JEFF'S HOUSE OF FUN

Ethan addressed and the internal riot momentarily quelled, it was (past) time to get back to business. Taking the stairs to the basement, I rounded the corner to find Lindsey blocking the Ops Room door, her arms stretched out across the threshold like a human baby gate.

Her hair was pulled into a ponytail today, and it sat stylishly on one shoulder. But the look she gave me was definitely not pretty.

"Stop. Fighting," she said.

Ethan and I radiated magic when we fought, but this time we hadn't actually been the ones fighting.

"I wasn't fighting. Connor got into it with one of the Grey House vampires. And then Mallory had a prophecy."

Lindsey grimaced. "Apparently we missed out on a lot. Fight first, then prophecy."

"Too many vampires in one House," I explained. "Connor's embarrassed, and he's probably going to get the vampire version of KP duty for mixing it up with Grey House, but yeah, he'll live."

"That sucks."

I nodded. "And the prophecy was something about blood and the 'fount of life.'"

"Weird."

"You should have seen it in person."

"I'll pass," Lindsey said. "She still gives me the heebie-jeebies." She looked at me askance. "But there's more. You and Ethan had some kind of something?"

"You're fishing. And we didn't have something or anything. We're just bummed it's Valentine's Day and I'm spending it with you guys."

"Yeah, well, tone down the magic. You're giving me split ends."

"I doubt that's even biologically possible, since you're a vampire, and regardless, no. What's got your undies in a twist this evening?"

Was it the entire House? Perhaps the angst of so many vampires packed into a small space, or worry about the riots or the GP, but everybody - me included - was in a mood tonight.

"The psychic sewer," Luc called out from the Ops Room. I considered that my invitation, and slipped around Lindsey and into the room.

"Psychic sewer?" I asked, taking a seat at the table.

Tonight, only Cadogan House vampires were in attendance. Luc was at the table, Lindsey now beside him. Juliet was still recuperating, and Kelley was probably on patrol outside, which left the temps at the computer stations.

"Because she's empathic," Luc said, "she gets the dregs of all the various emotions floating around this House. And trust me - with this many vamps stuck together, there are many, many dregs."

"That sucks," I said.

She shrugged. "I'll get over it."

"Since I'm down here, and dressed for excitement, maybe we could work on this rioting situation?"

Without prompting, Luc leaned over the conference phone and hit one of the speed-dial buttons.

"Jeff's House of Fun," Jeff answered.

"Jeffrey," Luc said, sitting back in his chair with a squeak and linking his hands behind his head. "What's the good word?"

"Indefatigable is a pretty good word. Lots of syllables."

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but I see where you're going. I'd give you a point for that."

"Hey, Jeff," I said.

"Hey, Mer. Sounds like you've had some excitement over there."

"True fact. But they haven't shut us down yet, so let's talk riots."

"There wasn't one last night," Jeff pointed out. "Maybe they're at an end."

"We can only hope," Luc said, "but I don't think we can bank on it."

"Although that does raise an interesting question," I said. "I've been thinking about the riots. What if they aren't about hating vampires, but about accomplishing something else? They had a House full of Cadogan and Grey House vampires. If they wanted to make a strike, a big strike, now would be the time to do it. But they didn't. Not a hint or a peep of violence. Two riots in a row, and then nothing."

"I think you are right, Sentinel," Luc said. "It's not just about vampires, or else we're looking at the most incompetent group of rioters to set foot in the Windy City. And God knows Chicago has seen its share of riots."

I nodded. "I think that's why we need to focus on Bryant Industries. It was the first place hit, and I think there's a reason for it. If Robin Pope wasn't that reason, then someone else must be. Charla Bryant's brother was supposed to get you some videos of the building. Have you seen those yet?"

"Not that I'm aware of. But Catcher's not back yet. Maybe they've talked."

"Yeah," I said, "he just left here a few minutes ago."

"Have you uncovered anything else that might indicate why the facility was hit?"

"Not a thing," Jeff said. "Charla's parents owned Bryant Industries initially. They had a nasty divorce, and Alan and Charla took over the business. That situation seems to have worked itself out. I also found a really old record for a CPD citation for a loud holiday party at the facility - someone spiked the punch. And about twelve years ago, a former employee got pretty livid when he didn't get a promotion he thought he deserved. He was paid a settlement and released his claim."

I frowned. "Charla didn't mention anything about that."

"It was twelve years ago. Maybe she didn't think it was relevant."

Especially not when Robin Pope's grievance was so fresh.

"What about the health department inspection?" I asked.

"From what we can tell, it's a coincidence. Chuck's got a friend at the health department. He said the woman who scheduled it was heading for maternity leave, and she wanted to get it done before she left."

"Okay," I said. "So let's say inspection's unrelated. The riot had to serve its own purpose. But what?"

"Let's brainstorm that," Luc said. He pushed back his chair, then headed to the whiteboard. "Possible motives."

"Maybe they needed access to the building?" I suggested. "Something they want from the facility?"

"Like what?" Luc asked.

"Could be anything," I said. "Their mailing lists, financial information, scientific equipment."

"Scientific equipment?" Luc asked.

"I'm sure they have some in the lab," I said. "Maybe somebody wanted it."

"Did Charla say anything was missing?" Jeff asked.

I frowned. "I don't think so."

"And I'm not sure about the access theory," Luc said. "A riot's a bad distraction for the place you actually want to get into - people would be everywhere, cops swarming, not to mention rioters. If you're going to use a riot as a distraction, it's because you want people's attention on the riot, not the place where you actually are."

"Then maybe to disrupt Chicago's vampires?" Lindsey asked. "To interrupt the blood flow?"

"But it didn't," I said. "Charla told us it didn't affect their capacity."

"Okay," Lindsey said, "but just because it wasn't successful doesn't mean that wasn't the goal."

"True enough," Luc said, writing "blood supply" on the whiteboard. "What else?"

"I don't know," I said. "If not access to the building, maybe access to the blood supply?"

"You're thinking poison?" Jeff asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Or maybe somebody was especially bloodthirsty?"

"We have the same distraction problem there," Luc said. "Bryant Industries is big, but not so big that starting a fire at one end of the building is going to pull everybody away from the production floor. I don't think it would work as a distraction."

"And besides," Jeff said, "you're all still here."

"The riot was only three days ago," I said. "How long would it take any adulteration to make its way into stores?"

"Yikes," Jeff said. "I am not digging this conversation. I'm going to send Catcher a note, ask him to double-check with Charla."

Luc recapped his marker and ran his fingers through his hair. "Or maybe all of this is just bullshit speculation. Maybe the inspection has nothing to do with anything. Maybe McKetrick made them move up the date because he's a self-centered prick. Maybe he hoped to catch them unprepared and shut them down."

"That would help drive vampires out of Chicago," I said. "If the inspection was clean, maybe the riot's just another attempt to shut them down."

Luc uncapped his marker again and scratched "Close them down" across the board with a series of squeaks. "Maybe it's that simple."

Maybe, but I doubted it. McKetrick preferred grandstanding when he could get it, and working indirectly to close down a blood supply facility seemed an amateur move for him.

"Got a message from Catcher," Jeff said. "I'm quoting: 'Charla thinks blood supply is safe. Frequent testing.'"

To say that was a relief would be an understatement. Poisoning the city's blood supply would be a quick way to end vampires en masse.

"I don't suppose Catcher mentioned anything else about the videos?" I asked.

"He said he asked her to check again."

"So there you go," Luc said. "We check the videos, and we see if they show us anything interesting."

They would, I silently thought. The question now was what.

-

As a graduate student, I'd spent a lot of time poring over books and manuscripts. Flipping through pages of centuries-old paper while wearing cotton gloves, staring through the lens of a microfiche machine at illuminated manuscripts. It was usually a slow and time-consuming process.

With that experience under my belt, you'd have thought I'd grown accustomed to being patient and methodical.

But where McKetrick was maybe, possibly concerned, patience was impossible. I sat at the Ops Room table, staring at the whiteboard from a distance and hoping that seeing the big picture would bring me some insight, suggest a clue I'd somehow missed that we could easily backtrack and find in order to secure all the puzzle pieces into the appropriate slots.

But that was easier said than done. You'd also think, having stared at the whiteboard for various mysteries and assignments, and having eventually resolved all of them, I'd get used to the pace. To the grind of looking for information - any information - while waiting for the flint to strike.

The process made me antsy and frustrated, and I found it difficult not to blame myself when clues and solutions weren't immediate, and when vampires were in danger in the meantime.

Before I could add anything helpful, the Ops Room door opened. Ethan and Scott walked in, Jonah behind them.

I had become a bundle of nerves, because even Masters walking through the door made me paranoid.

"Liege?" Luc asked. There was nervous anticipation in his voice, too, which made me feel slightly less crazy. "The GP?"

"Utter silence," Ethan said. "No members of the GP are talking to anyone, as far as we can tell. And I'm not yet sure if that's better or worse than a dressing-down."

"Maybe they're getting their own house in order before talking to the rest of us," Luc said. "But if they're still being silent, what brings you down here?"

"We've just finalized a contract for the apartment building in Lakeview," Scott said. "We've ordered some temporary furnishings while the House decor is being cleaned, and we're going to start moving people in within the hour."

Luc whistled. "That was fast. Congratulations on finding a place. Do you think it will suit you?"

"In the immediate term, yes. We still want to get back to the warehouse, but it's going to be weeks, possibly months, before the roof is finished and the repairs are done. This will give us a bit of breathing room, a bit of normalcy, in the meantime."

"Moving puts Scott and his people in a vulnerable position," Ethan said. "A lot of people coming and going, a lot of chaos. They're going to be busy with moving and making arrangements, so we're going to provide some assistance at the new location."

Ethan looked at me. "Merit, you'll take point. Coordinate with Jonah on the arrangements."

It couldn't have been easy for Ethan to hand me over to Jonah on Valentine's Day, but he managed to do it without sneaky comment. I had to respect that.

"Of course," I said, glancing at Jonah, and wondering if he didn't also have RG support in mind during the move.

"We aren't anticipating specific trouble," Scott said. "But we prepare for the worst, and hope for the best."

"That's practically our motto," Luc said, glancing at me. "Earbuds so you and Jonah can stay in touch?"

The earbuds were some of Luc's favorite toys, minuscule devices with microphones and transmitters, so we could communicate without bulky electronics or signaling our connections to our enemies.

"Sure," I said. "That would be great." I'd also take a full-length insulated coat and thermal underwear while I was at it, because it was probably freezing outside. But work was work, and there was no sense in complaining about it.

"We'll be here if you need us," Luc said, pulling the earbuds from a cabinet and handing them over.

I smiled and tucked mine into my jacket pocket. "Thanks. When are we leaving?"

"I thought you and I could head out first," Jonah said. "Take a look at the grounds and decide where to place folks. The Grey House guards will keep an eye on the rest of the vampires leaving here, and we'll keep an eye on them going in."

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"In that case," Jonah said, clapping his hands together, "I think we're ready."

-

It made sense for us to drive separately; Jonah would be bunking in the House's new digs for the evening, while I'd head back home and again into the Master's suite.

Moneypenny still sat in the garage, dots of salt and grime on her exterior, but no less beautiful for it.

I'd just opened the door and put my sword into the passenger seat when the basement door opened behind me. Ethan walked inside, his gaze on the car.

"She needs cleaning," he said.

"Probably, although she's not going to get any cleaner tonight." It was useless washing a car in Chicago in the winter until the snow was gone and the forecast was clear.

Ethan made a vague sound. "You'll be careful."

"Always. And Jonah's no slouch."

"I know," he said. "And the irony of his spending the evening with you on Valentine's Day isn't lost on me."

"I didn't think it would be," I said with a wink. "You're very smart, for a vampire."

"You're very mouthy for a Novitiate."

"Your Novitiate," I said.

Ethan opened the door for me and gestured inside. "Go take care of Grey House, Sentinel."

I nodded. "Maybe, if you're very good, I'll bring back dinner."

Ethan smiled wickedly and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. "I'm rarely good, Merit. But I'm often spectacular."

He winked and shut the door, and disappeared back into the House.

It took a moment before I had the mental faculties to drive the car.

-

The housing might have been arranged on short notice, but the new temporary digs of the Grey House vampires were pretty nice.

They were in a building named the King George, and the decor involved lots of inlaid "G"s in the marble floors and gilded mirrors that lined the first-floor lobby.

I waited there a few minutes for Jonah, checking out the giant urns of tropical plants and the very expensive artwork. Whatever their other troubles, Grey House must have solid finances in order to afford a place this nice.

Jonah finally walked in, the breeze blowing his hair around like a model at a photo shoot, two paper cups in hand. He nodded at the security guard at the desk, then handed a cup to me.

"Martin," he said, gesturing toward the guard. "Rogue vampire."

I waved to Martin with my cup. "I guess he's on the night shift."

"Har-har," Jonah said, leading me to the bank of brass elevators. "Twentieth floor."

I sipped my drink, spicy hot chai, until the elevators dinged and we stepped inside. Even the elevator cars were fancy, with small televisions on each side above the buttons. One showed a news channel, the other commercials about Chicago and its nightlife. I guess the King George was selling not just condos, but a way of life.

"Did I mention this place was fancy?" I asked Jonah, as we waited for the car to complete its rise.

"It's what was available," Jonah said. "And unfortunately, we're paying for that fancy."

The doors opened, revealing a long hallway with thick, decadent carpet. A scroll "G" was centered in front of the elevator area, and flowers sat on a pedestal table nearby.

"The 'G' thing is fortuitous."

"Yeah, dumb luck there," Jonah said. I followed him down the hallway to the right, until he stopped in front of number 2005.

He fished a set of keys from his pocket, picked through them until he found the right one, and stuck it into the lock.

"And away we go," he said, loosing the lock and opening the door.

"Holy crap," I muttered, stepping past him into the condo. The condo was completely empty, but it was still pretty lush. Like the lobby, the floors were marble. The walls were painted in a pale, creamy yellow, with white wooden trim. There was a kitchen on one side of the giant living area, with marble countertops and dark wood cabinets. The opposite wall was lined with floor-to-ceiling windows.

"This place is gorgeous," I said, staring up at the coffered ceiling, which was painted three different tones of the same yellow color. "Very high end. Is this Scott's condo?"

Jonah chuckled. "Nope. This one's mine."

"Yours?" This place put my little Cadogan House dorm room to shame. "All this for one vampire?"

"You've seen my digs at Grey House," he reminded me. "Senior staff members get good rooms. That's part of the advantage of making your own House, instead of squeezing into an old building like Cadogan House." He gestured at the space. "You make your own home."

"I guess. Anyway, it's gorgeous. You could do some serious entertaining here. Hey, speaking of which, how was your date the other night?"

Jonah grimaced. "Not great."

"No chemistry?"

"No show," he said. "She stood me up."

"No way."

"Way. Haven't even gotten so much as a phone call since."

That couldn't have been good for the ego. I'd never been stood up, mostly because I'd rarely dated as a human. I supposed that wasn't much of a victory.

"That really sucks," I offered. "Sorry to hear it."

Jonah shrugged again. "It is what it is, you know."

"I do." I took one last gratifying look around the apartment, then gestured toward the door. "We should probably get ready."

Jonah nodded. "We should. Your earbud in?"

I popped it into place. "It is now. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, because we're standing in the same room."

"You're hilarious. Hey, I meant to ask: Did you recruit RG members to keep an eye out tonight?"

"I did. Four of them will be outside, but all in vehicles. Seemed safer that way. They stay warm, and no one gets suspicious if vampires are standing around outside, waiting for something to happen."

I nodded. "How would you like to work this?"

He pulled out his phone and pulled up an image of the grounds. The apartment building was a rectangle right in the middle.

"Two sets of doors," he said. "Front and back of the building. We've rented vans, and we'll be dropping off the vampires in the front. Furniture deliveries are coming through the back. We've got an RG car on each entrance."

He pointed to the front of the building. "Take point here. Keep an eye on cars passing by, the vampires coming in and out. Anything seems suspicious, don't hesitate to contact me. We'll stop at dawn, secure the building, start again at dusk if we don't finish." He glanced at me. "You good?"

"I'm good." I patted my scabbard. "I feel better when she's with me."

"I feel better when you're with me," Jonah said. "You've got a good head on your shoulders. Let's keep it that way, shall we?"

"I certainly intend to do so."

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