Sevastyan
The new condo had a few features that had not been in the last one.
Sevastyan let Lisa show Rei the basics. There were three bedrooms instead of one, a laundry room, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a large living room.
One of the bedrooms had been significantly larger, but Sevastyan and Ellisandre had installed a false wall and hidden entrance.
Inside was food, water, extra cell phones, batteries, and weapons.
There were cameras throughout the condo, but the cameras in this hidden room were on a separate feed.
One could be hacked without there being any jumping point to the other.
And even though it had cost a significant amount of space and some money, the walls were padded and thick.
If bullets made it through, they’d be slowed down, at least from most handguns.
Only once Rei and Lisa had proved they could get themselves in and out quickly did Sevastyan let them return to the rest of the living space.
“We’ll keep at least three days of food and water in there at all times,” Sevastyan instructed.
“Next time someone tries to break in, that’s where I want you.
They can tear the rest of the place apart, but as long as they don’t find you, you’ll survive.
We’ll keep sensitive records and electronics in there when we’re not working with them.
The condo itself was painfully modern, done in whites and parchment.
The light-colored wood floors were adorned with the weakest shades of tan and cream rugs.
He’d picked the place for the building security, not for the austerity.
The windows were tinted, so it was hard to see inside from the sky or another building, and they were on the eighteenth floor this time.
He’d taken the place furnished, which included a white baby grand piano and white canvas couches.
There really was too much white. But this wasn’t home. The warehouse back in Korsakov was more home than anywhere, and even that wasn’t home.
Sevastyan sat down on the couch and signaled Rei and Lisa to kneel in front of him.
“It’s very likely that I’ll be called away again. I’ve agreed to allow Ellisandre to assign one of their security to stay in the condo when I’m gone, but they will not see either of you. You’ll stay in the back rooms behind the door in the hallway, and the security will stay in the front.”
This was the other reason he’d chosen this unit.
The layout made separating one section from another possible.
Not easy, but doable with a single door.
One bathroom, bedroom, and the kitchen would be accessible in the front, but Lisa and Rei would have the other bathroom and the second two bedrooms.
With a hotplate and a second fridge, they would be able to care for themselves for a few days.
Rei was still trying to smother yawns and only looked half awake, though he was giving it his best effort. Sevastyan reached out and tousled his hair. “Go back to bed, Rei.”
“My tasks, Master,” Rei reminded him.
“One hour. Just the basics. Then back to bed with you until at least two.”
Rei bowed his head and pulled himself to his feet.
Lisa reached out and helped him up. Technically, that meant Lisa had broken form without permission.
Sevastyan let it go. Lisa would always be allowed to help Rei unless specifically instructed otherwise during a scene.
That was his rule. The Merchari could go fuck themselves.
He gave Lisa instructions to start lunch and settled in to handle his own business, legitimate, illegitimate, and subversive.
At the top of his Merchari email was a missive from a new address.
He opened it. It was a formal invitation to the party in New York, the date set for mid-March.
Sevastyan glanced at his calendar. That gave him roughly four weeks to get ready.
He accepted the invitation, shot off a message to Alexi, and then texted Ellisandre the dates.