CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The strong wind blew against the curtain. It went backwards and then collapsed again. Norman kept watching its movement. His mind was far away but the continues movement of the curtain helped guided his thoughts. His was waiting for news from one of his men. Things were really not going as he had planned it to be. This past few days had been really a troubled one for him. However, he needed to keep himself busy with something and he knew exactly what he needed.

He heard a knock on the door. "Come in" he said. A man came in. He was fairly taller than Norman and had more body build. He took off his dark glass which he had on when he came in.

"Do you have news for me?" Norman asked. "Yes sir", the man replied." We checked all the security cameras to see if they could get a match of the car the man and the woman entered. None of the tapes could show us a clear image but one however did get a glimpse."

"Show me" Norman ordered and the man brought out a picture from his bag. The picture contained a black and white image of a vehicle. It couldn't get the whole vehicle but it caught the back of the vehicle.

"Is this all the camera could get?" Norman asked. " Yes sir" the man replied. Norman stared closer at the vehicle to see if he could get a clearer view of the vehicle plate number. It wasn't very clear as the car was in motion but he could see the first three words. He was thoughtful for a while.

"What are we gonna do?" The man asked. " I got the first three words of the plate number" Norman replied, "but it isn't enough. I need the complete plate number."

"Why can't we just go to the traffick control office and check the streetcams for this vehicle and its last location" the man suggested. " I thought about that" Norman said, " its going to take a lot of time besides there are so many vehicles of that category on the street we won't know which one is the vehicle we want." The man nodded his head in agreement. Norman was right.

"What we need to do is find the complete plate number of that vehicle then take it to traffick control and there run a scan on that plate number to see the last place a vehicle with that plate number was found." The man nodded his head again glancing at Norman. "Can I ask you a question sir?" He asked.

"Go on", Norman answered. " Why do you desperately want to find that man?" "To make him pay" Norman replied, " that fool came to my company and made a fool out of me. I don't forgive that. Besides, I have questions that I need answers to and he looks like someone I can get answers from. ". The man didn't budge further and retreated backwards bowing.

"Prepare my car", Norman said, " we're going hunting.I must find that man today." The man went through the door and went into a car and ignited the engine. It was a Mercedes Maybach. Norman walked into the back seat and closed the door enjoying the comfort and luxury the car had to offer.

"Where to?" The man asked. Norman wrote the address in his phone and texted it to the man's phone. The man picked his phone and checked it out. He nodded his head at Norman to show he knew the address and zoomed off with the car.

Norman took his time in the car to calculate all his moves and also what he'll do if he find the man. After some hours of driving the car finally came to a halt. Norman alighted from the car as the other man did the same. The place looked like an office. More like automobile repair store though built like an office. It was about three floors. Norman walked in as the other man followed behind him.

"What can I do for you?" A young man greeted them at the entrance. "I'll like to see your manager", Norman demanded staring deep into the man's eye. "Sure thing" the man replied without obliging completely hazed by Norman's compulsion.

He led them through the stairs towards a particular segment of the building. He knocked at the door." Come in" a voice answered. The man signalled them to wait outside. Norman could hear him talking with the manager. "Some people are here to see you" he said to the manager." Well let them in", the manager replied.

The man came out. "You can come in" he said and both Norman and his man went into the room. The man closed the door when they went in behind them and went back to his work.

"What can I do for you?" The manager asked as soon as both Norman and his man sat down on the two chairs opposite him across his desk. Norman smiled at him," I'm here to seek for your help in finding the complete plate number of a vehicle. I only have the first three digits and urgently need the rest."

The manager looked at both of them in surprise. "Why the hell do you think I can help?" He asked. "Because you're the most famous place around here where people get their plate numbers" Norman replied. "Besides I saw the design of that vehicle's plate number and you're the only one who makes such designs".

"You must be really observant to notice my little additions to my plate numbers" the manager said looking somewhat proud. "But do you guys have some sort of permit or something because normally I can't just disclose information like that to strangers. "

Norman stood up immediately and gazed into his eyes not breaking the eye contact. "You saw us with the permit and you'll help us and immediately we leave that door you'll forget we ever came and it'll be like you never saw us. " The man kept gazing into Norman's eyes as he spoke.

"Give me the three digits you saw" , he said , "I'll check it for you guys. ". Norman gave a satisfactory smile. He brought out the picture from his pocket and gave the man. The man stared at it for some seconds then he looked at his monitor placed in front of him and punched some keys on the keyboard. Norman and his man waited patiently as he scan through his monitor constantly glancing at the picture he held. After some time he stopped." I have it" he announced and turned the monitor towards Norman.

Norman signalled at his man and the man brought out a pen and a paper from his pocket and jotted down the plate number. When he was done he signalled to Norman that he had written it. Norman stood up from his seat. He took a good look at the man and walked out of the door with his man following behind him. As soon as they closed the door behind them the manager continued his working. He appeared to look confused as he seemed to have lost track of time and wondered what had happened that he couldn't account for what he was doing in the last ten to fifteen minutes.

Norman and his man walked out of the place. "Have a nice day sir" the man who brought them in said as soon as he spotted them. "And you too" Norman replied, " and one more thing" he quickly added moving closer to the man. The man looked at him.

"You never saw me",Norman said. He broke eye contact with the man and continued his way. The man appeared confused and turned around trying to figure out the blank in his head over a particular period of time. Norman walked to the car. "You know where to" he said to his man and the man nodded as he went into the car and drove Norman off.

They drove for some minutes and reached the traffick control agency. They were stopped at the gate. Norman's man conversed with the security man for some minutes and then the security man allowed them to pass through. Norman knew his man must have compelled him. They drove through to the parking garage. Then they both came down.

"Lead us through" Norman instructed and his man knew immediately what he meant. They walked to the door and his man spoke to the security there and the security also allowed them through. They kept going compelling everyone on their way till they reached someone who looked like senior executive.

"We're here to run a search on a plate number" Norman said to the man staring at him in the eye." Follow me" the man instructed as he led them to his desk. His mind was completely hazed by Norman's mind control. Norman's man showed him the plate number and the man typed it into his system. "I'll attach it into the main frame" the man told them. "It isn't easy to run searches like this. We'll have to run a thorough search through all the cameras for where this plate number was once spotted."

"Just do what you have to do", Norman said, "patience is one of my very many attributes." The man started punching some keys on his keyboard and soon the images on the main screen changed. Norman watched as different images flickered across the screen as all cameras in the whole city were scanning for the last time a vehicle with that plate number was seen.

Different vehicles appeared in what looked like normal traffick and the computer would analyze its plate number to see if it matched. This went on for about fifteen minutes till a positive match appeared on the screen. "We have it", the man said. Norman stared at it with interest. The vehicle was last seen entering something like a mall. It packed at a corner.

"We need to hurry" Norman said to his man. "He looks to be shopping". His man nodded and went ahead of Norman. Norman stared at the man who helped them undecided if he should compel him to forget they came or not. He decided against it and left with his man. They rushed into the car.

"You know where that place is right?" Norman asked. "Who wouldn't" his man replied." That grocery store is famous." He ignited the engine of the car and zoomed off. The drive was a bit rough as the drive tried to go as fast as he could but he was also careful not to break traffick rules to avoid being chased by the police as that would ruin their plan.

They arrived at the grocery store. The man packed the car at the other side. Norman looked through his window and searched for a while. Shortly after he spotted the car he was looking for. A smile spread through his face. "Got you" he said. "What do we do now? " His man asked.

"Let's stalk him for a while" Norman said. They waited patiently for about ten minutes then they saw him come out of the store. He had his hands full with shopping bags which were all filled. He moved to his car and then opened his boot. He dropped everything in it and then went to the front seat to drive. His car was an Audi Q7. He ignited the engine and started moving.

Norman's man waited for some seconds before he also started his engine and began following him. Norman watched from behind. The smile on his face never disappeared. He seemed to be enjoying himself. The maybach followed behind the Audi for some time. It slowed when the Audi slowed and sped a little when the Audi did also. The Audi turned around a corner and moved for some miles then turned again through another corner.

Norman frowned. That was a sudden change of course. The Audi continued for a while before it suddenly gave a roar and increased speed. The man must have changed to sport/ludacris mode. Norman's man muttered curses as he matched his accelerator too and zoomed after the man.

"Shit!" He cursed. " Sorry boss I didn't know he'll catch us following him." "What's there to be sorry of" ,Norman answered. "Where's the joy in hunting if there is no fun in it". The Audi was quick but so was the Mercedes. Norman's man tried his best to try to keep pace. The Audi went through alleys desperately trying to find a means of escape.

The chase went on for hours till the Audi reached a dead end. Crash into his car,Norman ordered and his man ran straight towards the Audi and crashed into it. The crash wasn't too fatal but it made some irreversible damages to the Audi. Norman came down and watched as the other man came out of the Audi coughing and cursing.

"What the fuck you want with me?" He cursed as he saw a shadow approaching him. "Remember me?" Norman asked as he came closer to the man. The man looked at Norman and his eyes lit up in surprise. "What have I done to you?" He asked. "This is illegal."

"I have questions I believe you have answers to" Norman said "and don't feign ignorance for me. I bloody know you're aware of who I am." " What are you talking about?"The man asked staring at Norman and then at his man standing behind and not moving. Norman held him by the collar and his eyes turned dark and fangs projected from his mouth. "This" he said, "I believe you know i am this."

The man's face changed to panic." I swear I didn't know" he screamed, " I was just doing my job as an investor." "Take him to the car" Norman said to his man and turned to go. As he reached his car he heard a sudden sound and then groaning of a man. He turned in surprise and saw his man moaning as a piece of iron was stuck in his chest. The iron went through his hearth.

"Shit!" Norman cursed. "No vampire could survive a wound on the hearth as that is the only way to kill them along with chopping their head off or perhaps getting burnt in the sun by lower ranking vampires". The man stared at Norman. He looked somewhat shocked but Norman supersped towards him and hit his head with the car. He slipped into unconsciousness immediately.

Norman stared at his man on the floor. His body was white and pale like all his blood was drained from him. Norman studied the iron on his chest. It was a piece of iron cut away from the Audi. How the hell was a human strong and fast enough to cut an iron like that from a car with his hands so quickly and stab a vampire with it. He stared at the man on the floor. Now he needed answers. He grabbed the man and carried him on his shoulders and then supersped away. He didn't want to use the car so he wouldn't draw attention to himself later.

He ran several kilometers and reached his room. He wasn't even breathing hard. Courtesy of being a vampire. He dropped the man's body on the floor and then went to a particular room. He arranged everything there set for torture and then came back and grabbed the man's body. He strapped the man to chair and left him there. He needed to shower before the man awakes. He moved to his room and showered quickly then he changed his cloths. After getting set he moved back to where the man was.

The man was already awake when he got back and was struggling to free himself. " Its magically bound" Norman said and the man looked up in surprise. "It neutralizes everything supernatural in its victim". "I swear I didn't mean to kill that man" he said in panic," I just lost control and stuff like that happen any time I loose control."

Norman moved to the man and looked him in the eye. "What's your name?" he asked. "I'm sorry about your man" he repeated, " but I don't know anything. I didn't even know vampires existed fill till you revealed yourself to me. I only suspected."

Norman sighed deeply. Compulsion wasn't still working on him. " How are you able to withstand my compulsion?" he asked. "I don't know what you're talking about", the man replied." Don't you bullshit me!" Norman thundered. His anger was reaching its peak. He grabbed the man by the neck and stuck his fingers deep into the man's shoulder. Blood gushed out.

The man let out a scream. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He screamed at the top of his voice. Norman moved his finger around the man's flesh. He moved his hands in deeper and four of his fingers went in feeling the man's inner parts. The man kept screaming and moving violently but still wouldn't talk. He kept screaming he knew nothing.

Norman grew frustrated. There was only one thing to do now. He moved away from the man and brought out a little bottle from a table across him. He used the little bottle to fetch the man's blood. The man was groaning and moaning in pain. He clenched his fist tightly and gnashed his teeth. He twisted his body but couldn't break free from the rope. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breath. The pain was almost overbearing.

Norman dialed a number on his phone and another of his men came in after few seconds. " Take this blood to our lab and test it." He said as soon as the man came in. "Yes sir" the man replied and zoomed away. Norman drew a chair and sat opposite the man in pains.

"You can make this easy for yourself" he said, "my blood can easily heal you, all you need to do is tell me what you know. It'll save you from all this pain. I can see you're bleeding a lot and your wound isn't treated soon it'll get infected and you'll be in worse pain."

"Does it matter" the man replied. His voice was low and full of misery. " You'll kill me anyway, what's the point." "So you've resigned to your fate already?" Norman asked. The man gave a weak laugh. "I've seen men like you,You want to prove that you're high and mighty and like you can do the heck you want but in reality you're just trying to pretend like you're free and out the shadows of someone."

Norman pretended like he was unaffected by what the man said. " You're wrong" he said, "I'm not a man, I'm more". Norman's man then came in. " Sir," he said. " I have the result of the test. "

"What did you find?" Norman asked. "Vervain", the man replied. "He had vervain in his blood." Norman looked at him in surprise and then at the man on the chair." Shit!" He cursed. "You can leave" he said to his man and the man zoomed away.

"Where did you get vervain?" Norman questioned. "Who else drinks vervain in this city?". The man just kept looking at Norman. Norman's temper flared. He moved towards the man prepared to cut him bit by bit. His hair suddenly stood on end. He sensed the presence of another person in the room. His breath seized. He wasn't expecting him to come any time soon which meant something was very wrong.

He turned around and saw Darius standing behind him. He hadn't seen him for a very long time and had no idea where he had been. Darius being back was going to cause a lot of complications. "Darius" he said surprise evident in his voice.

"We need to talk", Darius said, "somewhere private." Darius had a frown on his face and Norman knew whatever reason that brought Darius back must be pretty bad and not in his favor.