Life as a New Hire Ch. 30

"Have you decided on a date yet?" Jormo asked as Hana moved to my side and slipped an arm around my waist.

My initial thought was 2016. Yeah, 2016...the late fall, or early winter of 2016.

"Certainly not before Christmas," Hana decided. "Maybe Valentine's Day?" she looked to me.

"How about the Spring Equinox - that is on a Friday, March 20th next year?" I suggested.

Hana hugged me. I wanted to curl up and die inside. The Man-Dog-Pig was not going to go quietly into that dark, monogamous night. Who was I kidding? This wasn't going to fly. All I had to tell Hana was that I was expecting three kids and that would be that.

Being a big proponent of putting off the romantically painful...I'd wait a bit. Maybe I'd put it in my Will; a kind of a post-dated apology letter.

"That sounds nice," Hana smiled. "Any specific location? Father married Misty in the Helsinki Cathedral." Hint, hint.

"Or we could use St. Stephen's Cathedral in Székesfehérvár," I tossed out there. Jormo and Hana were at a loss. "It is in Hungary." What I neglected to add was it was the traditional site for the coronation of Hungarian royalty for hundreds of years. "My homeland?"

"Oh," Hana allowed...then it dawned on her that I was an untrustworthy cad who loved hidden meanings.

She was going to Google that the moment we parted ways tonight.

"Try to remember this is Hana's special day," Jormo rumbled. It was good to know that two out of the three of us were sure I was getting married. Too bad, I was the odd man out.

"I will, Mr. Sulkanen. Now, I have intruded on your family time enough for now," I said. "I have to get on a plane for Europe at nine, so I need to be going."

"Where are you going?" Jormo poked into my life.

"Transylvania. Havenstone has some unfinished business there that my boss, Katrina Love, wants me to resolve. It is one of those learning-as-you-go assignments." I didn't lie.

"Do you conduct any normal business?" Jormo was clearly unsatisfied with my answer.

"Father," Hana put her foot down. "Let me see Cáel to the door and then we can talk. Cáel, I'll see you out." We left Jormo to mull over the vagaries of fate. We almost made the door before Misty, aka soon to be my Mother-in-Law caught us. My, my, my, she was hot. I could hear Dot Ishara mocking me. That reminded me...

"How did it go?" she asked us both.

"Cáel gave me this," she showed off her necklace - a mixture of pressed gold, lapis-lazuli with an onyx cameo of a woman with a long braid - who might have been my ancestor.

"I'm unconventional," I responded to Misty's confused look. "It's been in my family for quite a while." That satisfied her. Misty and Hana shared a familial hug. Misty definitely knew that Hana was her ally in the family.

"Have you heard from Casper?" Misty looked my way while still hugging Hana.

"She is in town seeing a specialist," I was pleasantly surprised that someone had asked. "Brooke, Libra and Casper met me for lunch." She and Hana released one another.

"Cáel...I...um...I love my daughter very much and I would like to think that if she was ever in trouble, there would be people like you, Libra and Brooke to look after her," Misty made her opinion known.

Misty had been perfectly aware of what a diseased parasite Brennan was, but had never been able to get Jormo to see it. She wasn't mourning the loss of her youngest stepson at all. There was no diplomatic response for that. I nodded and let Hana take me to the door.

"Cáel..." Hana struggled. I kissed her. I gave her the total Cáel full-body kiss experience.

Misty was still looking our way. Hana was caught off guard as I gave us a bit of sexuality to our otherwise sterile courtship.

"Whoa," Hana sighed when we finally came up for air. Her body was tightly pressed against mine and my body was certainly aroused by hers. "Mmmm...that was nice."

"Well, we can pick up from here when we get back," I grinned, then kissed her forehead. "I gotta go." The GL-550s were in front of the townhouse, engines turning over. I gave one last wave before boarding. No one said a thing for a while. I imagine I looked pretty discombobulated.

"We need to stop by my place," I told my driver - one of Velma's team.

"Why?" Buffy inquired. I noticed we were missing Pamela again. Shit.

"I forgot a promise I made to Dot Ishara," I gave a tired smile. When I heard Dot laughing I realized I had forgotten my fortune cookies. "It won't take me five minutes."

"I'm coming with you and Wiesława takes point," Buffy stated. She waited for me to push back.

"Do you agree?" Buffy inquired as we rolled to a stop, double-parked in front of my apartment building.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Buffy, this isn't an ego contest. If I think you are right, I'll go along with it. If I think you are wrong, I'll do my own thing."

(Endings and Departures)

We kept to the plan, although Buffy and I were all of five steps behind my Polish protector. Ten feet from the door, Wiesława waved us to take shelter. She pressed herself against the hallway wall next to my door. I took a peek out to see what spooked her. My door was almost - almost shut. Odette wouldn't be home for three hours. Timothy would never do that.

I pulled out my phone and showed it to Buffy, who ruminated over my silent strategy, then nodded. I dialed my home number while Buffy slipped past me, STI Perfect 10 automatic pistol drawn and moved along the wall opposite my door. Wiesława drew her FN-P90. It took four rings.

"Cáel," Timothy's cool reply had an undercurrent of anger. "What's up?"

"I forgot a few things, so I'm coming by in a few minutes. I figured I could grab you and Sovann, if he's hanging out with you tonight," I lied.

"Thanks. That would be great," Timothy began clueing in that I was worried.

"Your choices are #1 Thai, #2 Egyptian, or #3 German," I made some crap up.

"Thai sounds fine," Timothy answered. I hoped and prayed that meant one hostile person inside. I flapped my hand out, getting my two Amazons' attention. I tapped my heart, then showed two fingers - two friendlies. I made a fist (new number), then showed one finger - one hostile.

Buffy got Wiesława's attention then started a three count.

"Timothy, get down," I commanded as Buffy went from two fingers to one. One finger went into a fist, Wiesława pushed the door open and went to a crouch, weapon at the ready looking in. Buffy went to the other side of the door, pistol aimed over Wiesława's head.

"Don't move," Buffy said in a soft yet menacing voice.

Wiesława slipped into my room. I ran over to her positon while Buffy kept whomever she was aiming at in her sights.

"Down," Wiesława commanded. "Clear." Buffy went in and I followed.

My Polish guardian had Anima face first on the carpet, her knee on the evil bitch's butt and her barrel pressed into her shoulder blades. I shut the door. Buffy picked up a cheap-looking 32 cal. revolver and stuck it in her jacket pocket. That must have been the weapon she used in order to keep the much larger Timothy and Sovann as hostages.

My roommate and his boyfriend were still getting over having some crazy chick threaten their lives, only to have two other crazy chicks show up to save them. A quick pat down later and they had Anima on her feet, face to face with me. The pampered, perpetually-bored torturer was gone.

The creature before me still lacked anything approaching empathy, but she was worn ragged, her clothes were filthy and personal hygiene was a thing of the past. She had become a feral, hunted human animal, now at the end of her tether.

"Cáel?" Anima cast about fearfully, then, "Cáel! Cáel, please help me," she pleaded. "I'm so sorry about what happened to Casper. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please call them off." Casper? Anima wasn't sorry about what she did to Casper, nor was extending an ounce of sympathy for all her so-called friends she'd led off that moral cliff, placing them into early graves.

"Them?" I asked.

"The people - those women who've killed everyone else," she related desperately. "I've learned my lesson. Please make them stop. I'm the only one left."

"Your lesson was to get a gun and hold my roommate and my friend hostage?" I stared at her.

"I couldn't find you...and I was afraid of hanging around one place for too long...I had to hide here until you came back," she babbled.

"Anima, I'm about to leave the country on business," I studied her. "I came back here by accident. What would have done if I didn't come back?"

The answer was either she'd break down and call me on the phone, or she'd kill Timothy and Sovann and search for another angle.

"I would have kept running," she lied. She was a very good liar, except holding my friends hostage was an 'end of the road' ploy. Clearly, life had not ceased to be all about Anima.

My gut was to play the White Knight and save the damsel in distress. That would require me to forget the dead peripheral players in Anima's drama as well as Casper. I couldn't take the coward's path and do nothing either.

"Anima, do you recall that trip we took to Illusions?" I reminded her.

"Ye - yes," she sounded worried.

"Two things stick out in my memory. You said 'death isn't all it is cracked up to be' and you claimed to have never met a person who was untouchable," I recalled. "You don't seem to be scoffing at death and pain anymore, Anima.

You have also managed to meet someone you can't touch. I remain the Good Guy and I feel fine with my decision of leaving you to face the consequences of your choices," I stated deadpan.

"You are simply going to let me die?" Anima wailed. "How is that good?"

"It is the virtue of Justice," I told her.

"That is something you could never grasp, Anima. Good isn't soft. Forgiveness isn't a blanket license to commit evil, over and over again. It is a second chance for the worthy who have made a mistake. You are neither worthy nor did you make a mistake. You knew exactly what you were doing," I glared. "Shut up!"... Anima had attempted to make another plea.

"Do you know what you could have done to save yourself? You could have made the last few weeks of your life matter by helping others. You could have exhibited bravery and charity, yet you chose not to. I'm not okay with all the resulting deaths. This brings me no joy. But my sorrow does not translate to me second guessing myself.

I'm willing to take responsibility for what has happened. I could have backed down - given in. I didn't. I met you half way in our moral challenge. You haven't changed and I'm fresh out of give. We remain where we were that Saturday - morally deadlocked. Good-bye," and I was done.

"Time for you to go," Buffy emphasized by grabbing Anima by the scruff of the neck.

"Cáel?" Anima made one more attempt. Buffy yanked her out the door. I was dealing with Timothy and Sovann.

"Sorry about this guys," I shook my head.

"You are not dull," Timothy admitted after a few seconds. He stepped up and we hugged.

"What is going to happen to her?" Sovann asked. He was still rightfully shaken up by the whole 'psycho girl with a gun threatening to end his life'.

"I don't know," I replied. "Buffy isn't going to kill her, but she's under a death sentence for orchestrating a gang rape of a girl after I specifically requested that she restrain herself.

Hell, if I thought that was going to be a one-time thing, I would have cut her some slack. Instead, she and her sick crew of rich, overly privileged friends chose to live beyond the law."

"So you are the law now?" Sovann stared intently.

"Yeah," I nodded, still in a partial hug with Timothy.

"I don't ask for a lot, Sovann. I do ask that people treat people with respect. If they fuck up, I ask them to not do it again. You are thinking 'who make me God?' and I don't have an answer to that. I do my best. And I have people like Timothy and Odette to kick me in the right direction when I stray. That's the best I can do, because doing nothing when you can make a difference is cowardice."

"Cáel, Sovann and I will discuss this after you go," Timothy intervened. "By the way, why did you come back?"

"Crap," I quick-stepped to my room, dug out two handfuls of fortune cookies from the box on my dresser, stuffed them in my pockets, then headed for the exit.

"Fortune cookies," I explained. "Now, if I am late I'll probably have to sleep with one of my aunts. Sorry again, guys," and out the door I went. Wiesława kept to my side as we went down to the GL.

"Buffy said she had business to take care of," the driver informed us.

Off we traveled to JFK International Airport and the O'Shea Boeing BBJ3 that was waiting for us. Some guy with an Irish brogue and some serious letterhead had the TSA wave us through the gate into a restricted part of the tarmac. Havenstone Executive Services had packed up my clothes and kit, as well as Wiesława's. Hopefully, someone had bought some extra clothes for Sakuniyas.

Daphne and Tigger were there to send me off...and to drive the Havenstone vehicles back to base. A quick hug and a kiss was all I could spare. I was cutting our departure window very close. For starters, this was my aunts' jet and that was made abundantly clear.

Staff wise, the pilot, co-pilot, chef (yes, the jet had a galley) and three flight attendants were all tiny cogs in the Illuminati structure. Each aunt had a personal assistant (always female) and a bodyguard (3 males, 2 females). As for my family - there was Aunt Deidre, who I did know and Aunts Kelly, Matilda, Imogen and Baibre, who I had last seen at Dad's wake.

Honestly, I felt like a heroin dealer walking into a drug den filled with five ladies about to fall of their '12 Step Program'. They may have all had the same genetics, but they all seem to have taken different paths. Kelly and Matilda were cold-hearted, ruthless, professional killers...which helped explain Uncle Lumpy's demise.

Deidre was sort of the referee that the other aunts didn't respect. Imogen was an up-beat and perkily impish sort with the heart of a medusa. Baibre was...nuts. The 'walks the hallways of the old manor house late at night having conversations with the portraits of her dead ancestors' kind of nuts. Definitely detached from reality.

On my team, I had Rachel's squad, Pamela, Sakuniyas and, of course, Wiesława. Delilah had sprouted a buddy - good ole Chaz Tomorrow...the guy Pamela respected more than me. Apparently the US government thought me running off to parts unknown was unhealthy. Both Virginia and Vincent of the FBI had joined us with Riki Martin in tow. Why? Not sure.

Our guide for our upcoming adventure, Selena Jovanović of the Black Hand, was here alone.

"Hi," I greeted the ensemble. "Sorry I was almost late."

"I see dead people too," Baibre gifted me with a lopsided grin and a sing-song voice. Sweet! Me seeing the restless dead was freaking genetic.

Then introductions went around, mutual animosity was exchanged and, as the 'Fasten Your Seatbelt' warning came on, the turf war began. Where was I going to sit? Rachel was adamant that I sit ensconced with my Amazons in the middle region. My aunts wanted me nearer to the rear of the plane...close to the curtained off sleeping areas.

I had one huge advantage over virtually everyone else on the plane - I regularly dated dangerous and somewhat unstable women. I joined my aunts after whispering a quick something in Rachel's ear. Five minutes after take-off, Kelly and I almost came to blows. She was - aggressive and demanding.

Having been down this road before, I derailed our conflict by calling her out. The fuselage of this jet wasn't ideal, but with the beds folded back, we could create a makeshift sparring area. This kind of sexual foreplay was new to Kelly, giving me an immediate advantage. I gave Kelly most of what she wanted - personal contact without sleeping with her - the reason I had the bedding put away.

Ten minutes into the bout, Matilda decided to switch places with Kelly. Kelly didn't agree but didn't want to start a catfight here and now. By the time Matilda was about to up our public display of affection beyond my acceptable levels, Imogen intervened. I was getting a definite 'cuddle' vibe from her, which I liked ... though I doubted I was getting my shirt back on anytime soon.

Deidre called for a late dinner before we all crashed out.

"Where is your personal assistant?" Deidre inquired. I was pretty sure that she wasn't talking about Riki, who had already fall asleep, and she definitely didn't mean my Amazons.

"I don't have a personal assistant," I responded.

"Then who was the girl who delivered your luggage?" Kelly's gaze grew intense.

"Where is Cáel's luggage?" Rachel popped up. Matilda tapped her bodyguard and he led Rachel to the hatch down to the luggage compartment. Sure enough, there was my suitcase, travel bag and dress bag (for my suits). No bombs or tracking devices that they could discover.

Upstairs, I was getting the bad news vis a vis a description of my PA ... Odette for sure. Damn it. Turning around wasn't possible. With the crowd we had, the unviability of surviving a trip in the cargo hold and the limited hiding places, we found Odette super-

quick. She had rearranged the storage in the galley and hid in one of the galley cabinets.

Odette was not a gymnast, or a contortionist. Delilah had to pull her out because her muscles were so cramped.

"Hi," she greeted me. "Don't be angry," she begged. I responded to that by banging my noggin against one of the overhead compartments.

I didn't ask why she did it. Odette had been living vicariously on the stories of my adventures to the point that she wanted to be part of the action, not a member of the audience. She was totally unprepared mentally and physically for the mission my team was embarking on. I couldn't ask anyone to be her guardian. That wasn't their job.

"I'll protect her," Sakuniyas spoke up. I was floored. Saku didn't like people, especially defenseless ones like Odette. The only person pleased with that announcement was Odette.

"Why would you do this?" I asked Saku.

"So I can later use her for leverage against you to help Alal," Saku stated.

"What?" Odette mumbled.

"Fine," I shrugged. "Odette, welcome to the ugly underbelly of barely constrained violence that I call home. This is what you have said you wanted. Live with it."

"But Sakuniyas is going to use me to hurt you," she protested. "Why can't Delilah protect me?"

"I have an assignment, Odette, and it doesn't include babysitting a civilian," Delilah told her. "Except for Saku, we all have jobs to do."

"Ms. Seibert," Virginia reluctantly joined in, "as a US citizen, I and Agent Loire will do our best to protect you."

"Do understand, our primary mission is to guard Ms. Martin and liaison with the law enforcement bodies," Vincent chimed in. Odette nodded.

"Sakuniyas, please do your best," I wasn't letting Saku, or Odette, off the hook.

"I do not make idle boasts, Ish...Wakko Ishara," Saku gave a shark-like grin. "Now, why don't you tell me more of Alal?" Fuck.