Storm Chaser: Chapter 17

Just got back from visiting the family for Christmas. hope everyone had a good holiday. val

Chapter 17

Elena hauled her groceries to her apartment and as it was close enough to the time estimate she gave Kiera, she decided to pick up her mail before starting on dinner. Elena crossed the hall and knocked. She heard foot steps padding lightly towards the door and wondered if Smith had heard her approach the other night as she tried to be stealthy.

“Hi,” Kiera said tugging her door open. She was wearing a tank top and yoga pants. Her honey blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail and sweat was beaded on her forehead.

“Did I interrupt?” Elena asked. Kiera shook her head, the pony tail whipping the air with the movement.

“Just finished,” Kiera said waving Elena inside and closing the door behind her. “Desperately need water though, if you don’t mind.” She led Elena towards the kitchen. “This is yours,” she said tapping a stack as she passed. She filled a glass from the tap. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Nope I’m good,” Elena said. The sound of a yoga tape playing in the background caught her attention. Kiera grimaced.

“Okay I was mostly done.” She clicked off the television. “Sadists,” she said to the now dark screen before taking another sip of her water. Elena laughed.

“I’m pretty sure attending Torture 101 is part of the pre video recording requirements for all instructors.” Elena said with a smile.

“Good to know. It would probably have helped if I would do the workouts more frequently rather than when I realize my baggy jeans aren’t quite so baggy anymore. I am really going to be sore in the morning.”

“If you take a hot bath tonight it might not be so bad.” Elena said sliding the stack of mail from the counter and into her arms. “How much do you want to bet that at least half of this goes straight into the trash?” She said looking at the random circulars sticking out.

“That’s a sucker bet,” Kiera said with a laugh.

“Oh well, Thanks for taking care of this for me. It helps not having to get them to hold my mail at the post office every time I leave town.”

“No sweat.” Kiera paused. “So is that military guy going to come around every time you leave? The angry looking one?”

“I hope not.” Elena said. She figured it was time to try out her basic cover story. “He is kind of a friend of a friend of the family type thing. They were looking into some smuggling things and wanted to know how a business like mine that imports from around the world would fare against some of their new systems. They like to stop by every time they come up with a new scenario. I’m hoping they will run out of questions soon.”

“Oh,” Kiera said. “So are they almost finished?”

“I hope so,” Elena said. “Did they bother you? I know they can get pretty hyped up. I thought I was through with them so I didn’t let them know my travel plans. It kind of made them a little crazy.”

“It wasn’t too bad; I’m just not overly fond of the military. Or cops. Or algebra teachers with stern features. Any kind of authority figure really. They make me think I’ve done something wrong even if I know I haven’t. And then I start wondering if I really did do something wrong and just don’t know it. That sort of thing.” She waved the concern away. “Just a minor phobia.”

“Well hopefully they will go away soon,” Elena commented. She walked towards the door. “Thanks again,” she said as she let herself out. Kiera smiled and wished her a good night as she closed the door behind her. Back in her apartment Elena dumped her arm load of mail on the kitchen table. She spared a second to glare at the space she knew the bug to be located on her kitchen table lamp and then rolled up her sleeves. Many of her groceries went into the fridge. The rest she lay out on the counter next to the propped up recipe card. Before setting to work Elena turned on the radio.

Traffic reports filled the air as she began to slice, dice, mix and cook Consuelo’s version of Garan shul fedal with chicken and potatoes ala gedoswa. Seductive smells filled her kitchen and Elena smiled at the results. Tonight she would have a meal and not just fast food. Idly she ran her conversation with Kiera over in her head. She thought her story was weak but might hold up if no one questioned it. Something still nagged her about the conversation though. Normally she would just talk it through out loud and sort out her thoughts. She frowned at the kitchen lamp again. Spin meandered into the room, sniffing at the smells of cooking chicken.

“Oh no,” that chicken is not for you.” Spin mewled plaintively. Elena shook her head. “You will turn into a butterball with too much people food.” Elena filled the cat’s bowl with a mix of wet and dry food. Spin sat down and stared resolutely at the stove. Elena recognized the classic battle of the wills and wondered which of them would crack first. She strongly suspected it would be her.

“Perhaps it is a phobia,” she told Spin. She closed her mouth and kept the rest of her comments in her head. After all if Kiera was that nervous around authority then perhaps there was a reason. It would be a poor way to thank a neighbor by setting Smith and Co. on Kiera’s trail. ‘Then again,’ Elena thought. ‘Maybe Kiera is just the kind to keep a couple of loose joints around.’ She shrugged and poured the bubbling sauce over the chicken. She placed the cover on it and set the timer as directed by Consuelo’s card. The entire dish would need to be re named as well as the ingredient title’s changed. Elena leaned against the counter as the time ticked away and ran possible names through her head. None of them seemed quite right and she wondered if she could pass this type of thing on to Andre.

“After all he did so well with some of the ingredients that stumped me.” The timer dinged and Elena pulled the lid off of the pan. A billow of delicious steam rose to greet her and Elena’s stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had skipped lunch instead of hitting a fast food place on the way to meet Consuelo. She turned off the burner and transferred a portion of the chicken to her waiting plate.

“There will definitely be leftovers for tomorrow,” she said. She scooped out some of the potatoes and put it on the plate. She was missing a green vegetable to round out the look but she thought she had done fairly well. There were plenty of potatoes left for later as well. She placed the steaming plate on the table and decided to add a lovely glass of white to the menu. She pulled one of her nice glasses out of the cabinet and uncorked the bottle stashed in the back of her fridge. She set the chilled glass next to the plate. The hot plate and the cold glass made a pleasing contrast. Spin arranged herself so that she could watch Elena eat. Elena sat down and unfolded a paper napkin. She laid the napkin on her lap and picked up her fork.

“You are not going to spoil my meal with those pleading eyes,” she told Spin as she speared a potato. She blew lightly on the steaming spud. A knock sounded on her door. She arched her eyebrow and looked at Spin.

“I’m going to ignore that.” The knock sounded again and Elena put her fork back down on the plate. She sighed and looked at the ceiling. “Why?” she asked. “Why always at meal time?” Her only answer was her stomach growling. The knock came again and Elena thought of Kiera. She shook her head and pushed away from the table. She walked
Over to the door and yanked it open. She stepped back to dodge as Smith, prepared to knock again swung his hand down.

“Good evening Ms. Calabrese,” Smith began. He tried smiling at her and she was almost willing to swear she heard cracking. The smile was somehow more disturbing than his habitual frown. “Jonathan has apprised me of the situation and we have discussed matters.” Elena caught movement in the shadows and turned. Jonathan gave her a weak smile.

“And you couldn’t have called to set up an appointment?”

“You don’t always answer your phone.” Elena bit back a comment and simply stared at Smith for a second.

“I was about to eat my dinner.”

“This won’t take long.” Smith assured her.

“You have exactly five minutes.” Elena stepped aside and they entered her living room. Smith looked around as if this was his first time in her apartment. “Cozy,” he said. Elena snorted.

“Speak.” Smith indicated Jonathan was to take the lead. The younger man stepped forward as Smith let his gaze wander. Since the only thing out of place in the living room was the photograph of her and her grandfather on the Wind Dancer.

“We realize we have put you in an awkward position with the guild and would be willing to compensate you for your time and trouble so that a record would be available to justify your assistance.” Jonathan began. Elena thought the lines sounded memorized and she wondered if there was a lawyer hiding somewhere.

“I don’t see either of you carrying one of those wand things to detect electronic bugs.” She said. Elena saw Smith’s mouth tighten around the edges.

“At this time we know of no such…” Jonathan began. She had to give him credit for sticking to the script. Elena turned and walked towards the kitchen. Both men followed her. She pulled the bug out from the lamp and handed it to Jonathan.

“You can take that with you,” she told them. “And my dinner is getting cold. Your time is up. You can return when you are willing to deal fairly. Until then it is best you leave.” Elena ushered them towards the door and to her surprise Smith went fairly docilely. “You know where my office is located and you even know the office number. I suggest you call and schedule your next appointment there.” Elena closed the door and stalked back to her dinner. The meal was still hot but before she took a bite, Elena took a healthy swig of the wine. As she set the glass back down on the table she noticed something off. Her eyes scanned the counter and she counted bottles. The jar of powdered geras was missing. She thought of Smith and the fact that for the first time he didn’t protest being thrown out.

“Son of a bitch.”

Storm Chaser: Chapter 16

Sorry I didn't get around to posting this yesterday. Mondays are always crazy. v

Chapter 16

“She didn’t seem crazy,” Elena said to herself as she drove away from the restaurant. “Impressive and a little scary but not crazy.” The cards depicting recipes were in the passenger’s seat and Elena glanced over at them. They had sounded delicious and Elena found herself thinking of Grazos. Technically Peter had hired Consuelo and presumably he knew why Consuelo had left the restaurant. Elena hadn’t felt comfortable asking on such short acquaintance. And it felt wrong to just ask Peter about it. Elena didn’t like the thought of going behind Consuelo’s back to find out about her.

“I guess I’ll just have to wait until I know her better to ask.” Elena said. She glanced again at the recipes. The one on top had sounded promising. “And I do need to get some groceries.” Elena detoured her car to Nibbles and picked up the few off world items she would need and then headed to the grocery store. At the store she grabbed a cart from the line by the front door and began her shopping. It would be nice to actually have food in her fridge again. The cart rolled a bit unevenly and Elena looked down to see that part of the tread was missing on one of the wheels. She shrugged philosophically at it. “At least it isn’t squeaking,” she said, straightening. She took a loaf of bread from the rack and placed it in the seat of the cart. Elena pulled the recipe card from her jacket pocket and checked the ingredients as she pushed her cart towards the produce section. She looked up to find Jonathan entering the grocery store and looking around. Elena tucked the card back in her pocket and continued forward.

“The car must be bugged,” she said with a frown. She pulled a plastic bag from the roll by the scales and picked up a bunch of green onions. By the time she had placed them in her cart, Jonathan had caught up with her. She noticed he was pushing a cart of his own. Elena resigned herself to a longer meeting as she had no intention of going home with no groceries.

“Well hi,” he said. “What a coincidence, running into you here again.” He smiled his toothy grin and Elena noticed he looked a little nervous, like an actor given lines he knew wouldn’t fly.

“Yes one would almost suspect my car was bugged.” Elena said with a polite smile. She took another bag from the roll and pushed her cart towards the tomatoes. Jonathan laughed nervously. “At least you are helping to break me of the habit of talking to myself.” Elena felt a perverse spurt of glee as Jonathan struggled for a polite way to respond. She bagged several tomatoes and moved on to the potatoes.

“I wouldn’t say bugged Ma’am.” He said as he followed her. She turned and raised an eyebrow.

“Of course you wouldn’t,” she said dryly. “Just like you wouldn’t say my kitchen was bugged.” He blinked and the tips of his ears turned pink. Elena begin picking up fingerling potatoes and putting them in a bag.

“Anyway I was asked to speak with you.”

“And you were told that Peter is now the person you need to talk to.” Elena said.

“He doesn’t seem very trust worthy,” Jonathan commented. Elena laughed before she could stop herself and shook her head.

“He can be trusted,” she commented. “To a point.”

“Yes but it is that point that has us a bit worried.” Elena glanced down at his cart as she moved out of the produce section and towards the dairy case. Jonathan’s cart was squeaking as it rolled.

“Are you actually shopping or just following me around?” Jonathan looked down at his empty cart. He grabbed a bag of Oreos as they passed the shelves and placed them in his bag. Apparently he wasn’t going to ditch the cart. Elena continued her shopping.

“And we have questions that need to be answered.” Giving in to the inevitable Elena realized Smith and Jonathan were not simply going to fade out of her life.

“Like what?” She asked as she surveyed the specialty cheeses. Jonathan looked surprised at her question and looked around.

“I can’t ask here,” he said. Elena chuckled to herself as his voice made it sound like she had suggested something pornographic in the dairy aisle. A woman pushing a heavily loaded cart with a toddler bouncing in the kiddie seat glanced in their direction.

“Do you think there are terrorists and secret agents hiding by the eggs to catch details of your evil plot?” She asked.

“You never know who is listening,” he said. She looked over at him and realized he was serious.

“That sounds like a bad movie line,” she told him. “But I suppose you have a point,” she said thinking of the bugs in her car and apartment.

“Will you agree to meet and answer our questions?” Jonathan asked. Elena picked up a carton of eggs and opened the top. Two were cracked. She put it back and opened another one. This one was fine so she added it to her cart.

“You do realize you are putting me in a difficult position,” she said carefully.

“What is so difficult?” he asked. Elena turned to him and realized he actually was puzzled.

“I’m just an Indian not a chief,” she told him. “The guild has a hierarchy and they have decided Peter is your go to guy.”

“Oh,” Jonathan said. He thought about it as Elena headed towards the meat counter. “So you have to follow orders.”

“In a way,” she said. She could tell he was puzzling the situation out before he spoke. She left him to it and told the butcher what she wanted.

“I have to follow orders too,” Jonathan said.

“Well you did join the military,” she replied taking the first of the paper wrapped packages the butcher passed over the counter. She saw his lips quirk up in a smile at her comment as he worked.

“But you left the guild,” he said.

“Until you forced me to go back in,” she said.

“We didn’t”

“You did,” she said. “I was out and living a non-guild related life and then you kidnapped me off the street and made sure that I had to go back to the guild.”

“Oh,” he said. He frowned. Obviously this was not how he pictured this conversation going. Elena thanked the butcher as he passed her the last of the requested cuts and placed the brown paper bundles in the cart next to the bread. Having made her way around the perimeter of the store she now turned towards the aisles. Coffee was the first item on her list.

“Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

“It would help if you said a lot of things,” she told him. She realized she was starting to sound snarky but didn’t really care.

“I see,” he said. “Is there any way you would help us?”

“It is nice to see that you finally decided to try asking instead of demanding,” she told him. The tips of his ears turned pink. Elena actually found herself feeling pretty bad about the hand Jonathan had been dealt. She had the feeling in a normal situation he might actually be a nice guy.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said. He paused as she placed coffee and filters in her cart. “So is there a way you would help us?” Elena thought about it. She knew they weren’t going to give up and she really wanted to avoid another kidnapping. Also she had the feeling that if they couldn’t get her they might start looking elsewhere rather than trust Peter. That could get messy.

“Well the guild is commercially based,” she said. “If I could prove there was some kind of benefit for me in helping you independently of Peter they may allow it.”

“So we would pay you sort of like a consultant?” he asked.

“I was thinking more like a trade.”

“A trade?” He asked. “What would we trade?”

“Well,” she said a sly grin on her face. “I’m pretty sure you have some kind of device that lets you search for electronic bugs and things. Perhaps we could start our trade by letting me borrow it.” Jonathan smiled at her. This time it wasn’t the toothy grin he usually flashed but an honest, if sarcastic smile. She liked it a lot better.

“I’ll have to run that past the boss,” he said. “After all, I’m not a chief either.”

"You do that," she said.

storm chaser: chapter 15

This is the first time I've been near a computer all day... Sorry for the morning and lunch readers.

Chapter 15

Coming up with suitable explanations for why the military represented by Smith, was paying her house calls was not easy. Elena ran through several possibilities but all of them sounded fairly flimsy. By the time she pulled up in front of the location for the meeting she was somewhat frustrated.

“If people didn’t know that I run an imports store it would be easier,” she said as she gathered her papers and slid out of the vehicle. “After all you can hide a multitude of sins with words like consultant or contractor. Imports store owner just makes it sound like I’m smuggling.” Elena thought about it for a second. “That might have possibilities,” she muttered. With a start Elena realized she was standing in front of the newly re-modeled restaurant she had seen on her way in. One other car was parked in the lot and as she looked around a large woman came to the door of the restaurant. The woman was in her fifties or sixties and had long black hair liberally streaked with gray. Some of the gray stripes had been dyed a bright green. The hair had been braided into two long braids and the braids wrapped around her head like a coronet. She wore what looked to be some sort of cross between a pirate shirt and an old world peasant blouse with billowing sleeves and intricate embroidery along most of the surface. The ties keeping it closed strained against her amble bosom. Underneath the embroidery Elena could see the shirt had been dyed a virulent purple. After the shirt the baggy black chefs pants tucked into worn combat boots barely registered a flicker. Elena walked over a smile on her face. After all she had seen weirder outfits.

“Hi,” Elena said. “Are you Ms. McCracken?” The woman smiled.

“Ms. I like that,” she let out a staccato burst of laughter. “I am Consuelo.” Consulo held out her hand and Elena shook it. “Come inside, Ms. Calabrese.”

“Elena,” she said. Consuelo nodded.

“Elena then.” Consuelo turned and walked back into the restaurant. Elena followed in her wake. As she walked into the building she took a deep breath and frowned. “Is there a problem?” Consuelo asked.

“No problem,” Elena assured her. “I just didn’t expect it to smell like new wood and fresh paint.” Consuelo nodded.

“That is because I have not yet started to cook.”

“So this is your restaurant?” Elena asked. Consuelo shook her head.

“Not entirely. I am a partner. I cook I don’t do other things. Other people do other things but don’t cook. So we make a deal.” She smiled and started to laugh. It was silent laughter that shook her entire massive frame. Elena thought it looked like watching video of an earthquake with the sound off. “Could you see me talking to the bank and prospective investors or whoever?” she asked when the quake died down to tremors.

“We all have our strong suits,” Elena said with a smile, not sure f agreeing with the woman could be taken as an insult or camaraderie. “I’m a pilot,” she said. “I don’t do too well taking orders.” She thought about it a second. “Well from anyone but a captain.”

“And now you are your own captain so no more orders.”

“That is a bonus.” Consuelo led Elena over to one of the tables in the center of the room. Papers were already spread thickly over it’s surface. She indicated a chair and Elena sat, placing her thin file on top of some of the pages.

“So you are the one selling off world foods on world?” Consuelo began.

“I am,” Elena said matter of factly. “We are officially opening this Saturday.”

“It is good to know I can still get good foods then.”

“Well they may look a little different. We had to repackage them.” Consuelo raised an eyebrow in question.

“So these are not being sold to just the guild but the outside world. My my. The Baranov did not tell me this part. No wonder you have captured his interest.”

“The Baranov?” Elena said.

“Is there more than one that matters? So this is a large venture. I have made cards as he asked. Showing recipes I do not mind sharing.” She sifted through her papers and came up with several recipe cards she handed over to Elena. Elena flipped through them and felt her mouth water at the descriptions.

“We’ll have to change the name on the ingredients to match what we renamed them in the store.” Elena said half to herself. She caught the grin on Consuelo’s face and realized the woman thought of this as a big in joke. ‘In a way she is right,’ Elena thought as she began to discuss the cards as side items next to the items for sale. It would provide the customers ideas on how to use the items in case they were stumped. When they were through Consuelo leaned back in her chair and looked Elena over as if just seeing her for the first time.

“I think I am going to like you,” she pronounced. “I was not sure at first.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, from The Baranov’s description I did not think this would be so, but then I talked to Bennie V and he says you are all right. I think Bennie has the right of it though.”

“Bennie V?” Elena asked.

“Benjamin Valentine,” Consuelo clarified with a smirk. Apparently the name tickled her. Again Elena wondered about Benjamin’s past.

“I see,” She said. “Well I’m glad to know impressions of me vary so greatly.” She smiled and began gathering up the papers she had brought with her. “Oh there is one more thing I would like you to look at if you have an interest,” Elena said. She pulled out a card. “This is the wine shop down the street from me. They are going to be a tasting the evening after my opening as kind of a tag team effort. We came up with the ideas of using some of the items from my store as appetizers during his event. I could just go with the basics if you aren’t interested.” Consuelo took the card.

“I could be interested,” She said.

“Good,” Elena said with a smile. “I’ll provide the ingredients and Doug will pay for the rest.” Elena handed Consuelo one of her cards. “Just call and get the details from him then call and I’ll send over what you need.” Consuelo laughed.

“Oh yes,” she said. “Bennie V. had the right of it.”

Storm Chaser: Chapter 14

Chapter 14

‘Breathing is the easy part,’ Elena thought to herself as the new staff of Nibbles filed in. There weren’t that many of them and she had interviewed each. She smiled at them and realized that her employee count had just doubled. Sitting shyly a little off to the side was Duncan. He was TJ’s cousin’s child and was still in high school. While Andre had designed the website and would supervise the posting of new items Duncan would put in some part time hours making sure the internet orders were filled and answering whatever questions came across the comments line in a timely manner. Duncan had helped out in the stock room a time or two and Elena smiled at him. Andre was also working on a similar site for the imports store. Elena took a deep breath. ‘Just remember to use the new names and we will be fine,’ she told herself.

“Welcome,” she said and the small talk died down and people took their seats. Elena felt like a teacher. It was an odd feeling and in his chair off to the side she saw Andre’s lips quirk up in a half smile. His shoes she noticed were still tucked away under the table, his feet still clad only in socks. “Before we get started with the general orientation and layout of the store we figured it would be a good idea to let you taste some of the products you will be working with,” She indicated first Roger and then the food. “Why don’t we start with the drinks?” Roger moved to the side and mixed the first of the mixers with the fizzy water. Elena smiled, realizing he had chosen the daask first.

“We are starting with something called Starlight,” she began. While both today and for the in house testing it is being mixed with Pellegrino it can also be added to more alcoholic contents. A drop or two of Starlight actually works very well in champagne.” The small knot of tension that had tied up her innards began to relax as the group tasted the daask with no noticeable qualms.

“Seems like it would go better with dry champagne rather than sweet,” commented Faith, a petite woman with a twist of blonde hair tied back from her face.

“I agree,” Elena said with a smile. “It is slightly sweet in itself. That is a good thing to remember.” They moved through the drinks and into the food, comments and questions flowing more freely as everyone became more accustomed to the atmosphere.

“Yes the allergy warnings are placed on the bottom of the jar,” Elena said picking up an unopened jar of Garan, officially named Decadence Spread. “As you can see this one contains nuts. The allergy warnings will also be clearly written on the signs by every food we offer during tastings.”

“It is kind of like vegetarian pate,” George commented nibbling a small roundel of bread liberally smeared with the stuff. Elena nodded.

“Good point. It is labeled as no animal products or by-products on the label as well. I like the vegetarian pate line though.” The tasting went smoothly and when it was concluded, with the lids put back on jars and the used plates and cups tied up in a trash bag, the tour went downstairs. Elena turned this part over to Roger and merely followed along at the back. Occasionally a comment was needed by her but for the most part she just coasted. Roger had this part well in hand. He covered the store layout, ran them through daily operations and concluded with the posted schedule in the break room. Elena was impressed with the ease he displayed as she remembered opening the imports store. It had been her, Max and TJ at the start. Her introduction to the store had been anything but smooth. She smiled a little. ‘Thank god they took pity on me,’ she thought.

She was only five months out of the guild and all her knowledge of retail came from either the supplier’s side or out of books with titles like ‘So you want to own your own business’. The books of course made the idea of opening one’s own business sound like a monumentally insane idea. She had been nearly scared out of her wits at the possibility of failure. Elena knew she couldn’t go back to the guild and a shadow life lurking around the edges was not a fate she wanted to contemplate. Calabrese Imports was the only thing she could think of that combined her past into something she could use in the future.

Elena thought about the other grounded pilots. Like her they had grown up in the guild and had little connection to the world outside it. Taking orders from a captain was one thing. Working a regular job was quite another. Most of the grounded pilots had a really hard time making the transition and came back to live on the edges of their families, doing what ever work they could. For most of them it was not a good life. ‘Even if they don’t have to deal with the likes of Therese,’ Elena thought wryly.

The Calling most often affected the best of the guild’s pilots. The record holders, the stars of their world. It was a long way to fall and there were always those who enjoyed adding bumps to the trip down. ‘If we can use The Calling,’ she thought. ‘That could change.’ The orientation wound to a close and everyone left. As they went their separate ways, Elena could see the excitement on a few of the faces. The point that they were to be a part of something new had been made. ‘It will dull as the work load becomes routine,’ she thought. ‘But it is a good way to start. Too bad they don’t know how big a part of something new they are really involved in.’

“Thanks Roger,” she said. “That was great. I’ve never been good at the orientation end of things. I always manage to leave things out.” As Roger went around turning off lights and closing things down Elena slipped back through the door connecting the back rooms of Nibbles with the imports store. She caught Max in the process of unpacking a new shipment. Small wooden sculptures gleamed as he unearthed them from the packing.

“Trey Jung,” she commented recognizing the artists work. Max looked up.

“Yup new shipment,” he straightened up. “So how did the orientation go?”

“Since I didn’t run it, the orientation went very well.” Max grinned at her.

“Well that is probably for the best.”

“Uh huh,” she commented. “There are left over samples in the upstairs conference room if anyone is interested. I was on my way to let Susan know. After all it would be a shame to let them waste away in Andre’s fridge when we can just bring them down to the break room.”

“Since all he ever eats is take out the change of diet might be helpful.”

“True,” Elena said. “But there is enough to share.” Elena left him to his unpacking and relayed the same message to Susan who would no doubt relay it to the rest of the staff and ensure everyone got to taste. ‘And I don’t have to worry about left over cheese and bread to take home.’ Elena thought of her empty fridge, the left over pizza from the night before having been consumed for breakfast. ‘Perhaps I need to get actual groceries today.’ Elena glanced at her watch and realized thoughts of normal errands would have to take a back seat if she were to make her meeting with the famed crazy chef Consuelo McCracken. Something told her being late would not be the brightest of ideas. Elena returned to the conference room and grabbed her coat from the rack. Through the open door she could see Andre sketching at his desk. He looked up as she stacked the left over samples and such into the box that Roger used to bring them up.

“You survive?” Andre called.

“Yeah,” she replied. “No mix-ups on my part. I’m going to drop these off in the break room should you want any of them.” Andre nodded.

“Do you have lunch plans?” he asked.

“Of a sort.” She replied. “I’m meeting Consuelo McCracken so it’s a bit of a drive. I’ll probably grab something on the way.”

“Good luck,” he said. Elena zipped her coat and Andre went back to his drawing. On her way out Elena dropped the box in the break room and left TJ to unpack. If she left now she would actually be a few minutes early. For the millionth time she wondered why the chef had chosen a meeting place two hours away. “Perhaps she just likes to be near the docks,” Elena muttered as she cut across the store. She was almost to the door when she heard her name. ‘Should have known better,’ Elena thought. She turned with a pleasant smile on her face. Gracie Edwards smiled back.

“We’ve been hearing all sorts of buzz about Nibbles,” she began. Elena belatedly remembered the earlier warning from the staff. Behind Mrs. Edwards she could see Max shaking his head as he arranged the newly arrived statues.

“That was the plan,” Elena said. “I do hope we’ll see you at the grand opening this Saturday,” Elena said. “You did get your invitation? We made sure to send them out to all of our best customers.” Elena smiled.

“Why yes of course,” she said. “And I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Elena sensed a but coming and decided she didn’t really have the time to negotiate a denial of a sneak peek.

“I am so glad. And hopefully we will be able to chat then. I’m dying to know what your mother-in-law thought about the armoire. Unfortunately I am running late for a meeting at the moment so I have to dash.”

“Of course,” the woman said. “I don’t mean to keep you.”

“Great. See you Saturday.” Elena waved her off and strode out the door. ‘Not too bad,’ she told herself as she walked briskly down the street. ‘A bit brusque perhaps.’ Elena felt she would probably be making up for that by listening to what would no doubt be a saga of Gracie Edwards continuing attempts to please the mother-in-law of doom. Elena reached her building and walked behind it to the garage to retrieve her car. Her neighbor Kiera was just pulling in and Elena waved.

“You are back,” Kiera said by way of greeting.

“I am,” Elena responded with a smile. “Will you be around tonight?”

“Yup anytime after about six.” Elena nodded and calculated time in her head.

“I have a meeting that might run late is seven or eight too late to stop by?”

“Nope,” Kiera said. “I’ll be in all night.” Kiera frowned. “Um there were some people looking for you while you were gone.” She paused and dropped her voice to a stage whisper. “Military people.” Elena sighed.

“They had business with some of my family and were hoping I could help since I’m local,” Elena said trying very quickly to come up with an explanation for Smith. “I hope they didn’t bother you.”

“Bother,” Kiera said. “No not really.” She looked relieved by the explanation. She shivered and Elena realized she wasn’t wearing a coat.

“You might want to get inside before you freeze. I’ll catch up later.”

“Of course,” Kiera said. With a smile and a wave she dashed across the distance separating the garage from the back door of the apartment building. Elena got into her car and started the engine. A frown creased her face as she drove out of town. Kiera seemed spooked by the military. “More so than would be typical,” Elena commented to herself. “I wonder if it is because Smith did something or if she has something to hide.” Either way she was going to have to come up with a better story for the military’s continued interest in her before she picked up her mail.

Storm Chaser: Chapter 13

Chapter 13



Elena smiled as she turned on a few of the lights and began meandering through the displays. Roger and Andre had done good work. She remembered the empty shell the building had been and marveled at the transformation. It wasn’t the same thrill of excitement she got outrunning raiders but it was still a zing to look at everything. And soon she would be sharing it. She traced her fingers along the edge of a Qurla fadesol that had been used for decoration behind the daask.

“No,” she reminded herself. “Not daask, Starlight.” She held up the small bottle and watched the silvery liquid swirl with small prismatic rainbows flashing color every few turns. Her grandfather liked to add a drop or two to champagne for festive occasions. Today and for the opening they would mix it with Pellegrino.

“You know if you talk to yourself in the dark people are going to start calling you crazy.” Elena turned to find Andre standing at the foot of the stairs. He wore faded blue jeans with frayed cuffs and a gray t-shirt. He was barefoot and holding a mug of coffee. He looked as though he had just woken up. Again Elena wondered if the Thursday movie outing was a date.

“I’m not in the dark,” she told him. “I turned on some lights,” she indicated the two small bulbs above her head. He rolled his eyes.

“My mistake. I was misled by the twenty other light bulbs that were still dark,” Andre commented, gesturing with his coffee mug. Elena laughed. “I noticed you didn’t deny the talking to yourself claim though.”

“That would be pointless,” Elena said. “Besides everyone knows I talk to myself. All the great people do. I heard Leonardo Davinci routinely chatted to himself.”

“Uh huh,” Andre said “So did Genghis Kahn.” Elena frowned.

“He did not,” she said, walking over to where Andre stood. “And how are your feet not blocks of ice after standing on the concrete?”

“They are,” Andre said with a shrug. “Want to come up stairs for coffee while I put some socks on?” Andre waved the cup under Elena’s nose. “It’s freshly brewed. Besides Roger will come up when he gets here.” She followed him up the stairs. Since Nibbles was not officially open yet Roger didn’t have to be at the store for opening. “And Genghis did talk to himself.” Andre said over his shoulder.

“He did not,” Elena said. They entered the conference room and Elena poured herself a cup of coffee from the nearly full pot on the sideboard. Andre set his coffee mug down on the table and walked past her to retrieve his socks and shoes. “You are just making that up.” She sipped her coffee and Andre reappeared, socks in one hand, shoes in the other.

“Its true, everyone knows it. Just before battle he would spend hours talking to himself.”

“Preparing for battle?” Elena asked her amusement showing as Andre sat down and pulled his socks on. He wiggled his toes in appreciation but left his shoes off. He reached for his coffee mug.

“You think so but no,” Andre commented. “He would just talk about anything really; his travel plans and retirement options after his son took his place as the next great Kahn, his summer trips as a boy, the price of yak’s milk and how it had increased exponentially under the free market system.” Elena laughed and shook her head as she set her coffee mug and grocery bags on the table and began to remove her heavy coat.

“And exactly how to you know this?” She asked as she hung her coat on one of the wall hooks.

“Common knowledge,” Andre said with a wave of his coffee mug and a mock serious face. “Its like knowing the sky is blue and that rain is wet.” Steps sounded on the stairs and they both turned at the sound. Roger entered the conference room.
“Morning, Am I interrupting anything?” he asked looking between them.

“Nope,” Elena said. “Just discussing the price of yak’s milk.” She told him.

“And the way it has gone up exponentially due to the free market system.” Andre added.

“I see,” Roger said hesitantly. He hung up his coat and poured himself a cup of coffee. Elena could see him struggling to find a comment.

“I brought the breads and things for the tasting,” she said. Roger looked a little relieved to be in a conversation he understood. Andre sipped his coffee, his eyes sparking with laughter as he watched Elena unpack the grocery bags she had brought.

“We are going to need to get some samples up here,” Elena said.

“Already done,” Roger said pointing to a box he had stashed in the corner. “I brought it up yesterday after you stooped by.”

“Good work,” she told him. They began arranging things on the table and Elena soon realized she was in the way. She stepped back and let Roger take over. When he finished he steeped back and surveyed his handiwork. Elena had to admit that the table was laid out beautifully. She would be able to talk about each item while everyone sampled. Drinks were located on one end, their bright glass bottles glinting under the lights while small plates were lined up on the other. After samples were consumed and questions asked, Roger would lead the tour downstairs and cover the basic orientation and operations.

“It’s almost time for everyone to get here,” Roger said glancing at his watch. “I think I’ll go down to let them in and send them up here, if you think we are set.” Elena nodded, swallowing hard past the lump in her throat. This was the sink or swim moment. Would everything they had done make these off world goods look right? Roger went back downstairs.

“Just breathe,” Andre told her with a warm smile. “Everything will be fine.”

Storm Chaser: Chapter 12

Chapter 12

By the time the bulk of the paperwork had been sorted Elena was more than ready to crash. She glanced at the clock. It was still early by local time but when she figured the time difference between DFT and local time she realized she had put in a long day.

“Besides, it is late enough that I won’t wake up too early,” She said to herself. Spin had already curled up in her basket bed and didn’t stir at Elena’s comment. She pushed the paperwork back into a neat stack next to her laptop and clicked off the light. Her laundry had been completed but the clothing was still in the dryer. She opened the dryer door and extracted some still warm pajama pants and a t-shirt from the swirled mass of clothing. Deciding that wrinkles could be dealt with another time she closed the door and hauled the sleep wear to the bed room. Elena changed quickly kicking her worn clothing into a pile and pulling on the clean pajamas. The still warm cotton felt wonderful against the room’s chill and as she slipped between the sheets she thought of the old fashioned bed warmers she had seen at a house museum during a tour.

“Just an updated version really,” she said as she snuggled down. Her eyes drifted closed and she was asleep in minutes. The dreams came instantly.

She was alone on the Storm Chaser, sailing through the black. The scene was familiar from both life and the many dreams of the Calling. She heard the whispers and turned sensing an area of space where a new channel could form. It was like a worn spot on her favorite jeans. With a bit of pressure the worn spot could become a hole, or in this case a channel. She concentrated on the spot and the channel widened. Soon it was wide enough for the Storm Chaser to glide through.

Elena resisted taking her ship through, words of caution threading their way into her mind even though she was dreaming. She checked the new channel and mentally recorded its depth. The ship could pass. She ran through her list of safety precautions. Was the channel a two way or a one way? Once she had gone through it would she be able to return the same way or would she have to make a crossing to another channel in order to return? Was it a space to space or a space to planet channel? What were the coordinates on this end of the channel so they could be recorded and what was on the other side?

She let her mind drift through the channel trying to detect the details and record information. Snatches of images like a whirling kaleidoscope met her inner sight as she peered through the new channel. It was enough to let her know it was a planetary channel and she tried to sort through the images. They whirled together becoming a true dream instead of an aspect of the calling and she drifted into normal sleep for the remainder of the night.

The next morning Elena woke, pleased to notice the complete lack of headache but worried about the butterflies in her stomach. True the store wasn’t opening until Saturday but today the new staff would be trained. So far Roger had not thought any of the products were strange but there had not been an intense questioning period before. Today people would begin to ask about the goods. She could only guess at the random questions that would be tossed her way and hoped that everything would go all right.

‘After all,’ she thought as she ran through her morning routine and got ready for work ‘Which is more plausible, that I have high end goods that are new to the market or that I am brining in goods from other planets and repackaging them for sale on Earth?’ Elena pulled one of her heavy coats on and headed out the door, the grocery bags with supplies in one hand and her purse slung over the other arm.

The wind was brisk and took her breath away when she stepped out of the shelter of the building. She was instantly glad for the coat. Luckily when she turned to walk the wind was at her back instead of in her face so there was some chance of getting to the store without having her cheeks chapped. The walk was familiar and as cold as it was she reveled in the crisp fresh air. She smiled. In the five years she had lived and worked here the street had undergone a series of renovations.

While they were not the trendy touristy area, nor would they be confused with the exclusive condo developments to the east, the neighborhood had found its comfortable middle ground. It was primarily composed of apartment buildings and the old fashioned retail venues that once house apartments for owners above. Many of those upper floors now held apartments again. As she walked Elena took in the changes since she had been gone. On the corner the old neighborhood grocery was undergoing a renovation. While it didn’t look to be a return to the grocery of yore, she knew from the merchant’s association newsletter that a specialty meats and cheeses store would go into that space.

Elena made a mental note. It would be good to recommend other neighborhood stores when their goods complemented her own. Another business had also been mentioned as opening soon. The newsletter had called it a consulting firm and it was located in the same block as her two stores. She passed the newly renovated building and saw its door now bore a sign. Zolotoy Consultants. She shrugged as she passed. What they consulted on she couldn’t tell but maybe they would bring in the type of clients she could turn into customers. Elena came to the crosswalk and watched the morning traffic go by. When the light changed, she crossed the street, more than willing to get back inside. She reached for her keys as she approached the door and was a little non-plussed to see Susan already bustling around getting the store ready for opening. She shook her head and let herself in.

“Morning,” Elena called, letting Susan know she had arrived. It was an odd feeling not being the one to open the store but she didn’t want to interrupt Susan’s flow. “I’ll be next door if you need anything. The staff training is going to start around 9.”

“Great,” Susan said brightly. “I thought of a few more things for you after you left and sent them up to the conference room with Andre since I wasn’t sure if you would be in the office,” Susan indicated the little office at the back of the store. Elena tried not to wince at the thought of more paperwork and concentrated on the fact that it was good that Susan was so thorough and reliable.

“I’ll take a look,” she promised. She left Susan to finish opening up and went to the still night dark Nibbles.

okay November is over...

Hi everyone I know Novemebr was an off month but the reason is that every November I participate in National Novel writing month. It is an insane competition where writers from around the globe try to write 50,000 words in 30 days. And it has to be all new stuff so essentially I got side tracked. But that is at an end. There will be new chapters starting wednesday Dec 3rd. Thanks for putting up with me. In addition another item slowed me down a bit. Pilot is now out in print Yes folks you can go to www.brownstreetpress.com or order it from any bookstore. Although seriously if you go to Brownstreet then you can see the wicked cool cover the publisher came up with for me. Uber fab!

Anyway it turns out the business of writing sometimes lessens the time you can actually write especially when you already work more than 40 hours a week. But I am back. Starting wednesday.

And soon there will be a shameless self promotion icon off to the side of the page. Mostly cause I really like looking at the cover. Seriously I am having separation anxiety from my author copy and must bring it with me and then have to wipe all of the finger prints off of it, my precious... my precious...

ANYWAY... Thanks again to all of you who took the time to comment on Pilot. Your comments helped me a great deal and the publisher is alreadty asking for Storm Chaser to be sent his way Eeep. So there is more than one reason I will keep posting. Thanks val

Storm Chaser: Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Elena leaned her head against the door. All she wanted was to eat her pizza, do her laundry and get her mind ready to introduce outsiders to off world goods. She was still sleeping with her fingers crossed that Nibbles would go well.

‘Maybe I could ignore him,’ she thought. There was another series of knocks from the other side of the door. Elena could feel them vibrate the wooden door through her forehead.

“Ms. Calabrese I know you are at home,” Smith said. Elena straightened up and with a frown opened the door.

“I am home and I am not accepting visitors,” she told him, clipping the words. His frown deepened, turning his face into a mass of creased crags and crevices.

“We have been trying to reach you. If you had bothered to answer your phone this visit would be unnecessary.”

“If you had left a message with a phone number where you could be reached then I would have called you back.” She countered.

“I do not plan on discussing this in the hall where anyone can over hear.” His voice was scolding as if she were a petulant child. She lifted her left eyebrow.

“Well you certainly aren’t coming in,” Elena said. Smith’s frown deepened. Elena had visions of his face completely folding in on it self. A vein in his forehead stood out and she could swear it had begun to pulse. She hoped it didn’t explode.

“Then what do you propose, Ms. Calabrese?”

“I propose that you go home, call Peter Baranov and deal with him. My involvement ended once we returned from our trip.”

“There are issues.”

“Which Peter can deal with.” The timer for her pizza dinged. “Now if you will excuse me, my dinner is ready and I am hungry. Good night.” Although it was tempting to slam the door in his face, Elena closed it with no more force than normal. It was never a good idea to let someone like Smith know how much he had gotten under your skin. She did take a certain satisfaction in the gesture however. Elena went to the kitchen and using pot holders, transferred her pizza to a cooling rack.

“Do you believe the nerve? Showing up on my doorstep. Knowing I just got back into town?” She said aloud, hoping that her apartment was bugged. “He ought to be ashamed of himself.” Elena dug the pizza cutter out of the silverware drawer and began slicing her pizza. “I mean really? Talk about rude.” Elena transferred a couple of slices of pizza to her plate and a wicked thought crossed her mind. She smiled like the Cheshire cat. “After all Spin,” she said addressing the cat. “Everyone knows you catch more flies with honey. Rude just gets the door shut in your face. Now if they had started with something nice like maybe a thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to assist us and then moved to the by the way we have a couple more questions, that would be a different story.” Spin meowed in agreement while Elena ate her pizza.

She wondered if Smith was still at the door. She put the slice of pizza down. The thought of him lurking made her very uncomfortable. Elena stood up and as silently as she could walked over to the door. As she stretched to her tip toes to peer through the judas hole she held her breath. No one was on the door step. Elena let her breath out in a whoosh and returned to the kitchen, resumed her seat at the table and continued eating her pizza.

It was obvious the military was not interested in being transferred to Peter. And she doubted they would go away anytime soon.

‘Maybe they feel more comfortable bossing a woman around,’ she thought peeling a small piece of pepperoni off her slice and passing it down to the eagerly waiting Spin. Elena was going to have to do something about them though. She ran through her list of options. It was a depressingly short list. She could tell Peter. She didn’t think he would have Smith and Jonathan killed but after the way he reacted to their interrogation of her after Ian’s death she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell Peter about anything.

‘Besides, I don’t want him getting used to thinking of himself as my protector,’ she thought. ‘That line of thinking could have nasty repercussions.’ Staying skyside wasn’t really an option either if she was going to be on hand to assist her businesses. ‘Maybe they are still listening in on my every sound,’ she thought cleaning up from her dinner and putting the left over pizza in the fridge with some cellophane over it. The plate was the only thing besides condiments in the fridge.

Elena shrugged. The pizza would be good for breakfast too. She picked up her bag and walked it directly over to the washing machine. Most of the clothes in her bag were jeans, dark colors or clothing old enough not to run in the wash so she didn’t bother separating it and just moved the clothes from the bag to the washer. She stacked the non-clothing items on top of the dryer to put away later.

‘If Smith or Jonathan thinks to thank me for my efforts and or apologizes for their behavior then maybe I can use that connection,’ she thought. ‘It might not help me get rid of them but it might make putting up with them more fun.’ She closed the washer lid and clicked it on regular wash. As an after thought she picked up the empty, heavy canvas duffle and popped it into the washer as well. She gathered up the non-clothing and began putting things back in their place. With her toothbrush in its holder and her laundry chugging away, Elena pulled out her calendar to look at how her week was shaping up.

Monday had been effectively completed. Tomorrow she had the new employee training in the morning and a meeting with Consuelo McCracken after lunch. She thought of Benjamin’s talk of the mad chef and smiled.

“That should be interesting,” she said to herself. Wednesday Mateo arrived. Her cousin would be living close while they worked to save time and trouble. He had rented an apartment down the street. Not only would it provide them both a place to work that was more than likely not yet bugged but it would give Mateo some much needed personal space. She had no desire to develop a sock on the door system with her cousin. The apartment he rented wouldn’t be big enough for the full workspace Mateo would require but it was a start.

Friday would be the last minute things for Nibbles opening and the arrival of both Peter, her grandfather and god knew who else. Elena was aware people were paying attention to what was going on she just didn’t know if they would feel the need to personally investigate or watch from afar. Somewhere in there she had to deal with the business of the imports store. Elena eyed the stack of papers with a frown. Knowing it had to be done and wanting to do it were two totally different things.

And then there was the Thursday night movie thing with Andre. Was that a date? They had watched movies together before but it had always been a spur of the moment kind of thing. And what was she supposed to wear to a not-quite-maybe-possible date? Elena rolled her eyes and pulled the paperwork towards her. Somehow it looked more attractive than worrying about problems with no answers.

Storm Chaser: Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Elena detoured to the grocery store before heading home, leaving Spin curled up in the floorboard. She frowned at the sleeping cat.

“I’ll be quick,” she said, not liking to leave the cat in the car. Spin opened slitted eyes to peek at Elena and then closed them again seeming the picture of contentment. Realizing she had been dismissed, Elena grabbed her purse, and slid out of the car. She locked it behind her and walked quickly through the parking lot.

Mentally she ran through her list. It was a short one, bread and crackers for the tasting in the morning, seltzer for mixing drinks, plastic utensils for scooping and spreading, and something quick she could eat for dinner with no fuss. The small basket was quickly filled and Elena stood frowning at the freezer in the frozen foods aisle debating the merits of frozen pizza over microwavable Mexican food.

“Well imagine running into you here.” Elena turned towards the sound of the voice. Jonathan.

“Hello,” she said politely. Making a split second decision, she opened the glass door and grabbed the first pizza she saw.

“How have you been?”

“Fine,” she replied automatically. “I am sort of in a hurry though and can’t really stay to chat. I left the cat in the car and don’t really want to leave her too long in the cold.”

“Of course,” Jonathan said. Elena started walking towards the check out counter. Jonathan followed and Elena sighed inwardly. She took her place in line and Jonathan lined up behind her. She glanced into his basket. It held a tube of tooth paste, some disposable razors, a box of plastic wrap and a bag of frozen peas.

“Are you sure you are finished shopping?”

“Oh, um,” Jonathan looked down at his basket. “Yeah, I just needed a few things. You know just for tonight.” Elena smiled.

“Looks like it should be an interesting night at your place then.” Elena placed her items on the conveyer belt while he figured out how to respond. The tired teenager working the register slid her items over the electronic scanner. Elena pulled out her debit card, slid it through the machine and punched in her pass code. Idly she wondered if all those scanners caused brain tumors. Her items fit into two bags and she picked them up, along with her receipt.

“Have a nice night,” She called as she walked towards the doors. Jonathan quickly paid for his purchases and to her chagrin caught up with her just as she reached the door.

“So did you just get in?” he asked as they walked.
“Yes,” she said.

“You know we have been trying to reach you.”

“Oh?” Elena said. “I didn’t see any voicemail messages.” Jonathan blinked at her.

“Well we’re not exactly going to leave a message when anyone can hear it.”

“But I don’t have your phone number and I don’t answer calls from people I don’t recognize.” They reached Elena’s car and she was pleased to see Spin had taken no harm from her absence.

“Will you be in town for a while?” Elena thought about that for a second as she opened the car door and placed her packages on the passenger’s seat. She frowned. They would probably find her anyway.

“Yes, with the store opening I will need to be around for a while. It will be very busy around here.”

“Good we have some questions and issues,” Jonathan replied. She had the feeling he had chosen not to hear the part about her busy schedule. “We’ll have to set up a meeting as soon as possible.”

“Yes you will. Peter should be getting into town soon. I’m sure he will be happy to meet with you.” Elena smiled and got into her car. “Good night.” She shut the door and he backed away. Elena felt she had actually gotten the upper hand in the discussion. Spin stood and stretched as Elena backed out of her parking spot.

“Not that it will last long,” she told Spin. “They will find a way around Peter if they can.” The thought put her in a bit of a funk as she drove home. She parked her car in the garage behind her apartment building and took her groceries and cat upstairs, her duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

In the morning she would worry about getting her mail from her neighbor Kiera. Tonight she just wanted to go home, eat her pizza and do her laundry. At her front door Elena pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. Spin zipped inside like lightning as soon as the door was wide enough. Elena finished opening the door and saw Spin sitting beside her empty bowl and staring at Elena in an accusatory manner.

Elena shook her head and closed and locked the door behind her. She crossed the living room and put her grocery bags on the kitchen table and let her duffle fall to the floor. Spin meowed loudly, afraid that she had been forgotten.

“It isn’t like you are starving,” Elena told her as she got a can of cat food from the cabinet. Normally she would mix the small can with dry food but this time she didn’t bother.

“Everyone deserves a homecoming celebration.” Spin dug into the food as if she hadn’t eaten in years. Elena shook her head and took the cellophane off her frozen pizza. “You’ll get sick if you eat too fast,” she cautioned the cat as she slid the pizza into the oven. She clicked the dial to the appropriate temperature and set the timer. A knock sounded at the door. Elena thought about ignoring it but since her place was most likely still bugged the military would know she was cowering inside her apartment. She walked across the living room towards the front door.

“Please be Kiera,” she muttered as she leaned up and looked through the judas hole. Standing in front of her door with his arms crossed over his chest and a deep frown creasing his face was Smith.

“Damn.”

Storm Chaser: Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Elena had barely placed her foot on the bottom step of the staircase when her cell phone rang. Elena pulled it from the front of her purse and continued climbing the stairs. It was another unknown number so she clicked off the sound and slipped it back in her bag.

“Not going to answer?” Andre asked from the landing. “My stuff can wait if you need it too.” Elena shook her head and climbed the last few steps joining Andre on the landing.

“It is an unknown number,” she told him.

“And you don’t answer those?”

“Not since a lovely woman named Sharona decided to start using my cell number as her fake number at bars,” Elena said wryly. “I never actually met the woman but considering the caliber of men she didn’t want to give her actual number to I can believe she had some taste. And considering the quantity of calls I can also assume she is probably quite attractive.”

“Or the best of the lot at last call,” Andre said with a grin. Elena nodded as they walked into the conference room.

“True, But since all of Sharona’s admirers left messages when I didn’t answer,” Elena rolled her eyes. “Often long and very detailed messages and this unknown caller leaves none I’m leaning more towards Smith and Co. as my frequent callers.”

“Detailed messages huh? Sounds hot,” Andre said.

“After about the fifteenth unreturned message hot often turned into rant and hey baby turned into you bitch.” Andre laughed.

“So is Smith still giving you a hard time about being turned over the Peter?”

“I suppose if he actually caught me he would,” Elena said with a shrug. “So far I haven’t answered any calls from him and he hasn’t bothered to leave any messages.”

“Didn’t they say anything after you got back?” Andre began placing pressboard panels out on the conference table. Advertisements for Mothers Day, Easter, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July met Elena’s gaze.

“Not really,” she said. “Once we docked they took their cameras and notes and took off so fast you’d think they had just pulled off a bank heist. I think they thought Grandfather would confiscate them if they stuck around too long. These look great,” she said.

“Thanks, in advertising you have to plan pretty far in advance for ad placement. I showed you the schedule before you left so I won’t have to give you another piece of paper today but the spring holidays are coming up quick.”

“Everyone will be in town for the opening this weekend. Can we wait to show them these Monday morning? That way they can see what’s being done and have some input.”

“Monday should be fine.” Andre paused and a wicked grin crossed his face. “So were the cameras digital?”

“Why yes I believe they were,” Elena commented her grin matching Andre’s. “I do hope they had enough sense to turn them off during the passage through the channels. Otherwise their memory chips were most certainly fried.” Andre laughed and shook his head.

“I suppose no one reminded them?”

“Not to my knowledge. But in my own defense, when they ask,” she began.

“Which of course they will,” Andre said.

“Of course. They did watch me turn off all of the equipment in the pilot house before entering the channels from either direction and I did explain to them why I was doing that. So they should have known.”

“Do you actually think they will buy that?”

“Not really,” Elena sighed, the amusement leaving her. “I expect them to be really upset actually. And it may sound all damsel in distress of me but I am really glad Peter is supposed to be taking care of it and not me.”

“If it makes you feel any better if I was in this situation I would pull out the damsel in distress card as well, even if I had to do full drag queen gear to do it.” Elena smiled and Andre began gathering the press boards up, carefully stacking them in a pile on one of the side shelves. “That should keep them out of the way of the taste testing tomorrow.”

“Yeah, they should be safe there. Um can I ask you something?”

“If you want to know if I would wear heels with my damsel in distress disguise the answer is yes. If the dress and pleading looks didn’t do it, watching my try to walk in those things would definitely get me the sympathy vote.” Elena laughed.

“Now there is a mental picture. What I was going to ask is what that smell is. Kind of glue, paint smell. Is it from your ad stuff?” Andre took a deep breath, sniffing the air and blushed.

“Sorry I didn’t realize you could smell that out here.”

“Don’t be sorry it is your work area after all.”

“Well it isn’t really work related.”

“Oh?” Elena asked. “Are you repainting the apartment?”

“Not exactly,” he began. “It’s sort of a personal hobby.”

“A personal hobby?”

“Yeah.” Andre ran a hand through his hair and looked slightly embarrassed.

“Look, it isn’t really any of my business,” Elena said, giving him a way out.

“Oh no. It okay. I just…Well maybe I ought to show you.” Andre led the way out of the conference room and through his workspace. He unlocked the door to his apartment and Elena followed with some trepidation.

“Its nothing bad,” he assured her. The closer to his apartment they got the smell intensified. “I just didn’t have time to let the place vent.” He opened the door and Elena let out a yelp as a disembodied head stared back at her.

“Oh no, see it’s a mask. I make monster masks.” His cheeks flamed read and Elena realized it was not a floating head but a half finished werewolf mask on a stand. The face still looked mostly human as Andre appeared to have only worked on half of the fur.

“Werewolf?” She asked. He seemed pleased that she could identify it.

“There wolf. Yeah I start with a human face and then adapt it. The smell is the rubber from the mold and the epoxy.”

“I see.” Elena stepped forward. The stand was made of clear plastic so the mask still appeared to float and somehow she found it eerily fascinating. “That is kind cool,” She said, circling the mask. She flashed him a grin. “In a totally dorky kind of way.” He smiled back.

“This from the queen of cool?” He seemed relieved by her reaction.

“I never said I wasn’t a dork,” she pointed out. “What do you do with them when you are done?”

“Depends,” he said. I usually keep one for Halloween and the others I end up selling on e-bay. There are a few I just can’t seem to part with though.” He indicated a row of stands placed on a shelf about eye height. Five completely realistic movie villains stared back at her. Elena walked over to them and looked at each of them in turn.

“These are really great. So detailed.” Andre grinned behind her.

“What can I say, I like scary movies.”

“I think everyone likes scary movies,” Elena said. “It’s a safe scare. But most people don’t go home and make copies of the monsters.” The zombie Elena was looking at seemed so real she half expected to smell rotting flesh.

“You know there is a really good one that came out last week,” Andre said.

“Really?” Elena asked. “Bouncing between here and the Docking Facility has totally left me out of the loop.”

“Yeah Death Angel,” Andre said. Elena blinked.

“I thought that wasn’t due out until April.”

“Nope. I was thinking of going on Thursday. You interested? It would give you a chance to clear out your brain before the last minute details of the opening.” Elena was glad she was still looking at the zombie since she wasn’t fast enough to hide the surprise.

“That might be fun,” she said turning around, wiping the surprise from her face.

“Cool. Since we live so close to each other it would be pointless to take separate cars. I can drive if you like.”

“Makes sense,” Elena said.

“Great I’ll check out the movie times and we can fix details.”

“Sounds good.” Spin appeared in the doorway and meowed loudly at Elena, turned and walked back out of the door. Another plaintive mewl sounded from Andre’s workspace. Elena smile. “I think Spin is getting hungry.”

“Understandable. See you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, have a good night working on your werewolf.”

“Bob.” Andre said.

“Bob?”

“Yeah, Bob the werewolf.”

“Of course,” Elena shook her head and laughed. She followed Spin out of the door and back downstairs, scooping the cat up at the door and walking to her car, unsure whether she had just agreed to a date or an outing with a friend. Either way, she felt a silly grin spread across her face as she walked to her car.

Storm Chaser: Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Lisa you know I can’t do that,” Elena said with a laugh. She shook her head at the good natured protest Lisa made. “I’m glad you want a sneak peek but if I let you into the store early then Tina will want to go in. Then Marcie and Greg and then all of my regular clients will want to know why they weren’t invited to the sneak peek and it will be a mess.”

“Fine,” Lisa responded. Elena could tell she was pouting but wouldn’t take the rebuff personally. She just wanted to see if it would work.

“So how was your trip? Meet any interesting guys?” Lisa asked. Elena thought about Benjamin Valentine.

“Interesting, yes. Datable, no.” She told her friend.

“Oh well it isn’t like you have a shortage of men at the moment anyway not with that super sexy designer and the oh so yummy business partner around.”

“I’m not sure I would actually describe Peter Baranov as yummy,” she said coming to a stop at the light.

“What would you call him?” Lisa teased. Mentally Elena ran through a list of terms. Dangerous. Devious. Determined. Demented.

“I would have to term him definitely not dateable.” She replied sticking with the ds. “And as a business partner it would be bad even if he was.”

“I noticed you didn’t protest the super sexy designer.”

“You mean the super sexy designer who is technically working for me and is the cousin of my business partner?” Elena countered.

“Aggh,” Lisa let out an exaggerated sound of exasperation. “Forget it. You are impossible.” Personally Elena was having a little bit of trouble forgetting about Andre. The fact that he was rapidly becoming a friend and working with her as more of a partner made it very difficult to remember all of the reasons she shouldn’t be looking at him. Even if she ditched propriety of mixing her business life with her personal life, there was still Peter. Elena made a face at the phone.

“I’m not impossible Lisa. Just kinda swamped. I appreciate the scenery but don’t really have time for a hike.”

“Honey we should all make time for a hike.”

“That wasn’t what I meant,” Elena said blushing. “I hike.” Elena turned on to Pine Street and mentally debated stopping by her apartment before going to check on the stores while Lisa dissected Elena’s last hiking partner. As Elena passed by the street her apartment building fronted she glanced over. While the street was not usually a deserted one most people didn’t spend large amounts of time lingering outside in the damp February chill. So seeing a couple of people merely standing across the street from her apartment tweaked her paranoia bone. Apparently it had just gone into hibernation while she was on the docking facility. Her garage was on the next street over. Normally she would have pulled in and then just gone through the back entrance.

“Hey, Lisa,” I’m going to have to let you go. I’m almost to the store. I’ll see you Saturday at the opening?”

“Of course,” She said. “We have to see why you’ve been so busy lately. Neither Tina nor I have seen you since the housewarming. And since you won’t let me in for a preview I’ll have to show up at the gala opening.” Lisa laughed letting Elena know there were no hard feelings.

“Great. Can’t wait to see what you think.” Elena made her good byes and pulled into a spot on a side street near her store. There was a spot closer but it didn’t seem right to park in front of her own building when someone who wanted to actually buy what she was selling might want the spot.

‘Besides,’ she thought ‘This way I get to see how things look as I approach.’ Spin curled up in Elena’s arms, snuggling into Elena’s warmth. Elena quickly walked down the street, the cold wind whipping her hair in her eyes. ‘Definitely have to talk to Gia this time earthside. And pick up a coat.’ She had a waterproof coat she used ship board but was wholly inappropriate for everyday use. Skyside the temperature was regulated making the extra garments merely a fashion affectation. Elena thought longingly of the warm heavily lined coats all hung neatly in her apartment closet.

Instead of running across the street, Elena forced herself to stop and take a look at what she had built. Calabrese Imports looked warm and inviting. ‘Especially on a day like today,’ she thought. The sky was a sheet of unbroken gray. The windows of the imports store glowed with a warm light. As she watched several people walking by turned towards the store as they passed, like flowers to the sun. Nibbles still had sheets of white paper covering the windows but the light from behind the paper made the sheets a bright white. By contrast the letters spelling Nibbles on the marquee were bright red while Calabrese Imports was spelled out in purposefully faded gold. The Imports store looked like a friendly place full of welcoming charm. Nibbles just looked like fun. Elena smiled and crossed the street.

The scent of hot coffee drifted to Elena as soon as she stepped through the door, adding another layer to the welcoming. Spin meowed and Elena let her down. The kitten began to tour the store in much the same way she prowled the Storm Chaser. ‘Apparently she looks after more than just the ship,’ Elena thought warmly. Max walked over and held out a cup off coffee, fixed just the way she liked it, a dash of sugar and dollop of cream. She wrapped her hands around it and inhaled deeply of the warmth. Max frowned and shook his head.

“What?” She asked.

“Your coat?” She grinned back at him. I forgot it. Max rolled his eyes. “It’s good to see you again, even if you are half frozen. Good trip?”

“Very good,” She answered taking a sip of the coffee. “Did I miss anything?” Elena glanced around the store. TJ was helping a customer and Susan, the manager was ringing up a few purchases at the register.

“Emily went into labor a few days ago. A healthy baby boy. Andrew by name. They are now safely back home.”

“Wonderful,” Elena said with a smile. She would have to remember to send flowers. “So everything went all right?”

“It did. Everything else I guess Susan can tell you. Although as much as we missed you around here it is probably a good thing you weren’t around.” He dropped his voice into a stage whisper. “And if I were you I would make myself scarce until Saturday.”

“Really, why?”

“Andre has apparently done his work too well.” Elena laughed at the statement.

“Really?”

“Everyone is talking about Nibbles. You wouldn’t believe the buzz. And of course everyone wants a sneak peek. Once they know you are back they will try and weasel you into it.”

“I’ve already had a few phone calls,” Elena said with a pleased smile. “At least we may have a good turn out for the opening.” TJ made his same and walked his client to the register where Susan rang her up. When the customer had left and only the staff remained Elena and Max walked over to the register. She was welcomed home enthusiastically and to her surprise both TJ and Susan echoed Max’s thoughts about staying away.

“Really Elena it has been crazy. Mrs. Elersbee actually tried sneaking in. She told us she was one of your most loyal customers and that you wouldn’t mind.” Elena shook her head.

“Perhaps we can arrange a special after hours thing for our more frequent customers shortly after the opening,” she mused. “I hope she wasn’t upset.”

“No she was all right. We just told her that only you could make that call and since you were out of town and incommunicado we didn’t feel right making that call.” Susan told her.

“It was all very diplomatic,” TJ assured her with a wicked grin. “It sort f helped that there were several other very loyal customers listening in at the time.”

“Well then this week I’ll try to stay out of sight in Nibbles so as not to cause trouble.” As the store was slow Susan and Elena went into the office where Susan covered the business end of operation rather than the gossip. Elena left with a stack of paperwork including Susan’s recommendations for reordering supplies. It was with a little bit of relief that she escaped to Nibbles next door, Spin following closely on her heels.

As she entered the store her eyes lit up at the sight. Spin went on her scouting mission while Elena took in the sight. The bare room had been transformed into a showplace. Rich colors gleamed under tasteful lighting. Displays practically made her want to drool over the merchandise. A sound to her right caused her to turn and she saw Roger, the manager she had hired for Nibbles on a step ladder adjusting a small light while Andre gave directions. When the light was focused on a small faceted bottle, Andre gave the word to stop and Roger locked the light in place. The spotlight caused the bottle to throw out a spray of rainbow sparkles on the dark wood beneath.

“Beautiful,” Elena said. Both men startled noticing her for the first time. Andre smiled sending a shiver in her belly. Elena tried to squash the feeling down.

“Picking up homework?” Andre asked indicating the stack of paper in her arms. Roger climbed down and folded up the step ladder.

“Something like that,” she told him with a grin. “I stopped by to see what was needed and apparently the world works just fine without me but they are more than willing to hold the paperwork for me.”

“That’s what you get for being the boss,” Andre replied.

“Do you have anything you need help with?” Elena asked Roger.

“I think we are doing pretty well,” he replied. His voice was a warm baritone and she knew he had once had operatic ambitions. “You will be here tomorrow for the training? Some of your notes were a little…” Roger trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence without implying criticism. Elena laughed.

“I believe, messy sporadic and at some points illegible would all qualify to finish that thought.”

“I would have gone with sparse,” Roger said smiling.

“I’ll be here tomorrow. And I was thinking. It would be a good idea to let the staff taste what they will be selling. That way they have a better grasp of what they are selling. It is one thing to know something tastes of citrus but quite another to have tasted it. I can pick up some bread and crackers as well as some seltzer for mixing some of the drinks this evening to bring in.”

“I can bring in one of the folding tables from the back,” Roger said looking around for a place to put it.

“Maybe we could just use the conference room upstairs. That way we won’t have to risk any of these fabulous displays. I can’t believe the work you did while I was gone.”

“Andre was a huge help,” Roger said. “An artist’s view to mix with my retail one.”

“Seems to have worked,” Elena said. She and Roger quickly went over the schedule for the rest of the week. While he didn’t have nearly the amount of paperwork Susan had handed her, he did have a list of invoices and itineraries to add to her stack.

“While you are checking up on things,” Andre said when she was finished. “I have a couple things to run past you. No paperwork though, I promise.”

“Then I would be happy to look it over.” Roger returned to his displays and Elena looked around for spin. The kitten, tired of meandering had curled up on a red and gold cushion and was watching Rodger through slitted eyes, unsure if he were friend or foe. Elena let her be and followed Andre up to the conference room and his work area.

Storm Chaser: Chapter 7

Whoever "borrowed" my flash drive without permission finally saw fit to return it. Soooo we are back on a normal MWF schedule. Very sorry for the delay. I'm blaming random flash drive thieves, um borrowers.

Chapter 7

The run to port was uneventful, for which Elena was glad. The nerves she had ignored about the opening of the store had returned to dance in her belly. Spaceside it seemed like a crazy dream. Earthside made reality hit home hard. As they approached port, Elena noticed the changes made to the area since she had first seen it.

At first sight it had been mostly abandoned as the commercial traffic decreased. Empty warehouses with bankrupted company logos fading in the sun stood as depressing sentinels with only a little recreational activity on the beach to the south. In early February the bathers were still a distant dream but it was obvious the area had gotten a bit of a face lift. The warehouses had been more secured and routine patrols looked out for extra activity. Currently several dockhands were gathering near her berth to unload the Storm Chaser.

“At least I know I’m on schedule,” she muttered to herself as her eyes continued to scan the area. It wasn’t just the facilities she used that had received the upgrade. Her grandfather’s ship, the Wind Dancer and Gregori’s Dream belonging to Peter Baranov, her partner in Nibbles, had set up areas for their use. She knew they were now routinely patrolled. Several others also looked like they were undergoing renovation and repair if the various work crews circling like ants around sugar cubes were any indication.

Benjamin’s prediction that her home port would soon be a place to watch seemed more valid. The non commercial areas also seemed to be getting some attention. One of the more noticeable changes was an old restaurant. On previous trips it had been boarded up, its paint cracked and faded. Now new glass sparkled in the sun, a fresh coat of paint made it look prosperous and a big sign was placed out front. From this distance all Elena could read were the three foot high letters that read, Opening Soon. What was opening she would have to ask later.

“Amazing,” she said to herself. “The guild has only had a presence here for a little over three months.” She shook her head and guided the Storm Chaser into port. As Freddie and Elliot jumped to work, tying the ship to dock with practiced efficiency, she wondered what the area would look like after a full year had passed. Their crew duties complete, Elliot and Freddie gathered their belongings. She waved them off when they looked to her for permission to disembark. With a nod of thanks they headed down the gangplank and off to a waiting vehicle.

“It was a pleasure sailing with you, Captain.” Benjamin said as he hefted his bag to his shoulder.

“And with you as well Mr. Valentine,” she replied, the corner of her mouth quirking up. “Do you have my landside contact in case you need a ride back?”

“I do,” he replied.

“Good,” she said. “Your help in the galley is well worth the price of passage.” He smiled and headed for the gang plank and a second waiting vehicle. The dock crew’s manager boarded and came over to her. She quickly explained what needed to be done and he and his crew went to work while Elena gathered her things. In very short order the cargo was moved into the warehouse and secured.

Felix, the crew manager signaled Elena and she untied the Storm Chaser. Together the crew on land and she on ship guided the Storm Chaser into a sheltered berth that could be enclosed, keeping the ship shielded from prying eyes. The ship was tied off again and Elena gathered her bag from the ship. She walked down to solid ground, the earth feeling slightly strange under her feet after so long in both artificial gravity and ship board. Spin followed a few paces behind Elena and she glanced down at the small gray kitten. Spin mewled plaintively and walked like a bowlegged drunk. She turned doleful eyes up at Elena who shook her head.

“You’ll get used to it faster if I don’t carry you.” She told the cat, silently hoping she was not walking with the same gait. Elena headed over towards a small bank of lockers set into the far wall. So far only one of them had a lock on it and setting her bag down on the ground in front, Elena quickly spun the combination and clicked it open.

That morning she had dressed in jeans and a t-shirt for the trip into port so a change of clothing would not be necessary. Elena loosened the neck of her duffel bag and pulled out a small waterproof case. In it were things such as the key to her suite and a few other Docking Facility items that didn’t need to go with her. Normally she would have taken them home and just put them in a drawer but with the possibility of military visitation she didn’t want to take any chances. From the locker she took her cell phone and a purse. She turned the cell phone on and was immediately rewarded with an electronic spasm of beeps and bells.

“Apparently, someone called,” Elena told spin. The kitten had finally managed to recover her equilibrium and was now grooming herself. Spin looked up at Elena’s words and then with cool distain returned to grooming herself as though the previous indignities had not occurred. Elena smiled and shook her head. A feline was a feline.

Elena flipped her phone open and scanned the missed calls. Most of them had unknown caller in capital letters in place of a telephone number. Elena grimaced. She didn’t really need three guesses to figure out who that was. Smith wasn’t taking Elena’s disappearance lightly. The calls seemed to average about five a day. Scattered in the unknowns were a few numbers she did know. Elena picked up the hands free device from the bottom of the locker. Those she would call on her drive home. Elena dug her keys out of the purse and then tucked the small bag inside her duffle. She tied it closed and swung it over her shoulder. After locking the locker again she looked back down at spin.

“Are you ready to go home?” She asked. Spin stopped her grooming and stood. She let out a loud meow Elena took as consent and the two walked out of the ships shelter. The door snicked shut behind them and the security guard gave her a quick once over before nodding and moving on. Elena glanced back at the door and tugged on the handle to make sure it was securely shut. It was and the red light on the pin pad next to the door warned her that her code would be needed before she could re-enter.

At the car, Elena unlocked the door and tossed her cell phone, hands free apparatus and keys on the driver’s seat. She then bent down to scoop up Spin. The cat was placed in the passenger’s seat, where she circled, kneaded the seat with her claws and then curled up for a nap. Elena connected all of the hands fee stuff, put the Bluetooth in her ear and picked the keys back up. She slid into the driver’s seat, closed the door and put on her seatbelt.

As her keys turned in the ignition, the car came to life. She patted the dashboard affectionately. It didn’t have the purr of the sleek council owned cars but she kept the ten year old Toyota in great condition and it returned the favor by behaving dependably. Secretly she always thought the higher end cars always acted up much the same way purebred dogs always had some kind of genetic health issue. Elena eased out of the parking lot and onto the empty road. Taking advantage of the straight road and no other traffic, she started to return her missed calls.

Soon...

Okay very sorry for the lack on new chapters. I had a short vacation before Gustav hit and then well, Gustav hit. And without power new chapters remained hand written in a notebook on my desk. I finally got power but part of my paying job involves assisting communities with redevelopment in their downtowns. Many of the ones I work with were also hit with Gustav and Ike. So I've been on the road a lot more. It is slowing down and a new chapter will post Thursday October 9th. I also plan on posting one on the 10th. I'm really sorry for the delay and thanks everyone for the e-mails commenting on the delay. The other delay has been the final edits of Pilot for print. Pilot will come out in November from Brown Street Press. (www.brownstreetpress.com). Stay tuned for details. v

Storm Chaser: Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay, work took over something fierce. But with luck things will settle down for a little bit. v

Chapter 6

“Are you sure this came from my galley?” Elena asked. Benjamin laughed.

“Are you going to ask that every meal?” he responded. Elena shook her head.

“I still think you smuggled food on in your bag,” Benjamin’s only reply was a wide grin. Elliot began clearing the table.

“I have to agree with the captain,” Elliot said. “I’ve never eaten like this ship board.”

“Where’d you learn to cook like that anyway?” Elena asked.

“I spent some time working with a crazy chef named Consuelo McCracken,” he admitted leaning back in his chair. “She was crazy but she sure could cook. Since I liked the food, I paid attention. I can only do the simpler things though.”

“Consuelo McCracken of Grazos?” Elena asked.

“That would be the one. Except she left Grazos last I heard.”

“True,” Elena said. About two months back. I’ve got a meeting with her this trip earthside.”

“Really,” Benjamin said. A thoughtful look darted across his face before being replaced by the easy grin. During the trip Elena had come to realize the grin was the mask he hid behind. She thought of it as his wizard face. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

“Is she really that crazy?”

“Not really, Just don’t interrupt her when she is cooking and you’ll be fine.”

“Good to know.” Elena stood and walked to the door of the galley. “And sorry to say soon the Storm Chaser will have to be without your cooking. We should hit the channel in an hour or so, then its just a short jaunt to port. Let me know if you want to give up the travel gig and become a full time cook.” Benjamin laughed, the sound following her out the door and into the pilot house.

Elena checked the course heading, and then looked out into the black of space. Inside her head she mentally flipped the switch that turned on the ability to see the channels. She smiled as the outline of the channel mouth. It always amazed her that so few people could see it. Even the men on board would see nothing different about the section of space. Elena adjusted the ship’s course. To her the channel was a ribbon of early dawn colored sky between two pillars of black. She knew the depth like she knew her own name.

As the ship approached the channel, Elena began turning instruments off. Any electronic equipment that was on during the trip through the channel could potentially fry it’s circuits. When she was through only one red light blinked at her. That one showed that the tracery built into the ships hull to keep the bubble of oxygen surrounding the ship was still active.

“Channel entry in five,” She called. As was protocol Freddie and Elliot moved away from the railings and towards the center. Benjamin was still in the galley. The move was one of the safety precautions always taken. There was always a slight bump when entering the channels and those near the railing might get knocked overboard. In addition, should the oxygen fail, a back up system was located inside the main cabin and pilot house.

The Storm Chaser eased into the channel. The sky bled to white then became ribboned with every color in the spectrum, twisting and turning like flags in a high wind. There was a slight bump as the bulk of the ship entered the channel, then the Storm Chaser picked up speed, racing down the slalom of the channel. The prow dipped as it approached the channel mouth then bounced up for final entry. With a splash the Storm Chaser landed in the ocean. Elena flipped the oxygen shield off as water sloshed across the deck. Above them the sky was a deep azure blue and with the exception of the wake of their landing the sea was calm. Elena smiled and shifted her sight back to normal. She adjusted the course for her home port.

“All clear,” she called. Normal activity resumed. Elena stepped from the pilot house and walked over to the railing. The sun was warm on her skin and the salty breeze felt good on her skin. After breathing in what she liked to think of as the canned air of the ships and Docking Facility for so long the fresh air felt divine. Movement to starboard caught her eye and she looked.

“Dolphins,” she said with a smile. For some reason the channel riders always attracted them. She glanced behind her and saw several playing in the ship’s wake.

"Good luck follows where dolphin's dance," She said quietly repeating the old sailor's adage. Given that Nibbles, the store selling off word goods repackaged into earth friendly forms would be opening this week, she was willing to take all the good omens she could find. Elena looked across the desk and saw both Freddie and Elliot enjoying the feel of the sun and wind. Benjamin left the galley and found a place on deck, out of the way to sun himself. Spin followed him and settled herself in a patch of sunlight nearby.

“With skin that unaccustomed to sunlight you better watch out for sunburn,” Elena called. Benjamin flashed a grin her way.

“I put on sun block in the galley.” Elena nodded and went back to her tasks. Skyside inertia kept the ship on course. Earthside was much more demanding.