04 - Challenges

Challenges

PART I: PAYBACK

FKS 05/1P Buenos Aires, Argentina Gabrielle and Tabitha talk about Tabitha’s past – what she had left behind in the way of responsibilities to others, goals not accomplished, task not well done, the person she was compared to the person she wants to be. Tabitha reminded her of some of the artists Gabrielle had known over the years: insanely talented with souls like bright fires. But they hadn’t often been happy, those people. Sometimes a soul burned so brightly it ate a person up. Tabitha didn’t have the hard edge Gabrielle associated with the bohemians she had known. Despite everything, Tabitha seemed to lack the air of cynicism that so often came with counterculture. That wasn’t to say she didn’t try. From the tattoos to the piercings to the dyed hair, Tabitha went out of her way to look like someone with sharp edges. Someone you didn’t want to get close to. Tabitha was a talented person, someone whose talents had put her in the middle of a game she was really too young and naïve to play. “A lot of people sheltered me over the years and I want to make sure that none of Anton’s old friends are hurting them.” “So you want me to hurt these people,” Gabrielle said. “I want to make sure people are okay, that’s all.” “Look, I…put people in danger.” They could have been hurt because of me.” We all make mistakes when we’re younger. it’s easy to keep making the same mistakes,” Gabrielle told her. “It is very, very easy to see the world one way, and then even when it leads you down a bad path you don’t change your behavior because you can’t see the choices you actually have. I was so desperate to keep being a person who was fighting for justice, who loved this wonderful man, that I got tangled up in something that wasn’t justice with a terrible man. I kept making that mistake until I could believe in myself.” “So why didn’t you realize you could leave?” “Because I would have had to reevaluate who I was and how I believed the world worked. Believe it or not, sometimes it’s easier to stay around a homicidal maniac than it is to challenge your beliefs about the world.” If you’re going to change how you behave here, you’re going to have to believe you’re a different person now.” It was clear Tabitha could not yet understand that she was becoming a stronger person, herself. Less of a victim. Tabitha had to realize that for herself. “Then why do you want me here?” ,asked Gabrielle. I’m afraid I can’t do it on my own.” Gabrielle understood what it was to feel young and outmatched by the world. You will need some help, and you will also need to believe that you are a new person now.” “I’m not sure I can do that. I want to be better and braver. I’m not sure I am, though.”“Try,” said Gabrielle.

FKS 04/2P After dinner, Tabitha wanted to take Gabrielle to her favorite neighborhood, Barracas. In the more upscale streets Gabrielle and Tabitha had been assessed as tourists. Between Tabitha’s piercings and tattoos, not very common here, and Gabrielle’s expensive clothes, they must have looked like rich foreigners. But as they walked confidently toward Barracas, there was a different sort of assessment going on. Men in doorways watched the two women with a frown. Gabrielle returned those frowns with a picture-perfect smile that would turn any man’s blood to ice, and they knew they didn’t want her to notice them. Tabitha was looking for Howie. “He always knew everything about everyone, and he used to sit around here. She saw Joachin. this is Joaquin. He let me stay on his couch a lot after I left home.” Joaquin had always feared the work she did on the dark net. “Tabitha was a good roommate,” Joaquin said, and produced a forced-looking smile. “She tried to give everyone everything she had—except those notebooks, of course. She was always scribbling in those.” Joachin, had turned her in to Anton’s gang when they had threatened his family, and now they surrounded them.

FKS 04/3P Gabrielle had checked the men surrounding them – they were all human, so she could handle them all, and since she didn’t have to worry about the impending fight, she was free to find humor in Tabitha utterly rejecting Joaquin’s bullshit. “All right.” The leader of the group surrounding them had apparently heard enough. “Let’s get moving. On your feet.” “I could get us out of this.” Her voice was smooth and low. It wasn’t the sort of sentiment to make the guards reach for their guns, but the offer was there. “No, let’s go.” She shook her head and stood up, avoiding Gabrielle’s eyes. “Good choice,” the leader said sarcastically. “Come on, Red, you’d better follow your friend’s example.” They moved through the streets in silence. People closed their doors or turned their faces away. “We’re here. Don’t get any funny ideas. We were told to bring you in alive…if we could.” Santino greeted her. She was screwed, and she knew it. They went to see Thiago. “I have no doubt that you’ll become very well acquainted with Thiago,” he told Gabrielle. “He held this little group together after Anton disappeared.” At his shoulder, Emmi gave a smug smile. “I told you she wouldn’t have destroyed them. Little Tabitha was always so proud of everything she knew.”” Tabitha… You can come here. You really must introduce me to your charming friend.”

FKS 04/4P “I just want you to do one little thing for me,” Thiago explained. “Very easy, really—for you, anyway. I need you to hack into the Central Bank and get me a little something.” Tabitha made her eyes as wide as she could. “I’m just scared. They’re getting better and better at finding people, and what if they find out it was me? They might hurt my family.” Tabitha looked down at the floor. If she did this job for him maybe she could find a way to set him up, and given that time she could figure out a way to rescue her family and— And that was exactly how she’d gotten into this mess in the first place. She looked at Gabrielle. “Okay, do it.” Gabrielle’s face split into a huge grin. “Really?” “Yeah.” Tabitha could feel fury beating in her suddenly. “You know what? Fuck this. Fuck all of this.” She laughed, taking advantage of the changed timbre of her voice. A vampire’s voice in hunting form tended to terrify unwary humans. Tabitha attacked Thiago, pushing him back against his desk. “FINISH IT!” Gabrielle yelled. “Don’t pause, just finish it!” “I don’t know how!” Tabitha yelled back. “Find a way!” Tabitha muttered, “Oh, right, that helps.” She had to do something for herself. She punched him again and this time she punched slightly lower, putting every ounce of her fury into her tiny fist. Thiago’s scream was cut off abruptly and he sank to his knees with a wheeze, clutching his crushed throat. His face was incredulous as the light died in his eyes. Gabrielle finishes off the other guards, as well as Santiago, when he comes in. They then go to rescue Tabitha’s family.

FKS 04/5P “I just want you to do one little thing for me,” Thiago explained. “Very easy, really—for you, anyway. I need you to hack into the Central Bank and get me a little something.” Tabitha made her eyes as wide as she could. “I’m just scared. They’re getting better and better at finding people, and what if they find out it was me? They might hurt my family.” Tabitha looked down at the floor. If she did this job for him maybe she could find a way to set him up, and given that time she could figure out a way to rescue her family and— And that was exactly how she’d gotten into this mess in the first place. She looked at Gabrielle. “Okay, do it.” Gabrielle’s face split into a huge grin. “Really?” “Yeah.” Tabitha could feel fury beating in her suddenly. “You know what? Fuck this. Fuck all of this.” She laughed, taking advantage of the changed timbre of her voice. A vampire’s voice in hunting form tended to terrify unwary humans. Tabitha attacked Thiago, pushing him back against his desk. “FINISH IT!” Gabrielle yelled. “Don’t pause, just finish it!” “I don’t know how!” Tabitha yelled back.“Find a way!” Tabitha muttered, “Oh, right, that helps.” She had to do something for herself. She punched him again and this time she punched slightly lower, putting every ounce of her fury into her tiny fist. Thiago’s scream was cut off abruptly and he sank to his knees with a wheeze, clutching his crushed throat. His face was incredulous as the light died in his eyes. Gabrielle finishes off the other guards, as well as Santiago, when he comes in. They then go to rescue Tabitha’s family.

Miscellaneous Characters: PAYBACK Joaquin: Let Tabitha stay on his couch a lot after I left home.” Joaquin had always feared the work she did on the dark net.“Tabitha was a good roommate,” Joaquin said, and produced a forced-looking smile. “She tried to give everyone everything she had—except those notebooks, of course. She was always scribbling in those.” Tabitha let him live, as he was trying to protect his family.

Anton: A dead gangleader. Thiago tool over after anton died. Joaquin had turned her ino anton, so now Thiago wanted her talents. Thiago: 4P “I just want you to do one little thing for me,” Thiago explained. “Very easy, really—for you, anyway. I need you to hack into the Central Bank and get me a little something.” Gabrielle killed him, along with Cipriano and Renaldo, two of his guards.

PART II: SEED VAULT