God Gems are Forever 1 — Scene 6.5 (TEXT) (Patreon)

Canvases were whipped off of furniture and locks were crowbarred off of electrical boxes.

The warehouse looked like it hadn’t been used in decades. An old tractor stood off to one side. The light from outside filtered through thin, high windows, grimy with muck and age.

Andrew marched through the space, his brain going at a mile a minute, Mckinnon on one side, Andrei on the other.

“Okay, we’re going to need a wide open area for receiving goods. We can do that here. I assume those work?” He gestured to the large bay doors at the far side of the space.

“They do,” Andrei confirmed. “A bit of grease needed, but they work.”

“Great. We’re also going to need a park for all the trucks. Do we have people that can do maintenance?”

Andrei waved towards two men wearing flannel shirts, currently trying to get the tractor started. “Cristian and Victor are good with metal.” 

One of the men waved back, then shouted something about fuel.

“Out round the back!” Andrei called back, his giant lungs easily projecting as far as he needed, and then some. “That one was Victor,” he said to Andrew as the two hopped down and started striding purposefully towards a side door.

“Okay, so what are we going to do about—”

Andrew was interrupted by the loudest screeching sound he’d ever heard, resonating up through his spine, his teeth, and the top of his skull.

“Oi!” Andrei shouted at another pair at the cargo doors. “Not until you’ve fixed it!”

“Yeah,” Mckinnon agreed with his hands on his ears. “Definitely need some oil on that one.”

Andrew shook himself. “I want to be able to bring people here,” he continued, as though his brain didn’t feel like it had just been impaled by a hundred rusty nails and dragged across a chalkboard. “The stuff we’re selling aren’t things you just buy from a catalogue. People are going to need to see them in action. Rich and important people.”

“I’ll get some furniture brought here,” Andrei replied. “And the offices upstairs are all safe. They’ll be good for meeting people. Also, the electricity was never cut from the mains, so reconnecting the power will be easy. That will make everything warm.”

They kept hashing out details while they walked, crossing the large space and climbing the utilitarian stairs to the mezzanine. They eventually reached the first office in a line of rooms. Downstairs, Andrew saw nearly a dozen of Andrei’s ‘boys’ at work, and knew they had at least a few more escorting the one who got shot to the local hospital. 

They were going to have to rig up some system to deal with security. He’d need all these men and more for logistics, but so many eyes on the weapons that shouldn’t be here would be too large a risk. He said as much to Andrei who nodded. “We’ll sort it out. None of us want to know the details of what you’re up to. So long as we get our cut, we’re all good.”

“Great.” He’d obviously have to keep an eye on that, along with fifteen billion other things, but being on the same page with everyone here was a great first step. And the best place to keep an eye on all those fifteen billion things would be… Andrew turned to the large office. “And this… looks like a good place to set up my apartment.”

Andrei laughed, as though Andrew had just made a statement of such preposterous proportions that no reality existed in which it could be nothing but a joke. “Nonsense! You must stay with me and my family. You don’t want to sleep in an office.”

Mckinnon chuckled. “I doubt it’ll look like an office for long. And I doubt you want Mister Deep anywhere near your daughters.”

Andrei’s laugh cut off. 

“Damn it, Stephan,” Andrew said, emphasizing the name Andrei had given him before, “I’m not a horn dog who can’t control himself. I’ve been celibate for four years, I’ll have you know.”

Mckinnon burst out laughing while putting his hands up in defence. “Hey, I’m just helping you out. I assume you want to live here because you want to set up the ultimate playboy seducer pad?”

 Andrei was now looking at Andrew with totally different eyes. Like a predator sizing up a rival.

“Yes,” Andrew said, not bothering to hide it. “Yes, that is exactly why I want my apartments here. Apart from the other million reasons as well.” He turned to the quickly reddening Andrei. “Mister Andrei, I would be happy to accept an invitation to have dinner with you and your family sometime. I’m sure they are wonderful people and I’m sure your daughters are intelligent and beautiful young women. What our friend here—” And this time he emphasized the word friend in a way that completely flipped the meaning, “is leaving out, is that I already have my eyes on a very particular beautiful lady in the city. That’s why I need my own private apartments.”

After listening to his little speech, Andrei visibly started to settle down. “Okay. I guess that’s… okay.” He took a deep breath. “Who’s the lady?”

“Loveday Colletage.”

It was impressive how this absolute unit of a man who’d so recently been red in the face could so quickly turn chalk white. “Mister Deep, I fear I now know more about you than I ever wanted to know.”