Meanwhile in La Crosse...

Tao hit the button on her Bluetooth that would dial Jaq's number. Not having an editic memory would have made a much bigger annoyance out of how frequently she had to switch phones lately.

The open road ahead of here was clear of traffic, and offered the silent illusion that it could have led anywhere. The loon new better, silent promises rarely worked out well for those fool enough to believe in them. She had learned to ignore their call long ago. Once upon a time it had been deceptively easy to use their imagined presence to fool herself into believing what she had wanted to be true instead of what was.

The Malkavian had opted for comfort over glamor tonight, and had settled assassin chic. Sable pants, socks, soft leather boots and jacket. The old world pirate shirt she sported was also black, with matching lacing crisscrossing lazily at the collar and up the sides.

The windows of her burgendy Zilthi were all down, leaving the unseasonably cool night air to play with that long ivory mane. The pale strands billowing over her slender shoulders.

Jaqx reached for her phone distractedly, having been engaged with one of the more pleasurable human habits she hadn't let go of in her undeath. The high that could only be achieved by getting one or both of her ghouls inebriated was a helluva ride, and she was fully strapped in. Usually it was Shea or Jimmy, her best friends in life, partners in business, and followers in death, and her current bed partners.

She looked at the screen to see who was calling, and her drunken haze dissipated like a cloud of smoke and some asshole turns on a fan. "Get out, I gotta take this," she said with an apprehensive tone in her voice. This was misinterpreted by the stoned mortals, and Shea rolled out of bed and onto the floor giggling as Jimmy moved closer between the sheets and tried to climb on top of her. Jaqx sighed and pushed him gently, throwing him against the wall next to the bed with a loud thump and he fell next to Shea. After a moment of stunned silence they both started laughing their asses off. With another, much heavier sigh, she rolled out of bed, taking the sheet with her as she scooted out the door of the motel and answered just before the call went to voice-mail.

"Hey," she said, trying not to sound as annoyed as she was. " What's up?"