by M. Lorrox
Schermer laughs. “Sir, I invented GPS.”
Charlie is impressed. “Really?”
Schermer squints. “In a way. In the sixties, I worked on NAVSTAR. In any case—” she attempts the surfer accent again, “I can hook you up.”
Charlie puts his hand on Schermer’s shoulder. “I don’t have a need in mind, but still, let’s see what you got.”
Sadie checks her phone when the House of Elders breaks for lunch. Food has been brought in—and blood too, of course—and has been set out in an adjoining room.
Twenty-three new messages. Are you kidding me?
She turns off the screen of her phone and slides it back into Charlie’s leather, soft-sided briefcase that she commandeered. She looks around the room and is relieved when she doesn’t see anyone headed her way. She stands up, slides her bag with her foot out of the way under the table, and strolls toward the room with the food.
She puts together a plate of vegetables with a chicken breast and fills a glass with blood from a spigot attached to a large cooler. She hears footsteps approaching behind her, but she waits to step away until her glass is topped off.
“Is that you, Sadie?”
She turns around with a fake smile, only to replace it with a real one. “Raúl!”
“Sí, it is good to see you.” A warm smile creases his tanned skin.
Someone behind Raúl clears their throat. Raúl chuckles and steps out of the line. “I remember the first time I met you at the Palacio Real. I believe it was during the First Carlist War.” He glances at her drink. “I believe you and I shared a glass. Do you remember?” He smiles and raises an eyebrow.
Sadie motions with her head to the side, and they walk together. “How could I forget? We shared a lot more than a glass.”
He laughs. “Indeed, we had.” He sighs with the warm recollection.
They come to a table and sit beside each other. Sadie takes a sip of her blood and savors it. Opening her eyes, she sees Raúl smiling at her. She passes the glass to him. “It seems that we will once again be sharing a glass.”
“Thank you.” He takes a sip. “Oh, this is quite good; did they say where it’s from?”
“If I’m not mistaken, this to me tastes like bovine, from the northeast.” The glass is passed back, and she takes another sip. She swishes it in her mouth before she swallows. “And I want to say it’s from a heifer, not a steer.”
“I’m impressed.” He cuts a slice of beef on his plate and eats it.
“Raúl, have you heard from Patricia and Jonathan? I haven’t heard from them in a few months.”
Raúl claps his hands; others nearby shoot him annoyed looks. “Yes! They are headed back to Japan.”
Sadie eats her vegetables. “But they love it in India, did they say why they’re moving?”
Raúl shakes his head while he chews. He gestures impatience. He chews more aggressively. “That steak is tough, sorry. I haven’t actually heard from them, but they’ve reopened one of the family’s estates in Japan.” He leans in and flashes a sparkling smile. “And I have a rumor for you.”
Sadie’s eyes grow wide and she sets her silverware down. “Oh? You always know the juiciest secrets.”
He reaches out and takes her hand while he glances around the room dramatically.
Sadie smiles and follows suit.
Nobody listening. “When my daughter reopened the estate, she also invited in a famous Japanese decorator.”
Sadie whispers, “Who?”
Raúl whispers back, “I can’t remember her name, but she’s famous for designing nurseries!”
Sadie gasps. Raúl laughs.
She pulls her hand back and collects her silverware. “That’s so lovely. I take it they’re starting a new generation?”
“One could assume. Their last child, Annabella, is in her mid-twenties now, so it would make sense.”
“I’m happy for them, but if it’s true, I’ll have to give Jonathan hell for allowing you to find out before me. I am the grandmother after all!”
Raúl nods. “Then for his sake, I will hope that I am mistaken.”
“Well, if they are expecting, I hope for your daughter’s sake, it is another girl. Sons are terrible at staying in touch with their mothers!”
With sighs and smiles, they return to their food and eat, sharing the glass of blood. After a little while, someone approaches their table. Raúl looks up.
“Señor Lucas, how did the cabinet meeting this morning go?”
Raúl quickly wipes his mouth with his napkin and frowns. “Toss the formalities, you old fool, this is Sadie.”
Sadie turns around to meet the “old fool.” He’s a stout looking man with glasses and a rim of silver hair around a bald head. “Hello, sir.”
“Pardon my interruption, Elder Costanza, I—”
“Gerard is a good friend of mine, Sadie. We share many of the same business interests in Europe.”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you...?”
He bows. “Elder Dziedzic, but please, call me Gerard.”
Sadie smiles and turns back to Raúl. “You had a cabinet meeting this morning?”
“I can’t believe I forgot to tell you. I’ve been tapped to sit on the War and Defense Cabinet, and we met with your husband today.”
Sadie feigns surprise. “How’d that go?”
Raúl motions for Gerard to approach. The man stands nearby, and Raúl speaks quietly. “Of course, he wanted to do things his way, and Councilor Villablino was not pleased to entertain him.”
Sadie squeezes her tongue between her teeth, feeling the nubs along the top drag against her incisors. She opens her mouth with a click. “Sounds like Charlie.”
Raúl nods. “Not to worry though, I helped Villablino see the...wisdom in Charlie’s words, and he accepted.”
Gerard laughs, and Sadie glares up at him. He stops laughing and clears his throat. “I have heard a lot of stories about your husband’s impressive military record. I do hope to meet him someday soon.”
Sadie takes a drink of her blood and looks at Raúl. “I should thank you for finding—what did you call it? Ah, yes, wisdom in his words.” Oh, Charlie.
Raúl tilts his head and furrows his brow toward Sadie. “Your husband is a very respected and admired man, with a rebellious nature, yes, but a good man. A strong man.” He sits back upright. “We are lucky to have him on our side.” He winks at her.
She returns a smile. Why is he winking at me? She cuts a piece of chicken and takes a bite as a voice over the loudspeaker calls the elders back to the meeting room.
As Charlie walks through the lobby carrying the bag filled with his new gear, he sees June standing and talking to someone in the courtyard. He decides to wait.
She’s still talking after a minute. Charlie walks over to the front desk. “Excuse me.”
The same attendant that had issues with Rusty yesterday looks up and recognizes Charlie. “Oh. Can I help you?”
“Hi. Do you have sewing kits?”
“We have a kit that can be checked out.”
“Can I see it?”
The guy sighs and walks around the corner. Charlie glances over at the courtyard; June’s still talking, but she has shifted her stance a little. The guy comes back with a large container that resembles a fishing tackle box. He sets it on the counter. “You’ll need to sign it out.” The guy opens it, then pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to Charlie.
Charlie holds the paper to the side and peers inside the box. What a bunch of unnecessary crap. He sets the paper down on the counter and unfolds one of the trays. Here we go.
“Everything you need; just sign for it on the paper.”
Charlie pulls a single needle from a pin cushion, then grabs a spool of white thread, and one of black thread. He lowers the trays. “This is all I need. Do I really need to sign them out?”
“Ugh. Just keep them.” He snaps the paper off the counter and places it back in the box, then latches it shut and rips it of
f the counter. He turns and walks back around the corner.
I love making friends. Charlie turns away from the desk as June walks into the lobby with a soft smile on her face.
She notices him instantly. “Hi, Charlie.”
“Hi, June. Who’s your friend?” They walk together toward the elevator.
“That’s Beatrice. She’s helping me learn more about chess.”
“That’s nice, I didn’t know you played.”
She nods.
“She’s a...nice lady?”
She nods. “Her husband is, umm, like us. She’s here with him.”
“But she’s, uh, not like us? That’s an interesting arrangement.”
June shrugs and pushes the elevator button. “I thought so too.”
Up in the room, Skip is pleased to see June and Charlie return. Minnie is very excited to see Charlie. “Daddy!”
“Hey darlin’, you having fun with Mr. Tubman?”
June sets down her backpack and steps into the kitchen. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, June.” Skip motions to get Charlie’s attention. “I told Minnie to just call me Skip. We’re a big family now, remember?”
Charlie smiles and nods, then sets down his bag and follows June to the kitchen.
She hunts inside the fridge. “I’m kinda hungry.”
“I’m really hungry. Can you hand me an Infinite Vampire juice bottle?”
“What flavor?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Skip stands and limps over. “I’m also hungry, believe it or not. We might need to do some grocery shopping though; our snack supply is almost gone.”
Charlie chugs the bottle and motions to Skip. He swallows the liquid and quickly rejuvenates. “Why are you limping?”
“We played a little too rough, and I banged my shin on the table. It’s better now, but it still hurts when I flex the muscle.”
June drinks the last pack of dog blood. “I think we’re out of blood too.”
Skip shakes his head. “You must have missed Eddy in the elevators; the hotel manager called up a minute ago. A box arrived for Sadie, and Eddy said it was the shipment that he rerouted.”
“Oh, good.” Charlie finishes the bottle and tosses it into a bin he set up for recyclables.
Skip leans against the wall. “I looked online, and there’s a grocery store across the street and down the block. June, want to come with me, and we can do a little shopping?”
Charlie winces. “Skip, I can’t stay with Minnie right now. I have to run to some more meetings. I just wanted to drop off a bag and grab a drink.”
“Oh.”
“When Eddy gets back, he can stay with her though, if you two wanted to run out for a bit.”
The door clicks open, and Eddy walks in with a large box. “Yeah, I can stay with Minnie if you need to ditch for a while.” He sets the box down and looks at Charlie. “Dad, knife?”
Charlie pulls out his pocket knife and flicks it open in a swift movement. He hands it to Eddy with the blade facing away. “Eddy, do you want to meet the senior guardsmen and their squires?”
Eddy grabs at the knife and almost drops it. “Yeah! Definitely!”
“Careful.”
“Sorry. Who, uh, when?”
“Five-thirty. They have a little training facility nearby. We can leave here at five.”
“Great!”
Skip clears his throat. “When does Sadie get back?”
Charlie notices Skip is frowning. “I’m not sure when exactly. If she’s still gone later, will you watch Minnie while Eddy and I meet the others? I appreciate it, man; as soon as we’re back I’ll take over for the rest of the night.”
Skip puts his hands in his pockets. “No problem, I understand, you’ve got a lot going on. I’m happy to help, really.”
Charlie pats him on the shoulder. “I really mean it. Thank you.”
He nods.
“I gotta get back down there though, Eddy, meet me in the lobby at five.”
“Yes sir!” He removes items from the box and sets them on the counter as Charlie walks out the door. Real knights and real squires in their training facility! I wonder what martial arts they practice...
“Eddy?”
“Yeah, Skip?”
“So, will you stay and take care of Minnie while June and I go to the store for people food?”
He turns and laughs. “Sure. Can you get some people food for us too?”
“Oh. Yeah, of course.”
“I can make a list of stuff we usually have on hand, and Dad can pay you back. Would that be okay?”
“Sure, that’s fine.” He turns and sees his daughter glancing out the window. “June, will you come to the store with me?”
She doesn’t turn from the window, but nods.
Skip limps into his bedroom. “I’ll get ready to go.”
At four fifty-eight in the evening, Charlie stands in the lobby. While he waits for Eddy, he watches Jules take notes and make calls. When Charlie sees his son stepping out of the elevator, he beckons him with a wave.
“Dad, you owe Skip a hundred and eighty dollars.” Eddy keeps walking past Charlie toward the front doors of the hotel. In a moment, he realizes that his dad isn’t following him, so he stops and turns around. “Didn’t you say we were headed to a training facility of some kind?”
“What do you mean I owe Skip a hundred and eighty dollars?”
“Groceries. I gave him a list, so we’re all stocked up now.”
Charlie starts toward the door. “Fine. Did you tell him to get extra-hot, hot sauce?”
Eddy snaps his fingers and points at his dad. “I knew I forgot something.”
Charlie groans.
When Charlie and Eddy walk into the dance studio the guards rented out for training, Eddy’s eyes almost jump out of his head. Down the hall, he can see into the studio. “Is that a Wing-Chun dummy? Look at the weapon’s rack! Dad, is that a Wing-Chun dummy?”
“Eddy, focus. You’re here to meet the senior officers of the Council Guard, remember?”
He nods. “And their squires.”
“Yes, and their squires. So, act accordingly.”
Eddy stands a half-inch taller. “Yes, sir.”
They round a corner and can now see into the depth of the studio. A half dozen young vampires are training with different weapons and various martial arts forms while another half dozen older vampires stand and talk nearby. The two newcomers stand at the opening of the large, wood-floored and mirror-lined room and just watch for a moment.
Charlie notices his direct reports, the senior officers of the Guard. Schermer chats with Tatsu while he’s suspended between two chairs by his ankles, doing a deep spilt. Tiger and Korina watch some of the younger vampires and comment to each other about their performance.
When Eddy recovers the ability to speak, he pokes Charlie and whispers, “Dad?”
“What?”
Eddy points and tracks the movements of a girl with a large bladed weapon. “I think that’s a bat’leth.”
Charlie looks. A redheaded girl is practicing a form with an odd, large, crescent-shaped, two-handed weapon. “The girl with the long deer-antler sword thing?”
Eddy nods.
“It’s called a battle-eff? I’ve never seen a double handed deer-antler sword.”
OMG. “Dad—” WOW. “—it’s a Klingon weapon.” Eddy takes a step to the side so he can see better.
Charlie shrugs and walks over to the senior officers.
After a moment, Eddy notices and he follows, jogging to catch up.
Schermer clears her throat as they approach. Tatsu looks up and sees Charlie and pushes himself off the chairs with amazing strength and balance. He pops up and lands standing. Korina sees the movement out of the corner of her eye. She claps her hands three times, and the vampires drilling also stop.
Charlie stops and yells, “Attention!”
-SNAP!- Everyone in the room stands in the attention stance. The knights C
harlie recognize along with a few others stand in a row, side by side, and the younger vampires stand in two rows set ninety degrees from the knights. Eddy stands next to Charlie.
“At ease.”
Everyone in the dance studio steps out in unison and rests their hands at their waists.
“For those that do not know me, I am Colonel Costanza, Commander of the Council Guard.” He motions to his side to Eddy. “This is my son, who is looking forward to taking the pledge as a squire soon.” He turns back to the group. “Any that serve the Council Guard, please stay. The rest are dismissed.”
Half of the younger vampires step out of their rows, and the two knights Charlie didn’t recognize regroup with them off to the side of the room to continue their drills.
Remaining are the four senior officers of the Council Guard and, presumably, their three squires.
“Please line up again in standard formation.”
The knights space themselves out. The redheaded girl stands to the left side of Tiger, and a tall boy with short dark hair and an angular face stands to the left of Korina. The last squire, a short but stocky boy, stands a few steps to the back and left of the entire line.
Charlie walks over to him. “What is your name, son?”
“Enrique, squire to Flying Eagle.”`
“Where is Flying Eagle right now, Enrique?”
“He is on active duty. I was asked to stay behind.”
“I’m sure there was a good reason.” Charlie walks and stands in front of the group. “Korina, Tiger, these are your squires?”
“Yes.” / “Aye.”
Charlie looks at the young vampires standing proud beside their knights. He glances to Enrique, too. “Who among you is most skilled in unarmed combat?”
The girl steps forward, still holding the bat’leth.
“What’s your name?”
“Sky.”
Charlie looks at Tiger who smiles with pride. “Okay, Sky, lose the sword and teach my son, Leo, a lesson.”
Eddy looks at her, she grins back.
“Now, Sky! Go!” Charlie points toward Eddy and steps out of the way.
She tosses her bat’leth to her knight and charges at Eddy, who jogs back a few steps to have some more room.