“For the most part,” said April. “They like to be left alone. And other than a few randy ones like my dear old dad, they hardly ever interact with humans. But they prefer a world in harmony. That is why I was allowed to work with Scott.”
“Well, I am glad to have you. I hate computer work and Tomas knew it, so he never really explained all the workings of his programs. I could use the help.”
“Glad to be here,” said April with a grin. “The security on these computers might not be the greatest, but Tomas’s software is excellent. You could turn it into dating software and make millions.”
Brad laughed. “That was the running joke around here.”
“Besides the client database which I haven’t been able to access, I have a pretty good understanding of how the software works. I assume you interview incoming clients and input the data.”
“Yes. I handle all intakes and the interview process. I would give Tomas the data and he would come back with options.”
“Scott says you guys have amazing results.”
Brad nodded. “I’m very proud of what we’ve done. We have a very high success rate. It’s all about finding the right environment for each client. I have a couple being processed right now, but I haven’t been confident that I was doing it right on the computer end.”
“You were. I’ve gone over all the active files. I’ve also started making a new user interface to make it even easier for you. I’ve ordered new smartphones with encryption chips and I will have it ready within the week. You’ll just have to fill out your data on your phone and the computer will do all the rest.”
“Really? That sounds too easy.”
“It is. I suspect Tomas didn’t do anything like that because he wanted to be part of the equation. Human intuition is still an important part of the equation, and since I don’t have the experience that Tomas had I am reprogramming the software to increase the number of options presented to you. It will give you all the data as to why the options might work, but it will be up to you to make the final decision.”
“That is excellent, April. What do you need to get started?”
“A double expresso would be nice. Your coffee machine is the shits. And a bear claw.”
Brad laughed. He had just been given a new role, company gopher. Go for this, go for that. “I can do that.”
12
ERICA
The bedroom balcony was quickly becoming Erica’s favorite place. Since Tomas’s death, Erica had taken up smoking again. A nasty habit, she freely admitted, but one that helped calm her nerves. The last few months had seen those nerves tested more than once.
Erica inhaled, letting the smoke fill her lungs, then tilted her head back and blew out the smoke, watching it drift off into the evening sky.
The balcony was at the corner of the building, under the watchful gaze of one of the four stone statues that sat at each corner of the old, Italian villa. The statues looked like an artist had tried to combine a man and a demon. The statue was crouching on the top of the building, its bat-like wings folded behind the statue’s solid body. The statue’s torso reminded Erica of the Adonis statues, chiseled abs and a defined chest. While she found parts of the statue beautiful, the overall effect was sinister. She shivered.
Taking another drag on her cigarette, Erica kept looking at the gargoyle. “You are probably the ugliest statue I have ever seen,” declared Erica, as she started a one-way conversation with the Gargoyle. “I suppose that is on purpose, can’t scare off evil spirits with a smile. Although, with a face like that, I’ll bet your smile is even hideous. But, according to my new library, gargoyles are a good thing. So I suppose we are going to have to be friends. Do you have a name?” Erica waited a moment for the gargoyle to reply. “Playing the strong silent card are we? Okay, well I am calling you Garg. Not very original I know, but it will do.”
Erica smiled, for some strange reason talking to her ugly over-looker was comforting. It was almost like back when Tomas was alive. Tomas had been an excellent listener, always letting Erica vent whenever work, or her crazy as bat shit family had her stressed out. She sighed deeply. Tomas had certainly been better looking than Garg and actually had made comments to calm, soothe, and sympathize. So far Garg was failing miserably in the talking part of conversation.
Erica butted out her cigarette. “Well, Gargs, it has been nice chatting with you, but it is past this girl’s bedtime.” Erica closed the balcony doors behind her as she went to get ready for bed.
…
My name is Dante, not Garg, thought the stone gargoyle, as he listened to the human woman babble on. Dante was mildly intrigued by the woman. She was attractive by any age standards, but the way she dressed was certainly different than any previous lady he had protected. In the last time frame that Dante had been awake and able to roam in human form, the close-fitting denim pants were something a man would wear, certainly not a woman. However, Dante could see how the form fitting pants with tank top shirt had a certain appeal to it. Watching Erica walk away was going to become one of his favorite pastimes.
He let his mind wander. The skills an immortal had to learn to keep up with the human race were entertaining. Their weaponry was advancing, but their nature had not changed much. Human moral development was slow. At one time he thought the human codes of ethics were superior to those of the immortal beings hidden among the human population. Alas he changed his mind decades ago as it seemed the Earth was being ravaged by the humans with no thought of self-preservation. Even the vampires and werewolves had progressed morally. They did not kill indiscriminately anymore. At least the majority of them did not. They had codes of ethics in place. Certainly there were radical groups who liked the old ways, but unlike humans most werewolves and vampires learned that if they did not disrupt the balance of nature, a certain harmony among the species could be achieved. Certainly, in his opinion, some humans deserved to be harvested. He thought for a second longer. Actually some humans, like degenerates of other species deserved to be culled. Harvest implied worth. Culled was a better term. Dante turned his thoughts back to the woman and her remarks.
Once upon a time, Dante would have been offended by remarks about his ugly face, but in reality after several centuries of listening to remarks, her comments were mild compared to some he had listened to in the past. He took pride in the fact that his features could instill fear in the superstitious, as well as the blissfully ignorant people unaware that the face they remarked upon heard every word. People’s comments did not bother him half as much as bird shit. Dante sat frozen in time, waiting for something to dare attack a human under his watch. Now that Erica resided in his old home, she was his to protect. He looked forward to an event that would unlock the restriction of his powers. Fully activated meant being able to take human form at will and as needed. It would be good to walk as a man in daylight. Flying at night with his grotesque body was getting very old. Dormancy was not half as exciting as being fully activated.
13
JESS
The buzz of the intercom startled Jess. She peered out of the glass doors in the living room to see who was downstairs and saw a Loomis delivery driver. Jess pressed the intercom button. “Yes?” she said.
“Delivery for apartment 214, Sun Pine Estate,” said the driver.
Jess buzzed the young man up, and then put a housecoat on. She had been locked in the apartment for days, watching reruns of Friends and reading every book in her apartment. This was the first person other than Mandy she had talked to, who had come over every night and watched TV with Jess. She stood at the door, watching through the peephole and waiting for the deliveryman to appear. He walked up and knocked. After seeing his Loomis shirt, Jess opened the door.
“Here you go, miss,” said the driver. “I’ll get your signature here please.”
Jess used the stylus to scribble her signature across his device. “Thank you,” she said as she accepted the envelope and gave the driver a brief smile. As soon as he turned
away from the door, she closed and locked it again.
Sitting down at the table, Jess examined the envelope. It was completely ordinary with a printed label marking her address, but showed no return address. She ripped it open. Inside was a handwritten note.
I apologize if this note seems awkward, but I am the man who brought you home last weekend after the incident in the alley. I wanted to check up on you, but I don’t have your number, and given the circumstances, I thought you might not want to meet in person. I had noticed you earlier that evening and wanted to say hello, but the opportunity never came. I would like to get to know you better, if that is something that might interest you.
Cain
Jess was surprised. She had not expected to hear from the mystery men again. He sounded sincere. The question was, did she want to get to know him? She knew nothing of him, other than that he had rescued her and brought her home. Mandy had confirmed her vague memories about the two men being good-looking and well dressed. But money didn’t impress Jess, she had her own. And looks? Well, looks definitely counted, but not as much as character, something Cain seemed to have. But the memories of the night warned her that Cain and his brother might not be exactly as they seemed. The nagging memory of the words, “my brother can feed,” would not go away. Jess had tried to convince herself that memory was due to the drugs, but the argument was flawed, as everything else had been hazy but not out of this world. Though Jess was intrigued, she also felt wary.
When Mandy came over to check on her, she immediately noticed that something had changed. Jess had showered and dressed, cleaned the house, and was looking brighter, almost cheerful. “You’re looking much better today,” said Mandy. “It’s about damn time.”
Jess smiled. “I feel better.”
“Good, now let’s binge on some Gilmore Girls and pizza.”
“Sounds like an excellent plan,” said Jess, laughing for the first time in a long while.
The next day, the Loomis driver was back with another note from Cain and a small bouquet of flowers.
I know roses are a more traditional flower to send to a woman, but you make me think of wildflowers, strong and beautiful and sometimes chaotic.
Cain
Jess buried her nose in the bouquet and inhaled deeply. They smelled wonderful and served to lift her spirits even more. She asked the deliveryman to hold on a minute while she quickly penned a note to Cain.
“If I send this with you, he’ll get it?” she asked as an afterthought.
The Loomis driver smiled. “Yes, he made arrangements in case you wanted to reply. All you have to do is give the note to me and I will see to it that he receives it by this evening.”
Jess handed him the envelope along with a twenty-dollar bill. “Oh, this has already been paid for,” said the deliveryman.
“Keep it then,” said Jess.
He thanked her and headed off to deliver her note.
When Mandy arrived after work to check on Jess, she noticed the flowers. “Beautiful bouquet, where did you get them?”
“My mysterious rescuer sent them,” said Jess.
“Shut the front door,” said Mandy. “When did this happen?”
“It started yesterday.”
“What do you mean, ‘It started yesterday?’” asked Mandy.
Jess showed Mandy the two notes. “I received the first one yesterday and the second today. I sent a note back with the courier today.”
“Handwritten notes, sent by courier? I can’t believe you held out on me yesterday. If he sends another one and you don’t tell me, I may have to kill you.”
Jess laughed, although she wasn’t sure Mandy was totally kidding. “I promise.”
“Cain,” said Mandy. “God, even his name sounds sexy and mysterious.”
Jess nodded in agreement. The name had a ring to it, that was certain.
…
Cain smiled when the deliveryman returned with a note. He had hoped she would reply, but hadn’t been counting on it.
I am well, thank you, and thank you for the notes. I appreciate the effort, but you needn’t worry about me not wanting to meet. You rescued me from a terrible spot and returned me safe and sound to my own bed. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. The flowers are wonderful, but I don’t think lilies and irises count as wildflowers. And I don’t think strong or beautiful are the best ways to describe me, but if chaotic means a hot mess then you have that one right!
Jess
Flirting with a human woman was dangerous, but Cain couldn’t help himself. He found their mortality made them more likely to appreciate the little things. Vampire women seemed indifferent to the things Cain appreciated. Life was short for humans, and the smart ones appreciated the small moments: the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, a warm summer breeze caressing your skin, the laughter of a loved one. So often Cain had sat and watched human couples just sitting in a park holding hands. Those were the kind of moments a vampire didn’t have, but it was something Cain desired.
He bit his lip while he pondered over his next note.
…
Your self-evaluation skills are almost as bad as your ability to recognize a wild flower. But for now we shan’t argue that point. Instead, we can argue about the more important issues one finds in life, such as, peanut M&Ms or regular and does one put mushrooms on pizza?
Cain
Jess was greatly enjoying the old fashioned exchange of handwritten notes and had prepared herself for the delivery this time. She’d gone to the shopping mall, found a stationary store, and bought herself some crisp white paper and a high quality pen. Essential elements if one was going to carry on a conversation via messenger.
The important issues indeed! I’m strictly a traditionalist when it comes to my M&Ms, no need to mess with a good thing. Mushrooms are a personal choice and can be applied to any pizza. However, if you insist on putting anchovies on a pizza I’m afraid we can’t be friends. Since you have chosen to get all heavy with this conversation I’ll do the same. What type of music does one listen to whilst eating?
Jess
PS - I’m going to google “wildflowers” now.
No anchovies, but a double serving of pepperoni or Italian sausage suit me just fine. Do you prefer New York or Chicago style pizza? I would say the type of music one listens to while eating depends on the meal. Pizza deserves something slow and soft, a relaxing melody that doesn’t take one’s focus away from the other senses. While M&Ms deserve something more up-tempo, perhaps Rage against the Machine.
Cain
New York, of course, but when no one is watching I’m not above digging into a good deep dish. Rage for M&Ms? No, no, no. M&Ms are too sweet and sugary for Rage. Rage is more of a main course thing.
Jess
Jess and Cain continued to exchange notes all week long, until Friday arrived, when Jess discovered Cain had added a new wrinkle.
14
JESS
Instead of the usual envelope, the Loomis courier held a package. Jess handed him the note she’d already written and took the package. Thanking him, she closed the door and sat down at the kitchen table to see what Cain had sent her. Inside the brown paper packaging, she found an envelope and a beautifully wrapped package. She opened the envelope first.
I tried to find you a replacement for your ruined dress, but it proved to be a very difficult task. This was the closest one that I could find. I would love to see you in it. Perhaps we could meet for a drink this weekend?
Cain
Jess carefully unwrapped the box and opened it. The dress inside was almost identical to the one she’d worn to the nightclub. The only difference was that her dress had been a knockoff while the dress now in her hands was from the original designer.
While Jess was examining the dress, a knock sounded at the door and interrupted her. She carefully laid the dress back in the box and went to the door. It was Mandy. As she opened it, Mandy walked in and began talking before Jess could say hello.
&nbs
p; “So, what did I miss? I just saw the Loomis truck outside.” Her eyes fell on the packaging on the kitchen table. “What’s that?” she asked. “Have you two moved on from merely sending notes like kids in the back of science class?” Mandy picked up the dress and held it out to see it better. “Oh, it’s your dress. Was it at the drycleaners?”
Jess shook her head. “That’s not my dress. Look closer.”
Mandy looked at the dress again, turning back and forth. “It sure looks like your dress. What am I missing?”
“Look at the label.”
Mandy squinted at the label. Her vanity prevented her from ever wearing her glasses, except for when she was driving and safety overruled. Once she was able to bring the small label on the back of the little black dress into focus, her jaw dropped. “Holy Jesus, is this really a Cleo Wang? How the hell can you afford a Cleo?”
“I can afford a Cleo,” Jess said defensively, grabbing the dress from her friend to have another look at it herself. She picked up the card that had accompanied the dress and handed it to Mandy. “I’m just too damn cheap and sensible to spend that kind of money on a dress.”
Again, Mandy had to squint to read. “Wow. So, Cain couldn’t find another knockoff so he gets the next best thing? The actual designer dress you were wearing the knockoff of? Who the fuck are you, Cinderella? This shit just doesn’t happen in real life,” said Mandy with a loud laugh. “Jesus, even his name is sexy. Cain.” Mandy shivered as if saying his name gave her chills. “Did he finally leave a phone number or an email address?”
“Nothing,” said Jess. “No phone number, no nothing.”
Mandy smiled at Jess. “So, I guess the only way to find your mystery man is to go out dancing.” She picked up the dress again and began dancing around the table with it.
“What makes you think I want to find him?” asked Jess, laughing.
“Are you kidding?” Mandy snorted. “We have to find him. If you don’t want him, I’ll take him. Forget you.”
The Shadows Awaken (Guardians of the Night Book 1) Page 6
