by Jamie Davis
“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 easy 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.”
“Mike has never liked serving our community,” James said. “His distaste for the Unusuals around him, though, dates back to when Brynne and I first met. Up until that point, he was simply doing his job, and he provided good care to our Unusual community. I don’t think he allowed his distaste for the work to show until he realized that Brynne and I started dating. Then it became personal. He has carried this grudge for many years, but it is only lately that he has been emboldened enough to act upon it apparently.”
“It has to have something to do with his meeting with this stranger that he alluded to,” Dean said. “That seems to be what spurred the formation of the Cause and the initiation of the attacks on the Unusuals in Elk City.” He looked at James. “Are there reports of other, similar attacks in other cities?”
“No, nothing like this is happening anywhere else. I checked for that right away.” James said. “None of my counterparts elsewhere have had anything like this happen in their communities. They are most concerned about how we are handling things here, and there is a lot of scrutiny of what I am doing to protect my domain.”
“What would happen if they don’t like what you’re doing?” Dean asked.
Brynne spoke up. “He holds his post under the authority of another who oversees the whole North American continent. If it is perceived that he can no longer fulfill his duties here, he would be replaced.”
“So you all don’t have elections like the rest of us?” Dean asked.
“No, I can be removed by my overlord if they think I’m not doing my job well enough,” James said. “There are other ways to remove me from my position, including the challenge of ritual combat by one of my peers if they want my job, but that has not been done in a very long time.”
“I’m wondering if your holding of the power here in Elk City is part of what is causing this to happen,” Ashley interjected. “We know that Mike holds you responsible for what happens to Brynne. Perhaps his partner in this also holds some animosity toward you.”
“But what does that have to do with Dean?” Brynne asked. “He’s new to the city and new to the service of the Unusual community. It’s almost like he’s a wild card.”
“An astute observ
ation. That is why he is so important, Brynne,” Ashley said. “Dean is the human part of the equation. His unpredictability and free will has been the center of this whole situation. He has been part of the attacks in some way each time. That makes him the crux, the pivot point for things. His decisions will impact all of this, somehow.”
Dean considered that thought and didn’t like what it said. If he had a decision to make, he wanted to know what he was supposed to do. A wrong choice could have a major impact on the whole situation, just like a bad diagnosis or treatment choice could impact a patient’s life. Somehow, the correlation did not make him feel better.
“Let’s ponder these things on another occasion,” James said. “I would like to invite the two of you to remain for a late dinner with Brynne and I. We can talk about other things for the rest of the evening. We are glad to know that you are safe here with us for now. I am letting Kristof from Sabatani’s operate a catering business out of my corporate kitchens downstairs while he rebuilds the restaurant. He offered to send up a dinner selection when he heard you two were going to be here to stay for a while. The food should be here soon. Until then, won’t you sit down and join us for some lighter conversation.”
James led the four of them into the main seating area where Dean and Ashley opted to sit together on a white leather love seat while James and Brynne took the matching couch. Dean never understood the penchant for white furniture. He thought it would be way too hard to keep clean. He thought about this as the conversation turned to more pleasant topics with Ashley and James comparing historical references and trying to see if they had known the same historical figures over the years. What a strange situation in which to find himself, discussing the relative sanity of Napoleon Bonaparte while they waited for dinner to arrive.
The important thing, as far as he was concerned, was that Ashley was here and safe from any attacks against him. The rest of this, he was sure he could handle on his own when it came, as long as she was protected. He relaxed and settled back against the sofa, placing his arm around Ashley as he did. She looked up at him and smiled. It was all perfect. Nothing could go wrong as long as she was here with him.
Epilogue
Mike Farver swirled the bourbon in his cup as he stared into the smoky depths. He looked up from his booth at the back of the bar in downtown Elk City. He glanced around to check if anyone was watching as a man dressed in a long, dark coat approached him. Mike took a sip of the bourbon, feeling the familiar warmth as he swallowed. He gestured to the seat across from him as the dark figure sat down.
“Michael, my man, you seem upset,” the man said as he took his seat.
“You don’t have to kill him,” Mike whispered as he leaned across the table. “Zach is clumsy and foolish, but that is no reason to kill him.”
“He has become a liability. That happened when he allowed himself to be identified in the video surveillance after the fire,” the man said with a deep baritone rumble and just a hint of an accent. It might be Eastern European, Mike thought.
“Artur, we could just get him to leave town. That would get him out of the way just as easily,” Mike said.
“He will be caught eventually, Michael,” Artur said. “I promise, I’ll make it quick. He’ll feel almost nothing. If he is caught by the authorities and talks, he will expose you. I can not have that.”
“So what do we do now?” Michael asked. “Zach was our contact with all the goons he had assembled.”
“You will need to get their names from Zach. You have one day. Then we will take care of the Zach problem and lay a little trap for the paramedic, Dean Flynn. Zach will be the perfect bait,” Artur said. “You get the contact information for the others so you can take over their operations. There is much we have to do while our meddling paramedic is out of the way.”
“He won’t stay that way long,” Mike said. “I’m sure that bastard James will work to help get him out of trouble if we are successful. No matter how guilty he looks, he won’t stay that way, not with James’ resources to back him.”
“That may be, but my plans will make sure he is no longer riding the ambulance at Station U.” Artur paused as a waiter passed close enough to overhear them and then continued then continued after the man had passed by. “You are sure he will be suspended if implicated in a crime, pending the outcome of the case?”
Mike nodded. “It is department policy in cases where a responder is charged with a felony.”
“Good, then this plan will get him out of the way. As long as he is not responding to incidents and treating patients, my sources say he will not figure into our plans. Even the Eldara bitch can’t help that.” The bitterness showed in Artur’s tone when he mentioned the angel.
“Then we proceed with our plans?” Michael said. “I thought that with the loss of Zach, we’d back off for a time and let things cool down.”
“Oh, not at all, Michael,” Artur said. “No, we will strike while the iron is still hot, and get the most from the upheaval this will cause to our opponents. James will never expect what we have coming next, and with his focus on helping Dean, he will be unprepared for our little coup.”
Mike looked up and shuddered as he saw the look on Artur’s face. He wondered again how he had gotten mixed up in this. It was Brynne’s fault. She had brought all of this on herself, when she chose that monster over him. And now she had dragged him into this unlikely partnership. Mike had to keep focusing on that betrayal. He must stay the course. He would do anything to bring James down. The old paramedic looked up at Artur and nodded, his lips pressed into a firm line on his face. The other man grinned. He saw that Mike had resigned himself to carrying their plans forward. Mike shivered a little as Artur let his fangs show in an evil smile.
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About the Author
Jamie Davis, RN, NRP, B.A., A.S., host of the Nursing Show (NursingShow.com) is a nationally recognized medical educator who began educating new emergency responders as a training officer for his local EMS program. As a media producer, he has been recognized for the MedicCast Podcast (MedicCast.com/blog), a weekly program for emergency medical providers like EMTs and paramedics, and the Nursing Show, a similar program for nurses and nursing students. His programs and resources have been downloaded over 6 million times by listeners and viewers.
Jamie speaks nationally on health care, technology, and education and is an advocate for integrating podcasting and media creation in schools at all levels. He has spoken at the Podcast and New Media Expo, been a featured faculty member of the Podcast Secrets course, and has been invited to speak and MC at medical conferences and expos around the world. In addition to his traveling speaker opportunities, Jamie is also an adjunct instructor in the health careers department at Cecil College where he teaches a variety of courses to future nurses and paramedics.
Jamie is also the managing director of the ProMed Network (ProMedNetwork.com), a collection of the best and brightest independent medical podcasters and new media creators currently
available online. The network now comprises over 30 independently produced programs for medical and health care professionals at all levels. These trusted resources for high quality medical education and information reach over 500,000 downloads to medical professionals every month.