North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Sleeping Arrangements

We ran back, just to be sure Cert did not circle back and try to get at Jessica in the cafe. More sweat. More traps to avoid.

No strange / new Jeep outside in the parking lot. They did not apparently circle back. I guess they wanted to live to fight another day.

Anne and I leaned into the Cafe from the front door, and I yelled: "Morgan. Denise: Guard Jessica. Cert!"

Then Anne and I sprinted to the Crew office. I am sure our sweaty faces left an impression of urgency.

They followed us from the cafe at speed.

In the Crew office, we called Victoria and reported what happened. No cut phone lines. No point. We all have other ways to call. Despite our isolation here, there is a nearby Cell tower. Part of a rural communications project the US did. We also have satellite phones.

I talked. Anne did computer things.

Denise was in fact very pissed off and glared at me as we made the call. She also worked her phone furiously.

"Hello" came Victoria's calm voice. All she saw is the Camp number.

"Victoria. Adrian. Bad news. Cert is gone."

"What?" Victoria was no longer calm.

After I relayed the conversation with Cert, along with color commentary about how Cert has Alexander under her control via his pants, Anne added to the speakerphone, "I issued an all-Crew global alert. Nice having actual computers for these things now. 'Kill on sight' for Cert. No mercy. Full caution. Distance kill recommended to keep Cert out of her preferred assassination range. 'Contain or Kill' for Alexander."

I still felt sweat dripping down my back.

"A 'Kill-on-sight' order requires Council approval. I am on board and in full support. I'll have the authorization for that in an hour or so." Victoria said. No discussion. No argument. Victoria is done with Cert's BS.

"I vote 'yes'." I said. My first kill order. I will not feel bad about this one.

"I thought you might." Victoria replied.

Denise spoke up "I sent Crew to the Sagan house. Luciana is taking care of it. The family will be under Crew guard 24/7."

Anne added with some gallows humor: "Of course, Denise is guarding Adrian here."

"Trying to." Denise muttered.

"Good. Reactivate Carol. Have her move into the Sagan house too, baby, husband, everything. Make sure she is up to speed and ready."

"Yes. Luciana should have already called Carol and gotten that going. Sorry: anticipating." Denise said.

"Why you are head of Crew and so is Anne. I assume Anne is staying close too. We'll have the Crew Trinity there?"

"Correct. Camp can be run by Ava or one of the other Crew members. I imagine the entire Mexico team will want in on this one way or the other. Harper. Marina. All of them." Anne said.

"I imagine. OK. Let me get you that 'Kill Order' approved. I'll call you back."

Never once did they ask Jessica or Morgan or even me what we thought about this move-in plan. Denise already lives there. Now Anne, Nico, Carol, DeWayne, and their baby?

"Denise: time for you to move to the master full time. I'll make room in the closet. That will free up the front room for Anne and Nico. Angel and Vera are upstairs. Their old apartment for Carol and company." Jessica said.

Denise got a funny look on her face. She has maintained her own space even as she slept with us most of the time already. Another erosion of her waiting and maintaining her separate existence.

Jessica was having none of it. "Grow up, Denise. You are going to marry us someday. Get used to it. Rachel is not there right now. We have room. When Rachel gets back, we'll push an extra mattress onto the edge or something."

"When Rachel hears about this, she is on the next plane." I said.

"True. Bigger bed immediately then. Be good having her back." Jessica agreed.

It does not matter where Denise sleeps. Or Rachel. Cert is getting nowhere near Jessica. I could see that in the stone-cold expression on Morgan's face. It is the same as mine.

In less than thirty minutes, Victoria sent two words of text to Anne. "Unanimous. Go"

Anne waved the phone with the text up. "I did not wait. I already sent it."

Another text.

Anne read this one. "Helen is apparently pissed off."

"Shocking." I said.

On a Council of twelve, it requires nine thumbs down for Cert to become a marked woman. She has all twelve.

I looked at Denise, who is frowning. Probably about the sleeping arrangement. "Denise?" I asked.

She looked a little startled to be addressed by me. Probably my tone of voice.

"Not that Anne waited, but Council has authorized it and as Crew Secretary, I am further endorsing it as well. We just issued a kill order to the Crew. Does this change anything about your plans? By this, I mean your reluctance to kill Vampires." I asked.

"Nope. This is a kill order I can get behind without reservation." Denise said and smiled. "Thank you for asking though."

I started thinking about how to make our dining table hold Denise, Anne, DeWayne, Carol, their little girl Sònia (Red-haired, named for Carol's centuries dead mother, and future recipient of every Red Sonja Halloween costume I can find.), and with this news, Rachel will be home where she belongs too.

"I am glad we have an industrial size fridge," I said to no one in particular.

"Victoria just called her for that vote. Rachel may be home before we are. Helen will be ready. May already have a bigger bed on the way too." Jessica said.

Reading my mind.

Jessica pointed. "Anne. Adrian? Shower please? Denise? Help them? Morgan, you stay here and guard me."

The threatened woman being mom.

A thought occurred. "Cert. Misdirection. We need Angel and Vera with us too. Like now."

Anne stood. "I'll get them." She zoomed.

"Good idea. She'll need a shower after that burst of speed." Denise said to the closing door.

"Shower." Jessica answered.

"Yes, mother." Denise said. "Adrian? Come face your talking to in the shower like a big boy."

"Ok. When you face you living in the master bedroom like a big girl." I retorted.

"I can deal with it." Denise took my arm to lead. "Man, you are sweaty. This is going to take a while. Good, because I am going to chew you out so hard."

"You know how that is going to turn out." Morgan told Jessica. "Make Denise guard you while I wash Adrian."

Jessica gave her wife an amused look. "Darling: that turns out the same way, without the ass chewing. At least this way someone yells at our husband for being a dummy."

"Crap." Morgan replied.