city_limits Contractual Obligations
"C'mere..."

Under usual circumstances, the physical task of literally pulling open the human rib cage would be difficult. Medical professionals would typically refer to the initial procedure as demanding a median sternotomy, most often requiring the use of a specialised cutting tool to release the supporting structure of breastbone, before access to the underlying organs could be granted.

Katherine preferred to call it 'having fun', although a live test subject would be infinitely preferable than the fresh corpse she now had to work with.

Assassination was an ancient career. Those who continued at it, free from prosecution by the authorities, had to be either extremely talented or very fortunate. Most often, both. As a vampire, Katherine Williams also had the benefit of other gifts she could bring into play, well beyond the scope of what most human operatives would be able to accomplish. More than a century of killing experience came in useful, too, for obvious reasons.

But unlike most, the brunette's contracts were often specialised. You wanted someone killed? Then get someone with a gun. You want them terrified out of their mind? You want a signal to be sent to all their surviving friends, saying, 'You'll get more of the same if you come after me'? Then you hire someone with that little bit extra. A 'little bit extra', which Katherine had been very effectively utilising for several human generations. Being literally a monster from beyond the grave, most definitely had its uses. To the uninitiated, she could become the very essence of a walking nightmare and disappear as easily as any phantom. Mortal authorities would find no DNA on record as belonging to any living person and that, in itself, only added to the mystique.

In the last year or so, Katherine had discovered that business was brisk. Money, she had no immediate need for, since she could take food and possessions without guilt. Criminality was something often indulged in, above and beyond just killing. Nevertheless, money proved to be something one could use to attract the services of others, which made it a useful resource to have, as and when necessary. After having slaughtered her way through as many as she had, the vampiress was likely to have millions stored away and very probably in assets other than just cash.

Even so, one of her primary motivators? Pure and simple job satisfaction.

At the start of the supernatural revelations, she had thought it might be tantamount to war. All over the world, governments were either acknowledging or being forced to admit to, the reality of the unknown. From Canada to Cuba, from Ireland to Isreal, from Russia to Romania; humanity was waking up to what really went bump in the night. Not just that, either - for those encountered doorways were just as likely to lead somewhere heavenly as not. Angelic, loving entities added colour to civilisation until, ultimately, 'ethnic diversity' seemed to have very little meaning. War, however, was a misleading phrase. How could one declare it against other dimensions? Some regimes tried to, from what she had heard, only to be met with, at best, disappointment. At worst, something very nasty, indeed. Eventually, the various doorways had sealed themselves away. Quite who was responsible for it or how, the vampiress did not particularly care. Either the reasons for it had never been announced on the news or she had missed them when they had. The end result failed to affect her, so, why should she care?

No, something more interesting came about because of what came into the world. Namely, that her other reason for being hired, went from being something relatively low-key, to what was almost an advertisement, in and of itself. For, while Katherine could easily tear someone apart in the most gruesome of ways, she was also very capable of hunting down things unable to be in any way described as human. As demonic and other races became clear for all to see, so did their disputes and unleashed horrors were in need of being put down. As weird as it might seem, Katherine found herself almost working as a Slayer. Contracts for putting down rival clans and factions, became what were perhaps the most lucrative and one target was as good as the other.

And if she found herself acting disturbingly like a hero? Well, she could always abduct someone's first-born and blame it on someone else. Someone who might become the object of her next dealing.

This one was a businessman. Someone who had, evidently, entered into some sort of agreement with a practitioner of magic and failed to pay up in the agreed way. As with most quarry, Katherine found it useful to hole up for a few days and find a predictable routine she could take advantage of. Hence, her present residence here, in Chicago. Her client had demanded the heart removed and a cursed relic placed inside. No, splaying out the ribs, like some sort of horrific flower, was not strictly necessary, but she found the end result amusing. With that done, the bloodied organ torn out for taking as proof, Katherine made her way out through the window. No danger of CCTV evidence with her. Everything had been thought of, as per usual, just as with so very many others.

But this was getting boring, as peculiar as that might seem. The murderess was getting anxious to do what she had once travelled to Las Vegas for: Killing another Slayer. Although nomadic, maybe it was time to settle in for a prolonged visitation? There had to be some here. If not, it would surprise her.

Yes, perhaps it was time.