Page 19 of How to Entice a Fiend

I give them my best smile. “It was good seeing all of you today. I am quite… lost in this big city, so if any of you get bored and would love to show me around, give me a call.”

“Of course,” Finn says.

“Not of course,” Marcus counters.

I head out the door and get into my car as I decide that I’m quite far from getting any answers I need. I drive back to the hotel where I’ve been given a place to stay during my visit, but before I get out, I realize that I’ve been followed. I lean against the hood of the rental car as I wait patiently for them to show. When they don’t, I say, “Orin, what would you like?”

Orin quietly moves into sight and walks over to me. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but you’d do best to leave now. Tell them you’re done.”

“You know… I got to thinking that there’s only one reason you’d let a man into your house who tried to kill the child you adore,” I say. “Guilt.”

His jaw tightens. “Have faith that the VRC will fix everything. Unless you’re one of the ones who don’t want things to be fixed.”

I smile at him. “When you care to talk, let me know. Until then, keep Ender entertained. If he sticks his nose too deep, he’s going to wind up dead.” I push off the car, prepared to start for the hotel.

“Here’s the thing, Mads. You have absolutely no idea who to trust. Is the person telling you what to do even helping you? Or are you at the whims of another council member who is so mired in corruption that they’re going to pull you down too?”

“Well, if you feel like sharing more of what you know, I’d be glad to let you know,” I say.

“That’s just it. I don’t know much else. My interaction with the council is so limited.”

“But you know something about Ender.”

“Nothing that I would ever tell someone from the council.”

“Understandable,” I say.

“Just… you seem like a decent guy. Don’t let them fuck you over. They don’t invite new people into the council for just any reason. The last new person joined in, hell… 1910?”

“It was my charisma,” I assure him.

“Or it was because you’re expendable.”

“That too.”

“My guess is that they’re using you. They’re risking you because you don’t mean anything to them, even if they act like you do. They’re putting you in dangerous situations for their own gain.”

“If you think of anything else, send me a call or a text. I’m more than willing to discuss.”

Orin lets me go without saying another word as I head into the hotel and take the elevator up to my room. The moment I step in, I can tell someone else was in here. They took care not to disturb anything, but I know they were here. What did they hope to find? Do they think I’m hiding something? Or do they not trust that I’m faithful?

My phone rings, and I see that it’s Vivian, so I answer the call.

“What did you find out this morning?”

“You would never believe how cute that kitty looked all cleaned up! They made him so fluffy!”

“Bloody hell, if I have to hear about this cat one more time, I’m going to come over and kick your ass.”

“Why are you so mean to me?” I ask. “I really think this is uncalled for.”

“What did you find out about Ender and the girl? Did you find out where they went?”

“Not yet. I’m seeing if the VRC can find him first. They’ve been keeping tabs on him, but I’ll let you know what I find as soon as I find it. Can you tell me anything about William Allred or Harold Taft?”

“Harold retired years ago. He chose to dedicate time to raising a family, I guess? It was a bit vague. I honestly think he was just tired of the work. He’d been involved for, oh… a hundred and fifty or so years at that point? William still does some council work but not much. He’s a professor at some university now or something. Teaching history.”

“Do you have a way I can contact them?” I ask.

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