by Jamie Davis
Once on the first floor, Dean walked to a security desk situated facing the street level front doors. The guard looked up and smiled as he approached.
“You must be Mr. Flynn,” the guard said as Dean walked up to the counter. There was a bank of video surveillance monitors behind the large counter and desk, as well as a computer screen. “Let me call up to Ms. Teal and let her know you have arrived.” The guard picked up the phone handset, dialed a number and murmured a few words Dean couldn’t make out before hanging up. “Ms. Teal, Mr. Lee’s assistant, will be right down. If you’d like to sit down and wait, she should be here shortly.” The guard gestured to a seating area nearby in the lobby with leather and chrome chairs, and a couch, all situated around a glass coffee table.
“That’s alright,” Dean said. “I’ll stand.” He walked around the small lobby watching the darkening street outside as the sun set on Elk City. He was still looking at the traffic and pedestrians passing by outside when he heard a voice call behind him.
“You must be Dean,” a friendly woman’s voice with a deep southern drawl sounded from the direction of the elevators. Dean turned to see an attractive, pale woman with red hair in her late twenties, and dressed in a conservative pants suit with a blazer. She extended her hand as she approached.
“Yes,” Dean said as he shook the woman’s hand. It was cool to the touch and confirmed Dean’s suspicions that she was a vampire like her boss. “You are Celeste?”
“I am,” she said. “I’m so glad you took James up on the offer to stay here for a while, at least until the current troubles blow over. It’s much safer for you that way.” She looked around. “Is Ashley with you?”
“Uh, no,” Dean explained. “She had to work late at the hospital. She’ll be over in a few hours. Will that be a problem?”
“Absolutely not,” Celeste said, smiling as she continued. “I’m sure you have already guessed, I am up all night anyway. We are on a nocturnal schedule here for the most part at Nightwing Industries. We tell our local suppliers and clients that it is due to our overseas investments and affiliates. I’ll make sure the guards keep an eye out for her, and I’ll have them call you, as well as myself, when she arrives. If you’re comfortable doing so, you can come down and bring her up after I get you situated. I’m quite excited, actually. I’ve never met an Eldara before.”
Celeste gestured to the hallway to the elevators. “Shall we go up and get you settled? I picked out two adjacent apartments for the two of you. You’re on the fourteenth floor, just below the Penthouse where James and Brynne reside. I have a place on the same level. The view is quite lovely.” She pushed the up button, and the doors slid open immediately. Once they were inside, she pressed the fourteen button, which flashed on and off. Celeste took a small keycard from her hand and waved it over the button, and the light turned solid and the elevator started upwards. She handed him two of the key cards in her hand.
“These are the keys to your room,” she said. “As you can see, they also operate the elevators to the private floors, as well as access to the garage for entry and egress. I had two made in case you wished to share one with Ashley.”
“Thank you,” Dean said as he took the proffered cards. He didn’t see a magnetic stripe so they must have chips embedded in them.
The doors slid open on a small vestibule with a table that had a colorful flower arrangement centered on it. He stepped out of the elevator and followed Celeste down the hallway to a door numbered fourteen-twenty-three. She waited while he waved one of the cards over the door plate and the small LED light on the door handle turned green. He turned the handle and stepped inside as he opened the door. It led to a furnished suite of rooms. To the right was a small kitchen area with a tall table and two padded barstools set next to it. There was a living area next to that, with a sofa and two matching chairs around a wooden coffee table. Across from the couch was a credenza with a large flatscreen TV on top. Next to the large, curtained window was a desk, a swivel desk chair, and on the desk, a computer monitor. He saw the computer tower situated to the right of the desk on the floor, partially hidden by the long window drapes. He turned to the right again and saw a doorway that led to a bedroom with a king-sized bed, dresser, two end tables, and two lamps. Another door off of the bedroom led to a master bath and large walk-in shower area. There was also a large walk-in closet against one wall.
“I hope this is to your liking,” Celeste said. “James said to set you and Ashley up with the best we had to offer.”
“It will be fine,” Dean understated.
“The computer is hooked up to the internet if you need it, and I’ll email you the wi-fi password for your phone or your own laptop as well,” Celeste offered. “I took the liberty of having your kitchen stocked with a few things to get you started. Just the basics. If you need anything else, there is a small corner grocery two blocks away. The guard downstairs can give you directions if you need them.”
“This is good,” Dean said. “Thank you, Celeste. Please thank James for his generosity.”
“I will be sure to do so,” she responded. “He asked you and Ashley to come up later after you get settled. Your key card is set to access most of the building including the penthouse level. There is also a small fitness center on the second floor if you’d like to use it.”
“I will talk with Ashley when she arrives, but I’m sure that we will be able to come up later,” Dean said.
“Well, then,” Celeste said, clapping her hands together and giving a nod. “If you are all set, I’ll leave you to get settled. Here is my card. Call me if you need anything.” She handed him a business card, then turned and left the apartment, pulling the door shut behind her with a click.
Dean looked around and then took his bag into the bedroom. He lifted it up on the king-sized bed and opened it, unpacking the contents into the dresser. He hung up his uniform shirts and noticed an iron and ironing board in the closet, as well as a small upright vacuum cleaner. He put the empty gym bag in the closet on the floor next to the vacuum. He turned and pulled his phone out of his pocket, snapping a quick pick of the bed and sent it to Ashley with a winking emoji.
She texted back that she would be leaving soon. Things had calmed down at the hospital. Dean sent a message describing the garage entrance and telling her that he’d come down to bring her upstairs once she arrived. She said she’d let him know when she was on the way. He put his phone down on the dresser along with his wallet and keys, and then changed out of his uniform into jeans and a T-shirt. He grabbed his phone, then went to check the kitchen. You never knew what you might get if someone else did the shopping for you, but Brynne must have briefed them. The pantry shelves had the cereal and toaster pastries he liked, and the refrigerator had his and Ashley’s soda, beer and wine favorites. There were also the staples like milk, cheese, and butter. There was a loaf of bread on the counter and coffee pods next to the one-cup coffee maker.
He made himself a peanut butter sandwich, grabbed a soda and sat down to watch the TV, selecting the local news station. He wondered what the local and national news would do if they learned about the Unusuals living among the humans. Perhaps they did know and were part of the conspiracy to cover it up. He watched the sports, and then a syndicated sitcom came on that had him chuckling to himself when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the screen and saw that Ashley was in the garage. He told her to come up to the lobby level and he’d meet her there. He slid on his sneakers and headed downstairs.
He showed up in the lobby and saw Ashley standing next to two large suitcases, talking with the guard. Clearly he had under-packed, he thought. Ashley turned and looked over at him as he approached. She said goodbye to the guard and pulled her suitcases over to him. She leaned in and gave him a kiss as he approached.
“Hi, Sweetie,” she cooed. “This is exciting. Kind of like a holiday away.”
“If you say so,” Dean said. “I am just glad for the increased level of security here.”
<
br /> The elevator opened behind him and he turned his head to see Celeste emerge. She quickly crossed over to them and gave Ashley a slight bow.
“Eldara, I’m glad to have you staying under our roof,” Celeste said in a formal tone. “I’m Celeste Teal and anything thing you need that is in my power to provide, I’ll bring you.”
Dean saw again that there was a hierarchy within the Unusual community. Ashley, and the Eldara in general, figured pretty high in that pecking order, based on the deference that Celeste showed her. The assistant held out two key cards to Ashley.
“Celeste, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please call me Ashley,” she said. “Some of my brethren like all the pomp and circumstance, but I’m of a simpler mindset.”
“I’m sure that Dean will want to show you around, Eldara, uh- Ashley. You’re in unit twenty-four on the fourteenth floor, right next to his place,” Celeste said. “James and Brynne hoped the two of you would come up later after you are situated. They’ll contact you with the details when you’re ready. I have to attend to another matter, but here is my card. Don’t hesitate to call or text me if you need anything.”
The vampire assistant nodded another small bow, then turned and headed over to the guard station while Dean took the two suitcases from Ashley and towed them back to the elevators. They were soon upstairs, and he was pulling the heavy bags into the apartment next to his, number twenty-four.
“What did you pack in here?” he asked. “We aren’t going to be here that long.”
“Oh, just a little bit of this and that,” Ashley replied. “We might be here longer than you think, and I didn’t want to have to go back to the other place every other day just to pick up some clothes and other things I needed.” She walked around the apartment. “Ooo, this is nice. I could get used to living in a place like this for a while.” Dean watched as she checked the fridge and saw yogurt and fruit inside, as well as the milk, butter, and cheese he found in his earlier. Clearly, Celeste knew something of what Ashley liked as well.
He went back into the bedroom and hoisted the two suitcases up on the bed so she could unpack them. He turned to see her stripping out of her scrubs down to her bra and panties in the doorway.
“Sorry, Sweetie,” she said as she passed him. “I have to get a shower after the day at work I had today. Let me get cleaned up and then we can check and see if Brynne and James are ready for us to come upstairs.”
“Can I watch?” he asked following her. “The shower door is made of glass.”
“Watch is all,” she said with a laugh. “I feel positively grimy. If you’re nice, I’ll let you scrub my back for me.” He gave a growl he hoped sounded seductive, and she giggled and rolled her eyes. “Men!”
Chapter 51
About an hour later, Brynne sent Dean a message to see if he and Ashley wanted to come up to the penthouse and meet with her and James. He returned a text saying yes, and he and Ashley headed up via the elevators. Using their key cards, the elevator took them up one floor to the penthouse level, and they exited to a hallway that led to a set of double doors with a doorbell button to the left.
Ashley reached out to push the doorbell button, but stopped as the doors opened, and Brynne smiled at them from the other side. This was the first time Dean had seen her out of her uniform work clothes and characteristic turtleneck. She was wearing a vintage black Led Zeppelin T-shirt and blue jeans. He noticed the two pinprick bite marks on her neck right away, but averted his eyes immediately. He wasn’t really surprised by this, and drawing attention would only make things more tense and awkward.
“Come on in guys,” Brynne said. “I’m happy you took us up on the offer to move in here for the time being.”
Dean let Ashley enter first, then followed her. The penthouse apartment was impressive. The entry way led into a large open room with windows all around. He saw a kitchen off to the left as he walked in, and another hallway to the right that led off to the rest of the apartment, but the bulk of the space was one large room. James was seated in a large entertainment area with an enormous flat screen television mounted on the wall. He rose as they walked in.
“Ashley, Dean, I’m so glad you both are here,” James said as he came forward. He shook Dean’s hand in a firm grip, and then Dean flushed a bit as the vampire raised Ashley’s hand to his lips to kiss as he bowed to her. He stood upright and gestured around. “Welcome to our humble abode.”
“I have to say, James, I’m surprised by all the windows,” Dean said. “It’s beautiful to see at night like this, but I would expect it to be somewhat painful for you during the daylight hours.”
“I have a special UV coating on the window glass. On particularly bright days, there are blackout shutters that I can close electronically,” James explained. “I’m glad to have them though, and Brynne enjoys the sunlight. How can I keep her from it?”
“Thank you again for the offer of the apartments downstairs,” Ashley said. “They are very well furnished, and I appreciated the efforts to stock the pantry for us.”
“Celeste is most thorough, isn’t she,” James said. “She’s been my assistant for more years than I can count. We often have visiting business acquaintances and Unusual VIPs in town who have need of a residence while they are here. It’s part of what is expected of me as the head of our community in Elk City.”
“Almost like the lord of the manor,” Dean said. Brynne shot him a stern glance, but James chuckled.
“You are correct, Dean,” the ancient vampire said. “It’s exactly like the lord of the manor. Our traditions are very old, dating back to a time of feudal lords and fiefdoms. It is expected of me to provide some accommodations and a certain level of hospitality as the leader here. There are many things we hold over from the old times. We even have wars of succession in some areas still, although that hasn’t happened here in the States for over a hundred years. Not since the war between the north and south.”
“Are you still reminiscing about the good old days?” Celeste asked as she entered from the side hallway. “I thought I was the best thing to come out of the Civil War.” She fanned herself with a hand, then laughed out loud and came into the room with a stack of papers and folders.
“You are, my dear, you are,” James said. He took the papers she handed him, looked through them, then handed them back. “These will do fine, Celeste. Go ahead with the deal.”
Celeste took them and nodded at the two newcomers. “I trust the apartments meet with your approval?”
“Yes, Celeste,” Ashley said. “They are more than accommodating. They are already feeling like a bit of home. Thank you.”
“Excellent,” Celeste said with a smile. “I’m so glad you approve. Please let me know if you need anything. You have my card.” She took the papers James handed her and headed back to the hallway into the back of the apartment.
Dean watched her leave, realizing that things like conversations with vampires reminiscing about the good old days over one hundred fifty years before had become commonplace in his life. When had that happened? He also realized that he didn’t mind it. It was fun and exciting to learn more about the world. Imagine the things a history professor could learn from an ancient immortal being like Ashley or James.
“Dean,” Brynne said, breaking the silence following Celeste’s exit. “James is hoping that by having you here in the building, in close proximity to him, the two of you will be able to discover how you both figure into the current crisis. Perhaps it will give Ashley a hint on how to prepare for what is to come.”
“I suppose that would be helpful,” Dean said. “Did you tell James about Zach’s visit to my apartment and his attack on Ashley last night?”
James looked alarmed, and Brynne shook her head. “I hadn’t had the chance yet.”
“I hope you were not harmed, Eldara?” James asked. “I would not have one of you injured while under my protection.”
“I am not without my own protections, James,” Ashley said. “It is not so e
asy to harm me, unless I wish to be. Regardless, I am well following the events of last night.”
“I’m fine, too. Just in case you were wondering,” Dean said.
“I’m sorry that my concern for the Eldara Sister does not match my concern for you, Dean,” James chided. “She is a far more scarce resource in the world than a human paramedic. There are only so many Eldara in the world. To lose one, even for a short time, would be unfortunate in the extreme.”
“I would not discount the importance of Dean’s place in the world so lightly, James,” Ashley said. “There is something central to this crisis that revolves around him, as well as you. There is a decision or action he will make. I’m not sure why it is him, but you are familiar with the way the humans and their free will are used as tools for the Gods’ whims in their otherworldly struggles. Somehow this figures into their plans and Dean is central to that.”
Brynne added her thoughts to the discussion as she relayed to James the details of the attack on Ashley and Dean in his home the previous night. “Zach was never the brightest guy. When I was working with him, I often wondered why he was assigned to me and Station U. It was never a good fit. It was one of the reasons I wasn’t looking forward to training you, Dean. That opinion has changed, I’m pleased to say. Still, Zach’s assignment to Station U makes more sense when you consider that Mike had something to do with his recommendation for the job.”
“But Mike recommended me to the post as well, and that didn’t work out for him either,” Dean pointed out.
“I think that when the dim-witted Zach didn’t pan out, Mike decided to try using a smarter student in the posting, hoping he could still guide you to see things his way after your first few weeks on the job,” Brynne said. “I don’t think he counted on how quickly you became acclimated to the clientele we serve. You have shaped up into an excellent paramedic and I think your probationary status will soon be released.”