Caged House Vampires

Episode Three

The phone stopped ringing, only to resume moments later. The song, River, her favorite, echoed in the hall, but instead of inspiring her to dance like it normally did, it made her mouth dry out. She knew the unknown caller was the same who'd just called Noemi's phone. There was no question about it.

"Are you going to answer it?" Moon looked at Renee as the elevator doors slid open.

Renee nodded, pressed the green answer button on the screen and lifted the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

"It seems we have a new player. Welcome to the games." The bass heavy voice vibrated into her ear, followed by a sickening laugh before the call ended.

"What the fuck was that?" Moon asked, she heard what was said.

"I have no idea." Renee stuffed the phone back into her pocket. The call left her with a sour taste in her mouth and a knot in the pit of her stomach. "We need to get Noemi to her room."

Everyone watched them as they helped the depressed vampire down to the lower levels and to her room. Noemi sobbed and trembled. She repeated the name of her lost friend and whispered apologies to the fallen. Moon opted to stay with the mourning woman and Renee left them alone. Moon knew Noemi, they were close, a lot closer than she could have hoped to have gotten to her new partner in such a short time. She would be no use to them. Besides, she needed to get her head together and figure out what the hell that call was about.

"Renee," Xavia caught her in the hall as she headed from Noemi's room to her own.

"Ma'am," Renee paused and addressed her new boss.

"I know that this is an alarming first day for you, but can you explain to me why you weren't in attendance for your debriefing?" she looked at a form in her hand. Tiffany reports that when she arrived she did not find you in the room though Calista confirms that she left you there."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," Renee frowned. "Noemi said that the debriefing was to be rescheduled. She gave me my room key and requested that I meet her for a day out."

"A key? How is that possible?" she pulled a small packed from her pocket. "I have your key, I am the only one who assigns the rooms. After your debriefing you would have met with me and I would have taken you on a proper tour of the space."

Renee pulled out the key marked 307 and handed it to Xavia, "This is the key."

"Shit," Xavia flipped the metal piece in her hand and sucked her teeth.

"What is it?"

"This is Juniper's room." Xavia took off in a flash to the elevator and Renee was right on her heal. "I don't know how she got this damn key. It should have been locked away with the rest of her belongings." The elevator slid open and the two stepped inside.

"You're telling me that she has me bunking in her dead partner's bed?" Renee shuddered as she began to question the sanity of her newly assigned partner, "Nothing wrong with that at all."

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Xavia's form disappeared beside her and Renee had to run to keep up. Even with vamp speed she was left in the woman's dust. By the time she made it to the room, Xavia had it opened and was examining the space.

"Why would she give this key to you?" her eyes swept over every inch of the bedroom.

"A joke? A really sick one," Renee watched Xavia. "I didn't see anything out of the ordinary when I was here earlier.

"You were here?"

"Yeah," Renee nodded at the doors to her left, "I dropped my bags in the closet and headed back upstairs to meet Noemi and Moon."