The Tiger Always Eats Last(Lennox/Streak/Open)

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Feb 13, 2017 0:19:11 GMT -6 @ash said:

“Okay,” Sabin began,” Its been forever since we got together and you’ve made it all but impossible to get ahold of you. I’ve called texted I even sent an email to you; What’s going on Lennox you don’t like me anymore?” Sitting across from the tiger that had come to town to kill his best friend and himself. He had a long memory and forgot very little. Though Lennox had proven himself part of the unspoken coalition here in the city Sabin was always waiting on the other shoe to drop. His being scarce and providing no intel was in his estimation the other shoe.

Lennox had contacts in the Feds he should have known if someone came or went that was a danger to the city. He either didn’t know or hadn’t said out of some other reason maybe hoping they would be successful. Was he jealous of Hiero growing in power without having to tie himself to the Kiss. More than likely. Lennox after all was a hired gun at heart. It was a shame really as Sabin almost liked the guy. He’d helped Sabin gain some street power and yet… There was something there especially as Eliachem and Ray had swooped in and taken a well. So he sat here now hands resting on the arm of the chair dangerous thoughts still dancing in his head.

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Lennox had only come out to see Sabin as he knew that either him or Hiero would have an issue with the lack of information. What he hadn’t told them was someone had been killing the information brokers for weeks before. Someone had managed to get in and begin exterminating all of the brokers. He was trying to correct that gaffe and then the lions were hit.

While they were worried about how it made the lions and vicariously the city as a whole look he was trying to solve the issue with the information drying up. No brokers and for all of their power they’d be deaf dumb and blind. It’d be hard to do anything more than get taken for fools if that ever happened. Not only there was the fact of the vacuum that would create. Nature hated a vacuum and the seedier underbelly of the city hated it more there would be chaos. Chaos unseen since the Pride had gone on a rampage and wiped every real trace that they were here out of existence. The Rex was part and parcel of why the city was as easy pickings as it was. He in an effort to protect his clan had launched a rampage that drove a kiss member from the city. Started the ball that awakened the plottings of Eliachem and set all of this in motion.

He didn’t say any of that as the one fact that remained in the city mess with the snakes get the lions. Mess with the lions get the snakes. Either way end up with both hunting for your blood. He thought with his aid over the years that the streak would be considered an ally of that caliber but the truth was they were not. The rex would come help but only once the Pride was safe. Hell the Pride still owned controlling interests in the Streaks businesses and homes. So instead of saying anything useful he simply said, “Yeah, I’ve been busy. What do you want Sabin?”

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Sabin met the mans lighter eyes with his darker ones. He smiled he really did want to like the man. His brash nature was normally enough to make Sabin laugh. However now in this moment it made him coolly angry. Fine he wanted to play it this way they could play it that way then.

“Why didn’t you come to us? Either Hiero or me when this whatever it is started? That’s not the way friends behave.”

He shrugged which wasn’t a tic he had. He wasn’t a shrugger normally but in doing so it loosened his shoulders. It also gave him an idea as to how much effort he was holding back. Ad he was holding back a lot. Was Lennox attempting to set the city up for a coup. In his head he kept a running tally and he had to admit it could go either way.

Especially as Lennox originally came sizing them up for body bags.

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Lennox caught the move but knew Sabin rarely used guns. He was the sort to sneak in and slip a poisoned blade between someone’s ribs. As it were it would take more than he had to get the drop on Lennox. Of everyone living he believed he was the only one save the Rex that might have an idea as to how fast Sabin could be when pushed.

“That’s a little argumentative Sabin. Is that your goal? Do you want to call off the friendship now after all we’ve been through. From hunting vampires to hunting mobsters. All of that means nothing? If it is then say so now and lets get this over with. I didn’t come because I didn’t know I was playing catch-up. Whatever attacked the Pride was human. My tigers flag every powerful lycanthrope that comes into the city. The only way in without notice is by car and we have all of the toll roads watched. But as much as we watch unlike your snakes and the Pride we are not rich. We have to work or a living not because we are experimenting with lycanthrope DNA or attempting to form a secret organization to protect our own first and foremost.”

He sighed and waved off the waiter who was coming to refill both of their coffees. It was getting late and he wanted to sleep. If he didn’t know any better he would assume he was coming down with a cold or something but he knew it was his temper getting the best of him.

“You didn’t think I knew what you and him were up to. Well I do and I still stayed true to the alliance while you both went off doing your own things. Including picking fights with Masters of their city old enough to suck the life out of both of you. Because every one know screw with you get Hieronymous. Screw with him and get you.”

He wasn’t yelling but he was expressing the annoyance of that foolishness. Even as the Streak profited being considered a third run at best. They were able to blend in and be considered not a threat. It worked but his pride was a little tired of not being thought of as a power.

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Sabin smiled maliciously. “Look Lennox. I never want to fight a guy like you. You are too pragmatic. You have experience killing things with all manner of things. You are a bigger predator than me and my paltry Nest. I wanted you for a friend but I see that is not where your heart lies. Shame really. We both know if we fight in any semblance of a direct manner you would kill most if not all of my nest even with as experienced as they are. If we fight I would have to use everything I learned to make sure you were dead. Don’t kid yourself if we fought that would need to be the outcome.”

He took the last sip of his coffee. Pausing as he considered how to go on. Sighing when the words escaped him he looked up meeting his eyes once more.

“That being the conclusion is why I’ve killed you already.” Sitting the cell jammer he’d had on this entire time on the table. He went on. “Ricin is tasteless even to us lycanthropes because it doesn’t have much of a scent. Some people think that its scentless but its not. It simply has a mutable scent a very mutable one at that completely disappears in cream even. And its potent so very potent. You’ve ingested ten times what would kill a normal lycanthrope and yet you’re still able to hold a conversation. You really would have been a great ally if you could have gotten your head of your ass. Too bad really.”

Sabin placed the Jammer back in his pocket and waited for the truth of his words to settle in. He was really selling it putting as much untruth and discomfort into his words as possible.

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Lennox eyes grew three times their normal size as he did a quick check. He was sweaty. But he always was when his temper flared. He knew he was strong but strong enough to not have any symptoms with such a large dose. That was doubtful but… maybe. He tried to stand but his toes were tingling and he couldn’t feel his feet. That was not in line with Ricin poisoning. His respiratory felt fine. Ricin also did not effect the extremities. He was simply having a panic attack.

He smirked devilishly back at Sabin.

“Nice trick trying to provoke me into attacking you. If I do that then you are protected by the lions even weakened they have more numbers than the both of us combined thanks to their secret fraternity. Why do you want me to kill you Sabin. You seem to forget I work with poisons I know that Ricin attacks the pulmonary and respiratory systems. What is it you really want I hear you are in trouble with the vampires are you trying to run away to place they can’t hurt you?”

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Sabin smirked Lennox was trying to provoke him. He’d bought it.

“Okay you got me.” He smiled in actuality now as he spotted the veins in his eyes going red soon a vessel would burst and it would be over.

“I didn’t poison you with just Ricin. But you are dead and now I know you are too dumb to have been making moves against me or the Pride. It’s a shame really no one will ever know how loyal you were.” Moving away from the table he palmed his coffee cup into his pocket. Sweating due his limited exposure he jogged to the counter “Hey theres something wrong with that guy he needs help call nine one one!!!” as the crowded coffee house patrons jumped to their feet Sabin slipped away as everyone ran to help the asphyxiating tiger. He knew they would lay him on his back to try an open his airway that would be the nail in the coffin. He would drown in his own blood and in all actuality it wouldn’t be Sabin’s fault.