Different Horizons-A Paw Patrol Story

Chapter Eighteen

"By all means, come in," Gabriel said. He led the team into his home. The main doors opened into a large room. Identical curved staircases led to the second floor. A chandelier with hundreds of crystal prisms hung from the twenty-foot ceiling. Hallways reached out in front of them and to either side. A red carpet extended through the corridors. Pictures and artworks hung on the walls, and lights that resembled torches lit up the area. Furniture lined the walls with vases and other items on top of them. In the center of the room, a glass table with a large bouquet welcomed everyone who walked in.

"Nice place," Ryder said.

"Thanks," Gabriel said. "I bought the land a few years back with a much smaller house. But as my family grew, my home needed to grow, too. So, I built this one. It had nine rooms, two living rooms, a dining room, a large kitchen, five bathrooms, a five-car garage, a theater room, and two conference rooms."

"How could you pay for all of it?" asked Skye.

"I invested my money well, opened a few businesses, saved a lot. Anyone could do it if they know how." A blonde woman in a black suit walked to Gabriel and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and said, "All in its time, Ains." He looked at the team. "Everyone, this is my assistant, Ainsley."

"Hello, everyone," Ainsley said with a friendly smile. The group greeted her in return.

"Where are my manners?" Gabriel asked rhetorically. "Come, dinner is ready."

"Thank you, but we just ate at the Adventure Mall," Ryder confessed.

"Oh," Gabriel said in a surprised tone. "Well, I doubt it was as good as what my chef made for us. Tell me, what did you eat?"

"In-N-Out," Chase replied.

"Hmm," Gabriel said. "They do have some great burgers that fill you up quickly. Anywho, I insist you eat a portion of what he made or even some fruits my gardeners picked this morning."

Ryder looked at the others, who nodded. "Yeah, I suppose we can."

"Excellent," Gabriel exclaimed. "And we can talk about the future while we eat. Follow me."

The Paw Patrol followed Gabriel and Ainsley through the center corridor towards some double doors at the end. "If it's not too much to talk about," Ryder asked Gabriel, "you said that your family grew?"

"Ah, yes," Gabriel said. They stopped in front of a family portrait hung on the wall. In the photo, Gabriel wore a blue suit and stood next to a beautiful woman with black hair, tanned skin, and a blue sundress. Two boys and two girls, ages six and eight, sat before them, wearing identical suits and dresses as their parents. "My wife is named Flor, which means flower in Spanish. We had a boy and girl eight years ago and another set of twins six years later. They are currently visiting my wife's family in Mexico."

"You have a beautiful family," Everest said.

Gabriel turned to her. "Everest, right?" he asked, to which she nodded. "Well, thank you, Everest. I am lucky to have them in my life. I would do anything for them, which is why you are here. Come, not much further."

Gabriel, Ainsley, and the team walked into the dining room. A long, rectangular table sat at the center of the room. Sixteen chairs spread out around the table, with one on either end. Above the table was another chandelier like the one at the entrance. A door to the kitchen was on the left wall, while a lit stone fireplace was on the right.

Gabriel sat at the head of the table while the others sat near him. On his right side sat Ainsley, Chase, Skye, Zuma, and Rubble, while Ryder, Marshall, Everest, and Rocky sat to his left. Once they were all seated, servers entered the room and placed plates and drinks before them. They removed the covers, revealing a plate with small sliced chicken pieces and a side of apple slices and grapes.

"Ainsley let the chef know beforehand so we don't waste too much food," Gabriel explained. "He cut the main course, the chicken, into small slices and added a side of hand-picked fruits. The drink is a virgin mango mule also made from hand-picked fruits."

"Thank you," Ryder said. "But it wasn't necessary. What happened with all the food that was prepared?"

Gabriel waved away the question. "No need to worry. Every day, I let my chef and servants take whatever is left and take it to their families. The chef deliberately makes extra for this reason. We can't control all the trash in the world, but we can minimize what comes out of this house."

"I like the sound of that," Rocky said.

Marshall tried the grapes and instantly fell in love. "What are these?"

"Grapes," Ainsley said. "Did you not know where you came from?"

"We did, but we never tried them," Everest said. "It was mostly Bayberries for us."

"Bayberries," Ainsley repeated. "Can't say I've tried them. I'll have to look for them."

They ate their food and talked for a bit. Gabriel was the one talking the most. He explained that he knew they weren't from around there and gave them a little walk-through of the city. He offered a full tour of the area when they returned.

"Well, thank you for the food, Ryder said.

"No worries, Ryder," Gabriel said. "We're here to help you. Say, do you have somewhere to stay for the night?"

"I was planning on searching for a hotel after we finished here."

"No need for that," Gabriel looked at Ainsley. "Ains, clear out four of the rooms. They could stay here for the night. You don't mind doubling up in rooms, right?"

"Not at all," Ryder replied. "We were going to all sleep in one hotel room."

"Great," Gabriel said. "About the doubling up thing, not the 'all sleeping in one room' thing. That's not good." They all laughed at the statement.

"Well, get a good night's sleep. Breakfast is at seven in the morning. The alarms in your rooms should be set for six-thirty to get ready. After breakfast, we can discuss the strategy for our mission to liberate the city."