by Sharon Green
We all considered that a good idea, even Oldon. George was gone with the rogue's body, so now we could relax for a few minutes before moving into our new rooms. But one thing I'd already made up my mind about: Oldon would not be using that center room…
Chapter Nine
Shell led us into a large, bright, modernized kitchen with lots of counter space and miles of cabinets but only a small, four-seater table.
"We can all get our cups filled, and then we'll go into the dining room to sit down," Shell said over his shoulder. "Here are the coffee mugs, and while you're helping yourselves I'll get refreshment for your vampire teammate."
Shell had opened a cabinet door above a really large coffeemaker, showing us the mugs he'd mentioned, but he'd also gestured to something to the left of the coffeepot. I looked at the device sitting quietly on the counter, then shook my head.
"You have a warming device for blood?" I asked, more than a little surprised. "Do kitchens usually come equipped with those things these days?"
"I don't know about other kitchens, but Jack's does," Shell answered with a chuckle. "We're in the business of renting out rooms, don't forget, and if a roomer comes by who happens to be a vampire we don't want to be unprepared to welcome the being. What kind of hosts would we be if we couldn't see to our roomers' needs?"
The team and I exchanged glances that showed we were all really impressed. Most people talk a good game about being unprejudiced, but when you get to the bottom line you don't find many who actually are that open.
"I happen to think you're a marvelous host," Oldon said after the glance-exchange, smiling at Shell. "I wasn't expecting to find that you have blood-substitute available."
"I'm sorry, but it's real blood I have," Shell said from where he now stood in front of the large refrigerator, looking upset. "Did you want the substitute stuff instead? Jack told me that most vampires prefer the real thing."
"No, your partner was right, and I do prefer the real thing," Oldon said at once, holding up one hand as he worked to calm the man's disturbance. "I just wanted to let you know that the substitute was acceptable if that was all you had."
"Man, you people really are the perfect guests," Shell said with a renewed smile, now opening the refrigerator. "I don't have a lot of blood, but now that I know I'll need it I'll arrange for a better supply. You can start with this."
The "this" was a bottle of the blood that could be found most places where there were vampires, and Oldon took the bottle before walking over to the warmer. As he did that Shell took a container of creamer from the fridge before closing the door again. One more stop to get a half dozen spoons sent Shell into the dining room, but he was back fairly quickly.
"There's already sugar on the table along with napkins, so we're all set," he told us with a wider smile. "I won't mind joining you in the rest stop, but if you'd rather be alone…"
"Not at all," Freemont quickly assured our host, giving him my partner's own version of a warm smile. "I, for one, would like to get to know our host better, so please do join us."
Shell looked around to make sure the rest of us felt the same way, and once he saw that we did he relaxed even more.
"Excellent," he pronounced. "Most of you already have your coffee, so I'll get at the end of the line. But don't think you have to wait for me. I'm right behind you."
"You know, this smells like Folgers," Eric said as he moved out of line with his filled mug. "Am I wrong, or have we gotten really lucky?"
"Of course it's Folgers," Shell answered with a small laugh. "Jack and I have gotten hooked on the stuff, so we decided to pass on the addiction. But it looks like we're too late with you folks. You're already fellow addicts."
"We sure are," Eric agreed with his own laugh, joined by the rest of us. "Other coffee doesn't seem to have the same … zest."
"Other coffee tastes flat in comparison," Freemont qualified as he finished filling his own mug. "That's why we carry Folgers with us when we travel."
"But now that we're 'home' we don't have to worry," Amiol put in as he took Freemont's place at the coffee urn. "If we want a cup of coffee, we can always come down here to get one."
"Until eleven at night," Shell corrected, looking a bit shame-faced again. "That's when the urn will be emptied and cleaned for the next day. After that time you will have to make your own."
"Unless we do the emptying ourselves," I pointed out, waiting until Amiol was out of the way before taking a mug from the cabinet and beginning to fill it. "We'll have to watch the time, but otherwise it shouldn't be a problem."
The rest of the team agreed with what I'd said, which put a smile back on Shell's face. The arrangement really wasn't a problem, and wouldn't be unless we had to stay out beyond the eleven o'clock curfew.
Once my cup was filled I followed the rest of the team into the dining room and took a place at the table. The only one who didn't sit down immediately was Oldon, who paused to take off his day coat before settling into a chair. Under the coat he wore jeans and a tee shirt, just like most of the team. The rest of us took turns using the sugar and the cream, and when Shell joined us he did the same. After that we sat and sipped for a couple of minutes, the silence warm and companionable.
"I think we all needed this break," Freemont said with a sigh after a minute or so. "Sitting quietly in one place for a while is true pleasure, especially after a time of problems. I wonder – "
The rest of Freemont's words were cut short when his phone rang. He pulled out the phone and looked at the caller-ID, then put the phone on speaker.
"Hi, Allison," Freemont said, talking at the phone rather than into it. "We were expecting you to call, but not on my phone."
"I called you rather than Taz for a reason, Freemont," Allison answered with amusement clear in her voice. "It came to me that your phone has a speaker setting, but Taz's phone doesn't."
"That's very true, and you're also doing incredibly well," Freemont answered, his own amusement clear. The comment he'd added reminded me that Allison had the same talent Freemont did, only not as strong. Or normally not as strong. It looked like Allison was gaining in strength, to have picked up on the difference between Freemont's phone and mine.
"But I'm still surprised that you called," Freemont went on. "You can't have information for us this soon, can you?"
"I have a small amount of intel," Allison answered. "We found a driver license in the name of Arnold Vessey, and the picture matches the man you … stopped. The only thing is, there's no other information on the man. The address he gave is a phony, so the trail has gone dead."
"I have a suggestion," Freemont said, his gaze going distant in the way it did when he got something from his talent. "Use the picture to check your driver records before the one you found on Vessey. That way you'll find out if the man is licensed under a different name, one recorded before the phony."
"And one that could very well be his real name," Allison said around the sound of writing. "Yes, I knew I'd get something if I told you what we'd found so far. The car he drove is a rental, taken under his false name. The body has been taken to the morgue, but it will be a while before the autopsy is done. There are just too many other bodies in line in front of his."
"Since we probably won't learn anything from the autopsy, that isn't a problem," I said, having exchanged glances with the rest of the team first. Shell was the only one who didn't know the intruder wasn't really dead, and it was nothing more than common sense to keep from discussing the matter. "But I should add that after tomorrow you ought to be able to call on my phone. I'm going to make an appointment to buy the new phone I need."
"I'm delighted to hear that you're going to start living in this new century," Allison said with a laugh. "You really will like the change, Taz, so please go through with the purchase. And if we do manage to learn something of use, I'll be sure to let you people know."
"We'll be here, Allison," Freemont said, and then they exchanged goodbyes before disconnecting.
<
br /> "Are we going back to Falk Instruments?" Amiol asked as soon as Freemont turned off his phone. "I've been wanting to take a better look around that place, and now that I don't even have to spend my own money…"
Amiol smiled as he reminded me that we all had credit cards to be used to buy things. And with that in mind…
"I think I'll make the appointment for all of us," I said, looking around at my teammates. "Since we can now afford anything we might want or need… Oldon, do you want to go with us tomorrow, or would you rather sleep?"
"I believe I'll do my sleeping tonight instead of tomorrow," Oldon answered with a grin. "If you folks are going back to the place where you bought those detection rods, I definitely want to be there. High tech toys are so much fun."
"Then I'd better make that appointment right now," I said, pulling out my phone. "Hopefully we'll be able to get an appointment for tomorrow rather than next week. Let's see."
I'd already put the Falk number in my phone, so all I had to do was choose it and press the button. The phone rang only twice, and then I heard a male voice say, "Falk Instruments and Peripherals. May I help you?"
"Hi, Rolfe, this is Taz Bell," I said in answer. "You told me to make an appointment next time we wanted to buy something, so I'm calling to find out if you can fit us in tomorrow. And by us I mean the entire team. We've come into some money recently, which means we don't have to wait to rob a bank before being able to afford your offerings."
"That's really good news, Taz," Rolfe responded, and I could hear the amusement in his voice. "As it happens, we have an opening for the early afternoon. Somewhere between one-thirty and two ought to do it."
"Great," I told him. "Between one-thirty and two it is. We'll definitely be there, even if we have to fight our way through hostile crowds. We'd prefer it if there aren't any hostile crowds, but…"
"But you'd still be willing to come," Rolfe finished with a laugh when I let the words trail off. "We'll see what we can do to disperse any crowds before you get here. See you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," I agreed, and then we both switched off. I was about to say something else to the team, but that was when George suddenly appeared.
"Your corpse came alive a few minutes ago," George announced to the team with a smile. "He didn't spend much time looking around and making plans in his head, he just got up and headed out of the building. I followed long enough to make sure, but there's no doubt now. He's on his way back here."
"Then the trick worked!" Freemont exclaimed, talking mostly to Oldon. "You were able to put him under control even though he was unconscious."
"Apparently so," Oldon agreed behind a quietly satisfied expression, and then he turned to our host. "Shell, you look very confused, so I might as well explain what's going on. The intruder who almost killed you wasn't really dead, just deeply unconscious. We knew that, so we made sure he was left alone in the morgue. What we didn't know was whether my attempt to put him under control would work, and that's why George was watching him. If the try didn't work, George would have followed him to wherever the man's friends are."
"But instead the man is coming back here to be questioned," Shell said, understanding and enjoyment showing in his expression. "He expected to get away with what he did, but thanks to you folks he won't. Have I mentioned very often how glad I am that you folks are our roomers?"
We all chuckled at that, then went back to our coffee while George went to make sure the intruder didn't get lost on his way to us. My cup was almost empty when George reappeared, his smile on the grim side.
"The intruder is on his way up the walk," George reported. "If one of you will open the door, you'll be able to start questioning the man."
"Yes!" Shell breathed before jumping to his feet. "I'll do the honors, and then I'll step back and just listen to what he has to say."
I got up to watch as our host hurried to the front door. Shell opened the door and stepped aside, and the intruder walked in and headed straight for the dining room. Since that was where Oldon sat, his choice of direction wasn't much of a surprise.
"Master," the intruder said, stopping when he was able to actually see Oldon. "Your orders."
"What's your real name?" Oldon asked without preamble, his expression no longer friendly.
"I'm Edgar Trummell, two m's and two l's," the intruder answered flatly.
"And who do you work for or with?" Oldon put next.
"I work for and with The Society," he answered, and I could hear the capitals in his voice.
"Tell us about this Society," Oldon ordered. "And add as much detail as you have."
"The Society is a large group of people who believe in the right things," the intruder, Edgar, answered at once. "We are all pure humans, and we all hate the contaminated who try to pretend to be just as human. Our aim is to eradicate those freaks, and we will achieve our goals in the near future. We've been biding our time until our plans were made in full, but now we're prepared to move."
"What plans are those?" Oldon put at once. "And who are the others who share your … unsurprising and unoriginal outlook."
"The start of our plans is to eliminate as many of the freaks who were invited to live in our city as possible," Edgar responded, still without any kind of emotion. "I was able to damage or destroy the vampire in the group, but I was interrupted before I could eliminate the freak lover in this house. I'll just have to come back and finish the job as quickly as I can."
"So you'll be coming back," Oldon said flatly. "I'd be willing to bet that your plans along those lines don't ever come to pass. What else is planned, and answer the question you ignored a moment ago about your associates."
"I don't yet know what the other plans are, and I also don't know any of my associates," Edgar answered. "We never meet in person, so if one of us is caught he can't betray the others. I'll be told about the remaining plans if my help is needed."
"Damn!" Eric snarled, obviously as annoyed as the rest of us. "I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd used a cell system the way the old Communists did, but they've gone one step better. With computers and cell phones they don't ever have to meet in person, which means they work together but don't know each other. How can we get around that?"
"Since they have to communicate in some way, we'll have to work through their communications network," Amiol put in, sounding almost as annoyed. "It won't be easy, but it can be done."
"I think that part of the job will have to be done by Allison and her people," I said, moving back to my chair from the place I'd been standing. "Once we turn this fool over to them, Allison's people will get his computer as well as his phone, which they already have. Between the two they may even be able to infiltrate the group."
"I meant to release this rogue before we turn him over to the authorities, but now I've changed my mind," Oldon said, still looking less than happy. "Your friend's people will need to know how to approach the group, and they won't find that out if I release the worm. Once they wring him dry I'll release him, and then he can be tried on two counts of attempted murder."
"And since we're witnesses to his acts, he won't find it possible to get off," I said, letting everyone see how much I enjoyed that idea. "He won't just die and have all his troubles over with, he'll live to suffer. I know that makes me someone who isn't very nice, but that's the nasty person I am."
"Count me in as nasty person number two," Freemont said with a grim smile as I pulled out my cell phone. "I also like the idea of his living on and suffering rather than being given the easy way out."
The rest of the team, including George, voiced their own agreements with what Freemont and I had said, and then Allison answered her phone.
"What's happening, Taz?" she said by way of greeting. "Not another attack, I hope?"
"Nope, just the original attacker back again," I told her. "George saw him come awake and followed him, but not to any of his friends. Oldon's attempt at putting the man under control worked, so the rogue came back here. And it'
s a good thing he had to come back."
I told her then what the rogue had said and added in our reactions to the revelation, and Allison wasn't any happier than the rest of us.
"You're right in saying that the tracing job is ours," Allison growled, a tone I wasn't used to hearing from her. "I think I know who their inside person is, but I still won't be taking any chances. Is there some way Oldon can … release the man in advance, so to speak? Once we have all he knows we'll want to put him under arrest."
"Oldon is nodding, so I'd say there is a way to do the advance releasing," I said. "How soon can your people get here to pick up this fool?"
"I'll send them immediately, so it shouldn't be long before they get there," Allison said. "If there isn't anything else – "
"Tell her that the release word will be … symphony," Oldon interrupted before Allison could disconnect. "No one should speak that word beforehand by accident, so we aren't really taking a chance."
I passed on what Oldon had said, and Allison made a sound of amusement.
"That's a good idea," she approved. "None of my people happen to be symphony lovers, so we shouldn't lose the rogue before we want him free. I'll talk to you folks later."
We both said goodbye and disconnected, and as soon as I put my phone away I took my cup and stood up.
"Since we have a few minutes to wait before we're rid of this fool, I'm getting more coffee," I announced. "As we now have access to a nice, large coffeepot, there's no sense in letting its contents go to waste."
The other living members of the team thought that was a great idea, but I stopped and raised a hand.
"Let's not all rush out of the room," I said, looking at my teammates. "Eric, please keep Oldon company while the rest of us get refills, and then you two can go. No sense in leaving our rogue all alone and unprotected."
"Good point, Taz," Eric agreed at once, sitting back down in his chair. "We'd hate ourselves if one of the rogue's friends snuck in here and ended him before he can be of use to us. I'll keep Oldon company and then he and I can get our refreshments."