by Judith Post
"Then forget the gin and tonic and give me your phone number."
She laughed. "How long are you in town?"
"Depends. I'm here on business. I stay until it's done."
"But you're temporary. You'll go home in a week or two."
"Or a month." Gino gave her an appraising look. "I have a big company charge account for entertaining. My boss doesn’t expect me to eat alone. We could have a good time while I'm here."
She bit her bottom lip, thinking. "I just broke up with my boyfriend. I don't want anything serious right now."
"Then it's perfect timing. No one wants me for keeps, but I’m fun while it lasts. Let me take you to dinner."
She went to make his gin and tonic and set it before him. Her phone number was scribbled on the bar napkin.
"My luck must be changing. Here's to mixing business with pleasure!" Gino looked her up and down. She was a pretty girl, and she might come in handy. It was a win/win. When he left the club, he made plans to pick her up tomorrow night. They'd have an early dinner before she had to work. He'd buy flowers and chocolates, go all out. The ladies liked that. He'd have her eating out of his hand before the date was over.
Chapter 11
Enoch drove to the house, alone, the next day. From the minute he pulled under its portico, it was love at first sight. The side door led to a monster-sized kitchen, but it was showing its age. Old cupboards and décor, worn formica counter tops and flooring. All fixable. An arch led to a huge, square living room with a fireplace. Just as dated. Braided rugs dotted the oak floors, and wide woodwork framed deep windows. Chintz couches and chairs formed a cozy nook around a heavy coffee table, and antique side tables were scattered here and there. Another arch led to a dining room, papered with a sagging design of dancing apples and bananas—hideous. No wonder the owners jumped at full price for the house.
The dining room completed the first floor's open circle. The table could easily seat a dozen people and stretch to accommodate more. More importantly, there was a deep, dry basement and a cavernous, walk-up, third-floor attic. Perfect spots for vamps to bunk in. There was a balcony off the master bedroom that looked out over a big backyard. A vamp could stand watch there, if Enoch could think of a way to protect it. Otherwise, a guard would be an easy target for a stake.
"We like to sit on the balcony and watch the deer," the wife told Enoch when he leaned over the railing to look in all directions. She appeared to be in her late sixties, a short, plump woman with graying brown hair. She flitted from one spot to the next, making Enoch think of a feisty wren, protecting its territory. "We even put a coffee pot in our room so that we can go out there first thing in the morning and watch the birds."
"See the bluebird houses?" Her husband was a bit older, Enoch guessed, with stooped shoulders and a gentle expression. "We had three sets of babies grow up in them last year."
"We buy suet with bugs in it," his wife added. "They love it, if you're a birdwatcher."
Guilt tugged at him. These people obviously loved their home and had wonderful memories here. He was going to use it as an army base.
"This will be a good, solid home for you," the husband said, patting an oak doorframe. "If you take care of it, it will take care of you."
"Where are you moving to?" Enoch needed to change the subject.
The wife answered. "Our son got a job in Louisville. We're moving to a condo down there. His wife just had another little boy. We can babysit." Her voice filled with pride and she reached for pictures on top of the bureau. "That's Terence holding his little brother. Aren't they cute?"
Enoch nodded. A boy with dark hair was carefully balancing his younger brother on his lap while his mother hovered close by. "Sounds like you know what's important in life."
"Family and friends," the wife said. "We're leaving some old, dear friends up here, but it's time. This place is getting too big for us. We need to move on."
"I'll take good care of your house." Enoch meant it. He might have to use it as a fortress, but he'd be good to it.
"Our son's sending a moving van to get our things on Thursday," the husband said. "We'll clean on Friday, and you can have it on Saturday. Is there any furniture you'd like?"
"I'll take whatever you don't want," Enoch said. "Just give me a price."
They exchanged a glance. "You want it all?"
"Everything. It suits the house. I like it."
"You've sure made our lives easier." The wife laid a hand on the oak bureau. It was almost a caress. "We're not taking much. This furniture is so heavy and bulky, it won't work in smaller rooms. We'll try to be fair to you."
Enoch smiled. With these two people, he wasn't worried about that. "Have a great, new life."
"Enjoy the house." The wife's voice tightened a bit on the words. The couple walked him to the door and she hesitated. "Are you going to live here by yourself?"
"No, this place will be full of people soon. It will be bursting at the seams."
The woman smiled. "Oh, good, this house loves children. The more, the merrier."
Enoch didn't correct her. Instead, he said, "You know, if it wouldn't bother you, we could clean the house ourselves and move in a day earlier."
She looked relieved. "You're sure? We were going to hire it done."
"There's not much to do. The house is in great shape, and I have plenty of helping hands, believe me. Save yourself some work."
She didn't argue, and Enoch left with a new agenda. By Friday, he'd have workers here, installing bullet-proof glass in every window and door and metal, roll-down grids behind those, even on the garage. He'd have plexi-glass or some kind of shield installed for the upstairs balcony. He decided to add a specialized security system and a sprinkler system too. And by Monday, they could move in.
When he got back to the apartment, Bart, Claudia, and Voronika must have been listening for him. They'd pulled the drapes in the living room to block out the sun, and when they heard his key in the door, they roused themselves to greet him. "What do you think?" Bart asked.
"It's perfect. It has a two-car garage and a shed, besides a huge attic and basement. Let the vampires on our lists know that they can move in on Monday."
"You mean Sunday night?" Claudia asked.
"After sunset. The house will be secure by then."
Voronika frowned. "And if the killers can't get to the first vampires on their lists?"
"They can't get to any of them," Enoch said. "At least for now. Until someone makes new lists and sends new hunters. But by the time those killers find us, we'll be ready. "
"The hunters will follow our generals here," Claudia said. "Instead of hiding, we can take the offensive."
"Once we know what we're up against, we can hunt them," Bart said. "The war's on. Whoever's stalking us has lost the element of surprise."
Enoch didn't like fighting an enemy he couldn't identify. How many were there? How powerful were they? Only time would tell. They'd have to make sure that time worked for them, not against them. The sooner the generals were safe and sound in the house, the better.
The minute the three vampires went back to bed, Enoch got busy on the telephone. He had lots of workers to line up, and it wouldn't be easy, but he wanted everyone there on Friday, even if they got in each other's way. He’d learned, from experience, that if he threw enough money at a problem, he could get things done. Not bragging. Just a necessity sometimes.
Hours later, he felt frazzled and grumpy. People weren't happy with him. He’d had to twist arms and promise bonuses, but everything was in place.
Chapter 12
The owners of the house called to tell Enoch that the only furniture they were taking with them was the chintz sofa and chairs and their spindle bedroom set. He could have everything else. The price they quoted seemed too low, so he argued with them until they finally reached a compromise. Then, he went shopping. He had a long list of stores to visit. His first stop was an appliance store. He was gutting the kitchen, so he could do whatever he wanted
with it. The refrigerator that came with the house wasn’t big enough. He’d put it in the garage. And he wanted a freezer and a microwave for the basement. While he was at it, he might as well buy a new, six-burner stove.
After that, he bought two overstuffed, wine-red sofas—he could picture them facing each other—and four striped, easy chairs—two for each end—to form a grouping in the living room. At a store that sold Oriental rugs, he bought a 9 x 12, peacock blue Persian to center the furniture. He found an oak, circular table with four chairs at a woodworking shop for the far end of the room. He drove to an antique shop he’d called that had a spindle bedroom set almost exactly like the owners'. And then he went to a mattress store and bought a dozen twin beds. He arranged to have everything delivered on Friday while the workmen were at the house, installing the modifications he'd ordered.
By the time he got back to his apartment, the sun was setting. He’d spent the entire day shopping, and he was tired. Bart and Claudia were waiting when he got home. Voronika got up a little later. None of them cared what the house looked like. They weren’t interested in his purchases. So what did it matter to him? An image of the little, old husband and wife flashed before him. He’d treat their house with care.
When the sun rose Friday morning and his friends headed to bed, Enoch drove to the new house. Just as he'd expected, the floors were swept and mopped. The insides of every cupboard were spotless. The little wren lady couldn't stand leaving a mess. He carried mountains of chips and snacks into the living toom—thankfully bereft of wallpaper that needed stripped—and moved the refrigerator to the garage and stocked it with pop.
The first crew to arrive was the window replacement team. Security people came next. Enoch groaned when the same workmen who'd installed the metal grids in his apartment pulled into the new house's drive—the same workmen who had to replace the balcony's grid that Caleb ripped from its support beam. Now Enoch watched the foreman climb out of his truck and scratch his head while he gazed at the solid, fieldstone house.
"You know how to pick 'em," the man said when Enoch went to greet him. "A penthouse as high up as you can get and a damned, stone fort with nothing around it for miles. I'm taking it you don't like surprise visits."
Enoch grinned. The man had lost none of his charm. Whatever he thought came out of his mouth. "I like privacy."
"Yeah, right. I've stayed awake nights, trying to figure out how someone could mangle a steel beam that's fifteen stories up, maybe higher."
"A big wind. It knocked down limbs."
"Must have been the big, bad wolf coming to blow your house down. I don't know who you pissed off, but I hope you survive it. You're turning into one of our regular customers." The man looked at the house. "If you want this done in one weekend, we'd better get to it. I brought enough men, but you have a lot of windows."
"I appreciate how fast you got here."
"Our boss yanked us off another job. All I can say is for the money you're paying, he'd have dropped us in by parachute."
"Now that, I'd like to see." When the man laughed, Enoch shook his head. "I still appreciate it. There are plenty of restaurants close by. If you tell me what you want for lunch, I'll have it delivered. The kitchen and dining room are going to be torn up, but a refrigerator on the porch is full of soft drinks. I moved the table into the living room. There are chips and snacks. I'm having a lot done to the house. I hope everyone can work together without getting in each other's way."
The man eyed the work crew that was replacing windows. "Let me guess. The house is drafty."
"You'll find out anyway. Bullet proof glass."
"Imagine that." He nodded toward the shed at the back of the property. Men were installing a smoke-colored, sky light. There was only one way in and out, and the hose wouldn’t reach it. It had made Enoch worry. “Bullet proof too?”
“You can’t be too careful.”
“Not with your lifestyle.”
Enoch nodded inside. "Help yourselves to drinks and snacks. There's plenty more."
"I've gotta tell you, man, I like your style. I'm in your corner, as long as I never have to meet the guys who don't like you."
"I hope no one has to." Enoch's voice was so serious, the man winced.
"When we leave here, anything bigger than a mouse won't get in."
"Thanks." Enoch nodded toward the house. "I only have three days."
"What’s new?" The man motioned to his crew and they got busy. Furniture trucks came and went while they worked. When the truck came to deliver the twelve twin beds, the foreman glanced at Enoch and raised his eyebrows.
"I like to entertain."
"And I like fairytales."
A special security system was installed that included motion lights around the perimeter of the yard. Enoch bought every work crew lunch and early suppers all three days. He paid time and a half for Saturday and double time for Sunday. The grid men were the last to leave. When they finally straggled to their truck after seven on Sunday, Enoch handed each man a one hundred-dollar bonus.
"You don't have to do this. You've already been nice enough," one of the workers said.
Enoch waved that away. "I feel safe now. It's worth it to me." Every window and door was sealed and the balcony was protected.
"If you move to a new spot, you'll give us a call, right?" the foreman said.
"You can count on it."
The man gave him a sharp look. "You're not kidding, are you?"
"No." At nightfall, the house was ready. The entire downstairs was painted a soft cream. The kitchen was brand new. It was a hurried job, he could tell. It could have used a second coat of paint, but it was presentable. Enoch went to his apartment to fetch his friends. When he pulled into the drive with them, Voronika climbed from the Land Rover and turned in a slow circle. "It's so secluded here, you feel completely isolated, but I can still hear traffic on the highway."
"Do you like it?"
A deer bounded across the backyard, setting off the motion lights. "It's sort of like camping out. Is that a garden?" She walked to the small rectangle of plants near the double garage—stone like the house—and bent to pick a handful of spinach. "I used to raise vegetables."
Before Vlad took her, Enoch knew. When her life was normal. "There's rhubarb on the other side of the garage," he said. "And strawberry plants."
She looked up at the sturdy house. "It looks solid."
Bart studied the sealed-in balcony off the master bedroom and the large yard and fields. He squinted at the blue spruce and woods. "The trees are close enough to use as cover. We can put men in them as guards."
"The killers will, too," Claudia said.
"We'll have to beat them to it." Bart looked at the home's high roof and the large portico to park under by the kitchen door. There was a white, cement block shed at the back of the yard on the left side. "We can put men in the shed and garage. Everything's going to work in favor of vampires. You couldn't have chosen better."
Pleased with himself, Enoch motioned them inside. They entered through the front door, and Voronika stopped at the arch for the living room and nodded approval. "It's big, but it's homey." She walked past the cluster of sofas and chairs to the arch that led to the kitchen at the back of the house. Her breath caught when she saw the side-by-side, refrigerator/freezer and six burner stove.
"I thought the owners left all the appliances," she said.
"They did, but the stove and refrigerator were on their last legs."
She slanted him a look. Amusement glittered in her yellow eyes. "This is a little upscale for a boot camp, isn't it?"
"Claudia likes to cook. We're going to have lots of vampires here. She can teach you a few Italian recipes."
Voronika waved a hand. "I've given up cooking. Why bother when I have you?"
"I thought we'd make big meals for everyone."
Claudia pulled open bin doors under the kitchen island—filled with potatoes, onions, and dried pastas. Vampires survived on blood, b
ut meals and rituals gave them a sense of normality that they clung to. "With this kitchen, we can cook for an army."
"We will be, and they love anything red." Bart listed favorites on his fingers. "Red wine, red meat, red sauce. . ."
Voronika looked inside the refrigerator. "They're going to have plenty of variety. The man's bought everything from steaks and hams to chickens and sausages."
"There's a freezer in the basement. It's full too," Enoch said.
Her yellow eyes glinted. "Do I have a sewing room?"
"In the small bedroom upstairs, but I can move it to wherever you want."
"You know it's only for show. I only like the idea of sewing."
"If it makes you happy…" She had too little to do and too much time. She was getting restless, and it worried him.
"You don't have to work so hard to please me." But she looked inordinately satisfied. She couldn't wait to hurry up the oak steps. Bart and Claudia followed with Enoch bringing up the rear.
"Pick the room you want," Enoch told her, but he knew which one she'd choose. That's why he'd put a sewing machine in there. And sure enough, when Voronika peeked inside the last bedroom on the right, she let out a sigh. Its walls were painted a soft rose color, and it had a flowered rug that covered most of the wooden floor. A graceful, four poster bed was centered on the long wall, and a window seat invited someone to look out the bay window, which was equipped with heavy wooden shutters and drapes. The metal grid barely showed behind them. A small seating area occupied the rest of the space. That's where Enoch had set up Voronika's sewing center.
She stepped inside and hugged her arms around herself. "It's beautiful."
That was good enough for Enoch. He let Bart and Claudia take the room with the balcony. Claudia decided that two female vampires could share each of the two other bedrooms. Then Enoch led everyone into the huge, high-ceilinged attic. Three twin beds protruded from each wall.
Bart shook his head. "It even has rafters. And no windows at all except the tiny one in front for ventilation. You painted that black. We could make this into a barracks."