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Hotel Blaze

Part 2

Korlys was awakened from a late afternoon doze by pounding on his apartment door. Clear-headed in an instant, he grabbed the dagger from underneath his pillow and unsheathed it as he rolled out of bed. Soundlessly, he walked down the short hallway to the front door and put an eye to the peephole, body tense. A dark-haired man he didn't recognize was standing there. "Yes?" Korlys said through the door. The neighborhood he lived in was in a shabby, dangerous part of town. You didn't just open your door to strangers as if you were in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

"Are you Korlys Ghilani? Mario's boyfriend?"

Korlys opened the door a crack. "Who are you?" he said shortly, not in the mood for games.

The man gave him a rather unfriendly once-over. "Hmph. I imagined you taller. I'm Mario's brother, Claudio. Could you please call him over? Tell him I'm not mad at him, if he's worried. I'm just curious what fucked up excuse he's got this time."

"He's not here." Korlys made no move to invite the man in, but he did open the door a little wider. "What's going on?"

"Right. Not here," Claudio said; he was clearly losing his patience. "He left a message saying he was going to spend the weekend with you. Forgot to mention he robbed his boss on the way…"

"Mario? He's not a thief."

Claudio laughed. "No need to bullshit me. I'm his brother. I won't go to the police, you know. In fact, I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you'd be far away by now… Look, can we talk about this inside, all three of us together? There still may be a way out."

Korlys nodded and stepped aside, holding his dagger by his side so as not to alarm the man unduly. He had been trying to get some sleep before tonight's mission, and all he had on was a pair of pajama bottoms. Once Claudio stepped through the entranceway, Korlys closed and locked the door. He turned to see Claudio staring at his dagger. "I was just going to make a sandwich," Korlys said by way of explanation, although what fool would take this for a kitchen knife, he didn't know. The assassin strolled to the counter and laid it there, but didn't move away. Instead, he folded his arms. "Mario really isn't here, and he hasn't even tried to contact me, so whatever game you're playing at-"

"Listen, if this is a joke, it's a bad one. His boss called me Monday afternoon. Mario left early on Friday, and he was supposed to take forty grand to the bank. But he never got there. He wasn't home when I got home from my job; all I found was a note that he was going to spend the weekend with you. Now look, Mario did a lot of shitty things in the past, but he was working hard to get over it. There's no way he'd steal money for himself. Or that he'd try to plant a false lead to you. So you better start speaking now, before the police come knocking on your door. There's still time - his boss promised to wait for a few days, and won't make trouble if Mario returns the money. If you care about Mario at all, you should help me convince him to do just that."

Alarmed, Korlys started pacing, racking his mind for any hint that Mario had been planning this. He went over their last rendezvous, but there was nothing. He stopped and looked at Claudio. "Something must have happened to him. There's no way he would have done all that and not come to me, which means something's stopping him."

Before he could continue, another knock came on his door. "Yes?" he called out, more impatiently than before. He didn't even bother to look through the peephole. Whoever it was could just come back later.

"I'm looking for Mario Gethin. Is he here?"

Korlys grabbed his blade and stalked to the door, then threw it open wide, irritation making his movements short and jerky. "Who are you?" the assassin demanded.

The man gave him the once-over, and Korlys had a sudden urge to punch him in the face. "My name is Kelton Langdon. I'm a private investigator." Without invitation, the blond walked in and went straight up to Claudio. "Where is he?"

"How would I know?" Claudio snapped, crossing his arms. "And why do you talk like I know you? Private investigator, you say. Who do you work for?"

"I know you, though - you're Mario's brother, aren't you? Where did Mario run off to? Don't tell me he didn't tell you."

Korlys cut in. "We obviously don't know where he is - I wouldn't still be here if he had gotten in touch with me, and Claudio wouldn't be here if he didn't think Mario was here!"

Claudio looked from Korlys to the annoying PI. "Maybe we should check with the hospitals," he suggested. "He might've been in an accident." He had never been in an accident before; he never drank any alcohol, and was a careful driver. That he'd have an accident just as he had forty grand with him would be a very odd coincidence.

The PI hesitated, then appeared to come to some decision about them. "I did speak to an officer who found Mario parked on the side of the road, sleeping. He was heading in this direction. I figured he would have made it here by now-"

Korlys cut in. "Where, exactly, was that?" In his mind he was already running through a list of what he might need to track Mario down. Then he remembered tonight's job. He needed that money and couldn't afford to hurt his reputation.

Kelton held his hands up, as if trying to stop his train of thought. "Hold on now, I'll do the investigating. You should stay here in case he does try to contact you."

"One of us," Claudio muttered. "Alright. But I want to be informed of any progress you make, immediately." He turned to Korlys. "Is there any place I can stay tonight?"

"If you don't mind the couch, you can stay here. I have a job tonight, so it would be good to have someone around in case he arrives." Korlys didn't expect that would happen - Mario would have been here by now if he was able - but perhaps he had only been detained? He turned to Kelton. "I expect to hear from you in twenty-four hours. Since you're an investigator, I'm sure you already have my number."

Kelton ignored the sarcasm - he did indeed have Mr. Ghilani's number. "I'll let you know," he said as Korlys showed him the door.

oOo

It was late in the day when Kelton turned down a narrow road he'd almost overlooked. It was potholed and lacked any shoulder, allowing trees and other vegetation to grow right up to the blacktop. He'd been lucky to spot the motel sign from the main highway.

Kelton could see a man sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of what must be the front office, although he didn't see a sign saying as much. He parked his car out front and stepped out. "Hello," he called out as he slammed the car door behind him and walked up to the man.

The man quickly stood up, shoving something that looked like a sock into his pocket. "Hello!" he called cheerfully. "I always forget to put the sign on, but we do have a vacancy! Twelve cabins, twelve vacancies. You can pick your favourite number."

"Uh, no," Kelton replied. "I just want to ask a few questions, if you don't mind." He held out his hand. "I'm Kelton Langdon."

"Blaze. Attrei Blaze." The man sighed. "To be honest, I didn't forget to put the sign on - I never do it, because there's no use. No one comes here anymore." He sounded disappointed, but Kelton didn't miss the quiet exhale, or how he bit his lip, as if trying to hide a smile of relief. "So, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a missing person." He pulled a photo of Mario out of his wallet and held it out to the man. "Have you seen him?"

Blaze looked vaguely in the direction of the photo. "No. Sorry. Can't help you with that."

Kelton cocked an eyebrow. "Would you like to look at the photo before saying that?"

"No," Blaze said. "It's creepy. I know I didn't see him, because, as I said, no one comes here anymore."

"What's creepy?"

"Missing person. You're a cop so I guess it's normal for you. But I live alone with an ill mother off the main road. You'll forgive me if I don't like hearing about missing people that may be wandering nearby… Why is he missing? Is he trouble?"

Well, this was getting weirder and weirder. "You know, most people would ask if he was in trouble."

The man shrugged. "I couldn't help him anyway… Well, if that's all, I better go make the beds. Oh, and this - before I forget again." He went inside for a moment, and the hotel sign lit up. "Just the other day, we got a couple, they said they thought they drove into a ghost town until they saw the lights."

"I thought you said you didn't get any customers," Kelton replied quickly.

"We don't, not really - just strays, so to speak. Those who lost their way and it's too late to go look for anything else," Attrei replied, then quickly added, "We don't even bother with the register book anymore."

"You wouldn't mind if I take a look at the register then? Just in case you forgot?" Something was really off here.

"What for? There's not much in it." The man shrugged again.

In spite of the attempt at nonchalance, the proprietor looked distinctly unsettled. "No reason not to show me, then, is there?"

Attrei stared at him for a moment, the fingers of his right hand curling and uncurling. "Sure," he said in the end. "Please come in." He entered the office and turned the lights on, then pushed the book over the counter to Kelton.

The PI ran his fingers down the admittedly short list of names. Last on the list was 'Marco Ghilani'. "Hmm, now that's interesting. Marco is very close to 'Mario', and 'Ghilani' is his boyfriend's last name." He pulled out a piece of paper with the missing man's signature and compared it with the one in the register. "Well, would you look at that? A perfect match!"

Kelton looked up at Attrei. "Care to take a closer look at that photo now?"

Attrei looked at the entry in the book. "Oh… last Saturday. During that heavy rain… Yeah. Yeah, we did get a visitor that night." He glanced briefly at the photo. "It could've been him. Yes."

"Tell me all about him."

"Nothing much to say. He came, registered, paid upfront, and asked for the nearest cabin, so I gave him cabin one. I asked if he'd like something to eat, he said yes, so I made some sandwiches. Then he went to sleep, said he had to leave early the next day. Oh! He said he was travelling to some private island. I remember that, because most people don't drive to islands."

Kelton gave a perfunctory smile, but wasn't thrown off by the attempt at humor. "So, did you eat dinner with him? What else did he say? Tell me the smallest details - it could help me track him down."

"Yes. It was mostly polite talk. He said he was tired and went to sleep early, and I still had to take care of Mother-"

"Oh, did your mother eat with Mario as well? May I speak with her?"

"No," Attrei snapped sharply.

"Why not? She might remember something you forgot."

"She didn't eat with us. As I said, she's ill. And she doesn't like strangers anyway. If that is all, please leave. I still have a lot of work to do."

Kelton paused. "You know, it's getting dark and I've had a long day. I think I'll rent a room for the night after all. Room one, please." He gazed at Blaze, wondering what the man was thinking right now.

"Sure. It's twenty bucks. Would you like sandwiches for dinner? They're for free," he said, with a smile firmly plastered on his face.

"No thanks. I'll just sign the register, though." Kelton quickly signed, half-expecting Blaze to rip it out of his hands before he could. The man was definitely involved in Mario's disappearance somehow. And he was determined to find out how.

To his surprise, however, the man just took his money and handed him the key without another word. "Don't worry, I'll get my bag," Kelton said, managing to keep the sarcasm out of his voice while he did so. It was clear Attrei wasn't happy - odd for the owner of a business to be unhappy about having a customer. He'd have to give Korlys and Claudio a call as soon as he got to his room. And locked the door behind him.

oOo

Korlys woke up at half past eight; how the man could sleep so peacefully, Claudio would never understand. Especially after the PI's call the evening before. Korlys had already left for work when he called… What was his job, anyway? If he had to carry a knife with him, even when he opened the door? Mario, what did you get yourself into this time? It was clear why his brother hadn't introduced his boyfriend to him - he'd do his best to talk him out of this relationship. But… maybe that was why Mario had left without telling him anything. And now he was gone.

Last seen in a seedy motel off the main highway, according to the PI. Kelton said the owner was most likely involved in his disappearance. That was the word he used: disappearance. As if disappearing in a place like that, for almost a week, could mean anything else other than-

He abruptly turned to Korlys, who emerged from his bathroom, neat and calm. "Coffee?" he asked. "It's a bit cold. But it's strong."

"Please." The assassin eyed the pile of crushed out cigarette butts in the saucer Claudio had used as an ashtray, but didn't comment. Korlys took the cup Mario's brother handed him, and settled in to wait.

Claudio grabbed the pack of cigarettes, but it was empty. Irritated, he crumpled it and tossed it away. "Got some more?"

"I don't smoke."

Claudio made a noncommittal noise at that. He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment, then asked, without looking at Korlys, "Forty grand. What shit are you in?"

Korlys eyed him. "I never asked Mario to steal money for me, you know."

"Not what I asked," Claudio said. "I know my brother. He intended to give it to you. Mario is - if he is - if something happened... It's most likely because of that money. That would piss him off, you know. If someone else took it, after all his 'hard work'. He'd want you to have it."

"What are you suggesting?" Korlys asked, the muscles in his face suddenly tensing.

Claudio didn't bother to reply. With a sigh, he rubbed his face and ran his hand through his hair. Suddenly he jumped up and walked over to the window. "Smells like a public toilet in here," he muttered as he swung it open. He stared out for a moment, as if he expected to see Mario walking down the street. "Whatever shit you're in, I wish he had come to me about it. No way I could give you guys forty grand - I only opened my clinic a couple of years ago. But I would've figured something out. I wish he would have trusted me with that."

"I wouldn't have taken your money," Korlys said tightly. "And I wouldn't have taken the stolen money, either. Your brother deserves better than to be on the run with the likes of me."

"Mario's been on the run ever since our mother died. Mostly from himself," Claudio said, still leaning on the window frame. "If he decided to take you along, he must believe you are the likes of him." He turned with a sigh. "Is it nine yet?"

Korlys glanced at his watch, even though his internal clock told him it couldn't possibly be that late yet. "Quarter till." He watched as Claudio walked back towards him and plopped down with a heavy sigh into one of the overstuffed, worn out chairs next to him. "Whatever he was in the past, Mario has been living an honest life since I've known him."

"Yeah. I was so proud of him. It seemed he finally decided to settle down. Have a family." He shot a glance at Korlys. "I expected him to tell me you two were getting married, to be honest. Not to rob an old hag and disappear in a shitty hotel off the highway."

Korlys laughed bitterly. "Look around you - I live in a shitty hole slaving away to buy my freedom from the Crows. Do you think I have any rights to a family?"

"The Crows, huh. I see now. But Mario wouldn't be with you if he thought you were not an honest man. He was - is! He is very strict in that, on himself and on others. That's why he can't keep any job for long - he 'just tells them the honest truth', not his fault they can't take it." He chuckled. "Mario was willing to throw away everything to be with you. Was it dumb? Of course it was. But don't you dare look down on it now, say bullshit about how you don't deserve it, have rights to it, or whatever."

Korlys knew the man was just spoiling for a fight because he was so worried about Mario, and anything he said would just fuel Claudio's anger, so he didn't reply. He glanced at his watch again and hoped the PI would call early. The impatience radiating off the other man was getting on his nerves.

oOo

Claudio glared at the clock on the wall; its ticking was shredding every last bit of his nerves, yet whenever he checked, it seemed no time had passed at all. Now it showed half past ten, although it felt like they'd sat here for at least a couple of years.

He stood up. "I can't take this any longer. I'm going to the hotel. Now."

Korlys rose as well, relieved. He was tired of waiting too, and since Kelton had given Claudio the address to the motel when they'd talked last night, it was pointless to give the man any more time. Besides, who knew if the guy knew what he was doing or was just a flake? "You drive."

oOo

The motel was closer than Claudio expected - only a two hour drive, with one brief stop at a gas station to buy a couple packs of cigarettes. By the time they reached the hotel, he'd smoked half of the first pack, imagining all the horrible things that could've happened to Mario and now probably to the PI, too.

It was almost noon when he parked with a screech in front of the motel. There was no other car parked there, and no wonder - why would anyone voluntarily stay here? They got out of the car, not bothering to lock it. There was no one that would steal his car here, and if Mario was in trouble, it might be better to be ready.

The motel was as shabby as Korlys had feared - just the sort of place Mario had said he didn't want to be in anymore. The air had cooled considerably during their drive, and Korlys glanced up at the dark clouds that were gathering in the sky, giving it a greenish cast. It was going to be one hell of a storm. They started towards the office without a word.

Blaze was waiting for them when they opened the door, almost like he had known they were coming.

"Hello, dear customers," he said with a smile that Korlys found creepy. "I mean, you are customers, aren't you? Or only looking for directions back to the highway?"

"Both, actually," Claudio said. "We did take a wrong turn somewhere, but it's fixing to rain and no way I'm driving through that. Do you have any vacancies?"

"We do," the lad replied cheerfully. "Twelve cabins, twelve vacancies. As always. You can pick your favorite number! Would you also like lunch? Nothing much, I'm afraid - just sandwiches and milk, but better than nothing, no?"

"We'll take room number one," Korlys cut in. Kelton had told Claudio that was the room Mario had stayed in. Hopefully they'd be able to find some sort of clue.

"Only one room?" Blaze asked after the briefest hesitation and a slight blush.

The kid had a dirty little mind. Should he roll with that or say they were brothers? "One," Korlys replied smoothly. Maybe if they got Attrei off balance it would be easier to trip him up.

"Alright." Blaze took the keys from the board. "Please follow me. It's right next door, in fact. What about the lunch?"

"Oh, no thanks. That's not what I'm hungry for," Korlys said with a suggestive grin, hoping Claudio would be able to play along.

"Do you live by yourself?" Claudio asked as they walked.

Blaze smiled. "Did the sandwiches give me away? I am a bachelor, yes. I live with my mother, but she's ill. It's mostly me who takes care of things, including the cooking… It takes a lot of time to make a meal, but only a few minutes to eat it. And I'm not a fan of that. So it's mostly sandwiches. But I make some really good ones, you know. Oh, here we are." He stopped in front of the cabin, unlocked it, and gave the keys to Claudio. "I still have a lot of chores to do, but if you need me, just honk and I'll come."

They closed the door behind them and turned to survey the room. It was neat as a pin, but something was off. "Mr. Blaze must be in love with Lysol. It's so touching, it makes my eyes all teary…"

"Smells like a crime scene after a sanitation crew has been there," Korlys remarked as he went to the nearest desk and started going through the drawers. Behind him, he could hear Claudio opening the closet door and doing the same.

It didn't take long to cover the whole room. Korlys walked into the bathroom and immediately noticed something off. "The shower curtain is missing," he said as Claudio walked in behind him.

Claudio frowned. "You know, when I first saw Blaze, I thought that Langdon guy must've exaggerated. A guy like that, doing anything to Mario? Don't make me laugh. Mario would beat the crap out of him with one hand tied behind his back. But something is very fishy here… Maybe he lied about living alone. Or maybe he's involved in some shady business - this 'motel' would be a perfect hiding place for smugglers or drug dealers, and Mario saw something he shouldn't have… But it's clear we won't find anything in this cabin. And judging by how he was willing to rent any cabin, I'd say checking them is pointless, too. We need to get to the house somehow. See what's really going on."

"Agreed. I'll take care of Blaze. You check the creepy house."

oOo

Attrei stepped away from the hole, shaking with fury. Who did those guys think they were?! They come here uninvited, snoop around, and they suspect him of smuggling drugs? How dare they! And now they wanted to annoy Mother.

He jerked as sharp, cackling laughter burst right behind him. He turned, but he was all alone. Admit it, boy, his mother's voice said. That's not why you're angry. That's not why you hurried to the parlor the moment you left them in the cabin.

That's not true, he protested. I'm not like that! I wanted to be sure they weren't with the cop - he'd called someone yesterday from his room. Attrei didn't hear everything, but it was clear they talked about that guy who… whom he found in the shower. But he couldn't be sure. These two didn't look like cops at all and didn't ask any questions, so he thought perhaps they truly were just two - just - boyfriends. That was the only reason he spied on them. To protect Mother and their little peace they had here. Not the - the - things they might be doing together!

And he was right, he insisted, when his mother's voice kept laughing. They were all polite to his face, but they were just liars! 'I'll take care of Blaze', that was what the short one said! Well, Attrei would like to see him try! He would take care of him then go stop the other fool who went to bother Mother! But what if they were armed? He hesitated. He glanced around the room. He needed something… Oh. Yes. That would do. He grabbed the old-fashioned metal candle holder from the shelf and hefted it in his hand, gave it a trial swish. It was heavier than it looked. If he caught the guy by surprise, he could take him down with one blow, he'd bet.

He sneaked to the door and opened it a crack. It moved without any noise; all the doors in the hotel moved without any noise, he'd made sure of that. Mother hated creaky noises; they gave her headaches and made her nastier than usual. He peeked out. The guy was standing at the counter, going through the register. A fresh wave of rage washed over him.

He sneaked as quietly as he could, but he was still two steps away when the man must've heard him and turned around. Darn. He didn't have time for him, he needed to go protect Mother! Desperate, he swung the candle holder as hard as he could. The man tried to dodge, but it was too late. Ha!

"I'll take care of Blaze," he said in a mocking voice, as he tossed the candle holder next to the man's body. He'd deal with it later. Now he needed to find the other one, before it was too late!

oOo

The house was silent, in an eerie, unnerving way that made Claudio look over his shoulder every two steps. It wasn't as big as it seemed from the outside. On the ground floor, there was a kitchen, a dining room, a lounge and a bathroom; except for the kitchen they all looked mostly unused. He noticed the stairs to the basement and hesitated, but decided to check upstairs first. He moved as carefully as he could, but to his astonishment, as worn out as everything was, everything was well cared for. All the doors were well oiled, and the stairs didn't make a sound. It certainly came in handy now, but it creeped him out. Nothing was as it pretended to be.

There were three rooms upstairs. The rooms to his right and to his left had their doors shut, but the one in the middle was ajar. That might mean it was Blaze's room… then his mother had to live in one of the other two. Hesitating, he softly knocked before opening the door to the right. "Mrs. Blaze?"

But it was empty. Claudio scanned the room - it was exactly what he'd expect an old woman's room to look like: old-fashioned four poster bed made of dark wood but lacking a canopy; a big wardrobe, also made of dark wood; a mirrored dressing table littered with jars of cosmetics, creams, powders, and tubes of lipstick; and an overstuffed armchair near the window, little crocheted doilies on either armrest.

He quickly walked across the room and opened the wardrobe. Dresses hung there - old and out of style, but clean and neatly pressed. He closed the wardrobe doors and turned to the bed. The coverlet was rumpled, as if someone had been recently sleeping there, but when he placed his hand on the indentation, he found it was cold. Whoever had been lying there had gotten up some time ago. It looked like Blaze had been telling the truth about living with his elderly mother. It was possible the woman would know something about what happened to Mario. He could only hope she wouldn't be too intimidated by her creepy son to tell him.

The door across the way turned out to be just a bathroom, so Claudio started for the room with the door ajar. "Mrs. Blaze?" he called out quietly as he pushed the door open, although he didn't expect anyone. The house had an air of emptiness about it, despite the lived-in look.

It was a small child's bedroom, that much was clear. Painted clowns, carousels, and balloons adorned the yellowed walls. The bed was small and low to the ground, the sort of bed made for toddlers, although the covers were disheveled. Clearly Blaze was still sleeping in it, although how he could fit himself in such a small bed... There was a toy chest with an iron lock box next to the bed, and beside it a chest of drawers with a dusty teddy bear sitting on top. A flute was laying across the bear's lap as if it had just finished playing. A tall bookcase was standing on the far wall, filled with books. Claudio walked over and checked out the titles, half expecting fairy tales. Influence Others (Without Them Knowing), Mind Control 101, Dark Psychology… and the next row was just as weird: Your Spiritual Animal: How it Can Help You, Become a Sparrow: Discover Your Inner Strength and Creativity, Unleash Your Inner Beast… On the top shelf, there was a shiny, bright blue victrola and a stack of classical music LPs - Mahler's Resurrection, Verdi's Requiem, Rachmaninov's The Isle of the Dead...

Claudio decided he'd seen enough. There was nothing useful in this room. He walked out, making sure to leave the door ajar as it was. Okay, the only thing left now was the basement. He started down the stairs, looking towards the door as he did - and to his horror, through the door's window saw Blaze coming. Panicking, he ran down, jumping over the railing near the end, and dashed down the stairs leading to the basement. He was halfway down when heard the door opening. Holding his breath, he crouched. For a few seconds that felt like eternity, Blaze just stood there, and Claudio had a crazy feeling that Blaze knew exactly where he was, but then he finally moved up the stairs.

Now was his chance! He needed to go check with Korlys, see what he had found, then decide what to do next - what was that? There was dim light coming through the bottom of the door to the basement. Had it been on when he entered the house? He walked down, and opened the door. To his surprise, it was just a fruit cellar, nothing out of - He jerked as he noticed a figure, sitting in a high chair, in the shadowy far end of the room, watching him. "Mrs. Blaze?" he called softly; it would be an odd place for an old lady to spend her afternoon, but nothing was normal in this house. She didn't reply or move at all. Unnerved, he slowly approached her.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Blaze. I'm Claudio Gethin. I'm looking for my little brother. He stayed in your hotel last week and I… I…"

The words died on his lips as he tried to comprehend what he saw in front of him. Sitting in the high chair, in a freshly laundered and ironed old-fashioned dress, was… Mrs. Blaze? Her eye sockets empty, the nose only a hole, skin pulled away from the mouth, revealing teeth in a skeleton's smile. Yet the skin was clearly powdered and rouged, and the dry hair tied in a loose bun.

Claudio felt the bile rising in his throat. He turned away from the horrible sight, trying to collect himself. So that was why Blaze didn't want to let anyone talk to his mother! Great Andraste, the man was crazy! He had to get out of here, he had to-

A loud screech from behind him made his heart skip a beat. He turned around just in time to see Blaze, wearing one of his mother's dresses and a hastily donned black wig, lunging at him with a huge knife.

Claudio took a step back, but tripped on the hem of the cadaver's dress and fell right into its lap. Blaze howled with rage and stabbed, once, twice, three times.

"You should've left my boy alone!"

oOo

Attrei hummed as he placed a plateful of sandwiches and a jug of milk on a tray and headed to the porch. He was dead tired, having spent the afternoon digging and cleaning, not to mention another drive to the pond and then the walk back. And then he had to carry Mother back to her room; she was very disturbed by all that had happened. They both deserved a few peaceful moments.

But they were a great team, he and Mother. No one could get between them. Not the sleazeball who wanted to seduce her to get their hotel; not the sinful girls who came just to tempt him, and certainly not a bunch of disgusting busybodies!

As long as they were together, they would always protect-

The sound of a car arriving interrupted his thoughts. He watched a couple, a man and a woman, get out and look around.

"Excuse me, ser! Do you have vacancies?"

Attrei smiled. "Of course we do! Twelve cabins, twelve vacancies. You can choose your favourite number. Would you like a sandwich?"

~The End~