Thanks to the almost 100 people who wrote me to say thank you for the new story. It was a great feeling to know how many people have loved the series over the years. I even heard from 3 people from Australia. Amazing thing the Internet. The story continues..
Comments as always... Backbayguy@juno.com
CHAPTER ONE:
Jonathan managed to get out of the office by 5pm. It was a quick drive from the office to the hotel where the penthouse was. Jonathan realized as he rode in the elevator up to the private penthouse that he was spending more and more time in Boston. This, of course, made Danny happy. He could have the jets secured at the airport in their own hanger, plus the Hummers were always available on a moment's notice anywhere he went. Jonathan's private musings were interrupted by Sebastian howling at his feet as the elevator stopped.
"Some of us haven't eaten lately" came the voice in his head.
"Yes your majesty" said Jonathan. "Give me a minute"
Sebastian trotted out of the open elevator doors and fairly flew down the corridor, his tail held high. Jonathan followed at a more leisurely pace; Danny at his side.
"I'd like to leave here by 7 at the latest" said Danny. "I will have the bar staked out by 6:30 pm. That will allow us to be there 15 minutes prior to his arrival."
"Calm down Danny" said Jonathan with some irritation in his voice. "He invited me for a drink and some conversation, not to kidnap and torture me"
"That's not even funny" said Danny as he opened the doors and they entered the private penthouse. The entire top floor of the hotel had been gutted and remodeled a few years ago for Jonathan's use. All of the walls had been torn down and almost 30,000 sq feet of hotel space had been turned into a twelve room penthouse for Jonathan.
As Jonathan left his briefcase in the entranceway with a steward, Anthony could be heard in the kitchen.
"Chill out you over grown fur ball" came the exasperated comment. "Those steaks are NOT for you"
There was a loud crash, followed by a growl and hiss "Cheeky bastard!"
Jonathan looked over at Danny. "Would you mind going to stop the war in the kitchen? Anthony doesn't stand a chance against the cat"
"I'll see what I can do" said Danny with a sigh. "Which one shall I shoot?"
Jonathan smirked as he went into his bedroom to change clothes. Bedroom was a bit of an understatement as the room, while containing a bed, was close to 1000 square feet. After a few minutes he came back out and was headed towards his private study as he noted Anthony standing by the bar. He walked over that way.
"So, who won?" asked Jonathan.
Anthony was in the middle of pouring him a glass of champagne. "That cat I swear is almost human sometimes"
"More then you know. I gather he got the steak." Said Jonathan, nodding his thanks.
"Yes, well," started Anthony. "I can't very well go and cook you a steak that has been dragged all over the house by that miniature mountain lion now can I?"
"It's OK," said Jonathan laughing. "I'll grab something when I'm out. I've got a date."
"Oh really" said Anthony. "Whom did you ask out?"
"Why is it that no one can deal with the concept that I was asked out?" said Jonathan.
"Is that a fact?" asked Anthony. This got him a glare.
"Yes it is" said Jonathan. "Could you find a nice Merlot out of the cellar? I want a couple of glasses before I go out"
"Merlot it is" said Anthony.
CHAPTER TWO:
Jonathan was in his private study reading his personal email when Danny walked in.
"It's 6:45." He said. "We are all set downstairs and can take off anytime you want"
"OK thanks" said Jonathan. "I'm just finishing up here. You know Ryan is coming over in ten days or so right? He'll be here for five days"
"Yes." said Danny. "Brandon sent me a note when he emailed your weekend schedule to me. I'll make sure he is covered while he is here. I gather with all the flying around this weekend that we're taking the 747 for the Hummers"
"Yeah, I guess so" said Jonathan. "I looked at the weather and it looks really nice on Friday night. I was thinking on leaving a little earlier and landing in Miami and driving down to the keys. It's a good way to relax. I could use a little down time on the way. We need the Hummers in Las Vegas anyway."
"Don already got us clearance for landing Renaissance in Key West" said Danny, frowning.
"Be that as it may, I really want to drive down from Miami" said Jonathan. "I don't suppose you would consider renting a convertible mustang or something?"
"Yeah, OK" said Danny, "I don't think so. We'll work out the driving arrangements, don't worry."
"Thank you" said Jonathan. "I'll be ready in about five minutes"
Danny nodded and walked out of the study. Jonathan returned to his email and finished up. As he stood up he heard a low growling coming from the corner of the study. Sebastian was now standing on a chair; his fur standing out at all ends. That could only mean one thing.
He turned towards the other end of the study and saw Kristian standing there.
"You know, you could knock on the door once in a while." Said Jonathan. "Sebastian might not be so hostile"
"That cat will always be hostile to me" said Kristian. "He just doesn't like me"
"So, what brings you by?" asked Jonathan.
"Well, it concerns you, that monster cat and something else" said Kristian.
That comment was met by a long low growl finished off by a hissing that would make a cougar proud.
"Oh" said Jonathan.
"We need to convene a meeting of the immortals next week" said Kristian.
"What does that have to do with the fur ball?" asked Jonathan
"The council will be going public as an emerging company" said Kristian. "Uhm this is going to take a while to explain. Are you going some place?"
"I've got a date I need to leave for in about 2 minutes" said Jonathan.
"OK" said Kristian. "I'll come to your office tomorrow. We'll need a couple of hours"
"This doesn't sound good" said Jonathan.
"All shall be well." Said Kristian. "Besides, you are immortal. What could possibly happen?" With that he disappeared.
"That's what worries me" he said to himself.
He turned to Sebastian "I don't know what that was all about, but you had best behave." said Jonathan looking directly Sebastian as he walked out the study door. He was rewarded with a hiss.
CHAPTER THREE:
Jonathan was sitting at a table at the Terrace Bar near a corner. At a table next to him was Danny; who was watching over the whole bar and the placement of his agents.
"Danny" said Jonathan. "We're a little crowded here"
"Can't be helped" said Danny as his sipped his bottled water. "I don't know who this guys is"
Further conversation was halted as Sam walked up the three steps into the bar. Jonathan stood and waved at him. Danny stood as well and unbuttoned his jacket. Sam came over and shook Jonathan's hand.
"Thanks for meeting me" said Sam.
"Thanks for inviting me" said Jonathan. "It's been a long time since I went out just for a drink"
"Well I'm glad I can be the person to get you to do that" said Sam with a smile. He looked over and saw Danny sitting there. "What's the story with him?"
"Think of us as twins" said Jonathan laughing. "Except to take a dump, he goes where I go and he still walks into public bathrooms with me"
Further conversation was momentarily put off as the waitress came over to take their order. After she left, Sam turned back to Jonathan.
"So, you wanted to make it up to me for splattering me all over the floor at Barnes and Noble. How about telling me about yourself?" he asked.
Jonathan paused to consider that request. There were questions in his own head. He had made it a policy never to tell people about himself until he was sure about them. How does one explain that there are four bodyguards scattered about the room, and a driver with a bulletproof Hummer downstairs waiting.
"Why are you so curious to know" asked Jonathan. "I could just be a paranoid person who wants a bodyguard or he could be my boyfriend"
"You don't come across as paranoid" said Sam. "and he is about a straight as it comes, so that leaves him as a bodyguard of sorts"
"That's one way to put it" said Jonathan. "How about you tell me about yourself first? That makes Danny happy and I have to admit that I'm a bit curious as well"
"OK I guess" said Sam. He paused as the drinks were brought over. "I'm an associate professor and I teach at Boston University for starters."
"Very cool" said Jonathan. "I went to school there"
"Wow" said Sam. "Small world. What was your major"
"I did a bachelors in accounting and my masters in business administration" said Jonathan.
"Nice" said Sam, sipping his drink. "How long ago was that?"
"About 11 years or so" said Jonathan. "But let's get back to you"
`Well, I was born and raised here in Boston" said Sam, "My parents still live in the city and I live over in Cambridge. As I said, I teach at BU, went to school there. I'm 29 and single. I drive a BMW and am curious as hell to know why your whatever he is over there keeps staring holes in me"
"That's Danny" said Jonathan, laughing. "You were right. He is very straight, and a bodyguard"
"What do you do that requires you to have a bodyguard?" asked Sam, the curiosity very apparent in his voice.
"Well, actually the correct phrase would have the word "bodyguards" in it" said Jonathan. "To answer your question though, I own my own business that is fairly widespread and the company that handles my insurance requires that I have protection around me"
"I see" said Sam. "Have I heard of your company?"
"I doubt it" said Jonathan. "It is a private company"
"Must be doing very well if it is private and you are doing well enough to rate guards"
"It pays the bills" Said Jonathan.
The two continued their conversation for the next couple of hours. It was obvious that the two were enjoying each others' company. Finally Jonathan looked at his watch.
"This has been fun, but I've got an early day starting tomorrow that is going to be a long day's journey into night" Said Jonathan.
"Yeah, I've enjoyed it as well" said Sam. "Are you interested in having dinner tomorrow night and continuing this?"
"I would." said Jonathan. "But I'm going to be out of town for the weekend"
"I've heard that excuse before." Said Sam with a smile.
"I'm serious" said Jonathan as he got up. Danny got up at the same time, unbuttoning his jacket. Sam noticed the guns underneath the jacket and almost tripped over himself.
"He's armed?" asked Sam with some concern.
"Don't worry" said Danny, an evil smile on his face. "I haven't shot one of his dates in ages. Too messy. I normally just make them disappear."
There was a look of deep concern on his face.
"Don't mind Danny" said Jonathan moving Sam towards the entrance. "He likes you. He just made a joke"
"That's a weird joke"
"He's cool" said Jonathan. "He's been with me for eight years now. I trust him with my life. He is a bit over protective, but there have been some incidents and he just wants to make sure all is cool with you. The fact that he is joking with you is a good sign that you passed with flying colors"
"Yeah" said Sam, obviously a bit disturbed.
"Seriously man" said Jonathan as they went down the escalators and towards the front doors. "Please don't be offended. Danny can be a bit headstrong but he means well."
"Ok" said Sam, not sounding all that convinced. "What is this long day you have in store for tomorrow? What about getting together on the weekend?"
"I'm in the office until 2pm tomorrow" said Jonathan as they exited the hotel. "Then I'm on a flight to Key West to attend a party. When that is over somewhere around 10 or as soon as I can get out of there we re-board the jet and fly to Las Vegas for the weekend"
"Re-board the jet?" asked Sam. "Don't tell me you own your own jet"
"No lines no waiting" said Jonathan trying to make a joke of it. He was getting a bit uncomfortable trying to explain himself without giving too much away. He didn't want to scare this one away too fast. "It is a long story"
"Sounds like an interesting one too" said Sam.
"Tell you what" said Jonathan making a snap decision. "If you want to know more, how about I fly you out to Las Vegas and you can meet me there? I can have someone meet your flight and take you over to the hotel. I shouldn't be more then a few hours behind you."
"I couldn't let you spend that kind of money on me" protested Sam. We've pretty much only just met. Buying a ticket within 24 hours would be wicked expensive.
"Not the way I do it" said Jonathan. "Besides I still owe you for flattening you in the store"
"Let me think about it and I'll call you tomorrow" said Sam.
"OK, fair enough" said Jonathan. "Well, it was fun, but I gotta get going. My ride is here"
Sam turned around to see the Hummer waiting. Eric was by the door holding it open and two of the other agents were around it.
"How many people watch over you?" asked Sam.
"More then you want to know about" said Jonathan. "Here is my number. Call me in the morning about the weekend."
CHAPTER FOUR:
Mid morning of the next day, Friday, Jonathan was working in his office when Brandon knocked and came into his office. Jonathan looked up from the contracts.
"There is a gentleman outside to see but he doesn't have an appointment." Said Brandon. "I seem to remember him from somewhere, maybe one of the parties"
"I don't have a lot of time today" said Jonathan. "I really want to get this crap done with and be on my way. I got Danny convinced that we're driving down from Miami instead of flying directly into Key West."
"I'll believe that when I see it." Said Brandon. "Anyway, here is the guys' card"
Jonathan took the proffered card. It said Kristian Marshall, Chief Financial Officer, Abyssinian Advisors. Jonathan thought about it for a moment.
"What does this guy look like?" asked Jonathan.
"Tall, blond hair, way too good looking" said Brandon. "Danny looked at him and just nodded"
"OK" said Jonathan. "I know who he is. I need to talk to him"
"You really need to schedule things through me boss if you want me to keep you on schedule" said Brandon.
"No offense meant Brandon" said Jonathan standing up. "I know Kristian. He's an old friend who called last night and asked to see me. I just forgot to tell you"
"I'll send him in" said Brandon.
Jonathan walked over to the sitting area and was standing there when Brandon showed Kristian in.
"Good Morning" said Kristian.
"Morning" said Jonathan.
"Will you be needing anything?" asked Brandon.
"We're good thanks" said Jonathan. "Do me a favor and work the schedule and phones so we're not disturbed."
"I'll take care of it" said Brandon. "Keep in mind, it is 10:20 and you have wheels up at 1:30. We've got a pretty tight schedule"
"I know" said Jonathan. "Let me know when it is noon"
Brandon nodded and closed the office doors. Jonathan turned to Kristian.
"Abyssinian Advisors?" he asked. "What is that?"
"That is the name of the company that we will be operating under." Said Kristian. "When I say `we' I mean the council. The company is made up primarily of the immortals. It is based out of Zurich. It will allow us a public face and allow us to be seen. We can control the day to day activities of the company as a front while we are able to do what we need to do. It is a well established company; albeit private up until now."
"How old is the company?" asked Jonathan.
"Give or take about 300 years old" said Kristian
"OK" said Jonathan shaking his head. "What part do I play?"
"You as CEO of your company are on the Board of Directors of the company, technically the Chairman."
"Uh huh" said Jonathan. He got up and walked over to the bar and got a bottle of water out of the fridge. He looked at Kristian who nodded. He came back to the table and sat down. "You said that this also involved the fur ball. I left him at the hotel this morning since I knew you were coming by."
"Yes" said Kristian. "That is going to probably be a challenge. As a symbol of the company all of the directors and officers keep an Abyssinian cat with them in public."
"You want me to get an Abby" said Jonathan more in disbelief than anything. "Sebastian doesn't play well with others. He would most likely use it for batting practice all over the penthouse"
"Not the one I had in mind" said Kristian. "Oddly enough the cats we have are very old and wise"
"Don't tell me that they are immortal cats" Said Jonathan
"Well," said Kristian. "They have been around since the time of the Pharos and are some of the guardian cats to the kings of Egypt. Cats have always been magical. I've known a few cats in my time that have been unusual."
Jonathan just stared at Kristian like he had three heads. "You can't be serious. Where did they come from?"
"About ten years ago when we started the process for taking the group public, one of our kind made and amazing discovery" said Kristian. "He is an archeologist. While on a trip into a remote region of the desert he had discovered a previously unknown tomb"
Jonathan just sat there and listened. "Go on"
"He was with his usual team all of whom are immortals and are aware of the goings on. They all felt an unusual presence. After they found the entrance of the tomb and got it open they got the surprise of their lives. They were able to date the tomb at 4000 years old. Inside they found twelve Abyssinian cats. All alive and quite frisky. Being guard cats and held in high esteem at that period of time, an enormous amount of food was left for them to `carry over' to the other side. The amount was also large because they knew that the cats were to guard the tomb and they would have offspring. The archeological team knew that the tomb discovery was bound to make news, but couldn't have the public discover the cats so they were all taken out under cover of darkness and hidden away. To this day, no one knows of their true existence"
"I see" said Jonathan. "So you expect me to have this Abby around when I go out in public?"
"Just for company meetings and appearances and such" said Kristian.
"How about we keep the cat elsewhere and I just pop it in when I need it?" asked Jonathan.
"The cats don't transport well." Said Kristian. "They tend to get a bit feisty to say the least"
"This is not going to go over well" said Jonathan. "When is it arriving?"
"His name is Maximillian and you two should get aquainted soon. Like when you get back from your trip" said Kristian.
With that he stood. "I'll be in touch next week about the meeting and such"