1.40{Part I}

The smooth growl of his engine barely made a dent in the cacophony of the city. Gripping the steering wheel Winston shot a look at the seemingly empty building to his right. Damn, he really didn't want to be here but he had to be here. He had a break through in the labs and he knew once it was out...well once it was out he would have to watch his back even more than he was now.
"You know Winston," he muttered to himself as he cut the engine. "Your life was so much easier when you were strung out. At least there weren't so many memories...or so many regrets."
Reaching back in the car he fished around for a flashlight before getting out. Rounding the hood he jumped, startled, when the streetlight went out with a loud pop.
"Oh, this is just great."

Flicking on the flashlight he grimaced when he heard things scuttling to hid from the light. Maybe he'd been living in the Cove for too long. Things like rats and roaches hadn't bothered him before. Hell, he used to hole up in abandoning buildings just like this when he was on a binge. He vaguely recalled a time when he had thought roaches were crawling all over him when he had taken a bad hit of acid. Or at least, when he sobered up, he had thought it was a just a hallucination.
Red eyes, caught in the faint beam of his flashlight, stared at him sullenly from the lid of a dumpster. He and the rat studied each other for a stretch of a heartbeat before the blaring sirens of a police car speeding by made it dive for cover.

Winston had taken a few more steps when a sound from inside the building had him pressing his back against the wall. Swallowing dryly he held his breath. For the space of one heart beat. And then for good measure another before he released his breath in a sigh. Sure, he had been invited here but he didn't know exactly why. Okay, he did know why but he'd never been to this location before. This is where he went when he wanted no one to find him. And since that bitch had come to the Cove everyone was pretty much laying low. Except for Hannah. Hannah was preparing. For what he didn't know. He wasn't privy to that information.
At that thought he scowled and shoved away from the wall. He had been that woman's companion, scratch that, plaything, for over seventy years and she still didn't trust him. Well, if she didn't trust him there was no point for him to hold onto the secrets he did know. Not when he might be able to align himself with someone that was even more powerful. Sure, Hunter might not be nearly immortal but he had power. And that power had a long arm.

Of course, having that much power lead to paranoia, Winston thought bitterly as he fought his way through the bushes and trees that partially blocked his destination.
"Shit!" he snapped as another branch caught and tugged at his jacket. His flashlight waved wildly as he struggled to untangle himself. If anyone was looking they would certainly know where he was, he thought with a groan before he clicked it off.
Blinking to acclimate himself to the faint light of the moon he continued on. Having been given explicate instructions he had memorized the layout of this old building before burning it. He had no doubt that Hunter would not be using this building once he had met with him. Hunter trusted very few and one of the reasons why he had been asked here was because of those people Hunter trusted one had once been close to Winston.
Shaking his head, and those thoughts from his mind, he shoved at a branch then winced when he was unable to duck quickly enough and it hit him square in the face.
"Motherfucking sonofabitch!" He continued to mutter to himself as he worked his way through the bushes.
"This is insane. What is that? What is that?" he yelped as something crawled against the back of his neck. Slapping wildly at his neck Winston winced when something squashed beneath his hand. Without looking he wiped the thick residue on a nearby tree trunk.
"When I get back home I'm going to take a long-oomph!"
Blinking, he took a step back and blindly reached out. A slow grin lit his face when his hands landed on the ladder that he had been told would be waiting for him.

Shoving the flashlight in the band of his pants Winston gripped the rungs of the ladder and started upward. He hadn't realized how out of shape he was until he found himself wheezing for air halfway up.
"Jesus!" Blinking sweat out of his eyes he stilled on the ladder until it hit him that he would be a great target right about now. Sucking in a breath he finished the climb and bent over gasping for breath on the narrow walkway. Maybe before he took that shower he should do a hour or so on the treadmill. He groaned under his breath at the thought. He hated working out. As a matter of fact he hated any sort of physical labor which is one of many twisted reasons he stayed with Hannah.

From his bent position he looked around for the door that he had been told was around here. He didn't see a door.
"What the fuck man? Tell me I didn't just climb all the way up here for nothing. I swear to God I'll-"
Shuffling forward he took a closer look at a patch of wall that had thick vines growing wildly...or seemingly wildly.
"Oh, someone enjoyed The Secret Garden growing up," he whispered as he pulled out the flashlight and clicked it on. Meticulously he scanned the wall until the light reflected off the metal of the small latch. Grinning triumphantly he placed the end of the light in his mouth as he dug through the vines for the edge of the door. He winced when small barbs pierced his skin but continued on anyways. He didn't have time for this. He had a meeting and he didn't want to keep Hunter waiting.
Getting the door open he opened it just wide enough for him to slid in before shutting it behind him. The darkness of the empty room seem to suffocate him as he looked around. He froze when a low growl went through the air. Slowly, ever so slowly, he swept the area where the growl had come from.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," he said in a high voice as the Doberman continued to growl. Its eyes reflected the light from the flashlight and its teeth gleamed. He took a shuffling step backward when the Doberman took a step closer.
"Nice doggy. You don't want to take a bite out of me do you? No, no you don't." Even he could hear the fear in his voice. Couldn't dogs smell fear? Shit! Shit! Stiffening his spine he tried to put some authority in his voice.
"Look Cujo, I don't have time for this bullshit. I have a meeting to keep with your owner and I'm pretty sure he'd be pissed if you decided to make a meal out of me so why don't you move to the side and let me be on my way?"
While he had been talking the dog had tilted its head to the side. Once he stopped it licked its chops and-

-took another step closer to him. Its growl deepened and the fur along its back rose. The hair on the back of Winston's neck rose as well. He could just imagine its hot breath on his neck as it went for his jugular. He could just feel the vibration of its growl as it ripped at his neck. They shadowed each other. For every step the Doberman took forward Winston took one back until his back hit the door and then he sidled to the side. Apparently the dog grew tired of the game because it crouched down in preparation to lunge.
"Blieb!" was said softly to his left followed by, "Ferse!"
He followed the dog's sedated trek across the room.
"Hello Winston."

"Fiona. It's been awhile."
She didn't even look at him. Just stared off into space as the dog stared up at her waiting for its next command.
"Nice dog you have there."
"Xena wasn't bred to be nice. She would have ripped your throat out without a qualm."
"I seem to remember that you threatened to do that to me a time or two," he said softly.
"Yes. Well, who do you think trained her?"
"How have you been Fi?"
She shrugged and finally turned to look at him. "Holy hell. What did you do to your hair?"
Blinking he reached up and brushed a hand through it. "What? Is there something in?"
"Besides an insane amount of hair gel? No."
Rolling his eyes he stepped closer but froze when the dog, Xena, gave a warning growl.
"Xena."
The growling immediately stopped.
"What are you doing up there Fi?"
"Waiting for your ass. You never were any good at the spy thing."
"Never needed to be."
"True. You used the same sellers every time no matter if they did sell crappy products."
"It was good enough to give me the buzz I needed."
"For only a short span of time and then you were looking for your next hit. I always thought you'd OD."
"I had more control then that."
"So you say."
"Fi-"
She flicked her hand in dismally and Xena whirled around to snarl at him. "Forget it Winston. It's the past right?"

"Fi-"
"I would have done anything for you Winston you know that right? Anything. And then you just up and disappear on me?"
"Fiona, you were a kid. A kid I saved from getting hit during one of my more lucid moments. I was too old for you. Both mentally and physically. And even if I hadn't been I was, am, no good for you."
"You could have let me decide that."
"And ruined your life? That's at least one thing I don't have on my conscience."
She strolled toward him and he had to admire the way she filled out her outfit. "You grew up well."
She smirked and brushed the back of her hand against his. "I grew up smart. You look good to be seventy something."
He shrugged. "Yeah, well. I went from one addiction to another. Except I can't shake this one."
"Ah, who's Hannah's wittle lapdog?" she said in a sing song voice causing him to wince.
"I take it you know about that?"
"I'm in charge of Hunter's security. I know everything. I see everything. You're an idiot. Now, let me take you to Hunter."
He caught her arm as she turned. She stiffened beneath him. "Fiona?"
"I loved you Winston. With everything I had I loved you. And you tossed that away for what? To be some woman's whore?"
She shrugged his hand off of her. "Now, you have a meeting to keep. No one keeps Hunter waiting."

"And I was like 'Motherfucker! You wanna piece of me? You want a fuckin' piece of me? Bring it bitch.' Little shit didn't even see it comin'. Shot him dead center. Right between the eyes. He stood there for a minute, like he couldn't believe it before he dropped like a load of shit in the toilet. Think he can fuckin' disrespect Mr. Hunter in front of me and get away with it?"
Winston could hear the voice as he walked down the stairs Fiona had pointed to. She was walking silently behind him. The man's voice was low and garbled as if someone had punched him in the throat. A low, melodious voice said something making the man laugh. Or at least Winston thought it was a laugh. He couldn't be sure.
"I was fifteen man! Mr. Hunter heard about that and hired me to be part of his crew the next day. It's all about the motherfuckin' respect."
As he reached the bottom step his shoe scraped against the concrete.

In a fluid movement the other man in the room whipped around and lifted his arm. Winston could hear something whistling in the air toward him over the sound of snarling dogs. It took him a moment to realize that the man had thrown a dart in his direction. He tried to move but he felt as if his feet were frozen to the floor. He watched in what seemed to be slow motion as the dart headed straight for his throat. Suddenly his vision was blocked by Fiona.

"Jesus Corey. You knew Hunter was having a guest. What the hell?"
Quick as lighting Fiona captured the dart in her hand. She held it for a moment before dropping it to the ground. Looking over her shoulder he saw that Corey's facial expression hadn't even changed. He still wore that eerily calm expression on his face but his eyes were flat.
"Didn't expect him to sneak up on me like that. My bad Winston."
"Sure! No harm done." Thankfully.
"Winston this is Corey Hernandez and Sean. And it's just Sean so don't ask."
"Right." He nodded to each of them. Corey stared at him in silence before his eyes shifted to Fiona. Sean spit on the floor.
"This the little piss ant that Mr. Hunter wanted to see? You got some information for Mr. Hunter?"
"Yes, Hunter-"
"That's Mr. Hunter to you asshole. Show some respect...or I'll gladly teach you some manners."
Clearing his throat Winston nodded. "Right. Sorry about that. Yes, I have information for Mr. Hunter."
"You better not be wastin' his time. Mr. Hunter don't like people wastin' his time. Last guy that wasted his time never made it home to the wife and kiddies. You get my meanin'?"
"Yes."
"Sean, you're holding Winston up. Hunter's that way," Fiona said with a wave to her left. "He might not be awake yet."

Stepping from around her his boots made a hollow sound as he walked across the floor.

"You follow him with your eyes, my love. Is this why you seemed uneasy these past few days?"
"Corey-"
"And you can't even look me in the eyes because they're too busy following him."
"It's not like that."
His hand gently brushed against her neck. "Then tell me how it is."
"I don't know. It's a lot of old feelings."
"That you have not yet gotten over. If he is who you want I won't stand in your way."
"You would give up on us so easily?"
"All I have ever wanted is for you to have what you want."
She looked away from him. "I don't know what I want," she said softly.



He walked slowly over to the place where Hunter was resting. Peering down he saw that Hunter's eyes were still open and his hand frozen in place from where he been trying to close the lid. Hunter had succeeded in building his own cryogenics machine.
"So, I see that you've found your own fountain of youth huh Hunter?"