Incident 9 All You Need is a Bedsheet #3
“Do it,” Jarek encouraged. “I think that’s the best route, to have a professional step in. None of us have the right skills to retrieve things without setting off more trouble.”
That, at least, was the truth. Ross wasn’t sure how to feel about calling in a thief, though. That was a very large, morally ambiguous ground to walk across. Was it still stealing if you were stealing it back?
Glenn called and put it on speaker. Everyone gathered in a circle around his hand to hear better.
It rang twice before a smooth voice with a Russian accent greeted happily, “Glenn, comrade, it’s been long time. How are you?”
“I’m quite well, in fact. We created a new territory in Salem since I saw you last.”
The man let out a bark of laughter. “ Then we’re neighbors!”
“Are we really? How are you, Eidolon?”
“I’m grand, my friend. Did you call to catch up?”
“Well, no, but I would like to. I have a small job I could use your help on.”
“This does not sound like challenge.”
“No, it’s probably a walk in the park for you. There’s a new museum opening up and they have a few things that belong to some of us. Problematic things. We’d like them fetched back out before the museum opens.”
“Hmm, this small museum?”
“A two-story with basic security equipment.”
“Bah, no challenge at all.”
Glenn grinned as if he knew precisely how to handle this. “I have two bottles of excellent Beluga Vodka waiting for you.”
Eidolon’s voice automatically perked up, like a hound catching scent of something tasty. “Now you speak my language. Fine, I’ll come up tonight. Oooh, actually, this might be perfect. It will give my solnishko practice.”
“Your…what?”
“My family has young hacker-in-training. She can cut her teeth on this. Da, da, this is good. I bring bedsheet. Text me address, I’ll be there by nightfall.”
“Thanks, Eidolon. See you soon.” Glenn hung up and stared at the phone thoughtfully. “Family, eh? He didn’t have that the last time I spoke with him. Sounds like things have improved for him quite a bit. Well, everyone, Eidolon is coming.”
The sound you hear right now was not thunder. It was the sound of Ross slapping himself upside the head.
Dunham asked in concern, “What be the problem, lad?”
“You just keep your XY chromosomes quiet. This situation is ridiculous and I can’t believe I’m going along with it.
” Ross sucked in a deep breath, taking a precious two seconds to think, as apparently the absurdity was just going to keep rolling today.
If he kept his feet, he might be able to stay on top of it all and not get sucked under like roadkill.
Why yes, that was wishful thinking on his part. Do not burst his bubble. Ross liked being in his bubble. It was pretty there.
He released the breath slowly and started tapping out a list on his fingers.
“Alright, I’ll need a list of everything that needs to be stolen.
You two, I want your phone numbers and names.
You’ll text me a list of what you want pulled out.
You also have a better idea of what items belong to Glenn, so text that to me as well.
We’ll hand the thief a complete list once he’s here so we’ll be sure nothing is missing. ”
Emo Vampire got right in his face with a sneer. “And who are you, human, to give us orders?”
Ross squared off with him, switching into complete Customer Service Mode. “Sir, are you suggesting that you don’t want to get your belongings back?”
Emo Vampire faltered for a second. “Of course not, I’m asking—”
“Don’t you agree that something could be easily overlooked if the thief doesn’t know precisely what you want stolen?”
“Well, yes, of course, but that’s—”
“And wouldn’t you agree that giving him a list of Glenn’s belongings inside would be a wonderful way of apologizing for the mess you nearly created this morning? I’m sure your clan leader would appreciate an apology from you, as you put him in a very embarrassing and tight spot.”
Jarek grunted an acknowledgement. “Yes, I think you do owe us all an apology. Your thoughtless actions really would have brought a great deal of trouble down on our heads, and danger as well. You were not wise, Séverin.”
Séverin, the emo vampire, immediately ducked his head, abashed.
Ross pulled out his phone and unlocked it, handing it over to the vampire. “Put in your name and number. You too, sir. We shouldn’t linger here any longer. It’s freezing, and we’re acting suspicious as it is. We can coordinate all of this by phone.”
Séverin meekly took the phone and started typing into it.
That’s right. Such a good, obedient little vampire.
Pretty Vampire didn’t look any happier, but he also meekly tapped in his phone number.
Ross took it and texted both of them back.
“Thank you, gentleman. Do try to get me a list within the next hour. I know you’ll need to sleep at some point today, and I’m sure you’ll want to be on hand tonight to verify your belongings when Eidolon has retrieved them. ”
They both mumbled something like agreement and slunk off to a waiting vehicle.
Jarek pointed to Ross and asked Glenn seriously, “Where do I get one of those?”
Glenn chuckled, both amused and proud. “Pure luck, I’m afraid. I’ll be in touch, Jarek. Everyone, back to the clan. Come, a stór.”
Ross followed, pleased with himself, and everyone piled into various cars. Glenn chose to drive back so Ross slung himself into the passenger seat, barely buckling in before taking notes on his phone. “I’ll need you to text Eidolon about who I am, that way I can coordinate with him as he comes in.”
“I can do that,” Glenn protested.
“Unless this man is very touchy about strange people talking to him, I wouldn’t suggest it. You’re bleary around the edges as it is. You need sleep if you want to be sharp tonight. I can stay up and handle things while you snooze.”
“But that hardly seems fair. You also need to be sharp tonight.”
Ross eyed him sideways as they left the parking lot.
Such a disobedient boyfriend. “Let me put this a different way. When we get back, I’m going to give you a lovely blowjob, fuck you nicely, then put you to bed for a few hours.
I’ll wake you with another blowjob around dinner time, and you can take over then. ”
Glenn’s attitude did an abrupt 180. “Let’s go promptly to bed, a stór.”
Better.
Ross texted Eidolon with an introduction, and that he would be point of contact.
He got back a cheerful greeting, so apparently the thief was not touchy in any way.
Eidolon indicated that he’d be there by nightfall, so he was apparently somewhere nearby.
As the man prepped, Ross researched and found what information he could, which included forwarding the museum’s address, website, and so on.
He had Pretty Vampire tell him about the conversation with the museum worker, and forwarded that on to Eidolon in case any part of it was useful.
As the lists of things came in, he combined it all into one master doc, something he could email, although he had a printed version in case Eidolon preferred that.
To keep things on an even keel, he kept Jarek in the loop with the occasional text so the man wouldn’t feel left out, even though he was likely sleeping.
Not knowing what else to do to speed this matter along, Ross switched to the next task.
Namely, the things he’d already slated to get done today during daylight hours.
Finally, around five o’clock, he stopped and set it all aside.
He needed to eat dinner, as it was getting close to that time.
And he had a sleeping boyfriend to wake up as well.
Ross heated some chili, a quick and fast meal, then cleaned up, rinsing the bowl and stacking it in the dishwasher. It was just full enough to start the machine, which he did. Alright, wake Glenn next and—he flinched, head jerking back in surprise.
The man at the island, who was seated so calmly and reading through the list Ross had created, stared back at him. “Are you Ross?”
He knew the voice, the Russian accent. The brunette with the rangy build, wearing a black turtleneck and an innocent smile as if he’d not purposefully tried to give Ross heart failure? Must be their thief. “I am. You’re Eidolon.”
“Da, nice to meet you. You don’t scare easy. Anyone else I do this to, they jump a mile and swear.”
“I’m sadly unshockable. It’s part of the reason I was hired. You’re, uh, earlier than I anticipated.”
“Was in Boston when I got call,” Eidolon explained cheerfully. “Not much traffic, either. My hacker already at work taking security system offline.”
“Excellent news. Give me one moment.” Ross didn’t want to take his eyes off the man, so he texted Glenn. Get up. Eidolon is here.
“Glenn asleep still?”
“Yes, I put him to bed a few hours ago. Late day for him, as we had the nonsense this morning dragging him out of bed.”
“Long as I’ve known the man, he sleeps all day, stay up all night.” Eidolon shrugged. “I do same thing when I have jobs, though.”
As Ross understood it, Eidolon did not know about the clan being supernatural. Supposedly. If he was really that good of a thief, Ross had to question that some. It might not be a matter of what the man knew, but how much.
Ross’s phone pinged. Coming.
Oh good, the text had woken him. Ross would owe him a raincheck on the wakeup call.
“Eidolon, I have a full list of items that need to be retrieved.” Ross indicated the folder the man had been perusing before Ross spotted him. “I know I sent you a partial list earlier, but that’s the updated version. Would you prefer that paper copy, or should I email it to you?”
“Paper is good.” Eidolon flipped over the top sheet, perusing the rest. “You have blueprint for me?”
“Stroke of good fortune, that. Because the building was up for sale for so long, I found a defunct real estate listing that had the basic floorplan for the building. I wasn’t sure if you’d found it or not.”