What's At Stake, Part Four

Wow, this scene (the part with Klaus) has been kicking my ass.  Still not sure I'm 100% happy with it, but fussing at it is just going to drive me nuts, so for better or worse here it is.  Feedback would be greatly appreciated.  Me = needy.  ;-)
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The loft was airy, spacious, and far better appointed than Elijah had expected it to be. Given what he had heard of this “Slater,” he had rather expected a dingy room in a basement somewhere. But the modern industrial décor boasted hardwood floors and weathered brick along with the exposed beams and piping that were common to these converted buildings. Large windows lined one wall; the fact that the window treatments didn’t fully cover their broad expanse was a good indication that they were tempered glass, as was the large print centered above what Jonas had dubbed “command central” when they had entered the apartment. The sun theme was echoed in the wallpaper on the six monitors that graced the large computer desk. Furnishings were minimalist but tasteful, and the books that filled the shelves to overflowing spoke of a broad intellectual curiosity.

Elijah was going to regret having to kill him.

“How are you settling in?” he asked Jonas, seating himself at the desk. He glanced at the information Philip had sent and typed in the code that would override the system's security.

“The apartment is mostly still a maze of boxes, but unpacking hasn’t really been a priority.” Jonas finished up one bookcase that he was sweeping for anything of mystical use and moved on to a second. “Luka started school this week. He met Bonnie Bennett. We both did, actually.”

“And?” Elijah located Slater’s database on the hard drive and started running Philip’s program to break the encryption.

“She does have the Gift.”

“Strong?”

“Moderately. The potential is there, but she’s mostly untrained. Luka’s been teaching her a few little tricks.” Jonas pulled out a section of books, checked behind them for anything that may have been hidden there. “He likes her.” The warlock didn’t sound happy about it.

“Well that’s good. It will certainly simplify matters.” The dialog box stopped scrolling as it hit on the password. Seconds later it disappeared and the database opened on-screen. Elijah put a thumb drive into the USB port and started the download. When Jonas didn’t answer, he rolled his eyes and swiveled the chair around to face him. “What?”

“Hmm?”

“I can hear your lips pursing in disapproval from here. What is it?”

Jonas put the books back on the shelf and turned. “He… likes her.” Crossing his arms, he leaned back against the shelf.

“He’s an adolescent male. She’s an adolescent female. They have a ‘special secret’ in common. It follows.”

“I know that,” the warlock bit out. Jonas shifted his weight to the other foot. “He’s having some misgivings about deceiving her.”

“But he’ll do as he’s told.” It wasn’t a question. His tone warned that it hadn’t better become one.

“He knows what’s at stake. He’ll do what I’ve asked.” Jonas glared at him. “It doesn’t mean he has to like it.” The warlock turned down the hall. “I’m going to check the bedroom.”

Elijah turned back to the computer. The little download progress bar was taking a leisurely stroll across the monitor. He left it to its meandering and stood at the window, watching the hustle and bustle of daily life unfold below. Four college-aged girls exited a gift boutique, two of them talking on cell phones as they walked. A youth on a skateboard slalomed through the crowd, drawing an angry yell from the sidewalk busker as the speedster clipped his guitar case and scattered coins over the pavement. A man in a three-piece suit barked into his Bluetooth and switched his briefcase to the opposite hand as he walked into a small law office. And two repairmen struggled to balance a sheet of glass between them as they shuffled from their work van to the coffee shop’s storefront, and the gaping hole left in it by his impromptu coin toss the day before. How much of the scene below would be gone, wiped out, if Klaus had his way?

He knows what’s at stake. No, he really didn’t. He had no idea. He couldn't.

*****

Elijah sat at the table, dumbstruck. Klaus's tirade had evidently put him in need of a drink. He crossed the room to the bar, crystal singing against crystal as he poured brandy from a Waterford decanter. Elijah heard him down two snifters full before he returned to the table with a third.

"Well?" Klaus leaned back against the rich leather, crossing his legs in front of him. "Say something. Speak. God knows you've never been short on opinions."

You've lost your damn mind. That was his opinion. But it wouldn't do to say that aloud. Klaus's increasingly mercurial moods and bouts of violent temper had set the entire compound on edge, everyone tiptoeing around in an effort to remain unnoticed. It was getting to the point where Elijah was the only one to speak to Klaus – as he was the only one who was more or less guaranteed to survive the experience.

"What you're talking about... It's – "

"Well. Past. Time." Klaus punctuated each word with a finger-tap on the table. "We need to call everyone together. Strategize."

"Klaus – "

"We can't wait on this any longer, Elijah."

"This isn't – "

"We need to move before it goes too far!"

Elijah stood and leaned his hands on the table, facing him down over the shining mahogany. "Too far?! What would you have us do? Turn back time?" He pushed himself back from the table to pace the room.

Klaus slapped his palm on the table, bouncing the snifter off of it to land with a muted crash on the floor. "Our kind cannot bear up under these things. We'll be discovered. Everyone with a camera and the ability to send photos all over the world in a heartbeat? Someone is going to notice."

"That ship sailed a long, long time ago."

"And we were too complacent. When the humans catch on – and they will catch on – it won't just be one little village. There are too many now, with too many weapons." Klaus stood, grinding the bits of crystal into the carpet. "We're not talking about a few meager peasants with stakes and pitchforks and torches. Or a shaman, with a knife and a moonstone, and a girl to sacrifice," he said, pointedly. Elijah clenched his jaw, but didn't take the bait. "And what happens when machines replace people at airports and banks and wherever else? We can't compel machines, Elijah."

"Yes: There are too many. And they're connected. Everything to everything else." Elijah shook his head, crossed to the bar, poured himself a drink. "Communication, learning, science, resources, supply chains... all global. What you are talking about would require a complete and utter devastation of infrastructure in every, single, developed nation. Simultaneously."

Klaus smiled and came over to him, putting his hands on Elijah's shoulders. "See? You're planning already."

"That isn't planning, Klaus. It's stating fact. It can't be done."

"Oh, I have faith in you, my trusted general. When have you ever let me down?" Klaus slid his hands upward, cupping Elijah's face in them. Leaning in, he whispered, "Well, except for that one time."

Here we go. Elijah gave no answer; what was there to say?

"But then," Klaus continued, "I suppose it can't really be called a failure. To say it was a failure would be to imply that you had actually tried to succeed." He brought his face to within an inch of Elijah's. "And you didn't do that, did you? I think we both know why."

"Don't." The word came out as little more than a growl.

Klaus released him with a shove, pushing him back against the bar. He hit hard enough to knock a few glasses astray, but the heavy piece of furniture held.

"Did you think I didn't know?" Klaus moved in again, his chest bumping Elijah's and forcing him to lean back across the bar to try and keep some small distance between them. "Did you truly expect me to believe that you, an Original, couldn't track one newly-made vampire?" He pulled away as quickly as he had moved in, strolling over to the leather sofa and trailing his hands along the back of it. His voice took on a sudden, conspiratorial joviality. "Oh, and your extracurricular activities afterward? Not that I disapprove, per se. Except for the part where they made it exceedingly improbable that I'm to find another doppelganger. I'd say you owe me for that."

Klaus sat down on one end of the sofa, motioning Elijah toward the other. "Now: come, sit. Let's discuss what we're going to do. Since I know that you don't want to disappoint me again."

Elijah had left the compound – and Klaus – that night.

*****

A low beep from the computer pulled Elijah's attention away from the window. Download complete, he pocketed the thumb drive and pulled a second from his breast pocket. Inserting it into the USB port, he pulled up the single file on it and pressed 'Run' to upload the mal-ware that would erase the hard drive. It was possible that there was a back-up somewhere, but there was nothing to be done about that.

He heard the downstairs door open, and swiveled the chair so he was facing the apartment door. Stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing his ankles, he laced his fingers together behind his head, the picture of perfect ease when Slater entered.

"What the hell – " The vampire sped over to the desk and would have raised a hand to strike, had he not found himself suddenly and without warning against the brick wall on the opposite side of the room, pinned there with his feet dangling, held up by an iron grip around his throat.

"Slater, I presume," Elijah said, his tone conversational. "I think we should chat."

He felt Slater's throat working under his hand, and released him. Slater bent at the waist and coughed, straightening cautiously once he could draw breath again to speak. "Who are you?" he croaked out.

"I'm Elijah." He smiled at the look of panic his introduction engendered.

"Oh my God! Elijah! The Original Elijah! I... I thought you were dead. Well of course you're dead. 'Cause you're a vampire. I mean I thought you were dead-dead. That's what Rose said. Oh God, I'm rhyming." A sudden thought caused him to look even more alarmed, and he raised his hands in front of him. "Hey, not that I had anything to do with the dead-making! I had no idea about any of that, or any Salvatores or moonstones or werewolves or the other stuff... that I'm probably not supposed to mention. Anyway, I'm not the dead-making guy, I'm just the guy with the lists and the contacts and the search engine and oh God please say something so I'll stop talking!"

"You went to some trouble to contact me."

"Oh, it was no trouble!" Elijah cocked an eyebrow at him. "Ah, I don't mean it was easy. Just that it wasn't... I didn't mind..."

Elijah almost grinned at him, tripping all over his tongue as he was. Almost. "Other than the people you contacted via the Internet, who knows you were trying to reach me?"

"Just Cody. Cody Webber. I spoke with him on the phone."

"And what does he know?"

"Just that Rose was trying to get in touch with you. That's all."

"Excellent." Elijah did smile at him then. "It wouldn't do to be seen talking out of turn."

Slater offered a tentative smile back, looking slightly relieved. "Hey, that's cool. Wow, I can't believe you're here. An Original, in Richmond, in my apartment... Hey, wait a minute. The coffee shop..." he glanced over toward the window. "Was that you?"

"Mmm." He gave a low, non-committal hum.

"'Cause I gotta say, neat trick. I mean the whole sun scorching my flesh thing kinda sucked, but major points for style, dude."

"I'm glad you appreciated it." Oh, he really was sorry he was going to have to kill this one. He would have been useful and amusing to keep around. But the risk he posed was too great. "Do you have a cell phone, Slater?"

"Uh, yeah. Right here. Why?" He slid the phone out of his jeans pocket.

"Good." Elijah caught his gaze and rolled the other vampire's mind. "I need you to make a phone call..."