CD Chapter Thirty-nine (Patreon)

Carl Landon’s house had extra houses attached to each side. Ava supposed they were wings, and that meant this was actually a mansion, but all she could think of was how hard it must be to get from one end to the other in a hurry. What did you even do with all those rooms?

Amythyst was driving her today, though it was Ava with her hands on the wheel of the vehicle. Ava had technically learned to drive when she was in high school, but the only vehicle they’d had was her mother’s, so Ava had never actually driven herself anywhere without her mother in the car. But that morning, after Ava dressed in the suit jacket, blouse, and pencil skirt B.T. laid out on the bed for her, a rideshare picked her up at the house and took her to a used car lot, where a happy salesman handed her the fob for a shiny black Preslar.

“Carl will like it if you drive yourself. It shows competence and respect. You know he doesn’t want anyone to know where he lives, so you make sure to come alone,” Amythyst told her. “Don’t worry, I’ll control the car if anything happens, but nothing will.”

Indeed, the car pulled up to a polished silver gate at exactly two fifteen, and a man - an actual person, not just a camera and speaker! - crossed from a small building to check her ID. He even had her press her thumb to a screen to check her fingerprint, and then she was given a badge to pin to her lapel.

“You have fifteen minutes to report to Mr. Jones,” the guard said, watching closely as she latched the heavy pin. “The badge tracks your location, and if you attempt to remove it, you will provoke an armed response. Be aware you will be under surveillance at all times.”

Ava blinked, but nodded. This was like walking into a police state. Amythyst had said Carl Landon was paranoid, but was all this really necessary? As she drove on toward the house, she shook her head. She herself was, after all, there to abduct a resident, so apparently Carl was completely right to be suspicious. Just because you were paranoid didn’t mean they weren’t out to get you.

A slim man in a black uniform met her as she rounded the fountain in the center of the circle drive in front of the house. As soon as she turned off the car, he opened the door with white-gloved hands, bowing his head slightly, one hand out expectantly.

“Hand him your keys,” Amythyst murmured into Ava’s ear. “He’ll put your car in the garage.”

Ava dropped the fob into the man’s hand, and he nodded, standing aside so she could walk past him to the stairs. As she climbed the broad, white steps, she heard the electric motor purr to life and her car drove away.

Another man stood in front of the open door, waiting for her. He wore a perfectly tailored suit, not a uniform, and his dark brown eyes assessed her as he held out his hand. He looked exactly like the picture Amythyst had shown Ava, though in that one, his expression had been genuine. “Hello, Ms. Shaw. I’m Liam Jones, but you can just call me Liam.” A smile accompanied the words, but his eyes were reserved.

Ava placed her hand in his, amazed that hers wasn’t trembling. “I’m pleased to meet you, Liam,” she said cordially. “I’m Ava.”

Liam’s smile warmed a hair, and he pulled a small, round device from his pocket. “Excuse me,” he murmured, and tapped the device to her badge. “There. I’ve added two hours to your time, so we don’t need to worry about being interrupted when they come to escort you out.” He smiled again, but his voice held a hint of warning, and Ava was certain that when two hours was up, she would be leaving, one way or another.

As they turned to enter the house, Amythyst muttered, “Three, two, one-” and then she was gone. They had known they wouldn’t be able to communicate once Ava entered the house, but Ava stumbled slightly anyway. Fortunately, she was just stepping onto a long gray carpet runner, and Liam turned back to grasp her elbow, frowning down at the rug.

“I’ll have someone look at that,” he said, releasing her as she recovered. She smiled her thanks, and they continued deeper into the house. The entryway was huge, with arching ceilings and pedestals to each side. Elaborate bouquets of fresh flowers mingled with classic statuary, making Ava feel more like she was entering a museum or a high-class hotel than a home.

Neither of them spoke as they walked down a long hall, took a left, walked even further, and entered through a door on the right. The room beyond the door was an office with tastefully masculine decor, and Liam went to sit in the black leather office chair behind the mahogany desk. He tapped the surface of the desk, and it flickered to life. It was a screen, and Ava recognized her own false documentation displayed there.

Looking around, she saw that there were two chairs covered in creamy velvet accented with brass studs around the edges of the upholstery. Carefully, she sat in the one slightly closer to the desk, tucking her briefcase next to her legs and crossing her ankles. She folded her hands in her lap and waited for Liam to speak first.

He moved a few documents with his fingertip, then looked up. His eyes held approval, and Ava was glad Amythyst had cautioned her to wait until she was spoken to. Liam folded his hands on his desk, and the image shifted, becoming blurry, as images did when VaLPAC technology was in use. The Variable Light Phase Angle Controlled monitors were expensive out of the box, and Ava had never seen a custom one before. Only the person wearing the accompanying glasses or with synced ocular implants would be able to read it now.

“Ava, I see you attended Western…”

Liam Jones was a monster in a human-skin. He drilled her relentlessly for ninety solid minutes, and Ava had to admit ignorance more than once. Never once did his expression shift, giving even a hint of his feelings as Ava forced herself to answer question after question until her throat was dry. Even when her voice cracked, he didn’t offer her either refreshment or respite. Only Amythyst’s constant quizzing over the past six weeks in game allowed Ava to feel as if she wasn’t making a complete fool of herself.

The clock now constantly displayed at the top of Ava’s vision ticked over to four o’clock, and Liam suddenly fell silent, glancing down at the screen built into his desk. He nodded, once, and tapped the screen, causing it to return to its wooden façade, and pushed back his chair. Rounding the desk, he offered Ava his hand, smiling down at her with the first open warmth he’d shown.

“Congratulations, Ava,” he said, and Ava stood abruptly, kicking her briefcase so it tipped over as she reached for his hand. He gave her a brief, professional handshake, and then reached out with his other hand, once again tapping her badge with the device he kept in his pocket.

“My employer was impressed with your answers,” Liam went on, stepping back and nodding to a door off to their right. “He’d like to meet you himself, before he makes a final decision regarding your future employment here.”

Ava took a hesitant step toward the door, glancing back at Liam. “Should I…?” She motioned toward the door, and Liam actually chuckled.

“Go ahead. I’ll get you some tea, if you’d like? Or water?”

She very carefully didn’t look at the fallen briefcase. “Yes, thank you. Water, please.” She touched her throat and smiled apologetically. He nodded, though he didn’t look in any way guilty for having caused her hoarseness. As he turned to leave, she said, very precise, “Goodbye, Mr. Jones.”

He looked back, slightly puzzled, and she flushed, tucking a slightly sweaty strand of hair behind her ear. He almost smirked, no doubt amused by her awkwardness, and watched until she opened the door in front of her. As she stepped through, she heard the outer door close behind him, and felt her heart clench in her chest.

Stage one complete.

The man sitting behind the black glass desk looked more like Amy than she’d expected him to. It was there in the arch of his brows, the shape of his jaw, and the way his hair parted precisely in the center. That was where the resemblance ended. The photos she’d seen made him look younger, more approachable, but this man was all hard lines and demanding presence. His blue-gray eyes were cold and hard as they met hers, and she let her eyes widen.

Amythyst had said he liked to be recognized. He liked to think that his reach extended far enough that complete strangers knew who he was. “Carl,” Ava let her voice break, and cleared her throat. “I mean, Mr. Landon?”

A hint of a smile touched the corner of his lips, and he nodded. “That’s right. Now do you understand why you had to sign an NDA before you could even enter the house?”

Not really. Carl Landon was wealthy, no doubt, but not one of the wealthiest people in the world, and the only people who knew him were ones who paid attention to the company behind their games. Most people wouldn’t even recognize his name, much less his face. Even gamers wouldn’t be able to put two and two together just from seeing him.

Nonetheless, Ava nodded, eyes wide, trying to look dazzled. Amy Landon had been manipulating her father’s ego since she was a small child, and Amythyst taught Ava all the tricks.

“Mr. Landon,” Ava murmured, lowering her lashes demurely, “I’m just so…” She trailed off, letting him fill in the silence with whatever made him happy.

He waved his hand, leaning back in his chair with an air of satisfaction. “I understand. It’s overwhelming to meet someone famous for the first time. I assure you, I’m just like anyone else.”

Sure, if anyone would tell their daughter’s friends she was dead and then take her a thousand miles away from everyone she knew. Ava forced a tremulous smile to her lips. “Thank you, Mr. Landon. But… does this mean I might get to work for you?” She put every ounce of admiration she could muster into the last word, and practically saw his chest swell.

Carl stood, shrugging so his blazer settled more comfortably around his shoulders. He was the most informally dressed person Ava had seen since arriving, and his greatest concession to relaxation seemed to be that the top button of his white shirt was undone.

As he approached, Ava realized that he was a few inches taller than she was, and glanced down as she pretended to wring her hands. Amythyst had told her he was five foot ten, which was the same height as Ava, but he wore lifts in his shoes so he’d appear taller.

Carl’s voice was positively jovial now, and he patted her gently on the shoulder. “There, there, Ms. Shaw. I think we’ll get along quite well, and you clearly know what you’re doing, so you can relax. You have the job, so long as you agree to the legal terms.”

She looked up as he murmured something, and another door opened, revealing a man who was probably in his mid-sixties to early seventies. He held a large screen, and a thick stack of papers.

Behind Ava, the door to Liam’s office opened, and it was all she could do to turn slowly and keep her stance relaxed when she looked at him. Had he noticed anything when he passed through his office?

But no, Liam’s expression was calm as he easily balanced a tray that held three teacups, a small porcelain teapot, a matching creamer, and a bowl containing sugar cubes. It was all Ava could do to keep her face straight as she stared at the sparkling cubes, half convinced a fairy would appear, dive bombing the tray.

Liam crossed to an end table beside a dark, brocade sofa bracketed by two matching chairs. Setting down the tray, he glanced between his boss and the man with the papers. “Have you decided, then, sir?”

Carl nodded and sat in one of the chairs, tugging his pants so the crease remained perfectly straight. “You and Devorah were right. She’s perfect. Even knew who I was!” He chuckled, clearly pleased, and selected a cup from the tray. He dropped a single sugar cube into it, ignoring the jug of cream.

The older man sat in the other chair, though he didn’t take any tea, leaving the sofa for Ava. Gingerly, she sat, feeling trapped, and took a cup of tea. Carefully, she dropped in three sugar cubes and added a splash of cream. She preferred her tea without milk, but Amy Landon didn’t.

When she glanced up, she saw that Carl was watching her, expression somber. He forced a smile as he met her eyes, and said, “I know someone else who takes her tea just like that.”

Ava smiled innocently and sipped her tea. Carl turned back to Liam. “Liam, update security. Ms. Shaw will be starting as soon as possible.” He turned to look at Ava. “Won’t you?”

Holding her teacup in two hands as Amythyst had taught her, Ava nodded eagerly. “I’m looking forward to starting, sir. As you know, I just moved to the area, and I was waiting until I got a job to find an apartment. I’ll just need a day or two to check out living accommodations nearby.”

Carl slapped his free hand against the arm of his chair. “I have the perfect idea!” He smiled at Ava, and it had the same calculating charm she sometimes saw in Myles before he caught himself and forced it down. “You’ll stay here, won’t you, Ms. Shaw? I prefer that all of my primary personnel live on site, and it’ll be more convenient all around if you join them. The west wing is all private suites, and I’m sure there’s an empty one.”

Liam leaned forward and murmured, “Two, sir.”

“Two!” Carl exclaimed. “Better yet. You can have your choice. What do you say?”

Ava tapped her chin, nervously biting her lip, and saw Carl register the movement, which was one Ava had borrowed from Amythyst. His eyes softened, and he said, “I insist. You’ll save a great deal of time and money.” He reached out and gently patted her arm. “Plus, a lovely young lady like you needs a secure place to live, and there’s nowhere more secure than here.”

Slowly, Ava nodded, letting her shy smile brighten as she stared up into his eyes. “Thank you, sir. You don’t know how much it means to me to have someone like you watching out for me. My father will be so pleased. He was worried, since I’ve never lived so far away before.”

Carl cleared his throat, sitting back. “Well, fathers look out for their daughters. That’s our job.” His eyes flicked to the older man with the papers, and the good humor faded from them. “Speaking of jobs, Ranulf, help Ms. Shaw fill out her paperwork.” He set his teacup back down on the tray, though he’d barely sipped his tea.

Standing, Carl leaned in as he offered Ava his hand. He left her no room to stand, and she remained pinned to the low couch as she proffered her hand. Instead of shaking it, he simply clasped it possessively before releasing it and turning back to Liam.

“Security clearance, choose a suite, and arrange for Ms. Shaw’s things to be brought here. No later than tomorrow,” he snapped, and Liam nodded, clearly used to the way his employer spoke.

The cold eyes flashed back to Ranulf, who was calmly laying out papers on the end table beside him.

“Do you need anything else?” Carl asked.

Ranulf smiled, imperturbable. “No, Mr. Landon. Ms. Shaw’s employment will be official by the end of the day.”

“Good,” Carl said, and smiled at Ava before nodding at the two men. “I’m going to play a round of golf. Ms. Shaw, I look forward to introducing you to… your patient.” His eyelids dropped, covering his expression as he turned away, striding across the room to yet another door, which he exited through.

Liam and Ranulf exchanged glances, and Liam shook his head. “I’ve never seen him take to anyone so quickly, Ava,” the personal assistant mused before turning back to Ava. “Welcome to the team.”

She smiled and accepted the papers Ranulf handed her. “Thank you. I’m… very pleased.”

Amythyst’s voice chortled gleefully in her ear, routed through the tiny, self-deploying bugs that had been hidden in Ava’s briefcase. “And so am I.”

Stage two complete.