Space-Time of Death: an Al Squires of the Protectorate Novel

Ch. 10.1: Love-In...OF TERROR!!!

As our group (and Alice) were escorted further down the hall by Charlie and friends, I glanced over my shoulder to see that Charlie's and LeVey's people were moving more people downstairs than they were upstairs. In case you're wondering, dear Readers, only a few (subjective) seconds had passed since the end of the last chapter.

"Where's everyone else going?" Norah asked after glancing over her shoulder as well.

Hearing Charlie give out a frustrated sigh without looking at her, I decided to answer her question for him "Well, mi amor," I said to her with an awkward chuckle. "You didn't think that there'd be room upstairs for everyone at this shindig, did you? The whole damn floor would cave right under our feet." She gave me a glare at my mansplaining response. I gave her a quick apologetic look before moving my attention to Charlie. "I take it you folks have set up some place where everyone else can watch, right? Somewhere outside, mayhap?"

Charlie looked over to me with an impressed smile. "Man, you don't miss a trick, do ya, Magic Al?" he said with a nod. "That's right. Most of the folks at this Love-In will witness in the back yard. It's big enough to put them all, and there's a balcony on the third floor that looks over it. That's where we're planning on doing our little ritual. Besides me, mine, and Tony's, only a special few are going join us up top." He looked over to Lady Lane. "That includes your group, too, mamma. You should be honored."

"This could be used for our advantage," Jorge's voice said over our comms. "I could stealthily move towards the back of the manor, make my way into the backyard, then blend in with the crowd so I observe from there. I will also be in a better position to assist should it be necessary. Do you approve of this plan, Senora Lane?"

"Hmm-hmm," Lady Lane was all she said, subtly acknowledging both Charlie and Jorge.

"Shall I take that as a 'Si?'" Jorge asked.

"It does," Lady Lane said out loud as she smiled at Charlie. "...Honor me that you'd include mere strangers in this 'big show' of yours." She paused, then added firmly. "Although, I'd be even more honored if you told us what this 'big show' was. Remember, I said that me and mine are not so innocent and naïve. We have friends in the Western Samurai MC, such as Mei's beau Skinny." She paused for effect before adding in a slightly threatening tone. "Friends that will look for us if I don't call them by sunrise. Catch on?"

This made Charlie stop in his tracks as he heard this, making the group stop as well. He turned to Lady Lane. "I get what you're sayin', mamma," he said with a serious tone. He then gave us an intense look. "Believe me, if I started killin' folks," he paused for effect as well, then finished softly. "There'd be none of you left."

This gave both me and everyone else chills; mostly because he just paraphrased one of his more famous quotes from his interviews he'd do in the future.

He gave kept giving us that intense stare, before busting out in a belly laugh, followed by Sadie and even the Satanists a beat after. "Just yankin' your chain," Charlie said while laughing. This made us force out a few awkward laughs of our own. Not because it was funny, of course; we just did it to humor him.

"Never fear, mamma," he said; his laughter wound down as we started walking again. "Y'all are just gonna be witnesses to a sort of ceremony, that's all. We ain't gonna kill ya," he paused, not stopping this time. "Well, at least I think we ain't." This caused him to laugh again as. And again, we joined in to humor him.

"What sort of ceremony will it be, exactly?" Lady Lane asked, deftly changing the subject as a flight of stairs going up came into view.

Charlie hesitated again before answering, possibly to catch his breath from all the laughing. But I doubt that was the case. "You'll have to ask Tony 'bout that," he answered as we moved closer to the stairs. "That's part of his bag, not mine." We stopped at the foot of the stairs, then aside so others could pass us. "Let's wait for the rest of your group to show up," he said as he turned to us. "It shouldn't take long."