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