Chapter 22

January 23nd-24th, 2007, Monday-Tuesday

Jason

“My love, this is very nice,” Abby said as Jason massaged her feet.

“Just the beginning,” Jason said, intently focused on the massage. “Provided I don’t fall asleep.”

“Yes, your eyes are glowing a bit...”

“Hmm?”

“Red, Jason. No one with any familiarity with marijuana could have a doubt as to your condition.”

“Oh ... well, I’m so glad nobody here gives a damn if I’m baked.”

He gave a short laugh.

“And in reality, I don’t think there will be any falling asleep. Pretty sure I intend to leave no part of your body wanting attention.”

Abby wriggled, almost purring.

Jason looked up her body to her belly, where he half-hoped, half-feared there was a fetus growing.

“How do you avoid stretch marks, gorgeous?’

“Oh, they’re there, flatterer, you’ve commented on their near invisibility before. I’ve already upped my water intake, I’ll be watching my weight gain as the baby develops ... which is going to be soooo hard with Estrellita around. And I, or someone else, will be lotioning my swelly-bits several times a day. Somewhere in the late second trimester, I will start spending a lot of time in the pool, and that will mean more lotion more times. I understand the need for chlorination, but it’s hell on my skin.”

“Well, if we stay here, you could spend a lot of time in the ... what did they call it?”

“The Grotto.”

“Not that I’m objecting to the privilege of spreading lotion all over your... ‘swelly-bits’ ... but if you’d prefer non-chlorinated water...”

“For that matter, if we’re not here, but living somewhere else, there are ‘natural’ swimming pools – House Bella Notte has several. They remove the need for chemicals by integrating water plants that purify the water.”

“Sounds beautiful.”

“Well, at Bella Notte, only beautiful if you find very pregnant women packed into pools beautiful.”
“Could be very beautiful ... packed, you say?”

“Yes. There was talk of building two more pools ... a House full of subs bitching and surly because of the joys of pregnancy is not a happy House, but it was still talk when I left. Truly, when you’re waddling about, feeling the size of a blimp, feet, legs, and back hurting ... a pool is a wonderful place.”

“I cannot imagine.”

“Soon, my love, you’ll be far more familiar with pregnant women than you probably want to be. We may glow, but that glow comes with a lot of side effects.”

Jason poured more oil in his hand and began work on her left leg.

“You’re really going to massage all of me?”

“Yes I am.”

“You do realize I’m going to have my very horny way with you when you’re finished?”

“I hope so.”

Mr. Xu

“You told me they would be used far from here!” Mr. Xu hissed in Mandarin.

“Calm down, it will all blow over soon,” replied his customer.

But Mr. Xu knew differently, thanks to a contact in law enforcement. The raids would begin in the morning, and Mr. Xu was already going to ground elsewhere in the state.

There was silence on the line ... a silence that stretched to minutes, before “I suppose I can rebuild as necessary ... later. In the meantime, I feel like getting out of town.”

“Much later, and yes, run,” Mr. Xu said, terminating the call.

He held the burner phone away from him.

“Jiang,” he said, “pull the car over.”

As the grey Mercedes-Benz pulled over to the side of the freeway, Mr. Xu could see the lights of the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a glow on the horizon. Exiting, he stomped the burner repeatedly, completely destroying it.

He re-entered the Mercedes, and his bodyguard Jiang pulled out into the minimal traffic, heading north.

Harry

He nonchalantly looked toward the entrance to the club.

“That our trouble?” Harry whispered to Carol.

“Yessir.”

About six foot, well-worn leather pants, Doc Martins. Shirtless, runic tats covering his bare, ripped chest, arms, and Harry presumed his back as well. Fighter muscles, not steroid pumping-iron muscles, but still no neck as such. Not as many piercings as Rick, his wife’s former owner had had, but enough. Bald head gleaming in the club’s lights, long Fu-Manchu mustache black against his almost bronze skin.

“He oozes testosterone,” Harry murmured. “Pretty sure licking his sweat would put another six inches on my cock...”

“Ewww...” Carol whispered.

With no deference, or nod to protocol, the stranger walked around their tables and faced them, smirking.

“I’m Max, new owner of what used to be ‘Chains of Desire’. Now it’s just ‘Chains’.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Harry said, “I’m...”

“I don’t give a fuck. You’re not welcome in my club. Ever.”

“Does he remind you of the saxophone player from ‘Lost Boys’?” Margo said, her voice cool.

“Kinda, yeah,” Harry replied. “You play saxophone?”

“You’re a joker. I get it. But no joke, you show up and I’m going to beat the shit out of all of you.”

“Why the hostility, Maxi?” Kelly asked. “Too much caffeine?”

“You’re a bunch of poseurs, you got no business on the throne. I’d take it from you, if I wanted to play in Poseurville. I don’t, you’re the lame fucks your people deserve, so you stay out of my club, and I don’t have to hurt you.”

“I don’t think he plays saxophone,” Margo said.

“Cunt, shut up or suck my dick, but those are your only two options.”

Harry was on his feet, moving toward Max, stopping a foot short and glaring at him.

“You want to apologize to my wife, punk?”

“What! Fuck no. What are you gonna do now? Throw a punch?” Max replied, laughing.

“No, Maxine. I’m gonna have you thrown out of this club, barred from ever coming back...”

“As if...”

“And if you get rowdy I’m going to enjoy watching the bouncers here beat every last ounce of shit out of you.”

“Too scared to try it yourself ... I see.”

“No, punk. I’m at least half again your age, you outweigh me by at least a hundred pounds of muscle, and I’m in a leg brace for good reason. Yeah, you’d hurt me. You’d win, no doubt.”

“But then one of us would have to shoot you,” said one of the guards from the Elder Houses, smiling as if he was looking forward to the chance.

“Everybody to fight your battles except you...”

“Yeah, that’s one of the benefits of family and friends,” Harry said. “Not that a muscle-bound child like you has either.”

Max laughed, turning to leave.

“Stay out of my club, old, old man. I’ll see myself out.”

Harry turned and watched him swagger out of the club, surrounded by bouncers.

“And the hits just keep on coming...”

“I think he just plain hates us ... didn’t need anyone leaning on him,” Margo said, moving to stand at Harry’s side.

“And us so very lovable,” Harry replied.

“Thank you for the gallant response, but did you think he was going to apologize?” Margo said.

“No ... I was hoping he’d knock the shit out of me...”
“So he’d get beat?”

“Yep. Sometimes you do the beatin’, sometimes that pleasure belongs to others. Most important part is that the beatin’ gets done. At that we failed.”

“Fight’s not over yet,” Margo murmured, kissing his cheek.

“God, I so wish it was...”

Harry took her hand and returned to his seat.

“Okay, I figure to show up at the office about 9:30 tomorrow morning, will be through by 11:30 at the latest. That work for everyone?”

“You know my feelings on the subject, sir,” Carol said, face down, still on her knees.

“Make it as quick as you can without rushing,” Margo said.

“I agree, sir,” Kelly said. “But we can use the time filling Eddie in on tonight’s fun and games.”

“Good idea,” Harry said. “Let Tammy know in the morning. See if Earl and Mama can show up as well.

“Now, I need a very stiff drink.”

Li Kuan

Charles and Sharon Perry lay dead in their blood-soaked bed, having almost peacefully made the transition from life to death while they slept.

Li Kuan had managed to avoid any blood spray ... not easy to do when slicing four carotid arteries.

It wasn’t her first time to do such a thing, though.

The two joined all four of their House security staff in death, thankfully, people in Society didn’t use services like ADT, and Li Kuan had destroyed all the surveillance footage of the night, and the home’s security setup as a whole.

Wouldn’t have mattered much if she hadn’t. A dark shadow flitting through the halls was difficult to identify later.

Still ... completists complete.

Li Kuan thought of the children, Charles Andrew IV, and Vella.

Their parents had ‘sold them’ to the Nelsons, not to obtain wealth and power, but to grab more of both.

The boy would probably never recover completely, Vella would require decades of care.

Should she kill them as well? Much kinder than letting them live.

Li Kuan continued pondering the issue as she moved toward their rooms.

No, leave them alive. The parents are yours to judge, not the children.

’Madam, I am yours to command.’
Nonsense! You will however require funds before long. Take what you can from the house.

’Yes, Madam. Thank you for your council.’

She went back to the parents’ room and began her search for valuables.

Shaun

“They’ve got people lurking around,” came over the earbud from August.

“How many?” Shaun replied.

“Three in the lobby.”

“One ... no, two on the primaries floor,” another voice said, Felicia.

“There’s three shady characters near the loading dock,” yet another voice said, Victor.

“Goddamn ridiculous way to handle security,” Shaun grumbled. “How long before our Lord and Mistresses arrive?”

“Fifteen minutes, give or take.”

“One of mine is armed,” August said. “Leaned forward, I caught the holster in the small of his back.”

Shaun called the limo.
“Alice, we’ve got armed and suspicious characters in the hotel. Need time to handle the situation. Delay arrival.”

“Yes, Shaun. Thank you.”

“Okay, talk to me. Gus, what’s your read on them.”

“Not professional, not hard. They look like ... middle-aged, middle-class shlubs.”

“Shlubs?” Felicia cracked, laughing.

“Yeah,” August replied. “Doesn’t mean it’s not a cunning disguise, but I’d feel safe confronting them right now, so long as my weapon’s out and I’m free to fire.”

“Rules of Engagement,” Shaun said. “Do not fire unless in defense of self or others. But if either of those apply, drop them.”

“Yes, sir,” Victor replied, as the others murmured agreement.

“Felicia?”

“Haven’t gotten a good look at mine, they’re hiding in the stairwells. There may be more than two, come to think of it.”

“I was assuming that was a possibility,” Shaun replied. “Victor?”

“Yeah, shlubs. I’m watching mine walk around. Their tactical awareness certainly appears non-existent.”

“Do you think you’ve been spotted?”

“No,” August replied.

“Certainly,” Felicia said. “I’m in the hall, guarding the suite doors.”

“Well, yeah, of course,” Victor said. “Don’t think they’ve seen me.”

“Okay,” Shaun said. “Nightmare scenario ... the primaries come in the front of the hotel, or the back. They’re followed by a group of three. When they arrive on the 19^th, primaries are herded toward the suite. Two groups from either end of the hall blitz, cowboy as hell, just unloading. Group following picks off stragglers.”

“Yeah, that’s the nightmare,” Felicia replied. “Done right ... well, no way we could stop them in the moment.”

“Call the cops,” Victor said.

“No can do. That would make the whole thing official, and liable to postpone the primaries departure in the morning. I’m calling hotel security, see if this has a low-key resolution.

“We’ll handle lobby and loading dock first,” Shaun continued. Then hotel security and I go up the stairwells, and more security is ready to approach from the hall. They can wait in the elevator alcove until we give the all clear.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Victor said.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” Carlos from the Omni’s security staff, said. “Do you have rooms here?”

He was flanked by two more staff, while Shaun and August stood behind the three threats, hands on their pistols.

“No...” ventured the man in the middle, looking like an accountant rather than an assassin to Shaun.

“No...” Carlos said. “Then I must ask your business here...”

Shaun listened to the three men stammer and start, unable to hide his smile.

“Well then, show me your identification,” Carlos said after a time.

Miraculously, all three had forgotten to carry any form of ID.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises ... and that includes our grounds outside the hotel.”

“You can’t do that, this is a free country!” protested one of the three ... bearded, who looked like a real estate agent to Shaun.

“Yes it is, but this is private property,” Carlos replied. “Am I going to have to call the police?”

Five minutes later they were off the property, and Shaun had August keeping an eye on them.

Then it was time for the same routine at the loading dock. The men were escorted off the premises, and Victor kept them in view.

“So, now we go up,” Shaun said, taking off his shoes and socks.

With Danny, an equally unshod hotel security man behind him, he began the climb up nineteen floors of stairs via the west stairwell, while Carlos and another staff member climbed the stairs in the east stairwell.

The climb was emotionally exhausting and more than a little physically taxing. pistol out, safety off, good trigger discipline, finger on outside of trigger guard, climbing and peering up, watching for anyone, any sign they’d been heard.

Goddamn, my neck is killing me. Better it than some asshole upstairs though.

Finally, Shaun and Danny reached the 17^th floor, and Shaun motioned for a halt.

Taking time to rest til he was breathing normally, he began to climb again, even more slowly.

On the 18^th, he paused again. He could see three men, all their attention aimed for the stairwell door, open just a crack.

He turned to Danny, raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Danny nodded.

Shaun resumed climbing the stairs.

The three watching the door had their guns out – a .38, a .45, and a 9mm.

Danny fought to maintain his trigger discipline.

“Gentlemen...”

The three men turned, not fully bringing their weapons up, to be faced with Shaun’s and Danny’s weapons trained on them.

“I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing up here,” Danny said, “but I’m a member of hotel security, and I need you gentlemen to put your weapons on the floor, and vacate the premises immediately.”

“Or what?” a balding man with florid cheeks stammered.

“Well,” Shaun said, “pretty sure you can figure that out on your own.”

He put his finger inside the trigger guard.

Do not fire do not fire do not fire do not fire...

The men carefully, slowly, bent down and placed their guns on the floor, standing up carefully.

“Now, gentlemen,” Danny said, “I’ll escort you downstairs and off the premises.”

The three men timidly made their way between Shaun and Danny, heading down the stairs.

“Good job,” Shaun said.

“You too. Don’t worry, I got this.”

Shaun breathed deeply, feeling like he hadn’t breathed at all in forever.

“I’ll turn these weapons in at your office,” Shaun said.

Picking them up, he unloaded and cleared as necessary, putting the weapons in his pants pockets, the magazines and bullets in his shirt pockets.

Enjoying the chance to bend his neck the other way, he followed Danny and the intruders downstairs.

Finger outside his trigger guard.

When they were down, the intruders off the premises, and after confirming Carlos had escorted the other group off as well, Shaun called Alice again.

“We’re clear. Just get them from limo into the lobby right sprightly.”

Harry

“Alice,” he said once they were safe in the suite, “why the delay in getting us here?”

“Mr. Bagwell and his team spotted some men lurking around and in the hotel.”

“Suspicious men?”

“Armed men, four teams of three each.”

“Were they a threat?”

“Mr. Bagwell believes they were. All four teams were without identification, had no reason to be here, and in the end were escorted off the premises.”

“No muss, no fuss.”

“Somewhat, sir. We’re all very uneasy about it. You’ll have even more security with you tomorrow.”

“Oh. Fucking. Joy.”

“Yes, sir, I knew you’d be pleased.

Carol

She hated being whiny. Carol hated the sound of her voice when she whined.

Carol was going to whine about leaving immediately if she opened her mouth ... so she kept it closed.

Leaving the club, going back to the hotel, enduring the delay from security at the Omni, getting Harry and Margo undressed and bathed, a blowjob for Harry, several orgasms for Margo, serving her Master and Madam ... Carol didn’t say anything, replying to instructions with a nod.

And when everyone was tucked in and on their way to sleep ... Carol went out into the living area and called Dommi.

“Huh? Whoizit?”

“Me.”

Over the line, she heard Dommi put the phone down, shift in the bed, then “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“When was the last time, other than tonight, that a club owner or business openly defied the Court?”

Dommi was silent on her end of the line for a moment, then finally “It’s been a while. I seem to remember Absinthe & Opium did when Laney came to power, Whips & Clips as well, but it didn’t last long. And both of them did it “more in sorrow than in anger”.”

“Exactly. I really don’t want to sound like I’m stuck in the past or anything, but what that asshole did tonight ... back then no one in Society would step foot in his club.”

“That may happen yet, love. It’s only been a few hours...”

“Dommi, do we know anything about that shithead tonight?”

“No, but I’ll be putting a PI I know on it tomorrow.”
“I hope it’s somebody so good they never get caught, or that they’re tough enough they can put that punk on his ass...”

“Well, Quentin is not quite that good, the fight ... I wouldn’t bet either way. If it came to that, Quentin might just shoot him.”

“Lovely...”

“Don’t worry, I know how to dispose of bodies...”

“Dommi!”

“I’m kidding, darling ... well, I mean I do know how, so do you. But Quentin probably won’t shoot him.”

“Not that I’d mind...”

“I wonder ... we could perhaps, in an extreme case, see about buying the club from him. Through intermediaries, of course.”

“Worth thinking about,” Carol said.

“Honey, what’s going on? You’re very unsettled, and that observation’s from someone who’s known you for a very long time.”

“I don’t know ... something’s got me too twitchy for words. I want out of this town, this state, the continental US, very badly...”

“You know I trust your empathy completely...”

“But?”

“But ... are you sure this isn’t just everything that has happened – from the kids to the assassin to poor Yuri’s passing – coloring your mood?”

“Dommi, I’m very rarely sure about anything. But if I follow my gut reaction, I seem to get it right.

“However, that being said ... no, I’m not sure at all. I’ve been feeling looming disaster, to one degree or another, ever since we got here. Overall, I’d say it just keeps getting worse, although that’s not strictly true, the overall trend has been increasing worry.”