Page 22 of Countdown to Murder
“How well do you know him?” Mira asked.
Ella MacKenna crossed her arms, uncrossed them, ran her hand through her hair and pushed it away from her face, and crossed her arms again.
“I had sex with him a few times. Completely unplanned, which isn’t like me. Both times were at one of his parties, and I don’t remember going to his bedroom though I remember enjoying the sex. Clearly, I consented, so I have no reason to call foul play, but I’ve politely turned three party invitations down. I don’t feel comfortable going back. My agent and one of my directorsstronglyencouraged me to go. I turned down a job because the director informed me I would be obligated to attend a cast party and the premiere at his home. It was to be written into my contract.”
She stood and paced, trailing the scent of terror back and forth across the room. “He seems charming, but he scares me on a cellular level. I think I’d rather spend a few days in the downstairs, windowless room than be aboveground where he might get to me.”
“How about if we take you down at sunset, and bring you back up at sunrise?” Ember asked her, and she stepped in front of her and touched her shoulders, stopping her. “Remember when I explained that my job is to plan ahead so you’re never at risk? If I have to defend you when you’re in the room, then our team has failed. The saferoom is comfortable enough, and we can move a video game console and whatever else you want down there. Twelve hours a day below ground, the other twelve above.”
“He never takes a daytime meeting, and now you’re acting like he won’t bother us during the day. What aren’t you telling me?”
“He hasn’t attacked during the day. We won’t relax our vigilance when the sun is up because that might be his plan, but it means if we have to choose which half of the day to put you into the more secure space, we’ll choose the night.”
The client put her hands on top of Ember’s, on her own shoulders. “There are sleeping rooms down there. Will you sleep down there? I know you said Mira would stay with me when you go off shift, but I’d feel better if you’re close.”
“Of course I will. It’s important I get six hours of good sleep, and at least four hours uninterrupted, so I can stay alert during my shift, but the space downstairs should easily allow that, and I’ll be close if you need me.”
“Sorry,” Sloan told the client, “but company protocol says Ember gets at least four hours a day in a secure location to sleep. She can’t sleep with you.”
“You’re telling me the downstairs saferoom isn’t a secure location?” Her eyebrows went into her forehead, but otherwise, she sounded scary-calm.
“Protocol also says that wherever you are isn’t considered secure enough for our people to sleep,” I told her. “The whole point is that we need to be on alert when we’re with you. Sloan likes Ember more than you — doyou really want to wonder if he’ll rescue her first or you first should your stalker reach the compartment while she’s sleeping?”
“Okay. You’ve made your point.” She looked to Mira. “Looks like we’re stuck together. I suppose we can talk about makeup, at least. Yours is interesting and well-done.”
“Silence is your friend, because I have excellent hearing and I’ll know someone’s near long before you if you allow my ears to do their job. Do you have headphones you can use to watch a movie, perhaps?”
Mira didn’t show any emotion in her face or voice, but she somehow came off as distant and professional rather than rude. Someone had trained her in how to make the client feel good about having her watch over them. The kind of training you get that helps you keep your distance while you’re assuring them how good you are.
“I’m going to walk downstairs with Mira and map out where we want everyone.” I looked to Ember. “I’ll have Jones send people to escort her downstairs when we’re ready for you. Pack up everything the client will need to spend the rest of the night down there.”
Chapter Twelve
Panda
The saferoom suite was impressive, but I hadn’t expected it to be otherwise. I was about to contact Jones to bring him into the discussion of where to put people leading to the space when the air pressure in the room changed. I’d have attacked the intruder, but he froze every muscle in my body so I couldn’t move. He was behind me, and I couldn’t breathe, which meant I couldn’t scent him or see him.
After ten seconds with no oxygen, he released my involuntary muscles, and my diaphragm moved enough so I sucked air in and recognized the scent. I heard Mira do the same, and then she spoke.
“Apollonius. To what do we owe this visit?”
She didn’t sound happy, and I concurred. I was relieved it wasn’t the vampire, but not by much. No onelikes having the Concilio show up on your job. However, there was a chance he was there to help, so I was trying to keep a positive outlook. Freezing us kept us from attacking, and we most certainly would have, if we’d been able.
Apollonius moved into my sight and looked at me. “I’m going to release you. If you make a move towards me, I will hurt you.”
I couldn’t nod or in any way respond, but he must have seen something that told him it was safe to give me control of my body back, and five seconds later, I was autonomous again.
He looked to Mira. “Stay put. I need to have a talk with yourpartner.”
The next thing I knew, I was standing in someone else’s living room, looking out over beautiful scenery comprising other mountains and a valley below with an impressive waterfall.
“Where are we?”
“Not important.”
I’d get the tech people to pull this view off my bodycam and do a search.
“I disabled both your bodycam and Mira’s. Drake Security can bill the Concilio for both. You can’t have any kind of relationship with the being you know as Mira.”
