by J B Stilwell
I bite my lower lip as casually as possible to keep the huge smile from breaking through my professional façade. Rick seems to pick up on my overexcited vibe and lightly squeezes my knee under the table. I take a couple of deep breaths and promise to thank the universe later for giving me what I need to pay my bills.
I glance at Bree and see a very hard line protruding from her jaw, as if she’s gritting her teeth with so much force that the muscles in her face are doubling over into a rope-like form. She’s obviously not happy with this news.
“However,” Mr. Caulfield continues, “Drs. Vinh and Krishnamurthy did contribute to the final outcome. In the very least their teamwork did bring them to the brink of success, even when the last step was not the great leap that they had hoped it would be.”
Ouch. I’m sure those words stabbed Bree right in the chest, especially coming from a human, if what Rick said about her is true.
“Nevertheless, FOHVA needs this type of brilliance on our team.” Mr. Caulfield motions to a stack of folders resting on the table. Allison rises and gives a folder to each of us. The front cover has the FOHVA emblem embossed along the top.
“FOHVA is expanding into the realm of paranormal investigations. Just like this project, the investigations team will focus on crime committed against humans by various supernatural entities.”
Wait. Huh? Various? “Excuse me?” I interrupt. “Various? We have provided a viable solution for crimes committed by vampires. What else are we dealing with?”
His lips quirk as he regards me with the look of a father addressing his naïve daughter. “Dr. Burcham, humans have to worry about more than just vampires. The human community at large is not fully aware of all that goes bump in the night, and there’s no need to cause a widespread panic. FOHVA intends to address incidents that seemingly have a supernatural element with our new investigations team. The U.S. government seeks to begin dealing with these issues before the reality of the existence of more than just vampires grabs the public’s attention.”
I quickly glance at Rick, who is resting back against his chair with a blank look on his face. I guess he’s not surprised by any of this, and I’ve just proven yet again just how unsophisticated my knowledge really is when it comes to anything other than human.
“That’s why I have asked all of you here. Given your performances on this project and your specific areas of expertise, we feel that FOHVA would greatly benefit from each one you joining our investigations team.”
I begin to ask another question and he holds a hand up, seemingly anticipating my confusion. “I know you all are scientists. Researchers. Not investigators, per se. However, your analytical skills and ability to problem-solve and find answers to difficult problems make each of you perfect candidates to lead the team to great success.”
He pauses as he watches each of us, allowing us to momentarily digest everything he has just said. “All of the information you need to make an informed decision is in your folder. I will also add that the confidentiality agreement that you signed when you were hired for the project still applies. Given the timeline commitment FOHVA has agreed to, we will need your answer by the end of the week.” He looks at each one of us before saying, “That is all.”
And with that we are dismissed. Bree and Abe shake Mr. Caulfield’s hand again before leaving his office. Rick and I verify all of our bank details with Allison so we can receive the large deposits for the work we have done. We also shake Mr. Caulfield’s hand again, leave his office and walk outside in complete silence.
Standing in front of my car Rick says, “A lot to think about over the next couple of days.”
I nod, not able to completely grasp what has just happened. When I started this project, I was excited to have a steady paycheck to help pay my debts. Now I have an extra fifty thousand dollars and the possibility of a new career with the U.S. government, investigating all manner of life – and probably un-life – that I had no idea existed before today. To say it was like a dream was an understatement.
Abruptly, Rick gives me a rather firm hug. “You did great work, Emma. It was a privilege working with you.”
Taken aback, I hesitantly wrap my arms around his waist. “You did great, too, Rick.”
He pulls back and looks down at me. “Let’s go back to your apartment and try to relax after all of the excitement. Once the adrenaline stops rushing, maybe we can think more clearly about Mr. Caulfield’s offer.”
I look at him and smile, silently counting my blessings while I can and recognizing that trying to think clearly with Rick in my apartment will be more difficult than I care to admit out loud. Something needs to change about that.
Smiling, we get into the car to head back home. Yep, a lot of things will be changing soon. Hopefully I’m ready for it. FOHVA has thrown the bait, but will I bite?
Epilogue
After only thinking about it for a little over a day, I turn in all of the needed paperwork so that I’m now an official member of the FOHVA Paranormal Investigations team, or FOHVA PI as I like to say – lends to a little more mystery about what we do.
The bonus money came in handy, and I can now claim to be debt-free. No more collectors calling me, and I can rightfully say that my education has been paid in full. With the money that I’ll be making with FOHVA, I can afford a much nicer apartment in a better part of the town that is Rowan.
Yes, I moved to Rowan since the FOHVA offices are based there. My mom was not happy that I’m not returning to Huntington, but I promised to visit as often as possible. I’m still learning my way around the town and meeting some of the locals. Thankfully I’ve been more accepted than the other members of the team. Being from West Virginia seems to be a huge benefit with my new job. People seem to feel more comfortable talking to me. Anytime we need to investigate anything in the Mountain State, I will be taking the lead.
The newly formed team does include Rick, Bree and Abe. I’m not sure how I feel about working with Bree, but I look forward to working more with Rick and getting to know Abe better. Hopefully Bree won’t spoil any fun we try to have while doing serious work. She can definitely be the vampire version of a buzz-kill.
Since we’re both staying in Rowan, Rick insisted on renting an apartment in the same duplex as me. No one has seen or heard from Tucker, but Rick still thinks he’s a threat. He even suggested that we live together, but my libido and dignity just couldn’t handle the thought.
Speaking of Tucker, I have to admit that I still sometimes look over my shoulder thinking that he might still be in Rowan. Given that no one has seen him and his apartment is empty, I’m pretty sure that he went back to New York. Well, pretty sure. Let’s just say that I continue to hold my breath whenever I come home, even if I do live in a different apartment.
Having paid off my debts, my stress level has decreased and I’m sleeping better at night…or day…or whenever I can get seven hours in. Definitely not sleeping like a vampire, but it’s better than before. Regardless, I’m still haunted by the images of the child vampire and still struggle with what I did during ALL of the experiments, not just the last one. I don’t think my thoughts will interfere with my work. If anything, it will make me better because I know that I won’t be the type to proverbially jump the gun and strike out at someone until we know all of the facts. This is how I will add balance to Bree’s shoot-and-ask-questions-later attitude.
It will be interesting to see how we all work together. Two vampires who are as opposite as can be and two humans who are probably more alike than we realize. One thing is for sure, humans and all others won’t see us coming.
About the author
J.B. Stilwell is a novelist of paranormal romance/thrillers. “The Source” is her debut novel in the upcoming collection The Mountain State vampire series.
She was born and raised in the foothills of Appalachia and currently resides in the Seattle metropolitan area with her husband and daughter.
She is eclectic, having diverse interests tha
t show in her writing. She has a degree in Sociology in which her studies focused on crime/deviant behavior for undergrad and race/gender relations in post-grad. She loves to travel, particularly to India, and her varied experiences around the world are woven into her stories.
Aside from writing, she loves to read, listen to music, watch good TV/movies, crochet and above all else, spend time with family and friends.
To get the most updated information on J.B. Stilwell, visit http://jbstilwellauthor.com/
You can also follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jbstilwell.author) and Twitter @JBStilwell.