You had dozens of clients, not all of them kindred.  Producing rare ghouls for needy, flaky, whining elders may have helped you get your name out there and on the tongues of kindred who mattered, but after a few years it had become more of a pain then it was worth.  You'd found that the more successful you were, the more difficult the demands got.  This no doubt made you rich in both money and favors, but quite frankly, at this point, you were starting to realize that you were long ago above such things as ghoul procurement.  That was a task for mere underlings.

As for the porn kings, head hunters, jackals, and other miscreants who relied on your services, they were just a means to an end.  It had been more then a year since you had personally taken a client yourself, but this client was worth it.

Your client was Catrina Armstrong, an elder, a primogen, a clan-mate, and a potentially lethal ally or enemy, depending on who she was pissed at.  Your client had a very specific set of ghouls in mind.  She was looking for twins, twin girls, natural redheads, freckles, pretty, educated but shy.  It was preferable for the girls to be untainted by drugs, alcohol, ink, and excessive jewelry.  A homegrown, Southern Baptist christian background was also preferable.  There were more details of course, and like usual, your client hadn't elaborated on the nature of the specifics.

It had taken the better part of a week, but you had come up with four potential pairs of twins that fit the client's bill.  Two of the girls were a little older (19).  One of the girls had a tattoo on her wrist, and another was blonde, the result of chemicals added to her hair.  Otherwise, all eight girls fit the bill.  It was about time to notify Catrina so she could come finalize her selection...

Madhu looked himself over in a mirror and straightened his shirt. He had opted for blue and white pen stripes. A white collar and white cuffs. The shirt was untucked, of course. Straight, blue, boot-cut jeans and brown dress shoes, with the toe pointed finished the ensemble. It was casual, but not...

Madhu double checked the pictures and bios he had dug up on the sets of twins. Making sure everything was in order he tucked them neatly into their respective manila envelopes. The envelopes were then placed in a canvas messenger bag he draped over his shoulder so that it hung over his hip.

After he was certain he was ready he made the call to Catrina and set a location nearby.

It was another forty-five minutes before you'd been able to meet up with Catrina.  She didn't seem thrilled with being rushed and meeting you on your time, but she didn't object and that meant she would cede to your direction.  Your meeting spot was a little coffee shop nestled between an Italian Pizza parlor and a small drug store.  At this hour there wasn't a lot of business, but the patio out front had a couple of late nighters, and another tall, heavier guy with a beard was making his way towards the door with a coffee in hand a bag from Subway in the other.

You were about ten minutes earlier, and while the two teenagers behind the counter eyeballed you with that spiteful glare all people who enter a business twenty minutes before it closes get, but that hadn't said anything...

Madhu ordered two cappuccinos. One with low-fat milk, the other with an extra shot.  After he got it he took a seat at the most secluded table he could find and waited for Catrina.

When she arrived he greeted her quickly, "Hello there. I apologize for the short notice, but I believe I have news you'll like." He offered her a smile and handed her the stack of envelopes and slid the low-fat cappuccino towards her.

"I've narrowed down the list. All I need from you is to make a selection. I have people in place to complete the purchases in 24 hours... Which is what necessitates the short notice." He eyed her.

Catrina entered.  It was hard to picture her as a full grown woman, a little thick in the hips, and over sized in the chest.  Catrina barely reached five feet tall.  Tonight, she was a little taller, but it was because she was wearing knee high heeled boots.  Her outfit consisted of a little black mini-skirt and a purple and black corset.  Catrina had on heavy eye liner and it made her look a little whorish, or more specifically, like she had gotten dressed up so she could act a little whorish at a party.

She greeted you with a neutral tone, took the cappuccino and tasted it.  She made a face and then tasted it again.  You could tell that Catrina still wasn't convinced she liked the taste.  Finally, the Brujah primogen plopped down and looked through the files you gave her.  "So tell me what I'm lookin' at here."  The elder looked up from the picture of the blonde at you, and then back down.  "I said red, not blonde." Catrina suspiciously went through the eight photos.

"Chemically dyed." Madhu added softly, then he spoke, "These are the ones that fit your requirements as closely as possible. One has a small tattoo on her wrist. However, I believe the ones with the orange flag on the folder are the best match. They are 19, no tattoos, no dyed hair, no piercings aside from their ears, and they were sent to one of the best private schools in England. Both graduated with honors." He palmed his coffee, enjoying the warmth of it on his hands.

"Chemically dyed!  God!  The children.  Why on Earth would you trade red hair for Saxon blonde?  It's such an impure and dirty color." Catrina expression made her seem utterly appalled at the idea.  She very casually just plopped the envelopes back down on the table.  "Twenty-four hours you said?  Bring me them all.  I want this one first."  She tapped the folder with blonde's photo in it with her index finger.

Catrina looked at you very seriously.  "This young miss and I are going to have to have an in depth chat about why red is better then blonde." The short elder Brujah made a face and it was unpleasant.  Catrina leaned forward and faked a sip of the rapidly cooling cappuccino (because cappuccinos were mostly foam) and recomposed herself.  "That won't be a problem, will it?"

Catrina glanced from you to the two finishing up the prep work for closing down at the end of the night.  One of the couples outside had already left.

Madhu wasn't even shocked. This happened more than the people doing it ever thought. It was a shtick to try to impress him, or maybe in Catrina's case just a spur of the moment decision, a test even. Whatever it was, it was neither surprising, nor impressive.

He rolled the coffee cup between his hands and shook his head, "Not at all." He allowed himself the indulgence of a smile at her. Business well done. He always loved when transactions went smoothly. "I'll send the word tonight. They'll be picked up tomorrow, and..." He thought for a moment. "They'll trickle in over the next week. Transporting involuntary merchandise can be troublesome. I'll make sure they arrive first though." He put the coffee down and put his hands flat on the table, "Once they've all arrived we'll arrange another meeting for you to inspect them personally and go from there. Is this acceptable?"

Catrina looked at you sharply when you put your hands on the table.  "I was under the impression I'd be able to collect my merchandise in twenty-four hours." She pouted.  It was not an expression that fit well on Catrina's face.  "I probably shouldn't ask, but I am going to anyway.  What happens if I am not satisfied?  I am not suggesting that I won't be.  I just been around long enough to know that things don't always go like planned."

Catrina looked around the coffee shop.  She had noticed what you seen, and so she looked around and finally picked up her coffee and slid out of the seat.

Madhu stood up and put the messenger bag over his shoulder. Then grabbed his coffee. "They'll be returned. Quite alive to do whatever it is they decide to do with the rest of their lives." It sounded humane, and it was, which was why Madhu insisted rejected merchandise was never destroyed. However it had the nice benefit of not having murders to cover up. Once the victim of an abduction returns things die down much more swiftly. Murders take years to go away, and even then there is always the risk of some forgotten clue turning up. Murder was messy. There was no room in Madhu's business for messy, and he said as much, "Its almost always easier to just return them or let them be found somewhere rather than kill them."

He turned to face her, "But to address your more pressing questions: No, I can have them taken in 24 hours. The first pair is in England. Another is in South Africa. The other two are in America. Sheer geography will require it take longer than 24 hours to get them here. I can't just toss them on a jet and fly them all here. That would be terrifically irresponsible and borderline breaking our most important law, because it would lead any authorities squarely to us." He shook his head. "When I do have them gathered for your approval please keep any conversation you must have with them to a bare minimum as well as any physical contact. It makes it easier to return them."

That would make sense. Madhu doesn't have the ability to go in and mess around with people's memories. Catrina could easily assume that. So he had to have other ways of making sure his merchandise remembered as little as possible about the people they encountered during their ordeal.

"If you approve of them I recommend you begin the Bonding process immediately. However, I will ask that, to protect the transaction, you allow some of my people to continue to providing surveillance in case we need to perform a rapid recovery of the product. In the event of an escape."

Catrina followed you to the door and stopped.  She waited for you both to exit, and smiled when your polite behavior opened the door and held it.  When you both were outside, the tiny, fiery, Scottish woman picked up like she hadn't skipped a beat.  "Good.  My specific requirements are not just thrown out there to test you and your ability even if it does seem that way.  True, there is some testing involved, but it's mostly for the accuracy and efficiency.  My thinking is that if you can cater to me, do it humbly, efficiently, and without complaint, then I just may have more to offer you in the political arena."

Catrina nodded.  "I do need to ask though, why South Africa?  Wouldn't it have been easier to find product in Ireland or Scotland?" She shrugged.  "I am not an expert on such things.  This is your realm, as unpleasant as it may be at times." Catrina trailed off.  She wasn't trying to be insulting or even insinuate that you were a bad business partner to have.  "Rumor has it you can even get ... I mean, rumor is you can even shop in Asia and Africa, places traditionally barred to us.  Christian tells me that the Chinese girl you picked up for him to present at a party was a tough request, but you came through in a pinch."

Madhu walked beside the elder and listened. When she was done he offered, "Red hair is a recessive gene. Which means while yes, Ireland and Scotland have the stereotype of having a lot of people with red hair, its not that much more common than anywhere else. Twins would be even more rare." He looked at her, "I did look there, but did not find anything as fine as what I have presented to you."

Once outside Madhu took a breathe and let out a sigh. The night was nice. "Being Indian I find it easier to pass in and out of areas most of us find inhospitable, but my ability to operate in Asia has less to do with my being asian, and more to do with me operating through people who have no idea what I or my clients really are."