of the
lobby. It totaled 130 stores total, 97
of which are above ground. That made it
the largest structure in all the city of
Each floor of the building was left open to the shaft,
being separated from the view by only a single brass bar that served as a
railing. This offered an impressive view
of glass and metal all the way up and down the complex. The edges of each floor were decorated in
magnificent hanging plants, art work and marble pillars similar to the
lobbies. This provided an almost Hanging
Garden of
For several moments, Gideon allowed himself to witness the breath taking view with his hands clasped neatly behind his back. All too soon, however, the ding of the elevator signaled its arrival on the top floor of the complex and he turned to face the opening doors. Beyond them he found six men waiting at attention. Each one was outfitted entirely in black SWAT style combat gear and armed with an automatic weapon of choice. All of their faces were concealed behind balaclavas and their heads protected by Kevlar helmets.
Gideon smirked for a moment and tilted his head to the side for a moment, “All this for me?” he paused and raised his chin with a hint of pride, “Am I perceived as this dangerous?”
The security member who was obviously the spokes person cleared his throat slightly and stammered, “Um… yes sir.”
Gideon smirked again and nodded, “Excellent… I have no ill intentions. Proceed.” Gideon entered into the middle of them and paused only a moment to lean into the first man, “But, if you have ill intentions towards me… you die first.”
The other man swallowed hard and nodded slightly, waving a hand in the air he shouted in an attempt to regain his confidence, “Move out!”
Gideon studied the environment of the building as he was escorted. Every floor was identical in the beginning. The floor was a ring carpeted in a fine red shade that circled the amazingly long drop to the very base of the building. Each floor also had a brass railing that prevented unwanted spills down the shaft. Every floor could practically be seen from every other save for a single spot across the way from where Gideon was that looked like black glass. Four sets of three elevators were located on the ring in exact opposite corners. All offices, housing quarters, meeting rooms and various other aspects of the building branched off from these central rings. Gideon had to admit silently to himself that it was an impressive structure.
The SWAT detachment led him around the ring and down several hallways until he found himself in an equally impressive waiting room. The carpet remained the same shade of red and the furniture was fine brown leather. Without even being offered, Gideon immediately took a seat in one of the chairs and leaned back slightly.
“Wait here, sir,” the security officer nodded and his team exited the room quickly, the large double doors closing behind him and the sound of automatic locks clicking. Whatever makes them feel safer, he mused to himself as he prepared to wait.
It was only a few minutes before he heard the other door to the waiting room begin to rustle. This one was large and wooden as well as far more ornately carved and with all brass fittings. The moment the door began to rustle, Gideon rose to his feet and folded his hands behind his back. The woman that exited from the room beyond, however, was not what he expected at all.
To even call her a woman would have been perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. The girl looked perhaps 15 and maybe 16 years of age. However stunning the site of a beautiful young girl in this building was, her attire was even more shocking. Her hair was a shade of red that could have only come from a bottle. It looked like an amazingly vibrant red toned down only slightly by the color of blood. It was parted directly in the center of her head to frame her face and cropped to hang just far enough to brush lightly against her shoulders as she moved her head. Any movement of her head however, would have been seriously hampered by a sever black leather collar that encircled her throat. It was thick and shaped in such a way as to force her head to remain in an upright, formal posture. A single silver ring hung from the front for whatever devious purposes someone could imagine and it clasped in the back with a locking buckle. Her top was only a leather corset that began below her bust line. Rather then conceal her small, but firm breasts only functioned to hold them up on display instead. Each tiny pink nipple had a silver captive ring drilled through it. The garment buckled in the back and each strap was secured with a tiny silver padlock, making it impossible for the girl to remove it on her own. Her bottom was a laughably short, pleated black leather skirt that only managed to completely cover both her front and back when she stood perfectly still and absolutely upright. Her arms up to the shoulders and her legs up to her thighs were encased in black latex that hugged her skin fiercely and further added to the fetish attire. Over top of those her wrists and ankles were locked into leather cuffs which each held a ring so that the girl could be strapped or chained in anyway someone saw fit. Finally, a pair of impossibly high heals covered her feet which the young girl managed to move efficiently and effortlessly in, as if she had undergone considerable training. Her face was young and stunning. Each of her ears was pierced with a single silver ring, as was the bottom center of her darkly painted crimson lips.
Her mouth carried a practiced and formal smile, as if despite her attire and obvious position in life, she was used to playing the good corporate hostess. Gideon had wondered when Vasser’s notorious lifestyle would become apparent; this girl was the first evidence. Gideon had spent years learning to read opponents on a battle field and had since adapted that talent to social situations. He knew that despite her effortless and practiced smile, there was sadness in this girl’s eyes. However, her happiness or sadness was not his concern.
She bowed as best she could in her attire with her hands behind her back and spoke in flawless English, though her French accent was undeniable, “Welcome to Vasser Corporation, Dominus. I apologize for the wait. I am Collette Reynard, but you may call me what you wish.”
The term Dominus sealed the deal as to what this girl
actually was. Gideon’s kind had first arisen
in the world during the height of the
“It was no wait, Ancilla,” Gideon responded with a polite nod and choosing to use the traditional Latin address to a servant girl. It was less derogatory then what many of his kind called the poor wretches that choose, or were forced, to serve, but still signified her place compared to his.
She nodded slightly and turned on her heal effortlessly leading Gideon into the office behind her with a simple motion, “Domina,” she announced upon entering the room and bowing, “the emissary has arrived.”
The office was lavish and served as the meeting place for all of Annette Mirielle Vasser’s personal and private business. The floors returned to the same black and white marble as the lobby and the large columns made of the same stone also lined the room. These however, were decorated with life sized relief status of men and women in various states of bondage and nudity, most made to look as if they were chained the pillars themselves. It was yet another sign of Vasser’s notorious passions and sadism. A huge desk sat at the opposing end of the spacious room. Behind the desk was a massive window that over looked the shaft that descended through the stories of the building. On further inspection, they appeared to be tined so that it was impossible to see in from the other side. This must have been the location that he’d starred at as he made his way through the building with the security detail.
Behind the desk sat and elegant looking woman that appeared no older then 25 or 26. Her long black hair was tied up neatly at the back of her head and held off her neck. Her attire was no all that dissimilar from Collette’s. However, her collar was much less strict and function and far more elegant and form. As well, her corset covered her entire chest and was embossed with a design rather then the simple one her servant wore. The skirt was not the humiliating mockery of a school girl skirt that Collette wore either. It went well past her knees and was slit slightly on either side, although it too was made of soft, black leather. Her heals were not as strict either and her gloves, though as high and black, were made of the same soft leather as her skirt instead of latex like Collette’s.
She motioned to a soft leather chair opposite her desk and then watched with a careful eye as Collette took up the position she had been trained to during these meetings. Gideon slipped himself effortlessly into the chair and folded his hands in his lap while he let one eye watch Collette kneel off to the side slightly. Her back was even more ridged then her corset would enforce and her knees were splayed ever so slightly. She didn’t quite reveal what was beneath her skirt, but she was mere millimeters from doing so. Vasser picked up a silver padlock from her desk and tossed it to the waiting girl, who expectantly caught it and folded her hands behind her back. A quiet click told Gideon that her arms were now firmly secured at her back. Her attention then focused on a point off in space and she became completely motionless, as if she was a statue.
Gideon studied her for a moment and then turned his attention to Vasser, “You feel the need to bind simple humans in your presence?”
Vasser chuckled slightly and shrugged, “No. But I like them to know they are mine and devoid of their own rights. Is that not correct pet?”
Collette didn’t even look at the pair, she simply spoke firmly, but submissively, “Yes, Domina.”
Vasser smirked and looked back to Gideon, “Now… onto business. You are the emissary, Gideon, correct?”
“That is what I am called,” He said simply offering up nothing else.
“Do you have a last name, sir?” Vasser continued to do the polite dance of business conversation.
Gideon was far less familiar with this kind of meeting and he continued to respond simply and as politely as he could, “I do.”
Vasser smiled a little more, “And it is…?”
Gideon’s intense stair did not leave Vasser’s eyes as he set about the task of reading her. He had to confess however, that he was slightly out of his element when it came to her. Her social abilities definitely outmatched his, “No one’s business but my own.”
Vasser’s smile disappeared for only a split second as she recovered from this slight, “I see then, Mr. Gideon…”
“Gideon is fine,” Gideon interrupted slightly.
“I see then Gideon…” she stammered again as he cut her off. It was only a second before she caught her balance again however and smile, folding her own hands and leaning back, “Gideon… that is a Hebrew name is it not? Are you a Jew?”
Gideon smirked for only a moment and raised a brow slightly, “My mother was of the Hebrew people,” he stated simply, however leaving the implication that by Jewish laws that in turn made him a Jew as well.
“And your father?” she continued to pursue her polite small talk.
“Half Greek, half Romanian,” his curt responses continued.
“Ah!” Vasser announced with a wide smile, “And thus the
lineage traces to your House. I
see. I was wonder how a descendant of
your line came so far as to be in the
“Which is?” Gideon questioned with a slightly upturned brow.
“You emerged in the region of Judea and Palestine in the 16th century from seemingly no where, though you quickly became a warrior of some note,” she smirked slightly knowing full well that was quite the understatement, “You descend from the House of Tepes, though you bear little physical resemblances to the traditional appearance of those of your House and age. You made a name for yourself serving as a hired warrior to various family members of your House, but the modern era has seen little usage for one with your talents.”
“You have done your research,” Gideon replied calmly.
“I always look into those I allow in this building. I wonder, have you done your research on me?”
Gideon smiled a vicious little smile for a moment and nodded slightly, “You are Annette Mirielle Vasser: a name which I find ironic at best given that the name Annette is a French name meaning gracious and merciful and your reputation is one of slaking your own lust on both sexes in what most would regard as perverted, sadistic and depraved manors. You take what you want in both the material world and from people, being they willing participants in your games or not. To the best of my research you cropped up in the early 19th Century or perhaps the tail end of the 18th Century. However, given your notorious lineage to the House of De Sade you cannot possibly be older then two hundred and twenty at best. You are considered quite pure in lineage among your House which means you are either the direct descendant of the Marquis himself or his grand child. The earliest records of your activities begin in the early 19th Century around the area of Toulouse where you reportedly attacked, raped and murdered the entire gathering of a small wedding… of course, those events are attributed to the stress of being of such potent lineage and so young. I’m certain many such stories about me circulate as well.
“After the events of
“Though, I only briefly glanced over the file.”
Vasser clicked her tongue and smirked slightly, “I see you do your homework, sir.”
“I am a soldier, Ms. Vasser. I am taught to go into battle prepared.”
“
Gideon pursed his lips slightly and leaned back, “Everything is battle in one form or another, Ms. Vasser. Now, perhaps we could get to the matter at hand…”
Vasser smirked a little and titled her head to the side, “You said, ‘most would regard as perverted, sadistic and depraved’. What about you, sir?”
Gideon paused for a moment a shot a single brow up, “Me?”
“Yes,” Vasser licked her lips slightly, “What do you consider of my personal affairs?”
Gideon formulated his response for a second as he starred into space, “I have no opinion about how you do or do not treat your servants, nor do I have an opinion about what sexual activities you do or do not engage in. That is not why I am here.”
Vasser smirked slightly, “Yes… you are here because your Master has sent his best weapon to feel me out and see if my offer is valid or if more hostile action is necessary.”
Gideon’s hair stood up on the back of his neck and his hissed softly, the very tips of his fangs exposed beyond his lips, “My employer has sent me here to negotiate a deal that you wish to arrange with him. Perhaps we could get to it now.”
“Your employer sent you because you are an assassin and warrior. If my deal is displeasing to him you are here to eliminate me. Let us not play games with each other, Gideon.”
Gideon could not deny that that was within the bounds of his orders. If Vasser proposed something that would be outside the bounds of prudent Vampiric society, Gideon was to eliminate her to make his employer’s family well regarded in the Council’s eyes. But that was neither here nor there yet, “Perhaps we could get to business then?”
“No,” Vasser stated simply, “I haven’t had time to decide if I want to conduct business with you or yet. Why don’t you stay for a few nights? Have dinner with me, socialize. I will decide if we can talk business.”
Gideon sneered slightly. The House of De Sade has always had an annoying method of conducting business, “I’m afraid that is not in my plans. If we could proceed…”
“I would ask your… employer if I were you, sir,” Vasser stated simply she once again jabbed at him and his employer’s relationship.
Gideon frowned slightly, knowing already what he would
say. None the less, he reached into his
coat ad removed a phone from his pocket.
After only a moment later he was explaining the situation to whoever was
on the other end. There was a long delay
afterwards as Gideon listened. His free
hand reached up to scratch the back of his neck in an irritated manor and he
nodded to nobody in particular, “Yes sir.
I understand. I will do that sir,
you can count on me.” He clicked the
phone closed and slipped it back into his pocket. Vasser smiled at him expectantly, “He has
said that I should do what you request to please you and make the negotiations
go more smoothly. Therefore I am not
expected back to
“Excellent!” Vasser exclaimed like a giddy school girl and depressed a button on her phone, “Jessica… have the staff prepare our finest suite for our guest here, will you?”
The voice on the other end of the phone stammered back slightly, “Um… Ms. Vasser… Mr. Jenson is currently located in that suite…”
“Then move him,” Vasser commanded in a harsh tone.
“Yes, Ms. Vasser… we will see to it immediately. Everything will be ready by the time he arrives.”
“Excellent,” Vasser responded and then lifted her finger off the button.
She noticed that for the moment, Gideon’s eye had drifted to her Collette. She smirked slightly and for several moments silently watched him watching her. For her part, Collette was aware that the man’s eyes were on her body, but she did as she was taught and didn’t even flinch a muscle. After several minutes, Vasser finally cleared her throat to regain Gideon’s attention.
“You seem enamored by my Collette… perhaps she can… keep you company for the remainder of this evening?”
Gideon glanced at the girl for a moment and then turned back to Vasser, “I am paid to study everything about a situation to make the best judgments. This is no different and this is not a pleasure visit. I would instead like to retire to my room now.”
Vasser nodded slightly with a slight frown and motioned towards the door as the security detachment returned, “They will show you the way. I would ask that you remain on the first through third floors during your stay however.”
Gideon simply nodded and rose to his feet. His eyes fell on the young girl one more time involuntarily before he turned to exit the room however. Vasser caught the eyes of her charge darting towards Gideon for only a single moment and the moment he had left the office she cleared her throat.
“So, I see we are intrigued by him as much as he is intrigued by you, yes?”
Collette responded quickly, attempting to avoid punishment as swiftly as possible, “I apologize, Domina. It will not happen again, Domina.”
“On the contrary,” Vasser smirked slightly, “The security staff is taking him the long way. Hurry to his suite. I want you to keep him company this evening, despite what he says. Please him in any way that you are capable of that he desires, but find out what you can about him. I expect a wealth of information or I’ll hang you buy your tits for a month. You, my dear girl, will help me get to him.”
Collette rose to her feed and bowed slightly, “Of course, Domina.”
The girl was used to being whored out to better entrap the business partners of her Mistress. This was probably one of the less revolting of her targets. She exited through another door in the office that was concealed behind some elegant stone work. Without the use of her hand still, it opened automatically when Vasser depressed one of a hundred buttons on her desk.
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